Happy new year everyone, and a may it become a great 2015.

Happy new year to you my dear readers, celebrate the change of the years right however you want to do it,

and then welcome 2015 in the proper mood - and may it become a great year.

 All my best wishings for you. Cheers & Oi! /// Andy

(PS: At the first or second of January 2015 the final posts of/for 2015 will come up, followed by my 2014 retrospection - I wanted to get it done yesterday or today but just didn't had the time to do so, so you will have to wait one or two days more.)

BORN FROM PAIN - "DANCE WITH THE DEVIL" ("We dance with the devil again and again, looking for answers and misreys end. While we dance, dance, dance with the devil, choosing the path from which we never come back.")

BORN FROM PAIN - "DANCE WITH THE DEVIL"
("BEATDOWN HARDWEAR"; CD)
(Running time: 12 songs in 31:14 minutes.)
(Collector note: The album's also released on strictly limited vinyl in several different color versions - don't ask me if already sold-out or still available...)

Review: Here it is, the new BORN FROM PAIN album titled "DANCE WITH THE DEVIL" brought to us via "BEATDOWN HARDWEAR" on CD and also on limited vinyl (or better here's my review on it, not the album;-)...), not that the collector guys outta there reading this start to hustle because they haven't been informed by me properly ;-) ............ So "DANCE WITH THE DEVIL" is sort of the comeback album, if you want so, of BORN FROM PAIN after their "THE NEW FUTURE" is now already anyhow older and remained more or less, so that's my impression, strongly under the radar, in general, and so they are back and it's statement time to show that they are still or again here, yes, and so they do, so they deliver, a statement, a true and strong, a real and tough statement, nothing else, nothing less, period - also finally again with their "real" singer back on board. This is metallic, groovin', stompin', raging, and fist clenching (as well as fist swinging) Mosh Hardcore somewhere to be loosly located between HATEBREED and TERROR but it all with a very present and very strong own identity of a very fresh and so also refreshing character, full of cool and great own ideas and nice new marks and footprints. Maybe it could be here and there still a little bit more demanding but that are only very few moments when you feel this way respectively think this or so and so they (which means this only short and just few weaker moments) don't take that much of the quality away, and that's just all good and fine with me. Bombing heavy and harsh rough'n'tough as nails assault and battery styled guitar playing full of energy and power, sheer force and huge dynamics non stopp and also with a strong rockin'n'groovin' approach mark the songs strongly, all backed up by a really massive and stunning rhythm section that acts totally tight and precise just right in time and pretty diverse, and then all is crowned by mighty and pretty charismatic Hardcore lead vocal shouting and widescreen gang back up chantings, while a big bunch of (prominent) guest singer support it all in a great way. The guys can play, without any doubts or discussions, and they can even better write songs and here's where their fresh ideas shine through, for example in great rhythm surprises that are worked perfect into the flow of things like for example in "CAUSE & EFFECT" (just listen to the drumming in the verses), or in perfect all out rockin' killer groove moshers like the über-anthem "DANCE WITH THE DEVIL", or in Doom parts with a sick and very tight intense atmosphere like showcased in and with "NOMAD", and the cool spoken word samples just build perfect bridges to connect every song with each other and so the full album as a whole. They offer a lot music-wise, and far more than in the past and this all in a very strong just great flowing way, and this is just great. Also the very ambitious, outspoken, and critical lyrics really convince and come on a level of first class quality, the sinister artwork is not only pretty cool looking but also a perfect match to/with the music, and the production sound is just a damn strong ultra-heavy bomb and this totally rocks. All in all it's damn good that BORN FROM PAIN are back and they deliver with "DANCE WITH THE DEVIL" one damn great album and their very best to date, and I can only recommend it to any fan of metallic Hardcore, so if you still don't have it go and get it - and make sure to check them out also live, they are currently still (?) on tour to promote their new beast here and I saw them sort of one-and-a-half-week ago and they just totally conquered. So now you know what you have to do. HARDCORE!!! FIST!!! /// Andy

(Rating: 9 of 10 points)

(Band site: https://www.facebook.com/BornFromPainOfficial?fref=ts / Just copy the link into the headline of a new browser-tab and then just go there and give them a like.)

BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN - "HIGH HOPES" ("Where there's a fight 'gainst the blood and the hatred in the air, look for me mom I'll be there. Wherever somebody's fightin' for a place to stand or a decent job or a helpin' hand. Wherever somebody's struggling to be free, look in their eyes ma you'll see me.'')

BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN - "HIGH HOPES"
("SONY MUSIC"; CD)
(Running time: 12 songs in 56:33 minutes.)

