New Mini Reviews Blast 9.28.2010 ..

Palace of Skulls- As A Dog returns-CD (Giddy Up Records)

As most of you know Classic Doom is very hit or miss with this reviewer. This is on the side of question for me its a bit on the trippy side for me but there are bands like Monster Magnet that have won me over. This is more in the Sheavy, Orange Goblin and Non wino St Vitus moments . I just can't get into this much groove even though Palace of Skulls are bass heavy as well. As a dog returns is just to clean vocaled and stoner for my tastes. If they could lay a bit lower on the groove they would be more like  classic Trouble and then I would love them. Oh well you can't win them all.

http://www.giddyuprecords.com/

SONS OF TONATIUH-S/T-CD (Hydrophonic Records)

And now for the polar opposite of what Palace of Skulls has to offer crusty sludge noise doom mix with a heavy does of Hardcore and hate. Bands like Sons of Tonatiuh are just want the doctored ordered for me killer mix of Eyehategod, Buzzoven, Grief, Noothgrush and Cavity for that nola noisey sludge sound I just can not get enough of. Love the feedback from the guitar the sloppy yet beautiful drumming and the vocals that are just side of a trailer park fight. What can I say the sonic syrup that comes from bands like Sons of Tonatiuh is torment to some but to others this is where we need to let our sickness to the world around us out. Southern fried Doom extreme.... Horns up and high on this one folks..

http://www.myspace.com/hydrophonicrecords

Killing Joke - Absolute Dissent-CD (Spinefarm)

What can one really say about a legendary Punk, Industrial, Noise Alt band that broke and invented boundaries for other bands to mold themselves into. From what I see this is the original line up the 1st time in over 20 yr Jaz Coleman is what people like Buzzo of the Melvin and Mike Patton of Faith no more aspire to be. This man is the Godfather of the Industrial Aggro Punk sound hands down and with Absolute Dissent they have come full circle to where Killing Joke should be massive in sound yet still biting and machine like in tone. Killing Joke is as much about the cold melodies as the anti notes and sounds around what their creating sonic like. The very flanged and verved out guitar tones and the anthemic cries from the voice coming from the speakers.  As always there is a very polished uneasy quality to all Killing joke do this completes the overall magic to there musical mastery..


http://www.spinefarm.fi/

Thrall- Away from the haunts of men-CD (Moribund Records)


Thrall is all things Post Black metal needs to be . Unnerving, Jazzy, Bleak, Bass Heavy and open in tuning and sounds. Maybe I'm crazy but Thrall is what Ved Buen Ende  would sound like if they were more Black metal and less Prog Metal. This has a lot to do with bands like DHG and Code to what I hear just is a bit more raw and primal mode. Thrall has a strong love for Satyricon and that is only in the best of manners. Moribund seems to find them and let these bands grow and fester till the  madness can no longer go.  Away from the haunts of men is so damn dissident in sound and construction this album has an other worldly feel written all over the tracks. Thrall remind me a lot of a more minimal Thorns at times as well.  Very well done and one of the more interesting bands on the label makes me long for a new Azrael  CD from Moribund..


http://moribundcult.com/





Emergency Gate- The Nemesis Construct-CD ( Metalville)


Technical and Prog influenced Swedish melodic death metal with that fantastic industrial touch so many of the bands are adding now on the Listenable and Season of Mist rosters. If you like Soilwork, Dark Tranquility, In Flames and Gorija then this is for you. The twin guitar assault with the blasting drums and heavy complex bass work is amazing. There are some goth element going on here esp with the synth work. Really digging the clean, screamed and death vocals. There is a catchy element to this in the same way All that remains gives you as of late.  If you like bands like The Kovenant  this will impress the hell out of you as well. There are many layers on this onion and it will take a lot of time to full digest all that is going on here . Thank you for that alone forget the amazing metallic beast at hand.

http://www.metalville.de/

New Reviews @ AZM 9/18/2010

Algaion-Exthros-CD (Pulverised Records)

Algaion is one of the old guard as I call it real Swedish Melodic Black Death with bands liked Dissection, Dawn, Unanimated and a few others.. With Algaion the bleak is always held with the same reguard that the melodic tones are. The vocals are those that are spewed from the darkest pits of all things Metallic and Pain filled. If you miss the 90's Swedish Extreme metal sound for Black metal Algaion is very much band and with a drive I have not seen in yrs. Pulverised seems to have a love for this style as a few other really embrace it on the label a well. This duo really never lets down and really fills the void for a very missed and underrated Dissection that we lost way to early in there amazing career.. Long live Algaion and lets not stop Arditi as well we need another release from them as well Marten...

http://www.pulverised.net/




Meitgsnow- Black Penance-CD (Pulverised Records)

