CD Review: Idol and the Whip, Heavy Sleeper

This review originally appears at The 1st Five

Idol and the Whip

Heavy Sleeper

Self-Released

It used to be tough finding a heavy band with diversity in song structure and approach without just as easily settling for death metal, Tool or Fugazi. But these days the underground is more accepting of hard rock, or bands with hard rock influences. Suddenly it’s hip (or at least semi-hip) to listen to heavy rock, metal, hardcore, grindcore, and other headbanger material; from Bison BC to Barnburner to Mastodon.

There’s a lot of this crowd in Idol and the Whip, a four piece from Ann Arbor, Michigan who definitely have the heavy rock-near-metal sound down pat: a strength-boasting rock and roll style, flaring naturally with heavy metal harmonies and riffs. Their latest record Heavy Sleeper, available free as mp3 or for a buck in better quality at www.idolandthewhip.com, seemingly takes its title matter as a taunt. Even Hypnos couldn’t sleep through this.

Technical metal fans will be impressed by Heavy Sleeper's ability to pull out all the stops: epic arena-sized endeavours like closer “Calling Down The Dark”, original technical rock leads like that of “Grasscutter”, and utilizing the bass to its full potential with leading riffs in “Nocturne”. This is where the Tool-like aspect plays out.

What pulls Sleeper away from redundancy is that modern metal edge. No hair band shit, the cool stuff (mentioned above) that won’t get you kicked out of hipster circles. “Wasteland Battle Hymn”, “Leveled” and “Broken Crown” propagate a hooky metal sound that’s hard not to dig. Gladly, even harder to align with Guns ‘n’ Roses. Idol's got a heavy sound that isn’t overdone, grounds in riff diversity instead of candy-coated metal proven to sell but consequently unchanged.

Here and there a little Motorhead pops out in songs with fast, get-your-motor-running chugs and riffs, felt hard on album opener “Future Eyes”. There’s even a couple crusty punk jams, like record splitter “Watery Grave”, enough to wake you up amidst slower songs which occasionally dominate the record, like “Artery” and “Augur”. These faster, punkier tunes will let you sigh in relief that Sleeper isn’t all expansive stoner sludge.

With a touch of Dave Grohl tone in his throat, Chris Plumb has the ability to belt out chilling battle-cries throughout Sleeper. A black and white video of a pissed off muddy rugby team, dark rain slow-motion pouring over their angry faces, would fit naturally alongside his and these songs’ intimidation.

CD Review: Marbin's Breaking The Cycle

This review originally appears in THIS Literary Magazine

Marbin
Breaking The Cycle
Moonjune Records, March 2011

The two Danny's behind Marbin - saxophonist Danny Markovitch and guitarist Dani Rabin - must be basking in the sun following the release of their second full-length album, Breaking The Cycle. The record, out on Chicago's Moonjune Records, follows up their 2009 self-titled debut, which helped establish the duo in the contemporary jazz scene.

Compared to how they stood in 2009, the shape of Marbin changes on Cycle. Getting a decent share of the limelight is Paul Wertico, Marbin's new, seven-time Grammy winning drummer. They've also picked up Steve Rodby on bass, and a slew of special guests including vocalists Matt Davidson, Leslie Beukelman, and Daniel White and percussionists Jamey Haddad and Makaya McCraven.

With the bountiful additions, Marbin's range expands. Much of their debut's sound, a unique and distinct guitar-saxophone serenade, resonates on Cycle. But along with it is Wertico's constant, integral back beat, more outgoingness from the two frontmen, and newly ventured vocal dimensions.

The near six-minute "Loopy" opens the album with a massive big band feel. Wertico's upper toms whap around behind the roaring melody of fat stomps and contrasting musical breaks. Markovitch is quickly front and centre for a wailin' solo, followed by a psychedelic offering from Rabin.

"A Serious Man" would go well backing a sixties undercover detective chase scene with Markovitch's elusive saxophone and Wertico's space filling high-hat technique. Markovitch's sound runs up and down the scale so non-chalant, James Bond's perked eyebrows and erect pistol seem a natural fit.

"Mom's Song," the shortest song at just over two minutes, features Leslie Beukelman on vocals. The acoustic interlude is easy to digest, and the female vocal presence is refreshing.

"Bar Stomp" keeps the shades changing with a ratty distorted guitar tone dancing around blues riffs and slide innuendos. When Rabin is compared to Hendrix, this is what people are talking about.

Other songs on Cycle revolve around the same structures, an acoustic ballad here, a rock and roll tune there. "Winds Of Grace," an eight minute song featuring Daniel White on vocals, is indeed the best capturing of Rabin's ability to raise traditional spirits on his acoustic. The song is enchanting, and White's vocals sail high and wide with integrity.

Review: Agnostic Front, My Life My Way

Agnostic Front
My Life My Way
4.75/5

Listen To: Self Pride

In their thirty-plus year career Agnostic Front has been a band of eras: way-back, gritty blasting street punk of United Blood and Victim In Pain; in the late eighties crossover thrash with Cause For Alarm and Liberty and Justice For...; even Oi! revival in the nineties.

AF's latest release, My Life My Way, is the third in their macho-hardcore Madball-esque period, starting with 2004's Nuclear Blast debut Another Voice. My Life My Way is arguably a mix between that record and 2007's Warriors.

In many areas of My Life, Miret's vocals fill out an edginess dropped on Warriors. On "Self Pride" he proclaims My pride burns deep with such weight, you can't help envisioning a brass-knuckle to your worthless gob. "That's Life" also packs a punch with classic AF blast-beats, think "United & Strong" or "Last Warning" ruthlessness.

