Haemmorhage/Impaled-Dementia Rex
(Razorback, 2003)

To say I was excited when I first heard of this split cd would be a vast understatment. Two of my favorite death metal bands butting head on one little piece of digitally encoded plastic seemed too good to be true. Now that it's in my hands, I can tell you, this is one of the best split cds the underground has ever seen.

This is easily the best material I have ever heard from both bands. The new Imapled songs are so good that it's sickening with their blistering cover of Repulsion's Helga Lost Her Head being the highlight of their contribution to the split. If you haven't heard Impaled yet, think Dismember but with blast beats and a sick dual vocal assault. They get compared to Carcass a lot, but they really don't sound a thing like them. You can expect lots of blasts, thrash tempos, wild guitar solos, and memorable vocal patterns from Impaled. These new songs definitely have me exicited about their next full length release.

The Haemmorhage songs are probably the best they have written yet. They haven't really changed their sound much, but the sound is tighter, and the songwriting is a bit more thought out and complex. They definitely benifit from a heavier and tighter production then they have ever had in the past. They also plow through an amazing Grave cover, which doesn't match the intensity of Imapled's Repulsion cover, but is pretty damned good none the less.

The packaging and layout look amazing. I especially liked the new artowrk Luisma contributed for the back of the cd tray. Razorback has done it again and this is a great split for death/grind freaks worldwide.

Headplate-Pieces
(Gain/PHD, 2003)

Before I even start to get into the music, I have to say this. What the hell kind of a name is Headplate? I mean, come on now. It’s not like someone is going to name their band Legbowl, or Armspoon. Okay, maybe I’m just being an idiot, but it’s not the greatest name ever.

I’m actually fairly surprised that I’m getting into this band all that much. It’s pretty much what you’d call typical nu-metal. It has a lot of Slipknot-esque riffs and screaming, scratching, and a bit of a rap influence going on to. The main thing that gets me is that these guys can write a good song. They have some tremendously catchy riffs and actually have quite a knack for writing a chorus. Some of the stuff I could live without. Such as the totally unnecessary scratching and some of the slap bass sounds a bit out of place. It’s nice to see them trying to mix things up a little bit. I guess if you needed a good comparison, I’d say they sound like a cross between Slipknot and Linkiln Park. I’d say they are heavier then both too, but not by much when it comes to Slipknot.

This album pretty much sounds like a million bucks. With this style of music you pretty much need an awesome sounding production. With weak guitar tones the grooves just wouldn’t work, and with the dynamic nature of the songwriting you need things to sound good whether the band is playing loud or softer.

Sure, it’s not going to win any awards just as of yet, but with time this band could probably come into something quite amazing. Hell, they can already write better songs then most of the popular nu-metal bands. They just need the chance to be heard.

Heathen Dawn-Wasted Land
(Aura Mystique, 2003)

I wasn't expecting this to be anything like this. I was expecting raw and harsh black metal but was surprised by a great combination of power metal, thrash and black metal. The music is very melodic and upbeat, and is a nice contrast to the harsh vocals. Surprisingly, I hear a lot of Iron Maiden influence. There's no denying that this band is black metal, they just have a lot of outside influences. When you hear the epic sounding lead passages, you know where it came from.

Think of maybe a combination of Mayhem, Enslaved, and Iron Maiden. It's nice to see a band expanding a little and not subscribing to any of the trends or cliches of the black metal genre. The music is actually fairly mid-tempo for the most part. It does travel along at the tempo typical of power metal quite a bit too. The band only blasts once in the duration of the entire album and let me tell you, it stands out and adds a lot to the song. I love blast beats, but when you mix up the tempos it's much more effective.

If you are a fan of varied and epic black metal, Heathen Dawn does it better then most. If you are just into black metal for the speed and ferocity you probably won't be able to get into this.

