Desaster-666-Satan's Soldiers Syndicate
(Metal Blade Records, 2008)

Desaster is a band that reminds you that is doesn't matter what year it is, we will always have bands playing kick ass old school black metal. With their sixth album, the band continues in their blistering style of thrash infused black metal that doesn't do anything new or original and that is the point entirely, to pay tribute to the glory days of the genre when Venom, Bathory and Hellhammer were the kings and the genre was still in its infancy. The band isn't without modern elements and in turn sounds similar to the Aussie war metal bands of the past, but with much more thrash added and a less chaotic feel.

It's not really a surprise that a lot of bands of this nature are somewhat lacking in polish. Desaster have been together since 1988 and play with a viciousness and tightness rarely seen in the genre. There is no shortage of energy, but the band is right on the money and there isn't even a hint of sloppiness to be found here. In fact the overall approach of the band somewhat reminds me of a much more evil sounding Deceased at times. It might seem a bit odd, but there are numerous riffs on here that bring to mind Fearless Undead Machine era Deceased, albeit filtered through early black metal.

All of the 9 songs here are raging slabs of metallic fury reinforced with a solid yet energetic production. You could argue that this has all be done before, but when you consider all of the problems and ridiculous trends polluting the current metal scene, I'll take an old school flavored band any day of the week over what is being passed off as metal these days. This is fast moving beast of a metal album sure to please all fans of early black metal and the more evil side of thrash.

http://www.myspace.com/desaster

Fate-Vultures
(Metal Blade Records, 2008)

While at face value it seems like Fate is simply a cross between The Red Chord and Between the Buried and Me, the musicianship on display and the utterly savage energy helps to make them rise above being clones of the aforementioned bands. This is still easily associated with the current sound of the death metal genre. Call it metalcore, call it deathcore, I just call it heavy as all hell. The band isn't quite there in terms of the overall impact of the songwriting, but for a debut album this is commendable.

The album moves at a brisk pace and the songs are actually fairly short. The band packs in ten songs at just under a half an hour in length. I've said it in numerous reviews and I'll say it again, half an hour is the perfect length for an extreme metal full length. It packs a lot of punch and doesn't overstay its welcome. One of the more common elements of the band's sound is the use of sweep picking melodies. It never becomes a crutch though and the band is more likely to pound out a vicious rhythmic riff or a rapid fire thrash riff then a lengthy lead guitar section. When they do rear their heads though, it does add a much welcome dose of melody to the music. There are even a few surprising parts that cut off the distortion and have a weird almost jazz like vibe. There are a lot of interesting ideas and despite having a somewhat typical approach there are flashes of creativity throughout the album.

Fate are a young band with a proficient approach that is undeniably heavy yet still slightly standard fare for the genre. Make no mistakes though, Vultures is an enjoyable album, particularly if this is your genre of choice. The band is as tight as they come and write some downright bestial riffs and hopefully with time the band will interject a bit more originality into their already powerful sound.

http://www.myspace.com/fate

Embrace the End-Ley Lines
(Century Media Records, 2008)

For their sophomore release Embrace the End has really streamlined their sound, almost to the point of it sounding like a band playing on autopilot. The grooves are viciously tight backed by barking vocals and some downright jazz club feel guitar solos. Post hardcore and death metal collide forming a sound that transcends the mathcore label the band is normally associated with.

What makes Embrace the End stand out is the fact that while they have a schizophrenic feel at times and throw a lot at you, they have much more substance than bands trying their hardest to be noisy and weird. This isn't forced at all. Each riff is pummeling and the diverse nature of the album allows it to be interesting throughout. There are many facets to the Embrace the End sound, everything from acoustic guitars to straight forward thrash riffing. They are also one of the few bands in this style that toy around with different guitar effects. It makes a big difference in a few guitar solos as they are coated with a very odd effect that makes it one of the standout moments on the album. The standout track for me is surprisingly the slowest song on here. Pity and the Road to Bimini is much slower and more epic in nature also utilizing the most melody you'll see on the record. It's a ridiculously powerful song that shows a completely different side to Embrace the End. The title track also brings in a bit more of the epic side of the band, but is a much more speed driven track as well.

