Angry Metal Guy

Ram // Death
Rating: 2.5/5.0 – Middleground of death
Label: Metal Blade Records
Website: http://www.myspace.com/rammetal
Release dates: EU: 2012.27/30.01 | US: 01.31.2012

You need a certain amount of courage to name your album Death in 2012, don’t you? I mean this is one of, if not the, most used words in the metal world altogether and it usually reminds lots of fans with Chuck Schuldiner’s seminal band with the same name. On the personal level, I still find myself a little baffled by Ram’s title of choice for their third studio album in thirteen years of making heavy metal. Then again, some may ask me “but what’s in a name?” and I find myself remembering some awesome and meaningful titles like Oblivion Beckons by Byzantine, The Atrocity Exhibition…  Exhibit A by Exodus or Mumakil’s Behold the Failure and realizing that there’s a lot in a name. Continue reading

Nothnegal // Decandence
Rating: 2.0/5.0 – Not good atoll!
Label: Season of Mist
Websites: nothnegal.net | myspace.com/nothnegal
Release Dates: EU: Out now! | US: 02.28.2012

Sweden this, U.S.A. that. Its always the same countries churning out the metal that lands on the cluttered desk of Steel Druhm. Sure, every now and then a Middle Eastern or Asian act tosses a spiked glove in the ring, but it’s predomiantly Europe and the Americas tasked with carrying the metal standard these days. That’s why its such a treat when we get a promo from someplace new and exotic. Nothnegal clearly qualifies, since they hail from the tiny Maldive Islands, way out in the Indian Ocean (their location is actually listed as an atoll, which counts as mega-exotic). Decadence is their first full length and its all about modern melodic death with loads of keys, bells and whistles. They take the basic melo-death concept and mix in semi-industrial Fear Factory-like riffing, loads of electronic effects, keys and even synthesized guitars. The big mystery is how this remote isle act wrangled drum services from Kevin Talley (Six Feet Under, ex-Hate Eternal, ex-The Black Dahlia Murder) and keys by Marco Sneck (Poisonblack, ex-Kalmah, ex-Charon). Sounds interesting so far, right? Well, it may be interesting, but sadly, it ain’t too good. Despite the endless array of interesting keyboard noodling and effects, things never really work out and Decadence quickly sinks below the waves of mediocrity. This is a real shame, since there are some interesting ideas on hand and some talented folks involved. But, as the saying goes, no band is an island (sorry, island jokes are rough going). Continue reading

Wow, how the time flies when you’re a reviewer! It seems like only yesterday we were welcoming in 2011 and looking ahead to a vast sea of new and interesting releases. But now we’ve reached that time of year when we at Angry Metal Guy Industries reflect back on the past twelve months in music. That means taking stock of what we liked and disliked, and sadly, owning up to all the shit we overlooked, ignored, missed or otherwise screwed the pooch on (oh, the SHAME!). First up on Steel Druhm’s Shame Spiral Tour is Upstate New York’s own Armor Column and their debut, Maximum Collateral Damage (available via MWA Records). Featuring a heady blend of old school thrash and traditional American power metal (Jag Panzer, Helstar), these war hawks led by fret-man Noah Carpenter (ex-Skinless) have come to batter, brutalize and bombard with their war-themed attack. At times ripping, at others catchy and always a bit rough around the edges and dirty, this was an unexpected but welcome surprise for yours truly that just didn’t get the review space it deserved (I blame Obama). Continue reading

Exhumed // All Guts, No Glory
Rating: 4.0 – Still rotten to the core
Label: Relapse Records
Websites: myspace.com/exhumed | facebook.com/exhumedofficial
Release Dates: Uh… fucking July, dudes. Buy it.
By: Fisting Andrew Golota

One of my great failings as a fan of heavy music is that I will listen to the originators of a particular style/genre, but ignore all the bands that arrived in their wake. If I want to hear thrash, I’m not going to put on Warbringer, for instance—I’m going to listen to fucking Exodus [Hear, hear! - AMG]. And I find it hard to give a shit about the more recent crop of sludge/stoner rock, seeing as how I’ve already got the first 10 Black Sabbath albums. But sometimes, being a closed-minded asshole means you miss out on some good stuff. And apparently, during the 15 years I was pissed off that Carcass broke up, I missed out on Exhumed. Continue reading

Anthrax// Worship Music
Rating: 3.5/5.0 — The sound of white persistence.
Label: Megaforce Records | Nuclear Blast 
Websites: anthrax.com | myspace.com/Anthrax
Release Dates:  EU: 12.09.2011 | US: 09.13.2011

Wow, the Thrax is finally back! After endless bullshit, drama and ridiculous delays, the revolving door of vocalists that saw John Bush and Joey Belladonna coming, going and coming again is over (for now). In the peculiar saga that saw John Bush depart so Anthrax could record an entire album with unsung voice Dan Nelson, only to scrap it for planned re-dubs with Bush and then later with original singer Joey Belladonna, we finally get the refinished  product. Confused? Yeah, me too. So after an eight year wait, is Worship Music worth the metallic soap opera and histrionics fans had to endure? Well, the hype circus is already in full swing, with the band themselves saying its their best material and some early reviews comparing the quality favorably to genre classics like “Heaven and Hell” and “Stargazer.”  Well, allow me to take a step back and simply say, NOT! It’s good and definitely interesting but Steel Druhm shall not be among the throngs of metal press that hail this as some crowning triumph or the best work of their long career. While it isn’t in the same league as their classics, it’s enjoyable and finds them trying new things without completely ditching the classic Thrax sound. Despite a few excellent songs, Worship Music isn’t the release of the year that many (myself included) hoped it would be. Continue reading

Toxic Holocaust // Conjure and Command
Rating: 4.5/5.0 —All hail, no fail!
Label: Relapse Records
Websites: myspace.com/toxicholocaust
Release Dates: Out this week!

