Review of Separate Realities by Trioscapes

1. Blast Off

2. Separate Realities

3. Curse of the Ninth

4. Wazzlejazzlebof

5. Celestial Terrestrial Commuters

6. Gemini's Decent

“Trioscapes started in the summer of 2011 when bassist Dan Briggs (Between the Buried and Me) contacted Walter Fancourt (tenor saxophone/flute) and Matt Lynch (drums) about working up a rendition of the Mahavishnu Orchestra classic "Celestial Terrestrial Commuters". The group also messed around with a few original ideas with the intent of playing a one-off live show. However, after rehearsing the material and playing the show, the group decided the music was so demanding and fun to perform that there should be more of a future for the project. A few more songs were written near the end of the summer and a full length album was recorded the first week of October with Jamie King in Winston-Salem, NC. Trioscapes combines elements of 70s fusion with progressive rock, dark syncopated grooves, a flare for the psychedelic, and an unabashed love for both quirky Zappa-ish melodies and thunderous abrasive trade-off lines. Trioscapes currently has two shows confirmed for this May to celebrate the release of the CD on Metal Blade Records. The 12" LP is also available via Dan Briggs's own Hogweed & Fugue Records. Both will be available for purchase at the shows.”

Trioscapes’s album Separate Realities is just as the title says. Two different types of music, being metal and jazz, infused together to make one epic band. Let’s start this album off with Blast Off because your mind will be blown. Is that a saxophone I hear? Why yes it is, this band already has my attention. Every single bit of this song had me hooked and the main riff, if you may call it so on the saxophone is so amazing. The next song, the title track, is a long song so be prepared, but it is nothing short of epic. Keeping interesting in a doom metal style kind of, Trioscapes knows how to keep your attention. Starting off all chilled out with the guitar soloing, leading into the drum and bass bit, which leads into the once again epic saxophone is awesome. I need to point out 2:31 in this song because it is once of the best bits I’ve heard off this album. I don’t know what I heard at 4:20 but it sounded like something out of an old cartoon. I won’t dissect this whole song for you because its so long, but the saxophone solos, doom type bits, and funky riffs are what make this song. The third song Curse of the Ninth has a very groovy intro, with the bassline, guitar bits, and the flute, the bringing in the synth (I think). This soothing bit then jumps right into the heaviness of the bass and saxophone, yes, yes I just did say that. This song also have a very well done saxophone solo, I applaud the lungs and talent of Walter Fancourt! The next song needs its title defined to me because I don’t know what a Wazzlejazzlebof is, but I am quite sure its just as groovy as the song itself is. The drum in this song is so head bobbing with how jazzy it is. There is a bit where the saxophone sounds like its being played in an alleyway or subway station and it makes it sound really atmospherical, needless to say I liked it. The second last song is Celestial Terrestrial Commuters and this time it shows off the skill of the guitars, they are good but then Fancourt just steals the spotlight with the saxophone. I feel bad for whoever plays guitar in this band, my guess Dan Briggs, because I don’t know how he feels being shown up by a saxophone. Winding down and finishing off this epic forty minute journey, is the track Gemini’s Descent. This song really knows how to make a good ending with its bass line and guitar effects. They bring you back down to earth from having your mind blown with some soothing flute and end it off with a heavier bit. Then they go back to the soothing bass line to leave you to clean up your eargasm.

As you can tell from my fan boy of a review up yonder, this is definitely a grab. If you like doom metal and maybe jazz in an epic, this is mind blowing kind of way you should definitely pick this album up on the 8th. Honestly, the only words to describe the album in short are epic, bass, saxophone, doom. If you don’t listen to this album then you obviously don’t like having your mind blown. Trioscapes, if you don’t keep this up I will be disappointed. You have made gold and you should continue doing so!

