Charlie Leduc's, guitarist of Deformatory and Placentophagia, top ten albums of 2012

This is Charlie Leduc's, the guitarist of Deformatory and Placentophagia top ten albums of 2012. Both of the bands he is in are great death metal groups! You can see my interview with him and fellow Placentophagia member, Jay, here as well as their debut album's track-by-track commentary here. Like Deformatory and Placentophagia Facebook pages, check out their respective website here and here, and buy their respective merch here and here.

Music is such a massive part of my life, and has been for as long as I can remember. From listening to AC/DC in the womb with my young, spaced-out parents, to spinning my first Black Sabbath vinyl at the tender age of 10, I can firmly say that metal is my one true love.

Every single year there are albums that blow me away; whether they are from bands I am anxiously awaiting a release from (and no, Necrophagist, hoop your face) or whether it’s from some new kid on the block that knocks me out.

This year was no exception. Here are just a few of my favorite albums (and by favorite, I mean the ones that get the most amount of play). Consider these my bottom-bitch albums of 2012.

10. Putrid Pile - Blood Fetish

Buy this album

https://itunes.apple.com/ca/album/blood-fetish/id547894284 (iTunes)

http://amzn.to/UEGBmX (MP3)

http://amzn.to/UEGxmY (CD)

Facebook

http://www.facebook.com/PutridPileOfficial

Ahhhh my favorite one-man-band who looks like a perfect combination of Bubbles from the Trailer Park Boys, and Peter Griffin from the Family Guy! Seriously, check him out! Having said that, this sick son of a bitch puts out some of the very best brutal death metal out there. This record has some of the sickest riffs in that genre and the entire album is just one unrelenting masterful monstrosity. I love it to death, and suggest you give it a shot.

9. Dehumanized - Controlled Elite

Buy this album

https://itunes.apple.com/ca/album/controlled-elite/id587139287 (iTunes)

http://amzn.to/VUlwAw (MP3)

http://amzn.to/UEH3Bn (CD)

Facebook

http://www.facebook.com/DEHUMANIZED.NY

Dehumanized put out their much anticipated release after a looooong motherfuckin' time, and it truly is a heavy masterpiece. This is Suffocation on steroids and it delivers solid track after solid track. Catchy riffs, brutal vocals and one hell of a wicked production (with drums that sound like drums). Grab this, play it, then play it again. It's wicked!

8. Spawn of Possession - Incurso

Buy this album

https://itunes.apple.com/ca/album/incurso/id494422030 (iTunes)

http://amzn.to/VnzfRT (MP3)

http://amzn.to/WWuz72 (CD)

Facebook

http://www.facebook.com/SpawnofPossession

This album got me so excited. I pre-ordered it like a fangirl and waited patiently for 2 months to get it. I popped it in; sat back, and allowed my mind to be violently raped. Almost a year later, and I still can't completely wrap my head around this album. It's too damn good. I love it, but only in small doses. That's what I love about SoP: you don't need a whole lot, to feel like you've been sufficiently stuffed. Incredible musicianship.

7. Arkaik - Metamorphignition

Buy this album

https://itunes.apple.com/ca/album/metamorphignition/id554683113 (iTunes)

http://amzn.to/UEHHz3 (MP3)

http://amzn.to/UEHETK (CD)

Website

http://www.arkaik.net

Facebook

http://www.facebook.com/ArkaikBand

Arkaik's new album did not impress me at first - at all. I was expecting a new "Reflections Within Dissonance", and well, it's just not that! It's not a million mile per hour, relentless skull-fuck of an album. In fact, it's actually a really well-balanced, brutal tech death album, that showcases the bands maturity (and experience on stage). The only downfall to this record is the lack of guitar solos. Still, this album regularly gets blasted in my car stereo.

6. Barra Xul - In Darkness We Wait

Buy this album

https://itunes.apple.com/ca/album/in-darkness-we-wait/id580885953 (iTunes)

http://amzn.to/Vv1xt3 (MP3)

Website

http://www.barra-xul.com

Facebook

http://www.facebook.com/BarraXul

Barra Xul is the new project from Cephalectomy's mastermind Corey Andrews. It's Nova Scotian melodic horrorgrind, with that touch of Northern mystigrind we all loved in Cephalectomy. The tracks are killer, and they really push the limits here. All of the songs are about horror movies - which I personally love - and it's such a refreshing, sinister treat from all of the generic hogwash coming out. Pick it up, if you got the dice!

5. Cattle Decapitation - Monolith of Inhumanity

Buy this album

https://itunes.apple.com/ca/album/monolith-of-inhumanity/id510084332 (iTunes)

http://amzn.to/YBkk7l (MP3)

http://amzn.to/VpRclk (CD)

http://amzn.to/YBks6W (vinyl)

Website

http://www.cattledecapitation.com

Facebook

http://www.facebook.com/cattledecapitation

This is one amazing, out of the box album right here. I mean, there's so much going on, it's ridiculous. Travis Ryan's vocals, at first, really put me off. Then, I saw how he did it, and man, do I ever have a lot of respect for him. From start to finish, this album gets your grindy attention and keeps it.

