The press release for this album described Tesseract as “Leaders of the djent movement.” Thank Satan I don’t know what “djent” means, but I’m assuming that it has something to do with chugging equine semen, because the aptly named One sucks horse dick. I’m not sure if the little girl squealing the Emo vocals is worse than the absolutely weird guitar tone and ridiculously terrible staccato “riffs” that typically sound as if multiple (shitty) songs are being played simultaneously, but the overdose of Prog Rock lameness is the last bit of corn in this turd sandwich.

I’m old. I bought Power from Hell (1985) and The Force (1986) when they were brand-new releases, and probably still have my antique cassettes around here somewhere if they haven’t already disintegrated into dust. They’re classic Thrash albums that have, as far as I’m concerned, stood the test of time, and despite sharing some members (guitarist Nige Rockett, drummer Steve Grice, and believe it or not, The Force’s singer Sy Keeler), this Onslaught might as well be an entirely different band. In fact, it might as well be Exodus, let’s say from their Shovel Headed Kill Machine album on forward. I remember thinking that Onslaught’s 2007’s return-from-the-grave, Killing Peace, was okay, but then never felt like listening to it more than a handful of times. I suppose that for a “modern” Thrash album Sounds of Violence isn’t bad, and Sy’s vocals are absolutely vicious (when he doesn’t foolishly distort/overdrive them as in the title track, or have to shout some of the more stupid lyrics), which in this case is not entirely a compliment. But “not bad” isn’t anywhere nearly good enough for The Devil’s Legion, even with no less than Phil Campbell and Tom Angelripper helping out on the sterile cover of Motorhead’s “Bomber.” All I could think of while listening to this is how much more I’d rather be hearing something these guys seem to have forgotten:
“Hellbound the horsemen ride
Let there be death to all
Ride through the burning skies
See that no one survives
Send their souls to Hell
Let there be death!”

Let me first say that the Macabre guys are among the coolest dudes not only in the Chicago area, but really in the universe. And their musical ability is absolutely beyond belief. Watching this band perform live is nothing less than awesome, in the literal sense of the word. Many in the crowd stand mesmerized by the complexity, difficulty and intensity that appear so effortlessly done. And it breaks my black heart to say anything even a little negative about my heroes, but Grim Scary Tales is cute and amusing when it should be vicious and monstrous. It starts strong, though! The first track, “Locusta,” is everything I had hoped for, and there are other scorchers (“Dracula,” for one, and parts of the others). But there are also the songs (“Nero’s Inferno,” “The Big Bad Wolf,” “The Bloody Benders”) when I roll my eyes in disbelief, sigh, and think about how glad I am that I’m listening to this alone. I expected sing-alongs, but they’re often super-goofy, and Corporate Death and/or Nefarious sing “in character” in nearly every song, so the vocals are always different, and well… let’s be honest, the vox are often Macabre’s weak link, and make the song “Mary Ann” essentially Power Metal, which although possibly the best track here, is not really what I think of when I think Macabre. They also cover the Venom classic, “Countess Bathory,” hands down the most-covered in all Venom’s arsenal. I love it, too, but I’ve heard 666 x 666 different renditions of this, and didn’t need another. How about “Under a Spell” or even a non-Cronos track like “Blackened Are the Priests”? I guess Macabre needed one about a serial killer, though… Perhaps it’s time to move beyond that restriction.
I feel that I should point out, again, the unholy level of musical ability these guys possess. I’m not sure that anyone else is even in their league. And while Grim Scary Tales is frequently supremely impressive, it’s also too often silly, like a cartoon version of the band’s 1993 magnum opus Sinister Slaughter.

The sun has seemingly set on the Deathcore fad. It would appear that this is the 14th minute of fame for the once hyped genre that gave us probably too many quality bands too fast. This is to be expected in the MP3 era and it’s 8-second attention span. One has to wonder if in the future a band like Oceano, who were signed seemingly overnight from their Myspace page, will be able to turn a single head. It’s sad for someone like me, a bona fide music addict, who cares nothing about the category, its popularity or lack thereof. Quality is quality regardless of how many bands sound similar. It’s also sad because bands like Oceano will feel the pressure to alter their proven successful style to avoid being yesterday’s news. Which brings me to why I believe Contagion isn’t as good as debut album, Depths. Fewer breakdowns and less groove, at this point we’ve heard just about every major Deathcore/Metalcore band go this way. I don’t agree. I want memorable songs. Depths had an assload of them, Contagion has very few. That’s not to say this album is completely worthless. Adam Warren’s inhumanly bestial vocals are worth the price alone (as if anyone actually bought CDs anymore). It’s just that as a mid-paced, grinding Death Metal band, Oceano are more in the middle of the pack. As opposed to the slamming, pit riff-driven, groove laden Deathcore beast that lives in their media-oppressed hearts, where they once stood at the forefront. Oh well, here’s to every band being Post-something, at least for the next 8 seconds.

