4.5

Rival Sons – Pressure and Time Review

Rival Sons – Pressure and Time Review

By Steel Druhm on June 21, 2011 in 2011, 4.5, American Metal, Earache Records, Not Metal, Reviews, Heavy Metal, 5 comments

Ah, the 70s. Bell bottom jeans, afros, Volkswagen vans, key parties, all the amusing trends that won’t be missed [How could you miss Pet Rocks!? Oh, and cocaine! – AMG]. What is missed however is quality Rock n’ Roll with balls, integrity and real chutzpah. Well, thanks to this very surprising release by Los Angeles based Rival Sons, the 70s rock ethos comes roaring back in a BIG way (thankfully without the bell bottoms). While Pressure and Time is their third release, I’m shamefully late to the party and let me say, I’m fucking impressed as all hell. Fusing elements of Led Zeppelin, Jimi Hendrix, The Doors, Mountain, The Beatles, Creedence Clearwater Revival and healthy doses of blues (and even hints at Motown), this thing rumbles and rattles with an authentic 70s rage and energy that I wouldn’t have believed possible in 2011. From start to finish Pressure and Time blasts away with powerful, emotive and fun rock like they don’t make anymore (except these guys apparently) and its a helluva ride. This sounds like some long lost rock masterpiece, exhumed in a time capsule and finally released. It ain’t exactly metal as we know it in 2011 but it’s hard edged, rowdy, raw and loud enough to win over all but the most extreme metal fans.

The Book of Mormon – Cast Recording Review

The Book of Mormon – Cast Recording Review

By Angry Metal Guy on May 12, 2011 in 2011, 4.5, Not Metal, Reviews, Not Metal, 3 comments

So, I know that this is off the beaten path a bit, but I have a thing about wasting time. See, being a reviewer means that you have a tight schedule. You might not believe it, but in order to keep up with the pace at which music is produced, I have a listening schedule and I rarely listen to music just for the sheer pleasure of it these days because, well, there’s just so much new coming out that I have to keep up with. So when I discover something new that I really, really, really love and can’t stop listening to it basically means I have to write a review. And The Book of Mormon by the South Park guys +1 is something that I fell pretty hard for.

Hate Eternal – Phoenix Amongst the Ashes Review

Hate Eternal – Phoenix Amongst the Ashes Review

By Steel Druhm on May 10, 2011 in 2011, 4.5, American Metal, Death Metal, Metal Blade, Reviews, Death Metal, 17 comments

Holy sheeeit man! I know the world sucks, times are hard and most people are dicks but whatever is pissing Erik Rutan off must be way worse than anything I’ve ever put up with. The clearly enraged Mr. Rutan and crew are back with another Hate Eternal platter of overly brutal death metal and this one’s a real doozy folks. While Hate Eternal always used and abused the basic Florida death metal sound pioneered by the mighty Morbid Angel (Erik contributed on some of their prime albums) and Deicide, Phoenix Amongst the Ashes is in a whole different league of sonic blight. This is some profoundly heavy, blasting, pummeling death played at light speed with very bad intentions. Offering little in the way of melody, catchiness or human compassion, you get nine songs akin to an aural carpet bombing. To say this is merely brutal is to do it a great disservice. This is enormously brutal and bordering on unlistenable. Even some die-hard death fans may throw up their hands at this album and say enough! It’s that crazy.

Pentagram – Last Rites Review

Pentagram – Last Rites Review

By Steel Druhm on April 12, 2011 in 2011, 4.5, American Metal, Doom Metal, Metal Blade, Doom Metal, 4 comments

Pentagram has been around almost as long as actual pentagrams have. They’re seriously grizzled, wiley vets of the doom scene and the fact they’re still churning out material is amazing to me. This band has been together in one form or another since 1971 and now they’re back again in 2011. In case you somehow missed the boat on these doom titans, Pentagram plays 70’s styled doom metal similar to early Black Sabbath or old Saint Vitus and they’ve created some of the best moments in the style over their long life. For those already familiar with the Penta-brand, what makes this album a Big Fucking Deal (thank you, Joe Biden) is the return of founding guitarist and doom demigod Victor Griffin (Place of Skulls) who hasn’t graced a Pentagram platter since their last great effort, Be Forewarned way back in 1994. With one of the true masters of doom guitar reunited with one of the founding fathers of doom vocals Bobby Liebling, can things end up as anything other than unnaturally bad ass? No, no they can’t and Last Rites is the strongest and most consistently killer album since Be Forewarned and may even be better. From start to finish, this sounds like a fully recharged and hungry Pentagram and what makes it even better, it sounds WAY heavier and more battle ready than the recent string of releases with Joe Hasselvander playing all the instruments. This is Grade A doom with some serious attitude and it delivers a major kick to the arse. Not what you would expect from a bunch of old codgers eh?

