Slayer Spreads A Little Hate Worldwide With 4th Grammy Nomination

Dancing with the Devil must appeal to the N.A.R.A.S. membership, as they've gone and done it again - nominated Slayer for a Grammy Award. And the members of Slayer - guitarists Kerry King and Jeff Hanneman, bassist/vocalist Tom Araya, and drummer Dave Lombardo - are wickedly pleased.

This, Slayer's fourth Grammy nod in the Best Metal Performance category, is for the track "Hate Worldwide," off of the band's new album World Painted Blood, which offers a Slayer-ized viewpoint of our world - God's terrifying global genocide, the chaos of our broken political system, the way-too-close proximity of world horrors that technology has brought us, and a chilling hypothesis of how the rest of the world might view America. "Hate Worldwide," written by King, showcases classic Slayer hate-fueled venom spewed forth at impossible speeds - "That's why it's become my obsession/To treat God like an infection/My scars, insane/My life, profane/I deny, defy, and spread a little hate worldwide."

Released November 2, World Painted Blood has received raves from retail: the album debuted at #12 on the Billboard Top 200 Albums charts; radio: after multiple weeks at #1 on all of the major metal radio charts, the album says farewell to 2009 still firmly embedded in that #1 position; and press: according to one media outlet, World Painted Blood "recaptures the manic fury of Reign in Blood, the range of South of Heaven, and the grand scale of Seasons in the Abyss." In addition, the album was a Top Ten debut in numerous countries outside the U.S.,
including Germany, Australia, Japan, and Canada.

Nominated for a Grammy three previous times in the Best Metal Performance category, Slayer has taken the award home twice - in 2006 for "Eyes of the Insane," from Christ Illusion, and in 2007 for "Final Six," from the Christ Illusion Limited Edition release. The band's first Grammy nomination came in 2002 for the track "Disciple" from the album God Hates Us All.

Slayer will kick off Twenty-Ten co-headlining the North American American Carnage tour, marking the first time that Slayer and Megadeth have shared a U.S. stage since 1991's epic "Clash of the Titans" tour. The 26-date trek kicks off January 18 in Seattle, WA.

Veins Iced Over

“Veins Iced Over” is trying to make it in the music business, which is almost impossible, and yet they are going to release a four-disc concept trilogy. Obviously they have total faith and passion behind their band. It shows not only in the music, but also in the energy that you can literally feel pouring from every song. Started in alligator alley in Tampa Florida, the band has quickly become well known in metal circles. Obviously these guys have been influenced by old school metal, Iron maiden, Judas Priest and so on. Drawing from these huge metal gods which, in my opinion, were and are the epitome in the genre. The array of input and influences also come from Pete Blakk from King Diamond and some Crimson Glory.

There debut “The awakening” had so many quality tracks that to pick one would be hard, however, “Purgatory" stood out for me. I was always a fan of Judas Priest and it has the same quality as his great songs have. Not to mention, the heavy power chords that have you humming for days. Another track that had me hooked was "Unholy” the second song off their debut “The Awakening." If you are a fan of metal you will have this cranked all the way up to 11. Vocally, Voz has a great range and can hold his own with the sweet riffs and heavy lyrics.

If you’re looking for a dose of old school metal that will take you back to the day when Iron maiden and King Diamond ruled the world and the airwaves, you need to go out get a bottle of Jack Daniels and some beer, get your ripped up jeans on and crank it.

Veins Iced Over is fast- paced, not in the thrash school, but more in the pure classic metal school. These guys have some serious rocking to do, so go buy “The Awakening” and get with the program.

Hatebreed, Trivium, Cannibal Corpse, Chimaira, Unearth, etc. @ The Palladium

Written By: Dave Brooks (D-Bro) and
Tim Bannock (T-Ban)

Los Angeles - 11/28/09

See all of the show pics here.

D-Bro: Did anyone ever think that you could walk into 3 corner stores on Hollywood Boulevard, THREE! corner stores, and not find any J Dizz? Unbelievable. Turns out that the prolonged liquor journey got us to the show at the exact right time. No sooner do I order a plain Coke ("I'm the designated driver, ::cough::"), take a piss, un"cock" the J Man and get to the stage, Unearth come out wanting to destroy the place. But, that's every night. Did I ever tell you that Unearth story? Yea. This one time......

T-Ban: There are two things that don't make sense to me. The first is that an all-ages metal festival has to start at 2PM, which is just ridiculous. The Palladium's a big place and has a lot going for it, but there's no venue that's going to keep my interest from that early in the day to the wee hours of the night. Not that an all-ages show goes to the wee hours, because you gotta respect the curfews of all the 10-year-olds with mohawks and ripped shirts of bands older than they are. The second is that you'd put Cannibal Corpse on the bill for an all-ages show. Cannibal Corpse! I'm not talking about censorship, I'm just saying that this band is just too funny for most kids to get. People don't realize how deeply that band's tongue is buried in it's cheek.