You can always count on Sinister to deliver the Death Metal, and Legacy of Ashes is just overflowing with old school evilness. I’ve heard people -assholes, really- complain that this release doesn’t break any new ground, which I suppose is true. But it doesn’t need to. I don’t have a problem with perhaps a couple of these riffs sounding familiar. Sinister’s main man Aad has been at this for two decades, and he knows exactly how to create intense, memorable songs, which is precisely what he has done yet again. There is a limited edition digipak version of this album with four bonus tracks, but for once there is little need to track it down since the extra songs are rough-sounding “pre-production demos” of songs from 2006’s Afterburner. I’m not in favor of different versions with additional/alternative tracks, but if you’re going to do that, give us a live DVD or something worth getting excited about.

I somehow missed out on this band’s first two albums, 2008’s Pre-Mortal Autopsy and 2009’s Mortuary Rendezvous, despite the fact that initially Sinners Burn was comprised of the original Paganizer lineup. Only drummer Jocke Ringdahl remains from the first album, and each recording has had a different singer. Having not (yet!!) heard the others, I can’t compare them, but it would be difficult to top Insanity Warmachine’s decidedly Old School Swedish Death Metal, and new growler Marcus Ankarberg is just raw enough, without being completely unintelligible. Some of the riffs bring to mind early Grave and Dismember, helped along by the rusty chainsaw guitar sound. Honestly, did you really even need to know more than “Swedish Death Metal” to immediately track this down?

First of all, I’m sure that everyone knows about Behemoth main-man Nergal’s fight against leukemia. I wish him a recovery as speedy as his band’s fastest blast beat.
On to the actual review: If you like Metal (and why else would you be reading this?), then you almost have to worship Behemoth, arguably Poland’s greatest band, and this 3-disc set (2 DVDs and 1 CD) is an absolute must-buy situation, if you will. The video (anamorphic widescreen, of course) and audio (5.1 Surround) are outstanding. You’d have to go high-def to look or sound better. The first DVD has two entire concerts on it, the initial one recorded in Warsaw, 2009; while the second is from Paris, 2008 (the audio of which was released on CD in 2008 as At the Arena ov Aion - Live Apostasy). Behemoth’s high-intensity blend of Black and Death Metal is amazing to see performed live, and the set-lists for the gigs are deep enough to unearth “From the Pagan Vastlands” and “Wolves Guard My Coffin,” both of which I was overjoyed to hear. Of course there is a bit of repetition between the shows, but they’re different enough - my personal favorite, “Christgrinding Avenue,” is only played in the Paris set, for example.
By the way, if you happen to be photosensitive, the strobe lights used in the concerts will probably give you a fucking seizure.
The second DVD features two documentaries (in Polish, with English subtitles), and I think every video clip the band has created to date (plus the “making of” them). The final disc, the CD, is the audio from the Warsaw performance, and a nice bonus for those unable to rip the sound from DVD to iPod.

New singer Jonas Stalhammar (ex-guitarist of God Macabre and Macabre End) seems to have energized The Crown, although I’ll admit to not always getting the lyrics. Of course I know that these Swedish blasphemers hate the Bastard Son, as any rational person must, but I can’t growl along with insanity such as, “There is no God but God / Only The Lord is Lord,” which would make me shatter this CD and then melt the shards had this been an unknown band. Fortunately, in this case, I understand that it’s a condemnation of religion. That said, the music is the super intense Thrashy Death Metal I was expecting, and perhaps more memorable than ever. And although I could have done without the “tribute” riffs, I have to concede that a Slayer homage in a song called “Angel of Death 1839” is kind of funny. Jonas’ voice is not the most raw, but his esophagus-scarring rasp fits the music perfectly, and is understandable enough that a lyric sheet isn’t strictly necessary, although it helps. But what is necessary is tracking down the limited edition digipak version of Doomsday King, as it contains an extra CD with four bonus tracks. And that truly pisses me off. The total time for the album, with the second disc’s extra songs, is only 56:23, so it would have very easily all fit on one CD. If record labels wonder why sales are dropping off a cliff, maybe it’s because it’s easier (and certainly faster) to download something for free and get the “limited edition” bonus tracks, the iTunes bonus track, the Best Buy bonus track, and the WhyTheFuckDoYouThinkPeopleStealThisShit.com bonus track, than it is to attempt to figure out which version you need to buy to actually get the complete thing.

