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BURNT BY THE SUN Burnt By The Sun is a much lauded metalcore outfit
hailing from New Jersey, and their 10 tracks of audio mayhem are testament
to why the band's being heralded as the next best thing in the extreme
music world. Yes, they will crush you the way we expect most Relapse
bands to do, with pummeling guitars ("Dow Jones And The Temple
Of Doom") and rhythms that make The Weather Channel run for cover,
but there's a lot more to BBTS than what typical band of their genre
have to offer. BBTS also has an incredible feel for groove, and they
disperse this feel amongst their mammoth deathcore musings ("Famke")
to keep you on your toes and in awe throughout. Any God-fearing metalhead
that likes it intricate and intense will find none better than Burnt
By The Sun. And that's a promise. CARRION Carrion is a Rhode Island-based metal outfit whose
four song offering shows a band with many different sides. One minute
they carry on with nu metal swagger, complete with layered vocals
and deep rhythms that evoke Kilgore and Deftones ("Ownership"),
while the next, they flex their acoustic muscle and bring the mood
down to the campfire ("Try Again"). With this kind of versatility,
the sky's the limit for Carrion, if they continue to mix their tried
and true metal stomp ("Save") with some experimentation. GLENN KUCHENBEISER Glenn Kuchenbeiser is no stranger to the world of heavy
music; his previous project, Capstone, was a Midwestern favorite for
many years on the metal circuit. Now on his own, and audible via a
three-song sampler, he has not lost a beat and actually has broadened
his horizons. Mixing a So-Cal nu metal mix that'd make Korn look twice
("Dying Inside") along with some swamp rock browbeating
that evokes something a la Jerry Cantrell ("The Moment"),
Kuchenbeiser's flawless guitar work complements his stellar songwriting.
A great new beginning for a seasoned musician coming into his own. KARMA TO BURN Our favorite mute rock and rollers come back out swinging
with another 10 tracks of instrumental gold. Nope, we're not talking
about Zamfir here, it's West Virginia's favorite sons, Karma To Burn.
And they are still pumping out the finest hard-rocking, titled-only-by-number
boogie rock anthems that have no words, but have soul as if Al Green
and Lajon from Sevendust were harmonizing on them. Imagine Metallica,
COC, Clutch and Sabbath in the woods, armed with enough food for a
month and a stage to play on, sans microphones, and that's the output
this trio amplifies us with. For a raging slab of feel-good heavy
stomp and roll flavored with the bravado of Southern rock, Karma To
Burn's Almost Heathen is one you must own. Rifle rack and Confederate
flag sold separately. HOOBASTANK Hoobastank is cute enough to be a boy band, but don't
let the swooning teenage females fool you: This California quartet
is an infectious rock force. The 12 tracks that comprise this oddly
named outfit's debut are decisively '90s rock oriented, complete with
heavy handed riffs meshed with harmonious vocals and killer choruses
("Remember Me," "Hello Again"). And while the
comparisons to fellow statesmen Incubus can be on the mark in many
instances ("Let You Know," "Better"), Hoobastank
has enough depth to not only follow a path well traveled, but also
add their own distinct footprints on the trail ("Running Away,"
"Ready For You"). Hoobastank is a great band with a terrible
name that will defy all of your pretenses of what California dreaming
is all about. THE TASH BROTHERS The Tash Brothers are a NYC-based outfit that banded
together to cut an impassioned three-song demo that has many ties
and reflects on the attacks suffered on 9/11. Their heartfelt output
is laden with melodies a la John Cougar ("Where You Been So Long")
and contains some of the finest female backup vocals heard in rock
today. With a tinge of country twang in their classic rock mix, The
Tash Brothers seemingly unite the spirit of a broken city through
the gift of music, and part of the CDs proceeds go toward The New
York Daily News fund as a sign of remembrance. IN AETERNUM In Aeternum's latest release is a greatest hits of
sorts, but these songs were never hits per se, as much as they were
metal opuses able to crush your cranium and leave you in a hapless
heap of humanity by the side of the road. Oh, and they also do not
one, but two heavy metal cover tunes (Venom's "Countless Bathory"
and King Diamond's "Abigail"), in addition to 12 other tracks,
in a surefire attempt to give you the most metal for your money. More
bang-your-head for the buck? You bet. HIMSA Southern California's Himsa is a hardcore band in many
senses of the genre, yet they have a lot more to offer the average
hardcore listener than pit-style madness, although they are as adept
as any band in that aspect. Featuring guitar runs that have a Slayer-esque
feel and some of the most technical musicianship this side of Swedish
death metal (#2), Himsa envelopes your ears with a unique blend of
choppy hardcore riffs that will have you swinging windmills. Imagine
the brutality of Strife with the chops of Snapcase, and Himsa's vision
becomes clear; let their musical machine destroy your illusions of
what a hardcore band should be. DISASTER STRIKES Imagine Black Flag, Fugazi and DRI in a political science
class, and the Massachusetts-based punk/hardcore quintet Disaster
Strikes, the bastard child of such a concoction, is born. Ten songs
that hit such topics as workers' rights, misappropriation of funds
and a general contempt for the government are all here. And the music,
chaotic in a Suicidal Tendencies kind of way at times ("Fire")
and paying much homage to the early crossover sounds of punk and hardcore,
hits just as hard as an elbow to the jaw. The band even goes so far
as to compile a reading list of notable books they enjoy, and thinks
you should, too. If that's not direct marketing, then nothing is.
For a dosage of the truth served with a fist to the mouth and a middle
finger in the air, check out Disaster Strikes. BURNING INSIDE Burning Inside is a metal supergroup of sorts, as the
10-track release boasts members of Iced Earth, Control Denied, and
Demons And Wizards. And while this journeyman quartet have cut their
teeth and honed their craft in those aforementioned bands, they collectively
bring it up a notch on this collaboration, by adding dabs of finesse
to their death metal brutality ("Resurrection And Revenge").
It's this kind of technical excellence, from the odd time changes
and ominous keyboard interludes to the shred guitar work ("Carnage
Remains"), that sets Burning Inside apart from the rest of the
death metal contingent. WATCH ME BURN The California-based Watch Me Burn is as intense as
any band can get, and their female-fronted death metal assault is
as potent as any. But, they don't stop there; this quartet of miscreants
utilizes samples and sound effects to further their dynamic blitz
on your sensory system. Their songs are short, sweet and, most of
all, loud … so brace yourself for a wild ride. REALM Hailing from a land where metal reigns supreme comes
the Queens, N.Y.-based Realm, whose five tracks of melodic metal harkens
back to the days of Dio, Manowar and other metal luminaries. With
strong religious and spiritual imagery in their lyrics, backed by
a brazen guitar assault ("Rest In Peace") and a solid rhythm
section holding it all down, Realm are in prime position to spread
the good word through their anthemic mix of old school metal. |