Mudvayne -- Self-titled [review]

Mudvayne - Self-titled
Epic Records (12/21/09)
Metal


With Mudvayne’s latest opus, the self-titled fifth studio excursion for the band, people seem a little too wrapped up in the presentation (the packaging was printed in black light-reactant and the band is not doing promotion behind the effort) and are overlooking the most important part: the music.

Mudvayne is a return to form (of sorts) for the group, which had experimented with a more rock-tinged approach on 2008’s The New Game. While not as complex as its debut full-length — L.D. 50 — and not as epic as the band’s best offering to date — Lost and Found — the album still has a lot going for it. Besides the bass-heavy, technical dissection of in-your-face beats (tock-tock-tock) that have become a Mudvayne staple, the band seems to have ratcheted up the extremes at each end of the musical spectrum. Take the heavy-as-hell opener “Beautiful and Strange,” chock-full of heavy handed blast beats, which is just as crippling as a band classic like “Dig,” only with a decade of fury packed behind the delivery (the same could be said for “I Can’t Wait,” though the song doesn’t sound quite as tight). On the other end of the spectrum is a song like the moody “Dead Inside,” slower paced and more “quiet” in the approach. “Dead Inside” also, interestingly, closes the album, acting as a juxtaposing book end of sorts. In between the brash, brazen and melodic, are typical Mudvayne songs, with plenty of screaming and songs featuring a mixture of the band’s two styles.

It’s almost unclear exactly how this album came to be. The band at some point had a plan in place for an immediate follow-up to The New Game (the rumored The End Game, and front man Chad gray isn’t shy about his allegiance to his other band, Hell Yeah, content to focus on that project at the moment. So to that end, one could almost accuse the band of throwing a bunch of songs at the wall to see what stuck. Except, that’s not what this sounds like. It sounds like a group of seasoned veterans of the scene getting together to craft a no-frills attack (albeit it a little over-produced), only to sit back and watch fan-reaction. Mudvayne seemed to be able to dig into a well of influences to give the album an old-school metal flavor (an about face from the band’s prior release) while remaining firmly planted in its own roots (see the prototypical “Scream With Me” or “Heard It All Before”).

Legions of fans should eat this album up, as it’s one of the groups strongest, but it also has the potential to win over some new ones along the way. Perhaps not album of the year callibre, it’s a welcome surprise close out a decade.

Black Label Society -- 'Skullage' CD/DVD [review]

Black Label Society - Skullage
Eagle Records (4/21/09)
Metal

Skullage is the much-warranted career retrospective for one of metal’s living guitar gods, Zakk Wylde. The set offers up a glimpse of 12 years of recording; from the once-obscure Pride and Glory days (Wylde’s first band which recorded its only album in 1994) all the way through to BLS’s 2006 release Shot to Hell, there’s a little bit of everything on here.

Presented in chronological order, the album is a compendium of riffs, metal anthems and melancholic bliss. It opens with Pride and Glory’s “Machine Gun Man” and immediately shifts gears into “Dead As Yesterday” (off Wylde’s solo offering Book of Shadows, which featured material much different from the usual BLS fair).

It’s a good set, to be sure, though it does seem to lean a little heavily on the later, more popular releases—three songs from The Blessed Hellride (“Doomsday Jesus”, “Stillborn” and “Won’t Find it Here”) and Mafia (“In This River”, “Fire it Up” and “Suicide Messiah”)—and only touches on the oft-overlooked 1919 Eternal (“Bleed for Me”) or the lesser-received Shot to Hell (“New Religion”). Skipped entirely is the acoustic Hangover Music, Vol. 6 and the BLS debut Sonic Brew. However, the acoustic set “Slightly Amped”, recorded back on the Blessed Hellride promotional tour, is on here, and it does feature a killer version of “Spoke in the Wheel” (off the aforementioned Sonic Brew) so... perhaps that was a two-birds-one-stone type of deal.

Skullage is also available with a DVD set, which features a bunch of live footage, a handful of music videos, the aforementioned “Slightly Amped” set, and a half-hour piece with Wylde working out, goofing off, jamming and talking about the inspiration for some of his songs. Of note is an insane version of "Spoke in the Wheel" (which looks like it was recorded on the Mafia tour), the "In This River" video and some fun footage of Wylde messing around with the late Dimebag Darrell (talking about the "In This River" video and inspiration during an interview).

The set, on the whole, is killer, and metal fans really can’t miss with Wylde, but die-hards will miss a couple of things. With what was presented on the accompanying DVD, it would have been easy to omit songs like “Fire it Up” or “Won’t Find it Here” to include stuff like “Battering Ram”, Wylde’s sick version of “America the Beautiful”, his insane cover of Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “I Never Dreamed” or another track off of Book of Shadows for the CD side of things.