Goth, Alt Rock meets metal Meitgsnow is a very odd band to say the least think if you could mix Our Lady Peace yes Our Lady Peace, Peter Murphy and HIM all into a pot and you have something very close . There are some more extreme moments that happy but as a whole if you added Tiamat into this I think you may have unlocked the key to the bands full sound and to top it all off I'm blown away how much I like this release a whole. Meitgsnow is infectious in a very odd and pleasing way.. The vocals are just so over the top for the music it makes you smile. There is a complexity to Black Penance as well. Pulverised through another monkey wrench at me and got me to like it Kudos to you on this..

http://www.pulverised.net/

Atheist- Jupiter-CD (Season of Mist)

Left Field Jazz Metal with the most progressive of sounds.. This time out Atheist over the stop/ start career of 20 plus years is at the most extreme of sounds in years as well. The sound is huge were at time the albums have sounded a bit thin and open .. Season of Mist have an amazing event going on with Jupiter if your a fan of bands like Opeth, Gojira and The Red Chord then you need to check out the originals. There is a strong love of bands like Nevermore and Older Voivod going on here as well. Jupiter is a Juggernaut of styles, sounds and arrangements. I even live the very futuristic sounding vocals that are part Thrash and part power metal.. Love the crazy time changes yes I really am a music geek lol. I will end it with this if you like complex rhythms and miss the days of complex technical thrash this is what your looking for .. GET THIS NOW.......

http://season-of-mist.com/




Diskreet- Engage The Mechanicality-CD (Siege of Amida/ Candlelight)

Wholy shit Tech/Avant Death Metal that is stopping me in my tracks. The complexity of these tracks are some of the most impressive I've heard in a long while.. Someone like the guitar up and down the fretboard and that is respect saying this not a slam in anyway... The vocals are guttural and screamed . There is a modern Death metal to this as a whole but mix in with everything else. Diskreet makes me want to slam everything and everyone around me into the wall and or everything else I can mosh them into. The Drumming and Bass is like a whirlwind of warmth and talent all at once. If Forbidden or Testament were a Death metal band they would sound like this . I know their not from the region but Diskreet have a major love for the Bay area metal sound... We have a major melodic element going on as well shocking esp as the break neck speeds this band can come to and stop on a dime with.. This is an impressive release to say the least..

http://candlelightrecordsusa.com/

Alantean Kodex- The Golden Bough-CD (Cruz del Sur)

This reminds me of a mix of Yngwie Malmstens Rising Force and Kamelot its such an epic Power metal sound in that 80's kind of way.Flowing songs, soaring guitars and string and vocals that bring chills to ones very soul... Cruz del Sur has become a haven for majestic Power metals and with Alantean Kodex this no different . There is a very strong Thrash element to this band that some of the other Power Metal bands are missing as well. I almost feel an Iced Earth or Doom metal feel to this band. Alantean Kodex seem to have a Kinship in sound to label mates While Heaven Wept as well. I was not ready for the band to sound this musically doom when it started. The Golden Bough is one of those releases that will keep in your memory for days weeks maybe longer if your let it .. Power Metal Doom who would have thought it...

http://www.cruzdelsurmusic.com/



Pasadena Napalm Division- S/T-CD (Abyss Records)

So what to you get when D.R.I, Deadhorse and Angkor Wat members into one band and create sonic waves... What you get if fucking Magical my friend. Punk Thrashing Noise fucking Brilliance. I beyond on words as it sounds like Deadhorse and DRI having a musical fist fight and I just love this. I'm not sure why this is on on Rotten Records but my hats off to Abyss for getting this and releasing it. The production is tight and the music is heavy and pissed off all at the same time. There is more of a Punk Metal element to it all but you know what it works all the better for this release. I don't where this band is going but I could very call this the 2nd coming of the Motorhead musical movement.. As They were the 1st and I hear Punk and Metal mixed into perfection now we have Pasadena Napalm Divison ..... BE FUCKING WARNED!!!!

http://www.officialabyssrecords.com/



Jumalhamara- Resignaatio-CD (Ahdistuksen Aihio Productions)

Noisy pissed off Black metal in the old raw way of doing thins this is what were getting from a band I swear I have to pull my tongue out to even being to say there name. This is from the old school thought of Punk inspired Northern European Black metal. The names don't matter this the hatred and sickness that Jumalhamara presents that matters. Sometime its more about feeling and emotions then just the production of it all and this band is on one mission to make you loath and hate the surrounds you are in .. Job well done on this.. Resignaatio is also from a label I have never heard from before and now they will have me paying attention to there releases (one other from this label was sent and I will be reviewing it soon as well)... Jumalhamara goes from the brutally raw to an atmospheric noise quality a lot on this release . So maybe old school isn't the 100 % truth in all of this but it still hold that old BM pride as always. Same way bands like Aborym , Shining and Krieg do but are all their own bands very much as well. Its now up to you and see if you can withstand the might that is Jumalhamara.. mmmm blissful nightmares to all that try....

http://www.ahdistuksenaihio.com/