D-Bro: It's in between bands and I need to get my drank out of my dick. I hit the stall and think to myself "How much liquor could I really fit underneath my dick?", "What do you charge for a shot of liquor that's been tucked under your nuts?" and "How much money could I make as a Bathroom Bartender?" Eghh. The overhead would probably all go to hand sanitizer. It's the photo pass swap and I get to the verrrry front to enjoy the show close as shit, I mean, take pictures. Chimaira are the bomb. I think singer Mark Hunter was surprised to see a "photographer" banging that hard in front. What's funny, is that the sound up that close was awesome. That sound dude, I tells ya... ::shakes fist::

T-Ban: So we set out for this 2PM metalfest sometime around 4PM, just in time to miss a bunch of local bands and arrive for Unearth, one of my Boston-area favorites. I actually hadn't kept up with these guys too much, and let me tell you, that's been a big mistake. I skirted my way into the photo pit as these guys opened up a blazing set; only to have every single goddamned security guy get in my way and ask me for my pass. I mean, I had to walk past a dozen of these douchers; can't they just take the short mental leap and realize that I got in using a pass? In and out of my pocket the pass went, and finally, I just got the hell out of there. At any rate, the guitar-work absolutely rocked, but the sound tech couldn't figure out how to mix the bass drums, so much of the band's sound was drowned out when the double bass came crashing in. A pity, considering this band's raw talent. The circle pit they incited more than made up for the follies at the soundboard, luckily.

T-Ban: Chimaira took the stage, and Dave was off with the photo pass! Now here's a band that can kick your ass from 20 yards out. Yet once again, Captain Craptasticles at the soundboard ruined it; the sound was muddier than a Venom album, ruining the discord that Chimaira so adeptly sows with their music. I swear that if I ever find the tech guy at the Palladium, I'm going to totally sic some big bruiser on his ass (I'm not tough enough to do anything about it myself, but I'll hurl insults as I run away).

D-Bro: After having to hear the tail end of Chimaira's set horribly disfigured. It seemed appropriate to me and Jacky D. that a talking to was in order with this sound guy.

D-Bro: "Hey, the double bass is too loud. You gotta turn it down"

Sound Guy: "I'm the lighting guy!"

Lighting Guy: "Sound guy is over there!"

D-Bro: "Oh"

- Walk over to the actual sound guy -

D-Bro: "Hey, you're mixing the double bass too loud. You can't hear the guitars."

Sound Guy: "There's no guitar playing"

(note: Cannibal Corpse was in the midst of their mic check. So, presently, there wasn't.)

D-Bro: "Ha. That's funny. But seriously, Chimaira and Unearth...you couldn't hear the guitar. The double bass was too loud."

Sound Guy turns and talks to someone else, ignoring me. I realize that this is going nowhere and leave with class.

D-Bro: "Turn down the double bass! You suck!"

And then you couldn't really hear Cannibal Corpses guitars unless they did a pinch harmonic. What the fuck?!?!

D-Bro: No matter for Cannibal Corpse. They'll just headbang their way out of it! I did try to keep up with the singer at one point. My windmill lasted roughly 20 seconds. It really seemed like most of the people were there for them. The pit was pretty big until "Hammer Smashed Face" came on. Then it EXPLODED and pulled me in. OK, I punched a guy in the kidney to get in. It was sort of too big. I showcased my moon walking and Riverdance skills for the ladies only to realize the "ladies" are guys with long hair. Why couldn't I have liked shitty pop music?

T-Ban: The unequivocal highlight of the night was Cannibal Corpse. I don't even really like this band's music, but oh my! How they have their schtick down to a SCIENCE! Yeah, that's right, all capitals. As Dave can attest, the growling George "Corpsegrinder" Fisher was headbanging and circle-whipping his neck with total abandon for the entire set. He even challenged the audience to keep up, saying, "...But you WILL fail." And he was right. All 20 girls in the packed audience screamed like Beatles fans back in the 60s for the song "Fucked With a Knife," and then the Corpse followed this up with a "song for all the whores," the classic "I Cum Blood." Yeah, these guys know what's what...

T-Ban: Cannibal Corpse's evil was so vile and despicable that they shut down my camera, and so the rest of the show went undocumented (in photographic form, at least). By the time the Cannibal Corpse crew were done (more than a few people called it a night at this point, too), Dave was passed out in some corner, having lost most of the blood to his head trying to headbang along with the Corpse's vocalist, and I was busy puzzling out why in the name of Saint Testiclites we didn't badger Brian Slagel (of Metal Blade Records) for backstage passes when we randomly found him amidst the crowd. The conundrum was so great that Trivium was on and off the stage before I came out of my trance, and was able to revive Dave with a special cocktail of smelling salts (i.e., the sweet smell of hard liquor).

D-Bro: What happened to the Trivium set? I apparently, went missing for a while and decided to come back at the last second. Yes, that is very much so what happened.....

The closer is coming on to crack in some craniums and I just got Hatebreeded. Luckily there's no shredding solos that you have to decipher in this awful mix. Did we say that the sound was bad yet? OK. Just checking.

It's roughly in the middle of a song and BOOM, the Hatebreed hits me haaadcaw'r. The pit get's sprayed with some Hatebreedle and it's a goddamn karate kicking contest. Whoa. I think I saw a latino Jean Claude Van Damme in there. They never hit anyone though.....interesting.... Well, they hatebreeded it as hatebreedingly hatebreedful as only Hatebreed can. I felt the Hatebreed fever in my bones for sure. Now, it's time to take a crap and smear it on the sound guy's door handles.

The Devil Wears Prada - With Roots Above and Branches Below

Written By: Jason Coldiron

Label: Ferret - Rating:

With their third studio album, The Devil Wears Prada has pushed forward in every way possible. They scream, they shred, they wail, they rock. They are a Christian metal band, but I wouldn't know from listening to this album. I am a metal fan and this is a metal album. Plain and simple.

