Angra-Aurora Consurgens
(SPV, 2006)

I really liked the last album by Angra, but it seems like they have changed just a little bit with this new album and a better band for it. This is still very much rooted in power metal, but the album comes across like a cross between classic Angra, Bruce Dickinson’s last few solo albums, and Primal Fear. This is the heaviest the band has ever been showing off quite the thrash influence from time to time. A few riffs and solos really seem to pay homage to Megadeth and that is definitely a good thing. There are of course the classic fast melodic power metal moments as well but they seem to have much more impact when put in an album that is this diverse. I also think that this band pretty much nails the combination of flash and substance perfectly. They have more technical moments, but the music is always catchy and even the guitar solos are memorable reminding me of Marty Friedman at times. I also really like the fact that the band has relatable lyrics and don’t resort to dungeons and dragons clichés. These lyrics actually have substance so you won’t hear the singer singing KILL THE DRAGOOOOOOOOON, which is of course a good thing. I’ll be honest and say that I was expecting to like this but still somewhat thought it might be a somewhat cliché album. Thankfully it isn’t and honestly this is one of the best power metal albums I have heard in a really long time. Angra are really onto something with this album and have probably crafted their best album yet. All fans of power metal need to pick this one up right now.

Dry Kill Logic-Of Vengeance and Violence
(Repossession Records, 2006)

For some reason I always just assumed that Dry Kill Logic was a faceless nu-metal band, but this album definitely proves me wrong. Think Hatebreed’s energy mixed with Lamb of God’s riffs and a great deal of melody interjected into the sound. It isn’t a sound that is completely devoid of cliché, but it is a heavy album that is hard to not enjoy. It is actually a very nice change of pace from the usual metalcore sound that is so prevalent these days. There are a few moments that somewhat bring to mind metalcore but this is much more creative then most bands in the genre and is better described as a straight ahead metal record then anything else. I hear hints of Killswitch Engage at times, but this is far from being a copycat band. I think I mainly hear it because those guys do such a good job of interjecting melody into a heavy sound and this reminds me of a similar style. The production is nice and clear with no loss of heaviness. Not that this is a completely bludgeoning album, but it definitely has a bit of thump to it at times. This is an album that just keeps sounding better the louder you play it. While my initial assumption that this was a nu-metal band may have been wrong, this definite is what I would consider to be an accessible metal album. It is definitely heavy, but this is a band that I could see making quite an impact with this album.

Wolf-The Black Flame
(Prosthetic Records, 2006)

Wolf kicks ass so buy this album immediately. That is all this review really needs to say, but I guess I owe it to the band to write a bit more then that. Wolf is pretty much what you could consider the quintessential metal band. They have a classic metal feel that rests somewhere in between Mercyful Fate and power metal. Dual guitar melodies coat this album from beginning to end as do some of the most fluid and classic sounding guitar solos I have heard in a long time. I can see some of the newer fans of metal writing this band off as cheesy and dated, but this my friends is what metal is all about, not breakdowns and black eyeliner. This takes all of the elements that made metal so special in the first time and continues the tradition today. Despite a somewhat modern sounding production there is little reason to believe that this album couldn’t have been released during the 80’s. The band really doesn’t bring in any modern influences. You won’t hear blast beats or screaming vocals here. This is very true to the band’s influences and never strays. That said I really like how the band does have a unique edge to their sound. Yes, it does sound like it could have been around in the 80’s, but they don’t mimic any band in particular. It is very easy to hear the Mercyful Fate influence, but that is a hard influence to not here as they were quite theatrical. Call it metal, hard rock, power metal, it doesn’t matter what you call it because at the end of the day all that matters is that this is a kick ass record. Throw on your denim vest, crack open a beer and get ready to rock; it’s what the band would want you to do.

