Thalion/Dawn Of Chaos/Maple Metal Records/2013 CD Review

  Thalion  are  a  band  from  Canada  that  plays  a  very  heavy  and  melodic  form  of  power  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2013  album  "Dawn  Of  Chaos"  which  was  released  by  Maple  metal  Records.

  The  album  starts out  with  a  very  heavy  and  melodic  power  metal  sound  along  with  solos  as  well  as  all  of  the  musical  instruments  having  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  which  also  leads  up  to  clean  singing  vocals  as  well  as  bringing  in  a  more  modern  day  heaviness  to  an  old  school  form  of  metal.

  As  the  album  progresses  the  music  brings  in  a  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  while  always  remaining  melodic  and  dark  all  at  the  same  time  and  after  awhile  a  brief  use  of  clean  playing  and  spoken  word  parts  are  added  into  the  music  and  they  bring  and  epic  feeling  to  the  recording  as  well  as  a  small  amount  of  blast  beats.

  Later  on  symphonic  elements  are  brought  into  certain  sections  of  the  album  along  with  a  small  amount  of  aggressive  vocals  as  well  as  the  band  combining  the  old  school  power  metal  sound  with  the  heaviness  of  modern  metal  and  they  also  bring  in  a  power  ballad  before  going  back  to  a  heavier  direction.

  With  this  album  Thalion  take  the  melodic  sound  of  old  school  German  power  metal  and  mix  it  in  with  the  heaviness  of  the  more  modern  metal  sounds  to  create  a  power  metal  album  that  really  stands  out  and  not  typical  for  this  genre.

  Song  lyrics  cover  darkness,  fantasy,  mythology  and  heavy  metal  themes,  while  the  production  has  a  very  strong,  powerful,  heavy  and  professional  sound  where  you  can  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  this  recording  as  well  as  some  of  the  songs  being  very  long  and  epic  in  length.

  In  my  opinion  Thalion  are  a  very  great  sounding  heavy,  modern  day  power  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  recording.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Another  Day"  "Nameless  Pharaoh"  "Lord  of  Metal"  and  "The  Valley  Of  The  Damned".  8/5  out  of  10.      

Tothem/Beyond The Sea/Maple Metal Records/2013 CD Review

  Tothem  are  a  band  from  Italy  that  plays  a  very  melodic  and  symphonic  form  of  gothic  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2013  album  "Beyond  The  Sea"  which  was  released  by Maple  metal  Records.

  The  album  starts out  with  drum  beats  before  going  into  a  heavier  direction  which  leads  up  to  melodic  vocals  and  electronic  music  sounds  which  leads  to  a  more  gothic  metal  direction  and  after  a  while  spoken  word  samples  and  prog  sounds  are  added  into  the  music.

  When  the  album  goes  into  the  next  song  keyboards  are  added  into  the  music  and  become  a  part  of  the  music  along  with  the  heavier  sounds  and  at  times  more  aggressive  sounding  vocals  are  utilized  as  well  as  the  band  bringing  a  lot  more  melody  into  the  musical  instruments  and  after  awhile  symphonic  elements  are  brought  into  the  music  along  with  some  power  ballads  as  well  as  all  of  the  musical  instruments  having  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.  

  As  the  album  progresses  clean  parts  start  getting  mixed  in  with  the  heavier  parts  as  well  as  a  small  amount  of  male  vocals  being  added  in  at  times  as  well  as  a  small  amount  of  more  traditional  sounding  80's  gothic  rock  influences  and  on  some  songs  acoustic  guitars  make  their  way onto  the  record.  

  With  this  album  Tothem  take  the  modern  day  gothic  metal  sound  and  bring  back  elements  of  traditional  goth  music  as  well  as  symphonic  metal  influences  to  create  a  truly  heavy,  dark  and  melancholic  sounding  album.

  Song  lyrics  cover  dark,  depressive  and  witchcraft  themes,  while  the  production  has  a  very  strong,  powerful,  heavy  and  professional  sound  where  you  can  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  this  recording.

  In  my  opinion  Tothem  are  a  very  great  sounding  melodic,  symphonic  gothic  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  recording.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Run  To  You"  "Light  Of  Soul"  "The  Witch"  adn  "Where  the  Angels  Lie".  8/5  out  of  10.        

Fugazi/Repeater/Dischord Records/1990 CD Review

  Fugazi  are  a  band  from  Washington  D.C  that  plays  a  melodic  form  of  post  hardcore  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  1990  album  "Repeater"  which  was  released  by  Dischord  Records.

  The  album  starts  out  with  some  semi  soft  distorted  sounds  before  all  of  the  other  musical  instruments  start  to  kick  in  as  well  as  adding  in  a  more  heavy  and  melodic  sound  along  with  vocals  and  then  the  music  takes  on  a  more  noisy  yet  melodic  post  punk  rock  sound.

  As  the  album  progresses  the  music  starts  alternating  between  clean  and  heavy  parts  as  well  as  bringing  in  guitar  leads  and  melodic  clean  singing  vocals  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  and  the  music  starts  to  mostly  a  slow  to  mid  paced  direction.

  With  this  album  Fugazi  showed  that  you  can  still  be  low  and  melodic  yet  angry  and  heavy  all  at  the  same  time  and  while  the  music  was  not  as  aggressive  or  fast  sounding  like  Minor  threat  there  was  still  a  lot  of  anger  and  emotion  being  utilized  on  this  record.

