New Track

My pile is thinning out a bit this week as it seems, with the better weather, the PR types have finally decided to take a few weeks off. Nonetheless I have a handful of releases for you — nothing horrid but oddities to be sure.

CD Reviews

Blood Red Throne: Come Death

The band name and title make the contents of this CD rather obvious. The band has a former member of Emperor in its midst, Tchort, and they play brutal death metal with technical ability and a heavy dose of aggression. Unlike some of the death metal out there, this stuff is fresh sounding and does not sound too derivative. Heavy aggressive drumming and guitars with death metal growls, but somehow still melodic and catchy. This is Norwegian death metal the way its meant to be played. Unlike much of the death/black/extreme metal about I rather enjoyed this release.

Ephel Duath: Pain Remixes the Known

This lot produce something akin to what Lovecraft envisioned for the sounds that drive people insane coming from the mind of Cthulhu. Think trance music that is both engaging and disturbing. Mostly instrumental this, the progressive atmospherics make this CD something to behold. It is rather hard to describe, but one has to look long and hard for anything quite like it. Think a more ambient and electronic Voivod if need be. It has to be said that if you like your music bleak, catchy, and rather creepy then this would be just up your street.

Monsterworks: Spacial Operations

British metal bands are quite good at innovation, after all bands like Venom, Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin, and Iron Maiden managed to create or inspire whole new genres of what we call heavy rock. Well this lot have gone one step further and released their latest album entirely for free via download from their site. A step beyond Prince as you don't even have to buy a dead tree paper to get it.

Now onto the music. This is pretty good metal which is a combo of "modern" and more trad styles. The lead singer, whose vocals take time to get used to, has that traditional thrash style that is heavy, aggressive but can be understood. The band have combined all the styles that come before them so well there is just enough to make it familiar but not enough to make copyist. Touring the UK heavily, this band is set for better things. If you like metal then go have a listen. I can think of far worse ways to use your bandwidth.

Sacred Heart: Shake

Paul Stead and company are back with their second full length release. This one far more professional than their first one, which was demo quality. All the elements that were there on the first one are here in better audio quality. Paul's Jani Lane fixation is still on show with his propensity to hold the notes longer than one thought possible. It's still LA strip hard rock with a twist of English sensibilities. The band continues to grow and is even tighter than they were on their last release. As someone who has seen the band live many times, it pains me to think that their live sound still has not been captured yet.

The title track will put a smile on your face and remind you why you liked that goofy LA strip rock in the first place. Just enough of the right elements to be the good side of cheese. And it has that one keen thing for that sort of song… you can imagine it in a strip club. Paul and the guys can deliver tracks with oddles of feeling whether its power ballads like "Natali" and ballads like the uber "Maybe." I got to say that this album requires a bit more time to truly get than their first release. It's no where near as immediate.

Ultimately you are left with a feeling that one of the AOR labels needs to come along and get them a deal. Get these guys into a residential studio and wrench every bit of talent out of the lads. Shake is a decent album, but this lot have the potential to make something very special. I just hope they will get the chance. Oh yeah and if you get the chance go see the buggers live… you won't regret it.

Paul Sabu: Strange Messiah

I am not going to bore you with the full resume of this guy but lets just say he has played with pretty anyone who has needed a guitar in the studio whether its a popster or heavy rocker (Madonna to WASP). He has done soundtracks from Baywatch to Natural Born Killers. This is the type of guy who snaps his fingers when he wants to hit the studio and is spoiled for choice. This one has appearances from current and former members of Bonfire, Pretty Maids, and Demon Drive among others.

What does Paul do for fun? Well he plays classic hard rock AOR full of catchy hooks, soaring guitar lines, and big choruses. The guy makes it sound so easy its cronic. And he doesn't give a damn either with such tracks as the anthemic with a hint of Whitesnake in the form of "Headbangers." The guy has Vinnie Appice (Dio, Black Sabbath, Heaven and Hell) here to help him out with co-writing on "Jack of All Trades". If you like quality hard rock then look no further.

Alright rockers there are your reviews for this week. I hope you are hitting the live scene as often as possible this summer. Stay safe and see you the next time.