Raging crusty D-beat hardcore is the order of the day here. While the scene of crusty, metallic, hardcore punk is a tight niche, there are, in fact, subtle variations within it’s tightly defined range. Wartorn deftly exhibits pretty much every quality of this scene: socio-polical lyrical stance, fast D-beat runs, gloomy slow chuggy dirges, anarcho imagery, moments of melody, constant savagery… the whole shebang. The band should get a feather in their cap for almost being ambassadors for the crusty hardcore scene/style as they represent its spectrum quite thoroughly.

Fortunately, the band has other merits that deserve kudos. For starters, the production is probably the best of this style of music – thick, clear and all instruments are represented in a great balance. Singer Bitty has great presence, his vocals riding that edge of fury and clarity that makes the words discernible while still ferocious (and, hey, a few moments of death growls doesn’t hurt either). I love the moments where the music cuts out for a full stop while he shouts lyrics (usually a song title), like “Knee Deep In BLOOOOOOOOD!”, “Permanent Blackout!” and also “Wake up from the iconic nightmare!”

Full disclosure: dialing down into specifics of crusty hardcore is somewhat futile. It’s meant to be simple and raw with a few key ingredients – picking it apart is pointless. As such, it’s great “recommended if you like” material – such as, Tragedy, Wolfbrigade, Skitsystem, etc. Iconic Nightmare is top-notch, nowhere near original, totally enjoyable crusty, metallic hardcore that should appeal to fans of the aforementioned bands and also serve to be a great gateway band for those new to this scene/style of music.

Seeing the pedigree of All Pigs Must Die’s members would have you think they’d be dishing out metallic hardcore, in spades no less, but that would be selling their craft far short and removing much of the surprise that they’re actually a much meaner, darker beast. There’s healthy doses of Stockholm death metal via a slightly HM-2 guitar sound (lead-off track “Chaos Arise” dishes on some classic Dismember “Override Of The Overture” sickly melodic guitar work between metallic hardcore sections and burly metal chugs), some black metal undertones (“Primitive Fear” starts with a blastbeat and grind riff right out of the gate only to turn that same riffage into a downright spooky black metal riff with little effort), occasional rock ‘n’ roll swagger and eerie dark metal swirls.

It’s nice to see the band distance themselves from the “Entombedcore” epithet (however undeservedly that title might have been lauded upon them) and liberally inject more metal, malice and atmosphere. I’m really a sucker for a band that defies the whole “metallic hardcore” thing, where it’s more of a challenge to accurately pen their sound down. Case in point: the brooding midway point on the album, “Of Suffering”. A churning, doomy, slow to mid-pace song with a creepy intro that builds into a dirge metal riff backed by a distant yet ominous melodic line, ultimately sounding something akin to My Dying Bride meets Entombed. At the same time, they’re not afraid to write a song that’s one minute and six seconds long (“Aqim Siege”) that’s fast as hell (think Trap Them) before belting out a head-bobbing, chug-fest of a riff at the 47 second mark that makes me want to break everything in my house.

Ultimately, All Pigs Must Die’s third release sees them going from good to great. All their strengths are heightened, and a wider expanse of sound sees them shed the limitations of a more singular focus found on previous releases. Their style my not win originality points, but it’s so well executed with quality riffs, drumming and overall intensity that they easily compensate. This gem is aided by an amazingly balanced production courtesy of Kurt Ballou (Converge) and mastered at Audiosiege by Brad Boatright (From Ashes Rise). Cap it all off with cover artwork from Aaron Turner (Isis, Hydra Head Records) and you’ve got one of my more surprising heavy albums of 2013.

Before even spinning the sophomore album, Narconomicon, from this Italian-based quartet, I experienced a mix of feelings. On one hand, I was very excited to see a band tackle “black n roll” head on. Most experience of this niche is when a black metal band slows down for a bit of groove, ( Satyricon‘s ‘K.I.N.G.’ from “Diabolical, Now“, or latter Darkthrone albums), or occasionally a newer band will do some genre-splicing to create a similar sound, such as Midnight‘s take on blackened Motorhead or Okkultokrati‘s dirty blackmetal/punk amalgamation. But it’s more rare to see a band outrightly wave the “black n roll” flag high, right out of the gates (of hell), so I perked an excited eyebrow. On the other hand, I was slightly trepidacious that maybe Whiskey Ritual‘s self-proclaimed sound could be a novelty act, a simple attention-getter.

Fortunately, the band mostly delivers on finding the right mix and balance of black metal’s evil intensity and rock n roll’s rebellious swagger. Vocalist Dorian Bones sounds like an evil blackmetal version of Killing Joke‘s Jaz Coleman, raspy yet powerful, belting out semi-intelligible lyrics that sometimes teeter into the more extreme snarling side of things and other times shout with a clarity that makes certain choruses almost catchy, like the song “Lo-Fi Attitude” backed with sing-along “whoa-oh-ohhh-oh”s. It may sound silly, but it works.

Another highlight of the album is “Bootleg In A Bootleg”, a song that shows all of the band’s strengths represented equally: various speeds, vocal styles, riffs, vibes, everything. It starts out as Motorhead-inspired mid-paced number, seeming more like a dirty/evil hard rock song, and it doesn’t take long to find yourself bobbing your head before a brief, somber NWOBHM riff plays the role of musical bridge right into a total blasting homage to true Norwegian black metal shredding out of the speakers with aplomb. It’s glorious and anthemic feeling, before one final rock-out and their work is done, and done well.

So back to the original question: does Whiskey Ritual deliver the goods? Do they represent “black n roll” in sound and attitude? Yes and yes. They won me over despite my suspicion/concern over their genre niche being a gimmick. Their sound, or more specifically, their production, might be a little too polished sounding for some to buy into, but if they warmed things up a bit with a bit more of a vintage sound I don’t know one hessian who could deny their craft.

In short, Nachtmystium have taken the clever bells and whistles that made their more adventurous outputs (mostly Black Meddle Parts I and II) the experimental and interesting albums they were, and merged those with the more orthodox tenets of black metal (i.e. intensity and darkness). The end result is a true marriage of progression and fundamentals.

The brilliance of their experimental tendencies lies in their subtleties. Throughout most of the album, those innovative flourishes are non-invasive and relegated to electronic accents and noisescapes as well as textural intonations that come to the surfaces through the production. The title track is a great example. Taking a straight forward black metal riff, complete with some fuzzy grit, they introduce white-noise flanges that flip between left and right quickly, fading in and out before throwing Judd’s echoed vocals in for an added cavernous sound. When all three elements come together, it sounds like futuristic black metal sans any sci-fi kitsch. By the time the chorus hits around the one minute mark, you’ve got yourself the house band at Pandemonium.