  Song  lyrics  cover  angry,  emotional  and  everyday  themes,  while  the  production  has  a  very  strong,  powerful,  heavy  and  professional  sound  for  the  time  it  was  released  and  you  can  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  this  recording.

  In  my  opinion  this  was  a  very  great  sounding  recording  from  Fugazi  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  band,  you  probably  already  own  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Repeater"  "Greed"  "Shut  the  Door"  and  "Break  IN".  8  out  of  10.

NOFX/Punk In Drubic/Epitaph Records/1994 CD Review

  NOFX  are  a  band  from  Los  Angeles,  California  that  plays  a  mixture  of  punk rock,  melodic  hardcore  and  ska  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  1994  album  "Punk  In  Drubic"  which  was  released  by  Epitaph  Records.

  The  album  starts  out  with  a  heavy  and  melodic  punk  sound  along  with  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  along  with  clean  singing  vocals  and  after  awhile  solos  are  added  into  the  music

  As  the  album  continues  it  continues  its  melodic  punk  sound  along  with  a  mixture  of  slow  and  fast  parts  as  well  as  bringing  in  elements  of  hardcore  and  after  awhile  ska  sounds  make  their  way  onto  the  album  along  wit h a  brief  use  of  clean  guitars  but  the  band  also  does  make  a  return  to  a  faster  sound.

  While  i  was  never  a  huge  fan  of  this  genre,  I  always  felt  NOFX  where  one  of  the  better  bands  for  this  style  of  music  and  the  way  they  added  a  little  bit  of  hardcore  to  this  style  made  them  stand  out  a  bit.

  Song  lyrics  cover  political  and  everyday  themes,  while  the  production  has  a  very  strong,  powerful,  heavy  and  professional  sound  where  you  can  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  this  recording.

  In  my  opinion  this  was  a  very  decent  sounding album  from  NOFX  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  band,  you  probably  already  own  this  recording.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Leave  It  Alone"  "The  Cause"  "Lori  Myers"  and  "Punk  Guy".  7/5  out  of  10.

The Socks/Self Titled/Small Stone Recordings/2014 CD Review

  The  Socks  are  a  band  from  France  that  plays  a  very  psychedelic  sounding  form  of  stoner  rock  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  titled  2014  album  which  was  released  by  Small  Stone  Recordings.

  The  album  starts  out  with  psychedelic  sound effects  before  adding  in  a  heavy  70's  rock  sound  along  with  melodic  vocals  as  well  as  all  of  the  musical  instruments  having  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  as  well  as  adding  in  classic  rock  style  solos  which  also  leads  to  more  metal  influences  being  added  in.

  As  the  album  continues  it  sticks  to  more  of  a  70s  metal/rock  sound  while  also  bringing  in  grunge  and  stoner  rock  elements  to update  the  music  for  2014  as  well  as  bringing  in  60's  psychedelic  influences  as  well  as  a  great  amount  of  fuzzy  sounding  guitar  solos  and  leads  which  also  leads  yp  to  traces  of  doom  metal  when  it  comes  to  the  heavier  sections  of  their  music  as  well  as  the  singer  having  a  similar  sound  to  the  singer  of  'Trouble'.

  With  this  album  The  Socks  show  they  know  the  roots  of  60s  and  70s  rock  very  well  with  their  psychedelic  elements  sounding  like  the  originals  while  also  having  the  heaviness  of  doom  metal  as  well  as  the  catchy  structures  of  90's  grunge.

  Song  lyrics  cover  dark  and  metaphysical  themes,  while  the  production  has  a  very  strong,  powerful,  heavy  and  professional  sound  where  you  can  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  this  recording.

   In  my  opinion  The  Socks  are  a  very  great  sounding  psychedelic  rock  band  with  the  heaviness  of  doom  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Some  Kind  of  Sorcery"  "Holy  Sons"  "Gypsy  lady"  adn  "The  last  Dragon".  8  out  of  10.  

Bad Religion/Stranger Than Fiction/Atlantic Records/1994 Cassette Review

  Bad  Religion  are  a  band  from  Los  Angeles,  California  that  plays  a  mixture  of  punk  and  melodic  hardcore  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  1994  album  "Stranger  Than  Fiction"  which  was  released  by  Atlantic  Records.

  The  album starts  out  with  an  old  school  punk  rock  sound  along  with  all  of  the  musical  instruments  having  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  along  with  melodic  vocals  and  after  awhile  solos  are  added  into  the  music.

  As  the  album  continues  the  music  sticks  to  a  more  melodic  direction  while  also  having  elements  of  hardcore  along  with  a  great  amount  of  memorable  riffs  and  emotion  and  on  one  of  the  songs  they  bring  in  a  brief  use  of  clean  guitars  before  returning  to  a  more  fast  hardcore  punk  direction.

  With  this  album  bad  Religion  made  their  major  label  debut  but  continued  their  sound  which  they  where  known  for  and  while  this  was  their  biggest  album  they  still  remained  true  to  their  mixture  of  punk  rock  and  melodic  hardcore.

  Song  lyrics  cover  political  and  everyday  themes,  while  the  production  has  a  very  strong,  powerful,  heavy  and  professional  sound  where  you  can  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  this  recording.

