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
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
Dec 6, 2011 13:04
Heavy Metal |Power Metal Progressive Rock
Band Drawers Info: All Is One Years: 2011 Style: Stoner Metal / Sludge Metal Info: MP3 VBR 280 kbps Info: France Time: Slow Burn Records ????? Tracklist: 52:55 Info: 115 Mb
The DRAWERS new album, ALL IS ONE, will be released on October 14 as a digipack album, on Apathia Records ! The band will be on tour on November, for all booking inquiries use the contact button in the sidebar on your right.
Two songs are streamable,’Caput Mortuum Ocean’ and ‘Black Queen’ are gonna rock your summer out, for all fans of Mastodon, Crowbar, Baroness, Torche.
Tracklist:
01. Caput Mortuum Ocean 04:15
02. Grey Sailor 05:39
03. Black Queen 03:53
04. Ivory Lighthouse 06:47
05. Blue Keel 01:33
06. Silver Hand 03:01
07. Purple Ride 04:34
08. Red Ballet 04:12
09. Electric Seat 03:50
10. Golden Adieu 06:18
11. Muddy Smoke 06:35
12. Azurite Constellation 02:18
Progressive Rock ist in den vergangenen Jahren wieder sehr angesagt. Seitdem einige Bands aus der Versenkung aufgetaucht sind, von denen man glaubte, es gäbe sie nicht mehr, werden jüngere Musiker nach und nach von diesem Musikstil inspiriert und wagen sich auch mal, längere Stücke auf eine CD zu packen. Nun ist ja bekannt, dass in diesem Genre viele Musiker von Nöten sind, um den Klang zu transportieren oder bei Konzerten glaubwürdig klingen zu lassen. Dass es auch zu dritt funktionieren kann, beweisen LEST aus deutschen Landen. Ihr Debüt-Album "Odysseus" klingt dabei nach vielen bekannten Bands auf einmal. Debüt kann man das eigentlich nicht nennen, existiert die Formation mit zeitweiligen Besetzungswechseln bereits seit 1995, als sie von Drummer Kickers ins Leben gerufen wurde. Weshalb es so lange gedauert hat, bis die erste CD auf dem Ladentisch liegt, wissen nur sie alleine. Berufserfahrung haben alle Musiker zur Genüge, haben sie doch schon viele Konzerte gespielt und sind auf einigen Festivals aufgetreten. Leider ist ihre Internetpräsenz etwas dürftig und es mangelt an ausreichenden Informationen.
Die sieben Songs der CD bieten einen guten Querschnitt durch die Materie, von sehr leise bis kräftig rockend. Die Stimme von Sänger Sebastian Mauve ist zwar an manchen Stellen sehr gewöhnungsbedürftig, seine Gitarre haut dafür umso mehr rein. Bereits beim Eröffnungssong "Light Fantastic" ist das deutlich zu vernehmen. 9:30 Minuten voller sehr schöner Gitarrenkapriolen, die zum Ende des Songs immer bombastischer werden. Drummer Kickers tobt sich dazu an seinem Set so richtig aus und schlägt auf alles, was vor und neben ihm hängt. Selten kommt dabei ein gleichmäßiger Takt heraus, aber das macht ja den Reiz des Prog aus.
Track Nummer zwei ist gleichzeitig der Titelsong und erste Auskopplung. "Odysseus" ist sehr ansprechend gestaltet und zeigt deutlich die Einflüsse der Musiker von LEST. Da wird schon mal tief in den Siebzigern gewühlt, als diese Musikrichtung voll auf der Höhe war. Vergleiche mit Jane oderGrobschnitt sind nicht von der Hand zu weisen, und wer die fast elf Minuten durchhält, wird mit einem Ende belohnt, das sehr nach den frühen Jahren von Genesis klingt.
Dass es auf der CD "Odysseus" nicht ständig nach oben gehen kann, beweist der mittlere Block der Scheibe, der aus drei Songs besteht, die etwas anstrengend sind. "Sir Knight" schöpft zwar wieder aus dem Vollen, aber gesangstechnisch überzeugt mich das Stück leider nicht. Ebenso bleibt bei mir "The Day" auf der Strecke. Die Musik ist durchweg gut, aber ich kann mich noch immer nicht an die Stimme von Sebastian gewöhnen. Um mir entgegen zu kommen, liefern LEST mit "Birth" ein kurzes Instrumental-Intermezzo. Ganze 1:19 Minuten ist das Stück kurz und verschwindet so schnell wie es gekommen ist. Dazu in einem rasenden Tempo, das mich völlig überrascht. Bleiben wir doch lieber bei den längeren Klangeskapaden und was passt da wohl am besten? Natürlich eine nette Ballade, die ja auf fast keiner CD fehlen darf. Im Prog Rock auch eher ungewöhnlich, aber wer scheut heute noch vor irgend etwas zurück. "Innocence & Experience" ist sehr tragend gesungen und gespielt. Da macht das Hören wieder Spaß und die Band findet zu bewährter Form zurück. Zum krönenden Abschluss gibt es noch ein Stück in einer vernünftigen Länge von fast neun Minuten. "Ways" zeigt den Hören den Weg, den die Band einschlagen wird. Schöne kräftige Gitarrensounds, gepaart mit verspielten Drums, treibendem Bass und einer Stimme, an die ich mich bestimmt auch gewöhnen werde, wenn ich die nächste CD von LEST in den Händen halte.
Line-up:
Sebastian Mauve (vocals, guitar)
Kickers (drums)
Pascal Rameix (bass)