4. Cryptopsy - Cryptopsy

Buy this album

https://itunes.apple.com/ca/album/cryptopsy/id561907228 (iTunes)

http://amzn.to/UzKXdP (MP3)

http://amzn.to/VnBFzR (CD)

Website

http://www.cryptopsy.ca

Facebook

http://www.facebook.com/CryptopsyMetal

Cryptopsy is easily one of my favorite bands; one who has influenced me in so many ways. After their lasted atrocity, I was apprehensive to pick this one up. The cover art didn't really help (yeah, I judge a book by its cover all of the time...deal with it). BUT - cuntfucker, this album is amazing. There are some tracks on this that just get me so fuckin' pumped, it's incredible. The only thing I don't really like is the production. It's too "Chris Donaldson-ny"; over-produced and I find that the overall album kind of gets lost. Regardless, I'm glad these guys are back on top, and let's hope The Unspoken King never gets spoken of again.

3. Abnormality - Contaminating The Hive Mind

Buy this album

https://itunes.apple.com/ca/album/contaminating-the-hive-mind/id529587932 (iTunes)

http://amzn.to/VnCt83 (MP3)

http://amzn.to/10FWTPB (CD)

Facebook

http://www.facebook.com/AbnormalityOfficial

Abnormality's album is incredible. It's one heavy cunt. I love the song structures, and the uncompromising brutality they unleash, without it sounding like a pile of garbled fecal mush. Mallika is one of my favorite vocalists, and she delivers an incredible performance on this album. I wish this troop the very best, and hope they find the success they deserve.

2. Gorod - A Perfect Absolution

Buy this album

https://itunes.apple.com/ca/album/a-perfect-absolution/id515732251 (iTunes)

http://amzn.to/Vv3A0q (MP3)

http://amzn.to/VUpZD2 (CD)

http://amzn.to/VnDblM (vinyl)

Website

http://gorod.free.fr

Facebook

http://www.facebook.com/GorodOfficial

I've been a Gorod fan for quite some time, and was really looking forward to this release. They deliver a unique, fresh, and innovative approach to tech death. These musicians are phenomenal and they really put together an amazing record. There's almost nothing wrong with it, in my opinion, save a few clean vocals (and yes, I'm THAT guy...) 

1. Cytotoxin - Radiophobia

Buy this album

https://itunes.apple.com/ca/album/radiophobia/id567573001 (iTunes)

http://amzn.to/VnDYD0 (MP3)

http://amzn.to/ZQ07ki (CD)

Website

http://www.cytotoxin.de

Facebook

http://www.facebook.com/Cytotoxinmetal

I love the fact that my favorite album this year comes from a band that is new to me. Cytotoxin have been around for a while, but I never ever paid attention to them. I stumbled upon their upcoming release through the infinite void of YouTube. I was immediately impressed by the studio footage, and really, really dug the Chernobyl theme. I grabbed their album as soon as it came out, and well, motherfuck, it's amazing! It has everything I personally love in death metal. It's catchy, brutal, fast, and groovy. The production on this album blows it out of the water. All in all, this album gets the most amount of play in my car, and with good reason. It's a killer record.

Well, there you have it. Just a few of my favorite albums of this past year. I find it incredibly hard to box in, or limit myself to just ten, but...being the good little Christian that I am, I will conform to the laws of the Wheeling Rampage Land that rule with an iron spoke.

Seriously though, there have been some absolutely incredible releases this year – some of which did not make this list (and please, please, fuckin’ please don’t tell me The Faceless’ album is one of them. It’s not. It’s a disgrace.)

Let’s hope that 2013 is the year that shreds our faces into complete oblivion with metal releases.

My top fifteen albums of 2012

The time has come to look upon the past twelve months and express our favourite albums of the year. Over the next week or so you will be seeing some people’s top picks for the year 2012. For me, this year has been a very knowledge consuming year as I have come to find many bands I have never heard of prior, as well as bands I have already heard of bringing out new material and albums. Many bands I have not heard of, cared for and even disliked surprised me and brought out albums that were very well done and were different from what I used to know their sound as. So let's get this countdown started!

15. Royal Thunder – CVI

Buy this album

https://itunes.apple.com/ca/album/cvi/id516364879 (iTunes)

http://amzn.to/VbWn6b (MP3)

http://amzn.to/W8rwWD (CD)

http://amzn.to/UeQJ1X (vinyl)

Facebook

http://www.facebook.com/RoyalThunderMusic

Out of all the doom metal that came out in 2012, I think Royal Thunder was the band that impressed me the most. Bringing a psychedelic feel to the doom world, with their debut album “CVI,” Royal Thunder showed that they are a band to keep an eye on. The vocal style of Mlny Parsonz is very interesting and sounds phenomenal and the band as a whole has a very talented force bringing amazement. “Parsonz Curse,” “Whispering World,” “Shake and Shift,” and “Blue” are my favourites on the album. The only reason this album is fifteen and not higher up on my list is due to the fact that doom metal kind of exploded and as a result, there was about three doom albums coming out each month. One kind of gets tired of a genre such as doom, when force fed with wave after wave of long songs.