  In  my  opinion  this  was  a  great  sounding  album  from  Bad  Religion  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  band,  you  probably  already  own  this  recording.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Stranger  Than  Fiction"  "Infected"  "Telivision"  and  '21st  Century  Boy".  8  out  of  10.

Black Flag/Wasted..Again/SST Records/1987 Compilation Album Review

  Black  Flag  are  a  band  from  Washington  D.C  that  is  considered  one  of  the  first  hardcore  punk  bands  ever  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  1987  compilation  album  "Wasted...Again"  which  was  released  by  SST  Records.

  The  album  starts  out  with  a  fast  punk  rock  style  sound  along  with  melodic  vocals  and  after  awhile  all  of  the  musical  instruments  start  sounding  very  powerful  along  with  some  back  up  vocals  and  shouts  as  well  as  a  small  amount  of  guitar  leads.

  As  the  album  moves  on  the  music  gets  a  lot  more  fast  and  aggressive  sounding  while  also  bringing  in  melody  at  times  and  as  the  album  progresses  their  later  material  shows  up  and  shows  more  of  a  metal  influence  while  mostly  sticking  to  a  more  punk  direction.

  With  this  compilation  Black  Flag  took  some  songs  from  many  different  time  periods  and  you  can  hear    everything  from  their  more  fast  punk  material  to  the  later  material  where  they  slowed  don  a  bit.

  Song  lyrics  cover  drinking,  partying,  and  everyday  themes,  while  the  production  has  a  very  strong,  powerful,  heavy  and  professional  sound  for  the  time  it  was  recorded  and  you  can  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  this  recording.

  In  my  opinion  this  was  a  very  great  sounding  compilation  from  Black  Flag  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  band,  you  probably  already  own  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Six  Pack"  "I've  Had  it"  "Annihilate  This  Week"  and  "Drinking  And  Driving".  8/5  out  of  10.  

Cycle Sluts From hell/Self Titled/Epic Records/1991 CD Review

  Cycle  Sluts  From  Hell  where  a  band  from  New  York  that  played  a  more  hard  rock  form  of  heavy  metal  with  elements  of  punk  rock  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  titled  1991  album  which  was  released  by  Epic  Records.

  The  album  starts  out  with  a  heavy  and  melodic  sound  along  with  all  of  the  musical  instruments  sounding  very  powerful  and  then  melodic  vocals  are  added  into  the  music  and  after  awhile  solos  are  added  into  the  music  and  on  the  following  song  punk  and  hard  rock  elements  are  added  into  the  music.

  As  the album  moves  on  the  music  goes  for  more  of  a  rock/metal  sound  along  with  all  of  the  musical  instruments  having  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  on  one  song  they  bring  in  small  amounts  of  hardcore,  speed  and  thrash  metal  and  then  going  into  a  power  ballad  shortly  after  that  and  then  the  music  goes  back  to  a  heavier  metal  direction  and  after  awhile  you  can  hear  a  small  amount  of  blues  rock  being  added  into  the  recording.

  On  this  album  Cycle  Sluts  From  hell  while  mostly  a  traditional  metal  band  brought  in  elements  of  hardcore,  punk  and  hard  rock  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own  and  they  never  made  it  very  far  and this  was  their  only  full  length  album.

  Song  lyrics  cover  drinking,  partying  and  everyday  themes,  while  the  production  had  a  very  strong,  powerful,  heavy  and  professional  sound  for  the  time  it  was  released  and  you  can  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  this  recording.

  In  my  opinion  Cycle  Sluts  Of  hell  where  a  very  great  sounding  heavy  metal/hard  rock  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  recording.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "By  The  balls"  "Dark  Ship"  "I  Wish  You  Where  Beer"  and  "Bloodlust".  8  out  of  10.

Bitch/Be My Slave/Damnation Alley/Metal Blade Records/1989 CD Re-issue Review

  Bitch  are  a  band  from  Los  Angeles  that  plays  a  classic  form  of  hard  rock/,metal  with  a  punk  edge and  this  is  a  review  of  their  1983 album  "Be  My  Slave"  and  1982  ep  "Damnation  Alley"  which  where  re-issued  on  one  album  by  Metal  Blade  Records  in  the  year  of  1989.

  The  album  starts  out  with  drums  and  heavy  guitars  before  going  into  a  more  rock/metal  direction  along  with  all  of  the  musical  instruments  sounding  very  powerful  as  well  as  melody  and  then  the  vocals  start  to  kick in  and  after  awhile  solos  make  their  way  into  the  music.

  As  the  album  continues  back  up  vocals  are  added  into  certain  sections  of  the  music  and  the music  also  gets  more  diverse  along  with  a  mixture  of  more  fast  true  metal  songs  along  with  more mid  paced  hard  rock  style  tunes  that  where  a  little  bit  more  closer  to  the  more  mainstream  sound  at  the  time  but  much  more  darker  and  violent  as  well  a s bringing  in  power  ballads  with  clean  guitars.

  With  these  2  recordings  Bitch  played a  very  melodic  form  of  metal  which  had  the  heaviness  of  NWOBHM  but  the  catchy  elements of  L.A  metal  but  they  also  had  a  darker  approach  to  the  genre.

  Song  lyrics  cover  heavy  metal,  bondage  and  everyday  themes,  while  the  production  had  a  very  strong,  powerful,  heavy  and  professional  sound  for  the  time  it  was  released  and  you  can  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  this  recording.