Here are my thoughts as I listen to the album.

Track 1: Sassafras - Opening with a pause, then an explosion, this song gets things started off on the right foot. Mike Hranica and Jeremy DePoyster let the screaming and growling commence. DePoyster and Chris Rubey are on point immediately with the guitars. A mid- song melodic part is a nice change- up, before leading back into the fire. The song pauses for just a moment before going right into the next song...

Track 2: I Hate Buffering - I didn't even realize the song had switched from the first one until I checked my player. The pause was so brief that I thought it was still the same song. I love this! Keeping with this theme of transition, this song moves effortlessly from part to part. This is a very well composed song. Hranica remains on point.

Track 3: Assistant to the Regional... - Beginning with a smooth guitar intro, this song is a definite keeper, probably one of the best on the album. Double- kick bass drums by Daniel Williams provide the backbone to the fantastic guitar work and aggressive vocals. The short guitar breakdown at the 2:20 mark sets the stage for the big finish. Beautifully done! This is probably my favorite track on the album.

Track 4: Des Moines - On display here is some of Hranica's best vocal work on the entire album. He starts with a few seconds of harmony and then pounds the screaming, then right back to the harmony... and back again... and again. I would love to see how he pulls this off live. In any event, this song is all about Hranica's vocals.

Track 5: Big Wiggly Style - A balanced song featuring great vocals. The pounding drums and choppy guitars work as well. The song keeps it going and gets better as it goes along. I like the staying power it has, keeps me into it. And it ends slowly (a first).

Track 6: Danger: Wildman - Once again, just a second pause between songs. I am a huge fan of this technique. This is the third straight song with very choppy guitars. It has Slipknot written all over it (as do many of these songs). It rocks like hell, but features more harmony from Hranica. I am getting more and more impressed with his singing, not nearly as much screaming as I thought it might be.

Track 7: Ben has a kid - Beautiful dual vocals, screaming, harmony, and smooth guitars. There's a mid- song key part that sounds like the CD is skipping or something; I only know it isn't because the guitars keep going over the top. This is a nice little part and a solid song.

Track 8: Wapakalypse - Starts with chopping guitars, adds screaming and solid drums. Moves into smoother guitars and fantastic vocal harmony. The transition back and forth is great and seems to be a staple of the band. The song gains momentum and energy as it goes along, building and building. Throw in a few great guitar fills and you've got some good shit.

Track 9: Gimmie Half - It feels like this song is attempting to show another aspect of the band. Keys try to make something dynamic happen. I just don't feel it on this one.

Track 10: Louder than Thunder - Opening with keys, I am concerned. The vocals come in mellow. I think I get that they are trying to balance out the album with a couple of different songs at the end. It isn't really working for me. For my money, I'd rather see them stick to their guns and stay heavy. The song isn't bad at all, it just doesn't work for me.

Track 11: Lord Xenu - The previous song speeds up quickly and I realize that the track has changed one more time. Pumping up the volume and jumping into the screaming and pounding, I am back at home. The drums go nuts. The guitars rip, smooth out, then rip some more. As the song moves on we get some effects with the keys and guitars, which works just ok. The album ends on an uneven note.

There is definitely strength in this album. I love a lot of the vocals, guitars and drums. I love the split- second pauses between many of the songs. There are many good songs here. Unfortunately, the last three songs and the fact that the album doesn't appeal to me lyrically hurt the overall strength.

If this album ended after song 8, I'd probably be giving it three guns. As it is though, I give it two and a half guns.

Find more on The Devil Wears Prada at:
http://eastwest.ilgpress.com/thedevilwearsprada/media/#Left5
http://www.myspace.com/tdwp
http://tdwp.net/

Dir en Grey - Average Blasphemy DVD

Written By: Jason Coldiron
(Rock/Metal Editor)

Ok, so I can't pretend to have an opinion about anything related to the lyrics of this band, as they are in another language. I can, however, say that they rock like bastards out of hell. They display all the elements of trademark thrash metal, including shredding guitars, double- bass drums and heavy screaming. I don't need to know what they are saying to be moved by the music and to rock out.

When it comes to their DVD... wow... just wow. This is an incredible artistic presentation, the likes of which I've never seen before. The videos are so out there in some cases that I have no idea what is going on. I am impressed by the art. At the same time, in most cases, it is so bizarre that I'm not sure if there is even a method to it or if there's a story being told. I will go through track by track with my thoughts and observations.

Vinushka - Wicked imagery of WWII. Japanese soldiers goose- stepping. Nuclear bomb images. 12- box scrolling graphics. Shredding guitars and a lead singer in a warehouse decked out in Adidas gear. This video seemed weird until I heard and saw more of the DVD.

Dozing Green - Sweet guitar intro. The band playing and hanging out and jamming in a warehouse. Imagery of dolls being burned and cut up.

Glass Skin - An amazing CGI village, looks like a really good video game. The lead singer is topless in the snow. My girlfriend approves of this video.

Reiketsu Nariseba - A very Marilyn Manson-ish feel to this video. 50's pin- up girls. Hindu Elephants. A series of floating eyes. Lots of tongues being chopped off. Red backdrop with white spiderwebs. The music is pounding metal and kicks serious ass.

Agitated Screams of Maggots - Fish intestines morph into a half man, half woman being of some kind. A small child stomps on them and takes her schoolbag out the door. A naked claymation man wraps her up. I have no idea what this all means.

