The Underworld, a place of fear, segmented into nine planes and ruled by 21 Lords. Artaud Seth, Jawa Seth and Jon take us on a descent into this unreal world. After the debut album "Lib.1" and its follow up "Hypogeum II" released earlier this year, the third long player of the MERCIFUL NUNS is now available: "Xibalba III".
Completely unphased by trends and inclination for ingratiation to the listener Artaud Seth in his role as mastermind behind the MERCIFUL NUNS continues to traverse his chosen musical path. Traditional Gothic Rock produced brilliantly not only in the context of present demands but quite simply seminal for timeless great music.
Goth as a mixture of widescreen epic and massive walls of guitar sound, sacred choir chants, rattling drum computer and Artaud's sepulchral voice permeating through every fibre of one's body, at times plunging its intrinsic despair deep into the heart of the listener. And yet, even this does not adequately describe the musical workings of the NUNS.
The primary objective is to ensure the survival of the Goth-Rock spirit of the 80's and early 90's into the modern era; to not only recollect the sound but also from a lyrical perspective, to recall the origins of Gothic culture. Hence we find in "Xibalba III" mythological themes in the foreground. Where do we come from? How long have we been occupying this Earth? Is there such a thing as Gods from outer space? Such questions and more await the listener.
MERCIFUL NUNS are much more than just the sole legitimate successor of the three musicians' legendary former band GARDEN OF DELIGHT! The NUNS have already attained cult status and must be regarded as seminal for intelligent listening pleasure!
For more info visit the band official facebook, any of our lodges or the official sitewww.mercifulnuns.com
01. The Prophecy [5:46]
02. Radiation [3:35]
03. Dark Trails [4:10]
04. Year Zero [6:06]
05. Ancient Astronauts [4:48]
06. Dwellings Of Gods [4:34]
07. The Return [3:20]
08. In Between Worlds [8:17]
09. 13.0.0.0.0 [Bonus Track] [5:35]
Cage, San Diego’s self-professed American power metal kings, has returned with their sixth album, Supremacy Of Steel. Formed in 1992 during the outbreak of grunge, Cage remained true to their sound. Almost two decades later, Cage has maintained a classic heavy metal vibe.
Similarities to Iced Earth, Judas Priest Painkiller-era and King Diamond all come to mind frequently. Vocalist Sean Peck’s high octave screeches might turn some people off, but Halford and King Diamond make a decent living from their falsettos. Some people might also scream Judas Priest or King Diamond rip-off, but those are just two artists that have had an impact on Cage’s sound.
The double guitar attack of Dave Garcia and Steve Brogden, the bottom end assault of Pete Stone, and the thunderous drum display of Norm Leggio (Psychotic Waltz), provides the powerful backdrop to Peck’s air raid siren wails.
Cage’s songwriting and story-telling is part of the band’s strengths. Whether it’s a historical, war-related or horror-themed song, they vividly capture the mood lyrically. Some material verges into cheesy territory or silly comic book scenarios, but otherwise, Cage produce some ass-kicking metal songs.
“Bloodsteel” opens with some heavy reverb-laden tremolo picking and black metal blast beats which then settles into a fast paced metal riff in the vein of ”Jugulator.” One-man black metal band Bitter Frost performs a guest lead guitar spot.
"Metal Empire" is a slightly cheesy ode to heavy metal — fans of Manowar should dig it. "War of the Undead," is one of the fastest and thrashiest songs Cage has ever penned. Peck is a real scream machine the whole way through. A soon-to-be classic Cage song is "The Beast of Bray Road." It has references to “Black River Falls” from their last albumScience Of Annihilation and is about a werewolf.
When it comes to Cage releases, the packaging is top-notch. The brilliant cover artwork of Marc Sasso (Dio, Halford) and the stunning 16-page inside booklet complete with lyrics and artwork by Danial Duarte and Forrest Butler are great visuals to accompany Cage’s aural assault.
Cage has been slugging it out in the metal world for almost 20 years. Some people love ’em, some people hate ’em. But on Supremacy Of Steel, there’s no doubt that Cage is more than capable of delivering the metal goods.
