Scale the Summit-Monument
(Self-Released, 2007)

Instrumental music needs to tread the line between catchiness and technical ability to be truly effective. You can have a five minute song that displays chops but if there is nothing to latch onto what is the point really? You might as well be listening to someone clicking a typewriter as fast as possible. Scale the Summit is a band that manages to get a perfect balance between simpler motives and more intricate rhythmic passages. There is no denying that this is a band with a lot of chops on display but what makes the album work is the fact that even the most intricate sections are still memorable and revolve around rhythmic and melodic hooks.

A problem I find with a lot of instrumental bands is that vocals could have easily fit. With Scale the Summit I am fairly certain that vocals definitely would not work with the band, short of having Mike Patton, who might be able to fit vocal patterns to the music. This is still an album that can be enjoyed by people outside of the musician world as well though. The riffs and ideas are accessible to the average person who really wouldn't know much about sweep picking or odd time signatures. They do an amazing job of keeping things from getting self indulgent and these are actual songs. In fact if you are expecting lengthy guitar leads with a million notes you won't find them here. The lead work is quite melodic and just like the riffs is well put together and memorable.

One aspect of the band that certainly stands out is the fluid drum performance. While the guitars have the opportunity to be a bit flashier, the drums stay straight forward and keep the music together perfectly. There are odd time signatures and hints of metal ferocity throughout the performance, but overall the drumming is rock solid and serves the songs first and foremost. It's nice to see a drummer sit back and impress with being incredibly tight instead of trying to impress with lengthy fills and a thousand cymbal hits per second.

Well written and melodically intense, it is of no surprise that Scale the Summit is one of the latest additions to the Prosthetic Records roster. If you enjoy Cynic, Canvas Solaris, the more melodic moments of Between the Buried and Me this is definitely a band that will excite your ears.

http://www.myspace.com/scalethesummit

Lich King-Necromantic Maelstrom
(Stormspell Records, 2007)

Like an explosion of molten metal fury, Lick King attacks the eardrums with a vicious thrash metal assault. Think the Bay Area sound is dead? This band will certainly tell you otherwise with their energetic combination of Kill Em All era Metallica, with the likes of Exodus and Dark Angel. It's old school but still has a viciousness that gives it a slightly modern edge as well.

The riffing is very memorable and quite high speed most of the time. The majority of the riffs are full throttle speed riffs but there are the occasional hints of melody being added to the music. A few riffs have a sinister feeling similar to Slayer, but those moments aren't all that frequent. The vocals are a harsh shout that only adds to the old school feel of the band. The guitar solos bring in a surprising bit of melody and this part of the band really reminds me of vintage Exodus, particularly the Bonded by Blood album. There's no getting around the fact that these are some of the best songs from a newer thrash band I have heard in a long time. A lot of bands get the feel right but the songs just aren't memorable. These manage to have a lot of impact and stay in your head long after the disc stops spinning.

The main problem the disc has is that the production just isn't very good. The guitar tone somewhat lacks clarity and the overall sound of the album is distorted and peaks at numerous times throughout. The drums are also a bit distorted and lacking in the clarity department. Does it take away from the impact of the album? Not really, but the production certainly doesn't do the band any favors. Get these guys into a good studio and the result would be scary.

Despite the lacking production this is one of the best thrash discs I have heard in a long time. The band captures the speed and fun of vintage thrash metal perfectly while having enough intensity to appeal to fans of modern metal as well. If you cut your teeth on the likes of Exodus, Violence, and Metallica step in line to bow before the Lich King.

http://www.myspace.com/lichkingband

Only Fumes & Corpses-Read Whats In Between
(Self-Released, 2007)

Only Fumes & Corpses had me hooked before the end of the first song. Their energetic and melodic style of hardcore hits somewhere in between American Nightmare and Sick of It All and will leave you out of breath before the disc finishes. In a time when metal is being passed off as hardcore, a band like Only Fumes & Corpses is a more than welcome addition to the scene.

The band has a surprisingly diverse approach. The rapid fire hardcore riffs and octave chord hints of melody are fairly standard for the genre. But the band also has a slower brooding style that peaks out from time to time. These moments bring in a bit more metal and somewhat remind me of when Raised Fist slows down and ups the heaviness. Dont worry though, there is no shortage of go for the throat speed here. The majority of the disc flies through the speakers sure to inspire either air drumming or living room moshing.

Originality isn't all that common in hardcore these days, but it would be hard to argue that the band doesnt have an original sound. Certain elements of the songs might be easily associated with other bands, but the way the band wraps everything together is quite unique. They also manage to bring in metallic elements but still very much sound like a hardcore band.