However, even when the band slows things down to go for a more eerie approach (“And I Control You”), they prove quite easily how black metal’s basic conventions can be limiting to producing dark sounds. This is one of the better songs on the record; winding things up slowly, building and adding instruments before a cacophonous declaration of song at the 45 seconds mark. This rolling intro is aided by a buzzing electronic hum that adds greatly to the vibe, a perfect example of how their craft splices experimentation with black metal evilness without being overt. After laying the heat on, they then add to the mix an absolutely essential black metal riff that is delightfully ghostly, before dispersing into a smokey haze with a saxophone siren call.

There are no blatant “No Funeral”-esque songs on this album (aka outright electronic voyages) or pure psych-rock expositions like there have been in the past. Don’t get me wrong, I loved what they’ve done prior, but this new album is cherry-picking the best riffs and progressive elements and reducing them into a great mixture that is mostly consistent through all ten tracks. I say “mostly” because there are a couple of moments where things overstay their welcome just a bit more than necessary. However, it should be more than compensation, as well as a compliment, to point out that no other bands were named throughout the length of this review. I’d say that’s evidence Nachtmystium have found their niche within an already nuanced niche of music. Here’s hoping they hunker down and carve deeper into this space they occupy, because Silencing Machine is a great album.

Ursus Americanus is the fourth overall album from the one-man project Author & Punisher, aka Tristan Shone. But before tackling the duty of describing the sounds he creates, special attention should be given to the fact that he has created all of his sound-producing machines, via aluminum and steel, and speakers, which create the majority of his songs. Only Shone’s voice remains as the one organic ingredient, and it is brutish – granted it’s distorted, pitch-shifted and fucked with in other ways unknown to these ears.

The music, however, takes “brutish” to new monolithic heights of oppression. Sounding like a slowed down Curse of the Golden Vampire, the earliest records of Pitchshifter or even similar to industrial death-doomsters P.H.O.B.O.S., Author & Punisher are firmly anchored-in to industrial metal, though coming to the formula from a more overbearing and heavy angle. Shone actually manages to cover a broad base within this highly specialized niche on the seven songs that comprise his first album for Seventh Rule Recordings. The main blueprint for the record is demonstrated in lead-off track “Terrorbird”, which builds lumbering beats and sub-bass buzzing layer upon layer into an almost militaristic, pounding war march straight out of the necro-apocalypse.

Other tracks like “Lonely” and “FleshAnts” channel the more noisy, earlier periods of Skinny Puppy and Front Line Assembly, albeit with a heaping dose of steroids, sounding like an assembly-line in some hellacious underworld factory. “Set Aflames” is the longest track at 10:25 and also the most abrasive, teetering into power electronics territory (not full-on Cold Meat Industry levels of harshness, but certainly a challenging listen). The last two tracks, “Below And Above You” and “ILL Consuming” respectively, are a great denouement for the record as they serve to be great full-circle songs, showing equal parts of atmosphere and brutality from Author & Punisher’s spectrum.

The fact that Shone made this on equipment he made himself is worth praise alone, but the fact that he managed to create something that tips his cap to genre heavyweights while creating something distinctly his own is truly an accomplishment. Here’s to hoping more bands bring the industrial heaviness in 2012 and beyond.

The band is a two-piece from Virginia who ultimately play a brand of dreamy, lo-fi indie rock with shoegaze influences running throughout. It’s actually brilliantly executed in its simplicity and delivery; and quite catchy. The texture is kept just slightly rough with a dry recording to lend it a credible feeling of melancholy and pop minimalism – think a very mellowed out My Bloody Valentine with almost no distortion (I realize MBV and “almost no distortion” is almost oxymoronic). So, “Where’s the ‘black metal’ influence?” you may be asking… well, it’s manifested entirely in the vocal department. I’m not sure how that reads, but when you HEAR the aforementioned soft shozegaze, complete with delicate reverb indie-isms, paired with abrasive black metal vocals laid over top, it is quite the juxtaposition (usually beginning with a, “WTF?!”). Whereas Alcest or even Circle of Ouroborus take their black metal cues mainly in the music/atmosphere department, their vocals are far from the raw, high -pitched screams of typical black metal. With Crooked Necks inverting this basic formula (ie. BM influenced music + melodic/clean vocals) it really leaves mixed feelings.

The band uses the formula consistently, with the lead-off track “This Place Is Violent” setting the tone and general blueprint for the whole album. Reverb-soaked clean vocals, delicate drumming and melodic guitar/bass interplay all set to a very minimal energy (perhaps in due part because the album was mastered by James Plotkin specifically for vinyl?)… albeit WITH black metal screams laid over top for the choruses. The first time you hear it, it’s confusing, almost to the point of wondering if the screams are there only as a novelty. But I’ve found that those initial challenging listens are proving rewarding, as the more I spin Alright Is Exactly What Isn’t, it’s showing to be a slowburner of an album that grows on you over time; or maybe now I’m expecting the BM screams instead of them sneaking up out of nowhere. And even more complimenting is the fact that I’m having a hard time pegging down similar acts currently out there. Perhaps Circle of Ouroborus (who they’ve done a split release with in the past) is a good reference point conceptually, if only for the fact that both bands blend seemingly disparate styles into something unique and new.

In the end, the only real dilemma is finding the appropriate time to listen to the album. One might be tricked into listening to this while relaxing or resting at home but then those black metal shrieks come to surface and break the calm. However, musically it’s too mellow to put on while working or typing, again there’s nothing black metal happening musically. Quite the conundrum. I think it’s best to be listened to in an engaged setting, free of distraction, either intentionally at home or while driving.

What’s interesting is if the band kept only the clean style of vocals they would be Pitchfork indie/hipster kid fodder for a good while (the band even did a five song EP of just Joy Division covers previously). As it stands, Alright Is Exactly What Isn’t serves up eight songs between four to eight minutes in length which challenge listeners on both sides of the coin with it’s unique ceremony of opposites. With a two-disc new release coming out later in 2012 I’d expect this band to start gaining much more attention and I’m very curious to hear if there are any augmentations to their formula.