14. King of Asgard - …To North

My review
http://wheelingrampage.blogspot.com/2012/07/review-of-king-of-asgards-to-north.html
Buy this album

https://itunes.apple.com/ca/album/...to-north/id531838280 (iTunes)
http://amzn.to/VbXlzn (MP3)
http://amzn.to/W8sjH7 (CD)
http://amzn.to/10yELao (vinyl)

Website

www.kingofasgard.com

Facebook

www.facebook.com/kingofasgard

A genre mix that I have not found new material for in quite some time, in the form of black and folk metal, was found through listening to King of Asgard’s second album “…To North.” With their cold Scandinavian talent, the band chills your soul with black metal like pieces, yet also gives you groovy folk style riffs. They also have a death metal feel but them being from Sweden, the idea of King of Asgard being a “Swedish death metal” doesn’t feel right with me. The album is great the whole way through and with great tracks like “Nine Worlds Burn,” “The Dispossessed,” “Gap of Ginnungs, and “Up On the Mountain.” This album is an epic journey from start to finish which makes a great soundtrack for raping and pillaging.

13. Exumer – Fire & Damnation

Buy this album

https://itunes.apple.com/ca/album/fire-damnation/id503592999 (iTunes)

http://amzn.to/VhaarP (MP3)

http://amzn.to/W8sZw6 (CD)

http://amzn.to/W8t56Q (vinyl)

Website

http://www.exumer.de

Facebook

http://www.facebook.com/exumerofficial

This year seems to have been a quiet one in the genre of thrash metal, but as Exumer comes out of hiding after a long, twenty-five long break, they return with this year’s best thrash album. If this band didn’t record a new album, I may have never heard of them. Mem V. Stein’s vocals are very fitting for the genre as they sound very punk like and the switch between that style and more gritty metal sounding screams was interesting. The album not even once leaves it’s fast paced, moshtastic style and definitely stays true to the old style of thrash. Tracks like the self-titled “Fire and Damnation,” “Vermin of the Sky,” “Fallen Saint,” and the classic “I Dare You,” Exumer shows us how thrash is supposed to be done and to perfection.

12. Zodiac – A Bit of Devil

My review
http://wheelingrampage.blogspot.com/2012/10/review-of-bit-of-devil-by-zodiac.html
Buy this album

https://itunes.apple.com/ca/album/a-bit-of-devil/id562646196 (iTunes)
http://amzn.to/Yy1bTR (MP3)
http://amzn.to/Yy17Dn (CD)

Website

www.zodiac-rock.com

Facebook

www.facebook.com/Zodiac.Rock

There has been quite a few heavy metal bands releasing albums this year, but none really caught my attention as much as Zodiac’s first full-length album “A Bit of Devil.” In my opinion this album is a perfect delivery of how heavy metal used to sound. There is an undeniable grove to the guitars have a certain bluesy feel to them as well, which is seen prominently throughout the track “Blue Jean Blues.” All the tracks on this album are great and it is the first album on this list that I cannot help but listen to the whole way through each time. I see great things happening for these guys on their journey as a bad together and can’t wait to hear more from them.

11. Trioscapes – Separate Realities

My review

http://wheelingrampage.blogspot.com/2012/04/review-of-separate-realities-by.html

Interview with Dan Briggs

http://wheelingrampage.blogspot.com/2012/08/interview-with-dan-briggs-of-between.html

Buy this album

https://itunes.apple.com/ca/album/separate-realities/id508850616 (iTunes)

http://amzn.to/VpwwH0 (MP3)

http://amzn.to/10yK0Xy (CD)

Facebook

http://www.facebook.com/trioscapes

The use of instruments not meant for metal but experimented in this genre, really interests me. Trioscapes does this to perfection with Walter Fancourt’s talented shredding of the saxophone with their album “Separate Realities.” The fact that the band focuses on mostly just saxophone, bass, and drums gives you time to respect the instruments and the talent these musicians have. Dan Briggs shows off his great bass skills, which you may be accustomed to if you listen to Between the Buried and Me and Matt Lynch also adds his very stellar drumming to the trio. Having a mix of jazz and metal brings a very unique blend of genres, which even makes older people turn their heads when played.