Nonetheless, Skullage is a must-have for BLS fans and metal-heads in general.

Misguided Aggression -- 'Hatchala' [review]

Misguided Aggression - Hatchala
Year of the Sun Records (3/17/09)
Metal

Misguided Aggression may just be the Great White North’s answer to Lamb of God. On Hatchala, the Ontario quintet serves up a slab of brutal, in-your-face, fist-pumping metal.

Eight tracks clocking in at just over 26 minutes might lead one to think that te band took a single-minded approach to the recording, offering up quick blasts of metal with little variation. Such is not the case. Instead, Misguided Aggression uses the chug-a-chug template and folds in elements of groove, clean vocal melodies, slight hints of hardcore (think Unearth) and prog-based breakdowns (earning the band comparisons to Meshuggah). (And you can blame the short running time on a couple of instrumental interludes, the opening title track and “The Palamnaeusus Fulvipes”, which acts like a coda for the preceding track more than a stand-alone song.)

There are crushing head-bangers (“Pigs in the Market” and “Our Kingdom Come”) and more expansive, complex opuses, too (the systematic dirge of “Mustard Gas & Roses” which features one of the most blood-curdling howls this listener has heard in some time, and “Flesh to Gold”).

But the track that truly stands out from the pack, and one that will probably ultimately be one of the best metal anthems of the year, is “Faces of Abomination”. The track utilizes the best of what Misguided Aggression has to offer: sick breakdowns, unbridled groove, thick riffs and glorious howls. The song marks the only time the band opts to throw in the slightest clean, melodic vocals (dropped way down in the mix), and also features this nice little trick of slowing the song down to an almost-standstill, adding to its urgent feel.

At 26 minutes, the whole trip is over far too soon, and you’ll soon find yourself reaching for the repeat button. Bands like this sometimes like to overstay their welcome, but Misguided Aggression should have no fear with exploring this metallic soundscape again and again. Highest recommendation to fans of straight-ahead metal.

Glasgow Grin -- 'Saints of the Greatest Sin' [review]

Glasgow Grin - Saints of the Greatest Sin
Year of the Sun Records (11/18/08)
Metal

Who doesn’t love an engrossing story?

With its debut album, Canada’s Glasgow Grin serves up a bludgeoning slab of extreme metal, but in doing so also offers an intriguing story of a serial killer out to do the Lord’s work.

Saints of the Greatest Sin is a concept album detailing the final mission of a hunter of pedophiles (or so it would appear), presented in one nasty, metallic purge of hate. The stutter-stop, hardcore-influenced dirge of metal pours out of the speakers at such a breakneck pace, at times, that the listener almost feels like they are the hunted, trying to escape the wrath of our story’s protagonist.

The vocals grate over each word, oscillating between horrific wails and deathly growls, and this approach may prove to be one of the album’s few downfalls. The total message of the story gets lost at times, and it seems a little surprising that the band would chose to take this approach, solely. After all, for every one-dimensional song (the chug-a-chug approach on "Remorseless" or the full-on assault of "Hole Replaces Face") there are others on the album where the band takes a more dynamic route (the melodic bridge of "Epinephrine", easily the band's best moment) or the times a little bit of groove works its way into the mix ("Remorseless" and "The Terminal"). Then there’s the downright beauty of "Last Rites", which, if this album, at just over a half-hour in length, were a runaway train, would act as the moment right before derailment, where time seems to slow to a stop, even if only for a moment, before the carnage continues.

Taken as a whole, Saints of the Greatest Sin pretty much shows that Glasgow Grin has the ability to really grow into a dynamic metal outfit. Of course, there’s also that chance of the band stubbornly sticking to the bare essentials of its sound, which would ultimately be quite a shame.

Any fan of extreme metal/hardcore hybrids will find a lot to love about this album. It’s one of those which gets a little better with each listen. And, as a plus, the liner notes contain an accompanying story that more fully explains the hero’s (?!) final moments. Like I said, who doesn’t love an engrossing story?

Twisted Sister -- 'Live at the Astoria' CD/DVD [review]

Twisted Sister - Live at the Astoria [CD/DVD]
Demolition Records (11/18/08)
Hard rock / Metal (Glam)

While never the most prolific metal band out there, Twisted Sister has somehow become one of those bands from the '80s that is regarded as somewhat legendary on the strength of a handful of popular tracks.

Live at the Astoria plays out as a greatest-hits collection, with a solid sampling from the group's back catalogue. The recording is fairly crisp, with hardly any crowd interference (which you'll either like or dislike depending on what you're looking for in a live album).

