Watain Show Oct 30th Raleigh NC!!!

Watain was amazing Live Pure Brutal Swedish Black Metal here are some photos last night in Raliegh NC. Get all their CD from Ajna Offensive if you can . Thank you to Dave from Earsplit Pr for getting me to see this show!!!!!

AJNA OFFENSIVE

EARSPLIT PR

New Reviews 10/24/2008

Black Lotus- Harvest of seasons-CD (Bleak Art Records)
So we have the 2nd CD by the Epic Black/Dark metal force from Canada . There 1st release almost forgotten on Dying Empylver as there was zero promotion done with it. Now we have Harvest of season which is light years ahead of the 1st. The intro is a wonderful mellow dark classical / ambient moment that leads into the massive sounds of the band which is a strong mix of Borknagar and Dimmu Borgir for this listener. The Synth's are epic as are the blasting percussion the blistering and yet hypnotic and melodic guitar. The bass plays a progressive role here weaving through out the soundtrack and the vocals a mix of grim and powerful clean vocals that again are very close to what simon did and does in both bands mentioned. I love the way the release goes from total blasting metal to the acoustic and folk elements . There is something very special about Black Lotus and with there latest release the world will hear what they have to offer!!!! Not long for smaller indie scene this band is about to break big!!!

http://www.bleakartrecords.com/




Phobos- Ancedipal- Digibook CD (Megatron Mass Products)

INDUSTRIAL DOOM!!!!!!!!!! IS REBORN!!!!. Are you a Fan of Early Swans,Red harvest, Halo, Godflesh , The 1st Pitchshifter Album then Phobos is mandatory listening. This is a one destination killing music. The drum machine is punishing, the Pissed and mesmerizing vocal assault is just the icing on the cake to the slow and droning noisy guitar and the sub harmonic bass lines. Then when you turn the next corner Phobos gives you there love of bands like Earth, SunnO))) , Neurosis and Grief.. There is a sci fi element to all of this as well in the amazing packaging and artwork in this full color 12 page A4 booklet inside this A4 sized digibook. I'm not sure why they are no longer working with Appease me/ Candlelight but more power to Megatron Mass Products as this maybe the best release in the industrial doom style since Halo came and disappeared a few yrs back. I now need to hear there former release again as I know I have it somewhere in this god forsaken room. Phobos is an essential release for anyone that likes there music slow , epic and extremely unforgiving and rightly so.

http://phobosdrone.org/




The klank of črno migs – Disturbing perceptions-CD (Syrphe Records)

The packing for this and all the releases that Syrphe sent me stuck out 1st cool slip cases in gloss and mat cardboard and paper stock. The music is what I would call ultra avant experimental. This seems to be a a live recording of tones, drones, pops, hums, hisses, looped / manipulated voices and other out there electronic happenings. The klank of crno migs can get very ominous at times as well in a Dark Industrial way too. Disturbing places seems to have been recorded in Israel at a live show and from what I keep hearing This gentlemen has a lot of love for projects like Schloss Tegal, When, Maor tri and people like Steve Roach and Lustmord. There is a worship almost of the electroacoustic scene here and its amazingly well done. Disturbing places is very much headphone theater material as its sounds so much more interesting this way. Check it out if you will as this has peaked my interest for more. I think it will do the same for you.

http://syrphe.com/




Contagious Orgasm & C-drík – Journeys into space and time-CD (Syrphe Records)

Wow where to begin on this release I love it so much . Symphonic avant chaos is where I would strongly begin. This is where label like Soleilmoon, Jester Records, Tatra shine. The mix of the bizarre and more bizarre with a good sense to make it sound amazing , creepy, deep and dense, sad, happy and down right fantastic it. I would have to say if you could mix Bogus Blimp and When (early period like Prefab Wreckage) together . You will have something very close here. Journeys into space and time is just one of those releases that will take your breathe away if your an experimental music fan. There is so much going on in the collage of sounds and atmosphere's. It will take the listener several journeys to even begin to understand its beauty. This will be on my mp3 player for weeks to come. Brilliant simply Brilliant.

http://syrphe.com/




C-drík/Aluviana – Moje čelo-CD (Syrphe Records)