Grief - The heaviest song on the DVD. Takes place in a meat- packing plant where there are bodies hanging everywhere. Images of torturing a girl hanging on a meat rack.

Ryoujoku No Ame - An underground dungeon. Sadism. Masochism. A costume party? A coke daze? A duct- taped penis.

Cleaver Sleazoid - The singer has Manson eyes. A gigantic refrigerator. Pig- headed people. Barb wire.

Red Soil - An image of Jesus Christ. The virgin Mary. Home made machines. Hands clawing out of the earth. Armless statues of naked women. Compared to the rest of the DVD, this almost seems like a normal video.

The DVD closes with three alternate version videos of 'Cleaver Sleazoid', 'Agitated screams of Maggots', and 'Conceived Sorrow.' They are mostly just videos of the band in the warehouse.

This entire DVD is beyond weird. I don't know how to get across the strangeness of these videos. That said, I absolutely appreciate and love the artistic value of them. I love art. This DVD, while out there, is very artistic and has the background music of a fantastic metal band. I was often confused by the imagery, but not in a bad way. The way you walk around a fancy art gallery. You look at many of the pictures and have no idea what you're looking at. You don't understand all the wavy lines, etc., but you know that a lot of thought went into it. You know that it is art. You know that it is great, even if you can't fully appreciate why. I thought this DVD was great and I will watch it again at some point.

I give the video 3 guns and recommend it to anyone with the eye of an artist and the ear of a metal fan.

Psychostick - The Full-On Bush Dilemma

Interview By: Dave Brooks

DB: Who would win in a fight? Billy Mays, The Slap Chop/ShamWow Guy or Tony Robbins?

Alex: I think that Billy Mays will make the first few hits and then get very cocky, as the slap chop guy will immediately go on the defensive and try to use the classic "slap chop" move with the ridge of his hand. This will only result in him slapping Billy. At this point, Tony Robbins will recognize Billy's weakness, and grab him by the thumb, which is constantly sticking out, giving a thumbs up! Tony will then reflect on his own accomplishments and realize the importance of beating up Billy, and "Awaken the Giant Within!"

Billy will go down for the count, but not without yelling into his microphone about how well Oxyclean will clean up the blood on his shirt. Meanwhile, while the slap chop guy is slapping Tony while his back is turned, and Tony will strike! He grabs the slap chop guy's headset microphone and renders him helpless!

DB: Did you guys ever play with Devil Sticks as a kid?

Jake: Devil sticks... I never knew what they were called but I did play around with them during my dorky D&D/ Renaissance festival faze... I got good at it 'till I realized guitar was way cooler.

DB: Who's your favorite stand up comedian?

Jake: To be quite honest, it's a toss up between Bill Hicks and Mitch Hedberg. Did I spell that right? Well even if not, he is dead, so I don't think he can get mad.... or can he?

DB: What is the dumbest thing about being serious?

Jake: What a weird question. If that's a serious question... you are dumb. Is that an answer? IDK... I AM DUMB. Seriously.

DB: I ate this chick out with a full bush and it smelled like pee. How do I approach her about it?

Jake: This is a tough one... If you are concerned about her feelings being hurt, tell her to shave next time because the hair is preventing the Jedi/Ninja fellatio she deserves. If you don't care about her feelings, say "Bitch, your muff smells like piss, go take a shower and shave that hippie hat." Either way you win because A: She will have a nice clean shaven vagina for next time, or B: You never have to dive into the 'pee box' again. And I am sorry you actually went the distance with the urine smell in the first place.

DB: Make one extraordinary claim that you don't stand for and can't back up.

Jake: BEANS (the food) are perhaps the best thing to ever happen to human cuisine...

DB: Describe your dream sandwich in detail.

Jake: Easy question. The Italian Night Club from Jimmy Johns. Thank you for existing.

Iwrestledabearonce - It's All Happening

Written By: Dave Brooks

Label: Century Media - Rating:

You ever want your metal to do more than just get all metal on you? Do you think to yourself "Man, I really like this metal," only to secretly wonder if the metal is indeed greener on the other side of the metal fence? Well It's All Happening can help! You get lady screams, lady sings, impromptu jazz breaks, blast beats, break beats, breakdowns, soul passions, metalliriffings, indie dollops and techno times.

Iwrestledabearonce will also injure the young, the old and the mentally handicapped. So BEWARE! You've finally found what you're looking for, but you may get beat half to death.

Oh, nuh uh. "You Ain't No Family" :: Z Snap :: You'll turn into an orphan quickly if you try to understand what is going on here. It's heavy, it's nice. It's horrific, it's beautiful. It's scary, it's welcoming. It's experimental to say the least! You can say this about nearly every track on the album. "White Water In The Morning" follows up in similar fashion. It's weighted, it's cordial. It's disgusting , it's pretty. It's frightening, it's forgiving. "It's all starting again" screams Krysta Cameron. I know! All kidding aside, these songs kill. A little taste of whatever you fancy is just around the corner. 15-30 seconds away most likely.

There's "Danger In The Manger" and a rad keyboard line going down. I'm praying for an indie-jazz piece right now and I get it. What else could they possibly have under their sleeve? A techno beat backed piano intro? Of course! "It's Cold And There Are Wolves After Me"....I have nothing for this title. It did the work for me. A song about love lost. It is serene and pleasant with that "we just met" feel until it realizes that the end was so goddamn rough.