Only Fumes & Corpses is one of the most interesting hardcore bands I have heard in a long time. The fact that they are still pretty much unknown is hard to swallow for me. This is a band that would fit perfectly on the Death Wish roster and if a record deal doesn't come their way in the future I may just lose what little faith I have left in the hardcore scene.

http://www.myspace.com/onlyfumesandcorpses

Adrenicide-Raging Full On
(Thrashard Records, 2008)

With their follow up to Drunk With Power, Adrenicide continue with their vintage attack of crossover thrash. While similar to the last album, Raging Full On is a bit more memorable and the overall attack of the band is a bit more solid. Musically it's pretty similar although the riffs are more memorable this time around and there seems to be a bit more early hardcore influences finding their way into the music.

Throw DRI, Suicidal Tendencies, and possible even hints of Dead Kennedys together and you basically have Adrenicide. Its a fast and energetic approach and the band surprisingly doesn't really sound modern at all. Even the production has a vintage feel that makes this seem like it was a forgotten album from the past that was just recently exhumed. This is of course exactly what the band is going for and they manage to hit the nail right on the head. This is vintage crossover done perfectly.

Like I mentioned earlier the production has a vintage feel and leaves modern polish at the door. This is a hard hitting and natural sounding album that doesnt get tied up with layering and excessive overdubs. It's a simple sounding album that matches the sound of the album perfectly. This could have easily been released in the 80s and that is exactly why the production is perfect for the band.

If you are like me and are a huge crossover fan this is definitely an album that you should consider mandatory. I was a fan of Drunk With Power, but this album is just much better and simply put, fucking rules.

http://www.myspace.com/adrenecide1

Sourvein-Ghetto Angel
(This Dark Reign Recordings, 2008)

With an encrusted layer of mud that will never wash clean, Sourvein are a dirty and charging beast of mammoth and slow moving proportions. Sludgy groove based riffs set the tone while the vocals lash out with venomous bile. It's a down tuned and ugly form of music that is just beautiful to my ears.

While the band certainly isn't bringing anything new to the table as far as sludge goes, the songs are memorable and the attack of the band is very powerful. The riffs are plodding and extremely heavy. I like when the band brings in a creepy feel usually punctuated with feedback or the use of samples that add another layer to the already thick and depressing sound of the band. If you like your music beautiful and easy on the ears this is definitely an album you will want to avoid at all costs. If you like your sludge slow and dripping with bile, this is definitely for you.

The band does a good job keeping things interesting throughout. A few songs toy with a slightly quicker temp and more rock based riffs that have a bit more groove while still keeping the dirty feel of the rest of the album. The album is only 16 minutes long but they are an exciting 16 minutes.

From the colossal heaviness of the opener to the more upbeat feel of the closing song, this is a 4 song beating that will leave you bloodied and mud soaked. If you are a fan of sludge this is an album that deserves your attention.

http://www.myspace.com/sourvein13

Rigor Sardonicous-Vallis Ex Umbra De Mortuus
(Paragon Records, 2008)

With a horrific and apocalyptic sound, Rigor Sardonicous are a band that takes the doom genre to new lows. With a thick guitar sound, beyond guttural vocals and a sense of impending doom generating from the music, are one of the few bands that live up to truly being called doom metal. This isn't Black Sabbath riffs played at a snails pace, this is truly horrific and dark music that created an atmosphere unlike any other band you have ever heard.

The best way to envision what the band sounds like is the end of the world being put to music, like a slow moving zombie horde slowly engulfing the entire planet and ending all life on earth. This is raw and uncompromising and certainly not a style for everyone. This also might not be an album that you would listen to often as well. The atmosphere is so enveloping that the album leaves you somewhat in a trance like state.

Few bands have managed to create a sound as original as this band has. Sure it is associated with the doom genre, but the overall feel of the band, the guitar sound and even the vocal approach is very original. Few bands are as successful in creating music that can be considered downright terrifying as this band is.

If you are new to the Rigor Sardonicous sound and enjoy truly creepy doom metal this should be right up your alley. Even if you are not a fan of doom metal and you enjoy horrific atmosphere or horror movie scores, there is a lot here that you could enjoy.

http://www.myspace.com/rigorsardonicous

Celestia-Frigidiis Apothesia
(Paragon Records, 2008)

Despite having formed in 1995, this is my first time hearing Celestias brand of melodic yet cold black metal. What truly surprises me about this album is just how unique and melodic the album actually is. The bands typically released by Paragon in the black metal genre have a more raw and lo-fi approach to the genre. This is easily associated with the black metal genre, but is far from being typical of the genre.