Yet Warriors' deep dive into expansive breakdowns and slightly easier hardcore is also on this record, heard best on "Us Against The World" and "Until The Day I Die". These tunes don't rely on straight ahead thug-core like Another Voice, which some might dig. Their and other songs' uplifting Believe in yourself motif is also nice to hear.

There's even a little Riot, Riot Upstart found in album opener "City Street", a classic Miret homage to the only place him and Vinnie will ever be accepted. My Life's title track and "Now And Forever" have soulful street rock echoes. Mind you, all the influences on My Life surface from a solid bed of metal-hardcore.

Anyway, the haters won't like this record because there aren't any Cocksparrer covers. But they can fuck off. This is a band who invented their own genre, they do as they please.

STIGMA!

Track Listing:
1. City Street
2. More Than A Memory
3. Us Against The World
4. My Life My Way
5. That's Life
6. Self Pride
7. Until The Day I Die
8. Now And Forever
9. The Sacrifice
10. A Mi Manera
11. Your Worst Enemy
12. Empty Dreams
13. Time Has Come

Written for Tangible Sounds

CD Review: Warpaint's The Fool

This review appears on This Literary Webzine's Blog.

Warpaint
The Fool
Rough Trade Records

It's earth rattling how LA hipster-garage outfit Warpaint pull off such a provocative offering with their first full-length, The Fool, released October 2010 on Rough Trade. Fool does nothing less than hypnotise with a mountainous trip-factor of layered, reverb-drenched guitar; rhythms intricate and entrancing - there are points when the most straight-edge scenester will worry about being slipped a hit of acid.

Albeit Fool and Warpaint's lone other release, 2009's mass-hailed Exquisite Corpse EP, were produced by ex-Chili Pepper John Frusciante, explaining the clean, surfy approach. But there's more to dropping distortion that makes this band admirable.

Warpaint's sound is an eclectic mash-up of pop-past, misconstrued and re-sorted into a post-modernist's dream. "Undertow", Fool's poppiest tune, has distinct shades of sixties, Luv'd Ones style girl-garage with its traditional chords and psychedelic vocals. (The song even makes a two-word Nirvana reference, right?)

Elsewhere more influences bleed through the facade, favourably on "Baby" and "Shadows" which obliquely play on a Johnny Thunders, near-folk yet drearily alt-acoustic style. You can see Emily Kokal strumming away in a manly fedora as a seventies tranny-punk inverse. Nerds rejoice, these and countless other oldschool markings, embedded deep in Fool and bared only by slight mocking flair, impress beyond belief.

Rock 'n' roll highschool grads they are, Warpaint also has a stark sense of originality. Most awakening is the sharp-toothed clean guitar tone, the most unique approach in the LA alt-cum-indie scene yet. On a wider scale, they embody the essence of post-modern rock - or post-punk, whatever you call it - much more than all their LA and London buddies who tend to recycle each other's shit.

Almost downplaying its freshness, numerous areas of Fool, notably with tracks like "Undertow" and "Set Your Arms Down", are radio friendly. But, like every track, the near indefinable Warpaintness eventually illumines. "Composure" wittily hints at this constant clash with familiarity: How can I keep my composure? proclaims Kokal amidst guitar leads so over-reverberated, the panicky thought mirrors the sound, emphasizing a disconnect from structure.

It's tough not to envision Warpaint - Theresa Wayman, Jenny Lee Lindberg, Stella Mozgawa and Kokal - as a cliquey gang, locked up in a members-only clubhouse, working away at their big shot amidst scattered records, ashtrays and herbal tea. I can butter it up to no end; in short: Fool is what modern music needs to be - catchy, knowledgeable... above all, new.

CD Review: Electric Wizard - Black Masses

Electric Wizard
Black Masses
4/5

Listen To: Venus In Furs
Skip It: Nothing.

Stoner-doom purveyors Electric Wizard waste no time getting your head grooving on their latest full-length Black Masses, their seventh studio album. With record opener and (almost) title track "Black Mass" the band's darkened sense of sludge monstrosity lands front and centre and perches there for all eight tracks.

Tempo shifts are barely noticed between songs on the record, but tunes like "Venus In Furs (no, not a Velvet Underground cover),” "Black Mass" and "Patterns Of Evil" chug along at a slightly faster rate than others. In these up-tempo songs you get a fresh vibe of Wizard-renewal: more hooky, classic-rock sounding solos, less sole reliance on avant noise.

But the pack of Dorset occultists also offer an array of down-tempo exposes such, as "Satyr IX" and "Night Child,” that will keep your cloak and scepter in good use. Riffs roam around deep tones and make cunning use of reverberated delay and feedback. Drummer and percussionist Shaun Rutter clanks out clear-cut pace setters full of meaty crash and bassy thud-work.

Most enticing is long-time vocalist Jus Oborn's cryptic wail distraction that floats shamelessly atop the sweeping melodies. Notably in choruses of "Black Mass" and "Turn Off Your Mind,” hidden in others like "Scorpio Curse,” he manipulates an old school Ozzy pitch, bordering Richard Hell-type condescending tone. If it isn't for Liz Buckingham's easily adored doom-sludge guitar work, Oborn's offering will definitely make you a believer.

Track Listing:

1. Black Mass
2. Venus In Furs
3. Night Child
4. Patterns Of Evil
5. Satyr IX
6. Turn Off Your Mind
7. Scorpio Curse
8. Crypt of Drugula

This review appears in Tangible Sounds

CD Review: Neil Young -Le Noise

Neil Young
Le Noise
4/5

Listen To: The Hitchhiker
Skip It: Nothing.

