Painful and consistent. I can’t really imagine any other band 100% entitled to delivering the soundtrack of the “end times” than Brutal Truth. Formed by ex-Anthrax, Nuclear Assault, and Stormtroopers Of Death bass guitarist Dan Lilker in 1990, in New York City, Brutal Truth along Napalm Death were one of the leading grindcore bands, delivering extreme – and obviously – brutal metal. The group disbanded in 1999 after four studio albums, but reformed in 2006 and delivered in 2009 “Evolution Through Revolution”. “End Time”, the band sixth studio album will be released on September 27, 2011 by Relapse Records. The band have also made the entire album available for via streaming from their website and as the official release note said: “End Time packs shotgun blast-sized impact throughout its 21 track take down of civilization’s imminent implosion.” Read more Brutal Truth – End Time (2011)
Metal
Staind – Staind (2011)
It’s been awhile, isn’t it? Actually, many just never heard of them before and after “Break the Cycle” and justifiably or not, Staind was labeled by most as one hit wonders, but anyway, as one of the followers and not the leaders of the nu-metal wave. Anyway, definitively I skipped some of their albums lately. Scheduled to be released on September 13, 2011, “Staind”, the seventh upcoming album marks the return to the band’s heavier sound that was predominate on their earlier two albums, “Tormented” (1996) and “Dysfunction” (1999). Juggling between nu metal (Pantera/Korn/Limp Bizkit) heavy riffing and gloomy grunge (Alice In Chains/Pearl Jam) and post-grunge schemes, the 10 new tracks of Aaron Lewis and his band mates are a collection of so-called modern and alternative metal elements and cliches, but still, Staind have some excellent riffs, strong themes and the skill and ability to write catchy and powerful songs. Read more Staind – Staind (2011)
Alice Cooper – Welcome 2 My Nightmare (2011)
I love Alice. I loved his “Killer” from ’71, just like “School’s Out” and “Billion Dollar Babies” from ’72 and “Muscle of Love” from ’73. Then I loved “Welcome to My Nightmare” in 1975 and “Alice Cooper Goes to Hell” very next year. Later I loved “Special Forces” (’81), “Zipper Catches Skin” (’82), “DaDa” (’83), and “Constrictor” (’86). “Trash” (’89) and “Hey Stoopid” (’91) were both two great albums, “The Last Temptation” was alright and I really loved “Brutal Planet” in 2000 where Alice kind of give his answer to his followers and meanwhile new stars such as Marilyn Manson proving – once again – that he still have the power. But after that I kind of lost my appetite for Alice, “Dragontown” was at least a mediocre release while “Dirty Diamonds” sounds like a lost material from the 70s, not bad for that times, but quite outdated for the 2000s. Honestly, Alice didn’t really convinced me in 2008 with his concept album “Along Came a Spider”.
Then Alice planned to release a sequel of “Along Came a Spider”, but producer Bob Ezrin proposed instead the idea of a sequel to “Welcome to My Nightmare”, part of the thirtieth anniversary of its original release. Read more Alice Cooper – Welcome 2 My Nightmare (2011)
Judas Priest – Painkiller (1990)
It was the 12th studio album by Judas Priest, and the original LP, cassette and CD versions were released on 3 September 1990. “Painkiller” was the first record with drummer Scott Travis, who was recruited from the band Saints Or Sinners and replaced Dave Holland who was behind the drum kit for two decades since 1979 and also it was the last record with founder member and lead singer Rob Halford who after the end of the Painkiller tour in 1991 left the band and to form the group named Fight under the heavy influence of bands such as Pantera and the new metal subgenre: groove metal. Scott Travis became drummer both for Judas Priest and Fight and Priest bring to the microphone the talented young American singer Tim ‘Ripper’ Owens for the following two albums “Jugulator” (1997) and “Demolition” (2001). Judas Priest and Rob Halford announced they would reunite in July 2003 and a new studio album, Angel of Retribution, was released on 1 March 2005. Read more Judas Priest – Painkiller (1990)
Dream Theater – A Dramatic Turn of Events (2011)
Probably one of the most expected albums of this fall by metal fans. Three years after the epic “Black Clouds & Silver Linings”, the progressive metal band formed in 1985 by John Petrucci, John Myung, and Mike Portnoy while they attended Berklee College of Music in Massachusetts are back, first time without founding member, drummer Mike Portnoy. His departure raise higher the interest for this new material, but Mike Mangini can not be a disappointment for anybody. Metal fans probably remember his name from his contribution on Annihilator’s third album, “Set the World on Fire” released in 1993, but he also contributed to Extrem’s 95’s album, “Waiting For The Punchline” and more notably he was the drummer in Steve Vai’s live band and recorded several drum tracks for Steve’s “Fire Garden” and “The Ultra Zone” albums. Also Mangini was notorious for setting five World’s Fastest Drummer records between 2002-2005.