This track "Tastes Like Kevin Bacon". I want me some! (No homo) Death riffing into trance dance beat equals a heavy plus whammy effect gone wild. Ok, there's a harp followed by what sounds like my work's lunch truck horn. Awesome! "Who would of known?" is "The Cat's Pajamas" of an intro vocal. It works for the dance backing and the open chug. A high spot for Krysta's vocals. She takes over the entire song. Her style is unmistakable.

"Pazuzu for the Win" and "Black-Eyed Bush" are showing signs of the album shying away from its manic sound. A more atmospheric and trancey feel is noticeable. As is the missing of the heavies. Oh IWABO, where did you hide them? Could it be in that lost episode of "Eli Cash vs. The Godless Savages"? Sure is a battle for the blast beat hideout if I ever heard one. A clean interlude to dance beat to chugchug achugchug chugness. Awesome samples and keyboards take over and guide you to end of the track.

If you don't chill out, I won't "See You In Shell". Technical heavies are raining down on you. Soaring chorus lifts you up. Jazz infused interludeness pushing you sideways. I won't even get started on the Z axis! Heyyyooooo! Your stay in shell is great and you studio fade away.

Iwrestledabearonce come out with a bang on It's All Happening, but see their best stuff fade down the finish. This might come as a backhanded compliment as the less opaque songs are still pretty damn good. And good news! I have another chick in a metal band to think about for once. Morgan Lander you have been bumped aside for the moment. You'll be back baby, just stop releasing shitty metal albums girl. Hey! Don't you get all crazy with your hormotions. Don't. Krysta's range combined with the technicality and originality of the rest of the dude band makes for a formidable opponent in the metal genre (Hey, you knew going into this chick singer thing that you guys were going to be mostly anonymous. Grow up and grow some tits already, jeez.) IWABO will indeed crush and inspire you. I like this band now and if you can't deal with that, then I guess it's better that it ends this way.

If you're stalking Iwrestledabearonce, you might want to kidnap: Between the Buried and Me, Genghis Tron, Sky Eats Airplanes

Dethklok, Mastodon and Converge

Article and Photos By: Dave Brooks

View all of Dave's concert photos here.

Converge! Yea. Mastodon! Yeaaaaa. Dethklok. YEAAAAAA!

Oh man. I get to the show and quickly start to notice a trend....

That's a cool black Mastodon t-shirt, I think to myself. Wow, look at that black Dethklok shirt. Is that a black Barbie t-shirt? Goddamn! Do metal bands make any other color shirts? According to the merch booth, no, they do not.

I must have missed the memo as I show up in my gray Unearth tee.

I know why they wear all black! For when half of a gigantic Jagermeister shot (it pays to take care of your bartenders kids) drips down the side of your mouth and dribbles onto your fucking shirt! Luckily the lights are going down, Converge is getting ready to assault the stage and I'm getting too drunk to care anymore. Lead singer Jacob Bannon is an energetic force the entire set. Carrying the live performance with manic vocals, he laps across the stage with veins pumping out of his head. He does his best to stir up the crowd, but they don't seem to be interested. I couldn't figure it out... Are they waiting for..... ::rumble:: Mastodon?

I am taking this break in between bands to eagerly await my next $14 bud draft and Jager shot combo. Did I tell you about tipping well? I just drank a shot that could choke a horse. Holy shit. I plow through my beer fast enough to get back to periphery of the crowd, but you can't see shit from here and I have to take pictures too. The front of the stage is blocked by sweaty youths. My only alternative? ENTER....THE....PIT.

Fuck you, you fat bastard! ::ELBOW:: Why is a girl in the pit? ::FACE PALM:: Is that adult latino man 4 feet 11 inches tall? ::LEAPFROG:: I'm beginning to love going to shows in L.A., as I can see over nearly everyone. Jockeying for space in the front of the crowd becomes difficult as while I would normally be pushing people in the back and shoulders. I end up half punching these midgets in the head instead. Whoops. Screw'em. Mastodon are already 2 songs deep and they kick ass. Guitarist/Singer Brett Hinds is going to be a crazy, old man someday. That guy doesn't care about anything besides ripping on guitar and making sure he is alcoholically imbibed. They tear through old and new songs with ease. Bassist Troy Saunders kinda looks like he has muppet lips when he sings. Is it his beard outline or am I that drunk?

I realize that I am that drunk as I go to take a picture and get my camera knocked out of my vice- like grip. Some guy doing his best Jerry Rice impersonation catches that shit without even knowing it was coming. Insane! You had to see it.

Uh oh. I thought I might make it through a show without seeing these guys, but there they are. I run into the "I work out a lot, like to keep my shirt off, don't like to have a neck and will not alter my path to avoid contact with other concertgoer" douchebags. My kingdom for a cattle prod!

Another break in the action and I find some dude dressed up as Dr. Rockzo from Metalocalypse. Hillarious. Even got his autograph. Back to the bar? Yes. I get my usual combo and decide to check out the lounge area. There seems to be an unsecured door in the back. Oh, is this where you keep all of your beer stored Palladium? :: evil laugh :: Don't mind if I do! I spread the word to some fellow drinkers, but they arrive too late. Dethklok's opening vid has started and I am nowhere near the stage. Let's fix that shall we?

