Paleface Swiss : "Cursed"

 My first time checking out this band. It's interesting a band like this is getting so much of a buzz. When the title track kicks things off they are not much harder than Slipknot, despite being often labelled as slam or beat-down hardcore. It sounds like nu-metal to me. I see this going over well with the Rockville Festival kids. "..and with hope, you'll be damned" continues down the nu-metal path in a manner that is more Korn than Slipknot. Though the vocals on the chorus are angrier, and if we are honest that is what Slipknot has always been to some extent, and angrier Korn. It has enough groove to gain mainstream appeal. 

"Don't You Ever Stop" tells you to go with the kind of conviction you expect. He continues to do this rapid-fire lyrical deliver that is almost hip-hop-influenced, though most of his vocals are an anguished emotional growl. The times to lean in a death metal direction it's way too emo to cross over. The hip-hop element I detected in the previous song makes itself known like a juggaloo on "Enough?". This is actually more original than the more metallic moments.  I guess they are as ghetto as you can get in Switzerland. which is not very. 

There is a faster thrashing metal attack to "Youth Decay" that smooths out into the nu-metal bounce. There is a sung vocal on the chorus, so to their credit things do switch up vocally. At under two minutes, there is not a great deal to establish "My Blood on Your Hands" as a memorable song. "Love Burns' finds them back in the more Slipknot mode.  "River of Sorrow" is more like a Staind or Breaking Benjamin power ballad.,  I'll give this album an 8, they are good at what they are doing, I just prefer what they are doing when I heard it the first time around.

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pst13

New Years Day : "Half Black Heart"

 

One of the few more commercially minded bands I am a fan of. They continue to hit the right spot of enough heft to feel metal while blending pop vocals with these weighty grooves. Since they hit the scene the competition is more apparent with bands like Spirit Box and Jinjer gaining more recognition. The groove to the title track proves they can stand shoulder-to-shoulder with those bands.Ash Costello's voice has more piercing power. She can carry enough guts with her voice, to not be forced to resort to screaming. This helps the song avoid what has become a formula that is beginning to wear thin. 

Speaking of formula "Hurt's Like Hell" is not the band's most inspired song, despite being on of the album's lead singles. It just sounds like a generic wrestling entrance song. The big anthemic chorus to "Secrets' works better as the verses break down and allow her to show different shades of her voice rather than just having to belt it out at 11 the entire song. "Fearless" is a little more radio-minded, but the big rock hook pays off and the song clicks together. The same could be said and perhaps to a greater extent with "Bulletproof" as the hooks in this song are as finely crafted as any pop hit.

"Burn it All Down" feels more like a pop song that got turned into a hard rock song. I appreciate the nuance, and dynamic ebb and flow, but do not feel it's as airtight as the previous song. "Enemy" is pretty middle-of-the-road when it comes to intentionally epic modern rock songs. Even if it means not going as hard for the sake of songwriting I think "I Still Believe' is a better song, allowing a greater range of dynamics. It should be said that this album is immaculate when it comes to production, the attention given to the vocals is top-notch. I was looking forward to "Unbreak My Heart" as I assumed it was a cover of the Toni Braxton song, but that is not the case. It is however a decent song in its own right. "So Sick" has a darker groove, which is what I want from this band, and thinking back over this album it could be a little darker. The last song also works well in blending the pop end of their spectrum with the more edgy guitar sound. I will give this album a 9, as it might not be their best, but it is a well-produced and executed exercise in refining what they do best. 

pst33

Gothtober- Lord of the Lost : "the Heartbeat of the Devil"

 This German band I have always lumped into the offspring of Rammstein who bordered more on the side of nu-metal than goth. This ep which is predominantly cover songs, challenges that preconception. The singer's voicer is more like Billy Idol than Jonathan Davis on the original song that opens the album. It is pretentious and grandiose in the orchestration this song flows around. Of all the covers on this album I am least invested in "Judas" . It's Lady Gaga, and while I have heard her songs in passing, I have never listened to one of her albums. I like it is fortunate to be unfamiliar with the source material in this case. What they are doing works for me, I can hear how this chorus is constructed reflects what Lady Gaga does, I think the things I do not like about her music these guys balance out with their Mushrommheady attack, 

Now at the other end of the spectrum when it comes to artists, I am invested Iron Maiden is going to be at the top of the list. Choosing "Children of the Damned" is a bold move. This guy does not have Bruce's pipes. However, to his credit he works with what he has, while there is a great deal of orchestrated pomp and circumstance, hanging off what they have done here. It works. DO they nail the big build this song swells into, mmm well he does hit a falsetto note. But overall, not so much. Granted there is a huge stylistic gap between what they do and what Maiden does/ Does Maiden out gun them at every angle when it comes to musical prowess? Yes. They squirm their way around this fact somewhat gracefully

I think Hedwig's "Wig in a Box" is another bold move. However, his voice is more suited for it. This guy has impressed me as a singer, and I will give their stuff a shot from this point on. The piano version of the title track is not as effective as the more balls to the wall version they opened this album with.  I will give this one a 9, it is very effective for what it does and shows me who these guys are even if they do not play their own songs more often than not.

