Skeletonwitch-At One With the Shadows
(Shredded Records, 2004)


You know it’s funny how a band name can sometimes make everything clear before even putting on the cd. With a name like Skeletonwitch you can pretty much expect metal and that’s pretty much what you get. It’s a combination of thrash, and Swedish style melody basically. I guess you could call it blackened death thrash.

The production isn’t anything spectacular and the drum performance is a bit loose at times, but this is actually a lot better then I was expecting from the band name. I could see fans of Witchery especially being able to get into what the band is doing. These guys blast more then Witchery does, in fact I don’t think Witchery ever does blast actually. So I guess these guys are a bit more extreme.

These guys are definitely no slouches when it comes to songwriting, so the next step is getting a powerful production and these guys will definitely be a force to be reckoned with.

Forced to Submit-Endless Hatred
(Independent, 2004)


I’m pretty sure this is the first death/grind band that I’ve ever heard from New Zealand, but I definitely hope it’s not the last. Forced to Submit bulldoze through 6 tracks of technical and pulverizing death metal. They waste no time and go right for the throat and won’t give up until your body is lifeless and bleeding.

The main comparisons that I can think of would be Origin with hints of Dillinger Escape Plan. Origin comes to mind because these guys are totally unrelenting and blast as furiously as possibly. A few riffs here and there remind me of the more straight forward DEP riffs with a few bringing in bit of the same technicality. The main vocal style is a roar that could peel paint. It’s the perfect final touch to a brutal and vicious piece of art.

The main problem with this band is that it’s not very catchy and every song is pretty similar. It’s nothing I’d hold against them though. This band is crushing as is, but a little variation in the future wouldn’t hurt.

Winter Solstice-The Pulse is Overrated
(Harvest Earth, 2004)


Winter Solstice may not be bringing anything new to the metalcore genre, but this 4 song EP is chock full of crushing heaviness, melodic dual guitars, and some utterly vicious vocals. You could definitely say it’s similar to Unearth but the bands are far from being identical.

I find the incorporation of Swedish melody has become a bit of a trend, but these guys do it much better then most of the bands. They bring a more mid-tempo approach and usually have a lot of heaviness to even the melodic rhythms. I like the fact that these guys also bring the blast beat in and aren’t afraid to play faster to break things up. Like I said they are fairly mid-tempo but it’s not constantly the same mosh riff we’ve heard millions of times before.

The production definitely does the job, although I think they would have benefited from a thicker guitar sound. The bass guitar is pretty much non-existent as well, so that could have been turned up a bit louder as well. Overall though, it’s a powerful sounding album that spares no heaviness.

If you didn’t know, these guys are now signed to Metal Blade. I expect big things from their debut album that they are recording later this year. They are still a young band and yea, they aren’t breaking the mold yet. But with time I think they will progress and really make a name for themselves.

XDeathstarX-The Triumph
(Life Sentence, 2004)


Four vocalists, the edge and a whole lot of metal is what XDeathstarX serves up on their debut album. It’s heavy, sometimes fast, but totally stands out amongst the glut of metalcore bands right now. It definitely owes a lot of Hatebreed, but XDSX is even heavier.

It’s actually pretty tough to tell that the band has four vocalist. The sing along parts are definitely layered, but the main vocal lines are tough to distinguish each vocalist. I guess each singer has a fairly similar voice. I think that possibly with the future recordings from the band I’d like to hear more alternating vocal lines. I think that especially during faster parts that it could be extremely effective.

I think that the production is somewhat lacking here. It doesn’t take anything away from the band, but the guitar sound is a bit trebly and for two guitars it really doesn’t sound powerful enough. The songwriting is there and the performance is spot on though. So I can’t totally hold it against them, and you have to remember that this is the bands debut album. Hopefully in the future they can have a production that matches the intensity of the performance.

If you are into metal tinged hardcore it doesn’t get much better then this. This isn’t metal core either, this is just heavy as fuck hardcore. Fans of Hatebreed definitely will want to check this out.

With Dead Hands Rising-The Horror Grows Near (Life Sentence, 2004)


Another band to add to the ever growing list of metalcore bands, but these guys come from a bit of a different angle. You can expect much more death metal and also a definite sense of experimentation. They have the melodic riffs, and the breakdowns, but they also have blast beats, guttural vocals, and some fairly unique ideas in the form of cleaner sections.

I like the fact that these guys change on a dime and switch up tempos and vocal styles. They aren’t the typical play a melodic riff with screaming into a clean chorus. They follow a more linear process and don’t offer much in the form of choruses. It’s not as instantly gratifying as most metalcore these days, which is a welcome change. You need to listen a few times to understand everything.

A band like this needs a crushingly heavy production and they have pretty much delivered. It’s tight, heavy and really allows the bands style to come through. I think the vocals could have almost been turned up a bit, but if you’ve read any of my reviews you know I’m far too picky about production. So I’ll just say crank it up and let the rock take you over.

Metalcore is becoming pretty stagnant right now, but thankfully there are bands still willing to experiment and bring out music that differs from the norm. With Dead Hands Rising aren’t completely re-writing the genre, but they definitely aren’t just following in what has come before them either.

Abysmal Torment-Incised Wound Suicide
(Independent, 2004)


It really boggles my mind how some bands in the death metal underground remain unsigned. Abysmal Torment is an amazing band that offers technical death metal that never skimps on the brutality. It’s not what you’d call original, but fans of technical death metal won’t even know what hit them.

I’m not gonna sugar coat it, these guys sound quite a bit like Cryptopsy. It’s along the lines of None So Vile, but without the melody and you won’t find any thrash sounding parts. Just straight blasting, growls, and slower sections with subwoofer rattling guitar riffs. The subject matter is basically typical gore, but the music is just phenomenal.

Fans of Cryptopsy need to hear this band. I was pretty disappointed with everything after None So Vile, so it’s awesome to see a band that pretty much picks up right where that album left off. Fans of pulverizing whirlwind death metal will now have a new favorite band.

Jesus Wept-Sick City
(Strike First, 2004)


From the ashes of Disciple AD comes Jesus Wept. It’s not totally removed from DAD was doing, just a bit more straight ahead hardcore and possibly a bit less hardcore. Let me tell you though, it stands out like a sore thumb. Few bands have this much energy and confidence on a debut release.

You can expect straight ahead tempos, shouted vocals and guitar riffs that are heavy but stay away from the metalcore trappings. There is the odd rhythmic riff but it brings thrash metal to mind more then it does anything else. The band is mainly mid-tempo but there are definitely a few barn burners on here. Heaven and Hell is a tremendously fast and energetic track and is definitely amongst the many highlights of this MCD.

I like the fact that these guys seem to take the time to make each song unique. They have a common thread, but each song has well thought out riffs and each breakdown riff fits the song and isn’t just a thugging E chord. There is still creativity to be found in hardcore, and you don’t have to combine genres to do so. You just need to stay away from trends and write passionate music. It’s that simple.

If the success of XDADX is any indication this band is going to be huge. Add in the fact that I think Jesus Wept is an even better band and also that the scene needs more bands like this. Bands that play heavy and passionate music but don’t play into what is currently selling albums in the genre right now.