JUROJIN – THE LIVING MEASURE OF TIME
Majestic Elder Recordings
10th May 2010
This self release can quite possibly be THE self release of the year! Each member of the band is truly magnificent, see them live and you will see for your self. They’re even that good that rock violinist, Anna-Phoebe, has hired them as her backing band, in return she also occasional features in a few songs with them live. As a full band the heavier stuff has strong power chords and riffs but then striped down a level to acoustic and my word, they will blow you away! Again, this is mimicked in Anna-Phoebe’s band, along with a part time tabla, Sim, player for both groups.
So the album starts with an intro that appears to warm us up for what is about to ensue, though you’re not entirely sure what will come next. Well, it’s a drum fill intro to The Scars, a fast paced hard rocking track with a melodic and catchy chorus and riffs, proceeded by the equally rocky track, The Liar. Perhaps worth noting at this point that for the album the band recruited Heights and TesseracT drummer, Jay Postones, with whom I had the pleasure of seeing them play together back in mid 2009. Since then until mid 2010, having now recruited a full time drummer, Francesco, the band have being playing a string of acoustic shows around London.
So here is where the album turns so beautifully into acoustic and indian. Proem breaks right down with delicate harmonies, total chill! I even love that you hear the vocal count in a gap. The Winter is kind of a heavy chill, if that could exist, and fits perfectly in the middle of the album. The Equinox brings us back to acoustic and tabla and smoothly brings us back to heavy, a beautiful mix of both in one track and a perfect display of the skill and quality of bassist, Yves. We are then left with one of my favourite songs of 2010, The Dreaming. Everything about it is good; gentle power, strong vocals, heavy riffs, and the most magnificent 2 minute soft ending – like a dream.
★★★★★ Album of the Week, 11/05/10
The Launch Pad – TotalRock, 04/05/10
Four Wheel Drive – Big Fat Betty
Kiss – I wanna Rock n Roll All Night And Party Every Day
Alice In Chains – Check My Brain
Black Spiders – St. Peter
Jurojin – The Scars
Slash – Nothing To Say
Soulfly – Rise At The Fallen
Eighties Matchbox B-line Disaster – Psycho Safari
Stone Circle – The Puzzle
Here There Be Monsters – Trojans
Aghast – Bang To Rights
Monuments – Admit Defeat
The Launch Pad – TotalRock, 27/04/10
cKy – 96 Quite Bitter Things
The Cumshots – Punchdrunk On Death
Mustasch – Heresey Blasphemy
Soulfly – Rise At The Fallen
Here There Be Monsters – Trojans
Avenged Sevenfold – An Epic Of Time Wasted
Atreyu – Right Side Of The Bed
Chimaira – Down Again
Trivium – Entrance Of The Conflagration
The Agonist – Cry Of The Banshees
Swashbuckle – Cruiseship Terror
The Armed – Party At Pablos
Opeth – Bleak
The Launch Pad – 27/04/10
Soufly – Rise At The Fallen
Slash – Nothing To Say
Stone Circle – The Puzzle
Ghosts I Mirrors – Again
Here There Be Monsters – Trojan
Queens Of The Stone Age – Make It Wit You
The Cumshots – Punchdrunk On Death
Mustasch – Damn It’s Black
The Danger Zone – TotalRock, 27/04/10
With special guests Wormrot
