Okay guys, that's it for today/tonight and also, so you can say, that's it for this month, I hope you've enjoyed the first month after the comeback of this very blog, beside more new record-reviews also more diverse stuff will be coming up again on here as well but for now, yes, it's good to be back and to do "my" stuff up here finally again. Yes, and with that said I now wish you a good night, we'll read us soon again, and I leave you now with a little video-clip to the great anthem of a song that is "DRIVING ALL NIGHT", the opener of the 2016THE BOUNCING SOULS album of the title "SIMPLICITY". If you still didn't have it then trust my words when I say that you should check this album out. A review on it will also see the light of day up here more or less soon. And now, yes, enjoy the song and then good night for now and until soon. Cheers.
THE BOUNCING SOULS - "DRIVING ALL NIGHT" (2016, "SIMPLICITY")
Okay guys, a late evening/early night or maybe even already a late night post here and now still coming up today. After enjoying the sun and all today I decided to again put up something new right now right here because more or less from tomorrow on my summer vacation is over and with me then being back @ work again I don't how much I'll be able to do up here especially the first days (but I'll do new posts anyhow, be sure). Okay, and after we reached and landed (also) in 2017 again with the last post up here we will now again step back and look again @ a 2015 release and then work on up through the years to another 2017 release. This time here and now we look @ PRO-PAIN's 2015 full-length-album "VOICE OF REBELLION", the 15th studio-full-length-album by the NYHC Roughnecks in sort of (over) 25 years of their existence as a band. And if you know me and/or know this blog then you know that PRO-PAIN are definitely one of the top ten most important bands ever to me and that I fucking love this band. Their two precursor-albums "STRAIGHT TO THE DOME" and "THE FINAL REVOLUTION" were damn strong ones and marked, personally for me, PRO-PAIN's return to old strength and glory after two (much) weaker albums and both mentioned releases made it without any doubts or problems in the top ten lists of "their" years up here. So how managed (and still manages) "VOICE OF REBELLION" to stand its ground and will it also convince (me) like its precursor releases? That are the interesting questions, and here I will try to answer this questions for you as good as I can, yehp, so here we go one more time again: PRO-PAIN deliver also on their new one their very own and unique harsh thrashing and angry metallic New York Hardcore, and why not, damn it with being sort of 25+ years around and with having released their 15th full-length-album 'inpersona' "VOICE OF REBELLION" why should they now start to totally re-arrange their music, especially after they've evolved strongly over all this years and records and continously enriched and cultivated their music and records and Songs bit by bit; you're right, why should they? Yes, there are no reasons for doing this and so rightfully they don't do so. And as long as the quality is anyhow good all is even more good and fine. So here we get 14 sledgehammers and wreckingballs of mad thrashing NYHC the moshy and groovy yet still always fast and harsh shredding and also pretty hymnal and sort of catchy PRO-PAIN way; filled w/ bonesmashing and brutal sawing and shredding guitars delivering truckloads of heavyweight rhythm work and top notch lead work, cultivated with cool solos, marking and carrying heavily the songs forward, while Gary Meskil himself pushes the songs over the top w/ his hard and still incredible pissed off and totally charismatic, sharp cutting and very strong "accentuated" (does this word even exist... ;-) ...) vocals, giving the songs their crown(s), while the powerful and heavy rumbling drumming and the harsh buzzing bass playing creating the forceful and massive backbone of the tracks from which on the guitars and vocals carry the songs ahead, mercylessly pushing. And also here we get a lot of great little ideas that fresh it all up in a strong and impressive way, so that one more time again PRO-PAIN deny every "staleness" or "lameness", and their raw energy and the massive intensity is also here and is "just" adding more to the high quality of "VOICE OF REBELLION". The songwriting is tight and unforgiving and yet offers a lot of nicely worked out diversity so that the songs and the album remain very fresh and alive/lively and just make your fists go up and you raising your "VOICE OF REBELLION" in a salute to PRO-PAIN and their current album. And that the guys in PRO-PAIN are nothing but well-skilled veteran musicians should need no further explanations anyway. It's just fuckin' damn great, period. Compared to "THE FINAL REVOLUTION" then "VOICE OF REBELLION" is maybe again a little bit more "hardcoreish" than before. This is PRO-PAIN how I love them (one more time again). I'm sorry, but this one is again a total killer über-album, cultivated by strong and diverse lyrics, a cool artwork, and a first class production sound; yes, this is the complete package and the real deal, again. I can only recommend this one to you and it was also in my personal top ten of 2015. Okay, I think that's all what I got to say so far about PRO-PAIN's 15th full-length-album "VOICE OF REBELLION", my last words: If you really still shouldn't call it your own, why the hell ever, you should try to finally change this as soon as possible, point and fact. Highly recommended, get it asap. Hardcore!!! Fist!!!