Review: Oh man, fuck, how could this happen... how could I wait with the review on that very album here, how and why... or did I just completly forgot about it along the way over all those busy months passing by and taking me away this year... anyhow, anyway, and however, it doesn't matter that much after all at the end and it shouldn't happen again, and now here it is, my review on the new or better still current (2014) full length album release of no one else than BRUCE "THE BOSS" SPRINGSTEEN titled "HIGH HOPES" brough to us via "SONY MUSIC" on CD in a simply damn beautiful artwork and digi-packaging, yes, and this album is nothing else or nothing less than a true beauty and a real and precious gem - and a gem that's shining brighter than nearly every other gem that was released this very year beside two exceptions (that you already know, at least in case you are reading this blog frequently and/or regulary) that just still somehow shine a little bit brighter personal for me, but that's all pretty close after all, and this very album here is just a total bomb, a total boomer, absolute platinum and pretty much once again sort of the absolute top, point and fact. (Hm, and now you know already my third ranked favorite album of/for 2014, okay, who cares, hahaha ;-) ...) We get twelve new songs in 56:33 minutes and this time it's maybe even more special than before, because BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN joined forces on seven of the twelve songs with Tom Morello (RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE/AUDIOSLAVE), and it works out greater than great. Okay, if you are like me, not the biggest RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE fan and not to talk about AUDIOSLAVE, and you're now thinking like: "Uhm... nope... or...'', yes, then let me calm your mood down, because Tom Morello and the cooperation with him really works fantastic and it's still through and through a real THE BOSS album but with strong fresh ''outside-ideas'' that are really worked in a great and flowing way into the music, enriching and cultivating it in a phenomenal way, not "aliennating" anything, just two fantastic musicians working together in a very inspirated as well as purely inspirational way (together with a big band of not less fantastic musicians in the band playing with them, just that you know it), that's it, and that's just fantastic - and even more than "just" fantastic, period. Okay, and so now let us have a more detailed look on it, just exactly like and how it deserves it, yes, and so here we go:
The story behind how this album came to happen is a pretty interesting one and explained by THE BOSS himself in the very outspoken, interesting, informative, and honest linernotes to/of this record - a picture-scan of it you can find at the end of this review, so that you can read it all by yourself as well. So I won't go in it all too deep here and now, after you can read it in its original words in the booklet of the album as well as here in form of the photo/picture-scan, so just let me say that it is very interesting, passionate, and thoughtful coming together in full motion and play of old ideas and fresh'n'new inspirations settled together in form of phenomenal songs that culminate in an extraordinary album of a class of its very own, cliché-free, honest, authentic, sympathic, monumental, rebellious/critical and outspoken, proud and unbowed, knowing no regrets and not caring about compromises, smart and thoughtful, passionated and emotional, some of the trademarks with which you describe "HIGH HOPES" probably best right from the start. Musicwise this is a true and real American born and bred very diverse and multi-layered Rock album full of honest Working Class raised Rock Music to which old school Punkrock has never been a stranger (today especially still shining through in the attitude of the music) and that's inspired by Old School Rock & Roll and that's breath-taking strong enriched and cultivated by and with American Folk, some Blues and Country notes, great jazzy Big Band arrangements, and emotional and high classed souly Pop impressions, all mixed and melted together, heavenly great cultivated by some of the most skilled musicians and songwriters ever that deliver incredible fantastic songs full of heart and soul, brain and guts, every song a hymn, an anthem of its own that rise and shine right and straight from the get-go in their very own and larger-than-life bright shining light, and especially the high skilled and so incredible strong and outstanding multi-layered songwriting full of emotions and atmosphere as well as bursting out'n'over so full of grapping and interesting moments, surpsises, twists'n'turns, arrangements and shining compositions and song architectures, it's incredible, just a total phenomenal album - really a kind of its very own, if you get what I am trying to say with this words. Especially the unique guitar playing and the totally stand-alone and characteristic lead vocal singing totally mark the songs, but there's so much happening more, so damn much far more going on that you simply have to experience it for yourself to really get and understand it, this is really an album that by any means needs and waits and wants to be discovered and trust me, it offers and gives you so much and beside the totally breath-taking music also so much power and will to make it through even the darkest times and the most fucked up days, hell man, this is not just an album, nah, this is far more, a true force, real power, it's truly a gift. This also is to say about the really amazing lyrics, that are not at least also a perfect gaming match to/with the music and also they really and truly shine bright and wide and I just love to totally sink myself deep and deeper into the music and the lyrics, it's a really fascinating, mind- and eye-opening, just totally amazing ride. The artwork is pretty much a true beauty, even in its or this simple form, but it really rocks, and the warm and earthy production sound is just a perfect match, the perfect score. In the end, hm, giving you my favorite songs makes no real sense to me when you face up such a overall masterpiece of music and art like "HIGH HOPES" simply and definitely is but let me try to name you my personal über-favorites and maybe start with this songs your journey to discover this groundbreaking and lifechanging album, so here we go: "HIGH HOPES", "HARRY'S PLACE", "AMERICAN SKIN (41 SHOTS)", "HEAVEN'S WALL", "HUNTER OF INVISIBLE GAME", "JUST LIKE FIRE WOULD", "DOWN IN THE HOLE", "DREAM BABY DREAM", and the total über-song "THE GHOST OF TOM JOAD", all named only in a loose and in a no particular order. A spirited album, one of the very best albums that saw the light of day, and so I will close this post, my review on it, with just saying that from my point of view this album simply is a duty for any true and real music-lover outta there, and I just hope that BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN keeps the flame burning bright that enlightens his mind and that fires up his music. This is through and through true BOSS music. It's just totally awesome, and a absolute unique album!!! /// Andy
(Rating: 10 of 10 points)
(Homepage: http://brucespringsteen.net/ - Copy the link into the headline of a new browser-tab and then just go there and visit the site.)

"Never a victim. Always a FIGHTER!"

Just to make sure that you start with the right mental attitude into the tomorrow starting week which is in fact the last week of 2014 or the first week of 2015 or both, however you may like to see it, but make sure that it will be a good week, a good closing chapter for 2014 or a good starting point for 2015, so, yes, to say it short and precise: Raise Hell. /// Andy

VARIOUS ARTISTS - "CASHING IN CHRISTMAS VOLUME 6" (The latest installment of this already classic series.)

VARIOUS ARTISTS - "CASHING IN ON CHRISTMAS VOL. 6"
("REBEL SOUND MUSIC" & "BLACK HOLE RECORDS"; LP & MP3-Download)
(Running time: 20 songs in around 64 minutes.)
(A big "THX!!!" goes out to Brett Hole/"BLACKHOLE RECORDS" for sending me the comp in its MP3-version for promo and reviewing affairs.)

Okay, I gues... or know... at least two days too late, hm, but anyhow... okay, I mean I planned to do the little review on this comp on one of the christmas-holiday-days but I simply didn't find the time or the motivation to do something productive or just anyhow anything up here during this time, yes, and so the review on this christmas comp is coming up just now... but anyhow, even it's a Christmas comp it works also without the holiday spirit in the air surrounding us - and also the next Christmas is just one year away, so you see, it's anyhow the right time to still do the review on it, and so here we go: This comp is giving you a colored mix of a lot of todays Oi!, Streetpunk, and Punkrock acts from more or less "across the globe" serving new or exclusive songs and all with a ''special'' Christmas flavor to it, like this comp series is anyhow well known for. Like usual with comps the quality does differ, but thankfully not so much in this specific case, and so you can especially enjoy hard hitting streetrockin' Christmas tunes from the SAINTS & SINNERS (feat. Liz/DEADLINE), KEYSIDE STRIKE, THE HULLS, CITY SAINTS, GIMP FIST, SHAMELESS, ASSAULT & BATTERY, DRUG SHOCK, BRASSKNUCKLE BOYS, CONCRETE, DDC, and THE TRADITIONALS (fuckin' great!!!), and you see, it's a colored and thirtsy ride through the Oi!, Streetpunk, and Punkrock field that awaits you. So, okay, don't know what to write else, maybe just that I can calmly recommend this album to you, it's full of mostly strong music, mostly funny lyrics, a strong production sound, and a great MEAT LOAF - "BAT OUT OF HELL" homage/tribute artwork so go out and get it if you still shouldn't call it your own. Cheers & Oi! Oi! Oi! /// Andy

(Rating: 8 of 10 points)

(Order it here: http://rebelsoundmusic.limitedrun.com/ - Copy the link into the headline of a new browser-tab and then just go there and order your copy direct from the the original scource.)

AC/DC - "ROCK OR BUST" (In ROCK we trust!)

AC/DC - "ROCK OR BUST"
("COLUMBIA RECORDS" / "SONY MUSIC"; CD)
(Running time: 11 songs in 35:00 minutes.)

