Eyes of Eden-Faith
(Century Media, 2007)

I'd be lying if I told you I dont go into a lot of female fronted metal albums with a bit of trepidation. It is such an overcrowded genre and few bands truly try to break the mold and do anything unique. Eyes of Eden might not break the mold completely but they certainly have a lot of diversity and have much more to offer then an angelic vocal approach.

The music is indeed heavy with a throbbing hard rock type sound with thick and rhythmic guitars setting the pace. There is a slight eastern flair to some of the material helping the band to sound a bit more exotic during these moments. There is even a slight thrash influence that shows up occasionally throughout the album kicking up the energy level during those sections considerably. While this isn't what I would consider a slow album, it certainly is bittersweet and melancholic. It has a somber edge yet I wouldn't really consider it to be depressing. Dark and heavy yet beautiful would be an ideal way to describe Eyes of Eden.

As far as the production goes this is an album that will make your speakers happy. The guitar tones are rich with enough crunch and clarity to rattle your filling out. The low end is quite powerful and helps emphasize the throbbing feel of some of the music. The vocals are thankfully mixed perfectly. The performance is beautiful but if it had of been louder than the rest of the band it might have killed some of the impact. Thankfully that isn't a problem at all.

This is one of those albums that might be a sleeper hit. People might see Eyes of Eden in the store and take a chance on it even if they know every little about the album, which is a good thing as the album has a lot to offer. Fans of everything from Lacuna Coil to newer In Flames will find elements of Eyes of Eden to their liking. If you like female vocals and metal this one is for you.

Audiopain-The Switch to Turn off Mankind
(Vendlus Records, 2007)

I hate to admit that this is my first time hearing Audiopain and I certainly was missing out as the band plays speedy thrash with extremely memorable riffs, throaty vocals and very cool melodic guitar solos. There is a slight retro feel to the band pay tribute to the genre blistering past but the overall approach has been filtered through the black metal genre and sounds a bit more modern as a result.

The riffing is fast and to the point with fast tremolo picking and slightly melodic fills to round out the riffs. There is a slight Destruction like feel to some of the riffs and the band does indeed sound like a more evil version of German thrash metal at times. The songs are hard hitting and slapping you around for their entirety with very little time to catch your breath.

When the band does slow down they take on a black metal meets doom feel and it adds a completely different feel to the songs. They don't slow down often but when they do they certainly make the most of it. Like most thrash I do enjoy the band when they are playing fast, but the slower sections allow the songs to breathe a bit more and let the speed have a bit more impact.

The production is fittingly old school and really stands out amongst the pristine sounds that have become common these days. With a fast band like this you need that raw edge, which thankfully the album has. It is still a very good sounding album with a heavy guitar sound and drums that cut through the mix, yet it manages to sound stripped down and doesn't seem to use excessive amounts of layering.

If you enjoy thrash this one is a no brainer. If you enjoy the darker side of thrash or like the idea of an eviler sounding Destruction, Audiopain is definitely a band you will want to look into more. This is what metal should be, fast, dangerous and raw.

Genocide-Apocalyptic Visions
(Van Records, 2007)

I knew that I was in for an old school black metal assault with this album from the band name and album cover alone and I sure as hell didnt miss the mark with my assumption. The band plays a melodic yet warring style of black metal that has a stripped down approach that brings to mind the early days of the genre with nods to Bathory, Sarcafago and early Mayhem.

The surprising aspect of the album is that the recording isnt completely harsh and the band doesnt use an endless blast beat filled approach. The songs are quite varied and the blast beat when used has an old school feel that brings to mind the likes of Blasphemy more so than the modern style of drumming. The band also uses thrash style riffs from time to time along with a much more up-tempo drum approach with hits you like a ton of bricks.

The band isnt afraid to explore slower tempos as well with numerous riffs on the album having a similar feel to early Celtic Frost or Hellhammer. This influence doesnt show up very often but it certainly adds yet another layer to the bands sound which helps the band be much more than just a one dimensional lo-fi black metal band. This indeed does have a stripped down production, yet it is a strong sounding album that manages to be harsh yet well written and never becomes dull or predictable.

