Across Tundras/Electric Relics/2013 CD Review

  Across  Tundras  are  a  band  from  Nashville,  Tennessee  that  plays  a  mixture  of  post  doom,  blues  rock,  and  Americana    and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2013  album  "Electric  Relics".

  Drums  range  from  slow  to  mid  paced  playing  with  no  fast  drumming  or  blast  beats  being  present on  this  recording  along  with  some  percussion  work,  while  the  pianos,  organs,  synths,  drones,  mellotron  and  trombones  bring  a  psychedelic  sound  to  the  recording,  as  for  the  bass  playing  it  has  a  very  strong  and  powerful  sound  with  heavy  riffing  that  dominates  throughout  the  recording.

  Rhythm  guitars  range  from  slow  to  mid  paced  riffs  that  combine  post  doom  metal,  with  blues  rock  and  Americana  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own  with  a  great  amount  of  melody  being  thrown  into  the  riffing,  while  the  lead  guitars  are  very  melodic  sounding  blues/hard  rock  guitar  solos  and  leads  along  with  a  brief  use  of  guitar  slides,  as  for  the  acoustic  guitars  when  they  are  utilized  they  use  finger  picking  and  full  chords to  enhance  the  Americana  and  southern  folk  elements  of  the  album.

  Vocals  are  all  clean  singing  hard  rock  vocals, while  the  lyrics  cover  hidden  truths  of  bygone  times  and  modern  mysticism,  as  for  the  production  it  has  a  very  strong,  powerful,  heavy,  dark,  and  professional  sound  where  you  can  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  this  recording  with the  songs  being  long  and  epic  in  length.  

  In  my  opinion  Across  Tundras  are  a  very  great  sounding  hybrid  of  post  doom  metal,  blues  rock, and  Americana  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Pining  For  The  Gravel  Roads"  "Solar  Ark"  and  "Unfortunate  Son".  RECOMMENDED  BUY.  

Left For Dead/Devoid Of Everything/A389 Recordings/2012 CD Review

  Left  For  Dead  are  a  band  from  Ontario,  Canada  that  plays  a  very  old  school  form  of  hardcore  punk  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2012  album  "Devoid  Of  Everything"  which  was  released  by  A389  Recordings.

  Drums  range  from  slow,  mid  paced  to  fast  playing  with  not  much  in  the  way  of  blast  beats,  while  the  bass  playing  has  a  very  dark  tone  with  riffs  that  follow  the  riffing  that  are  coming  out  of the  guitars.

  Rhythm  guitars  range  from  slow,  mid  paced  to  fast  old  school  hardcore   riffs  that  utilize  some  punk  and  metal  metal  influences  in  the  riffing  and  there  are  no  guitar  solos  or  leads  present  on  this  recording.

  Vocals  are  mostly  hardcore  style  shouts  and  screams  with  some  spoken  word  parts,  while  the  lyrics  cover  hateful  and  political  themes,  as  for  the  production  it  has  a  very  strong,  powerful,  heavy  and  professional  sound  to  it.

  In  my  opinion  Left  For  Dead  are  a  very  great  sounding  old  school  hardcore  punk  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Pliant"  "Nothing  There"  "Left  For  Dead"  and  "Ripped  Up".  RECOMMENDED  BUY.    

Polkadot Cadaver Interview

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

We did 200 tour dates last year with Static-X, Korpiklanni, Wednesday 13 and Blood on the Dancefloor.  We just finished a tour with Psychostick last month and our new album Last Call in Jonestown comes out tomorrow on the record label that we own, Razor To Wrist Records. 

2. How would you describe the musical sound of the new album and how it differs from previous efforts?

I find it to be stylistically somewhere in between our first 2 albums.  Purgatory Dance Party was very experimental, Sex Offender was more of a rock and roll album.  Last Call in Jonestown has elements of both, a mix that seems to be where we are heading. 

3. What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the new release?

Todd's hatred of George W. Bush, mass suicide/murder... oh and the ins and outs of teenage heartbreak.

4.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the bands name?

I like to tell people that it's a black plague reference, but the truth is that there really isn't a story, it's just something that Todd really liked.  It's odd, but it has worked really well for us from a marketing standpoint, everytime a celebrity dies, apply dots to a picture and voila!  New shirt.

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

We've played a ton of great shows all over the US and Canada.  Home is always Cleveland, but we have added a lot of "Home" cities lately.  Lots of new faces showing up, it's been fun.  We try to have a ton of energy on stage.  I try to not fuck up too much while laying on top of people in the audience.

