Pulling Teeth-Paranoid Delusions, Paradise Illusions
(Deathwish Inc, 2009)

I'll be the first to admit that there are a lot of hardcore bands out there that sound very similar. Pulling Teeth certainly does not fit into that category. Being possibly the most versatile and varied hardcore band to ever grace the scene, Pulling Teeth have a sound that embracing both the scathing and the melodic. Doom clashes with vintage thrash to form a sound that is violent yet unmistakably beautiful.

What takes me off guard the most is just how well the band manages to blend all of these elements together. For instance a song like Bloodwolves combines grindcore, vintage thrash guitar leads, hardcore energy and ends with an amazing melodic stretch. Hints of everything from Neurosis to Slayer come out from time to time throughout the album, but at the end of the day I would have no trouble arguing that Pulling Teeth is indeed an original band, and one of the first I have heard in hardcore in a very long time. The doom elements in the music also really give the songs a chance to breathe. I love speed, but the diverse nature of the album allows the fast sections to have a lot more impact.

If you are searching for a hardcore band that breaks free from the cliches and straight forward nature of the genre, Pulling Teeth is a band that does just that. This is still easy to associate with the hardcore genre, but you don't hear many Slayer influenced solos and Black Sabbath influenced dirges on most hardcore albums these days. That in itself is enough to warrant the purchase of this album. Just one word of advice, firmly secure your bottom jaw before you press play. It'll hit the ground in no time.

Fatality-Metal Hell
(Self-Released, 2009)

From the name, logo and album cover I knew that this was going to a thrash album. I wasn't wrong as the band definitely has a sound that can be traced mostly back to the Master of Puppets album from Metallica musically with a vocal style that for some reason really reminds me Overkill but in a lower register. In essence it is retro in nature, but it doesn't feel as forced as most of the bands taking influence from the early days right now. There are definitely a few blemishes but for a debut album the band is on the right track.

Let's start with what works for the band. The drumming is really solid and laid back never trying to steal the spotlight but still keeping the music charging forward. The riffing is normally quite good and it is pretty fun to see how similar the band comes to vintage Metallica at times. Bring Back the Days reeks of Kill Em All to a ridiculous degree. At the same time this song also shows a few of the problems with the bands sound as well. The band sometimes throws in awkward little accents and riffs that just don't seem to work. The lead guitar work also is a bit hit or miss with some of the solos being overly lengthy. The Metallica influence also seems to influence the song lengths with most songs being around 6 or 7 minutes. 3 minutes could have been trimmed to keep the songs moving a lot faster.

There is definitely a lot of potential here. I like what the band does and with a few tweaks in the songwriting department they could be a lot more effective. It's a mistake a lot of younger bands make but thrash songs really don't need to be 6 or 7 minutes long. I know it worked for Metallica but they seem to be the only exception. If you are a fan of thrash, give this band a try. It isn't perfect but this is a good start.

Mantic Ritual-Executioner
(Nuclear Blast Records, 2009)

With the countless bands out there trying to play classic thrash and failing it is quite awesome when a band finally gets it right. Mantic Ritual is, simply put, an amazing thrash band that gets it. The songs are fast moving, but like classic thrash there is a lot of care put into the songwriting. Each riff is memorable and is tailor made for fist pumping or head banging. What really stands out is that the band never strives to mimic a certain band. You can hear similarities to classic bands, but the overall feel, guitar tone and vocal style makes this fairly original.

The basic sound of the band is classic Bay Area thrash mixed with German thrash and with just enough modern thrash to keep this from sounding dated. The riffing is extremely solid and makes good use of both power chord riffing and fast tremolo picked riffs. Slayer and Metallica are obvious influences but they do wonderful things with those influences. The vocals definitely have a classic feel to them but with a more modern harshness added. It's not quite to the point of being a scream but it certainly has a modern feel to it at times. I can't get enough of the drum sound on the album. It sounds like an updated version of the drums on Seasons in the Abyss. The snare sound is fantastically punchy and perfect for the album.

There is a lot to like about this album and every listen brings new elements to the surface. The riffing is some of the best I have heard in a long time as are the blazing guitar leads. Add in a stellar rhythm section and a perfectly fitting vocal style and this is an album that fans of thrash should definitely not pass up on.