Infected Rain : "Ecdysis"

 

Falling in the modern metal spectrum of metal core, djent and nu-metal, this band from Moldova blends the elements well. This is their 5th album, so they have perfected both their melodic side and their denser more aggressive one. Bands like Jinger and Spirit Box have made impressive names for themselves by creating metal in a similar zip code, but on the opening track I am hearing a big more symphonic sound that owes more to Within Temptation when she soars into clean vocals. I think at their heart they are more of a metal band than those two bigger name bands. When clean vocals appear, they are pop oriented in their hooks. The second song opens with more simmering darkness until they begin to dish out the beatdowns.

So far the closest they get to having a sense of pop hooks is on some of the syncopated sung vocals found on "Longing". Another interesting element is when you take the metal core moments into consideration there is very little on the hard-core side of that equation. They never feel like tough guys setting you up for a break down. When it comes close to that place sonically like on "Goodbye" there is more of a nu metal bounce to it. There is a constant shifting of riffs. They never try to jerk you around with these tricks. Her voice drops down into more of a purr for this song which works well. "The Realm of the Dead" is dark enough with the grind of its riffs but finds the band settling into more of a formula, even amid the chaos of their arrangements. "Everlasting Lethargy" takes unexpected turns that pay off.  "These Walls" continues to find the band making interesting choices in regard to where to take things like melody. 

Sometimes the choices they make fall more in line with a progressive direction. Some of this is thanks to the drummer. The guitars do not take up much time wanking around. Mood is important even when she is screaming at you in a hostile manner. They are subtle songwriters who hit you with a huge sound but balance it out with cool little haunting sections. Regular readers here know this sort of thing is not my normal go to when it comes to metal, so for it to be pulled off in a manner that catches my ear says something.  The flux of the vocal is not a predictable good cop/ bad cop thing. Is it perfect in its heavy-handed battery of your ear drums that is executed like a machine at times? Well, I think they pull off what they intended to. This drew me in, more so in the melodic moments, as that helped even the spectrum this album falls upon in the blend of modern metal at hand. With "Nine Ten" this is more ambient than expected, but still works.  I will give this one a 9, much better than expected. 

   

Insane Clown Posse : "Yum Yum Bedlam"

 The bizarre truth about the new Insane Clown Posse, is it is not much different from other pop, hip-hop and hip-hop homogenized into pop except for the fact they are not on a huge budget. This is really exaggerated on the first song. "Wretched" is darker and sounds like trap rap made for the kids who still shop at Hot Topic, which is not really gothy anymore , but marketed pop culture. I do like this better than the first song though. There is nothing to clue you into the fact these are clowns until "Clown Drippin". The vocals are really dry and the mix is awkward at best. What they do is absurd in the first place, but I think there are many other acts that you can find at their Gathering whose albums are much better mixed , Tech N9ne being the first who comes to mind. 

The gimmick they have been milking for years should be at least as good as the promise of what they are trying to do by now , since it is not like they have had enough time to perfect their craft, this should be one of those albums where I say... these guys are good at what they do , what they do is just not for me. When they try to blend country music on "Gangsta Code" which is a fucking mess.  "Queens" finds them back in a place that is way too happy much like the first song, but with a worse chorus. "Panic Attack " sounds like something that I am sure Limp Bizkit is going better on their new album. That is a pretty low bar. When I get to "Fuck Regret " I am regretting the fact I decided to review this album as as I see I am not even have into this album. Refer to my opening statement about how these guys are not as far removed from the rest of the terrible music on the radio.  If the Special Olympics had an Eminem impersonation contest the results would not sound much different than "Insomnia".

Their cover of "Heart & Soul" might be one of the worst covers I have ever heard. I would hate to her them try to tackle a song that I actually like. Vinne from Sponge should be ashamed for participating. They do write one good song with 'Drunk & the Addict' which lives up to my expectations, but that is one song out of the first ten I have listened to. "Don't Touch That Flower" is the kind of stupid I felt was in store when I pressed play, but that is marginally better than the other songs  though not as good as the previous song. "Slapnut' should remind you that if you ever get comfortable listening to nu-metal you are only one degree of separation from being down with the clown. "Bitch I am Fine" works up until the chorus.  I think they are trying to hard to blend into the Tik Tok playlist, instead of doing what created a sub culture of loners for better or worse. If Smash Mouth was a nu-metal band they would sound like ''Carnival of Lights" , once again they get into sounds that are too happy. "Ain't No Time" benefits from the vocal of Roadside Ghost, it is a song that manages to work, though Shaggy and his partner prove the can not hold a note in a bucket if they had to. 

The last song is an absolute mess, aside from only being two decent songs on this album, I think the worst offense is how the rock elements have been scaled back in order to stay abreast of what the kids on Tik Tok are doing, which for this band is the worst offense , as to sell out is to turn their back on the Family of outsiders they built. I will round this down to a 4.5 , which is one of the lowest score I have given in a long time.  

   

Sleep Token : "This Place Will Become Your Tomb"

 I was expecting something more metal when I first pressed play instead I got something more like Cold Play. This is the second album from this masked anonymous project out of England . The press release asks if we as journalists will need help due to the mysterious nature of the band. My answer is no thanks I am just goin to focus on music.  What I am hearing right now is a nu-metal power ballad. I like clean singing but the vocal melody here seems to be languishing to much in introspection. "Hypnosis" answers the question what if Jeff Buckley did not die but became the singer for the Deftones. I appreciate this guy's voice, though unsure if it is beings put to the best use all the time.  Singing is just as much about where you put your voice than hitting the notes. They have a murkier and moodier sound than most modern hard rock bands. I am not sure they are metal . They have not yet shown me their heavy side. Almost after I type that they go into some Sliknotty kind of break down.