  In  my  opinion  Bitch  are  a  very  great  sounding  heavy  metal/hard  rock  and  if  you  are  looking  for  underrated  stuff  from  the  early  80's.  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Be  My  Slave"  "Heavy  Metal  Breakdown"  "World  War  III"  and  "Live  For  The  Whip".  8  out  of  10.   

44Mag Interview

1.Can you give us an update on what has been going on with the band since the recording and release of the new album?

Jared Mondell (Vocals):Shortly after the release of the album we went through a lineup change. We parted ways with our guitar player due to creative differences which slowed our momentum a little bit. We ended up bringing Drew Lomison back into the fold, who was the guitar player on Past Sins. He was in the band for about 10 years, but had to move away for work. He moved back to town and was showing interest in playing again so the timing worked in our favor.  We spent the holidays getting Drew back up to speed and re working our sets. Currently we are working on new material and booking out the rest of 2014. We hope to be recording an EP before the year is out.

2.A few months back you put out a new album, can you tell us a little bit more about the musical direction it has taken and also how does it differ from the album you put out in 2007?

JM:44MAG has really grown as a band over the past 3 to 4 years. We didn't really "set a course" when writing Outlaw Psychosis, we just started writing. MAG obviously isn't the same band as it was in 2007, but all of the core elements are still there, the thrash, the aggression, the passion. I really think the "sound" of Outlaw Psychosis was the result of the new line up bringing all of their individual influences to the table and writing together.

3.The band has been around since 1998 but so far there has only been 2 albums released, what has been the cause of the gap?

JM: (laughing) We party far too hard to be productive all the time. No, there were a lot of different reasons for the gap of time. I'd say the three big ones were time, money, and lineup changes.

Jesse Roedts (Drums): We did a few demos and ep releases in the years between the two albums. It all just came down to money, we are an independent band. We fund all our albums and  tours ourselves. Just didn’t have the funds to make it happen.

4.I have seen the band labeled as backwoods party metal, can you tell us a little bit more about this tag?

JM: We have never really "fit" into a metal/rock genre. The band is pretty much a mutt due to all of our influences, so we figured we should make our own genre. We call it backwoods party metal because it's the best description of who we are and what we do. Almost all of us grew up in the backwoods of PA, hunting, fishing, camping, partying, burn runs, you name it. We joked with the name for awhile, and it ended up sticking.

JR: Like Jared said, it all comes down to where we come from. Most of us are backwoods rednecks (laughing) Where we grew up it is partys at the river and bon fires all night. Getting drunk shooting guns, fishing hunting all that good shit you can’t do in the city. Where we come from had molded our sound.

5.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the music?

JM: A lot of the tunes we write come from our experiences, either personal or as a band. Brain Douche is about Jesse and Pat at the Bonnaroo festival a few years back, DUI is obviously about run ins with the law, and getting behind the wheel when you probably shouldn't. The writing process, especially lyrically, is pretty organic. Before we know it, we have a song about fake ass musicians who have more money than talent like Mr. Rock N Roll.

6.What are some of the best shows that the band has played over the years and also how would you describe your stage performance?

JM: Our stage performance varies upon our level of intoxication.

JR: We love playing festivals. We had some good times playing with all the other bands this past summer and we are looking forward to it again. They always seem to me more fun, harder partying and crazier !

7.Do you have any touring or show plans for the future?

JR: We are currently setting up our spring/summer run in support of the new cd. We are hoping to get to Europe and play for all the crazy metal heads across the pond.

8.Currently you are unsigned, are you looking for a label or have received any interest?

JR: We are looking, We have had interest in the past. Its just a matter of finding the right label that doesn’t want to fuck you over or rape you in the wallet.

9.What direction do you see your music heading into on future releases?

JR: We have been writing for the past couple of months and the shit is sounding killer ! Thrashy, groovy, heavy fucking riffs ! Im excited for everyone to hear it.

JM: Again, the stuff we write just kinda happens. If it sound cool to us, it stays.

10.What are some bands or musical styles that have had an influence on your music and also what are you listening to nowadays?

JR: I would have to say as a band our main influences are Pantera, Slayer and Metallica. Currently I can’t stop listening to Hank 3. I’m a huge fan and a hellbilly from back in the day. We listen to alot of Clutch and C.O.C also.

JM: The thing that is cool about this band is there are common influences like Metallica, Slayer, Pantera, like Jesse said, but we all listen to different stuff as well which definitely comes out in our writing.

11.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of metal?

JR: It has been killer ! That is part of the reason why we have been so anxious to go overseas and play. We have been getting emails from all over the world. I would have to say the ones we have been getting from Indonesia have been the coolest !

JM: It’s been great, we love the fact that we have the opportunity to reach fans overseas who really dig on what we do! The internet is a beautiful thing.

12.Do you have any non musical interests?

JR: Hell yea, I’m an avid outdoorsman. In the summer if we are not on the road i’m in the woods. Fishing is my main passion after drumming. I spend alot of time in May kayak fishing in the ocean and taking multi day fishing and float trips all over Pennsylvania. We can’t forget the guns! Shooting sports are huge where we live.

JM: My Playstation 4 takes up a lot of free time...

13.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?

JR: We love feedback, check out our songs let us know what you think !

JM: If you like what we do, let us know... and 25 of your friends...at least!

