Shrinebuilder - Shrinebuilder

If you don't know Shrinebuilder, shame on you. They are the very definition of supergroup. The lineup: Scott Kelly of Neurosis, Al Cisternos of OM (ex-Sleep), Dale Crover of the Melvins and Scott "Wino" Weinrich of Wino (ex- St. Vitus, Spirit Caravan, Hidden Hand, Place of Skulls, etc etc). The sound: Neurosis meets OM meets Melvins meets Wino. Doesn't get much simpler than that. You can hear elements of all the players other bands in just about every song on the album. I believe they all sing as well. It doesn't sound like 4 bands mashed together though. It's cohesive. It has flow. And it's (as SYL would put it) heavy as a really heavy thing. However, it's not oppressively heavy. i.e. Sunn O))), Sloth, etc. Ya know, stonerdoomgaze heavy.

I really hope this collaboration isn't a one-off thing. They work really well together. All parties are so prolific, it's a wonder they even had time to do this. But, if they did it once, there's no reason they can't do it again. In the meantime, I'll be building my shrine.

Doomriders - Darkness Come Alive

The first time I listened to Darkness Come Alive, I enjoyed it but I was in no big rush to hear it again. A couple weeks went by. At the end a veritable death metal marathon (Suffocation, Hail of Bullets, Despised Icon and Pestilence, with some Skeletonwitch thrown in for good measure) I was almost about to listen to Dying Fetus when I spotted Doomriders beside it on my iPod. I figured a break from brutality wouldn't hurt. Even this time I wasn't "into it". Granted, being played through and FM Transmitter on 15 year old car speakers is not going to do any band any favours. I switched to Blood Tsunami for a little scream therapy. When next I donned my iPod I put it back to Doomriders. Something had changed. Almost instantly I was locked in. It fitting because the track was "Come Alive". I felt like I had. Or at least been awakened to the awesomeness.

Groove, hooks, melody, and emotion all in the context of heavy. I could feel the galloping groove that makes you feel like your flying across a vast landscape. I was hooked by the Torche-esque power-pop elements. Some of the intricate guitar work reminded me of Baroness. The heavy comes into play with the tone and the pummeling drums. The vocals could be my favourite part. Amidst the southern crust/sludge/stoner musical backdrop, a hardcore bellow delivers the message. They're vocals that come from deep within. That are full-out. They can't be sung at any less than full volume. Just the way I like it. Even when they are a little cleaner, they're still powerful and loud. Like someone forgot to tell him that he has a mic. He's singing over the other instruments. Ah, glorious.

I had my Top 50 of 2009 almost figured out. Darkness Come Alive will probably bump somebody out. (Despised Icon's Day of Mourning might too) It's just a matter of who. I also haven't heard the new Slayer yet, but that one's a given.

Hey whatever happened to White Zombie's J. Yuenger?

More!

Revocation - Existence is Futile: I seriously don't understand what the big deal is with these guys. The singer is nothing special and too many times the guitar work reminded me of Joe Satriani or Steve Vai or someone like that. Nowhere near the status being exalted on them by the "media".

Converge - Axe to Fall: It's Converge. Nuff said. Well, I can say a bit more. This album is, in a word, powerful. Decidedly hardcore, energetically metal. It amazes me how people can compose music like this. I'll have to listen to it a few more times before I can start to place in my Top 50 of 2009 list. It'll be there, just where is the question.

Children - Hard Times Hanging at the End of the World: I am having a hard time. A hard time deciding how to describe Children. I can hear all sorts of genres. Punk speed, thrash riffs, hardcore vocals, and some crazy solos. Instead of sounding like a band that doesn't know what they are, they sound like a band that is able to put all their influences in the same pot and still come out with something delicious.

Burning Human - Resurrection Through Fire: Yet another reason that 2009 has been a great year for death metal. Fast, brutal, evil.

Short thoughts on recent listenings

Andreas Kisser - Hubris I & II: Boring. Pointless. Not bad per se, but just unnecessary. If it wasn't Andreas Kisser, I'd have dismissed it outright. II is lacking the bad singing of I and that's good. But it's not really great. If I wanted to listen to flamenco sounding guitar work, I'd listen to....

Rodrigo y Gabriela - 11:11: Okay, I'm a metal guy thru and thru. So why do I love RyG so much? No drums, no singing, very little electric guitar. Just 2 acoustics guitars and lots of energy. Perhaps what I like best is I can put it on with just about any company around and nobody says "How can you listen to this?"

GWAR - Lust in Space: Meh. Never been much of a fan of GWAR. Why start now? They do put on an interesting live show though.

Killswitch Engage - Killswitch Engage: I wasn't really into Daylight Dies, but this is better. Maybe I just needed to separate myself from KsE for a while. I guess it just didn't come off as sappy. It's a grower for sure.

