Hatebreed -- 'Perserverance' [classic review]

Hatebreed
"Perseverance"
(Universal)


Fans' usual fears when a band makes the move from an independent label to the big leagues ... especially a band with as loyal a following as Hatebreed. Such fears would prove to be completely unfounded. Sure, the band grew beyond the hardcore label, but hardcore can be a one-dimensional genre for the most part and implementing a metal style to its sound only helped bring Hatebreed to a place the band was surely headed in the long run.

Hatebreed took the core of the hardcore sound its had grown comfortable in and turned everything up to 10. The songs grew from one- to two-minute tastes into complete metal anthems. With notorious (at least in New England circles) producer Zeuss at the controls, the band was able to craft these slick, riff-heavy soundtracks of brutality. Every song has a nice little hook, crazy double-bass drum kicks, bass lines that strangle anything in their paths and riffs that tear through the speakers. Live, it's impossible to not jump into the pit when any of the album's tracks explode: "Proven," "You're Never Alone," "We Still Fight," the title-track, along with my personal favorites, "A Call for Blood" and "I Will Be Heard."

Almost every track has the requisite group sung chorus for added (anthem) effect. Kerry King even graces the band with an appearance.

Could I break down each and every track for the reader? Sure, each has a unique element to love. Is it necessary? Not at all. In short, this is a total package of no-nonsense, pedal-to-floor, heart-stopping metal.

Another Society -- 'Blood Wrong' [classic review]

Another Society
"Blood Wrong"
(PC Music)


Another Society wastes little time on "Blood Wrong," grinding off the starting line with the twisted, deliberate opening riffs of "Let Down." The triple guitar threat (Jason Huckaby and Jim Koster along with lead vocalist Luke John) gives the band a riff-heavy yet thick, murky sound. The down-tuned guitars are kept high in the mix. Add to that the under-produced vocals (not in a bad way -- they just aren't cleaned up to any extent), heavy bass and drumming and you're left with a heady sound you could cut with a knife (to steal an over used cliche).

The lyrics and choruses are as catchy as the (headbanging) music itself. "Let Down" devolves into a steamroller of bass riffs and drumming, building to the crescendo of the chorus. The band has a nice little way of putting together these driving bridges and verses that dissolve away to a hook-filled chorus of riffs and melody without it coming across as jarring or out of place. Every so often there's a tempo shift toward the later half of the song, but it usually used to make room for a solo.

The album chugs along in much the same fashion without becoming boring in any way. "No Time for Speech" seethes with anger and the music compliments the cutting lyrics perfectly. "Little Gypsy" is the catchiest song on the album and was probably the only track to make it out to commercial radio (the band was heavily played in a handful of markets including its hometown and northern New England).

The band slows down a couple of times, but for the most part is settled and comfortable in riding out the dirges.

Talk about a band ahead of its time. Another Society hit the scene at the worst time. The band was incorporating classic metal elements to its sound -- think Prong, Crowbar, Corrosion of Conformity, Life of Agony, early Pantera -- all essentially contemporaries of the group. Yet, as Another Society was toiling on the metal circuit, bands like Coal Chamber, Korn and Rage Against the Machine were dominating the airwaves. Add to that the grunge scene was pretty much sputtering to a halt around the time of the "Blood Wrong" release, and you can see why the audience at large may have overlooked a band that took slight elements from the sound but didn't fit into that category at all either.

Hardcore genre fans like bands across the boards, but the fans at large gravitated toward a more polished, hyper-produced sound at the time (these days it's a sound blended with hardcore and melody). While your Crowbars and Corrosions had a built-in fan-base to weather the down-cycle, Another Society's gritty brand of metal had a tough time catching on. If the band hit the scene today, there's no question it would have garnered far more attention and been better embraced. Instead, after two solid outings, the group just simply faded away.

American Head Charge -- 'The War of Art' [classic review]

American Head Charge
"The War of Art"
(American Recordings)


"I think we probably put a little more thought into arrangements and I think we put a lot of thought into sonics, layering, melody, counter-melody, tempo changes and mood changes. You know you put on a record and the first song sounds like the second and the fourth sounds like the seventh song. Why even make a record? Why don't you just make a single? I'd like to believe our record kinda does this (gestures a peak and valleys motion). We got different moods and textures."

-- American Head Charge bassist Chad Hanks

Give seven guys some guitars, amps and drums, throw in some samples and a heavy dose of metal and industrial noise, and you're left with American Head Charge.

The group's debut album, "The War of Art," was quite literally a wall of sound.

From the opening, foreboding samples on "A Violent Reaction," you can tell you're in for a gritty, down and dirty ride filled with metal mayhem. Martin Cock is a sort of twisted master of ceremonies, growling through track after track with abandon. Each track bleeds into one another, barely giving the listener time to come up for air.

"Pushing the Envelope," with its machine-gun stutter-stop chorus, is one of the most abrasive tracks released in the past decade. Even when the band lets up for a moment (like the keyboard opening of "Song for the Suspect") the relief is short lived. Every track seethes with an abundance of emotion (check out the "Never get caught..." vocal bridge on the song of the same title).

In short, American Head Charge put together a turgid blend of unflinching metal and industrial haze. And with 16 tracks, the band hardly gave up an inch or cut things too short ... this is a full (read: long) album of material that fails to find a niche or ever get boring.

Biohazard -- 'Kill or Be Killed' [classic review]

Biohazard
"Kill or Be Killed"
(Sanctuary)


The album clocks in a little over half an hour, but what a trip. What "Kill or Be Killed" lacks in length, it makes up for with pure Biohazard punch. The band crafted an album that pulled the foundation from the early New York hardcore scene (the heavy, slow, down-tuned riffs) and mixed it with a punk attitude, not in sound, but in attitude. The songs are hard-hitting and to the point.

