Phoenix Mourning-When Excuses Become Antiques
(Metal Blade Records, 2006)

Metal Blade has really been expanded their roster, and Phoenix Mourning definitely stands out as being new ground for the label. Best described as emo metal, the band is something of a cross between As I Lay Dying styled metal and lots and lots of melody. The band isn’t incredibly heavy, but there are definitely a few heavy riffs and of course the vocals are mainly a barked scream. The one aspect of this album that really shines is just the sheer amount of nuances to the songwriting, and the simple fact that the band makes a combination of a very different type of melody and metal work. I like the fact that the band doesn’t have an incredibly heavy guitar sound as it might be a bit misleading. It has enough bite to be dangerous, but also more then enough clarity to help all of the layers and interesting ideas come through. Clean vocals also play a huge part of the bands sound. I think they are definitely different sounding then what you might expect from a band like this, staying in line with the more rock side of the band. I think that this is definitely a band that will make a name for themselves right now. This album is extremely memorable, and unique enough to really stand out amongst the copycat metalcore albums that are all too common these days.

V/A-Headbangers Ball: The Revenge
(Roadrunner Records, 2006)

This double disc set pretty much plays like a who’s who of metal, particularly bands in the metalcore genre, as well as a few death metal bands and mainstream bands. From the metalcore side of the tracks you have Bullet for My Valentine, It Dies Today, Still Remains, Bleeding Through, God Forbid, As I Lay Dying, Killswitch Engage, and I suppose we could throw Chimaira in there as well. For hardcore you have Hatebreed, Throwdown, and Walls of Jericho. The more mainstream side of metal is represented by Korn, Slipknot, Mudvayne, Soulfly, Black Label Society, Distrubed, Avenged Sevenfold, 10 Years, and HIM. A few bands are definitely surprises here, mainly Behemoth, and High on Fire. Add in tracks by Mastodon, Lamb of God, Lacuna Coil, In Flames, Trivium, Underoath, Bloodsimple, From First to Last, Norma Jean, Opeth, Devildriver, Arch Enemy, 36 Crazy Fists, A Life Once Lost, Kingdom of Sorrow and Haste the Day and you have one hell of a thorough compilation. Not a great deal of the tracks are unreleased tracks, but at 38 tracks in length there is definitely a great deal of bang for your buck here. This also marks what may be the debut track from Kingdom of Sorrow which features the singer from Hatebreed along with members of Crowbar and Seemless. It’s a damn heavy track filled with sludgy guitars, and Jamie Jasta’s trademark vocal assault.

Integrity-Psalm Sunday
(Spook City Records, 2006)

Truth be told, I’ve never been the biggest Integrity fan. What I’ve heard I liked to a certain degree, but it never made me want to run out and collect everything they’ve ever released. This CD/DVD set was recorded way back in 1992 and could be considered a vintage Integrity live set. The sound isn’t extremely powerful, yet everything is easily audible. The guitar tone in particular is about as muscular as a 90 pound weakling, but chances are this wasn’t committed to tape in any flattering means by any stretch of the imagination. This disc really reminds me of what heavy hardcore used to be all about, back when bands could be heavy, yet they were still very far from being a metal band. Victory bands really had the sound down and these guys along with Bloodlet really were creating interesting heavy music. Having a DVD to accompany the disc is definitely a cool addition to this live album. The footage definitely looks like crap, but this is almost 15 years old was from a time before DVD’s were such a big part of the scene. Like I mentioned before, I’ve never been a huge fan of Integrity but this is definitely a collection that I can sink my teeth into and I totally see how much of an impact these guys have had on hardcore. Heavy hardcore might not sound like it does today without Integrity, it’s that simple.

