Friday, June 18, 2010
KINGDOM OF SORROWBehind the Blackest Tears (Deluxe Edition)
Relapse Records
I don't know why, but when KoS debuted their first album, I was less than excited to hear it. “Eh, another so called “super group”, I thought. I have yet to this day have heard anything from their first release. So why did I give their sophomore album, Behind the Blackest Tears a try? Two reasons. One, I always like an underdog story and two, any album that ditches the sophomore slump stigma deserves a good review. For those who don't know, KOS is a band made up of Jamie Jasta of Hatebreed and Kirk Windstein of Crowbar and Down fame. The twocombine for a southern metal symphony with just a hint of hardcore. Git er done!
TOP TRACKS: “God's Law in The Devil's Land” is hands down the best track on the album. “Envision The Divide”, “With Barely A Breath”, “Sleeping Beast” showcases the band's hardcore side. The deluxe edition available on Itunes has two cover songs which are worth the price of admission. “Soldiers Of Hell” is a Running Wild cover done to perfection and “No Class” makes Kirk Windstein a Lemmy doppleganger, and who wouldn't want to look and sound like Lemmy???
VERDICT: Not only is Behind the Blackest Tears a solid album, but I also think KoS may have started yet a new genre in heavy music... Southern Hardcore? No matter what category you lump it intoone thing is for sure. This is beyond any doubt in my mind, the best Southern Anything album since Down's first album.
RATING: 5/5
AS I LAY DYING
The Powerless Rise
Metal Blade Records
Many metal aficionados are torn when it comes to the San Diego metalcore band, As I Lay Dying. Frankly, I don't see why. I'll go out and say it. AILD is one of the most talented bands out there right now and maybe that way for years to come. They just do everything right. Vocals, riffs, blastbeats. Musically they are unstoppable. Many state that their Christian faith influences their music too much to be labeled“metal”. Bullshit. Lead singer, Tim Lambesis stated it best when asked about this subject in their FAQ section of the AILD website, “I'm not sure what the difference is between five Christians playing in a band and a Christian band. If you truly believe something then it should affect every area of your life. All five of us are Christians. I believe that change should start with me first, and as a result, our lyrics do not come across very 'preachy.' Many of our songs are about life, struggles, mistakes, relationships and other issues that don't fit entirely in the spiritual category. However, all of these topics are written about through my perspective as a Christian.” Well, if Tim decides this whle metal career isn't for him one day, I'm sure he'll find a job in politics. But enough jesus-talk. The Powerless Rise is a rebellion of sound from start to finish. They turned it up a notch since An Ocean Between Us in my opinion. Not taking anything away from Ocean (which is probably one of my top played on the 'ol Ipod) but Powerless is just heavier in my opinion.
TOP TRACKS: “Anondyne Sea” is a brilliant, aggressive way to open up the album. “Parallels”, “Anger And Apathy”, “Condemned” is a personal favorite and “Vacancy” is a nice dark ditty.
FINAL VERDICT: If I had the energy to list every song on the album I would. Lucky for me, you can all read obviously, so go grab the album and list them yourselves.
RATING: 5/5
The Powerless Rise
Metal Blade Records
Many metal aficionados are torn when it comes to the San Diego metalcore band, As I Lay Dying. Frankly, I don't see why. I'll go out and say it. AILD is one of the most talented bands out there right now and maybe that way for years to come. They just do everything right. Vocals, riffs, blastbeats. Musically they are unstoppable. Many state that their Christian faith influences their music too much to be labeled“metal”. Bullshit. Lead singer, Tim Lambesis stated it best when asked about this subject in their FAQ section of the AILD website, “I'm not sure what the difference is between five Christians playing in a band and a Christian band. If you truly believe something then it should affect every area of your life. All five of us are Christians. I believe that change should start with me first, and as a result, our lyrics do not come across very 'preachy.' Many of our songs are about life, struggles, mistakes, relationships and other issues that don't fit entirely in the spiritual category. However, all of these topics are written about through my perspective as a Christian.” Well, if Tim decides this whle metal career isn't for him one day, I'm sure he'll find a job in politics. But enough jesus-talk. The Powerless Rise is a rebellion of sound from start to finish. They turned it up a notch since An Ocean Between Us in my opinion. Not taking anything away from Ocean (which is probably one of my top played on the 'ol Ipod) but Powerless is just heavier in my opinion.