They delve further into pop soul ballardy with alt metal production value to the atmosphere on "Mine" . Like Issues with more obtuse mix.  There are moments when they do dig into to the more rock side of what they do and the results seem less focused.one of example of this being "Like That"   They are not too far removed from the likes of Imagine Dragons on "the Love You Want" .  It is catchy and well done so I am not going to argue with it , despite the fact it is not what I normally listen to,  The auto tuned and ultra harmonized vocals of  "Fall For Me"  which reminds me of Bon Iver.  There is a more metal, by way of 90s prog rock, on "Alkaline" , which works better than when we are back to the wimpy more Coldplay like sound of "Distractions". Sometimes their experimental side works out better like "Descending" proves. It puts them back in that Bon Iver place. The emphasis returns to the sleep portion of their name with another ballad after this song.  Though there is a pretty stellar guitar sol on the song , that is not going to make a song interesting in and of it self as even John Mayer musters up those.    

"High Water" they kept the metal drummer to bring along for the cinematic pop ballad.  Toward the end of the song the guitars join in with a more metal dynamic, but Poppy's last album as a whole is more metal than what goes down here. The last song they start off with more of a pop folk feel. While they pull off these sort of moments is it not something already congesting the airwaves? They do more interesting thing on their own with out reverting to this. Overall there are some strong moments I will give this album an 8.5, when they are in their sweet spot, I like it , but there is too much balladry for my personal tastes.  

Death Valley High : "Duel"

The first song that take a shot at is the Eurythmics, they are doing fine until the guest vocal comes in. I am not sure what is up with Chris Connelly, I know he is doing some David Bowie tribute band, but both here and the guest spot he did on the Front Line Assembly album he tried doing this David Bowie impersonation , I would like to hear how he really sings. The same can kind of be said of the Christian Death song they try to tackle with Chino Moreno. I think I would rather have heard this this without Chino as their singer does fine on his own. I am not sure Chino really captures the feel of the song. But "Cavity" is an interesting choice.They gel better with Hanin from Atari Teenage Riot. These guys clearly cut their teeth in the 90s . They have picked pretty good songs so far , all 80s night staples, I guess if you have DJ cool enough to know Christian Death.

Rykarda Parasol for Faith No More's "Crab Song" is an odd choice that is the one that actually has worked the best so far. "Jump in the Fire" is an odd choice. I do not hear these guys as a metal band, There is still a quirky new wave like touch to it, similar to what I might expect of a Nine Inch Nails covering this. The higher snarl notes are not the strong suit here.  Then we get into the remixes of originals that are perhaps more interesting. The first is the opener from their "Cvlt as Fuck" album. I am no sure why they get called doom pop, as it's more like gothy nu -metal. I like the chorus to this one. They are like a more rock n roll version of Strvngers here. I do not think "the Present" is as strong of a song. I like "Merci" better, it reminds me a little more of  Bon Iver's newest.

"Ick Switch" gets a remix that is up beat, it kind of feels pretty typical for this sort of thing , but is not a bad listen. I think this is going to have to grow on me. Not sure what I expected going into it , it was not far from those expectations , though the originals varied wildly. Anyways for that reason I will go ahead and round it up to a 9, since if you are a fan this will meet all your expectations and they suceded in what they set out to do with the collaborations , I think the only issue is they could have used them less and relied on themselves more.

Issues : "Beautiful Oblivion"

 I really love those Punk Goes Pop compilation albums , where Myspace emo bands cover mainstream pop songs. This band is like the culmination of those. Anyone with ears  can hear with this album how pop and djent are next door neighbors. I like this guys voice, but I also like pop music. I consider this a pop album that happens to have a metal production quality to the guitars.This demands as much head banging as the last Justin Bieber album. For a pop album this is ok. I do not like the turn to a more Bruno Mars like sound on "Find Forever" as I think it loses what makes these guys work. Perhaps they are trying to jump on more of a Panic at the Disco style. If you do not think they are going to jump on the first bandwagon that passes then you are delusional.

"Tapping Out " almost works perfectly with it's hooks and groove under they go into harder vocals which at this point is like fucking some dude in the ass for an hour then he tells you he actually straight.It is hard to take that seriously. When they fully commit it's fine and honest in fact the novelty of hearing this kind of music performed with actual instruments is novel enough. By "Without You" if it was not for the more rap flavored delivery then I might not be able to tell this song from the others. "Rain" is a fitting title as it begins to feel like they are just treading water and stuck in a place we have been in for the first 5 songs. They also show the bridge between nu-metal and djent at several times on this album though one of the pronounced moments is on "Second Best". If Incubus still tried to fool themselves into being a rock band the results might be similar.

