THE MICROPHONES
THE GLOW PT 2
K
The latest offering by Pacific Northwestern lo-fi one-man band The Microphones is actually a reissue from 2001. Nonetheless, it requires multiple listens for the baked-in subdued goodness to soak into your big musical brain. Containing hushed melodies and tranquil rhythms accentuated via simple yet elegant instrumentation, the folksy feel and organic aura of this 20-track affair emits an engaging charm and earthy feel that reverberates through your soul. If you dig tripped out yet mellow music injected with a sense of lovelorn melancholy, then this disc (which comes with a bonus disc chock full of alternative versions, other tracks, and assorted other goodies) will be a welcomed addition to your collection. www.krecs.com -Mike SOS
OVERTHRONE
DECLARATIONS OF SECESSION
SELF-RELEASED
Sounding a bit too polished for the catacombs and definitely way too advanced to come from America, the Illinois duo known as Overthrone unleash their black metal malaise to the masses in the form of the eight-track DECLARATIONS OF SECESSION. Taking the template set by bands such as Cradle of Filth and incorporating it into their bastardized concoction of blast beats, synth overlays, and demonic vocalizations, songs like the title cut and "The Tribunal" contain the frenetic energy and genuine disdain necessary to pull off a competent yet maligned mutation of black, death, and progressive metal. www.myspace.com/overthroneband ; -Mike SOS
A SKYLIT DRIVE
WIRES AND THE CONCEPT OF BREATHING
TRAGIC HERO
Lodi, CA sextet A Skylit Drive champion the screamo dynamic on their 13-track release WIRES AND THE CONCEPT OF BREATHING. While at times the disc treads the dreaded paint by numbers waters, there's some decent riffing and strong song structures beyond the surface of the uber-nascent Coheed-esque vocals and played to death breakdowns ("Eris and Dysnomia", "Knights of the Round") allowing this squad a chance to stand out somewhat in the vast sea of bands with bad haircuts wearing their girlfriend's jeans. www.tragicherorecords.com ; -Mike SOS
LIFERUINER
TAKING BACK THE NIGHTLIFE
UPRISING
Straight-edge deathcore unit Liferuiner bring another seething slab of modern anger to life on their latest 11-track offering TAKING BACK THE NIGHTLIFE. Injecting the similarly raucous rage of bands like Emmure, Bury Your Dead, and similarly-minded moshcore troupes into their bass drop and guitar chug heavy bag of tricks, songs like “Americant” and “Bad Rock Anthem” employ the aforementioned's crushing tactics before the breakdown breaks your neck. Ultimately, Liferuiner's solid sense of basic hardcore melodics and coarse musical output make them different than many in their own peer group, yet their senseless profanity and overwrought applications of the genre's cliches don't afford them enough momentum to break away from the crowded pack. www.uprisingrecords.com -Mike SOS
STRAIGHT LINE STITCH
WHEN SKIES WASH ASHORE
KOCH
Female fronted aggro metal seems to be in fashion thanks to bands like In This Moment and of course Lacuna Coil, and you can add Tennessee quintet Straight Line Stitch to the list. This group's latest 10-track disc WHEN SKIES WASH ASHORE juxtaposes the differences between Staind, DevilDriver, and Killswitch Engage, melding melodic hooks with blistering metalcore beats for a commercially viable yet undeniably heavy sound that seems perfect for an Ozzfest headlining slot. The real equalizer here though is singer Alexis Brown, who, much like Lajon from Sevendust, gives this band the leeway to glide from bruising to beautiful with relative ease thanks to her tantalizing vocal range. While there seem to be a few cuts on the disc that seem a bit forced to be different, songs like “Seneca Tragedy” is full-on radio friendly metal and “Adult Cinema” can stand up on its own as a truly crushing amalgamation of nu-metal and metalcore. The off-road antics of Straight Line Stitch provide mixed results, yet when this band fires with all guns blazing on songs like “Taste of Ashes” and the tender acoustic track “Yesterday's Gone”, Straight Line Stitch delivers their version of metal with a soulful force that demands attention. www.kochrecords.com -Mike SOS
OPIATE FOR THE MASSES
MANIFESTO
CENTURY MEDIA
