It Dies Today-The Caitiff Choir
(Trustkill, 2004)


It almost goes without saying that the metalcore genre is becoming a very crowded genre these days. For every 10 bands there seems to be only a few that will stay for the long haul. It Dies Today already have a few years under their belts, so they will undoubtedly not be a flash in the pan metalcore success.

To my ears this band is perfectly at home on Trustkill records. They are similar in style to Bleeding Through, but much more melodic, and with much more focused songwriting. They aren’t concerned with being the heaviest band possible, yet at the same time are unquestionably heavy. The breakdown riffs have a similar feel to those found in Unearth’s music. I actually think that the breakdowns are the most typically metalcore aspect of the bands sound. The main songwriting is quite effective and the Swedish style melody is used to perfection. They have a good grasp of dynamics and this is a record that will appeal to a wide variety of people.

The impressive riffs would pretty much fall flat if the vocal performance wasn’t up to snuff, and thankfully it is. The harsh vocals are completely overwhelming. He sounds like a man possessed, while the clean singing offers a nice contrast. I like the fact that they have songs that utilize both styles almost exclusively, while others feature vocal tradeoffs more typical of the genre.

The production turns a heavy band even heavier. The guitar tone is heavy and in your face, but remains incredibly tight and powerful. The guitar playing isn’t overly technical, but it is incredibly tight. The gallops and melodic sections are performed flawlessly and the band never stumbles trying to bite off more then they can chew.

Does the world need another metalcore record right now? If the band isn’t breaking any new ground, then I’d say no. But It Dies Today makes me forget about all of the lifeless and faceless bands in the genre right now. They have a creative spark that makes the genre interesting and virile once again.

Evergreen Terrace-At Our Worst
(Hand of Hope, 2004)


With Shai Hulud pretty much over and done with I think Evergreen Terrace is the band poised to take the top spot as one of the best melodic hardcore bands around right now. This album is essentially a collections album. It has 6 live tracks, an unreleased track and the bands 4 song demo from 2000. The live songs are fairly decent sounding. The band is tight and puts in a good performance. I’m not really a big fan of live recordings. Without the visuals it lacks a bit, but it was nice to hear the band in a live setting. The unreleased track is a left over from Buried Alive in Time. I’m not sure why it was left off as it is right up there in quality with what made the cut onto the album. The band says that the demo sucks, but I can’t agree with that at all. It’s a bit more stripped down and more melodic then the newer stuff, but the songwriting is definitely there. It shows the potential that the band had even in the early days. This is pretty much an album for the fans to tide them over until the new full length. If you haven’t checked out ET yet I suggest Buried in Alive in Time for starters. If you like what you hear, then definitely look into picking this up as well.

Coilback-Love is Dead
(Independent, 2004)


You know what must have been great about the 70’s and 80’s? Not being many self-released albums. Anyone these days can record and release their own cd. Where is the quality control? Ok, so the bands nail is Coilback? Hmm...sounds a bit like Nickleback, although they don’t actually sound like Nickleback. What they do sound like however is boring metal. It’s basically White Zombie meets Metallica. The opening riff is a direct rip off of the main riff to Thunderkiss ‘65. I’ll have to pass on this one. This is very generic.

Deny Life-s/t
(Independent, 2004)

Another demo from Deny Life has found it’s way into my mailbox. It’s nice to see bands actually progressing from release to release. This is definitely a bit slower and more groove based then the last demo which was definitely faster and more grindcore based. You’ll still find the odd blast beat but the riffing now is much more along the lines of the slower sections of His Hero is Gone and as odd as it may sound possibly even Pantera. The vocals especially are throaty yells that definitely bring to mind Phil from Pantera. I’d still like to hear the band recording on something other then a 4 track, but the raw sound definitely doesn’t hurt the bands impact. I think the slower approach might benefit from a beefier production, but this is still a small band that probably can’t afford anything spectacular just yet. This is definitely an improvement and I can only see the band getting even better in the future.

KMFDM-WW3 Live 2003
(Sanctuary, 2004)


Let’s be honest with ourselves right from the start here. Does the world really need a live KMFDM? Some might say yes others no. I think that fans of the bands would be into this, but to be honest it doesn’t even sound live. It just sounds a little bit rougher then the bands studio material. It’s amazing how good these guys sound live, if this was indeed recorded live and isn’t candy coated with layers of studio overdubs after the fact. Either way they definitely are in top form on this live cd. I’m not very familiar with the bands back catalog but you’ll find a number of cuts from the bands latest album and also fan favorites with A Drug Against War. I think that this is also available on DVD, which would be my choice for this release. Without the video aspect this sounds like a studio album with crowd noises added.

Occult-Elegy for the Weak
(Candlelight USA, 2004)


I wasn’t prepared for this bands brand of barbaric blackened thrash. It’s fast as hell, with vintage thrash riffs, harsh vocals and a modern production. Is it anything new? Not really, but it blows away pretty much every band trying to bring thrash back.

I don’t want to throw around that this sounds like Witchery, because it’s actually much more thrash and less heavy metal. It’s along the same lines though. The riffing is simple and straight to the point which gives the music the thrash feel but also a little bit of a vintage Swedish death metal feel as well. It doesn’t have the melody, but certain riffs definitely recall the early days of Carnage.

A lot of bands in this style tend to have lacking production values, but this is an amazing sounding album. The guitar sound is thick and definitely doesn’t lack any of the needed power. The chugging riffs especially ring through the speakers with the velocity of a run away freight train. A little bit more of a bass presence would have been nice to try and round out the sound just a little bit.

If you are a fan of blackened thrash then this is definitely a band worth looking into. Don’t let the name fool you this isn’t just another black metal band.

Massmurder-Slaughtered for Snuff
(Unmatched Brutality, 2004)


From Holland comes Massmurder, whose musical output is just as vicious as their moniker. These guys seem to play at two speeds, fast and faster, showing little regard for diversity. They want to break your bones and spill your blood, and that is exactly what they do on this 8 song cd.

Blasting death metal really isn’t anything new, but these guys are a bit more raw and stripped down then a lot of bands in the style. They blast with reckless abandon, but the riffing underneath is rhythmic, sometimes melodic, yet not overly technical or flashy for no reason. It’s along the lines of Digorge, Deeds of Flesh or Disavowed. But without the low end rumble and much faster. It’s just totally barbaric and out of control.

The production is definitely the low point here. The band is tight, but the raw sound while different, really doesn’t help everything ring through clearly. With patience you’ll discern more but at first it’s overwhelming. Metal was never meant to be easy on the ears, but a little more clarity in the guitars would have been nice.

From the band name and album name you basically know what you are in for. So death metal and gore freaks, this one is definitely for you.