For ₤1 (or more) you can have this 12 track release via Bandcamp. Or go there and just listen it, you will not be dissapointed. For the music, imagine a collision between Annihilator and Pantera. Joe Newham seems to be a pretty good guitar player, the songs are filled with excellent riff works and some interesting themes, but honestly, this sounds more than a pretty good demo, rather than an album. But definitively there’s potential in it, if Joe will find the proper band mates, and especially a powerful, charismatic lead singer, this project might become the real thing. “Superimposed” for instance is a quite interesting experiment and it’s not the only one. Still, despite a few very good themes, the strong riffs and complex, technical constructions, the good groove and atmosphere, still, somehow this work seems not completely finished. Read more Dot Three – Antithesis (2011)
post metal
Crossfaith – The Dream, The Space (2011)
Before I had listen to “The Dream, The Space” the second full-length album by Crossfaith, I saw on YouTube their video of “Omen” and it just blow my head off. I’m quite a devoted Prodigy fan and “Omen” is one of my favorite songs, but these guys released a killer cover.
On the other hand I have to admit, I’m sick, tired and bored of this “metalcore”, “alternative metal” trend, trillion of bands from all over the world playing the same patters, it becomes absolutely cliche this mixture of raw and clean vocals dialogue, this post-emo approach of classic metal with post-hardcore elements. Well, as always, there are a few exceptions, and these Japanese guys are one of them. Read more Crossfaith – The Dream, The Space (2011)
Harm’s Way – Isolation (2011)
I don’t have a clue if the novel by James Bassett written in ’62 inspired this guys from Chicago or not, but “Isolation” is definitively heavy as a cruiser on a seek-out-and-destroy mission. They delivering kind of old-school but excellent hardcore merged with some sludge and doom after-taste moments and sounds, filled with cutting and crushing groove metal riffs, pumping drums and howling basses that will tread you to the ground. Not to compare it with, but it reminds me of Biohazard’s “Urban Discipline” (1992), it has the same groove, strength and unpolished freshness and raw, but also incorporated the power of Pantera and their best riffing without actually copying anything. Usually I don’t get too easily excited, but Harm’s Way quite made me bang my head. Read more Harm’s Way – Isolation (2011)
Naisian – Mammalian (2011)
Far off from the Brit scene and tends, Naisian from Sheffield, brings to the surface a tumultuous, contorted metal with roots back both to the classic Black Sabbath sound and the mixture of sludge and post-hardcore riffs, in their music is a perfect balance between dark and noisy elements and sometimes psychedelic, other time warm and calm, spacy moments. James Borrowdale – guitar and vocals, Adam Zejma – guitar and vocals, Micheal Aitken – bass and vocals and Jordan Garlick – (only 🙂 ) drums, create a quite exciting and unique blending of intense metal and avantgardist surfing. “Mammalian” can be listen and downloaded (“name your price”) from the band’s Bandcamp page. It worth every minute and every penny. Read more Naisian – Mammalian (2011)
Far From The Tree – You’ve Crashed Your Only Vessel (2011)
I’m almost frightened when I had to listen another band labeled “metalcore”. A few years back bands started to deny any reference to “emo”, it will take no long till bands will start denying any connection to metalcore. Till than, day after day dozen of bands, albums came through, most of them delivering the same trendy cliches. Fortunately, there are few exceptions from time to time, and Far From The Tree are one of them. “You’re Crashed Your Only Vessel” is a powerful mixture of old-school heavy metal riffings – well, some of them are returning quite to the NWOBHM and particularly to Iron Maiden – and some groove metal riffs while the space between is filled up with techno textures and layers. Cody screams, howls and sings as any singer with self esteem should nowadays and the band delivering from intense grindings to nice acoustic breaks everything to make the whole machinery sounds dynamic and catchy. And well, they do a pretty good job. Read more Far From The Tree – You’ve Crashed Your Only Vessel (2011)
Altar Of Plagues – Mammal (2011)