Review of Divide The Blackened Sky by The Veer Union

1. Borderline

2. Bitter End

3. I Will Remain

4. Buried In The Ground

5. Inside Our Scar

6. Live Another Day

7. Divide The Blackened Sky

8. Silent Gun

9. Last Day Of Life

10. Stolen

"A dynamic and look-laden alternative rock record from Vancouver's hard working and perseverant duo. The overall tone of 'Divide The Blackened Sky' is dark, yet inspirational, as the band's two mainstays, vocalist Crispin Earl and guitarist Eric Schraeder, endured some very difficult times (financial troubles, revolving cast of musicians, record label changes and more) on their way to releasing the long awaited follow-up to their major label debut, 'Against The Grain' (Universal Records, 2009)."

The Veer Union’s album Divine The Blackened Sky was a little different then I’m used to. The first two songs, Borderline and Bitter End, were very reminscent of songs you would here while wrestlers come out to the ring to in the WWE which made me lose hope in this album, but after that the songs were more heart felt and they actually started to grow on me. The vocals were great and what I’d expect from today’s rock and I really enjoyed them on Live Another Day and the songs I name below. The guitars on this album are very easy to get into. Some of the riffs are very catchy and sound very heavy at times which is also a plus. A few of my favourites off this album are I Will Remain, Buried In The Ground, the title track, and Last Days Of Life. Rock isn’t something I usually listen to, but if you like the genre I would definitely pick it up. I definitely see The Veer Union going places and they should keep doing what they’re doing!

Review of Police State by Esoteric Doctrine

1. Police State

2. Shadows Of A Great War

3. Eyes

4. Control

5. Infinite Empire

6. Remembered For 1000 Years

7. Universal Persistent Warfare

8. Extinction

9. Operation Disinfection

Fast, melodic, brutal, and powerful. Three piece hybrid heavy metal from Orillia Ontario, Canada. Esoteric Doctrine formed July 1st 2007 in their hometown Orillia. Released debut EP "Aerial Endings" June 25th 2009. Full length album "Police State" available May 1st 2012.

The technical riff in the title track blows my mind and just by hearing the first song it sounds like Max’s vocals have developed since the last album. The breakdown with the chant leading into the main riff is very heavy and I’d say it is one of my favourite songs off the album. The second song, Shadows of a Great War starts off epically with intro being quite and then coming in. This song has a good mixture of ear pounding riffs but also has a little groovy bit and the echo effect at the end makes it very eerie. I will always remember this song by the happenings at Cobourg Open Air, senior citizen death metal! Eyes is an ear bleeder with its fast riffs and drumming, pure headbanger all the way through, and the solo in this song is nice and short, getting straight to the point. The next song Control’s intro riff is very catchy having hearing it every day on Max’s vlogs. I really like the chugging with the double kicks to go along with it, this song has a groove to it that can’t be duplicated. Infinite Empire is short simple and straight to the point, really like Shawn Arends little bass bit. Remembered For 1000 Years is another short brutal track and Max’s screams in it are very gruelling. The solo in this song shows off Max’s skill although no solo of his will ever show off his skill quite like Classified Leadership off his previous album. The breakdown after is really awesome and the crash cymbal at the end is a great way to end the song, sounds better live though. I don’t know why but the speed of Universal Persistent Warfare and the vocals at the beginning make me feel as if this is a thrash song, then there’s a break with another great bass line, and then the heaviness kicks in, this is probably the best song on the album for bass. Extinction is another one of those groovy tracks, with the way it’s laid out. The riffs in this song along with the vocals make it really catchy and to me, it feels like an 80s hair metal band stuck in a death metal’s band but its very amazing. The last on the album, Operation Disinfection, is slower than most tracks on this album, but it still has a heavy feel to it, I think it was a really good way to end the album.

If you like death metal like Cannibal Corpse, then you should definitely pick this album up. Max Kane has put a lot of energy behind this album and  you should buy this album and help support local metal.

Facebook - www.facebook.com/esotericdoctrine

Youtube - www.youtube.com/esotericdoctrine

Merch - www.esodocmerch.webs.com

Nile announces July 3rd release date for "At The Gate Of Sethu"‏

The reigning king of technical, historically-themed brutality, Nile, has announced a July 3rd release date for its upcoming studio album, At The Gate Of Sethu. The follow-up to Nile’s latest state-of-the-death-metal-art release, Those Whom the Gods Detest (2009), will once again be released via Nuclear Blast Records. Neil Kernon (Cannibal Corpse, Macabre) handled production duties for Nile’s seventh full-length.

