Author Archive

Reviews

Album Review: CRYPTOPSY – Cryptopsy

Cryptopsy

Cryptopsy's reputation has been in a constant state of flux over the last 4 to 5 years and since the dust only recently has settled from the controversy of the band's last album, The Unspoken King, they have a lot of damage control to do. Fans might hope for a call back to the golden days of vocalist Lord Worm and the band's first 2 albums Blasphemy Made Flesh and the classic None So Vile, perhaps something like the band's more recent output sans the album that was already mentioned. So what do we get with this comeback album that the band has self-released? For one of the few things in Montreal that has a surefire answer that isn't the NHL lockout; Cryptopsy has actually accomplished something of merit.

(more…)

Bummer Alert

Remembering DEEP PURPLE Keyboardist Jon Lord (RIP 1941-2012)

R-I-P-Jon-Lord-deep-purple-31487811-500-325

Whenever I relive my childhood and the times I spent with my father in his pickup truck and all the times I heard the overplayed 'Smoke On The Water'; I will always remember Deep Purple. Little did I know that the band was much deeper than one of their shallowest of numbers; the depth of this particular purple was quite unparalleled. At first listen the iconic vocals of Ian Gillan and guitars of the incomparable Ritchie Blackmore hit you; but with repeated listens following this you would realize that Deep Purple had something to set itself apart from most of their crowd; Black Sabbath and Led Zeppelin did not have keyboards, and they most certainly lacked someone of Jon Lord's ilk. The hammond organ became a staple of hard rock and metal music because of people like him and here a few reasons why. (more…)

Reviews

Album Review: DYING FETUS Reign Supreme

Dying Fetus - Reign Supreme

Maryland death metal stalwarts, Dying Fetus; return with their 7th album Reign Supreme which follows their last effort Descent Into Depravity nearly 3 years ago. Constant touring has not dampened this band's fire as they seem to be more popular than they have ever been. Having recently seen the band perform at Maryland Death Fest I can assure their live show and fans make for a fun and interesting site as well. More of the same sounds from the Fetus this time around as you will have your slow lumbering technical numbers and some excellent riff heavy songs with hooks aplenty. John Gallagher and company have been busy and the fruits of their labor show just that.

(more…)

Reviews

Album Review: MUNICIPAL WASTE The Fatal Feast

municipal-waste-the-fatal-feast-waste-in-space-

Crossover thrash is a genre that can be traced back to Join The Army era Suicidal Tendencies and the very obviously titled Crossover by party mongers Dirty Rotten Imbeciles. This is the main impetus for Richmond Virginia's Municipal Waste and what we get this time is a new label (Nuclear Blast) for the band's 5th album, and the same ol' Waste. I happened to catch the band at The Irish in Kearny NJ as one of their select few tour dates. After this they were about to start recording the new album; the day after that show. So here we are nearly 9 months later and the fruits of their labor now in front of us. (more…)

Black Metal History Month

Essential Black Metal Listening: MERCYFUL FATE Melissa

Mercyful Fate - Melissa

Where would black metal imagery be without the excellent album Melissa? Quite simply not the same place that it currently stands, that much is very true. Melissa was instrumental in the well thought out realm of the occult; and not that front that Venom had originally put up. This was something more legitimate, with a band more than capable of absolutely outplaying just about every heavy metal band of it's era, let alone any era. Kim Petersen's (King Diamond) first full on foray into the world of heavy metal was through this debut album from a few very disturbed, yet very intelligent Danes. It's great to see it mentioned as being one of the seminal "black metal" albums but to pigeonhole it as simply black metal is just wrong. This is much much more than that… (more…)

Black Metal History Month

Essential Black Metal Listening: MASTER'S HAMMER Ritual

Master's Hammer - Ritual

The first wave of Black Metal is almost always associated with the Scandinavian peninsula, but there were so many things going on in the crazy and small world that several bands tended to have similar ideas at the same time. Master's Hammer are a Czech band with plenty of great black metal sound; theirs is one rich in the tradition which Quorthon started in 1984. While Venom are forefathers in name Bathory gave the genre more legs than had been previously available and the sound spread much more quickly than either Cronos, Quorthon, or the Norwegian scene could have ever imagined. (more…)

Editorials

A City On Flame With Rock 'N Roll

Sound Station Bob

Friends are people with whom you can share a laugh, talk about important topics, share some great ideas over excellent music. This is one of major examples of what you can get at a family run, independent record store; a close knit community where like minded individuals come together to experience one of the things they all love, the music. I being a local to Central NJ, had Sound Station of South Avenue in Westfield NJ; the very place was music and because I shopped there I became immersed in everything the store had to offer. From friendly fellow customers to the ever fantastic store owner Bob Larsen; I became a part of something larger than the physical music housed within it's humble walls. This however currently remains a memory… (more…)

Quick Bits

The Art Of The Heavy Metal T-Shirt

Heavy Metal T-Shirt

Heavy metal fashions come and go, hell some things can be seen as major fashion faux pas; whatever be the case most can agree that the t-shirt (90% of the time being black) is the de facto staple of metal shows. I have called into question the credibility of people who force the issue with over the top vests, patches, buttons and the high tops circa 1986; these things are really from another time period and metal as a whole; while remaining partially the same, has changed a great deal.

(more…)