"Doom Philosophy" by Sorrows Path

Doom Philosophy

About 15 months ago, I was contacted by Sorrows Path regarding their previous record, The Rough Path of Nihilism. Unfortunately, it didn't work out to make it onto the blog, but here we are today, with their brand new record, Doom Philosophy.

I made sure to take time out to check out this record front to back.

It should be noted that ex-King Diamond and Mercyful Fate member, Snowy Shaw is even guesting on a track. I just love King Diamond, what can I say?

Sorrows Path has been on again and off again since 1993 and I can't honestly tell you from which country in Europe they hail. Germany? Greece?

I'm not sure and the internet is frankly not much help here, but where the band hails from, the members aren't from a single nation anyway.

"Parasitic Unborn EP" by Victims of Contagion

Victims of Contagion are the latest indie band to send me their album.

They self describe as a technical death metal band.

Again, we arrive to the horribly convoluted cross section of metal subgenres where just a tiny little difference means it's an entirely different kind of music.

Honestly, much of the time I can't even tell you what this or that means. Technical death metal, blackened death metal, death metal with a side of rye...I don't know.

They hail from the far off land of Pittsburgh, PA, a steel town. When we look back into the annals of metal, we remember that Black Sabbath formed in Birmingham, England. Good metal comes from steel towns where metal is quite literally in the air and your blood.

"Sonic Child" by Zodiac

Sonic Child

Close your eyes and think about the golden age of music.

Seriously.

What do you picture? If you are the average American music lover in 2014, you're probably picturing 1974 and you see a golden maned singer with his shirt buttoned only about halfway and a Gibson Les Paul slung over the shoulder of the man on this left.

(Hopefully you're also reading this blog in order to see that quality music is still being made.)

Lots of folks believe that quality music has stopped being made years and years ago. Most of terrestrial radio is all about "Classic Rock." Well, needless to say, I'm not in agreement with that kind of thinking, which is not to say I don't love my 70's rock. Today's review, Zodiac, doesn't seem to know it's not 1974 anymore...

"Imperium" by Internal Bleeding

Imperium

New York City.

Thinking of the Big Apple, my mind wanders to a ridiculous campaign about salsa not being from New York.

However, this isn't about salsa or TV, but a death metal band that's been together for over twenty years. So few acts reach 20 years, much less any interpersonal relationships, but here they are.

Of course Death Metal's not from New York either...

They reared their heads in 1992 with the demo, Invocation of Evil, and went through some serious trials and some serious metal eating its own young.

They refer to their style as "Total F------ Slam." They saw what they were doing as a different kind of death metal, though they have been written off as generic death metal, a close listening shows that's not really the case....

"Towards The Light" by Dominhate

Towards the Light

Today's album up for review is the latest by Dominhate.

This is another one of the bands who have risen from the ashes of another and dealt with members coming and going, but in the end, they have arrived.

They are self-described as "death thrash," and I can fully state that I'm not entirely sure what that means.

I have always seen death metal to be a natural evolution of thrash metal and not a completely different animal entirely. Both genres are fast, both make good use of high gain, riffing, and double bass blast beats.

In the end, even Spew (a division of Punishment 18 Records, so named for their dedication to thrash.) agrees that they are not a death metal band, but they at least count somewhat as a thrash band.

Album Review: "Molotov" by Burning Nitrum

Molotov

Iron Maiden began the heavy metal history of album covers.

The album cover should grab your attention. When you see it, you should have an idea of what's going on inside the record. The Digital Era may have killed album covers for many genres, but not metal.

Take a moment to look at it. Click on it. It's ok, I'll wait.

Immediately the cover inspires chivalry, totalitarian disdain, and rebellion against injustice.

Maybe I'm just naive...

Formed in 2010, by the vocalist, David Cillo, Burning Nitrum has released an EP, a demo, and a single. Now we're looking at their debut LP. Let's dive in while it's hot.

Album Review: "Welcame" by Rise of the North Star

Welcame

Today's subject comes all the way across the Atlantic, past Ireland, and the rest of the United Kingdom into France.

What's interesting about this particular group is that their spirit comes from even farther away than that...all the way from Japan.

Personally, I'm an Otaku. So I can definitely get into using Japanese culture and art when looking for inspiration. I have a tattoo on my arm in kanji that was for my own encouragement.

