Vinyl Review: "Plays One Sound And Others" by Knife In The Water

Plays One Sound And Others

One thing I saw in a how to PR manual was to let the recipients of your message know how many albums your band has released so that they can get an idea of how far you've come.

Imagine, if in 1991, you picked up a copy of Metalllica and then started moving backwards, but instead of going in reverse order, you picked up their debut, Kill 'Em All.

Most listeners might be a bit hard pressed to see how this was the same band. From that point, Metallica veered off into some very different directions.

It's often left out how those changes started though. The band that recorded that oft-lauded debut wasn't the same band that wrote that album. In fact, it wasn't even until their third album that the band in the photos and the grooves wrote and recorded the entire album.

LP Review: Self-Titled by High Reeper

High Reeper

Are you guys high on the mary-ja-wanna?

America's love affair for substances is legendary as are the attempts to snuff it out. 15 years ago, the idea of being able to buy marijuana at a store...unheard of.

But now, places like Colorado and Washington State are seeing insanely high budgets surpluses!

Not to sound too far out, man, but if this stuff had been legal this whole time, how many more Jimi  Hendrix's, The Doors's, or Cream's would we have had?

Seriously? We'd have had absolutely zero more of those groups. Though, they and Sabbath, and The Stones, and the everybody else always used large amounts of substances, it's always been about the people taking the drugs and not the drugs taking the people.

Wait...what?

Video: "Riding With Zombies" by WarCall

It's September 25th and the Hockey Preseason is in full swing. Did you catch the St. Louis Blues defeating the defending champ, Pittsburgh Penguins, on NBC-SN last night? Sure it was preseason, but it was the opening night lineups for both teams, except the Blues started their back up goalie.

When hockey gets going in full swing, there's only two things I think about: Canada and Metal.

So, with no further ado, here's some Metal from Canada.

Check out WarCall's Riding With Zombies right below.

LP Review: "Nagual Sun" by I Klatus

Nagual Sun

Today before listening to this album, it was time to order Chinese Food for lunch.

My office is situated in a place where there aren't many choices for lunch. Aside from a couple places here and there, it's very limited.

So, as they deliver, the Chinese place is my most oft picked lunch. Well, their menu is rather limited as well.

So, it gets harder and harder to pick out something to eat, even from there. In fact, this place  has been forsworn so many times, it's not even funny.

Every time though, this blogger keeps crawling back for that MSG encrusted semi-awful goodness. The problem is that no matter what I try to order, it's all old hat.

Vinyl Review: "Unlawful Assembly" by Dawnray'd

Unlawful Assembly

This is a hard review to write. The idea that something may be left out, that something may be said improperly, and that offenses will be caused, but I have a choice and my choice is to write what I think and what I feel.

Art is never created in a vacuum. Even bands that claim that they're apolitical, do have political undertones to their music because a single fact: Our politics isn't simply whom we vote for but our very selves in every day life.

Presently the game show host, who's been elected President of the United States of America, is attacking men and women of color for their peaceful protests on fields of play.

Weeks ago, he said, in not so many words, there were some very fine nazis in the Charlottsville, NC protests. He's been attacking American citizens for their use of their First Amendment rights, all the while ignoring the plight of 3.5 Million Americans in Puerto Rico.

LP Review: Lords of Light and Thunder" by Archons

Lords of Light and Thunder

For the entirety of existence, I have been a nerd. It's only been in semi-recent  years that this could be admitted publicly.

Dungeons & Dragons, Video Games (often in Japanese), reading (the list of Star Trek books read by me is staggeringly impressive), and any other nerdy thing you can name.

I've done it.

With nerds, yes we can smell our own, but some of us, are spectacular at hiding their nerdiness. Robert Plant is one of those guys.

One of the forefathers of metal was an epic level fan of Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit. How many different nerdy things did Black Sabbath deal with? (Yes, Mythology in general is another wonderfully nerdy pursuit.) Who can forget, Ronnie James 'MF' Dio...

 The symbol of Dungeons & Dragons metal?

Video: "Fist From The Grave" by Tulsadoom

Too many times in this world of metal, music videos lack concepts, or anything other than the lyrics. Granted, lyric videos for metal tunes can be quiet useful for those bands who might need an elocution lesson or seventeen.

Fist From the Grave comes from Tulsadoom's upcoming split with Hellrazers on Witches Brew Records.

Check out the latest Game of Thrones inspired video below. Ask them how many wolves they've killed over on Facebook and if you dig this track, get it on Bandcamp.

Video: "Sunday" by Sherry

Sherry is based out of Brooklyn and Austin. Now, is there like a Brooklyn, TX that I'm unaware of or are they Skyping their writing sessions?

Pro-Tools?

Never heard of it. Well recently, they put out Not Brandy, Not Whiskey. Take a look at them while they eat to the dulcet tones of their own damned selves.

If you dig that, download the album on Bandcamp with the "Name Your Own Price" feature. They've also got it on cassette if vinyl's not hipstery enough for you.