Twisted Into Form-Then Comes Affliction to Awaken the Dreamer
(Sensory, 2006)

I still remember the first time I heard Cynic and was boggled at the creativity on display. Few bands come close to capturing that same magic, but Twisted Into Form come very close. This is a technical metal album with no shortage of chops on display, but buried beneath the dexterity are actual songs. There are memorable parts and the band knows when to lay back and play something a bit more straightforward. But if you like technicality it is here and in large quantities. There are no shortage of strange rhythms and guitar solos. The bass guitar is a big part of the sound and the fretless bass really stands out in the mix. I really like how the bass player isn’t just playing the same riffs as the guitar; he adds his own little flourishes. The band to my ears really sounds like a more technical version of the last Death album mixed with hints of Cynic. I was actually really surprised by the vocal performance. For some strange reason the singer reminds me of the singer from System of a Down but much more under control and without any of the nonsense. The vocalist is pretty much the only member of the band that doesn’t have the chance to show off. The vocals lines could have been possibly a bit more interesting and the odd stab of more extreme vocals might have given the vocals a bit of an energy boost. That is really just a small complaint though and while the vocal performance is enjoyable this is the type of band you listen to for the instrumentation. Technical metal is really an acquired taste, but if this is a genre you listen to it doesn’t get much better then Twisted Into Form. Even if you aren’t very familiar with the genre and you enjoyed Control Denied, or the last Death album you may want to give this a chance as well.

Zero Hour-Specs of Pictures Burnt Beyond
(Sensory, 2006)

Zero Hour is most definitely technical and quite heavy in approach. The guitar work to my ears sounds like a more technical version of thrash, but of course there are a lot of dynamics here. The band is clearly big fans of Queensryche, just listen to the somber section of the opening track and you’ll have little doubts about the influence in question. Following the somber section however is the heaviest riff in the song, a rhythmic crunching riff that brings to mind Nevermore. Actually I think that might be the easiest way to describe this band, a cross between Queensryche and Nevermore. This is much more technical rhythmically then either of those bands, but the influences are definitely easy to hear at times. The vocals are in a higher register then Nevermore and the vocal approach is somewhat typical of what you would expect from a band in this style. That definitely isn’t a negative criticism though as I don’t think any other vocal approach would indeed fit. My one problem with this album is that some of the songs are just too long. The opening song is 9 minutes long and while it is a good song that is just a bit too long for the lead off track on an album. The rest of the album is along the same lines with a few interludes being the shortest of the bunch at just over 2 minutes. The album is very good, but it does drag a bit from time to time. I have no problem with songs around 5 minutes in length but once you get around the 8 or 9 minute mark I start to lose interest. The songs need a bit more variety to work at those lengths I think. That said these songs might not seem long to other fans of this genre. Maybe I just have a short attention span after listening to a ton of grindcore and hardcore over the years. The band is quite good at what they do though and fans of Nevermore and Queensryche definitely will find a lot of display here to enjoy.

Solace of Requiem-Utopia Reborn
(Ruptured Silence, 2006)

It’s sad to say that I rarely get any albums from unknown death metal bands these days and that disappoints me. The underground has so many amazing bands just waiting to be discovered and Solace in Requiem is definitely one of those bands. I guess you could say that the band has a somewhat old school approach to death metal, but they also don’t really have a typical sound at all. They have a rhythmic style that somewhat reminds me of Morbid Angel at times, but there is actually quite a bit of originality on display here. This is what death metal was all about before the bands were worried about being the fastest. Each track has unique rhythms and riff ideas. Of course the band does have faster parts, but they sound more like really fast thrash parts and very rarely does the band use the blast beat. I really like the harmonizer laced solos; they have a somewhat creepy vibe which reminds me just a bit of Morbid Angel. Vocally the band switches between a guttural roar and a throatier roar. Don’t expect gurgled grunts here because you just won’t find them. Lyrically these guys stay away from the clichés of the genre and seem to have a more mystical approach to lyrics. I have no problem with gore lyrics really, but it’s hard to not agree that they have really been done to death, no pun intended. This is for all of the fans of death metal from the 90’s. It doesn’t really take influence from any of the bands in particular. But I could see fans of everything from Oppressor to Monstrosity being able to get into these guys. This is definitely a band to watch out for.