The group's sound is instantly recognizable -- the ominous riffs, the foreboding sound, the juxtaposed vocals (Seinfield's guttural groans against Billy Graziadei's higher-pitched yells), the bass-heavy grind of each song with everything pulled together by the double-bass drum kicks.

The album opens with "Never Forgive, Never Forget," a pit-anthem if ever there was one (on par with the band's most venomous anthem, "Authority"). The kill or be killed theme runs through the album, mentioned in this track and continued on the title-track (obviously). Throughout the album the band has this knack of steamrolling ahead from track to track, putting the perfect hook into each song to make you long for more. Not only that, but the band manages to change things up enough to prevent the album from becoming redundant or boring. Both of these elements were lacking on earlier (read: mid-career) material.

The one-two crunch of "Never Forgive ..." and "Kill..." is prime Biohazard material, the band switches it up with "Heads Kicked In" (a slower, more deliberate assault) and "Beaten Senseless" (probably the closest the band has ever gotten to hardcore). From there the band never lets up; "World on Fire," the crush of "Make My Stand," the drowning riffs of album closer "Hallowed Ground." In the end, it all ends too fast but leaves an indelible mark on the listener.

Slayer -- 'Diabolus in Musica' [classic review]

Slayer
"Diabolus in Musica"
(American Recording)


Few can string together a metal album like Slayer. A streamlined power-punch of rhythm and a crushing wall of drums, intermingling with intense sociopolitical influenced vocals. Tom Arraya in still album to string together a violent string of choked vocals as good as the foreboding bass riffs he supplies to the band. Add to the proceedings one of the best guitar duos in metal (six-string god Kerry King and Jeff Hanneman) and the vastly underrated drumming skills of Paul Bostaph and what do you expect? Nothing short of "the devil's music."

King's minor key riffs seethe with a sense of foreboding and fans wouldn't want it any other way. The one-two attack opening of "Bitter Peace" and "Death's Head" is one of the best openings of a metal album (ever!). "Bitter Peace" begins with slow, plodding drumming and down-tuned guitar that slowly pick up steam before plowing into the opening riff. King's guitar riffs mid-way through the track are particularly venomous. The track abruptly comes to an end, giving way to the "Death's Head" rumble of heavy bass and guitars opening.

The rest of the album is no slouch either: from the bludgeoning force of "In the Name of God" to the incendiary cry of "Stain of Mind," if it weren't for Slayer classics like "Reign in Blood" and "Seasons in the Abyss," this would be the focal point of the band's storied career. Instead, as it stands, "Diabolus" is simply another reason Slayer is one of the most noteworthy and influential metal bands of all time.

Black Label Society -- '1919 Eternal' [classic review]

Black Label Society
"1919 Eternal"
(Spitfire Records)


"Take a bunch of pissed-off Rottweilers that have been in the cage, a bunch of ravens, some skulls and chains, violence, alcohol, some Sabbath, and you got the new album."

-- Zakk Wylde on "1919 Eternal"

If ever there was an album filled to the breaking point with a completely no-nonsense approach to metal, this would be it. From the opening choke of "Bleed for Me," it's clear Black Label Society is interested in taking no prisoners. Wylde has perfected his specific approach to the rock-metal hybrid BLS favors.

"Bleed for Me," "Lords of Destruction," "Demise of Sanity" ... each song is constructed with a simple, repetitive riff and verse-chorus-verse approach. The band isn't interested in over-tech-ing its sound. This isn't rocket science, it simple balls-out metal. However, the monotony is completely destroyed by the insane solos Wylde heaps upon each and every track, and the ease at which each mind-bending twist and riff flows out of the speakers is exactly why Wylde is metal's new guitar god.

BLS isn't afraid to take it down a couple of notches either. The melancholic "Bridge to Cross" is a slow-burn affair that oozes with emotion. And forget (the overrated) Jimi Hendrix's version of the "Star Spangled Banner," if ever there was to be a new national anthem, how could you not choose Wylde's unforgiving "America the Beautiful." Instantly poignant and unforgettably beautiful, Wylde's guitar work never sounds more crisp and clear.

Wylde is backed up by a competent group, including Metallica bassist Robert Trujillo on a handful of tracks, but this album is really the Zakk Wylde show.

The beauty of "1919" is that Wylde was still finding his singing voice and thus wasn't afraid to vary the tempo or cadance from time to time. Over the past couple of years, he's taken to emulating Osbourne on any of the band's louder songs. "1919" was that one moment ... where the band was just starting to blossom into what it was to become. There's the hard-hitting anthems, the melancholic moments, the killer cover and one of the best metal songs of the past 10 years, the bludgeoning "Battering Ram."

Wylde and BLS took what "1919" was and continued to build and improve upon the formula. "The Blessed Hellride" is killer, "Mafia" is a classic in its own right, but this was where it all started to come together. "1919" isn't a debut, it isn't an underground sensation, it's simply a band finally coming into focus.

Unearth -- 'The Oncoming Storm' [classic review]

Unearth
"The Oncoming Storm"
(Metal Blade Records)


"It was the first time we ever really pre-produced before a record. We've never really had the chance to pick and choose what we liked before we recorded anything so it made the record turn out better. The album sounds a whole lot better because we had more money to do it. Anybody could really make a better album with more money to work with, but Adam gave us a great price on it and worked really hard to make it sound like it does. Everyone always asks "What's it like to work with Adam D.?" and honestly, it's great, he's one of my best friends and it was really cool. The thing is, we went and did all of the dirty work and everything, and Adam just made it sound like the greatest thing we could do. Everything turned out really cool."

