Album Review: "Uncertain Process" by Prion

Uncertain Process

Death metal to me has always been the purest form of music.

If it's faked, it's terrible.

If the vocals are to cliched, it's terrible. (Yes the vocals do matter in death metal. I can't tell you how many albums I've heard with just awful death metal growls that I've just turned off.)

If you can't play your instruments at a high level, yeah, it's terrible.

On top of that, no death metal band is ever going to fill an arena in the United States, much less a large theater. It's all about the passion, the anger, and the desire to speak.

Today, we're reviewing the upcoming album by Argentina's Prion. This first album since their 2008 release. The physical CD will also come with a live DVD filmed last year in their home country.

Album Review: "Greed Heritage" by Blunt Knife Idol

Greed Heritage

Let's talk about some Dutch.

We could be going dutch, supporting the orange, jumping rope, or more logically we could be talking about some brutal metal.

I'd also like to point out that I am still angry at Robin van Persie. Why did you quit the Arsenal so soon?

Somebody really needs to tell me what's going on over there in the Netherlands. They are kicking out more thundering metal per capita than any other nation on the planet.

It really seems like England and Sweden really have to play some catch up at this point!

The music contained within our new friends' debut record borrows far more from the small Island of England than it does from the mainland of Europe. There is nothing remotely resembling the Gothenburg Sound here.

Interview: Freddy J IV of Left Lane Cruiser "I play dirty blues and classic rock."

Freddy J IV of Left Lane Cruiser

The blues are a national treasure to me.

Before they came to be, America had little to say when it came to music in the world. It's the truest American art form.

It was also the basis of much to come. Later in America, it spawned rock'n'roll. In England, players took up the cause and created English blues, which later became blues based rock.

In 1970, an English Blues Band became the first heavy metal band in the world.

I think it's common in America to say that you're a fan of the blues, but how many people really are? A friend of mine once told me all of his favorite bluesmen have died.

Well, allow me to formally introduce you to Freddy J IV of the psychobilly blues band, Left Lane Cruiser.

Album Review: "Only The Ruthless Remain" by Skinless

Only The Ruthless Remain

I've been saying for awhile now that it's really a great time to be a death metal fan.

Of course you're not hearing it on terrestrial radio, but maybe other services.

What's amazing about this time is the resurgence of classic death metal, the original stuff.

We're living in a world where the greats like Carcass and Obituary are touring together. Deicide is playing festivals. Orignators like Master are still out and bashing.

It's also worth  noting that other great metal bands have cropped up and playing traditional death metal, melodic death metal, and even symphonic death metal.

Today's review, Skinless, like Carcass had a long lapse in activity. This is their first album in over ten years. Let me say, welcome back, Skinless.

Album Review: "Blossoming Decay" by Noisem

Blossoming Decay

Sorry, but I got this album late. It's release date has already past, but let's peep this stuff anyway.

Today we're considering the sophomore album by Baltimore's Noisem, the follow up to Agony Defined.

I first encountered Noisem on tour with Carcass and Obituary last year.

They were the first act on a four act bill. The frontman for Exhumed mentioned, how great is Noisem?  He followed that up with "Imagine how great they'll be once they get their driver's licenses!

These men are definitely young. The bassist is the elder statesmen on the group at the ripe old age of 22. The line up is rounded out by two pairs of brothers and they've been off and running for years.

Interview: Stu Makin Talks 7 String Les Pauls and Life

Austerymn is a band that confuses me a little bit if I'm being perfectly honest.

Their history is murky.

Their sound is classic death metal.

Their "debut" album is brand new, but they've been a band for longer than two decades.

As is my wont, when I hear a great album, I really want to learn more about the people behind the notes. I've found as I've aged that the people who play the music, the sports, the roles, the etc that we all enjoy, well they're honestly real people! Some of these people even have jobs like  us...

The ones who feel the pain they play, and here's what Stu Makin had to say to my silliness.

Album Review: "Dirty Spliff Blues" by Left Lane Cruiser

Dirty Spliff Blues

I'm often surprised at how long I've been writing these reviews. These started  nearly 3  years ago in 2012.

It's now gotten to the point where I've reviewed some bands multiple times and for Left Lane Cruiser, this is their third album to be reviewed on these pages.

For the new rhythm section, it's their second time.

So, something happened. In the two years since the last Left Lane Cruiser album, drummer/vocalist Sausage Paw Beck decided to leave the group.

In his stead, half of his side project joined Left Lane Cruiser.

I'm a bit shamed to admit that I hadn't heard about this changing of the guard, but I was certainly interested to see what it would do to the sound of the band I've known so well.

Album Review: "Love and Other Tragedies" by Roger O'Donnell with Julia Kent

Love and Other Tragedies

Honestly, this is a day that I could never imagined coming.

I am no fan of The Cure. Most of my recollections about said band mostly are about the lead singer.

I don't even know if the things we spouted out at each other were remotely true, so we'll leave those to the annals of our shared history, that we being my college band.

I started this blog partly to record my reawakening to new music, and this is definitely something that's new to me.

So, to clarify, Roger O'Donnell is the keyboardist for the aforementioned Cure. He's brought along with him a cellist named Julia Kent. Both artists  have achieved a measure of success without the other and they have come together to create an instrumental album unlike anything I have ever heard.

Album Review: "Carnation" by Daughn Gibson

Carnation

I'll be the first to admit that for a little while now I have been stuck in a rut.

Ruts are not cool.

