Uh... three weeks later like primarly planned or so... but anyhow... so it goes: Hey my dear readers, up and coming is the third and maybe final part of the announced record review (package) posts so far (at least definitely for this very month, haha ;-) ...), featuring reviews on a lot of the albums and releases that I simply missed out to review up here (or anywhere else;-)............) since the last record review post up here on this very blog... and this post was back in August 2013... in October 2013 I back then planned to do the next reviews on records and all that stuff... but that's life and now six to seven months passed by before I finally managed to get things done and get my lazy ass up finally again, and so over the last three weeks or so the first two new record review posts came up here, featuring already around twenty-three reviews on, yes, you got it, twenty-three records, and now the third one is going to happen as well. This post is planned to be for now the final post of reviews on records from, if you like to, October 2013 to March 2014, I will see if all the records respectively the reviews on them will find their place in this post. If this should not work, than don't wonder when also a fourth post will come up, if so then maybe again a week after this one or so, we will see, which means anyhow anyway in April. And it will come a next record reviews post in April, in one or two weeks, as soon as I can get it done.
This record reviews (package) post and also the following one in April will more or less nearly totally concentrate on physical releases that I bought or that had been send to me over the timeline distance of the mentioned six or seven months since the last record reviews (package) post of 2013 came up and before the first of 2014 three weeks or so ago finally and really saw the light of day. Beside this I have one more time to say my biggest "THANKS!!!" to the great guys in SUFFER THE PAIN for sending me their phenomenal split release with the BOMBS OF HADES, thanks guys you're great, as well as one more time again to no one else than Brett Hole for sending me a copy of the newest "CASHING IN ON CHRISTMAS" comp on vinyl over the ocean, and not just a copy, nah, but a copy of the test pressing, fuck it, this rules!!! (And it rules even more, because the comp is a very fine brew.) Thanks man!!! Both reviews will come up in April (or so...) and so my dear readers check this blog again from the first weekend in April (again: or so...) if you want to know more about this two albums. Beside this two albums I have also a lot of other stuff in the pipeline for you, so keep your eyes open for it. Okay, now that are enough of the introducing words, now finally straight into the action, yes, so here we go again!!!
RECORD REVIEWS: OCTOBER 2013 - MARCH 2014; PT. III
("REDFIELD RECORDS"; CD)
(Released in 2013.)
This album is a total killer, fuck it, I mean, if you want modern, melodic and metallic Hardcore, yet totally heavy and dedicated to the true old school spirit of Hardcore then you won't get it better than here on this little silver shining more than golden disc, you won't find anything better than this here, the new A TRAITOR LIKE JUDAS (= ATLJ) album, a true masterpiece and an album with all the potential for becoming in the future what is named a classic, a real and true gem for all those who know. Amazing!!! And not at least: Incredible!!! When I remember my first contact with A TRAITOR LIKE JUDAS more than a decade ago, and then this giant of a band and album today... unbelievable. Back then a boring and terrible bad Metalcore band, boring and lame, and now this. Unbelievable, for sure. Is it me who changed that drastic, or is it the band, A TRAITOR LIKE JUDAS, that became that much better and stronger, or is it a combination of both views on it? Who knows, who cares?!? This is phenomenal, point and fact. I reviewed what I know to be the direct precursor release to "GUERILLA HEART" some years ago up here and also this album was already a total surprise and a damn strong album, a pretty great one, but this here is now something completly different. First of all I should say that the guys in A TRAITOR LIKE JUDAS (I think the singer is the one and only remaining founding member of ATLJ, for all what I know, even I'm anything but too sure about it, so don't take my word on it...) are really damn skilled musicians, and they demonstrate and proof this also with their songwriting abilities. All is incredible energetic, dynamic, grapping, full of tension and filled with interesting as well as totally entertaining twists and turns and other sort of nice surprises like tricky breaks, surrising quick changes of rhythm(s) and pace and mood of the songs, and all this fresh up surprises are absoultely perfect worked into the smooth flow of the songs, no holes, no let downs, just pure energy and attitude formed into music. And this on a damn fucking high level of quality. Just listen to the fantastic guitar work, no matter if you take the heavy riffs or- and this even more- the breath taking leads and melody lines, it's all just pure platinum. Also the guitar playing has a very special very own unique tone of its very own, and this is maybe too hard to describe for me in english and so I won't even try it, sorry, but it is nothing else than great and even far more than this. The lead vocals, a mixture out of shouted and sung vocal parts with some spoken word like parts added up to it, only add to this and are as well as the guitars a real trademark of ATLJ, and are really totally charismatic stuff. The crew back up chant refrains are big, really big, if not larger than life, also a real trademark and with a lot of catchy sing a long potential, thumbs up for this. The rhythm section works perfect, absoultely tight, precise, in time, to the point, and just high skilled and really impressive diverse. And this is