-- Unearth guitarist Ken Susi on recording "The Oncoming Storm"

While Unearth's sound can comes across as epic and expansive, it's really pretty simple in terms of the song construction. Rather than crafting complicated structures and patterns (think Tool or, for a more metal feel, something like Meshuggah), the band opts to go for the throat quick. That's not to say the sound is simple, rather the manner in which the band makes its music. There's the solid riffs, the twin-guitar attacks, the machine-gun drumming and crushing groove of the bass. The band likes it's hardcore breakdowns and serves up plenty. Along the way, Trevor Phipps attacks the vocals with a callous abandon, but keeps from going too far over the "guttural" edge with his screams. Sure, he might not offer up the melodic breaks like Killswitch's Howard Jones, but there's always that subtle hint of melody just under the surface.

When Unearth serves up epic, it does so in style. Songs like "Zombie Autopilot" and "Bloodlust of the Human Condition" just tumble over and over again, expanding with each passing second. The band isn't shy with the anthemic riffs either. "Predetermined Sky" opens up a metallic surge of energy and, as an aside, the song almost perfectly encapsulates the band's dual personalities as it unfolds as a metal goliath but stumbles to a hardcore dirge by the close. In fact, the band pulls off the same feat on "Lie to Purify."

Along the way other elements of the genre are thrown in for good measure, whether it be some European flavor ("Failure"), speed metal ("False Idols") or something more American and completely destructive ("This Lying World").

Unlike other albums that instantly pulled me into a web, "The Oncoming Storm" doesn't unfold as a masterpiece, it simply is one. You can jump in at any point throughout the record and be hooked. And the group doesn't build from one song to the next, it simply offers up a barrage at any given moment. Even the piano interlude "Aries" has some sort of unique charm that manages to instantly intrigue.

While Unearth has undoubtedly paid its dues, the band still seemed to explode onto the metal scene out of nowhere. The group created a template that has been stolen and emulated time and time again, which is impressive given the group's relatively young age in the genre. Unearth has carved out a nice little niche for itself on the North American metal community and seems eager and willing to offer up more. I'm not sure how much influence going out on tours with bands that incorporate more melody into the metal proceedings could have affected the way the group chose to tackle it's next album. While it seems the band has a great work ethic and solid chops to back up any claims of greatness, one has to wonder how much Adam D's production added to what became "The Oncoming Storm." If he's on board will a follow-up simply be "Storm 2?" And if not, will someone else still be able to steer the band to another classic?

Rob Zombie -- 'Hellbilly Deluxe' [classic review]

Rob Zombie
"Hellbilly Deluxe"
(Geffen Records)


"After your first success you never know if it's going to be you last one. After having finally reached a wide audience you have no idea what that audience thinks, or what they expect - it's kinda weird."

-- Rob Zombie

"Hellbilly Deluxe" is the perfect encapsulation of everything that was right with White Zombie. The album is a full-on metal assault of chugging riffs, head-spinning beats and classic Zombie charm.

The album is full of rock/metal staples, hits and fan-favorites: the explosive opener "Superbeast" that is a huge hit during the live shows; the chug-a-chug rumble of "Demenoid Phenomenon" and "What Lurks on Channel X"; the hit singles "Living Dead Girl" and "Dragula."

Zombie had perfected the sound he was creating with White Zombie, a blend of sleazy rock and twisted metal, a hint of industrial noise, churning rhythms and some occasional sampling. The whole amalgam is spiced up with a cult-horror flavor, whether it be the lyrics or the samples (even some of the riffs start to sound like organ chords).

While the music Zombie is creating isn't exactly anything new, he is able to put his own subtle (and sometimes not-so-subtle) spin on it and make it truly his own. Long-time fans have more than enough to love here; new fans will be instantly hooked with the unique melodies and cult imagery.

Following "Hellbilly Deluxe," Zombie began to expand his sound. The "Sinister Urge" was still a strong outing, but taken as a whole the album had its share of hit-or-miss moments. (As it turns out, Zombie was experiencing a little burnout at this point and internal struggles with his band was making his music life "seem more like work" than usual.) With a new band in place, Zombie felt rejuvenated -- this year's "Educated Horses" takes the fundamental Zombie sound and tempers it with a classic rock feel.

Zombie is also spending more and more time making movies. With "House of 1,000 Corpses" and "The Devil's Rejects" already under his belt, the modern-day auteur is working on a full-length animated feature and is rumored to take the helm of "Halloween 9."

Still, whenever the whim hits, Zombie is sure to offer up more spooky-metal for the masses.

Anthrax -- 'We've Come For You All' [classic review]

Anthrax
"We've Come For You All"
(Sanctuary Records)


"The reality is that when it is going to be 5 years, one or two months don't make any difference in that point because there is already five years. Our point was to make the best record that we can ever possibly make, to make it sound amazing, to make the best record that Anthrax has ever done and released and has state of mind and that's why it took a little bit longer."

-- Anthrax vocalist John Bush

You can really tell Anthrax took its time with this one.

All the heavy handed genre staples are stripped away, yet still there in a subtle manner. Instead, "We've Come..." offers up a heavy helping of metal, tempered with the rock-ish sound John Bush brought to the band.

"Safe Home" may have been the lead off single (and perhaps the "strongest" track on the album), but it was hardly indicative of what "We've Come..." offers. There's a depth of sick double-bass drumming and bass trade-offs throughout the disc (courtesy of drummer Charlie Benate and bassist Frank Bello), but an even sicker offering of riffs from newcomer Rob Caggiano. With Scott Ian anchoring the production, each song permeates a slick thrash rhythm but is tempered with a slower "metallic" approach. The metal isn't too extreme, but it's still a solid kick in the gut.

