Posts Tagged ‘rise above’
Tuesday, August 30th, 2011
I really appreciated how much effort GHOST put into being secretive about their singer’s identity. The band had a sort of mystique that was unrivaled in today’s music scene, where you can find out everything about every band member ever with the click of a button online. I was really impressed with how tight-lipped they were able to be and how little information even people in the industry knew about the band’s members. Unfortunately that has changed. I debated on whether or not to even post this on our blog because I knew you could find it elsewhere and I wasn’t sure if I should ruin the illusion of the band on a blog that really is about protecting the scene and having fun here.
However, at this point, I decided to post the info as a means to talk about a greater issue… don’t discount the band now that you know who the singer is. We have learned that TOBIAS FORGE (Repugnant, Magna Carta Cartel, Subdivision) is the man behind the face paint and suddenly people have called the band’s legitimacy into question. What, did you really think that this was a nameless ghoul singing in the band? Or are you mad that one of his other bands isn’t a metal band? Tough shit, really, because it is rare that every project a musician does is within the confines of one single genre. The fact remains that GHOST is one of the most captivating and impressive bands of the past few years and we should continue to treat them as such!
GHOST are amazing songwriters and Forge has provided them with an incredible voice that is fitting of the music and also he has created one of the most enigmatic figures in metal history. I am baffled that some people are complaining about this. Just continue to enjoy the music, as you were last week when you didn’t know who he was and leave it at that. It doesn’t change that the new album is absolutely haunting and amazing.
Tags: ghost, METAL BLADE, rise above, Tobias Forge
Posted in The Bunker | No Comments »
Monday, February 28th, 2011
BLOOD CEREMONY
Living With the Ancients (Metal Blade/Rise Above)
Canadian occult doom rockers BLOOD CEREMONY make music that sounds specifically designed to be absorbed in a dark room, awash in candlelight, with a chalice nearby, possibly filled with sacrificial blood. Mmm.
On their second album Living With the Ancients, they make a case for being the witchiest, spookiest band around, taking the surefire melodies of THE DEVIL’S BLOOD, mixing in the darkness of ELECTRIC WIZARD, and paying proper homage to JETHRO TULL and LED ZEPPELIN. The album is a dramatic step forward from their self-titled debut, which was a good record and showed promise but left much room for growth. There’s no mistaking the maturity and the magical wonder they display here.
Alia O’Brien is the focal point of this band, a lovely siren whose voice digs deep within you and enraptures you with wonder. When she’s not conjuring smoke and spirits with her singing, she’s layering the tales with her traipsing flute work or layering in chilling keys that give the songs that vintage ’70s feel. The rest of the band rivets with its crunchy, bluesy wallop, playing better together than ever before.
Anyone new to the band will have their eyes ripped wide open on opener “The Great God Pan,” a stoner-friendly, catchy song that has a super-simple chorus that’ll be in your head all day. “My Demon Brother” is much in the same vein, with O’Brien name-dropping “unholy demons” and the heavy organs and molten stomp blazing a trail in the night. “Night of Augery” is a bit more soulful, with guitarist Sean Kennedy seemingly channeling heyday Jimmy Page, while 10-minute closer “Daughter of the Sun” is mid-tempo until it begins to smolder halfway through, ending in a droning blaze.
Blood Ceremony is the most interesting band on the Rise Above roster (which is saying something), and O’Brien is a dark joy to hear perform. Hopefully with Metal Blade’s backing this coven will be able to spread its message to a larger audience and reap the rich rewards they so greatly deserve.
Rating: B+
Brian Krasman
Tags: Blood Ceremony, doom, electric wizard, Jimmy Page, Led Zeppelin, Living With the Ancients, METAL BLADE, rise above, witch
Posted in Album Reviews, Reviews, The Bunker | No Comments »
Wednesday, February 2nd, 2011
Another new addition to Metal Army for the new year! Each month, we’ll be picking the best releases of that month as a means to turn you on to new releases NOW instead of December when we do our best-of-the-year recap extravaganza. Easy rules, 5 albums each month! Here is what you should be listening to from January!
