Album Review: "Spiteful" by Sonny Vincent & Spite

Spiteful

Do you ever watch Futurama?

See the one where Bender tells his girlfriend, why not? Sure I like a challenge.

Sometimes that's how I feel when it comes to punk rock. It's a challenge for me just to understand it.

A friend of mine, who loves punk rock, likes to tell me that it's not music precisely, but it's an art form all on its own.

I'm still trying to wrap my head around this idea and I'm failing miserably.

My introduction to punk was the Sex Pistols and to this day, I cannot understand how anyone enjoys their music at all, but I can get behind bands like the Stooges, Paul Collins Beat Band, etc...

Album Review: "World Grave" by Death Comes Pale (Re-release)

World Grave

Before we get started here I feel like I should mention that you really need to check out this album artwork.

Metal never gave up on kick ass album covers... I'm not sure why most other genres have really. So take a moment and click it and see what I'm fussing about.

Up for your consideration and my review is the latest album by the Danish death metal band, Death Comes Pale.

I think that's a pretty awesome name. The fact that they come from the most brutal country of Denmark is also pretty cool. Let's not forget that Messirs King Diamond and Lars Ulrich also hail from the tiny country.

It was also the setting of the most brutal Shakespearean play, Hamlet, but these goodfellows aren't connected to any of those things other than by nation....

Album Review: "Crimen Sonoro" by Troker

Crimen Sonoro

Every now and again I receive an album of music that I'm at a loss for words to describe, but we'll get to that in a bit.

Hailing from Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico, Troker has been doing this kind of music for some time.

When I think of Guadalajara, I think of Chivas...but that's another story.

The group has been around for over ten years. They started as a bar band in their hometown.

They've undergone many changes over the years. From a rock band, to a jazz band, to whatever in the world they are now. If you can figure it out for me I'd be eternally grateful... If you think that music has become stale and predictable...read on.

Album Review: "Alex Skolnick's Planetary Coalition" by Alex Skolnick

Planetary Coalition

This is one of those things where I realize where I've come from and where I'm going.

Now, I've not been able to tell you by name, or pick out his face, but I've been aware of Alex Skolnick for a very, very long time.

In 1992, I attended my very first show....it was the Iron Maiden Fear of the Dark Tour and the opening acts were Corrosion of Conformity, and Testament....

Looking back, that's an interesting line up....and from what I remember, it was awesome. Things got cloudy that day and that's all I'm going to say.

However, this album has nothing to do with Testament whatsoever. In fact, no one from the band is on this record. Please forget everything you think that this album is going to sound like. Seriously, forget everything.

"Human Ruin" by Funerals

Human Ruin

All the way from Portland, OR we have today's band up for review:

Funerals.

Simple and to the point. It's really a wonder that no one has ever used that name for a band before.

Back to Portland. When I think of Portland, I think of the Keep Portland Weird Campaign, "Portlandia," and other goofy things.

Doom metal is about the furthest thing from my mind when it comes to that idyllic part of These United States, but as I kind of would like to live there one day, I'm glad to see there's a metal scene.

I suppose though, in America's happiest city (not intended to be a factual statement), that the weirdest thing you could do is start a metal band.

Album Review: "God of Zombies" by Warmblood

God of Zombies

Today we peruse the latest release of Lodi, Italy's Warmblood.

There are two things that are immediately noticeable about this band:

1) They're a trio without a bass player. When their bassist quit Warmblood, they decided to continue without him.

2) They're drummer is a female. No disrespect to Jill Janus Huntress or Angela Gossow and Alissa White-Gulz of Arch Enemy, but it's very cool to see a woman in a death metal band who's playing an instrument instead of just singing.

You also won't hear anything from me with the phrase, for a woman in it. Like an athletic team, a band is a group of personalities and you have to find the right ones, but it's really nice when there's more than just white guys playing metal. Body Count is another great fist to that stereotype, but let's focus up again on Warmblood.

Album Review: "Obsolescence" by Abysmal Dawn

Obsolescence

From Los Angeles, California:

Abysmal Dawn.

Every now and again, a veteran band will pass into my purview and I kind of wonder how I'd never come across them before.

The biggest example of this was Chicago/The Czech Republic's Master. I'm still flabbergasted that I'd never gotten my ears on any of their music back in the old days.

Abysmal Dawn is another act that kind of feels this way. The band was formed in 2003 and they released their first full length LP in 2005, From Ashes.

Over the years their line up has remained relatively static. In eleven years, they've only added a bass player. Obsolescence is their fourth album and being released on Relapse Records.

Album Review: "Inked In Blood" by Obituary

Inked In Blood

The mighty Obituary.

