VÖ: 2006

Genre: Psychedelic Rock

Label: Light In The Attic

Herkunftsland: USA

Für Fans von: Spacemen 3, Post Vietnam Music


Tracklist:

01. Young Men Dead
02. The First Vietnamese War
03. The Sniper At The Gates Of Heaven
04. The Prodigal Sun
05. Black Grease
06. Manipulation
07. Empire
08. Better Off Alone
09. Bloodhounds On My Trail
10. Call To Arms

Zitat:"Fire for the hills, pick up speed, and let”™s go..."

The Black Angels don”™t play experimental folk. They don”™t live in Toronto or NYC. They don”™t wear multiple and/or white belts. Pitchforkmedia.com as not written glowing reviews of their music and I can”™t find much written about them on NME or tinymixtapes. Yet, somehow, their self-titled ep climbed into the top 30 of the College Music Journal”™s chart and they play packed shows all across the country. They accomplished this by doing something fewer and fewer bands are doing these days – rocking.

The Black Angels play a fiery version of psychedelic garage rock with a sense of immediacy and impending doom. From the first line on the record (see quote above) until the 18 minute climax of the final track, we are given a feeling that not only are things not alright, but that they could collapse into chaos at any given second. The world is a dark, evil and frightening place littered with war, isolation, loneliness, despair, and the Angels are our tour guides warning us of what fate has in store.

While their music is not truly revolutionary or groundbreaking, it isn”™t boring or unimaginative by any stretch of the imagination. The guitars shift between dark bluesy riffs, low rumbling drones and swirling, soaring walls at times pushing the limits of tone. The percussion is as thundering as a death march, forcing you along the musical path whether or not you want to go. Mesh that with organ flourishes, tambourines, and what is only described as “the drone machine” and you get this slowly moving, ever changing tapestry of sex, violence, and loss that will suck you in and leave you empty.

The truly hypnotic aspect of this record comes from the vocals. More spoken and chanted than sung, Alex Maas folds you in, warms you up and keeps you mesmerized. His voice crawls inside your head and pulls you closer and closer; forcing you to look at the pictures he paints of pointless war, loss of innocence, distance from loved ones, anger, frustration and hope. You fall under his preacher/shaman spell and can”™t look away even if you want to. I don”™t even want to get into how captivating it all is in a live setting”¦

Somehow, Passover feels like both a relic from the 60s as well as a modern rally cry for all generations. Perhaps we should listen.

Zitat:On their second LP, these Austin-anchored psych-rockers amp up the voltage on the lysergic electricity fuelling their sunbaked motorcycle jams. Directions to See a Ghost keeps its feet firmly planted in the great American traditions of the chemical-fueled road trip and its closest confidant, the two-chord firestorm. The more straightforward, heavy blues-rock elements of the Black Angels' previous releases have molted away, leaving a sonic soldier ready to enlist in the drone-psych army alongside the Velvet Underground, the 13th Floor Elevators, Red Krayola, Spacemen 3, and the Psychic Ills.

As an Austin native, I've often wondered what it is about the Texas climate that has induced not only The Black Angels but also everyone from the 13th Floor Elevators to Stars of the Lid to drench their clangy guitars in such hypnotic outer-space reverberations. Is it the heat? The shimmer of mirages on an asphalt horizon in August? The warm throttle of a motorcycle engine underneath an endless arid blue sky?

Whatever the reason, the tradition of Texas psychedelia is on full display on this record, whose greatest strength is that it plays out less like a collection of songs than one epic snakewinding track, very well sequenced, in which the steam generated by high-gear stompers gets a chance to dissipate in incense-laced bliss-outs. The gorgeous fury of amplified drone kicks in from opening menacer "You on the Run" and triumphantly doesn't let up--it gets sped up, slowed down, inverted and transformed enough that although the tracks are at times difficult to discern from one another, the album never feels like it gets caught in a sonic backwater.