On Le Noise, Neil Young takes us into possibly his most experimental project yet. Melding his trademark rabid, loosely controlled guitar technique with producer Daniel Lanois' extensive lineup of ambiance generating delay effects, this disc, on which Young is the sole composer, is completely fresh.

There are only eight songs on Le Noise, making Young's sound diversion easily digestible. A little snack of something foreign in between helpings of what the old loner does best. Contrasting his classic folk-rock or more recent organic big band approach, Le Noise is uncharacteristically heavy; surprisingly tentative and modern; enough to believe Young, as an artist, will walk every path.

Reminiscent of the "Cinnamon Girl" sound, but entirely less conventional, the songs are a massive build-up of numerous layered guitar tracks. To Lanois' credit, the songs' slow moving, grungy drop-D riffs never muddle into a mess, but tack on inch after inch of intimidating sludge. These get accentuated with punky garage jangles and even scratch fills that a technical whore would polish and perfect, but Young's talent simply creates butter from beans. "Walk With Me," "Sign Of Love" and "Angry World" all employ these techniques in similar patterns, but take varying turns here and there to widen the soundscope.

Young's rawness with the guitar only slightly exceeds his lyrical presence on Le Noise. The poetic prowess tops on "The Hitchhiker" which delves into the dark side of cocaine and amphetamine addiction that plagued past Young eras. The epic track sums up the record - Young is comfortable telling, and playing, whatever he wants.

Track Listing:

1. Walk With Me
2. Sign Of Love
3. Someone's Going To Rescue You
4. Love And War
5. It's An Angry World
6. The Hitchhiker
7. Peaceful Valley Boulevard
8. Rumblin'

Published by Tangible Sounds

CD Review: Elvis Costello

Elvis Costello
National Ransom
3.5/5

Listen To: The Spell That You Cast
Skip It: Stations Of The Cross

Wearing your stripes is inevitable as time goes by and Costello, on his latest album National Ransom, looks like he's almost out of steam. Take the title track for example, its mid-tempo beat and low-fi organ background attempt, but fail to pack a punch. Forget the reggae club; this song is only dance hall appropriate at the senior's centre.

That said the tune grabs more than its follower, "Jimmie Standing In The Rain,” a lackluster moment of intimacy between Costello, acoustic, trumpet and violin. The song has gravity - Costello's usual lyrical depth is present, and the Vaudeville inspired sound is on the mark. But it still leaves an indelible WTF? on your mind.

Shadowy ballad "Stations Of The Cross" is similarly confusing. Tinkering around dark piano lines, the intended approach on the heart strings is out of touch. "Five Small Words" would be acceptable if the country guitar line was left alone, but its drowning reverb bothers.

Surprisingly, the other ten tracks on National Ransom takes you in a better direction. Out comes the impressive Costello we all know and love, and were waiting for.

"A Slow Drag With Josephine,” "Bullets For The New-Born King" and "One Bell Ringing" have an essential organic country quality showcasing Costello's acoustic and vocal skill. The songs, and especially "You Hung The Moon,” fondly recall Costello/Bacharach era integrity.

"Church Underground" offers the most dedicated throwback with a ratty reggae guitar line. And "The Spell That You Cast" has the legendary fifties "Radio, Radio" sound with exciting organ and Chuck Berry solo.

Overall National Ransom falls slightly short, leaving room for more from the great who gave us "Allison" and "Watching The Detectives.” But the disconnect fades once a few consumer tracks are rid with and we meet again with one of the best modern musicians.

Track Listing:

1. National Ransom
2. Jimmie Standing In The Rain
3. Stations Of The Cross
4. A Slow Drag With Josephine
5. Five Small Words
6. Church Underground
7. You Hung The Moon
8. Bullets For The New-Born King
9. I Lost You
10. Dr. Watson, I Presume
11. One Bell Ringing
12. The Spell That You Cast
13. That's Not The Part Of Him You're Leaving
14. My Lovely Jezebel
15. All These Strangers
16. A Voice In The Dark

Published by Tangible Sounds Magazine

Record Review: Fucked Up - Year Of The Ox

FUCKED UP
Year of the Ox
Merge Records, 2010

We all know bands grow up, but it’s usually into whiny commercial whores. That’s why it’s so great to watch Fucked Up somehow, with increasing severity, undercut punk’s simplistic ethos with every release. Indeed, they do it again on their latest, Year Of The Ox, the fourth instalment in a Zodiac themed singles line which has led the band in some of their most audibly absurd travels. And on a whole, at times completely off the cusp in any sense of hardcore punk, Fucked Up’s past five years, since their debut full-length record Hidden World and acclaimed follow-up The Chemistry of Common Life, showcases a band with an itching experimental side waiting to let loose.

On Ox, title track “Year Of The Ox” opens with an eerie violin and cello build-up, donated by Toronto orchestra ensemble New Strings Old Puppets, foreshadowing the song’s bass line and classical elements. Tension rises for just over a minute before the band kicks in. Damian Abraham immediately spits out his bludgeoning vocals in time with the guitar section’s stomping yet gentle hook that prevails as the thirteen minute song’s main riff.

A slight change in that hook switches up progression five minutes in. When the formula returns after a quick bridge, Abraham’s throat lashings assume an authoritative air while New Strings returns for an epic orchestral bridge. The guitar takes a backseat to elevating classical monstrosity reminiscent of Hidden World opener “Crusades” but with much more drawn out ampleness. Zola Jesus’s Nika Rosa Danilova dawns her voice in the latter half of the tune, offering mystical vocal swells amidst the now grittily palm muted guitar line.

