3486 results for "1"
Abominant - Never Truly Dead
Another of Wild Rags’ CD5s, as they are called. While fairly straightforward, Deicide inspired, Death Metal, these 4 songs (a demo re-released on CD) show a lot of potential and are full of good ideas.
Abolisher - The Unity of Opposites
A spicy Death/Thrash ass-whipping Chicago-style. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, Abolisher is the best band out of the Chicago Metal scene since the mighty Avernus. This 4 song demo is extremely memorable and well-played. These guys don’t bullshit around, and they’re even better on stage. If…
Abolisher - Abolisher
When you put out a demo with only 2 songs on it, they had damn well better be two fuckin’ awesome tracks. Abolisher obviously know this rule, and have done exactly that. These two songs are very energetic and Thrashy, but Luis turns them to the Death side with his…
The Ability - Be Still
A lot of Metalheads and Punks want to throwdown at the mere mention of Emo. I say life’s too short to pose. If it’s quality, I can appreciate it regardless of genre, and if it helps you sleep at night we can call this Indie Rock. The Ability aren’t great,…
Abigor - Satanized
It seems almost strange to think that Abigor has been around for over a decade. Their newest effort, Satanized, sees them still blasting out the raw Black Metal, but tempered with some slower tempos, keyboards and almost Thrashy parts. I guess Abigor has never been one of my favorite Black…
Abigor - In Memory
This MCD is seriously a release meant for the Black Metal packrat only. This is essentially a compilation of tracks that appear elsewhere. Granted, some of these tracks are “unreleased,” but if you cut through the bullshit, this is pure rehash. A couple rehearsal or demo tracks do not make…
Abigor - Channeling the Quintessence of Satan
Fast, raw, noisy Black Metal. I seem to remember this band as being more compelling and memorable, but still, this intensity can’t be denied.
Abigor - Verwastung / Invoke the Dark Age
Screams of complete torment and agony are the vocals. The guitars are both torturous and beautiful - often at the same time, thanks to the layering of acoustic over the conventional distortion. The many time changes and high speeds would kill a lesser drummer, but where one would expect to…
Abigail - Welcome All Hell Fuckers
I don’t know if I would classify this as a new album or not, because only four of the six tracks on this are studio recordings (the other two are live cuts) and the whole thing is pretty short - even if you include the live material. Like previous outings,…
Abhorrent - Live in Rage
An unimpressive attempt at Death Metal. [Metal Curse #11 had an additional loose page (“Last Second Additions”) inserted into the centerfold of the zine, featuring a bunch of even-shorter-than-usual “bonus” reviews of stuff that arrived after the deadline for that issue. This is one of those “Last Second Additions” reviews.]
Abhorrent - Rage
This is lifeless & boring. It’s very mainstream wannabe “Metal,” like those fudgepackers, Pantera. And the subject matter that they choose to stick with throughout this joke is god. Next!
Abhorrence - Evoking the Abomination
Fans of Krisiun take note, with this new release, the lesser-known Brazilian 3-piece have mutated into an exact replica of their countrymate predecessors. If Krisiun’s lawyers heard this album, they would probably sue for product infringement. Surely it would be no small task to duplicate such inhuman speed and precision,…
Abhorrence - Ascension
I believe that this is the band’s demo, licensed for release on CD by Wild Rags. Not that you’d know it was a demo recording, though, since it sounds great. Abhorrence only have three tracks to show off their skill at creating brutal Death on this disc, so I hope…
Abazagorath - Tenebrarum Cadent Exsurgemus
Epic Black Metal from the frozen wastelands of New Jersey!?! It’s sort of a strange thought, but these blasphemers do an amazing job. At times fast & furious, but also slow and ominous when necessary. This isn’t refined to the point of perfection quite yet, but Abazagorath could very likely…
Abaddon Incarnate - The Last Supper
When I first picked up this album, I thought to myself, “Oh no, another cheesy Satanic-as-fuck Black Metal band that couldn’t afford real cover art so they stole something from an old comic book.” I bought it anyway, being fully aware that sometimes you get greatness in shitty packaging. What…
A.F.I. - Answer That and Stay Fashionable
I guess this is okay. AFI are certainly talented, but their brand of Pop tinged Punk isn’t really for me, although it is sort of catchy, and they can play their instruments. I respect their ability, and sometimes like what they do, but just not always. Maybe it’s just too…
A Thousand Years Slavery - A Fury Named Spartan
I have always defended Metalcore. When it was a fresh, budding genre, I was just as excited about it as I was in the early ’90s when Death Metal changed my life. Early albums from the likes of Poison the Well, Eighteen Visions, and Heaven Shall Burn couldn’t be removed…
A Mind Confused - Out of Chaos Spawn
Here we have two complex, well-played Black / Death tracks, in a somewhat similar style to that of the mighty Dissection - technical, but powerful and memorable. The production is very clear and of course that can only add to the emotion of the music. I think it’s time for…