I use my trusty, get to the front of the stage, pit maneuver and I am back in action. I'm not sure what it is about this crowd, but for a bunch of sweaty dudes, you guys smell great! Lot's of good deodorant here. Dethklok is tearing it up. They have a video show behind them and the lights are lower than usual. Brendan Small is one talented dude. Handling vocals and guitar he flawlessly plays one Metalocalypse hit after the other. During breaks between songs he alternates between normal stage banter and doing characters from the show. Funny shit. A video interlude at about the halfway mark takes a jab at normal, concert procedures in comedic fashion. "Mermaider" gets the crowd chanting as the lyrics are projected on the screen. Luckily I know the song because I am seeing more than double, but less than triple. Trouble?

No. Everything is fine. I sweated out most of the booze being in the first 4-5 rows of people. Name another reviewer that gets deep in the crowd like that! The show is over and I had a blast. I'm sweaty, my back kind of hurts from the elbows and jostling, I'm tipsy and it was awesome.

Too bad for anyone that missed out that this tour is over. Get yourself out to a show and remember these 3 things:

1) Keep your fucking shirt on, you muscle-headed, no neck-having, fuck.
2) Get drunk as soon and as consistently as possible. Tipping well will accelerate this.
3) If you are in L.A., the best place to be is in the front of the stage. If you are elsewhere, you might want to hold your nose.

Awaken Demons - The Mirror

Written By: Tim Bannock

Label: Trustkill - Rating:

A mix of old-school Biohazard (more of the NYC hardcore element) and Earth Crisis (fitting, considering Karl shows up on "Drawn To Death's Door"), Awaken Demons has unleashed The Mirror, a criminally uneven release that shows potential despite some head-smackingly obvious faults. Boasting Max Cavalera-esque vocal stylings and some pretty monstrous riffs, the ten tracks on this disc will demand your attention, but may not fulfill your desires. It's not for lack of trying though, as the production values gain a big thumbs up, and the good tracks really shine.

The Mirror gains some immediate traction with the opening track, "Coming To An End" and follows through on "Drawn To Death's Door." Crazy bass drops and an excellent break down section close out this track, wreaking havoc like a fifty-foot monster laying waste to Tokyo for the umpteenth time. But then "Path of Lies" kicks in exactly where "Drawn..." left off...to the point that it's annoyingly similar. Did they plan the continuity, or did they just write the same song twice? There are some thrashier moments, but otherwise it is a copy/paste job of the previous song. Why not combine them? Toss in different vocalizations, at least? Such an early start to the questions that do not cease.

"Abandon the Darkness" is a ditty about how "I can't. Fucking. Trust you." This song does right what so much of this disc does wrong: cocky, hardcore posturing and swaggering moshpit breakdowns. It works on this track, which is fantastic, but it serves as a bittersweet moment when you discover this is the second best track on the disc, so they'll never quite get back to par (wait a few moments and I'll reveal the best track, I swear!). "World Collapses" follows, and is damn near as good as Abandon, if it weren't for the over-use of pinch harmonics and rolling riffs that we've heard everywhere else on this disc. A swift boot to the ass and Awaken Demons could turn tracks like this into something amazing, but as it stands, it feels like your listening to a band going through the motions. Good, fun motions, but it's still all just rote rehearsal.

And guess what they repeat endlessly on "Fight To Overcome." If you guessed, "I like Ball Park franks," you're a flaming idiot. They mention passingly how they don't like you, how they don't need you, and how they don't trust you. They might even tell you to fuck off. But mainly they just tell you how they're going to "Fight to Overcome." I'm guessing it's not about women's rights, so "overcome" does not refer to the glass ceiling. Wild guess: they will fight to overcome you. Or the man. Or something else equally vague. No matter how you cut it, it's nothing you can't find somewhere else, but it's sure as hell a lot less creative. (Listen to Turmoil for a more creative spin on this kind of lyrical wit. When they open a disc with "What the fuck are you looking at?" you actually feel like they just punched out your lights.)

The lyrics on "Real" are so ridiculously generic that I thought it was done with tongue planted firmly in cheek. But it definitely takes itself too seriously, because it leads into "Victim of Your Game," which is even worse. It's about the gang-like brotherhood that surrounds...metal? Gangs? Straightedge kids? Who cares? It's pretty dumb. It's like Godsmack's nine hundred songs imploring people to "stay away, get back, don't come near me." The actual line here is actually more ridiculous though: "Unite as a family, together we walk, we'll never be alone, we'll be forever true, so keep your fucking mouth shut, and get your shit out of my way." All well and good (well, no, it's cheesy as all hell), but the line flows against the music and basically sounds like a retarded white guy from Westchester, New York trying to get in good with the most badass South American drug dealers ever. To say "it doesn't quite work" is the understatement of the year.

And then there's "The Mirror," an amazing, melodic metal instrumental that completely betrays everything on this disc because it's so shockingly good. THIS is the best track on the disc (told ya I'd get to it)! It shrugs off the formulaic approach of earlier tracks, it features fantastic melodic heaviness, and smooth, fluent harmonic solos. Breathy keys overtake the track and lend beautiful opposition to the grungy open chords before moving into a stoner rock anthem. Discordant, heavily distorted notes grind out the last teeth-clenching seconds of this amazing track. Where the hell did this track come from? It feels like some other band forgot to take their songs from whatever studio this was recorded in and the producer said, "Hell, this hasn't been claimed in two weeks, so I'm throwing it on Awaken Demons' disc." Completely out of sync with the rest of the album, and totally amazing.