also to say about the whole music of ATLJ and it is phenomenal how fast and how great flowing they change in a second the rhythm arrangements, the pace structure, and even the feeling and the mood of the songs, and this all without any holes or annoying disturbing breaks, just totally stand-alone what the guys in ATLJ deliver here. I fucking totally love this shit, amazing stuff!!! I also love the tight and intense atmosphere that they create, this makes their music even more special and gifted. On top of it we get great enthusiastic outspoken lyrics by this vegan Straight Edge "PETA(2)" supporters from the politically correct left wing, anyhbow, and I really cheer up to their lyrics and in contrast to a band like for example HEAVEN SHALL BURN they know how to write really strong critical lyrics that refuse any sort of cheap cliché and that also denys and refuses, thank the mighty Buddha for this, any cheap cliché bullshit "Rise up, all you damned of the world!" lyrics that are unfortunately so typical for left wing bands that of course have a lot of right and just things to say but that preach by far too often and tell everyone how the world should be to be a good one (and to make it more precise: to be more or less the only good one which means the one and only good one because they define waht is good and what not) and this too often with crappy cliché lyrics that are also in exact the same way used by far right wing bands, especially in our time and age. No, thankfully ATLJ know and also do it better, and that's great and matches also perfect to the songs and the music. Also we get a absoultely beautiful artwork, as well as a thundering heavy yet clear and very melodic production sound, In short: One of the best modern melodic metallic Hardcore release to date and this also pretty sure for years to come. It won't get better than this, it simply can't be anyway, point and fact. Two last things: A big "Thank you!" kiss goes out to my beloved girlfriend who made me this CD a christmas gift last year, and a big "THANX!!!" goes out to the band ATLJ for simply creating this beautiful shining gem of a brilliant album. Definitely an album to look out for being ranked up high in my top ten list for 2013.I simply just love it, period. A really amazing album, definitely. HARDCORE!!! FIST!!! /// Andy
(10 of 10 points)
(Copy this link into your browser and then simply just go there: https://www.facebook.com/atraitorlikejudas)
("BRIDGE NINE RECORDS"; CD)
(Released in 2013, I think by the late end of it.)
Wow, and here we have what I would name a clear and total statement. BACKTRACK had been hyped pretty much when they came pretty much from out of nowhere (at least to me) with their last album (what was, at least for what I know) also their debut album some years ago. Back then I did not really understand all this hype around them. Their last one was everything but bad, hell no, a good album for sure, and I reviewed it also back then up here some years or so ago, so truly a good album but nothing more (even also nothing less), but if you ask me no reason after all to cheer them up that enthusiastically like a lot of folks and medias did back then. And now, okay, here we have their newest one... and it totally rules, and this totally supreme, point and fact. This is heavy moshing, energetic forward pushing, harsh shredding and mercyless grooving New Old School Hardcore with heavy and strong NYHC influences and some nice Old School Trash Metal impressions here and there, a album that should please fans of TERROR and WARHOUND as well as fans of MADBALL, BIOHAZARD, and AGNOSTIC FRONT, too. And they do it all with a nice own approach to and mark on it all so that today they finally really stick out of the countless mass of bands that today try to do this style and sound also, and you know that there numbers are legion. And BACKTRACK really manage to stick out of this faceless mass. This is in huge parts due to the very charismatic dry throated and in some parts in some way very much spoken lead vocals that are damn charismatic and sound totally authentic. Also in huge parts this is due to the very dry and earthy guitars and the massive grooving approach of most of the songs that mosh and groove in a chuggling way ahead without becoming only high speed shredding assaults. The songs are filled with heavy guitars that are in a great way really diverse and varying quite a bit, with that already mentioned fantastic lead vocals, and with a no prisoners taking mercyless rhythm section going precise in time and totally on point to work, ah, and not to forget the massive gang back ups and the great refrain parts. Also we should not forget to mention that the guys in BACKTRACK are really good musicians and that they deliver it all wrapped up into grapping and high energy songwriting that is also nicely varying and diverse so that nothing gets boring, and the whole music is fucking intense, and especially due to the fact that the moshing grooves really stick out and shine bright, and they have some grapping and also nicely surprising rhythm arrangements settled together that also simply just rule. Strong lyrics, a absoultely fantastic artwork (this album needs to be released on vinyl, period), and also a powerful production sound we get on top of it making this album to the complete package. BACKTRACK, yes, today really a band with a own style and sound and especially a band of the highest quality, and one of the best current Hardcore bands around, definitely, top musicians, top songwriters, one hell of an album filled with great music and great lyrics, and all full of energy and attitude without end. So, in short: Get it, period!!! HARDCORE!!! FIST!!! /// Andy
(10 of 10 points)
(Copy this link into your browser and then simply just go there: http://www.bridge9.com/backtrack)
HEAVEN SHALL BURN - "VETO"("CENTURY MEDIA RECORDS LTD."; CD)
(Released in 2013.)