Aerosmith – Love Me Two Times
Blind Faith – Had To Cry Today
Lynryd Skynryd – That Smell
The Eagles – Hotel California
Mountain – Mississippi Queen
Foghat – Slow Ride
Boston – More Than A Feeling
Fleetwood Mac – The Chain
Queen – Bicycle Race
King Crimson – 21st Century Schizoid Man
The Rolling Stones – Honky Tonk Woman
Pantera – I’m Broken
Slayer – Angel Of Death
Machine Head – Imperium
Despised Icon – Furtive Monologue
The Dillinger Escape Plan – Babys First Coffin
The Armed – King Breaker
Wormrot – Born Stupid
Napalm Death – Scum
Rotten Sound – Targets
Carcass – Pungent Excruciation
Wormrot – Fuck I’m Drunk
Slipknot – People = Shit
Wormrot – Operation Grindcore
Pig Destroyer – Thought Crime Spreee
Leng Tch’e – Cockporn
Bleedng Through – Anti-hero
Meshuggah – Shed
Wormrot – Sledgehammer
SikTh – Skies Of The Millennium Night
Opeth – The Grand Conjuration
The Hell Drive – TotalRock, 26/04/10
With special guests Joan Ov Arc
Aerosmith – Attitude Adjustment
Jim Kerr – Shadow Land
Reckless Love – Basass
Powerman 5000 – Show Me What You’ve Got
Girlschool – Hit And Run
Rock Godess – Heavy Metal Rock And Roll
Ozzy – Let Me Hear You Scream
Bleeding Through – Anti-Hero
The Runaways – Cherry Bomb
Cancer Bats – Sabatage
Hole – Celebrity Skin
AFI – Beautiful Theives
Kittie – Charlotte
FM – Flamingo Road
Inner Eden – Throat Slitting Bitch
Heart – Barracuda
Belladonna – Till Death Do Us Part
Ghost In Mirrors – Again
L2 – Mr Intornity
Joan Ov Arc – Take It Out
The Ramones – Surfin Bird
Joan Ov Arc – Seeds Of Summer
Frank Zappa – Zombie Wolf
Judas Priest – Breaking The Law
The Launch Pad – 13/04/10
Cradle Of Filth – Honey And Sulpher
Slash – Watch This
The Cumshots – Bitter Erection
Swashbuckle – We Sank Our Battleship
Aerosmith – Mama Kin
Slash – Nothing To Say
Airborne – Blonde Bad And Beautiful
Finntroll – Under Bergets Rot
Soulfly – Rise At The Fallen
The Dillinger Escape Plan – Chinese Whispers
Slash – Doctor Alibi
The Launch Pad – TotalRock, 06/04/10
Satyricon – Now, Diabolical
Slash – Watch This
Mustasch – Tritonus
The Armed – Hail Troglodon
Opeth – The Lepper Affinity
Soulfly – Rise At The Fallen
The Dillinger Escape Plan – Gold Teeth On A Bum
Mr Bungle – Retro Indigo
Monuments – Admit Defeat
OPETH – BLACKWATER PARK
27th February 2001
Music For Nations
Originally released just shy of ten years ago, this highly acclaimed album displayed a change in style from the band aided by Porcupine Tree’s Steven Wilson, who produced the album. In March 2010 it was re-released with extras.
The album must have had such an impact when it first came out as for me right now it does not sound aged and is beautifully stunning. The music is epically chilled and fused with heavy riffs and tones. Essentially though, I should let the music do the talking because this album talks for itself. It speaks so well that even if I put it on in the background, I end up having to just sit and listen. So without a doubt, it’s easy to give Blackwater Park…
★★★★★ Album of the Week, 06/04/10
Djentlemans Lunchbox – TotalRock, 03/04/10
With help from Maz Star and PJ and special guests The Safety Fire, Pin from SikTh/Alliases/Within The Void, TesseracT, no consequence, The Arusha Accord, Once A Wolf, Textures and Chimp Spanner.
