Jack Slater-Promo '04
(Independent, 2004)


Despite a name that really doesn't give away what the band plays, I had a feeling that I was in for some blasting insanity. To a degree I was right, but I was surprised by how technical and unique the bands approach to death metal was. It has aspects that remind me of newer Cannibal Corpse, but this is actually a rather original take on the death metal genre.

Many of the riffs utilize odd time signatures, while most of the blasting sections are rather straight forward. One aspect of the bands sound that I find refreshing is that the solos are actually somewhat planned out. For death metal the solos sometimes just end up sounding like a swarm of bees. It works for some bands, but doesn't for others. I can't say if the swarm of bees approach wouldn't work with this band, but the more thought out approach definitely helps them stand out.

The technical nature of the bands sound doesn't exactly lend itself to memorable songwriting. It's more like you listen through the entire cd and remember all of the little nuances and memorable parts. It's all well written but like most death metal a lot of the riffs do sound similar after awhile. These guys are nowhere near as redundant as some bands, and they definitely do break the mold of the genre quite a bit.

Fans of the US style of death metal will be able to get into the guttural vocals and blasting, yet there is so much more to this band. If you are looking for technical and well written death metal then Jack Slater is an awesome choice.

Jack Slater Website

Six Reasons to Kill/Absidia-Morphology of Fear
(Bastardized, 2004)


Six Reasons to Kill kick this off with a short noisy intro and then explode into fast death metal with more then a little bit of thrash thrown into the mix. Some of the riffs I would even say have a bit of a black metal feel, while the vocals switch off between a low growl and a high pitched shriek. You could almost say that some of the faster riffs have a bit of a Swedish feel, but they are almost completely devoid of melody. They also have some amazing slower riffs that have a bit of a hardcore breakdown feel to them. The band covers a lot of ground but it all makes perfect sense in the big picture of the band.

Absidia start thier half of this split with a short piano interlude and then kick into their first song. It's somewhat along the same lines as Six Reasons to Kill. I'd say Absidia is a little bit less death metal and has a bit more of the Swedish sound creeping in. It's fast, yet a bit more melodic. The vocals are totally scathing and will rip your face clean off. I found the production of the Absidia songs to be a bit overly raw. It didn't really hurt the impact, but it seemed a bit too noisy for this style of music.

This is definitely a worthwhile split to pick up. I honestly hadn't even heard of either band before recieving this disc and now I am a huge fan of both. Definitely recommended for those of you into death metal mixed with thrash.

Bastardized Recordings

Age of Ruin-The Tides of Tragedy
(Eulogy, 2004)


It would be tough to say Age of Ruin is an original band, but they have been slugging it out playing this style of music for a lot longer then most of the bands playing this style of melodic metal meets hardcore. Reviews have been somewhat mixed on this new album, but I for one think that this is the best material yet from the band. The riffs are metallic, yet melodic, with absolutely no shortage of extremely heavy breakdown riffs.

They definitely have a bit of the Swedish melody. I find that it doesn't overly mimic any of the bands though. It's more along the lines of showing off the actual influence of the genre then any single band within the genre. A few riffs here and there remind me more of In Flames, but those moments are few and far between. I like the fact that these guys are somewhat slower, but they definitely have a few faster sections as well. I like the fact that some of the faster stuff is definitely more hardcore based. The riffs are usually much more simple and don't rely as much on melody.

The production is a bit lackluster actually. It gets the job done but it just isn't as powerful as it could be in my opinion. I think the drums especially could have stood to have a bit more pop and could have been a lot louder in the mix in my opinion. It sounds pretty good, but could have sounded better.

It's too bad that this genre is becoming so polluted with bands. Age of Ruin is one of the better bands playing the style, let's just hope people take the chance on the album.