Nile recently wrapped up a U.S. tour in support of Detroit, Michigan's melodic death metal outfit, The Black Dahlia Murder, which concluded with a performance at the New England Metal and Hardcore Festival on Friday night.

Stay tuned to the official Nile Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/nilecatacombs and Nuclear Blast website: www.nuclearblastusa.com for the latest information on Nile and At The Gate Of Sethu.

  

Nile online…

http://www.Nile-Catacombs.net

http://www.Facebook.com/NileCatacombs

http://www.Twitter.com/NileCatacombs

http://www.YouTube.com/user/NileCatacombs

https://plus.google.com/104583667864160381300

http://www.Myspace.com/NileCatacombs

http://www.nuclearblast.de/de/label/music/band/about/71047.nile.html

Review of Dead Set On Living by Cancer Bats

1. R.A.T.S

2. Bricks and Mortar

3. Road Sick

4. Breathe Armageddon

5. Dead Set On Living

6. The Void

7. Old Blood

8. Drunken Physics

9. Bastards

10. Rally the Wicked

11. New World Alliance

“Two-time JUNO-nominated CANCER BATS will release their fourth full-length album Dead Set On Living, on April 24, 2012 via Metal Blade Records in the US. Once again utilizing the legendary Vespa Studios and producers Eric Ratz and Kenny Luong, Dead Set On Living brings yet another dimension to the Bats' menacing style of thrash-tinged hardcore rock. The brand new video for the first single, Old Blood, can be seen now on metalblade.com/cancerbats. Pre-orders will be coming soon!”

Not being a big fan of the hardcore scene because of the state it is in right now, I have over looked good bands such as Exalt and now Cancer Bats. These days when I think hardcore, its annoying mixes of pig squeals, inhales, and high vocals, not to mention the endless breakdowns. Cancer Bats has shown me yet another hardcore band who stays true to what hardcore used to be. This album is heavier than I expected, keeping in mind I never gave this band a chance before, and I dug it the whole way through. With groovy riffs in songs like R.A.T.S and Drunken Physics, as well as the faster paced songs like Old Blood, this album keeps it interesting. I’d also like to point out that I like Liam Cormier’s vocal style. My favourite song off this album has to be Bricks and Mortar. I’d definitely pick this album up, but I’ll leave it up to you decide!

Review of Second Assault by Horisont

1. Time Warrior

2. Road to Cairo

3. Crusaders of Death

4. On the Run

5. Watch Them Die

6 .Second Assault

7. Spirit

8. Things I've Seen

9. Hard Bargain

10. Thunderflight

“For a country with a population of less than ten million, Sweden packs a heavy punch when it comes to loud guitars. Nurtured in the same fertile 70's rock-rich soil that gave us Witchcraft and Graveyard comes Horisont (Swedish for horizon, if you hadn't already guessed). They debuted in 2010 with Två Sidor Av Horisonten - or Two sides of (the) horizon for non-Swedish speakers, an album that impressed Rise Above Records so much that they simply had to add them to their roster. Rise Above main man Lee Dorrian invited them over to support Pentagram at their debut London show where Horisont's rousing soul-drenched, powerhouse performance floored the sell-out crowd, leaving a palpable sense of anticipation for what must surely be one of the highlights of 2012.”

Horisont definitely nailed the 70s feel, with the higher-ranged vocals from Axel Söderberg and just the overall feel of the band. All the solos on this album are phenomenal and the riffs, from both Charlie Van Loo and Kristofer Möller, are all very catchy. The whole album is more or less your heavy metal but they did do one ballad. Crusaders of Death is very soothing the way it laid out with the vocals and the guitar, it made me wish there were more on the album. A few of my other favourites are Road to Cairo with its Egyptian sounding riffs going with the name of the song, as well as the gallops. Another song with amazing riffs is Things I’ve Seen, especially with the harmonized bits. On the Run is my last favourite on this album, the range of the vocals is excellent and the melodic riff.