Death – Leprosy
Cynic – Veil Of Maya
The Dillinger Escape Plan – 43% Burnt
Spiral Architect – Insect
The Safety Fire – Sections
SikTh – Suffice
Tool – Schism
TesseracT – Concealing The Fete Pt.II
Meshuggah – Shed
Opeth – The Grand Conjuration
No Consequence – Age Of Fear
Jurojin – The Scars
The Arusha Accord – Nightmares Of The Ocean
Cyclamen – Djent
Once A Wolf – Primeval Atom
Periphery – Zyclot
Textures – Regenesis
Animals As Leaders – Tempting Time
Chimp Spanner – Bad Code
Monuments – Admit Defeat
MNEMIC – SONS OF THE SYSTEM
15th January 2010
Nuclear Blast
I love this album! It kicks of with the title track, Sons Of The System, which takes us on a journey through the sound of melodic industrial metal – without being a mess what so ever, even the fade out doesn’t put me off. Diesel Uterus then chugs in almost in complete opposition to the previous catchy soft guitars. But then the track does a number of 90 degree turns between more catchy, then back to heavy, and back again, and back again – its great! The Erasing has a great recurring electronic tri-chord – very demonic sounding and the album has a kind of evil tone throughout, mixed with catchy rhythms and strong vocals. Thirteen solid tracks to rock out to, Sons Of The System also makes a good album for driving to!
★★★★✩ Album of the Week, 30/03/10
The Launch Pad – TotalRock, 23/03/10
Spoken – Time After Time
Deftones – diamond Eyes
The Armed – Gave Up
Rob Zombie – What?
Mnemic – Diesel Uterus
Chimp Spanner – Harvey Wall Banger
The Safety Fire – Sections
Once a Wolf – Primeval Atom
Periphery – Buttersnips
Animals As Leaders – Tempting Time
Finntroll – Under Bergets Rot
Pantera – The Art Of Shredding
CHIMP SPANNER – AT THE DREAM’S EDGE
12th April 2010
Basick Records
If Bill & Ted did metal; this would be it! The whole album oozes feel goodness with happy scales and melodies. Chimp Spanner is not only the brain child of Paul Ortiz, Chimp Spanner IS Paul Ortiz! He wrote and recorded the entire album thus concluding he is the living trinity of tech metal; Father, Son and Holy fuck what is this?!
The thirteen instrumental tracks flow smoothly throughout, sewn together with lovely polyrhythmic chugs. Even with thirteen tracks, due to the continuity the album flies by and thanks to the uplifting ambience, At The Dream’s Edge doesn’t get monotonous. But, just incase you feel its getting that way, midway through comes the thumping Harvey Wall Banger.
A must have buy for all tech, progressive and metal fans and a safe buy for those looking to broaden their minds.
★★★✩✩ Album of the Week, 23/03/10
The Launch Pad – TotalRock, 16/03/10
Queen – Headlong
Mustasch – Damn It’s Black
Deftones – Hole In The Earth
The Cumshots – Like Pouring Salt On A Slug
Shining – The Madness And The Damage Done
Finntroll – Slagbroder
Once A Wolf – Primeval Atom
Chimp Spanner – Harvey Wall Banger
The Devils Blood – I’ll Be Your Ghost
The Agonist – And Their Eulogies Sang Me To Sleep
Kid Klumsy – True Believers
The Armed – Party At Pablos
Swashbuckle – Rounds Of Rum
Shining – Blackjazz
18th January 2010
Indie Recordings
Well you can probably say every now and then that an album blew your mind, but have you ever said an album fried your brain?
Shining started off life as a jazz band and have now progressed into a vortex of metal, drum & bass and jazz featuring elements of black metal and punk and basically what ever they like. As you can probably imagine, Blackjazz, is one scary mess but it actually works pretty well. If you happen to like Pendulum and extreme metal I think you may like this album.
Shining have somehow come up with this crazy potion and it’s mind blowing to watch. To listen is indescribable. You do, however, have to be in the right mindset to listen at home, otherwise it just won’t work. But when listening in what ever mood it is that you need, it’s pretty stunning and you get rewarded with a blinding cover of King Crimson’s 21st Century Schizoid Man.
