Soul Less Divine-Dishonorable Suffering
(Independent, 2004)

Death metal is a pretty hard genre for small bands to really get a break into, or at least break out of the local scene and make a name for themselves. Soul Less Divine definitely have potential, but there is a lot holding them back as well. The production on this thing is essentially horrible. The guitar tone has an odd metallic ring to it, and the vocals are just way too loud and also have a metallic sheen to them. You can follow what is going on, but a lot of the music loses impact because of the production. Which is a shame because there are some top notch riffs here. I would say that comparing them to a more technical version of newer Deicide wouldn’t be too far off base. There are definitely a lot of dark influences, and the lyrics are definitely along the lines of anti-Chrisitan/Satanic. Truth be told the song titles are too long and the Satanic thing has been done to death. I can’t relate to it and song titles like Bestial Warlord of the Sadistic Solstice just make my head want to spin. Like I said they have potential, but there isn’t much that makes this rise above them being just another faceless death metal band.

The Hidden Hand-Mother, Teachers, Destroyers
(Southern Lord Records, 2004)

Wino may have a million bands, but the man never ceases to amaze me. The Hidden Hand is a band that will definitely be remembered as more then just another of Wino’s band. This is fuzzed out rock that is both well written and very energetic. At first you might think it’s a bit typical, but once the riffs start piling up and the guitar solos hit your senses the magic of this album will start to fall into place. This album is a stoner rocks fan dream come true.

Of course you won’t be surprised that there are doom influences at work here as well. Droning riffs are fairly common, but they are much more melodic here then the usual funeral drone of most doom. There’s definitely a 70’s vibe running throughout the phrasing and timing of some riffs, but this is still a fairly modern sounding affair. Wino’s vocals are in top form and this is the most diverse vocal performance of his career. He has an instantly recognizable voice, but this is one of the few albums that his voice really shines and could appeal to people who aren’t instantly familiar with his voice. I almost hate to say that the band has crossover appeal, but these songs are too well written for people outside of the stoner rock/doom genre to not take notice of this band.

I was totally surprised to read that J.Robbins produced this. He usually works with indy rock bands or hardcore bands. So bringing that sense of urgency to a rock record of this nature really works. The guitars are fuzzy, but they are also very clear and don’t overpower the mix. Drum sounds on doom records are usually very lacking, but this is an amazing album from a drum production stand point. Every cymbal hit rings through and every drum hit is powerful. What this album has is consistency. A lot of doom records have certain elements that sound good while other elements do not. Everything sounds like a million bucks here and it makes all the difference.

I would say that it does take a few spins for the real genius at work here to stand out. My first listen was met by this is cool, while each consecutive listen had be saying this is fucking amazing. Fans of anything Wino has done will definitely want to get a hold of this new album.

Destructo Swarmbots-The Mountain EP
(Public Guilt Records, 2004)

One of the hardest things about having a magazine or a webzine, is that sometimes you will receive a disc that totally blows your mind but it’s in a genre you aren’t familiar with and have no idea how to really put it into words. That is the case with Destructo Swarmbots. This is what you would call experimental noise I’m assuming, but this is more along the lines of soundscapes then the grating noise that usually accompanies that description.

Your ears will be greeted with a lot of samples, swirling noises, some actual guitar lines during a few songs and in general around 20 minutes of music that will have you in an utter trance. The opening track is especially relaxing. It’s basically textures but it musical form. It almost sounds like feedback during a very windy storm. This is also the longest song on here running at just over 12 minutes. Later in the song piano comes in and helps to break up the long running time. The second track could almost be described as movie soundtrack like. It has a repeating guitar line with noises in the background. It’s just over two minutes long as definitely has a soundtrack vibe to it. The third and final song has a much more sinister vibe. it’s noisier and has noises that almost sound like really faint screams in the background. This last track almost reminds me of waves crashing into rocks. Maybe I’m crazy, but that’s what it reminds me of.

This is music that takes imagination to experience. It’s not just turn on and rock out music. There will be people that just don’t get it, and I’m one of those people from time to time. This is one of the first times that a band like this has clicked for me, and maybe it’ll be the same for you.

Stinking Lizaveta-Caught Between Worlds
(At a Loss Records, 2004)

Instrumental bands usually fit into two categories. On one hand you have bands that write moving music that serves as a soundscape, while others look at instrumental music as a chance to show off how many notes they can play in a minute. Thankfully this band are the former. This is one of the noisiest , yet coolest instrumental bands I’ve ever heard. The sound is what you’d expect from At a Loss. Noisy rock with hints of doom. But what you don’t expect is how thought out the music is. The guitar riffs have incredible depth as there is almost a middle eastern vibe running throughout the bands sound as well.

Guitar is the main driving force here. The bands approach is actually very interetsing. You have the standard rhythm guitar riffs, which are far from standard though. But there are a great deal of lead flourishes which almost come across like vocal patterns. They aren’t really drawn out, more like controlled bursts. Like I said this isn’t a wank fest, this just happens to be a band that doesn’t have vocals.

It’s rare that you can hear chemistry on record. But you can tell that the three people that comprise this band are totally in tune with each other. The drumming is right on the money, yet has a loose feel that adds a lot of character to the music. The music is completely on time though, by loose I mean that the playing feels very relaxed. She’s perfectly in the zone with the music and everything she plays is right on the money.

This is a record that definitely isn’t simple. There is complexity here and in truck loads. But they never forget that this is music. Even amongst the weird timings there is always something to grasp onto. Music lovers of all sorts will be able to enjoy this band. Whether you listen to death metal, hardcore, or ska, I don’t care what you listen to, you’ll be able to get into what this band is doing.