Yes folks, (still) 2014 (yet) and some of the very greatest of the very great are back, despise all the bad things happened this year also with or to certain members of the band AC/DC really are back with a brandnew full length album, six years after "BLACK ICE" they unleash "ROCK OR BUST", packed full with eleven songs that they rock out in 35:00 minutes - and right from the start they make it clear that they are back here for serious business. I (always) liked (and still like) "BALLBREAKER" and I liked "STIFF UPPER LIP" and let's face it: There had never been a somehow bad  AC/DC album and I'm pretty sure that this is something that will never be, and "BLACK ICE" rocked even more, hm, but in short: "ROCK OR BUST" is definitely the (very) best AC/DC album since their legendary and iconic classic "THE RAZORS EDGE" which makes it to the best album in something like 24 years (incredible - and AC/DC had always been with me over all this years... and even a little bit more...), point and fact. Despise all the bad luck that hit the band over the last year it sounds more fresh, more alive-lively, it sounds younger and just more all-out-rockin'-attack than its precursor albums and the Blues induced dustrdry and boneshaking Hard Rock of that specific AC/DC brew simply kicks your ass from here to nowhere and back straight and direct into the here and now again - and this is also where AC/DC stand strong and tall in all their greatness in 2014 (and beyond), as a still 100% relevant and more than only important band that still delivers the goods in a fresh and inspired as well as inspiring way in the here and now. Dustdry and bonecracking guitar playing, marked by a really heavy and grooving great rhythm guitar work and just a phenomenal solo playing, powerful and really fresh, harsh yet hymnal sung lead vocals that sound by far more fresh and also more younger and stronger than before, loud back up singings, stunning hard drumming, and a pure power pumping bass work, these ingredients make the songs, melted together by fantastic grapping songwriting into first class purest platinum songs, and all delivered by just great musicians that serve a new high voltage dose of their very own and by them and by them alone created and cultivated sharp biting breed of Blues fuled Hard Rock music that still kicks ass and rules supreme and this both in a more than "only" dominant way - and this soon to be a classic albums prooves this all more than "just" right. A bunch of cool lyrics, premium artwork, and a heavy yet still dirty bombing production sound we get on top of it all as well, so you see: AC/DC deliver truly the complete package, the real deal. My total favorites are "ROCK OR BUST", "PLAY BALL", "ROCK THE BLUES AWAY", "DOGS OF WAR", "GOT SOME ROCK & ROLL THUNDER", "HARD TIMES", and "BAPTISM BY FIRE", so you might check out this songs first - but don't make the mistake and think that the not mentioned songs would be anyhow bad tracks, hell no, just that you know it. Okay, what should I write more, I think I've said it all, this is a brilliant album and surely one of the best of this year and I can only recommend this to any of you into real authentic handmade Rock & Roll music, so don't think twice if you still shouldn't have it and just go out and get it, because it's all just about: "ROCK OR BUST"!!! /// Andy

(Rating: 10 of 10 points)

(Band site: http://www.acdc.com/de - Copy the link into the headline of a new browser-tab and then just go there.)

Happy hoolidays and merry christmas everyone.

IRON MAIDEN - "ANOTHER ROCK & ROLL CHRISTMAS"

I wish all of you my dear readers happy holidays and a merry christmas, enjoy the days and have a drink or two (and tonight also in my case this will be no protein shakes, hahahaha ;-) ...) - and maybe start with having a listen to the above posted ''culty'' christmas-classic. So yeah', have fun, enjoy it, forget the woes and worries at least for some days and yes, just have a great time.

Cheers and all the best to you!!! /// Andy

He's on his way...

UNEARTH - "WATCHERS OF RULE" ("Halves stand divided fall... The storms come... The Watchers rule.")

UNEARTH - "WATCHERS OF RULE"
("CENTURY MEDIA RECORDS"; CD)
(Running time: 11 songs in 35:06 minutes.)
(Note: I have the regular CD release version of this album, I think that there's also a limited edition in a digi-book style artwork and also with some extra stuff released, hm, and I could imagine that also a LP release of this album should be out or maybe coming soon - anyhow, so you know now that this very review of mine is "just" on the regular album CD release version.)

Review: Here it is, the brandnew UNEARTH album "WATCHERS OF RULE", released (at least over here in Germany) pretty recently, so it's clear to say that this is through and through really a brandnew release. Okay, anyway, back to the topic or better: straight and right into the action, so here we go. The last UNEARTH album that I was back then really into was their breakthrough album and so far masterpiece "THE ONCOMING STORM" back then somewhat like a decade ago or so, after this - as great as this album clearly was (and still is) - I lost them out of my focus and the band became pretty uninteresting to me over all the years since then. Nowadays in 2014 I don't know if it's me who developed or changed (at least my taste) or if it is UNEARTH as a band that developed (and maybe changed as well) but anyhow, pfff, who cares, it's not important after all because what's important is simply the fact that they are back, and how they are back, hell yeahr, with "WATCHERS OF RULE" they put themselves back on the map and this better and stronger than before - and I mean better and stronger than ever before, yes, ever. This album simply is incredible, it demonstrates how damn fucking unbelievable GREAT Metalcore and/or Deathcore really (even still today) can be - if it is just done by skilled musicians with a lot of own, fresh, and just fascinating and grapping ideas that deliver one hell of a totally outstanding songwriting and take it all to the extreme but still keep playing real songs, songs that are like treasure-boxes, full of golden shining treasures and gems and surprises if you are willing to invest a little bit of time to work yourself through the lock and into the treausre-box. "WATCHERS OF RULE" is from start to finish demanding and challenging, it's a proggy high skilled interlaced extreme trip filled with tricky rhythm architectures, full of weird (in every positive sense of that term/word) twists and turns in the arrangements of the compositions, mercyless lightning-fast changes of/in the pace of the songs, eruptive dissonances that melt together in greatest sweet-flowing harmonies, and filled with phenomenal energy and dynamics non stopp and not one song sounds familiar like another, surely you get that this is all just one band, UNEARTH, but every song as a single piece of art of its very own shines bright as a lighted star - and together they create a sheer phenomenal cope of bright shining beautiful yet sheer massive and stunning bright shining stars, and they do it in a totally unique way and on such a high skilled level like only very few other bands can or could do so. They deliver non stop a very creative and just fantastic and brilliant guitar work full of totally furious and mad raging heavy and brutal, harsh and aggressive riffs as well as totally symphonic leads and really singing stand-alone solos, mercyless lead singing somewhere between harsh shoutings, guttural grunts and screams with some clean sung passages and some spoken word parts and all totally to the point and always in the way of a absolutely top delivery with tons of charisma in it, and the rhythm section is "just" a perfect working diverse raging massive machinery totally on the top of the game, and they melt all this together in the forms of eleven very different but all outstanding multi-layered, emotional, grapping, exciting, atmospheric, fresh, and challenging as well as demanding and anyhow incredible thrilling monsters of songs that other bands would kill or die for to do just one of them once in a lifetime. Also from my point of view UNEARTH stand pretty much alone and stick out of the Metalcore and Deathcore (and Modern Metal and Technical - Death - Metal) crowd, maybe sort of the very often and too often copied but never reached original in between the countless legions of more or less cheap imitations. A phenomenal beast of a band and album, stunning, shocking, breath-taking... fascinating! On top of it we get also very, very strong, thoughtful and passionate lyrics, a gorgeous artwork (this artwork alone would deserve a vinyl release, not to talk about the music... again), and a widescreen bombing-through all out assault production sound, and this makes it all to the complete package - and this fucking rules. With "WATCHERS OF RULE" UNEARTH delivered one of the biggest surprises and also one of the very best albums of this also music-wise anyhow very, very strong year of 2014 and I will now close this review with highly, highly recommending this very album to you, it's a statement of its own, and it's a totally stand-alone album, shining bright high up in the sky above the rest so go and get it!!! /// Andy

(Rating: 10 of 10 points)

(Band site: https://www.facebook.com/unearthofficial?fref=ts - Copy the link into headline of a new browser-tab and then just go there.)