A Mind Confused - Poems of a Darker Soul
Six dark, majestic songs, that combine Doom, Black Metal (most notably in the vocals) and Thrash into an alternately depressing and raging storm of high-intensity Metal. The excellent production allows all the intricacies of the complex playing to easily come through, yet does not detract from the intensity of the…
A Farewell Fire - The Thin Line Between
Musically, A Farewell Fire remind of three different styles: Metalcore, Radio Rock, and Nu-Metal. I know that sounds scary, and it is, but in all honesty, my beef with this self-financed disc is not the music at all. It’s these fucking American Idol vocals that ruin it for me. It’s…
A Breath Before Surfacing - Death Is Swallowed in Victory
A punishing blend of melodic Death Metal and wicked fast Metalcore. One of the better manipulations of the Gothenburg sound entwined with a blasting ferocity reminiscent of the earlier works of Between the Buried and Me, The Red Chord, and Job for a Cowboy. I tend to prefer more of…
7th Child - Bled to Death
A lot of bands understand the idea that Death Metal should be brutal, and 7th Child is certainly no exception to that. But what appears to be difficult is combining that intensity with memorable songs. This is massive while you listen to it, destroying all within 15 feet of your…
7th Child - Butchery of the Innocent
I don’t know how much £4 is in US$, but it’s probably worth it for these four tracks of very professional sounding, more or less, American-style Death Metal. [It’s almost certainly too late to find a copy of this gem now, but if you would have had £4 way back…
7000 Dying Rats - Fanning the Flames of Fire
This is a review of the LP version of this. The CD version (on Invisible Records) is pretty different, with some alternate (and more) songs in a completely different order. Fortunately both versions contain the cut “Anal Cunt Is Gay,” which should win an award for funniest song title ever.…
5 B Hated - Somewhere in Nowhere
I guess I don’t understand the band name, but when this much ass gets kicked, who cares? 5 B Hated play a very energetic kind of deadly Thrash, that can often be majestic as well. After a single listen, these songs stay with you, but hold up under scrutiny. Plus…
454 Big Block - Your Jesus
Sometimes the guitar sounds promising, but then the thin vocals are pushed up in front of it, and that’s unfortunate, since at best this guy sounds like Rob Halford on a bad scalp day. There are some really interesting moments, like the spoken horror of “Home,” but mostly nothing really…
40 Grit - Heads
Total fucking shit poseur Metal! Music 100% crafted for the blind masses of 7-string radio stardom. If you’re into lame shit like Static-X and Machine Head you’ll love this because it is in the same vein of gayness. Fuck Billboard Top 40 New Wave of Cum Guzzling Faggot Minimalism.
40 Below Summer - The Mourning After
As much as I abhor Nu-Metal, I can’t help but feel sorry for the genre. I’ve seen a lot of annoying trends come and go, but I’ve never seen one die so quickly, without putting up the least bit of a fight. Well, in fairness to 40 Below Summer, they…
25 Ta Life - Keepin’ It Real
This is fairly heavy Hardcore, which brings to mind a slightly more Metalized Agnostic Front, right down to their singer, who sounds every bit as strained as Roger [Miret, from A.F.] ever did. 25 Ta Life maintains an incredible amount of intensity through all 6 songs, but never at the…
1349 - Liberation
When I saw that Frost (of Satyricon fame) was the drummer for this band, I knew right away that this wasn’t going to be one of those heavy-on-the-atmosphere Doom influenced kind of albums. Frost generally has one speed: fast. Actually, I take that back. He has two speeds: fast and…
1349 - Beyond the Apocalypse
Hail and praise Lucifer for this gift of astoundingly high quality Black Metal exploding from my overjoyed speakers! For the last few years it has been Black Metal’s Norwegian pioneers carrying the torch of the genre largely by themselves. Well, 1349 (featuring Satyricon skin-basher Frost on drums) have completely resurrected…
13 / Eyehategod - Split 7-inch
Sludge Metal on both sides of this translucent green disc. It’s heavy, and the sound is clear. I do wish that the vocals on the Eyehategod side weren’t distorted, but you can’t have it all, I guess.
...And Oceans - A.M. G.O.D.
W.H.A.T.E.V.E.R.
...And Oceans - The Symmetry of I - The Circle of O
The band with the stupid name is back once again, hot on the heels of their very interesting split CD with Bloodthorn. But there’s something strange going on here: This is apparently only one disc of a 2CD set, with the other being all Ambient/Industrial/Noise that was recorded at the…
...And Oceans - The Dynamic Gallery of Thoughts
We have a winner for stupidest band name of all time. This has photos of water and ocean maps on it - very nautical. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but I had forgotten how evil the sea is. Had I recalled that, I would have known that they’re Black…
!T.O.O.H.! - Pod Vladou Bice
Wacky, zany, spastic Czech Grind that is way too insanely fucked up for me. The older and balder I get, the less patience I have for the weird-for-the-sake-of-weird variety. My brain hurts just looking at this band’s “name” [The band is really called The Obliteration of Humanity, but it almost…