“Ox” mixes the grandiose with the gutter, making it easy to wonder if Abraham would for once stop wrenching his guts, then Fucked Up would have to be labelled something other than punk or hardcore. What's punk about classically epic? Perhaps a question never to be answered by the troupe, but this song’s rule bending consciousness displays how punk doesn’t always have to laugh at itself, and can be seriously measured for all signs of integrity. Fucked Up proves punk is real music, even an academy-trained ear can recognise that.

The single’s B-side is another eye opener. Unlike previous Year Of’s backed with a couple two-minute punk standards, Ox flips over to the twelve minute “Solomon’s Song” uniquely featuring a saxophone line by Aerin Fogel of the Bitters. The bluesy intro leads to another low-mid tempo drum beat while a high-pitch guitar lead cycles over distant power chords. The song gets trippy as psychedelic delay effects are laid on the guitars during the choruses. When Abraham rests during the many, almost unnoticed bridges, the band is a marvel. Sandy wraths the bass strings offering low pitch punches; spacey bell rings and tremolo feedback jet out from hidden crevices; and Fogel wails on the sax for a broad five-minute outro.

Ox is monumental in mapping the evolution of Fucked Up from being an abrasive streetcore band to the scene’s forerunning innovators. Long time fans know they’re still thrashing and crashing, but to an obviously more intricate, grown-up style.

Published by This Literary Magazine

Tape Review

FUCK THE FACTS
Live In Whitby
Self-Released/Band Camp

Spitting on 2010 technology, Fuck The Facts released a cassette tape last month, Live In Whitby, a recording of a performance at the Wing Shack in Whitby, Ontario on April 11, 2009. Enough to get die hard collectors antsy, the tape was limited to a slim fifty-three copies (they’re already sold out). The album is also available as a Name Your Price download on BandCamp.com, where FTF’s punk/grind masterpiece Unnamed EP (February 2010) is also available.

Continuously transforming over eight studio albums, countless singles, splits and compilations, FTF’s ever indefinable style tiptoes around punk, noise, stoner-groove and industrial influenced grind since 1998. Live In Whitby offers a glimpse of the band during peak Disgorge Mexico (2008) era with six of the nine tracks, including “Kelowna” and “Sleepless”, taken from the album. The oldest song on the tape is “La Tete Hors De L’eau,” originally appearing on 2003 release Overseas Connection.

One constant throughout FTF’s distinct grindcore approach is sampling voice and sound into their music. Evidently, this is not a studio-only technique. I was at the Wing Shack show, mesmerised watching drummer Mathieu Vilandrê swivel back and forth between drummer and sound dub roles, whacking at a synthesizer to his side when called for. Nothing is excluded from FTF style when playing live.

Singer Mel Mongeon also impresses on the tape with her monstrous stage presence, as intimidating as a ravenous Pit Bull. From her territorial markings spattered into the mic – “We’re Fuck The Facts from fuckin’ Ottawa!” – to her dedicated, intestine spindling scream assault, she shoves a middle finger up the ass of any hollow commercial metal.

The Live In Whitby lineup (left to right): Marc Bourgon, Topon Das, Mathieu Vilandrê, Johnny Ibay, Mel Mongeon.

Lead guitarist and band founder Topon Das, along with second guitarist Johnny Ibay and bassist Marc Bourgon, feed you the integral cherry on top of FTF’s approach. Drenched with distortion and devilishly down-tuned, the fellows rip through their unique grind sound with exact precision on Whitby. Not a brow-raising pick squeal nor panic inducing lead is fumbled.

FTF followers will be glad to get their hands, or hard drives, on this, the band’s first live release since 2003′s Live Damage. Whitby brings live new era FTF into your home and an opportunity to salivate over the richness of their performance whenever you desire. The sound quality is undeniable; aside from the cattle calls between songs, nothing differs from the studio. It is an imprint of a strikingly tight and technical group.

Whitby is dedicated to the memory of Canadian visual artist and musician Michal Majewski, who passed shortly after the event. He designed the poster for the show, pictured above. A catalogue of his artwork is available here. Majewski was the bassist for Ontario thrash/grind band F.A.T.O., who opened at the Wing Shack show.

Track Listing:
1. Absence And Despite
2. The Storm
3. Kelowna
4. Everyone Is Robbing The Dead
5. The Sound Of Your Smashed Head
6. La Culture Du Faux
7. The Pile Of Flesh You Carry
8. Sleepless
9. La Tete Hors De L’eau

Published by This Literary Magazine

EYAL MAOZ & ASAF SIRKIS
Elementary Dialogues
Ayler Records (France), 2009

The fact that Eyal Maoz and Asaf Sirkis were childhood friends, growing up and attending school together in Rehovot, Israel, makes their musical careers all the more interesting. Maoz, a jazz guitarist, left Israel for a musical career in NYC, where he now leads such musical ensembles as Edom, Dimyon, Crazy Slavic Band, and co-leads Hypercolor and Manganon. Sirkis settled across the pond in London, England, after establishing a name for himself as a drummer in Israel during the 1990s. He now leads two ensembles, The Asaf Sirkis Trio and The Inner Noise, and has collaborated with numerous artists such as Harold Rubin, John Williams, and Nick Homes.

After banding around and making names for themselves in their respective cities, Maoz and Sirkis reunite on 2009′s Ayler Records release, Elementary Dialogues. What a force they have concocted! Relying on traditional instrumental jazz formulae of lead trading and intuition fuelled improv, the record fuses blues, jazz and rock styles for a unique picture of avant-garde experimentation.

