The opening title track, “The Calm Fire” might be misleading. Wobbling basses and the smooth, but sober electronic layers only announce the storm to come. I think a smart exploration of those fancy elements and a proper use of them along the brutal riffing, the death fueled vocals and the metalcore flavoured build-ups would add a great support to the musical experiment of Mohammed Sawan, the brain and musician behind this Abu Dhabi project.
“The Oppressed” it’s an intense and exciting journey on the wings of progressive death metal with several metalcore taste like breaks and neo-classic, Yngwie Malmsteen flavoured, powerful guitar passages. If Malmsteen would ever try to play death metal, that definitively would sound like “FAIL! Try Again”. Even the clean vocals reminded me of the Swedish guitar hero. The breakdown it’s very classy, heavy metal fueled, but some of the riffs are also extremely power/speed metal fueled. Extremely technical, but still soulful and expressive mixture of styles and sounds. Read more Obselion – The Calm Fire, EP (2012)
Yearly Archives: 2013
Hatebreed – The Divinity Of Purpose (2013)
Jamey Jasta and his killing machine are back with their sixth studio album. “Put It To the Torch” explodes literally and the merciless butchery begun. With solid roots back to Pantera, Sepultura and Machine Head, this is a dangerously groovy and modern metal mixed with brutal and intense hardcore. “Honor Never Dies” could easily fit in on any Cro-Mags, Biohazard, Madball or Sick of It All album. And everything after it’s a furious, unstoppable mixture of hardcore intensity and brutal, bone cutter metal riffs and the nervous, spitting vocals of Jamey Jasta.
“The Language” starts as one of the most incisive Slayer songs. And each and every song it’s memorable, groovy, no fill, no useless shit, but killer riffs and 101% intensity thought! “Indivisible” it’s a true hardcore punk anthem; “Dead Man Breathing” it’s the perfect Slayer/Pantera mixture!! Read more Hatebreed – The Divinity Of Purpose (2013)
Gliding Soul – Travelling With Mr. Who, EP (2012)
Gliding Soul deliver a quite contorted and dynamic mixture of modern metal heaving roots back to death metal, but revealing nu and groove metal resonances and metalcore infusions as well. While singer Benoit Derat mainly sings as Maynard Keenan of Tool, sometimes he shift into Serj Tankian, but he’s also capable of some deadly or furious death metal howls. The band’s music it’s same colourful and intense. Technical, progressive death metal, brutal metalcore and twisted out nu metal with experimental edge are efficiently merged here. Brutal riffs and acoustic breakdowns, complex rhythms and aggressive grindings are smartly incorporated and build together. Think of a mixture of Tool, System of A Down with a twist of Korn and death metal.
Very intense, very efficient and creative. Although they definitively have some solid influences, the final output it’s expressive and efficient. Technically flawless, Gliding Soul it’s a name to keep in mind if you love experimental, but brutal, modern metal! Read more Gliding Soul – Travelling With Mr. Who, EP (2012)
Zeromancer – Bye-Bye Borderline (2013)
“Auf Wiedersehen Boy”, the opening track of Zeromancer’s new album, sounds just like a “Mechanical Animals”/”The Golden Age of Grotesque” type of Marilyn Manson anthem. The following “Bye-Bye Borderline” sounds more like a wicked mixture of David Bowie and Muse with a twist of Linkin Park in the chorus.
Smooth electronic layers, solid rock riffs, goth and gloomy vibe, cyber pop flavored melodies and powerful vocal hooks are all vital parts of the Zeromancer’s arsenal.
From the third “Lcyd”, I can distinctly hear a powerful H.I.M. influence running through the vein of their songs merged with a subtle A-HA flavour. But Zeromancer pushed their sound in a fuhrer dark direction and added a more industrial/electronic taste to it. “Bye-Bye Borderline” it’s a strong and balanced mixture of industrial rock and goth vibe, of Northern gloom and charming melodies, of electric rock and electronic pop. Read more Zeromancer – Bye-Bye Borderline (2013)
Bad Religion – True North (2013)
Formed in Los Angeles in 1979, Bad Religion released its sixteenth studio album, kind of unbelievable actually, they some real survivors of a long gone and by many forgotten era. The age of true, honest, undiluted punk (rock). But some things are never change and it’s a good thing. Bad Religion sounds just like three decades ago, and “True North” it’s a very energetic, fresh, sing-a-long type of, genuine Bad Religion release. These melodies, rapid beats, simple and tasty riffs never can be mistaken for anyone, but Bad Religion.