10. Meshuggah – Koloss

Buy this album

https://itunes.apple.com/ca/album/koloss/id505733736 (iTunes)

http://amzn.to/ViHRJs (CD)

Website

http://www.meshuggah.net

Facebook

http://www.facebook.com/meshuggah

The moment my friend put on this album, I was instantly hooked. I have never been a fan of math metal and this was a great introduction. Having being new to Meshuggah, although I have heard of them, “Koloss” was a great introduction. It is their seventh studio album and by far my favourite. Showing off odd time signatures, complicated riffs, and a tight composition of musicians, Meshuggah are an incredible band. Having tracks like “I Am Collosus,” “Do Not Look Down,” and “Marrow,” to name a few, this album is definitely a masterpiece in the genre.

9. Whitechapel – Whitechapel

My review

http://wheelingrampage.blogspot.com/2012/06/review-of-whitechapels-self-titled.html

Buy this album

https://itunes.apple.com/ca/album/whitechapel/id522968606 (iTunes)

http://amzn.to/X6LYh6 (MP3)

http://amzn.to/RZQZGH (CD)

Website

http://www.whitechapelband.com

Facebook

http://www.facebook.com/whitechapelmetal

Being turned off the hardcore of Whitechapel, I tried to stay away from them. Once their full-length self-titled album came out this year, I have been having troubles putting it down. Straying away from the hardcore elements and leaning toward being more of a straight up death metal band, they prove they’ll only get more intense. This album is another that came out that has great tracks the whole way through, as none of them are lacklustre in anyway and are all perfect in their own rights. With great ones like “Make It Bleed,” “I, Dementia,” and “Faces,” this album has made me a fan of the band.

8. Weapon – Embers and Revelations

My review

http://wheelingrampage.blogspot.com/2012/10/review-of-embers-and-revelation-by.html

Buy this album

http://itunes.apple.com/ca/album/embers-and-revelations/id554219451 (iTunes)

Website

www.weaponchakra.com

Facebook

www.facebook.com/theweaponchakra

Bringing greatness to the Canadian metal scene, blackened death metallers, Weapon, released their third full-length album entitled “Embers and Revelations.” I haven’t heard anything in this genre this amazing in quite some time and they are comparable to Behemoth and HATE. The guitars on this album are very well done and the bass is very apparent with great riffs of its own and makes listening to this album a great listen every time, as heard in tracks like “The Witnesses Of Lucifer,” “Liber Lilith,” and album-titled “Embers And Revelations.”

7. Dying Fetus – Reign Supreme

Buy this album

https://itunes.apple.com/ca/album/reign-supreme-deluxe-version/id524515889 (iTunes)

http://amzn.to/Ucif1I (MP3)

http://amzn.to/X6Nxvv (CD)

http://amzn.to/UcilGA (vinyl)

Website

http://www.dyingfetus.com

Facebook

http://www.facebook.com/DyingFetus

With an album title which is much like how the album is laid out, Dying Fetus’ seventh full-length album “Reign Supreme,” shows off the talents that puts them high up in the death metal food chain. Bringing brutality and full force as well as technicality and groovy riffs, all aspects of what they do best are heard. The lyrical content are great, especially in the track “From Womb To Waste,” with is my personal favourite on the album. A few other favourite tracks on mine are “Invert The Idols,” “In The Trenches,” “Revisionist Past.”

6. Shining – Redefining Darkness

Buy this album

https://itunes.apple.com/ca/album/redefining-darkness/id571120864 (iTunes)

http://amzn.to/RozmyD (CD)

Website

http://www.shiningasylum.com

Facebook

http://www.facebook.com/shiningofficial

Outdoing themselves yet again, Shining’s eighth full-length album “Redefining Darkness,” did just that. With guitars that remind me of their previous albums and lyrical content that I find comforting, this entire album is a masterpiece. The guitars are chilling and at times have a great groove to them and Niklas Kvarforth always impresses me with his unique vocal style. Be it the Swedish or English tracks they are both incredible in their own right and the album in its entirety is perfect.

5. Wintersun – Time I

Buy this album

https://itunes.apple.com/ca/album/time-i/id562706373 (iTunes)

http://amzn.to/ViMiUK (MP3)

http://amzn.to/RozDlh (CD)

http://amzn.to/Ucjw92 (vinyl)

Website

http://www.wintersun.fi

Facebook

http://www.facebook.com/wintersun

After eight years of waiting and set backs, Wintersun’s appropriately titled “Time I” came out this year and even though the wait was long, the album was as epic as it could be. Jari Mäenpää is a mastermind when it comes to melodic death metal and knows how to create the best, in my opinion. Seeing Wintersun live this month was a very amazing thing and I hope they come back to Canada soon. This album was beautiful the whole way through and was just as perfect as I thought it would be. Let’s hope “Time II” isn’t as timely to make and is just, if not more, epic than this.

