Nehemah-Shadows from the Past…
(Oaken Shield, 2002)

I was a huge fan of this bands last album, which if I'm not mistaken was their demo pressed on cd. This new album only makes me like the band even more and the band is back with another slab of primal and raw black metal.

The band really hasn't changed much at all. They still play fast and chaotic black metal that gives the nod to early Dark Throne and Mayhem. They have the style down perfectly and while it's nothing new, they do it better then most bands playing the style. I really enjoy the fact that the band doesn't always feel the need to be playing 100 miles an hour. They have slower songs that are just as raw but even colder sounding. It gives the genre some much-needed diversity.

The only really step back for the band is the production. Their last album, while not being overproduced, had a better sound then this does. This new album has a much fuzzier production and has a somewhat typical black metal sound to it. Granted, it does fit the music perfectly, I just hoped it sounded somewhat similar to the last album.

Everything about this album makes it a far above average release. From the layout, to the song writing, there really isn't much to complain about here. If you are into raw and cold black metal, Nehemah is definitely a band for you to check out.

Nerf Herder-My Ep
(Honest Don's, 2003)

I was really excited to find a new Nerf Herder EP in my mailbox, but I have to tell you I'm not really all that impressed. I deifnitely think this is an EP of songs that just weren't good enough to be on any of their other releases. Some songs definitely are classic Nerf Herder, but other really fall short of the mark.

The opening track Hotel California is a pretty rocking song, but the follow up Love Sandwhich is just god awful. I know that Nerf Herder has always been funny, but this song sounds like Weird Al Yankovich. Not a good thing in my book. So basically this one is hit and miss. If you are a huge NH fan I'm sure you'll want to pick this up. If you are interested in checking these guys out, start somewhere else. This definitely isn't their best work.

The New Breed-Port City Rebels
(Thorp, 2003)

I wasn't expecting to really like this much. I've never been the biggest fan of Celtic influenced punk rock, and The New Breed doesn't do much to change that. These guys are definitely good at what they do, but it's just a bit too much of the same for me. If you've heard the Dropkick Murphy's you've basically heard this band already. It's nothing too bad, but it's definitely nothing new either. If you are really into the style, I'd say check them out. But like I said I'm not a big fan of the style, and probably never will be.

None More Black-File Under Black
(Fat Wreck Chords, 2003)

When I heard that the singer from Kid Dynamite had started a new band, honestly, I flipped out. He is easily one of the best singers to ever grace a hardcore band. He has a very unique voice that is both scratchy and melodic at the same time. After listening to the None More Black debut album and I pleased to report that he is back in fine form and with a great band to back him.

None More Black actually somewhat remind me of a slower and more melodic version of Kid Dynamite. It's essential just poppy punk rock, with an emphasis on the rock. It's more mid-tempo and features a truck load of infectious riffs and memorable melodies. I'm not sure if I'm just comparing these guys to KD because of the singer though. The music has some similar qualities, but essentially these guys don't really sound like anyone. They are similar in style to many bands. ie. catchy riffs driven by power chords, lots of melody, and strong choruses, but they don't really sound like any other bands. It'll definitely appeal to a lot of people though. The None More Black sound is very infectious and will draw you in, hook line and sinker.

The production leaves nothing to be desired. The guitar sound is thick, and powerful leaving none of the hooks unheard. It's a very produced sounding album, yet at the same time, it's not a very complicated sounding album. There doesn't seem to be a ton of overdubs. Then again the songs aren't very complicated, so you really don't need a million layers of sound convoluting the entire thing. Essentially, it's the perfect production for this style of band.

If you are looking for something new in the pop/punk scene None More Black is the band for you. It's seems almost impossible for bands to come up with anything new or at least put a new spin on anything these days. None More Black manages to do that and so much more. I hope these guys stay together for a long time, I'm curious to see where they go from here.

Neuro Visceral Exhumation-Mass Murder Festival
(No Escape, 2003)

Wow, this is the type of album that makes my head spin. Ultra sick riffing, mixed with guttural sewer vocals and a raw underground production is what you can expect from this album. It’s not unlike the Spanish Disgorge, but I think this band has a bit more structure to their music.

If you want to know what this band sounds like, think musical carnage. It’s fast, slicing and energetic. The band may not be the tightest band I have ever heard, but just for the fact that this was recording analog and not triggered, I respect them quite a bit.

I think bands like this like fucking with people. I don’t think they even have lyrics, just noises. If they do have lyrics then well, good luck even trying to pick out one word. I’m not joking either; it’s tough to even make out one word!

Fans of goregrind especially Last Days of Humanity and Disgorge will be able to get into this album quite easily. This is definitely one of the best bands I have heard from Brazil in quite sometime!

None-Black Star
(Metal Mind/PHD, 2003)

I think I remember the bio that accompanied this cd calling this band the biggest nu-metal band from Poland. I’m not really sure that is much of a selling point as well nu-metal from pretty much everywhere sucks and Poland is probably the last place you’d expect one of the good one’s to be from. Low and behold these guys aren’t all that great. Pretty much every trend and cliche you’d expect from a new metal band is found here. The band is tight and the production isn’t bad, but this is stuff you’ve heard a million times before.