The Funeral Pyre-The Nature of Betrayal
(Creator Destructor Records, 2006)

I wasn’t exactly sure what to expect from this album, but I definitely wasn’t expecting an all out assault of high octane blackened thrash. The band is really quite fast with melodic guitar riffs and scathing vocals. Before you write this off as just another band hoping on the Swedish trend, you really need to hear the album first hand. This is actually one of the best US bands I have ever heard taking influence from the Swedish sound. You won’t hear any breakdown riffs or clean vocals being thrown in. The band is set to kill for the duration of the album and the album really reminds me of Dissection at times albeit a bit thrashier. You could possibly say that the band sounds a bit similar to the Black Dahlia Murder and Darkest Hour, but this is much more metallic then Darkest Hour and just plain better then the Black Dahlia Murder. I think that the keyboards help to give the album a touch of class almost. They might be just a tad bit too loud in the mix, but they add an extra dynamic to the riffing and work well for the band. I like that the keyboards actually follow a few of the riffs and aren’t exclusively just chords. Another aspect that really stands out it the utter ferocity of the band, simply put, they play like savages. The energy oozes from the speakers and makes this a hard album to pass up on. This album deserves to be heard. Forget about Bleeding Through, forget about Black Dahlia Murder, and the countless other bands raping what was once a classic genre of metal. This band understands melodic death metal and could possibly be the best band in the US playing the style right now. Simply put, this album should be considered essential.

Subhumans(Canada)-New Dark Age Parade
(G7 Welcoming Committee, 2006)

I didn’t even know that there were more then one bands under the moniker of Subhumans and truth be told now that I’ve heard the Canadian band I can say that I don’t really care much for either band. I was expecting this to be at least somewhat punk in nature, but to my ears this is just a boring rock record with somewhat political lyrics. It is catchy, but the style is just a bit too Rocking in the Free World for me. It isn’t awful, but it also doesn’t really stand out much at all either. It would be good drinking music at the bar, but this is a CD that would find very little time in my stereo. If you enjoy rock music with a political slant you may want to give this a shot, maybe it’ll stand out a bit more to your ears then it did mine.

Anti-Hero-Unpretty
(HER Records, 2006)

I wasn’t expecting much from this album and that is exactly what I got. Musically this is somewhat grungy I suppose, but the out of key vocals are just plain grating to my ears. The lyrics don’t help things out much either as they are fairly simplistic and nothing special. At the very least this would have been catchy without the vocals. Add in the vocals and you have an album that only gives you on option, pressing stop. Maybe I’m being just a little bit harsh, but damn this album makes my ears feel like they went twelve rounds with Mike Tyson.

Intronaut-Void
(Goodfellow Records, 2006)

The debut full length release from Intronaut is an album that reminds me of why heavy music can have so much impact. With as much emphasis of rhythm as dissonance the band churns out a style that is interesting, unique and fucking heavy as all hell. The band has a hint of that Isis or Neurosis atmosphere, but I think Intronaut is a great deal more energetic and not typical of the style in the least. I really like how the band is heavy, yet still keeps things musical. Hints of melody are always present and the band uses some very unique chord voicings throughout the album. This is actually a bit more laid back then the debut EP I think. It has the same rhythmic heaviness, but the longer running time allows the band to explore their sound more and this album is very creative as a result. You can hear and feel the interaction between the members of the band. This isn’t a mechanical sounding band at all. There is a lot of feel put into the music and the album gives off a vibe that this band is just four guys playing the music that they love and what comes natural. The production is as heavy as it needs to be, but is also very natural in sound. The guitar sounds are very natural and there isn’t a ridiculous amount of layering. The sound is nice and full but that is due to the guitars being mixed well and not do to so many guitar layers that you start to lose definition. The drums sound amazing with a natural timbre and while they may be triggered, they certainly don’t sound like it. The drum performance is also of note. It may not be a flashy performance, but it is rock solid and is really what keeps the album flowing and moving forward. While it would be easiest to call this a metal album that would be cutting the album very short as this is much more involved then the average metal album. Fans of everything from Mastodon, to Coalesce, to even instrumental bands like Don Caballero will find elements of this album to their liking. The debut EP showed that the band had potential; this album shows that potential fully realized. This is a band that I hope stays around for a very long time.