LP Review: "Death Revenge" by Exhumed

Death Revenge

It's been too long since death metal has worked it's oily fingers through these here pages.

My twitter followers have already heard this, but it's time to allow the wider universe to hear about it. This year my car situation was upgraded from a dying Honda Civic to a very much alive Toyota Prius.

Not only for the environment, but for my personal pocketbook, having that Prius has been great. My car goes over 400 miles per ten gallon tank.

Now, most folks who listen to my kinds of music don't drive hybrids, and Priuses especially due to the Left Wing Stigma attached to them. Me, I think it's totally cool that my life straddles this juxtaposition.

So, a few days after buying that car, I placed an order online for a Death Metal sticker. Not any particular band, but a sticker featuring several skulls, and the words "death metal" written in a conventional album cover font.

Video: "Monuments" by The Haunted

Long time Gothenburg extreme metal stalwarts, The Haunted have released a new lyric video from their latest album, Strength In Numbers.

As always, they're angry about something.

Video: "Autophøbia" by NØMADS

If there's one band that never fails to get my blood pumping, it's NØMADS. Their debut album, Free My Animal, was one of the best records of  2014 and is still available on vinyl for $1 + Shipping at Bandcamp.

Currently, they're releasing the next album, which is now broken up into two EPs, single by single, by single. They're on the back nine now with Autophøbia.

Check it out below or be forever sorry!

Video: "Time Bomb" by Unreal Terror

This whole week has been waiting until such point that I'd make some pasta. So, by that token, it seems like a good idea to take a look at some Italian Heavy Metal.

Because this makes total sense.

After a long, long, LONG hiatus, Italy's own Unreal Terror are releasing an album with 3/4's of the classic lineup on Jolly Roger Records on October 6th.

Check out the clip below.

LP Review: "No Stars Upon The Bridge" by Hallatar

No Stars Upon The Bridge

The prevailing though in my mind is that there's someone missing from my life.

My cousin died about two years ago now. My facebook "memories" have all sorts of statuses about him.

So, there's certainly a melancholy that's coming over me today and Hallatar have entered in and are drawing me to that time.

The best music, in my humble opinion, is something that will grab you by the scruff of the neck and hurtle you backwards in time...or perhaps forwards.

Then without noticing it, your mind is reliving a moment in your life. It's almost as if you're Sam Beckett from Quantum Leap...but it's within your own lifetime. I suppose, the proper science fiction analogy is About Time.

Video: "Bite The Prey" by Electric Hellride

This is how democracy dies? To thunderous applause... Well, that's from Star Wars, but this track is pure thunder.

It's as subtle as a hangry Godzilla. Crank it up and run through some walls MXC style. Kenny Blankenship will talk you back.

LP Review: "New Beginnings" by Radio Moscow

New Beginnings

Radio Moscow is a pretty special band to me. Around six or seven years ago now, when my personal musical reawakening was taking place, James Leg, formerly of the Black Diamond Heavies, led me to Alive-Natural Sound.

This particular rabbit hole eventually led me to The Great Escape of Leslie Magnafuzz by Radio Moscow.

There's no question that everything they've done since then has been through my ears and blown my mind.

It was always cool seeing them as part of my favorite record label, but times, they are a-changin'.

New Beginnings is Radio Moscow's major label debut. So, the band that only a few of my friends had heard of will no longer be our secret. They're being exposed to the whole wide world now. Before writing this review, I had to listen to L!ve In California on vinyl again....

Video: "Afterlife" by Metalite

The first thing I noticed in this video that was a little out of the ordinary was the use of an Iceman shaped bass. Whatever you may think of any thing, it's hard to move past that. Then there's a Seven Signature guitar as well.

I'm confused.

Afterlife is the first single from Metalite's debut album, Heroes In Time.

Swing to it and move your groovy self on over to their Facebook page...

Video: "A New Safe Path" by Onydia

It's time for prog metal. So get out your grammar, musical theory, and metal text books. It's time to study and make some seriously big music.

Onydia is from the far away lands of well, honestly I don't know, but they sing in English and feature blast beats and crunch riffs.

That should sort out any international tiffs. Feast your eyes below and get their music on iTunes, Amazon, etc...

Video: "Death Coast" by Sinicle

Are you ready for some Death'n'Roll out of the West Coast?

I'm reasonably certain that's where Sinicle hails from. See, Death Coast is a pun like West Coast... right?

Anyway...horns up and get f'ing metal. Be a total bad ass and preorder it on Bandcamp.

LP Review: "S" by Mesmur

S

Over the years, it's probably obvious that I've spent too much time watching foreign films....most of them being from Japan, Spain, and Mexico.

Kurosawa, Almoldovar, and Miyazaki have all made films that simply have to be seen to be believed.

After watching those, it becomes apparent that the world is a very large place and there's a place for everyone within its expanses.

Though music is the universal language, sometimes it needs to be translated. Because of that need for translation, sometimes it can be hard to really know what music is.

