Six Feet Under-Graveyard Classics 2
(Metal Blade Records, 2004)

It’s actually fairly common in punk music for a band to cover an entire album, There was an entire series of bands covering Ramones albums that I remember from a few years back. But you rarely see a band covering an entire album in the metal world. But that is exactly what Six Feet Under has done for Graveyard Classics 2. This is note for note the entire Back in Black album, and it pretty much sounds like how you’d expect., heavier renditions that stay faithful to the originals yet have guttural vocals. It does take a few spins to get used to, but it’s actually a pretty fun album to listen to, which is sometimes lacking for the current metal scene.

For fans of Ac/Dc that have committed this album to memory long ago, this will take a bit to get used to. The guitars are much heavier because of the downtuning and many of the solos are a lot flashier. The downtuning is of course a trademark of Six Feet Under so that is expected, but I would have liked to see the solos stay a little closer to the originals. They just seem a bit too over the top for Ac/Dc at times. The other thing that people might have a hard time with are the vocals. But I’ve always drawn comparisons between the Ac/Dc style and death metal. They are both unique approaches that some people love and that some people just don’t get. Some of the vocal patterns don’t translate extremely well to death metal vocals, and granted songs like You Shook Me All Night Long are a bit silly with death metal vocals, but for the most part it does work.

Cover albums really might not stand the test of time, but this one will make a pretty big reaction I’m sure. Whether it’s positive or negative there will be a lot of people talking about this either way. And just like Ac/DC, Six Feet Under is a band that you either love or hate, there really isn’t any middle ground. It’s pretty much up to each individual person to make that decision. They have done the classics justice with accurate versions with added heaviness, but do fans of Back in Black want to hear a death metal version? That is up to you.

Cataract-With Triumph Comes Loss
(Metal Blade Records, 2004)

This is an album that definitely takes me back. I remember when metalcore had more to do with Slayer then At The Gates, and so does Cataract. The easiest description would be a cross between Hatebreed and Slayer. The burly riffs, and gruff vocals of Hatebreed, clash with evil picking riffs and fast tremolo riffs right out of Slayer’s handbook. It’s an extremely heavy album that is never bogged down with trends or busy songwriting. They get from point A to point B with a huge amount of energy pausing only for breakdowns and the occasional song that breaks the formula with a much slower tempo. A track like Vanished in the Dark is much slower with chugging guitars and an almost doom like vibe but still full of breakdowns and memorable riffs.

The production on this album is absolutely monstrous. It’s an album that needs to be played loud to be fully enjoyed. The guitars are extremely powerful and the performance is right on the money. It’s pretty much what you’d call a metal production. There is a lot of energy, but the heaviness and overall feel is more common with metal productions then hardcore productions. The overall sound actually reminds me of the Perseverance album from Hatebreed, but with just a slightly better guitar tone.

The sad thing about this cd is that it might be overlooked. People seem to want music that fits the times and this would have been huge in the 90’s. It’s also sad that many of the people into the current crop of metalcore have no idea where the style even came from. If they were at all familiar with the European scene they’d know that bands have been playing heavy hardcore for quite sometime, and that Cataract represents all of the best quality that scene has had to offer for many years now. If you think heavy hardcore is all about stale At the Gates riffs and feeble attempts at blast beats you are very wrong. One listen to the blistering output of Cataract shows the power and conviction a band that truly stands behind their music has. When the current crop of metalcore dwindles, Cataract will still be standing playing heavy music with their hearts on their sleeves.

Behemoth-Demigod
(Olympic Recordings, 2004)

Like the band name itself implies this is a monstrous album. Crushing riffs meet with insane speeds and whirlwind blasts. It wouldn’t be much of a stretch to say that what these guys are doing is a similar to a cross between Morbid Angel and Nile, minus the odd lyrics of the former and the Egyptian flavor of the latter.

With death metal it’s somewhat hard to come across albums that are consistent from beginning to end, but also show off a creative spark. Behemoth never stray very far from their core blasting sound, but little hints of melody and even a few acoustic guitars help to spice things up and keep the album from becoming stale. It would definitely be debatable whether or not the blasting would wear tiresome, because this albums features some of the most creative riffing the genre has ever seen. But the melodic flourishes at the very least, give you a short rest from the brutality.

The raging and violent style of the band is met with the perfect production on this album. The guitars are very heavy, but also stay very clear. You can hear every nuance and every note perfectly. The vocals can be overpowering at times as they seem to have an almost Deicide-like amount of layering. It sounds absolutely monstrous, but it does take away from the music underneath a little.

Behemoth aren’t quite a household name within the death metal scene, but that might all change with Demigod. It’s not only the bands strongest album in every way possible, the songwriting is just easier to latch onto with this album. They have crafted an excellent collection of songs that never skimp on the heaviness, but also have a lot to offer besides that. This shows Behemoth at the top of their game, Demigod is just the beginning of what they have to offer.

Impious-Hellucinate
(Metal Blade Records, 2004)

Impious aren’t exactly what you’d call newcomers to the scene. With more then a few albums under their belts, the experience shows from the onset of the first song. The band plays raging thrash influenced death metal with elements of classic Swedish death metal as well as even some surprising power metal style vocals. This isn’t what you’d call the style of the day. This is fairly old school in approach with memorable riffs and one of the most energetic performances of recent memory.