Sweden has done more than its share for the progression of the Metal genre through the years. The land of Vikings has birthed some of the best that Death and Black Metal has to offer, no doubt about it. Once upon a time, it seemed like every month there was a new Swedish Metal act seemingly melting their way through the snow with a fiercely new, exciting sound designed to push the envelope of extreme music even further. Sweden’s latest export: Ghost, ensures that tradition continues… albeit in a bit more retrospective manner.
At first glance this 6 piece band, composed of Lord Emeritus on vocals and 5 other “Nameless Ghouls,” would seem to be just another Metal band milking Satan for inspiration, if not outright shock factor (although, let’s face it… just who is actually offended by the Devil’s presence in Rock music anymore?), but that is where the similarity ends. This band (formed in 2008) is drawing it’s inspiration from the Hard Rock of 30 odd years ago. No blast beats, no demonic gargling (well, a bit…) and no super speedy kick drums chugging along at 280 BPM on this album. Instead you get well-crafted songs that are simply oozing with blatant vocal hooks (all about human sacrifice, women who bathe in virgin blood, and generally raving about how cool it is to hang out with Satan), epic sinister riffs, and chugging, mid-tempo rhythms that seduce the listener with each subsequent spin of this disc.
Imagine Blue Oyster Cult fused with early Mercyful Fate and a touch of dare I say Cheap Trick, and you’d be in the ballpark. Lord Emetrius has an incredible grasp for delivering an emotive, soulful performance that is truly the black icing on this Satanic cake. Obvious comparisons to the legendary lungs of King Diamond are easy to make, but Emetrius’ vox are not really in the same register at all. He sings with a clean, almost reserved quality that rarely enters the falsetto. For me, I like that he’s not trying to sound hard whatsoever; it gives it all a really hypnotic feel. And in this musical climate for Metal, I think it’s a pretty fearless choice. Power Metal screaming would just kill the vibe, and gruff stuff would loose the band’s identity altogether.
What I find to be the most compelling aspect of the band is their seeming disinterest in all the baggage that plagues current Metal trends. No Viking pageantry, or “Troo” Black Metal chest thumping here. It feels like Ghost was frozen in Lucifer’s meat locker in 1981 and unleashed upon today’s world, blissfully unaware of Metal’s last three decades of stylistic evolution. I for one, find it a breath of fresh evil.
I really can’t say enough good things about the sound of this album as a whole. Opus Eponymous sports one of the most honest sounding engineering jobs I’ve heard on a modern Metal album in a long, long time. The band’s choice of tones are superb. No super-digitally compressed, lifeless guitars on this bad boy. Just warm, tube amp crunch very much along the lines of Tony Iommi’s tone back in the ’70s. Same goes for the bass: really deep-and mildly overdriven, providing an excellent low end that is mixed very prominently, but is never muddy. The drum tones, while not quite as old-school as the sound from the Elizabeth 7-inch, or the band’s previous demo tracks, are still refreshingly natural and anchor the mix with a solid foundation. Instead of overblown choirs and cheezy, melodramatic string samples, the band’s keyboardist uses a Hammond organ tone very reminiscent of Deep Purple, with the occasional Prog Rock, Moog synth, or church bell thrown in for good measure. These embellish the tracks, and serve up some dark atmosphere, without becoming redundant.
I won’t waste time going through the album’s individual songs, as I believe it as a work to be digested as a whole; not unlike the concept-album format. Each tune flows seamlessly into the next, and (as is the mark of a great record) all seems to end way too soon… requiring yet another listen. Trust me, it’s been in my car’s CD player for a month straight. There is a lot to like in this music; it’s arranged to perfection. My current theory is that the musicians must be from other bands, because this is not the kind of musical focus and maturity bands usually display on a first album.
I’m really curious to find out just who the dudes are, besides “Nameless Ghoul, Nameless Ghoul,” etc…
This is my favorite album of 2010, and now that it’s been released in North America this past Jan 18th, I believe it’s destined to become many an open-minded Metalhead’s favorite of 2011.