4. Burzum – Umskiptar

Buy this album

https://itunes.apple.com/ca/album/umskiptar/id513990988 (iTunes)

http://amzn.to/TzlPCY (MP3)

http://amzn.to/X6QrQO (CD)

http://amzn.to/YBi1kC (vinyl)

Website

http://www.burzum.org

Bringing a sound that picks up where “Fallen” left off, Burzum’s tenth full-length album “Umskiptar” is a great metal rendition of the Norse poem Völuspá. With his amazing musical talent and his mix soft spoken and menacing screams, Varg Vikernes takes the poem and betters it by making it his own. It’s hard to pick favourite tracks on an album such as this but “Alfandanz” and “Heiðr” sounded the best to me, the way they flowed and Varg shredded the bass. Every Burzum album that comes out is a blessing from the Norse Gods and I will continue enjoying them all.

3. Eluveitie – Helvetios

Buy this album

https://itunes.apple.com/ca/album/helvetios/id498147342 (iTunes)

http://amzn.to/UckYIv (MP3)

http://amzn.to/RoAkLt (CD)

http://amzn.to/ViO3RD (vinyl)

Website

http://www.eluveitie.ch

Facebook

http://www.facebook.com/eluveitie

An album that I probably over play is “Helvetios,” Eluveitie’s fifth full-length album. Being my favourite band, it is probably rightfully so listened to too many times, but everything about this band makes me happy. Seeing the album played in full a few weeks ago was a very nice treat as well. As they do each album they release, Eluveitie outdid themselves yet again with “Helvetios.” Being a concept album they do a excellent job of describing the troubles and downfall of a Gaulish tribe. I find the violin, flute, and hurdy gurdy were more alive on this album and were equally as showcased as the heavier instruments. Anna Murphy also blew me away with her vocals, especially her screams on “The Siege.” I’ll stop rambling on about this because I could go on for quite some time, be sure to pick this album up.

2. Cattle Decapitation – Monolith of Inhumanity

My review

http://wheelingrampage.blogspot.com/2012/05/review-of-monolith-of-inhumanity-by.html

Interview with Travis Ryan

http://wheelingrampage.blogspot.com/2012/05/interview-with-travis-ryan-of-cattle.html

Buy this album

https://itunes.apple.com/ca/album/monolith-of-inhumanity/id510084332 (iTunes)

http://amzn.to/YBkk7l (MP3)

http://amzn.to/VpRclk (CD)

http://amzn.to/YBks6W (vinyl)

Website

http://www.cattledecapitation.com

Facebook

http://www.facebook.com/cattledecapitation

A band I should have been into but never listened to would be Cattle Decapitation. Their fifth full-length album “Monolith of Inhumanity” made me a fan instantly. David McGraw’s drumming is intense and sometimes hard to follow which is incredible. Josh Elmore and Derek Engemann shred the guitar and bass respectively which brutality in every riff. Last and certainly not least, Travis Ryan takes care of vocals and is certainly my vocalist of the year. All the tracks are great in their own way, but my favourite has to be “Forced Gender Reassignment. The track also has a music video in which I masterbate vigorously with sand paper to, but keep that between you and me.

1. Between the Buried and Me – The Parallax II: Future Sequence

My review

http://wheelingrampage.blogspot.com/2012/10/review-of-parallax-ii-future-sequence.html

Interview with Dan Briggs

http://wheelingrampage.blogspot.com/2012/08/interview-with-dan-briggs-of-between.html

Buy this album

http://itunes.apple.com/ca/album/parallax-ii-future-sequence/id556662427 (iTunes)

http://amzn.to/TznPLr (MP3)

http://amzn.to/ZMfESi (CD)

http://amzn.to/RoBbvm (vinyl)

Website

www.betweentheburiedandme.com

Facebook

www.facebook.com/BTBAMofficial

We have come to the end of my top fifteen and if you know me, you could have bet this was first. Between the Buried and Me is a band I always wanted to get into but never did and “The Parallax II: Future Sequence” was the best introduction I could have asked for. With the incredible guitar work by Paul Waggoner and Dustie Waring, with there insane talent as well as Dan Briggs on bass guitar, Blake Richardson tearing up the drums, and Tommy Rogers on vocals, providing great growls but also lovely clean parts as well, this band is tight and feed off of each other’s talents. The whole album is incredible and I cannot pick a favourite, the mix of heavy parts, beautiful grooves, and flat out weird moments make the whole album a perfect one and my number one.

Review of "Solarflesh" by HATE

Buy this album

(link available February 5th)

Website

http://www.hate-metal.com

Facebook

http://www.facebook.com/HATEOFFICIAL

1. Watchful Eye of Doom

2. Eternal Might

3. Alchemy of Blood

4. Timeless Kingdom

5. Festival of Slaves

6. Sadness Will Last Forever

7. Solarflesh

8. Endless Purity

9. Mesmerized

On their latest album "Solarflesh", HATE unleashes a merciless maelstrom of brutality and impenetrable darkness. The band revolving around frontman ATF sinner clads dark visions and nightmares in an aggressive Black Death Metal sound that is brutal and technically ambitious. The powerful production gives the haunting riffs, thundering drums and inhuman grunts the perfect sound. The new songs are diverse, dynamic, full of details, and offer the listener a gripping experience for the entire album. "Solarflesh" is the triumphant return of the extraordinary Polish artist, and will enthrall Extrem Metal fans all over the world.