TOP TRACKS: “Anondyne Sea” is a brilliant, aggressive way to open up the album. “Parallels”, “Anger And Apathy”, “Condemned” is a personal favorite and “Vacancy” is a nice dark ditty.
FINAL VERDICT: If I had the energy to list every song on the album I would. Lucky for me, you can all read obviously, so go grab the album and list them yourselves.
RATING: 5/5
Sunday, April 18, 2010
SICK OF IT ALLBased on a True Story
Century Media Records
What can be said of the godfathers of New York Hardcore that hasn't been said already?
They continue to pump out great music, tour tenaciously and be relevant in an industry that is ever changing. And how do they do it you ask? Its a pretty simple formula of taking what they do well and improving on it time after time. I don't think I've ever heard songs written in a way that EVERYONE can relate to them better than these guys. Vocalist, Lou Koller is by far, one of the best, if not THE best frontman out there, and he is backed by the best hardcore musical unit to date. But enough of the man-love I have for these guys, let's get to the album.
If I had to compare this album to any of their previous releases, it would be close to Scratch the Surface and Built to Last. Its got a lot to like. Old school sound. Gang vocals. Excellent breakdowns. Its sure to score big in pits everywhere. On some tracks they seem to embrace what they are. A pioneering New York Hardcore outfit (i.e. A Month of Sundays). Unfortunately, hardcore music has the
possibility of getting monotonous as many bands have songs that just sound similar and blend right into each other with their sound and message. I mean if i had a dollar for every "My friend stabbed me in the back" hardcore song I've ever heard, I'd be a rich man. As I said before, SOIA has always had the ability to take what they do well, and make it even better. That ability alone sets this album apart from any previous releases and cements itself as one of their best to date.
TOP TRACKS: Lowest Common Denominator is by far my favorite track. The Divide may be one of the heaviest SOIA songs ever. Bent Outta Shape is a real bruiser. Long As She's Standing...I can't wait to sing along to.
FINAL VERDICT: Sick of It All has cemented themselves as the mainstays to what was once a dying genre. Hardcore goes through various stages of ups and downs. I've never seen these guys take a break or get tired of making music and it wouldn't be nuts to say they probably never will. Ask many of these bands today who inspired them and Sick of It All would be on that list 9 out of 10 times.
RATING: 5/5
CANCER BATSBears, Mayors, Scraps & Bones
Distort Entertainment
In 2008, a Canadian band named the Cancer Bats released their second full length album entitled Hail Destroyer. That album went on to win the WD SYNDICATE's album of the year and its still on a steady rotation in our office. Suffice to say I was beyond excited when I learned of the release of Bears, mayors, Scraps & Bones. And if you think I'm re-typing that throughout this review, you should suck on some 9mm ammo. Cancer Bats are an odd mix of hardcore, metal and southern sludge rock (even though they are from the great White North). Wherever you want to place them on the genre scale, one thing is for sure. You can call them metal. You can call them hardcore. You can also just call them downright fucking awesome. Once again CB steps on the gas and just doesn't let up. The album plays out like a disaster movie and keeps you on the edge of your seat throughout. Each track you say to yourself, "okay that last one was sick, they can't do it again, can they?" The answer to that question can be met with a very Obama-like "YES THEY CAN!"
The album has some intense breakdowns. Vocalist, Liam Cormier, is the Energizer Bunny and keeps up with the tempo the band sets. The guitar work is beautifully orchestrated by Scott Middleton. He throws in the ever so subtle southern sludge rock riff every so often that makes me think I'm from Kentucky. I don't like dissecting the members of the band and critiquing their work. To me a band is a team effort working to make one, awesome sound. Its obvious Cancer Bats get a lot of practice because whatever they do, it just works. Speaking of making things work, not many bands can get away with closing an album with a cover song. Matter of fact, most bands screw cover songs up and many people out there see cover songs as a lack of imagination. I'd like to take those people and have them run into a knife repeatedly. Cancer Bat's cover of the Beastie Boys' Sabotage is probably one of the best cover songs ever recorded.