01. Bloodsteel (feat. guest artist BITTERFROST)
02. The Beast Of Bray Road
03. King Of The Wasteland
04. Metal Empire
05. War Of The Undead
06. Flying Fortress
07. Doctor Doom
08. Annaliese Michel
09. Braindead Woman
10. The Monitor
11. Hell Destroyer vs. Metal Devil
12. Skinned Alive (bonus track for Europe)
Tracklist:
1. Another Flower
2. Alone
3. Time 4 Lovers
4. Icy Moon
5. Au Premiere Coup
6. Dangerous Diamonds
7. Take Off
8. Blue Diamond
9. Lovin' Me
10. Sixth Sun
11. Bitter & Sweet
A 23-minute video clip featuring behind-the-scenes footage from the making of "A Southern Revelation", the seventh album from MY RUIN — the Los Angeles-based band featuring the husband-and-wife rock duo of vocalist Tairrie B. Murphy and multi-instrumentalist Mick Murphy — can be seen below. The CD — which will be made available as a free download and gift to fans starting December 7, 2011 exclusively via www.myruin.net— was produced by Mick Murphy and Joel Stooksbury at Soundtrack Black Studio deep in the snowy mountains just outside of Knoxville, Tennessee in the cold January winter of 2011.
"A Southern Revelation" track listing:
01. Tennessee Elegy
02. Highly Explosive
03. Walk of Shame
04. Deconsecrated
05. Middle Finger
06. Vultures
07. Seventh Sacrament
08. Reckoning
09. The Soulless Beast
10. Mean Street (VAN HALEN cover)
MY RUIN will embark on the "Southern Revelation Tour" to celebrate the release of "A Southern Revelation". Special guests for the trek are British metal heavyweights GODSIZED along with Colchester thrashers and longtime friends SANCTORUM and Nottingham rockers LONG DAY FEAR.
MY RUIN recently announced the addition of drummer Isaac Lee to the group's ranks.
And with these words, so begins “Hate Train,” a previously unreleased song from the Death Magnetic sessions that the band performed last night as part of their four-night thirtieth anniversary celebration at the Fillmore in San Francisco, and a rough mix of which has subsequently been e-mailed to Metallica fan club members (audio below). More»
Chevelle – Hats Off To The Bull (2011)
Dec 7, 2011 18:21
Rock
Produced by Joe Barresi (Tool and Queens Of the Stone Age), this is a successful return to their heavy roots as well as a cohesive and varied alternative hard rock record. This is driven by a solid bass line and a terrific guitar playing complemented by a great drum beat and vocals as we love.
From the opening hit radio-friendly single Face To The Floor to the ending acoustic trackIndifferent, they maintain both a strong intensity and a fierce dynamism that don’t weaken.
They deliver appealing melodies throughout the album. The catchy riffs stick in your head all day in Back To The Floor or Same Old Trip. A lot of tracks can sound very similar but if you listen attentively, it is subtly different.
Pete Loeffler‘s guitar playing and singing are remarkable without a doubt. They also explore new sounds that turn into great pieces of music such as “Envy” and “The Meddler” that stand out. Highly recommended. Envy is my favorite. It features cellos, outstanding heavy guitar parts and an excellent drum beat that reminds me a little bit of ”The Drums of the Bronx”. It is pretty original. The orchestral arrangements are stunning.
If you love acoustic songs, Prima Donna, a blend of middle Eastern music sounds, as Indifferent will do your bliss.
In conclusion, Hats Off to Chevelle for this awesome album. You will not be disappointed. What I love about them, is this unique sound that makes them different from other bands. They don’t follow the current mainstream music and it is a good thing. For fans and music lovers.