Opiate for the Masses is a veteran act whose current release MANIFESTO takes a number of elements from a metal smorgasbord to comprise its sound, with melodic industrial metal taking the reigns and being the most prevalent throughout the 11-track sojourn. Electronically charged with the machine-like manipulations not unlike the harder moments conceived by Linkin Park or Stabbing Westward, tracks like “Black Book” and “Lie” keep the dance floor rocking with heavy guitars and a dark throb while the darkwave-esque “Naked”, “The Habit” and the guitar-standout “Dead Underground” veer towards digitalized malaise of acts like NIN or Marilyn Manson. Despite this quartet's less than stellar concealing of the influences summoned here, the catchy hooks, familiar-sounding structures, and flashy production provides a radio-friendly escape into an alternate Hollywood-created world where slick-sounding dramatically dynamic metal blasts through the seedy clubs and soundtracks the action scenes. www.centurymedia.com -Mike SOS
EARLY GRAVES
WE: THE GULLITONE
IRONCLAD
Sometimes bad things happen for a greater good, and such is the case when referring to the plight and resurgence of Early Graves. Refreshingly injecting dollops of crusty Swedish metal into their chest-thumping Hatebreed meets vicious punk metal on acid formula, this San Francisco quartet convincingly sever the ties with its former identity Apiary and come out with their severely savage 11-track re-emergence WE: THE GUILLOTINE. Produced by underground metal guru Steve Austin (who also lends musical and vocal support) and boasting a guest spot by Oxbow crazyman Eugene Robinson on the sinewy yet haunting “Here There Be Monsters, this ferocious yet focused affair emits bold-faced brutality as only a metal hybrid which counts Converge, Discharge, and Entombed as its influences could muster, as tracks such as “Ghosts Among Us” and “First Name:Porter” violently hurl shards of metal fury while “Safety Net Acrobats” keeps the inimitable spirit of d-beat beatdowns alive and well. Sparing no one in their assault, Early Graves have patched together an impressive composite of underground metal propelled by its own destructive tendencies and uncompromising array of sheer heaviness. www.ironcladrecordings.com -Mike SOS
HEADHUNTER
PARASITE OF SOCIETY
CANDLELIGHT
Headhunter, the side project of Destruction's figurehead Schmier, returns after a 14-year absence with PARASITE OF SOCIETY. This 11-track album alternates between power metal, thrash metal, and even toys with the mainstream with a cover of Skid Row's “18 & Life”, giving fans of vintage metal a kick in the ass. “Remission” features an ethreal effect slightly reminiscent of Alice in Chains, “Doomsday for the Prayer” conjures up some provocative powerhouse riffs and “Payback Time” provides a raw reprieve of balls to the wall metal. In short, there's little surprise to be found here, but this disc acts as a proper aid to soothe the classic metal craving. www.candlelightrecordsusa.com -Mike SOS
VADER
XXV
REGAIN
To commemorate their 25-year run as the premiere Polish death metal band, Vader has released XXV, a twin-disc set which finds the band re-recording a slew of their songs from their humble beginnings to their later works. Adorned with liner notes explaining each track straight from mainman Peter as well benefiting from the technological advances of recording in a studio in 2008, Vader put their legacy to the test and once again show why they've been such a dominant force in the underground metal scene for all these years. The re-recordings of such death metal staples as “Sothis”, “Blood of Kings”, and “Dark Age” showcase a sharpened brutal edge complete with the troupe's trademark deathly growls, whammy-bar acrobatics, and pummeling rhythms coming across as powerful and enraged as ever. www.regainrecords.com -Mike SOS
POLYSICS
WE ATE THE MACHINE
MYSPACE
Yes, you read that right...Myspace Records. Japanese art punk rock troupe Polysics and their latest installment of Devo-inspired new wave WE ATE THE MACHINE is a weird but refreshing choice for such a mainstream outlet, but it works. Heavy beats, odd sounds, and tons of synth-rock give songs like “Kagayake” a Mr. Bungle-esque carnival feel, while “Digital Coffee” has all of the nuances to be considered for an Asian game show theme song. While singing occurs in Japanese, English, and gibberish, the electronic manipulations and pop-rock guitar and drums pretty much translate across the board for a stimulating listening experience for purveyors of video game robot rock. www.myspace.com/myspacerecords -Mike SOS
SUPAGROUP
FIRE FOR HIRE
FOODCHAIN