From the anthem "What Doesn't Die" (which spirals to a head at break-neck speed toward its finale) to the seething "Refuse to Be Denied" and chugging "Nobody Knows Anything," Anthrax is tight and spot-on. Bush growls and emotes his way through each song while the rest of the pack jams away as a tight unit. Even a surprise appearance by the late Dimebag Darrell is downplayed due to the overwhelming wave of metal Anthrax serves up. In the end, the band manages to put together one of 2003's best: a tight metal juggernaut with a host of influences, genres and talent on display.

"We've Come For You All" was the perfect album for the culmination of what Anthrax has become. It might not fill the void thrash fans might have wanted. But, much like Machine Head with "Through the Ashes of Empires," Anthrax saw a solid return to (its new) form with this release. The album is full, vibrant, aggressive to the core and features few weak moments. In short, it is everything fans who loved the Bush-era stuff wanted in an album.

If the band decides to not work with Bush again in the future, this album acts as a perfect bookend to the experiment: there was the explosive opening with "The Sound of White Noise" and the equally impressive "We've Come For You All." In between, there was some good and bad, but nothing can dim the effect of the new and older classics.

Rebel Meets Rebel -- Self-titled [review]

Rebel Meets Rebel
“Rebel Meets Rebel”
(Big Vin Records)

It not supposed to be a country album, not supposed to be a metal album. I guess, deep down it’s a little of both though, for the most part, it’s essentially Pantera being fronted by a honky-tonk rocker.

Well, to be fair, that’s might not quite be it either.

What it is, is a testament to the driving artistic nature of the late Dimebag Darrell.

The Rebel Meets Rebel album (recorded between 1999 and 2003) features Dimebag, brother Vinnie Paul on drums, bassist Rex Brown and David Allen Coe).

The second those oh-so-familiar riffs kick up on the opener “Nothin’ to Lose,” any fan will feel a smile creep across their face. And while Coe’s voice needs a little “getting used to,” it really starts to grow on you and by the time the disc starts over after a full listen, you forget why you had any issue to begin with.

This album isn’t breaking any new ground and isn’t setting any new trend. It’s simply showcasing a group of guys jamming together for fun and the mutual love of music. Longtime fans of Pantera or Dime will be happy with the usual riff-heavy fare, but there’s a couple of curveballs thrown in for good measure. There’s Dime trading riffs with a fiddler on the title-track; Dime doing his damnedest to actually make his guitar sound like a fiddle on “Nothin’ to Lose”; Dime sharing vocal duties on the title track; Dime tearing it up with an acoustic guitar on “N.Y.C. Streets.”

Everyone else more than pulls their weight on this album. Brown throws down some sick grooves on a multitude of songs, Vinnie is a lot more subdued behind the kit but still makes his presence felt and Coe not only keeps pace with the Cowboys from Hell, but comes up with some great lyrics along the way.

Of particular note is the album closer, “N.Y.C. Streets.” As the story goes, Coe told Dime (and I’m paraphrasing here) that the true test for musicians is to just jam together, make up a song on the spot and see what comes out. The duo went up to Dime’s room and recorded a song on a four-track there and then, completely spur of the moment. Apart from a couple of added guitar tracks Dime added later, “N.Y.C. Streets” was what was recorded that night.

Fans of Dime, Pantera and/or Damageplan will eat it up. Metal fans could find a lot to enjoy. Country fans a little less. But the album is really a gift to the fans and an effort to keep Dime’s memory alive. It works — very well — on both fronts. Would this disc have seen release so soon (if ever) had the tragedy not come to pass? Who can say? But it is here and is a testament to all involved.

Byzantine -- 'And They Shall Take Up Serpents' [classic review]

Byzantine
"And They Shall Take Up Serpents "
(Prosthetic Records)


"We are late 80's early 90's Heavy Metal. I think we are a throwback band. Seriously, our influences are predominantly from that time i.e. Carcass, Forbidden, and Testament. We love to have melody juxtaposed with abrasive rhythms, without sounding too fancy or glossed over. Some people have said we are 'tech-metal' and some have said 'hardcore' but I don't hear that at all."

-- Byzantine guitarist/vocalist Chris "OJ" Ojeda

The beauty of "And They Shall Take Up Serpents" is that each track is chock-full of tempo-shifts and epic guitar interplay. And the lead vocals act almost as a homage to older work by Phil Anselmo -- there's an abrasive, aggressive full-on metal delivery but with the ability to shift into soaring melody at the drop of a hat within the same song.

The tight, yet expansive sound comes from the fact that this is simply a three-piece. With Rohrbough handling the bass and part of the rhythm and lead guitars, Ojeda the other rhythm and leads in addition to piano tracking and vocals and Wolfe handling the percussion but also delving into some acoustic guitar interludes, Byzantine offers up a tight-knit collection of fast-paced mayhem, albeit organized mayhem

From the Ministry-influenced machine gun opening of "Justica," Byzantine immediately sets out to prove there's no screwing around on "... Serpents." It's almost impossible to imagine all this sound coming from a three-piece: the blistering trade-off drumming and bass fills; the breakneck dual guitar riffing -- and that's all in the first minute of the album. Once OJ kicks in with the scratchy vocals and the final piece of the puzzle falls into place, one need only wait for the album to unfold minute by masterful minute.

On the title track, the band seamlessly pulls influence from various corners of the genre: the death metal drumming and bass work, the thrash guitar riffing and early-90s, in-your-face, metal vocals. The crunch of "Ancestry of the Antichrist" is tempered with various tempo changes and even a Soulfly-worthy acoustic breakdown of sorts -- when the vocals eventually kick back in during the later half of the song, the band's groove-laiden soul is on full display -- with everything pulled together by one sole, simple, repetitive riff. The Byzantine assault comes on full bore on "Temporary Temples," the high-speed tempo never letting up as solo after solo is strung together to form a wall of sound.