MITOCHONDRION – ‘Parasignosis’
This fucking monster is finally available for the masses! I’ve been sitting on it since December and it’s one of the sickest death metal albums I’ve ever witnessed. Bleak, atmospheric and heavier than anything you’ve heard since the last PORTAL record came out! This is a must-have for any fans of death metal, especially the obscure shit. Get it now!
BRUCE LAMONT – ‘Feral Songs For The Epic Decline’
I mean, this one seems like a no-brainer! It’s BRUCE LAMONT and, quite frankly, we love everything that this guy has touched over the years: YAKUZA, BLOODIEST and CIRCLE OF ANIMALS, just to name a few. Now, the progressive mastermind is back with a solo-offering that is one of the most haunting and beautiful records I’ve heard in recent memory. Definitely pick up this record ASAP!
ARCHITECTS UK – ‘The Here and Now’
This is a record that doesn’t normally fit with a lot of the metal we cover on the blog. However, that shows you how good it must be if we’re digging it! Growing up, I was a fan of Snapcase and this sounds like a better produced, better writing Snapcase if I’ve ever heard one. The band does go into some cleanly sung emo harmonies at times, but it balances well with the music and the quick time changes and pure fury of Sam Carter’s voice make this a top selection for January!
GHOST – ‘Opus Eponymous’
Yes, this is another record that I’ve had for a few months now. I actually got it when Rise Above released in Europe last year, however Metal Blade just released this in the States so now all of you can get it to. GHOST sounds like what I’m guessing Black Sabbath would sound like in 2011 – it’s dark, doomy music but there’s an overall great rock’n'roll harmony to the music. It’s really awesome stuff and I can see this band crossing a lot of barriers and becoming one of the next ‘hipster elite’ bands this year. The lyrics are vehemently satanist and the music kills! Get it!
DRAGGED INTO SUNLIGHT – ‘Hatred For Mankind’
This is another addition to the list with a little bit of dispute around it. I’ve actually had this record for over a year – it came out quite some time ago on Mordgrimm Records in the UK and finally Prosthetic came to the rescue and picked these guys up for a US release of the album. It sounds like what you might expect if Justin Broadrick, Steve Austin and Jimmy Bower started a black metal band. That’s to say that it’s visceral, muddy and chilling to the core. One of the most evil releases I have ever heard! It’s a must have, plain and simple!
Tags: architects uk, At A Loss Recodings, Best of, black metal, Black Sabbath, Bloodiest, Bruce Lamont, Century Media, Circle of Animals, Death Metal, doom, Dragged Into Sunlight, Eyehategod, Feral Songs for the Epic Decline, ghost, Godflesh, Hatred For Mankind, Jesu, Jimmy Bower, Justin Broadrick, METAL BLADE, Mike IX, Mike Williams, Mitochondrion, Mordgrimm Records, napalm death, Opus Eponymous, Parasignosis, Portal, post hardcore, profound lore, Prosthetic Records, rise above, sludge, Steve Austin, The Here and Now, Today is the Day, yakuza
Posted in Album Reviews, General Press Releases, Reviews, The Bunker, Top 10 Lists | 1 Comment »
Friday, January 14th, 2011
1. Agalloch – Marrow of the Spirit (Profound Lore): The choice popular amongst fans, critics, pundits and the general hiperati. In other words, you’re a dipshit if you don’t love this record. Chief ‘loch, John Haughm has delivered a haunting album of Black Metal informed Post-Rock, the scope of which stretches from Emperor to Godspeed You Black Emperor!. This year’s hands-down classic.
2. Letlive – Fake History (Tragic Hero): So-Cal’s letlive take the post-hardcore ball from the likes of Thursday and Glassjaw and run with it. They already signed to Epitaph, who will re-release this album in 2011. Simply, letlive dodge all the usual cliches on their way to household-name success. Mark my words!
3. Dillinger Escape Plan: – Option Paralysis (Season of Mist): Benjiman Weinman gets the Thurston Moore Lifetime Achievement Award for looking at chaos as a valid part of pop songwriting. Possibly their finest, angriest and most career-defining moment. I still hear stuff in this one that eluded me the first 25 listens or so.