And for the fans, there's little missing from this set. The band cranks out particularly rousing versions of "The Price", "Ride to Live (Live to Ride)" and "Under the Blade", closing out the festivities with a killer version of "I Wanna Rock" before a somewhat lackluster encore. Ending things with "S.M.F." is one thing, but the two-song set starts with the questionable "Come Out and Play" purely in an attempt to get the crowd to chant along with the Warriors-inspired "Twisted Sister ... Come out and play!", which, judging from the crowd noise, never quite takes off as the band might have hoped.

The rest of the set is pretty straight-forward. "The Fire Still Burns" ... "Like a Knife in the Back" ... "The Kids are Back" ... "Shoot ‘Em Down" ... the hits keep coming hard and heavy. The biggest surprise is that the band seems to sleepwalk through its biggest hit, "We're Not Gonna Take It", which lacks that certain spark that you'd expect from a live version.

This package includes a DVD of the same performance that, except for possible nuances, is pretty much a video translation of the concert—I say nuances because at least during "We're Not Gonna Take It" the band stops mid-song as Dee Snider goes off on a rant about an "unnamed" record executive that dismissed the song after it was recorded and prior to release. Post-rant, the band kicks back into the song for another minute for a crowd sing-along. You could appreciate the sentiment, except the audio is badly chopped (read: censored) to protect the identity of said executive Snider refers to by name. This entire exchange is happily missing from the CD.

The show was recorded back in 2004, but there's no clear reason as to the four-year delay in release since there are no bells and/or whistles to accompany the show. So, what you ultimately have is a bare-bones glimpse at a rock band doing what it does best—more than 20 years since its inception—rocking an audience into a frenzy.

Slipknot -- 'All Hope is Gone' [review]

Slipknot - All Hope Is Gone
Roadrunner Records (8/26/08)
Metal

With each release, Slipknot seems content to push the limits of its cacophonous, metallic assault with moments of blistering rage juxtaposed against haunting melody. The band (vocalist Corey Taylor, guitarists Mick Thompson and James Root, drummer Joey Jordison, bassist Paul Gray, percussionists Shawn Crahan and Chris Fehn along with Sid Wilson on turntables and sampler Craig Jones) continues to establish itself as a hard-hitting, anger-seething musical monstrosity with a thick, multi-layered sound courtesy of a nine-piece roster of talent.

Not quite as brutal as Iowa, not nearly as melodic as Vol. 3, with All Hope Is Gone the band still manages to push the envelope even further. There’s the pounding metal (“Gematria” with its chilling refrain of “what if God doesn’t care?”, “Sulfur” and “This Cold Black); there’s the haunting melodic (the epic “Gehenna” that chokes with melancholy … in a good way); there’s the threatening dirge (“Wherein Lies Continue” that incorporates more melody in the choruses); and the tracks that combine multiple elements (“Psychosocial” or the groove-laden “Dead Memories”). Even the album's slowest track, “Snuff,” manages to quietly unfold with this subtle urgency that lulls the listener in with acoustic guitar and Taylor’s vocals before it gradually expands as each member begins to add elements as the song progresses into this full-bore explosion of sound.

Much has been made of Taylor’s style in Stone Sour and how this has influenced Slipknot’s overall sound. As a singer, there’s not much you can do to change your voice except in style. Having Taylor doing clean melodies and softer material to mix in with the screams only adds to the overall Slipknot sound. Apart from the voice (only at times), this is by no means a Stone Sour album. Not only would the eight other members of the group never allow that, but the thick sound and various layers to every song … well, just scream Slipknot. From the meaty riffs to the thunderous drumming and accentuating added percussion, the turntable scratching to the gang vocals … just put the title track on and crank the volume to 10 to see all these various elements seamlessly merge together into something no other band on the metal scene has done.

All Hope Is Gone isn’t the best metal album of the year, but is easily one of Slipknot’s strongest outings. The band continues to grow and modify its sound with each album without completely turning into a new monster. It’s not clear how much longer the band will last, but it certainly manages to continuously surprise.

Dragonforce -- 'Ultra Beatdown' [review]

DragonForce - Ultra Beatdown
Roadrunner Records (8/26/08)
Metal

If melodic, melodramatic power metal is what you crave, these days it seems no band is quite as over-the-top as DragonForce. Ultra Beatdown is a worthy follow-up to the goliath that was Inhuman Rampage, but while the band continues to put its technical prowess on full display, the songwriting this time around is a little too pedestrian.