It's actually such an effective interplay of difference and repetition that I'm even willing in this case to overlook the occasional sitar appearance. (Guys, we get it, you like psych rock and you kick serious butt at it.) More amusingly, however, and in case the record's Roky Erickson injections are over your head, amid the swirling Sister Ray-organs of "Never/Ever" there's a bit of wanton electric jug piping, just like in the Elevators.

In short, this is the creative peak of the Angels' output to date. Its muscular confidence and stylistic purity make it a must-listen for the psychedelically inclined, as well as an easy candidate for one of the best records of the year.

VÖ: 2008

Genre: Technical Brutal Death Metal

Label: Prosthetic Records

Herkunftsland: Kanada

Für Fans von: Ion Dissonance, Despised Icon


Tracklist:

01. Condemned
02. Reign Of Terror
03. Our Common Grave
04. Harvest Of Hate
05. The Wasteland
06. Bitter
07. No Future
08. Lithium Overdose
09. Tharsis
10. Never More
11. Procreating The Infection

Spielzeit: 32:23

Zitat:After a remarkable debut EP, Evidence of Inequity, Montreal based Beneath The Massacre signed with Prosthetic Records in 2006 and it definitely marked the appearance of a strong player on the techno/brutal death metal scene. It has not even been a year since their previous album, Mechanics of Dysfunction, and Beneath The Massacre are back with a new smashing release. The have been evolving their sound and Dystopia bears a strong hardcore influence, that will not let you sit still through any track on the album.

The first track, ”˜Condemned”™, gives no mercy with teeth-grinding riffs and extremely technical, almost brutal runs by guitarist Christopher Bradley, complete with powerful vocals by Elliot Desgagnés. You”™d better be ready, because the long-time-hit candidate ”˜Reign of Terror”™ follows and this is where you feel that Beneath The Massacre have actually changed and for the better: the breakdowns are amazing and right in their place. After you dig ”˜Our Common Grave”™ you have 10 seconds to catch your breath during an industrial/ambient concept track. Make sure not to miss the amazing solo on ”˜Bitter”™. This is all solid listening material up to the last track, I can”™t point out one weak song on the CD. Dennis Bradley (bass) and Justin Rousselle (drums) show excellent skill on this somewhat diverse album.

The main theme is the sick world we live in and the brutal strive for a change, the lyrics give you quite a lot to think about. The release seems to have it all: brutality, heaviness, skill, variety and”¦ intelligence. I have to note the overall sound quality, thumbs up to mastering and sound engineering. A unique combination of techno/brutal and hardcore elements will keep you focused from beginning to the end. You may find restraining yourself not to start head banging on the spot.

VÖ: 2008

Genre: Death/Grind/Crust

Label: Epistrophy

Herkunftsland: Deutschland

Für Fans von: Napalm Death, Bolt Thrower


Tracklist:

01. Schuld
02. Krieg
03. Was Ist Die Wahrheit?
04. Kaputt
05. Schmerz
06. Panzer
07. Der Letzte Schrei
08. Schwarz / Weiß
09. Deutsche Im Dübelwahn
10. Gier
11. Erwachen
12. Babylon
13. Normal
14. Zeit Zu Gehen

Spielzeit: 38:37

Zitat:Die Hannoveraner AUDIO KOLLAPS sind 1998 aus der Asche der Punk-Band Recharge hervorgegangen. Seitdem haben sie zwei Alben und ein paar Split-CDs / LPs herausgebracht. Und seit Anfang September könnt ihr euch nun das dritte Album der Old School Death / Crust / Grind- Band beschaffen.

Es ist eine Freude sich "Panzer" anzuhören. Da schiessen einem fast die Freudentränen in die Augen! AUDIO KOLLAPS schaffen es eine wunderbare Mischung aus Crust, Punk und viel Old School Death und ein kleines bisschen Hardcore zu erschaffen. Hinzu kommen noch die intelligenten Texte, die endlich mal wieder etwas aussagen. Man nehme noch ein bisschen perfekten Sound und fertig ist ein verdammt tightes Album! Ich muss ganz ehrlich sein: man muss zu "Panzer" nicht viel schreiben: eine Mischung aus Benediction, Bolt Thrower und alten Grind / Crust- Helden und das auch noch wie sie im Buche steht.

