LP Review: "Anonymous Souls" by Manifestic

Anonymous Souls

During the election cycle of 2016,when Fake News from the Right Wing became the real news of the day, someone said to me, you listen to all this underground music, but you /only consume mainstream media.

Well, I could go into the reasons behind both the former and the latter example in that statement, but for now, let's just stick with music.

Mainstream Music is mean to be all things to all people. Humans have such wide differences in taste that Metallica had to dull their edges to go supernova.

Led Zeppelin and Pink Floyd though, they're the exceptions.

One of my favorite underground labels is Punishment 18. They put it out on the table. Thrash metal is their bread and butter. Now, Germany's Maifestic, is a bit different. They're not your father's thrash. Unless you're dad is around my age, no, still true.

From the onset of the album, the men from the German Ruhr show two sides of what they're doing. Every song has a foot in the old school and another foot heading into a new idea and a new plane of existence for the longest running heavy metal sub-genre.

Definitely, get in on this one.

3/29/19 

Interview with Home Style Surgery

Home Style Surgery

Let's be nice and honest shall we? In the United States, we don't really think about Finland. Say what you want, but unless you're watching Olympic Hockey, you know what I'm saying is true...and Teemu Selanne isn't playing on that team, you probably don't watch it.

The first time I realized Finland was a thing was from the Monty Python song of the same name. It's nothing personal, but Sweden and Norway get all of the attention if we're being honest.

That's probably because Sweden has their death metal scene, and do we have to say anything about Norway's own scene? The one that sparked an international sensation? For clarity's sake, we'll say it: it's Bobbysocks!, naturally.

So, let's take a trip across the Atlantic Ocean, head a bit north, cross the fjords, and learn more about Finland's finest thrash metal band, Home Style Surgery. Jussi Keränen took some time with us and here's what we shook out of him....

LP Review: "The End of Mankind" by Adversor

The End of Mankind

A long time ago, in a galaxy far away...

Well it may not have been all that long ago, and the galaxy wasn't that far away either. In fact, it's probably appropriate to say that the galaxy was just a subdivision on the other end of the St. Louis Metropolitan Area.

In the years when your friend here was discovering that Iron Maiden wasn't the heaviest band in the world, many days (and nights) were spent at my best friend's house in his basement.

We listened to Metallica. He tried to teach me how to play both the guitar and the bass and both in vain. We watched live concert videos.

It was an oasis in a chaotic time for me and even though we're no longer in contact, those times are still very special to me and have been coming up in ways lately, especially while listening to Garage Inc by Metallica that was recently acquired on vinyl....

LP Review: "Kingdom of Sand" by Myriad of Lights

Kingdom of Sand

There was a time when the ooze was still primordial.

In that time, the world was very old, but the living were young. In time, things began to change. Pangaea broke up into several smaller continents.

The air become breathable.

Life crawled out of the sea and onto the land. This is when things really started to hot up.

Eventually the world has become what we know it as, but try as we might to make our world into Coruscant, there are still pockets of what used to be.

We live in a world that contains places that man has yet to despoil or improve, depending upon your stance at the moment. What if humanity could return to the point of the primordial ooze?

Album Review: "Cowards Empire" by Node

Cowards Empire

Falling asleep is about the hardest thing in the world for me to do unless I've been awake for longer than 22 hours.

This is a problem that's plagued me since I was a very small child. For years people told me that to get more sleep, just to bed earlier, but they had no idea.

When my eyes are closed, the lights in my head are on and they are on full blast. Nothing stops until such point that my brain finally shuts down due to sheer exhaustion.

A book on Samurai sword philosophy is actually helping me learn how to switch off. "Too many mind" as was famously said to Tom Cruise in The Last Samurai.

Many people would find this to be a serious problem, but to me, it's just a part of the make up of who I am. There's certainly no curse in my brain being able to function quickly.

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.

Album Review: Self Titled Debut by Raging Death

Raging Death

Let's talk about a band from Silesia, Poland: Raging Death.

With a name like that it sounds to me that we're looking at a death metal band that's ready to rip the throats out of anyone who comes into their hall.

Well, our new Polish friends may very well be angry and brutal, but they're not even close to death metal.

