Skeletonwitch-Beyond the Permafrost
(Prosthetic Records, 2007)

With all of the bands right now playing a retro style of thrash there always seems to be something missing from the bands approach. Whether the riffs just dont make the cut or the band is just rehashing the same ideas as other bands, few bands really take a retro sound and make it work. Skeletonwitch makes it work and with a resounding fuck yea I can say this is one of the best metal albums 2007 will have to offer.

At face value Skeletonwitch has a lot in common with Witchery. They take an old school sound and inject venomous vocals and a lot of speed. I would say that this is much more thrash oriented though. Certain riffs conjure up memories of when Metallica was a premier metal band and had more to offer then rehashed nu-metal riffs. This is quite the melodic album as well. The riffing tends to have a style that harkens back to the black/death metal of No Fashion Records but from a bit of an American perspective if you will. They basically took the bay area thrash metal sound and made it evil.

I really dig how the band keeps the songs short and to the point. I think out of the twelve songs on here only two break the four minute mark. Most are in between the two and three minute mark. You might think that is short, but the songs pack a lot of punch and never seem rushed. They say what they have to say quickly which in turn makes the album completely devoid of filler. Each song is a blast of metallic fury devoid of any weak moments.

This is an energetic metal record that pretty much slays every other band trying to play a similar style. If you enjoy old school metal with an evil tint to it this is definitely for you. If you are like me and are a fanatic for old school metal then I cant recommend this album highly enough. I was impressed with their EP but this album is an absolute monster.

Caliban-The Awakening
(Century Media Records, 2007)

I was very excited to give this album a spin as Caliban in my opinion are one of the best metalcore bands Europe has to offer. Truth be told though I have to admit that Im a little on the fence with this album. It sounds like the band has found their niche and really dont leave that comfort zone. Its a great album, just maybe a bit predictable.

If youve heard previous albums this really isnt much different. You have chunky breakdown riffs and fast Swedish styled riffs mixed together. A big part of the bands sound was huge choruses and honestly they dont seem utilized nearly as much as they should be on this album. They almost push the clean vocals into the background and have more of an atmospheric feel to the choruses. The heavy riffs have always been fairly similar with this band and the clean choruses are what really gave the songs the lasting power.

There are indeed a lot of great riffs here and the band is certainly getting a bit more technical for the odd riff here and there. As far as the Swedish styled riffs I would still say these guys are one of the best. They keep things a bit simple but the riffs are very catchy because of it. The songwriting moves fast and the performance is very energetic. Like I said earlier it isnt really anything new for the band but they certainly do what they do very well.

I guess this album could seem like a step forward for some and a step backward for others. If you wanted the band to lay off the clean choruses and write a heavier album then this is what youve been waiting for. But if you are like me the choruses are an integral part of the sound and are somewhat missed. The clean choruses are still here, just not as pronounced. This is a solid albeit by the numbers album from the band. If you enjoyed the last album youll undoubtedly enjoy this.

Motorhead-Better Motorhead Than Dead Live at Hammersmith
(SPV, 2007)

So the obvious question that is raised with this double live album is simply was another live album from Motorhead really needed? I know this concert was special as it marked the 30th Anniversary of the band but to me live albums always seem like throw away albums really. But I guess when a band has been around for 30 years the chances of multiple live albums is quite high. The band does indeed sound superb on the album bashing through 23 songs that pretty much span the bands entire catalog with a few surprises thrown in for good measure. The main problem I have with a collection like this is the fact that Im a fairly casual Motorhead fan. I know all of the classic songs but only own a handful of albums from the band. That said the performance is bang on and the band is one of the best sounding live bands I have ever heard. They are rock solid but still manage to have a lot of energy. Not bad for a band that is certainly up there in the age department. If you are a diehard Motorhead fan Im sure youll want to pick this up. But if you are like me and are more of a casual fan it isnt what I would consider an essential purchase.

Tempus Mori-Conviction
(Independent, 2007)

For every 10 bands that come along in a crowded genre there is usually at least 1 that stands out as doing something unique. Tempus Mori fit snugly into the metalcore genre yet at the same time have a distinctive edge. The band does have many similarities to Killswitch Engage and God Forbid yet they have a progressive edge and the guitar solos are simply ridiculous.

