Queensrÿche fans might be confused lately and the fan base seems split into two. We’re in the strange situation of “which is which and who is who” having a Queensrÿche A and a Queensrÿche B, both sides accusing each other of the worst.
“Frequency Unknown”, the new Queensryche album it’s due to release on April 23 on Deadline Music/Cleopatra Records. Actually one of the new Queensrÿche albums, the other one have no title yet and it’s recorded by “another” Queensrÿche. Sadly, two quite different bands running with the same name in two different directions.
“Frequency Unknown” featuring original Queensrÿche vocalist Geoff Tate along with an entirely new – all stars kind of – line-up consisting of Read more Queensryche: War in the Ryche of the Queen
Life and Living
heavy metal
Anthrax – Anthems, EP (2013)
My love for Anthrax started back in the mid 80’s with their murderous second album “Spreading the Disease”. Few years later, their killer “I’m the Man” (1987) literally changed my life and determined my taste in music. Anthrax is not a band, but an institution. Scott Ian is one of the Gods of Riffs while Charlie Benante is one of the Metal masterminds.
Now, honestly, back in 2010 when chief Joey Belladonna returned to Anthrax, I was pretty disappointed. On one hand I really love John Bush – great voice, great musician and contributed seriousely to the Anthrax machinery -, on the other hand, after all the ugly things Scott Ian and Charlie Benante revealed about Belladonna, I thought they will never sit in the same room again. But well, this is show-business, never say never, anything can happen. Belladonna was not so convincing throughout the Sonisphere Festival series where Anthrax performed along with Metallica, Slayer and Megadeth, but the 2011’s “Worship Music” was a 101% Anthrax album with a not bright, but fair Belladonna singing as back in the old days.
“Anthems” consist in 6 cover songs and the original album version, respectively a new remix of “Crawl” from their latest album. We’ve got here Rush, Thin Lizzy, AC/DC, Boston, Cheap Trick and Journey. Kind of surprisingly, no KISS track. But trust me, they did a killer job! Read more Anthrax – Anthems, EP (2013)
Bullet For My Valentine – Temper Temper (2013)
After a three years gap, “Temper Temper”, the fourth album by one of the finest Welsh’s new generation heavy metal band was finally released on February 8, 2013 in Australia, and February 11, 2013 worldwide under RCA Records. Produced by the same Don Gilmore, who worked on the group’s previous album, the 2010’s “Fever”, and mixed by noted engineer Chris Lord-Alge, “Temper Temper” consist of 11 powerful, but melodious, heavy, but simultaneously sticky, modern metal anthems. Songs like “Breaking Point”, “Truth Hurts”, “Temper Temper”, “Leech”, “Saints n Sinners” or “Riot” are bloody hard to erase from our memory once we heard them. And this mixture of Iron Maiden taste like classy heavy metal with the modern sounding, emo rooted metalcore, really make sense in the forge of Bullet For My Valentine – although, all this generation and their not so flying metalcore seems more and more hollow. But, by aggressive marketing and bought-up media, still popular. Read more Bullet For My Valentine – Temper Temper (2013)
Wall Of The Eyeless – Through Emptiness, Demo (2011)
![Wall Of The Eyeless Through Emptiness [Demo] 2011](http://brushvox.files.wordpress.com/2012/12/wall-of-the-eyeless-through-emptiness-demo-2011.jpg?w=150)
Knowing how damn hard it is to independently promote your music in this bought-up and sold-out world, I want to bring to your attention this release before the year it’s over. No electronic shits and dubstep infusions, no “metalcore”, no fake heaviness, but sparking originality and true to the bone Metal as rarely we can listen lately. And even further, this band is formed by two extremely young, 21, respectively 18 year old, but talented and gifted guys. The future of Metal sounds brighter and thunderous now! The old school is the new school!!
Genuine, raw sounding, but complex and technical Death/Black Metal mixture with roots back to classic and Neo-Progressive Heavy Metal and interesting switches from bone cutter distorted riffs to sensitive acoustic breakdowns, Wall Of The Eyeless delivered a quality debut recording, a hell of a demo and very promising promo. And they actually managed to write 4 songs and not only a boring, noisy series of themes and boring cliches.
They promising a second demo for 2013, but actually I hope they will deliver a debut album recorded in a proper studio with the benefits of the proper production. So, it’s up to you if to pay for the download or not, but if you think it’s good, please support the band, I believe they deserve it.
You can also purchase the CD release – jewel case with a 8-page booklet with info, drawings, lyrics and photos at Bigcartel.com. Read more Wall Of The Eyeless – Through Emptiness, Demo (2011)
Sorrows Path – The Rough Path Of Nihilism (2010)
Formed in November 1993, the Greece Sorrows Path on their second album delivered powerful, complex, quality Metal merging Heavy and Progressive elements with Death flavored intensity. Think of something like Iron Maiden playing Candlemass songs. Perfect and absolute stainless steel!
Technical and brutal, the 12 songs of “The Rough Path Of Nihilism” are both flavored by symphonic and Doom elements generating a massive sound and deeply dark, gloomy and epic vibe. Their music have a dark, tragic taste – which definitively reflects their own personal tragedy filled history.
Singer Angelos Ioannidis have a theatrical approach which mainly reminds me of Bruce Dickinson and Jon Oliva (Savatage).