R.I.P. Joe Cocker

Joe Cocker, 20. May 1944 - 22. December 2014

Rest in peace JOE COCKER.

One of the greatest left...

Enjoy this great live concert of him and band and drink a glass on him or two...

JUDAS PRIEST - "REDEEMER OF SOULS" ("Death, doom and destruction rain down upon the forsaken. One being stands alone to save humanity, a soldier born from the past on sad wings of destiny. Powerful, unflinching and bearing the eternal force that will proclaim and assert Metal's deliverance - The Redeemer of Souls!")

JUDAS PRIEST - "REDEEMER OF SOULS"
("COLUMBIA"/"SONY MUSIC"; limited double CD package + free patch)
(Running time: 13 songs in 62:05 minutes. - regular album / 5 songs in 21:45 minutes. - bonus disc)
(Note: I call the fantastic double CD package my own that comes beside the new album with a exclusive five track bonus disc in a just sheer awesome digi book artwork and packaging and that also conatins a free and really damn cool old school styled JUDAS PRIEST patch on top of it as well. - And there's also a double vinyl edition in limited numbers released of this album.)

Review: And the Metal days up here rage on - even for now this means that they rage on only for this very one post here and now more, but however... now my review on the new and for all what I read is announced to be the final album of the almighty Metal Gods in JUDAS PRIEST is next up here, and so here we go: My impression is that "REDEEMER OF SOULS", the newest one of/by JUDAS PRIEST, is especially in the world of Metal and for Metal fans a pretty controversial album that seems to heat up the moods quite a bit, at least that's (like already said) my impression and it's based on a lot of stuff that I've read in (german) Metal magazines and fanzines. But, honestly, I simply don't understand all this bullshit talking and writing, not at least because it seems heavily and feels strongly like nothing else than the substanceless and mouth-running writings and sayings of some too old grown fat grumpy old men trying to act tough, cool, and elité - or to say it that way: It feels like it's all just a bunch of self-proclaimed "die-hard-maniacs" that are bitter that their "favorite" band (and especially themselves) didn't stay that young like back then when "SCREAMING FOR VENGEANCE" and "DEFENDERS OF THE FAITH" were released and still can't "forgive" the albums "JUGGULATOR" and "DEMOLITION", and persoanlly such crap simply just heavily annoys me, point and fact, because let's face it: As time goes by we all and also everything changes, and so do bands, their music, their style, and this more or less over all the time like also the persons behind the bands or that make the bands also do change more or less over all the time, okay, and so, only logical, also the albums of bands do more or less change or differ from one and another (at least the albums of good bands that know how to write songs and that can properly play their instruments), yes, and who am I or who is anyone to tell them (which means the bands, in this particular case for example JUDAS PRIEST) to stay the same and what to do when, why, and how, you see, and who am I or again who is anyone to not "forgive" or better just forget some maybe weaker albums... (I hope you got what I wanted to say...) And also let point this out or let's face this: "REDEEMER OF SOULS" is in short the by far very best JUDAS PRIEST album since their iconic and legendary groundbreaking "PAINKILLER" lifechanger (that was and still is one of the top ten and most important Metal and Rock albums in general of all times ever), and also if we keep in mind that over this nearly two-and-a-half-decades long lasting period since "PAINKILLER" was released JUDAS PRIEST maybe have released the anyhow weaker albums of their career here with this very one, with their new the "REDEEMER OF SOULS" album, they drastically changed or tunred the tide, in a radical or drastic manner, and released one hell of a mighty album and definitely one of the strongest records of this year and that also definitely knows how to stand its ground also in the glory-history of the totally unique JUDAS PRIEST. Surely and honestly it can't match up with "SCREAMING FOR VENGEANCE", "DEFENDERS OF THE FAITH", "BRITISH STEEL", or "PAINKILLER", for example, but how could it, I mean the mentioned albums had been and still are groundbreaking epic classics and lifechangers, albums that would blast and burst every rating scala, so there's pretty much a zero-to-none-chance for any album to match up and come even close to them, but anyhow, "REDEEMER OF SOULS" does a pretty fucking damn great job in coming as somewhat somehow close as only slightly possible to matching up to/with this lifechanging albums. So, okay, lifechanging is "REDEEMER OF SOULS" not exactly, but still definitely groundbreaking and just a fantastic album filled with amazing songs, and all killers and hell no fillers, and that's on the one hand pretty surprising but on the other hand that doesn't really matter because it just totally rules in a more than "only" supreme and dominant way. The album is filled to the max with great guitar work, incredible high skilled and diverse, varying, and multi-layered like not much else, it drives and pushes forward with fantastic riffs and a great also very natural/organic grooving rhythm work and rhythm arrangements as well as they cultivate and crown the songs and the album with breath-taking leads and just sheer fire-breathing furious unchained solos, they create a fantastic grapping atmosphere and no matter if you listen to epic masterpieces, straight up headbangers, or strong rocking groovy Heavy Metal slashers, the guitars totally stick out and shine bright and light up everything. If you know what (Heavy) Metal should be music-wise first of all about and if you love it then my friend you will love this album and celebrate the eyes, ears, and mouth opening pure platinum guitar work it offers - and the changing of one of the most prominent positions on the guitars in Metal and Rock simply doesn't come anyhow negative into play, hell no, definitely not, point and fact. Beside the guitars next biggest trademark is without a doubt the lead singing of/by Rob Halford, heavily critized (at least in a lot of the scources I've read), hahaha, but honestly, how ridiculous is that?!? Yes, he sounds not anymore like in the 1970's, 1980's or like on "PAINKILLER" in his true glory days because, let's face it, we all get older and so the body and his functions which also includes the voice simply changes more and more when we get older but he still has one hell of an outstanding and totally charismatic voice and also a totally shining and unique delivery and voicing and also high "screams" he still delivers here and there - when needed respectively when they really shine out bright - and this then always also totally on point. It's just amazing, still amazing, so there's no need in loosing more words about it, period. Then there's still the rhythm section, and that guys deliver also one hell of a precise, varying, "winged", tight, and just damn fucking great job, period. Anyhow, any need to tell you how skilled all this guys are shouldn't be needed anyhow. And the songwriting is also just brilliant, it's multi-layered and just exciting and completly grapping, and it's very fresh and up to date and even "REDEEMER OF SOULS" is best - if we look at the approach or the intention (like it seems) of the album - somewhere to be located between "BRITISH STEEL", "DEFENDERS OF THE FAITH" with some few "RAM IT DOWN" marks and even "STAINED CLASS" notes in it, it is definitely no copy-and-paste ripp off of their own glory days retro crap work but instead of this a fresh and exciting new album of its very own, offering from wide range epic power monsters over reduced straight ahead rocking Heavy Metal bangers and fast raging furious slashers to powerful ballads everything you only could ask for. My personal favorites are "HALLS OF VALHALLA", "SWORD OF DAMOCLES", "MARCH OF THE DAMNED", "DOWN IN FLAMES", "HELL & BACK", "COLD BLOODED", "CROSSFIRE", "SECRETS OF THE DEAD", and "BATTLE CRY", and from the first class bonus disc I simply have to name the phenomenal "TEARS OF BLOOD", "CREATURES", and "BRING IT ON", absolute first class material. So go and start your journey to dsicover the "REDEEMER OF SOULS" maybe first with this songs, but don't make any mistakes with thinking now that the not mentioned songs would be anyhow bad or weak songs, because hell no, they are definitely not, they also fucking rule. The production sound also got pretty often critized, but again: Don't ask me why?!? Okay, I guess it's a matter of taste, but my taste is pleased by this reduced, dirty, warm, earthy, and natural/organic yet still heavy and forceful in every positive sense Old School production sound. The very strong lyrics rule and offer far more than you might think at first sight, and the artwork is just a sheer and pure total BEAUTY, without any discussions, period. So, I think I have wrote all what I had to wrote or say about "REDEEMER OF SOULS" and also the review is already damn long and so I will now finally close this review on one hell of an outstanding unrivaled album that I would never ever have expected to come (still this days) from JUDAS PRIEST and that I enjoy and celebrate heavily, and it's one of the best albums of 2014 and you will surely find it on a prominent position in my 2014 best albums list, so watch out for it. And I can not highly enough recommend this album here and now, so just go out and get it if you should really still not have it and don't care about what the naysayers or the haters of the self-proclaimed true old school retro Metal "elité" seems to have to hate, fuck them and get this album, period. All Hail the PRIEST!!! /// Andy
(Rating: 10 of 10 points)
(Homepage: http://judaspriest.com/ - Go there by copying the link into the headline of a new browser tab and then just go there, after Blogger one more time refuses to post the link as a direct-one-click-link to the site.)

