Carbon Tomb : "Passage to a Neutron Star"

This Danish death metal trio is releasing a pummeling grind that carries hints of Morbid Angel in places but delivers it more brutally. They do not let angular riffing and dissonance stop them from finding a groove on the opening track. "A Hidden Creature" feels like it carries elements of crust punk into the dense blast ridden fray the song evolves into. The drums are hyper fast. When they slow down and let the organic ambiance of the chords ring out, it plays to their favor. The way the riffs modulate is very subtle but effective. There is a burly sonic quality that would almost feel like sludge if it were not for the frantic drumming when they storm into "From the Giants Snout"

. The vocals are typically in a lower, guttural, almost gurgle, that paints them into the singular, focused aggression death metal is known for. Later in the album, as it becomes apparent that there are effects on them, they feel like they are at peak form. Production-wise, this album si very organic and raw. The vocals sit under the guitar, but the mix lends itself to making room for the bass. The riffs take on the more machine-like grinding sound that Morbid Angel made famous on " Dog Hunter". The gutiar is more deliberate here than most of the songs so far. Though when they go into blasting, it feels like an easy default. A clean strum of guitar leads into " Of God's Neglect"., this contrast helps them to find a darker place to go into. When they lean into this sonic heaviness, I think it's clear that it's heavier than metal blasting. This song is followed by an almost grindcore-like spasm of riffs that is not crafted as well as "Of God's Neglect". 

They see-saw back into creepier, more deliberate moods as the album prgresses that are much more intersting. Even when the drummer lays the double bass on thick, they stay the course for the duration of the passage, as they are going to, of course, speed up at some point. They wrestle against their need for speed on "Reversed Head Renewal". They reach a better balance on the title track that closes the album and keep the blast to dynamic bursts in a more call and response manner.,  I will give this album a 9, as it works well sonically and is more interesting than most.  

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the Garden "Bootleg"

This band had been buzzing around the post-punk side of the goth scene, and I am a little confused why, as this is just straight-up punk rock with a little tear in their guitar melodies, but still just punk. There is a bit of shadow underlying what they are doing, thanks to the reverb in the otherwise raw production of this album. This sounds like it could have come from 1978, otherwise.The vocals are more melodic on "Pin Drop". They begin flirting with some Halloween moods on "5-Mile Ponytail". The bass line is to thank for the bulk of this, along with the sample running through this song. 

"White Cadillac" has more groove to it. The title track is more of a bouncy punk song. "50's Guy's Eyes" cruise along with the same upbeat level of enthusiasm. There is a sullen element that reminds me of the early Iceage. 'Duck and Cover' finds them banging and clanging through things, in a more lo-fi and reckless manner. The guitar tone was great at the start of the album, and it begins to get kind of jangly by the time we get to "Duck and Cover." You can also hear how they have allowed themselves to be influenced on some level by Turnstille. Hey, a kid has got to make a living. 

The song is typically somewhere within a stone's throw of two minutes, which works well for what they do. The electronic drum sound to "The Mess" adds a much-needed shift in sonic color. The rapped vocals are a little weird. There is a bit of shoegaze atmosphere to "The Kockroach" that ambles along well. "Down Doggy" is more of a punk mess. It's only a minute long. "Flailing on the Tracks" is marginally creepier with its echoing boom. The vocals are more nuanced, which works for me. "Banned From Paradise" is punk with lo-fi electronic elements sprinkled in. The last song is just punk, and it works for what that is. I think if I just went into this expecting a punk album, I might have been mroe satisfied, but I can hear the appeal so I will give it an 8.5.It is being released on Epitaph because it is a punk album.

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SUBMASQ : "Spirit Animal"

 This prog rock band from Israel blends some interesting sides of the genre; you can hear elements of  Muse, System of a Down, along with more traditional suspects like Dream Theater. In this regard, you could sum it up by simply using Pain of Salvation as a reference. There is some System of a Down-like weirdness, but Pain of Salvation has used that sort of thing at times, depending on the era. It is grandiose and dynamic, but not too melodramatic to give it a more Dream Theater ballad sound; I am only two songs into the album.

The more ethnic folk elements a band like Orphanlands uses are not present, though hinted at on the darker "Mechanical Prayers " that launches into a happier chorus that sounds like it would be the theme song to an anime.. "Calypso" carries a darker Queensryhe feel. It goes from brooding to grooving well. In a weird dynamic contrast, the song "Anger" does not sound that angry. Instead, it works on an electronic pulse. Even though Bumblefoot plays on the first song, this song has the best guitar solo, as it is the most melodic and memorable.