“The Rough Path Of Nihilism” it’s an extremely compact, complex, flawless and unfortunately not enough known, publicized release. Read more Sorrows Path – The Rough Path Of Nihilism (2010)
Kiss – Monster (2012)
If I say this is the best Kiss album in decades, nobody will believe me, but folks, this is the naked, monstrous, true. And what it’s even more monstrous it’s the fact that Kiss are still more ferocious then 99.9% of the self proclaimed Metal-whatever, mainly “core”, bands nowadays. And dudes, we’re talking about a band active since 1973 and this is their 20th studio album so far. And honestly, their previous “Sonic Boom”, released 3 years ago, was also an absolutely fair and classy Kiss material, an ass-kicker mixture of Hard Rock and Heavy Metal. “Monster” sounds even better, sounds as a perfect mix between two of their classic albums, the 1976’s “Destroyer”, respectively the 1992’s “Revenge”.
Sebastian Bach’s – former Skid Row vocalist – reaction regarding one of the new Kiss songs, “The Devil Is Me”, saying “it kicks TOTAL ASS!!” it’s not surprising and not exaggerated. Kiss gonna kick your ass off, or eat your heart out if you’re a girl. 😀 Read more Kiss – Monster (2012)
Steve Harris – British Lion (2012)
“This is a big hearted and ferocious triumph” – declared Dom Lawson of Metal Hammer, while Nick Ruskell of Kerrang! go even further and proclaim: “British Lion is a brilliant album”. Well, it have its moments, but far not so brilliant as the media (and EMI) try to sell it to us. I can understand and generally I appreciate the British proud and the unconditional support for their own artists, and if not Steve Harris, the former and leader of one of the most famous and influential Heavy Metal bands of all time – talking about Iron Maiden, obviously – then don’t know who else might be called a “Rock icon”, but still, these 10 tracks are not so thundering and lightning Metal masterpieces as they are advertised. Actually singer Richard Taylor is another pale and weak copy of Ian Gillan mixed up with Bruce Dickinson, fortunately 100 better then poor Blaze Bayley, but not even close to the almighty Dickinson. This album with Dickinson, well, then, maybe, this could come closer to the praises. But Richard Taylor’s voice is smooth, but completely powerless.
On the other hand David Hawkins and Grahame Leslie delivered some excellent guitar parts while Steve Harris, surprisingly, managed to play his bass more colorful as he regularly does it in Maiden. Worth to highlight it, there are a couple of actually brilliant guitar solos on the album.
And strangely, the album here and there reminds me more of some Dickinson’s solo work from the 90’s, rather then sounding as a 2012 Metal album. And for God’s sake, the lyrics, who was interested in another song about Judas??! Read more Steve Harris – British Lion (2012)
Myriad – Specter, Fate & Fable (2012)
If you like Rush, Myriad will conquer you as well almost instantly. Sometimes it’s a thin line between copies, imitators and creative, genuine artist and this New York based trio it’s somewhere between. “Specter, Fate & Fable” it’s so Rush that it’s obvious for anybody, but still it’s not the same, the band gathering influences also from other progressive Rock acts such as Kansas, ELP, Yes, Jethro Tull, King Crimson, UK, Camel, Genesis, Pink Floyd, King’s X, Flower Kings, Spock’s Beard, etc. But the main and dominant influence is definitively Rush. On the other hand, it’s at least hard to be the equals of Lifeson, Lee and Peart…
Also, there was a pretty obscure, but reached to cult status Australian progressive rock duo also under the same name: Myriad, and even more recently, there is a band named The Myriad from Seattle, so, the band name is not so inspired as well and although they have web site, MySpace and Facebook profile, it’s pretty difficult to locate and identify them. And by the way, the site looks and taste pretty old-fashioned and kind of amateurish… Just like their videos – unfortunately. Like it or not, in a consumer’s world, the wrapping matters more then it’s normally should.
But then again, “Specter, Fate & Fable” it’s a quite enjoyable “food for ears”, eventually for soul. And have a decent cover. 🙂 Read more Myriad – Specter, Fate & Fable (2012)
Hellyeah – Band Of Brothers (2012)
Hellyeah it’s not a copy and probably not even a replacement, but still, it’s the best and most genuine substitute for Pantera we can ever get, a true and hard-ass band of brothers! We have here the former Pantera and Damageplan drummer Vinnie Paul, the Damageplan bassist Bob Zilla, the Nothingface guitarist Tom Maxwell, and from Mudvayne we’ve got lead vocalist Chad Gray and guitarist Greg Tribbett. If this isn’t a Heavy Metal supergroup, don’t know what might be. This is their third installment and probably their most ass-kicker, headbanger delivery so far. Read more Hellyeah – Band Of Brothers (2012)
Manowar – The Lord Of Steel (2012)
The Kings Of Metal are back with the Lord of Steel. The Manowarriors will definitively celebrate once again the loudest and the longest Heavy Metal concert player band in the world. Both performances were included in the Guinness Book of World Records. In 1984 the band delivering the loudest performance, a record which they have since broken on 2 occasions and they also set the record for the longest Heavy Metal concert after playing for 5 hours and 1 minute in Bulgaria in 2008.
Formed in 1980, Manowar maintain a strong cult following and they are probably one of the most loved Heavy Metal band in the world. Back in the 80’s when I had my share of headbanging on their killer album “Sign of the Hammer”, probably I didn’t believed that this band will last over two decades and in 2012 they will release their 12th studio album. Read more Manowar – The Lord Of Steel (2012)