Reinforced with a powerful and expertly mixed production, Ley Lines is a layered album with paint peeling intensity. Forget about the bands that try to throw a million riffs at you but still have no idea how to put together a song. Embrace the End has a varied and ballistic approach but the songwriting chops are certainly there as well. The notes might come at you fast and furious but there is no denying that the riffing is just as memorable as it is lethal. To the guys in Embrace the End, my ears thank you.

http://www.myspace.com/embracetheend

The Ghost Inside-Fury and the Fallen Ones
(Mediskare Records, 2008)

At surface level The Ghost Inside seem like they are playing a fairly common style of music these days. The crunchy breakdowns and rapid fire thrash riffs are, let's face it, a dime a dozen these days. But, and this is a big but, when you really dig into the album and give the band a chance the uniqueness of The Ghost Inside really shines through. If you took key elements from Shai Hulud, Comeback Kid and possibly a more metal oriented band like Unearth you would essentially have The Ghost Inside.

There is no denying that the band is rooted in the hardcore scene. The songs are urgent and without much letup whatsoever. The Shai Hulud influence brings in a sense of technicality and allows the band to be a bit more note intensive than most hardcore. For my money I would say that Shai Hulud is one of the most distinct hardcore bands of all time and a band that rarely seems to get their due, so it's nice to see a young band proudly displaying the influence. One element that somewhat rubs me the wrong way is the typical breakdown riffs. Is it just me or do all of the breakdown riffs people use sound exactly the same these days? Sure the open low E is going to be the heaviest note on the guitar, but a bit more creativity would be nice in the breakdown department.

This isn't a perfect album, but it has an energetic appeal that makes the common moments a lot more bearable. The breakdowns are missing the creative spark that makes the rest of the songwriting so interesting. That said The Ghost Inside has a lot to offer and have a punchy style that handles both the melodic and the vicious equally well. Fans of Shai Hulud in particular will want to check out what this band has to offer.

http://www.myspace.com/theghostinside

Century-Black Ocean
(Prosthetic Records, 2008)

After a self-released album and an album on Tribunal, Century is now a part of the metal machine known as Prosthetic Records. The band's immediate and noisy form of metal is a perfect fit for the label. Burly chunk riffs clash with dissonance and an almost post-hardcore sense of melody. Century might not be rewriting the genre, but they certainly lost a few pages along the way and have some original ideas on display.

While some bands seem heavy just for the sake of being heavy Century have a very organic style of heaviness. It has an abrasive edge and the band is definitely not slouches on their instruments. Regardless of speed, the band is always devastating. Even the technical aspects seem very organic and you never get the mindless wanking feel from this album. I guess the best way to describe the album is heavy but without any pretension. The band is focused and the delivery is nothing short of amazing in a Coalesce meets early Cave In type of sound.

There was a time when metalcore was about more than breakdowns and Century is a band that knows this. The thick guitars and vicious vocals remind you of just how dangerous this genre once was. I'm not sure when it all started to go wrong, but Black Ocean proves that there is still life in the genre and there is at least one band that understands what made the genre so powerful in its infancy.

http://www.myspace.com/century

Cursed-Three:Architects of Troubled Sleep
(Goodfellow Records, 2008)

Canada's reigning kings of noisy metallic hardcore return with an album that is both moody and vicious. Early Entombed joins forces with equal portions of Converge and Motorhead to create the main style of display with this album. It's a raucous affair that slows for a few eerily beautiful pieces throughout such as the closer, Gutters, which is just guitar throughout.

Cursed is definitely a speed driven band and this album is a barnburner. The vocals spit with an incredible amount of venom with the band keeping the pace relentless. The songs are short and to the point and despite being noisy the songs remain quite memorable. These are the type of incendiary songs that stick with you from the first listen.

Anguished, heavy as hell and full throttle would be a fitting description for Three. If you are new to Cursed, you are missing out on one of the most powerful and vicious bands the hardcore scene has to offer right now.

http://www.myspace.com/cursedhardcore

Seven Kingdoms-Brothers of the Night
(Independent, 2008)

Seven Kingdoms are a band with a lot of talent but ultimately Brothers of the Night is a somewhat flawed album. When the band is on, they have a vicious and melodic approach but there are a few sloppy moments that make the band lose a lot of steam. Take a song like Watcher in the Wall. It has a fantastic chorus and the song is well written, but there are some definite problems near the start of the song. A lead guitar line seems off time and just seems awkward. What makes the sour notes a bit of a mystery is that the band recorded the instruments in their home studio. A bit more self criticism might have helped to iron out some of the kinks.