"Sanctified" goes into a tenser creep that works well with a slow build, with "Empire" era tendencies. "Uman" has a more rock feel, like almsot feels like Devo. Vocally, it's more System of a Down, and it's too upbeat for my tastes. The vocal contrast from a light falsetto to more aggressive singing- not sure I would call it harsh, but it's a wide dynamic vocal shift that I normally would be into; this one takes me a little bit for it to grow on me. The lyrics to the last song "Trust ' might be the album's best, but the delivery is once again too happy for my personal tastes. I will give this album a 9, it sounds a great deal like Pain of Salvation, but to pull that off is impressive and they still have their own thing going on so if you are wanting some early 2000's flavored prog rock this is your best bet.Out on Willowtip Record September 18th. 

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Arise From Worms : "A Bleeding Tree Hanging Self Destruction"

 I guess the fact Dream Theater's keyboardist is on tis album should have been the clue this would be more progressive than I expected since I'm here for the Steve Tucker factor. Sonny from Incantation is the brainchild of this project; he got the idea on the tour I caught with them opening up for Morbid Angel. The drummer from Cryptopsy is driving this manic machine. He gets pretty blasty in the face of the angular riffs coming at you on "Power Obsessed". Tucker does a great job of approaching this differently than he did with Morbid Angel, as he navigates tricky tempo changes.This does cross over into technical death metal. 

There is more of a haos to "Raize Demon Breath".I suppose the shreddy aspect of it is impressive to those of you into that sort of thing. Tucker's layered and articulated approach to the vocals is the most interesting aspect. "Psionice Being" bleeds out of the previous song; it is a mix of darker Morbid Angel riffing around prog keyboard harmony runs.  "Nine Walls" perhaps packs even more twists and turns into things/. As an instrumental without the harsher growls to rein it in, things go deep into prog. Rapid-fire riffing and sweeping guitar solos become this album's dominant force, the further into the songs you go. There is a talent on display here, but nothing hooks me in.

The vocals return for "The Axes of Voivode" it does not have as much purposeful groove as what Tucker had to work with earlier in the album. The second part of this second is not much different than the first perhaps with more furious blasting from the drums. I like Tucker's vocal approach on this album and there is no denying the chops at play here though I feel at times this can come to their detriment and counterbalances the heaviness. I will give this album an 8.5, it's Tucker's vocals that will bring me back for repeat listens 

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The Rolling Stones : "Foreign Tongues"

 I've been a fan of these guys for as long as I have listened to music. In my early teen years along with David Bowie they were one of the only non-metal bands I listened to though in hindsight you could include Kiss and Alice Cooper to that list, bands the Stones influenced. They drew the distinction between the Beatles' pop music and their rock music by calling them a rock band with balls. For that reason, I  am always hoping these guys will go out on a high note. This is album 25, what more could they want? I think it's either Mick's or Keith's death that will be the end of this band. Their last album was great, so it's not a matter of quality. This was, in fact, recorded during those sessions. The boys are both 82, well past the age anyone should be making rock n roll

. "In the Stars" is plugged into their classic attitude. The opening track had a more blues-based feeling than the previous album. The fact that an 82-year-old man gets up into his falsetto is crazy. Steve Jordan plays drums for every song but track 8, which has a Charlie Watts take on it. "Mr Charm" stays true to what they do. "Divine Intervention" is not my favorite song so far, but it is a representation of what the band is about and conveys that. They dig into their countryside for 'Ringing Hollow".  It sounds like they haven't aged a day when they go to this place. 

The song I was looking forward to is "Never Want to Lose You' which finds Smith contributing backing vocals and synths. A big compliment to Smith as both Paul McCartney and Bruno Mars are on this labum but not sining with Paul playing bass, and Mars playing cowbell, which shows how seriously they take him. It does not bear any semblance of the Cure but finds Smith blending with what they do. He sits behind Mick in the mix until they do a call and response. 

They dig back into rock with more earnestness on "Hit Me in the Head."  The Amy Winehouse cover is weird but works for what they do. Richard's voice has not aged as well as Jagger's, but he makes it through "Some of Us". "Covered in You" finds them getting back into their strut. This might be the album's best song. "Side Effects" was well produced, and if you pay close attention, you hear how they give Mick's voice some love in post-production. It is the first song that feels like filler. I was expecting "Back in Your Life" to be a ballad, and it is. Despite Mick sounding great, the verses don't really grab me, though the chorus gets the job done. It is loaded down with guitar solos so if that is why you showed up then it is worth it.