When I hear the term Death Metal, there are a handful of bands that come to my mind immediately. Napalm Death, Carcass, Deicide, Morbid Angel...

And Obituary.

Back in the 90's when I was in a mood for the heaviest of the heavy, their seminal Cause of Death would be placed into my 5 Disc Changer. Oh those days.

They've been dormant for the past five years, since their Darkest Day record, but they are now unleashing their ninth studio record to the masses and embarking on a North American Tour with Carcass and Exhumed. There's a St. Louis date on 11/02 at Pop's.

Album Review: "XIII Steps To Ruination" by Annihilated

XIII Steps To Ruination

Annihlated was formed in 2008 by guitarists Eric Mantanga and Robert Fimbres not long after the Los Angeles band, Excretion unraveled.

They desired to make important music that didn't follow the mold and trends of modern metal.

Their lyrical themes rebel against the sheep mentality of society and seek rational thought in regards to our government.

XIII Steps To Ruination was produced by drummer, Scott Fuller and will be released on Unique Leader Records.

The album features cameos from many metal performers like Sven De Caluwe of Aborted, Monte Pittman of Prong, Peter Truax of Vesterian and Eyes of Fire, and Eric Stobel of Plaguereaper.

"Ecdysis" by Horrendous

Ecdysis by Horrendous

Horrendous hails from the East Coast. This not an area where traditional death bands do not come from.

Philadelphia, PA to be exact. Though this has never been a death metal hotbed, there have been other bands to emerge from the area,

Coffin Dust and Fisthammer certainly are among those bands.

Though after watching as much of The Wire as I've been watching should have taught me that there are some pretty brutal areas on the East Coast...

They are one of the leaders of the traditional death metal revival and today we're reviewing their sophomore release. In the end, will this area of the United States be as revered as Tampa Bay is for Death Metal or as the San Francisco Bay Area is for Thrash Metal?

Time will tell.

Album Review: "Deathless" by Revocation

Deathless

Boston's Revocation has been a very active band over the past eight years.

They have released four albums, an EP, and performed countless live shows.

In September, they began a tour with Crowbar to support their fifth album. They will head out on more tours when it's over in Europe and all parts beyond.....

Hopefully they'll be arriving in St. Louis here very soon....

The core of the group was formed in 2006 and from that point, they went on a tear of recording and touring. During this time, they honed their skills as musicians and these days they are among the best in the business.

There is a whole lot of amazing technical work on this record. I could honestly go on and on about how skilled they are as players, but I think that might be a bit boring.

Album Review: "Back From The Abyss" by Orange Goblin

Back From The Abyss

Last year my friend and I were on our way to see Manchester City and Chelsea FC play the first ever soccer match in the confines of Busch Stadium.

He is a big fan of stoner metal and at that point, I'd never heard such music, well at least beyond High On Fire anyway.

He'd introduced me to Orange Goblin that day and needless to say I've been pretty excited to write up this review after seeing they had a new record coming out.

Honestly, I don't know how metal Orange Goblin is...but anyway.

Stoner Metal is something that I think most people don't know a whole lot about. It gets even less play than Death Metal. I kind of liken it to music that's more descended from Black Sabbath than Motorhead and Judas Priest. It's still bluesy and oftentimes psychedelic.

Album Review: "Suicide In B Minor" by Whispers In Crimson

Suicide In B Minor

I'm going to start this review with a bit of a story about myself. I've been a heavy metal guy for as long as I can remember. Listening to Iron Maiden when I was eight years old.

I took a lot of flack for it, especially in some of the rural areas where I lived. It's hip to rock a pentagram now, but in 1985, not so much.

However, I'm nothing compared to today's review. Whispers In Crimson hail from Iran. In their homeland, metal is illegal. Iran's oppressive regime could imprison them or gods know what else just for playing heavy metal.

That is the most metal thing I have ever heard. Now, I feel like I need to mention something. Because in America praising a railroad system means that you think China is superior to us... Nothing I say in this review praises the current oppressive regime of Iran.

"Al Insane ... The(Re)Birth of abderrahmane" by Lelahell

Algerian Death Metal.

Please take a moment to let that sink in. I can wait.

Two weeks ago had you said those three words to me, well I would not have believed this existed, but then I received an email from Lelahell.

When I think of their home country of Algeria, I'll be honest, I don't think of death metal but Zinedine Zadane and Samir Nasri (still angry at the latter for quitting Arsenal by the way...).

So needless to say, I was interested in hearing this album. I cannot think of any other metal bands from this area of the world. Please enjoy this brutal export.