R.I.P. - Tribute to the unforgotten JOE STRUMMER.

Really twelve years... it's now also already again really twelve years since the greater than great JOE STRUMMER passed away... incredible how fast time goes by... R.I.P. JOE STRUMMER, you'll never be forgotten, a true legend and a real inspiration.

"COURAGE, above all things is the first quality of a Warrior." (Sun Tzu)

NEVER FORGET!!!

SAVAGE MESSIAH - "THE FATEFUL DARK" ("Forged from reason and carved into stone, a shrine to sorrow that stands alone. Our leaders from future to past, from the wreck age, forged to last.")

SAVAGE MESSIAH - "THE FATEFUL DARK"
("EARACHE RECORDS"; CD)
(Running time: 10 songs in 52:15 minutes)

Review: And the loose and anyhow inofficial Metal Days rage on up here, and this time I have this for you: Here we have a at least to me totally new band, SAVAGE MESSIAH from (for all what Facebook tells us) London, England/U.K. with their newest/current and also already third full length album titled "THE FATEFUL DARK" brought to us via "EARACHE RECORDS". More or less by accident I stumbled upon this band and album, not at least due to the reason that my local record store sold it for just lousy 2,50 Euro bucks and so I definitely didn't had to think twice, especially after the artwork pretty mucn promptly caught me. Okay, right from the start, judging by the artwork and the bandpicture(s) I thought that this looked like no "EARACHE RECORDS" band and release how I once used to know this label (as being one of the dominat forces in bringing out the most brutal, aggressive, heavy, and extreme stuff in Grindcore and Death Metal), but I guess that's just what happens when time passes by, anyhow, and so here and now we are with "THE FATEFUL DARK" brought over us by SAVAGE MESSIAH. This album is a really strong Speed/Thrash Metal bastard somewhere between (old) METALLICA (think especially about the "...AND JUSTICE FOR ALL" era with really, really big "BLACK ALBUM" marks in it all) and MEGADETH (first to name "COUNTDOWN TO EXTINCTION" and also "RUST IN PEACE") with doses of TESTAMENT (especially to their "SOULS OF BLACK" time) and ANNIHILATOR (somewhere between "SET THE WORLD ON FIRE" and "KING OF THE KILL") in it and all cultivated with some few slight IRON MAIDEN impression, and even SAVAGE MESSIAH can't match up with this classics (but how could they, how could anyone) they still do a even more than decent job and truly deliver the goods, clearly and straight up and without a doubt, point and fact. The album is filled with high skilled, diverse and multi-layered, fresh and re-freshing, damn hard'n'heavy yet reallly symphonic, melodic, and in every positive sense catchy and also pretty hymnal arranged and composed guitar work, totally smart and charismatic clear and really sung lead vocals that cover a wide distance of different facets, moods, and sides of emotions and feelings and expresses all in a very oratorical way, and with a great own character of and approach to it all. And then there's finally the very spurred and just sheer fantasic diverse and totally tight and precise working rhythm section that just gives it all the needed heavy as well as diverse and especially skilled powerful punch ahead. Really great. Expect here great and skilled musicains at work, and even greater songwriters that deliver one hell of a multi-layered album, totally top up-to-date and done with a very great own character. What I also like pretty much a lot is how they avoid any lame and stale retro farce crap, that's great, and instead of this delivering a totally exciting, interesting, grapping, fresh, and aboslutely relevant up-today album that other bands would kill for to do.  Just cut off loose the last weak lame points that pop up here and there from time to time for a (short) bit and all will be pretty close to being perfect the next time. My personal favorites are without a doubt the totally divine "MINORITY OF ONE" (the solo part and the lead-bridge part to the solo alone will make you bow down infront of your speakers), the outstanding atmospheric "LIVE AS ONE ALREADY DEAD" (goosepimples man, just goosepimples!!!), the mighty thrashers "ICONOCAUST", "SCAVENGERS OF MERCY", and "HAMMERED DOWN" as well as the great shining "CROSS OF BABYLON" and "HELLBLAZER", so maybe check this songs out first - but don't make the mistake to think the few not named songs would be anyhow weak, nah, because they are anything but weak, they are still anyhow the clear opposite to weak, point and fact. The diverse and thoughtful lyrics, as well as the truly great artwork and the first class production sound also totally rule, yes, so go out and get this album and make sure to bang that fucking head that doesn't bang, because SAVAGE MESSIAH simply fucking rule. /// Andy

(Rating: 9 of 10 points)

(Band sites: http://www.savagemessiahofficial.com/ and also https://www.facebook.com/SavageMessiahMetal?fref=ts - And after Blogger again ticks me off with not posting the links as direct links to the sites just copy them into the headlines of new browser tabs and then just go there and make sure to check them out.)