Versus the Mirror-Home
(Equal Vision Records, 2006)

From the biography I was honestly expecting Versus the Mirror to be a bit more original then they may come across as, but there is no denying that this is indeed a powerful record. With an analog recording, and no distortion on the guitars, the band definitely has a different take on the screamo or melodic hardcore genre, but it still does fit within the genre. The one comparison that somewhat comes to mind is Alexisonfire, but without the singing and with a bit less obvious songwriting. The songs aren’t dictated by big choruses, and nothing against big choruses, but it is sometimes nice to hear songs that don’t have an obvious chorus. I really like the interplay between the two guitars. It seems like there is rarely ever a time when both guitars are playing the same thing. There is also some very cool use of delay in a few sections. Musically the band doesn’t really take any big chances. There are melodic guitar lines, a lot of harmonies, and wall to wall screaming. I like the fact that the band hasn’t added in clean vocals. Sometimes I like to just hear shrieking from start to finish. While the band doesn’t reinvent the genre, this is a piece of music that draws from both the beautiful side of music as well as the ugly. It’s engaging without being obvious, which is truly a rare thing right now in music.

Zyklon-Disintegrate
(Candlelight Records USA, 2006)

Zyklon have really pushed the boundaries of death metal with this release. Samoth’s involvement in Emperor really seems to have instilled a need to be original when playing metal. Sure this is a death metal album, but the use of melody in the riffs really sets this apart from most death metal, as does just the sheer depth of the songwriting. The melody gives the music a slight black metal feel, but at the end of the day this is indeed a death metal album. There are definite nods to Morbid Angel, and possibly even Deicide in a few small instances, but as a whole Zyklon is quite original. The sheer heaviness is startling, but even more startling is just how catchy they manage to make death metal. The vocal lines are usually very catchy, and the band even manages to use varying degrees of growling. These are far from cookie monster vocals, instead using a very powerful vocal style that is best described as a roar. This is the type of album that totally brings back my love for metal. Each song has riffs that just make you go “fuck that rules.” And if those moments don’t get you, just the sheer memorable nature of the songs will stick into your flesh like the hooks in the final scene of Hellraiser. This my friends is what death metal should sound like in 2006.

Jupiter Sky-Don’t Forget
(Textbook Music, 2006)

You know just when you think that you have heard everything from a genre along comes a band that totally blows you away in ways you didn’t think possible. Jupiter Sky really took me by surprise and their style of melodic rock is really something to behold. Comparisons could possibly be made to the Deftones, but these guys are coming from more of an indy rock background I would say. There is definitely an emphasis on melody here, and while this is easy on the ears, there is definitely a maturity to the songwriting. These aren’t just three minute pop songs about ex-girlfriends. This is complex, driving music that just happens to be melodic. The band has a good grasp on dynamics and the songs feature quite a few buildups. There is also a bit of subtle technicality I would say. There is a lot going on within the music, but it’s more subtle in the form of layers or possibly just something as simple as the bass playing something slightly different. This is an album that definitely takes a few listens to sink in, and it is definitely not an album that you will mind listening to multiple times. For fans of the Deftones or possibly even Glassjaw this comes highly recommended.

Dreams of Damnation-Epic Tales of Vengeance
(Say It In Blood Records, 2006)

I love thrash, it’s that simple. There is just something about fast guitars, loud vocals, and that damn thrash drum beat that really strikes a nerve with me. Dreams of Damnation play fucking thrash the way it was meant to be played. The band is raw and fast enough to peel your face off, but still very catchy. This album marks the debut of new vocalist, Leona dP Valencia. I think people might unfairly compare the vocal style to Arch Enemy, but musically this really isn’t very similar to Arch Enemy at all. Sure the vocalist is a woman and it’s a harsh approach, but this is much better then anything Arch Enemy has released in a really long time. I’m a little disappointed that this is basically only 6 songs as the opening song is an instrumental. Despite the length, this is pure gold from start to finish with one breakneck song after another, with few slower breaks along the way. Fans of the previous album from this band will find the band even faster and breakneck now, which I’m sure is a change that all thrash fans will not mind.