(10 of 10 Points)
http://pro-pain.com/ (-the link to the homepage of the band, and even blogger will surely again refuse to post it as a direct link to the site you know anyhow how to go there and so I'll loose no words more about the how's and so on)
PRO-PAIN - "TAKE IT TO THE GRAVE" /snippet\ (2015, "VOICE OF REBELLION")
TERROR - "THE WALLS WILL FALL"
(Running time: 9:16 minutes; 5 Songs)
("P N E"; CD; 2017):
Hey guys, and here we are again, next post, next record-review up here and again this time, like announced and promised before, on a (so far I know also just pretty recently released) 2017 release. And this 2017 release is the current TERROR CD (or betterMini-CD/CD-EP) named "THE WALLS WILL FALL" released via the to me so far pretty unknown record-label "P N E". But after this one is a very short running CD and after I haven't done a record-revierw on TERROR's so far last full-length-album "THE 25th HOUR" from 2015 I decided to give you this one as well with this post, so this one here and now will be double-pack containing record-reviews post on "THE WALLS WILL FALL" followed by the one on "THE 25th HOUR"; and okay, so here we go: I wasn't that much a fan of "THE 25th HOUR" and still I am not really a fan of this particular TERROR-album, but after I will deliver the review on it right after this one I won't talk about it too much here and now (at least I'll try to...) and so just let me say that without being a fan of its precursor album-release I was in doubt with what TERROR will come up on this Mini-CD. And with what do they come up, you're asking now? Well, with a step foward again, with a big step again into a stronger and better direction. It's just all more intense and grapping and more honest and heartfelt harsh and forward slashing than before and even TERROR surely didn't change their formula they still do it really better than before, finally again better, and within their (let's be honest) pretty-close restrictive limitations of their style and sound they convince with truckloads of heavy and intense riffs and arrangements and with far more energy and dynamics than on their precursor-album, so that they wipe the "staleness" and "lameness" finally again away from their songs, "just" because the levels of intensity and energy are far more higher than before and such a thundering and hammering yet anthemic killer-song like the title track "THE WALLS WILL FALL" I missed completly on "THE 25th HOUR", as well as such a mid-paced intense and grapping bombardement of a song like the mighty "NO LOVE LOST". It's all more fresh and alive/lively than before. I mean it's a TERROR release and so you should know what to get, but it's all done better, fresher, and more heartfelt with more passion (so it feels to me) than the last time around. So expect crushing L.A. Hardcore the TERROR style, deeply rooted in the greatness of New York Hardcore, enriched with Old School Thrash Metal marks especially in the guitar departments and this time also maybe a few more CRYPTIC SLAUGHTER and old schoolSUICIDAL TENDENCIES influences here and there in it, and expect it all to be harsh and angry as fuck and filled with crushing guitars, sawing lead vocals, strong rhythm work, wide gang back ups, and a lot of anthemic as well as just sheer pissed off raging parts. The songwriting is better at all points and more true raging Hardcore without too much foreseeable Karate-Kids-gonna-Dance-Breakdown-parts, and it also feels quite a bit more "punky" to me and that's something I always cheer up to. Beside the four new tracks we also get a pretty decent cover of MADBALL's "STEP TO YOU". My personal favorites are the above mentioned "THE WALLS WILL FALL" and "NO LOVE LOST" but also "BALANCE THE ODDS" and "KILL 'EM OFF" are very strong songs. We get the typical TERROR lyrics on top of it, love them or hate them but I still like them, a pretty cool old school styled artwork, and a heavy but yet dirty and earthy production sound that fits perfectly to TERROR. Yes, that's it, a damn good new Mini-CD we have here that I can calmly recommend to you, and now let us wait if TERROR will be able to keep this positive tendency up and going strong on their new full length album when-ever this will come out. Hardcore!!! Fist!!!
(8 of 10 Points)
TERROR - "NO LOVE LOST" (2017, "THE WALLS WILL FALL")
TERROR - "THE 25th HOUR"
(Running time: 22:45 minutes; 14 Songs)
("Century Media Records Ltd."; CD; 2015):
Okay folks, on we go, here's the announced/promised record-review on TERROR's so far last and so still current full-length-album titled the "THE 25th HOUR", released in 2015 via the german record-label "CENTURY MEDIA RECORDS LTD.", and it's the precursor-album of their new Mini-CD "THE WALLS WILL FALL" (the review on it you've read above/before). Like you perhaps already noticed I am not a fan of this one and it surely more or less failed to convince me, point and fact. The precursor-album of this one, "LIVE BY THE CODE" from 2013, was just such a mighty über-album to me that's it maybe fair to say that it was right from the get-go pretty hard and difficult for "THE 25th HOUR" to convince me but after I am sort of a TERROR fan and after they surely didn't start to play a different style of music on "THE 25th HOUR" this argument, on the other Hand, maybe just don't Count at all as an proper argument. Anyhow, even todaytwo years after its release "THE 25th HOUR" is sort of maybe my least favorite TERROR record so far; and this by far. The songs just sound by far too much the same, nearly every single one of them is completly disposable and the songs mostly just ran through and then that was "THE 25th HOUR". It's stale, it's lame, it's boring. Thank the gods that this is/was still an TERROR album and so still and even on this one you find some strong riffs, grapping moments, and a handful of good songs so that in the end this TERROR-album is surely a dissapointing let-down in the TERROR discography, but not a complete ass-crap-album in the end, and it comes all in all in shortly as a solid album at the end of day, a solid album with a bunch of goodies and grapping momets on it and then that's it. Anyhow still far too less for a band like TERROR, at least in my book. My two biggest problems with "THE 25th HOUR" were and still