Given the title and album art (including a pixelated group shot on the back of the case), one might look for some sort of overriding theme on the album, but apart from the keyboards being much better incorporated on most of the songs, and a slight electronic edge to a couple of moments, this is vintage DragonForce. Every song is completely epic—turgid with riffs and solos and manic drumming and glorious, overblown instrumentation. And every song clocks in around seven or eight minutes in length, apart from the token (albeit fairly forced on this outing) ballad “A Flame for Freedom” (at a little over five-minutes) and the bludgeoning six-minute “Reasons to Live”, which features some fantastically cheesy, inspirational group-sings and a nice keyboard solo.

That aforementioned electronic tinge rears its head on “The Fire Still Burns”, which features plenty of mind-bending guitar solos dancing around some impressive machine-gun drumming that somehow manages to never let up.

There’s no point to go through every track, as the basic DragonForce formula is to put together dramatic, epic power metal tracks with an overabundance of intricate guitar play. Add to that a wealth of drum work and top it all off with soaring, saccharine lyrics. What the band does manage to do better on this album is make total songs. For some reason a fair portion of Inhuman felt like three-minute songs with four-minutes of instrumentation tacked on for good measure. It’s still metal, but not so loud as to alienate fans of good music, either. In fact, if anything, it’s the length of the songs that will push non-metal fans away.

Sure, in the end it’s all cheesy as hell, and you’ll either love it or hate it, but if you like an epic scope to your metal and enjoy listening to musicians show-off their skills, then DragonForce is for you. Ultra Beatdown isn’t the band’s best, but you can’t go wrong with any of the catalogue.

Metallica -- 'Death Magnetic' [review]

Metallica - Death Magnetic
Warner Brothers (9/12/08)
Rock / Metal

Loved and despised. Overrated and underrated. Over a storied career Metallica has managed to both draw in and alienate fans. Once hailed as the masters of metal and one of the innovators of thrash, over the years the band has changed its sound and experimented with a variety of styles, and yet stills manages to be revered as a legend in the metal scene. However, Metallica's last few efforts have led many to question whether they really had anything left to offer the scene. After the critically panned St. Anger, the band must have surely felt the pressure to send some sort of message, or statement, to critics and fans. Or perhaps, just to prove something to itself. Enter: Death Magnetic.

This album is not vintage Metallica by any means, though the band has managed to re-create its Master of Puppets/...And Justice for All-era sounds very nicely. No, instead this is a completely new monster, and die-hard fans can hear tiny elements from all of the previous efforts. There’s a raw element, especially in the almost-tinny drumming, on “All Nightmare Long”, which is very reminiscent of St. Anger, surely killing some fans. There’s a thrash feel on “My Apocalypse”, a throwback to the closers of old (“Damage Inc.” and “Dyer’s Eve” specifically, though not quite as extreme, for lack of a better term, in nature). Mid-tempo rocker “The Judas Kiss” draws allusions to the Black Album or maybe, in some way, either of the Load discs.

Where the band is able to pull pieces from its entire career into one song, like on “The Day That Never Comes”, is not only a testament to the band and the album, but also producer Rick Rubin, who’s made a name for himself for not only historically bringing the best out of bands, but also for pushing them to explore directions they might not regularly take. It’s become clear that Metallica needs someone to oversee and guide the group. Ultimately, the biggest issue stemming from St. Anger was that Bob Rock, the man who should have been helming the ship, was really playing the role of the fifth bandmate on that record. Rubin, on the other hand, gives Metallica enough leash while still guiding the direction.

There are some really strong elements on Death Magnetic: Kirk Hammett unleashed for the entirety of the album; the crazy groove on the aforementioned “All Nightmare Long”; and check out the spotlight on Robert Trujillo with plenty of bass riffing taking center stage on “Cyanide”. While token instrumental “Suicide & Redemption” may sound a little bloated at times (clocking in around 10 minutes in length), it’s nice to see the band have a little fun and jam out for a while.

The only real weakness with this album would be the lyrical content, but James Hetfield practically wills his voice into another instrument most of the time, so it’s easy to overlook.

This is the “statement” album Metallica needed to make. Regardless of drummer Lars Ulrich's claim that the band is still the forefront of the metal scene, the fact of the matter is that an entire new generation has grown up since the release of ...And Justice for All. There was no reason for the band to sit back and live off those first handful of albums, and while later releases ran the gamut from pretty good to nondescript, there were always glimpses of Metallica’s brilliance. With Death Magnetic they show why so many bands still point to them as a major influence. Perhaps no longer the standard-bearers, Metallica can still crank out a kick-ass metal album when pushed to do so. Sometimes there's nothing quite as good as a legend out to prove something.

