Category Cd Reviews

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Orpheus are a heavy metal band from Trondheim in Norway. This album is their debut album, and was released in parts of Europe in 2009 but is now finally receiving a long overdue UK release thanks to Femme Metal records.

The album kicks off with ”Fuck me over”, a slice of classic metal with vocalist Ingrid Galadriel singing how she wants someone to ”fuck me over and leave me dying”.

”Peepin’ Tom” is another great track. The song starts off with a slow instrumental section with some excellent guitar work, and once the main part of the song kicks in, that contains some great guitar riffs and the vocals are also good.

”Mr Manipulative” starts off with an awesome scream from vocalist Ingrid Galadriel before the solid wall of sound from the guitars kicks in and she reverts to her normal singing...

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”Melody and Malice” is the fourth (and final) compilation album released by the UK’s Femme Metal Records. As with previous releases the album is aimed at making money for charity – the charity being helped here is the NSPCC (National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children), so its a great cuase, but the question is whether or not the album is good too.

The short answer is yes it is. This is a great compilation of songs by female fronted bands from around the world. Firstly you have songs by big name bands – Arch Enemy, Lacuna Coil & In this moment, songs by established but smaller bands including Amberian Dawn, Sarah Jezebel Deva and Kittie, and songs by smaller up and coming bands.

The songs are not all the same style of music – the only real common factor is the female vo...

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Escape Music/Border

Glen Bridger started playing guitar after hearing VAN HALEN, when he was in his teens. Though awarded a baseball scholarship he decided to go for a music career. Learning from magazines he found work with Kansas City´s top bands, e.g. HEAD EAST. This new venture features powerful singer Terry Ilous of XYZ, keyboard player Sam McCaslin of MICHAEL SCHENKER and CARMINE APPICE fame, plus fellow HEAD EAST bass player Greg Manahan, plus a certain Danzoid on drums. Additional musicians include JK Northrup, Larry Hart (MONTROSE, KING KOBRA), Eddy Jones of HEAD EAST and Pat Fontaine of XYZ has supplied lyrics.

The MR BIG echo in “Tuesday Afternoon” makes for a cozy opening. Perhaps not a roaring thunder but a softer and well played start...

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Earache/Sound Pollution

California´s RIVAL SONS seem universally hailed as the hottest new band around in 2011. Classic Rock Magazine even bowed to them, as did the German Rocks Magazine. Groove, soul and confidence, honesty and danger, all that is supposedly incorporated in the band´s sound, and those are indeed key ingredients for most of the surviving rock greats. RIVAL SONS has released an album at their own expense, “Before the Fire”, and a digital EP, before ending up in the spotlight. Is there enough fire in them to keep them there? Time to release Messrs. Jay Buchanan, vox, Scott Holiday, guitars, Robert Everhart, bass, and Mike Miley, drums.

Have you ever heard ATOMIC ROOSTER without the Hammond? Try “All Over the Road”, which has all the stamina of DuCann & Co, but without...

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MDD/Sound Pollution

Japanese thrashers RIVERGE are not latter day followers, but 1985 originals themselves. Back in the day they released a few demos and singles, and toured with the likes of OUTRAGE and SABBATH before calling it a day in 1988. Their creative break actually lasted till about now. Four guys and one girl, can´t tell who´s who by their names, but here goes some Old School Bay Tokyo …or?

Shoji Nakamura´s vocals haunt opener “Thought Free”. Their punk roots shine through, with a dash of early ANTHRAX. The vocals make me sick though. The drums courtesy of Katsuyuki Matsumoto equally haunts “Till I Die”. I must confess to only enjoy three tracks, the forceful “Stavish Charge”, and the no less frantic “Hungry Child” and “Dual Attack”...

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Hand (or as they prefer to spell it, hAND) bill themselves as a ”3-piece Progressive Alternative/Gothic Metal band”. I’d describe them as a 3 piece prog band. There’s definitely little here to describe as metal.

I have to admit I’ve seen hAND play live a few times and I’ve never been impressed – as a live band they really dont do anything for me. On album though its a different story. They arent alone in this – Opeth make great albums but I and many people I know, find them immensely dull as a live band. On an album all the subtleties show clearly when live they may not, and this makes a huge difference.

”Breathing” is the second album from Hand (they’ve also released two EP’s)...

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Napalm/Sound Pollution

Swedish band DRACONIAN have released their fourth outing welcome release for the fans I believe. Their previous album, “Turning Season Within” arrived in 2008, so it has been a while. Jens Berggren at Fascination Street Studios has been turning the knobs, to guarantee an ultimate experience according to the info sheet, so what about it?

Opener “The Drowning Age” is among the best I´ve heard from the band! They are a bit harder/rougher, which suits the vocals, and there is a force they don ´t always muster. The variety of the ensuing “The Last Hour Ancient Sunlight” is also well suited, and the riff is quite simple but effective. I quite like Lisa´s voice, as well as the keyboards. There is something cozy about the DRACONIAN doom...

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Massacre/Sound Pollution

MARIENBAD was a town in former Germany Sudetenland (now the Czech Republic) that was flooded in the sixties. All inhabitants were relocated, all but twelve that refused and preferred to stay and wait for death. Quite a cosy setting for an epic depressed doomy outing like this. Masterminded by EISREGEN personnel M. Roth and Yantit, vocals and guitars/keyboards respectively, who are augmented by West on bass and Allen B. Konstanz on drums. Another thing is that you get two versions, both German and English lyrics versions are included.

Is there a difference between the same story in two languages? I believe there is. First up there is a certain vibrato to M Roth´s vocals in German that is not a s clear in English...

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Fastball/Sound Pollution

HUMAN ZOO sure stands out. Not many hard rock bands employ a saxophone player these days, or ever before. The band history starts in 2004 and comprises two previous albums, their debut “Precious Time” (2006) and the follow-up “Over the Horizon” (2007). The basic formula is simple but seemingly secure: They go for a steadfast 80´s hard rock sound, with the addition of the occasional sax. I think they have done well, sporting three albums in only five years, plus numerous gigs with the likes of THE SCORPIONS, AXXIS, KROKUS and U.D.O. The line-up has been a solid affair comprising of vocalist Thomas Seeburger, guitarist Ingolf Engler, Keyboardist Zarko Mestrovic, bass player Markus Ratheiser, sax player Boris Matakovic, and drummer Kevin Klimesch.

This is on...

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Massacre/Sound Pollution

Brian O´Connor (ex. VICIUOS RUMORS) on vocals, Ira Black (ex. VICIOUS RUMORS, LIZZY BORDEN, METAL CHURCH) on guitars, plus Fabian Schwarz and Guenter Auschrat, guitars and bass respectively, from THE NEW BLACK, this looks very interesting! Their collective experience can hardly be measured, and there is so much routine. Heavy power-tech-thrash is their game, how good can it be?

This is perhaps a little too American for their own good. There is a lot of inventive guitar work, a seriously strong voice and a fine rhythm section consisting of Guenter and drummer Timo Weiss. Fans of OVERKILL will feel at home most of the time, and there is a strong nineties vibe. But far too many songs are merely ok due to a touch of MEGADETH...