12 murderous, good-old fashioned groove metal tracks, Pantera fans will be definitively satisfied by this Russian outfit. They incorporated in their “edgecrusher” sound several modern elements, like using synthesizers and have several Korn-alike nu metal grooves and layers, but generally they staying solid in the traditional, heavy, metal area. Some of their riffs even reminded me of Iron Maiden (“Real Monster” for instance), so, this is more close to the classic metal then to the nowadays post-metal and metalcore products.
And just to be goddamn honest, even to take a closer look to their album art, worth a few minutes. Read more Edgecrusher – Damagemaker (2012)
Life and Living
nu metal
Lamb Of God – Resolution (2012)
If there is such thing (music) as “post-Pantera Metal”, Lamb Of God are definitively the kings of it. No better album to kick in into 2012 then this furiously raging “Resolution”, the band’s seventh studio album scheduled for a January 24 release. Hard – actually quite impossible – not to jump up and bang on this. Maybe this is (still) so Pantera, but this is still murderous and those bloody riffs, those killer screams and growls, this brutal Metal still have so much anger and energy that’s gonna rip your head off. Randy Blythe learned and applied all the tricks of Anselmo perfectly, Mark Morton and Willie Adler bring to the surface the most cutting edge riffs while the rhythm section made by drummer Chris Adler and bass player John Campbell delivered the most intense grooves extremely precisely. 14 tracks, almost one hour of massacre, call it Groove, Nu or whatever Metal, this is so brutal and so good that if it wouldn’t be invented, it would have. But no use to re-invent the Steel ( 😀 ), it’s essential to play it straight from your heart and with guts and loud enough. Read more Lamb Of God – Resolution (2012)
Korn – The Path Of Totality (2011)
They previous venture – and first album delivered to Roadrunner Records – issued friendly, achieved unsatisfactory results. Korn became a brand and it seems they get lost rediscovering their past by recycling it more or less inspired. After selling 63,000 copies during its first week in the US, and landing at number two on the Billboard 200, “Korn III: Remember Who You Are” has sold over all only 170,000 units in the US.
Guitarist James “Munky” Shaffer declared that they’re “definitely moving forward” and mentioned something about a song which reminds him Soundgarden. Than Jonathan Davis released a 14-second sample on SoundCloud in late March, of a new song entitled “Get Up!”, featuring dubstep/electro house artist Skrillex. Dubfuckingwhat?! 😀 Gee! Good that I had wrote about dubstep just a few days back. Still, if you want some quality dubstep, dig out the Brit Subsource – they are just murderous!
But honestly and seriously I doubt it that rockers/metalers will appreciate the latest trend riding from Korn. Read more Korn – The Path Of Totality (2011)
Infected Rain – Asylum (2011)
Imagine a band which have some Pantera-like powerful riffs, plays mainly Korn-like twisted themes and have at the microphone a girl who may howling sometimes, but mainly sings like Amy Lee of Evanescence. But they also use samplers, insert contorted dubstep/drum’n’bass breaks and distorted noises in several songs such as “At The Bottom Of The Bottle”, “Judgemental Trap”, “Unwritten Letter”, etc . Not the usual/conventional metal outfit, but still extremely intense and brutal, Infected Rain build up their own blended style.
Formed in 2008, in Chisinau, Republic of Moldova – a landlocked state in Eastern Europe, located between Romania and Ukraine eventually knowned for its wine and pretty girls -, they recorded their first demo in the same year and participated in Crimea at the metal festival Red Alert and played several concerts in Moldova and Ukraine. Read more Infected Rain – Asylum (2011)
Bruthal 6 – Augenblick (2011)
Their cover of “Smells Like Teen Spirit” drew attention among the metal fans and users of the YouTube back in 2006 and actually, it was a murderous cover. And well, Bruthal 6 are a murderous band, they find a brutal mixture of powerful thrash, groove and nu metal grindings with strong and melodious vocals and striking, memorable alternative metal schemes. Eventually imagine a collision between Godsmack and Sepultura, a perfect balance between aggression and harmonies, between brutality and expressive melodies. This band from Buenos Aires, Argentina fined their own, catchy and criminal style of metal. Read more Bruthal 6 – Augenblick (2011)
Machine Head – Unto The Locust (2011)
Robb Flynn is back. Although “The Blackening”, their previous album, was released in 2007, it seems it was a lifetime ago. Acclaimed by fans and critics, “The Blackening” definitively raise high expectations. But the million points question is: the media can make a new metal god out of Machine Head? Generally speaking, probably yes, not only of Flynn’s band, but out of any band they picking it up. Particularly, Machine Head are a goddamn hell of a band, I still believe, their debut album, “Burn My Eyes”, back in 1994 was one of the strongest and most expressive metal album ever delivered. Meantime Machine Head aimed too much to be popular, to be on the right trend, eventually become “the next Metallica”. Shifting from one subgenre to another, Machine Head miss the essence: they always remains one step behind the trends instead to settle one. And metal is not a popularity contest. Don’t miss understand me, they are a killer band, but eventually too… audience-friendly. And lately media-friendly. Because yes, without media don’t matter who you are, you are nothing. Read more Machine Head – Unto The Locust (2011)
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)
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)
Kittie – I’ve Failed You (2011)
Scheduled to be officially released on August 30th 2011, the sixth studio album by the Canadian quartet of women Kittie will blow right in your face. As always.
This line-up – Morgan Lander – lead vocals, Rhythm guitar, Mercedes Lander – drums, backing vocals, Ivy Vujic – bass and Tara McLeod – lead guitar – stand since 2008 and this is their second album and the girls delivered another set of 11 noisy, powerful and biting Metal tracks. These girls rocks hard as any boys and “I’ve Failed You” comes like whispering: kittie, kittie, kittie…. and bang!! – you don’t know what actually hits you. Read more Kittie – I’ve Failed You (2011)
Psychostick – Space Vampires vs Zombie Dinosaurs In 3D (2011)
The third strike of this so-called “Humorcore” band from Tempe, Arizona, will be released on August 16, 2011 and the band also made available the first two singles, “Political Bum” and “Beacuse Boobs” as free downloads on their web site in order to promote the album.
Quoting from their official bio: “a breath of fresh air has come for those who need a break from the standard angry rock or metal band. While many fans love the rush of loud and heavy music, it usually comes bundled with negative lyrics and attitudes”, Psychostick brings humor in Metal, adds dumb and funny lyrics to cutting riffs, pounding drums and the pulsing bass, reminds me somehow of Green Jellÿ, they add spices to classy Metal and sometimes full of shit life and boring, cliche-full (mainstream) music.
Read more Psychostick – Space Vampires vs Zombie Dinosaurs In 3D (2011)
