Category: Reviews – Audio
Glorious metal in all its earthly forms, compressed onto shiny plastic discs or into digital files. Which ones will become the soundtrack to your life?
-
Ministry – From Beer to Eternity
By Bill Adams For the last thirty-two years, Al Jourgensen and Ministry have been the purveyors of a fine form of subversive songwriting which has regularly pulled the rug out from under the genre they were working in at that moment. Be it electronic music or metal, the wit and subversive bent of the music…
-
The Lion’s Daughter & Indian Blanket – A Black Sea
By Gruesome Greg Holy Nine Band Members, Batman! I’m not sure if there’s a classical term for a nine-piece band (novtet?), but that’s how many faces appear in the band photo on this album, a collaborative effort between St. Louis sludge squad The Lion’s Daughter and folksy Americana outfit Indian Blanket. No, this is not a split—it’s…
-
The Melvins – Tres Cabrones
By Bill Adams It might be a little late in the game to try and call what The Melvins have done on Tres Cabrones a mid-life crisis. The average age of the band’s members is around fifty – no one tries to call that mid-life with a straight face – but there’s no denying that…
-
Godhunter/Anakim split
By Gruesome Greg Ten minutes of Arizona sludge brought to you by the fine folks at The Compound. Godhunter kicks things off with “Vulture’s Wake,” a rough, ragged basement-quality recording that sounds very much in the NOLA vein, complete with Kirk Windstein tough-guy vocals. Anakim airs things out a little with “The Whimper of Whipped Dogs” showcasing some…
-
Drawers – Drawers
By Gruesome Greg Sure, there’s certainly no shortage of silly European band names, but Drawers!? If you’re going to name yourself after furniture, at least adopt the Swedish moniker they give it at Ikea (that would be Helmer, in case you’re wondering) to avoid sounding like a pseudonym for underpants. Boy, we’re not off to…
-
Hexer – Hexer
By Matt Hinch This fall Gilead Media released the eponymous debut LP from Hexer. Actually, each side consists of their previous two cassette releases, Cassette 1 and 2 respectively. With new art by vocalist Ansgar and a remaster by Adam Tucker at Signaturetone Recording, Hexer is one vicious slice of wax. The most striking aspect…
-
Cokegoat – Vessel
By Gruesome Greg Truth be told, I was drawn to this Chicago sextet by their bizarre moniker, along with the promise there was doom to be found on this, their debut album. I’d say that if anything, the band’s name suggests frantic, buzz saw black metal—as opposed to a handle like Weedeater or Bongzilla, which just…
-
Ashes of Ares – Ashes of Ares
By Jason Wellwood When Matt Barlow left Iced Earth the last time, I thought he had retired from music for good. Needless to say, I was very excited to hear that he had returned with a band of his own, featuring former Iced Earth bassist Freddie Vidales and ex-Nevermore drummer Van Williams. Given the past…
-
Behemoth – The Satanist
By Danielle Griscti As a tenth album, Poland’s Behemoth offers longtime fans and new listeners The Satanist. This collection of nine tracks is both instantly recognizable as the work of these blackened death metal legends, and a new and distinctive entry into their already impressive and worthwhile catalogue. Their 2004 monster Demigod was one of my…
-
Axeslasher – Anthology of Terror Vol. 1
By Matt Hinch Earlier this year Denver/LA thrashers Axeslasher teased us with the “Mark of the Pizzagram/Invasion of the Babesnatchers” single. That was to become the lead track(s) on Anthology of Terror Vol. 1. But we had to wait months before the 6+1 song release actually surfaced. What an agonizing wait. Turns out the adage…