GRAVE DIGGER - "RETURN OF THE REAPER" ("The reaper has returned, a lesson they should learn. From darkness he will rise, he kills all the silent cries.")

GRAVE DIGGER - "RETURN OF THE REAPER"
("NAPALM RECORDS"; Limited Double CD Digi-Book packaging)
(Running time - of the album: 12 songs in 43:33 minutes.)
(Note: I have and do my review on the limited version that includes the regular album and also a bonus CD with two new additional bonus tracks and a live recorded acoustic set/concert, and this double CD package comes in a phenomenal and just beautiful digi-book artwork and style, a real eye-candy.)

Review: And now, yes, let the inofficial Metal Days continue: Oh man, how long it's been now, since the last GRAVE DIGGER album made it into the ranks of my record collection, hm, and how long it's now since the last GRAVE DIGGER album really convinced me?!? I don't know exactly, but over an decade, something like 15 years or so, hm, but wait... yes, excactly 15 years, the last GRAVE DIGGER album I bought was the "EXCALIBUR" album from back then in 1999, hm, and the so called Middle Ages Trilogy were so far the last convincing GRAVE DIGGER albums, even they never had been their best works, none album of the three, but they had anyhow anyway always been really good and strong albums (and are it still today), but since then not much of a certain or decent quality happened and so more and more GRAVE DIGGER then finally more and more dissappeared from my radar screen (even I always celebrated their glory days). And then 2014 came (and now-a-days already nearly went) and with it the "RETURN OF THE REAPER" (btw, for all what I - think to - know it's not the first GRAVE DIGGER release of that name, I think there was once a demo with that title, maybe before their almighty groundbreaker "SYMPHONY OF DEATH" back then in 1993 was released), and right from the start the fantastic Old School Heavy Metal artwork totally caught and grabbed me, and after I saw the limited version that looked even more fantastic and was pretty cheap to buy and features even a bonus disc I suddenly felt like: "Mine!!!" - maybe also because I somehow had too much money to spend that day back then or so, but anyhow, I'm fucking glad'n'happy that I did spend the money back then that day some time this late summer or early autumn, because "RETURN OF THE REAPER" is simply the very best GRAVE DIGGER album since their almighty masterpiece "HEART OF DARKNESS" from back then in 1995. This is just pure and through and through real Heavy Metal of that specific teutonic kind with that unique GRAVE DIGGER character in sound and style. The total trademark of the music is without a doubt the totally stand-alone and charismatic hard as nails and rough'n'tough really harsh yet damn catchy and anyhow really sung lead singing voice that really marks the songs heavily - in every positive way. Then there are the bright shining guitars, that are just phenomenal done, period. No matter if we take the riffs and the rhythm playing or if we take the leads and the solo playing, it's just all damn amazing stuff, at the same time totally heavy and really brutal yet fucking melodic and catchy and with a really strong and also dirty rocking vibe to it all, and all enriching with a great ever-growing anthemic spirit to it all. The incredible and great forceful and just sheer full power rhythm section finally gives it all the right and beefed and bulked up massive strong back bone, straight, tight, precise, and played to the point as well as nicely varying and diverse and this all at the same time, it's just damn perfect. And this is to say about the whole album, it's as near to be perfect as it only can be. It comes also with a cool 1980's Hard Rock and Heavy Metal vibe as a cultivation of/to it all, but without being or becoming a stale and lame cheap retro crap affair, instead of this it's sticking out and shining bright as a totally up-to-date relevant and important and damn fresh and exciting, grapping and interesting, life-breathing and alive/lively-being fantastic (new) Heavy Metal album, and as one of a kind. That this guys are very skilled musicians should be clear and should so need no further explanation anyhow anyway. And their songwriting skills are even higher, better, greater. This is anthemic, rocking, heavy, harsh, and catchy as fuck fresh Old School Teutonic Heavy Metal of today and without a single doubt one of the very best albums of 2014, and it's really just a total killer. And so there really are no fillers to be found on it, but if you want my total favorites to start your journey through the album with then start with the totally almighty "TATTOOED RIDER", as well as with "SEASON" OF THE WITCH", "GRAVE DESECRATOR", "DIA DE LOS MUERTOS", "WAR GOD", "SATAN'S HOST", and "RESURRECTION DAY" as well as with the two totally killer bonus songs "THE EMPERORS DEATH" and "REBEL OF DAMNATION" on the second CD (the live acoustic set/concert is a nice bonus anyhow, even in no way really that "necessary" - if you know what I want to say - but still a nice and sympathic bonus goody) and you will right from the start know how fantastic this album simply and clearly is, point and fact. To compare GRAVE DIGGER with any other bands would make no sense after all and so I will spare it me and you and instead of this I will now close this review with saying that the cool lyrics, the bombing production sound as well as the (already mentioned ) awesome artwork also totally rule and also with pointing out that this is one hell of an album that you simply desperately need to have if you are a fan of real Heavy Metal that will chop your head off your body, and so go and get it, period. /// Andy
(Rating: 10 of 10 points)
(Band site: http://www.grave-digger.de/ - Don't ask me why Blogger still refuses to post the links as direct links but anyhow you know what to do now, and if not then let me tell you to just copy the link into the headline of a new browser tab and then just go there, that's it, yes, that simple is it.)

Warriors are those who choose to stand between their enemy and all that they love or hold sacred.

ACCEPT - "BLIND RAGE" (Hard Rockin' Teutonic Heavy Metal Godfathers strike again in 2014; limited CD + Blu-Ray package on "NUCLEAR BLAST".)

ACCEPT - "BLIND RAGE"
("NUCLEAR BLAST RECORDS"; limited CD & Blu-Ray package)
(Running time: 11 songs in 58:40 minutes.)
(Note: This is the limited edition, hm, or better one of the several limited edition sets of the album that features beside the CD with the new album also a bonus Blu-Ray Disc with a Live Concert from 2013 that ACCEPT played over in Chile and it comes in a extra fat digi book and paper sheet, hm, and beside this limited set there exist also limited editions on vinyl - I think black and colored or picture vinyl or so - and also on CD plus DVD and on and on, ah, and also the normal CD version - so you see, a lot of ways and forms for you to get this album.)