Channeling the charisma of early AC/DC, Supagroup return with a whiskey-fueled bluesy boogie-rock barrage of tunes that unapologetically kick your ass on FIRE FOR HIRE. This 12-track tour-de-force of titanic rock 'n roll is long on solos and short on fringes, making songs like “Long Live Rock” as concise as possible without feeling contrite. Hailing from New Orleans and falling prey to Hurricane Katrina has made Supagroup celebrate life much more as exhibited by tracks like the groovy DLR-era Van Halen feel on “Born in Exile” while “Promised Land” radiates both Thin Lizzy and Bon Scott at their most wistful. Supagroup will never be accused of being unique, but they cover their influences with a distinct swagger that almost makes you forgive them for rewriting half the AC/DC catalog. And even though many times this disc treads all too familiar waters, the overall verdict on Supagroup's latest carries two horned hands raised high in the air in homage to the fallen rock stars from the mid-'70s. www.foodchainrecords.com -Mike SOS
LAUREN HARRIS
CALM BEFORE THE STORM
DR2
Lauren Harris may be the daughter of Iron Maiden bassist Steve, but you'd never be able to tell by her musical debut. The 12-track offering titled CALM BEFORE THE STORM fits more along the likes of Avril Lavigne and Pat Benetar rather than her father's NWOBHM roots, giving songs like “From the Bottom to the Top”, “See Through” and “Get Over It” a pop-rock mainstream radio aura spit-shined to excess. Despite the album boasting solid musicianship on cuts like “Come On Over” and some tasty guitars throughout, the overall affair lacks that intangible spark and emotion, relegating this disc to the ranks of an above average bar band struggling to find its voice. www.demolitionrecords.com -Mike SOS
CRADLE TO GRAVE
TEXAS MEDICINE
YEAR OF THE SUN
Crushing Canadian crew Cradle to Grave cram a truckload of groove metal licks and unabashed aggression into their 11-track release TEXAS MEDICINE. There's enough Pantera worship here to last a lifetime, but there's more to this quartet than that, as this disc balances out the mix with shards of punk metal grit and thrash metal tempo blasts to make this Devin Townsend-produced affair a ballsy bruiser you'll be playing over and over. If you dig having to do with the Cowboys from Hell, Pissing Razors, Machine Head, or Sepultura, this disc will leave an indelible impression on you with its well-textured metal attack. www.yearofthesun.com -Mike SOS
BLACKWINDS
FLESH INFERNO
REGAIN
Swedish black metal project Blackwinds rekindles the dark flames of the early '90s on their 10-track excursion FLESH INFERNO. Bursting out of the gate with a bastardized barrage of tremolo picking and hellish vocals, tracks like “Plague Bringer” and “Enter the Pandemonium” conjure up evil spirits with a convincingly chilling tone while sheer velocity spins “Crimson Thirst” into another realm of being before the symphonic waves of keyboards catapult your ears back to hell. Blackwinds is far from groundbreaking, but does an ample job of striking a middle ground between well-produced and raw with an endless supply of wickedly nightmarish tones present to creep into your subconscious and disturb your state of mind. www.regainrecords.com -Mike SOS
ROCKETSHIP PARK
OFF & AWAY
SERIOUS BUSINESS
An ensemble of NYC musicians comprise the alternative Americana act Rocketship Park, whose latest 10-track release OFF & AWAY is laden with a vast array of instrumentation from strings to horns, working together to add ush textures to the sad melodies heard on the weepy “Drinkin Buddy” and “Birthday Death Wish”. From the piano and tambourine led shuffle of “Loser's Lament” to pedal steel guitarwork on “Family Farm” to the handclaps and banjo plucks on “Because Two Candles” to the vibraphone on “Stuck in a Dream”, the stunning accoutrements added to this disc's melancholic acoustic guitar and vocal approach reveal lush dreamlike places lying past random Midwestern prarielands where Neil Young, My Morning Jacket, Wilco and Lucinda Williams frequently visit. www.seriousbusinessrecords.com -Mike SOS
ASCEND
AMPLE FIRE WARNING
SOUTHERN LORD