Indeed, there's a little nuance in every song that pushes each just that little but further to create something special: the sick groove of "Five Faces of Madness," the desperation vocals on "Red Neck War," the down-tuned crunch on "The Rat Eaters" and the explosive vocals and expansive nature the band's best song, "Jeremiad."

The band is able to take pieces from the broad metal spectrum, crush it all together with a liberal helping of groove and excess and bleed the mix until it coagulates around a solid core of talent. I've tried to sample a hefty range of new metal acts to hit the scene in the past couple of years, but none seem to come close to presenting such an epic, progressive sound. Shadows Fall come close but don't seem to have as expansive a well to pull from; Trivium's sound feels more crisp; Mastodon is more muddy.

"And They Shall Take Up Serpents" seemed to be a fairly overlooked release in 2005. It's fresh, exciting and no matter how much you listen to the album, it never seems to get boring.

Lacuna Coil -- 'Karmacode' [review]

Lacuna Coil
"Karmacode"
(Century Media Records)


Fans of Italy's Lacuna Coil have waited almost four years to see what the band was going to come up with when it came to topping 2002's "Comalies."

And here's your cliched question: Was "Karmacode" worth the wait?

Upon first release, "Comalies" wasn't the big hit it was to become. Apart from diehard fans, the album stalled on the shelf until Evanescence exploded onto the scene. People were suddenly interested in any hard rock/metal act out there and latched onto Lacuna Coil in the process making the band the best selling act in Century Media history.

But that's where the comparisons to Evanescence end. Lacuna Coil has been together for 10 years at this point. The band's sound, to some extent, is etched in stone. You have the growling male backing vocals, the beautiful female lead, the dueling guitar solos, thunderous drumming and groovy bass-play. Mixed together and infused with a worldly attitude (some synth for Euro-metal flavor and some native groove) and you have Lacuna Coil.

The band had to be feeling the pressure to follow-up its most successful album to date. Would it have the guts to try some new things or simply trot out "Comalies Part 2?"

Lacuna Coil pretty much picks up where it left off with "Comalies." There was talk of the band adding a more "American" feel to the album, which essentially boils down to the group keeping an eye on making songs more "radio-friendly" (the songs didn't really get any shorter or simpler). There's a handful of interesting hooks sprinkled throughout the album, most notably Cristina Scabbia's awesome melodies in "Our Truth." The band adds a few moments of string-orchestration on a few songs (a welcome change-of-pace from the gritty guitar interplay) and even tries its hand at a cover (Depeche Mode's "Enjoy the Silence"). And, overall, the disc has a far more upbeat "sound" than the band's previous efforts (which had an almost goth feel to them at times). Ultimately, there's enough new elements (in very small doses) to make this a solid follow-up.

But it's not all good. For some reason, upon first listen most of the songs come across, for lack of a better term, two-dimensional. "Fragile" and "To the Edge," the first two songs, feel like they go on for ages and seem completely and unnecessarily repetitive. However, after a few listens the songs grow on you and actually start to sound a little better. The biggest problem with "Karmacode" is that there doesn't really seem to be any breakout hits on the album, it sort of just feels "there." "Comalies was a huge commercial success and the band had a four year lull in recording, so you'd imagine there might be something more to offer.

As bad as those negatives sound, the truth of the matter is that Lacuna Coil really isn't the big "one-hit," explosive band one might think, given the hype. The truth is, the band is perfect at making these subtle albums that continue to grow on the listener with each repeated visit. Nothing may jump out at you, but you'll start to find it impossible to turn the album off. While I think the band could have done more, the truth is that Lacuna Coil made a great Lacuna Coil album. "Karmacode" will start off as a blimp and end up being one of the best albums of the year.

Atreyu -- 'A Death Grip on Yesterday' [review]

Atreyu
"A Death Grip on Yesterday"
(Victory Records)


Atreyu seems to have finally settled into a sound. The band burst on to the scene with the harsh, death-metal-esque hardcore EP "Fractures in the Facade of Porcelain Beauty" in 2002. The group's first full-length, "Suicide Notes and Butterfly Kisses" was more of a straight-forward hardcore affair. The band moved in an more metal direction for 2004's "The Curse," with most critics hailing the band for incorporated a retro-80s feel to its music. The hardcore has been toned down on each subsequent release.

"The Curse" is what made Atreyu a hit, which is what makes "A Death Grip on Yesterday" such an interesting album. Now that the band finally has a set sound, it feels free to explore the parameters and experiment to some degree. Such undertaking could be successful or an utter failure. This new release falls into both columns.

Atreyu has found a comfortable sound and it shows. Tracks life "Ex's and Oh's" and "We Stand Up" explode out of the gate. The album is full of the hardcore growls and soaring sung vocals. There's plenty of driving guitar riffs and frantic drumming. In short, there's plenty for fans to love. And there even a few surprises, most notably the pseudo-ballad "The Theft," a slow-tempo, melodic rocker that will catch most fans completely off guard (the surprise is it's probably the best song on the album).

That said, there's far less hooks when the album kicks off. The one-two punch on "The Curse" of "Bleeding Mascara" and "Wrong Side of the Bed" set a pretty high president, and sadly there's nothing quite like these two tracks on "Death Grip..." (in the hook dept.). The album does pick up after "Our Sick Story," but at 33 minutes in length, there's little time to mess around. There are also times where the album starts to almost sound like Atreyu is treading water trying to figure out exactly which direction it wants to go in. The logical progression for the band would be the same one that Avenged Sevenfold took (eliminating the hardcore vocals altogether), though I hope it's more like the From Autumn to Ashes route (keeping the hardcore stuff in there to a limited degree). There's some creative stuff on this release, but it's not the explosion "the Curse" seemed to promise.