TOP TRACKS: Scared to Death (I foresee this becoming the most played song in my ipod in the coming months), Sleep This Away, Fake Gold, Dead Wrong, Snake Mountain and Raised Right.
FINAL VERDICT: Looks like every two years we'll be treated to a great Cancer bats release!
RATING: 5/5
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
JOHNNY CASH
American VI: Ain't No Grave
American Recordings
What do Johnny Cash, Tupac Shakur and Elvis all have in common? They are all still alive, living at some beach resort and sporadically release new material almost on an annual basis. The latest release by the Man in Black is a very stripped down album delivered in Mr. Cash's signature lonely, sad voice. Its a final spoken word on confronting death. Cash looks the Reaper right in the eye and tells him, "What took you so long?". While some of the album can get depressing at times (i.e. For the Good Times, I Corinthians 15:55) the release is worth picking up for tracks such as Ain't No Grave and a cover of Sheryl Crow's Redemption Day.
TOP TRACKS: Ain't No Grave, Redemption Day, Satisfied Mind, I Don't Hurt Anymore
FINAL VERDICT: A must listen for Cash fans and anyone who likes substance with their music. There must have been some transcendent feeling as Rick Rubin produced these tracks with an american icon
such as Johnny Cash.
RATING: 5/5
SHOOTER JENNINGS & HEIROPHANT
Black Ribbons
Black Country
I don't know much about Shooter Jennings except he's the son of country greatness, Waylon Jennings and married to ex-Sopranos star and fashion designer, Drea de Matteo. You would think he
would follow in his daddy's footsteps and continue the country legend right? Wrong. Shooter joins up with a band of musicians that when combined with Shooter's vocals gives you one part Pink Floyd and three parts Soundgarden. Its been described as an "experimental" album for obvious reasons since there is no rhyme or reason to it. The tracks seem focused on an oncoming Apocalypse as we are warned of it through the voice of Stephen King acting as an evangelistic radio jockey throughout the album.
TOP TRACKS: Wake Up!, God Bless Alabama, California Via Tennessee
FINAL VERDICT: If pretentious kids of famous people are your thing than this album is for you. I'll give Shooter credit for trying to develop his own sound but do it in the privacy of your own home. I could think of worse things than being locked up with Drea de Mateo.
RATING: 1/5
Sunday, March 28, 2010
Once again the UFC put out a superior product and UFC 111 did not disappoint. Here's a rundown of some of the fights on the main card:
RICARDO ALMEIDA vs. MATT BROWN
Questions arose about Almeida as he had to cut down to welterweight. Those questions were quickly answered as the Big Dog put a Jiu Jitsu clinic on Matt Brown. He slapped a rear naked choke on the lesser skilled Brown at 3:30 in Round 2. I have a feeling the NJ resident (Alemida) will be making some noise in the welterweight division. Check out Almeida's BJJ gym in Hamilton, NJ here.
JIM MILLER vs. MARK BOCEK
This was a candidate for fight of the night in my opinion. The fight went the distance and in the end NJ native, Jim Miller's hand was raised in victory. Although Bocek slammed Miller to the mat in each of the first two rounds, had top position for the first couple of minutes in the fight and took Miller's back for much of the second, Miller walked away with a unanimous 29-28 decision in their lightweight affair. Miller did sweep Bocek with a kimura attempt in the first round and ended the third by taking Bocek's back. Miller also opened a cut on the top of Bocek's head. One could easily have said the judges gave this to the hometown hero, but I also matched the judges scorecard in favor of Miller.