Gorgoroth-Ad Majorm Sathanas Gloriam
(Candlelight Records, 2006)

If you’ve heard Gorgoroth before you pretty much know what to expect from the band. You can expect cold, fast black metal with hellish vocals and an almost endless amount of blast beats. This latest album is no different with one of the main differences being that this album has a very solid production. That aspect aside this is pretty much exactly what you would expect from the band and I wouldn’t want it any other way. When it comes to high octane black metal Gorgoroth is one of the best and this album only further solidifies this. I really like the riffing on display here. The band has the usual minor chord riffs that are so common within black metal but they manage to throw in their own little twists. But they also have some almost thrash sounding riffs that add quite a bit of diversity to the album. The band also uses a few more rhythms then a lot of black metal bands. Usually there are two, fast and slow. This album actually covers quite a bit of ground but never loses sight of the fact that this is indeed a black metal album. I also really like the fact that this is an extremely memorable album while never sacrificing any of the extremity. Black metal when done right can be the most memorable of pretty much any subgenre of metal and this is the perfect example of it done right. It’s harsh and cold but the added catchiness makes the music have even more impact. Sure you can notice a band for the extremity but if the riffs don’t stand out then you really have no reason to come back to the album at all. This album is filled with memorable riffs which will keep you coming back for more. I’m not extremely familiar with every album that Gorgoroth has released, but from what I have heard I would say that this is definitely a contender for the best album yet from the band.

Bologna Violenta-N.M
(Independent, 2006)

I’m not exactly sure what I think of this demo. This is fucking weird slab of electronic influenced grindcore. The music is actually quite catchy and damn weird. The drum machine of course makes everything quite mechanical sounding. But the weird noises also add to the mechanical feel of the music and makes this stand out as being very unique. This is also all instrumental and really I don’t know how they could have fit vocals onto these songs. At first I honestly wasn’t sure what to think of this and it does at times make my head want to spin right off. But there is no denying the creativity on display here. Even the riffs that make up the songs are quite diverse from song to song. Some are a bit slower and dissonant, while others are almost thrashy in nature. That said this could almost be described as Sci-fi grind as it is just plain weird. But what else would you expect from a band that names I assume translates into Violent Bologna? I’m not even sure who to recommend this to, fans of Fuck the Facts or Mr. Bungle, perhaps. But chances are you haven’t heard anything like this before.

Jutonspor-Gleipnirs Smeder
(Candlelight Records, 2006)

This is an album that didn’t seem to be making much impact with me, in fact I was almost about to say it was actually quite boring. I’m a huge black metal fan, but the opening track plays the same riff for two minutes before changing. However when it did change I started to realize what the band was all about. This is cold, mechanical black metal similar in style to a band like Mysticum. It isn’t easy listening and definitely isn’t for everyone. The music is plodding and really doesn’t change a great deal throughout the songs. None of the parts differ greatly from track to track, but this is a band that is about creating atmosphere. I went into this album expecting a fast album and that is definitely not what this album is about. The band even has some songs that could be considered soundscapes with nothing metallic about them whatsoever. There are a few songs that are faster, and I guess by default a bit more typical of black metal. But even those tracks bring in the cold, mechanical feel and have much more to offer then just tremolo picked guitar riffs and blast beats. This most definitely will not be a band for everyone. This is almost like the black metal equivalent of funeral doom. The songs are long and drawn out and very much about atmosphere. This is almost a combination of industrial and black metal, but still very extreme and quite unique. If you are looking for something slightly left of center from a black metal band look no further.