Lady Beast/Self Titled/Inferno Records/2013 CD Review

  Lady  Beast  are  a  band  from  Pennsylvania  that  plays  a  very  old  school  and  traditional  form  of  heavy  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  titled  2013  album  which  was  released  by  Inferno  Records.

  The  album  starts  out  with  an  old  school  metal  sound  along  with  melodic  vocals  and  solos  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  sound  very  powerful  and   the  music  sticks  to  more  of  an  early  80's  sound  while  also  having  a  great  amount  of  melody.

  As  the  album  continues  it  sticks  to  a  traditional  metal  sound  with  no  modern  elements  being  utilized  along  with  solos  that  bring  in  a  hard  rock  feeling  as  well  as  bringing  back  NWOBHM  and  early  80's  American  metal  and  the  last  song  is  a  Judas  Priest  cover.

  With  this  album  Lady  Beast  bring  back  a  very  different  retro  sound  than  newer  bands  with  the  way  they  combine  NWOBHM  and  early  American  metal  together  along  with  a  lot  of  catchy  riffs  and  melody  as  well  as  updating  a  1982  sound  for  the  modern  days.

  Song  lyrics  cover  fantasy,  heavy  metal  and  everyday  themes,  while  the  production  has  a  very  strong,  powerful,  heavy  and  old  school  sound  where  you  can  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  this  album.

  In  my  opinion  lady  Beast  are  a  very  great  sounding  old  school  traditional  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  recording.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Metal  Rules"  "Armor"  "Hot  Pursuit"  and  "Ram  It  Down".  8  out  of  10.
  

TomCat/Bits N Peaces/On Parole Productions/2013 CD Review

  TomCat  are  a  band  from  Slovenia  that  plays  a  very  traditional  form  of  metal  with  elements  of  70s  hard  rock  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2013  album  "Bits  N  Peaces"  which  was  released  by  On   Parole  Productions/

  The  album  starts  out  with  old  school  hard  rock/NWOBHM  style  guitar  riffing  and  drums  which  leads  up  to  melodic  vocals  along  with  all  of  the  musical  instruments  sounding  very  powerful  as  well  as  an  anthem  style  chorus  and  after  awhile  solos  are  added  into  the  music.

  As  the  album  continues  it  sticks  to  a  very  old  school  sound  that  is  very  close  to  NWOBHM  while  also  having  some  influences  from  more  mainstream  sounding  70s  rock  as  well  as  some  catchy  old  school  guitar  solos  and  leads  and  after  awhile  clean  guitars  are  added  into  the  music  along  with  a  couple  of  power  ballads  one  which  also  uses  an  acoustic  guitar  before  returning  back  to  their  old  school  metal/hard  rock  sound  as  well  as  adding  in  a  small  amount  of  blues  which  start  getting  mix  in  with  the  heavier  material.

  On  this  album  TomCat  bring  back  a  sound  that  a  lot  of  newer  bands  do not  do  anymore  and  it  is  good  to  hear  something  that  is  still  metal  but  not  trendy  and  there  is  also  a  good  amount  of  melody  and  hard  rock  influences  present  on  this  record.

  Song  lyrics  cover  partying,  drinking  and  everyday  themes,  while  the  production  has  a  very  strong,  powerful,  heavy  and  old  school  sound  where  you  can  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  this  recording.

  In  my  opinion  TomCat  are  a  very  great  sounding  old  school  heavy  metal/hard  rock  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Goodbye"  "Girls  In  Leather"  "Edge  Of  The  Blade"  and  "Wipe  My  Tears".  8/5  out  of  10.

Lightning Lord Interview

1.For those that have never heard of you before, can you tell us a little bit about the band?

 Sure, we're a three piece speed metal band out of NYC. We have Gregory Swanson on Vocals/Bass, Lou Lamore on drums, and Alex Abendroth on guitar. Three guys, three instruments, a raw approach to metal. We go fast, like big vocal melodies, and thrive on intensity.

2.How would you describe your musical sound? 

 We're really inspired by the NWOBHM, which is a very broad statement because there are so many different sounds within that genera, and 80's hard rock. We like speed, and melodies that you can sing y'know, anthems that make you want to stand up and throw your fist in the air. You'll hear the speed of punk, the riffs range from hard rock to metal to thrash, delivered with a fuck you attitude.

3.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects you explore with your music?

We write about life. That's to say we could touch on a vast area of topics. Hellas Waiting Arms is about going in to battle in a frenzied state, while Children Of The Night talks about homeless youth and the coarseness of the streets. I write the lyrics, and never rule out exploring in life, so we wouldn't rule out to many things…. we like sex and partying also lol. We're never more ourselves, than when we're walking on that edge.

4.I have noticed when I listened to your music you go back farther than 30 years, what was the decision behind going on this direction? We had older brothers and family members that would play music for us, so when we we're babies, we were hearing Iron Maiden, Led Zepplin, Avenger, KISS, Metallica, ect… instead of nursery rhymes lol, so yes, we did intend to go back to the kind of music that made us want to be musicians, and hopefully, find our own sound in that. In the same breath, we don't consider our music to be throwback in anyway, our line of thinking is, yes, that music that influenced us came out when it did, but, if we make our own music, are sincere in it, and it's being done in the present, that makes it current doesn't it?

5.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'LightningLord'?

LightningLord is named after Thor, the Norse God Of Thunder. He calls down the thunder, and lightning with the hammer of the gods, slays the giants, and kills the serpent. Epic. 