The band’s 11th studio album, “A Dramatic Turn of Events” is scheduled for a September 13 release on Roadrunner Records. After several listening, this might be the best, the more balanced Dream Theater album so far. Well, I’m conscious, some said this about their previous album… and every new release of any band usually is nominated as their best, but this time Dream Theater actually quite managed to delivered their best. Read more Dream Theater – A Dramatic Turn of Events (2011)
Sepultura – Chaos A.D. (1993)
I admit it: I wasn’t a Sepultura fan, but things have changed 18 years ago with their fifth studio album, “Chaos A.D.”. Released on 2nd September 1993, with this album Sepultura transcend from their previous death/thrash metal style into raw hardcore punk, a mixture of metal with industrial music and spiced with traditional Brazilian-styled percussion which eventually become one of the founding pillars of the groove metal subgenre along Pantera’s “Vulgar Display of Power”. “Chaos A.D.” established new direction, a new approach, a new standard for brutality, and not at least a new subgenre of metal. It seems in 1993 everything came together for Sepultura. Read more Sepultura – Chaos A.D. (1993)
Powerman 5000 – Copies, Clones and Replicants (2011)
Michael Cummings aka Spider One is most known to being the younger brother of Rob Zombie. He’s also the founder and only original member of Powerman 5000 – sometimes abbreviated to PM5K – and their styles and sound have often been also compared to Rob Zombie. “Copies, Clones & Replicants” are a fun collection of cover tunes released yesterday, 30th August and we’ve got 12 songs originally performed by artist such as T. Rex, Devo, Van Halen, David Bowie, Twisted Sister, The Cars, The Clash, etc mashed up, twisted inside out and reassembled by PM5K in their music blender.
Spider One said they continue working on original material, consider this an interlude. Read more Powerman 5000 – Copies, Clones and Replicants (2011)
Killing Joke – Killing Joke (1980)
A real underground pearl, still not enough appreciated, but an undisputed underground classic, the self-titled studio debut album by the British Killing Joke was self-produced and released in August, 1980 worldwide under E’G Records. The song “The Wait” was covered by Metallica in 1987 and released on “The $5.98 E.P.: Garage Days Re-Revisited” and “Requiem” was covered by Foo Fighters in 1997 as a b-side to the “Everlong” single. Finding modest commercial success, Killing Joke have influenced many later bands, such as Nirvana, Ministry, Amen, Lamb of God, Nine Inch Nails, Porcupine Tree, Napalm Death, Behemoth, Amebix, Big Black, Opeth, Murderdolls, Godflesh, Dead by April, Tool, Prong, Metallica, Franz Ferdinand, Primus, Jane’s Addiction, Soundgarden, Foo Fighters, Faith No More, Blacklist, Shihad, Pitchshifter, Das Oath, Rammstein and Korn, and gained a cult status with their industrial metal among critics and both fans of post punk and heavy metal. Read more Killing Joke – Killing Joke (1980)
Buckethead – Empty Space, Underground Chamber, Look Up There (2011)
Buckethead’s 32nd studio album, as well the second edition in the Buckethead Pikes series following “It’s Alive” . More experimental, much heavier, contorted, but beautiful, “Empty Space” with a total length of 32 minutes (ten songs) bring to the surface some intense riffs, noisy textures and wild, hurricane-like solos, but also funky basses, avant-garde experiments, industrial soundscapes, in few words, Buckethead shot all his big guns at our ears and once again he spare no energy to create music. Can’t stick labels to this, can’t force it into some boxes, his music have no genre, but style and class. Probably both, genius and madman, Buckethead is by excellence the most fascinating guitar wizard. Read more Buckethead – Empty Space, Underground Chamber, Look Up There (2011)
Gay For Johnny Depp – What Doesn’t Kill You, Eventually Kills You (2011)
It’s the perfect balance between not taking themselves very seriously and taking the music absolutely seriously. And they know how to write extremely catchy hardcore songs, while the lyrics might bring a smile upon your face, the riffs will blow your head off definitively. Just as they sing it: “We Are The World? Burn It Down!” That’s what it’s all about: humor and hardcore. Kind of… Nine Inch Males… or something. 😀
“What Doesn’t Kill You, Eventually Kills You” is the band’s second full-length album and the funny lyrics and song titles are served with high energy, pumping, sometimes quite chaotic (“Pink Flag”) hardcore. Let’s just say: Cum On Feel The Noize! Read more Gay For Johnny Depp – What Doesn’t Kill You, Eventually Kills You (2011)