Eyal Maoz

“Regae” opens Elementary Dialogues with a twangy, fairly conservative blues melody. The simplistic, smile inducing tune effectively sets the plain for Eyal’s clean guitar side, which guides him through tell-tale jazz unconventionality on the album. However, the safe, mood-setting album opener contrasts the feverish intensity found on the rest of the record.

To be blunt, after “Regae” simplicity vanishes from Elementary Dialogues. Second track “Foglah” dawns Maoz’s distinct experimental sound which frequently pushes toward a distorted noise sound. Reminiscent of the Electric Mud style, Maoz unleashes his raw talent by playing with feedback and wah effects, at times calling in shades of Hendrix-esque tone manipulation.

The rest of the record follows the same lines as “Foglah,” throwing the rule book aside for a highly experimental avant-garde sound. For example, “Sparse” is backgrounded with a fiddlish tremolo effect and Sirkis’s chattering ride cymbal. Atop the electric, yet lounge-ish noise, Maoz breaks the tension with drawn out, distorted blues leads.

“Miniature” splits the record with contrast by slowing tempo. Maoz’s clean guitar saunters around a humble melody while Sirkis rides his snare with soothing brush strokes. “Kashmir” displays the duo’s inimitable approach perfectly with more clean guitar licks from Maoz, and Sirkis’s unrequited love for clacking the rims on his kit. Other notable mentions for fusion lovers include “Jewish Loop,” “Strip,” and “OK,” which incorporate note bending and muddy distortion effects from Maoz and stark impressive improvisation from both duo members.

Maoz and Sirkis trade parts like a couple of prohibition era trailblazers on Elementary Dialogues, each respectively stepping aside to allow their partner to solo around for a bit, and then jumping back into the spotlight for the next burst of energy. The pair blends numerous styles into a melting pot of innovative technicality. From its originality and array of techniques, this record will impress avid contemporary jazz followers, and even the average listener bored with the radio.

Track Listing:

1. Regae
2. Foglah
3. Sparse
4. Jewish Loop
5. Esta
6. Hole
7. Miniature
8. Strip
9. Kashmir
10. OK
11. Ethnic
12. Quiet Improv
13. Without A Story

Published by This Literary Magazine

The Acacia Strain
Wormwood
4/5

Listen To: The Impaler
Skip It: Tactical Nuke

Massive drop-tuned guitars resonate over a slap-happy double bass foundation on Wormwood, The Acacia Strain's fourth studio album. This record's heaviness warrants a backup set of speakers, it's a start to finish firing range of hardcore tinged death metal.

Living up to its name, album opener "Beast" (featuring Hatebreed's Jamey Jasta) is a muscle shirt shredding inspiration. After an eyebrow raising intro with an alien-like voice insisting When someone needs to be killed, there's no wrong, you're bludgeoned with slow-paced war-drum stomping and max-distorted guitar chugs. Vincent Bennett intensely assaults with his fire-breathing, vocal chord snapping microphone punishment.

Track two, "The Hills Have Eyes,” continues the workout. Driving along a straight ahead triplet beat, the song is more hardcore punk than deathcore and the like, a sound consistent on other faster tracks like "Ramirez.” Fans of Raised Fist and other metal-hardcore will fly ass over tits for these circle pit-triggering songs.

The Acacia Strain, aptly labeled deathcore or not, dabble in untreaded zones on Wormwood as well. For example, intriguing you in the forefront of the entire record is an array of delay guitar. "The Carpathian" and "Terminated" play around with the strobe effect tastefully, allowing contrast to cease judgment of this, upon first listen, categorical band. But "The Impaler" takes the cake with the slipperiest guitar lead around. I don't know what produces this possessed hyena shrill, perhaps better described as a cathedral window shattering over a hell-demon's headstone, but it impresses. Yes, there are many times when Wormwood is that good.

Track Listing:

1. Beast
2. The Hills Have Eyes
3. BTM FDR
4. Ramirez
5. Terminated
6. Nightman
7. The Impaler
8. Jonestown
9. Bay of Pigs
10. The Carpathian
11. Unabomber
12. Tactical Nuke

Published by Tangible Sounds Magazine

CD Review: Ozzy Osbourne

Ozzy Osbourne
Scream
3.75/5

Listen To: Life Won't Wait
Skip It: I Want It More

Ozzy Osbourne told Classic Rock Magazine in 2009 that in fear of sounding too much like Black Label Society, his twenty plus year career with guitarist Zakk Wylde would cease. The new shredder aboard the crazy train is Gus G. of Firewind and Arch Enemy fame, accompanied by a new drummer, Tommy Clufetos of recent Alice Cooper and Ted Nugent albums.

Resulting from the personnel shuffle is Scream, an album that at times offers a tamed glimpse of the Prince of Darkness. For example, album opener "Let It Die" projects worldly aspects with maracas and hand drums throughout the slow moving, six minute heavy rock medley. Later on the disc, the maraca returns on "Latimer's Mercy,” alongside an array of guitar effects including resonating delay and a talkbox.

Ozzy uses Scream to flex his softer side with acoustic ballads "Life Won't Wait,” albeit infused with heavy power chord choruses from Gus G. Another less dark number, "Time,” features violin and high pitched background vocals. Final track "I Love You All" is simple, a minute of twiddling acoustic strings and Ozzy rejoicing For all these years you've stood by me, God Bless, I love you all. The songs are emotional and uplifting, welcome contrasts to tell-tale Osbourne enormity.

Fear not, Scream also fires a barrage of metal at the ears. "Fearless,” "Soul Sucker" and "Diggin' Me Down" top out the decibels with hooky heavy metal and hardcore riffs. On the stadium worthy "Let Me Hear You Scream" Ozzy belts Let me hear you scream like you want it, Let me hear you yell like you mean it in his signature anthemic chants. And, all over Scream there are examples of Gus G.'s lead talent to keep you entertained.