Atreyu is one of the better bands on the metal circuit at the moment. The group is an exciting, young band full of potential, and it's fun to see the band and its sound grow and develop. "A Death Grip on Yesterday" isn't the worst album of the year, it fact, it'll probably end up being one of the best. If "The Curse" wasn't so good, it'd would be easier to give this album a higher grade, but it's clear Atreyu is capable of much more. Rate this as a slighter-higher than average release from an above-average band. Go grab a copy, you won't be sorry, you just won't be blown away.

Amorphis -- 'Eclipse' [review]

Amorphis
"Eclipse"
(Nuclear Blast Records)


These days, it's hard to pigeon-hole Finland's Amorphis into the metal category ... the band has more of a folk-metal feel for lack of a better phrase. The group is technically sound on the metal front, but adds a certain element to the chords and melodies, giving some of the songs an almost-medieval tone. When the band started out in 1990, it was purely a death metal outfit. But, over the years, the group's sound has evolved. Amorphis' last couple of albums with Pasi Koskinen in the vocal slot further expanded the group's direction (you could almost consider "Am Universum" a hard-rock album), drawing influence from a variety of places while keeping the same core principle. When Koskinen left the band following 2003's "Far From the Sun" release, fans began to wonder if the band would call it a day.

It did not.

The addition of Tomi Joutsen breathed new life into Amorphis. The group was rejuvenated and ended up crafting what is destined to be one of the strongest metal releases of 2006: "Eclipse."

The core, creative and vast sound of Amorphis is intact. The songs are full of elaborate guitar riffs, full drumming and expansive interplay between the guitar solos and bass-bridges. As impossible as it sounds, the band is completely metal but hardly metal all at once (think Dream Theater's earlier work mixed with European flavor and less overblown).

Joutsen's vocals are deeper in delivery and add a hard-rock element to the band's sound. Joutsen even offers up some death metal growls in limited quantity, a welcome addition to long-time fans and something that had all but disappeared from the group's last few outings. The guitar work is spot-on, the drumming is top-notch and never overpowering, and the bass offers a subtle presence to proceedings. The album pulls you in from the onset and is sure to win the band new followers.

Unfortunately, the production was a little muddy at times. Joutsen is a fantastic addition to the band, but his vocals are almost washed out in the first couple of tracks, overpowered by the band and guitars in particular. The problem is even more apparent on the US release of the album, which features a new (bonus) track ("Stone Women") with the vocals on a better level with the rest of the tracking. Literally, that is the only problem I have with the release. The spattering of death metal growls left me wanting more, but that can probably be considered a positive.

Amorphis really deserves much more attention than it gets. The group is one of the best European metal acts out there and, while a hit abroad, hasn't really caught on with the American audience. The band is a tight metal outfit, with enough riffs to appeal to any metal fan, but also with enough outside influence to be enjoyed by any fan "heavier" music. The new vocals add an awesome new dimension to the band which shows little signs off slowing down. Highly, highly recommended.

Tool -- 'Aenima' [classic review]

Tool
"Aenima"
(Volcano Records)


"... a jagged, brooding nightmare filled with roaring guitars, abrupt rhythm shifts, and jarring sound effects. One of 1996's strangest and strongest alt-metal records."

-- from Entertainment Weekly's review of "Aenima"

"Aenima" is one of those albums that, after release, seemed to yield hit after hit. Each subsequent single seemed better than the one before. From the title track to "Stinkfist" to "Eulogy" to "H" to "Forty-Six and 2" and "Hooker with a Penis," the hits never stopped. Anything that wasn't released, very well could have.

"Aenima" has a fairly sterile feel to it. The production is crisp and the tone undoubtedly foreboding. Whether the band is tackling the destruction of L.A. (on the title track), death ("Eulogy"), drugs ("H") or even the taboo topic of fisting (on "Stinkfist" -- think about it, this song is on national radio since its release to this day), the message is quick and to the point and conveyed with a deadpan delivery. Even the instrumental and other interludes seamlessly flow between the tracks and pull the rest of the tracks into one complete cohesive unit.

The beauty of the Tool sound is that it isn't an in-your-face assault. Rather than the percussive unit, the guitar is the driving force behind the music and the rhythm is what propels the album. Not quite tech-metal, not quite an industrial durge, the focused delivery is what makes this album a classic.

The album and band pulls you in with a hard-hitting assault and then keeps shifting and changing the tempo and direction in such a pure manner that you feel powerless to stop the onslaught. That's the true beauty of the album. You can pull any nugget out and it sits perfectly alone. But it also fits into this complex puzzle of sound. You could never change the tracklist order for "Aenima," but each piece can be enjoyed on its own.

Shadows Fall -- 'The Art of Balance' [classic review]

Shadows Fall
"The Art of Balance"
(Century Media Records)


"We wanted to create a full on thrash metal album, especially the way they had variety back then. You had like the three-minute basher to open the record, an eight-minute metal epic somewhere in the middle, and the total power thrash ballad somewhere along the line. We wanted to do that instead of just making nine songs that all sounded very similar. We just wanted to mix it up."

-- lead singer Brian Fair

The core of Shadows Falls sound comes from the tag-team of guitarists Jonathan Donais and Matthew Bachand. The duo trade licks and riffs, crafting amazing solos which the metal scene had really been lacking for a good part of the late '90s. This, coupled with the dual vocals from Fair (everything from growling wails to melodic singing) and the complex back beats is what pushes Shadows Fall to the front of the line.