Otep - Smash The Control Machine: WAY better than I expected. The last one was horrible. Well, maybe the last 2 or 3. Not to say this is great by any stretch. Still very much in the rap-metal vein on some tunes. At least one horribly so. And there is the obligatory almost spoken word "rant" we've come to expect from Ms. Shimaya. That chick can still shred some vocals though. When she screams "Make me come!" in "Numb & Dumb"...yeah.

Astra - The Weirding: The definition of retro. Transport me back 35 years and give me an endless supply of weed and Astra would be the soundtrack for that trip. It's pretty good but I'm stone cold straight right now so it's not doing much for me.

Resistant Culture - Welcome to Reality: Fuck yeah! Remember when Max was in Sepultura? This kicks ass!

Snail, Syrach and Weekend Nachos were alright but nothing special. Snail deserves another listen though.

3 Inches of Blood w/ Arise and Ruin and guests @ Time to Laugh, Kingston, ON Oct. 18, 2009

3 Inches of Blood said they hadn't been to Kingston in 3 years. Arise and Ruin have been to Kingston 3 times THIS year. Whatever the frequency, Kingston (and I) were glad to have them both. The support acts were CFPT, We Are the Archers, and Fathom Ties. Here's the rundown:

CFPT: Beats me! I was still driving there.

We Are The Archers: For most of their set I was takin' a dump at the Pizza Pizza then smokin' a joint in a back alley. I think I caught the last song but I wasn't paying attention. At the end of their set, the singer says "We are We Are The Archers! (slight pause) That's the name of the band, We Are The Archers". It made me think of that P.O.D. song, "Youth of a Nation". Not the music, just the "We are, we are" part. Maybe it's time for a name change.

Fathom Ties: They seemed like a pretty confident bunch. But confidence will only take you so far (with me). I wasn't real impressed by them. They were very well rehearsed and looked like they believed in their music, but it just wasn't my thing. They did that whole synced guitar/headbang thing. Ya know, to a breakdown. They reminded me a lot of Incubus. The sappy-ass nu-metal one. Not the old school one that I've never actually heard. There were kids going apeshit though. Good for them. They'll come around eventually. At one time, I liked Incubus. Oh and when the singer was like "Let's hear it for ...." he said "3 Inches IN Blood." Ouch.

Arise and FUCKING RUIN!!!!!!!! These hardworkin' Guelphites never fail to put on a kick ass show. They are wicked tight. Vocalist Ryan Bauchman is a force. Dude is so full of energy! I love it. He's grabbin' people by the shirt and screamin' in their face. He's jumpin' off the monitors. He's screamin' and sweatin' and tearin' that place apart. The rest of the band aren't slouches either. For instance, I had to move over because I kept getting whipped by Sam's hair. Hell yeah. Come back again soon boys!

3 Inches of Blood: I have to admit, I set my hopes really high for this. Too high for anything to have lived up to it. The last show I was at was Clutch, so nothing could live up to that. With that being said, 3IOB did put on a great show. I think they needed a bigger stage though. Technically, they were spot on. I don't know if it was just where I was standing or what but I could only really hear the vocals and bass guitar. That wasn't really a bad thing. The bass is hard to pick up on the album, so being able to hear (and see) it live was kinda nice. I could hear the drums too. It was just the guitar that was kinda low in the mix. When I was reviewing Here Awaits Thy Doom, I mentioned how I missed Jamie Hooper's vocals and Justin Hagberg did a decent job but not great. He made up for it live. His screams were great. Very good interplay with the spot-on performance of Cam "He Who Is Most Aptly Named" Pipes. (I need to trademark that) They played a nice mix of tunes from the new album as well as some older stuff. The crowd reacted just as fervently no matter what they played. Many a lyric were sung, many a fist were pumped, many a head were banged, and when the 3 song encore finished with "The Goatrider's Horde", many an ear left ringing.

Hail of Bullets - Warsaw Rising EP

Warsaw Rising picks up right where ...Of Frost and War left off. Buzzsaw riffage, pummelling drums and very distinctive tortured screaming vocals. And of course, it's about war. In short, fucking awesome death metal. Hail of Bullets is quickly becoming one of my favourite death metal acts. In addition to the new material, some live tracks are included. Excellently performed, great recording. I am guessing this was recorded from a show in their native Holland. All the between song banter is in Dutch. (I assume. I can't make heads or tails of it) If Warsaw Rising is meant to whet our appetites until another full length, I hope they make it quick, cuz I'm gettin' hungry!

Skeletonwitch - Breathing The Fire

I set my hopes really high for Breathing The Fire. Maybe too high. It's not that the album isn't good, it's just I expected to be incapacitated by awesomeness. I found that is was considerably better the second time around. Also, I have yet to hear it through good speakers or at elevated volume. That makes a difference. I found myself doing a lot of steering wheel drumming. The steering wheel guitar will come soon enough. It's hard not to considering how much BTF shreds. I am not sure if I will get to the scream along phase though. My black/death vocals are based a lot on volume to get the desired effect (Blood Tsunami-style) whereas the vocalist for Skeletonwitch can pull it off without the balls-out screaming. That's a good thing.