The drumming and the time signatures suggest that these guys might be into proggy metal as they pulls off everything really well and I am sure they are impressive live. Lyrically vapid in a way that is more fun in the more r&b places. Not all of the hooks are flawless as I think they could be should they buckle down and really fine tune the songs, the execution is so dead serious and spot on they get away with it. "Flexin" sounds like a harder groovin Justin Timberlake. "No Problem" doesn't work as well, though it doesn't suck. The ballad that follows this is pretty uninspired and doesn't play to any of their strengths. I will give this album a 9 as it continues to grow on me.

Concrete Dream ; "s/t"

I am open to nu-metal finding new life. What that looks like is still in question. I think band's like New Years Day do an admirable job carrying that torch. Thinking back to the 90s, it was the hip hop connection that had to be tread upon carefully, for every band that did it right...Rage Against the Machine, Stuck Mojo, Hed Pe...there were a dozen that did it wrong. I think the trick is not coming across like you are bunch of Juggaloos. This New Jersey band falls some where on the spectrum and after the first song I am not sure where that is. The second song is more pounding. The rap elements are more prominent here. I am fine with that , as I have heard them done well on the "Punk Goes Pop" compilations. Here they are beginning to get a little Limp Bizkit. To avoid this I am hoping they get darker as the album progress. They are walking a fine line so far and if it tips on the Limp Bizkit side I am not going to be into it. What they have going for them is the guitars are heavier.

More electronic elements would also be welcomes as a band like 3Teeth certainly puts them to good use. But we are in more of a Linkin Park zip code going into "Reasons". The sung vocals are not bad, but not really that original either. The Myspace metal quality of it's mall hard-core begins to gnaw on me. "Catch 22" proves they can get the hi hop part right. It's only marginally darker , but enough to work for me. The groove to "Relationshit" works really well with what the vocals are doing . "Buckout Road" doesn't maintain their winning streak as well, though it is still a decent song. "Hero" finds them driving dangerously close back into Limp Bizkit's  and works more of genre tropes I heard 20 years ago. "Lip Kit" is closer to Linkin Park , but I can live with this better than the previous song.

I am ready for something differently sonically from these guys . Instead I get  more aggressive version what I have heard. Though as far as the rap rock goes it might be better than half the songs on here. "See You Later" is more on the pop side, which is actually what I think this album needed more of, maybe not just like. I will round this down to an 8 for the more Limp Bizkit momentum but I don't hear them playing the Gathering either.




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King 810 : "Suicide King"

These guys are a more progressive take on nu-metal, they remind me equally of Slipknot and Pain of Salvation. They are quirky in a similar vein as System of a Down, though I think darker which plays in their favor and I would also argue that they are heavier than a band like Avatar. There is also a wannabe gangsta side to this band that lets me believe Juggaloos might also be into these guys. "Bang Guns" is rap rock with a well produced chorus that gives the song a kick. I would rather here some of this ghetto ass shit that some one talking about politics they have no clue about and are just trying to fall on the popular opinions of the kids. "A Million Dollars" just doesn't flow as well as the first few songs. "45" stays closers to hip hop and the grooves work much better. This guys is more of a rapper than a singer.

"What's Gotten into Me" is darker , but it doesn't feel as focused and the vocals come across as more of a freestyle spoken word. He does make a little more of an attempt to sing on the blues tinged "Black Rifle".  It reminds me of one of the songs from the last In This Moment album. The choir that joins in might be a little , but over all the song works. "God is Watching"  carries a similar tension that the other songs have, though with a little more breathing room. There is a little more of an introspective spoken word tone with a similar hint of blues already touched upon with on "Wade in the Water". They begin exploring more melodic touches with "Sing me to Sleep",

I think there is less posing going on considering the arrest record these guys have built for themselves, which gives it a more honest quality than bands like Limp Bizkit that came before. These guys are darker and heavier perhaps not in a metallic sense , but in the weight of what they are doing. While the vocals are somewhat limited they are more versatile than if this album depended on rapping alone, so more along the lines of a metal Post Malone. I'll give it a 9.

Zeal & Ardor : "Stranger Fruit"

This project's last album was met with a great deal of hype ridden fanfare. It was good , but did not blow me away like it did other members of the press.  The concept of this project is Manuel pondering what satanic gospel might sound like. Much like the previous album I find myself asking what is so different from what Algiers has already done? Manuel's more sung vocals have improved. There is also a thicker atmosphere at the edges of the album. When things get more intense on "Servants" its feels more like industrial than metal. There is a more black metal feel to "Don't You Dare". The black metal elements are juggled with the negro spiritual theme of the album which adheres to this projects mission statement. Then things stay more aggressive going into "Fire of Motion". While it's not black metal, it is a fun driven thrashing that might have more in common with Slipknot.

We are skipping over the atmospheric interludes like "the Hermit" and just focused on the actual songs. A palm muted guitar continues bringing an almost nu-metal groove to "Row Row". Perhaps blackened gospel nu-metal might be the sub-genre to rise up around their sound. As with this song and the one before it the nu metal elements tip the scales heavier than the black metal ones. By the time I get to "Ship On Fire" the novelty is beginning to wear off, though the songs on the front ned are certainly stronger than the previous album. The more rock elements of "Waste"that run under the attempts at black metal are more interesting. The black metal sections seem like they are being forced and don't always flow naturally.

