TOXPACK - "SCHALL & RAUCH" (2017)

TOXPACK - "SCHALL & RAUCH"
(Running time: 51:01 minutes; 16 songs)
("Napalm Records"; 2017; CD):

And back @ work again, your eyes aren't playing tricks on you, yes, fourth day and fourth post in a row, yes, so you may could say that I'm in a flow right now... but before you say that or something like that just let us wait how long and far this flow will 'flow-on' before we start a little celebration because of it. ;-) And now straight and right into the action, and this 'action' right now, right here is my review on the current new TOXPACK album titled "SCHALL & RAUCH" released via "NAPALM RECORDS" some few months ago more or less recently in 2017, yes, and so now here we go again: The precursor album "FRISS" (2014) wasn't that high on my personal like-list back then and even it used to grow quite a bit on me since then I still think it is, so in my personal-taste-book, pretty much the weakest TOXPACK album so far... with this in mind it took me some time before I finally decided to simply just get "SCHALL & RAUCH" and stop thinking about the pro's-and-con's, yes, and you know what, I am pretty thankful that I finally did so, oh yes, because "SCHALL & RAUCH" is miles ahead of its precursor album and anyhow a really damn fucking strong album, music- and lyricwise. The days of "DIE ANDERE SEITE" and "AGGRESSIVE KUNST" and even quite a bit of "CULTUS INTERRUPTUS" are long over, for sure, but god-damn-it because who the fuck cares, yes, we have this albums already and there's no need to expect any sort of ripp-off's and especially who are we to expect that bands just run in circles and give us the same old stuff time and time again... hell no, because even if I don't know who we are but this is not who we are, if you get what I want to say. And so, yes, it's all more than only good and fine, and...I have not a single clou if TOXPACK just got stronger again or if it is just me, me and my taste or call it how you want, but "SCHALL & RAUCH" walks straight further on the path of "FRISS" (2014) but really that much stronger and I really, really like it, and this strongly. This is really strong and powerful, high-quality and (sometimes more, sometimes less) slightly metallic german Rock music with fresh and strong own ideas and a strong own identity. You might could call or name it German Rock and this would be anyhow sort of a pretty good match but personally I would prefer to name it Streetrock; but anyhow that's not that important after all. Clearly rooted in Oi!, Streetpunk, and Punkrock, definitely, and of Course Streetcore, yes, but this roots you get today far, far more 'ideational' than via the musical delivery; this is just through-and-through pure hard hitting and sharp cutting, oh yes, heavily by the really bright shining diverse and very, very well-skilled guitars dominated 'german-tongued' Streetrock full of power and honest emotions, marked by strong and exciting songwriting that comes up again and again with fresh ideas and cool surprises and with rousing rhythm structures and verse arrangements and that then on top delivers first class refrains with highly anthemic sing-a-long potential that turns a lot of the songs into real hymns. And all done very stand-alone and nicely clichee-free. The diverse and the songs heavily forward driving guitars and the outshining charismatic lead vocals that are at/in the right moments strongly backed up by widescreen back-up chants, hell yeahr, really mark the songs heavily and the to the point tight and precise played rhythm section then gives the songs a loadable bulky backbone. Fantastic lyrics (very often also damn personal, so my impression, and that lyrics really sort of speak out deeply of my heart here and now in this current period of my life), an absolutely beautiful artwork, and a first class clear and powerful production sound then finally make it all round. My personal favorites are "KOMMERZ (DIE GEIER KREISEN)", "WILLKOMMEN IM CLUB", "AUF ALTE TAGE", "BIS ZUM LETZTEN TON", "REDEN, LÄSTERN, LÜGEN", "DIE LETZTEN, DIE SICH NOCH DAGEGEN STELLEN", "IN TRÜMMERN", "GIB MIR ALL DEIN GELD", "NICHTS GEHT MEHR", "UNBELEHRBAR", and "ALLES AUF ANFANG"; so this would be my ultimate-listening-tips. I can only recommend TOXPACK's "SCHALL & RAUCH" highly to you, and so, yes, if you still don't have it or call it your own then you should as soon as possible change this and simply just go out and get it; and this best right now.