If you are like me and enjoy the raw and primal side of black metal, this one is definitely for you. The band has a varied yet old school take on the genre that manages to stay true to what made old school black metal so effective yet isn't afraid to explore different tempos. Genocide is certainly highly recommended for all black metal fans.

Born of Osiris-The New Reign
(Sumerian Records, 2007)

This is the type of band that kids would call sick and brutal and for once I actually would have to agree. Born of Osiris is ridiculously heavy with technical chugging riffs, well written melodies, and some utterly barbaric vocals. This is a progressive yet bowl rumbling album full of surprises and jaw dropping moments.

The ridiculous thing about this band is that the members are all very young, most are 18 years old if I'm not mistaken. Yet the sheer amount of musicality on display is staggering. The guys know their way around their instruments and the songs aren't afraid to show it. With intricate rhythms, and blasting insanity the band keep things intense while the melodic side of the band helps keep things memorable and easy on the ears when it needs to be.

One really surprising aspect of the album is just how effective and well used the keyboards are. A lot of bands have keyboard players and they hardly even cut through the mix and seem somewhat unnecessary. Not here as the keyboards arent afraid to be pushed center stage to either double a guitar riff or have more of a solo yet at the same time they are also used from atmosphere at times as well. It is a well rounded addition to the bands sound and is perfect example of how keyboards should be used with a band of this style.

While you can hear that the band draws influence from Meshuggah and Between the Buried and Me, the band throws in their own unique twists and play with such a ridiculous amount of confidence that you cant help but get swept up in the album. If you enjoy technical yet punishing music, this one is definitely for you.

Voodoo Glow Skulls-Southern California Street Music
(Victory Records, 2007)

With a sound somewhere in between hardcore and ska, Voodoo Glow Skulls are a band that have been around for years and have their sound down to a science. Sure you pretty much know exactly what to expect from the band but with each new album comes new classics that add to the bands already impressive collection of work.

The album kicks of with Exorcism, an uptempo song that throws metal, ska and hardcore in a blender and the result is an infectious song complete with horns and slightly metal flavored guitar licks. The album is very much so ska based although if you are familiar with the band you know that they dont have a conventional take on the genre. The guitars are much heavier and the traditional clean guitar sound of the genre is pretty much nowhere to be found here. The ska sound of VGS is much faster and a bit rawer than what you might expect and it is pretty much the sound that the band is known for.

With 16 years under their belts this is a band that certainly knows what they are doing and consistently releases quality albums. Sure this album might not be anything new for the band but it is 16 hard hitting and energetic songs sure to please all fans of the band.

Ex Dementia-Thou Shall Repulse
(Kitchen Vomit Records, 2007)

Like a rotting slowly moving zombie, Ex Dementia is a dangerous and disgusting threat to your health. Drawing from the old school masters, this band has a sound that is pummeling with simplistic riffs and drumming topped off with guttural yet decipherable vocals. Equal parts Impetigo, Autopsy and Dismember come together to help from the Ex Dementia sound and what a sound it is.

What really makes the album hit with a tremendous amount of impact is just how damn well written the riffs are. Simplistic brutality would sum it up nicely. The riffs are incredibly heavy yet are always memorable and never throw any unneeded notes at the listener. This is very far from being technical and that is exactly how it should be. The drumming is also quite stripped down and old school in nature. I like the fact that the band stays away from using blast beats and keep things in your face yet never gets to the point of being ridiculously fast.

The dirty style of the band is matched perfectly by the production. This is a great sounding album yet it is very stripped down with a natural sound that manages to sound like a live band. The guitar tone is thick and raw matching the atmosphere of the riffs perfectly. The drum sound matches the raw intensity of the guitar tone perfectly with a pounding yet stripped down sound. If you are going to play music like this give this album a listen and take notes as this is what you want the album to sound like.

If you are a fan of dirty old school metal particularly Impetigo, Autopsy and Dismember, Ex Dementia might just become the next band to add to your list of albums you consider classics. Forget about the boring technical death metal bands, this is what real death metal is all about.