NATE DIAZ vs. RORY MARKHAM
I hate the Diaz brothers. Nothing personal against them both, its just that they are too damn good, and too damn arrogant at times. That being said, you can't argue with their skill and Nate's far surpassed that of Markham in this match. The elder Markham didn't have much of a chance as Nate pummeled his elder into a TKO at 2:47 in Round 1.
KURT PELLEGRINO vs. BEN SAUNDERS
Home state favorite Kurt Pellegrino survived Fabricio Camoes' early threat on the mat to dominate the Brazilian for several minutes en route to submitting him tonight at UFC 111. Pellegrino, from Point Pleasant, N.J., forced Camoes to tap out to a rear-naked choke in the second round of their lightweight bout. It was the fourth straight win for Pellegrino (15-4). Camoes (15-5) saw an eight-fight unbeaten streak snapped. Camoes climbed Pellegrino's back in a fast-paced first minute and threatened with a rear-naked choke of his own, but once Pellegrino shook him off with a slam that probably compressed the Brazilian's neck a few inches, it was all downhill for Camoes. Pellegrino took him down again in the second round and kept him on the bottom until he forced Camoes to give up his back and leave the opening for the final choke.
SHANE CARWIN vs. FRANK MIR
I picked Mir to win by submission. I just thought Mir was in better shape, and chose experience over brute strength in the interim championship matchup. I was wrong. Carwin executed his plan of pressing Mir against the cage and using some dirty boxing to perfection as he landed a fury of blows which dazed Mir and lead to a ref stoppage at 3:48 in Round 1. (Its listed as a KO in the scorecard though). Carwin extended his unbeaten streak to 12, of which, all fights have never went past the firs round. That's an impressive stat and will be closely watched as he looks to unify the heavyweight title against Brock Lesnar this summer. Mir on the other hand has to go back to the drawing board as this was the second time he was mauled by a bruiser such as Carwin.
GEORGE ST. PIERRE vs. DAN HARDY
I was a little bit more successful in my prediction of the main event. GSP dominated from the start, once again showcasing his masterful takedowns with the greatest of ease on the Brit, Dan Hardy. On two occasions the fight appeared to be over as GSP slapped submissions on the mohawked bloke that would have made any normal person tapout. The first attempts was an armbar which was sunk in pretty damn deep. Unbelieveably, Hardy grimaced in pain and escaped. Later on, GSP snuck in a Kimora which also made Hardy wince, but once again, and I have no idea how he did managed to do it, Hardy escaped unscathed. Though admirable, it was still no match for GSP's masterful use of his takedown to ground and pound style he is known for. I give credit to Hardy though as this was probably most difficult test for Rush. What's next for GSP? A bump up in weight classes as he has defeated everyone who poses a threat to his title thus far.
Here is a list of the results of all the fights last night:
| Winner | Loser | Method | Round | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Georges St-Pierre | Dan Hardy | Unanimous Decision | 5 | 5:00 |
| Shane Carwin | Frank Mir | Knock Out | 1 | 3:48 |
| Kurt Pellegrino | Fabricio Camoes | Submission (Choke) | 2 | 4:20 |
| Jon Fitch | Ben Saunders | Unanimous Decision | 3 | 5:00 |
| Jim Miller | Mark Bocek | Unanimous Decision | 3 | 5:00 |
| Nate Diaz | Rory Markham | Technical Knock Out | 1 | 2:47 |
| Ricardo Almeida | Matt Brown | Submission (Choke) | 2 | 3:30 |
| Jared Hamman | Rodney Wallace | Unanimous Decision | 3 | 5:00 |
| Rousimar Palhares | Tomasz Drwal | Submission (Leg Lock) | 1 | 0:45 |
| Matthew Riddle | Greg Soto | Disqualification | 3 | 1:30 |
NOTES
- Was it me, or was there some tention between announcers Joe Rogan and Mike Goldberg? On a few occassions I caught Rogan taking some jabs at Goldberg. Maybe they should meet in the cage at the next PPV? Just sayin.
- If Joe Rogan uses the word "explosion" anymore he may have to trademarke it as the Buffer Bros. trademark their introductions of the fighters.
