Therion-Gothic Kabbalah
(Nuclear Blast Records, 2006)

While I respect Therion for progressing into one of the most unique metal bands of all time, the end result really isnt something to my liking. I dont want to throw out the word pretentious, but this is very dramatic filled with female vocals, odd instrumentation and very quiet distorted guitars somewhere in the background. Is it still metal? I guess so, but in more of a soundtrack like sound then a straight forward metal album. A few songs have a straighter forward sound and they are easily the most accessible songs ever written by the band and also the best songs on here. Im not a big fan of gothic tinged metal to begin with, so this is actually a bit much for me to digest. I respect what the band is doing and can easily see that this is a unique and original album through and through. There are aspects that I do enjoy like the guitar solos and the music definitely has catchy moments which really shine through. Fans of the previous album from Therion will undoubtedly be into this quite a bit, but for me I still prefer early Therion when the band was more of a death metal band. This is a good album and I can respect it for what it is, but it isnt an album that really drew me in and totally grabbed me.

Disillusion-Gloria
(Metal Blade Records, 2006)

This is actually my first exposure to Disillusion and after reading that the debut was a masterpiece of blackened death metal, Im definitely left scratching my head here. This is very far from being black metal, death metal, or what I was expecting. The band has moved into an industrial like sound and quite possibly has become a more original band because of it. Despite my initial shock I have come to realize that this is an extremely well written and memorable album that brings in a lot of unique ideas for industrial. The guitars have much more feel then the genre usually has and the band has a much more natural sound then most bands. There are mechanical sounding moments, but the vast majority of the album has a very human feel to it. There are a few songs that have a more metallic feel, such as the beginning of Avalanche and the opening of the album with The Black Sea, but with every conventional metal riffs comes about 10 that youve never heard before. The vocals probably take the most getting used to. The main style seems to be an almost soft spoken vocal approach. There are some excellent melodic vocals which pop up from time to time. Dont expect any extreme vocals though as the album is pretty much completely devoid of any screams or growls. Im not sure what prompted the change in style but it is a change that will most certainly alienate fans of the heavier early material and bring in many new fans as well. With most big changes in sound though, you really have to almost look at this like a different band all together. Forget about what you were expecting and listen with open ears. Any way you look at it, this is an amazing album. It might not be what you are expecting initially, but with a few listens youll start to see what the album has to offer.

Crown the Lost-Reverence Dies Within
(Independent, 2006)

It became quite clear within the first few minutes that Crown the Lost has a firm grasp on their instruments. The band starts with a Metallica meets modern metal approach that is quite engaging and well written. I think I might have chosen a more appropriate opening song as the 5 minute instrumental song tends to drag and really didnt need to be an instrumental in my opinion. After the instrumental the true nature of the band starts to shine through and to my ears it sounds like a nice combination of thrash and power metal with flairs of progressive metal thrown in. Basically take Megadeth, Metallica, and Nevermore, throw them in a blender and youd have Crown the Lost. I really like the fact that the band really hasnt thrown in anything to make the band more modern sounding. There are blast beats occasionally which do stand out a bit, but mainly due to the drummer not really seeming to have complete control over the beat. If the band does stumble it would be during these moments, as well as some of the harsher vocals which almost seem a bit forced. A few flairs of Swedish sounding death metal pop up from time to time, but they definitely add some diversity to the album. The production is a little bit raw, and this is the type of band that would really benefit from a huge sounding production. Hopefully this release with draw enough attention that the band will find themselves with a label behind them that can put them into a top notch studio. For such a young band this isnt nearly as rough around the edges as I would have expected. Fans of thrash metal and progressive metal will find this one to their liking.

Striborg-Nefaria/A Tragic Journey Towards the Light
(Southern Lord, 2007)

Id be lying if I said I wasnt a huge fan of black metal, but there is a limit to how much rawness and bad production I can tolerate. This album definitely pushes that limit. The band plays a grim variety of black metal with a lot of interesting ideas, but the sound doesnt let a lot of the ideas come through quite clearly enough. I admit that the last album from Striborg that Southern Lord released really wasnt to my liking, but this is a bit easier for me to get into. The faster songs are definitely the songs that dont win any points from the production. The drums are thin, and the vocals are somewhat overpowering. The slower songs have a bit more room to breathe and it is easier to hear exactly what is going on. Like the last album there are definitely a few surprises here, such as the few soundtrack like interludes as well as a few more just strange songs. The album is actually a re-release of two albums if Im not mistaken with the first half being the better half in my opinion. The second half sounds much worse then the first half and is almost damn near inaudible at times. It makes the first half sound like a crystal clear big budget studio production in comparison. If you like your black metal raw, and I do mean raw, then this is an album for you.

