Christian Death-American Inquisition
(Season of Mist, 2007)

Christian Death is a band that I'm not at all familiar with. Of course I was familiar with the name as it certainly does stand out when you see it. That said the long running Goth metal band is indeed good at what they do, but I'm not sure if it is really an album that I would revisit more than a few times.

The songs are definitely well put together and the heavy riffs are memorable with a melodic rock edge used throughout the album. Erie keyboard lines are interlaced with the guitars and the vocal lines paint a bleak yet melodic picture over top. The entire album is a concept album about the current situation in America particularly seeming to voice their disdain for George W. Bush. Some songs are a bit more obvious, while others seem to be a bit more cryptic.

One aspect of the album that doesn't quite work for me is the fact that certain songs are very catchy while others just seem overly long and a bit too repetitive. The 69 minute running time doesn't help things either. I'm all for artistic freedom and experimenting, but for me that is just too long for any album. This is a good album, but it just isn't for me I would say. If you liked the band in the past I'm sure you'll undoubtedly enjoy this. I think this is one of those bands with a niche audience and I don't quite fit that niche.

http://www.myspace.com/christiandeath

Korpiklaani-Korven Kuningas
(Nuclear Blast, 2008)

Korpiklaani are back with a new album, a new label and a slightly changed sound. It's been only a year since the last album from this Finish folk metal band, yet this album doesn't seem rushed and in fact might just be the most intimate and memorable the band has ever been. It shows the band slowing down a bit for a good part of the album and having a slightly more somber approach. It still sounds like Korpiklaani, just with a bit more diversity from track to track.

The album opens with two back to back fast songs that fans of previous albums will eat up right from the start. Keep on Galloping follows and is possibly the catchiest song the band has ever written. If the label doesn't make a video for this song and make it a single, they are definitely losing a good opportunity to help the band reach an entirely new audience. What always stood out with me about this band is the fact that they seem to be one of the bands that make the heavy guitars and folk elements blend together seamlessly. Sometimes the guitars hardly even stand out and more often than not it is the wind instruments and the accordion that push the melody of the song. The guitars are there to remind you that the band is indeed a metal band, but rarely do they take center stage.

Like I mentioned earlier this album is indeed a bit more mid-tempo for a good chunk in the middle of the album and there are even a few full on ballad type songs. That said it still very much sounds like Korpiklaani. If you are expecting an album filled with fast songs though this might leave you a bit disappointed at first, but as you give the album a chance the more mid-tempo approach is a bit more mature perhaps. The high speed songs are a bit more fun I guess you could say, but you can't fault a band for trying new things especially since they don't fundamentally change the sound of the band all that much. If you like folk infused metal this is one of the best bands around.

http://www.myspace.com/korpiklaaniofficial

Zimmer's Hole-When You Were Shouting At the Devil...We Were In League With Satan
(Century Media, 2008)

Zimmer's Hole is a band that proves that metal can be extremely heavy yet still very much so fun. Made up of three quarters of Strapping Young Lad and the maniacal vocalist The Heathen, that band does share more than a passing resemblance to Strapping Young Lad, albeit a bit more straight forward and much more thrash based. The beefy guitar sound and vocal production in particular brings to mind Strapping Young Lad, but when you get right down to it Zimmer's Hole and created their own little niche in the metal scene and what a niche it is!

The album is an energetic explosion of memorable guitar riffs and an interesting combination of clean vocals and absolutely devilish guttural roars. Soaring vocals seem to be the most common vocal style on display but The Heathen is a beast behind the microphone no matter what style he uses. The vocal lines are concise and the lyrics have the tendency to be quite hilarious. The title track and We Ruling the Fucking Land should give you an idea of what to expect from the album lyrically. It's humorous but the fist pumping metal keeps things from getting too silly. It's easy to hear that the band takes the music seriously but has fun at the same time.

