Fear Factory - Demonfacture

If ever there was a purpose to the "Mortal Combat"-soundtrack, it was to introduce me to FEAR FACTORY.

And what more fitting of a role could FEAR FACTORY's music have played in that movie than to have broken in during what I consider to be the most climactical and intense battle the length of the film? Whatever dissatisfaction I was granted as Mr. Cage delivered the final blow to finish the mighty Scorpion was balanced by my 2nd, 3rd, and 4th times through the scene as I began to focus not so much on the battle, but on the now-classic crushing of "Zero-Signal". I began to view the scene not as theatrics in a movie already riddled with them, but as a brutal duel to the death with room only for one man to claim victory, and retain their mortality. I was obsessed. I had to have the album, and not Raiden, Sub-Zero, or even Goro himself would dare stand in my path.

What lay in store for me you ask?

Initially, the album places you in a cold setting of chains, gears, and steel with it's title track, "Demanufacture". You'll notice right away that FEAR FACTORY place a lot of emphasis on the double-bass, and with Ray Herrera behind the kit, they couldn't be in more capable, er.. feet. Aside from that, this sets the stage pretty much for the rest of the album nicely. Laden with fairly basic, yet essential riffing and chugging, along with Burton's aggressive/at-times-tranquil vocal approach, FEAR FACTORY have written an album that is sure to please most looking for something to thrash to. Not convinced? How about if I tell you that Colin Richardson produced this one? I thought so.

Well, before you rush off, I will warn you that there are many parts ("New Breed", "Dog Day Sunrise", "Pisschrist", etc.) where you might get the overwhelming sense of deja-vu as Burton simply refuses to end a chorus, or simply put down the mic, and let the musicians take over for a bit. If you dislike repetitiveness, be wary.

…I STILL say that Scorpion should have destroyed that silver-spoon.

Dragonforce - Inhuman Rampage

Somebody sent me the video for "Through the Fire and Flames" a few months back. It was sent as a joke - "Dude, you have to watch this crazy sh*t. It's ridiculous." DragonForce? I love dragons. I love metal. Heck, that's the best name for a band since Dethgasm. I'll give it a looksee. 

Sure, my first reaction was laughter. "Har! Metal is so funny!" I quipped as the epic unfurled before my eyes and ears. Then there's the money shot in the video where the twin guitarists have a shred battle, complete with picture-within-picture close-ups of their fingerwork. It's brilliant and these guys are in on the joke. Great. When it was finished playing, I instantly started it up again to laugh some more. Something happened with that second viewing and it hit me like a sonic firestorm. "Through the Fire and the Flame" is a fuggin' masterpiece and I'll be damned if I wasn't watching the dawn of a new era of heavy metal. I found myself tingling...an embarrassing feeling I get when I hear the opening Star Wars fanfare or the Zelda theme song. Was I having a nerdgasm? You bet. Multiple ones. And I've been a slobbering mess ever since.

Being an old school '80s metalhead weaned on the unholy teat of an Iron Maiden, I like my metal chock full of apocalyptic visions, evil tidings, epic battles and monsters. DragonForce delivers all that in spades and I go on the record to proclaim that they are the most important metal band of the past ten years. Hands down. Don't even argue with me on this. I'll kill you.

With their new album Inhuman Rampage, DragonForce does something insidious; something so downright evil that few, if any, metal bands before them have ever pulled it off. It's not the speed-metal intricacies that are comparable to the very best of Megadeth. No, it's not the grim, Slayer-esque tone of their songs. It's not even the sense that these guys are having so much fun playing their music, akin to early Anthrax. I'd have to say it's the catchy pop sensibilities that that scream "Journey! Bon Jovi! Toto!" Metalheads may balk at this, but don't be afraid...these songs will never be played on Top 40 radio (they are not Def Leppard). What it means is that the songs are fun to raise your fist in the air and sing along with. After only a couple of listens, you'll have these tracks ingrained in your head. They are infectious and wonderful.

The might of DragonForce lies squarely on the shoulders of the twin guitar onslaught provided by Herman Li and Sam Totman. The two of them swap solos in just about every song and it's been years, decades even, since I've heard anybody with their chops. Herman is a shredder on par with the likes of Eddie Van Halen, Kirk Hammet, Yngwie Malmsteen and Steve Vai. He's that fuggin' good. Sam is the Malcolm Young to Herman's Angus Young. He's a star player and provides a ironclad foundation for their guitar duels.

The vocalist, Z.P. Theart, has a golden throat. Z.P. is a singer; he doesn't growl the songs, his voice has heart and he sings with passion. Not to mention the motherfudrucker can do one hell of a metal scream. The metal scream is probably the most laughed at metal trope there is, but when done right, it's becomes primal, inspiring and superbadass. Z.P.'s scream is up there with masters like Dio and Dickensen. He also has a curly mop, reminiscent of later-years Weird Al.