6.What are some of the best shows that the band has played over the years and also how would you describe your stage performance?

We love to play live everywhere. We aren't guys who enjoy sitting at a computer with pro tools, we came to turn up and be a live band. We like to bring high energy, and seek out new ways to get over the top. We don't like the false pretenses of bands who go on stage, and act like they don't care. We see that attitude as contrived and fake. We want to put on a show for people. If they're going to take time to appreciate our band, we're not going to slap them in the face and say "oh, I just want to stare at my shoes?" Fuck that, we came to party metals with you, metal is bold and fearless and if we can blow something up, we will lol.

7.Do you have ant touring or show plans for the future?

We're an indie band, so we don't have a big record label budget backing us. We play where ever we can. Right now, we have shows coming up in the NYC, and northeast region of the US. We would love to go on the road and never come off lol. Speedz Metalz to the people.

8.The ep came out on Swords And Chains Records can you tell us a little bit more about this label?

Swords And Chains is an indie label out of Chicago run by a very cool dude Mike Mendyk. They usually put out cassettes, and when he came to me with the idea, I thought it was really cool. I believe he's moving in to putting out cd's also.

9.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of metal?

It's been surprisingly good actually. Being a small band, we haven't had a lot of exposure, but, people have really gotten behind what we're doing, been really cool to us. In a scene where death metal and hardcore have become mainstream, we're coming from a very different place musically, it's just who we are, we didn't know what to expect, and people have been throwing up the metal horns, saying "ya, that's metal, let them play". So we all just rock out and have fun…… 

10.When can we expect a full length album?

We're in the studio right now, working on the full length follow up to the "All Father Death Stalkers" EP. It'll definitely be out in 2014. It'll be out sooner if I can go in the studio and figure out what that blinking button on the left does…..

11.What are some bands or musical styles that have had an influence on your music and also what are you listening to nowadays?

Really big NWOBHM fans. Avenger, RAVEN, Weapon, Gaskin, Angel Witch, Iron Maiden, Tyger Of Pan Tang, Tytan, TANK, Judas Priest, Tokyo Blade, Motorhead as well as bands like Metallica, Motley Crue, Guns n roses, Sabbath, Zepplin, Sex Pistols, KISS…… we definitely go back to go forward.

12.The band was originally from England but now lives in New York, what was the decision behind the move?

Well, I've spent time in England, but, I'm actually a half breed, American and adopted by Europeans. Now that you ask, it's kind of a crazy story lol. I had an idea to make a NWOBHM band, and no one in LA, or NYC would talk to me at all lol. Still I kept trying to make this vision a reality and kept posting add after add for about a year, until I got two responses in the same week. One was Legendary drummer Gary Young, founder of Blitzkrieg and Avenger, the other was Big Kev Riddles legendary bassist of Angel Witch and Tytan. They we're so cool, and had me send them my crappy home recordings, and both said they would play, and help me make the demo EP. Gary did the drums, recorded with Dean Thompson at Bear Sound Studio, even introduced me to NWOBHM legend Paul Gaskin for some guitars, and unfortunately, I didn't have the money to get Kev or Paul studio time, but, they were totally understanding and cool as always. It was my first time trying to organize something like this, and there are all these legends, who are my heros, no pressure kid if you know what I mean lol. With that recorded, I now had something in hand instead of just an idea, and Lou and I had played together in another band in NYC, we got together, and he knew Alex, and now we're here chatting with you.

13.Do you have any non musical interests?

We're definitely musicians first and foremost, but, Greg likes to do martial arts, comic book and anime fan, world traveling viking… Lou likes to Skydive and crash cars, Alex will dissect any machine and rebuild it with only spare parts and chewing gum, and it'll work.

14.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?

We've got one life, so let's live it up in true metal fashion. See you all at the rock show! Speedz Metalz!

Eternal Judgement Interview

1.Can you give us an update on what is going on with the band these days?

We are currently recording our first album !

2.How would you describe the musical sound of both releases that you have put out so far and also how do they differ from each other?

First release and second a very different . I think we evolved a lot with the Ep by changing are tuning from '' D '' to '' E '' . It helped the vocals a lot too . Also the recording equipment and techniques are way better in the ep .

3.Can you tell us a little bit more about the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the music?

Anger , Society , corruption , police , war ... also some other songs are more party on songs !

4.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Eternal Judgement'?

It's a good reflection of the society ... the constant judgment we are facing 

By the way it's written '' Judgment '' not Judgement lol ... just to fuck every body up ... ( just kidin , it was better lookin for the logo ) .

5.What are some of the best shows that the band has played so far and also how would you describe your stage performance?

Plain at the Theatre le National in Montreal was sick ! Also the trailer thrash fest is among the best gigs weve played .

6.Do you have any touring or show plans for the future?

Yep probably a little canada usa tour ... may be also Europe after our release .

7.Currently you are unsigned are you looking for a label or have received any interest?

Of course we are ! And yes some label shown their interest .

8.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of thrash metal?

Great ! Specially from the typical thraher !!! Video clip we released not long ago reached over 6000 views .

9.When can we expect a full length?

April should be a good guess !

10.What are some bands or musical styles that have had an influence on your music and also what are you listening to nowadays?

Metallica ( yeah like 99 percent of each metalhead on earth ) ... old school thrash , rock , blues , country , blue grass , grunge ...