I have to wonder if Thomas Warrior named this band after the evil Decepticon city that transforms into a gargantuan Tyrannosaurus rex, Trypticon. Maybe his next band will be called Starscream. At least he’s not wearing L.A. Guns shirts anymore, but I just don’t know about Triptykon’s… Art Metal, I guess I’ll call it. “Shatter” was the Japan-only bonus track on the band’s debut from earlier in 2010, Eparistera Daimones, so now the rest of the world gets to hear it without paying $50 for an import CD (or just downloading it, you naughty bastards!). You also get two more Tripty songs, although one of them is over four minutes of Ambient soundscape, and two live Celtic Frost covers (“Circle of the Tyrants” and “Dethroned Emperor”). The only real problem that I have with Trypticon Triptykon is how uneven the music is. Some bands can blend every Extreme Metal style together and make it seem natural. Tom doesn’t blend styles so much as juxtapose them, with decidedly mixed results.

The Black Metal parts of this album, which comprise the vast majority of it, are amazing; filled with the memorably weird riffs and rhythms for which Melechesh is known. Few bands can match the Mesopotamian masters when it comes to originality, and true to form, the first half of this is absolutely stunning. And then comes “When Halos of Candles Collide,” which admittedly arrives after more than 34 minutes of total ass-kickery. I have no idea what type of equipment is even being used on this track, which is zero Metal and all Middle Eastern Folk instrumental, but I’d guess traditional instruments, maybe an oud. It might have been less tedious to sit though had it been shorter, but five minutes and 40 seconds was sonic torture. Melechesh is right back to being awesome by the next song, though, and doesn’t let up the attack until the penultimate cut, “The Greater Chain of Being,” which is another Folk instrumental, perhaps slightly more interesting than the first. The epic-length (12:18) title track finishes off the album, which is over 72 minutes long, so even skipping the two mood-killers I couldn’t get into, we’re still left with about an hour of intense, unique Black Metal.

Many years ago, these guys changed the band’s name to Crimson Relic, released 1996’s Purgatory’s Reign album, and then apparently changed names back to Divine Eve when I wasn’t looking. Honestly, it has been a while since I last listened to them, but I remember DE being both slower and faster than they are on this EP, which sounds like a cross between Soul Sacrifice era Cathedral (right down to the vocals) and the second-best moments of Celtic Frost. It’s certainly not bad, but I’d hoped for more from this return to the Eve.

It has been half a decade since my old friend Lord Typhus last unearthed a studio album (2005’s Profound Blasphemous Proclamation), and he and his band of blasphemers have certainly been missed. There are too few quality Black Metal bands in the US, much less here in Indiana. Grand Molesters… initially seems to be very raw -necro as fuck, as Cadaver would say- but repeated listens reveal a lot of depth and complexity hidden within the catacombs of this “grim” and/or “kvlt” Black Metal production. The audio level is low, and the mix is bad, with the drums sounding especially thin and buried. And that’s a shame, since this is plenty intense and there are about 666 great, memorable, riffs here (including Thrashy ones, and even some Doom), just waiting for a recording that would do them justice. I’ve known Typhus for almost 20 years (yes, we’re old), all the way past Fog and Morpheus Descends, back to the Subconscious days, so I feel confident in saying that this must be the sound he wanted. I can respect that decision, although I don’t agree with it. I’m happy to hear a Black Metal band sound like Black Metal, and not a 10th rate symphony (Dimmu Borgir), or pathetic Slop Punk (Darkthrone), but the bar for production and sonic quality has been raised since the archaic times of Under a Funeral Moon, and a more powerful sound would have elevated this into legendary status.

Evoken were playing Funeral Doom before the label technically existed, I think that speaks volumes of their longevity and inspiration to the new breed. It also, like most things, reminds me that I am aging rapidly. Which in turn puts me in the perfect mood for their new material featured on this split. At 42 minutes, their half is longer than any Metalcore/Deathcore album recorded in the last decade, and arguably higher quality, at least when it comes to the desolation factor. And there is plenty of exhaustive desolation to go around. Opening cut, “Omniscient,” might be the best song they’ve ever written, and that is saying much of a band I have literally worshipped since 1995. No band puts to record the truest feelings of pure depression better in my book (not even Thergothon who they took their name from). The beautiful clean guitar in “Omniscient” has swept me away to the land of sleep every night since I picked up a copy of this. The ominously deep yet mellow and reserved Death roar of John Paradiso assuring me that thankfully my sleep will one day be eternal. And not soon enough. The two cuts and instrumental that follow are much in the Antithesis of Light / A Caress of the Void vein, sure to please any fan of the band. And while I’m at it, anyone who is not a fan of Evoken please kill yourselves immediately before I risk the chance of meeting you. Beneath the Frozen Soil aren’t bad, but for me their half is simply incidental. They are in the same stylistic vein as Evoken which has them pretty much fucked considering the inherent competitive nature of splits. I’m pretty sure only a handful of Funeral Doom bands could actually hold their own against the Jersey legends (Shape of Despair, Ahab, Rememberance, or Skepticism might have a fighting chance). So, a tough break for them. Still it must be nice to at least be partially involved with something so essential.