Oh man, looking at this CD remains me for how long this blog was laid to rest before it came back to live more or less just two or three weeks ago... Bought this disc for a damn low price of just 4,99 Euro last summer, after one or two months before this day I listened to this album when I got my so far last tattoo and Björn, my tattoo artist, played it constantly during our session and we both celebrated it heavily and enthusiastically. (And fuck it, but I seperately really get some new fresh ink being put in my skin, damn it, it's really about time for it...!!!) And to say it clear and precise, personally for me this is clearly the strongest album ever or so far of HEAVEN SHALL BURN (= HSB) from start to end. I was never that big fan of HEAVEN SHALL BURN, to me they had always been a incredible strong by far too overrated and overly hyped trendy Mall Metal band for Wanker and Emo kiddies who want to listen to Metal but haven't got the balls to stand for it and listen to the real shit and instead of this they listened to trendy hyped bands like HSB to still act cool and hip to the mainstream, and in my book was and still is all and everything that they released before their "ANTIGONE" titled album incredibly drastically overrated, hm, okay, but also the stuff that they've released since then never gained that much points in my book, but this all finally changed with this giant monument of an album. Hm, btw, and if there are still any guys outta there who call this Metalcore or maybe even Hardcore: Clean your ears and do some homework this is nothing else than Death Metal, so simple is it, point and fact. Death Metal of the modern and also melodic but yet still really fucking hard and damn heavy way and good old Sverige "Sunlight" Death Metal as well as the great ones of old like first and foremost the almighty and legendary BOLT THROWER had been surely clear and strong influences for HEAVEN SHALL BURN (like also before in their career, but this time they do it simply better than ever before), but they do it all in their pretty own way, and this in a through and through positive sense very modern. They create a lot of tension with their grapping arrangements and the simply damn well done compositions of the different songs with their tight and rousing atmosphere. Huge and mighty guitars delivering full power riffing and also leads and solos with goosepimple quality, and not to talk about the massive stunning and all and everything down into the ground crushing rhythm section of bass and drums, and then the guttural grunted and aggressive screamed lead vocals crown this all. Large melodies, brutal rhythms and devastating grooves, all goes hand in hand here on this one, which includes clever changes of the pace of the songs, includes this too. The songs are also done in a very hymnal way, just listen to the great arranged refrains. And that the guys in HEAVEN SHALL BURN are really damn well-versed musicians as well as very smart and skilled songwriters should be clear for anyone anyhow. If you like Death Metal, modern, melodic, hymnal... heavy, then you will love this album for sure - and for very good reasons. On top of it we get a fantastic artwork, a powerful great production sound, and a bunch of oh so revolutionary and militant leftist and especially terrible politically correct lyrics... no problem with that anyhow, but maybe you should start to think for a second or two what your Weltanschauung is really all about when you create lyrics that are pretty much just nothing else than feverish day dreams filled with fantasy violence/violent fantasies of the damned of the earth (who this may ever be) rising up and slaying their oppressors... even there are surely perhaps more than enough assholes out there who would well deserve to be slayed it's pretty characteristic when you write down such stuff that could have been also done by NS HC bands like for example MOSHPIT when you proclaim to stay on the total other side of the fence. Maybe there are really logical and good reasons that todays modern time NS Hipsters listen to your music beyond the fact that they are maybe also just fans of your music, maybe because also "their bands" sing the same stuff so that they move on familiar ground and soil... Hm, but who am I to judge or anything like this... Okay, anyhow anyway, if they just would have cutted off some of the "loose ends" here and there this very album here would now get the highest rating but also this is a great album. As well as an album that is clearly and highly/strongly recommended to you outta there, without any doubts. Cheers folks. /// Andy
(9 of 10 points)
(Don't ask me why Blogger still refuses to post this as a link, but fuck it, just copy this line into your browser and then go there: https://www.facebook.com/officialheavenshallburn?fref=ts)
("ROADRUNNER RECORDS"; CD)
(Released in 2013.)
It was more or less totally by accident, that I stumbled upon this one, the new KILLSWITCH ENGAGE album. By the end of the last year my girlfriend and I were doing our christmas shoppings and there in a record or better multi media store I saw this album for a very low price, something like 5,00 to 7,00 Euros or so I think, don't remember it correct. Saw it and thought that this is really a new KILLSWITCH ENGAGE album, and then wondered why and how I lost this band totally from my radar screen. After I just started to become a fan of them pretty late with their "AS DAYLIGHT DIES" album six to seven years ago (it was released in 2006 I guess) and then their self-titled album some less years ago even convinced me a bit more... and then I totally lost them out of sight. Okay, troubled times it had been and so on, hm, so that could be a good reason for loosing bands out of sight like in this case KILLSWITCH ENGAGE, hm, at least to me it sounds like a proper reason. Anyhow, now here's their new album, released some time in 2013 via "ROADRUNNER RECORDS", and for all what I know it's their newest one since their already mentioned self-titled album from 2009, and they also