Time for the some day in November announced "inofficial Metal days" up here to start, and let us do it with some healthy and justified "BLIND RAGE" up here because now here it is, the third ACCEPT album after their re-union or comeback several years ago (or better my review on it), and it was primarly released this late summer or early autumn (at least I think so), anyhow, at least that was the time when I bought it. ACCEPT never had been my favorite Heavy Metal act from Germany, for example the mighty GRAVE DIGGER, HELLOWEEN, GAMMA RAY, (the older) BLIND GUARDIAN, and especially the almighty RUNNING WILD had always been more important to me than ACCEPT,maybe not at least because with the mentioned bands I grew up and with ACCEPT not that much really even I know and always knew very well that ACCEPT were sort of the originals and sort of the real deal of Teutonic Heavy Metal, the guys that pretty much started it all, and so they - and I mean ACCEPT - anyhow always had a prominent place of their very own also in my book and so I also always was interested in them, especailly after their comeback without Udo Dirkschneider and now here's already their third album and it carries the title "BLIND RAGE" and it features eleven songs in around a hour, value for money, and - even more important - it features especially great real Heavy Metal with a strong Hard Rock edge to it. First of all: The "new" singer Mark Tornillo does one hell of a great job and definitely delivers the goods, without a doubt and I really think after all this years now as the fronter and lead singer of ACCEPT, one of the most iconic, legendary, epic, influential, and important Metal bands ever outta there, we don't need to discuss this and also I think or would say that definitely no one misses Udo anymore today. (Even he was and is also one hell of a great lead singer and fronter, also without a single doubt.) Okay, beside this, we get really great teutonic Heavy Metal, often filled with mercyless forward stomping Hard Rock fueled rhythms and grooves. Forward driven by outstanding guitar work, hard'n'heavy as fuck yet damn catchy and melodic and delivering breath-taking riffs as well as bright shining leads and solos over all the time and this on an incredible high level of quality and with a very own tone to it all, yes, like above already more or less said: Simply the Real Deal. That this guys are totally stand-alone and really out-shining musicians should be clear and should need no further explanation here and now. The rhythm section stomps and marches and hammers its way forward full of class, force, sheer power, and all done very diverse and more than "only" well-versed, and to the mighty vocals I have already said all what there was to be said, just a phenomenal and totally charismatic first class grater lead voice, backed up by mighty broad, fat, and widescreen loud'n'proud band back ups, hell yeahr. This is pure Heavy Metal, Old School to the bone but this all done totally relevant and up-today, very fresh, exciting, interesting, grapping, and alive-lively, so that it is nothing else than a giant pleasure to listen to it again and again. Pure Heavy Metal with also a strong and clear authentic and very sympathic Hard Rock edge to it all, so that also fans of, for example, AC/DC and KROKUS will find a new love-affair-album here in and with "BLIND RAGE". Btw, the songwriting is also incredible strong, multi-layered, full of surprises, interesting and grapping from start to finish, so that the nearly one hour of running time feels anyhow always way too short after all, hahaha:-)... What should I write more, I think to describe the style of ACCEPT even more precise, just trying to do so, would be like carrying owls to Athens and so I will spare it me and you here and now. This is just pure and real, hard rockin' Heavy Metal, and it rules. The same is to say about the pretty strong and interesting lyrics, and also the artwork is a pure bomb like also the first class production sound, too. My absolute favorites are without a doubt "WANNA BE FREE", "200 YEARS", "FROM THE ASHES WE RISE", and the nearly almighty opening trio "STAMPEDE", "DYING BREED", and "DARK SIDE OF MY HEART", and the great powerful smasher "FINAL JOURNEY" offers one of the greatest guitar solo parts in and I am pretty sure also for years. If only "FALL OF THE EMPIRE", "TRAIL OF TEARS", and the a little bit too pathetic "THE CURSE" wouldn't be some sort of little let-downs the rating would be even better, but also so this is anyhow anyway one of the strongest albums of this year and definitely highly, highly recommended for any fans of authentic and fresh Heavy Metal and Hard Rock music, and so just go out and get it, period. Ah, btw, and the bonus blu-ray disc also scores according to the rules, first class. Cheers and raise your fist!!! /// Andy

(Rating: 9 of 10 points)

(Band site: http://www.acceptworldwide.com/- Just copy the link into the headline of a new browser-tab and then just go there.)

CRUTCHES - "LURAD" (Infernal Crustcore massacre brought to us by "PHOBIA REC.", "DISTRO-Y REC.", "NOT ENOUGH", and "RAWMANTIC DISASTERS"; 2014 release.)

CRUTCHES - "LURAD"
("PHOBIA RECORDS", "DISTRO-Y RECORDS", "NOT ENOUGH" & ""RAWMANTIC DISASTERS"; CD/LP + "D.I.Y."; MP3-Online/Download-Release)
(Running time: 10 songs in around 20 minutes.)
(Note: The physical release is a co-production between the four above named labels, but please don't ask me about the format or formats of the physical release, if CD, LP, or both - or maybe even (also) a release on Tape already saw the light of the day, I don't know it.)
(Expression of thank(s): A big "THX!!!" goes out to the band for sending me the link to their download site of their new album "LURAD" after I unfortunately lost them totally out of sight after reviewing their first two - btw damn good and great - releases, don't ask me why, I guess there's just too much music out and too less time for it all, anyhow, so really "THX!!!" a lot guys!!!)

If you read this blog pretty frequent or more or less regular and this now already also for some years then CRUTCHES should be no strangers to you (and if you are into Crustcore and D-Beat and raw Hardcore Punk - of today - then they should be also definitely no stranges to you because then you would have missed definitely a lot), and you should be also pretty familiar with the fact that I am a pretty big fan of them, and always was that right from the start when back then two years ago in 2012 I first listened to their "DEMO 2012" (and also reviewed it back then up here), and with their "TSUNAMI" E.P. from sort of a year later or so (at least I did my review on it sort of a year later...) they even made a big step forward, and so now here comes "LURAD", already released this February (after all what Bandcamp tells, if I am now not read something totally wrong) but after I just got aware of it some weeks ago when the guys in CRUTCHES wrote me the review is finally just now coming up, now in December, and so we will see what they managed to do now on and with their newest one, "LURAD", and if they were able to keep up the quality and if they kept on stepping forward. And to make it short: They did!!! "LURAD" simply conquers from start to finish, and the just twenty minutes of running time are definitely too short, point and fact, hm, and with this said more or less all that's anyhow "negative" about "LURAD" is already told - and you see, there wasn't much to tell. This is a fantastic Crustcore/D-Beat (and/or if you want so violent and brutal and also pretty sinister Hardcore Punk) album full of great skullsmashing heavy and devastating and brutally harsh shredding and sawing hard guitars, totally aggressive and dry thorated all out attack screamed and shouted bestial lead vocals, and a incredible heavy and tight/precise thundering and hammering mercyless bonecracking rhythm section going to the point to work, and imagine this all with a nice little own and special note (especially delivered through the sheer monstrous lead vocals with a pretty own voicing and full of exuberating lusty energy as well as through and via the great guitar work with its pretty decent and cool own tone to it all, and also the rhythm work and especially the drumming is very strong and delivers even the maybe most well-known D-Beat Up-Tempo parts with a very special and sheer forceful punch and so keep it all damn fresh and grapping) and all is done in a great way of intense and also diverse songwriting that really offers a lot of surprises that are just waiting for you to be discovered by you underneath the ultra-violent fast paced and über-harsh brutal smashing surface, yes, there waits far more, and I love especially the still fast paced but sheer mighty and powerful and just stunning heavy very organic and natural grooves (beside some nice fresh guitar surprises) that they more and more work into their songs, at least so it seems, maybe best to be noticed in the über-song of the album titled "ABSOLUTION" that's even enriched by some really great done really strong and also pretty sick and very decent clean sung lead vocal passages, and anyhow are the two last songs of the album, the already mentioned "ABSOLUTION" and the sheer exploding title-track "LURAD" itself, in my book the by far strongest and most protruding songs. If in the middle of the album not one, two a little bit weaker songs would had happened and, yes, and if the album would just be a little bit longer, hahahahahaha;-), the rating would be even better. Anyhow, this here is one damn strong fucking great album that should be part of any collection of extreme musick, period. Also the artwork and the prodution sound rule, hm, and to the lyrics I can't tell that much but - also by judging by the song-titles - I expect some good and needed, authentic and heartfelt outspoken, critical, and political lyrics from this Anarchist Crustcore madmen, and that's all more than good and fine for and with me. So, to finally close this review, this is a very, very high recommended album, so, by any means, get it if you are anyhow into extreme musick. Bang, this rules!!! /// Andy
(Rating: 9 of 10 points)