are (and probably will always be) @ first the stereotypical and just too weak and foreseeable songwriting that also lacks in most parts nearly all intensity and energy, all dynamics and all passion that so far always made TERROR, so that even when you pretty much knew what would come next you were (always) still grapped, excited, and hooked off by what TERROR pulled off, no, but not this time. And then @ second it was and is the production-sound of "THE 25th HOUR" that's coming with a too metallic flavor for my taste, it sounds pretty much just like your ordinary up-to-date mall-Metal-album and especially the drumsound totally ticks me off. It sounds too sterile and too polished and too wanna-be-heavy at the end of day, and this really damages a lot (at least in my perception). Okay, beside all this "problematic-stuff-concerning-this-album" you or we got and still get the NYHC fueled LAHC that TERROR are known (and widely loved) for cultivated by old schoolish Thrash Metal marks in it, especially in the guitar work, and we get sawing and shredding guitars, harsh shouted vocals, widescreen gang back up chants, buzzing bass work, and heavy drumming, all good and fine and all typical TERROR ingredients are there but without the intensity and the passion and the grapping heartfelt and honest raging excitement that we all know from TERROR and, to be honest, that a TERROR record definitely needs to succesful resist becoming stale and lame, and "THE 25th HOUR" sadly in its majority failed to resist. The two by far best songs on "THE 25th HOUR" are the two final songs "BOTH OF YOU" and "DEEP ROOTED" that really shine and bring all what I miss about this album in its majority to the table and that also showcase some great and nicely surprising songwriting twists and turns that so weren't awaited or expected after all the-ran-through-songs-before. Great songs. The title track "THE 25th HOUR" (anyhow more of an intro to the record than a real proper song), "BLINDED BY THE LIGHTS", "NO TIME FOR FOOLS", and "MIND AT WAR" are decent tracks that are beside or better after/behind the two already mentioned songs the best ones on "THE 25th HOUR" but surely would be more of average material on other TERROR releases so far. So, yes, let us praise the gods that TERROR turned the tides again on their new Mini-CD "THE WALLS WILL FALL" and let us wait and hope for a new full-length-album by TERROR to being released some day in the future. In all honesty I simply can't recommend "THE 25th HOUR" to you anyhow (at least if you're not a total TERROR fanboy/fangirl) even if especially or at least "BOTH OF YOU" and "DEEP ROOTED" were and still are really strong, great tracks worth to listen to worth to have in your collection, but the rest is mostly too much a double-edged-sword, if you get what I am trying to say. So don't buy it "blind", in case you didn't have or heard it already so far, better do a listening session before, hm, and when you see it today respectively these days for a low or mid price in your local record store, maybe then give it a fair try. A beautiful artwork and (mostly) strong lyrics we get on top of it all. Okay, that's it, an album that makes it across the finishing line shortly as a solid one (and this with writing this review after this album had two years time to somehow build up at least some momentum, and that tells - maybe- even more of a story of its own), and then that's it. I've said all what there was to say and now let us close this review, you know what's up. Hardcore!!! Fist!!!
(6 of 10 Points)
https://www.facebook.com/terrorhardcore (-the link to the facebook site of the band; anyhow you know how to go there if you are interested in it so I don't have to loose more words about it how to and what to do if blogger refuses it one more time again to post it as a direct link to the site)
TERROR - "THE 25th HOUR"/"NO TIME FOR FOOLS" (2015, "THE 25th HOUR")
I'm finally back home and I've also found some free time @ this lovely evening and so it's time to do again some new stuff up here. And like promised I'll work up here again through the years to a (then next coming, following) 2017 release, and after reviews on records from 2014 and 2015 lately saw the light of the day up here and before we then hit finally 2017 again (probably tomorrow) we will now have some close looks on an album from 2016, and this 2016 one here and now is "INCARNATE" the so far latest KILLSWITCH ENGAGE release from, like already one or two times mentioned, 2016 and again released back then via the mighty "ROADRUNNER RECORDS" label. And now enough of the introducing smalltalk, it's reviewtime, and so we do, so here we go: "INCARNATE" is the second KILLSWITCH ENGAGE album after the return of their original lead singer Jesse Leach (the first one was "DISARM THE DESCENT", a review on it you can also find on this blog, just search under the label of the band's name) and it contains twelve songs, and what shall I say, KILLSWITCH ENGAGE stick to their very own formula that was and still is uncountable times often copied but surely in 9 out of 10 cases never reached or matched. They stay true to themselves, not reinventing anything and not trying to fix anything that simply don't needed to be fixed, if they will manage to create or reach sort of a ''new generation'' of KSE fans is something I can't say and it is also something that's completly not of my interest or concern. But what's of my interest and concern is if the quality is right there or, to say it more "down-to-earth", do they still fucking move and reach me, do they convince me, do I like the new output; and damn it, I don't like it, I love it, period. It's still fresh and exciting and/or grapping, it rocks and ripps, at the same time it's totally heartfealt and emotional and through and through picked with emotions and passion and a lot of sincerity in music, lyrics, sound, style, and attitude. "INCARNATE" is absolutely out-standing melodicMetalcore or (how I definitely prefer to name it, after I simply don't see/hear any sort of ...