Cdrik seems to be one prolific son of a bitch and with each collab he creates a different element comes out of it. With this more its a more dark rhythmic / ethno sound with a very noise and deep dark droning backdrop. If your a fan of Rapoon or lull or even Muslingauze you will very much like this material. Again this is another amazingly tight well produced release where you can hear every tone, sound and effect layered with the utmost respect and craftsmanship. Syrphe seem to like to limit there releases to 300 copies and this seems to be a crime to me as yes your getting it to the true core fans but with a good pr person you could get these wonderful thought provoking sounds out to a lot more an kick the mainstream in its well needed fat ass. Releases like this prove that there is major talent in the experimental world and C-drik needs to be noted and congratulated on material of this caliber!!!!

http://syrphe.com/




Ministry of Rites- Grid-CD (Edgetone Records)

This is some very odd shit my friends .It sounds like the destruction of musical thought itself . If an industrial and jazz band got into a fight setting up at the same time on stage it may very well sound like this. There are drones, running water, Mangles flutes, horns, scratching records, vocal samples and and other sounds of things being warped and this is all on the 1st track . The we go into ambient free jazz with horns place over a experimental back drop. The 5th track we have a very john zorn meets broken illbient moment. I think this project would very much make Sun Ra and John Zorn crack a wonderful smile. Your going to worship or hate this there is no in between with Ministry of Rites and that is exactly they way they want it.

http://www.edgetonerecords.com/



Orpheos- The Mirror with No Reflection-CD (Self Release)

So Orpheos has sent me the completed CD after liking the promo CD and you know what the CD is a strong release in the ethereal/ goth rock scene if your a fan of David Bowie, Love and Rockets, Peter Murphy and Sisters of Mercy you will think its a blast of 80's / Early 90's Death rock. If there was labels that I think Orpheos would fit with I would say Middle Pillar, Projekt and Metropolis . I'm sure you see a common thread. This is far better then what Cleopatra throws up on the world. There are some more electro/ dancey goth moments but Orpheos always seems to keep the more rocking / bass driving side alive on The Mirror with No Reflection. Well worth Checking out and again its not something I normally like but there's a hypnotic vibe about Orpheos that draws me in.

http://orpheos.com/




Stiff Donut- Like a Cake on a Plate-CD
Stiff Donut- Once You Go Chocolate You Never Go Back-CD

What the fuck am I doing but this band if you can call it sent me these 2 cds and I will at least review them. This a rock/punk/metal joke band. Think of Negativeland, Sebadoh, King Missile, and Green Jello all singing about things they think are funny but clearly aren't. They are mostly Dick, Pussy and Religion jokes on a junior high level. I swear this is a Casio drum machine , guitar , bass and a kmart synth. I just don't get it as every song sounds the same on both CD. I you want to punish yourself then go ahead like I have . Here is the link at CDbaby to buy and listen. Good luck...

http://cdbaby.com/cd/stiffdonut1

October Falls Interview up 10/17/2008

http://koti.welho.com/mlehto4/of/of.html

1. The band went through a very big change in 2007 in sound what made you move from a more acoustic/ ambient sound to folkish Black metal / Pagan metal sound?

The main reason for the decision to split the expression into two paths, an all-acoustic and a harsher one, was the fact that I felt some of the new material worked better with a harsher approach, so I didn?t want to limit the expression to acoustic only. It may have been wiser of me to release the harsher material under a different name, but since I felt both paths carried the same ideals and themes, I didn?t want to create a side-project, but rather release both directions as October Falls.

2. What does the name Octobers Falls mean? Why was the name used?

This is a question that always rises, but sadly I can?t give an exact answer, as I can?t really recall the days the name was chosen. November Falls was also considered, but for some reason beyond my recall, October Falls was chosen instead.

3. Debemur Morti Productions has been your label since 2007 what made you move from Corvus to Debemur Morti Productions.

I guess when I decided to record and release the harsher material I wanted to look for labels oriented more towards that kind of music. A few labels were already showing interest towards the new and harsher material, but when Void from Debemur Morti wrote me telling he was interested in releasing ?The Streams of the End?, I chose them because I thought that would be the best option for October Falls. Now after a few years of collaboration I can still stand behind that decision.