have a new vocalist/singer on board in their ranks. Okay, asked the mighty google gods for the reasons why and so on and on and decided to say just "However." to me, myself, and I and then I only focussed on "DISARM THE DECENT", the still newest and all in all sixth full length studio album of/by KILLSWITCH ENGAGE. And now here I am, writing my review on it down for you. First of all and to get this straight right from the start: I fucking love this album, point and fact. The new singer is a perfect match with his very diverse and skilled lead singing voice covering a wide distance from deep grunts and hysteric screams over aggressive and heavy shouts to just brilliant and phenomenal shining charismatic clean and clear emotional yet powerful "real" singing, it's all there and this also with a own touch so that Jesse Leach, the new singer, simply just sounds like Jesse Leach himself and not like a copy of the great Howard Jones, and you know what, righty right, he's at least as great as his phenomenal precursor man on the mic of KILLSWITCH ENGAGE. And also I get the feeling, that KILLSWITCH ENGAGE as a whole sound more fresh and energetic, more aggressive and heavier, and also somehow somewhat like younger than before on this very album here and my impression is that this is not at least due to Jesse Leach's fantastic performance. Beside the new phenomenal lead singer/vocalist we have of course also the just breath taking guitar work delivered by two of the greatest active and also two of the strongest ever guitar players that unleash song for song one hell of an inferno of a stand-alone, skilled, and just bright shining phenomenal festival of guitar playing as a form of real art, so diverse, so multi-layered, so varying, so passionated, so heartfelt and full of emotions, and still all also so tight, precise, to the point, and damn heavy that it will simply just leave you with your mouth open, your ears ringing for good, your eyes shining, and you being totally breathless. For describing the fantastic songwriting we can simply use the mentioned terms, too, and also add some more to this list: Multi-layered, diverse, varying, passionate, heartfelt, emotional, atmospheric, still damn tight, precise, flowing, to the point, full of surprises, of great twists and turns, totally grapping and really interesting to listen to. This is just damn great, and even more than this. That this guys are also one hell of a bunch of skilled and talented musicians should be clear and so I just say it for the record here, ah, and that this also counts for the massive stunning rhythm section that's a true full power machinery at their most precise work should be also clear and is here and now also just said for the record by me. On top of it we get also great lyrics, a really beautiful artwork, and just a full points production sound. I love it. Each single song rules, but if I should have to name my favorites it would be "BEYOND THE FLAMES", "TURNING POINT", "ALWAYS", "YOU DON'T BLEED FOR ME", "THE NEW AWAKENING", and the larger than life "NO END IN SIGHT". One of the very best modern Metal bands with one of the very best Metal albums in and probably also for years, so just go and buy it if you should have missed it so far. Clearly one of the very best albums of 2013 in my book. Get it!!! Love it!!! /// Andy
(10 of 10 points)
(Copy this link into your browser and then simply just go there: http://www.killswitchengage.com/)
("SONY MUSIC"/"COLUMBIA"; CD)
(Released in 2013.)
That's what I call Hardrock, period. Dirty, loud, proud, earthy, hard eged, shapr hitting and cutting, dust dry and bone shaking heavy, bluesy and hymnal by great grooving heavy guitars, dirty and nasty, dominated hard hitting Rock & Roll the traditional way brewed. KROKUS are around for quite a long while now and still they play their music the way this kind of music was and still is meant to be played, to say it short and precise: This is Hard Rock, point and fact. And, btw, that they are incredible strong influenced by the almighty AC/DC should be known more than just well. I mean, haha, any AC/DC fan, especially of the old school Bon Scott days, will also love KROKUS, because their new smasher "DIRTY DYNAMITE" here is sort of a AC/DC tribute album with KROKUS' own songs. So don't expect anything new and also not that much of a that clear and that strong own identity after all, so much honesty should be allowed. But I think KROKUS never cared for this, they do and play what they love to do and play and what matters most in the end: They do it without a single doubt really damn strong, period. And as long as the original still remains abscent I take a damn strong copy all the time and embrace it enthusiastically, to say it this way. Heavy marching and skull cracking stomping rhythms, a powerful bass and thundering drumming, dirty and heavy, dry and earthy, rumbling and grooving guitar playing on a strong level cultivated with great leads and fresh solos, loud band chantings, large refrains, and a sawing and cutting dirty and snotty lead singing voice, this are the ingredients of the bluesy old school yet fucking fresh Hard Rock of KROKUS, clearly and unshamed in the tradition of AC/DC. And you know what? I love it! Cool lyrics, perfect production sound, and a fantastic artwork, what could ya ask more for. Any Hard Rock and AC/DC fan outta there should get this nice little gem, clearly recommended, without a doubt, so don't think twice and instead of this better get it as soon as possible if you're into this stuff. This is a totally enteratining album that simply just brings a lot of pleasure and is great fun to listen to it from start to finsih, it gives really a great time. I simply just really like it, period. Cheers and ROCK ON!!! /// Andy
(8 of 10 points)
(Just copy this links into the headline of your browser and then go there: https://www.facebook.com/KROKUSonline?fref=ts + https://www.facebook.com/pages/Krokus/112282348782722?fref=ts)
("SEASON OF MIST" & "HOUSECORE RECORDS"; CD)
(Released during the autumn of 2013.)