There are Japanese songs on the shamisen that sound amelodic to my western ear. It's that translation that we all sometimes require to hear the inherent beauty. It can be hard.

Video: "Garbage Collector" by OxenFree

Today's a backwards kind of day so we're going to start with dessert and move backwards to dinner. (That's a Ponyo reference.)

Instead of angry metalz, let's check out some happy go lucky modern rock from OxenFree. Their new EP drops in about a month, but they'll give you a lick off of their ice cream cone now.

Check it! Pre-Orders are available HERE.

EP: "Terminal" by Horse Head

Terminal

Today on the Nerdist Podcast, I was listening to the audio of Talking With Chris Hardwick featuring Dominic Monaghan.

At the end of the episode, they began talking about video games and how as we all age, it gets harder and harder to really play video games.

How many times have we popped in a game and thought to ourselves, ok, enough with the talky talky bits, let's please get to clobbering time!

Honestly, I never did get to clobbering time in Dragon Force on the Sega Saturn.

Their conversation moved towards horror games, like Silent Hill. Monaghan spoke of playing that game with Elijah Wood back in the Lord of the Rings Days. Minutes would go by and nothing would happen, but then BOOOOOOOOM and he was terrified.

Vinyl Review: "The Mess We Made" by Tomas Doncker & The True Groove All-Stars

The Mess We Made

Let's start off at the beginning. Your friend and humble narrator, is a straight, white, male in America who's only recently truly become aware of his innate privilege.

To say anything else would be a lie.

If you look at the cover of this album, you'll see depictions of things that hit very close to home, literally. My neighborhood had protests.

(Trigger Warning: If you support Americans waving the flags of our enemies, you're going to be pissed off in about 25 words or so.)

Donald Trump is the embodiment of all of these things that I'm alluding to. Let's not be so naive to think that he's the beginning of all of this, as Tomas Doncker says, bullshit that we are dealing with in the United States.

LP Review: "Blood Feud" by Twingiant

Blood Feud

Being a fan of a band is a lot like being their parent.

We watch the bands grow up. Look at bands like Metallica, Iron Maiden, etc... Those bands' first records are nothing at all like what they became in the future.

There's growth and change in every band, sorry AC/DC.

It can be rare, especially in this day and age, to catch on with a band on their debut album. This is the reason why debut records are mentioned so many times when they're reviewed by me.

It's important to know the growth potential in my opinion. Twingiant, they ended up in my universe when they were doing press for their second album, Devil Down. 

Video: "Fantasies Will Never Die" by Sorrows Path

Multinational doom senationalists, Sorrows Path, are returning with a new album.

Their ability to meld the old ways with new technology gives them an age most doom metal bands can't touch. Melodic vocals and crunchy guitars, but with a blade a bit sharper than Iron Maiden ever was.

That's who they do it and simple formulas tend to yield great results. Their new album, Touching Infinity, is out on 9/22 via Iron Shield Records.Missing out on this one is simply not an option.

Video: "Lullaby" by Fall of Man

There are times in this life when there is nothing like a good chunky guitar riff in order to make the medicine go down. That lady, Mary Poppins, she didn't know a single thing about the riff. Sure she played guitar, but not a drop of distortion or even natural overdrive.

Fall of Man is here dropping a video on your very soul that would make those Von Trap children run and hide.

Check it out below and consider picking up the album on Bandcamp if ya dig it.

LP Review: "Zaul Mos" by Syn Ze Sase Tri

Zaul Mos

These days, my life is a primarily urban existence. My home is in the City of St. Louis. My job is in the suburbs, but not in the country.

That's my personal preference as an aging human in the United States. Having a better train system would certainly enhance the experience, but let's not get too greedy right?

My youngest days were spent very differently though. The family is now scouting out Missouri's State Parks and the little short girl who lives in my house is shocked to find out how much of my time was spent in the woods or on lakes.

When I was coming up, my house in Ballwin was surrounded by dense forests that stretched for miles. My cousins and I could actually walk to each others houses via the trails in the woods. The creek, the paths, the snakes...they all left indelible marks on me.

Stream: "Pachacutec" by Wakas

As a little boy, the very idea of The Incan empire always fascinated me. I read and devoured as much of the history as I could. The name Pablo Pizarro still makes me angry.

Interestingly enough, here's a band from Peru who writes death metal about that very civilization.

Check it out below and check out more of their stuff on Bandcamp.

Split LP Review: "Split" by Hands of Orlac/The Wandering Midget

Split

There have been a goodly number of Split LPs to cross these pages in the past few months.

In a day and age where a band has to basically set themselves on fire in order to get noticed, perhaps this is really good way in order to get on the radar of more fans.

For example, last month we purchased Procession of the Equinox by Twilight Fauna and Evergreen refuge, and yes, I'm interested in Evergreen Refuge now.

The same thing happened while listening to Grim Van Doom and Cult of Occult's split together. The former wasn't part of my world, but now they are.

What makes for a good split really? That's the million dollar question and how well do they sell? The answers to these questions are elusive to me. These are my personal known unknowns.