The four-piece from Tempe, Arizona describe themselves as, “playing heavy, brooding hardcore punk inspired by the likes of Discharge and His Hero Is Gone.” Simple enough; specifically because the aforementioned bands, and style in general, don’t necessarily need much elaborating. However, we’ll give credit to nuance and also point out that the album does follow the general rubric of dark, d-beat hardcore: it’s heavy, metallic and galloping all throughout the 12 tracks of the debut album Disease Is Our Refrain. The pace does slow down and dig in its heels for more of an atmospheric heaviness (particularly on the song “Razed” and the title track) towards the end of the album. Nevertheless, the formula is fairly consistent throughout the record; it’s deviations providing just enough variation in speed, structure and atmosphere to distinguish between songs.

The production takes a little getting use to, however I only have one main gripe about it. Recorded at Arcane Digital Recording by Landmine Marathon guitarist Ryan Butler (side note: guitarist of Seas Will Rise, Eric Saylor, was the original founder of Landmine Marathon), Disease Is Our Refrain sounds quite large, especially when played next to the recent Landmine Marathon album, yet, like the recent LM record, it still sounds somewhat flat; it lacks a little bit of body and density. One reason I bring this point up is because it is noted that the album was mastered by Brad Boatright of From Ashes Rise (obviously another musical inspiration), yet Seas Will Rise lack that punch From Ashes Rise possess and apparently have influenced the band with. But, I’m kind of a stickler for production, so take that all with a grain of salt.

Fortunately, the band has written some absolutely vicious material that is immediate enough to put your attention on the songs and music first and foremost. Songs like lead-off track “A Sleeper’s Cell”, “In Dust And Blood” are very reminiscent of Tragedy while “This Teardown Town” and “Population Zero” inject blastbeats and thrashy riffage to earn them points from headbangers. With this style usually being left to veterans releasing new material sporadically, it’s nice to see new acts like Seas Will Rise (and Relapse’s Unkind – definitely another point of reference with a similar sound) tackle the heavy d-beat sound. And much like Hemingway’s “Iceberg Theory”, when you know you’re dealing with heavy, brooding hardcore punk, you already know what you’re getting into and no review can really enlighten or provide wholly new revelations for such a unique and powerful sound.

Let me first say, to readers of Teeth Of The Divine: there is hardly any “metal” going on here. There are certainly abrasive textures and occasional simple riffs that buzz or chug with industrial heft, serving more as a cacophonous filler than anything, but the guitar is otherwise rarely seen on this album. That’s not a judgment, it’s just a discernment – yet Skinny Puppy are more than capable of producing scathing sounds and adrenaline-pumping tunes to be included on this site.

The Canadian duo have been on an upward swing since 2004. Previously they had a long lull beginning with their 1996 album, The Process, where members Ogre and Cevin Key were on hiatus with various other projects and studio work. However, once they reconvened for ‘04s The Greater Wrong Of The Right, they seemed instilled with a new vigor and confidence, not to mention an evolution of their sound towards more structured and electronic sounds (ie. less noise and industrial mayhem). Releasing the album Mythmaker a few years later only cemented their intentions of continuing SP’s legacy. Their trajectory seemed to be on the up-n-up when a new album was announced to come out in 2009 – however, due to label issues that fell through, but wasn’t enough of a pitfall to throw the band off their renewed vibrancy as their newest album hanDover shows they’re still intent on producing quality material. While previous album Mythmaker was a little more formulaic on the pop-goth influenced electro/industrial tip, it’s nice to see hanDover right the ship and inject it with better songs and a more earnest and expressive approach.

Musically, there is always something going on to engage the listener. This is partly due to a combination of sounds in the background, often times just textures, noise glitches or soundscapes, and the dominant music in the foreground playing a great game of push and pull. The backdrop of musical highlighting can swell and recede, gaining volume or quieting down at just the right moments to compliment the song’s peaks and valleys. The more I listen to the record, the more I realize that Skinny Puppy are truly gifted in this department. It’s almost as if the background and foreground are dancing with each other, rising and falling together, accenting creative flourishes only to synch back in tandem together (similar to how Neurosis‘ album Times Of Grace synch with Tribes of Neurot’s companion disc Grace). The lead-off track, “Ovrit”, is a great example of this. From a bird’s eye view, this song seems like an unusual choice for an album-opener. It’s not tearing out of the gate and it’s not one of those epic builders that pulls you in gradually. What it does do, is start modestly, like an introduction by the author of a book with the rollercoaster of content to follow; in doing so, they demonstrate that for prying ears, there is a wealth of scary and exciting sounds below that surface that contribute greatly to the whole.

“Cullorblind” is the second track, and it continues the book comparison as a great ‘Chapter One’ – starting simply and then building, adding some bridge-work into a repeating chorus with rote industrial guitar buzzing. At various points on hanDover Ogre’s vocals can be a tremendous annoyance and weak link, yet here they work due to him singing without any nasally whine, and utilize some tasteful distortion. Immediately following is an unusual move: two of the album’s most melodic and beautiful tracks back to back. “Wavy” incorporates moments of acoustic guitar and piano alongside synths and digitally treated vocals that are almost more a part of the music than actual singing, providing an overall IDM feel, while “AshAs” goes for a much more epic and operatic feel, really providing an emotional component (a fitting tribute to Sasha Coon, the band’s longtime drum and stage technician who passed away earlier this year).

It’s not till track five, “Gambatte”, that the band displays some more of their “oomph!” and driving beats (though the aforementioned whiny vocals can detract a bit). As if to dispel any doubt, the band follows with one of their strongest tracks on the album “Icktums”- one of the noisier and driving songs, harkening back to Skinny Puppy of the 90s (complete with the great refrain, “Worship money, worship nothing”). For Teeth Of The Divine readers, “Vyrisus” is probably the heaviest song on the record, though not adrenaline-pumping, it instead opts for atmosphere via distorted vocals, chugging guitar riffs and an eerie industrial ambience.

This album does require a couple listens to see where SP is at on this go ‘round, but it ultimately comes out among the highest echelon of their career. I was worried for a moment with their previous album that they might just be throwing ideas against the wall to see what sticks, but it’s clear that there is still vibrancy, and like mentioned before expressiveness, that these two can convey in creative ways to challenge themselves and their audience.

One of the immediate differences from their previous album, Sovereign Descent, is the production. The edges, especially of the guitars, have been sharpened with great success, allowing them to slice through the mix better and when they crunch, they crunch harder. This highlights the fact, that guitarists Dylan Thomas and Ryan Butler are great riff-smiths, able to create riffs that are barbaric as much as they are memorable. When played side-by-side, Sovereign Descent might be a little thicker sounding, but the clarity of the new album wins out, and fortunately the aforementioned “sharpened” edge of the production doesn’t mean it’s compressed or overly processed – in fact, it retains a credible rawness and live feel.

