Christ Inversion
Christ Inversion
Housecore
31:13 - 8 Tracks
This is a demo from Phil Anselmo’s short-lived mid-90’s death/satan core project. They’ve reformed and came out with this new release. It’s definitely raw, dark, and based on horror movies/satan type stuff. It’s a bit of crappy produced old school black metal and a pinch of that sludgey southern metal that anselmo seems to always be a part of. Phil does backing vocals and guitars on this project. It’s just in time for halloween!!
F5
The Reckoning
Oarfin
45:00 - 12 Tracks
I wasn’t too big of a fan of their first CD… attaching David Ellefson to a project, you’d think it’d be a bit more exciting, but to me, it was a letdown. This new one is a step in the right direction, there’s a bit more heaviness in the way of some chugga chugga, songs are a bit more catchy, however, it’s still in the hard/solid rock realm. No knock on the album, but it’s not as edgy as I’d like to have on the Mosh Pit. The music is pretty good, but the vocals are just kind of plain for me.
The Haunted
Versus
Century Media
39:08 - 11 Tracks
The last couple Haunted albums have been good, but nothing as good as they can be…. this one seems to be a return to form, maybe the At The Gates reunion recharged their creative juices. This one has some of the melody of what you’d hear from Soilwork/In Flames, but it still has some of the edge that you’d expect from The Haunted. Everything is fairly headbanging and catchy… you’ll hear this on the Mosh Pit!
Book of Black Earth
Horoskopus
Prosthetic
56:10 - 11 Tracks
One of the first things I look for when I’m sent a promo CD is the “Recommended If You Like…” or “For Fans of…” That usually gives a good indication of what “type” of metal it will be. More often than not, these few band names say a lot and are generally spot on. This CD’s first “RIYL” is Behemoth. So the bar is set pretty high from the get go for this band from Seattle. So, yeah, it’s not as good as Behemoth of course, but I can hear where it comes from… it is the same style of metal, heavy, fast, dark. You know, kind of blackened death metal. The production reminds me of the new Metallica, a bit overdriven and distorted… which is too bad, it really makes it a bit “mooshy” Still worthy of Mosh Pit airplay though!
Exodus
Let There Be Blood
Zaentz
45:41 - 10 Tracks
We’ll start this off with a quote from Gary Holt: “We have decided to call [the re-recording of this album]
“Let There Be Blood”. We aren’t trying to replace the original, that’s impossible anyway. We are just giving these songs the benefit of modern production.” Well that says it all… and using Andy Sneap for mixing and mastering… that says it all (he’s the man!). It’s a classic, a bit before the time I got into metal, but I know the album, and this remixing and getting the songs back out there for sure is not a bad thing.
Don The Reader
Humanesque
Deathcote
52:16 - 12 Tracks
This interestingly named band is for the most part, experimental brutal-core. Screamy vocals, fast crazy all over the place playing, noisy guitars, some Meshuggah-like tendencies… no, wait, if I had to pick a band that they sound like, it IS Meshuggah! Meshuggah-core? Okay, that’s it. Good solid playing, however, it’s you know, like Meshuggah… hah I suck at writing reviews. This is decent, and you’ll probably hear something from them on the Mosh Pit.
Night Horse
The Dark Won’t Hide You
TeePee
32:58 - 6 Tracks
I guess this could be filed under hard rock/stoner rock. The music is a bit like Clutch, but the vocals are more “clean” I guess more like Kyuss… they have a big bluesy influence, and a couple things I’ve read about this band/CD compares it to the first Danzig album… so there you have it. It might get some airplay on the Mosh Pit!
Unearth
The March
Metal Blade
47:32 - 11 Tracks
Well, for a band that was a pioneer of the metal-core genre, these guys have managed to stay relevant. Their live shows and level of intensity make them stand above many of the failed metal-core bands. Their songs on this album are of course still catchy, heavy and melodic. And yes, the big brooootal breakdowns are present too.
Pro-Pain
No End In Sight
Regain
40:42 - 11 Tracks
Again and again, Pro-Pain is still there. Their sound went through a little bit of a change in the middle of their career, but lately they’ve seem to regained their original sound. The heavy, catchy raw chunky sound. I guess they could be pigeonholed as hardcore, but they have something else that I can’t put a finger on. This album has some clean singing in choruses on different tracks. I’m not sure if it really works here, but I’m sure if I sat down and read the lyrics along with the full CD, that it works with the message… maybe, hell, I don’t know. The bottom line it’s new Pro-Pain, and it’s good.
Autumn Black
The Unborn Tragedy
Tyburn
35:39 - 11 Tracks
I’d file this under brutal-metal core. First thoughts…The mix is a bit boomy… songs are heavy, yet, catchy, riffy and have me wanting to air-drum! The dominant vocals are pretty abrasive and harsh, the singy parts are still not too singy, and still have an edge to them. Digging deeper into the CD… not all tracks are “boomy” You’ll probably hear this on the Mosh Pit!
Benediction
Killing Music
Locomotive
45:17 - 14 Tracks
Heavy, thrashy death metal happening here. These guys have a great sound, a perfect mix of the heavy blackened death and thrash. This is their first album in 7 years, and they have the same lineup as their 2001 album. Quality death metal here, you’ll hear this on the Mosh Pit!