01. Face to the Floor (3:38)
02. Same Old Trip (3:09)
03. Ruse (4:39)
04. The Meddler (4:13)
05. Piñata (3:54)
06. Envy (4:19)
07. Hats Off to the Bull (3:55)
08. Arise (4:25)
09. Revenge (3:30)
10. Prima Donna (3:40)
11. Clones (3:27)
12. Glimpse of the Con (Bonus Track) (5:59)
13. Still Running (Live at the Metro) (Bonus Track) (3:49)
14. Indifference (iTunes Bonus Track) (2:09)
Here's the thing. In the morass of harsh modern heavy metal, abounding with grimy death vocals and little melody, it takes a lot, more than a sense of history, to deliver classic melodic heavy metal. This is especially so if you want to invoke and play the seminal and inspired New Wave of British Heavy Metal (NWOBHM) style (that inspired many youngsters to pick up a Fender). Honestly, Birmingham's Dark Forest nails it. On their second release, Dawn of Infinity, they secure their position in this grand tradition.
Above, Dark Forest: it's deja vu all over again: heavy metal with denim and high top sneakers.
Okay, Dark Forest gets it, if you didn't get my point in the last paragraph. With early Judas Priest and Iron Maiden, among others, I was weaned on this classic metal. With twin guitars, a solid and supportive rhythm section, and soaring and clean vocals, Dark Forest are reincarnations of their forefathers, and without apology. The Tor, Sieze the Day, and Deadly Premonition are magnificent interpretations of the genre. They border on genius, if not clever homage. Through the Glass Darkly exceeds expectations. Echoing the best of Maiden, the arrangement offers elements both epic and speedy, both heavy and entertaining. Black Delta echoes this description. If you've guessed I'm impressed, then you would be correct. But, allow me to add this caveat: though a fan of the genre, there is a slight bit of redundancy here. Thankfully, each song has significant merit, thanks to the talented musicianship, to put Dark Forest in the realm of better classic metal bands.
I know that Dark Forest does not meet the standards of current metal fashion. (And that's a very good thing.) Frankly, if they feel unappreciated, I understand. God forgive us for not including some sense of melody and harmony in our heavy metal music. Once more, Dark Forest gets it! For pure and true heavy metal Dark Forest is the real deal. Accept no substitutes.
01. Hourglass
02. Lightyears On
03. The Green Knight
04. Seize The Day
05. The Tor
06. Through A Glass Darkly
07. The Stars My Destination
08. Under The Greenwood Tree
09. Black Delta
10. Deadly Premonition
ROOT JAM is #37 on the Swedish album chart this week! Fall tour 2011 ...
On november 16th, the double live album, "Root Jam", will be released. This album features all the elements of the band, from the debut up to recent days. Root Jam is the album that covers the whole colourful spectra of Siena Root, and it's all straight from the stage. No overdubs or studio takes what so ever. The double CD will be released on Transubstans Records and the double vinyl on Clear Spot´s Headspin Records.
CD1:
01. Introduction
02. The Rat
03. Waiting For The Sun
04. Bhimpalasi
05. Into The Woods
06. Words
CD2:
07. Trippin
08. Bhairavi Thumri
09. Dreams Of Tomorrow
10. Long Way From Home
11. Rasayana
12. Reverberations
Nach dem famosen 2010er-Debut "Beast of Thunder" liegt nun schon der Nachfolger vor mit "Never Cry Wolf". Und das auch wieder im edlen Digi-Pack in Eigenregie (was enorm verwundert bei der Qualität der holländischen Combo!). Das Debut erntete durch die Bank in allen Magazinen gute bis hervorragende Kritiken und bot wesentlich stärkeren Stoff, als einem oft von Labels angedreht wird. Es steht auch weiterhin US-Power Metal der Marke ICED EARTH, JAG PANZER, CAGE oder VICIOUS RUMORS auf dem Plan. Mit den 11 hier gebotenen Songs(bei satten 68 Minuten!), amtlich produziert von Yuma van Eekelen (PESTILENCE) und Bart Hennephof (TEXTURES), muss man sich keinesfalls hinter den Genannten verstecken!
