Album Review: "Earth Shaker" by Ramage Inc

Earth Shaker

Let's talk about Scotland.

I think most of us here in the United States do not think much about the small nation in the north of the United Kingdom, but being a Cameron, I do.

Though I do not enjoy the Scottish Premier League at all...sorry ancestors, but if it matters I do have my family's coat of arms tattooed onto me.

Ramage Inc is a progressive metal band from Edingburgh, Scotland.

 

They have been doing this music thing for awhile and their latest album, Earth Shaker, is due to be released in early September.

You should honestly keep reading because, how many Scottish bands can you name?

Album Review: "Small Problems" by The Bulls

Small Problems

About twenty years ago, I discovered a band, The Suede Chain, that had a string section. They were a "local" band that played between Champaign, IL and St. Louis, MO. They had a couple of albums, but never went anywhere...sadly.

A couple of years ago, my father in law gave my wife and I a pair of tickets to see a band at the Pageant that neither of us had heard of, The Airborne Toxic Event.

This band also had a female violinist...and some pretty kick ass guitars.

So, this band struck a chord with me and before the second song of the set was done, I had already plopped down some cash to get their latest album.

Well, I told you those stories to tell you about The Bulls. They were co-founded by Anna Bullbrook of the Airborne Toxic Event, the violinist. Well, that was enough to get my interested in this album.

Album Review: "Built For War" by Hammercult

Built For War

By the Power of Grayskull!

Sometimes we just more power metal in our empty lives. This is an oversimplification and I will get to that later on...

Today I'm going to review the latest album by Israeli thrashers Hammercult.

The band was founded all the way back in 2010 and have released an EP and two full length albums before Built For War, 2012's Anthems of the Damned and Steelcrusher from 2014. As this is only their second album, Hammercult fits right into the mantra of new music.

It would appear that there's a growing metal scene in Israel. I suppose that makes sense though. It would be quite easy to become metal over there. It's probably not worth pointing out that heavy metal godfather and inventor (yeah right) of the metal horns, Gene Simmons is originally from Israel.

Album Review: "Below The Belt" by James Leg

Below The Belt

I'm not sure how honest I should be here, but oh, well you know I stand by my words.

This is a very hard review for me. It's hard because I want to be objective, but when you're reviewing someone whose work you just really love...

I mean I don't want to hit Joe Buck territory here! My St. Louis people know what that's all about right. Joe Buck on a national broadcast when the Cards are playing....

You know.

James Leg AKA The Reverend AKA John Wesley Myers of The Black Diamond Heavies, and he's probably got another four or five more aliases...Well we all know what his deal is. If you don't...

Keep reading.

Album Review: "The Boats of the Glen Carrig" by Ahab

The Boats of the Glen Carrig

Let's have a quick lesson in metal sub-genres:

Metal, NWOBM, Thrash, Speed, Stoner, Death, Grindcore, Deathcore, Metalcore, Doom, Gloom, Symphonic, Black, and about 700 others right?

Well, as always I try to steer clear of most of the metal subgenres because I don't think what you write about makes you all that different, but hey, that's just me.

Today's review, Ahab, has created a new metal subgenre:

Nautical Doom Metal.

OK. We'll roll with this. One of the things that makes this album especially cool is that we're dealing with another highly literate metal band. This album is based off of the 1907 novel of the same name. So, Eye of Solitude might have a little competition there....

Album Review: "Lamentia" by Obscene Entity

Lamentia

Another day and another album and another new artist.

Obscene Entity is from merry old England. If you need something more specific, they are from East Anglia.

I know, I'm thinking about the exact same sketch about the Bishop of East Anglia too, but Obscene Entity is light years away from Monty Python...

In 2012, they released their selft titled debut EP.

In 2014, they began work on the follow up release, their proper full length debut.

Now in mid to late 2015, we have it available for our perusal. It's hard to really talk about what kind of music they play, as they take many of the accepted conventions of many kinds of music, and kind of toss them all together...

Album Review: "Odd Anthem" by Static In Verona

Odd Anthem

It's been a nearly a full year and a half since I first heard of Static In Verona.

The "band" was described to me as a mixture of shoegaze, jazz, pop, and everything else in the world that could be put into category that was neither rock nor blues.

Well, I do my best to listen to what's sent to me, and I checked it out. You can read about it here.

Well, it's been awhile since I posted that review and I've been jamming to that disc since I heard it.

Now we're talking about the next release by the indie one man band from Chicago. The next record is out later this month and I'll admit has a slightly less cool title than its predecessor, but I am not sure that title could be topped....

Album Review: "The Price of Immortality" by Liberty's Exile

The Price of Immortality

This is another one of those times where I had to consider enlarging the photo of the album cover in order to accommodate the title of the album.

Thankfully, it just squeezes in.

However, the tracklist is whole other story entirely, our new friends from London, England have packed this release full.

FULL.

This is, I THINK, now officially the longest album I have ever reviewed. It clocks in around Metallica's Load and Reload.