Year of Desolation-Self-titled
(Prosthetic Records, 2007)

I remember being impressed with Year of Desolations debut CD that was released a few years ago, but I definitely was not prepared for them to follow it up with a mammoth album such as this. To my ears this band sounds like a combination of blistering thrash metal, Mentally Murdered era Napalm Death, and slight hints of Swedish death metal. Its a vicious combination that stays true to what made metal so exciting in the first place and leaves all of the clichs at the door. This isnt a metalcore album, this is a metal album. You wont hear any stupid breakdowns or bad clean vocals. This album goes for the throat and never lets up. The album is actually surprisingly diverse, yet the band really sticks to three tempos; fast, faster and then some slower parts for variation. The fast parts tend to be either a thrashy or early Florida death metal sound, or a more blasting sound that brings in more melodic guitar lines that almost bring to mind black metal at times. The slower parts are quite diverse and range from chugging sections similar to a lot of US death metal to more melodic sections that wouldnt seem out of place on a Swedish death metal album. Guitar solos are also quite common and quite good as well. The solos are all quite melodic and add greatly to the overall sound of the record. I like the fact that the band keeps the songs very concise and none of the songs are over 4 minutes long. It keeps the energy level of the album high and the album hits you like 11 consecutive punches to the face. It is very rare that an album will come out that I have no complaints about, but there is absolutely nothing I would change about this album. Its well written, sounds amazing and shows a band that knows how to play metal. What more could you want from a metal album?

Cassius-I am Jim Jones
(Lifeforce Records, 2007)

The opening instrumental track of this album is a bit misleading. It is very slow with gloomy guitars and almost programmed sounding drums. What follows is one of the best debut albums I have heard in a very long time. The band is definitely modern sounding, but the band definitely has their own edge. They mix a rhythmic approach of a band like A Life Once Lost, with fast melodic guitar lines, blast beats, and even some grindcore like guitar lines for good measure. The songs are filled to the brim with ideas, and you really never know what to expect next. The amazing thing is that even when the band throws in curve balls it all seems to work. They can go from blasting ferocity to chugging breakdowns on a dime and it works. I really like when the band switches gears to a faster more dissonant hardcore sound which brings to mind Converge. They also keep the songs fairly short and to the point with a few songs being a bit more fleshed out. Take for instance the song Tale of the Leper. It fits in with the rest of the album, but the band has a piano interlude right in the middle that seems to come out of nowhere but still fits perfectly. Actually the last half of the album seems to explore the gloomy side of the band that the opening song hinted at. It is not nearly as chaotic as the first few songs and really makes the album even more diverse. The only thing that comes across as a bit heard it before are the breakdowns the band uses at times. But they work within the context of the album and arent overdone at any point throughout. There may be a lot of bands that have a sound similar to Cassius, but few are this hard hitting. It blows my mind that this is the debut album from the band. Its quite obvious that this is a young band playing with fire and out to prove that there is vitality left in this overcrowded genre.

Mnemic-Passenger
(Nuclear Blast, 2007)

The opening track on this album really surprised me. It is much noisier then I would have ever expecting from Mnemic with lots of dissonance, screaming and even blast beats. The next song falls more in line with what I would expect from the band with rhythmic chunky guitars, groovy drums and a more contained vocal approach. The overall approach is noisier then the last album, but that could be due to a production with a bit less clarity in the guitar department Im not entirely sure. This band has always had elements of nu-metal and Im not sure if you would call Slipknot nu-metal, but there are many moments on here that do remind me of Slipknot. The band really reminds me of newer Soilwork mixed with Slipknot. The problem that I have always had with Mnemic is the fact that it is hard to listen to them and feel like you havent heard it before. They dont really do much that could be considered original. It is the type of album that you enjoy while you are listening, but it rarely would be an album you would grab if you had the choice of many others. That said if you were a fan of the band in the past, youll enjoy this as it is just as good as anything else the band has released. Like I said it is a good album, just not an original one.