OK, soviel Power und Esprit wie VICIOUS RUMORS und so viel Ohrwurmpotenzial wie ICED EARTH hat man zwar (noch) nicht, aber gegen die restliche Konkurrenz kann man anstinken. Nach dem zackigen Titeltrack zu Beginn, geht´s mit dem epischer groovenden "Taiga" weiter - Schaffers Mannschaft ist hier im Sound ganz nah dabei. Bandgründer und Sänger David Marcelis hat ebenso wie Matt Barlow hohe Schreie genauso drauf, wie cleanen Gesang oder kraftvolles Shouting und ebenso wie ICED EARTH wechseln LORD VOLTURE gekonnt zwischen groovenderen Tracks, längeren Epics und fast schon thrashigen Bangern ("Korgon´s Descent"). Paul Mercelis und Leon Hermans glänzen dabei an ihren Äxten, die Soli sind Klasse und die Rhythmusfraktion Simon Geurts (Bass)/ Frank Wintermans (Drums) hat immer das passende Gerüst am Start. Mit Abgeh-Brettern wie eben "Korgon´s Descent" oder "Necro Nation" kratzt man schon am ANNIHILATOR-Sound (Jeff Waters war ja auch Gast auf Album No.1), deren Fans dürfen also durchaus auch mal ein Ohr riskieren. Mit dem fast 8-minütigen, teils IRON MAIDEN-lastigen "Into the Lair of a Lion" hat man kurz vor Schluss noch ein weiteres Epic-Highlight geparkt, das es unbedingt zu entdecken gilt. Hier steuert auch Sean Peck von CAGE einige kraftvolle Gastvocals bei. Trotz der Länge der meisten Tracks schaffen es LORD VOLTURE, keine Längen zu produzieren und den Hörer jederzeit an die Anlage zu binden. Nach dem akustischen Zwischensong "Brother" folgt nochmal ein siebeneinhalb-minütiger ICED EARTH-Ritt deluxe mit "The Wolf at your Door", der dem Vergleich aber auch standhalten kann! Abgerundet wird diese enorm starke Vorstellung vom bereits eingangs erwähnten sehr schicken Digi-Pack nebst dickem Booklet - äußerst professionell!
US-Metalfans, ICED EARTH im Besonderen, sollten sich umgehend diese tolle Scheibe (und die Erste gleich dazu) besorgen! LORD VOLTURE sind etlichen kommerziell größeren Label-Luftikussen unbedingt vorzuziehen... do it!
01. Never Cry Wolf
02. Taiga
03. Wendigo
04. Celestial Bodies Fall
05. Korgon’s Descent
06. Minutes to Madness
07. Necro Nation
08. I Am King
09. Into The Lair Of A Lion
10. Brother
11. The Wolf at your Door
Widely regarded as one of the more underrated Christian metal bands to come out of the eighties, Crossforce originated as a result of a joining between Bay Area musician’s vocalist/guitarist Tony Krider (Golgatha), guitarist Phil Castillo and bassist Jeff Scott. The group later rounded out its line up with drummer Mark Cassettari (also Golgatha) and keyboardist Mark Wrapley and went on to rank alongside Soldier, Valor, Believer and Golgatha as leading players in the Bay Area Christian metal scene.
The Crossforce resume is without question, having played local clubs Mabuhay Gardens, The Rock, The Omni and others in addition to Christian metal festivals His Festival and Metal Mardi Gras. Well known fanzines of the day such as Heaven’s Metal, White Throne and Risen Roxx also featured Crossforce as a result of the highly acclaimed 6 song demo it released in 1986, which sold all 500 copies printed. Despite these successes and garnering its share of buzz and interest within the burgeoning “white metal” scene, Crossforce, disappointingly, disbanded in the late eighties without having landed a label deal.
The Crossforce demo, as one might imagine, has been a highly sought after and hard to find collectors item for years, with copies going for as high as $100 on eBay. The good news, however, is that Roxx Production - in order to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the demo - re-mastered and re-issued it in the summer of 2011 on a limited basis (also 500 copies). In addition to the original 6 demo songs, a second demo - even rarer and scarcer – was also included made up of 7 additional songs the group recorded live in the studio exclusively for Jimmy Kempner of Frontline Records.