Track Listing:

1. Let It Die
2. Let Me Hear You Scream
3. Soul Sucker
4. Life Won't Wait
5. Diggin' Me Down
6. Crucify
7. Fearless
8. Time
9. I Want It More
10. Latimer's Mercy
11. I Love You All

Published by Tangible Sounds Music Magazine

CD Review: Kataklysm

Kataklysm
Heaven's Venom
3.75/5

Listen To: Determined (Vows Of Vengeance)
Skip It: Nothing.

Kataklysm's eleventh studio release, Heaven's Venom, is a hard-hitting disc blasting through ten songs of equal parts black, death, and thrash which come to embody the band's self-attributed "Northern Hyperblast" sound.

A low crypt-keeper voice insists Go out and get what you're worth, but you've gotta be willing to take the hit before Kataklysm punches out album opener "A Soulless God.” More voice samples infused into other songs uphold the band's 1984 inspired picture of society, and twenty year singer Maurizio Iocano solidifies the message by tearing against the usual suspects of war, religion and oppressive government.

A riffmeister's dream, Heaven's Venom also cycles through technical guitar structures with non-stop velocity. "Faith Made Of Shrapnel" displays Jean-Francois Dagenais's ability to sweep through drawn out, drop-tuned monstrosity in tried and true death style.

"Hail The Renegade,” "As The Wall Collapses" and "Numb And Intoxicated" demonstrate Kataklysm's melodic side with classic metal chord structures and harmonizing. The odd squealing thrash solo helps bridge the array of varying techniques and ranks Dagenais in the area of metal guitar God.

Between crashing breakdowns and frantic blastbeats, Heaven's Venom sits high on the intensity level with Max Duhamel's relentless double bass backdrop. Steadfast followers of Kataklysm will adore this record, and the average seeker of classic death metal will not be disappointed.

Track Listing:

1. A Soulless God
2. Determined (Vows Of Vengeance)
3. Faith Made Of Shrapnel
4. Push The Venom
5. Hail The Renegade
6. As The Wall Collapses
7. Numb And Intoxicated
8. At The Edge Of The World
9. Suicide River
10. Blind Saviour

Published by Tangible Sounds Music Magazine

Early Graves

Goner

Rating: 4.5/5

Listen To: Rot
Skip It: Nothing.

All I can say to all my friends lately is "Holy fuck! Early Graves is awesome!" Their sophomore album, Goner, is a non-stop blowout of ferocious hardcore, dipping into thrash, punk and death metal for a smorgasbord of musical monstrosity.

Title track "Goner" jolts you into hysteria using a blaring siren effect, and then quickly slips into Early Graves's fast paced momentum. Chris Brock and Tyler Jensen's thrash knack is right at the fore front, buzz grinding through riffs like the best of 'em. The track provides a tasty breakdown with gut-ripping Terror-style vibrance. Enough said, I know, but I must go on.

"Rot" has an oldschool street tinge reminiscent of Victim In Pain era Agnostic Front. Raunchy guitar feedback rings over blasting drums before tempo slows for a crashing breakdown, and Makh Daniels venomously rips through the mic like a latter day GG Allin.

"Rot" leads seamlessly into another blastout, "May Day," which turns into a sludgy chug-fest for which Daniels keeps splattering his little black heart out. The song drowns out with over a minute of resonating guitar whine before "Wraiths" keeps the tempo down, relying on heavy metal riffing and more melodic feedback.

"Trauma," "Give Up" and "Bastard Tears" get your shitkickers moving again to their crashy, four-on-the-floor progressions. Brock and Jensen riff, chug, and solo around in amazing hooky fashion. Final track "Harm," another electroshocking feedback display, features John Strachan from The Funeral Pyre on vocals for a most furrow-browed album sender.

Simple yet one of a kind, Goner will leave you bloody nosed with its relentless energy.

Track Listing:

1. Goner
2. Faith Is Shit
3. Old Bones
4. Rot
5. May Day
6. Wraiths
7. Trauma
8. Give Up
9. Bastard Tears
10. Harm

Published by Tangible Sounds Magazine

CD Review: Grave Maker - Ghosts Among Men

Grave Maker
Ghosts Among Men
3.75/5

Listen To: Laid To Rest
Skip It: Nothing, every song is along the same lines.

Vancouver's Grave Maker, NWHC at its finest, have recently acquired a spot on Chicago-based Victory Records for their second full-length, Ghosts Among Men. The record is powerfully punchy, largely influenced by new style metal-hardcore which flooded the scene after eighties bands like Black Flag or Negative Approach were done punking around.

"Hell Followed" covers all the new hardcore bases, beginning with a fast paced intro, and then splitting the near minute and a half track with a crashing breakdown. Third song "Melt To The Mold" takes its title to heart. Guitars chug along at a mid-tempo pace, diverting here and there with quick metal fills for a wholly core picture. Jon on vocals yells his lungs out to the anthem lyrics, his voice nodding at Jamey Jasta of Hatebreed's angry, non-screaming style here and for much of the record. "Seducer" and "Why We Fight" progress along similar lines, full of hair-raising chants and steady palm-muted guitar lines.

Ghosts Among Men takes from more recent hardcore schools mid-disc with songs "Stronghold" and "Vlad The Impaler,” offering thrashy, Terror-style guitar sprays and heavy metal fills. Final track "Never Be Like You" then contrasts the entire album with a clean, twangy guitar line. Don't fret though, Grave Maker doesn't go skacore for a lone song, but tastefully exemplifies how they're not a one-tone hardcore group.