Within Temptation – The Unforgiving Review

Within Temptation – The Unforgiving Review

By Within Darkness on March 20, 2011 in 2011, 4.5, Dutch Metal, Gothic Metal, Not Metal, Power Metal, Reviews, Roadrunner, Gothic Metal, Not Metal, 16 comments

As one of the elevated culprits who took guilty pleasure in bringing the so-called “female fronted” symphonic metal genre to fame, Within Temptation has often been right next to the milestone names of Tristania, Theatre of Tragedy, Nightwish, After Forever and the like from this infamous subgenre [Also known as “Chick Metal” by this member of The Patriarchy – AMG]. This is often accompanied by blunt comparisons, senseless “expert” statements and, of course, rabid hate from people who just can’t appreciate chicks in metal [Example: my earlier comment. – AMG]. But hey, life goes on and so does the music industry. Whatever the case, unlike their colleagues who have gone through hard time line-up changes that have proven catastrophic at times, Within Temptation has continued to add new chapters to their own story. Through times of war between legions of Tarja and Anette die-hards, crazy Vibeke rumors in the air, Floor & Sander drama break-ups, the flame of Within Temptation continued to burn ever brighter, offering fascinating music with each release.

Amon Amarth – Surtur Rising Review

Amon Amarth – Surtur Rising Review

By Steel Druhm on March 18, 2011 in 2011, 4.5, Death Metal, Metal Blade, Reviews, Swedish Metal, Melodic Death Metal, 29 comments

AHHHH! The war drums are sounding the return of the dragon ships at last! One of the most anticipated releases of the new year is finally here. Since my Amon Amarth geekdom is second only to my slavish Amorphis fanboyism, to say I’m excited to get my hands and ears on Surtur Rising simply doesn’t cover it. Lately it’s seemed these war-like Swedes could do no wrong and their past two albums have been monstrous platters of crushing melodic death metal of the highest caliber. If you were expecting something different here, you’re obviously an idiot because it clearly ain’t broke so why fuck with it? Thankfully, Surtur Rising picks up where Twilight of the Thunder God left off and delivers another size fourteen viking boot to your Asgard with their trademark precise, powerful style. This is heavy as hell, metal as fuck and the perfect soundtrack to pillage, maraud and rampage to. Amon Amarth has done it once again and given their track record, no one should be surprised by how good this is.

Jag Panzer – The Scourge of the Light Review

Jag Panzer – The Scourge of the Light Review

By Steel Druhm on February 28, 2011 in 2011, 4.5, American Metal, Heavy Metal, Power Metal, Reviews, SPV, Heavy Metal, Power Metal, 0 comments

Jag Panzer has been an American metal institution since the early 80’s and they’ve always been a band that you could rely on to clobber you with enormous, powerful, top-notch heavy metal of the traditional school. They’re also the original American power metal act. Their take on power metal being far different than the textbook European approach, Jag Panzer were always much heavier, tougher and had more balls than the Helloweens, Gamma Rays and such of the Euro-school. Built around the mammoth, masculine and powerhouse vocals of Harry “the Tyrant” Conklin, the Panzer sound was always hard-edged, large and much closer to the NWOBHM style of Iron Maiden or Judas Priest. After a wait of nearly seven years since 2004’s Casting the Stones, The Panzer finally rolls again and we get album eight (nine if you count the long shelved Chain of Command opus), The Scourge of the Light. Was it worth the long wait? Does Moonsorrow piss in the snow? [Was the Pope a Nazi? – AMG] Of course it was worth it! Scourge is a welcome and mighty return to the metal throne by Jag Panzer and they brings us ten new slices of old school metal glory.

Before the Dawn – Deathstar Rising Review

Before the Dawn – Deathstar Rising Review

By Steel Druhm on February 21, 2011 in 2011, Death Metal, Finnish Metal, Gothic Metal, Heavy Metal, Nuclear Blast, Reviews, Death Metal, Doom Metal, Gothic Metal, Melodic Death Metal, 10 comments

Ah, the life of a reviewer. It has it’s share of perks for sure. The promos, the forum for spouting self-righteous opinions, the money and of course, the women. However, all of that glory fades when compared to the thrill of reporting that a beloved band’s new album is fantastic. This right here was a release I’ve been waiting eagerly for and I had to beg, harass and harangue Angry Metal Guy into letting me review it. Because he’s a harsh but fair employer, he finally relented and let me address the sixth album by these gents from Finland (although that probably means I have to review a crapload of cheesy metalcore albums in the near future [How’d you know!? – AMG]). For those unfamiliar, Before the Dawn is a little difficult to pigeonhole neatly into one genre. They’re essentially a melodic death metal unit with a fair amount of gothic, and at times, doom metal added in. It’s been a successful and highly enjoyable combination and these guys always impressed me with how they blended heaviness with melody and huge hooks. I’m very happy to report that Deathstar Rising is another big success for these guys, contains some of their best material so far and is one of the best releases of the still early year.

Turisas – Stand Up and Fight Review

Turisas – Stand Up and Fight Review

By Angry Metal Guy on February 18, 2011 in 2011, 4.5, Century Media, Finnish Metal, Progressive Metal, Record o' the Month, Reviews, Viking Metal, Viking Metal, 14 comments

Few bands have ever generated the kind of excitement that Turisas generated among my friends in 2004 when we first got wind of Battle Metal, the debut record from this Finnish viking metal group. Stylistically it really was like nothing we had ever heard. Over the top orchestrations ruled the disc with nary a guitar solo in sight. Instead, the music was largely good for beer swilling and chanting at our drunken parties (which were usually followed up by everyone putting their hair in a certain type of ponytail and running around screaming “Riders of Rohan!”). Hard hitting tracks like “Battle Metal” and “The Land of Hope and Glory” excited us to no end. This band was something unique and special.