(9 of 10 points)

https://www.toxpack.de/ (-the link to the homepage of the band)

TOXPACK - "BIS ZUM LETZTEN TON" (2017, "SCHALL & RAUCH")

SUFFOCATION - "...OF THE DARK LIGHT" (2017)

SUFFOCATION - "...OF THE DARK LIGHT"
(Running time: 35:22 minutes; 9 songs)
("Nuclear Blast Records"; 2017; CD):

Hey guys, yes, I'm already back again, oh hell yeahr, like yesterday announced and so here now comes the next dose for you, yes, the third one this weekend, yes, and I think that's pretty decent, yes, and so now without any longer ramblings straight into the action and this action is my review on SUFFOCATION's new album "...OF THE DARK LIGHT" released still pretty recently (or so...) this year of 2017 via the german "NUCLEAR BLAST RECORDS" label. "...OF TNE DARK LIGHT" is the 8th album by/of SUFFOCATION in their nearly thirty years of existence spanning career and the godfathers of Slam Death Metal return once again in an impressive  way, a very impresssive way. Somewhere between 'slammy' Brutal Death Metal and 'proggy' Tech Death Metal varying this U.S. Death Metal roughnecks deliver nine new songs full of intensity and sheer technically very high skilled brutality that's still incredible strong and excitingly diverse in its inner structure and conquers massively with its very strong own flavour and character and that shines with its very grapping and exciting, very strong and also intense as well as atmospheric songwriting that delivers stunning soul- and playful and exciting and rousing surprises and also truckloads of changes in the pace and the rhythmic architecture and structure of the songs as well as in the mood or better the atmosphere of the solitary songs as well as the whole album and turning SUFFOCATION's "...OF THE DARK LIGHT" into one hell of an exciting and interesting as well as simply just overwhelming and rousing ride over the complete (and anyhow too short) running time. Crushing and devastating guitars that deliver outstanding great and often surely 'tricky'n'proggy' leads and stunning solos as well as and especially a absolutely cracking and shredding rhythm work full of brute force and pure power and yet still creating a very strong and 'tight'n'thick' dark, cold, and sinister atmosphere, hell yeahr, and above all it all is very, very intense and this over all the time. Then the harsh and guttural, brutal grunted lead vocals only add up to it all. The massive and every resistance crushing rhythm section then finally backs it all fantastically beefy and bulky up and shines especially when it's all about the blast in an amazing way. My personal favorites are "CLARITY THROUGH DEPRIVATION", "THE WARMTH WITHIN THE DARK", "RETURN TO THE ABYSS", "...OF THE DARK LIGHT", and "SOME THINGS SHOULD BE LEFT ALONE", total killers, but don't make the mistake to think that the not mentioned songs would be anyhow anyway weak stuff, hell no, they also rule massively. Interesting and very well (to) the musick matching lyrics, a cold and dark artwork, and a blasting porduction sound then round it all up. All in all SUFFOCATION deliver with "...OF THE DARK LIGHT" a damn great new album and one hell of a strong Death Metal album that only adds up to the list of superb new very strong and impressive Death Metal albums so far this year of 2017. I can only recommend this masterpiece to you, highly recommend it.