Helloween-Rabbit Don't Come Easy
(Nuclear Blast/PHD, 2003)

Helloween is one of the few power metal bands that I would actually conisder myself a fan of. I definitely don't think that they are still at the peak of their career, but the fact that they are still together and playing music is very cool. The fact that they have stuck to their guns and are still playing melodic power metal is very cool as well.

This new album is classic Helloween, so if you've heard them before you know exactly what to expect. If you haven't heard them yet, what the hell is wrong with you? For the uninitiated, imagine high energy melodic guitar riffs combined with fast, double bass filled drumming and soaring vocals. That's basically the Helloween sound. Add in some great lead guitar work, and twin guitar melodies, and there ya go. It's a formula that works for them, and as they say, if it ain't broke don't fix it.

With all power metal albums, there is always somethings I don't like. For instance some of the choruses are just too happy for me, and it's sometimes a chore to get through an entire albums worth of songs for of this style. Helloween manage to keep the things I don't like to a minimum, and even introduce a few things I wouldn't have expected. Most notacably the sitar that they use in a few of the songs. It's a little touch, but it adds a lot to the songs.

For fans of Helloween, it's a no brainer, go out and pick this up! If you didn't like them before, you still won't. I'd definitely consider myself a fan, now all I have to do is figure out what the hell the record name means? Is that an Elmer Fudd reference?

Hearse-Armageddon, Mon Amour
(Candlelight USA, 2004)

I really had no idea what to expect from this band, but was intrigued when I found out the original vocalist of Arch Enemy was a member of this band. So I guess initially I thought it was going to be Swedish death metal, but it actually is more along the lines of crust meets thrash metal bringing to mind bands like Driller Killer, and possibly even Entombed at times. If you expect melody because of the Arch Enemy connection you’ll be pretty disappointed.

The main driving forces behind this band are the simple, energetic guitar riffs and the upbeat drumming. Basically, it’s the what drives any crust record and this is no exception. I guess you could say that this comes from a more metal background then punk background though. The playing is incredibly tight, and the band is very heavy. One thing that brings the metal out in the sound even more are the guitar solos. Holy shit can this guy play! When the first solo kicked in, it totally floored me. I’d say it adds a hint of originality to a somewhat standard sound.

For a band playing fast music, you need for the production to stay tight and heavy. This album manages to stay both and in general is a very polished sounding album. I’m a big fan of the guitar tone, which is heavy, but still has a natural sound. It’s not so heavy that it takes over the entire mix. I do think they could have possibly turned up the bass a bit, but you it’s still loud enough to be audible. They get a big thumbs up for me for having a natural sounding drum tone as well!

Basically if you took crust, thrash and the older dirtier style of Swedish death metal you’d have Hearse. They still have a few surprises up their sleeves though, and this isn’t a typical album at all! If you are looking for an energetic metal album that doesn’t resort to cliches, then Armageddon has never seemed so appealing.

Hellfueled-Volume One
(Black Lodge/PHD, 2004)

I’ve never really thought about this before. For how many bands there are out there that are influenced by Black Sabbath, why aren’t there more bands influenced by Ozzy’s solo material? Well, that all changes, because Hellfueled sound quite a bit like the madman, but offer a more energetic approach mixed with a bit more rock. The vocal approach, and pinch harmonic filled groove riffing totally brings to mind Ozzy’s albums with Zakk Wylde. Is that a bad thing? Not at all in my opinion. It may not be 100% original, but damn does it ever rock!

I’d almost say that there is a bit of an Entombed vibe running throughout as well. I’d almost go as far as saying that this would sound a bit less like Ozzy is the singer wasn’t a dead on ringer for him. I’m not sure if he’s trying to sound like Ozzy or not, but damn does he ever. It’s almost uncanny. My fiancee who is pretty much the worlds biggest Ozzy fan heard this album the first time I put it on and said it was the first singer she’s ever heard that sounds like Ozzy. I have to agree. Sure, there are people who have similar styles, but the similarities are more with the tone then the delivery with this singer. If this singer doesn’t remind you of Ozzy, you need to have your hearing checked.