After the production upgrade sinks in, it will also become clear that their songwriting has improved greatly as well. The quality of riffs is top-notch, but the arrangement of them is what can make any song, start-to-finish, a cohesive force rather than just a hodge-podge of guitar riff salad. This idea ties in with my predominant love for the band (and why the world needs them): their sense of balance. There are a lot of styles and approaches happening here: deathmetal, grind, crusty hardcore, and more. And from these styles they temper pace (blastbeats to slow dirges), tremolo picking to beefy chugs, and catchy melodies to chaotic runs. No one style wins out – and that’s the beauty of their writing as well as a nod to their influences. With that range of styles and their respective sub-set of approaches, Landmine Marathon are able to weave a mosaic that deftly merges all of the aforementioned qualities into a singular body of work.

The one area I’m pretty picky about is drumming, and on Gallows I do wish the drumming would be a little tighter overall. I appreciate that it sounds very live and very human, but there are moments where it sounds like the blasts could use some steroids to help keep up. However, it does lend to the energy of most songs when you can hear that the speed and endurance of the band is being pushed into the red, so I’m ultimately left with some mixed feelings there. But again, just being picky.

The album’s opener, “Three Snake Leaves”, is a great rubric for the rest of the album – a melting pot of the band’s influences set to ‘Frappé’, complete with a great melodic lead at about the halfway point, and then all spat at the listener with ferocity. Another stand-out, and credit to their improved writing prowess, is the catchy chorus from “Cutting Flesh And Bone” where vocalist Grace Perry repeatedly shouts, “Beg for your punishment!” – I actually found myself singing it while around the house, so it’s definitely sing-along approved. One prime example of their great sense of balance comes in the form of “Knife From My Sleeve”, opening up with it’s doom-like riff and pacing (almost bordering into My Dying Bride territory if it weren’t for Perry’s harsh vocals laid over top), before erupting into death-thrash riffage and a great trade-off of vocals between Perry and Bassist Matt Martinez, barking back and forth like rabid demons having a spat.

It’s universally understood that there is nothing new under the sun musically. It’s also accepted that when a band can channel their inspirations through their craft in a new way it is a success. Landmine Marathon prove both things on Gallows, and hopefully they’ll fill that gap/stake their claim as the Bolt Thrower of a new generation, skillfully melding various extremities and styles of metal with vitality.

The band has worn proudly on their sleeve their love for grinding power-violence through the shirts they wear, songs they’ve covered, and singer Jay Randall’s very own free record label, Grindcore Karaoke. But they didn’t just have a flavor-of-the-month powerviolence band to do a split with. Oh, no. They teamed up with Southern California’s seminal Despise You who serve up their first new material in roughly ten years.

That’s not to say that ANb are doing Despise You any favors. In fact the west coast crew delivers such an intense and blistering amalgamation of grind, metal, and hardcore (18 tracks in just under 17 minutes) that Agoraphobic Nosebleed’s psycho drum machine thrash tornado keeps up predominantly on the strength of their tightness and speed. And fortunately this split does provide equal parts blasting noise and aggression with a couple of surprises to make it an interesting listen, even for the most calloused grind freak.

For starters, Agoraphobic Nosebleed throw a curveball by starting their half with a doomy sludge song, “Half Dead”, that while it does have a great cavernous dirge, complete with delayed and echoed vocals, it almost gave me a flashback of their stylistic shift heard on their split with Converge back in ’99. What’s also interesting is the Agoraphobic Nosebleedhalf of the split is fairly congruent with it’s seven tracks. It starts with said doomy song, followed by a fast thrasher, which could have come off their most recent album, Agorapocalypse, before three short, thrash-n-burn, grinding tracks tear through the middle at 50 seconds or less a piece, and then exiting with another thrash speedfest, ‘Possession’, and again a sludgy noise-metal track to bookend their half of the split. I’m not sure if it was intentionally structured with a palindrome sequence in mind (sludge-thrash-grind-grind-grind-thrash-sludge) or if that was accidental, but it does provide for an engaging listen and a unique musical pacing that works in their favor.

However, it is hard to complete with the tall order Despise You place on the table from the beginning. With the majority of the songs ranging from 30 seconds to one and a half minutes, they cover a wide spectrum in an otherwise limiting genre. There’s even a sing-a-long in “Fear’s Song” with the chant, “I don’t care about you, fuck you!” Another stand out song, “You Can’t Fix Me, Don’t Trip”, sounds like Slayer run through a powerviolence converter – it’s a great 54 seconds followed immediately by “Painted Grey” which sees the band turn on their D-Beat side briefly, deftly splicing in some blastbeat bursts before ending with a galloping riff (What? In a powerviolence band?).

Both bands ultimately bring the intensity, but it much different ways. I’ve found myself going back to the Despise You side more frequently, probably in no small part because they have some memorable and adrenalin-pumping parts that sound raw and immediate. However, Agoraphobic Nosebleed’s clinical-level of drum action and tight riffing will make your head spin. It’s a tough call, but I will say the long wait for new Despise You material in MANY years actually delivered while the Agoraphobic Nosebleedsongs tread in the same basic waters they’ve occupied in the last couple years, it’s still ripping stuff, but again, when Despise You is opposite your band on a split, it’s a tall order to answer back

I first heard of the band via one of A389 Records’ free digital samplers earlier in the year. As with the pedigree of most A389 bands, it was clear from the start that these guys don’t take too kindly to Christian dogma; utilizing that special malevolent aura bands like Rise And Fall, Integrity, and Ringworm possess. However, it was also apparent from that one song, “Bright Sun”, that they weren’t content to ape the current trends in hardcore. From the aforementioned influences (ie. Late 90’s, down-tuned, chugging, metallic hardcore) through the rough and slightly dry sounding production, there is a simplicity to Xibalba’s sound that is endearing. Nothing is over-thought, there are no multi-layers to sift through. This is pure, brutal, breakdown-loving heaviness that is fun to listen to. And the reference point of Disembodied is so profound I’m obligated to bring their name up again, because truly if you enjoy the band then Xibalba is mandatory for your life.