There are visions of mid-nineties Coney Island High on Ghosts Among Men, like you are catching Madball in the prime of their anti-stadium grittiness. Distortion is high, but not overpowering; the song structures follow underground hardcore's straightforwardness, straying little for experimentation. If you respect the definitive sound of newschool hardcore, this record is right up your darkened alley.

Track Listing:

1. Ghosts Among Men
2. Hell Followed
3. Melt To The Mold
4. Seducer
5. Why We Fight
6. Stronghold
7. Vlad The Impaler
8. Laid To Rest
9. Dead Of Alive
10. Sever Thy Head
11. Broken Bones
12. Never Be Like You

Published by Tangible Sounds

CD Review: Whitechapel - A New Era Of Corruption

Whitechapel
A New Era Of Corruption
3/5

Listen To: Reprogrammed To Hate
Skip It: End Of Flesh

For a relatively young band, Whitechapel has seen a huge amount of success since starting up in 2006. You can tell by the masses of Whitechapel t-shirts sticking out more and more at metal shows - they are instant fan favourites. With such a commanding presence in the scene, these Knoxville young'uns have a daunting role to fill with their latest album, A New Era Of Corruption.

This is the third album in a line of standard death metal from Whitechapel. Beating double bass and racing blast beat drums support technical tri-guitar battles, and continuous throaty growls coupled with thrashing screams. Along these lines, you can assume Whitechapel has an unmistakably categorized death metal sound.

Aside from some the untraditional death metal delay guitar effects on "Reprogrammed To Hate" and "Prayer Of Mockery" that contrast the rest of the record, A New Era Of Corruption dishes out tell-tale death techniques. "End Of Flesh" is a prime example: demonic growls, elevating guitar leads, and a classic, overworked death acoustic bridge. "Unnerving" opens with a minor note hell-orchestra that we've all heard a thousand times.

There are also treats for listeners on A New Era Of Corruption. The entire disc is a showcase of technicality, like "A Future Corrupt" with its mathematical fills and riffs. And there is a welcomed sense of death mayhem projecting from all angles. However, while punchy, hellish, and understandably ear catching for death metal devotees, this record lacks stand alone originality. When a band captures the scene's attention, there needs to be proof of valour within their musical pudding. For Whitechapel, quickly reaching the centre of the metal sphere, I still don't feel obliged to jump on the bandwagon.

Track Listing:

1. Devolver
2. Breeding Violence
3. The Darkest Day Of Man
4. Reprogrammed To Hate
5. End Of Flesh
6. Unnerving
7. A Future Corrupt
8. Prayer of Mockery
9. Murder Sermon
10. Necromechanical
11. Single File To Dehumanization

Published by Tangible Sounds Music Magazine

Dew-Scented - Invocation (CD Review)

Dew-Scented
Invocation
4.5/5

Listen To: Torn To Shreds
Skip It: Totem

From listening to metal and hardcore for years, it’s always refreshing to hear a band with clear dedication to their style. All you diehards know what I mean, finding a legitimate heavy group that doesn’t use hardcore as a front for getting new fans is difficult. This is why I can‘t big up Dew-Scented’s latest album Invocation enough. These Germans have been representing bullshit-free metal-hardcore since 1992, and know their style like none else - they hit everything within their sound right on the mark.

First off, Invocation is free of pretentiousness. Build-up opener track “Downfall” employs an acoustic guitar for about a minute, before ushering in the hyper-picked palm-mutes of “Arise From Decay.” Then you know straight up what Invocation has in store: down-tune ridden breakdowns, speedy riffs, face-melter solos and thrashy drums.

All this in balanced harmony. Knowing when to step-up with some technicality and when to back off is what Dew-Scented does best. Like in “Have No Mercy For Us,” which features masterful thrash riffs, as well as simple, distortion soaked power chord progressions. Guitarists Michael Borchers and Martin Walczak accept the opportunity for a solo battle at the end of the four and a half minute tune, but don’t shove it down your throat. It’s quick, up and down the neck for a couple rounds in the thrash-style solo technique used for the entire album.

And don’t worry about vocals. Leif Jensen is master of a steady, anger-fuelled yell throughout Invocation. For contrast he could scream, he could sing along - but he knows that what he and the rest of his band have is perfect, and should not be screwed with.

Track Listing:

1. Downfall
2. Arise From Decay
3. The Invocation
4. Have No Mercy On Us
5. Artificial Life
6. Condemnation
7. Totem
8. Torn To Shreds
9. Revel In Contempt
10. A Critical Mass
11. Global Hysteria
12. Slaves Of Consent

Published by Tangible Sounds Music Magazine

CD Review: Exodus - Exhibit B: The Human Condition

Exodus
Exhibit B: The Human Condition
4/5

Listen To: Burn, Hollywood, Burn
Skip It: A Perpetual State Of Indifference

Unsung thrash pioneers Exodus celebrate twenty-five years of continuous carnage, amidst multiple personnel changes and hiatuses, on their ninth studio album, Exhibit B: The Human Condition. The record is their first collaboration with renowned metal producer Andy Sneap of Megadeth, Arch Enemy, and Kreator fame.

The Human Condition exhibits Exodus's classic thrash speed punched out by endless triplet drum beats. The disc opens with "The Ballad Of Leonard and Charles" and "Beyond The Pale," together making up over fourteen minutes of non-stop ferocity, with a vibrant showcase of heavy metal riffing and soloing from shredders Gary Holt and Lee Altus. Classic Exodus momentum stays in the forefront for a lot of the disc, most intense on the nine minute "The Sun Is My Destroyer," an up-tempo double bass fury that also features an intimidating sadistic growl from Dukes in the intro.