The album starts off with an epic intro, by the name of “Watchful Eye of Doom.” With spoken word and great ambience to add to it, is goes into a great blackened riff that went well with tribal-esque drumming. The next track had me hooked twenty seconds in, as “Eternal Might” brought a great mix of grim black metal vibes with the brutality of death metal. The riffs were great with dirty grooves and evil bits and the drumming doesn’t let up at all either. Showing exactly what I enjoy from bands such as HATE, the guitar tone and layering in “Alchemy of Blood” add to the menace, especially during the hammer-on and pull-off riff. There are some great solos half way through and the drumming with accompanied guitar was amazing as well. Great catchy bits and nice gritty riffs make “Timeless Kingdom” an interesting listen. The drumming is also impressive with its speed and brute, as was as nice slow bits that go with the guitar. “Festival of Slaves” starts off with some great tribal intro with nice singing to get this track ready and then goes right into the intenseness. The blast beats and drum fills are beastly on this track and there are some crazy riffs and catchier bits as well.

For the most part the next track, “Sadness Will Last Forever,” is slower than the previous ones but still keeps it badass. It’s a longer track coming in at seven minutes, but it is still a very awesome track nonetheless. A well done acoustic bit gets “Solarflesh” started, which leads into the snare march and groovy riffs that then turns into a more brutal rendition. The guitars are most impressive on this track in my opinion, especially the technical diddles. I found the bass on “Endless Purity” really fun to listen to. I either haven’t been paying much attention or this is the first track that it has some great parts. The guitar chugs and blackened riffs are also ear bleeders. I found the female vocals and the riffs that went along with them made the final track, “Mesmerized,” a great one. I wasn’t a fan of the first riff, but as soon as they changed it up I felt better about the track. It isn’t as great of an album ending track as I hope for but it was still pretty good.

This album is everything you would expect from a blackened death metal band and delivers it with perfection. HATE combines death and black metal in ways that I have not heard done so well since Behemoth and not listened to lately since Weapon. The blend creates an almost inseparable duo of dark and grim with brutality and speed, making the two genres just seem like a natural pair. I highly recommend picking this up.

Review of "Living on a Fast Lane" by Hard Riot

Buy this album

https://itunes.apple.com/ca/album/living-on-a-fast-lane/id499275210 (iTunes)

http://amzn.to/ZEyolt (CD)

Website

http://www.hard-riot.com

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1. Get Ready

2. Hellfire Rock

3. Don’t Need You

4. No Surrender

5. Tears in the Rain

6. Turn on the Lights

7. Nothing but You

8. Take me Down

9. Hard Way Down

10. Black Widow

11. Rock ‘n’ Roll Outlaw 

PITCH BLACK RECORDS announces the addition of German hard rock outfit HARD RIOT into its roster with the band’s debut album, “Living on a Fast Lane”, due for release on April 10th, 2012.

HARD RIOTwere formed in 2006 in the city of Heilbronn, Germany and the band consists of four young friends who share the same passion – hard rockin’ music.

Their powerful stage presence and performance has landed them with numerous live shows over the past few years and many devoted fans. In 2009 HARD RIOT released a self-financed 5-track EP (“The Hidden Truth”) and in 2011 they entered Maranis Studios in Backnang, Germany, relying on the excellent skills of producer Vagelis Maranis who oversaw the entire recording and production of their debut album.

HARD RIOT is Michael Gildner on vocals, Andreas Rockrohr on guitars, Mario Kleindienst on bass and Carmine Jaucci on drums. Their influences include AC/DC, Metallica and the Scorpions among others but their influences don’t stop here. These and many more are clearly evident throughout their music. The band’s main style is hard rock but one can also find a good dose of heavy/speed metal in their music. One thing is certain when listening to HARD RIOT perform, they are enjoying every moment of their music and that’s something that is undisputedly conveyed to the listener!  

“Living on a Fast Lane” will be available worldwide on April 10th, 2012, through Pitch Black Records and its distribution partners as well as through all major mp3 stores.

From the album title and album cover, I was very excited to hear what was in store. I was definitely not let down, as the first track, “Get Ready,” brought a southern groove that was perfect in every aspect. The guitar are very rock-like, the bass has a great grove, and the vocals are delivered well. The next track, “Hellfire Rock,” was a little more old school heavy metal in its style. It had a really great hair metal sound, especially from the vocals. I really like when bands bring back the old, make it their own, and do it as well as this. The groove on “Don’t Need You” along with how the vocals were done, especially with the backing vocals, make this track amazing. It is a little mellower but the guitars are still heavy. “No Surrender” starts off with some epic power metal feeling guitars which is great. The bass line is great and when the guitar come back over top is almost too good. This track is really catchy and the fact that Hard Riot can play power metal and not be cheesy about it makes it even better.