When I saw katakana on the album cover and saw their name was that of a popular manga, anime, and video game, I had to admit a small bias, but it turned out ok.

They are described as thrasher, but they are so much more than that. Their tunes are a very welcome mix of thrash, punk, NYC hardcore and yes, even rap.

Album Review: "Just Hip Enough To Be a Woman" by BRONCHO

Just Hip Enough To Be a Woman

In 2011, BRONCHO released their debut record, saw some success and took on two years of touring.

Well, any time that a brand new band who can tour for two years on their debut album, you'd have to think that everything is coming up rosy for them right?

Well in our heroes' case, that was simply was not how it would come to be.

While they were on tour behind the record, the record label collapsed and BRONCHO was left on the road without any tour support.

They pulled together and not only finished the tour but continued writing music and found another label and recorded their sophomore album, Just Hip Enough To Be a Woman. Thankfully for us, quitting was never an idea they considered. They believed in themselves and the songs.

Album Review: "Baphomet Pan Shub-Niggurath" by Unaussprechlichen Kulten

Baphomet Pan Shub-Niggurath

It's been a long time since we've had any Black Metal around here. In fact, I'm not sure if we have ever reviewed a black metal album.

Today, the album review is for Chile's Unaussprechlichen Kulten and their third full length album which is their first LP release since 2008.

That is not to say that in the previous six years that our new friends from Santiago haven't been busy.

They have been releasing a steady stream of EP's, splits, etc since then, including two releases in 2013 alone.

Lyrically, their songs are based in the Chutulu Mythos. The name of the band, which I cannot pronounce, translates to nameless cult and is the name of a fictional book that was referenced in a story by H.P. Lovecraft. Fitting eh?

Album Review: "GH/0ST:S" (Split) by Godhunter & Secrets of the Sky

GH/0ST:S

Earlier this year, two bands one from Tuscon, AZ, Godhunter and one from Oakland, CA, Secrets of the Sky, released a limited edition cassette tape.

It was limited to a mere 100 copies!

This item was only available on tour, and frankly, that's a loss to the rest of us who would like a turn.

Well, we are all now in luck as the bands have connected with Battleground Records to release this split.

EP? Well it's got less songs than Reign In Blood, but it's nearly ten minutes longer.

God Hunter is fresh off their LP debut, but has been released on several splits over their career. Secrets of the Sky have also released their debut EP, but this is only their second release, and first split.

Album Review: "Feel The Noise" by Paul Collins

Feel The Noise

Paul Collins is back and better than ever.

Honestly, allow me to display my ignorance to all of you. I am not familiar with the work of Paul Collins. It's a lot like Mitch Hedberg and Peter Frampton I think.

For the rest of us who aren't sure....

Paul's been a professional musician since 1974 and has played in some important bands: The Nerves, The Breakaways, The Beat, and his solo career.

Aside from the list of bands, it could also be said that he has a laundry list of styles and even instruments. Like Dave Grohl, he started off as a drummer and switched to guitar and vocals. Like Dave Grohl, he could actually pull it off....but let's move on to the album review....

Album Review: "At Best Cuckold" by Avi Buffalo

At Best Cuckold

For today's review, we will be slightly less metal. Actually, that's not really accurate. We will be significantly less metal.

In fact this review isn't metal at all.

There's just been so much of it sent to me lately so that is what I've been writing about lately, but it was never my intention to be a metal site.

Today's review subject, Avi Buffalo, is a group of younger musicians who were in high school while they were recording their first album, but that was 2010, and today we're looking at 2014.

Now they are releasing their sophomore effort, At Best Cuckold on SubPop records. Should listeners be concerned about the dreaded sophomore slump?

Album Review: "Religious Apocalypse" by Bloodoaked

Religious Apocalypse

Months ago, I came across a Kickstarter campaign by a band with a record label and a recording contract.

Thinking about that, it was a bit confusing, but Bloodsoaked was trying something brand new. They'd worked out a deal with Comatose Records that by taking less money to record their new album, they would receive the rights to the masters of that album, and all previous works six months after the release of Religious Apocalypse.

Well that's pretty cool, so they would be able to make a little extra money for themselves and all that good stuff, except that wasn't the point.

Bloodsoaked isn't going to be selling this album or any of the previous, but they will be giving them away via download in the belief that they will be able to grow their fanbase by allowing the music to be heard by absolutely anyone who wants to hear it. When read this, I knew I was interested in what they were doing.