Although everybody seems to have a different account of who came first in the world of New York/New Jersey area Thrash Metal, it seems certain that New Jersey’s Overkill have stayed around the longest, and have never let their fans down by remaining musically consistent and true to their roots for over 30 years and an unprecedented 16 full length albums and it seems we have the certain answer who’s banging till the end. Evil never dies? Who knows, but Overkill seems and sounds unstoppable. By 1987’s “Taking Over”, the band had worked their way up to a deal with the major label Atlantic Records. This relationship would last another 7 years based on the strength and consistency of Overkill’s music. 1989’s “The Years Of Decay” marked Overkill as one of the most murderous Thrash bands of the decade and one of the leading forces of the genre. Read more Overkill – The Electric Age (2012)
M. Fallan – Contagious (2011)
This is the debut album by Parisian M. Fallan. His music reminds me of Sigur Rós, but also some veterans as Tuxedomoon. Taking off from gentle acoustic up to noise explosions right in your face, M. Fallen delivering a tumultuous, contorted trip, still subtle and beautifully layered.
It’s the kind of music which hypnotize you slowly, tie you down and eventually never release you again.
10 tracks, a joyful and gentle, but simultaneously dark and sometimes furiously raging search for answers, feelings, for light, for escape and not at least for ourselves. If you like pianos and screaming guitars, minimalist arrangement, acoustic moments, but also noisy eruptions and contorted grooves, M. Fallan will deliver all his feelings and thoughts merged into this collection of colorful songs and definitively will charm you. This is quite…. contagious. Read more M. Fallan – Contagious (2011)
Ministry – Relapse (2012)
Few words worth more then a couple of fancy, but meaningless phrases, so, Al Jourgensen – age fiftyfuckingthree years – is back with the twelfth studio album of Ministry and they are simply and straightly louder, faster and angrier then ever. And Mr. Jourgensen is not alone, he’s got serious back up from Mike Scaccia and Casey Orr of Rigor Mortis, Tommy Victor of Prong and Tony Campos of Static X. This time eventually they aren’t pushing the musical boundaries further, they doesn’t break any new ground, but definitively they delivered again the most murderous sonic sledgehammer and you can bang your head to it, get wasted or waste someone, or occupy the streets and markets of your city. Politically correct? The ulcers are gone and Bush is gone, the shit stays the same, the price of the gas goes upper everyday, but let’s stick for now to the music and to this 10 tracks and just bang on this for a while! Read more Ministry – Relapse (2012)
The Stranglers – Giants (2012)
Much more alive then most of the more or less musical products delivered by the nowadays not even fifteen minutes superstar kids, The Stranglers are kicking like a mule with their 17th studio album delivered in their 38 years of “constant success”. Just read it somewhere that the combined age of their current line-up totals 242 years, while Baz Warne (guitars, vocals) who joined the band in 2000 with his springing 47 years is the youngest of the band, while founder member, drummer Jet Black (born Brian John Duffy) is 73. And still, just as I said, this “old dudes” are fresher then many of plastic s*its the industry delivers on fake golden plates tagged and labeled as “best” of something. There is no auto-tuned screaming, no wobbling basses, no frequency oscillations, there is no make-up and no self-pity post-emo painted in black emotions, just four guys playing music. Simply, straight and for real. Read more The Stranglers – Giants (2012)
Kachu Mx – Sheriff Fuck You, EP (2012)
From Juarez, Mexico, DJ Kachu Mx started in 2007 to produce some experimental beats with the influence of commercial genres merging minimal, dark techno and twisted house. His first successful EP “Dark Rider” was released by Miniaturesrec Phunk Investigation Label, since, Kachu Mx has worked with several labels.
Clubstream bring to our ears another heavy set of pounding beats and rambling basses, this four track EP will fill up the speakers on late nights and early mornings. “Sheriff Fuck You”, “Don’t Be Afraid”, “El Diseñador Constantino” and “Drogba” will set the couch on fire and banish the sleep away. Read more Kachu Mx – Sheriff Fuck You, EP (2012)
Poets Of The Fall – Temple Of Thought (2012)
Marko Saaresto sounds just like a fresh and young Ozzy Osbourne, while his band, Poets Of The Fall merging classic values of Rock and Metal with sometimes Pop-like melodies, some typical Scandinavian vibes and a very clean, stripped to the bone, but modern sound.