Gaza-I Dont Care Where I Go When I Die
(Blackmarket Activities, 2006)

Gaza definitely is not alone in the genre of music that they play. There seems to be an endless parade of noisy hardcore bands flirting with dissonance and tempo changes galore. What makes Gaza different is that it sounds natural. This is noisy, sludgy and down right ugly music. The band hits like a bulldozer with a seemingly endless barrage of rhythmic churning dissonance and blasting insanity. A few of the songs even border on just being noise. I even hear a hint of black metal from time to time, especially during some of the noisier parts. There really isnt anything you could call memorable here as well. There is the odd part with a bit more melody thrown in, but calling those hooks would definitely be a stretch. While it isnt what you would consider memorable, there are unique ideas from song to song. A few songs are a bit slower and have a sludgy feel to them. The production is very heavy and natural sounding but still noisy enough to fit the style of the band. I really couldnt see a band like this having a crystal clear production, it just wouldnt make any sense. The funny thing is that the band that this actually reminds me of is almost unknown. Slap A Ham released a full length by a noisy grindcore band that used a lot of dissonance called Gasp. This album reminds me of them from time to time. This isnt what I would call an easy listening album. The music is ugly, plain and simple. This isnt a band throwing in hints of dissonance to their breakdowns to make their sound more hip for the hardcore kids to swing their arms to. This is a ugly beast of a metal album, warts and all.

Across Tundras-Dark Songs of the Prarie
(Crucial Blast, 2006)

It really amazes me how unique all of the releases on Crucial Blast are. Across Tundras are quite a unique band with a strange form of doom that seems to be the bastard child of Neurosis and Neil Young. Throw in some ample doses of Black Sabbath as well as some of the more ambient elements of Hum and you have Across Tundras. I think it goes without saying after that comparison that the band is quite original. A good description might be working mans doom. It seems to capture the feel of vast emptiness quite well. You can almost picture the band staring across miles of nothingness while they wrote and recorded this album. While it may come across like this is a heavy band, and to a certain extent they are, there is actually a bit of twang to the heaviness. Im not really even sure how to explain that, but this isnt what you would call an earth shaking heavy album. I really cant help but smile while listening to this album. No its not a happy album. Im smiling because I have honestly never heard anything quite like this before and hearing something new is always very exciting. I cant stress enough that if you are a fan of heavy and original music this is an album you will want to pick up as soon as possible. Chances are you have never heard anything quite like this.

The Generators-The Winter of Discontent
(Sailors Grave, 2006)

There is always the debate of what is and isnt punk. Im not sure if I would call The Generators punk in the classic snotty form of the genre, but the album is chock full of well written and catchy rock songs that definitely fit in with the punk genre albeit a bit more melodic. I say forget about trying to classify the music though. At the end of the day what it all comes down to is whether or not the music moves you, and this is an album that will move you. Musically these guys have been compared to a cross between Social Distortion and Bad Religion numerous times, and I cant help but agree. The music isnt anywhere near as fast as some of Bad Religions faster tunes, but there is a definite similarity to be found here. What really makes this album have an impact is the fact that these are some incredibly memorable songs. From beginning to end, each song on here is memorable and quite varied as well. There is definitely a consistent sound throughout the album but each song has unique elements. Whether it is a unique sounding guitar line or adding a bit more rock swagger, each song has unique elements that make the album enjoyable throughout. These guys have been around for almost 10 years and it definitely shows. There is a maturity and song writing prowess on display here that is rarely seen these days. This one comes highly recommended.

Orthodox-Gran Poder
(Southern Lord, 2007)

I almost did a double take when I first put this disc in. The first song clocks in at almost half an hour, so I knew that I was in for some fairly slow moving doom and I was right. With the exception of the really cool Venom cover that concludes the album, the album is very slow and methodical with some very burly riffs and sparse drumming. It really isnt what you could consider the most exciting style of music, but do throw in hints of melody from time to time to break things up. They also speed up the tempo near the end of the epic and it kicks the energy level up for a few minutes at least. The rest of the album is fairly similar in nature with heavy dirges that last quite a long time. This definitely is not for those of you first short attention spans. Hell one of the songs starts with over a minute of only spare hi-hat hits. The band definitely takes their time and wrings every last breathe out of a note before moving onto the next. I do wish that the uptempo moments were a bit more common, as they do really help keep the songs sounding fresh. Vocally the band is fairly strange using an odd sounding clean voice, and some strange noises occasionally. The vocal lines are fairly sparse though and youll go for minutes at a time without any vocals. So it is easy to see that this is definitely not a band that is driven by the vocals. For those of you who enjoy the more epic side of doom this will definitely be right up your alley. It is sparse at times, mammothly heavy at others, and downright noisy at others. Go into this one with an open mind and some time to spare because when I say some of these songs are epic I am not kidding.

