Blasphemous Creation-Shadows of Evil
(Independent, 2008)

This one really took me by surprise and I love every second of it. This Reno based band is a full throttle assault of evil and black metal infused thrash metal paced relentlessly and with killer riffs to spare. Vintage German thrash metal from the likes of Kreator or Destruction mixes with an early black metal edge giving the band a sound that isn't entirely all that dissimilar to a band like Nifelheim. It's fast and on the verge of collapsing which is a nice change because metal has certainly become much too safe. This is four guys giving 100% and playing some kick ass metal in the process, it's that simple.

The riffing while somewhat simple in nature, has a raw intensity that evokes the same feel as the early bands on the genre. The riffs are slightly melodic and very catchy reinforcing the old school nature but maintaining a fairly modern guitar tone as well. This is more so an old school flavored band more so than an old school sounding band if you get what I mean. Vocally the band reminds me of Abbath from Immortal and that is definitely a complement. The vocals are powerful and clear but have enough rasp to let you know that this is definitely black metal inspired music. The solos are pure Slayer worship and it fits the music perfectly. Sure there are out of key notes, but the band captures the magic of the Show No Mercy and Hell Awaits albums quite well. The band is a bit rough around the edges at times, but it only adds to the chaotic nature of the band so it is almost a positive aspect of the bands sound.

Fans of everything of the classic of the thrash genre like Kreator to Sodom and for those of you that like the genre filtered through an evil atmosphere, this is definitely a band to keep an eye on. The rapid fire approach is sure to strike a chord with all fans of whiplash inspiring metal. This is a raw and energetic 4 song slab of metal from a band that is certainly a welcome addition to the blackened thrash genre.

http://www.myspace.com/blasphemouscreation

Emmure-The Respect Issue
(Victory Records, 2008)

Emmure are a band that I can enjoy yet The Respect Issue is an album that takes a few listens to fully appreciate. These aren't what you would call lengthy songs and aside from sparse melodic interruptions the album is rhythmic and bludgeoning almost to the numbing point. A song like Chicago's Finest brings in much more melody and the song is probably the standout track on the album for me. It manages to have the heaviness that the band loves to use but the melody helps to make the song a bit more distinct and very catchy.

I think the band definitely employs an interesting use of dissonance, but at the same time the breakdown riffs are nothing out of the ordinary. That said they are indeed powerful and remind of some of the ideas Martyr AD had during their breakdown sections before they hung up their gloves. Rough Justice brings in a hint of an almost melodic death metal feel to the riffing but with a bit of a rock feel added. This is definitely another standout track that ends with a crushing but again rather standard breakdown. The melodic moments definitely stand out particularly the few instrumental tracks that stand out like a sore thumb, but in a good way. There is definitely a lot of chugging here and if that is your thing, this is definitely an album you'll love every second of.

Emmure aren't really doing anything new, but as far as rhythmic and metallic hardcore goes it really doesnt get much heavier than this. The dissonance and melody helps to give the music a bit of color, but there are still times when the band seems a bit one dimensional. This is a good, but not quite great record from a band that certainly knows how to play heavy music but needs to possibly explore the melodic side of the band a bit more on future albums.

http://www.myspace.com/emmure

V/A-Punk Goes Crunk
(Fearless Records, 2008)


I have to say it right off the start, this is a freakin ridiculous idea for a compilation and it really just doesn't make much sense to me at all. For starters, you would think that fans of the bands on this compilation probably arent what you would consider huge rap fans. The average Set Your Goals fan probably doesn't listen to Lil Jon I would think. But aside from that my main problem with the disc is that the covers just really aren't all that good. The Say Anything cover of Got Your Money is just painful and odd sounding. Skee-lo's I Wish and Men in Black by Will Smith are basically turned into emo anthems and at the very least the bands added a twist to the original, but unfortunately the two original songs are pretty lame in their own right. The rest of the compilation is just as hit or miss. Some covers are decent but I just somewhat dont see the point. Was it done for fun? I would guess so, but youd have to be familiar with all of the original versions to really get a few chuckles out of the songs. One other thing that slightly irritates me about this compilation is that I really wouldn't call any of the bands on here punk. These are mainly just rock bands to my ears, with the exception of possibly Set Your Goals who are more typically a melodic hardcore band if you will and I guess The Devil Wears Prada who is a metalcore band. At the end of the day I really don't see the point of this compilation.