I'm about halfway through the new Immortal right now but when I'm done that I think I'll spin Breathing the Fire again. If it keeps getting better with each listen I should just leave it on repeat!

too busy

I've been busy. I've been listening to a lot but during the time where I would be writing reviews, I've been reading. I don't want to neglect you so I'm taking time out of reading Atlantis, Alien Visitation and Genetic Manipulation by Michael Tsarion to tell you a little but about some of this weekend's listenings.

Ancestors - Of Sound Mind: Has some interesting elements (Hammond organ) but not very engaging on first listen. I suspect a more concentrated listening session would yield better results. (read: stoned).

Asphyx - Death....The Brutal Way: Fuckin' right! I wouldn't have it any other. Is that the same vocalist as in Hail of Bullets?

Belphegor - Walpurgis Rites: Hexenwahn: I listened to the whole thing so it wasn't that bad but it didn't make a huge impression on me. Plus, that was like 2 days ago.

Bloody Panda - Summon: 2 words for ya - Scary shit. It's like the soundtrack to a horror movie filmed in a haunted insane asylum. But it's real. Terrifying, tortured and awesome. I'd like to do a full review on this one.

Chaosfear - Image of Disorder: Again, not a huge impression. It deserves another listen. Kind of traditional modern heavy metal. I wouldn't stick it in any particular sub-genre.

Dethklok - Deth Album II: Ya know, for a "fake" band, they're pretty rippin'. Or should I say, brootal.

Demonical. I can't remember the album title. But it's fucking awesome. An oppressive wall of buzzsaw guitars.

Devil's Blood - Come, Reap: Pretty cool. Retro sounding. Makes me miss Mammoth Volume even more.

I did start listening to the new Bergraven. Dude reminded me too much of Rammstein. Wasn't feelin' it. I listened to one track off the new Despised Icon album, Day of Mourning. Wasn't feelin' that either.And when last I was at my iPod, I was listening to Hymns of Blood and Thunder by The Gates of Slumber. It's good. Very Sabbathian. It's not blowing me away the way their last album did. I'm only a couple tracks in so maybe it takes some time to get going.

Finally, whenever I've been driving, I've been screaming along to (literally) Grand Feast for Vultures by Blood Tsunami. I fucking love the shit out of this album. I've probably listened to it more than any other one this year. I seriously expect it to fight for My Fave Album of '09 That's Not Clutch.

Whatever

I'm in a shitty mood today and I've been having a hard time finding something to listen to. I listened to the second half of Horizoner by Bloodhorse. That was good. I love that album. Reminds me of early Kyuss. I didn't even make it through one track of Bury Your Dead's It's Nothing Personal. It sucks donkey balls. Then I listened to one track from The Chariot's Wars and Rumors of Wars. I'm not in the mood for christiancore today, eventhough I became friends with the bassist when he was in I Hate Sally. I gave Black Cascade by Wolves In The Throneroom another shot. I'm not big into black metal. Not bad. The songs weren't different enough though. I may try Moss - Tomb of the Blind Drugged. I think that's the name. I don't think that will do anything to improve my mood though. I'll find something.

Doom night

I've kinda been listening to all doom stuff tonight. I started with Batillus, then OM, and I just started Culted. Not sure what I have on my iPod should I finish Culted tonight. All 3 bands are awesome. I'll talk about OM.

I have always been a big fan of OM. Not only because I enjoy OM as they stand, but also due to the (until recently) pedigree of the members. Both Al Cisternos and Chris Hakius used to be in Sleep. So, duh, awesome. And Chris was also the drummer for a band called The Sabians, fronted by Sleep alumnus Justin Marler. I fucking LOVE that band. Too bad they only made 2 albums. Anyway, the album is God is Good. It's the first OM record without Hakius. I can't remember the name of the new drummer, but he's pretty good. I haven't had a chance to really listen to the lyrics yet. I'm guessing it's the as per usual deep shit. No fluff here. If you could say anything bad about OM it's that their previous work pretty sounds the same. Overdriven bass with a lot of cymbal and bass drumwork with chant like vocals. While the drums and vocal cadence remain more or less unchanged, their are some changes. The overall production, especially the bass seem a lot cleaner. And the vocals are higher in the mix. On top of that, there are more instruments! I can't recall there ever being more than bass and drums. (Correct me if I'm wrong, it's actually been a while since I've listened to their older stuff.) There are some Eastern strings (sitar?), some kind of flute, and something else that escapes my memory at 4am. Piano!! I knew I'd remember. It gave the album a very Eastern feel. Which is kind of odd, considering the album is called God is Good. God as in singular, which is really more of a Western point of view. I really want to delve into the lyrics more. I've been reading alot about alternate theories of human history, reinterpretation of the Bible and Eastern religion, so I'm kind of in that mindset right now. I think this one will get a lot more spins before it eventually winds up somewhere in my Top 40 of 2009. I'm totally going to meditate to this album. It's so chill. Some herbal accompaniment wouldn't hurt either.