In stark contrast to the album's overall speed, a few tunes slow the tempo as well. "Nanking," a chug along headbanger indictment of the 1937 Japanese capture of the Chinese city, reminds you of A-list thrashers like Slayer or Megadeth in its ability to dampen pace and still keep you glued to your stereo. "Democide" is another stomper, featuring Holt and Altus heavily riffing along over a foundation of technical drum beats.

Most at centre-stage on Exhibit B: The Human Condition is Rob Dukes's personally stylized vocal hooks. From "The Ballad Of Leonard And Charles" and its chorus screams of Sado-sexual violence, to "Hammer and Life" and its breakdown chorus line The hammer is my symbol, The banner that I wave surely to induce future crowd sing alongs, Dukes pulls you in with many shades of satanic rebel theatrics. Let's hope to see another twenty-five years from Exodus.

Track Listing:

1. The Ballad Of Leonard And Charles
2. Beyond The Pale
3. Hammer And Life
4. Class Dismissed (A Hate Primer)
5. Downfall
6. March Of The Sycophants
7. Nanking
8. Burn, Hollywood, Burn
9. Democide
10. The Sun Is My Destroyer
11. A Perpetual State Of Indifference
12. Good Riddance

Published by Tangible Sounds Music Magazine

CD Review: Aeon - Path Of Fire

Aeon
Path Of Fire
3.5/5

Listen To: Kill Them All
Skip It: Total Kristus Inversus

In a 2008 interview with Decibel Magazine, Aeon guitarist Zebb Nilsson explains how the band's Christian phobic lyrics largely stem from vocalist Tommy Dahlström's irritating encounters with Jehovah's Witnesses while growing up. On Aeon's fourth full-length, Path Of Fire, Dahlström's hate for organized Christianity is once again at the forefront of the album's subject matter. In "Of Fire" Dahlström sings Your Jesus means nothing to me in a hellish growl. "Abomination To God" is a straight up manifesto of Dahlström's Christian opposition: I don't care what you say, I don't care what you think, Everything I do I do it for me, Nothing you can do to stop me he explains to the God he hates.

Aside from topping the most atheistic of lyrics, Aeon followers also know that beating their extreme musical technicality is out of the question. Path Of Fire leads you down a road of eleven new songs in true Aeon demeanour. Disc-opener "Forgiveness Denied" immediately races through blast-beats on par with black-metal ferocity and the math-metal guitar lines straying from conventional time signatures on "The Sacrament" are impressive and attention grabbing.

But sometimes the most impressive death metal bands turn you away by misusing the genre's categorizing techniques. After four solid breakouts of violent aggressiveness, Aeon does this with the minute and a half Latin acoustic filler track "Total Kristus Inversus". Guitarists Nilsson and Daniel Dlimi seem like they are showing off by racing up and down the nylon strings, over and over again, like a couple of rookies with something to prove. Frankly, the overall assault of Path Of Fire buries this attempt at a tasteful contrast, and would stand at the same high stature without it.

Track Listing:

1. Forgiveness Denied
2. Kill Them All
3. Inheritance
4. Abomination To God
5. Total Kristus Inversus
6. Of Fire
7. I Will Burn
8. Suffer The Soul
9. The Sacrament
10. Liar In The Name Of God
11. God Of War

Published by Tangible Sounds Music Magazine

CD Review: The Hold Steady - Heaven Is Whenever

The Hold Steady
Heaven Is Whenever
3.9/5

Listen To: Our Whole Lives
Skip It: Barely Breathing

The Hold Steady are one of those indie bands that, if on a major label, have potential to rule the world. Pop-rock with glimpses of western, big band and fuzzed out hippie twists, they can take you in any direction, which is what Heaven Is Whenever, their latest ten song record does.

The band’s fifth album opens with a western ditty, “The Sweet Part Of The City,” complete with slide steel strings and acoustic guitar rainfall. All this gets cornered by a contemporary tweak of synthy thhhips in the background, for a feel-good song with a lasting impression. The album’s sound arsenal grows on the second track, “Our Whole Lives,” which dawns the band’s reliance on electric power chords amidst hooky pop melodies, a wonderfully blatant contrast also used in “The Weekenders” and “Rock Problems.”

Heaven Is Whenever is also a lyrical masterpiece. Vocalist Craig Finn is full of unforgettable one-liners, like We’re good guys, but we can’t be good every night; Bangin’ ’round in restaurants isn’t that much prettier than bangin’ ’round in bars; and It’s a long way to the corner store from the centre of the universe. These are just my favourites; the album is a poetic Easter egg hunt for any lyric junkie.

But, I'll tell you what warrants my less than perfect rating. The album’s pros heavily outweigh a couple distinct cons found in “The Smidge” and “Barely Breathing.” These songs have the same potential as the rest of Heaven Is Whenever, but holding them back is an awkward, much too noticeable bareness. The scant rhythm section in “The Smidge” doesn’t support Finn’s vocals like other, fuller sounding songs do. And “Barely Breathing” starts out with a unique low-fi, twangy guitar riff that could equal precision, but drowns in more emptiness once the band kicks in.

Track Listing:

1. The Sweet Part Of The City
2. Our Whole Lives
3. The Weekenders
4. The Smidge
5. Rock Problems
6. We Can Get Together
7. Hurricane J
8. Barely Breathing
9. Soft In The Center
10. A Slight Discomfort

Published by Tangible Sounds Music Magazine