(9 of 10 points)

https://www.facebook.com/suffocation (-the link to the Facebook site of the band)

SUFFOCATION - "RETURN TO THE ABYSS" (2017, "...OF THE DARK LIGHT")

DYING FETUS - "WRONG ONE TO FUCK WITH" (2017)

DYING FETUS - "WRONG ONE TO FUCK WITH"
(Running time: 54:05 minutes; 11 songs)
("Relapse Records"; 2017; CD):

Good morning guys (or at least over here it is morning time at 9:47 am currently right now - when I started working on this very record review posts right here, right now) and you see, yes, like I more or less announced it yesterday I am really trying to come up with more frequent posts finally again up here (to somehow get all the reviews on 2017 releases done...), yes, despise all the "shortness-in-time" currently and since September 2017 in general and so here now comes already the next dose for you and this time here you now get my 'long' overdue record review on the new DYING FETUS album "WRONG ONE TO FUCK WITH" released some months ago recently in 2017 via the almighty "RELAPSE RECORDS". Before I will start into the saturday and the proper weekend I will try to get this one done and then this will be the second new proper post this weekend and I will try to finish this weekend at least with a then third proper post tomorrow on sunday, yes, you see, my ambitions are pretty honest and outspoken, yes, and so now let us wait and bleed...ah... see how this will turn out; okay, and so now enough of the introducing smalltalk and just let's go one more time: Since DYING FETUS released their larger than life masterpiece "KILLING ON ADRENALINE" nearly twenty years ago or so I love this guys and what they do, live and on record. Over the last years I lost them sort of a little bit out of sight due to reasons we can accumulate and call real-life-stuff'n'issues but when they released "WRONG ONE TO FUCK WITH" this year and I first listened to the first songs up on YouTube they instantly grabbed me again and they took hold on me and simply decided to not let me loose again. DYING FETUS' "WRONG ONE TO FUCK WITH" is a massive and heavy, a brutal and deadly, aggressive and pissed off, sharp aimed and harsh slashing, musically high skilled slaughterfeast that crushes out of your speakers like a fire roaring and breathing ultra-heavy battle tank that's unleashed all guns blazing at you. With heavy machine guns like fireing ultra-heavy and über-brutal and yet still very diverse and multi-layered guitars that deliver the goods all the time and no matter if we look at the ryhthm work (with fantstic ultra-heavyness and pure diversity and great variations up to pretty radical changes in the rhythm architecture and structure of the songs) or the brilliant lead and solo work; and with absoultely stunning deep guttural grunted brutal vocals with that strong own DYING FETUS identity to it. Without mercy and with firey ambitions pushed forward the tank rolls on by a first class and very diverse rhythm section that takes no prisoners and knows no mercy, absolutely not, and that is damn tight, precise, bonesmashing heavy, sheer full force, to the point, and that also still offers a nice wide distance of variantions and a lot of great playful twists and turns. Just absolutely amazing stuff. Slamming and brutal Death Metal mixed with blasting Grindcore, really harsh grooving Hardcore, and all melted together by heavy blasting as fuck and high skilled damn technical Death Metal creating one more time again that very own and just awesome Deathgrind in/of that unique DYING FETUS way (often copied, but never beaten or just really rivaled); and "WRONG ONE TO FUCK WITH" is easily the best DYING FETUS album since "DESTROY THE OPPOSITION", at least so definitely in my book. And it definitely "gets-a-lot" (out-)of/(out-)from the fantastic songwriting, very intense and tight and yet very multi-layered and very rich'n'diverse, turning "WRONG ONE TO FUCK WITH" into a grapping and exciting ride from start to finish over all ist complete running time. Outspoken and harsh, just great and strong lyrics, a lovely and just perfect artwork, and also a stunning and dustdry production sound then finally turn DYING FETUS' "WRONG ONE TO FUCK WITH" into the complete package and one more time into the real deal. My personal favorites are "FIXATED ON DEVASTATION", "PANIC AMONGST THE HERD", "DIE WITH INTEGRITY", "IDEOLOGICAL SUBJUGATION", "WEAKEN THE STRUCTURE", "WRONG ONE TO FUCK WITH", and "INDUCE TERROR"; so if you ask me then start your discovery of "WRONG ONE TO FUCK WITH" with this absoulte masterpieces, hell yeahr, even at the end of the day the whole album is and so also the (anyhow only few) here not mentioned songs are just pure outstanding and superb stuff. DYING FETUS' "WRONG ONE TO FUCK WITH" is just a totally great album, period. And so if you are anyhow into really extreme musick then you should definitely call this masterpiece your own, hell yeahr,and so just go and get it. And that's it for now, now it's time to start into the saturday, yes, and so may you all have a great weekend; we'll read us soon again. (If it works out like planned then latest already again tomorrow on sunday...)