With an approach that isn't based around speed, the band manages to have a flowing melodic sound that is melancholic and surprisingly graceful. Flairs of speed are to be found throughout the disc and the speed helps to give the album an extreme edge but never becomes stale. But if you are expecting the album to be 44 minutes of blast beats you will surely be disappointed. This is a varied album that shows a lot of depth while still maintaining a sound that will be enjoyed by black metal fans. It's a melodic and interesting journey complete with numerous surprises. Surprises and black metal don't seem very common these days, so the album manages to really stand out from the pack.

What makes the album also work is the fact that the riffing is quite memorable. Almost like classic Iron Maiden filtered through black metal at times, it has a melodic yet melancholic feel that always stays memorable. This isn't an album about being as extreme as humanly possible. This is a very listenable black metal album. The vocals are rather harsh, but musically this is always incredibly melodic.

This is a unique and memorable take on the black metal genre with enough venom to please fans of the harsher side of the genre as well as fans of the more melodic side of the genre.

http://www.myspace.com/celestiaofficial

The Secret-Disintoxication
(Goodfellow Records, 2008)

With a raucous and energetic approach, The Secret rips and tears for the entire 32 minutes of their latest album. This is a dangerous and dark approach to heavy music that showcases a band on the verge of falling apart yet still managing to be incredibly tight. The Secret are a band that will leave an impression, and two black eyes and a bloody nose in the process.

If you combined Converge and Breach and added the evil atmosphere of Cursed you'd basically have The Secret. Its an energetic and noisy approach that switches between dissonant speed and thunderous rhythmic crunch. It doesnt really fit nicely into any one genre either. It has elements that could be associated with the hardcore genre and there are a lot of metallic elements on display as well. This is an experimental yet hard hitting band that packs a lot of punch and does it in an original way.

The songs are concise bursts of dissonance that usually are around three minutes in length. The amount of noise and the number of parts the band manages to fit into the songs is quite staggering. The songs take surprising twists at almost every corner and if you are thinking this is just another typical noisy album, you are very wrong.

This is a dark and intense slab of dissonant metallic hardcore that gives a middle finger to the lack of creativity found these days in heavy music.

http://www.myspace.com/thesecret

Dismember-Self-titled
(Regain Records, 2008)

While the past few albums from Dismember have been solid albums, this latest album is the closest the band has come to topping the first few albums. The buzzsaw guitars, charging drums and distinct vocal roars sound the most energized they have been in years. The fact that the first three songs alone are damn near better than 99% of the death metal released in the past few years makes this an essential purchase for fans of Dismember.

There really aren't any surprises here musically. What is surprising however is how well this lives up to the early albums. Each song is violent yet melodic with the bands trademark combination of thrash and stomp. The dirty yet melodic beast that is Dismember is out for blood with this album. The band has been releasing satisfying albeit somewhat typical Dismember albums for a number of years. This album for some reason is just better. Maybe the energy level is a bit higher or the songs are catchier. Whatever the special ingredient is, the band certainly found it and the album is simply bulldozing.

The amazing thing about the album is that each song is just as good as the one that came before it. The band has really managed to craft 11 memorable yet extreme metal songs. While it will always be debatable if the band will ever top Like an Ever Flowing Stream, this self-titled album certainly comes close.

Dismember have one of the most distinct sounds in metal and are a band that continues to stay true to the beginnings of the band. If you are a fan of early Dismember albums but havent been keeping up with newer albums, you definitely do not want to miss out on this one.

http://www.myspace.com/dismemberofficial

Nifelheim-Envoy of Lucifer
(Regain Records, 2008)

It was much to my surprise to see a new album from Nifelheim come my way. The Swedish band has been one of my favorite bands for quite sometime and this album does not disappoint. The bands rapid fire combination of Swedish death metal, thrash and black metal is in top form. Stripped down and catchy as hell, Nifelheims sound has little to do with the current metal scene and that is definitely a good thing.

The songs are indeed fast but the riffing is always incredibly memorable. The thrash influence definitely rears its head quite often although these are some of the most sinister thrash riffs you've ever heard. Haunting melodies are also a big part of the bands sound, almost bringing in a slight Mercyful Fate type sound throughout the album. Two things you can rest assured are that the riffs are old school in nature and that they are also very dark. This album is pure Nifelheim and it rules.

The production is entirely analog and it matches the raw intensity of the band perfectly. Few bands have an album that you can say this production sounds like it was tailor made for the band. This sounds like a Nifelfeim album. From the overblown guitar sound to the crisp snappy drums, this is an album that provides the sonic punch necessary for a band of this nature. You can rest assured that Pro-Tools was definitely not involved with the making of this album.

This album stands as a big fuck off to the current sounds of the metal scene. Nifelheim is one of the best bands currently releasing albums and if you like your metal blistering and true to what the genre once stood for this is an album you will want to check out.

http://www.myspace.com/nifelheimofficial