The simplicity can be a bit of a double-edged sword. By the time the record is over, the majority of the songs are mostly indistinguishable – sure they’re all heavy, but when the dust settles, do you find yourself humming any memorable parts or racing back to hear “that one song” again? Most likely not. You get pummeled throughout so consistently with the same formula that only a few tracks have the “stand out” factor. And let’s be honest, 90% of the riffing takes place on the lowest three frets of the guitar, so I wasn’t expecting dramatic peaks or valleys, but some color against the monochrome would’ve been nice – if only here and there. But being “no frills” is a quality that can more than compensate for repetition.

That being said, there are a few songs that did hit a bit harder and have me coming back for more. “Red” is a track that gets to business quick and doesn’t fuck around; employing some Roots-era Sepultura riffs, which is always a good way to get heads bobbing and crowds rioting. “Cold” sounds like Hatebreed meets Entombed played at half speed. “Cursed” is especially tough and punishing with some serious back-to-back riffment. The endnote of the album, “Salvation”, ends the record with one of the band’s most destructive breakdowns complete with a great, ominous spoken-word line before obliteration: “No longer in your god’s hands does your salvation lie. Come with me and I’ll set you free…” BOOM! A satisfying way to wrap-up an impressive debut which has set the band up for a sophomore album that I’m already excited about.

“Chaotic” is the first word that comes to mind when reflecting on the 13-track sophomore album from this four-piece. Chaotic in a good way. Bands such as Harlots, Converge or even The Chariot come to mind, but what Inevitable End delivers is much heavier, more emotionally-charged, and often much more intense. The guitar-work is fast, frantic and angular, with spastic freak-outs happening at regular intervals throughout. It’s really an exhilirating listen; like a train about the jump the tracks at any second. In fact, the record entertains much in the same way like a fast-paced action sequence in a movie, your only objective is to bear witness and hold on while shit gets fucking nuts. Fortunately, the production is amazing for this style. It documents every nuance, keeping things crisp and clear and yet very live and dirty sounding (ie. you can tell humans are playing, complete with mistakes, random improvs, and more ). A perfect match.

One of the exciting things about this record is the wide variety of guitar tones and textures used. Sonically, if you’re a gearhead or audiophile, there’s a wealth great sounds to immerse yourself in. You’ll find post-metal and noise-rock undercurrents alongside loads of effects and varying degrees of distortion (from clean and natural, to dripping sludge and buzzing crunches). To be honest, unlike their previous style of experimental death metal  found on their debut album The Severed Inception, there’s hardly any “death metal” to be found on this record; they’ve pushed further and deeper into experimental noise-rock territory. You could even say the album artwork is deceptively complicit in their stylistic shift, looking very metal while simultaneously packing in the aggression via alternative means. Previous throaty death-growls have been traded in for a more frenzied vocal straining, helping to add to the overall exasperated feeling. But don’t let that fool you, each of these songs, with the exception of the short instrumental “Vergelmer”, is as blistering, wild and as extreme as any deathmetal you’ll encounter, and with sizable helpings of grind and experimental seizures.

Some personal stand-out tracks worth mentioning are “Zen”, with it’s impassioned and insane metalcore on steroids (and clever use of piano towards the end as well). “The Supreme Treachery” starts with a lumbering down-tuned intro that sounds like a dying and/or malfunctioning woodchipper before blossoming fully into the “kitchen sink” track of the album by featuring a little bit of everything (and are those sitar flourishes I’m hearing around the 3/4 mark? Damn cool!). Serving as the longest song on the record, it’s arguably the most engaging and a definitely a top highlight. Title track “The Oculus” earns high points for non-stop inventive riffing (Gorguts fans take note!) before a slow-motion dissolve melts various noises and feedback into a cacophonous mess. “While Surpassing Ether” switches gears, ever so slightly, into a dark, noisey, and somewhat tribal, spazz of a song with woodblock accompaniment – yes, I said woodblock. “Memento” rules with terrific and inventive guitar work, and “Cavadver Inc.” will surprise the listener with a seemingly straight-forward build-up before going 100% batshit “I-have-no-idea-what-is-going- on” crazy, packed with feedback, blasts and noise.

There’s a lot of creative ideas on The Oculus and it could very possibly land in my ‘Top 10 of the Year’ list, certainly it’s in the “top 20”. I think part of the appeal is the band’s intensity isn’t fake or contrived, these guys really deliver an album that is intense, passionately played and never boring.

With this Bay Area act, it’s not just the basic addition of ‘metal + hardcore’ that gets them a unique sound, it’s more complex and nuanced in each of those respective genres. For starters, the hardcore is dark and crusty, minus melody and add some dirt, Amebix comes to mind, and then you’re getting a bit warmer. The metal aspect is much more of an old school Swedish death metal influence, along the lines of Nihilist, Entombed and Asphyx. The vocals also bring to mind some recent retro death and doom acts, such as Claws, Hooded Menace and the like, centering around a slightly atmospheric/reverb tinged death-grunt.

Previous record Aporia made excellent use of varying speed and approach, front-loading a little more of the crusty hardcore influence. On Interminable Night, the band really zeroes in on more of a mid-pace pocket, albeit with some thrashy-gallop flourishes sprinkled throughout, and a much more pronounced deathmetal emphasis… and it is FUCKING heavy. Their brand of crunchy riffing really lends to the darker vibe in each song, and while it’s harder to hear glaring differences between the seven songs (my one main gripe), their cohesion into a mold that is both very powerful and singularly focused is truly a brutal force. Even the artwork, which I’m not entirely sure what I’m looking at, adds to the overbearing motif. These guys are heavy, and this collection of songs stands as a unified front of crunchy, crusty deathmetal that doesn’t rely on gore, satanic posturing or any other novelties to convey that heaviness.

Apparently this album is a limited pressing of 2,000, I’ve seen it written that only 1,000 were pressed elsewhere, but I’ll trust the press release that says 2k. The band is on tour in the U.S. through the middle of June and then heads over for a full European tour during September and October, be sure you check them out.

First things first, if you’re a fan of anything this band has done in the last four albums, then get on board with this record ASAP. The speed/intensity is there as well as subtle experimentation – bordering on industrial tinges. Melodic singing that highlights otherwise harsh vocal exorcisms – check, black metal riffs that pack in the aggression first then provide you will-o’-the-wisp melodies – double check. And of course, incredibly tight production.