When the orcish hordes invade Manhattan and my brothers and I are the last line of resistance for all mankind, as we charge forth into battle with our swords and guns raised high, I want Inhuman Rampage cranked to the max on my iPod as I rush into battle. When I listen to it, I want to fight monsters. I'd like to compare the album to a frothy, delicious pint of beer; it's best served in the company of your best mates, each gulp gets you happier and happier, it all goes down real smooth and when you are done, you want more...much more, until you pass out in a dizzy, blissful puddle of vomit and smiles. I love every song on this album. Even the power ballad.

There are some standouts. "Through the Fire and the Flames" is Inhuman Rampages's king killer. It's over seven minutes of madness. It makes me want to run around in circles until I collapse. The aformentioned guitar duel in that song will make your ears bleed blood of joy. My second favorite track is "Operation Ground and Pound" which is about a far away battle against the omnipresent forces of the Evil One. Its chorus is a beguiling "Whoa whoa whoa whoa" that is custom-made for an arena of headbanging soldiers of metal. Plus, it has one of the best metal screams of all time at the end.

There's one thing that I've neglected to mention about DragonForce, and that is they are heavily influenced by '80s and '90s video game music. DragonForce's keyboardist Vadim Pruzhanov is a wizard. Nowhere is this more evident than on the track "Body Breakdown." Halfway through the epic is a keyboard/guitar piece that evokes Castlevania or Space Harrier. Video games and metal are like Reeses Peanut Butter Cups, two great tastes that taste great together, and DragonForce is one gigantic chocolate/peanut butter treat.

I can't say enough good things about this album. I haven't been this energized about anything metal in years, and it makes me feel both youthful and unstoppable. It's the perfect album to drive over the speed limit to. If you are a friend of metal, or a video game junky or just somebody who thinks dragons are cool, then you have a new favorite band. (review UGO.com)

Support The Artist : http://www.myspace.com/dragonforce

Sabretung

Genre : Thrash Metal

Band Members :   Doug Murray - Guitars/Vocals

                           Ben Yates - Drums
                           Tyler Purvis - Bass/Backing
                           Daniel McInnes - Guitars

Band Mail : dougmurray85@gmail.com

Sabretung will leave their mark as one of the most intense musical monsters on the planet, continuing the legacy of the sounds pioneered by bands such as Kreator, Sepultura and Slayer. With supports for both national and international acts such as Paul Dianno, Mortal Sin, The Amenta, Double Dragon, Frankenbok, Five Star Prison Cell, Lord and Daysend under their belts, the band continues to spread their aural violence to head bangers young and old, bringing a cleansing inferno of unrelenting raw aggression to a metal scene overgrown with contrived technicality and half-hearted brutality.

Support The Artist :  http://www.facebook.com/sabretung

                               http://sabretung.bandcamp.com/

Amon Amarth - Surtur Rising

Everybody has “oh shit” moments. My most recent was when I opened the cover art file for “Surtur Rising.” It popped up on my 21-inch monitor and my gut reacted, “Wow, those little dudes are effed.” I have to imagine the huge warrior is Surtur (the leader of the fire giants of Muspelheim, according to the promo metrials); he’s about five times the size of the fleeing Norsemen, his flaming sword was clearly dipped in the giant volcano behind him, and he doesn’t look too pleased. To finish this drawn out metaphor, Amon Amarth is Surtur, “Surtur Rising” is the band’s flaming sword, and the fleeing Norsemen are all the other metal bands that are getting dominated by Amon Amarth’s wrath.

“Surtur Rising” is a phenomenal slab of Amon Amarth’s melodic death metal meat. Early albums like “The Avenger” and “The Crusher,” while great, tended to be one-track melo-viking-death romps, but “Surtur Rising” is a textured, varied, and acutely composed set of ten songs. The story of Surtur, as told in these songs, is obviously a very complex and winding journey, and the music complies, taking us for a ride that is intense and wholly enveloping.

Album opener “War of the Gods” runs from speedy and straight forward tremolo riffs to melodic soundscapes that are more pensive than aggressive. “Tock’s Taunt – Loke’s Trachery Part II” – which is a follow up to “Hermod's Ride To Hel - Lokes Treachery, Part 1” off of 2006’s “With Oden On Our Side” – is the more comfortable Amon Amarth mid-tempo stomp-and-triumphant-chorus, but set off against “War of the Gods” it is the monolith that supports the earth. The members of Amon Amarth needed music to fit an album-long theme on “Surtur Rising,” thus pushing themselves to write music, and an entire album, that goes beyond their normal arc.

The album winds from triumphant royal halls to quiet country villages; raging wars among the gods to the peace of a weapons master practicing his craft in breeze brushed meadows. While in the past Amon Amarth charged past us, weapons drawn and grins grim, now the band has risen to be the bards of the northern Norsemen. The solos from Olavi Mikkonen and Johan Soderberg carry weight and power as they strain against their wordlessness - not just anthemic melody this time for the axemen. Johan Hegg sings with an insistence rarely heard in his burly growl. It is clear we must know this story, and heed its message.