It’s actually a nice change of pace to hear a band that is pretty much just straight ahead heavy metal, or possibly even hard rock. If you think that every band from Sweden sounds like In Flames you’ll definitely be proven wrong with this album. It’s pretty much 11 tracks of straight forward rock, and yes, it does indeed rock. Hell, they even use a cowbell from time to time. What’s not to like here?

The production is damn heavy. It’s heavy enough that it would work for a death metal band, but the heavy guitar sound really brings out the grooves and squeals of the bands style. Everything rings through as clearly as in needs to be, and the mix is as far from muddy as you can get. The vocals are a bit out front I guess, but it’s easy to see that this is a vocally driven band.

Ok, so well, yea it’s not exactly original, and yes the singer sounds identical to Ozzy. Does that stop this from being enjoyable? Not at all. This is an album chock full of catchy riffs and memorable vocal patterns. But I warn you, you might mistake this for a new Ozzy Osbourne album.

Helvis-Reverence the Sacrifice
(Loudspeaker, 2003)

This album is one hell of a roller coaster ride. It definitely goes all over the place, and just when you think you know what it's all about you fall 1000 feet and your guts and in your throat. Pretty much every sub genre has a little place in the Helvis sound. There's a lot of dirty rock n roll, hardcore, sludge, and even some death metal. It could almost be described as Motorhead meets Eyehategod with a healthy dose of Napalm Death's slower moments thrown in. A few tracks have a bit of an Entombed style swagger to them as well. They have some fairly upbeat tracks too, which definitely have more then a little of a crust feel to them.

I guess you could almost say some of the riffs have an almost modern metal feel to them. There is definitely a lot of groove going on within the music, so it's somewhat similar to some other UK bands. These guys are definitely much more raw though and seem to come from more of a punk background then a metal one. That's not to say that there isn't metal on here, 'cause this album is fucking incredibly heavy. It's just stripped down, raw and very aggressive, which makes me associate it more with hardcore punk then metal.

The production is heavy, really heavy. It has those overly distorted guitar tone that just sounds huge and really adds a lot of energy to the bands sound. Everything else sounds great and is mixed well enough. I definitely think that when the gang vocals kick in this album sounds like a monster. It's definitely the perfect production for the style of the band.

If I had to complain I'd say that maybe they could have cut the length of the cd down a little bit. I definitely don't think they have any throw away material on the disc, but it's a fairly lengthy disc for the style the band plays. Then again that just means more bang for your buck, so it might just not be a bad thing.

Herod-For Whom the Gods Would Destroy
(Lifeforce, 2004)

I was totally floored the first time I put this album into my cd player. Everything I had read about the band didn’t really hint at what the band sounded like, and I possibly see why now. They don’t really sound like anyone. The two bands I hear the most of are In Flames, and Metallica. Metallica mainly in the vocals from time to time though. The music is straight forward, melodic, and could almost be described as a cross between Swedish death metal and rock music. It isn’t overly heavy, but it uses a lot of melody similar to the Swedish sound combined with straight forward and effective choruses.

While the band is unique musically, I think the vocal approach is even more unique. There are moments of straight forward screaming, but for the most part they use clean vocals. I wish I could put my finger on who he reminds me of. It somewhat reminds me of the singer from Darkseed. Musically, the bands aren’t similar, but the vocals are somewhat similar. I also hear a hint of James Hetfeild from time to time, but for the most part it’s much more melodic then anything Metallica has ever done vocally.

The guitar riffing in this band is actually quite intricate. The vocals are the main driving melody, so it gives the guitars a lot of room underneath to create layers of sound. Some riffs are more straight forward, but others utilize quite a few harmony guitars giving them almost an Iron Maiden like sound. Speed really never comes into play for this band much. They have some speedier moments reminiscent of say thrash or maybe even hardcore, but those moments are pretty sparse.