11.Do you have any non musical interests?

Yeah thats for sure . Video games sure take the lead haha .

12.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts? 

Yeah ! I hope everybody who saw this interview check out our stuff on line !!! We are on facebook , youtube , reverbnation , bandcamp ... name it haha !

 

ThermiT/Encephalopathy/2013 EP Review

  ThermiT  are  a  band  from  Poland  that  plays  an  old  school  mixture  of  heavy  and thrash  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2013  ep  "Encephalopathy".

  The  ep  starts  out  with  a  very  heavy  thrash  metal  sound  along  with  all  of  the  musical  instruments  having  a  powerful  sound  as   well  as  some  chaotic  old  school  extreme  metal  guitar  leads  which  leads  up  to  melodic  yet  aggressive  vocals  and  back  up  gang  shouts  and  after  awhile  you  can  hear  heavy  and  power  metal  influences  being  added  into  the  music  along  with  melody  and  the  last  song  is  a  Metallica  medley.

  When  the  ep  goes  into  the  next  song  acoustic  guitars  are  added  into  the  music  briefly  before  returning  to  a  heavier  direction  and  adding  in  blast  beats  but  the  acoustics  also return  on  other  songs  and  after  awhile  the  music  goes  for  a  very  heavy  power/thrash  direction.

  On  this  ep  ThermiT  take  the  heaviest  elements  of  old  school  thrash  and  mix  it  in  with  the  melody  of  heavy  and  power  metal  along  with  some  acoustic  passages  to  create  a  very  heavy,  diverse  and  melodic  recording.

  Song  lyrics  cover  dark,  everyday  and  political  themes,  while  the  production  has  a  very  strong,  powerful,  heavy,  old  school  and  professional  sound   for being  a  self  released  recording where  you  can  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  this  ep.

  In  my  opinion  Thermit  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  aggressive  thrash,  power  and  heavy  metal  and  if  you  are  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band  and  ep.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Zombie  Lover"  and  "Other  Man".  8/5  out  of  10.  

Mad Agony/Chernobitch/2013 CD Review

  Mad  Agony  are  a  band  from  Italy  that  plays  a  mixture  of  heavy  and  power  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2013  album  "Chernobitch".

  The  album  starts  out  with  an  intro  that  has  a  weird  and  somewhat  silent  side  to  them  in  the beginning  but  gets  more  powerful  as  time  goes  on  by  and  you  can  hear  guitars  being  added  in  and  when  the first  song  starts  the  music  goes  into  a  more  old  school  metal  direction.

  The  music  really  come s off  to  a  powerful  start  and  the  band  mixes  heavy,  speed  and  power  metal  together  along  with  solos  and  melodic  vocals  and  the  album  has  a  great  amount  of  melody  as  well  as  all  of  the  musical  instruments  sounding  very  powerful  and  as  the  album  progresses  the  music  starts  mixing  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  together  as  well  as  bringing  out  metal  anthems  and  at  times  there are  demonic  vocals  and  black  metal  influences  being  utilized.

  As  the  album  progresses  clean  guitars  are  brought  into  the  music  briefly  on  the  power  ballad  which  enhances  the  epic  qualities  of  the  recording  and  after  that  it  returns  to  a  heavier  direction  as  well  as  bringing  in  a  few  seconds  of  growls  and  blast  beats  but  sticking  mostly  to  an  old  school  metal  sound.

  On  this  album  Mad  Agony  take  the  early  80's  sounds  of  heavy,  speed  and  power  metal  and  bring  in a  small  amount  of  death  and  black  metal  influences  to  update  this  musical  genre  for  2013  but  still  sounding  very  80's.

  Song  lyrics  cover  angry  and  everyday  themes,  while  the  production  has  a  very  strong,  powerful,  heavy  and  old  school  sound  for  being  a  self  released  recording  where  you  can  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  this  album.

  In  my  opinion  Mad  Agony  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  heavy,  power,  and  speed  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Chernobitch"  "Subconscious  Fear"  "Boundaries  Of  Death"  and  "Tribute  of  Blood".  8/5  out  of  10.      

 

  

Lightning Lord/All Father Death Stalkers/ Swords and Chains Records/2013 EP Review

  Lightning  Lord  are  a  band  from  New  York  that  plays  a  mixture  of  speed,  heavy  metal  and  NWOBHM  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2013  ep  "All  Father  Death  Stalkers"  which  was released  by  Sword  And  Chains  Records.

  The  ep  starts  out  with  with  an  old  school  metal  sound  as  well  as  all  of  the  musical  instruments  having  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  it  leads  up  to  melodic  vocals  and  the  music  is  heavily  rooted  in  the  mid  70's  and  early  80's  and  after  awhile  true  metal  solos  are  added  into  the  music.

  On  these  2  songs  Lightning  Lord  go  back  to  a  sound  that  pre  dates  thrash  metal  and  brings  back  a  lot  of  true  metal  elements  that  have  not  been  attempted  by  any  newer  bands  and  the  music  sounds  like  it  could  of  easily  been  released  by  neat  Records  in  the  early  80's.

  Song  lyrics  cover  dark  and  mythology  themes,  while  the  production  has  a  very  strong,  powerful,  heavy  and  old  school  sound  where  you  can  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  this  recording.