(9 of 10 points)

https://dyingfetus.bandcamp.com/ (-the link to the bandcamp site of the band)

DYING FETUS - "DIE WITH INTEGRITY" (2017, "WRONG ONE TO FUCK WITH")

ABHORRENT DECIMATION - "THE PARDONER" (2017)

ABHORRENT DECIMATION - "THE PARDONER"
(Running time: 50:03 minutes; 10 songs)
("Prosthetic Records"; 2017; CD):

Back on track again... and when I look at the amount of 2017 releases that I still have to and especially that I still want to do reviews on up here for you then I have not a single clou how the bloody hell I should be doing this all still in 2017... god-damn-it... I think I'll really should or must try to find more time, where-ever, to do (finally again) more frequent reviews up here... at least I'll do try to do so, in all honesty. And so, yes, I'll be starting right now and so here now comes my review on the 2017 release of/by ABHORRENT DECIMATION titled "THE PARDONER" and released via "PROSTHETIC RECORDS" for you. ABHORRENT DECIMATION were before I first listened to "THE PARDONER" totally unknown to me but I think they are a U.K. based band; and what I definitely know and not just think is that they are a really fine Deathcore and/or (Modern) Death Metal band that comes to conquer, and so they do. ABHORRENT DECIMATION will definitely be hailed by fans of such first class acts like the almighty WHITECHAPEL, the mighty SUICIDE SILENCE as well as the larger than life ALL SHALL PERISH, hm, maybe some little bit HEAVEN SHALL BURN and they mix it all with really strong and brutal (also pretty 'slammy') Death Metal marks that make me think (for example) on the one hand of (newer to new) SUFFOCATION and on the other hand of roughnecked Death Metal a la ILLDISPOSED and they do it all on a, from my point of view, not only very strong but also very independently level and also they offer a pretty strong own flavour and character to enrich it all massively. In parts this is due to a very cold and sinister atmosphere and the very aggressive delivered guitar work that breathes an 'icy' and very dark Black Metal spirit into all the songs and that's just damn strong done and also just damn great. This is very sinister and dark, very cold and sort of sick, brutal and aggressive musick on a very high skilled level and with a strong own flavor to it all, delivered by guys that really know how to play and master their instruments and how to write damn grapping and exciting songs with a lot of surprises and great twists and turns along the whole ride. The biggest or strongest marking elements are surely the very, very brutal and over-the-top pissed off grunted and harsh vokillz that also showcase and offer a very strong own identity, yes, and the bonecracking and facesmashing guitar work that delivers one hell of a fantastic rhythm work full of great grooves and forward marching rhythmes as well as a lot of demanding and grapping changes in the rhythm architecture and the rhythmic structure of the songs and that also delivers us top notch changes of the pace and the mood of the single songs as well as the whole album, hell yeahr, and then the guitars especially shine in the leads'n'solos department full of rich and just breath-taking and atmospheric-tight as well as very, hm, yes, just pure dark'n'evil and though and through hellish leads and asskicking solos that all really, really shine, yes, dark'n'sinister but anyhow bright shining. Goddamn it, I simply just really love this stuff. All is backed up by a very verstaile and incredible precise and to the point played and done and delivered rhythm section that really just leaves my eyes and mouth wide open. Phenomenal!!! And then we also get piano parts that also convince with some other orchestral instrumentation, yes,and not just convince, but damn fucking bloody conquer. Finally all is made round by first class very interesting and surely story-tellin' lyrics, a beautiful artwork, yes, and a heavy and kicking production sound that's also very clear and clean so that you really get all what happens in a perfect way - and trust me it really happens a lot on ABHORRENT DECIMATION's "THE PARDONER"; a very demanding and intensive album, definitely, and also an album that's really worth your time and effort and interest. And an album that I can only highly, highly recommend to you, for sure, and so go out and get it as soon as possible if you still don't know or have it. This is one of my biggest discoveries of 2017 so far and one of my biggest (and very best) surprises so far, too. So, in short: Get it!!! And for now, oh yes, I'll close this review because so far I've said all what I had to say, yes, and so now : Cheers and good night.
(9 of 10 points)
https://abhorrentdecimation.bandcamp.com/ (-the link to the bandcamp site of the band)

