Yeah, yeah that time again. What with my reluctance to go out and buy new albums (well, perhaps not reluctance, just the fact nothing released so far has taken my interest, with the exception of Blacktusk, Foxy Shazam, Charlottefield and some others, previously mentioned here) I’ve turned to reviewing the humble CD that Rock Sound gives away every month. Read on….

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Meshuggah – Combustion

Pronounced ‘Me-sssshhhhoooooooooggggggaaaarrrrrrr‘ (possibly) deliver some extremely technical guitar-mind fuckery and inhumanly good drumming. These 4 minutes and 7 seconds pretty much shit over every other metal band I’ve heard recently. Good work. *Listens again.*

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Time To Burn – Emma Peel

Draining the joy out of a room like an industrial vaccum on super-suck, Time To Burn (who are possibly not the blues cover band I found on google) mix some nice doom-laden rock, rasping vocals and some quite elegant breakdowns – kind of like the end of the world, but more fun.

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Genghis Tron – Board Up The House

*air-keyboards along with the opening slavo of synthesised noise* – holy moly! It’s like Dillinger trying to play fairground songs on a Casio! The vocals are somewhat lost in the wave of blast-beat terror, but the rambling outro is a fine example of quality electronic music spliced with an almost prog-flavouring.

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The Mae Shi – Hlllyh

This is ok…the beginning of the song is pretty weak to be honest, but around the 2 minute mark it all starts to go completely insane (the drums sound like they’re fighting the guitars for control of the song) – but in all, it evolves into quite a nice punk track – from a damp squib to a firecracker!

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Airbourne – Blackjack

The fact Airbourne’s album is entitled ‘Runnin’ Wild’, it should give you an accurate indication of their sound. Cock-rawk “yeeeeeeehhhhaaaawwww-crazy guitar solo” rock ‘n’ roll that sounds like it was recorded 20 years ago. Still, the vocalist has a fair set of pipes on him.

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Farewell – Zelda

sigh.

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The Audition – Edinboro

Congratulations The Audition! I didn’t think there was a band who could sound worse than the steaming pile of horse shit known as Farewell, but you’ve achieved it! WOO!!!!111ONES!

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Plastic Toys – Tonight Only

Confusingly distorted garage punk with the kind of atmospheric effects you’d associate with Manson. However, it’s let down by the vocalist’s King Adora impression, which is not only bad, but brings back memories of that band’s existence. Ew.

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Arson Anthem – Hammer Them Out

YEH MAN THIS IS MORE LIKE IT! WADDDYAA MEAN THERE’S NO TUNE, IT’S JUST THE SAME RECYCLED FUZZY RIFF WIITH THE KIND OF DRUMMING THAT SOUNDS LIKE IT’S BEEN RECORDED IN A BISCUIT TIN?

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Kingdom of Sorrow – Lead Into Demise

You’d think Jamey Jasta of Hatebreed would show some diversity on his side-project, Kingdom of Sorrow instead of opting to slope down the same pathway of ‘riff-chugga, chug, weeeeeeeeeee chugga chug, weeeee‘ eh? They say stick to what you know, so it obviously works for him. Basically, it’s classic “breed, but slightly louder and slower.

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Romeo Must Die – Who Died And Made You God?

I’m really not having much luck this month am I? Rock Sound needs to step up its game a bit. Anyway, file this under painstakingly average metalcore that’s been done about a billion times before and guess what? It was boring then, and it’s still boring now. Next!

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Biomechanical – Fallen In Fear

Okay, the beginning is actually insane. It sounds like the start of the Unreal Tournament title music fed through distortion pedals! Viciously theatrical metal, that almost out-does Meshuggah in the heavy stakes. Also, incredible guitar-solo during the 2 and 3 minute mark – that’s the kind of stuff to make your fingers bleed if it appeared on Guitar Hero 15.

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Bloodjinn – Inhale Exhale

“Come….play my gaaaaaammmeeee…” oops, wrong band. Bloodjinn’s vocalist is obviously not worried about speaking much when he’s older and given up the life of a rockstar – the way he screeches on this track, I’m concerned his vocal chords are going to snap and twat me in the face. Shouty-thrash/hardcore that brings nothing new the table, but is still pretty competent.

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Winds of Plague – Angels of Debauchery

If Winds of Plague don’t sing about Warhammer or Tolkein books I’ll eat my shoes. *Puts CD on.* YES! My trainers are safe. A self-proclaimed ‘Lord of the Rings death metal hardcore band’ – freakin’ excellent. I’ll be buggered if I know what their vocalist is saying (difficult through the burbling low roars) but this is genius.

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Between The Buried And Me – Sun of Nothing

11 minutes? You can take a running jump sunshine. I know people who rave about BTBAM, but I just don’t see (or hear) it really. It sounds like one of those mix cds your metal-loving friend makes you, and to show their diversity, they slap into some ambient noise, flamenco, a touch of jazz and a dash of emotion rock. What I’m saying is, this is a mess – like getting a nice bowl of soup, only to have some chump pour pick “n’ mix and monster munch into it.

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Links

See above, I’m going to watch The Shield.

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By Ross Macdonald