The music is heavy and rhythmic with a few faster moments spattered throughout the songs. There is a lot of groove to the bands sound and it helps give the band a sound that distances themselves from the usually fast melodic riffs and thrash styled drumming the genre in known for. Vocally the band mainly uses a harsh style although clean vocals are used quite a bit as well. Id say that the clean vocals arent quite there yet but the potential certainly is. They use them in an original way and the singer definitely has a distinct voice. His chops just quite arent there yet, but hes close.

The riffs that stand out to me are when the band starts to throw in technical flairs. It doesnt quite bring the band to progressive metal levels but it certainly adds a bit of color to the music. The guitar solos are phenomenal filled with flurries of sweep picking and more restrained passages. The solos are indeed quite busy but there are simpler sections littered throughout the solos to keep things from getting monotonous.

I wouldnt call this an original band but there is certainly a lot of potential on display here. This band could definitely be the next All That Remains if a label took a chance with them. If you enjoy Killswitch Engage, God Forbid, or All That Remains, Tempus Mori is definitely a band youll enjoy.

Ahma-Slothful and Vile
(Rusto-Osiris, 2007)

This album is a bit schizophrenic at times, but the Finnish band certainly does indeed know how to rock. Serpent Tongue kicks off the album with a heavy approach that sounds something like a cross between Motorhead and nu-metal almost. It is a bit predictable but enjoyable none the less. Knockout in 1st follows and brings in a bit of thrash metal like riffing before the song breaks into an almost surf like passage. The overall sound of this song is much more metallic and is a bit harder hitting then the opening song while the choruses in both songs are similar in style. The third song, Human Torches, is much more melodic and features an almost creepy vibe before the heavy guitars kick in. For some reason the song somewhat reminds me of a cross between Nine Inch Nails and Prong. I would say this is probably the most memorable song on the entire album. Dyed Red brings back the thrash like riffing and brings to mind a less mechanical KMFDM. I think this is probably my favorite song on here. Its fast and to the point while still being memorable. Malthusian closes out the EP and is completely different from everything else on the album. It is very slow and melodic with spoken word layered overtop. It has a doom feel to it and while it is well written it does somewhat seem out of place when compared to the rest of the album. This is definitely an EP that covers a lot of ground and while each song is good I think the band needs to refine their sound a bit more and have a bit more consistency between each song.

The Minor Times-Summer of Wolves
(Prosthetic Records, 2007)

There was a time when metalcore was a bulldozing and exciting extension of the hardcore scene with bands like Coalesce, Deadguy and Kiss It Goodbye playing extremely heavy yet passionate music that took hardcores intensity and made the guitars and vocals much heavier. The Minor Times would have fit into this period of time perfectly with their abrasive and rhythmic attack.

The band has a punishing sound that manages to be quite varied in approach. The band utilizes rhythmic riffs that are almost suffocatingly heavy yet the band isnt afraid to explore melody. The vocals are pretty consistently harsh throughout but stabs of melody arent uncommon. The melodic moments might not last long but they do help give the songs a break from the heaviness if only for a short while. There is also a strong rock feel that creeps into the music at times especially when the bass guitar adds little fills to some of the riffs and steers from playing the same thing as the guitars.

This is definitely an album that takes a bit of time to fully explore. The band really shuns the typical song structures and while there are indeed catchy moments choruses arent very common. Honestly if you tried to pick out the verse/chorus/verse structure your head would spin. The songs move in a more linear way from one riff to the next. It gives the songs a lot of depth and makes the entire album much more challenging. This isnt what you would consider easy listening.

If you are like me and thought metalcore reached its peak with bands like Deadguy and Coalesce then The Minor Times is a band that you should thoroughly enjoy. This is a heavy and passionate album that shows a creative spark sorely missing from most bands around right now.