4. Watain- Lawless Darkness (Season of Mist): With the power of their onstage stench and mighty death-riffs, these Swedes ascend to Black Metal’s highest peaks. Whether they take the throne from the commercially aspirant Dimmu or the crash n’ burnt Gorgoroth remains to be seen. At the rate they’re going…
5. Tryptkon – Esparistera Daimones and Shatter EP (Century Media): Tom Fischer picks up where Celtic Frost’s brilliant and final death-grunt, Monotheist left off. Then exceeds it. I’ve included the Shatter EP as it feels like a natural part of the proceedings.
6. Ghost – Opus Eponymous (Rise Above/Metal Blade) Jimmy Page bought Aleister Crowley’s house. The Stones came with Goat’s Head Soup. Now Ghost take on three decades of hard rock and metal, offer it up to Satan and come up with a record already set to be the first metal “name-drop” for 2011.
7. Bad Religion –The Dissent 0f Man (Epitaph): The SoCal punks continue to craft paeans for the intelligensia with three chords and amazing three part vocal harmonies.
8. Cradle of Filth – Darkly, Darkly Venus Aversa (Nuclear Blast): Oh, darker my love! Dani’s dark mob strips things down to basics and have made their most lethal concept record since Cruelty and the Beast.
9. Dimmu Borgir – Abrahadabra (Nuclear Blast): The equivalent of any Michael Bay movie with a dark metal soundtrack. It’s big, cinematic and has little to do with conveying anything like plot or storytelling (like Transformers). Dimmu have survived and surpassed recent lineup changes only to make an album that comes closest to a bit of semi-Black Metal for the mainstream.
10. Fear Factory – Mechanize (Candlelight): Dino and Burton kiss, make up and make a classic Fear Factory album. Easily the one that should have been slotted right between Demanufacture and Obsolete.
11. Enslaved -Axioma Ethica Odini (Nuclear Blast)
12. Shining – Blackjazz (Indie/The End)
13. Black Breath – Heavy Breathing (Southern Lord)
14. William Control-Noir (Victory)
15. Demiurg – Slakthus Gamleby (Cyclone Empire)
16. Underoath – Disambiguation (Solid State)
17. Deftones – Diamond Eyes (Warners)
18. Danzig – Deth Red Sabaoth (The End)
19. Overkill-Ironbound (E1)
20. Integrity-The Blackest Curse (Deathwish)
And a record I spent a ton of time working on that came out earlier this year….
Mutiny Within – Mutiny Within (Roadrunner): Dream Theater played by Killswitch Engage with a singer that stomps all over James LaBrie in the passion department. Why this New Jersey sextet (with a couple members by way of the UK) hasn’t connected yet is beyond me. Of course, the record is just a few months old. Popular opinion’s still out on this one.
And of course…..
Kanye West – My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy (Def Jam): If you don’t like this, then you’re one of “douchebags” he sings about.
Tags: abrahadabra, Agalloch, Axioma Ethica Odini, Bad Religion, Best of 2010, Black Breath, Blackjazz, candlelight records, Century Media, cradle of filth, Cyclone Empire, Danzig, darkly darkly venus aversa, deathwish, Def Jam, Deftones, Demiurg, Deth Red Sabaoth, diamond eyes, dillinger escape plan, Dimmu Borgir, Disambiguation, E1, ENSLAVED, eparistera daimones, epitaph, Fake History, FEAR FACTORY, ghost, Heavy Breathing, Indie Recordings, integrity, ironbound, James LaBrie, Kanye West, Killswitch Engage, Lawless Darkness, Letlive, Marrow of the Spirit, mechanize, METAL BLADE, mutiny within, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, Noir, Nuclear Blast, option paralysis, Opus Eponymous, Overkill, peaceville, profound lore, rise above, roadrunner records, season of mist, shatter, Shining, Slakthus Gamleby, Solid State, Southern Lord, the blackest curse, The Dissent of Man, The End Records, Tragic Hero, Triptykon, underoath, victory, warner bros, watain, William Control
Posted in Album Reviews, Industry Blogs, Reviews, The Bunker, Thirsty and Credible - Mike Gitter | 1 Comment »
Friday, December 24th, 2010
It’s definitely been a great year for heavy music, while there hasn’t been that many truly BIG name bands to put out albums this year (Slayer, Metallica, Mastodon, etc) and the ones that did put out high profile records didn’t really impress me (Iron Maiden), I feel like the underground reigned supreme this year. It has been a while since I got this excited about so many underground bands and also, for the first time, we’ve started to see the underground get mainstream respect.
