After the April’s release of their second full-length album “Reckless And Relentless” , “Stepped Up And Scratched” is the remix version of their debut album from 2009, “Stand Up and Scream”. It’s pretty strange, or at least unexpected, while on their second album they turned to a much heavier side of their music, this remix album step back to the much electronic, “dubstep feel” content. So, they still trying to “Ride Two Horses at Once”, and definitively they will piss off one or other of their fans because metal fans will not digest this dance-club oriented mixes easily as the club music consumers are not huge fans of noisy guitars and deadly growls. If sexually it may be acceptable or at least tolerated to be bisexual, in the music business it’s pretty hard to take it both way simultaneously and keep on smiling just like nothing happened. The facts are facts: metal-heads always been extremely conservatives. Read more Asking Alexandria – Stepped Up And Scratched – Remix Album (2011)
Reviews
Blood – X-Cultura (2011)
In my book, Blood was a cult Japanese band closely associated with visual kei, but they referred to themselves as a “gothic band”. It’s the first time when I heard of Blood from Alicante, Spain. The band was formed in 1999 by Jose Master – vocals and bass and Mado Javier Battery East Beneyto – guitar, vocals, sequences, and they played a blending of Goth and Industrial Metal. “X-Cultura” contains 11 brand new tracks including three remixes by Alien Vampire, Homicide Division and Obszon Geschopf. While those remixes sounds pretty EBM, the other 9 tracks sounds much darker and heavier, quite similar to the sound of Rammstein. Read more Blood – X-Cultura (2011)
Empyr – Unicorn (2011)
Empyr is a five-member French alternative rock band formed as a side project in 2006 incorporating members from the bands Kyo, Watcha, Pleymo and Vegastar. Their debut album entitled “The Peaceful Riot” was recorded in late 2008 in Los Angeles and produced by Ken Andrews, formerly Failure, who has worked with Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, Pete Yorn and A Perfect Circle. To increase their chances on the international market, theychoose to write the lyrics and sing in English. Empyr are Benoît Poher (vocals) & Florian Dubos (guitar) from Kyo, Benoît Juillard (bass) from Pleymo, Fred Duquesne (guitar) from Watcha & Jocelyn Moze (drums), formerly from Vegastar. Read more Empyr – Unicorn (2011)
Rolo Tomassi – Eternal Youth (2011)
A friend of mine from London bring to my attention this band from Sheffield, England, in 2009 and their debut album entitled “Hysterics” released one year earlier blow off my mind. Define as “progressive hardcore”, labeled as jazzcore, mathcore or simply progressive rock, Rolo Tomassi delivering a fresh and powerful mixture of hardcore, punk, post metal and avant-garde jazz which is quite innovative and brilliant.
The band was formed in 2005 and immediately began to perform at local venues and pubs to small crowds and released some of their first material, a “3 Track Demo” CD, respectively “4 Track Cassette” which they could sell at the shows they were performing at.
After a split EP with Mirror! Mirror! (limited to 333 copies and released through Speedowax) the band signed to Holy Roar Records and released a self-titled EP featuring re-recorded songs from previous demos and EPs along with new songs. Read more Rolo Tomassi – Eternal Youth (2011)
Garage A Trois – Always Be Happy, But Stay Evil (2011)
Garage A Trois was originally a trio founded in 1998 during the recording of Stanton Moore’s debut album “All Kooked Out!” by Moore, eight-string guitarist Charlie Hunter, and Skerik. The project grown to a quartet, the actual line-up including Stanton Moore (drums), Skerik (saxophone), Mike Dillon (vibraphone and percussionist) and keyboardist Marco Benevento. They play a variety of music including rock, funk and jazz. I stumble into this band a few years ago searching on YouTube for versions of the song by Hendrix “If 6 was 9”. Charlie Hunter it’s a killer guitar player and Moore is a color and powerful drummer, Skerik knows to blow his saxophone, so, Garage A Trois was an exciting discovery. Most widely known as a founding member of Galactic, Moore has also Read more Garage A Trois – Always Be Happy, But Stay Evil (2011)
Tim Berne – Insomnia (2011)
Tim Berne was born in Syracuse, New York in 1954. Twenty years later Berne encountered a saxophonist who was selling his alto, and bought it on impulse. “There was just something about the sound of the saxophone that got to me,” he says. Berne moved to New York in 1974 and began issuing his own albums on his own Empire label in 1979. Over the next five years he would record and distribute five albums under his own name which included such musicians as Ed Schuller, Olu Dara, Paul Motian, John Carter, Glenn Ferris and Bill Frisell. Following two recordings for the Italian Soul Note label, Berne recorded Fulton Street Maul and Sanctified Dreams for Columbia Records. In the late 1990s Berne founded Screwgun Records, which has released his own recordings.