Speaking of Al Cisternos, he's also in Shrinebuilder. I've heard one song from this doom supergroup so far.It rules. The album is going to destroy us all.

Hey, whatever happened to Kim Thayil?

Random whatevers.

Just some stuff i've been listening to. I'm not in a "write a review" mindset right now, but I'm bored.

I had a reader ask me about Burnt By The Sun. He asked if I could recommend any similar artists. That's a really hard question. I've listened to the album, Heart of Darkness, about 4-5 times since he asked the other day. I still haven't come up with an answer I'm satisfied with. Maybe because Heart of Darkness is so good, you don't need to listen to anything else! It's heavy, intense, complex. The vocals are passionate. There's new subtle textures I hear every time I listen to it. I hear metal. I hear hardcore. But despite the iTunes tag, I wouldn't consider it metalcore. It's great. I might even listen to it again today.

I listened to the new Every Time I Die this morning. New Junk Aesthetic. It's okay. Pretty typical ETID. It's fun. It's not exactly straightforward riff-wise but it's not hard to listen to either. It was my first go around so I haven't formed a solid opinion yet. But, I have a feeling ETID is more in their element in a live setting. Even on the album the vocalist has a commanding presence that would be awesome to see on stage. Ya never know, they might even come to Kingston!

I listened to the new Black Dahlia Murder album, Deflorate, last night/this morning. First time I heard it I was unimpressed. I must have been having a bad day or something because it's pretty kick ass. Love the vocals. I think I like them so much because it's the kind that I like to scream along to. Like Blood Tsunami and Skeletonwitch. Almost black metal vocals mixed with death growls. I was really into it driving around last night. Until I picked the kids up. I didn't turn it off. Just down. And I wasn't screaming at the top of my lungs.

What else? Samael! Above. That is a loud fuckin' record. I usually don't like keyboards in my black metal but they are well used here. Not dominating. It did seem a little long thoug. There wasn't enough difference between the songs to keep me intensely interested all the way through. And the remix at the end? I was having none of that.

Yesterday's feast also included a band called Culted. I can't remember the name of the album. Beneath something or other Thunder Deep. I think. I feel bad not remembering because it's pretty awesome. Slow, atmospheric, blackened doom. Most of the time I don't have the patience to let stuff like this get where it's going. (if it ever does) Decibel gave it a 9 and most of the band is Canadian so I toughed it out. Glad I did. It sounded bleak and depressing but at the same time, I was tapping my toe and nodding my head. How does that happen? Very nice range of guitar tones. The vocals were tolerable. If you don't like basement black metal vocals, you won't like these. They fit with the music so I didn't mind.

The last thing I've listened to today was Dying Fetus - Descend Into Depravity. Brutal tech-death awesomeness. I saw a video for one of the tracks of this and it really showcases the technicality. Especially bassist Sean Beasley. That dude is fucking amazing. Finger tapping AND sweep picking!! "Hello Jaw. Meet Floor". Amazign musicianship. Brutal brutal brutal vocals. Technical without sacrificing the songs, or being self-indulgent. It's weird. I like this, but I don't like Cynic, Obscura, The Faceless, etc and I do like Origin and Arsis. What is with me anyway? I don't make sense.

I downloaded a Metal Maniacs sampler. Most of it was shit. There MIGHT be 2 bands on it that I would care to hear more of. Surprisingly not Fetid Zombie or Bone Gnawer. Orthrus maybe? and possible Augury. The Century Media sampler should be better.

Ok. Time to read some abstracts of books recommended by Michael Tsarion.

3 Inches of Blood - Here Awaits Thy Doom

3 Inches of Blood - Here Awaits Thy Doom: This is a hard review to write. But write it I will. When you hear a 3IOB record you kind of know what you are going to get. Old-school riffage, fantastical/battle-themed lyrics, and some high-pitched singing courtesy of Cam "He Who Is Most Aptly Named" Pipes. So when I started listening to Here Awaits Thy Doom I couldn't help but feel that something was missing. That something was second vocalist,Jamie Hooper. The Screamer. Guitarist Justin Hagberg does lend some unclean vocals here and there but it's just not the same. The screaming was a integral part of what hooked me on 3IOB in the first place. (A friend at a record store put on Battlecry Under a Wintersun years ago and I dismissed it before I heard the screams. Then, last year, a different friend was raving about their shows so I gave them a second, more serious, chance. I had recently been expanding my musical horizons and was enjoying bands that I had previously (blindly) never cared for. i.e. Iron Maiden.( gimme a break. I was late to the party. Pantera's Far Beyond Driven turned me onto metal.) I ate Battlecry..., Advance & Vanquish and Fire Up The Blades right up. My favourite aspect was the screaming. I thought "How fucking awesome would it be if all the vocals were that visceral, strip-flesh-from-the-bone screaming?!" Instead, they are totally absent. Too bad the screams virtually destroyed his vocal chords and forced him to depart.