-Core in it all) melodicModern Metal of highest quality, close to perfection, and even KILLSWITCH ENGAGE surely stick to their very own formula, like also already mentioned, they still manage to work in fresh and new surprises and exciting elements and moments (like for example their first classIRON MAIDEN fueled and inspired NWOBHM-in-an-modern-U.S.american-way attempt titled "UNTIL THE DAY", one of my total favorites on this one and I'm pretty sure also one of my KSE favorites in general) and they deliver it all absolutely alive/lively so that we get a definitely (even partially more than "just") great and totally relevant album that's neither a lame ripp-off of their own glory works, nor a stale retro-Metalcorealbum feasting on a sound born and raised in this way and got big in the last decade, no, instead of this we get a kick ass release totally fresh, outstanding, and relevant in the current day and age. Maybe even more than before, time will tell, lyricwise definitely in parts more than before (but maybe that's also just me, who knows). Prepare yourself for crushing and ripping guitars that really shine in all senses and departments (great arrangements, fantastic powerful rhythm work, very strong guitar solos, and (of course) absolutely brilliant and shining forceful guitar leads delivering leaving-your-mouth-wide-open-and-giving-you-goosepimples-over-your-whole-body moments and melodies nearly without end), a damn tight yet incredible diverse working rhythm section, and of course the just sheer close-to-totally stand-alone vocals, and you can't praise Jesse Leach's voice high enough, he completly delivers, from grunted screams over throaty shouts to anthemic clear and heartfelt emotional singing we get it all and this all the time on highest grounds. The energetic and dynamic songwriting is multi-layered and multi-leveled and top notch first class stuff, all the time passionated and diverse and grapping-fresh, and that this guys are a hell of a pack of high-skilled musicians needs no further explanations anymore. I like "INCARNATE" even a bit more than it's already (and still) great precursor album "DISARM THE DESCENT", and if it wouldn't feature the crappy and boring "IT FALLS ON ME" it would get the highest rating up here without a doubt, but also so it's just a fantastic album that I can't recommend enough to you. My personal favorites are "ALONE I STAND", the über-hit "HATE BY DESIGN", "CUT ME LOOSE", "STRENGTH OF THE MIND", "EMBRACE THE JOURNEY... UPRAISED", "QUIET DISTRESS", "UNTIL THE DAY", and "WE CARRY ON", so maybe check this songs out first. "INCARNATE" is an album that KILLSWITCH ENGAGE fans will surely love (and that they have already anyhow by now, I'm pretty sure), and fans of melodicMetalcore/melodicModern Metal like AS I LAY DYING, (older) UNEARTH, DISTURBED, and IN FLAMES (think of "COLONY" times) should love or at least like it, too (but keep in mind that KILLSWITCH ENGAGE or in short KSE are sort of the original of that sound and style); and anyone interested in hard yet melodic and just amazing up-to-date and pretty clichee-freeMetal music probably will cheer up to this one as well and should definitely risk one or two ears or buy it instantly anyhow. Strong and diverse lyrics, a beautiful artwork, and a powerful yet clear production sound then finally round it all up. Okay, I think I've said so much here and now anything and all, so yes, this one is a damn masterpiece, go and get it if you still shouldn't call it your own. First class stuff of supreme and prime quality, point and fact.
(9,5 of 10 Points)
http://www.killswitchengage.com/ (the link to the homepage of the band; if you want to go there then you pretty sure know how to get there, even if blogger again refuses to post it as a direct link)
Note: Below the now coming pictures you also get the official video clip to "HATE BY DESIGN", so enjoy it.
KILLSWITCH ENGAGE - "HATE BY DESIGN" (2016, "INCARNATE")
Hey guys, I don't know if I will be able to post some more valuable stuff today and tomorrow is a busy and joyful day so I don't know if before sunday or monday I will find the time to bring some new stuff up here, but I wanted to give you something new on here anyhow, not at least because beside the two new Reviews and a videos-posting since my return from Munich this week didn't see so much new stuff coming up here and so at least a little ''Videos'' will be coming up today anyhow. Building some more momentum, you know... ;-) And I thought by myself: "Hey Andy, why not delivering your readers a little big clasSICK, right?!?'' Yes, so I thought, and so I now do. You now get in a YouTube-Videos-Format the complete larger-than-life album "BEYOND THE UNKNOWN" from the almightyINCUBUS, released back then in 1990, and this a true and trhough and through evil thrashing (Old School) Death Metalclassick, also especially on a personal level, and it brings one hell of great memories to me, and it was and is also just a pure fantastic and intense and just almighty Album. Enjoy it. So, yes, that's it for now or maybe for today, have a great Weekend and soon more up here.
Hey folks, back @ it again up here on your beloved "MANSLAUGHTER THUG LIFE" blog, next post, next record review coming now for you and like we did it before we will slowly but steady work from 2014 (the review on RISE OF THE NORTHSTAR's "WELCAME" debut, yesterday's post, the record was or is from 2014) over 2015 and 2016 up to another current 2017 release, and after yesterday we got an 2014 Album today we now have a 2015 release in store, and this one is no other than the so far last, still newest and so still current SLAYER Album "REPENTLESS", yes, the so far final or better, much better, last album of the nearly or once almightySLAYER, one of the most important bands of all times - personally for me as well as also in the documented history of music(k). "REPENTLESS" was released in 2015 via the german "NUCLEAR BLAST RECORDS" label and here I have the Standard CD Edition, there were also Vinyl Releases and limited collector's editions on CD as well as LP, but I have "just" the "normal" version of the album on CD and so my review will be "just" on this one. Before "REPENTLESS" was created (and then released) Jeff Hanneman (R.I.P.) died and Kerry King overtook songwriting duties completly by his own. To compensate the loss of Jeff Hanneman the mighty Gary Holt/EXODUS joined the band as a proper band-member after being the live guitarist of SLAYER beside Kerry King since