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

Yup, we leave for a few weeks in June with Exotic Animal Petting Zoo and One Eyed Doll.  It's our first headlining tour in a while and we're excited about playing new material.  We also plan to do a full US run in the fall. 

7.Currently you are signed to Razor To Wrist, how did you get in contact with this label and how would you describe the support they have given you so far?

We actually own Razor To Wrist Records.  It's the single greatest business decision we have ever made.  The modern music industry does not require you to have a major label behind you.  In a lot of ways labels do more to destroy a bands career, then help them have one.  We have been signed to some really big labels, and no one will ever help us as much as we will help ourselves.  We will be signing other bands and they will be treated fairly and with the respect they deserve. 

8. On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to the newer material by fans of music?

We have fans all over the world, It's actually pretty remarkable.  Our old band Dog Fashion Disco is doing a couple of reunion shows at the end of the month and there will be people there from the corners of the earth.... Croatia, Russia, Finland, UK, Australia, Germany all will be represented. 

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

The beauty of being in a band like Polkadot Cadaver and owning your own label is you don't have to make these decisions.  We have always and will always just write what comes out, and that will be what makes it onto the record.  It's very liberating. 

10. What are some bands or musical styles that have influenced your newer music and also what are you listening to nowadays?

There are tons of bands and artists that have influenced us over the years, Clutch, Metallica, FNM, Beck, Muse, Slayer.... I mean the list goes on and on and on.  I just picked up the new Mastodon album "The Hunter" and I like that quite a bit.  We toured with those guys a few years back and it's amazing to see how far they've come since then.

11.Outside of music what are some of your interests?

I really like designing things in Photoshop and Illustrator.  I do a lot of our art, which I personally find as rewarding as writing songs.  It's exciting for me to see a new shirt printed that I designed.  I also love tinkering in the stock market.  I know that doesn't sound very exciting, but someday I'll have a new honda to show for my efforts.

12.Any final words or thoughts before we wrap up this interview?

Support us!  Go buy our album....  Profits don't go to some industry fat-cat doucebag.  They go in our gas tank! 

Jasan Stepp 

Demon Lung/The Hundredth Name/Candlelight Records/2013 CD Review

  Demon  Lung  are  a  band  from  Las  Vegas,  Nevada  that  plays  a  very  heavy  and  old  school  form  of  occult  doom  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2013  album  "The  Hundredth  Name"  which  was released  by  Candlelight  Records.

  Drums  range  from  slow  to  mid  paced  playing  with  no  fast  drumming  or  blast  beats  being  present on  this  recording,  while  the  bass  playing  has  a  very  dark  tone  with  riffs  that  follow  the  riffing  that  are  coming  out  of  the  guitars  and  at  times  they  have  a v ery  powerful  sound  to  them.

  Rhythm  guitars  range  from  slow  to  mid  paced  doom  metal  riffs  that  are  very  heavy  and  old  school  sounding  with  a  great  amount  of  dark  sounding  melodies  being  thrown  into  the  riffing  and  there  are  no  guitar  solos  or  leads  present  on  this  recording,  as  for  the  acoustic  guitars  which  are  only  used  briefly  use  finger  picking  to  enhance  the  dark  atmosphere  of  the  recording.

  Vocals  are  all  clean  singing  traditional  doom  metal  vocals,  while  the  lyrics  cover  Satanism  and  Occultism  themes,  as  for  the  production  it  has  a  very  strong,  powerful,  heavy,  dark  and  professional  sound  with  the  songs  being  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  you  can  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  this  recording.

  In  my  opinion  Demon  Lung  are  a  very  great  sounding  heavy  and  old  school  occult  doom  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Binding  Of  The  Witch"  "Heathen  Child"  "Incantation(The  Hundredth  Name)".  RECOMMENDED  BUY.    

M:Pire Of Evil/Crucified/Mausolem Records/2013 CD Review

  M:Pire  Of  Evil  are  a  band  from  England  that  consists  of  former  members  of  Venom  with  a  musical  style  that  I  would  describe  as  being  old  school  thrash  metal with  elements  of  early  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2013  album  "Crucified"  which  was  released  by  Mausolem  Records.

  Drums  range  from  slow,  mid  paced  to  fast  drumming  with  not  much  in t he  way  of  blast  beats,  while  the  bass  playing  has  a  very  strong  and  powerful  sound  with  heavy  riffing  that  dominates  throughout  the  recording,  as  for  the  synths  which  are  only  used  briefly  they  bring  a  very  dark  and  occult  sound  to  the  recording.