While the opening “Running Out of Time” is an almost classic Rock/Metal song, the following “Temple of Thought” is more a Nordic Pop song with guitars and hidden Symphonic Metal layers in the background. And Poets Of The Fall juggling through the album between being radio-friendly and staying Rock. This is – generally – a quite hazardous game because you might ended up falling between the two chairs. While “Cradled in Love” reminds me of the score of the Twin Peaks or a possible runner for Eurovision, on “The Distance” they bring back some riffs merged with modern electronic layers. Read more Poets Of The Fall – Temple Of Thought (2012)
Adrenaline Mob – Omerta (2012)
This album is more like Pantera Groove Metal rather then Dream Theater Progressive Rock/Metal. Singer Russell Allen (Symphony X) and his (super) band mates delivered a quite heavy album full of nervous guitar riffs and raging grooves, classic, but biting and looking forward kind of, hate to say this, but no other proper word, True Metal. Progressive, Groove and some Southern taste like elements are merging perfectly here. Russell Allen had some royal partners in this project: drummer Mike Portnoy (Ex-Dream Theater), guitarist Mike Orlando (previously worked with Zakk Wylde and Bumblefoot), bass player Paul DiLeo (Fozzy), and rhythm guitarist Rich Ward (Stuck Mojo/Fozzy). Meanwhile DiLeo and Ward left the project due to scheduling conflicts with their other bands and on February 8, 2012, John Moyer (Disturbed) became Adrenaline Mob’s new bass player. Read more Adrenaline Mob – Omerta (2012)
Elizabeth – Where Vultures Land, EP (2012) – free download!
This is the debut EP of this brutally brilliant Swiss band delivered – once again – in its digital format and even FOR FREE by Throatruinner Records and its fully devoted “driver”, Matthias Jungbluth. He’s fan-friendly approach, he’s support of those bands deserves our support and every and each penny counts!
Elizabeth reminds me of Celtic Frost in the best possible sense, actually sounds pretty as a modern, and even future Celtic Frost incorporating along the traditional Black and Thrash Metal heritage all the post-scremo, post-hardcore, post-punk, and post (modern) whatevers, everything what can make the music more louder, more stronger, more extreme. And Elizabeth seems to find just the right path of merging past and future into their own cutting edge Metal. Read more Elizabeth – Where Vultures Land, EP (2012) – free download!
The Tape Disaster – A Voz do Fogo, EP (2012) free download!
Brasilia’s finest Progressive Rock outfit it’s back with a beautiful EP and through the experimental net label headed in the depths of São Paulo, Brazil, Sinewave the two track material it’s available for free download.
I listen The Tape Disaster last year, and wrote about them because I was quite impressed by their ability to merge smooth and nowadays Shoegaze called elements with the power and explosion of traditional Rock and the magic aromas of Brazilian music and percussion. Read more The Tape Disaster – A Voz do Fogo, EP (2012) free download!
Hartmut Kiss – Flaming Passion, EP (2012 )
Not being a clubber and a “classic consumer” of music generally speaking and particularly of dance music, my opinion is based exclusively on vibes and feelings, feelings bring to the surface by the sounds – the music – I’m listening to. And I’m kind of good – and massive – listener of all different genres of music, sometimes including dance music too. But well, I’m not a clubber, I’m not a consumer. Yet.
DJ Harmut Kiss seems to have always the right track at the right moment at his hand and it seems the veteran German DJ reads on the faces of the crowd like a book. And mix his own tracks with the intuition of a man who seen everything and knows all the secrets. The rhythmic is addictive and the subtle groove will definitively hypnotize you and put you on the move. “Flaming Passion” Read more Hartmut Kiss – Flaming Passion, EP (2012 )