4. Does October Falls perform live or are you just a studio outlet

In a way I think it would be misleading to call October Falls a studio outlet, because basically I work with this every day; it?s not like with these normal so called studio bands, where people just gather once a year, write and record an album and that?s it. On the other hand it?s an appropriate term, as I have no real desire to perform live. If I ever decided to do so, I would need to gather a session line-up for the event, so it?s very unlikely to happen anytime in the foreseeable future.

5. There seems to be a strong heathen/pagan element to the music, art, logos are you following a heathen belief of is it just part of you Scandinavian history that makes this come about.

There are no specific movements that I follow, so all the themes, music and lyrics come from my personal views and ideals. I don?t subscribe to the way of thinking where you read a few books on a given subject and swallow it all without any further thinking, and later deny any other knowledge available elsewhere. Personally I?m very inspired and interested in my heritage and the older cultural elements of my homeland. That has been a huge part of what October Falls is about and hopefully it can also be seen and heard on the records.

6. Being from Finland a more isolated names has this also influenced the sound as some the most unusual sounding metal projects have come from there Thergothon, Skepticism, Dolorian, Korpiklaani, Amorphis etc

If you?re referring to the fact that Finland is a fairly isolated place, and that having an effect on the sound of many groups coming from here, I guess you have a point there; it has also had an effect on how October Falls sounds.

7. If you were asked to explain the sounds of October Falls how would the band do so.

I think the sounds of October Falls echo nature, melancholia, sadness and anger, but never complete hopelessness. If I were to take a simpler way and just compare the sound to other bands out there, October Falls sounds a bit like a crossbreed of Ulver, old Behemoth, older Katatonia, with black metal and some neofolk-elements.

8. What are you thoughts of the digital age Mp3, Webzines, Myspace. are you fans of the 21st century ways or do you miss the ways of old radio, print zines, tape trading etc.

I?m generally more towards old fashioned ways, but I have nothing against mp3?s or webzines. Mp3?s are an excellent way to get to know a new band without using your money on something you wouldn?t really care for. Webzines are also good, but at least for me they will never be better than printed zines, as I like to be able to read the zines wherever I want. I have a rather strong negative opinion regarding MySpace, Facebook and similar sites, because I can?t understand all these so called friends and their ?hope you?re ok? messages, which to me feel disingenuous. I dislike that kind of communication with people, but I realize sites like them can be a great platform for promotion for bands and labels. Still, I?ve decided I don?t need that platform to promote my music. If they can?t find my music elsewhere, they can find something else.

9. Is there a running theme on The Womb Of Primordial Nature CD?

The whole lyrical concept deals with the womb of primordial nature, which is basically an analogy for humankind that hides the true face of the beast. It?s about the fact that every human has a beast inside of him/her, and when conditions are extreme or rough enough, it will burst through, no matter how pure or innocent the human is. The world is filled with perfect examples, where a certain circumstance, like war, has completely changed people?s behavior, and turned even the gentlest human being into raging beast. It?s like a hidden flame within the passive mind, which only needs a spark to light the hibernating fire again and to break the balance between the human and the beast.

10. Do you feel that the underground music scene is growing and taking new life or is it slowly fading away to the mainstream.

I think there will always be an underground scene. Some bands ?grow out? of it, or at least people assume they do, but when one band has moved towards the mainstream, there are a lot of new bands taking their place in the underground. So in my opinion the people who think the underground is dying, it?s more about the fact that they?ve grown out of it than the scene itself dying.

11. What are some of the things October falls are currently listening to or reading. Please share this to us.

I?ve recently been listening to the strong new split release by Absurd, Grand Belial's Key & Sigrblot and of course some other records like the debut of Totalselfhatred and an older classic, Heart of the Ages by In The Woods... Sadly I have very little time to read these days, but I?m just starting to read Suomalainen Samanismi (Finnish Shamanism), a topic that interests me a lot, so I can?t wait to really focus on this one.

12. Your website is very minimal is there do to lack of caring or just the music to do the talking

The only reason behind a simple website is that I didn?t want to include a lot of personal information on the site, so there?s no biography or anything like that. There are the latest news, discography and a few links to samples from the latest albums and that?s it. I even took out the email address, as I felt it was there for no reason.

13. thank you for your time any closing thoughts here

Thank you, kiitos.