Berne played in band such as: Bloodcount with Michael Formanek, Chris Speed, Jim Black, Marc Ducret; Caos Totale with Mark Dresser, Steve Swell, Bobby Previte, Herb Robertson, Marc Ducret, Django Bates; Big Satan with Tom Rainey, Marc Ducret; Hard Cell with Tom Rainey, Craig Taborn; Science Friction with Tom Rainey, Craig Taborn, Marc Ducret; Paraphrase with Tom Rainey, Drew Gress; Miniature with Joey Baron, Hank Roberts;Buffalo Collision with Hank Roberts, Ethan Iverson, Dave King and BBC Trio with Nels Cline, Jim Black. Beyond his recordings as a bandleader, Berne has recorded and/or performed with guitarist Bill Frisell, avant-garde composer/sax player John Zorn, violinist Mat Maneri, guitarist David Torn, cellist Hank Roberts, trumpet player Herb Robertson, the ARTE Quartett and as a member of the cooperative trio Miniature. Read more Tim Berne – Insomnia (2011)
Agnostic Front – My Life My Way (2011)
The Godfathers of New York Hardcore returning with their tenth full-length studio album, following their previous release called “Warriors” from 2007.
The band was formed by guitarist Vinnie Stigma – formerly of the Eliminators -Â in late 1980. Their debut EP, “United Blood”, released in 1983 on an indie label, has since become a collector’s item. At this time, the band consisted entirely of skinheads, although this would change over time, Agnostic Front would continue to feature skinheads as part of their line-up.
The first album, “Victim in Pain”, was realeased in 1984 and the band went to tour with The Exploited. The album pushed the band to the forefront of New York’s fledgling hardcore scene, which was centered around CBGB’s, where they played with bands like The Cro-Mags and Murphy’s Law.
1986’s “Cause for Alarm” was released on Combat Records, it added thrash metal influences. With other bands such as Suicidal Tendencies and Stormtroopers of Death, this album would mark AF’s foray into the world of crossover thrash. It also featured some lyrics written by Peter Steele and drumming by Louie Beateaux, both of Carnivore, Peter Steel later formed Type O’ Negative. Read more Agnostic Front – My Life My Way (2011)
The King Blues – Punk and Poetry (2011)
Or dub and hardcore. Whatever. But it’s “nice”, even if the world it’s not quite appropriate. Raggae, punk, dub, rock and hardcore are melting into one and The King Blues delivering another album with good pulse and groove, pumping rhythms, punk flashbacks and ska/dub mixture with hardcore attitude.
The King Blues started off in 2004, in London as a two man ska outfit, consisting of Jonny ‘Itch’ Fox playing ukulele and vocals and Jamie Jazz playing acoustic guitar and contributing vocals, fusing ska and folk together with influences from punk rock and hardcore punk. Influences include Public Enemy, The Clash, The Specials, Black Flag and Minor Threat. Full of energy, but not aggressive, more fun and refreshing. Read more The King Blues – Punk and Poetry (2011)
Fear Nuttin Band – Move Positive (2011)
I’m not the kind of person who relaxing often. Probably pretty strange, I do not use dopes, not even weeds, joints, whatever. It’s hard to imagine a joint without raggae or raggae without a joint. 😀 And I’m not really a raggae consumer as well. Fear Nuttin Band delivering raggae with rock, Jamaica like aromas with guitar riffs. They are not actually a Rage Against the Machine, not quite an Asian Dub Foundation, but still have some rock like roots mixed up in their raggae tunes. The Fear Nuttin Band sound is as diverse as the cultures the band members represent. The hot West Indian sun incubated the talents of front men Roosta (Vox), Prowla (Vox), while instrumentalists Christafari Regan (Gtr), Jay Chung (Gtr & Vox), Brian Daigle (Bass) and Mike Fuchs (Drums) represent New England’s finest. They mentioned “their musical roots fusing the intensity of metal, the rhythm of Jamaican dance hall and the social consciousness of hip hop”, but don’t expect any too intense rock/metal stuffs, their music is warm and waving, have a positive vibe and groove. Read more Fear Nuttin Band – Move Positive (2011)
For The Glory – Some Kids Have No Face (2011)
Following the tradition of precursors as Biohazard, since 2003 For The Glory from Lisboa, Porto, Portugal, delivers quality, intense hardcore. As they said: “For The Glory is hardcore. For The Glory is energy. For The Glory loves the core. For The Glory hates assholes. For The Glory is ready to bust yo!” And Ricardo – vocals, Sergio – guitar, Claudio – drums, Rui – bass/backing vocals and João – guitar, actually done a pretty good job on this “Some Kids Have No Face”, 10 intense, groovy, powerful songs, well balanced tempos, strong guitar riffs and screaming vocals are perfectly compounding here into a round and crushing material. Read more For The Glory – Some Kids Have No Face (2011)