“True North” is a celebration of everything we always love and appreciated about Bad Religion. This is probably their best album, but, fortunately, not their last! Read more Bad Religion – True North (2013)
Gallows – Gallows (2012)
Brutal, raw, merciless hardcore punk. Nothing fancy, nothing polite, nothing for the sake of the compromise, no sell-out. Singer Frank Carter left Gallows in July 2011 and former Alexisonfire guitarist/vocalist Wade MacNeil replaced Carter in August 2011. The result of this fresh blood infusion, the third Gallows’ album it’s a very nervous, very intense, aggressive and loud record. No fills, no breaks, no This “new” Gallows are picking up from where The Exploited left out, although this is less metal flavored and heavily hardcore fueled punk with a good sense of Brit indie rock infusion. “Outsider Art” it’s an excellent sing-a-long type of punk rock anthem with a brutal hardcore breakdown. Simple and brilliant. Memorable and brutal. And this spirit it’s running throughout the veins of all the 11 tracks of the new release and grinding you into the ground. Can run, but can’t hide, Gallows will get you! Read more Gallows – Gallows (2012)
DVBBS – Love & Lies (Josh Money Remix) – FREE DOWNLOAD
Sick electronic glitches, bass drops and wobbling, oscillating dubstep bass lines and some twisted and contorted noises are merged with the hip hop grooves, r’n’b flavored modern dance music. Best part: it’s for free.
Since his first piano lessons at age five, Josh Money has been composing music. Looking forward to a promising future as a traditional composer, he studied classical composition, guitar, and piano at Macon State. But after hearing the music of producer BT, he took an interest in electronic music and soon learned his true passion was producing behind a computer. After completing his AA in classical guitar, he enrolled at FullSail and in his second month won 1st place in a theme song writing competition for the indie film Flying Tiger. During this time he also made his first introduction into the world of electronic music by writing and singing vocals for the progressive trance hit “400 Years Till Dawn”. Read more DVBBS – Love & Lies (Josh Money Remix) – FREE DOWNLOAD
CORTEZ release video for “Arrogants Que Nous Sommes”
Switzerland-based chaotic post-metal act CORTEZ have released a music video for “Arrogants Que Nous Sommes”. It appears on their second full-length “Phoebus”, which is available now on deluxe gatefold 2xLP from Throatruiner Records, Basement Apes and Get A Life (and on CD via Basement Apes & Lost Pilgrims). Watch the video, read full review, check out the full stream of the record: Read more CORTEZ release video for “Arrogants Que Nous Sommes”
Converge – All We Love We Leave Behind (2012)
Sick as f*ck, fast and loud, Converge, one of the most creative and explosive metal bands emerged from the underground in the last decade it’s back with their eighth and deadliest album. Playing an extremely innovative blend of hardcore punk and modern, death and groove fueled extreme metal, Converge not only opened the path for a new generation of furious metallers, but also inspired and influenced a brand new generation of bands and consistently contributed to define many of the elements of the metalcore genre.
Their previous album, the 2009’s “Axe to Fall” peaked at number 74 in the Billboard 200 and the expectations were pretty high regarding their new release.
“All We Love We Leave Behind” it’s a new milestone in the history of the metal. This is metal f*ckers! True, raw, unpolished, stainless metal. Not that kind of s*it that the media call it metal(core) nowadays and the industry sell it labeled as “the real thing” to the naive teenagers. Surprise!! No electronic layers, no bass drops, no borrowed, Skrillex type of contortions. Fortunately! Read more Converge – All We Love We Leave Behind (2012)
The Raygun Girls – The Raygun Girls (2013)
“The Time is Now” sounds like a furious Kiss track on steroids, and the New York based The Raygun Girls with their 5th studio are definitively willing to conquer the universe, or at least grinding their audience into the ground. Their music it’s a vivid mixture of hard rock, heavy metal, industrial, goth and punk rock, mainly reminding me of Danzig, while they compare their sound to bands such as Lacuna Coil, Rob Zombie, Killing Joke and Evanescence.
The brand new self-titled album it’s both an ode to the Apocalypse, and a call to Revolution, while the aliens are coming to take over our world.
With contribution from Peter Watkinson of death metal band Abomnium doing lead guitar on two songs, and some original photography work from Oliver Wasow, as well as lyrics from Paul F. Ferguson and Jacinda Espinosa, “The Raygun Girls” it’s the result of 10 years of songwriting, lyric writing, and road experience, and the 11 songs delivering the very essence of this band: powerful, raw, without compromises, loud rock & roll!! Read more The Raygun Girls – The Raygun Girls (2013)