★★✩✩✩ Album of the Week, 16/03/10
The Launch Pad – TotalRock, 09/03/10
With special guests Aghast
The Cumshots – Bitter Erection
The Agonist – The Sirens Song
The Safety Fire – Asphasic
The Dillinger Escape Plan – Pig Latin
Vallenbrosa – Small Town Blues
Alternative Carpark – Deity In Exhile
Swashbuckle – Cruiseship Terror
Mustasch – Heresy
Slayer – Reign In Blood
The Danger Zone – TotalRock, 09/03/10
With special guests Aghast
Aerosmith – Nine Lives
AC/DC – Big Balls
Queen – Crazy Little Thing Called Love
Iron Maiden – The Trooper
Mountain – Mississippi Queen
Foghat – Slow Ride
Supertramp – Breakfast In America
The Eagles – Hotel California
Toto – Africa
Styx – Suite Madame Blue
Lyrnryd Skynryd – That Smell
Guns N Roses – Live And Let Die
Led Zeppeling – Stairway To Heaven
Pantera – Cemetry Gates
Killswitch Engage – Life To Lifeless (Live)
Avenged Sevenfold – We Come Out At Night
Caliban – The Beloved And The Hatred
Atreyu – Right Side Of The Bed
Sepultura – Roots Blood Roots
Lamb Of God – Laid To Rest
Mudvayne – Dig
SikTh – Hold My Finger
Once A Wolf – Primeval Atom
No Mad Sense – Elico Moieties
Skindred – Pressure
DevilDriver –
The Safety Fire – Spoilage
Aghast – Bang To Rights
The Crown – Blitzkrieg Witchcraft
The Smoking Hearts – George Street Wrestling
Van Halen – Why Can’t This Be Love
Def Leppard – Photograph
THE SAFETY FIRE – SECTIONS [EP]
8th February 2010
Instant eargasm! The Safety Fire please me most immensely. Math metal displayed at its best coming from the uprising scene in the UK of tech bands.
In honesty, musically I cannot fault this band at all, but I had a problem getting past the vocals. There is much intensity and pure raw passion behind the lyrics which (to me) came across more hardcore sounding, and i’m not a fan of hardcore. So this was an awkward position to be in, I decided that there would be a point in which it would click and I would get it and fully feel the band as a whole, most likely live. This opportunity then became available. Unfortunately the gig fell on the night of my show, meaning I would only catch half the set, even worse the gig was running half an hour late, meaning I caught 2 minutes.
Well it turns out this band is amazing live, within 30 seconds it clicked. Seeing how much effort vocalist, Sean, puts in along with the explosion of energy displayed from the rest of the band, it would be hard for anyone not to get sucked in.
The tracks on the album display the most excellent ingredients; noise, melody, confusion, harmony, slow pace, soul, twiddly, chug, speed and djent!
Word is that the debut album has even more unified direction and the vocals are more polished. Imagine how many stars that will get, because this one has…
★★★★✩ Album of the Week, 09/03/10
The Launch Pad – TotalRock, 02/03/10
Bad Company – Feel Like Making Love
Kiss – Love Gun
Swashbuckle – Cruise Ship Terror
Periphery – This Sentence Is False
The Safety Fire –
Once A Wolf – Primeval Atom
SikTh – Bland Street Bloom
Second Skin – Is This How Far We’ve Come
Threat Signal – Beyound Recognition
The Launch Pad – TotalRock, 30/03/10
Finntroll – Under Bergets Rot
Mustasch – Damn It’s Black
Scar Symmetry – Noumenom And Phenomenon
Sonic Syndicate – Burn This City
Mnemic – Sons Of The System
Deftones – Diamond Eyes
Slash Ft. Dave Grohl & Duff McKagan – Watch This
Soulfly Ft Greg Pucatto – Rise To The Fallen
Chimaira – Secrets Of The Dead
Tyr – Hold The Heathern Hammer High
Heart – Barracuda
The Launch Pad – TotalRock, 23/02/10
Vice Squad – Punx United
Between The Buried And Me – Fossil Genera
Green Day – Jesus Of Suburbia
No Made Sense – The Epilanic Chorghai
Swashbuckle – Rounds Of Rum
Chimaira – Implements Of Destruction
The Launch Pad – TotalRock, 16/02/10
System Of A Down – Sugar
Rob Zombie – The Man Who Laughs
The Armed – I Steal What I Want
Aerosmith – Jaded
Rage Against The Machine – Wake up
Trivium – Slave New World
The Safety Fire – Spoilage
Threat Signal – Through My Eyes
Coheed & Cambria – Ten Speed
The Devils Blood – Evermore
Lynryd Skynryd – That Smell
ROB ZOMBIE – HELLBILLY DELUXE 2
2nd February 2010
Roadrunner Records
Noble Jackals, Penny Dreadfuls And The Systematic Dehumanization Of Cool is the title given to Hellbilly Deluxe 2, the fourth studio album from Rob Zombie. Interestingly the album was actually completed in late 2008 and recorded for the first time with a ‘band’ rather than a rotation of session musicians as on previous albums. I think this shows through out the album with a sense of direction and a common goal.