The album closes with a Chuck Berry cover. Which makes sense given Richards' friendship with him, but leans all the way into their blues roots. While it's more rooted in their classic sound and the production is marginally more organic, it's on par with "Hackney Diamonds," meaning not their classic work but better than msot of the post-"Steel Wheels" material, so I will give it a 9.5. 

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Kill By Mouth : "Necessary Evil"

 

This British thrash band dropped this EP back in March, and I am just now catching up with them. They set themselves apart from thrash revival bands by blending some of the darker corners of the genre that it evolved into by the time the 90s rolled around. Pre-nu-metal leaning Prong can be heard in the thunderous syncopation they lock into. There is also ample hardcore influence they ride the line between in a very organic manner. The vocals howl in a baritone bark. They have a dark and commanding groove that moves them on the opening track. They do not forget to keep things at a head-banging tempo while not dumbing it down.

There is a very deliberate chug to "228". I appreciate the restraint they use as they never pour on the speed and forsake the purpose of the song, making this catchier. While I can hear the influence of both S.O.D and Sepultura here, there is never a sense of nostalgia like they are paying homage to an era. Instead of trying to capture a retro sound, their energy has been invested in focusing on songwriting. The guitar solo on this song is very melodic and provides depth rather than just spastic chaos. "Johnny Volcano" finds them getting even more melodic, as an eerie atmosphere precedes the more bludgeoning crunch that recalls post-"Seasons" Slayer. The vocals remind me a little more of Integrity here. In the closing moments of the song, the vocals are sung rather than bellowed.

They close this album out with the emphasis on groove. It reminds me of the mid-90s when the rising tide of bands like Korn caused the old guard to pivot in order to remain relevant. Clearly, it's an era of metal that was enduring. The riff shifts at the end to pound the point home memorably. These guys excelled at being true to the genre, while doing their own thing and crafting some catchy tunes that hold up against the thrash bands of both today and the golden years of the genre. I will give this a 9.5 and see how it grows on me, so highly recommended to fans of the genre looking for something new rather than jsut reheating leftovers like a band like Municipal Waste tends to do. Should appeal to fans of Sacred Reich and Power Trip in equal measure.

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Static Dress : "Injury Episode"

This British band has a bigger buzz across the pond than in the States, as this dropped a week or so ago with little fanfare here. They are very familiar with what they do. It gets labelled as post-hardcore, but is closer to nu-metal as the Deftones worship is tempered by the overwrought melodies, not unlike the Used. They are energetic and explosive, but not that original, as this would have been a banger over 20 years ago. Though I guess there is a new generation of kids discovering this sort of thing. There are some interesting choices in the vocal production. The riffs are hard-hitting, and they have more get-up-and-go than Deftones do now. Though they are not solely chasing an era long gone, as they prove they can also bust out the kind of emo-blaads Chino peddles more often than not these days with their song "Adapter".

The more screamed metal core is busted out for "Nostalgia Kills," which also features the singer from Underoath, so I guess they are making him feel at home here. It works for this song, but an entire album of this sort of thing would be tiresome. By the time we get to "Hospice," things begin to sound the same, and you get the feeling you are busting out HTML for your Myspace profile. There is more of the punk side of the Used once raced off into on "lip critic' which might be the most tired style they parade out so far.

"Male Bomb" might be more impressive if I were not already a fan of Glassjaw, making these guys seem likea Temu version of the band. The guitar melody to "Dull Blade Disguise" works better, but their influences threaten to overtake them even at their most creative. There is some impressive bass playing on this song. At almost four and a half minutes, this is the album's longest song, and I am not sure if the extra time is warranted."Classic Death Pose' is more of a temper tantrum made song. There is a cool riff buried amid the chaos here. They do make the most of the s ong's two minutes.

"Adult Diamond' is a more well-written emo-ballad which seems to be their strength rather than trying to fool anyone into thinking they are hardcore adjacent."Human Props" find them splitting the difference between Glassjaw and Deftones. The breakdown is kinda cool, but a song should not live or die by its breakdowns."Treading" is one of the album's best songs as it's catchy than the bulk of them. I will give this album an 8.5, as they are talented at what they are doing; I have just already heard this back in the late 90s. Released on Sumerian Records.

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