Fazit: Wenn ihr die neue Benediction-Scheibe geil findet oder überhaupt auf die oben genannten Bands, dann solltet ihr euch auf jeden fall diese Scheide wenigstens einmal anhören. Oder am besten gleich kaufen. Ihr werdet es nicht bereuen. Das so eine recht junge Band (zumindest für das Genre) so ein verdammt gutes Album veröffentlicht ist der Wahnsinn! Also anchecken und kaufen....aber dalli!!!

VÖ: 2008

Genre: Melodic Death Metal

Label: Lifeforce Records

Herkunftsland: Deutschland

Für Fans von: Heaven Shall Burn, Fear My Thoughts


Tracklist:

01. The Moribund Choir vs. The Trumpets Of Armageddon
02. Martyr To Science
03. Slaughter”™s Palace
04. The Brave / Agony Applause
05. Deathrace
06. Fire At Will
07. Seal Slayer
08. Manifesto
09. Dying Breed
10. Altruism
11. Temple Of Love

Zitat:Mit ihrem im September 2007 veröffentlichten Werk "Wolves" stellten Deadlock aus Regensburg und Leipzig bereits eindrucksvoll unter Beweis, dass technisch vorgetragener Death Metal, eine gehörige Portion Brachialität und darüber hinaus durchweg melodisch gehaltene Refrains mit epischen Proportionen durchaus unter einem stimmigen Ganzen vereint werden können. Mit ihrem dritten Album "Manifesto" zeigen Deadlock nicht nur, dass sie bereits mit "Wolves" am Ziel angelangt waren, sondern auch, dass sie durchaus noch in der Lage sind, ihre musikalischen Stärken weiter auszubauen. Noch übergangsloser und selbstverständlicher wirkt das Wechselspiel der brachialen Death Metal-Passagen und der von Sabine Weniger vorgetragenen Refrains. Mit "The Moribund Choir Vs. The Trumpets Of Armageddon" eröffnet der deutsche Sechser "Manifesto" mit einem Techno-Intro, bevor dessen Melodie dann mit dem brutalen Opener "Martyr To Science" erneut aufgegriffen wird, nur wirkt dieser in seiner Brachialität derart erschlagend, dass man sich inständig fragt, woher Deadlock anno 2008 diese Wucht nehmen. Erst in den Refrains wird den Songs diese Wut genommen, und Sabine Weniger tut das, worauf sie sich bereits auf "Wolves" bestens verstand: Sie erschafft melodische Gegenparts zu den Strophen und bestückt die Kompositionen mit einem unerhörten Wiedererkennungswert. Mit "Deathrace" ist auf "Manifesto" sogar ein waschechtes HipHop-Interlude zu finden, das sich – man mag es gar nicht glauben - ideal in den musikalischen Kontext einfügt.
Mit "The Brave Agony Applause", "Seal Slayer", "Dying Breed" und schließlich "Altruism" haben Deadlock zweifelsohne ihre bislang technisch versiertesten und zudem brutalsten Songs geschrieben, welche die Band nun endgültig zur Bekanntheit von Bands wie Heaven Shall Burn und Caliban sollte aufschließen lassen, auch wenn diese nur bedingt als Vergleichsgröße dienen sollten. Die schier erschlagende Produktion von Jacob Hansen (Mercenary, Volbeat, Heaven Shall Burn) tut dabei stets ihr Übriges und rundet das mehr als überzeugende Gesamtwerk dieser begnadeten Band stimmig ab. Beeindruckender kann die musikalische Entwicklung einer Band nun wirklich nicht verlaufen.