It's still a cool album. It's still got the battle theme, the riffage and the Pipes. And it's catchy as fuck. The songs get stuck in your head real good. Now whether that is due to catchiness or repetition is up for debate. "Preacher's daughter" is repetitive in "Rock and Roll All Nite" proportions. Maybe it's just the lack of screaming but I also feel HATD is a little less ferocious than previous efforts. I can hear a wider range of influences seeping through as well. Obviously KISS, the usual Maiden/Priest and I think I can hear some Black Sabbath, maybe some Skynyrd, Allman Brothers and Zeppelin too. It's hard to pinpoint for a young'un like me who wasn't raised on that stuff. (Country. UGH. Why Mom? Why???!) Like I said, pretty good album but I miss the screaming.

However, nothing is going to stop me from seeing them next month when they come to town. You'll see me rockin' out, front and center!!! Oh yeah, I'll be there to Rock In Hell.


Hey, whatever happened to Filter?

Clutch! Comin atchya live!!

I made the trip to Toronto last Wednesday to see the greatest band ever, live in concert. Oh yes. I'm talkin' about Clutch! They played at the Phoenix. I had never seen a show there. It's quite the place. I'm used to seeing shows in small clubs/bars. And I'm usually right up at the front so sound quality goes right out the window. So, I was really impressed with the sound at the Phoenix. I could listen to each component. I could distinguish each guitar from the other, the bass from them both. It was a nice change. Don't get me wrong, I love small clubs. But with a band like Clutch, it's not about screaming or headbanging or moshing or being as loud as (in)humanly possible. At a Clutch show, it's about the experience. A religious experience. And Neil Fallon is the preacher. The stage his pulpit. Guitarist Tim Sult and bassist Dan Maines, while being absolutely amazing, are pretty much glued to the floor. Drummer J.P. Gaster (who pulled double duty with Wino) is a spectacle unto himself. Watching him play is fun! Between his facial expressions, his bouncing around on the stool and his unique beats, he'd be worth the ticket price alone. Back to Neil. He's probably the best frontman I have ever seen. (Phil Anselmo may be the other) He has such a conviction. An energy that is hard to describe. He is one with the words. He can look you in the eye and you will believe whatever comes out of his mouth.

One of the best things about seeing Clutch live is you never really know what to expect. They change the setlist up every night. So if I had the extreme pleasure of catching more than one date on a tour, it would be a like a whole new experience. Even better than that are the jams. Oh the jams! The Clutch boys have such an incredible sense of each other. They are locked in. It's like they can read each others minds. They can slip into a jam and carry it out for 5, 10, 15 minutes and be so far away from where they started and WHAM! Right back into the song. Perfectly. And it's not just the bass and drums providing a beat for the guitar to do it's thing. At any given time, any instrument can be the centrepiece. It's amazing. One of these days, I'm half expecting Neil to just start rambling off lyrics improv style. They played for about an hour and 45 minutes including, I believe, a 4 song encore. You get every penny worth. None of that 45 minute set crap. I don't recall them playing anything pre-Clutch. I also don't remember anything from Jam Room or Pure Rock Fury. They might have. I'd have to check the setlist. They played a good chunk off the new record, Strange Cousins From the West. No "Spacegrass", no "Escape From the Prison Planet", no "Dragonfly" but you can't have everything. If I had anything bad to say about the show it would be the occasional echo effect on Neil's mic. I don't know if it was just the acoustics of the building or if it was a bad effect, but it didn't sound very good. They used some weird effect during "The Yeti" during the "...time is of the essence..." parts. It didn't fit at all. It wasn't even close to the album sound. Instead of it sounding like someone talking farther from the mic it sounded like someone talking underwater. I don't who's idea it was, but it was a bad idea. Relatively minor complaints, I guess.

So basically, what I'm trying to say is, Clutch were, are and always will be, the best live band you will ever see. (Best recorded band too. Just the best. Ever. Believe it.)

In case you were wondering about support acts, I have a few words for them too. Circumstances prevented me from seeing opener, Lionize. I'm not hearbroken that I didn't get to see them. But I would have liked to. They sounded kinda trippy from what little I heard online. And I was in a trippy mood. (wink wink) I did see/hear most of Wino's set though. By that point in the day I hadn't eaten in almost 12 hours. ( I just plum forgot. Too excited) So that signature Scott "Wino" Weinrich tone and it's subsequent low-frequency resonance was doing funny things to my stomach. I had to step away for a few minutes and then stand in a ridiculously long and slow moving line to get some $3 water. I was concentrating more on the line and the loudmouthed idiot in front of me than the band. What I did see though was pretty good. Performance wise it was kind of sub-standard. They didn't move that much. The music was great but it wasn't so much a "show" as a listening party. Plus, they had J.P. on the kit so that was like an extra bonus. I'm a big fan of all of Wino's work so I would like to see them again. On a full stomach.