The production really helps this bands sound come across. It allows the melodies to come through, but it also heavy enough to remind you that this is indeed a heavy band. I also like the fact that the guitars are tremendously distorted. I think this helps a lot of the rock influence come across. They manage to keep things heavy, but don’t need to shake your head off with a bone rattling bass heavy production.

Herod really is an original band. I don’t think I’ve said that much in the past little while. They aren’t completely removed from what you’ve probably heard, yet at the same time you’d be hard pressed to come up with many concrete comparisons. This is a band destined for great things.

Himinbjorg-Golden Age
(Adipocere, 2003)

This is one of the many bands I've read about in metal 'zines but haven't had the chance to check out yet. I don't really remember if the stuff I've read was praising them or bashing them, but I'm sort of traveling the middle ground. It's not that these guys aren't all that bad, it's just not exactly the most exciting or original music to hit these ears lately. They are pretty much your stand Viking inspired black metal band. They have the blasting moments, as well as the slower more epic sounding melodic riffs. Harsh vocals lead into clean singing, and probably the most interesting aspect of this band is the vocals. The music is fairly typical; this definitely won't win any awards for originality. If you like Norse influenced black metal, this pretty much plays it say and doesn't do anything the genre hasn't seen before. I could see fans of Enslaved being able to get into this quite easily.

Hoods-Pray for Death
(Victory, 2003)

While Victory has been expanded their roster to include a wide variety of bands, Hoods play the style you would expect from them. Metal influenced guitars, barked vocals, and extremely heavy breakdowns is what Hoods have to offer. If you are a fan of hardcore, it's an offer you won't refuse.

I'd say these guys remind me of a cross between the New York sound and Slayer, with more then just a hint of Cro-Mags as well. The band is heavy, energetic, and just balls to the walls agressive. They don't waste any time with filler, and this album is just over 25 minutes long. You don't really need to make albums of fast and agressive music very long. 14 or 15 songs is the perfect length, and the band doesn't lose any steam before the album is over.

The band has a few moments that you wouldn't really expect from a hardcore band. There is more then a few riffs that could have easily come from a Slayer album. You've heard a lot bands being compared to Slayer, but a lot of the time it's because of fast riffs, but a lot of the riffs on this album that remind me of Slayer are slower and similar to what the band was doing on the South of Heaven album. You won't mistake these guys for a metal band, but they definitely do have a lot of metal influence at times.

The production is pretty much the pefect match for the style the band plays. The sound is very heavy, yet it isn't suffocatingly heavy, and still has a live feel to it. The mix is pretty much perfect as well. A lot of albums have certain things that are far too loud, or too quiet, but there really isn't anything I could complain about on this album. It sounds amazing, and gives the album the extra boost in energy it needs.

This album could appeal to a pretty wide audience of extreme music fans. Metal fans would be into the barked vocals and the bands heavier moments, and the hardcore kids would get into, well, pretty much everything this band has to offer. This one is definitely for fans of Slayer, Sick of It All, Cro-Mags, and Hatebreed.

Hot Water Music-Caution
(Epitaph, 2003)


Hot Water Music is definitely one of the most original bands around in the punk genre these days. I'm not even sure if you'd call it punk, but I'm not really sure what else to call it. Rock maybe? They've created their own sound and have stuck with it over the years. They haven't changed with the always changing trends and sounds, they stucked to their guns. The band is rocking, yet heavy and very melodic and emotional.

Like usual, the layout and artwork are amazing. One thing they've always had is interesting and amazing artwork. Some bands get lazy, but HWM never have. The booklets are always full of art and are very easy on the eyes. This new album is definitely better then A Flight and a Crash, which don't get me wrong, was an excellent album. This album just shows the band hitting their stride. The songwriting is more solid and beginning to end this is an amazing album. I think the band has also come a long way in terms of tightness over the years. The earlier stuff was amazing, but it's pretty easy to see the band has come a long way.