Whitechapel -- 'This Is Exile' [review]

Whitechapel - This Is Exile
Metal Blade Records (7/8/08)
Extreme metal

"Never underestimate immortality."
—"Eternal Refuge"

As much as you may want to shoehorn Whitechapel into the death metal genre, there's just too much going on with the band's sound to do so without regret.

On the surface, the band just tears through the 11 tracks on This Is Exile with abandon, and shoves in enough plodding riffs and double-bass drumming to fill a (sizable) graveyard. However, Phil Bozeman varies up his vocal delivery to such an extent—from growls to grunts to this really interesting stutter-chant (check out the closing moments of "Possession" and then again on "To All That Are Dead") or straight metal howls—and the band fully takes advantage of its triple-guitar attack to flesh out riffs (see "To All That Are Dead" again) and solos that, in the end, this music just has too many layers to be considered simply death metal.

Children of Bodom -- 'Blooddrunk' [review]

Children of Bodom - Blooddrunk
Fontana Universal Records (4/15/08)
Metal

It would appear as if Children of Bodom likes taking a different approach with each new album, as seen with the evolution from 2003's Hate Crew Deathroll (an explosive assault) to 2005's Are You Dead Yet?, which was a little more raw and less expansive. And now, with Blooddrunk, the band have taken the aggressive approach one step further.

The album spills out of the speakers like a wall of sound, as everything is thick, compact and foreboding. The band has incorporated more thrash elements to its repertoire, and it gives the material more of an edge than on its previous album. The rest is vintage Children of Bodom, with killer solos, mind-bending riffs, plenty of keyboards, choking double-bass drumming and a lot of melody to temper the breakneck pacing.

Warbringer -- 'War Without End' [review]

Warbringer - War Without End
Century Media Records (02/05/08)
Metal

It’s 1985, and you, being the metal head that you are, pull out your box of tapes from the back of the closet, album after album of speed and thrash strewn before you . Look, it’s Slayer’s Hell Awaits. Hey, Megadeth’s Killing is My Business … and Exodus’ Bonded by Blood. There’s probably a copy of Anthrax’s Spreading the Disease and Overkill’s Feel the Fire in there, too. And no doubt a worn copy of Metallic’s Kill ’Em All (most probably a copy off a friend).

If any of those albums were in your collection, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see War bringer’s debut War Without End in there, too. Well, except for the fact the album was released in 2008.

But enough with the analogy. If you’re a fan of any of the abovementioned bands; If you’ve owned any of those albums or heard a song off of any of them, then you know what Warbringer sounds like.

Solos galore, crushing riffs that just tumble over one another and drumming that bears down on the listener like a freight train. And don’t forget those snarled vocals that are so pissed-off there’s no need for the singer to scream.

Warbringer seems more than willing to wear its influences on its sleeve, so much so that chunks of the album (moments in the songs) sound like they were lifted right out of 1985. It’s likely not thievery, more of an homage, but it stills hinders the band in that nothing on the album sounds particularly inspired or new.

Sure, “Hell on Earth” is a terror, the riffs on “Shoot to Kill” are inspired, and “At the Crack of Doom” just crushes, so the band is sure to earn plenty of new fans. But any die-hard fan out there would rather pick up any of the (at least) 20 classics that were released in the mid-’80s instead. And that’s a shame, because Warbringer has crafted one punished metal album in War Without End. A definite two thumbs up for this debut, so dig out your suitcase from ’85, put on your tight jeans and denim jacket, and prepare to bang your head. This album is great as a one-off. One just has to wonder what the group could possibly offer for an encore.

Firewind -- 'The Premonition' [review]

Firewind - The Premonition
Century Media (4/8/08)
Metal

Just when you thought power metal was dead and gone...

Led by guitarist Gus G. (Nightrage, Arch Enemy, Dream Evil)—who is slowly proving himself a worthy addition to the shortlist of guitar gods—Firewind offers up a heaping helping of power metal in all its epic glory.

Hailing from Greece, the band's method of attack focuses around the driving force of Gus G.'s guitar work, offering up classic power metal with a European twist (there's plenty of keyboard work to accompany the solos). The band offers a nice change of pace in a scene where the lines between subgenres—death metal, industrial and hardcore, most notably—are becoming increasingly blurred, it sticks to its guns and shines as a result. While a bulk of the attention goes to U.S.-based outfits for the most part, at least stateside, there's this huge metal scene in Europe with exceptional bands cranking out album after album of killer material. Add Firewind to that list... and probably place the group somewhere near the top.