now already 2011 (but without contributing so far anything to the songwriting on this very album here, why ever), and also (one more time again) Dave Lombardo left the band and was replaced (one more time again) by Paul Bostaph. So, if you want so, only Kerry King and Tom Araya are left as the only constant fix points in the world of SLAYER. So okay, what kind of meaning does all this now have when we look @ "REPENTLESS"? I heard and read a lot that this has a huge impact on it, some say to the better, some say to the worse. I am very sure this all had a huge impact on "REPENTLESS", but anyhow: To be honest, then I have to say... okay, I'll do it this way: The last SLAYER releases that in my book are clearly essentials and must-have albums are "DIVINE INTERVENTION" and "UNDISPUTED" (the Hardcore/Punk cover record), both from around the mid of the 1990's, since then every new SLAYER album never managed to keep up with this two records and didn't stand their ground only for a single minute compared with the all-time larger-than-life classicks of SLAYER (you all know them, so I don't have to name them here). Still and again and again I think with by-horror-wide-opened-eyes of their "DIABOLUS IN MUSICA" album with only one really good song, yes, I mean one song. "GOD HATES US ALL" then at least was a step ahead again, and to be honest not just one step but two or three and maybe even four steps compared with "DIABOLUS IN MUSICA". Then I lost SLAYER out of sight for many years, still loved their classicks and always listened to them regulary (so today), but okay... it was a new millenium and the then-current SLAYER had lost a lot of their importance personally for me and so I just not followed them anymore. I bought the "CHRIST ILLUSION" album some six or seven years ago I guess, because the artwork looked promising and reminded me of my all-time favorite "SEASONS IN THE ABYSS" and I got it for a very low price and I've read a lot that this would be SLAYER back to old strength and glory and that this album would be sort of a second "SEASONS IN THE ABYSS"... nah, come on, it was a pretty good album, a decent one, for sure, but that was and is all and it was and is nowhere close to the mentioned masterpieces. I think in between "CHRIST ILLUSION" and "REPENTLESS" there was the "WORLD PAINTED BLOOD" Album (or something like this), but this one never made it into my collection or came any close to my ears or other senses. And so then came "REPENTLESS", and for all what I would say SLAYER at least deliver finally again a truckload of Hardcore/Punk fueled pissed off, highly aggressive, full throttle, and fast thrashing and high sped raging Thrash Metal on a decent level of quality; and especially Tom Araya's singing and lead vocals is as strong as I haven't heard him since on "DIVINE INTERVENTION", truly, and to be damn honest, I wouldn't have expected this anyhow. Thumbs up, first class job. The rest is, despite a lot of the talkings I got, nowhere close to a new classick album or anything like this and to be honest I think it would be pretty good if Kerry King would overhand some songwriting duties on the next album to Gary Holt, simply "just" to shake, and loose, and fresh things up a bit because over the distance of its complete running time "REPENTLESS" gets too soon too stale and simply a bit too lame to be considered a really strong Album in whole, especially in the SLAYER context. This now may sound a little bit provocative, without a doubt, and it's aimed to be this and so I will say it in an "over-the-top-way" of saying it: SLAYER, one of the ten if not five most important and influental bands for me of all time ever, one of the biggest loves of my life, SLAYER, I hate to see them turn to easy-listening-music, no, not SLAYER, no, don't let this happen, never. And here's a (too) strong tendency aheading into this bitter direction. "REPENTLESS" is by no means a bad album, but at the end of the day it's just and nothing-more than a solid new album and then that's it again. And especially personally for me this is too less for/from a new SLAYER album. Anyhow, a solid album which biggest problem without a doubt, from my point of view is its stale and un-grapping songwriting. Beside this we have highest-skilled musicians @ work delivering harsh and heavyThrash Metal full of sawing and shredding guitars, absolutely outstanding vocals, and a thundering rhythm section. If just the songwriting would be (far) more grapping and really intense, then the world could be a so lovely place... My personal favorites are "REPENTLESS", "CAST THE FIRST STONE", "WHEN THE STILLNESS COMES", "ATROCITY VENDOR", and "PRIDE IN PREJUDICE". And in fact these are more or less really great songs, unfortunately you don't really anyhow need none of the other tracks in general... But what shines on more or less the whole record, beside the vocals: The Solos; to the Point great done, fact and period. (If just the arrangements of the songs and all the other suff would be on the same level or at least close to it.) If you still haven't listened to it, why ever, give it a try and if you know it already but haven't bought it so far because also to you it lacks too much then maybe overthink buying it after you get it these days for low prices of around five or six euro bucks and for such a low price the above mentioned five really damn strong songs are pretty sure worth to be integrated into your record collection; so would I say. After all @ the end of the day all in all SLAYER's 12th album "REPENTLESS" was and is a solid one, nothing more, nothing less, but too less for a band like SLAYER, still too less, but anyhow, who am I to judge... "just" let us maybe hope for a stronger and more grapping, a fresher next one in a few years, if they still come back anyhow. Cheers, and now I'll listen to some "SOUTH OF HEAVEN" and lift some weights.
(6,5 of 10 points)
https://www.slayer.net/ (-the link to the Homepage of the band; you know how to go there anyhow anyway even if blogger again refuses to post this as a direct link to the site)
Note: Below the now coming pictures you'll find three videos to songs of this very album, SLAYER's "REPENTLESS", so that you can rigt now and right here take a listen to some of the tracks of the album.