http://www.myspace.com/punkgoescrunk

Liquid Skull-Abcessive Autopsy
(Independent, 2008)

I've been receiving a lot more demos these past few months and while some are dreadful others have introduced me to a few unknown but impressive bands. Liquid Skull is definitely one such band. This California based metal band plays a fast paced and slightly melodic form of death metal. The band seems to be a bit of a combination of Symphonies of Sickness era Carcass and early Swedish death metal. They have a slightly similar sound to Impaled but with fewer guitar solos. It may not be the type of sound you would call original, but it packs quite the wallop none the less.

The band really doesn't fool around with any riffs or ideas that are overly complicated. Power chords are used extensively yet the band throws in simple yet evil sounding melodies occasionally. The songwriting itself manages to be memorable without losing any ferocity. A thrash style beat is used for the majority of the demo and this is where I hear a lot of the Swedish influence creeping into the music. This isnt a band that uses blast beats extensively and it only further brings out the vintage Swedish vibe in the music. Vocally the band uses a slightly odd sounding vocal style that is raspy yet unique. As odd as it sounds the vocals remind me of the voice Leia uses when she is pretending to be a bounty hunter in Return of the Jedi. I know that is a very odd comparison, but it truly what the vocals remind me of and it isnt meant to be negative in any way. The vocals are very unique and I really dig the sound that band creates with them.

The production is a bit rough, but it never hurts the impact of the demo. The four songs on display are concise, fast and very memorable. Fans of Carcass and Swedish death metal should certainly be able to get into Liquid Skull. Fans of Impaled should also be able to get into this quite easily.

http://www.myspace.com/liquidskull

Testament-The Formation of Damnation
(Nuclear Blast Records, 2008)

I'll be the first to admit that I've never been the biggest Testament fan I've always liked what I've heard from the band and enjoyed Souls of Black, Practice What You Preach and Low but aside from those three albums my knowledge of the band is somewhat limited. The Formation of Damnation marks the first album with Alex Skolnick on lead guitar since The Ritual in 1992. Whether or not Alex being back in the fold and helping with songwriting has helped the band return to their former glory it is hard to say, but it is easy to see that this is the strongest album Testament has released in years and unlike the years when the band dabbled in a much heavier sound, this album is classic Testament through and through.

This is definitely what you would consider a middle of the road thrash metal album tempo wise. The album has a lot of stomp and has an almost rock vibe to a number of riffs. There are a few flairs of speed, but if you are expecting a white knuckled blazing album, this certainly isnt it. The songs are given a lot of room to breathe and the riffs really have a chance to sink in. More Than Meets the Eye and The Evil Has Landed start off the album out extremely strong with pounding yet melodic riffs and Chuck Billys trademark vocals in fine form. The title track is a bit faster but is still classic Testament through and through. This is a song that I could definitely see becoming a staple of the bands live set with its rapid fire riffs and gruff vocal attack. There are a few songs on here that are somewhat lacking in impact, but when the band is on fire with this album they are really smoking.

When you go into a new album from a band that is considered classic you want it to sound like how you remember the band sounding. That is certainly the case here, this definitely sounds like Testament. If you are even a slight fan of the band this album has a more than a handful of songs that show that the band is still on top of their game. A few songs arent quite as memorable but songs like The Formation of Damnation and Henchman Ride more than make up for the slightly by the books songs on the album.

http://www.myspace.com/testamentlegions