"You Ain't Coming Back" could almost be Cold War Kids if you were doing a blind listen. This more rock n roll side seems more natural. When framed against their so called black metal moments, it makes me doubt if that darkness is in him to expel.   If you ever wondered what Sevendust would sound like if they gave black metal at stab the song "We Can't Be Found" answers that. The choked vocals don't convey anything I believe. The title track finds vocals falling over a more minimal and atmospheric back drop with a little bit of an industrial pound. The more melodic vocal melody reminds me of Satchel from the 90s. "Built on Ashes" in it's less soulful moments doesn't strike me as anything heavier than the last Deftones album. I'll give this album an 8.5. It's a great improvement over "the Devil is Fine" which I gave a 7. It's not as amazing as what other journalists are going to try to tell, but it's a more refined and better produced effort that lives up to the glimpses of potential shown on the previous album. Blackened Nu Metal is now a thing!

Strvngers : "Amor / Noir"

+ This gem was dropped in my in-box and was a lucky surprise.Song's like "Fetisha" have nu-metal edge to their swelling dynamics , but the blood in the song's veins is more of a desperation conveyed in the smart and biting lyrics. The production on this album gives it a big arena filling sound. Sometimes the sound takes on more of a euro dance feel falling closer to Lords of Acid then at other times there is more of a cocky Mindless Self Indulgence vibe in the attitude that oozes from some of the songs. Where it excels at every turn is by their mastery of creating hooks that bring you back for multiple listens. 

The dynamic range of this albums goes from future pop with the vocals taking on more of a croon as the glide over bouncy anthems like "This Isn't a Phase" to more grandiose and cinematic swathes if apocalyptic majesty. "Hexxxed" has a slower bump and grind to it that reminds me a little of Marilyn Manson's "Apple of Sodom". The smoother pop groove of "Pink Coffin" is some what upbeat ,despite the lyrics, though the hook of "I don't give a fuck about anyone but myself" gives the song more attitude, as the edges of the song drip with the steamy porn sound bytes. A darker more industrial strength shadow falls over the stomp that rocks "Lethargy". This album doesn't just rely on cool beats, but has fantastic vocal lines that keep it compelling. In the album's third act , more guitar does begin to surface as it takes you down a much darker rabbit hole. I really love the more Depeche Mode like croon on the verses of "Porcelain". The chorus has a more explosive rock feel, but I think they achieve a perfect balance dynamically.

 Even as the album ends with more of a neon power ballad  you are caught up in the bleak longing this album invokes at varying speeds. This proved to be an infectious album that I found myself returning to many times over so it easily gets a 10 and it went straight to my iPod ,which is as big of a compliment as I can give any band. The real estate of gbs in my iPod is pretty competitive considering the amount of music I consume on any given day.
 

Prong : " X No Absolutes"

Yep, Prong was playing this kind of groove metal at the same time  Pantera...came riding out as the Cowboys from hell, which served as a turning point for metal .  On the opener of the band's new album they are just playing along with their own bandwagon that is much further down a road whose time has come. Tommy Victor is the only member from the  "Beg to Differ" line-up. "Sense of Ease" doesn't really find the band playing to the strengths of their signature sound and instead racing off into the kind of thrash they turned the tables on in 1990. "Without Words" holds a tighter groove that comes closer to making you snap your fingers and your neck with a very Killing Joke influenced chorus. "Cut and Dry" lives up to its name in providing a description of the brand of groove metal they engage in on this one. Some of the difference between this album and what happened 26 years ago is the production. Mark Dodson who produced "State of Euphoria" and " How Will I Laugh Tomorrow", was a forward thinking producer at the time. Here the band has more of you typical mall metal production which is the equivalent of if "Beg to Differ" was produced by Alex Perialas instead.

The more tighter staccato chug of "No Absolutes" finds the band playing closer to their strengths despite the more obvious hook of the chorus. The rest of the band get the job done with former Winds of Plague drummer behind the kick and ex- Stone Sour bassist holding down the bottom end. They dip into almost pop punk on the more melodic "Do Nothing". Victor's voice has grown stronger over the years and he is not just limited to the bark. His singing voice gets the job done, his range is not jaw dropping as he carries a modest tune. They beef things back up for "Belief System" that finds the band back in more classic territory. The guitar solo in this one shows Victor's playing has also improved after serving as Danzig's side man. They get into more of a proto-Nu Metal on "Soul Sickness", but Victor gets the job done where bands like Fear Factory got bogged down in redundancy. Then in turn they fall prey to similar glue sniffing doldrums on " In Spite of Hinderances' which thrashes about with no clear sense of target for it's de-manufactured aggression.

The bass line that opens "Ice Runs Through My Veins" could have taken the song in more of a post-punk direction, instead in stomps around typical post- Head Banger's Ball rock music. The Killing Joke influence is still there , but run through a filter of Linkin Park. The pop punk undertones are still haunting the song as well to make this more obvious. Then it's back to the late 80's for the thrash riff of "Worth Pursuing" as Victor's vocals coast over it much like Jaz Coleman of Killing Joke. They close out the album with the almost poppy "With Dignity" that brings Linkin Park to mind again. The hip-hop undertone are not there, but the guitar feels a little dialed back to bring the vocals up to a more radio friendly mix. Not sure this is the wisest direction to move in making the lyrics a little ironic. Listening to this album did make me go back and listen to "Beg to Differ" again and I'm sure I'll also give "Prove You Wrong" another spin, maybe even try out "Cleansing " which is where I parted ways with the band as I was well into death metal at that point and they just did not seem heavy anymore. This album starts off strong, the Linkin Park moments are far and few between, but the fact they exist made me round this one down to an 8, which is still better than just decent and if you are a fan of 90's groove metal then you will want to round this up.