The great and mighty Phil Anselmo is back, the voice of the almighty and forever immortalized PANTERA, back with a new band, with his new band: PHILIP H. ANSELMO & THE ILLEGALS. I know also of a split release that they released earlier than this one here, their for all what I know first proper full length album. (Don't ask me anything about the split, I just saw the CD back then for one time in my local record store but wasn't sure if I should buy it or not and after I was in a hurry I didn't had the time to check it out right in the store and so I left without it, and then that's it, didn't saw it again since then, so I can't tell you anything about it, not with who the split was with, nothing about the songs, or anything else, sorry, but that's how it is.) When I then some time in the autumn of the last year 2013 finally saw this album here in my local record store I surely hadn't to think twice, I just grabbed and bought it. Phil Anselmo is maybe one of the most influential musicians ever for me in and of my life, because PANTERA had a giant, a really giant impact on me in more than just one way or sense. And so, when they splitted it hit me, not to talk about the murder of Dimebag Darrel (R.I.P.) but that's another story. The bands that Phil Anselmo did after PANTERA had been ups and downs, but esepcailly DOWN (okay, okay, okay, I know, in no way a "after"-PANTERA band, but let us forget this here and now, it's not important) and also ARSON ANTHEM truly ruled (and rule) in a supreme way. And when I saw this disc the artwork reminded me of ARSON ANTHEM and so I grabbed it, haha, so simple can things sometimes be in life. First of all: I don't know why the fuck everyone out there compares this album to/with PANTERA?!? This is bullshit. Just because Phil Anselmo sings here and it is heavy and intense music, this is all what you need to write and scream PANTERA and close your review books?!? Come on, put some work in and pay some attention to the music, you stupid nutjobs, or stop doing and writing reviews on records promptly, point and fact. Surely, here and there some PANTERA influences are to be noticed, but this is more a rarity, because PHILIP H. ANSELMO & THE ILLEGALS march in a different, in their own direction, and that's a fact. Ah, and btw, here in Germany this CD was sold with a sticker on it where Mille Petrozza/KREATOR was cited, and this quote said that this album would be a mixture out of PANTERA and SLAYER... WTF?!? Mister Petrozza should wash and clean his ears before he listens to music or should listen to it anyhow first before he says something... and when he anyhow has no clue he should better remain silent. Okay, anyhow, I can imagine that especially the label won't feel uncomfortable with it because out of comparisions to/with PANTERA you surely can still make some easy money, even more when no one else than Phil Anselmo himself is on board of the band, but honestly, come on, at least when you do reviews on music you should really pay the music more attention and give it your respect, if not then stop reviewing music even when this means that you finally have to buy your records again by yourself with your own money and not getting your album send for free to you for writing reviews on it. So, enough said and enough puked my heart out, now to my view on and of it, so here we go: This album is extreme and intense in every sense, and I mean really extreme and intense. It left me confused and sort of cowed and also totally overwhelmed when I listened to it for the first, the second, the third, and also the fourth time I listened to it. Then I decided to let it lie beside for a while, it was sort of a silent discussion between me, myself, and I without any again(st) words, and so with a not knowing what to do with it and think of it I let it lie around for some time. But then some days later somehow from out of nowhere I started suddenly to sing the refrain lines of the title track "WALK THROUGH EXITS ONLY" again and again. I thought: "What the hell...?!?" But then I stopped asking myself what was going on and from where this suddenly came and just grabbed the disc, put it in my stereo, cranked up the volume, laid back... and let the music, the art unfold its spirit and do its effect... and then it made click, and how it made click, it bombed right through. Extreme and intense and emotional as well as heavy, aggressive, and brutal offside any comparision or rivalry. Sinsiter Metal, rotten Hardcore, but most of all sick and brutal, heavy and extreme, harsh and aggressive Sludge, and all deep and intense. More EYE HATE GOD and (old'n'early) CROWBAR and also more ARSON ANTHEM than PANTERA, far more. Sludge Metal/Core of the most fucked up and most harsh kind. And, to say it one more time again: This is really extreme music(k), and incredible intense music(k), too. And maybe we should definitely talk better of musick than just music, and when I say musick I mean muSICK. Okay, to classify this album Sludge is also not correct, but somewhere in the middle between sick and twisted Metal, brutal and fucked up Sludge, violent and reduced to the basic evil and hate filled Hardcore, and "THE GREAT SOUTHERN TRENDKILL" of PANTERA you will find PHILIP H. ANSELMO & THE ILLEGALS beating some lowlife trendy shitfaces to pulp. Crushing and skullsmashing guitars that build up massive walls of riffs and also a nearly hypnotic spirit that flows in a violent raging way through the songs mark the musick as well as, of course, the totally charismatic and stand-alone lead vocals delivered by the mighty if not almighty Phil Anselmo himself, also of course, and he never sounded that brutal and pissed off like here before, it also adds up a lot to the extreme and intense atmosphere of the musick, the songs, and the whole album. The devastating rhythm section then leaves no holes, no rooms, no blank space, it really ''just'' makes it all more massive and stunning, it is amazing how intense this shit here gets more and more over the complete running time of the album. And also some special sick handmade Special Effects (that's or in that way it is also officialy named) come into play, enriching it all even more. Just amazing. And awesome. The musicians are all very skilled ones and the songwriting is simply just phenomenal, it is intense and grapping, hypnotic and just very smart and clever compiled and arranged, and what they do especially great and even far more than this is how they use stoic hammering beatings in a sort of a monotonous but still grapping and not boring way to the point where it really starts to hurt and then do it even a bit longer and just in the right time right before you feel like you can't take it anymore they totally break it down, tear down the walls, and without any breaks or fractures in the musick something else happens right at the right time, they totally know how to irritate right shortly direct to the point at where it all is enough and right before things get really hurting they stop, and they totally stop, and then in a second something else happens and this all without any fractures or anything like this. Not only they build a lot of tension and take it all to the extreme with this, but they also create a damn entertaining even demanding ride through the chaos. It's a phenomenal album by phenomenal guys creating musick of their very own, I simply just love it, period. The great lyrics, as well as the sinister and perfect matching artwork and the rotten yet fucking stunning heavy production sound just add up to this all, to this all what clearly is one of the best and strongest albums of 2013. Okay, I think this review here is already long enough and I also think that I have said it all what I had to say to "WALK THROUGH EXITS ONLY" of PHILIP H. ANSELMO & THE ILLEGALS, and so I will close this review here and now with the following final words: If you are into really extreme and truly intense musick then don't think twice and just do yourself a huge, huge favour and go out and buy this fantastic album promptly, period!!! Cheers and play it loud. /// Andy
(10 of 10 points)
(Just copy this links into the headline of your browser and then go there: http://www.philanselmo.com/ + https://www.facebook.com/Philipillegals)
("STEAMHAMMER" / "SPV"; CD)
(Released by the end of 2013.)