Greece is home to the best Black Metal bands in the universe, so whenever I learn about the existence of a new one, naturally I want to hear them as soon as possible. No Hand Path was upgraded from “as soon as possible” to “immediately” because the drummer and bassist are also in Varathron! That set my expectations pretty high, and while NHP does not quite outshine the abyssic masters (but, really, what could?!?), An Existence Regained is an impressive debut. Be warned, though, there are considerable Prog Metal elements here amid the extremity, occasionally including what some refer to as “clean” vocals. They are very well done, though - Ramin can really sing, and his harsh shrieks and tortured wails are as raw and tormented as I’d hoped they would be. The Prog influence is felt instantly, as the first song, “Birth of Consciousness,” initially really took me by surprise, sounding almost like something from Voivod’s Nothingface album. The complexity remains (and increases in a lot of places, both in terms of difficulty and how layered everything is) throughout the album, and is blended with occasionally simpler riffs and stunning drumming. Looking at the song titles, I think that An Existence Regained may be a concept album, so perhaps it makes sense that I had to listen to this several times before I really got a feel for it (I didn’t have the lyrics in front of me, which may have helped). If you like your Black Metal to be performed by artists who can actually play their instruments, then “as soon as possible” isn’t nearly fast enough to check out No Hand Path.

Just knowing that this Death/Doom masterpiece was released by Solitude Productions should be enough to make it an instant buy. But for those wretched few somehow not familiar with the greatest Doom label on the planet, please continue reading. I am ashamed to admit that I had never heard of Ophis before now, but I plan to correct that deficiency as quickly as possible. Withered Shades, the band’s second full-length album, and first for Solitude, expertly combines Doom and the slower speeds (and vocals) of Death Metal, occasionally navigating the frigid waters of Funeral Doom. The bursts of mournful speed are rare, and always placed perfectly to maximize the crushing impact of the return to more bleak tempos. Philipp Kruppa’s viciously tortured vocals are the final nail in this musical coffin, and Ophis is close to perfection, indeed.

The Nuclear guys seem really cool, and I wanted to like this more than I do, but when I’m in the mood to listen to some Thrash (which is not that often anymore), I turn to the ancient masters. Maybe that’s only because there isn’t much new Thrash that’s worth a shit to choose from. Jehovirus, the Chilean band’s third studio album since forming in 1997, is a solid addition to the Thrash list, and is very well recorded and produced. However, something holds it back. It feels almost restrained at times. This blend of Euro (German, really: Kreator, Destruction) Thrash, with a hint of harsher US styles (Slayer and maybe the absolutely most extreme moments of Exodus and Testament), is energetic enough, but the occasional use of what might be considered “generic” Thrash riffs is frustrating, because many of the others immediately grab the listener’s attention. Matias’s aggressive vocals help, and at the most intense moments show considerable promise. The slower, more atmospheric, parts of the songs, such as the beginning of “Belligerence,” “World Depletion,” and its follow-up, “On Killing” (maybe my favorite track here, or the Slayerish “Criminal Solicitation”), work best. Nuclear is a talented group, no question, and I’m looking forward to hearing how they progress.