The one man thrash brigade is back! That’s right, Joel Grind has crawled back from beyond (Oregon) to hammer us with yet another splatter platter of ugly, primitive but oh-so-good 80′s retro thrash. Mr. Grind has been mucking about as a one-man-band in the retro world since 99′, which makes him one of the originators of the ongoing thrash revival. Whether you love him or hate him depends on your tolerance for thrash and reliving the past. Regardless, here on album four, Conjure and Command, he makes it clear he’s not going away anytime soon. Conjure is yet another huge slab of golden age thrash, written by a true fan of the style for fans of the style. As the album unspools, the listener will hear references to all the great 80′s thrash icons and it plays like a thick, meaty stew loaded with Bay Area and Germanic ingredients. Its almost as if Mr. Grind stumbled across a creepy, Ed Gein style yard sale, the kind with plenty of scary old dolls and strange stuffed animals. Tucked away in the back was a bloody box loaded with the missing riffs of Kreator, Slayer and Destruction. Needless to say, that box was plundered mightily during the making of this album. If thrash gives you a rash, here is your chance to flee. If you feel the need for speed, read on. Continue reading

Vicious Rumors // Razorback Killers
Rating: 4.0/5.0 — Warball, Murderball, balls for everybody!
Label: SPV Records
Websites: viciousrumors.com | myspace.com/viciousrumors
Release Dates:  EU: 28.03.2011 US: 04.05.2011

2011 is turning out to be a great year for metal thus far. I find myself giving out 4.0 and 4.5 left and right and there’s lots of new stuff I’m really enjoying. With all due modesty, I caused this to happen by predicting the new Belphegor would be one of my top picks unless we had a truly banner year in metal. Well, you can thank your beloved Steel Druhm for the self-jinx by sending him all the finest ales, meats and cheeses from across the lands. Moving on, we come to another surprisingly good release, this time by long running San Francisco vets Vicious Rumors. These chaps have been knocking around since 1979 and put out some great albums early in their career like their self-titled opus and Welcome to the Ball (their debut even featured mega guitar ace Vinnie Moore). After the tragic death of vocalist Carl Albert in 1995, there was a long dry spell of lackluster and mediocre albums and not until 2006′s Warball did they truly get back into vintage fighting shape again. After a lengthy wait, they finally return with Razorback Killers and once again show themselves capable of much ass kickery and name takery. Continue reading

Havok // Time is Up
Rating: 4.0/5.0 — Time isn’t up for retro-thrash yet
Label: Candlelight Records
Websites: havokband.com | myspace.com/havok
Release Dates: EU: 2011.03.30 | US: 03.29.2011

A new year is here but the retro-thrash train keeps on rolling like it’s eternally 1988. Apparently it’s as unkillable as cockroaches and metalcore (same difference). At this point in the game, even a vintage, old school thrash enthusiast like myself is feeling the novelty wearing off and that’s saying something folks. Despite my increasing weariness with the second great wave of 80s thrash, I was unable to resist, deny or dislike the second album by Denver retro-heads Havok.  Time is Up is an unapologetic ode to all things Bay Area style thrash and draws major influences from the legends of that scene like Exodus, Death Angel, Slayer and Testament. There’s no surprises and no innovation (you can’t innovate much when you’re trying to sound like your shit came out in 1988) but these youngins sound energetic, angry and full of piss, vinegar and cheap beer. Add to that the fact they can really play and this ends up being a pleasant surprise and shows massive improvement from their debut album Burn (which AMG actually liked way more than I did, go figure). Continue reading

Eradication // Dreams of Reality
Rating: 2.5/5.0 — But no dreams of originality
Label: Siege of Amida Records
Websites: myspace.com/eradication
Release Dates:  EU: 07.02.2011 | US: 02.07.2011

This will be a pretty short review and here’s why. I just can’t find all that much to say about these blokes from England. Dreams of Reality is the debut full length by Eradication and they traffic in slick, thrashy melodic death metal with some metalcore elements stirred in (mainly the vocals) and of course, they co-opt the Gothenburg melo-death metal sound and style for all its worth.  We’ve all heard this style done about a gazillion times already by any number of good, bad and really shitty bands. Since these guys, although talented, bring nothing new to the long running Gothenburg party, this isn’t the type review that cries out for extended and thoughtful prose. Continue reading

Lazarus A.D. // Black Rivers Flow
Rating: 1.5/5.0 — Somebody shit in the river
Label: Metal Blade Records
Websites: lazarusad.com | myspace.com/lazarus1
Release Dates: EU: 01.28.2011 | US: 02.01.2011

There are plenty of myths that sane folks know to be false like Bigfoot, the Loch Ness Monster and honest politicians. However, one should never count the sophomore slump among those fairy tales and urban legends, for it is very real and very painful to behold. Exhibit A for 2011 is Lazarus A.D. who had a decent if not remarkable debut with 2009′s The Onslaught. Many seemed to lump them in with the retro-thrash revival and while there was some Exodus aping to be sure, they always sounded more metalcore-ish to my ears. Although I hate metalcore like I hate taxes, there was enough aggression, energy and nods to the old school throughout The Onslaught to make it semi-palatable and I didn’t totally hate it. Well, there is simply no digesting their second platter Black Rivers Flow, as Lazarus A.D. have firmly embraced their inner mall kid and all things Shadow’s Fall and the result is a veritable black river of crappy, overused grooves, tough guy posturing and general mediocrity. Continue reading