This list started out as a ‘Top 10′, drifted outward to look like a ‘Top 50′ but ultimately settled for a ‘Top 20′. The ‘bottom ten’ got no explanations because this blog post would have been way too long under those circumstances, but my absolute favorites got words to back up their high placements. We will be largely on vacation from now until the new year, but keep checking back for more cool reviews, news pieces and even some other lists all next week.
With that said, here we go!
20. Yakuza – ‘Of Seismic Consequence’ (Profound Lore)
19. Drudkh – ‘Handful of Stars’ (Season of Mist)
18. Woe – ‘Quietly, Undramatically’ (Candlelight Records)
17. Ghost – ‘Opus Eponymous’ (Rise Above)
16. Satanic Warmaster – ‘Nachzehrer’ (Northern Heritage)
15. Castevet – ‘Mounds of Ash’ (Profound Lore)
14. The Secret – ‘Solve Et Coagula’ (Southern Lord)
13. Burzum – ‘Belus’ (Byleobog Productions)
12. Salome – ‘Terminal’ (Profound Lore)
11. Wolvhammer – ‘Black Marketeers of World War III’ (Init Records)
(more…)
Tags: 2010, Agalloch, alcest, Best of, Black Breath, Burce Lamont, Burzum, Byleobog Productions, Castevet, Celtic Frost, Century Media, Clandestine Blaze, DAWNBRINGER, deathspell omega, Drudkh, ENSLAVED, ghost, Hydra Head, Init Records, Ludicra, nachtmystium, Norma Evangelium Diaboli, Northern Heritage, Nuclear Blast, profound lore, Prophecy Productions, Recap, rise above, Salome, Satanic Warmaster, season of mist, Southern Lord, the end, Top Albums of 2010, Triptykon, watain, woe, Wolvhammer, Worst of, Wrap Up, yakuza, Year End
Posted in Album Reviews, General Press Releases, I Spy Metal, Industry Blogs, Reviews, The Bunker, Top 10 Lists | 1 Comment »
Tuesday, May 11th, 2010
- Black Flag- “Damaged”- Between being Black Flag’s first full length and the addition of Henry Rollins, this is definitely one of the greatest hardcore/ punk albums of all time. Rollins brought the band to a completely different place and was the big push to finally get shit done. Since then ‘Rise Above’ and ‘Gimmie Gimmie Gimmie’ have gotten popular and been covered by numerous artists, but ‘TV Party’ is still my favorite song by these pioneers. “We’re gonna have a TV party tonight, we’re gonna have a TV party alright!”
- Donnybrook!- “Lions in this Game”- This band has been one of my favorites for quite some time now. ‘Down For The Core’ is thee hardcore anthem of my generation. Between an awesome album and even better live shows, Donnybrook! is definitely worth getting in to. They’re one of those bands that you can see their heart is beating for the heavy, which is always awesome to see. “Peel back the flesh and expose my veins. My blood runs thick and that won’t ever change. Love for my family’s strong and here to stay. Down for the core ‘til in my grave I lay.”
- Icepick- “Violent Epiphany”- Jamey Jasta (Hatebreed) and Danny Diablo (Skarhead, Crown of Thornz) have nailed it, you will never see Icepick live considering they’re just a studio project, but it doesn’t matter… they’re as hard as they come. Not to mention ICE T makes an appearance on ’Real Recognizes Real’. LEGIT. Icepick is the epitome of mean, obscene, angry, tough guy hardcore. There will be a new album in 2011 and I cannot wait. “Icepick mother fucker. It’s going down faggots. Run and grab your mother fucking momma’s skirt. This is real. This is Ice T, Body Count bitch. This is as real as your life is gonna get.”