What we have in Crossforce is eighties metal, pure and simple. The group stands out with its understated heaviness, almost leaning towards some NWOBHM and classic metal influences in places, while proving masterful in its ability to interweave its material with standout hooks and melodies. Yes, you will find the occasional commercial element in the Crossforce sound (those that describe them as melodic metal would be far from unfair) but balanced with enough guitar driven proclivities to keep things fresh with repeated listen.
Highlights to the “1986” demo include the riff driven “Our Father” and Christian metal anthem “Rockin’ Til The Final Day”, two tracks that were also featured on the Metal Mardi Grasvideo from 1987. Faster numbers “Out Of The Darkness” and “Ready N Waiting” set blistering tempos but deliver hooks in abundance while standout melodies can be found on more commercial based tracks “Tomorrow Will Come” and the ballad “Smoke Filled Room”. The six in question prove that heavy but melodic would be the best way to describe the Crossforce sound.
I never heard the original cassette version but from what other reviewers have said the re-mastering cleans things up significantly. Yes, a certain amount of thinness is to be expected - although not to the point of distraction - but, otherwise, production is surprisingly sound when considering this is a recordings made using mid-eighties technology.
Again, the 7 “Frontline” demo tracks were recorded live in the studio and, as a result, bring some unpolished elements in staying true to the “live feel” of the recording- you get to hear the introduction to each song prior to it being performed. Still, the mix comes across clean while, once more, there is no overriding thinness that might turn you away.
Vocalist Tony Krider, who sadly passed away in 2002, might take a more mid-ranged approach than many of his contemporaries of the time - at least in comparison to Les Carlson (Bloodgood), David Raymond Reeves (Neon Cross) or Dale Thompson (Bride) – but certainly is not lacking in ability. I like to think of him as Michael Sweet (Stryper) singing in a lower register. Yes, he is that good.
Lead guitarist Phil Castillo is a wonderful talent who nails some monster guitar solos. “Tomorrow Will Come” reflects a bluesy side to his playing while he cuts loose in shredding fashion on “Our Father”. His even approaches things from a neo-classical standpoint on “Out Of The Darkness”. The overall feeling left is an underrated musician that would give just about any guitarist from the time a run for their money (White Throne editor Dave Johnson summed things up best when he described Castillo’s playing as “Randy Rhodes-styled”).
Band Crossforce Info: USA Info: Rockin' 'Til The Final Day Style: Heavy Metal Years: 2011 Info: 192 kbps ???Years: 91 mb
Rockin' 'Til The Final Day Tracklist:
1.Tomorrow Will Come (86 Demo)
2.Our Father (86 Demo)
3.Smoke Filled Room (86 Demo)
4.Out of the Darkness (86 Demo)
5.Ready n Waiting (86 Demo)
6.Rockin’ 'Til the Final Day (86 Demo)
7.Stompin in the Streets (Frontline Demo 87)
8.The Call (Frontline Demo 87)
9.Heavens Door (Frontline Demo 87)
10.It’s Your Life (Frontline Demo 87)
11.Wait And See (Frontline Demo 87)
12.The One Who Loves You (Frontline Demo 87)
13.Weeping World (Frontline Demo 87)
14.Rockin’ 'Til the Final Day (Lost Practice Session 5-13-87)
Inspired by Great Science-Fiction films as 2001: A Space Odyssey, Solaris, Akira and Blade Runner, this album is a cosmic-themed Space-Rock adventure fit to be a soundtrack to a voyage into the world beyond the world.
Inspired by Great Science-Fiction films as 2001: A Space Odyssey, Solaris, Akira and Blade Runner, this album is a cosmic-themed Space-Rock adventure fit to be a soundtrack to a voyage into the world beyond the world. Complimented by thoughtful lyrics and musical influences from several Progressive-Rock artists and film soundtracks, this album is an experience to be had.