Today our album review is that of old school thrash metal.

Raging Death has no issues with being considered old school or retro music. They even state as much.

"We are strong believers in true metal faith, our music is travel back to the 80’s, when metal was wild, loud and full of fury and anger. Fast, rough and with no compromise. Metallic punch stringht into your face!"

Album Review: "Disaster Strikes Back" by Bloodrocuted

Disaster Strikes Back

Remember your young and carefree days?

I surely do...ish.

Picture your life at age 13. I was a in junior high school and talked about buying a guitar and being in a band. I did listen to a lot of music back then.

We played sports and whatever else...I mean nothing else.

But imagine you were 13 years old and you started a band. Then two years later, you finally flesh it out to a full group.

Then after that, at age 16 you record and release a debut album and begin playing with scores of great bands in your genre.

I suppose as an encore you could release a killer sophomore album and go on tour right?

Album Review: "Call To War" by Infernal Death

Call To War

When's the last time you thought about the small, European Nation of Denmark?

I suppose though by American standards, all of the European nations, save Russia, are small. d

It's a state that doesn't really stick out to me as having a strong identity. Sure, Hamlet was set there, but I can't think of anything exquisitely Danish, aside from the pastry.

One thing that makes Denmark great, to me anyway, is the amount of great metal it exports. Lars Ulrich, King Diamond (and Mercyful Fate), Volbeat, and I'm sure there dozens more that are just escaping me right now.

I suppose in the end, it's not all that different than say Tampa Bay or Seattle. Today's Danish band is Infernal Death. In their 26th year of existence, they have smashed out some very bruising death metal.

Album Review: "Shepherd of Souls" by Bleeding Gods

Shepherd of Souls

Let's head over across the sea to the Netherlands.

How we get Dutch out of that is well, well beyond me.

I'm sure there is a significant list of reasons as to why we use this particular nomenclature in  English, but I don't feel like doing that research at this particular moment in time.

As for the country itself, well, I'm forced to admit that there are no strong images readily available to me besides their bright orange World Cup kits...

And that of van Persie.

You may recall that I'm an Arsenal fan and yes, I'm still bitter about that transfer.... Anyway, today I'm examining another debut album. Out of the ashes of several Dutch bands, the guys, and girl, have formed Bleeding Gods.

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: "Mindhood" by Ashura

Mindhood by Ashura

In 2011, the brothers Gordillo decided they were going to stop playing Iron Maiden covers and start playing their own music.

The South American brothers then began an odyssey that took them through several other musicians and into the studio to record a demo.

In January of 2013 they met Enrico Cavion who helped them change their sound, their genre and their focus.

Finally, they ended up with the full line up that would birth the newly named Ashura's debut record.

They were  now ready to begin writing and recording and the produced a three song demo to begin their journey. Ashura is a Bay Area Thrash band in the modern age that stays true to the roots of the genre.

"Walking Through Hell" by Hidden Intent

Until very recently, I was rather unaware of the thrash metal movement going on in the Australian continent and islands.

It would appear that thrash metal was placed on a boat circa 1992 and finally copies of Kill'Em All have been circulated to every single guitar store in Sydney, Melbourne, and New Zealand.

So, this is another Australian metal band, Hidden Intent. Hidden Intent formed in 2011 by lead bassist/lead vocalist (very thrash), Chris McEwen, who's supported by guitarist Phil Bennet, and lead drummer Jay Rahaley.

It's very clear that this very powerful power trio has an equally powerful sense of humor as that's how the credited themselves, but the little vignettes and the final track, Bass Wankage, kind of seal it up. These days in the music biz, if you don't have a sense of humor, what do you have?

"Origin" by Harlott

If you close your eyes and picture 1983, you're going to be in the right mindset for this old school thrash record.

Harlott, the band, hails from Suburban Melbourne, Australia, which has a growing metal scene. That's heartening to see. Bring the metal to all corners of the world.

Harlott's reputation is held up by their high energy shows, up tempo music, and they're very strong devotion to The Bay Area Thrash Metal Scene of the 1980's.

Remember when Metallica's only record was Kill 'Em All? Well Harlott does not, but this doesn't stop them for carrying the torch into well into the new millennium.