A really great rock ballad comes next in the form of the next track, “Tears in the Rain.” The vocalist Michael Gildner really has time to shine on this track, showing off his impressive skills and this may be my favourite track for vocals. Andreas Rockrohr also has some very amazing guitar work on this track, as he has some impressive solos. “Turn on the Lights” another one that brings some groovy riffs in it and is a little on the mellow side, but it is still great. I especially like the part closer to the end of the track, it sounds perfect. “Nothing but You” is another ballad, but again it really gives the vocals a change to shine. If Hard Riot recorded an album entirely of mellow ballads I would listen to the whole thing every day.

The harmonization, groovy riffs, and high vocals, make “Take me Down” awesome. Hard Riot really know how to mix up their styling and although heavy and power metal are similar, the way they do each genre can be differentiated which is great. The next track, “Hard Way Down,” is a shorter track, it was half over while I was letting my thoughts gather. It is a heavy song, with a very impressive solo but I wish it was a little longer. “Black Widow” had a great southern feel, as the bass and guitar are extremely groovy on it. There is another great guitar solo on this one as well. What a good way to end the album, with a very amazing rock/heavy metal anthem called “Rock ‘n’ Roll Outlaw.” This track really brings everything you’ve heard previously on the album and does it better. It makes me want to go out and buy a motorcycle and hit the freeway and just drive without a destination

Hard Riot is a band that you really need to pick up. With this album being their debut album, I see bright things coming ahead for the band. Having so much amazing talent and a stellar album, these guys can only go up. If you like hard rock, heavy metal, and even a little power metal, then these guys are for you. I recommend picking this album up anyway and support new bands!

Review of Imminence's self-titled EP

Buy this album

(link available as soon as possible)

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1. Intro

2. Obscure Mentality

3. Consealed Indecision

4. This Song Is Not A Joke

 

"Imminence is a local deathcore band from Courtice, Ontario formed in 2011. The band was inspired from Parway Drive's first DVD, in which our vocalist Jacob Cooledge and guitarist Scott Thoms got together and started jamming. With only one member change from their old drummer Trent Trubela dropping out of the band, Curtis Hircock stepped up to fill the position. After being together for one year, we would have never though that our music would have progressed so much from what it first started out to be and sharing the stage with such great bands. We definitely would have never thought we would be recording and releasing our own EP and actually work on getting our music out there. The idea of the EP was to start out small and rough, but have that edgy, heavy, hateful sound behind it that just really sunk into your skin and veins. We feel as if we captured that to the best of our abilities. We're very excited for what's to come in the future and we can't wait to continue writing even heavier music for our fans."

The album starts off with an intro, bringing awesome sludgy, slam guitars and the vocals are especially great with the dirty lows and great highs. I liked the riff to starts things off on “Obscure Mentality.” This track has an amazing mix of brutal and very groovy riffs and the breakdowns are awesome as well. It is a perfect track for guitars and the vocals are great as well. With nice melodic riffs comes the next track, “Consealed Indecision,” and the technical riffs really complimented the melodic. The breakdowns on this track are very badass and slamtastic and the drumming is impressive as well. “This Song Is Not A Joke” brings a great mix of chugs and technical bits. I really heavy blast beats on the track as well.

It seems a lot of local bands are starting to record, which makes me happy. I’ve wanted to hear Imminence for quite some time and I am glad that they recorded something. Jacob Cooledge brings a great style of vocals, Scott Thoms and Shayne Garbett are very groovy and slam feeling with their guitar, Nathen Mowers also has some nice bass as well, and Curtis Hircock does an impressive job on drums with his speed and heaviness. I definitely recommend picking this up!

Track by track commentary of "Feast on Thyself" with Placentophagia

This is the second post in a series, going into the minds of bands and finding out their thought processes and what their songs mean to them. This time around, we get to find how just how sick and twisted the band Placentophagia is with their EP, "Feast on Thyself." You can read my review here and also pick up this album here, as well as their very amazing shirts. Don't forget to check out their Facebook page and give them a like. I have also interviewed Placentophagia in a previous post, which you can read here.

Buy this album

http://placentophagia.bigcartel.com

Website

http://www.placentophagia.ca

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Charlie: I remember when Jay and I were in my basement working on the framework for what now is PLACENTOPHAGIA. We had my walls covered with ideas; musical direction, lyrical content, album concepts, etc. It seemed pretty damn elaborate. Then we realized that we didn’t need to map any of this shit out. We didn’t need a concept, or a vision for the band: we were legitimately fucked up in the head and the natural process would be more disturbing than anything pre-conceived. So, we scrapped the wall and just did our normal, everyday thing.