I originally planned this album to be a Concept Album with a story about a distressed child desperately trying to fit in with a world he hated and could not understand, but as time went on, I became more interested in giving this album a Science-Fiction theme. So the only real possible concept linking the whole album together is its adventurous feel, but it really isn't a Concept Album.
While there isn't any real link connecting the whole album together, there are two common ideas; the nature of the universe and the nature of family.
The first track on the album, "Gods In Hell (Intro)" presents a metaphoric replacement of Nature and Analog music with Machinery and Electronic music. It is meant to lead into "Gods In Hell," which discusses that due to technology, humanity has changed into something else and lost its true nature. Also dealing with the universe, "Akira," discusses the theme of the Universe being cyclic in several ways, which is also a prominent theme in Katsuhiro Otomo's Anime masterpiece of the same name.
The other thematic group of songs in the album is "Hope In Desperation", "Who Are You?" and "A Doll's House." The first song, the most personal on this album, is about my unborn brother, who died through miscarriage after 7 months of my mother's pregnancy. After having ill feelings about having a new member of the family, I felt disgusted at myself once he had died. I found myself wondering what it would've been like if I would've known him, feeling more remorse the more I wondered. I decided to channel those feelings into the song. The theme of the next song, "Who Are You?", is about the extreme limitations of communication. We can never truly know each other, because there is no way to communicate every experience an individual has had to another. All we can ever truly know about a person is their appearance, the things we are told about them (which may not even be true) and the things that we see them do. We can never truly know their thought process, their true feelings and everything that they've experienced. We can not even imagine the complexity of another human being. The final song in this group, "A Doll's House", combines these themes into one and states that the idea of family technically only exists in our minds, so families that do not get along well should not have to feel like they owe each other something. Rather, they should be able to go their separate ways and not have a commitment to each other.
Genre: Rock: Progressive Rock
Release Date: 2011
1. Gods In Hell, (Intro) 01:55
2. Gods In Hell, 05:53
3. Noir, 03:37
4. Akira, 06:55
5. Lyrics From A Cloud, 04:31
6. Hope In Desperation, 09:01
7. Who Are You?, 06:05
8. A Doll's House, 05:58
9. A Doll's House (Outro), 02:58
Empty Space Orchestra – Empty Space Orchestra (2011)
Dec 6, 2011 14:12
Progressive Rock
Empty Space Orchestra are a band that explore the gamut of what is possible when playing incredibly organized instrumental music, yet still be able to cause a few surprises. On their self-titled album (this is their second album), there are elements of rock, punk, jazz, blues, heavy metal, ska, funk, and classical. One way to compare this would be to say “take all the penultimate bits and riffs from some of your favorite songs, and just make songs out of that. This is what ESO are about.” Yet that reduces them to nothing more than a highlight reel, and these guys are more than that. Some of their songs remind me of how intricate Frank Zappa was with his bands throughout the 1970?s, where you’re unsure where things are going but you put faith in the musicians because they at least know where they’re going. This is that type of band where you want to rock the fuck out and go crazy, but the sounds coming through are so intense that the nerd in you wants to stand in a pit and be able to take in the energy from fans who are into their music. It feels explosive and out of control, not unlike those highsSunny Day Real Estate used to create. Tracks like “Get Some”, “Tiger Puss”, and “Exit Strategry” sound like everyone in the group (this orchestra is actually a quintet) wanting to cram their influences in and they deal with a common ground that’s quite pleasant to listen to. It’s not as chaotic as Mr. Bunglewere, but one could easily hear Mike Patton singing about macaroni and aloha shirts over instrumentals like this, as a Dixieland piano enters the room.
In other words, Empty Space Orchestra are a group who want to fill the void that is that empty space, and they’re doing it until it goes over the rim with the rich taste of… sound.
1. Brainjar 07:20
2. Exit Strategy 03:53
3. Intergalactic Battle Cruiser 02:46
4. El Viento 06:49
5. Get Some 05:49
6. Tiger Puss 08:11
7. Tennessee Red 01:48
8. The Hangar 02:04
9. Clouds 11:21