 

Vision of Disorder : "Razed to the Ground"

Their 96 self titled album was pretty ground breaking it came out a decade before the slew of Myspace bands that would try to play a melodic metal hybrid of post-hardcore. So when the fist song sounds like a B-side from "Far Beyond Driven" it's a little bit of a disappointment. The gain some traction on the second injecting a little more emotional depth to it, but then step back into becoming a Pantera tribute band on "Electric Sky" only redeeming themselves with the more melodic section half way into it. Singer Tim Williams is great at coming up with varied emotional tones to inject into his more sung vocals. They have shed the bulk of the nu-metal leanings they began to head towards on their third album. They mix sounds of Pantera with a some what Acid Bath like dynamic however they are not a dark as Acid Bath. "Craving" has more thought in the lyrics and it is conveyed in the overall performance. By the the time we get to "Cut My Teeth' the clean vocals are beginning to remind me of Failure in places. It pretty much finds them mired down into every metal cliche that has emerged post- grunge era.

"Red on the Walls" finds a darker 90's alternative colliding with the more straight forward hardcore metal. It doesn't really catch my interest until the two minute mark when the vocals take on more of a whine. The launch into a Pantera like groove metal on " Severed Wing"  its pretty much filler not making me feel one way or another. The vocals have more feeling to them on "Nightcrawler" and the guitar riff compliments it. They close out the album with "Amuridca A Culture of Violence" has a few melodic moments that make me take notice , but over all falls flat for me. Maybe you are less demanding when it comes to metal. If so then this album might work better for you. I'll round it down to a 5.5 because I know these guys are capable of doing more than just being a Pantera cover band. But maybe Pantera cover bands are your thing.Candle Light Records releases this November 13th.

New Years Day : " Malevolence"

The opening riff is very nu-metal, but the the atmosphere makes this come across a little more like Lacuna Coil, though singer Ashley Costello, who has graced Revolver's Hottest Chicks in Metal issue has a more commercial and less metal feel to her voice. The guitar takes a more sonic tone in the bridge. Right from the first song it is clear they are good at what they do, it is going to take the rest of the album for me to decide if I like what they do. Granted this is more radio friendly than what I normally listen to. I know they have toured with industrial bands before so I thought they might be more gothy than this. They hit a less interesting middle of the road that would appeal more to people who like Sick Puppies than me.

The melody to "Alone" is smoother. Its somewhat typical hard-rock, but the vocal melody propels the song. There is almost more of a Myspace emo manner to how they attack the choruses on songs like "Left Inside" which does have some interesting darker bridges , but they are brief and the attempts at 2000's arena rock are more dominate. This is the first song where Costello takes on a more screamed vocal tone. She has more urgent hooks on " Relentless" but there is also more of a Trapt thing going on musically. They find more of a rock groove on "Save Myself From Me". It is not as explosive as some of the songs. They do much better when they back off at the beginning of "Suffer" to give a wider dynamic range to the song. This song also feels like it gives Costello more room to open up and sing.

Lyrically its the typical pre-packaged angst there are a few lines like "compare each other's scars and see who had it worse" that stand out. Of course they have to go for a bigger sound on "Anthem for the Unwanted". The very straight forward drumming feels like it is rushing the song a little. The chorus works for what they are doing. "Scream" has a poppier sound with a slight hint of electronics at the beginning , which is a sound I think they should delve deeper into. Then they get back to more post-Korn radio rock on "Your Voice". I will say they are darker than bands like Halestorm. It doesn't open any new doors for them. The electronica returns to the fringes of "Defame Me". Its  catchy radio friendly rock song with a strong hook at the chorus, so mission is accomplished. The title track which is featured below starts off as one of their heavier moments, then transitions into a groove that is more suitable for her voice. Their formula stays intact and it works here.

I am not these guys target audience aside from the fact I can appreciate goth chicks trying to rock out. These kids are a well oiled machine and have a tightly coiled formula intact, I just heard moments that suggested paths to a more unique sound which would take them off the path to being a big radio rock band into something darker and more interesting. For what this is I'll give it a 6.5.

Fear Factory : "Genexus" review & video

Not a lot has changed with these guys since the 90s except they sound a little less like Pantera from space. In fact production wise this has more in common with Meshuggah, though they are not tuned down to a. The only two original members are Burton and Dino. Admittedly I been out of touch with the band for a decade or more, but it seemed like their drummer was the secret weapon to their sound, so it must have been all in the triggers. On this album the drums are split between new drummer  Deen Castronovo who played with Burton in G/Z/RThey take a more sci-fi approach to the intro of the first song the synths factoring in heavily. This balances the big metal sound with the industrial crunch enough , then his more predictable vocals come in. The whole cyber-metal thing works better on the very Meshuggah like "Anodized" who you would think Fear Factory influenced , but the Swedes formed in 87, where Burton and the boys got together two years later.