ABHORRENT DECIMATION - "CONSPIRE" (2017, "THE PARDONER")

BRENNSTOFF - "SCHLAG AUF SCHLAG" (2017)

BRENNSTOFF - "SCHLAG AUF SCHLAG"
(Running time: 34:41 minutes; 11 songs)
("K.B. Records"; 2017; CD):

And here we are again and this time again back in 2017. And finally again after all the Rock, Metal, and Core stuff over the last months we now head back into the more Oi! and Punk territority... okay, no, not Oi! and not Punk but hard rocking, metallic hitting and punky snotty done German Rock with some roots in (German) Oi! music we now have here finally again, with this review being on the new BRENNSTOFF album "SCHLAG AUF SCHLAG", released still pretty recently via the german "K.B. RECORDS" label. Here we get rough and tough songs of dirty and nasty, massively asskicking, Oi! rooted, slightly Punk fueled, and harsh metallic sawing German Rock delivered in a hard as nails way pushed forward by facesmashing guitars that really crush with a lot of punch out of the speakers. Beside the guitars we get really harsh roaring and heavy as well as snotty intoned lead vocals and a powerful marching rhythm section that kicks beefy ass. The almighty KRAWALLBRÜDER, 'older' GOITZSCHE FRONT, early TOXPACK, and some ENKELZ surely were and are pretty important influences of/for BRENNSTOFF but they definitely don't copy any of the named bands and deliver a pretty fresh style of their own with a metallic and (very) slightly 'corey' touch to it all and marked by the very heavy hitting and sharp cutting guitars and by strong and forceful dynamics that push heavily forward and give the songs here and there the mentioned (very) slightly 'corey' touch. My personal favorites are "UNVERAENDERT" (feat. Fabi/RESTRISIKO) "FUER DICH", "WAS UNS VERBINDET", "BOESE JUNGS", "SCHLAG AUF SCHLAG", "MEIN FREUND", and especially the über-anthem "AUF ALL DIE JAHRE", so maybe you should start your listening sessions with this killer tracks. Pretty outspoken german lyrics that cover also a wide distance of different topics, a first class artwork, and a heavy yet still dirty punching production sound we then get on top of it all. So, yes, I think I've said it all. I know that this is a pretty short review especially by/for my standards but don't make the mistake and think this would be a anyhow bad or weak record, hell no, this is a pretty decent and damn good and a really strong record that I can calmly recommend to you if you are into hard hitting sounds of the streets and so go out and check it out or (even better) simply get it instantly. Damn good stuff.
(8 of 10 Points)
https://www.brennstoff-saarrock.de (-the link to the homepage of the band)

BRENNSTOFF - "MEIN FREUND" (2017, "SCHLAG AUF SCHLAG")

BLACK STONE CHERRY - "KENTUCKY" (2016)

BLACK STONE CHERRY - "KENTUCKY"
(Running time: 52:37 minutes; 13 songs)
("Mascot Records"; 2016; CD + DVD):