1)         FEAST ON THYSELF

Jay: This track was written with the vision of a demonic infant fighting for existence. The mother battling to kill it as it exits the womb and enters the world. Written in first person, the opening verse depicts the mother’s realization of her fate as the chorus leads you into her frantic attempts to rectify the situation. During the FEAST ON THYSELF bridge, we made it longer than usual so that the listener can think or create their own images as to what they feel is going on in the song. This is also the final steps in the demonic child’s birth finally tearing through the remainder of the mothers stomach flesh. The battle between the demonic spawn (Charlie’s vocals) and the mother is showcased in the third verse as vocals are alternated. The outro reminds the listener of what just happened as the spawn eats the remains of the mother. Take that, bitch!

2)         CEREMONY OF ATROPHY

Jay: As time passes, this rotting victim stretched out in all its glory decays for the masses. This track is less detailed lyrically and adds a slight religious experience to our everyday grotesque approach. The intense instrumentals contradict the process of decomposition. We want to lead through the final steps of decay; the beautiful arousing process that it is.

Charlie: This is actually the song that we’ve decided to record a music video to. We start recording this craziness in the New Year! The idea behind romanticizing the process of death and decay lends to a variety of different images. Hopefully we can capture our collective interpretation of that through the video. Musically, the song took on different styles within styles, if you will. This was not intentional; just a naturally occurring process and so, visually, we want to represent that in our typical, grotesque manner.

3)         FLESH FETISH

Jay: This track was inspired by Dexter’s Dark Passenger and his acceleration as a vigilante murderer. The intro to the song along with the immediate vocals is the clarity in his mind and the certainty of his actions. There’s no second guessing when it comes to killing, and his reasons behind it. The chorus lead the listener into a filthy yet organized kill room arranged perfectly for any process of elimination seen fit. The second verse would excite any sick fuck: a detailed account of a perfect murder, enhanced with gory depictions and the killers personal thoughts. I wanted to share my love for the character and his motivations by using the breakdown, if you will, to give feeling to the slowing of the victims heart rate and becoming cold and delirious, begging for life as they see their sins flash before their eyes. The outro explicitly showcases their final resting spot and peace for all whom they have caused pain and harm towards.

Charlie: This was the first song that I wrote for Placentophagia. Basically, Jay and I wanted to jam, but did not know any of the same songs to play to. So, I wrote this on the spot and the riffs/structure have remained untouched. This is how all of the Placentophagia songs on this EP were written: one-shot. I usually have a general idea, or feel for the direction of a song, then I pick up my guitar, hit record on the device I’m using at the time, play/improvise for whatever length I decide to go and then a new song is born. I listen to the recordings afterwards, tab them out, and send it for the rest of the boys to learn. That’s the process; very organic and natural – much like Dexter’s proficiency for snuffing the life out of ‘dem bitches.

4)         EMBRYOPHILE

Jay: This seems to be a fan favourite, for whatever sick & twisted reason! The title for this song was given to the band by a friend of mine on one of many drunken occasions. I let the word EMBRYOPHILE engulf my previously distorted thoughts. The end result of this track lit a new fire within me, which is sure to be known with new material currently in the works.

Charlie: True! The new material – from a lyrical and musical perspective – is far more calculated and deviant than this EP. EMBRYOPHILE gave us the motivation we needed to continue down the black hole of grotesquery. Hah. What a pretentious, cunty thing to say...!

Jay: Embryophile is a tale of a truly sick bastard no longer content with raping an innocent adolescent.  He begins to indulge in the most sinister of urges. His lust for an infant leaves him with only one option. To obtain something so young he begins to kidnap pregnant woman and hold them hostage until they give birth. His actions so vile and his lust so strong he could not contain himself while awaiting the next child to be born. As quickly as the track takes a turn into a manic frenzy, so does the lyrics, as he begins to remove unborn and undeveloped fetuses from the wombs of the captured. By the end of the track this pedo- turned – fetal molester has now raped these women and raped his own offspring’s embryo.

Charlie: Nothing gets me harder than watching an Embryophile work his magic.

5)         CADAVER TO THE UNBORN

Jay: A crazed and paranoid woman in fear of producing deformed, mutated or unsatisfactory offspring begins an unrelenting collection of body parts by any means necessary. She has specifics and favours certain attributes. She’s currently in possession of an unwilling donor with many usable parts. Precisely removing what she needs most. Sorting the mess and preserving the organs and limbs as best she can. She has taken everything the Cadaver had to offer and could give her.

Charlie: This song is fun to play live since there many different dynamics and riffs that we don’t do in anything else. With slam riffs, melodic hooks and a straight-forward death metal feel, Cadaver sits well in our repertoire of songs that showcases what we’re all about musically. Ian’s guitar solo at the end of the song is very unorthodox (which I love) and I think really ads to the creep factor we wanted to convey.

Also, on the EP, we included a beautiful sample from the movie, “SRPSKI”. We love watching the faces of people in a crowd when we cue this sample live. We know that they know where it’s from...and if you know...well...you know! Stay gross, motherfuckers.