- Most impressive fighters last night were not named GSP, Dan Hardy, Frank Mir or Shane Carwin were: Kurt Pellegrino, Ricardo Almeida and Nate Diaz.
- Most gruesome submission of the night was easily Rhousimar Palhares' leglock on Tomasz Drwal. Coincidently if you could spell both fighter's names you got a prize at the door of the Prudential Center.
Pictures by Alicia of Lil Lee's Treats!!!! Thanks again buddy!!!
Labels: Rants and Raves, Reviews, UFC/MMA
Sunday, March 21, 2010 Here are the results of UFC LIVE on VS. on March 21, 2010:
Alessio Sakara defeats James Irvin by TKO
* The Legionaire came out and landed some sick bombs into the face of Irvin. One of those bombs landed in Irvin's eye which lead to a ref stoppage. One thing I was impressed by was how fast this Italian kid is. His hands are faster than a guido can grab his hair gel in time for the new season of Jersey Shore. Ooooooooooh Ayyyyeeeee!
Cheick Kongo defeats Paul Buentello by Submission (strikes)
*Where did they find this Buentello guy? Poor tubby never had a chance as Kongo set the pace from the opening bell and never looked back. Wasn't a very entertaining bout, though i was amused watching the gut of Buentello jiggle around as he attempted to dance around the French beast.
Junior Dos Santos defeats Gabriel Gonzaga by Knockout
*I was expecting more from Gonzaga. Fail. I think its safe to say Gonzaga's window of closing in a championship is pretty much closed at this point. He's still living off the hype of knocking out Cro Cop with that sickening leg kick. That was then, Dos Santos is now.
Jon Jones defeats Brandon Vera by TKO
*I called it the last time I watched Jon Bones fight, he's going to be a champion. Just a matter of time. Vera was a good test in that feat and Bones answered the call with flying colors. Jones landed probably the perfect elbow ever thrown as it caught the right eye of Vera and forced him out of commission. Jon "Bones" Jones, believe the hype.
Here are the results of the non-televised bouts:
| Clay Guida | Shannon Gugerty | Submission (Choke) | 2 | 3:40 |
| Vladimir Matyushenko | Eliot Marshall | Split Decision | 3 | 5:00 |
| Darren Elkins | Duane Ludwig | TKO Stoppage (Referee) | 1 | 0:44 |
| John Howard | Daniel Roberts | Knock Out | 1 | 2:01 |
| Brendan Schaub | Chase Gormley | Technical Knock Out | 1 | 0:47 |
| Mike Pierce | Julio Paulino | Unanimous Decision | 3 | 5:00 |
| Jason Brilz | Eric Schafer | Unanimous Decision | 3 | 5:00 |
-GDeViL
Labels: Rants and Raves, Reviews, UFC/MMA, Video
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
OF MICE & MENOf Mice & Men
Rise Records
Of Mice & Men is now a metalcore band. Take that John Steinbeck! This is the band's first recording, although you may know the lead singer from Attack, Attack! fame, Austin Carlile. Now, I've never listened to AA before. Hell I didn't even know who they were before getting this album in th email and doing a little homework. I decided to listen to some AA to get a little background. All I could say was "WTF!?". Techno breakdowns in the middle of a song??? (see Stick Stickly). What the hell did I get myself into??? I was a bit relieved when giving the debut album from Carlile's new efforts a listen. I've read in other reviews and interviews with the band that this was suppose to have a southern metal sound, but somehow I just can't hear anything that reminds me of the Confederate flag here, just lots of chugga-chugga guitar riffage.
TOP TRACKS: John Deux Trois, Those In Glass Houses, The Ballad of Tommy Clayton & the Rawdog Millionaire
FINAL VERDICT: Listening to one song from Attack Attack! made me want to blow men in a rest stop bathroom somewhere along Interstate 66. Of Mice & Men is a lot less gay, but still gay in a guilty pleasure kind of way. Not Liberace gay, but wear a pink t-shirt gay. Not that there's anything wrong with that. To quote Steinbeck, "Course Lennie's a God damn nuisance most of the time, but you get used to goin' around with a guy an' you can't get rid of him." This album grows on you like a retard that will slow you down.