SLAYER - "REPENTLESS" (2015, "REPENTLESS")
SLAYER - "WHEN THE STILLNESS COMES" (2015, "REPENTLESS")
RISE OF THE NORTHSTAR - "WELCAME"
(Running time: 49:47 minutes; 11 Songs)
("Nuclear Blast Records" & "Repression Records"; CD; 2014):
Another album that's now already a few years old, three to be precise, and that somehow managed to hide itself from me back then in 2014, so that I bought it finally one or two years later. This French Hardcore Roughnecks with this specific Manga spirit/attitude were known to me from YouTube and they convinced me directly back in the days and so naturally I was curious on this one. It is for all what I know their debut release, primarly released the D.I.Y. way and then, after "NUCLEAR BLAST" signed them, it got its proper label release; now I just hope that soon new material finally will see the light of the day. Btw, I know it's a 2014 release but after I simply didn't managed to review it earlier up here I will do it right now, right here anyhow; and after for all what I know it's still the current or recent, still actual album and release of RISE OF THE NORTHSTAR it's anyway good and fine to review it these days up here - especially after it definitely deserves to still be reviewed anyhow (even today) up here. So, okay, after I'm trying to keep the reviews a little bit shorter, at least for my standards, I'll now cut the introducing words and then here and now right and straight into the action: FURYO STYLE HARDCORE from Paris, France. Hell yeahr!!! After an atmospheric, sort of pretty sinister intro RISE OF THE NORTHSTAR deliver truckloads of assheavy riffs and in general a formidable guitar work (rich on variations and delivering the goods in the leads as well as in the rhythm department and also shine with great solos), blasting and charismatic Spoken Words/Rap lead vocals, broad, fat, and loud widescreen gang back up chants, strong arranged verses and totally powerful refrains, often with strong hooklines and also a stunning sing a long potential, a very well present and thunderous bass work, and versatile and heavy drumming, all melted together in strong and grapping, very intense songs, marked by thumbs-up-songwriting, full-power-energy non stopp, and all done by very well-skilled musicians. Great, build in some even-more variations and the next time this will be perfect; or at least pretty damn close. But also so this is just an outstanding bomb. Amazing!!! Great mixture out of New York Hardcore, Crossover/Rap Metal, and Thrash Metal, all with a strong 1990's Feeling to it but all done very fresh and alive/lively and also really strong self-contained with a unique and own identity and character so that this all is through and through authentic, real, and just up-to-date, so that you can be sure that we get here no lame and stale retro bullshit crap. Like recently already said RISE OF THE NORTHSTAR do it all very self-conatined but if you want to know for fans of what-ever-bands this one is or will-be definitely great stuff then I would say that fans of SUB ZERO, RHYTHM TRIP (especially of their almighty "BRING DA RUCKUS" debut), MADBALL, and METHOD OF DESTRUCTION will love this stuff, add some SLAYER and you're right (t)here. Okay, I think that's it, I've said so far all what there's to say here and now, even I could babble on and on how strong this album is, but I think you got the point already so far by now. Fresh and cool, strong lyrics, a fantastic artwork, and a pwerful bombing production sound finally only add up to the quality of this first-class very intense gem. And all is done from my point of view very authentic and sympathic as well. Highly recommended, so if you missed out on it so far for which reasons ever then give it a try or better get it right from the get-go. (FURYO) HARDCORE (from Paris, France)!!! FIST!!!
(9 of 10 points)
https://www.facebook.com/rotnsofficial (-the link to the Facebook of the band, even blogger will more or less definitely refuse to post it as a proper direct link I'm sure you know what you have to do to go there anyway so I can spare me every word more about it here at this point)
Note: Below the two pictures you'll also find two videos to two of my personal favorites from this very album here so that you can right here get a good impression of what's coming at you with this masterpiece.
RISE OF THE NORTHSTAR - "WHAT THE FUCK" (2014, "WELCAME")
RISE OF THE NORTHSTAR - "SAMURAI SPIRIT" (2014, "WELCAME")
Hey Folks, back home from Munich so expect some more new stuff to come up soon the next days. Btw, Munich is a fantastic City and if you have the chance to go there then by all means do so and enjoy your travel. Okay, tonight it's just this short "I'm back!"-post and then that's it; nah, not completly all, because you also get here and now again a Little video Clip for your enjoyment. Tonight it is all about the mighty DYING FETUS and the title track of their recently released new album "WRONG ONE TO FUCK WITH" (released via "RELAPSE RECORDS"), and this song is just brilliant. DEATH FUCKIN' METAL the really BRUTAL GRINDING way par excellence, hell yeahr, they took me by storm with this one and I will soon check out the complete new album, so maybe don't be surprised when you will find my review on it up here more or less soon. Okay, and then that's it for tonight. More soon. Cheers & good night.
DYING FETUS - "WRONG ONE TO FUCK WITH" (2017, "THE WRONG ONE TO FUCK WITH")
Hey folks, off, out, up and away to Munich. Don't expect any new posts to come before sunday/monday. I wish you a great week and if you just recently stopped by, checked out, and recognized that the blog is finally back from the dead and you haven't read the new posts (so far "only" record review posts) then go ahead and read through them, hopefully you'll enjoy it and maybe you discover some records you didn't know of so far and you now got curious about and so go, find, and check out this records. Okay, here you now also get a little video of the anthem "SONGS TO MY KILLER" by no other than the almighty WISDOM IN CHAINS, definitely one of the very best bands arounds and maybe/perhaps the very best Hardcore band of our days; a little video just to enjoy it and to loosen it all up a little bit up here, yes, and then that's it for now and so far more or less for this week, so yes, enjoy summer and have a great week and we'll read again. Cheers guys, more new stuff coming soon.