- Reign Supreme- “American Violence EP”- When I saw these guys at Sound and Fury in 2008, I was instantly hooked. I still rock their obnoxiously bright purple and teal shirt that I bought there. They’re definitely more on the punk side then the rest of my favorites, but this band is diverse and talented; their first full-length album, “Testing The Limits Of Infinite” really shows that. However, “American Violence” is where it’s at in terms of the heart of Reign Supreme. “ISCARIOOOOOT”
- E-Town Concrete- “Made for War”- So I rarely like hardcore/ rap fusions because most come out looking like a bunch of tools, but these New Jersey boys are a really great exception. E-Town has the perfect balance of hardcore riffs, nod-your-head hip hop, and lyrics that reflect shit that matters. True to hardcore form, “If you’re not with us you’re against us”.
- Remembering Never- “God Save Us”- First off let me say, Mean Pete Kowalsky can do no wrong for me… xBishopx, Until The End, AND Remembering Never, he fucking rules. Remembering Never is a very political band, but whether or not you share their views, their music is definitely something to get hooked on. Their song ‘Slaughterhouse Blues’ is what turned me to veganism for 3 years because their lyrics made me believe that what they were saying was true and right, the passion is definitely there. “All the work and prayers burn, a waste of sweat and breath. God turns his deaf ear to me, like I’m the one that doesn’t exist.”
- Deez Nuts- “Stay True” – Well, they’re a bunch of raunchy, honest, Australians; hard to get much better than that. It’s such a bummer… every single time I’ve tried to see them they can’t get their fucking work visas for the US, that’s some bullshit. Anyway, these guys talk about the rockstar lifestyle and staying true to yourself. Inexplicably easy, unapologetically obscene, and undeniably hard, this shit is awesome. “You’re nobody. We don’t need you. You were never shit. Your fucking mother should’ve swallowed you.”
- Death Before Dishonor- “Count Me In”- Boston hardcore at its finest. This album is heavier and harder than their other ones, and there are definitely enough powerful gang vocals to go around. DBD is a really good mix of hardcore and punk, they never fail to put me in a ‘fuck you ’mood. “I came to fight. I came to win. Count me in.”
- Terror- “One with the Underdogs”- Terror has become synonymous with hardcore, these guys stay true to their roots and have a lot of fun doing it. The lyrics are straightforward, the music is powerful, and their live shows are insane. They never back down to their ideals or change their style too much. This is straight up, hardcore. “Fuck everything and everybody, hypocrites and all the fakes, leeches and the followers, best to stay out of my way. Out of my face, out of my way.”
- Cockpunch!- “Attack”- So, Cockpunch! may not be the most popular or technical band, but I love them. Straight edge, hilarious, and surprisingly good riffs, these guys are winners in my book. “You! I don’t know you, but I fucking hate you. You just come here to get fucked, I hope you get a disease.”
Honorable Mentions! Cro-Mags, Minor Threat, Suicidal Tendencies, Hatebreed, Throwdown, Earth Crisis, Youth Brigade, Bad Brains, Trapped Under Ice, H2O, Gorilla Biscuits, Bad Religion, 7 Seconds, Sick Of It All, Agnostic Front, Blood For Blood, For The Fallen Dreams, Emmure, Stick to your Guns, The Acacia Strain, Madball, Alpha & Omega, Misery Signals, Touche Amore, and Vanna
-Shay
GFYS
Tags: 7 seconds, Agnostic Front, alpha & omega, american violence, attack, bad brains, Bad Religion, Black Flag, blood for blood, cockpunch, count me in, cro-mags, crown of thornz, damaged, danny diablo, death before dishonor, deez nuts, donnybrok, down for the core, e-town concrete, earth crisis, emmure, for the fallen dreams, gimmie gimmie gimmie, god save us, gorilla biscuits, h2o, Hatebreed, henry rollins, ice t, icepick, iscariot, jamey jasta, lions in this game, madball, made for war, Minor Threat, misery signals, one with the underdogs, pete kowalsky, reign supreme, remembering never, rise above, Sick Of It All, skarhead, slaughterhouse blues, sound and fury, stay true, stick to your guns, straight edge, suicidal tendencies, terror, testing the limits of infinite, the acacia strain, throwdown, touche amore, trapped under ice, tv party, until the end, vanna, violent epiphany, xbishopx, youth brigade
Posted in The Bunker | No Comments »
|
|
|