If you like old school metal this album is for you. I’d also like to point out I’m happy Horisont is doing what they’re doing because I don’t see many new bands doing what these guys are doing. I think they nailed it, you should all definitely check this album out.

Take it from a guy on a feeding tube told he’s not allowed to eat, taking it out on a girl who cannot eat because she’s “allergic to the world”

I ran into this article from CNN about a girl with apermanent feeding tube. What I got out of this is a sob story about how they are upset that people who think of themselves as fat and ugly starve themselves to the point they need a feeding tube. Now being on a feeding tube, I do understand that there can be a sense of resentment towards people who have feeding tubes for just ten days. This does not make it a fad, some of these people have anorexia or bulimia and it is not their fault at all that they need nourishment through a tube when they hit their lows. While I do agree with Art Caplan from the University of Pennsylvania about how feeding tubes for weight loss are stupid and outrageous, what about feeding tubes for bringing them back to a healthy weight?

Now for the “feeding tubes are for survival, not for cosmetics” part, I would like to see one person who has a feeding tube for cosmetic purposes because I’d gladly rip it out of them. I highly doubt anyone with a feeding tube has it for cosmetic reasons, that’s just plain stupid.

Now for the part where it goes on about “You’re carrying around a bag all the time, if it get knocked out, what if you fall down” and “What if you have a nightmare and it just flops out of your nose?” Seriously guys? I mean, you don’t carry around a bag with you because you don’t go on the feed all day, that’s just being over fed. I do my feed overnight so that I can be free and do whatever I want during the day. Also, mine has been pulled out slightly before and let me tell you, its not very fun. For those who are worried about it being pulled out just tape it to your self. I find those quote poking fun at people with feeding tubes more than they are defending them, because they are obviously uneducated on the matter.

The story now goes on to explain the girl, Samantha’s story with a feeding tube. She is allergic to eggs, wheat, soy, milk, seafood, and nuts. She can tolerate small bits of potato and turkey and other food causes her to have nausea, vomiting, throat constriction, stomach aches, lethargy and upset bowels. These symptoms last anywhere from an hour to a week. How about you just eat the things that don’t make you do these things, because obviously you can still eat different things? It also goes on to say that she has a nickel allergy and goes on to talk about that and her other allergies that common and have nothing to do with eating.

At the beginning of last year she gave up all foods and became dependent on a feeding tube. At the beginning of last year… Last year… Meaning she has been eating for thirteen years of her life perfectly fine and just now decided “hey I think its time for a feeding tube.” It also goes on about things she misses eating like Italian food, mac and cheese, salad, and her mom’s chicken soup. Not any chicken soup, but her mom’s especially. I must add that there is a picture of her making a pizza with a sad look onn her face with the caption “finds her outlet through cooking foods she cannot eat.” I have an idea lets torture our kid by making her prepare dinner for us, seriously come on.

Samantha now goes on to explain how it’s a pain to take around and load up as she takes is out to the mall, the movies, and her friend’s house. This right here makes me resentful and makes me shake my head. Its not like she has to be on the damn feed all day, you can hook it up when you’re at home and not doing anything. This just sounds like a damn sob story. It also says its with her at all times and all I have to say is well obviously. Now this is where it gets interesting, it says she has it when she falls asleep. If this means over night then she can obviously have her feed over night, meaning she doesn’t need to take it with her when she leaves home.

In conclusion, I’ll give you my scenario. Eighteen year old with Spinal Muscular Atrophy, bad case of pneumonia. So bad that it takes me a month to get stable, obviously I’d need a feeding tube to survive that. Told I’m to never eat or drink because I’d end up with pneumonia, now believe me there were tears. There was tears for three months when I was home until I said, “You know what, fuck it” and started sneaking juice boxes. Oh no, don’t do that you may say, you’re doomed to get pneumonia. Well here I am sneaking juice boxes for months. I moved on to food and snuck that. I’m obviously not dead from pneumonia or this blog wouldn’t exist. It took me three years of being on a feeding tube build up the courage to tell my doctors. They scheduled me a swallow study and they were surprised that I did so well. So now I am allowed to eat whenever I want. This doesn’t mean I’ll be off a tube because I’ve never been over eighty pounds in my life. But it was a great relief to me.