As with all music, at least take a listen before you pass on the disc. You're tastes might be different than mine. But if the above didn't sell you and a sample of some the tracks doesn't change your mind, you might want to look for something by a more refined outfit.

Like Awaken Demons? Check out: Turmoil, Reflux, Hatebreed

Adversary - Singularity

Written By: Tim Bannock

Label: Trustkill - Rating:

The thunder of drums have been unleashed! Adversary's Singularity is a pummeling debut that will have you crying for Excedrin with it's up-front-and-center bass drum assault, but you'll also be crying to hear their next album because there's just not enough material on this disc to sate your metallic appetites. This is a great first album for a band to have despite the over-the-top bass drum sound, as the band displays great chops throughout and makes no mistakes. If a bit by-the-book, Adversary's got enough spit and vinegar in their veins to keep you coming back for more.

"Hedonist" is probably the perfect opening track: the double bass is absolutely relentless, so anyone looking for lighter fare (or who are sporting a head cold) will know to turn the disc off, while the rest of us begin the journey down death-thrash alley. Clearly inspired by the Gothenburg sound but with vocals and breakdown sections that scrape together the shattered pieces of metalcore bands left dead in this speed-metal wake, this first song is filled to brimming with great riffing and sweet solos.

The disc takes a turn very fast on second track The Grand Mistake, as well as several of the following tracks, applying Adversary's more personalized touch to the genre. "...Mistake" and titular "Singularity" are more death-rock oriented, presenting harmonized solos and more of a rolling, head-banging groove. Some sing-songy screams show up too, followed by a second or two of clean vocals with a bluesy influence. All of this is a nice change of pace, but there's something going on beneath the surface...

"In Vino Veritas" has more of this clean singing over some groovier crunch. And that's when it hits: the clean singing doesn't quite get off the ground, often hitting some flat notes. It doesn't detract much, but it definitely stands out enough to raise an eyebrow. Upon hearing one track, All Things Heavy's own Dave Brooks launched into a fine impression of a rickety old grandma and said "That's right grandson! You should sing more! You have such a lovely voice." If granny asks you to sing more, you sing more. That's just how it is. But in this case, granny is best left to her own devices; Adversary's clean singing is okay in parts, but the off-key notes are very noticeable and are a little too common on some tracks. A few rounds with a vocal coach and this won't be an issue, but until then, it might be a good idea to back off, Sonny Jim.

Anyway, back to the CD! "Manifest Humility" is like an In Flames/Arch Enemy mashup that showcases some intense guitar work. I feel like some of it's been done before, but maybe not quite this well. The song has some breaks that kick ass, and once again, if the clean singing was either pitched correctly or cut out altogether, this track would be a momentous jam. Its limitations drag it down, but not too far; cover the vocals under lots of bass and treble and you'll be more than happy. More importantly, the death vocals on this track near the end are some of the most blistering on the album.

You get a lot more, too: the melodic instrumental "Ashes of Faith" with its great time changes and crazy fills; "Dying Art" is a direct In Flames rip-off, but a damn fine one; "The Romance of Lies" features guitar dueling that spins off into straight up death-thrash assualting; and finally some more off-key singing juxtaposed by some viscerally exciting growls. Tough call at times, but overall, this stuff is good.

I can't stress enough that musically this is a great, blistering disc of deathy thrash metal, with some groovy licks and great instrumentation all around. The singer's good, but he had to listen to Grams, to the detriment of several tracks. It's never enough to kill the whole ordeal, and if you crank your music loud enough, you just won't care. Don't pass on this disc because of the faltering vocals: it accounts for like 2% of the album, so you'd be screwing yourself out of 98% killer material. Here's a tip to avoid the bad vocals: learn the key he's trying to sing in, and just belt out the lyrics louder. You won't notice the difference, and it'll make the whole thing a little more interactive.

Better than entering an air guitar contest, anyway!

Like Adversary? Check out: Imagika, In Flames, and an ass-load of other bands on Trustkill!

Between The Buried And Me - The Great Misdirect

Written By: Dave Brooks

Label: Victory Records - Rating:

The Great Misdirect. You'll know what's causing it. When you're turned inside out, flipped around and feel backwards. All the insanity from Alaska mixed with the complexity and depth of Colors. I feel like they made their last 2 records have sex and this is the offspring. Between the Buried and Me have outdone themselves in every way.

Just give in already! More great transitions, bridge work and disgusting heavies knock you down. This won't end until you just submit to it. You mind if the keyboard (organist) gets a few solo's? Told ya. You hear that killer, dual guitar soloing section? I know, the moon is far away, but it will be worth it. We're almost there.

There you go. "Slide in to the water. Become one with the sea. Life seems so much smaller. Swim to the moon." is chanted. The only thing we are missing is some sing along action. It hasn't been brutal in a while, let's throw that in there. Speed riffing next. A maraca and hand drums break here. A whistle signals a fastest drum solo contest at roughly the 5 minute mark. If you rest for a moment, you will drown. The starts and stops, style changes, keyboards, guitars.....EVERYTHING here is on 11. My takeoff is joined by a trippy intro filled with exotic percussion. In the time it takes for this next track (17:54) to end, I could "Swim to the Moon" and back. It feels as if it's a lost song. Good 'ol strumming carries this relaxed tune. Guitarist Paul Waggoner opens on guest vocals with a baritone that accompanies the lead well. Get down, country blues is a'comin your way partner.