Below is the shirt I bought. Sweet.

MetalMatt needs your help

I'm taking an anger management class and my assignment is to find a song that describes how I feel. I am really bad with remembering lyrics.
Can you help?

I feel:

angry all the time
like nobody listens to me
like every one is an idiot
like I HAVE to yell to be heard
want to throw things and hit things all the time
want to be alone
disconnected
depressed
nothing is interesting


Basically, I feel like doing anything that is not for myself directly is a hassle and I am always hassled. I am a walking ball of rage with no control.

Know any songs that sound like that?

Titan!!!

Toronto's Titan posted a live video of new song "Warmer Months". It slays.

I've been busy, alright!

I've been pretty busy this month so I haven't really posted. I have been listening to plenty of metal but I just haven't had the time to post much. If you follow me on Twitter, I posted little comments there more often. But, because I feel like I am neglecting you, I'll post some stuff right now, instead of reading a very, very, very interesting book. (Atlantis, Alien Visitation, and Genetic Manipulation by Michael Tsarion)

I don't really pay that much attention to lyrics. However, the other day I was staining the fence while listening to my iPod. Since I wasn't reading or surfing the web, I actually paid a little more attention. Here's what happened. Heaven & Hell, pretty cool stuff. Dio's lyrics really separate H&H from Black Sabbath. Behemoth (Evangelion), I still couldn't make out most of it. All I remember is "Hail Dionysus!" Good enough for me! Birds of Prey (The Hellpreacher), I've listened to this album at least a half dozen times, or more, and this was the first time I sort of got the concept. Not 100% but I got the whole prison thing and what not. I did have to pay some attention to the task at hand. Bloodhorse, I wasn't really paying attention. I was more thinking, when the hell am I gonna finish this staining!!

I recently listened to:

Shadows Fall - Retribution: Sounded pretty solid on first listen. Good rythym, good speed. Vocals sound pretty good too. There's the odd part that is kinda weak but overall good. At times, I thought it sounded like Trivium. In a good way. I will def be listening to this more. It deserves it.

The Black Dahlia Murder - Deflorate: Again, pretty good on first listen. A little bit techy for me but the non-"generic death grunt" vocals made up for it. I've never been a huge BDM fan, but I've always enjoyed them. This deserves more listens too.

Baroness - Blue Record: I've only listened to a few tracks but I like what I hear. I don't think it's a heavy as the Red Album. There is always so much to hear with Baroness. I'll have to spin it a few more times to see how it will rank for this year.

New Shrinebuilder song!!

A new Shrinebuilder song (Pyramid on the Moon) is streaming on their myspace.

http://www.myspace.com/shrinebuildergroup

For those of you who don't know, Shrinebuilder is the new supergroup featuring Wino, Scott Kelly (Neurosis), Al Cisternos (Sleep, OM), and Dale Crover (Melvins).

It's fucking incredible.

a few words on what I've been listening to

Battlefields - Thresholds of Imbalance: Pretty good. A little boring in parts (tinkly guitar passages) but nice to chill to. I haven't finished it yet but I will.

Burnt by the Sun - Heart of Darkness: haven't finished this either but it's turning my crank. Nice and heavy. Some great riffs too.

Not really impressed by Artillery, At War, or Axis Powers. Azarath and Backwoods Paycheck sound pretty good.

Swashbuckle - Back to the Noose: I really liked the track "Cruise Ship Terror" when I heard it on the Nuclear Blast/Sumerian sampler. So I was excited to hear the whole album. It's better sounding than their debut production wise. But, the pirate metal shtick gets old fast. The little spoken shit in between songs is pointless and boring. Like cut-scenes in video games. Back to the Noose is good and fun but all in all forgettable.

There has been a lot of talk recently about Dino Cazares. The whole Fear Factory fight, a new Divine Heresy album and what not. It got me thinking. Dino has done better than (later day) FF and Divine Heresy. Asesino!!



I still need to show up at a show with a mask like the drummer. So fuckin' awesome.

Phil Anselmo is the man

I recently came across a series of videos of Phil Anselmo speaking to a group at Loyola University. I've linked it here for you because you need to see it. Phil is my favourite performer ever. EVER. He speaks from the heart and chews a lot of gum. hahaha

Arrrrrrrgh!!