The song structures are never boring: a combination of the technical mastery and shifting tempos keep listeners on their toes and only add to the overall metal-effect of the band's music. Much like Metallica's "And Justice For All" (only with audible bass), "The Art of Balance" is an epic of a metal release. Each track is turgid with solos, bridges, anthemic choruses and elaborate verses.

From the explosive ("Destroyer of Senses," "Idle Hands" and "Thoughts Without Words") to the epic ("Stepping Outside the Circle" and "Idiot Box") to the haunting and almost beautiful (the instrumentals "Casting Shade" and "Prelude to Disaster" and "Fire in Babylon"), never is a song predictable and every one is a headbanger. The band sounds like a throwback to mid '80s power metal, but with that European edge of technical mastery; not quite thrash, not quite melodic hardcore ... but definitely a classic.

Like I already said, Shadows Fall's follow-up "The War Within" almost felt like a retread of "The Art of Balance," not that that is a bad thing. And really, that's simply this writer being a little too harsh in order to justify a pick. If anything, "The War Within" is a glimpse of where Shadows Fall is headed. The album is edgier, heavier, but still undoubtedly Shadows Fall.

Fusing metal and melody, the band has crafted a sound instantly recognizable and hard to duplicate. Each element of the band's sound -- the hard-hitting drumming and bass work; the dueling guitarists; the two-sided vocals -- is a perfect piece to the puzzle that is glued together with inspiration (the 80s metal scene) and emulation (the European metal scene).

If ever there was an album to retread over and over again, "The Art of Balance" isn't a bad choice.

Children of Bodom -- 'Are You Dead Yet?' [review]

Children of Bodom
"Are You Dead Yet"
(Century Media)


With every new outing, Finland's Children of Bodom continues to blow away its contemporaries in the metal scene. Building on the foundation laid with 2003's "Hate Crew Deathroll," CoB has managed to take its sound to an even more extreme peak. The guitar riffs are even more overblown, the synth solos are even more epic, the vocals are even more "nasty" (aggressive with a twist) and the bass and drum work is downright destructive.

Overall, Children of Bodom have almost become the quintessential European metal band. The group has molded an amazing sound pulling from the death and thrash corners of the genre, incorporating keyboards to perfection and infusing just the right amount of pop hooks to craft "Are You Dead Yet?" The group's sound is uniquely its own and instantly recognizable. The album explodes out of the gate with "Living Dead Beat" and never lets up. The title track settles into a groove and proves to be catchy as hell; "If You Want Peace ... Prepare for War" is an in-your-face metal anthem and probably as heavy as anything CoB has dared to put out; the band ends on a fun note with a sick cover of The Ramones "Somebody Put Something in My Drink." Indeed, CoB is known for its fantastic covers and this is no exception.

There has been complaints in the past that frontman Janne Warman's vocals are a little too garbled so that may make Children of Bodom an acquired taste. A couple of tracks in the middle (most notably "In your Face" and Bastards of Bodom") are almost an afterthought and pull down the overall "feel" of the album. With a forgettable mid-section, listeners may want to skip over some tracks to get to another good song. One of the best aspects of CoB's sound has been the keyboard solos, but those seemed toned-down on "Are You Dead Yet?"

(As an aside, and this has nothing to do with the band, but it was well-known that the group also put together a cover of Poison's "Talk Dirty To Me" and I was disappointed the label chose to leave it off the US release (though there is talk of a re-release later this year with extra tracks).)

Children of Bodom merge thrash riffs and death drumming into a metallic monolith. There's just the right edge of pop and industrial to make this more than just a run-of-the-mill metal release. If you want comparisons, think In Flames more recent outings or maybe a group like Skyfire or Lullacry (with a male vocalist).

Children of Bodom pulls from a variety of metal influences and is filled with enough hooks to keep you interested from the very first listen. While not as hard-hitting as "Hate Crew Deathroll," "Are You Dead Yet?" still blows away a good portion of what has been showing up on the metal scene as of late.

Fear Factory -- 'Obsolete' [classic review]

Fear Factory
"Obsolete"
(Roadrunner Records)


"The concept of this record is that man is obsolete. The idea is still man versus machine. Demanufacture told a story, Remanufacture was another chapter in the story and Obsolete is another part of the Fear Factory concept. We're up to the point in the story where man is obsolete. Man has created these machines to make his life easier but in the long run it made him obsolete. The machines he created are now destroying him. Man is not the primary citizen on Earth."

-- Burton Bell on "Obsolete"

If you ever asked me to point out a killer concept album, my list would be pretty short. and I'm pretty sure this album would be right on top. A continuation of a theme that Fear Factory had been working on practically its whole career, "Obsolete" tells the story of a world of the future, where man has let machines take over the world and has, in turn, become obsolete. It's pretty much "Terminator 4" set to music.

From the opening bombast of "Shock," Fear Factory grabs you by the throat and rams the metal down your throat. The drumming is frantic, the bass is HUGE, the riffs are unforgiving and Bell's vocals are as attacking and haunting as ever. Think of Pantera's one-two punch opening on "Vulgar Display of Power" -- Fear Factory does the same thing here with "Shock" and "Edgecrusher," only, to be honest with you, I think it's done better here. The two tracks build into one another and almost act as a two part opener for the album, paving the way for what's to come, whereas, Pantera almost seemed to front-load "Vulgar" with two killer tracks. (Of course, the flip side there is that every song on "Vulgar" was an absolute killer.)