  Rhythm  guitars  range  from  slow,  mid  paced  to  fast  old  school  thrash  metal  riffs  that  also  utilize  some  early  black  metal  elements  as  well  as  some  dark  sounding  melodies  in  the  riffing  along  with  a  brief  use  of  clean  playing,  while  the  lead  guitars  are  very  early  80's  sounding  thrash  metal  guitar  solos  and  leads.

  Vocals  are  all  early  style  thrash  style  vocals  as  well  as  a  brief  use of  demonic  elements  and  choirs,  while  the  lyrics  cover  darkness  and  occult  themes,  as  for  the  production  it  has  a  very  strong,  powerful,  heavy,  old  school  and  professional  sound  where  you  can  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  this  recording.

  In  my  opinion  M:Pire  Of  Evil  are  a  very  great  sounding  old  school  thrash  metal  band  with  elements  of  early  black  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Temples  Of  Ice"  "Blackened  Are  The  Priests"  "Wolverine"  and  "Demone".  RECOMMENDED  BUY.

Pale Horseman/Self Titled/2013 CD Review

  Pale  Horseman  are  a  band  from  Chicago,  Illinois  that  plays  a  heavy  mixture  of  sludge  and  doom metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  titled  and  self  released  2013  album.

  Drums  range  from  slow  to  mid  paced  playing  with  no  fast  drumming  or  blast  beats  being  present on  this  recording,  while  the  bass  playing  has  a  very  dark  tone  with  riffs  that  follow  the  riffing  that  are  coming  out  of  the  guitars.

  Rhythm  guitars  range  from  slow  to  mid  paced  playing t hat  combine  sludge  and  doom  metal  together  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own  with  a  great  amount  of  dark  sounding  melodies  being  thrown  into  the  riffing  as  well  as  a  brief  use  of  clean  playing,   while  the  lead  guitars  when  they  are  utilized  are  very  dark  and  melodic  sounding  doom  metal  guitar  solos  and  leads.

  Vocals  range  from  sludge  style  vocals  to  clean  singing  stoner/doom  metal,  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  and  metaphysical  themes,  as  for  the  production  it  has  a  very  strong,  powerful,  heavy  and  dark  sound  for  being  a  self  released  recording  with  the  songs  being  long  and  epic  in  length.

  In  my  opinion  Pale  Horseman  are  a  very  great  sounding  hybrid  of  sludge  and  doom  metal  and  if you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Black  River"  "Paranormal  Unknown"  and "Afterlife".  RECOMMENDED  BUY. 

Polkadot Cadaver/Last Call In Jonestown/Razor To Wrist Records/2013 CD Review

  Polkadot  Cadaver  are  a  band  from  Maryland  that  plays  a  mixture  of  thrash,  avant  garde  metal  and  experimental  rock  rock  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2013  album  "Last  Call  In  Jonestown"  which  was  released  by  Razor  To  Wrist  Records.

  Drums  range  from  slow,  mid  paced  to  fast  drumming  with  some  blast  beats  being  utilized  at  times,  while  the  bass  playing  has  a  very  strong  and  powerful  sound  with  heavy  riffing  that  dominates  throughout  the  recording,  as  for  the  synths  when  they  are  utilized  they  bring  a  very  experimental  and  avant  garde  sound  to  the  recording.

  Rhythm  guitars  range  from  slow,  mid  paced  to  fast  riffs  that  combine  thrash  with  avant  garde  and  experimental  rock  together  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own  with  some  melody  being  thrown  into  the  riffing  at  times  as  well  as  some  soft  and  clean  playing,  while  the  lead  guitars  when  they  are  utilized  are  very  old  school  sounding  thrash  metal  guitar  solos  and  leads.

  Vocals  range  from  punk/thrash  style  yelling  and  clean  singing  avant  garde  vocals  along  with  a  brief  use  of  spoken  word  parts  and  female  vocals,  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  themes,  as  for  the  production  it  has  a very  strong,  powerful,  heavy  and  professional  sound  where  you  can  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  the  recording.

  In  my  opinion  Polkadot  Cadaver  are  a  very  great  sounding  hybrid  of  thrash,  avant  garde  metal  and  experimental  rock  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  band. RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Phantasmagoria"  "Sheer  Madness"  "Lunatic"  and  "Transisters  Of  Mercy".  RECOMMENDED  BUY.