What I do really like about the album are the vocal patterns. The vocalist is missing a bit of oomph at times with the clean singing but the impact is still there. The harsh vocals definitely took me by surprise. Not just because they are not at all common for a power metal album, but also because they were incredibly powerful.

The lead guitar leaves a bit to be desired I would say. The melodies during the songs are all fine but the solos seem somewhat rushed and sloppy. The slower parts of the solos are fine but the faster moments don't fare so well. Some sections seem out of key as well and a number of the bends are out of tune as well. There is definitely potential here, but it is a bit rough around the edges at times.

For as critical as I'm being of this disc, I'll be the first to admit that I do like what Seven Kingdoms are doing musically. This is a band that certainly has a lot of potential and with time that potential will hopefully be realized.

http://www.myspace.com/sevenkingdoms

Stick to Your Guns-Comes from the Heart
(Century Media, 2008)

Stick to Your Guns is definitely a surprising addition to the Century Media roster, but definitely a welcome one. This second album from the band is a passionate and heavy affair that shows the band continuing with their trademark combination of blistering heavy hardcore and melody. Think Terror meets Ignite and you have a pretty good idea of what to expect from the band.

What makes the album work is just how much passion and energy the band puts into the music. Sure there are typical elements and the heavy riffs are fairly standard for the genre, but when they are played with this much intensity it's hard to not take notice. If you haven’t heard Stick to Your Guns before the clean chorus in Impact will certainly take you by surprise but that is a song that clearly defines what the band is all about. You have the fast metal tinged riffs, beefy breakdowns and the melodic choruses. There are of course changes the formula throughout the album but that is essentially the core of the bands sound.

This album, while quite good, might be just slightly less intense in some ways than the previous album. I still think This is More is possibly the best song the band has ever written and this latest album is a much heavier album leaving out some of the rapid fire melodic hardcore that somewhat reminded me of Comeback Kid on the previous album. Definitely the beefy production courtesy of Zeuss makes this a much heavier album all around and could be the culprit in making this sound somewhat typical of the heavy hardcore genre. Like I said this is a good album, but not quite as powerful as I was initially hoping for.

http://www.myspace.com/styg

Warrel Dane-Praises to the War Machine
(Century Media Records, 2008)

What happens when you team up Warrel Dane with the songwriter that lent his hands to some of Soilwork's best album? Not surprisingly you get an album that sounds a great deal like Nevermore mixed with Soilwork, but the album certainly isn't that cut and dry. This is the most diverse you have ever heard Warrel Dane be, and it is clear to see that he is one of the most powerful and unique vocalists in metal right now.

Warrel has mentioned in interviews that with this album he wanted to explore a sound that wasn't as technical as Nevermore and in that respect he certainly has succeeded. That said, this is far from simplistic music. It still has some technical guitar moments and there is some excellent rhythmic crunch that somewhat reminds me of a slightly less involved Nevermore. The musical output of the album is varied and Warrel has little trouble mutating his voice to match each feel. Your Chosen Misery is a hauntingly beautiful song emphasized by Dane's poetic and obscure lyrical style. The Messenger brings in Jeff Loomis for a guest solo and is probably the most Nevermore like track on the album, albeit a bit more melodic. Also included are a few surprising cover choices, Lucretia My Reflection by Sisters of Mercy and Patterns by Paul Simon. Both songs are of course significantly heavier than the original and the Paul Simon cover is nothing short of brilliant.

Chances are if you aren't a fan of Nevermore, this may still not be something you'd be into. It is a musically adventurous album but with a vocalist this distinct it would be hard to not liken the sound back to his main band. That said, this certainly stands on its own two feet when compared to newer Nevermore albums and in a lot of ways is much more satisfying and easier to grasp onto. If ever a day comes when Nevermore decides to call it a day, I think it's safe to assume Warrel Dane will still have a career in music.

http://www.myspace.com/warreldane