"Dielectric" finds them taking a slight return to being space Pantera. Burton C Bell yells that they will never take his soul before they launch into something falling some where in-between nu-metal and djent, which if we are going to be honest is a proggier take on nu metal.I do like the tight syncopation on this one and it doesn't sound like it was a b-side from "De-manufacture".

Militant double bass leads into "Proto-mech' which seems like it might have some suffer bastards going on, instead it turns into another mid paced groove machine. With Bell spitting out the lyrics in a barked almost rap. Not that they are turning into Bio-Hazard. I like the clean vocals to this song , they are a little higher and not in the same chanted cadence they tend to lean towards with that sort of thing. They go a little more industrial strength in their chug on the title track. The drill sargent barking that dominates the song. He is singing something about being a cyborg that being enslaved. The clean vocals come in toward the end of the song and the synths coast along throughout. "Church of Execution" has a more solid groove to it than some of the previous songs on this album and breaks down on the verse more for the chorus to punch.

They hit on some more color by numbers metal grooves on "Regenerate" which truth be told if it wasn't for Bell's approach to clean singing and the synths they would sound like every other post- Pantera metal band, though the break down towards the end has some of their own flare to it. Bell's voice sounds good, giving more soul to what would otherwise come across as stiff. The typical head banging chug is beaten into your face on "Battle for Utopia" . Bell asks " what gives you the right" before they play good cop and bad cop, going into the clean vocals in one of the more predictable places. The last song "Expiration Date" is the albums' best.  It's not even a metal song, but more of a Killing Joke like take on electronica. The vocals work well with the music. The guitar just provides a distance coat of noise in the background.

These guys have been at it for over twenty years so they know what they are doing. But what are they doing to bring anything new to the table? To this album's credit they sound like this album did come out in today's current climate of metal as they have certainly influenced bands like Dagoba, and the album never wallows in too much sentiment or feel like a retro act, but then they have always been ahead of their time.I'll give it a 7.5 , not a bad listen at al go ahead and round it up if you kept listening to them over the years.

Black Tongue : The Unconquerable Dark album review and Lyric Video

There are supposed to be some doom going on here, so I decided to  give these guys a shot even though I saw  they allowed the singer of Suicide Silence to sing on a song. The is a slower form of death core I suppose, there is an impressive density to the bass to, but there is something too pristine about what is going on.The vocals are low and gurgling , I got it . It sounds like the are also boosted by over drive. This like Thy Art is Murder also has that Meshuggah futuristic sound to the chug. This djent like thing is becoming the new nu metal. My rule with with music that is brutally heavy as this succeeds on being in some respect, is after the first song you might catch me off guard , but after that I want to hear what  else can you do ? Can you write a fucking song?  There are a lot of studio tricks that make things rumble. What would this sound like live? I remember hearing the Faceless live and it didn't seem heavy because the heavily processed sound came across thin.

I liked the title "Young Gloom" but I am disappointed that it is not more gloomy. They throw changes out at you from every corner of the song, but it fail t tell a cohesive story that connect emotionally. They get blasty for "L'appel Du Vide" but they resort to variations of their heavier take on djent. I can count the times I have heard Suicide Silence on one hand. So it will be interesting on "Vermin Tide" if I can pick him. Tonally the song gets out to the best start and is most ominous, though I would not call it doom. Death metal or core yes. The break downs are the only core thing. I think he is the higher scream.

Like many of their songs"Prince of Ash' gets off to a promising start ,before it begins to sound like Slipknot. By " the Masquerade" the songs have begun to blend into one another and are blur of low tunings. Some of the break downs attempt to layer atmosphere over them, a sentiment that could have been cool if not weighed down by the need to be heavy for the sake of being heavy. "A Pale Procession" gets my attention  in the same one some of Slipknots more well written material might. The close out the album with "I'm Tired of Sighing. Please Lord let it be night" which is a title that has more thought put into than the Meshuggah chugs that follow. I guess this marriage of death core and djent is becoming a thing, first the Thy Art is Murder and now this. I'll give it a 5, its not my thing though some of the juxtapositions they are trying to pull of namely the layers of heavy and ambient are its just more lunky in the execution than I want from my metal.

Up From the Underground: Attik Door's "Never In Agreement

This San Francisco based band of Russian immigrants took the last year and a half to write the songs . The opener is vocal fueled radio rock in the vein of Halestorm. the 90s rap rock influences creep their head for the more staccato vocal attack of their singer Liana Tovmasyan. The smoothed out pop sense to her melodies at times do have a Gwen Stefani accent to their phrasing, but as a band they never touch upon ska and thus swerving away from Stefani's new wave quirk. Though her inner Stefani does come out in it's most unabashed manner on "Moody"

When they back off from the straight forward rock approach  on "California" and step off the distortion pedal it allows their singer more room to work with and she takes them ironically in a more Euro sounding direction despite the song's title recalling bands like the Gathering and Guano Apes. The guitar solo tend to straddle the fence of 80's arena rock when such indulgences reached their peak.This 80's element that band's like Halestorm and Pretty Reckless embrace are also given a spot light in the big chorus of "Snorting Headlines", I am sure this would be exaggerated even further if the band had settled in L.A. rather than San Francisco that tends to either have a laid back hippie vibe from the Haight Ashbury days or the metal leaning from the thrash scene that sprung from the Bay- area in the 80's birthing bands like Metallica and Testament.