While the first two albums from Zimmer's Hole were hard to find at best, with this latest album being released by Century Media and Strapping Young Lad being on hiatus this is bound to be the most prolific year yet for The Hole. If you like your metal furious and with a sense of humor it doesn't get much better than this.

http://www.myspace.com/zimmershole

Dark Fortress-Eidolon
(Century Media, 2008)

This long running German black metal band has been abusing ear drums since 1994 with their melodic yet harsh take on the black metal genre. Eidolon shows a band with a firm grasp on what they want to accomplish and that is to be a destructive yet atmospheric black metal outfit. Whether or not you would consider the music of Dark Fortress to be original is debatable, but there is no denying the power and skill on display with this album. It doesn't move the genre in new directions but it is an album that showcases strong songwriting chops and a vicious attack which should be more than enough to satisfy the majority of black metal fans.

The band manages to have a varied sound yet still always falls firmly into the black metal genre. The riffing itself utilizes a number of techniques and sounds that are all fairly common of the genre. You have the tremolo picked minor melodies, razor sharp minor chords and even some ugly and old school Celtic Frost styled riffs. The overall sound of the band has a Dark Funeral meets Immortal with a slight Celtic Frost influence at times. It's an enjoyable style and the songs themselves are quite memorable and well structured. The standout track for the album is definitely the epic Baphomet which just happens to feature guest vocals from Thomas Gabriel Fischer of Celtic Frost. Its a bit slower and features incredibly memorable riffs and an excellent atmosphere.

I would say that Dark Fortress are a band that have a much more unique edge when they slow things down and bring in more atmosphere. The faster moments are much more common sounding I would say. They are indeed vicious but the slower moments are where the album really shines. This is an interesting and well written slab of quality black metal slightly lacking in originality but sure to make to make Dark Fortress a name that is heard much more frequently within the metal scene.

http://www.myspace.com/darkfortress
Reth-Precursors to Extinction
(Self-Released, 2008)

This one flies by so quick if you blink you just might miss it. Reth plays a violent and technical form of metal that draws from the more technical side of the genre. Recalling the discordant greatness of Discordance Axis mixed with the mind melting riffs of Crytopsy, this UK based band is a whirlwind of blasting drums, roaring vocals and intricate riffs.

The band manages to fit a ridiculous amount of riffs and time changes in the mere 16 minutes this album consists of. Rarely does the band slow down but when they do, the grooves are usually quite effective and offer a few nice moments of restraint among the craziness. I like the fact that the songs are actually memorable as well. They manage to be technical but still have enough substance to the riffs that you remember them after they slap you upside the head. There is no shortage of spastic insanity so if you like your grindcore filled with technical fury this is definitely for you.

Unlike some similar bands that interject technicality to make things a bit flashier, Reth is bulldozing throughout and never does the technical side of the band seem forced. If you have even a passing interest in dissonant and blasting grindcore, this is a band that you will want to check out. Fans of everything from Cephalic Carnage to Discordance Axis should find something to dig into with this one.

http://www.myspace.com/reth

Vibrator Failure-Rectors Rectum Raccoon
(Self-Released, 2008)

There are probably thousands of bands out there that are all fairly similar in nature to Vibrator Failure. You know the type. Grindcore mixed with rock riffs, a sense of humor and an endless amount of samples. The Greek band certainly is much better than most of the drum machine grindcore bands that are so common these days, but still seem to fall a little short. This is the debut demo from the band though so it is not surprising that there are some kinks to be worked out The main problem is that there just isn't much to some of the songs here. Heavy riffs and porno samples don't really add up to much of a song if you ask me. I think if the band cut back on the samples a bit and emphasized the rock side of the band they would definitely be onto something. As it stands the song seem to be fairly hollow and some even fade out during odd times. This is a very underground demo that is already sold out of the 300 copies made. If you can't get enough of porno grind then you may enjoy this. The band certainly has promise but they need a bit more focus and they would probably have a bit more impact.

http://www.myspace.com/vibratorfailure