Cradle to Grave -- 'Texas Medicine' [review]

Cradle to Grave - Texas Medicine
Eye of the Sun Records (4/15/08)
Metal

Cradle to Grave may hail from the dark corners of British Columbia, but the band emulates the groove-based metal of legends Pantera to a T. So, it's little wonder the band has called its latest effort Texas Medicine.

Chock full of thick, meaty riffs, explosive drumming and antagonistic bass licks—not to mention that absolutely crushing groove—Texas Medicine is an easy contender for metal album of the year. With opener "Broken God", a goliath of a track, the band grabs the listener by the throat and tosses them down 11 flights of stairs. The band rivals Hatebreed with "I'm at War With Myself", and shows a more introspective side with "Light", while still maintaining the choking pace.

But it's the middle of the album that completely steals the show. "From Nowhere to Nowhere" has the catchiest, most punishing groove that only compliments the sing-a-long chorus. And the band throws in an absolutely sick bridge mid-way through the song, with an acoustic opening and wonderfully sung break down, well... just because it can. From there, it tears everything apart with the speed-inspired "I Am Nothing", and ends the assault with a thick slab of southern metal called "At Last" (featuring a great group-sung opener).

Other highlights include the breakneck "F**k It Up", the acoustic instrumental "Daughters" and pulse-pounding album closer "Beheaded in Paris" (with a nice extended ending that closes with Freddy Krueger's warning, "You shouldn't have buried me").

There's no shortage of metal bands out there these days, but not too many come even close to presenting such a blistering package like Cradle to Grave has done here. This is a total surprise release for 2008 that shouldn't fly under any metal fan's radar.

Zimmers' Hole -- 'When You Were Shouting At the Devil ... We Were In League With Satan' [review]

Zimmers Hole - When You Were Shouting at the Devil... We Were in League With Satan
Century Media (3/11/08)
Metal

As the initial blasts of the title-track and album opener pour forth from the speakers, it's clear that Zimmers Hole isn't screwing around.

Sure, most of the lyrics are delivered with tongue firmly planted in-check, but the music itself is so raw, intense and destructive, that the listener is left slack-jawed at just how good the metal is. And why would anyone be surprised? Guitarist Jed Simon (Strapping Young Lad) is a beast, Gene Hoglan (Dethklok, Strapping Young Lad) brutalizes the drum kit and Byron Stroud just destroys the bass; so who better to front such a band than Satan himself (a.k.a. The Heathen)? And while the band’s vocalist may hide behind a moniker, he's the real star of this show, switching from the highest pitched '80s-inspired wails to the most horrific death-metal growls this side of Obituary's John Tardy.

Byzantine -- 'Oblivion Beckons' [review]

Byzantine - Oblivion Beckons
Prosthetic Records (01/22/08)
Metal

In a bittersweet turn of events, up-and-coming potential metal legends Byzantine greeted 2008 with probably the best album of their short career, and then abruptly broke up before the thing even hit the shelves.

North America's response to European prog-metal masters Opeth, the band just seemed to be gaining momentum. With Oblivion Beckons, every aspect of Byzantine's sound has been ratcheted up a notch (or ten)—the riffs are thicker and more complex, the drumming more frenetic, the bass meatier and the vocals either grittier, more horrific or melodically haunting.

Opening with "Absolute Horizon", the band just tears into fifth gear from the get-go. Starting off with some Morse code, the beeps build like a sense of paranoia before a couple of guitar chords break the hypnotic tone. And then a guttural howl from OJ Ojeda explodes the track into a metallic juggernaut, with machine-gun drumming and breakneck riffs.

Kingdom of Sorrow -- 'Kingdom of Sorrow' [review]

Kingdom of Sorrow - Kingdom of Sorrow
Relapse Records (02/19/08)
Metal

After a far-too-lengthy delay, Kingdom of Sorrow has finally been unleashed upon the world. And man, was it worth the wait.

The brainchild of Jamie Jasta (Hatebreed) and Kirk Windstein (Crowbar, Down), the project languished for years as the duo sorted out a variety of record label issues. But the little that did find its way to the fan base over the past year or so has done well to whet its metallic appetite.

Each track spills forth like a avalanche of sludgy, thick sonic turmoil. Jasta's guttural wails merge perfectly with Windstein's more mournful howls. Sure, it sounds like a merger between Hatebreed and Crowbar (as many reviewers have pointed out in a negative fashion), but what did you expect? Hell, one of the earlier titles for the project was Crowbreed. But what's wrong with a combination of those sounds?