An acoustic led, orchestral salute will send you along to find the "Desert of Song". I would be a proud BTBAM citizen. "Trust us and we will all be safe. We are the new government." It will not let up! It doesn't end! A pentadecainstrumental freak out happens to stir up some more heaviness. Amazing. Did I mention this track is 12:11 long and NONE of it is boring? I want to feed from Cloud Mountain if this is what's being served. I start to think "Sure, no prob..." ::CRUNCH::. "Stand back, relax, enjoy the ride" orders Tommy Rogers. Go buy it. The bass slides on the 5.1 audio are SICK. I've been beamed "Fossil Genera - A Feed from Cloud Mountain" and wonder if I'm in a old timey saloon, mixed with a bodega, decorated by a shaman.

But it won't just end on with a repeat. Extra flair accompanies and extends our opening stanza. This throwback, solo jam leads back superbly to the start of our 11:03 track. I need more cowbell. Is that cowbell? Did I just hear a horse neigh? What in the hell? Second only to Meshuggah in off time skills, they bring out a beaut here. Slumber and inventive dual vocals overtakes the beast only to abruptly wake him. Let's just say it left footprints when it did. "Control...and collapse...collide" ignites the way for another heavy to land. "Disease, Injury, Madness" overcomes you.

Who knows what's going to happen next? You're out of your comfort zone and it's great. A bass riff breakdown snaps a foot off in your ass and it's on for the rest of the track. "ALL-DOMINANT ... This is what we call a brain" is barked with disappointment towards the masses. "Obfuscation" can't be what's happening now, as the transition to the more violent side of BTBAM isn't clouded, but lurking. Dan Briggs work on the fretless bass is absolutely brilliant. A beautiful, haunting intro opens you up to your "Mirrors" reflection.

What's all the fuss about you say? I am officially putting this in my top 10 metal albums of the naughts. Imagine true 5.1! Every tiny detail of BTBAM's latest release is available here and I only have 2 speakers and a sub. A pity, as you'll miss out on the 5.1 Surround Sound edition that comes with the official version. It will lead to you downloading acquiring this album. Don't be fooled! You're about to read a review for The Great Misdirect.

Did this review confuse you? Feeling 'Misdirected?' Try this review instead.

Evarest - Fear

Written By: Tim Bannock

Label: Strawhouse - Rating:

Some people think that hiring a female singer for a metal band is a fad; others don't think that, but still treat it like it is. The bad news is that many bands get by on this schtick without any real other qualities of merit. The good news is that some bands just happen to have a female singer, and the "baggage" that the media associates with that (both good and bad) just doesn't factor into the deal. Czech power metal band Evarest is of this latter type, so let's jettison the "oh my gawd, it's a chick singer in a metal band!" stuff right off the bat. Eva (see where there name comes from?) doesn't do the operatic stuff like Nightwish, nor does she do the death growls of Arch Enemy: this is straight up, classical singing that is probably best related to The Gathering, or even Grace Slick on the harder rocking Jefferson Airplane tunes. Straightforward, but very powerful and good.

There's a lot of elements that are good about Evarest. The pinch harmonics and whammy bar squeals on songs like "Searching for Lost Times" and the titular "Fear" are fantastic, and the music is really a mesh of Sonata Arctica mixed with classic Iron Maiden. There's ripping solos everywhere, there's keyboard-guitar interplay that would make Warmen/Children of Bodom fans happy (but certainly not outperform said bands), and quite frankly, it's the little guitar fills that showcase this band's fresh songwriting approach. The drummer and bassist put in workman-like performances, but that's par for the course with power metal, and frankly, that means that they are solid and do their part; nothing amazing, but certainly nothing to be snobbish about.

But why, oh why 2 Guns, then? The first is the sound of babies crying on "Requiescat." That's a sample that was creepy enough opening Queensryche's Promised Land album, but when you have a female singer? Ten times creepier.

The second is the ho-hum songwriting. Now, I mentioned that there's some fresh songwriting in the fills, and the fact that you can place this band up there with Iron Maiden and Sonata Arctica in terms of sound says something. But the problem is that beyond the fills and the presence of lots of solos and interludes, you really are getting a pretty stereotypical power metal disc. It'll sound like 75% of your collection, and you'll probably toss it out of the rotation within a few weeks. If you don't like female vocals, then this disc won't even make into your rotation (but if that's the case, you're already doing yourself a disservice). Beyond the few joys I've mentioned, you're getting everything that other power metal bands offer: clean production, perfectly in-time double bass (and lots of it), and verse-chorus-verse-chorus-interlude-verse-chorus-outro music that you've heard a dozen times before.

There's another "but" in there, so pay attention: but for all that, I must stress the greatness of the fills and the sound of this band. With a producer that kicks them in the ass a little more, Evarest could churn out a disc of solo-crazy guitar and keyboard madness the likes of which has not before been seen. Their talent is there on Fear, and it's not a huge leap for them to pull something amazing out for their next disc.

So check out some songs, and if you like it, pick up the disc and support the band. Keep them around long enough to make that second killer album, and you are sure to be rewarded. If they die off now and fade away though...will they be missed? Ever the optimist, I say, "take a chance on them and the next disc will show you what they can do."

Like Evarest? Check out: The Gathering, Sinergy, Stratovarius