US Bombs-We are the Problem
(Sailors Grave, 2006)

This review is late, very late and I apologize for that. Sometimes some albums just slip through the cracks I guess, and Im glad this one didnt because it is a damn fine reminder that punk still has a lot of fire in its belly. This is actually my first time hearing the US Bombs and what really surprises me is that even if the lyrics are political the music is actually quite fun and really bouncy. One of the things that makes me enjoy this album is that at times it reminds me of Lawnmower Death mixed with a bit more swagger. This is easily some of the most memorable music in this genre that I have heard in a very long time. There isnt really anything really complicated here. You have power chord, simple melodies, and a ton of energy. That is really all you need when it comes to punk music. There are definitely a few surprises to be found here though. Heartbreak Motel has a strong 50s vibe and really stands out amongst the rest of the songs here. Guns of the West brings in a harmonica and more of a country flavor that really works and is handled surprisingly well. Tonight is another surprise and is pretty much a ballad mixed with a bit of a country feel. The rest of the album is filled with the higher octane approach that starts the album. From beginning to end this is an amazing album that not only rocks but is also filled with quite a few surprises.

Nahemah-The Second Philosophy
(Lifeforce Records, 2007)

I have to admit that I usually expect bands on Lifeforce to at least somewhat be associated with the metalcore genre, but Nahemah definitely has nothing to do with said genre. This is a metal album that really shines with originality and strong songwriting. The band has a melodic and atmospheric approach that reminds me of a combination of My Dying Bride, Dark Tranquility and Opeth. There is almost an orchestral feel to the music and layered clean vocals are used to great effect as they almost come across as another instrument. The main vocal style is quite harsh using a deep roar with just a hint of a snarl coming through from time to time. The songs themselves are quite diverse, but you can also be sure that the songs will be heavy, but there will always be underlying melody. I know it may sound pretentious but you could almost call this thinking mans metal. It is indeed heavy, but you dont get the feeling that the band is heavy for the sake of heavy. This sounds very natural and doesnt ever come across like a band that is trying to be heavy. There is definitely a lot of creativity on display here and a lot of surprises as well. The band takes these songs in unique directions quite often and youll be treated to some very cool and experimental sections. Some are just the inclusion of a different synth sound while others are full blown atmospheric sections that dabble in more electronic based sounds. The songs are all fairly lengthy with most being between 5 and 7 minutes in length. They dont feel long though as they are filled with interesting ideas. The band definitely has a firm grasp on what they want to accomplish as a band and this is one of the most artistic metal albums I have ever heard. This is also an album that may take a few listens to fully digest. There are a lot of layers to sift through and you really dont want to miss any of it. Fans of everything from metal to more experimental rock will definitely want to check out this one. This is definitely a band that is on to something.

Japanische Kampfhorspiele- frher war auch nicht alles gut
(Bastardized Recordings, 2006)

This is a nice treat for me as the only two albums I have heard from this band are their two full length recordings. This disc collects 33 tracks from the band that are from the early years of the band and have been out of print for awhile now if Im not mistaken. These songs are a bit more restrained compared to the bands newer songs, but it is quite clear that the band was writing some kick ass music even early in their career. If you havent had the pleasure of hearing this band yet, the best way to describe them would be creative and unpredictable grindcore. Instead of being straightforward and mainly just blasting, the band explores a wide range of tempos and even on this early demo material the band was writing original music. The sound quality does vary from the different recordings but this is actually quite listenable. There is no doubt that these are demo recordings so they are a bit muffled, but they are still clear enough to hear what is going on. If you missed out on the demos these guys released like I did, then this is definitely a collection worth picking up. All fans of grindcore should consider this along with the bands two full length recordings as mandatory.