Also the great ones of and in PRO-PAIN released in 2013 their newest album (don't ask me how many they have so far already released, I mean I have them all but I am currently just too lazy to get up and count and also to ask at least the nearly all and everything knowing google gods about it, sorry, but just accept it when I say that they have many out so far), and a new album, a new year, and also again a new label to bring it out (and this time the PRO-PAIN own label "RAWHEAD INC." isn't involved so far anymore, beside the little publisher role, but don't ask me why). This album is released as a normal CD and as a limited extra "fat" CD version, too. I just have the normal CD, the limited one includes beside a "bigger" digi artwork a poster (at least for all what I know) and three exclusive bonus tracks, of which one is a U.K. SUBS cover tune. Not at least because due to this cover tune I was thinking heavily if I should buy the limited version or a copy of the normal one, but after the normal one was sold for already 15,00 Euros and the limited version should cost even 5,00 Euros more I decided that 20,00 Euros for just one CD is ridiculous and I grabbed a copy of the normal one. Ah, and also I usually don't pin up band posters on the walls of our flat anymore, I guess I'm really growing old more and more. ;-) So if you want to get a review on the limited version I am sorry but then you have to look somewhere else than here. I always loved PRO-PAIN and if you read this blog already for a while they are one of the bands that I consider to be one of the most important bands to me ever. So it should be clear that I am sort of a fan, a nerd of their pretty specific PRO-PAIN own version of Metal influenced trashing New York born Hardcore, and over their twenty-two years of existence during which they released at least around fourteen albums (plus best of, live, and cover albums as well, not included in the fourteen mentioned full length studio albums) and toured their ass off I basically hold them always dear and close to my heart. While a lot of ignorant thrash talkers always preach that PRO-PAIN would sound all the same over all the years and albums that is simply not right, just open your ears and listen to all the songs and albums and you will find a lot of changes, silent ones as well as pretty drastic ones, so that it is simply wrong to denounce PRO-PAIN as a cheap themselves off rippin' farce of a band, that's bullshit talking by cowardly and ignorant thrash talking scumbags, period. A stale band they had never been and they hopefully will never be(come). They have created over the years their very own style and sound of music and they stick to and with it, true to it, but thankfully they never repeated themselves so far, unlike a lot of other in most cases much more hyped bands outta there that fail even in releasing simply just two albums that don't sound exactly the same. Not to talk about fourteen albums in twenty-two years. Sure over the years they released weaker and stronger albums and when they turned more and more Metal some years ago I had some hard times with their then new albums, but beside their "NO END IN SIGHT" and "ABSOLUTE POWER" albums they never dissapointed me after all, and with their "STRAIGHT TO THE DOME" album they created and unleashed a late masterpiece two years ago with all the potential for becoming a future classic, and, to be honest, at least I did not thought that they would be able to do this after their two directly above mentioned pretty weak and all in all more dissapointing than satisfying albums that they released right before "STRAIGHT TO THE DOME". And now here's their so far still newest full length album, "THE FINAL REVOLUTION", released by the very end of 2013. And you know what? They conquer totally, they did it again!!! It is at least as strong as "STRAIGHT TO THE DOME", "THE FINAL REVOLUTION" is one hell of an album, full of crushing and cracking rhythms, grooves, and tempo outbursts that will make your head bang hard and your whole body mosh even harder. Devastating guitars, full throttle drumming, boneshaking bass, and above all Gary Meskils brutal charismatic lead singing voice to mark the songs even more than the before mentioned trademarks. The nicely diverse songwriting is again very strong, veteraned, well-versed, and skilled, yet fresh and grapping, interesting and entertaining. If you are in love with heavy guitar riffs, brutal and yet sort of diverse and especially very charismatic shouted lead vocals, everything crushing rhythm work, mosh and groove as well as every resistance down taking full throttle power and force, then you will love PRO-PAIN, and if you are a fan of M.O.D./S.O.D. you will love them too, for sure, trust me. Great lyrics we get on top of it, political, critical, and outspoken but also personal and no scene glorification bullshit, no, instead of this we get the real deal and that is all good and fine with me. The dirty yet incredible heavy production sound matches perfect to/with the music, and the artwork is pretty fine... even I failed in understanding this Pit Bull goes Che Guevara cover motif so far but who knows maybe enlightment will hit me one day. Don't know what to write here and now more, I mean they are around for twenty two years and released around fourteen albums, so I would bet that you know them already, no matter if you are a fan of them or not, so I won't try to convince anyone and I will spare me every word more here and now, instead of this I will now simply close this review with my last words for now: "THE FINAL REVOLUTION" rules in a supreme way and I can only highly recommend this pretty sure more or less soon to be a classic album to you here and now, point and fact, so get it. HARDCORE!!! FIST!!! /// Andy
(10 of 10 points)
(Copy this link into your browser and then just go there: http://www.pro-pain.com/)
("DYNAMIC ARTS RECORDS"; CD)
(Released in 2013.)