It might come as no surprise that this is a fairly fast band musically. The riffing is a nice amalgamation of Swedish death metal melody and thrash aggression. It’s similar to what The Haunted is doing but possibly a bit more technical at times, and without the hardcore influences. It would definitely be selling them short by bringing up the Gothenburg sound, but they definitely have that sense of melody in there. Plus come on, these guys are from Sweden so it should be no bother to anyone that they actually sound like a Swedish band.

The production allows a lot of energy to come across but not at the sacrifice of tightness or clarity. The guitar playing isn’t what you’d call technical, but the performance is right on the money. The fast riffs are perfectly executed without losing any power and the guitar solos manage to employ a lot of energy without going into Slayer styled tourettes spasms. This is a very human sounding album. It’s not hard to picture the band playing these songs in a live setting when listening to the album.

Fans of the band will definitely not be let down by this new album. The band is as heavy and fast as they have ever been. For those of you new to Impious, fans of thrash influenced Swedish death metal will definitely be into what these guys are playing. This is an album that will appeal to fans of all metal sub-genres. It all boils down to one hell of a metal record.

Hideous Mangleus-Shadows That Kill
(Goregiastic Records, 2004)

Hideous Mangleus are a band that really have never received as much attention as they have deserved. Treading the line between grindcore and crossover but bringing in a very horror influenced attack it wouldn’t be a stretch to say that these guys were ahead of their time and have a lot to do with the current goregrind scene.

This is a collection cd that collects tracks from pretty much everything that band has ever released. It isn’t a complete discography as only a few of the tracks from the All Your Friends are Dead album are included, but pretty much all of the demos and EP’s are here along with bonus never before released live and rehearsal tracks. If you missed out on the band when they were around this offers a pretty complete 45 song introduction to the band.

This is an collection that really makes you realize how far metal music has come, but by this I mean it might be moving in the wrong direction. This band was energetic and took elements from punk and hardcore and combined it for a sound that is best described as plain old fun. Few bands these days keep that fire and spirit alive in metal, most bands are too concerned with being as heavy as possible, writing brutal breakdowns or having perfect choruses. However there are labels like Razorback whose bands totally remind me of the early 90’s which showed bands playing with extreme energy and having fun while doing it. This is an essential collection for grindcore, goregrind and crossover fans.

Vried-Kraft
(Tabu Recordings, 2004)

Black metal as a whole is really a genre that has dipped down in popularity after the big Cradle of Filth/Dimmu Borgir boom, and I for one could not be happier. As they say only the strong survive and now what we have left are the quality bands while the trendy bands have moved on to new sounds to exploit. Vried, while a new band of sorts, is not made up of members new to the scene. This is a group of seasoned musicians who have made an album that totally shows tribute to the black metal of the past, but also moves the genre in exciting new directions.

The shrill vocals and cold atmosphere are definitely present, but the guitar tone is actually quite warm. There definitely are a lot of blasting moments, but you’ll be surprised by how diverse the band is. They manage to do it without changing genres either. Whether it’s just adding a chugging element to one of the riffs or playing something a bit more rhythmic, the band stays true to their core sound but plays around with tempos a lot more then most black metal bands will. Elements of thrash, and even punk can be heard at times, and in general there is even a rock feel during some of the sections.

The production could pretty much be summed up as perfect. The guitar tone has depth and is actually one of the best tones I’ve heard in black metal. It isn’t overly harsh, or a typical tone either. It has warmth and really adds a lot of character to the bands sound. There is an almost live sounding quality to the album. Without sounding under produced, there definitely aren’t a million layers here. Just enough to create atmosphere but still keeps things heavy.

Easily the best black metal album in the past few years, Vried is a name that you will be hearing much more about I’m sure. Fans of interesting, varied yet still focused black metal will definitely want to pick this one up.

All Else Failed-This Never Happened
(Abacus Recordings, 2004)

Lumping All Else Failed into the metalcore genre would be the easiest way to describe them but it would be cutting them far too short. Rolling riffs meet with dissonant guitar runs, with a breakdown always in site. Comparisons could be drawn to Dillinger Escape Plan but these guys are a lot less spastic and the music is a bit more straight forward.

Even with metalcore being very cliche lately, All Else Failed play with reckless abandon and bring with that energy amazing songwriting and a very original sound. While the odd comparison is possible, they truly don’t sound like any other bands out there right now. They aren't bringing in Swedish guitar riffs, or overly melodic choruses. They bludgeon when they need to, rock when they need to, and bring in melody when they need to.

The songs flow incredibly well, even if these aren’t your standard structures. You’d be hard pressed to find a chorus during the heavy songs, but the more mellow songs are a bit more straight forward. I believe this is the first album where the band shows off the almost indy rock side of the band. With a more diverse vocalist now in the band it allows them to experiment a bit more. When a band this heavy takes a chance by putting mellow songs along with the heavy, they could fall flat on their faces. Thankfully All Else Failed pulls it off quite well. They don’t make the mistake of trying to mix the two and pretty much keep the two styles separate and that makes all the difference. Fitting a melodic riff into the context of their dissonant riffs just wouldn’t work all that well I’d think.

This is an album that could completely turn metalcore right on it’s head. If you think the genre has become predictable, one listen to this album will reassure you that there is still power to be found within the genre. All Else Failed have a monster on their hands.