Pretty gloomy, merging elements from black metal to post-rock and creating sometimes contorted butcheries, other moments twisted, spacy, atmospheric, ambient passages, from Cork, Ireland, Altar Of Plagues strikes again with their second full-length album and four dark, epic, tumultuous tracks. Formed in 2006, they take influence from several differerent acts such as Emperor, Björk and Arvo Pärt. The bands untraditional aesthetic and approach to the music has led to a wide variety of listeners and this may be seen by the diverse range of acts Altar of Plagues have toured with, including Isis and Mayhem, as well as having appeared at festivals that focus on ‘extreme’ metal and festivals that encourage experimentation and diversity. Read more Altar Of Plagues – Mammal (2011)
Given The Day – In Search Of Eden (2011)
Powerful, cutting, groovy – Pantera-like – riffs, grinding tempos and exciting breaks, melodious passages are merged together in the work of these two guys from San Diego, California, and currently they are looking for new band mates playing drums, guitar, bass and keyboards. Garett Chambers – vocals and Mike Burrows comes in the footsteps of bands such as We Came As Romans, Sleeping With Sirens, Emarosa, Attack Attack! All That Remains, August Burns Red, Of Machines, Saosin, Lower Definition, etc and “In Search Of Eden” is a colorful, flowing metalcore album up to date, Garett brings raw vocals, but shift to clean singing while Mike delivering very good riffs and some nice guitar solos. These 11 songs are absolutely ok and promising, my only problem with this “genre” is that everything is quite predictable, too many bands/artist are playing the same kind of patterns, it might be trendy, but it’s full of cliches. Still, I think Given The Day have a good start, I really enjoyed Mike’s riffing and generally his guitar work, Garett have a strong, powerful voice and if they will manage to find their own path, detach them self from the trends, Given The Day have quite potential. Read more Given The Day – In Search Of Eden (2011)
Crossfade – We All Bleed (2011)
Flowing directly from the boiling veins of Korn, Crossfade reaching to their third album and “We All Bleed” is a dark, intense trip, Ed Sloan and his band mates managed to put together a gloomy, but beautiful, dark, but intense material, proving that their more than just some trend followers, they have their own touch and style, and managed to writing a couple of intense and exciting songs. Actually, “We All Bleed” are over 48 minutes of tumultuous flow, kind of trip to Hell and back, but showing us sometimes sparkling from Heaven, breaking cracks to leave the light comes trough.
I think Columbia Records in 2008 were – as usually – impatient when they kick them out, “We All Bleed” is an excellent work and Eleven Seven Music (also current home for Drowning Pool, Papa Roach, She Wants Revenge, Mötley Crüe, Lit, Vince Neil, Blondie, etc) were inspired to sign them. Read more Crossfade – We All Bleed (2011)
FuryKane – Fake (2011)
If “Bel Air”, the latest Guano Apes was quite disappointing, JKaos and her band mates can make it up to you. “Fake” the brand new album by FuryKane, band formed in 2006 at Paris, France delivering a fresh blending of nu and groove metal flavored with modern sound approach, exciting industrial textures and minimalist electronic spices, but remaining rock/metal, constructing gloomy, but catchy songs with dark and heavy riffs, bass based rock themes.
Released on 28 March 2011, the 14 tracks of “Fake” is the perfect blending of Korn and the best, most exciting moments of Guano Apes, and this is a quite promising debut album after they releasing previousely two EPs. Read more FuryKane – Fake (2011)
Destruction Of A King – Consumed (2011)
Alex – vocals, Diego – guitar and Justin – bass comes from Los Angeles, CA, said about them self that they are the “dirtiest band alive” and they delivering grinding, up-beat hardcore sometimes mixed up with thrash and groove metal and imputing few experimental moments, breaks, they have the energy and cutting edge riffing of Pantera and the rawness of Biohazard. The 12 tracks “Consumed” seems to be their second full-length album after releasing their self-titled debut and two EPs, “World Of Disease†and “Anthemsâ€.
They play explosive, fast and raw metal with roots both back to hardcore and metal, but looking forward into the now days so-called metalcore. Read more Destruction Of A King – Consumed (2011)