My closing words, this story does not get any words of sympathy to me. If you are able to eat some foods, then keep on at it as well as getting the rest of your nourishment from the feeding tube. All this story was to me was a bloody sob story and I’d not have any of it.

Guest review of Demonocracy by Job for a Cowboy written by The Left Hand Creation bassist Rob Holden

I would just like to take the time to introduce a guest reviewer that is helping me out by bringing you a more in depth look at some of the albums I will be reviewing. Rob Holden is the bassist of Oshawa, Ontario based metal band Left Hand Creation. They combine all types of metal and make it their own with brutal riffs and gut wrenching vocals. You can like their page here and you should show some support for local bands!

1. Children of Deceit

2. Nourishment Through Bloodshed

3. Imperium Wolves

4. Tongueless and Bound

5. Black Discharge

6. The Manipulation Stream

7. The Deity Misconception

8. Fearmonger

9. Tarnished Gluttony

Demonocracy is JFAC’s third full length album and includes 9 tracks of non-stop pummeling brutality. Being my first time listening to Job For A Cowboy, I expected to be put to sleep with the modern-day deathcore that I had heard JFAC was the master of. Either I was badly misled, or they have completely changed their sound. This album is about as generic technical death metal as it can get; which is right up my alley. Hooray!

Children of Deceit is the first track of the album. Thirty seconds in, you will realize just how technically proficient and laserbeam tight each member of this band is. Holy Shit. Keeping a fast tempo throughout the track, the melodic solos are welcomed and perfectly timed. The vocals are reminiscent of Vader’s lows, and Goatwhore’s highs. Epicness is peaked at roughly 3:00 into this song. 

Nourishment Through Bloodshed begins with a double cymbal crash and explodes into a teeth-grinding mid-tempo melody before turning back into the familiar. The ending riffs are higher string let-ring chords, and is not spectacular, but sticks with the listener. Job well done. Imperium Wolves is more of the same, at possibly the slowest pace in the album so far, but still keeps its pounding velocity. The first three tracks will surely be the most popular to the mainstream. Tongueless and Bound begins with the coolest riff of the album, but my excitement turned to disappointment when the next riff sounded just like the last 3 tracks. Black Discharge is a pure headbanger, and cranks the albums heaviness to 11. The next 3 tracks are amazing, but nothing to different from the rest of the album. 

Let’s get this straight about Demonocracy: Each member is ridiculously talented, and the production is unmatched. All the ingredients for an ultimate technical death metal album are here. The only missing component is the songwriting. Job For A Cowboy haven’t written a single memorable riff throughout this 40 minute drone of gravity blasts and speed riffs throughout dissonant chord (nearly black metal sounding) outros. Tarnished Gluttony is the last track and is my personal favorite. By far the slowest track on the album, the riffs are eerie and tastefully heavy. The click-dragging drums is the most variation the percussion has shown on the album, and the guitar solo is enough to get anyone’s blood flowing. 

Demonocracy is a masterful attempt to break into the world of technical death metal, but it seems the lack of songwriting skills JFAC inherited from their deathcore days have bled into their newer genre as well, and it shows. Though this album is technically very good, I think that most metal fans will have a difficult time getting into it. I see this as a transition period for Job For A Cowboy, and I look forward to see what they do for their next release. Personally, as I finish writing this review, I don’t expect that I will ever listen to it again. However, I encourage any fans of Technical Death Metal to give this album a listen, and formulate your own opinion on it.

Review of Demonocracy by Job for a Cowboy

1. Children of Deceit

2. Nourishment Through Bloodshed

3. Imperium Wolves

4. Tongueless and Bound

5. Black Discharge

6. The Manipulation Stream

7. The Deity Misconception

8. Fearmonger

9. Tarnished Gluttony

"Returning with their strongest line up to date and armed with Demonocracy, nine tracks of seething aggression and potent disgust, Job For A Cowboy have never sounded hungrier. Over the nine years of their existence the quintet have built a loyal fan base through their devotion to touring and a diehard commitment to creating relentlessly hostile, visceral, and involving music, and in 2012 they stand as one of the most exciting and inspiring bands in death metal."