Swashbuckle - Crewed by the Damned: I'm new to this whole Pirate metal micro-subgenre. But I think I like it. I first heard of Swashbuckle from the track "Cruise Ship Terror" on the Nuclear Blast/Sumerian sampler. I love the track so I'd thought I check out more. When I went searching, Back to the Noose wasn't out yet. So I went back an album. CbtD sounds pretty cool, if not very polished. LOTS of "Yo ho!"s. It's very fun to listen to. I hope they don't mean to be taken seriously though.(I'm pretty sure they don't) That's fine by me! I like fun. I particularly like the thrashiness of it. And the gang shouts. (of Yo Ho! of course) There is a definite step up in terms of quality and production from Crewed by the Damned to "Cruise Ship Terror". Which means, Back to the Noose is gonna plank your ass!!

I don't know about the "eternal" part

Darkest Hour - The Eternal Return: Darkest Hour went back to their old producer (Brian McSomething) for this one. And yes, it harkens back to the good ole days of Darkest Hour. Rough and raw vocals and all that. But it doesn't fit. That's not really Darkest Hour anymore. Or maybe Devin Townsend turned DH into something they weren't? And now they've gone back? I dunno. But like I said, something doesn't fit. I think what it is, is that the vocals have gone back but the music still progressed. They still have that driving punky drum force and the guitar work is fantabulous. But uh, where'd Paul go? You know, the bassist? If I listen real hard I can hear him but it might as well not even be there for all it does. Not blaming Paul. He's good, I've seen him play. Solely blaming the mix. All in all, it's not a bad album but there's nothing really catchy enough about it to bring me back much. Besides, some of the solos sound very Dragonforce-ish. Yikes!

Chimaira ping-pong.

Chimaira - The Infection: This album had the shit hyped out of it. And deservedly so. Chimaira has released some great stuff. Just every other release. Let's start at the beginning. I can't remember the name of the first album (if I was at home, I'd just look on the shelf) but I liked it. I almost got a Chimaira tattoo ( I know someone who did). They reminded me of Slipknot. ( Another tattoo close call) Sometimes I get a craving for that album. Second one. Can't remember that name of that either. (might be on shelf at home) Bored by it. Here's how bored. I saw them as part of the original SOTU tour in Mississauga. During their set, a buddy of mine and I actually laid down on the concrete floor, and had a nap. No joke. No beers, no weed either. We were just that disinterested in seeing them perform we were able to nap on a concrete floor, with 100+ dB music playing. Third album, Resurrection. Aptly titled. Great album, nice comeback. The Infection, BORING. I guess that's being a bit harsh, but I think I've tried to listen to it 3 times and haven't made it all the way through yet. It just doesn't grab me. It feels contrived to me. Too many triggered drums. I feel it's too trendy. (I smell record label influence) Vocals and lyrics seem whiny and amateurish. At least I can bank on the next one being good! No doubt I'll try to listen to it again but it has some pretty stiff competition just in the "C" section of my iPod. (Clutch, Candlemass, Coalesce, Cobalt, Children....) Gonna have to do better if they want to stand out in the crowd.

More like Pray for Mercy!

Devildriver - Pray for Villians: First of all, how fucking long IS this?! It seems to go on forever. With every song just sounding like the last. Granted, I was listening to the version with bonus tracks but still, it was long. It wore out its welcome long before that. I didn't finish. I flipped to something else before the bonus track was over. The bonus track actually sounded like a better recording than the rest of the album. I used to like Coal Chamber, I used to like Devildriver. But I don't know about this one. I think the pedigree is a double edged sword. On one side, I did find some enjoyable stuff on it. Some catchy riffs, that sort of thing. But was I looking for them, for something to cling to? Maybe. On the other side, I was expecting it to kick some serious ass. It didn't kick my ass, that's for sure. It was decent enough but Dez sounds like he's trying to hard. Like it's forced. It just doesn't seem genuine. Better than most of the shit out there but I doubt it will be making my Best of 2009 list.

Because I suck

I should have been in Toronto last night. I should have been getting my doom on to Zoroaster, The Gates of Slumber and (the almighty) SerpentCult. But I wasn't. I was at work. Overtime. Because I suck. Instead I listened to a couple shitty albums on my breaks.

What do you get when you mix two parts Fear Factory and two parts Threat Signal? LinkinShank? Spinepark? Chester Santos? Useless nu-metal garbage? Close. You get Arkaea. Christian and Ray of/formerly of (the battle rages on) Fear Factory and 2 dudes from Threat Signal got together and made possibly the worst album of the year. While, I'm assuming, trying to be serious about it. Well maybe not the worst. (Oceano) But certainly not any good. It sounds like Spineshank without the electronics, or Linkin Park with balls, with a little FF influence. Raymond Hererra should be ashamed to be associated with this.

Speaking of Fear Factory members who should be ashamed...Dino, Dino, Dino. What is wrong, man! Who in the fuck! is that singing on the new Divine Heresy? (Bringer of Plagues) Possibly the worst singer I have heard in a long time. That's the best you could do?! Totally ruined a decent album. It could have been a better album for sure. Overall, I found it to be a bit repetitive but pretty rippin'.But the vocals...Satan help me.