Naglfar-Diabolical
(Regain Records, 2007)

When this album was originally released it took weeks for my jaw to be scrapped off the floor. The album was melodic, extremely fast and one of the best albums released in 1998. Looking back at the album now it still kicks a whole lot of ass. From the whirlwind blast beats, to the tremolo picked melodic guitar runs, this album showcases a band that was creatively hitting their stride and managed to write one hell of an album in the process.

This is an absolutely blistering album in terms of speed. The blast beats come frequently are played with the intensity of a rabid dog. The riffing while incredibly melodic manages to be quite energetic and strides the line between black metal and death metal quite well. Minor chords are used which give the album a black metal feel while tremolo picked runs have a more death metal feel to them. There are many layers on display here giving the songs a lot of depth. The vocals are of course of the harsh variety adding a nice counterpoint to the usually melodic nature of the music.

I never really cared much for the sound of the record when it was initially released and I still dont with the re-release. The debut album was a much stronger sounding album. The guitars are a bit overly harsh and the entire production could have honestly used a bit more clarity. It isnt a terrible sounding album by any stretch of the imagination but it definitely isnt as strong as it could have been.

1998 was an exciting time for metal music. Swedish bands in particular were exploring harsh music but interjecting an incredible amount of melody resulting in some of the best albums the metal genre has ever seen. Diabolical is definitely one of those albums and an essential piece of any black metal fans collection.

Naglar-Vittra
(Regain Records, 2007)

Vittra was the debut album from Naglfar and while I still think Diabolical is my favorite album from the band this is definitely taking the second place slot. This is an amazing debut album that takes the harshness of black metal and combines it with majestic melody in what was a new and creative direction at the time. Some riffs almost sound like the evil bastard son of Iron Maiden, it really is that melodic.

The main difference between this album and Diabolical is that Diabolical was a much faster record. Vittra has its fast moments but a lot of the songs travel at more of a midtempo really allowing the melodic nature of the riffing to shine through. The songwriting is damn near majestic on this album. It is indeed heavy but the melodies are ridiculously catchy and manage to sound dark without sounding contrived. This was so much more then a black metal album and to think it was released in 1995 is ridiculous. Many of these albums have never been topped and probably never will.

I much prefer the production on Vittra to Diabolical. The sound was much more powerful with a punchier drum sound and more clarity in the guitar sound. The album was produced by Peter Tagtgren so its not much of a surprise. There was a time when almost every metal album from a Swedish was being produced by Peter and the albums were definitely easier on the ears. The full sounding production is definitely one of the many reasons why Vittra manages to connect so solidly with listeners. It has a lot of oomph but isnt without nuance.

If Pariah was your first exposure to Naglfar, checking out Vittra and Diabolical would be a very good idea. The band is still writing amazing music but if you havent heard the first two albums you are certainly missing out. These are two diamonds in the rough among the black/death albums of the time period.

Stinking Lizaveta-Scream of the Iron Iconoclast
(At A Loss Recordings, 2007)

Instead of Scream of the Iron Iconoclast they should have called this album Journey of the Rifftastic Riffage. Yea that wasnt funny but holy fuck is this album crammed to the gills with amazing riff after amazing riff. The grooves are slippery and infectious conjuring images of Black Sabbath and Black Flag getting stoned and trying to play jazz.

The songs are journeys more so then they are actually songs. These are all instrumental tracks and honestly you wont miss vocals. Im not even sure if they would be able to try and put vocals on top of this. If you dont get caught up in the grooves your perception of music might be a bit off. This is an ambitious album that has a solid foundation but still feels slightly improvised. There is definitely a jam like quality to the music and Im sure in a live setting the structures are not set in stone for the band. I would almost bet money on it that these guys are one hell of a live band.

The production is very live sounding. In fact if the album was recording completely live in the studio I wouldnt be surprised. They is no extra layers or excessive polish. You essentially have bass, drums and guitars and that is it. It really is an album that reeks of the motto what you see is what you get. It literally seems like there is one track of guitar. For a band like this the sound fits perfectly. The last thing I would ever want is for a band of this nature to have a stifling and polished sounding album.

This certainly isnt an album for everyone. If you enjoy instrumental music or the words doom/jazz makes you salivate this one is definitely for you. Go into this one with an open mind and you will definitely be rewarded.