The Autumn Offering -- 'Fear Will Cast No Shadow' [review]

The Autumn Offering - Fear Will Cast No Shadow
Victory Records (10/30/07)
Metal



There's this new "sound" prevalent on the metal scene these days: the music with an old-school metal feel, that incorporates a newer hard-rock sound, with vocals more akin to Axl Rose or James Hetfield, than the usual death/hardcore stuff on which the heavier bands are relying. And don't forget plenty of guitar solos.

Somewhere between Trivium, Atreyu and Avenged Sevenfold lies The Autumn Offering. And while the aforementioned groups are getting all the attention, there's really no reason The Autumn Offering isn't right up there in the mix. In fact, the band has one thing going for it that the others don't -- it still has a raw edge to the music that gives it this air of dangerousness.

On Fear Will Cast No Shadow, the band's full array of talent is on show. There's the technically proficient guitar work permeating "The Castaway" (one of the year's best metal songs, hands down), the insanely catchy vocals on "Silence and Goodbye", which is eerily reminiscent of Trivium's "Dying in Your Arms", and the melody twisted around a metallic core on "A Great Distance" is fantastic.

But while the band does a good job with the melody and straightforward metal, it's just as comfortable with the more extreme ends of its sound. Even with the deathly growls on "A Great Distance," the straight-forward assault on "Crown Yourself a King, Kill Yourself a Queen," or the rapid-fire title track, nothing is so out of left field that it sounds out of place. Suffice it to say that that is a massive problem for a lot of bands attempting this type of juxtaposition (usually leading to the abandoning of one of the angles in the mix).

This isn't the most original release of the year, but it puts The Autumn Offering on the high end of the spectrum for bands with a similar sound. Fear Will Cast No Shadow is a solid release, end-to-end, sure to make fans happy and earn plenty of new ones, too.

AC/DC -- 'Plug Me In' [DVD review]

AC/DC - Plug Me In [2-DVD set; also available in 3-disc special ed.]
Columbia Records (10/16/07)
Unrated
300 minutes



Plug Me In isn't a documentary or biography, but it does offer a glimpse into the history of one of the world's most notorious heavy metal bands. The DVD set is an anthology of live performances, organized chronologically and separated by AC/DC's two most notable eras: the Bon Scott years, and the band's current and longest line-up with Brian Johnson on vocals. And spanning almost 30 years of the band's touring, there's more than enough footage to keep fans entertained.

The first disc features performances from 1975 through 1979. Most of the video is clear, though there are more than a few grainy shots. The sound is always clear (if not always crisp), and there's a nice mix of classic songs sprinkled throughout.


The second disc, with footage from 1981 through 2003, is the longer of the two. The video progressively gets better in quality the closer the material gets to present time (which makes sense).

The beauty of this set is watching a band go from underground sensation to world-wide phenomenon. The growth of Scott as a frontman, the development of guitarist Angus Young into the face of the band, Johnson finding a place in the band and successfully filling Scott's role and making it his own in the process—it's all here in its gritty glory.


The bonus features aren't half-bad either. There's a handful of classic interviews that probably haven't seen the light of day since the '70s when they were first recorded (some great stuff with Young and Scott from the early years). There's a good interview with Young and Johnson addressing the latter's place with the band following Scott's death. There's a nice sound check of "Gone Shootin'" from the band's VH1 Studios performance in London from 1996. There's even a crazy clip of the band performing with the Rolling Stones from a 2003 tour, along with a Beavis & Butthead animated opening from the band's 1996 tour.

The video: Everything seems pretty clean, considering some of the source material. It isn't so polished that it looks out of place, but not so raw where it's hard to watch. Out of the 40-plus performances, only one stood out for particularly poor video. The best of the bunch might be a three-song set from the Entertainment Center in Sydney (1996) where the video is taken directly from the live screens at the venue (the footage broadcast above the stage for those in attendance). Everything is presented in full-frame (except possibly for two songs from Germany in 2003 that were letterboxed).

Sound: Nothing special as everything is forced through in stereo, but it all sounds great.

Extras: The set is designed with a video game theme, which looks pretty cool, especially the opening menus. Each disc features a sort-of scrapbook of old newspaper clippings and concert paraphernalia. The most interesting feature is the "create-your-own playlist" that lets you pick the order and amount of songs you want to view, and then watch your creation.

There's only a couple of problems with this set. Apart from a place and date, there's no way to know, at least from the information provided, why each set was selected for this collection. "T.N.T." comes from the band's notorious performance at St. Albans High School in Australia (pretty rare footage). The 1979 performance of "Highway to Hell" was the first time it was performed live in concert. The set from 1979 was one of Scott's last shows with the band. There are a couple of intros with the later material to set the stage for the performance (like the Moscow show). There's also a couple of times where the timing of a particular song's performance could be questioned (most notably the "Thunderstruck" performance from 2003; there had to be a better shot at this song from the early- or mid-'90s when Johnson's voice was a little more powerful).