Speaking of, the production is actually one of the main shifts in sound for the ‘Rakh this time around. Here’s where this review might catch some flack, but if honesty is appreciated then we gotta call it like we see it, and that is quite simply that the production is almost a little too clean, too polished and, well… perfect. Let me qualify that a bit: when In The Constellation Of The Black Widow came out in ’09 it was in my ‘Top Ten’ of that year, and pretty high up on that list I might add. Being that Passion is the follow-up to that record, one of the main differences is that the buzzing edges have been dulled, peaks and valleys have been evened out a bit, and this has left the sound feeling as a bit more processed and not so much the ‘live and explosive’ sound that they’ve carefully managed to blend with their excellent level of precision. The equation needs to be balanced between those two, and this time it has lost some vibrance (again, just talking about production here, remember, just nitpicking) by being a bit more rigid.

Phew! Now that the major gripe is out of the way, let me say that listeners can expect a great experience with this album that stylistically stays in alignment with their previous efforts. “Post Traumatic Stress Euphoria” is certainly one of the more savage songs the band has penned and also contains non-stop amazing riffs one right after the other for the short 1 minute and 42 seconds of play time, making it one of the highest ‘no bullshit shredding to song length’ ratios the band has logged. I must also comment on “Tod Huetet Uebel” – a song that will most likely be known as, “that song with the crazy-ass vocals”. Honestly, when I first heard this track, I almost said outloud “WTF is going on?!” It sounded like a suicidal black metal vocalist getting his balls stepped on – turns out these guest vocals are from Rainer Landfermann of Bethlehem. But then, something happened: I grew to love it. It’s just so over the top, so unusual, and half of lines are recorded with a glitchy, cut-and-pasted quality that it feels like lyrics are literally being thrown at you from different directions. What can I say, I was won over.

Main vocalist Dave “V.I.T.R.I.O.L.” Hunt handles his position with aplomb as always (Re: hair-raisingly pissed off), but there’s something missing. There’s at least one track where I’m left wanting to hear his melodic vocals combine with the guitar to truly take flight in unison, and it’s not really happening on this album. Previous records had this – Domine Non Es Dignus had “Do Not Speak”, Eschaton had “Between Shit And Piss We are Born” (and also, “When The Lion Devours Both Dragon And Child”), Hell Is Empty, And All The Devils Are Here had “The Final Absolution”, In The Constellation Of The Black Widow had “More Of Fire Than Blood”. For some reason Passion doesn’t have that flagship of a song to be found on this record (“Paragon Pariah” maybe gets close, MAYBE).

Perhaps the weight distribution has shifted a bit more from the vocals to Mick Kenney’s riffs, who seriously needs to start getting more props for his riffs, on this album. The man is never experiencing a shortage of killer riffs that put many of their Scandinavian brethren to shame. The blend of aggression, eerie melodies and experimentation within the black metal framework is always exciting to hear at all points on this album. From the slower, but excellent tone-setter of an intro on “Violenti Non Fit Iniuria” and follow-up “Drug Fucking Abomination” to the black glass tornado of speed in the aforementioned “Post Traumatic Stress Euphoria” and also “Le Diabolique Est L’Ami Du Simple” there is a good cross section of speed and feeling represented.

Rather than succinctly say that, “this album should appeal to Anaal Nathrakh fans and likely bring some new ones into the fold” (ahem, lazy/generic reviewing), it really needs to be contrasted against their previous works to see how it stacks up in the band’s own context. As with a band like Amon Amarth, who have many albums and an established sound, you don’t compare the band to their contemporaries or their particular style, the band’s real competition is with themselves. So while I may seem critical, and maybe reach for In The Constellation… or Eschaton only SLIGHTLY before throwing Passion on to kick my ass, it must be said that this is a GREAT album from a band that has been consistently working hard to define a niche and sound which only they occupy.

My first introduction to Horseback was last year when towards the end of 2010 I started to see their name crop up more and more on “Year End” lists and reviews, and I had a mild curiosity when I saw Relapse was putting out their EP. That release, The Invisible Mountain, was only four songs, but quite a unique amalgamation of sounds. In fact, I think Brandon from Stereogum said it best when he paraphrased that EP by stating, “Horseback’s second album offers ambient, minimal, patiently repetitious Southern black metal drunk on imagined emotional and masculine Cormac McCarthy landscapes”. I picked it up and listened to it repeatedly, even earning an honorable mention on my own year-end list.

So, here it is mere months later and we have a new release, The Gorgon Tongue: Impale Golden Horn + Forbidden Planet, with a total of 10 songs, bringing together a reissue of Jenks Miller’s Impale Golden Horn with the new (and previously cassette-only release) work of the Forbidden Planet LP. The first taste of this album I experienced was the track “Veil Of Maya (The Lamb Takes The Lion)” – and though its nature was more subdued from the four songs on The Invisible Mountain, it definitely exuded the same vibe of sinister landscapes and otherworldly tones. It’s quite haunting of a track – complete with heavy psychedelia, post-metallic guitar buzz, droning and raspy vocals. If this song was any indicator for the rest of the album, I’d be in for a treat.

The album has two distinct halves with its musical tone. The first half is chock full of melodic drones that mostly harmonize, occasionally buzz and yet ultimately sound delicate and graceful. There’s the ‘ripples in the pond’ feeling, the ‘floating in the clouds’ euphoria and a general peaceful vibe where time slows down. Hints of Godspeed You! Black Emperor mirage their way through the ether sporadically, adding to the shimmering daydream backdrop. The layering is done masterfully where a guitar lick will reverberate for moments before diving low in the mix while a blissful feedback sizzle (oxymoron?) will swell up to harmonize with the surrounding musical elements – like the sounds of nature bleeding in and out of each other. Granted their ambient/drone is nothing new, it is executed with total aplomb.

There’s a music video for the song ‘Blood Fountains’ – but calling it a video is a stretch, I’d liken it to watching a computer screensaver more than anything (they go as far to say the video was “directed” – had a little laugh at that). However, the song does feature the only clean vocals on the album, and is a track that as a whole should definitely appeal to fans of Sigur Ros. The song wraps up the first “half” of the album and should leave fans of The Invisible Mountain scratching their heads. While texturally there is some crossover, musically it’s a profound stretch to compare the two. However great the melodic and wavering drones are, it should be noted that it is a significant departure from their previous EP.

The aforementioned “Veil Of Maya”, likely my favorite song on the album, starts the second half of The Gorgon Tongue and sets the mood to be more of the dark variety. Following that song is a three-parter “A High Ashen Breeze” parts I, II, and III, broken up between the second and third parts with “Alabaster Shithouse”. The three songs comprising “A High Ashen Breeze” utilize the same formula mentioned before with “Veil Of Maya” – distortion that sounds like a digital fire, malevolent basslines coming to the surface and black metal vocals buried amongst the drones and hissing (with no drums). The only difference with “Alabaster Shithouse” is that it brings fuzzy, tremolo picked black metal riffing to the forefront more prominently, still sans drumming, which gives the song a unique feel that, again, references a Cormac McCarthy landscape.