Nora-Dreamers & Deadmen
(Trustkill, 2003)

Many bands in the scene seem pleased with never progressing. Why change when you’ll just break up after two albums anyways I guess eh? Well, not all bands in the hardcore genre are against moving forward musically. One of those exceptions is definitely Nora. While they have always been a hardcore power house, they have come back with a more streamlined sound and an album that leaves an amazing impact after the album has stopped spinning.

You can definitely say that Nora’s music is rooted in hardcore music, but it would definitely be a huge stretch to call this a typical band. The main elements of the band that bring to mind the hardcore genre are the breakdown riffs and the vicious vocal assault. There is actually a lot more going on in the riffing then what you’d get from a typical hardcore band. The band uses a lot of groove, and isn’t afraid to bring the rock. This is probably one of the first hardcore bands that have riffs that remind me of Black Sabbath from time to time. Sure, it’s a lot heavier, but the odd pull off filled groove riff totally pays homage to the legendary band and helps Nora stand out at the same time.

Nora also seem to have a knack for keeping things simple and too the point. In metal core these days bands seem to think that they need a million notes per riff. Nora however isn’t afraid to let the music breathe and create memorable riffs and actual song structures. I love wild and chaotic hardcore as much as the next guy, but the style has been done to death pretty much recently. It’s nice to see a band playing heavy music that can manage to create some memorable songs without resorting to addeing emo into their sound.

I would definitely say that the band has progressed in terms of production values as well. Loser’s Intuition was possibly a heavier cd, but Dreamers and Deadmen is much smoother sounding and not quite as jarring. I found the guitar tone of Loser’s Intuition a bit too scooped, while the guitars on this new album have a warmer sound, full of much more textures. Like I said, it’s possibly not as heavy, but it’s a much smoother sounding production that really suits the musical direction of the band on this album.

With this new album Nora has secured a position at the head of the pack within the metalcore genre. This is an album devoid of cliche, and full of passionate, memorable yet angry music. If you are looking for a band going against the grain of the current metalcore sound, look no further.

North Side Kings-Organizing Our Neighbourhood
(Thorp, 2004)

I'll be honest I wasn't totally into the North Side Kings contribution to their split with Stampin' Ground, but call me converted, this album simply puts KICKS FUCKING ASS! So I lost a bit of composure there, but I really can't get over how good this is. The band takes hardcore, and makes it a vital thing again. I'd say the bands sound is rooted in early New York hardcore, but the vocals have a more modern ring to them, and these guys are very heavy in a Hatebreed kind of way without the Slayer riffs.

The one main thing I like about this album is that they aren't trying to reinvent the wheel, they are just playing straight ahead hardcore and obviously have a lot of respect for the genre. Genre jumping is becoming all too common, and when I want to hear hardcore I want to hear gang vocals, breakdowns and fast sections with screaming. These guys know where hardcore came from and are one of the few bands that has respect for the genre and doesn't drag it through the mud by playing bad metal and calling it hardcore.

The production really lets a lot of energy shine through. I don't mind if hardcore is a little rough around the edges, but these guys are so tight that it's ridiculous. The band really clicks and it's obvious that they have been playing together for a long time now. I also like the fact that the band is heavy, but they haven't overdone it with the guitar sound. It has the perfect balance between heaviness and clarity.

Throw in an amazing layout, and artwork and you essentially have one of the best albums hardcore has seen in quite sometime. If you possibly didn't take the chance on these guys before, then you owe it to yourself to give them another chance with this new album. They have gone above and beyond everything they have done in the past. This simply put, is hardcore.

Notre Dame-Demi Monde Bizzarros
(Osmose/PHD, 2004)

You know that you are almost guaranteed a good review from me if you combine horror and metal. Notre Dame aren’t a new band to me, and this new albums shows the band continuing down the same horror movie inspired metal path. They almost remind me of a punkier Entombed with much more sinister sounding riffs and a great atmosphere. You know it has to be good when one of the songs is called Munsters.

I’m not even sure what subgenre of metal you could really link this to. It has some elements of death metal with the sometimes growled vocals, but some of the riffs sound like horror power metal, and others are totally simple and punky. These guys have always been a band that has defied classification and it’s no different on this album. I think it makes the band totally interesting and gives them a bit more mystique. You think you have them figured out and then they throw in something out of the blue. They’ll be playing simple, upbeat riffs and then all of sudden cut into slower more melodic riffing with power metal style clean vocals. It’s safe to say that there are no rules to this band, and I really wouldn’t want it any differently.

I wonder if this band knows how much they fuck with reviewers. It’s tough to describe a band that changes with almost every song. The only thing that does remain constant though, is that this is indeed a metal band. You can expect hints of pretty much everything, but it does stay heavy, and could pretty much appeal to fans of every style of metal.

While I do respect the band for the diversity, I’m not a big fan of the slower, almost rock like songs. The vocal delivery reminds me of Marilyn Manson and that is never a good thing in my books. But like I say they never stay on one style for very long so, it’s only one or two songs that rub me the wrong way.

Well, I’m sure this review is all over the place as the bands music. This is one of the few bands that is really hard to put into words. I guess heavy, horror influenced rock/metal that derives influence from pretty much every sub genre of extreme music. It’s definitely not for everyone, but if you give it a go, you’re in for one hell of a wild ride.