WISDOM IN CHAINS - "SONGS TO MY KILLER" (2015, "THE GOD RHYTHM")
One more post in the pipeline for today. I'll travel to Munich these week and won't be back not before next week or so and so I thought why not bring another post which means another record review up here for today after for the rest of the week it will pretty sure be pretty silent up here due to my before mentioned Munich-travel. This will be a review on one of the back then in 2015 most or highest anticipated albums of that year, so in my perception, the back-then new and today still current RYKER'S album "NEVER MEANT TO LAST". After I totally cheered up to their comeback slasher "HARD TO THE CORE" in 2014 (it even made its way into my albums of the year list back then, for justified and good reasons) I was curious what they would come up with on the follow up album. Maybe with a band like the RYKER'S there's always a good, healthy dose of emotional nostaligia in the play, at least in my case, because beside the fact that I love this kind of music since two-and-a-half-decades now (yes, I become more and more an old man, time flies by, but that's life... I guess) listening to a band like the RYKER'S always sets me in a good mood, bringing back feelings of easier days of my youth when music, concerts, moshpits, pogo, brews'n'booze, girls, friends, hanging out, and a bit of good friendly violent fun were the really important things in life; days of youth: good times, easier times, exhilarated and breezier days back then. (Not anyhow better days, but different times, easier days.) You know what I mean anyhow. But after in the case of "HARD TO THE CORE" also the musical delivery totally lived up to this, it was all really more than just good and fine. So I was really excited and curious about the follow up one "NEVER MEANT TO LAST". The first thing to notice was/is/will be the new singer of the RYKER'S: Dennis, the former BRIGHTSIDE singer and member of STILL SCREAMING and TAUSEND LÖWEN UNTER FEINDEN now owns the mic after original singer Kid D called it a day after their comeback album. I think the only remaining founding member still active today is the man at the bass, Chris, but who cares. Musicwise we see more relevant changes. When "HARD TO THE CORE" really was a through and through RYKER'S album in their traditional way but thankfully done very fresh and alive-lively without any lame retro bullshit, then "NEVER MEANT TO LAST" brings some let us say modifications, changes, variations, and renewals to the surface and showcasing it to us in the light of a brandnew day. The RYKER'S integrated a lot of Metal, namely Thrash Metal, into their music and they also work partially in very drastic accelerated regions of pace of their songs, even scraping it or yet in blast speed regions. While the Hardcore is always present and leading it's easy to say that partially "NEVER MEANT TO LAST" is definitely a Metalcore album; but Metalcore or maybe better metallic Hardcore like we don't get it delivered that often these days. We also get a first class apocalyptic Metal Instrumental with "THE AGE OF..." and with the outro track "COWBOY SONG" there's even sort of a Country track on the album. Sort of... No problems so far with it all, and I think it's even pretty good that the RYKER'S move(d) ahead and sort of develop(ed) and established a renewed style and sound. At least if they do it in a good way. And do they? Yes, of course. Okay, here and there I think not all works out like the guys pretty sure have wanted it to and not all fits already perfectly together what results in a few weaker or simply weak songs and especially lacks Dennis' the charisma and special own identity of Kid D who marked the RYKER'S so strong virtual for ages and decades but not blaming Dennis for that and he delivers definitely a good and strong performance, but damn it, all in all the RYKER'S did an pretty impressive job with their so far last album "NEVER MEANT TO LAST" and with reinventing themselves a bit, keeping it fresh (and this, I'm pretty sure, also for themselves) and this is something I can really cheer up to. Here we get really harsh and strong metallic Hardcore with big doses of New York Hardcore impressions, harsh Thrash Core influences, strong (Thrash) Metal marks, and here and there also some few hymnal sing-a-long Oi! and Streetpunk notes in it, filled with crushing guitars, hammering drums, sawing bass work, forceful shouted lead vocals, widescreen crew back ups, powerful grooves and slashing beat downs, pretty catchy sing-a-longs, and all down beating mercyless raging nearly blast speed attacks. Bonesmashing Hardcore on a very high level maybe to be located somewhere between old RYKER'S and BRIGHTSIDE, TERROR, a big bunch of glorious New York Hardcore heroes, PRO-PAIN, some few RISE OF THE NORTHSTAR, CATARACT, and MACHINE HEAD, with plenty of guest appearances of well know (New York) Hardcore magnitudes. A fresh, interesting, and really good and strong re-start of the RYKER'S and their sound, style, and music and it could be interesting and also pretty exciting to where this all will lead this german Hardcore veterans in the future now from "NEVER MEANT TO LAST" on. Good lyrics, a widescreen broad production sound, and a just sheer beautiful and fantastic artwork with some nice RYKER'S old school easter eggs in it we get on top of it all. Not all is already gold but a lot already shines and this often even very bright. Definitely recommended, so if you still don't know and you're into (metallic) Hardcore then go and check it out or buy it (finally) instantly. HARDCORE!!! FIST!!!