Other than that, there are plenty of classics on here: multiple versions of "Highway to Hell", "Whole Lotta Rosie", "Live Wire", "You Shook Me All Night Long", "Back in Black", "Stiff Upper Lip", "Hells Bells" and so on and so on. Add in some amazing Young solos, and more than enough bluesy rock 'n' roll to fill a jukebox, and you get an idea of what this set has to offer. Plug Me In is a great collection for longtime fans, or good for someone interested in seeing one of metal's strongest outfits proving its worth decade after decade after decade after decade

Down -- 'Over the Under' [review]

Down - Over the Under
Down Records (9/25/07)
Metal


There's something to be said for a sober and focused Phil Anselmo. While Down is clearly a different animal from Pantera, Over the Under, the band's strongest showing to date, is clearly on par with anything Anselmo created as part of one of metal's greatest bands.

The most notable change on the new album is the clear intent in each track, and focused execution from the band. Sure, Nola and A Bustle in Your Hedgerow are killer albums in their own rights, but each suffered from the same affliction -- the constraints of the "stoner metal" genre. While a band like Clutch was able to take from the genre and build upon its foundation, Down seemed to get caught up in the proceedings. This usually led to meandering songs with no clear direction, the muddy music blending into itself until many of the songs seemed almost forgettable. Anselmo's well-documented drug problems surely didn't help matters, and his vocals, at times, showed as much.

Such is not the case here.

Opener "Three Sons and One Star" comes across like a breath of fresh air -- the guitar is crisp, the drumming turgid with purpose, and Anselmo hasn't sounded so fresh in a long time. The band maintains that muddy (by now) trademark sound, but pulls in a fair helping of blues-inspired riffs and vocals to temper the straightforward metal approach. Of note is the killer harmony Anselmo throws out mid-way through the song. One of metal's greatest vocalists is back with a vengeance.

The rest of the album plays out just as well. There's some fantastic groove on "n.o.d." and "On March of the Saints" is probably one of the strongest songs the band has written, both from a music and lyrical standpoint. The blues guitar work on "Never Try" works phenomenally with Anselmo's wails. "His Majesty the Desert", a psychedelic interlude of sorts, is the perfect breather before the band tears into "Pillamyd". And the eight-minute "Nothing in Return" acts as the perfect closer, with layer upon layer of influence -- classic rock, metal, blues -- and Anselmo doing a great job at simply singing (instead of the usual wails or screams that made him famous).

Down is a much-loved metal outfit. Despite what was written above, Nola and ...Hedgerow have found permanent homes in many metal fans' collection. They are great releases, but Over the Under does its damnedest to blow them out of the water. A fantastic metal album, and tremendous return-to-form for Anselmo, someone many had all but given up for dead over the past few years.

Nightrage -- 'A New Disease is Born' [review]

Nightrage
A New Disease is Born
(Lifeforce Records)

Nightrage seems to have made the transition from supergroup to "just a group" as smoothly as possible. While replacing a vocalist is never an easy task, replacing someone as renowned and respected as Tomas Lindberg could have been a deathknell. Instead, bassist Henric Carlsson recruited Jimmie Strimell for vocal duties and then built an entire new unit around the two (Marios Iliopouos on guitar and Alex Svenningson behind the drums).

So never was an album title more apropos: A New Disease is Born explodes out of the gate with the hammering "Spiral," and the new sound is immediately clear. The growls are less gutteral, the harmonies more melodic, the riffs less explosive. But the overall package is just as potent.

While similarities could be found, Strimell does anything but attempt to channel Lindberg. His dual vocal styles offer a great juxtaposition for the band's songs. He can tear up the mike on tracks like "Encircle" and "Death-Like Silence," but just as easily (actually) sing with the best of 'em on tracks like "Spiral" or "Reconcile."

The best part of Nightrage's sound is the driving melodies. There's subtle (and sometimes not-so-subtle) guitar riffs on a majority of the songs ("Scathing" and "A Condemned Club" especially) that come in unexpectedly to add that extra element to turn straight forward metal into sometime more ...

Rightly so, Nightrage was once at the forefront of the new European metal movement. But this is not the Nightrage of old. The fundamental sound of Nightrage (the soul, if you will) is alive and well in this new beast. While another album or two may be needed to see if this new incarnation of the band has staying power, A New Disease is Born is one hell of a re-debut. Any fan of the thrash/power/death metal blend European bands are perfect at crafting should pick up this album that will end up flying under the radar of most.