But just as the ride is winding down Horseback gooses you with a bait and switch to melodic vibrations on the last song, “Introducing Blind Angels”, that is lush, shimmering and, dare I say, angelic. No distortion or buzzing, just pure, open space and radiance. This song doesn’t just revert to the first half of the record’s graceful style, it leap frogs it into luminous melodic echoes of a place not of this earth but certainly celestial and peaceful.

Certainly a departure from their previous outing, there are clear threads of The Invisible Mountain throughout the mosaic of textures on The Gorgon Tongue, and it’s one that can stand on it’s own. Granted it’s a record that craves more refined settings for best enjoyment and listening, it can easily be as engaging or casual of a listen as the beholder permits and still be a great experience. Bonus points for this bringing to mind Relapse’s “other” label Release Entertainment to mind.

With several albums under their belt, including a number of EPs, a compilation release and live record, Rotten Sound really started hitting their sweet spot with 2002’s Murderworks. Since then, they’ve continually made improvements to their craft, and their newest album, Cursed, continues that tradition. The first thing the listener will notice is a slightly different approach to the production of the album. Undoubtedly, the band hit an incredibly high mark with their previous album’s (Cycles) sonic balance, which elevated the ultra-tight and punchy qualities of 2003’s Exit with some added body and heavier low end to help carry the blastbeat train with extra heft. The production of Cursed did take some getting use to (mainly because my ears are highly critical in this arena); the crispy punch has been fine tuned a bit in favor of a modest buzz that sizzles, with the mid-range filled out a little more. I’m sure most fans will find this suits the band quite well. In fact, after repeated listens, I’d say this is the ideal production for Rotten Sound‘s style.

The album starts things off by tearing out of the gate post-haste (unlike the warm-up/”ease into it” type of tracks that intro’d the last two full-lengths) with the 59 second cutter “Alone”. This song sets the template for Rotten Sound‘s, err… sound, as a whole, all in under a minute – blast beats, distorted bass, d-beat breathers, and a chunky finish. From there the album, traverses their usual spectrum of speed and riffing. HOWEVER, the songs are sounding more deliberate instead of a pick-n-choose of blastbeats that match up with random riffs. This makes their scope of songwriting seem broader – it’s not just dictated by a cool riff or speed. The fourth cut on the record, “Choose”, is a prime example. Who’d have guessed Rotten Sound would craft a nearly two minute long song based around a simple but very catchy riff and knead it into variations of the original and ultimately into a singular piece of music? They go there, and it works.

The album clocks in at 27 minutes and 38 seconds, with 16 songs total. While I mentioned above that this album seems to be more balanced and deliberate in nature, I do think I’m liking the first half a bit more, but only slightly. That might have something to do with “Green” being one of the most savage and fast songs the band has ever written, along with the other highlights touched upon, and the shredding “Self” (for which a video was made). However, the second half has equally amazing parts; the dirge-y plodding of “Declare”, with it’s pitch-shifted vocals around 1:47 into the song, is deliciously evil. The way the deck is stacked with this album, the second half trades some of the speed in for more emphasis on vibe (ie. dark and a little more groovy), but just a bit, so no need to fret.

It seems blasphemous to call a grindcore band’s newest album an example of their maturation – like mentioned in the first paragraph it’s strange for a band within such an extreme style to exemplify refinement, but dammit if that isn’t the case with these guys! Those careful improvements to their sound and style definitely bring Nasum to mind, and that is a shining compliment and accomplishment for Rotten Sound to wear with pride.

One thing that jumped right out and slapped me in the face with Sjukdom (which means “disease” in English) was the horrible use and sound of the drum machine that is used throughout the album. It’s lifeless, cold, sterile and leaves a stain on the song that sounds like “demo” or “rehearsal tape” instead of a finished piece of work. It’s so noticeable I immediately went back to Konkurs to see if this was some mix up or change from what was on that album. I was surprised to hear that Konkurs used a drum machine almost exclusively as well – except that its sound, tone and the production doesn’t distract from the songs (obviously if it didn’t bother me to even notice they weren’t real drums, they were doing something right).

On a better note, the riffs are more aggressive on Sjukdom, almost thrashy at times, and they’re one of the elements on the album that has improved with better production. The approach should appeal to fans of Nachmystium, which is a good point of reference in general for this record. The vocals have a two-style delivery – the wail like an insane, lost banshee (I think this is the typical “suicidal black metal” approach to vocals, where to sound exasperated and certifiably crazy is the goal) and the spoken-word “deep introspection” style that fits the melancholy vibe – using their native Swedish.

If you could try to ignore the drum machine and focus on the music, it’s an enjoyable listen for fans of Shining, Nachmystium and Katatonia. I find when the band hunkers down into the mid-pace rhythm on this album, they’re performing at their strongest. Songs like “Expandera”, “Horans Hora” and “Nedvaknande” are great examples of plodding beats and riffs that could have been pulled from Katatonia‘s Tonight’s Decision – the latter of which being one of my favorite tracks from the album. If the band could get a session drummer for the album, or at least give the back bone of their material a more organic feel, it would surely match and strengthen their style. I guess when I weigh the pros and cons of this album, those improvements and setbacks ultimately leave more to be desired – much like my original assessment of previous album Konkurs – so there are definitely strong ideas. It’s not a bad album at all by any means, but one that might have me reaching for Shining or Bergraven first when I’m in the mood for this style of metal.

Now, no one can argue that this band hasn’t continually morphed their sound with each album, for that I applaud them, even if I didn’t like the music; that is something that deserves credit, but on Parade Of Chaos, the real morphing going on here is the marriage of their entire catalogue on one disc. The slight keyboard ventures from the last album are here, but are done more tastefully and effectively than before, proving to be less intrusive and overall easier for the listener to swallow. Another big change is the reintroduction of original singer Dan Weyandt; can we say sick fucking vocals? Damn, this guy’s throat sounds like it is being straight up tortured at times (via Carcass and At The Gates fashion). Of course, in an almost humorous turn, Weyandt’s vocals are more melodic and pleasing to the ear than they have ever been before when assuming their clean approach to songs. This is most clearly evident on the track “Man In The Womb,” a quiet acoustic track that is catchier than the black plague and equally mesmerizing. With meandering vocals and snake-like melodies this track is probably the smoothest sounding song on the record where everything fits perfectly.