Nice one that I stumbled upon pretty much by accident and that I then took with me not at least because of the fact that the great cover artwork awaked my hunger for it and also because it was damn cheap, the local record store sold it for what reasons ever for just 2,50 Euros and so I really haven't to think twice about buying it or not. I mean, I did buy it, what did you think?!? And so here now comes my review on it. First of all, one look at the cover says it all: Metal. Right. And even more precise: Death Metal. Hell yeahr. TORTURE KILLER, before totally unknown to me, play a very Old School Style of (American) Death Metal like it was founded once by OBITUARY and made more famous then later on especially by SIX FEET UNDER. And thankfully they play it more in the way SIX FEET UNDER used to sound before they became a ridiculous farce, so especially "HAUNTED" and "WARPATH" are albums that are in some ways comparable to what TORTURE KILLER do here on "PHOBIA". And also thankfully, and this even more, they play it all still pretty much independently so that they are in no way sort of a SIX FEET UNDER ripp off band or a copy'n'paste OBITUARY clone. Okay, any real big inventions or any sort of re-inventing the wheel you won't find here, but that's all good and fine with me and it was surely also not a little bit the aim of TORTURE KILLER, so it's even more good and fine with me. That this is no "new crazy thing", pfffff, who cares, what anyone should care far more about is simply the fact that this is really some fucking strong and good shit. Old School Death Metal full of sick and morbid, heavy stunning, harsh shredding, brutal and hypnotizing and moshy groovy guitar riffing that's cultivated with great leads and cool done solos. What makes my thumbs even more go up is the pretty strong diversity that the guitars pack into their play without tearing open any holes or breaks in the flow of the songs, you just have to listen a little bit more attentional and you get tons of great nice ideas somewhere between Doom Metal, Thrash Metal, and sick and rotten Old School graveyard Death Metal. Some of the leads (yes, especially the leads) and solos, too, are also heavily influenced (or so it seems to me) by old METALLICA and old MEGADETH, and this done also without copying that greatest masters of old (maybe just worshippin' them here and there for good and justified reasons a little bit and all on a very high level of quality), as well as in general Old School U.S. Thrash Metal left good strong marks in the music of TORTURE KILLER. Beside the already described guitars are the brutal guttural grunt vokillz the biggest trademark of the musick of TORTURE KILLER, deep and brutal, guttural grunted and aggressive spitted and puked into the mic, tone and style pretty near to the legendary Chris Barnes (SIX FEET UNDER, and former CANNIBAL CORPSE, too), I love this stuff, especially because they totally add up perfect to the sick and morbid rotten atmosphere of the msuick of TORTURE KILLER. Then there's still the bulldozer rhythm section, tight, precise in time, hard, heavy, deadly, no prisoners taking and no mercy showing, thumbs up. The music breathes, like already said one or two times, a total sick, morbid, and rotten atmosphere and spirit, like this kind of musick should do better anyhow. The sick and psycho lyrics dealing with death, murder, torture, nightmares, sick illusions, despair, psycho killers, and other sunshine topics like this match perfect to the musick of TORTURE KILLER, as well as the dirty, rotten yet heavy and brutal production sound and the perfect Old School black/white torture and muder artwork do, too. What shall I say/write more here and now, I think I've said it all already, so mosh damn fucking hard and bang that head that doesn't bang. If they just manage to create, to write some really big hits the next time around it will only get even better than what they already deliver here and now with "PHOBIA". But also so anyhow: Clearly recommended, period. Cheers to Torture Metal ;-) . /// Andy
(8 of 10 points)
(Don't ask me why Blogger still refuses to post this as a link, but fuck it, just copy this line into your browser and then go there: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Torture-Killer-official/258598274170692?fref=ts)
("METALVILLE" & "UKJ RECORDS"; CD + DVD)
(Released in 2013.)