Up next for listening, the new Behemoth and Kowloon Walled City.

Bored

I am bored and my brain is kinda mushy so I am gonna talk about the last 2 albums I listened to. It'll be brief and not very thought out.

Goatwhore - Carving Out the Eyes of God: First of all, what an awesome album title. Goatwhore has always been one of those bands that I know I enjoy but can never remember very much about them. That may change with this one. I think it's great. I've been in a phase lately that I need things to hit hard and hit fast. Carving Out the Eyes of God delivers that. If you know anything, you can hear the NOLA sound in it, but it brings more than just that. I can hear thrashier, punkier elements in it. I makes me want to headbang and mosh at the same time. Breakdown-free mosh, that is. They are touring with Abysmal Dawn so they obviously fit in with the death metal crowd. I could see them playing with thrash bands or hardcore bands too. I think this album is gonna get some heavy rotation on the ole iPod.

Warbringer - Waking Into Nightmares: I have always loved Warbringer. I like the new school thrash movement and they are in the upper tier. (Unlike Wolf. I can't get past the first 4 songs of Ravenous) I can't really compare them to any of the old school thrash bands because I didn't really listen to any other than the Big Four. If I HAD to compare them to one of those four, I'd say Anthrax. Not as evil as Slayer, not a riff-y as Megadeth and not as long-winded (?) as Metallica. I can hear more punk/hardcore influence in it, similar to Anthrax. But it's not really a strong comparison. The vocals really stand out for me. I like vocals that sound as if they have to sung with conviction. Like you can't half-ass it. Maybe that's why Hetfield sucks now. No conviction. Just do yourself a favour and check it out.

I am going to listen to Executioner by Mantic Ritual next. It's awesome.

And I can't wait to get my mitts on the new Swashbuckle. I have "Cruise Ship Terror" burned in my brain.

what I've heard today

Sea of Bones - The Harvest: I'll definitely have to listen to it some more but it sounded pretty good on first go. Very atmospheric and broody. Sounds nice and evil.

Stinking Lizaveta - Sacrifice and Bliss: Again, just a first listen. I thought it was great. I'm getting pretty picky with my instrumental stuff but this makes the cut.

Suffocation - Blood Oath: I already reviewed this one.

I just started listening to Seance - Awakening of the Gods. Sounds pretty good so far. I just hope it doesn't get same-y as the album goes on.

Quickies

Mantic Ritual - Executioner: Awesome! Total speed thrash!! Welcome back 1983!! Whiplash inducing!! Don't even try to keep up!! Where's my jean jacket?

Jungle Rot - What Horrors Await: Death metal. No bones. Punky beats, buzzsaw guitars. Rasped bellow vocals. There's good chugging goin' on but you can shove your breakdowns up your ass!

Wino - Punctuated Equilibrium: It's Wino. Nuff said.

Suffocation - Blood Oath

I don't have a lot of experience with Suffocation. I have heard Effigy of the Forgotten a couple times. Everything in between is unknown to me. About 1 song into hearing Effigy for the first time, I knew I was missing out. So I was pretty excited when I heard they were releasing a new disc this year. Blood Oath might just have one of the best album covers ever. It reminds me of the days before the Internet when you would buy an album just based on the cover. (That's what I did with my first Slayer cassette) I mean, that's some seriously awesome imagery.
Equally awesome are the tunes assaulting my eardrums (Thank Satan, I don't think I could stand listening to the Barbie movie my daughter is watching right beside me). I got a taste of Blood Oath on the Nuclear Blast/Sumerian sampler in last month's Decibel Magazine. The track was "Cataclysmic Purification". From what I have heard so far, it was a fair representation of the album. Old school death metal. No jazzy breaks, no fucking gay-ass breakdowns, no dual vocals. Just pounding, in your face, death metal. The way it's supposed to be. Ugly, brutal, uncompromising. Don't get me wrong, dudes have chops. The difference is, it's more from the gut. It's not "hey, look! We can do "this"!" just for the sake of doing it. I hear a lot of bands that are really good until they go into some totally off-beat interlude crap for no apparent reason. Just bring the heavy. What's really standing out for me how even though the drums and the overall feel of the music is full speed ahead, my head is banging slowly. Also, the vocals are incredible. Right up there with George "Corpsegrinder" Fisher. (Ha. My daughter stole my headphones and was dancing around to "Marital Decimation" Gotta start 'em young.)

I'll have to listen to Blood Oath more but it's absolutely one of the best death metal releases of 2009.

Holidays

I've been on holidays so I haven't been keeping up with the blog. I will tell you this:

The new Clutch rules.
The new Candlemass is awesome.
I still love LOG's Wrath.
I haven't listened to Blood Oath by Suffocation yet but I am sure it kicks ass.
As much as I don't want to admit it, the songs I've heard from Swashbuckle and Blackguard kinda rule.