Brave Interview is up 10/17/2008

Interview with Suvo Sur, Violinist, Keyboardist, BRAVE

1. Tell us what have Brave been up to for the last 4 yrs.

Groupies, man. Groupies. They seem to keep coming out of the woodwork. And they’re all a pisser to keep track of. Someone needs to invent some sort of pocket organizing device with an advanced touch screen and cutting edge applications. And ‘I’ should be able to make ‘PHONE’ calls on it. In other words, I will PHONE people with it. Or in other, other words, I PHONE. They could call it like “The Personal Portable Celluphonic Communiqué Transmissionment Systematron” or something.

In all seriousness, we’ve been uber-focused on writing some of our best stuff yet. But probably the biggest bit of fodder on our band’s news ticker is that we welcomed a 2^nd guitarist, Matt Kozar to the band. He has really helped solidify the lineup and has contributed immensely with getting Monuments written and recorded.

2. Your last full length was released on Dark Symphonies . Was there reason to not work with them again and release your material on your own.

Without going into too many details that could ultimately just bore you, we decided to go in a direction that would give us full control of the music. We certainly harbor no ill feelings towards anyone at Dark Symphonies, and in fact the contrary. They’ve remained instrumental in distributing our work and we definitely appreciate that.

3. " Monuments" seems to have a much more progressive and post rock feeling and moving away from the more metallic sounds of earlier releases. Is this the way you are moving the band or just natural progression.

That’s a pretty good observation. We still want to make sure we have some heavy (read: metal) throughout any of our songs. And even though we have some songs on Monuments that stay back a little, we still have a good deal of heavy, driving music that’s ultimately helped to really define our sound. In other words, I don’t think we try to consciously write any music in any given style. We just get together, jam, and whatever doesn’t sound like ass, we keep.

4. Will Brave be touring on this release or more just local and festival events.

We definitely hope to be touring again. And soon. For now, we’re working to get in on as many local shows as possible.

5. There is a major use of strings on this release I finds it adds a lot to the over all sound. what brought about the use of violins esp.

Unlike a lot of other bands out there, our goal is to make the strings and keys crucial layers to our music, not some sorta lame novelty act. Any boring band can take whatever blase song they have and throw in a bunch of pedestrian root note chords on a… umm, on a… ‘shitty’ string patch without thinking twice. Hopefully though, our use of violins and strings add a unique character to our music that would otherwise feel empty without them. You know – the same way we feel about the guitars, drums, bass, and vocals.

6. What is Brave's thoughts on the currently digital age are you fans of Myspace, Mp3s and Internet radio/ press. Or do you miss the days of old.

Myspace used to be pretty decent. Back before the days of garish glitter graphics, unsolicited whores begging to be my friend, and animated candy canes telling me how to spend my holidays, Myspace used to just be about bands – allowing them to network, set up gigs, and maybe even land a label. Now it basically an onslaught on all of our senses – you can pretty much taste the digital herpes at this point. But it still manages to serve a purpose. We’ve been able to reach out to people from all over the world - something we couldn’t do so easily in the ‘days of old.’

All in all, we like all the modern conventions. Besides, it’s so easy to fake like you’re working when you’re actually downloading shit from iTunes.

7. Does Brave Prefer to be working in studio or performing live?

Both have their pluses - Both can be fun; both can be rewarding; both can get you signed. Now, since you’re more likely to hookup with some random broad during a show, I’d have to give the edge to performing live. Especially since the alternative - hooking up to one of your own songs on CD is just plain weird, right?

8. Michelle's voice is never over done always seems to make the most out of the music at hand. I was wondering is she vocally trained or is this just an amazing natural talent.

Trick Microphones. Now that the secret’s out, we might have to get a little hardcore on somebody…

Nah man, thanks for the compliment, and you can’t get a reasonable level of performance outta someone without a good deal of natural talent. And we’re def lucky to have her front the band.

9. The Guitar and Bass lines seem to come from a more technical sound and style. how do the two seem to ebb and flow so well.

Good musicians beget good music. That and they both have lifetime subscriptions to ‘Rhythm Section Monthly.’ I’m told that the December ’08 issue has Stewart Copeland in a speedo on the cover. And…I just threw up a little.

10. Are there any letter known projects that the band would like to talk about to support and help give a step into the public light.

Umm…support clean energy, people.

