Kreator-Hordes of Chaos
(SPV USA, 2009)

I'll be the first to admit that Kreator has never topped Pleasure to Kill and Endless Pain but the fact that the band is still together and creating high quality thrash albums is commendable. Hordes of Chaos is an energetic and well written thrash album that shows the band utilizes not only the rapid fire thrash of early albums but keeping the progressions of the last decade intact as well. Fuck Death Magnetic. You wan't to hear a classic thrash metal band still creating quality metal, here you go.

Part of why the album is so energetic is due to the fact the main tracking was done live in the studio. Don't worry though this is far from being a sloppy sounding album. In fact the band is incredibly tight and the stripped down nature of the sound matches the band perfectly. The first three songs hit with a truckload of intensity and are easily the best three songs the band has written in years. There are a few slower songs throughout the album but Kreator is known for being fast and this album is no exception. Radical Resistance is a total throwback to the 80's track and while a bit cheesy in the lyrics department is an explosive song that is just downright fun to listen to.

What really stands out is just how much this sounds like a Kreator album. Almost every thrash band that has reformed has either lost a bit of steam or sounds absolutely nothing like their former selves. Kreator on the other hand is still kicking ass and sounds pretty much the same. Honestly if the band can keep releasing albums like this I hope it is a very long time before they finally call it quits.

Chthonian-Of Beatings and the Silence in Between
(Woodcut Records, 2008)

There are bands that play death metal with slight black metal influences and then there are bands that tread the line between the two genres quite closely. Chthonian is definitely one of the latter. Fortunately that also means that they leave a lot of the pretension that goes along with black metal at the door.

Vocally the band is death metal through and through with vocal roars being used pretty much exclusively but riffing wise the band is definitely a mix between death and black metal. Slightly melodic but utterly vicious, the riffs are razor sharp and matched perfectly by an intense and blast beat driven style of drumming. The band keeps the songs on the shorter side which helps to keep the energy up tremendously. Production wise I would say this somewhat leans more towards the black metal genre. The guitars are somewhat airy and have much more atmosphere than what you would hear on a death metal album. Overall the album sounds fantastic and matches the band perfectly.

This is definitely an album that would appeal to both death metal and black metal fans. Fans of Behemoth and Cryonics should have very little trouble getting into this album. It has enough growling and blast beats for the death metal heads and the riffing is atmospheric enough for the black metal fans. So essentially no matter what subgenre you prefer, this is a kick ass extreme metal album through and through.

Cannibal Corpse-Evisceration Plague
(Metal Blade Records, 2009)

Kill seemed to be an album that a lot of people were on the fence with. Personally I thought the album was a vicious albeit safe album that rekindled a lot of the fire the band had with Vile. Evisceration Plague is very similar in nature and while it could be considered a safe album from the band, it is by no means an album lacking in energy or songwriting prowess.

The band has their style down to a razor sharp art form and seems to have streamlined it just a touch with this album. The riffs are more immediate and the technical edge is still there but it never overshadows the memorable side of the riffing. The fact that the band has their sound so perfect somewhat makes the album lacking in some ways. Like I mentioned before it is a very safe album from the band. This sounds like Cannibal Corpse and never deviates from that formula. That said the album most definitely tops Kill in pretty much every way. The opening 1-2-3 punch of Priests of Sodom, Scalding Hail and To Decompose is the strongest start the band has had in a long time. To Decompose is just ridiculous catchy with Corpsegrinder proving once again that he can growl at superhuman speeds. The easiest comparison would be Disfigured from the Vile album but it still has its own identity.

While Kill was a throwback to a more Vile era sound, Evisceration Plague goes even further. Vile to me is still the best album Cannibal Corpse has ever released and the inclusion of new blood in the band really lit a fire under the bands ass. That fire seems to be back with this album and the band has written a no nonsense death metal album that should have all of the maniacs foaming at the mouth waiting for this album head banging in no time.

Ex Dementia-In the Chapters of Horror
(HGPD Productions, 2008)

One of the undergrounds best kept secrets is back with an EP that throws some new songs at you, a cover and a few live songs as well. You'll be treated to 15 minutes of music and if you are a fan of raw old school styled death metal you'll love every second of it.

Thou Shall Repulse was an excellent debut album but the four new songs on display here definitely show that the band has moved on and progressed. The Impetigo meets Carcass style is still very much intact but the songwriting is just more together and the songs are much catchier as a result. The Buzz is Back is possibly the best song the band has written thus far and the ideal start to the EP. As cheesy as it sounds, the song has an awesome beat to it. It just has that old school flow that is missing from a lot of death metal these days. They also manage to be extreme without using any blast beats which is a nice change of pace. The remaining three songs are quite solid as well and a nice holdover until the band releases a new full length. The cover is a savage version of Kill Yourself by SOD. It is cool to see the band playing something a bit out of the ordinary and the band plays the song quite well. The live songs are on the raw side but the band is very similar sounding in a live setting which is something that is far too uncommon in heavy music.

Along with a number of bands, Ex Dementia is breathing life back into the underground death metal scene. Things are getting out of hand with bands being on tour all year and releasing shitty albums every year to stay on the road. Death metal has never been about selling records or pushing a product. The true spirit of death metal lives on in this band and I fucking love it. If you are a fan of death metal the way it is meant to be, check out Ex Dementia.

Norris-Bone Crusher
(Self-Released, 2008)

What we have hear is the second EP from Thunder Bay based noisemongers Norris. The first EP showcased a very strong Dillinger Escape Plan influence but Bone Crusher shows the band moving away from that and fusing elements of rock into the sound for added effect. The Dillinger influence is still here but there is no denying that the band has morphed into a much more original beast with this album.

The band starts off full force with Epic Failure. Slow paced dirges mix with rapid fire guitar runs to create a sound that is technical yet instantly memorable. The rock inspired riffs are just extra icing on the cake as are the odd time signatures thrown in throughout the song. King George The Third Would Be Rolling In His Grave shows that the band has an excellent grasp on tempo changes and like Epic Failure also utilizes slower dirge riffs to great lengths. In fact I was expecting much more speed from the band but was really surprised by the amount of dirges and atmosphere the band manages to create in a style known for just straight ahead speed and flurries of notes. Take for instance the appropriately title The Dirge. The song is very slow with crushing riffs and an excellent use of dissonance. It shows a slight post-hardcore feel being added as well.

This is an excellent 4 song EP from a band that shouldn't have had to release it themselves to be perfectly honest. The band has a grasp on songwriting that bands that have been doing it for years haven't mastered and are just as tight as any of the bigger bands playing similar styles. If you are a fan of noisy yet structured chaos with guitar acrobatics then you definitely need to check out Norris.

http://www.myspace.com/rightnorris