HELLYEAH - Stampede

You'd think something involving Vinnie Paul and members of Mudvayne would be good, wouldn't you? Okay maybe not. But at least something with Vinnie wouldn't be that bad? Sorry to disappoint. This is fucking horrible. "Metal" songs about "good ole boys", the "cowboy way", booze, etc. The whole thing feels like a joke but I know it's not. That's the sad part. No doubt my extreme distaste for country music lends some bias in this case it would be bad anyway. Most times a band will put their stronger songs near the front of the album but in this case, the worst songs are first. It doesn't get MUCH better but the cheese factor gets turned down a little. If you gave Kid Rock an extra shot of testosterone and slapped the hip-hop out of him, HELLYEAH wouldn't be far off. And if the studio version of "Alcohaulin' Ass" from the first record wasn't bad enough, they included a live version on this one!! Hellyeah! Fuck me. Metal for college jocks and posers. The members of this band used to be respectable! How does this happen?

As if that wasn't enough torment, I'm gonna listen to the new Helmet record now.

Heaven Shall Burn - Invictus (Iconoclast III)

I hesitate to class this as metalcore because I don't like most metalcore. But I like this and it's pretty much metalcore. It's got a hardcore "feel" and some breakdowns and a totally visceral metal vocal style. It's an angry SOB of a record. It makes me want to destroy things. Everything is great until the end of the record. The second to last track, "Given in Death" has some female guest vocals (I don't know or care who it is). It isn't a terrible song by any means but it's different enough from the rest that it doesn't really fit. The outro is sombre string piece. It's not bad either. But the bonus track...."Nowhere". Someone make it stop! It HAS to be a cover. Of who, I have no idea because I don't listen to crap. Eventhough the main lyric is "going nowhere" the song sounds upbeat. Poppy. I picture skinny jeans and bad hair. Neon shoelaces and all-over print hoodies. Shoot me now. This song has no right being on any record let alone this one. I would really like to know what possessed them to do this song. And if it's NOT a cover...why? Please tell me why?!

Gravemaker - Ghosts Among Men

Well that was fun!! Beefy NY-style hardcore!! Unbelievably mosh-worthy. Throw that puppy on with a few beers in ya and people could get hurt! Wicked! If you like Sick Of It All and/or Biohazard (minus the rappyness) you should like this.

Grave - Burial Ground

Short and sweet review.

Straight forward Euro-death. Unlike their (mostly) American brethren, Grave have no need for the over-technicality of much of today's death metal. They go right for the kill with brutal, working man death metal. Some melody and punk sensibilities work their way in to the mix so it's not just evil music and growling. Maybe some of these techni-death bands should realize that much of what makes an album good is feeling. Grave know that. Feel the death!!

Gaza

I just listened to He's Never Coming Back. Gaza is one of those bands that I've always wanted to listen to but could never get my hands on them. I finally did and I'll be trying harder from now on. I'm not going to say much other than it sounds really pissed off and I like really pissed off. I can only imagine how cathartic it must be to perform those songs. It's almost exhausting just listening to their top drawer sludgy hardcore. A very satisfying exhaustion though. Gaza has a newer one out don't they?

Fleshgod Apocalypse - Mafia

I can't understand a word this Italian death metal outfit is singing about. That's fine. It's death metal, I didn't expect to. My guess is it's something about the Mafia. As far as the 4 originals on this disc go, I can give or take. Very well performed and all that. There is some operatic singing that I could really do without. Death growls are good and the riffage makes me want to circle headbang. Drums are pretty good. The snare seems a little sharp though. Quite machine gun like. The EP ends with a piano outro that sounds very Mafia-esque but again, I could do without it.
Where is EP stands out if a top notch cover of At the Gates' "Blinded by Fear". Kudos.
And of course, the band's name itself pretty awesome.
Take it or leave it. It's not horrible, but it's not something I will go back to again and again.