11. Do the members of Brave play in other projects currently.

We’re all dabblers, really. Even though BRAVE is the primary joint for us all, we do have some other projects. A few of us play in a Virginia-based doom band called WHILE HEAVEN WEPT. There’s also another untitled doom project in the works that a couple of us are trying to get off the ground. Also, we’re working on doomy independent film soundtracks, eating doom-filled omelets for breakfast, sleeping on beds stuffed with doom, and, if time permits, collaborating with other independent musicians, (all which I’m told on good authority require doomlike musicianship).

12. If there was a label out there you would like to work with who would it be and why?

Whichever one P. Diddy has nothing to do with.

13. Is there a story behind Monuments or is it just a collection of wonderful melodic tunes.

It’s a wonderful collection of stories about melodic tunes. What was the question again?

14. thank you for your time any closing thoughts here.

Seriously, thanks for having us. And definitely check out our websites at:

www.bravemusic.com

www.myspace.com/braveband

Manticora, Circle II Circle and Jon Oliva's Pain Sat Oct 11th Volume 11 in Raleigh NC 2008

Zack and Jon with Pain doing Savatage Classics!!!

Jon Oliva's Pain Live

Circle II Circle Live

Manticora Live


I got to Volume 11 at 9:15 or some and Manticora was setting up. They had a small crowd of 30-40 people watching there mix of Power and Classic metal with a strong viking/fantasy theme. The vocals were very low but it came across as very samey on every song. I sadly lost interest fast with Manticora.

Next up was Circle II Circle and Zack's voice was never better and with addition of a new Guitarist Bill Hudson (Ex Power Quest, Cellador) the sound was powerful great harmony leads and dual solos, Backing Vocals , Powerful Drums (even a drum solo) and Heavy Bass lines that could be heard very well. Circle II Circle is a force in the metal world and seeing only 50-60 people at the venue seeing this amazing band on there 4 CD was a sign of the times. Money's tight and the people are staying home. You call missed out even Zack playing a few Savatage classics from Wake of Magellan with C II C.

In the Final Spot is the Mastermind Jon Oliva and his Pain. What can be said with a man that has more then 30 yrs crushing crowds in Savatage, TSO and Doctor Butcher. Jon's voice has never sounded better it was the last night of the tour so it was a very powerful evening and they play for over 2 hrs which ruled playing many Pain moments and Savatage classics from Hall of the Mountain King, Gutter Ballet, Streets, Edge of Thorns and Wake of Magellan. Zack hit the stage with The Pain force to do some Classic Savatage as well. The fact that I got you hear Hounds, When the Crowds are gone, Edge of thorns, Hall of the Mountain King that night made my month for this fan. The band is amazing and the emotion and skill presented is second to none. Though I sad there is no Savatage at this time with this line up both the great new Pain track and old Savatage songs live on with the greatest of respect and power.

The 80 of us at the venue that night were given a gift of Classic powerful metal/ hard rock that in this day and age is sorely missed with all the Pop R/B, Rap and throw away crap that Radio and Video Channels give you.

Long Live Intelligent Metal!!!

Oct 11th 2008 Reviews for Absolute Zero Media

OUTLAW ORDER-Dragging down the enforcer-CD (Season of Mist)

Man have I missed the gentlemen of Eyehategod one of the most underrated bands in the Sludge Doom/ Crust scenes ever!!! Well guess what we have here 3/5 of Eyehategod Mike Williams on vocals, Brian Patton on Guitar and Joey Lacaze on Drums. Outlaw Order in essence is a more punk/crust verision on EHG with a bit more bluesy guitar element. I can hear where Jimmy Bower (EHG Guitars) sounds were not he was the more feedbacked bluesy doom . If your an EHG fan your going to live for this as I am right now. This is pissed off full of noise and punishing riffs. Mr Williams vocals are as venomous as ever too. I love that Outlaw order kept the dirty production on this as in EHG. The bass is king again and alway should be with any NOLA Metal band. Though being signed by Season of Mist is a shocker as they were never the label for the Sludge sound of the 90's but they have the resources and push to get them out there in both North American and Europe so HELL YA. Turn you amp to 11 and cause a riot as the boys are back to kick you in the ass mentally and physically!!!

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

Want to email somebody a link to this photo?