Yes, The Price of Immorality is around 78 minutes of music. If it were any longer, the listener would need to have already paid the price of immortality just to finish the record!

I kid. I  kid, but only a little.

Album Review: "Pitch Black" by Rifftera

Pitch Black

Today we have Rifftera's debut album on Inverse Records.

Anyone who says all music sucks, well, it's time to tell them to just pay attention to the world around them. Yes the world has changed.

Yes, you can't turn on KSHE 95 in St. Louis (the oldest FM rock station) without hearing precisely the same songs they were playing in 2008, 2002, and 1996, but if you do some looking, there's some great music still be to had and here's a new band for you.

What's great about their name is that you know precisely what they're all about straightaway. It's also nice that they didn't try to come up with the most offensively metal name they can think of. I can name too many bands like that.

It's easily discernible that we're talking about a damned heavy band right here that's going to be full of overdriven guitars in the vein of Metallica and Pantera, but wait, there's more!

Album Review: "Workingman's Bellfuries" by The Bellfuries

Workingman's Bellfuries

Let's think back to a simpler time.

Back when rock'n'roll music was wholesome, pure, and didn't raise the hackles of any conservative groups for being evil.

When the church thought it was all right to rock around the clock and before Leo Fender invented bass guitars.

Well, let's be honest, as long as there's music, there will be groups trying to censor it, shame it, and smear it. Whatever is new will raise the ire of those who fear it.

But anyway. Today we're looking at a band who is new, but whose music is not...well not precisely anyway.

Sticking with the premise that anything that can be done has been done, The Bellfuries play a style of rock'n'roll roots Americana straight from the 50's.

Interview: To The Pain...I See Your Princess Bride Reference There.

To The Pain

I've been pretty metal for about 30  years now. It seems hard to believe that one of the youngest genres of music is now so old.Metal is now old enough to have spawned children and maybe even grandchildren!

Well today we're looking at the grandchildren of Judas Priest and Iron Maiden.

To The Pain's parents, Megadeath and Metallica, share joint custody.

It's possible that they let these young men watch too much TV growing up, hence their name...

But more seriously, it's interesting to see how metal has grown and changed since the days that Iron Maiden's Number of the Beast was the scariest thing you were going to see on Friday Night Videos...

To The Pain is just about to release their sophomore album, 7, and hopefully play a show in St. Louis and one of the guys, took the time to pontificate upon my inane queries.

Album Review: "A Filthy Orgy of Horror and Death" by Morbid Slaughter

A Filthy Orgy of Horror and Death

There are some of my readers who really hate this kind of music.

Then there are others who love extreme metal.

I also have a few who'll at least check these posts out because they've got an open mind about music, and let's face it.... it takes a mind as wide open as the Grand Canyon to really consider this if you're not already a fan.

I took some time away from writing about extreme metal and I'm missing it.

So today we're perusing the Peruvian band, Morbid Slaughter.

They formed in Lima, Peru back in 2009. It's kind of surprising that this is their debut full length album. Well, let's check out what our new friends have for us.

Album Review: "Dig In" by Idlewar

Dig In

More DIY music for you today.

Today we're looking at a power trio. You know, I've never liked that designation. I mean...are there non-power trios?

What about The Jimi Hendrix Experience?

What about Wolf Mother?

Rush?

Anyway, I'm losing the plot as I always seem to do. Idlewar is a brand new band. They formed in 2014, so it's possible they're not even one year old yet.

All we have here is guitar, vocals, and the rhythm section. It kind of reminds me of Rod Torkelson's Armada Featuring Herb Menderchuk. Except that not only is bass good, the drums superfine, but the whole rest of the band doesn't suck.

Album Review: "What Tomorrow Brings" by Lord

What Tomorrow Brings

Many different kinds of metal have come through my hands over the course of the past few years...and decades before that.

Something I don't pay enough attention to though, is power metal. More specifically, today we're looking at epic power metal.

We'll get into that more later.

Lord is from Australia. The good people at their label were kind enough to send me a CD of their latest release, What Tomorrow Brings. It's generously labeled as an EP.

Tim Lord ended his previous band, Dungeon, in order to create a solo project which has now been transmogrified into a full fledged band.

This all happened in 2003, but this is the first I've heard of them personally. Well, I'm always ready to listen to something I've never heard before and now I want to tell you about them.

Interview: Derek Bishop Didn't Write About Lucky Charms

Derek Bishop

For quite awhile now, Derek Bishop and I were following each other on twitter with no real interaction.

We've all got folks on the list like that, and when I saw his sophomore record was coming out, I decided I needed to reach out.

Well, I ended up reviewing Bicycling In Quicksand. It turned out to be an album that surprised the hell out of me. Every now and again that happens, well seriously get thee to iTunes, Amazon, or his website and buy that album.

Going back and forth with him, turns out he's a pretty fun guy a good follow on twitter, so do that too.

I present to you his answers to my questions. They're long as he has a lot to say and plenty of time to work on it. I find oftentimes that if I like an artist as a person, it can color my opinion positively about said artist....

Check it out!