One thing with Zao that originally drew me to them when I first heard their Where Blood And Fire Bring Rest opus was the sickeningly heavy opener “Lies Of Serpents, A River Of Tears”; that song floored me because of the sledgehammer-esque chugga-chugga battery. The great part about this nostalgia tangent is that Zao don’t rely on simple, neanderthal palm-muted guitar work to be heavy anymore. They’ve harnessed equally moving moments without joining the ranks of hundreds of bands out there with the typical breakdowns and predictable open “E” chugging. Catchy guitar lines, melodic hooks, eerie atmospheres and experimentation are just as potent and are a staple on Parade Of Chaos.

“Angel Without Wings,” a mid-paced number with a great clean chorus and melodic guitar riffs that plod right along, “Suspend/Suspension” is a great ride that’s structure makes every turn something to look forward to with soft breaks, haunting vocals and subtle keyboard samples to lace the buzz saw guitar riffs are two more standout cuts. The opener, “The Buzzing,” surprisingly takes note from Sweden’s death metal brethren, but the most dramatic track it probably the closing number “How Are The Weak Free.” This song is a fitting chapter to close Parade Of Chaos out, because it contains all the elements hinted at throughout the disc, but here they are played with total aplomb. Every part of this song is manufactured to fit with the other elements – the double bass, quite breaks, beautiful sample of a melodic crooning in the background and guitar – that is reminiscent of something the Deftones would do (heavy yet catchy and melodic).

Zao, thanks for giving metalcore a much needed heart transplant.

“Like a Train Through a Pigeon” is blastbeat into hyper-thrash into blastbeat with a couple breakdowns thrown in that are easily Hatebreed’s Harvard graduate of a cousin in execution. Especially on the track “Catalepsy,” the listener is sucker-punched in the face with a sickening breakdown around the 1:20 mark – their missing front teeth serves as evidence. Production is a perfect compliment to the style. The bass drums actually have bass, and aren’t just little pussy “click-click” sounds. And it actually sounds as if the drummer is playing his kit; not the ultra-triggered sound common with death metal these days. The natural sound is a nice realistic glimpse into the actual drumming and, if anything, makes the song that much more pummeling. The guitars are crunchy with low end, but it’s not a bunch of over done open “E” chords; the brutality is executed with taste.

Another unique aspect of The Red Chord is their vocal department. The spectrum is entirely covered when it comes to extreme metal: the death-like grunt, high-pitched scream, slightly decipherable yell/shout. It’s all here and then some. Within the first 10 seconds, track eight, “Dreaming In Dog Years,” will make Dillinger Escape Plan fans do a double take. The technical guitar and drum interplay is rabidly furious and nano-second sensitive on the timing scale, and it’s also 10 times heavier. An added bonus is that this band came pretty much out of nowhere, which adds to my shock and amazement as to why more people raving aren’t about this band? If bands like Botch and The Dillinger Escape Plan are the thinking man’s metal for the indie-metal/hardcore kids, then The Red Chord will represent intelligence in death metal. Thankfully the painful stigmas that come along with having “death metal” associated with The Red Chord isn’t present on Fused Together In Revolving Doors.

These guys are similar to Grade and bands of that type, maybe a little more metalish, but then they throw in a keyboard! We’re talking everything from samples, to straight out of the ’80s cheesy synth sounds to even lush orchestra and piano pieces. No stone is unturned with keyboardist Christopher Dudley. Each track has been spiced up by his clever keyboard additions, and for the most part they work; they aren’t just laid down over top of everything else, they actually contribute. Albeit, sometimes they are harder to swallow, but the majority of the time the keyboard pieces prove to making the listen all the more interesting. Case in point, track six “Angel Below” has a broad cut of the spectrum keyboard-wise.

So their sound is definitely melodic, and enters the chugga-chugga realm frequently too. I’m reminded of Haste’s latest CD, When Reason Sleeps, often. The vocals are sung very well, and screamed/shouted in typical metalcore fashion; it’s about a 40/60 ratio for clean and shouted vocals, respectively. A track that should give the listener plenty of reason to check these guys out is track eight, “Short of Daybreak,” all the elements are here and they are executed awesomely. Same thing with the next track, “Alone in December,” except this track is all about emotion and melody (piano and lush synth), quite a driving track with a slower pace to drape all of its dense emotion over the listener. Another standout cut is track three, “A Message For Adrienne,” which is a fangs-out metal attack of the aural kind.

Of course the drawback to Underoath is that some of their songs seem put together in a haphazardly way. Things will downshift right when you’re rocking out to a riff or getting lost in a melody. Come on guys, if you’re kicking your listener’s ass one way or another keep kicking it or steer it in a new direction, otherwise it feels anti-climactic. Like, you’re on fair-ride that just started only to have it suddenly stop or turn into a weak merry-go-round. I like The Changing of Times, and I’m anxiously curious to hear their next effort. If Underoath capitalizes on all the good points they’ve laid ground with on, The Changing of Times, then we are all in for a treat.

That being said, I find Bane to be a perfect example of what I think a hardcore band is. Albeit, I am up ’till this, their third and newest album (Give Blood), unfamiliar with the band’s previous two releases. I know, shame on me. So you’ll find my thoughts objective and unhindered by long- time admiration for the band. Bane, like I said above, play hardcore, and they play it by the book. There are your vocals that are shouted, but certainly clear enough to hear almost each word accompanied by the occasional shout/sing along parts highlighting a verse or chorus. What’s being said is a great part about this band as well. The whole album has a positive feel through each song that is unmistakable. I think what makes this band standout from the rest of the bunch is sincerity. I believe what these guys are saying, there is conviction behind their words all throughout, which is a big aspect of hardcore and certainly Bane.

The music is innovative for being hardcore but not too much to broaden out into other areas. It has some mellower moments, a few builds and quieter parts that lace several songs throughout the CD. Track 3 (“Snakes Among Us”) has an intro that starts quietly then builds and gets louder until busting out into the song. The same formula can also be seen in track 9 (“The Big Gundown”) which is a nice break from the standard “1 – 2 – 3 – GO!” approach, it helps differentiate songs from each other. For the most part Bane stick to the main hardcore pace, not too fast, not too slow, but right in the mid-range. They do pick up the speed on more than a few occasions and oppositely slow down here and there. More often than not though the tempo is very upbeat and driving.

The album closes with a rad, somewhat slower, sing along shouting, “Give more, give everything, give blood!” These guys certainly have heart and it’s easy to tell.