Cynic- Traced in Air-CD (Season of Mist)

Its been over 10 yrs since I've last heard the Prog Jazz metal sounds of Cynic so will have to see where they have let them . With only one album to there credits in the 90's called Focus which to me had moments by was way too uneven to be hailed as a classic where bands like Pestilance and Cancer broke the genre wide open with classic Jazz fusion metal releases. This has more in common with bands like Opeth, Pain of Salavation, Aghora that are currently creating and performing. The Death vocals do work well with the clean harmony vocals. The mix of melodic jazz and prog guitars and the chaos of Death and Prog metal in the drums, bass and synth lines being used. There is clearly more focused on Traced in Air then there was on Focus. To my ears Cynic seems to be going into Queensryche, Dream Theater and even YES elements as well on this release were they tried to keep a more metallic tone over all 15 or so yrs ago. This will clearly not be for everyone but it you like your music adventurous and always changing then this is a band for you. fans of labels like Inside Out, Magna Carta and Abacus this will appeal to you greatly. Nice piece of work here gentlemen.

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



Thou- Peasant-CD (Autopsy Kitchen)

Holy all things that are slow and heavy please welcome Thou. This is again a genre crossing Doom project . There are elements of Black Metal (in the Vocals and guitar movements), Sludge/Crust in the Bass and lumbering Drums all wrapped up in the dark metal genre bands like Bethlehem, Shining, Dolorian and Deinonychus have mastered over the years. Autopsy Kitchen is a label of extremen and Thou fit that mold perfectly with Peasant. I know some will call me crazy but if Thergothon and Xasthur could merge as one unit I think it would sound like Thou!!!. You can feel the suicidal winds blow in the tone and riffs that are coming at you like a sloth about to die.. Some here also love Khanate and Burning Witch very much as well. If your a doom fan that likes atmosphere and blackened vocals you will put this on your top 10 for 2008 for sure.

http://autopsykitchen.com/

Harvist- Wolfskin Clad-CD (Stronghold Records)

Raw, Abrasive hateful black metal with a very pagan occult feeling to all things is what I hear with Harvist the guitars a burst of anguish in static tones . The bass is just a low end rumble and the drums are total chaos in the same way burzum and Judas Iscariot where. Harvist is the old school guard of black metal the same way bands like Krieg, Xasthur and Graveland where. You can hear the madness and pain in every word and note uttered on to this CD. The Spirits of the old God's of the world past when Heathen ran the realm and there was far less destruction and chaos are what you feel in Wolfskin Clad. Sometimes things need to sound ugly and bleak as thats just what they are and Harvist gives there all in that manner. It's good to hear not every band in the Black metal scene has forgotten where it all came from.

http://www.strongholdrecords.net

Woe-A Spell For The Death Of Man-CD (Stronghold Records)

Stronghold seems to have a love for all things Dark, Raw and Black metla as with Harvist we have a ultra pissed off black metal force with Woe. This sounds like a man on the edge of all things in life. Sometime is better to just let your lifeforce out in your music and ritual then on the world at large and this is the sound I get from Woe. The vocals are insanity supreme and screamed and cried as its his last days on this earth. There are some rather melodic and awe inspiring moments musically going on here. Again this would be for fans of the more agressive primitve black metal scene but there are places that will shock you no the less. I don't think I can say it any better then from the make of Woe itself... No drum machines, no corpse paint, no Renaissance Faire speak, no fake names, no lies. Honest, dark black metal, faithful to tradition without spewing clichés.

http://www.strongholdrecords.net

Omnium Gatherum- the redshift-CD (Candlelight USA)

There is a gothenburg vibe all over this release and not in a bad way just the tone and style. Its amazingly well done. The vocals and synths remind me a lot of Edge of Sanity or Dan Swanos Moontower esp the guitar work and little to be shocked by that as Dan Swano Worked with this band in the studio for the final CD release. There is a proggish element to all of the redshift and I think this is what makes it all the more interesting. There is a focus and flowing complexity to this they have a lot in common with bands like Katatonia , Amorphis and Orphanage other bands that know how to make progressive complex metal music very exciting and making the listener dig into the project all the more. There is an slight Eastern vibe in the arrangements as well. Nothing over the top but just add to the experience as a whole. Omnium Gatherum has made yet another great experimental metal release the world should treasure and yell on the rooftops about. They must be one hell of a band live is all I can say.

www.candlelightrecordsusa.com

Featuring Female Member issue for reviews @ Absolute Zero Media

Brave-Monuments-CD (Self Released)

