Black Anvil – Triumvirate
Black Anvil has given us a decent collection of songs with a genuine spin that can only reflect positively on the new wave of black metal in North America
Reviews
Place of Skulls – As a Dog Returns
Let’s put it this way: if you’re expecting a true doom record from one of the masters, you will be disappointed.
Postcards from NatalieZed: Set #6!
Hellbound readers, we’re sure that by now you are all familiar with our Natalie Zed, right? Natalie was our big grand prize winner way back in January, taking home more than 50 CDs + and shortly after she received her huge box ‘o CDs, Ms. Zed asked us over at Hellbound HQ if we’d be interested in running reviews of her winnings if she did postcard sized reviews of the albums. How could we say no?
Well, with her last installment (reviews #41 – 48 for those keeping stats at home) Ms Zed actually finished up her prize and has now started to review newer CDs. So, without further adieu here is part 6 in what Hellbound likes to refer to as “Postcards From Natalie Zed”…
Invasion – Orchestrated Kill Maneuver
I’m not familiar with Invasion but I want to be! This album is pulverizing right out of the gate. Sonically, it’s intense and to a degree, even a little painful! Intercut with news reports from WWII, Orchestrated Kill Maneuver is brutal and unrelenting.
From The Archives: AC/DC Live Review From 2009
I originally wrote the following review for Exclaim! and it appeared in their February 2009 issue. I thought it would be a good accompanying piece to Adrien’s AC/DC book review that we posted today…
AC/DC: High-Voltage Rock ‘n’ Roll: The Ultimate Illustrated History, by Phil Sutcliffe
“Written by veteran British music writer Phil Sutcliffe, High Voltage Rock ‘n’ Roll follows the model set by the Jim DeRogatis book on the Velvet Underground: a good sized, hard-bound book crammed with extensive essays and a plethora of band photos and memorabilia. However, seeing how a) we’ve already seen numerous AC/DC biographies come along over the years, and b) the band put out an illustrated coffee table book as part of last year’s Backtracks extravaganza, just how essential is Sutcliffe’s volume?”
Adrien Begrand reviews AC/DC: High-Voltage Rock ‘n’ Roll: The Ultimate Illustrated History, the new book by Phil Sutcliffe
James LaBrie – Static Impulse
Static Impulse was definitely crafted very carefully; there is an attention to detail that many bands these days (and more so artists putting out solo records to stretch from their band a little) just don’t get. Again, the album sounds like it was recorded by a band, the song writing is excellent and all the musicians put in a terrific performance. Labrie and Guillory have definitely outdone themselves this time.
Baptized In Blood – s/t
The first record gave me a lot of reasons to listen to it time and again. This new record gives me reason to let it collect dust. The best songs here are from the indie release, so there’s no need to spin the new one if you own the first album, and if you don’t I suggest you track it down and buy it.
Earthride – Something Wicked
While the influence of Maryland doom is clearly present, Earthride slogs along the swamplands of such straight-ahead sludge-metal outfits as Crowbar and Weedeater at its best, and a ballsier, tone-deaf BLS at worst.
Melechesh – The Epigenesis
One of the roles of music is to transport the listener to another place. On Epigenesis you could literally pick any track, close your eyes and be transported to the Mediterranean/Middle East just by subtle musical nuance.