I’m sure that some would say that without Messiah Marcolin singing, this just isn’t Candlemass. And when I heard that he’d left the band again a few years ago, I assumed that the remaining guys would just give it up. I’m glad they didn’t. Former (?) Solitude Aeturnus vocalist Robert Lowe, whose voice I’ve always liked, has been a good replacement so far, and did an amazing job on his debut with the band, 2007’s King of the Grey Islands. The follow-up later in ‘07 was the live 20 Year Anniversary Party, which featured different singers on many of the tracks, and didn’t satisfy my curiosity about how well Lowe could handle the old songs live. Last year’s Death Magic Doom was a slight letdown, but the Candlemass bar is set pretty fucking high. And now, at last, I finally get to hear Robert’s interpretations of the classics, which he typically handles very well, although his voice waivers occasionally, and he sometimes lets a little too much Texas redneck out in his between-song bullshit. He’s noticeably better in the studio than live, but that may describe a lot of singers. There are two shows on this DVD (plus an interview, photos, and a CD of the Sweden Rock Festival gig, although knowing how Nuclear Blast does business, I wouldn’t swear that the CD comes with all versions, so caveat emptor). The 2009 Sweden Rock Festival set is certainly the better looking of the two, as the second one, No Sleep ‘til Athens (also from 2009), looks soft, as if it were recorded onto VHS, or heavily compressed. The audio is good for both performances, but 5.1 for the Sweden show alone, with the Athens gig being stereo-only, to match its inferior video quality, I guess. The Rock Festival set ends with an enjoyable cover of Rainbow’s “Kill the King,” I suppose as a sort of tribute to the late Ronnie James Dio. For the Athens show, the guys unearthed “Tears,” from Tales of Creation, which I’ve never heard them perform live before, so I really wish that recording had been higher quality. I do have another complaint, perhaps a minor one: In the song “A Sorcerer’s Pledge,” Lowe sings “He drank the wine of the virgin to be reborn.” It’s not “wine,” it’s “blood.” I know that another line in the song is “Blood is his wine,” but please pull your head out of your asshole. Don’t change the lyrics and I won’t call you a scab singer who’s keeping Messiah’s microphone warm for him.

A friend came over to my house last Spring with a CD in his hand. “Dude, you’ve got to hear this fucking shit,” he announced. “This fucking shit” being a reference to the debut full length from Seattle’s Black Breath. “Man, it’s on Southern Lord, it’s gonna suck,” I confidently bellowed. “I know they are a horrible label that only release talentless shit bands that make ‘artistic’ droning noises, but trust me on this, dickhead,” he pleaded. Well, he was right and I was wrong, and I can officially say I like a band on Southern Lord now. You simply do have to check this out. Equal parts Deathwish Hardcore and Sunlight-era Swedish Death Metal, Black Breath fucking crush, kill and destroy. How are the lyrics, you ask? “Come take this knife and slip it in the breast of the babe/drink the blood from the cup/reject Christ/spit on the cross…” Yeah, that good, and screamed venomously with the same vehemence you’d expect from an angry vegan/SxE frontman. All with the guitar sound of motherfucking Left Hand Path! Seriously, if you thought Trap Them nailed the tone, you haven’t heard shit yet. If it weren’t for the laid back pace of strip club jam “Unholy Virgin” this probably would’ve gotten a 10 and made it’s way into my Top 10 for 2010. Actually, upon repeated listens the song isn’t that bad, but it just seems out of place amidst the sea of high-energy, Christ-hating rage. In summary, dude, you’ve got to hear this fucking shit!

The return of this Thrash so-called “supergroup,” comprised of the guitarists from Seance, Bloodbath/Opeth drummer Martin Axenrot, and bass-whore Sharlee D’Angelo (who is in way too many bands to list, and should form a new one with drummer-for-hire Gene Hoglan called We’ll Do It If You Have the Money!), would have been a lot less of a big deal to me, despite the all-(morning)star line-up, if not for the inclusion of new singer Legion (ex-Marduk, ex-Devian). His throat-shredding vocals can make anything sound cooler. And even the members of this band, talented though they are, know they need all the help they can get. Oh fuck it, I’m just going to list all the guest stars, each of whom contribute guitar solos: Kerry King with a typical Slayer solo in the title track; Hank Shermann in “The God Who Fell from Earth,” which is possibly the best song here; Gary Holt & Lee Altus I guess appropriately in “The Reaver,” since it borrows heavily from Exodus’s “Strike of the Beast,” even using some of the same lyrics; Andy LaRocque with -no surprise- the best solo on the disc in “From Dead to Worse”; and Jim Durkin in “One Foot in the Grave.” The Witchery guys obviously don’t hide their influences, and I guess that’s okay, but since this album is essentially a tribute to bands they like, the best use for Witchkrieg might be in a game of “Name the Band That Really Wrote This Riff.” To be fair, this is sonically impressive, and existing fans will almost certainly dig it, but my interest faded a little with each listen through the tracklist.