Drone and doom collide with a refreshingly regal tone reverberating throughout on the latest offering from the titanic tandem Ascend. Featuring no strangers to things that creep in the night (Greg Anderson and Gentry Densely), AMPLE FIRE WARNING is a five-track love affair with the slow and deliberate, meshing knee-buckling tempos, hefty guitars and left of center instrumental flourishes such as trombone and Wurlitzer (“Dark Matter”) with both obligatory and obscure textures rounding out its foreboding crush while unleashing the wrath of slithering cobras (“V.O.G.”). Aided by some interesting cameos (including Kim Thayil of Soundgarden) while boldly interjecting a broader musical scope into their weighty thump and thud, this well-decorated exercise in sheer excess provides lovers of massive ambience a shiny new toy to play with. www.southernlord.com -Mike SOS
KATAKLYSM
PREVAIL
NUCLEAR BLAST
Canadian crushers Kataklysm return with their tried and true death metal assault set to destroy on PREVAIL. Faithfully following the punishing playbook this squad has executed since the early '90s, this extreme metal quartet's skull-cracking 10-track contribution meshes warmongering vocals with pounding rhythms and machine gun guitarwork on such smoldering tracks as “The Chains of Power” and the mid-tempo mauling audible on “Blood in Heaven”. Consistent in providing rumbling blasts of melodic death metal, Kataklysm's latest offering maintains the levels of ferocity while keeping their trademark simple yet effective approach fully intact. www.nuclearblastusa.com -Mike SOS
VARIOUS ARTISTS
PAGAN FIRE
NUCLEAR BLAST
Those looking to become acquainted with the pagan, folk, and Viking strain of metal would be remiss to pass on picking up PAGAN FIRE, the 16-track compilation disc assembled by Nuclear Blast. Running the gamut both spatial and stylistically, this collection showcases pioneering squads such as Bathory to the latest acts ranging from Eluveitie to Thyrfing. A bevy of multi-layered metal assaults containing the genre's unique instrumentation, well-textured songwriting, and a flair for the fantastic in all of its glorious splendor is delivered here with a deserved pageantry and revelry leading the brigade. Providing a one stop shop for a place where tin whistles, thrash guitars, symphonic keyboards, and folksy overtones coexist, if your interested has been piqued by the likes of Turisas and Amon Amarth and you'd like to delve further, this is a great place to start. . www.nuclearblastusa.com -Mike SOS
EDDY DYER
INTO DOVES OF GREY
ROOTSUCKER
A subdued and melancholic aura envelopes the 14-tracks contained on Eddy Dyer's latest offering INTO DOVES OF GREY. Consisting of mainly acoustic guitar and voice with some mandolin peeking through at times, this 14-track endeavor showcases traces of psychedelica on “Nthru Nbeon”, issues with spirituality on cuts like the not so subtle “Jesus Christ”, the protest-esque “Snakes out of Boston” and “Out at Night” and a glimpse at Dyer's personal relationships on “Song for Jamie” and the richly strummed “Jennifer”. Meshing the stark nuances of Jack Johnson with a rebellious streak poised at full strength, Eddy Dyer's unique subject matter and stark arrangements yield an unexpectedly hearty listening experience. www.rootsuckerrecords.com -Mike SOS
DROPCLUTCH
THE REASON
SELF RELEASED
Upstate NY quintet Dropclutch have incorporated the best moments from modern rock radio into their 10-track jaunt THE REASON. Heavy downtuned guitars, thunderous basslines, and tasty drum work fills out this unit's Staind meets Godsmack by way of Seether approach on tracks like “Understand” and “Hollow” while cuts like “Make Your Move” and “Over & Over” really hammer out the aggression a la Mudvayne. Armed with an accessible yet rumbling sound while demonstrating an endless array of bass and guitar chugging to keep the heads bobbing and the bodies grooving, there's a place on your shelves between Sevendust and Nonpoint for Dropclutch's latest fist-pumping release. www.dropclutch.com -Mike SOS
EKSER
PATTERNS OF REPRISAL
SHIVEN
Arizona extreme metal quartet Ekser demonstrate their firm handle of technical death metal intricacies on the 10-track PATTERNS OF REPRISAL. This offering combines blinding percussive work and breakneck rhythms with clinical guitarwork on tracks like “Sinners Reflection” and “Cold Blooded Embrace”, much like the wares of bands like The Black Dahlia Murder and Arsis. Despite this outfit's undeniable talent though (just check out the Megadeth-esque instrumental “Redemption” as an example), this affair lacks that intangible spark to get them ahead of the curve. Even though Ekser boasts a sturdy front and solid compositions that can hold their own, there's still something distinct missing here that keeps them from clearing the hurdle. www.shivenrecords.com -Mike SOS