(8,5 of 10 points)
http://www.rykershardcore.com/ (the link to the homepage of the band, go there and check it out)
And here we are, finally back in 2017, and this brings us a great album that's now waiting to be finally reviewed up here, the newest output the strong-going german Oi!/Streetpunk veteran band RIOT COMPANY from Hildesheim in Lower Saxony here in Germany, only sort of half an hour or so from me respectively from where I live. RIOT COMPANY are now already around for quite a while, always being a decent band, but what they offer us here with their new one "DRUNK'N'RUDE" is just damn fucking awesome, the fourteen new tracks of them totally rule and are sort of an showcase of ''just'' pure greatness, period and fact. This is really sharp aimed, hard hitting, and no-prisoners-taking Oi! with good doses of Streetpunk in it (or Streetpunk with good doses of Oi! in it, who cares ;-) ) that pushes harsh and angry forward yet always perpetuate a really strong and bright shining, always very present melodic and nearly larger-than-life anthemic/hymnal edge to it. Trademark is the dirty and crisply banging guitar work that delivers a massive and beefy punch that pushes the songs without mercy or regrets coercingly forward, delivering a bulky, power-pumping rhythm work and set on top of it all shining leads and ennoble it with suprisingly fresh and suasive solos. The guitar work really marks the songs heavily, added up by a nicely present bass that goes roaring and sawing full of power to work, while the rumbling drumming gives the songs the massy and solid, forceful and loadable backbone. On top of it as sort as the crown or crowning element of it all sit the pissed off and angry, cheeky and gutsy lead voacls, backed up by beefy and bulky back up chants, culminating in damn fucking great sing a longs. The songwriting is very strong and nicely varying and diverse and incorporates beside strong changes of the rhythmic architecture and the pace and groove or flow of the songs as well as of the mood and emotions of the songs also great SKA influences and this not just once. And this is all done in an incredible strong and pretty impressive way and a unique style, so that it is not only "just" great but also very distinctive and characteristic. So it all comes with an own flavor and strong own identity. Awesome stuff!!! My personal highlights are "SEVERAL HOURS", "ANTIFASCIST SKINHEAD", "ENDLESS NIGHTS", "BARE-KNUCKLE CONVERSATION", "DEAR OLD ENEMY #1" "LIFT UP YOUR GLASSES", and "RIOT ARMY", but also the here and now not mentioned songs just strike and rule in a supreme way. Mostly really strong and nicely diverse lyrics, a first-class artwork, and a dirty and earthy, yet hard and powerful punshing production sound made it all round and complete and so this album to the real deal and the complete package, nearly perfect. Like already mentioned, RIOT COMPANY have a strong own charakter and identity so I could spare me any sort of band comparisions but if you really need one or some then maybe you could find them on a very self-contained position somehwere between OXYMORON, BAD COMPANY PROJECT, BONECRUSHER, and GUTS & GLORY. This is highly recommended by me for/to you, so if you are anyhow into Oi!, Streetpunk, and Punkrock music make sure you get your hands on this one and trust me, this one will cheer up your days. Really great stuff!!! Get it!!! Cheers & Oi!Oi!Oi!
(9 of 10 points) https://www.facebook.com/RiotCompany.Punk/?fref=ts & http://www.riotcompany.com/ (the links to the homepage and the facebook site of the band and I am pretty sure you know how to go there even then when blogger again refuses to post it as a direct link to the site, so just go there)
SAINTS & SINNERS - "BREAKWAY"
(Running time: 42:58 minutes; 13 songs*)
(* as a bonus there are the three songs of the 2014 "KEEP HOLD" EP release enclosed)
("KB Records"; CD; 2016):
An on we go, next one coming right in, and like promised we go ahead and so after 2014 and 2015 we now have a 2016 release up for review here and now, before we land finally again in 2017 our present year and age. Here we have the so far current full length album release of the SAINTS & SINNERS from Prague, the capital of (the) Czech Republic, entitled "BREAKAWAY" and released, like already mentioned, in 2016 and this via the sympathic german label of the name of "KB RECORDS". A band before unknown to me (yes, stressful and nerve-racking years it has been so I missed out on quite a few bands, calm down, that's life), damn it, and I am very glad that this now finally changed. Bought this one last year when it came out and it blew me away right from the start. Hymnal, anthemic, and catchy, melodic and yet hard hitting and sharp cutting Oi! of the highest grade filled with powerful as well as ctachy-melodic guitars delivering pounding rhythms as well as shining leads and cool solos, first class hard buzzing and sawing bass work and impulsive drumming, enriched by charismatic sharp edged lead vocals, brilliant sing a long parts, and strong back up chants; and this whole done very fresh and just so damn energertic and grapping that it grabs you right from the start and refuses to let loose again. Fantastic stuff!!! I would say that definitely old english heroes like COCK SPARRER and THE BUSINESS were a clear influence as well as especially the great dutch masters because in my book or better ears especially mid-old/mid-new DISCIPLINE, CLOSE COMBAT, and TECH 9 left their mark in the sound, style, and music of SAINTS & SINNERS, and here and there also some PERKELE shine through, and the bOi!s from Prague manage to melt it all together in a very own and self-contained way, acquiring a strong own identity. That's just great and I love it. If you know me or maybe know this blog now already a little bit longer than you know that this is exactly "my thing", it's what kept and keeps me pushing on, always, to say it that way. So, okay, even this is now (especially for this blog and me) a very short review don't mistake it because this is a review on a brilliant record that you simply need to have as a part of your record collection. It's near to perfect, strong sonwgriting delivered by strong musicicans, all very authentic and just over-whelming strong. My personal favorites are "FIGHT FOR GLORY, PLAY TO WIN", "SOUNDTRACK OF YOUR LIFE", "THE PLACES I USED TO KNOW", "BURNING HEARTS", "EVERY SAINT, EVERY SINNER", "ONE OF THOSE", and "OUTNUMBERED", but also the (anyhow only few) not mentioned tracks are incredible strong. I just love it. Great lyrics, a beautiful artwork, and a first class production sound finally round it all up. And the bonus songs are a nice special (even mostly not so strong than the proper new ones), and showcase a maybe stronger english Oi!Oi!Oi! influence (at least in my book), and especially "F.I.M.H." really shines of the bonus tracks. Highly recommended release and album, anthem follows anthem, and this all very fresh and alive-lively, just go out and get it. So, hell yeahr, if you still don't have it and if you are into Oi! music then don't think twice and don't hestitate anymore, just go and get it. Cheers & Oi!Oi!Oi!
(9 of 10 points)
(Note: The link to the band's site you'll find below.)
https://de-de.facebook.com/saintsandsinnersofficial/ (the link to the official facebook site of the band, and even if blogger again refuses to post this as a direct-link you know anyhow how to go there and so I'll spare me every words more about it here and now)
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