So we sit, and we listen, and awe slowly conquers our brows as Amon Amarth imparts fantastic tales of Surtur lighting his sword in the eternal flame, his battle with Frej, and of Surtur’s pursuit of the power to raze the nine worlds. “Doom Over Dead Man” slowly exhausts its introspective thunder at the end of this tale, and as it does we could swear it was Surtur himself singing us to sleep.

Children of Bodom - Relentless Reckless Forever

Your humble reviewer believes that 2003’s long-player “Hate Crew Deathroll” is Children of Bodom’s seminal moment, combining lumbering heaviness and wild abandon in equal parts, thusly exploding melodic extreme metal into a gaggle of imitators (some of whom are actually really good, so let’s not sell them short). In the eight years between “Hate Crew Deathroll” and “Relentless Reckless Forever,” Laiho and Co. have released two significantly-above-average-but-not-spectacular albums, “Are You Dead Yet” and “Blooddrunk.” So can everyone’s favorite wild child summon his inner muse (psychopath?) for Children of Bodom’s major label debut, or will “Relentless Reckless Forever” not quite reach the mountaintop?

To answer that question we have to (briefly) explore why “Hate Crew Deathroll” was so phenomenal and why the subsequent two albums weren’t quite as good – and it comes down to one simple thing: hooks. Every hook on every song on “Hate Crew Deathroll” is fired deep into our collective brains as if from a sniper rifle, lodged so deep only the devil’s surgeon could remove them, and never trading pop for heavy. “Are You Dead Yet” and “Blooddrunk” had their share of great hooks (the title tracks on both are deep sea fishing worthy), but there weren’t enough meaty hooks for the entire nine songs. “Relentless Reckless Forever” certainly has hooks, but like its two predecessors, they aren’t enough to snare the biggest fish.

The title track is a pounding, lumbering beast, but the layered guitar riff and keyboard line don’t quite mesh and we can’t get all fist pumpy and sing alongy excited like we did on “Bodom Beach Terror,” for example. “Ugly” shifts tempos and time signatures more smoothly than a rejected playboy, but even that makes it tough for us to bang along. All the elements are here for another strong Children of Bodom record, but they don’t quite work together to reach the majestic peaks that they once did.

And that’s the key point – everything is here for another strong Children of Bodom record, and “Relentless Reckless Forever” certainly is that. Laiho’s guitar easily sears the hair off our bums while Janne Warman’s keys range from casually elegant soundscapes to casually hot-like-the-sun flights of fancy. The playing from the entire group of five is tight, technical, and intense, and the nine songs range from mid-tempo sing-alongs (“Cry of the Nihilist,” “Not My Funeral”) to stop-start speed freakouts (“Ugly,” “Shovel Knockout”) and heavy crushers (the title track, “Was It Worth It?”). And as always, tongue is planted firmly in cheek.

So after breaking through heavy metal’s glass ceiling and getting signed to a major label, it is obvious that Children of Bodom has some extra financial backing for “Relentless Reckless Forever.” There’s lots of advertising, fancy digipaks, CD/DVD sets for the standard album price, and the band certainly has earned its standing as one of modern metal’s big names with consistent quality. “Relentless Reckless Forever” may not be the best Children of Bodom album ever, but while watching one of the live videos on the included DVD it becomes very clear that Laiho still sports a semi whenever he pulls on his whammy bar. And that’s totally cool, because we do too.

Highs: The interplay of Laiho’s guitar leads and Warman’s keyboard is often exhilarating.

Lows: The drumming seems to be a little less creative than on previous albums.

Bottom line: Children of Bodom delivers another excellent album in the band's major label debut.

Tracklist: 

1. Not My Funeral (4:55)
2. Shovel Knockout (4:03)
3. Roundtrip to Hell and Back (3:48)
4. Pussyfoot Miss Suicide (4:10)
5. Relentless Reckless Forever (4:42)
6. Ugly (4:13)
7. Cry of the Nihilist (3:31)
8. Was It Worth It? (4:06)
9. Northpole Throwdown (2:55)

Donnie Steele Rejoins Slipknot

Slipknot have announced that original member Donnie Steele will take the stage with the band this summer in place of the late Paul Gray. The move was announced in a statement on their official website:

“For their upcoming shows in 2011, Slipknot has asked Donnie Steele to fill in for Paul Gray on bass.

“Donnie, as some may recall, was the original guitar player in Slipknot and had actually reconnected with Paul in recent years. Said the band on their decision,

“Donnie was in the band at the very beginning, and rather than get an outsider, we thought it would be a fitting tribute to Paul to play with someone from within the family. Donnie was great friends with Paul and we can’t think of a better way to celebrate his memory than with someone who was there with us at the very beginning.

“The eight of us are looking forward to being onstage again and honouring Paul’s legacy with our families in Europe and Brazil this summer.”

Steele played guitar on Slipknot’s Mate Kill Eat Repeat, but left the band in 1996. He played in Body Pit with other Slipknot members including Paul Gray and death metal outfit Killpact.

Slipknot also added Sonisphere Bulgaria in Sofia on June21 to their touring schedule in Europe this summer, their eighth on the Sonisphere circuit.