Under Anchor-There is No End
(Veritas Et Aequitas Records, 2008)

Armed with a passionate and varied approach, Under Anchor has a sound that treads the line between the noisy approach of a band like Converge and the melodic attack of Have Heart. The band has a knack for trying new ideas and the results are always phenomenal. This is a 10 track album with absolutely no filler whatsoever.

The surprising thing about the album is just how well the band manages to spread their wings and just how good they manage to do each different style. From the speedy old school hardcore sections to the more somber and rock based parts, the band does everything with style and energy. The songs are put together incredibly well and flow perfectly. If you think that hardcore is boring and each song sounds the same this is an album that certainly proves your theory wrong.

What I really like about the band is that even during the slower songs a fast section will come out of nowhere and tear your head off. Some of the slowest and most melodic moments on the disc are followed by blistering speed. It definitely throws you for a spin and makes the band have a unique edge. And for a band that has a diverse approach they never wander aimlessly. The songs are succinct and really to the point even if the tempos may change regularly throughout.

With hardcore becoming somewhat stale a band like Under Anchor really stands out. They take the manic energy of Converge, throw in a lot of curveballs and add an experimental edge. Fans of everything from Modern Life is War to Cave In should be able to enjoy this amazing album.

Mord-Necrosodomic Abyss
(Osmose Productions, 2008)

There is no mistaking what you are going to get from this album. From the logo to the cover art depicting Jesus being torn apart by demons, this is an album that is easy to classify as black metal. But the surprising thing is that even though the cover art makes you expect typical lo-fi black metal, Mord is an interesting and explosive black metal band with some of the fastest blasting I have ever heard in the genre.

This is an intense and aggressive album that manages to make much more impact than some black metal albums that are fast but aren't really all that intense. This has dynamics so when the blast beats kick into high gear your face is torn apart. The blast beats arent constant and mind numbing. The riffing itself actually brings in surprising diversity. There are the standard black metal riffs that both utilize minor chords and tremolo picked patterns. Elements of thrash also come into play from time to time and there is even a slight death metal feel to a lot of the riffs as well. At the end of the day this does easily fit into the black metal genre, but they certainly aren't typical of the genre.

What I think really helps the album stand out is the tremendous drumming. This is an absolutely blistering performance with a sound and blasting style that wouldnt sound out of place on a grindcore album. Even during the slower parts the drummer manages to put a lot of energy into the performance and makes the riffs have even more impact. In a genre flooded with sub par drumming this performance definitely makes an impact.

While Mord might not be doing anything new in the genre, their energetic attack and hard hitting songwriting make for an enjoyable black metal onslaught. Fans of the blistering side of black metal or possibly war metal will definitely be into this one.

Eluveitie-Slania
(Nuclear Blast, 2008)

Folk metal is a subgenre that I'm sure some metal fans arent even aware of. It's a bit of a niche in the scene, but the number of bands has certainly been growing. Although this Swiss band has been together since 2002, this second album and first for Nuclear Blast was my first exposure to the band. Unlike many of the folk metal bands, this is a band that is very heavy utilizing a combination of melodic death metal intensity and folk metal inspired melodies. It's an energetic and catchy style that is familiar enough to appeal to fans of the genre, but unique enough to reach fans outside of the folk metal genre.

If you took early In Flames and added in folk instruments and Celtic flavored melodies youd have a good idea what to expect from the band. The songs are memorable and well structured but never seem oversimplified. Even the catchiest moments feature a ridiculous amount of instruments and layering. A song like Inis Mona is a bit slower and lets the band really explore the melodic side of the band. The chorus is one of the catchiest on the entire album and the use of bagpipes is also very cool. It might sound a bit cheesy calling this metal that would have fit on the Braveheart score, but some of the bagpipes and instrumental sections certainly would have fit.

The production is impressively solid allowing all of the unique instruments to ring through while still maintaining a razor sharp and heavy guitar tone. Wind instruments, bag pipes and violin are all used extensively throughout the album and each sounds amazing. The production really allows for the instruments to mix well together. You sometimes hear bands of this nature where the wind instruments sound a bit warbled or out of tune with the heavier guitars. That definitely is not a problem with this album as the performance is pitch perfect and makes the melodies have a great deal of impact.

While I may not be a seasoned veteran of the folk metal genre, this album from Eluveitie is one of the best I have heard so far. The combination of the vicious melodic death metal with the folk melodies makes this have much more impact. Fans of folk metal as well as fans of early In Flames or Soilwork will want to look into this one, you just might be pleasantly surprised.

The Morning Light-The Sounds of Love EP
(Fearless Records, 2008)

If The Morning Light wore their influences on their sleeves they would certainly be wearing a shirt emblazed with Dashboard Confessional and Something Corporate logos. Combining the rock styling of Something Corporate with the intimacy of Dashboard, the band has written 6 memorable albeit slightly by the books rock songs. Are they good songs? Undoubtedly. It is anything new? Not at all.

It wont take more than a few spins for a song like You're Not Mine to be permanently lodged into your brain. It is an upbeat rock song that brings in a bit of airy almost Elliott like atmosphere in a few sections. In all honesty, each song on here is ridiculously memorable and shows a band with songwriting skill far beyond their years. Being that this is their debut EP, it's not surprising that they are still showing their influences a bit more easily. With time I'm sure the boys will come into more of their own style.

What I like about this collection of songs the most is the fact that while it is memorable it doesnt strike me as being forced. These are well written and memorable songs that are what they are and dont try to be clever with silly lyrics or any gimmicks. Like I said, this really isn't anything new but the band is quite good at what they do. I'll be waiting for the full length because I have the feeling these guys may just have a few tricks up their sleeves.

Sump Pumps-Revenge of the
(8 Bit Records, 2008)

I knew I was in for quite the ride with this one and I certainly was not disappointed. Sump Pumps are an odd band but at the same time the sound of the band just makes sense. It's weird but still oddly pop based and catchy while still being a firm slap to the face. Like your music up beat and quirky? This is definitely for you.

If you threw Devo, The Jesus Lizard, and The Ramones together you might get something similar to Sump Pumps. Its a raucous and energetic combination of 80s new wave melody and punk energy. The opening song Space Camp is ridiculously catchy and is a perfect example of the energetic pop meets punk sound of the band. Let me clear something here though. This isn't pop punk. This draws influence from 80s pop and punk rock. This has absolutely nothing to do with the Blink 182 style pop punk that clogged the arteries of the music world for far too long.

For as odd as the band can be, they really manage to keep things together and rocking. The energy level is always high and first and foremost this is certainly a rock record. It just happens that the rock foundation of the band is layered with odd noises and keyboard experimentation. Would I like to see the band lose the experimental edge? Absolutely not, it's what makes the band unique.

This weird but it also rocks. If you like rock with a quirky experimental edge this is definitely one you'll want to check out.