Simply put, this album sounds good. There's lots going on within the bands sound. You don't hear a lot of typical riffs. You may hear one per song, and the rest are just unique and memorable. One typical riff per song is definitely a good percentage. They also use a lot of layering and overlapping vocal patterns. The production handles all of it which ease, and this one is definitely easy on the ears.

This album is definitely their best album so far and I'm really interested to see where they are going next. Fans of Hot Water Music definitely won't be disappointed.

Houwitser-Damage Assessment
(Osmose/PHD, 2004)

Houwitser came into the scene at a time when bands were trying their hardest to cram as many notes and riffs into their songs as possible. The first time I heard the blasting simplicity and energetic approach of Houwitser’s music I was hooked. The band manages to be as heavy as humanly possible, but keeps things memorable and never seems to waste a riff. Everything flows and works well within the context of the song. In a time when a lot of metal bands just seem to write collections of riffs that have no structure, it’s nice to hear a death metal band that actually writes songs.

You could almost say that the band has an old school approach. It’s pretty much faster and more extreme then anything that came out in the early days of death metal but it has a similar approach. The band doesn’t go for the heaviest guitar sound ever, nor do they use the most guttural vocals possible. The guitar sound actually has a lot of mids and has a warm sound to it. It’s very different from the usual death metal guitar tone and reminds me of the earlier Sinister albums. The vocals are definitely guttural roars, but it’s pretty clear that he’s actually written lyrics and isn’t just growling nonsense so low you can’t even hear words.

The production is pretty much perfect for the style of the band. It’s simple and bestial just like the bands sound itself. I think that possibly the guitar could have been a bit louder, but that’s only a small complaint. For the most part it is loud enough, but sometimes when the vocals are roaring and the drums blasting, the guitar riffs underneath are a bit hard to follow. It’s a fairly unique sounding production too. It doesn’t really sound like your standard death metal album, which is always a good thing.

Houwitser is now on Osmose and that can only mean good things for the band. Hopefully this long overlooked band will start to get some of the attention they deserve.

Hypocrisy-The Arrival
(Nuclear Blast/PHD, 2004)

It seems that with every album Hypocrisy has progressed a little bit. With the album before The Arrival the band incorporated more grooves into the music. This new album has the same grooves, but for the most part this is classic Hypocrisy, somewhat similar in vain to The Final Chapter album. This album isn’t quite as fast as that album was, and features a great deal more atmosphere. It does however share the same alien inspired subject matter.

Musically you won’t really find any surprises. If you’ve been following the progression from album to album this seems like the logical next step for the band. It shows the band losing a bit of the speed and ferocity and making up for it with atmosphere and some seriously effective slower melodic riffs. Like I said earlier it also features the more groove oriented riffing that was introduced on Catch 22. I never really agreed with those who said it sounded like the band was incorporating new metal influences into the music, and I still don’t. Just because a band adds riffs that are different and not a million miles an hour, it doesn’t make them new metal influenced.

I’d say that the songwriting for the band is in top form on this album and possibly this is some of the best stuff the band has written. The album has some very catchy riffs and is varied from beginning to end. It’s not quite as memorable as The Final Chapter was, but it’s a very similar album I’d say. I think you could almost call it The Final Chapter part 2.

Production wise, this sounds just like you’d expect a Hypocrisy album to sound. The guitars are loud and tight, with pounding drums and perfectly mixed vocals. While it does sound amazing, I’d almost like to hear the band try something different or record in a different studio. Obviously Peter Tatgren does own Abyss Studios so it’s the logical place to record, it just seems a little safe after so many albums recorded there.

I’m definitely glad to see that Hypocrisy is still around and releasing high quality death metal albums. It may not be as extreme as the band once was, but The Arrival is a memorable album that solidifies Hypocrisy's place in the metal scene.