Eulogy Recordings

Tormented-Combustible
(RealDeadOne, 2004)


I like thrash, but this band is just a bit too generic for me. It just reeks of Slayer most of the time and the lyrics are just far too childish. Pyscho Circus clown? Hmm...not sure what to think of that song title. Slayer should sue these guys for copywrite infringment of the song Arsenal of Democracy. It mimics Skeletons of Society write down to the vocal patterns. The chorus is damn near identical. If that wasn't bad enough, they've included bonus tracks that are completely rock music that is trying it's hardest to find it's way onto the radio. I can listen to the thrashy material and enjoy it but these songs just plain suck.

Tormented Website

The Electric WIzard-We Live
(Rise Above, 2004)


I remember hearing this band in the past and I was into what they were doing. This new album seems somewhat along the same lines. Slow, yet heavy as fuck doom with vocals that switch between harsh and clean singing. That's basically about what you can expect from this band. They don't really experiment too much and tend to stay inside of their niche within the doom genre. I personally would have liked to see a bit more experimentation with tempo changes, but that's not really what doom has ever been about. It's about creating a depressing atmosphere and these guys definitely know how to achieve that.

Rise Above Records

Shadows Fall-The War Within
(Century Media, 2004)


Shadows Fall have always been an amazing band. Their potential definitely started to show on The Art of Balance, but is fully realized on The War Within. This is the first album that I think the band has finally found their sound. To my ears the band has always come across like a cross between thrash, Swedish death metal and just a little bit of Pantera thrown into the mix. It's a formula that makes for one of the most interesting bands in metal today and the formula definitely isn't failing here.

There are quite a few surprises on here vocally. The melodic chorus to the second track, Enlightened by the Cold features vocals that sound damn near indentical to John Bush of Anthrax. I like the fact that the sound of his voice stands out and is unique for this style of music. They have been doing it long enough that they aren't playing copycat, and they are breaking the mold that has been created for metalcore these days. Even the singers harsh vocals are unique for the genre. It's easy to hear that he comes from a hardcore background, and he actually doesn't scream 100% all of the time. He utilizes a lot of dynamics even during the heavier vocal moments. The overall vocal approach actually reminds me of The Haunted's debut album.

Guitar solos are another staple of the Shadows Fall sound and they are in fine form here. It's very clear that a lot of heart and passion goes into every single note that the band plays. Even outside of the guitar solos, the riffs are filled with fills and some of the sickest pinch harmonics that I've ever heard. They even rival Zakk Wylde's in my opinion. It's not self indulgent enough that this would be considered a guitar players band. These guys can actually write music, not just 4 minutes of wankery.

With the success of their last album, it seems evident that The War Within would be a huge album for the band regardless of quality. But thankfully the band didn't rest and bring out a lackluster follow up. The War Within surpasses The Art of Balance in almost every way possible. This album is Shadows Fall's best album so far. Metal now has another heavyweight to add to the list of greats.

Century Media Records

Mortiis-The Grudge
(Earache, 2004)


I'd be lying if I said I was at all familar with a lot of the material Mortiis has released over the years. I've heard a track here and there over the years, but never a complete album until now. The Grudge is actually a very industrial sounding album and that in itself usually wouldn't sit well with me, but something about this album just grabbed me from first listen. With industrial it's easy to be lazy and just do what has been done in the past, Mortiis manages to take the genre and add a lot of atmosphere and almost hauntingly beautiful sections. The main core of the sound is heavy guitars with pounding repetitive drum beats, which is somewhat typical of industrial, but it's the more somber elements that truly make this album.

There also is quite a bit of electronica influence that comes into play. It's not exactly made for the dance clubs, but it's an influence that definitly shows up quite a bit throughout the course of the album. The second track, Way Too Wicked, is one of the most straight forward tracks. It has a somewhat conventional song structure with more straight forward vocal arrangments. That's one of the great things about this album, it's incredibly diverse. Just thought I should also mention that the title track is totally NIN influenced, as is the entire album. I'd say that specifically The Downward Spiral comes to mind during a lot of times during the course of the album.

This album totally proves that great music can be enjoyed regardless if you are usually a fan of the genre. I hardly ever enjoy industrial or electronic music but this album is amazing.

Earache Records