For not being interested in Job for a Cowboy, the opening song Children of Deceit, was just like a force fed listen. Then all of a sudden, this awesome dark riff blew through my speakers and I then had faith in the band. Nourishment Through Bloodshed did nothing for me, the technicality and solos are to hard to tell apart and the breakdown was satisfactory. Imperium Wolves had a nice solo and riff after it as well. In my opinion, 3:20 and onward is the best bit. Tongueless and Bound was all over the place, in my opinion. Black Discharge is one of my favourite songs on album, riffs are nice and heavy, the bits between the technical stuff are dark and nice, especially over the solo. I think the best part in The Manipulation Stream was the solo and I also liked the vocals at the end of this song, I never really thought Job for a Cowboy had it in them. Another favourite of mine off this album is The Deity Misconception. it is not overly technical and the solos are also quite awesome. The next song, Fearmonger, is another one of those all over the place songs, if it wasn’t for the solo half way through this song I may not have enjoyed it at all, as well 3:00 to the end. The last song on the album, Tarnished Gluttony is very well paced, my top favourite off this album, proves Job for a Cowboy can actually be technical and not be extremely fast for all if not most of the song, solo is very well done. If you like Job for a Cowboy I’d recommend picking it up.

Guest review of Fire & Damnation by Exumer written by guitarist Matt Lamb

Like to take this time to thank Matt Lamb for doing this review for me on short notice. Easter weekend kicked the shit out of me and he helped by getting a review for this album done. Matt has been in a few bands, Southern Krown being the last. He has a new band in the works and you should click here for a rough song!

1. Fire & Damnation

2. Vermin of the Sky

3. The Weakest Limb

4. A New Morality

5. Waking the Fire

6. Fallen Saint

7. Crushing Point

8. Devil Chaser

9. I Dare You

10. Tribal Furies

Exumer is an original thrash band from Germany responsible for some of Thrash metals biggest and most exotic fan bases. Fire & Damnation is their first album in 25 years following Rising Of The Sea and Possessed By Fire. Exumer has been unseen with exception to waken since 1990 until they reformed in 2008 to tour for the first time since 88 in 2009. The opening and title track Fire & Damnation, Opening with a thunderous tom driven groove with a grooving almost to date metal riff to match. The song then picks up to a more traditional thrash pace while still maintaining a more up to date sound such as "Lamb of God" or "Testament’s" more recent workings. Fallen Saint starts with a very traditional 80s thrash drum intro with a very old-school riff to match almost reminds me of Show No Mercy slayer days, this song also bares a very different vocal sound than the rest more of a deep aggressive attack , not sure if someone else is singing. I Dare You is easily my least favourite the droning bent note during the verse almost throws off how good SOME of the song is such as the opening riff. The lyrics are also very cheesy and lame. This song sets back from all the other tracks seemingly well thought out and put together, where this song makes them seem a lot more juvenile with the poor riffs and lyrics. The rest of the album sounds like a serious metal band where this more sounds more suited to your typical cheesy garage punk band. This definitely sounds like filler to me. The exiting track Tribal Furies, is one the heavier songs on the album with its pure power intro with the booming drum crashes and rolls complimenting the pure junkyard dog riff that appears many times in the song to kick serious amounts of ass.

The vocals overall have a very punky sound to them while holding hints of 80s thrash as well as some sounds of today. The major sell point of this album is the raw 80s thrash feel while being well produced and holding hints of more popular and more up to date metal sounds. If you are a fan of Exumer and/or are starving for the good old days of heavy thrash metal you definitely need to pick up this album ASAP because for a band that has been non existent for close to 25 years once hearing this it will feel as if they never left! They definitely were not playing around for this album has one gear and one gear only and that is pure kick your teeth in!