They are really back!!! I talk about UGLY KID JOE, heroes of my youth!!! :-) Especially their "AMERICA'S LEAST WANTED" masterpiece album was for many, many years on heavy rotation on my stereo and walkman. (Yes, a walkman, tapes and tapetrading and all that stuff, the 1990's man, good old times :-) !!!) Anyway, defunct for years, and now finally back again... and hopefully (much) more will come also in the future. This is the comeback album of the White Thrash Hard Rock/Heavy Metal Heads from the States formed around the still outstanding lead singer Whit Crane. And over the many years they were more or less not existing anymore really a lot used to change, while also a lot remained like it was. Uhhh, cryptic writings... ;-) I mean that UKJ really sticked true to their hard rockin' cool and also very humorous style of Heavy Metal induced Hard Rock with a sort of beer drinking and boobies hailing White Thrash spirit full of great massive rocking guitars and just awesome vocals, while at the same time they drastically enriched their sound with some sort of 1970's Rock influences that are kept and done very fresh and exciting by them and in a way that they sound totally "young" and just incredible heavy and groovy and in a very modern (not anyhow trendy way, just modern up to date) and that's to find maybe less in the way how the guitars are played but more in the tone and vibe of the guitars, as well as they enriched it with far more heavyness and a more serious and also in some parts clearly sinister approach adding up to the sunny (but also always pretty strong ironic-humouristic) party approach for that they always had been known, as well as we also find great done acoustic songs. You may can say that they grew up over the years, if this would just not sound that terrible stale and cliché. But however it may sound, I guess it is true, and this in every positive sense of it, UGLY KID JOE grew up and the kid turned into a man, or something like this. This album is a great mixture out of heavy and angry, sinister and somewhat of cynical songs like the dark and hard'n'heavy stomping opener and title track in disguise "DEVIL'S PARADISE" (a total smasher, very heavy- maybe the most heaviest song UKJ ever wrote- and a hard grooving boneshaking anthem of a song, and a great way of opening this album up), as well as the fatalistic "NO ONE SURVIVES" that shines gloomy and spooky with some slight BLACK SABBATH feeling and that is a very imposing song, also "YOU MAKE ME SICK" must be named here and now because even especially the riffing has a clear old school UKJ spirit but it is done in a pretty sinister light (and this is also to say for the acoustic version of it that is also featured on this disc/album), and also "LOVE AIN'T TRUE!" (featuring Angelo Moore and Dirty Walt, both play in- the to me totally unknown- FISHBONE), even "LOVE AIN'T TRUE" is a very "happy" sounding party song at first it shines in a also pretty fatalistic and fed-up-with-all-and-everything light that dives it in a pretty sinister light despise the happy sunny sounding and playing music. The two remaining new songs are "I'M ALRIGHT" and "ANOTHER BEER" and both songs are really just through and through true shout out loud and sing along to hymns of songs. Especially "I'M ALRIGHT", lyricwise also a pretty fatalistic song out of the middle of the life of a desillusioned suburban white thrash blue collar life-style, is a more than great song that totally rules especially because of the arrangements of the verses as well as the refrain and also because of the great guitar riffing that is a total bomb, thumbs way up high for it. "ANOTHER BEER" then is a very relaxed song, and a very good song as well, perfect when you've done your work for the day and jump in your car, turn of the stereo, and drive back home from work and leaving work and job for the last few hours of the day finally behind you. Then there are also three acoustic songs, the already above mentioned acoustic version of "NO ONE SURVIVES" (great done), and then also a acoustic version of "their" biggest hit ever "CATS IN THE CRADLE" that comes off strong but I like their original version better anyhow anyway, and then also the great "WOULD YOU LIKE TO BE THERE" that is just a phenomenal hit, period. The songs are filled with heavy rocking and hard grooving yet incredible catchy and melodic guitars that deliver one hell of a playful, skilled, diverse, and very charismatic-marking performance, just damn great. Then there's the rhythm section, a very tight, massive, stunning, and precise to the point played yet also very soulful and playful delivery they offer to us here and add up to the songs. Above all there's then the shining charismatic lead singing voice that stands on a level of its own and really shines bright. Perfect. Any bands to compare them with don't come to my mind, it is very much like it always was, UKJ play a style of their own and sound basically more or less just like UKJ and like nothing and no one else, and that's all good and fine with me. The lyrics are great and deal with a of different topics, but above you can read already some words to/about the lyrics, so I guess I've already said enough here and now on this topic. The production sound is a perfect match. Then some last words to the title and artwork: "STAIRWAY TO HELL", a mixture of "STAIRWAY TO HEAVEN" and "HIGHWAY TO HELL", and the cover of the little booklet is a perfect adaption of the cover art of "HIGHWAY TO HELL". So all in all I guess it is no presumption but just a tribute and that's more than justified and more than good and fine with me. And all in all the artwork is a great one, period. As a bonus we get also a DVD that contains the full UKJ concert from their show at the 2012 "DOWNLOAD FESTIVAL" on the 10th of June (yes, of 2012, you're right;-)............), and this is a great show and a great DVD and so a more than welcomed bonus addition to the album. This is a great album, if not more, and the only reason why I don't give it the best note up here is the fact that it is just too short for a full proper come back album of a band like UGLY KID JOE and also because "LOVE AIN'T TRUE!" is a little bit too annoying to be a benefit for a best rate album up here. But also so anyhow anyway it gets a more than justified and more than well-deserved rating up here. I hope that they will make their comeback a longer than just one album lasting one, and so I'm looking forward for more new UKJ stuff to hopefully come in the future. So, for all out there who still don't have it yet and that have a faible for great Hard Rock: Get it. Now. Cheers!!! /// Andy
(9 of 10 points)
(PS: In a digital form this album was already released in 2012, after the band got together again in 2010, but this is the physical release of this album and it was released in 2013, as far as I can say it.)
(Just copy this link into the headline of your browser and then just go there: http://www.uglykidjoe.net/)
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