Sovereign Decent
Prosthetic Records
Its probably time to stop being surprised when a death metal band showcases a female vocalist. A lot of the times people pass it off as a gimmick. Sadly, and as sexist as it makes me sound, it sometimes is a gimmick usually started to launch some chick's pop career or maybe get her on American Idol or something. Landmine Marathon's vocalist Grace Perry lays all thenay-sayers to rest. Yes you've seen her gracing Revolver's Hottest Chicks in Metal issue. The difference between her and the other gals? Perry is metal. She's not some trained classical vocalist who "happened" upon metal. She's the real damn deal. Landmine marathon evokes sounds of Napalm Death and Bolt Thrower. Sovereign Decent pays homage to the grindcore and death metal bands who started their respective genres.
TOP TRACKS: Foul Revolt, Steadfast Hate, Chained By The Same Fate, Flood the Earth, Rise With the Tide
FINAL VERDICT: The album is a metal onslaught from beginning to end. I was playing it so loud the other day my neighbor thought someone was getting murdered in my living room. Score.
RATING: 5/5
TOP TRACKS: Foul Revolt, Steadfast Hate, Chained By The Same Fate, Flood the Earth, Rise With the Tide
FINAL VERDICT: The album is a metal onslaught from beginning to end. I was playing it so loud the other day my neighbor thought someone was getting murdered in my living room. Score.
RATING: 5/5
Friday, March 12, 2010
NATIONS AFIRE
The Uprising
I'll admit that sometimes I'm a little slow in the fast paced world of punk, metal and hardcore. What can I say man, I do this for fun and have a killer 9-5 job that takes up most of my time. But when I stumbled upon Nations Afire it made me reali
ze how much of a rock I've been under for the last year or so. Nations Afire is a four piece punk/hardcore act that hails from California. Haven't heard of them? I bet you've heard of some of the member's previous bands. Guitarist Chris Chasse was guitarist with Rise Against on two albums (Siren Song of a Counter Culture and The Sufferer and the Witness). Guitarist/vocals Nik Hill and Bassist Brett Rasmussen are both long standing members of one of my favorite SoCal hardcore band, Ignite. Drummer, Todd Hennig was behind the kit for three albums with Death By Stereo. The Uprising is a hard, driving force that will have you playing it over and over on a loop. The five song EP leaves you wanting more and more.
TOP TRACKS: All of em! Someone sign these guys and get a full length recorded ASAP!
FINAL VERDICT: The Uprising is a hard, driving force that will have you playing it over and over on a loop. The five song EP leaves you wanting more and more.
RATING: 4/5
THROUGH THE EYES OF THE DEADSkepsis
Prosthetic Records
The new album from TTEOTD has caused quite an uproar in the metal community. Being a virgin to their sound I decided to see what all the racket was about. What I found was a chaotic mashing of crunchy guitar riffs and a double bass that could have you beating your chest at 3000 bpm. No, I'm not a conesour of death metal by any means, and I tried really hard not to fall into the same mindset of all the other reviews heaping praise on this album as if they were giving out free blowjobs for 5 star ratings. But dollars to donuts, this is good shit. "Skepsis" features a new frontman (Danny Rodriguez). Now I haven't heard any older TTEOTD so I can't compare Rodriguez to anything, but he offers a wide range of bowel moving growls and heart wrenching screeches. But death metal has never been about having beautifully flowing vocals has it? The meat and potatoes of "Skepsis" is the string work. The trio has been the heart and soul of the band since inception and their art is truly refined on this album.
TOP TRACKS: The Manifest, Defaced Reality, No Haven, Skepsis
FINAL VERDICT: Coming from someone who is not the strongest fan of death metal, I don't know what my opinion will be worth. I ended up buying into "Skepsis" so take that for what its worth. My only gripe? Some of the songs bleed into each other and i can't tell when one ends and another begins. So is the world of death metal though.
RATING: 4/5