The album actually starts off at a steady pace, with the track Burn released on the game ‘Rock Band’. It’s not until track three, Sick Bubblegum that some hard rock reaches out and says something. In this case a repetition of Mother F*ck*r that for me, doesn’t seem so obscene and flows easily with the riff. What?, the first single released from the album, follows with a catchy pop rhythm and melody. Although a video has not yet been made for this, Zombie has made sure the artwork with the album is his best yet, using it as a full stop at the end of the CD era, giving way to digital sales.
Each track gives us different intros, such as acoustic in Mars Needs Women, that famous sampling in Werewolf, Baby! and doom in Virgin witch. The Man Who Laughs is an epic 10 minute symphonic rock track, though that does include a four treated to a minute drum solo! This still only brings this album to 45 minutes but listening through the album I felt satisfied at its conclusion and I thoroughly enjoyed the album.
★★✩✩✩ Album of the Week, 16/02/10
The Launch Pad – TotalRock, 09/02/10
Sonic Boom Six – Jericho
Swashbuckle – We Sank Our Battleship
Rob Zombie – What?
The Safety Fire – Spoilage
Tatrafusion – Dark Matter
Sepultura – Ludwig
Mustasch – Damn It’s Black
Scar Symmetry – Noumenom And Phenomenom
Joe Walsh – Lifes Been Good
Presidents Of The United States Of America – Video Killed The Radio Star
Aghast – Bang To Rights
MUSTASCH – MUSTASCH
8th January 2010
Nuclear Blast
Hard, punchy, wailing and chuggy; this album pleases my ears. I am unaware of the bands previous 4 albums so I just had no idea of what to expect from these Swedish rockers.
The doomy symphonic Tritonus (Prelude) briefly kicks off the self titled album leading the way for Heresy Blasphemy, 4 minutes of dirty heavy rock with a filthy voicebox worthy of replacing Slash in Guitar Hero. A quick favourite from the album is Desolate, a disjointed track repetitive through out, yet hypnotic from the repetition. This track also displays a good working partnership with dual guitaring and a snazzy gypsy kind of ending. I’m Frustrated is a completely different direction altogether, an easy listening slow paced ballad complete with strings and acoustic guitars. Tritonus returns for the finale like a tale told in epic rock form. We are then treated to an extra track instrumental version of the single, Mine.
For lovers of rock, this album will be very cosy in your collection!
★★★✩✩ Album of the Week, 09/02/10
The Launch Pad – TotalRock, 02/02/10
Fei Comodo – Behind Bars
Baroness – A Horse Called Golgotha
Terakai – What Was Once Light
Rob Zombie – What?
Mustasch – Frustrated
The Armed – Party At Pablos
Swashbuckle – Rounds Of Rum
In Flames – Metaphor
Fieldy – Song For Chi
The Agonist – Thank You, Pain
The Devils Blood – Christ Or Cocaine
Pantera – Five Minutes Alone
Cobra Starship – The Church Of Hot Addiction
We Are The Ocean – Nothing Good Has Happened
THE ARMED – THESE ARE LIGHTS
Well if the fact that this album is free isn’t enough for you to get it, the fact that it is ace should be! Straight away Party At Pablos kicks you in the face swiftly followed by Kingbreaker. I can only think to describe this music as hardcore/tech/metal, they say it “Sounds Like: Yelling”. In the first five minutes you are exposed to brutal fast paced beats and twiddly riffs, but this Detroit band actually have a few tricks up their sleeve in the form of a kind of slow jazz instrumental, I Steal What I Want, some thing that starts off almost indie/pop moving into Nine Inch Nails, Gave Up, and a light atmosphered sampled interlude moving into something like ‘Come To Daddy’. Short but sweet, 30 minutes of twists and delightfully fast tempo beats and guitars.