It has been the kind of rut that makes people think that this is a heavy metal site, and frankly, that is not how I see it personally. Yes metal, extreme metal in particular, is my favorite type of music, but it's not the only thing that I listen to.

So, in the coming days and weeks, there will be a change and I will be doing music that comes from all over the place. There is going to be some very interesting music here.

Please keep an open mind on this stuff.

Today we're looking at Daughn Gibson's latest album. I can't tell you precisely where he fits in the world. Media Player listed this music as an "unknown genre." I think that's pretty accurate....

Interview: Michael Dolan of The FTW, 'I am no Steve Harris'

Micheal Dolan

Recently, I checked out the new album by The FTW.

Unlike a few of the other bands I've come across recently like Raven and Venom, they're a rock band, but like those bands... they fit right into the New Wave of British Heavy Metal.

I suppose if Entombed AD can play Death'n'Roll, then The FTW can play NewWaBaRoll....

Why not?

I wanted to know a bit more about this band and the man behind the Rickenbacker bass, Michael Dolan.

We talk about the normal stuff....where does the music come from? How did you concoct this music, and also what he gave up to pursue a life of music.

Album Review: "Farm Machine" by Steve'n'Seagulls

Farm Machine

It's an amazing world that we live in nowadays.

Think about the concerts you've attended or the hundreds or thousands of shows that your favorite bands have performed and how much was never recorded or saved.

Now anything that happens in front of an audience is immediately captured in stunning high definition on devices that also double as our PDAs, instant messenger, music player, and shockingly enough, phones.

So, is it any real surprise that Steve'n'Seagulls started because a group of Finnish musicians decided to play Thunderstruck by AC/DC whilst wearing the most ridiculous costumes they could think of and put it on YouTube?

I really don't think so. So here's what we have: A group of accomplished musicians from Finland playing a bunch of classic songs on banjos and the like.

Album Review: "Asystole" by Amanita Virosa

Asystole

From Finland we have the debut effort from Amanita Virosa.

I have no idea what those words mean, but I'm sure it's Finnish for awesome.

The band originally formed in 2008 and in 2014 they began putting their music to tape and here in 2015 we have their music.

Amanita Virosa doesn't precisely fall into a category of metal. I know I claim to not really care about the subgenres, but then I reference them all of the time.

I'm not sure what I mean anymore.

With six members in the band, it's far easier to venture off into something different than say with just four members. I suppose it's a lot like what Jerry Garcia once said about the Grateful Dead, when you bring in a piece of music, it comes back very differently in this band.

I would hazard a guess that Amanita Virosa is similar in that way.

Album Review: "Vendetta Kind of Mood" by The FTW

Vendetta Kind of Mood

Today we're looking at the new project from Micheal Dolan, formerly of the The Turbo A.C.'s.

It's always cool to see what an artist will do once they are removed from the band that made them famous. Ace Frehley made a synthy hard rock album. Bruce Kulick and John Corabi made some dirty rock albums. C.C. Deville made a big pile of unlistenable crap.

I'm not familiar with the Turbo A.C.'s so, I'm not really going to think about that. I'm just sticking with this:

This is the debut effort of The FTW.

He recruited a couple of other gents to round out this trio, The Major Nelson on guitar and J.J. Meraz on the drums. 

When I first read about this album, I was certain it was going to be a punk record, but it's not, or even close to it. It's a New Wave of British Heavy Metal Rock'n'Roll album. Yeah work that out will ya?

Interview: Nate Towle of Wicked Inquisition Gives Me The Time of Day

Doom metal, stoner metal, groove metal, to me it's all the same thing.

What's different is what the singer sings about. Are they singing about illicit substances? Oh then it's stoner metal.

Are they singing about demons from hell coming to drag you down?

Oh, ok that's doom metal.

What's funny to me is that the originators of Heavy Metal, and whatever you want to call this particular sub-genre, sang about both things...think about Sweet Leaf or Snowblind and then Black Sabbath or N.I.B. The Sabs definitely never chose a direction...but I suppose neither has High On Fire.

We've lost the plot. Wicked Inquisition has just released their debut album full of whatever you want to call this metal. I was floored by their album and thankfully Nate Towle was willing to talk to me about it.

Album Review: "Reflection" by Cave of Swimmers

Reflections

Another day and another album.

As I come in contact with more and more varieties of music, I begin to think that perhaps the vast amounts of subgenres isn't necessarily all that bad of a thing.

Lately many different kinds of music have crossed my desk and I'm often left wanting for a name for the style. I know many folks aren't too jazzed on being put into a box, but I think it helps listeners determine what they're going to hear.

In this case, I don't know what these guys are.

Today we're considering the sophomore release by Cave of Swimmers. Reflection is their follow up to their self titled debut.

It's interesting to note that this group is a duo. I think it's pretty clear that our new friends are multi-instrumentalists. GE and Toro have been friends since their formative teenage years in Venezuela and came to America together to continue their music.

Album Review: "Addicted To Murder" by Drown In Blood

Addicted To Murder

It's amazing how Europe has a great metal scene.

It's also interesting to see what Americans did to the, originally, English creation of heavy metal.

What would happen if a band from Europe, let's say Milan, Italy to be precise, took the American version of death metal and made it their own?

I consider American Death Metal to be the Tampa Bay style. The blast beats, the heavy snare, and the throaty, but "articulate" growls of pretty awful (awesome) scenes.

Well, we're taking a look at an Italian band today who has done just that. Though European, they are playing American Styled Death Metal. (My personal favorite genre of metal...specific I know.) Formed in 2010, today we have their first full length release and the follow up to their EP, Blood Feast.