Hey guys, here we go again, (relatively) late night, (relatively) late post, first saturday post (we will see if more will follow later today), and also first November post in general. And after the last posts were sort of 'exclusively' reviews on 2017 releases, yes, I now felt like doing finally again a review on an already a little bit older album, yes, and so now here comes my review on the 2016 absolutely masterpiece album titled "KENTUCKY" that the almighty BLACK STONE CHERRY delivered to us last year. Before "KENTUCKY" BLACK STONE CHERRY were somehow pretty to totally unknown to me... shame on me... and then they came and conquered and they conquered in an incredible supreme and absolutely overwhelming way with their absolutely brilliant and just fantastic hard and heavy, massively grooving and powerful-punching, yet very hymnal and melodic, play- and soulful, anthemic and catchy, and all the time very intense and atmospheric and also filled with emotions to the max damn honest, authentic, fresh, suprising, grapping, and sympathic surely real Rock music somehwere between definitely by Blues and also even Soul and Gospel as well as Country influenced and inspired Hard'n'Heavy Rock & Roll, strong deep down dirty Southern Rock, and strong fresh Modern'n'Alternative Rock marks and impressions; maybe to be best located on a very stand-alone position somewhere between BRAND NEW SIN on the one side, PUDDLE OF MUDD on the other, NICKELBACK on the next, and LYNYRD SKYNYRD on the final side, and a bit BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN floating around somewhere in the middle of it all, and if/when you throw some LED ZEPPELIN and some AC/DC and here and there some few GUNS'N'ROSES as well as some few ALTER BRIDGE in the mix, hell yeahr, and then (definitely) keep in mind that BLACK STONE CHERRY play their very own style of (Hard) Rock music, yes, then you will have a pretty good starting point of what to expect what a monster they what means BLACK STONE CHERRY have unleashed on us all with this masterpiece named "KENTUCKY". And, btw, I don't know for sure if 'Christian Rock' is here and now a or the proper term to describe BLACK STONE CHERRY properly, hm, maybe not, but for all what I got BLACK STONE CHERRY, rocking from out of the so called 'Bible Belt', are a very open religious (christian) band and for me that's all good and fine - so if you have a problem with it then maybe check your head one or two times or as many times as needed, yes, because then the Problem maybe 'simply' lies within you. Okay, back to the topic: Expect an incredible and totally asskicking and boneshaking, heavy and forceful and yet very, very melodic and symphonic, really singing and bright shining, very unique and characteristic, highly diverse and all the time multi-layered guitar work (no matter if we take the riffs and rhythms or the leads and solos, it's all just really larger-than-life), backed up by a diverse and precise, asstight and just beauitfully composed and arranged rhythm section,and above all really fantastic full and powerful lead vocals with a strong own flavour and identity, oh yes, and all is massively enriched with various backround choirs and singing(s) and various diverse different other instruments, flowing and melting all perfectly together. And, yes, this is really perfect. So, yes, then all is melted together and made whole by absolutely rousing, grapping, exciting, diverse, and also pretty self-contained songwriting. And that this guys are very skilled musicians I do only mention here and now for 'reasons of completness'. The whole "KENTUCKY" album is completly filled with just pure platinum hits, from start to finish, but if you want to know my absolute favorites then currently I would name you "LONG RIDE", "THE RAMBLER", "SHAKIN' MY CAGE", "IN OUR DREAMS", "THE WAY OF THE FUTURE", the damn great covertune "WAR", "CHEAPER TO DRINK ALONE", and "DARKEST SECRET". But the (anyhow only few) not mentioned songs are also purest gold and platinum, so at the end of the day it really doesn't matter what song(s) you pick they all 'simply' totally rule. So, yes, I can only recommend this absolutely amazing and fantastic album and if you still don't know it, why the damn bloody hell ever, then make finally sure to change this and go out and get this masterpiece of an album as soon as possible.
(10 of 10 points)
http://www.blackstonecherry.com/ (-the link to the homepage of the band)

BLACK STONE CHERRY - "LONG RIDE" (2016, "KENTUCKY")