★★★★✩ Album of the Week, 02/02/10
You can download the album for free now at www.thearmed.com
Between The Buried And Me – The Great Misdirect
27th October 2009
Victory Records
Quite simply; BTBAM fans will not be disappointed, new listeners will be amazed. This album is a masterpiece that excels the previous five albums.
Six well constructed masterful tracks of progressive, technical, blasting, screaming, harmonising, melodic, soulful riffs, melodies and solos that grace this latest release, The Great Misdirect. Chuck in the odd catchy pop melody, hints of spaghetti and peaceful breakdowns, then with those all important Zappa style progressive scales you can get a good idea of what this band are all about, if you don’t already know.
To be honest, only having six tracks, they all stand out. But my favorite without a doubt is Fossil Genera – A Feed From Cloud Mountain. Over 12 minutes of technical progressive metal. I really can’t add anything more about how amazing this album is! So go catch them on tour with Lamb Of God and buy the album that will certainly be a high contender for album of the year (although it was actually released last year).
★★★★★ Album of the Week, 26/01/10
The Launch Pad – TotalRock, 25/01/10
Imperial Leisure – I’m In Love With The Landlords Daughter
Between The Buried And Me – Swim To The Moon
The 69 Eyes – Dead N Gone
Volbeat – Hallelujah Goat
Black Label Society – Beserkers
Sonata Arctica – Flag In The Ground
Cancer Bats – Deathmarch
The Armed – King Breaker
Periphery – Zyglrox
The Devils Blood – Queen Of My Burning Heart
The Launch Pad – TotalRock, 19/01/10
Dead By April – Loosing You
Between The Buried And Me – Fossil Genera
The Agonist – The Sirens Song
Baroness – The Sweetest Curse
Frank Turner – Once We Were Anarchists
Sonata Arctica – Flag In The Ground
Devil Driver – Knee Deep
Sylosis – Conclusion On An Age
THE AGONIST – LULLABIES FOR THE DORMANT MIND
Century Media
23rd February 2009
Wow, instantly you are presented with a full force of drums, an amazing contrast of heavenly and sick vocals and brutal melodic riffs. Alissa’s ability to be able to switch between clean and scream so flippantly is astonishing.
The album kicks off with The Tempest (The Siren’s Song; The Banshee’s Cry), no doubt a tribute to their formal pseudonym. There is a great section towards the end of the track with a lovely sounding melody on the bass. Following this is the first single form the album, …And Their Eulogies Sang Me To Sleep. The false start unprepares you for a brutal dosage of blast beating awesomeness. Some how The Agonist manage to get harmonious vocals to work well over the top of this, though I guess that would not be too dissimilar to some symphonic black metal, my ears are just not used to it with metalcore! And is there a horse in outro?! This is then followed by current single, Thank You, Pain, both videos can be viewed on their MySpace.
Waiting Out The Winter sets a pace on a different step, though if you skip forward to Swan Lake, yes it really is that, but in the form of layered vocals in ‘a cappella’. Absolutely stunning to say the least. The entire album displays tight brutal beats like a bashing machine and strong melodic chuggy fast paced riffing. Concluding the album, Chlorpromazine puts the cherry on top with the drumming from Simon being excelled further with an array of beats. The sound of The Agonist excites me, well written and structured and tight as hell, of course, without a doubt the must stunning feature being the vocal talents of Allisa.
★★★★★ Album of the Week, 19/01/10
The Cumshots – Just Quit Trying