Terrorhorse-This Ain't No Goddamn Mirage
(Self-Released, 2009)

I'm sitting here trying to put my finger on just how to classify this Canadian metal band and it is really proving quite a task. On one hand the band is seemingly metalcore influenced yet then there is a death metal side to the band as well as an experimental side. The five songs on display here are all quite different but each has a tremendous amount of energy and a sense of urgency rarely seen in an unsigned band.

What first really stands out about this album is just how damn good the songwriting is. There is no doubt that the band is technical as evidenced by the more note heavy riffs and the sweep picking sections. But to counterbalance those sections the band has some awesome stripped down sections and some riffs that are downright rocking at times. The band also uses some excellent rythmic riffs throughout the album. The leadoff track utlizes it the most I'd say and shows off an excellent use of dissonance as well. The start and stop rhythms are extremely catchy and incredibly tight. The band isn't entirely fast but if you are looking for speed the song Packet Flier definitely provides it. The song starts off with an almost Agoraphobic Nosebleed sounding grind section before heading into a dizzying sweep picking section followed by an excellent groove riff. I could pretty much go into detail with each track like an excited school girl but I'd say that these 5 songs are best heard rather than be described by me.

This is one of those times when an unsigned band really reignites my excitement for music. Call me jaded, or possibly just call me bored but music right now is just coasting along to me. This is a band that plays with a lot of fire, has songwriting chops to spare and isn't interesting in playing the same tired cliches so prevalent right now. Fans of everything from Converge to Messhugah to See You Next Tuesday need to check out this band ASAP.

http://www.myspace.com/terrorhorse

Bone Gnawer-Feast of Flesh
(Pulverised Records, 2009)

All it took me to get excited about this debut album from Bone Gnawer was knowing that Kam Lee was the vocalist and that Rogga Johansson was handling the guitar duties. It's not surprising that the band plays a very old school style of death metal and even less surprising is the fact that I love it. Meeting somewhere in between classic Swedish death metal and Florida styled death metal, the band is straight forward, very catchy and without any of the problems common of the genre right now.

While this is definitely old school in nature it still has a modern feel as well. The production is very clear and modern sounding but the riffing is clearly old school influenced through and through. You won't find anything technical or note heavy here. You will however find a slight horror feel to a lot of the riffs. The lyrics are very horror movie influenced and that creepy vibe comes through in a number of the riffs. The band also isn't incredibly fast for the most part. There are indeed a number of fast riffs but the majority of the album travels at a more middle of the road pace. It really helps to keep things catchy but also helps the fast sections really pack a lot more oomph. If the entire album was fast it would probably start to sound similar by the end of the album which is definitely not the case here.

If the fact that Kam and Rogga are in this band doesn't get you excited, or the fact that the album has a song called Cannibal Cook-Out doesn't peak your interest, I would question just how big of a death metal fan you truly are. This is a classic yet modern slab of death metal that doesn't do anything new and I love every second of it.

Merauder-God Is I
(Regain Records, 2009)

If you are at all familar with metallic hardcore you really shouldn't need an introduction to Merauder. The band started almost two decades ago and is still kicking ass today. God Is I shows the band continuing in their classic style but throwing in a few surprises for good measure along the way. Few bands have bridged the gap between hardcore and metal as well as this band and this latest album is no different.

The band uses heavy chugging riffs quite often but unlike many of the bands playing similar styles the band isn't lazy and puts a lot of effort into the song writing. There are no times on this album where the band plays one note for minutes on end. The songwriting is rather diverse and shows that the band is one of the best at writing catchy and energetic riffs that don't need a lot of speed to be effective. I do like speed in hardcore but for a band like this is just isn't necessary. The impact is already destructive enough that I don't even miss speed. Guitar leads are quite common as well as are little melodic leads. The lead guitar in Gangsta is straight forward yet incredibly effective. Which really sums up the bands entire sound, it is straight forward but hits with a tremendous amount of power.

What this album really makes you realize is just how crucial Merauder was to the formation of the Hatebreed sound. Merauder has sounded like this for years but it really shows you just how much of an impact the band has had despite the fact that they aren't an incredibly well known band. This album shows that as far as metallic hardcore is concerned no one does it better than this band. This album is an awesome addition to an already stellar collection of albums from this New York based band.