Throughout the album, Fear Factory melds its vision of metal mixed with industrial mixed with thrash and tempered with melody and ambience to perfection. For every gut-wrentching, balls-to-the-walls metal anthem, there's a break with melody or ambient transition that heightens the experience (like adding just the right amount of salt to a cooking recipe to intensify the flavor).

Given the direction the band was headed toward, it had honed the technological metal aspect of its sound to a T. But, on top of that, never before had Bell's melodies soared so high. These two aspects, along with the perfect production value (and here I'm talking the addition of a string section, the ambient effects and overall mood of the album) combine to form a nearly perfect album.

"Obsolete" is a perfect concept album, probably the best when you're pulling from the metal genre (edging out Queensryche's "Operation: Mindcrime"). When Roadrunner double-dipped to make some money, the "concept" was essentially ruined. While a huge hit for the band, I was never really impressed with Fear Factory's cover of "Cars" which was tacked on to the end. The other additions were solid tracks, especially "O-O," but these were songs perfectly fit for a "Hatefiles" collection of rarities or b-sides.

From the thunderous opening of "Shock," to the spine-tingling closer of "Timelessness" (with special mention to the final proper track, "Resurrection") Fear Factory really created a masterpiece. While "Demanufacture" is a metal classic, hands down, "Obsolete" is a true Fear Factory classic. The group has created a sound uniquely its own. The band has influenced countless emulators (most notably Spineshank which trashed an entire "sound" to follow in Fear Factory's footsteps), but none have come close to the originators.

Today, the band seems to be moving in a more melodic, experimental direction (a la Slipknot). However, even if the group called it a day (again) tomorrow, there's no denying it left one hell of a legacy in its wake.

Slipknot -- 'Iowa' [classic review]

Slipknot
"Iowa"
(Roadrunner Records)


Much like Pantera and Skid Row, when Slipknot prepared for its sophomore album the band decided to turn the metal up to the extreme. It could have spelled career suicide, but the group didn't care. It set out to release an unrelenting metal assault and that's exactly what resulted. The band was interested in touring with Deicide to promote the release, that's how heavy it was. Taylor opened the album with a guttural, death metal wail; the three-piece percussion unit performed like a fine-tuned machine; the guitars and bass traded riffs back and forth at a sometimes breakneck pace. The nine-piece outfit pulled together and unleashed a metal assault like a precision bomb.

The metal anthems ("Left Behind," "My Plague") just gives way to heavier tracks ("New Abortion," "Heretic Anthem") to even heavier fare ("I Am Hated," "Disasterpiece").

Much like a death metal album, apart from a handful of tracks (that ultimately became singles anyway), there wasn't anything that immediately jumped out at you. The beauty of the album is that it begs to be taken as a whole. It's as heavy as an album can get without shifting into a different realm of the genre (think Pantera's "Great Southern Trendkill"). Nothing feels overproduced but everything avoids sounding underdeveloped.

As it turns out, "Iowa" ended up being a completely misunderstood album. It was far too extreme for the masses that had embraced the aggression of "Slipknot." And fans from the heavier side of the tracks chose to shun the album with the impression Slipknot was nothing more than a "Hot Topic" band of the month (read: overly commercialized). But what I see is a classic.

"Iowa" captured a moment in time for Slipknot. The band wanted to make a statement and it did. The album and subsequent tour were so brutal it almost turned out to be the group's swan song. Instead, the members scattered and spent time working on other projects (The Murderdolls, DJ Starscream, Stone Sour, To My Surprise) and were able to regroup with a new appreciation for what Slipknot could become.

"Vol. 3" sees the band more in a different direction with the band exploring other dimensions of its sound and drawing inspiration from various extremes (metal and melody). I don't see the band ever reaching into the depths (of hell) to create "Iowa" part 2, let alone match or further the extreme nature (like I said, you can't get much more heavy without shifting into the death realm). Slipknot is capable of creating another classic, but will never outdo "Iowa."

Lamb of God -- 'As the Palaces Burn' [classic review]

Lamb of God
"As the Palaces Burn"
(Prosthetic Records)


Picking up right where "New American Gospel" left off, Lamb of God pushes the limit and blurs the lines between thrash and straight-ahead heavy metal with mind bending guitar licks and head spinning double-bass work. Despite the heavy reliance on the fast-paced tempo, there's never a doubt this band would ever stray into the realm of thrash. I'm not sure if it's the gut-busting vocals, or the down-tuned chords reminiscent of Slayer, from the moment I was exposed to this album I could tell Lamb of God was something big ... like a new Pantera.

Opening with "Ruin," the band immediately displays its no-nonsense approach to the music. Nothing special, just straight-ahead metal. It's songs like the title track, "11th Hour" or "Blood Junkie" that really show off what LoG is about. The band seems to have the total package: blistering guitar work and intricate, yet deceivingly simple, song structures; the way the group's influences (Megadeth, Pantera, Slayer) seem to shine through in every way but in no way at all -- which is to say you can tell those influences exist, but at the same time it's as if LoG invented metal and you're hearing it for the first time.

The hits never let up: "Vigil," "Purified," "A Devil in God's Country" ... each song is as intense as the one before it ... and then, before you're ready for the metallic bliss to end, it does. "As the Palaces Burn" is one of those few metal releases that is instantly addictive and never gets old upon replay.

This album is already a classic. It's the equivalent of Pantera's "Vulgar Display of Power." Pantera exceeded expectations with the follow-up, "Far Beyond Driven." Lamb of God did the same thing. The group released its classic, "As the Palaces Burn," and then followed up with the equally impressive "Ashes..." only a year later. If the band were to follow the Pantera mold, the music will just continue to get louder, harder and faster. And that's what is so exciting: no one knows what's next, but we all know it will be amazing.