(Bandcamp-HQ: http://crutches666.bandcamp.com/ - Copy the link into the headline of a (new) browser-tab and then just go there.)
(Download-Link: http://crutches666.bandcamp.com/album/lurad - Copy the link into the headline of a (new) browser-tab and then just go there.)
(Blogger-Site: http://crutches666.blogspot.de/ - Copy the link into the headline of a (new) browser-tab and then just go there.)
(Facebook-Site: https://www.facebook.com/crutches666?fref=ts - Copy the link into the headline of a (new) browser-tab and then just go there and give they guys a like.)

"SKINFLINT MUSIC" becomes "NEVER SURRENDER RECORDS".

Yes, that's right, from the 1st January 2015 on "SKINFLINT MUSIC" won't be anymore,

from that day on the story will continue under the banner of

"NEVER SURRENDER RECORDS"

- just that you know it.

I think this will be pretty great.

Oi! Oi! Oi!

FLY'$ FUCKER$ - "LIVE PERFORMANCE" (Speed Punkcore invasion from Orleans/France, D.I.Y. done collection of live and studio recordings.)

FLY'S FUCKERS - "LIVE PERFORMANCE"
("D.I.Y."; MP3-Download & CD-Release)
(Running time: 21 songs in around 57 minutes.)
(Note: Patrick, who's today part of the FLY'S FUCKERS but for all what the paper sheet says wasn't when this recordings were done, send me via Facebook the digital version of this album, but I would say that it also was released as a CD or CD-R, but don't nail me on that... hm, and thinking about things you shouldn't nail me on then please don't ask me when this album was released, okay? Okay. Good, ah, the FLY'S FUCKERS were totally unknown to me before I received this album and so far more I still don't know about them, expect this 21 songs here and the fact that they are from Orleans in France, but I don't know how many stuff they have already released or something like this, so you see, please don't ask me about any further informations 'bout 'em, thanks.)
(Expression of thank(s): And like already said here and now a big "THANK YOU, MAN!" goes out to Patrick who send me this album like sort of a month ago, and now here finally comes my review on it, and anyhow and again just THX a lot man, great of you.)

(Review:) Ready for some chaotic speedy, Core fueled wild raging Punk madness from Orleans, France?!? You better are, because now it's FLY'S FUCKERS time up here on your dear "MANSLAUGHTER THUG LIFE" blog. Like above written I didn't know the band before receiving and listening to this album, hm, but 21 songs in nearly an hour are anyhow a good way to make yourself known with them, and so I listened pretty excited to the "LIVE PERFORMANCE" delivered by the FLY'S FUCKERS. This is a great sort of mostly very fast paced (Old School) Hardcore fueled Punk musick that thrashes and ripps up everything in sight and even partly nearly grinds its way out (just listen to "McGYVER", especially in its studio version), so it's maybe best descibed as fast and wild raging Speed Punkcore musick that's invading your ears without mercy. Fast shredding guitars and heavy ripping (two) bass(') at work (!!!), backed and beefed up by storming and damn tight drumming, and all leaded out of the speakers by cool snotty and nasty sung and spitted-into-the-mic lead vocals. That's all good and fine and would already please my gusto very well, and also my current mood, after the album on my self-made home-done CD-R copy over the last two weeks very often brought me over the hills and far away to my work and back again and always managed to put a smile on my face, but what then really makes the FLY'S FUCKERS from my point of view is the fact that there are really strong and skilled musicians and creative songwriters at work that know very good to work a lot of surprising and always fresh ideas into their songs so that they create a very thoughtful (but not importunate and not bugging, it's all flowing very well and the songs make sense all the time, all the way) and playful fast paced and at first look (or listen) chaotic Punkcore cocktail that offers underneath the very fast paced surface really a lot of fresh and interesting creative ideas and first and foremost real and also a lot of damn grapping songs. I really like it a lot, and especially the guitar playing sticks out, from my point of view. 13 songs are live recordings, and the remaining songs are studio recordings, and even I also like a lot of the live recordings the studio songs simply kick more ass and shine by far more (because of the very strong and massive production sound), and if I should name you my favorites then it would be without a doubt "O.B.A.O. JACK IS GAY", "O.B.A.O.", "SHOCKEN BLOCK", "SEMINAL", "PSYCHORT ASYLUM", and the band hymn "FLY'S FUCKERS". Bands to compare them with won't come to my mind, hm, but who cares, at the end this just speaks for the FLY'S FUCKERS, at least in my book it gives them points. To the lyrics I can't say that much, but I would bet that they deliver pretty strong stuff also on the lyrical front, just judging by the pretty interesting song titles. The production sound of the studio songs is a true bomb, the recording sound of the live songs is anyhow also really okay, hm, and the artwork somehow rules quite a bit, hahaha;-)... After the FLY'S FUCKERS are already around since at least 1993 you probably know them already what would make you to a by far better informed guy than me, and then you may know already what's coming at you and what to do, if not then just let me tell you that this album is definitely a recommendation by me for any Speed and Punk fanatics outta there, so go and get at least the download of it. Thumbs up, definitely. /// Andy

(Rating: 8 of 10 points)

(Band contact: https://www.facebook.com/pages/FlyS-FuckerS/152919621446070?fref=ts)

(https://www.dropbox.com/s/c9y2dacii7tkmup/compil_cd_live_and%20studio_performance.zip?dl=0 - And here you can get it. // If the band wants the link removed just drop a line guys.)

(PS: Blogger still ticks me off so just copy the links into the headline of a new browser-tab and then simply go to the sites.)