Michelle and Scott Loose have returned to the Prog rock/Metal realm after 4 long years. This is much less metal and very much a very Heavy Progressive Rock release. That focuses around very tasty guitar and bass melodies with a fantastic layer of synths and strings that is completely rounded out by a drummer that know were to get bombastic but still can hold back when the passage calls for it. Michelle's voice is as powerful and emotionally stirring as ever. I would even say there is a very Post Rock elements of bands like Rachels, The Changelings and Gathering going on in the music much more then in there ep back in 2004. Scott's guitars sound best in a cleaner and more fuzzed out tone then when they try to get so metallic. Michelle has a lot in common with a vocalist called Lana Lane and Heart to ears which works so well here. Monuments is a classic in the making. I hope the band self released by choice as labels like Inside Out or Napalm would be fools for not picking up Brave and showing the world what a band with the chops and masterful talent as this are filling stadiums.

http://www.bravemusic.com/

Girlschool-Legacy-CD (Wacken/Spv Records)

For 30 years now this all female powerhouse has been creating hard rock much to match any of the bands of the days gone by. Motorhead, Def Leppard, Guns n Roses and Skid Row. Girlschool with The Runnaway and later (Joan Jett, Lita Ford and Doro Pesh) have shown the world Heavy rock music wasn't just a boy's game and with Legacy in 2008 this shows you again were current bands like The Donna's and Paramore come from. Lets not forget to mention the guest appearances of members of Dio, Twister sister, Motorhead and Black Sabbath on this Juggernaut of powerful guitar work and leads, driving bass and a back beat to bludgeon one into submission. If you remember or loved the days of Blistering Arena Rock , Then do not miss out on Girlschool in 2008..
http://wackenrecords.com/



Abigail Williams - In the Shadow of a Thousand Suns -CD (Candlelight USA)

Abigail Williams are an interesting force all there own. Forming out of the ashes of Vehemence a fallen Death metal force that were on Metal Blade. Abigail William was born as a Symphonic Black / Death force very much more in common with Emperor, Dimmu Borgir and Old Mans Child. The moved from Arizonia and seem to have made a home in NYC now. There original female synth/piano mistress Ashley "Ellyllon" Jurgemeyer has rejoined the fold as the other female member has now because a full time part of Winds of Plague. This is there 1st proper full length and its full of majestic orchestral movements mix with blasting drums, guitar and bass and those grim blackened/ Clean operatic sung vocals you would have come to love with the bands above mentioned. The production as is needed with bands like this is second to none. Though its not groundbreaking material its brilliantly performed and crafted and that is all you need my friends. Abigail Williams is a force to be matched.

http://www.candlelightrecordsusa.com/

Samothrace- Lifes Trade-CD (20 Buck spin)

What we have here is a failure to communicate anything feeling other then despair , pain and sadness in other words a crushing goddamn Doom metal release with the Southern Sludge vibe to warm my blackened soul. If you have any love for bands like Grief, Eyehategod, Esoteric or Dusk (USA) then this is a must listen for your ears. 4 tracks none under 10 minutes in length of slow twisting and turning guitar and thunderous bass line and a drumming that really only needs a kick, snare and cymbal to make you feel his voodoo spell. The vocals come at you like a man possessed by addiction and madness and for what its worth on this release they have one bad ass female guitarist named Renata Castagna who seems to have left which is a damn shame as she has her chops down!!!. Much like Liz of 13 or Sourvein Fame. With each release 20 buck spin impresses me all the more. If your a Doom fan this is a must have!!!

http://www.20buckspin.com/




Forever Slave- Tales for bad girls-CD (Wacken/Spv Records)

What the fuck is this its bad goth synth pop with hard rock over done guitars. The vocalist is just horrible in vocal style, lyrical content and image. She is a cross between avril lavigne and marylin manison you could not polish this voice with all the effects on the board in any studio. Those synths are so happy and electro there down right annoying and the synth drums makes it sound like all those sad ass metropolis bands. Why would SPV put their money into a band that I can see Napalm records would have said too "come on kids pull it together before you send us a demo??" Maybe this shit fly's in Europe but man you can smell the stink of studio band with some goth girl fronting it . Wacken this is the 1st strike on an otherwise amazing track record.

http://wackenrecords.com/