  In  my  opinion  lightning  Lord  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  speed,  heavy  metal  and  NWOBHM  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACK  "Children  Of  The  Night".  8/5  out  of  10. 

Eternal Judgement/Fatal Virus/2012 EP Review

  Eternal  Judgement  are  a  band  from Quebec,  Canada  that  plays  a  mixture  of  heavy  and  thrash  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their self  released  2012  ep  "Fatal  Virus".

  The  ep  starts  out  with  a  heavy  and  old  school  thrash  sound    along  with  aggressive  vocals  that  have  a  hardcore  feeling  to  them  at  times  as  well  as  some  blast  beats  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  when  solos  are  brought  in they  make  the  music  sound  even  more  aggressive.

  The  band  also  bring  this  heavy,  aggressive  and  old  school  approach  to  other  songs  as  well  as  well  as  adding  melodies  to  the  guitar  riffing  and  solos  along  with  the  vocals  also  utilizing  a  more  melodic  tone  to  them  at  times  and  on  the  last  song  a  brief  use  of  clean  guitars  and  spoken  word  parts  are  brought  in  and  on  the  hidden  track  you  can  hear  elements  of  blues  metal.

  On  this  ep  Eternal  Judgement  take  a  very  aggressive  and  old  school  form  of  thrash  and  mix  it  in  with  the  melody  of  NWOBHM  to  create  a  recording  that  is  very  heavy,  melodic  and  perfect  for  moshing.
 
  Song  lyrics  cover  violent,  philosophical  and  everyday  themes,  while  the  production  has  a  very  strong,  powerful,  heavy  and  old  school  sound  for  being  a  self  released  recording  where  you  can  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on t his  ep.

  In  my  opinion  Eternal  Judgement  are  a  very  great  sounding  heavy,  aggressive  and  melodic  old  school  thrash  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  ep.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Fatal  Virus"  and  "Kill  To  Survive".  8  out  of  10.  

HI-GH Interview

1.For those that have never heard of you before, can you tell us a little bit about the band?

1 . Yeah why not ! Our band is a pure concentrate of Heavy Metal & Speed Metal , with influences from Rock and Psychedelic Rock . It ' a band for all fans of Heavy Metal fast and sharp !

2.A year back you released a new album, can you tell us a little bit more about the musical direction it has taken and also how does it differ from the ep you released in 2012?

2 . The EP was a great kind of publicity, to warn all maniacs , headbangers of Speed / Heavy scene . Hey HI -GH back in town ! Was also a product that has allowed us to combine our music, and then prepare for future Lp .

3.Can you tell us a little bit more about the lyrical topics and subjects you explore with your music?

3 . Is a mix of ideas taken from books, movies , comics, or historical events that actually happened .

4.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'HI-GH'?

4 . If you remove the dash between the I and the G , the name of the band becomes HIGH ! Yes, we love smoke a lot! Was a friend of ours was to give us the name.

5.What are some of the best shows that the band has played over the years and also how would you describe your stage performance?

5 . That the best show we ever had was last summer in Milan with Endovein from Turin, our good friends , but the most important , was our realese party for our first full-length with our friends from Belgium , Evil Invaders ! Was fucking awesome !

6.Do you have any touring or show plans for the future?

6 . Our plans for the future are very precise , playing everywhere and introduce our music to the world , and bring back the spirit of Heavy Metal of the past.

7.The last album came out on L.A RIOT Survivor Records, can you tell us a little bit more about this label?

7. L.A. Riot Survivor Rec. is a label owned by Anthony Drago and Big Ricchard from Fingernails, the historical speed metal band from Rome. It was a great deal joining it, we grew up in terms of publicity, distribution, gigs and everything and our album sold quite a lot for an emergent band.

8.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of metal and punk?

8. It's been great! Our fans responded well to our both metal and punk side and also the rock 'n' roll part has been a lot appreciated by the fans.

9.When can we expect a new album and also what direction will it be heading into music?

9. The new album hopefully will come out in summer of this year, if everything goes as scheduled. The speed metal part and the punk side will get matured, songs are a bit more complicated that the ones on Night Dances album. We're also taking care of the rock 'n' roll side, showing also our "bluesy" influences, there will be more early 70's riffs very Zeppelin, Sabbath, Grand Funk or The Jimi Hendrix Experience-like. And also, the psychedelic track will be more particular and well studied that Mind's War and Peace which is a great track but everything is improvised, so we decided to focus well on this one also.

10.What are some bands or musical styles that have had an influence on your music and also what are you listening to nowadays?

10. Slowly has been interested into Bruce Springsteen a lot lately and Motorhead, as always. Psyki and RedEyes are into classic heavy metal or speed from the 80's or late 70's. Symley's into all, everything from 60's West Coast's psychedelia, The Beatles, The Stones, 70's boogie/hard rock bands and everything from acid folk to 50's rock 'n' roll like Eddie Cochran, Jerry Lee Lewis, Little Richard to classic heavy metal and speed. Oh, and also blues....a lot of it, in its every form and shape!

11.Do you have any non musical interests?

11. Yeah, marijuana baby! Ahahahahaha and also alcohol. Smyley loves poetry, though, it has always been a big passion for him, specially the English literature.

12.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?

12. We would really like to advertise our fans worldwide to get ready for our next bomb comin' out. We're pretty sure the fans of the classic sounds will appreciate this one and...see you soon, maniacs!