One of the albums more interesting moments is the slight darker turn reflected in the lower vocal harmonies of "Cyber World" the guitar chugs in a tighter Tool like manner.One of the albums most interesting riffs its the more progressive "Kosmos". When the verse kicks in it takes a more straight forward direction, though the guitar tone remains a little more organic sounding until the bouncy chorus which is as close as they come to touching on ska elements.  The riff to "Spinning out" reminds me of the Finger Elven song that came out a few years back, where they tried to tone down the metal guitar and and masquerade themselves as a dancey band like Franz Ferdnand They are not recreating the wheel here and obviously wear their influences on their sleeves but this is well written, well produced and well executed, and better than most of the current crop of so called rock bands like Imagine Dragons ,who lack the balls to pull it off. For a band that is almost half girls to have more stones to them ...I'm not sure what it says about the current state of rock on the radio.

Vajra : Blind/Inside the Flame

What is goth? This has been argued over forums for years. I have sat across from signed touring goth bands who argued among themselves this question.Anything from Type o Negative to Cocteau Twins to Death in June have earned the title, neither sound anything a like. Vajra fall more on the rock side of the equation. Less down cast and doomy than Type o more on the metal side, but not in the overtly romantic metal mode of Nightwish. Vast's harder moments or even Switchblade Symphony's come to mind along with a health or unhealthy dose of 90's metal depending on what your view of that decade is like.

Sometimes I contemplate if Tool released another album after this seven year wait will anyone care. This band also wonders this as they enlisted Tool producer Sylvia Massey to mix this. It reminds me more of Concrete Blonde if they enlisted Tool's producer, and were trying to recreate the feel of Los Angeles rather than New Orleans. I can also hear some SwitchBlade Symphony in this. The tribal elements could stand to go further in the Dead Can Dance than the Parabola direction, so while it's cool Tool's producer is getting work I think this might have benefited from a more organic sound in places , as it sounds like you would expect something along these lines to sound like if Massey had mixed it.

There is potential here as their chops are undeniable, I think putting her on a steady diet of bands like Soap&Skin and Esben & the Witch, would sway their favor into heading into a darker direction. Former Mars Volta drummer Blake Flemming plays on this and the pedigree of the musicianship is at least able to hang with him on this.Not that this heavy prog feel, isn't an enjoyable listen, it just makes me feel like I am partying in 1999. Their song writing and goth tendencies, keep me engaged, I liked "Inside the Flame" better than Blind, as it doesn't have as big of a rock sound. Something more re verb drenched hollow and colder would benefit not only her voice. She has power and range, over all her voice is impressive and unique. I look forward to hearing what this gal does in the future as she matures and hopefully abandones some of the rock star production for a darker tone,

Up From the Underground: Xombie - "Capital X"

Rap and metal have been odd bed fellows over the years, from the earliest beginnings with Public Enemy sampling Slayer to it's explosion into the mainstream during the nineties where Rage Against the Machine opened doors for it's commercial exploitation. This five piece from New York is ready to make you forget the sour taste nu metal left in your mouth.

They have purged the marriage of most of the cheese laden tricks of the genre that eventually gave this sort of thing the same credibility as hair metal.They do not rely on hiding behind down tuned muddy throbs, instead right from the opener they explode in with more hard core influenced metal. The guitars are well layered created a sonic flare to what they do that eliminates any Korn comparisons.

Clean vocals back the aggressive rapping on "Miss Behave" this coupling of vocal styles is more post-hardcore than anything resembling the boy band antics of Linkin Park. The guitars are consistently this albums' strong suit.They know how to create dynamic builds and breakdowns and work with the songs, rather than burying the vocals or making a swap of distortion the drums can't maneuver.

The first hints of anything slightly funk appear at the intro of "Polar Ice", but it is only a slight wink. There is a groove  established, yet the guitars never force the bass to do all the heavy lifting. Growling vocals chime in from the background, but are used tastefully. On this song the subject matter of drunk driving comes up and at this point you realize that they are not defaulting on whining about mommy issues, but making social statements.

Front-man Adam Crews never comes across as an awkward suburbanite with his flow. His vocal styling remind me of a cross between Atmosphere and Mike Muir of Suicidal Tendencies.  The hey on the hook to "Rotten Apple" is the first thing that reminds me of  anything resembling the nu metal of yester-year, but all other leaning toward P.O.D are scarce. The title track employs gang vocals and a section where the band drops out and lets Crews carry on his frantic freestyle, with a much more hardcore slant , though the exotic scales used in one of the bridges is more metal.

Up until the albums final moments on "Friday" they steered clear of using turn tables, but by the time they jump out of the punk chord progression, it's hard to hold it against them as the song is pretty funny and it's clear they are not doing this for the nookie. They only bands from the nu metal era they come close to sounding like would be are Rage Against the Machine and Hed Pe, two bands that handling the hip hop elements of what they did pretty seriously.

Regardless of how guilty pleasure nu metal might have been for you, these guys have enough in common with hardcore and a legit attitude in what they do . Granted if you only listen to stuff heavier than Darkthrone then anything with rap elements might be a tough sell. I do think this will appeal to hardcore fans going back all the way to Suicidal Tendencies and is well worth a listen.