Review of "Infortunium" by Besegra

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1. This is what killers are made of

2. The Beast Submits

3. Open Arms

4. Master of Attrition

5. Division

6. Blood Lust

“An energetic, intense assault of melodies and fast-paced thrash” - one way of describing Besegra and part of what they bring to the table for the metal industry. From the thundering bass of Cory Hauley, to the onslaught of technical beauty risen from the guitars of Trevor Gehl and Zach Rouse, to the blistering beats of one Brennan Ferrar… One mustn’t look far into Besegra’s depths to hear the well-rounded skill of the band. All of this masterful work is then tied together by front man Max Warwick’s demonic vocals, and lyrical prowess.

What was it that conceived this musical child? Well, Besegra had its true beginning in early 2009 with original members Zach Rouse and Andrew Aitchison. Through several member changes they found Andy Dmytryshyn, an exceptional replacement as bassist. With the necessity for a vocalist still in the air, Andy then went on to recruit Max Warwick, who at the time was slowly departing from his previous band, Rise Helios.

From there they practiced week-in and week-out to make their debut at their hometown’s cultural hotspot of the metal scene, The Ford Plant. This is where Trevor Gehl first heard the band, and out of sheer chance struck up a conversation with Andy. Trevor had too been slowly coming undone from his old band Apocalyptic Ruins.

In 2012, Andy Dmytryshyn departed from the band on his own terms to fulfill his musical needs, and in place of him came Cory Hauley, ex- Disseverance bass player with a dangerous hunger for metal. And so, he began his new journey with Besegra.

Over the past three years, Besegra has been working diligently to shake the earth in Canada with their metal. Sharing the stage with Our Lady of Bloodshed, Misguided Aggression, Thine Eyes Bleed, Divinity, Unleash the Archers, Cauldron, Beneath the Massacre, Black Guard, Endast, Betrayer, and so on, has been an exhilarating start to their career.

Besegra’s first major release is planned for release in the spring of 2013. “Infortunium” was recorded in the forests of Quebec with Bart Frydrychowicz (guitarist, Quo Vadis). It is now being mixed and mastered by Dennis Israel of Clintworks Mixing & Mastering (Amon Amarth, 3 Inches of Blood, Ensiferum, Misery Index, etc…) and will soon devastate the world. Will you be prepared?

To be continued…

A nice melodic feel to start the album off with “This is what killers are made of,” the vocals are great as well. About half way through the track moves away from its melo-death feel and punches you in the face with a thrashy assault which is really badass. The solo on this track is extremely impressive. “The Beast Submits” gave me a heavy metal feel at the beginning but quickly transitioned in the some death metal riffs. The speed of the guitars and the addition of melodic bits were nice. Besegra definitely knows how to pull of solos perfectly whenever they want without difficulty, as the solo on this track was more impressive than the first one.

Another astounding track for guitars is “Open Arms,” with the quick gut wrenching chugs and the melodic pieces as well, as well as another great solo. An awesome technical bit opens up the next track, “Master of Attrition.” The way the riffs flowed on this track were catchy and tight and there is a nice mellow bit about half way through with some chilled out guitar and bass, which made for a great mix of heavy in your face and relaxed parts. A nice sludgy chug and melodic beginning to “Division”, when it speeds up it makes it even more epic. There is also another mellow bit on this track with great lead guitar work. A thrashier track to end the album comes with “Blood Lust.” The bit half way through with the chugs and technical riff was really awesome and there are amazing solos on this track.

Having not heard Besegra before, they really brought an intense arsenal of heavy, thrash, death, and progressive metal styles and mixed them into their own. They are one of the tightest bands in Ontario in my opinion and execute their craft perfectly. I hope I can see them live soon and you should too and buy this album of course.

Spotlight: Man of Steel (Henry Cavill, Amy Adams, Michael Shannon)

A young boy learns that he has extraordinary powers and is not of this Earth. As a young man, he journeys to discover where he came from and what he was sent here to do. But the hero in him must emerge if he is to save the world from annihilation and become the symbol of hope for all mankind.

Henry Cavill (The Tudors, Immortals, Red Riding Hood) as Clark Kent / Kal-El

Amy Adams (The Master, The Fighter, Doubt) as Lois Lane

Michael Shannon (Boardwalk Empire, Take Shelter, Revolutionary Road) as General Zod

Kevin Costner (Hatfields & McCoys, The Postman, Waterworld) and Diane Lane (Cinema Verite, Unfaithful, A Walk on the Moon) as Jonathan and Martha Kent

Laurence Fishburne (Matrix, Pee-wee’s Playhouse, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation) as Perry White

Russell Crowe (Les Misérables, American Gangster, Cinderella Man) as Jor-El

Antje Traue (Pandorum, 5 Days of War) as Faora

Ayelet Zurer (Nina’s Tragedies, Betipul, Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn) as Lara Lor-Van

Henry Cavill is perfect for the role of Superman, although he is not as douche like as he could have been. It would have been a great lead in for Justice League with Batman having him started his personality. Michael Shannon makes an incredible villain and General Zod really makes me like this movie since Superman is my least favourite Marvel hero. The action scenes were stellar, although some people didn’t like them. The progression was a little slow and the movie a little long but it served its purpose. Although Superman isn’t my favourite super hero, I feel a good reboot of the franchise was needed with a new Superman so they could begin promoting Justice League.

Review of "Deceiver of the Gods" by Amon Amarth

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1. Deceiver of the Gods

2. As Loke Falls

3. Father of the Wolf

4. Shape Shifter

5. Under Siege

6. Blood Eagle

7. We Shall Destroy

8. Hel

9. Coming of the Tide

10. Warriors of the North

Not many bands can claim their ninth album as the most powerful, dynamic, and downright aggressive of their career, but then Amon Amarth have consistently upped their game with every successive release. Having exploded onto the Swedish melodic death metal scene with 1998's Once Sent From The Golden Hall, every album has arrived bursting at the seams with power, melody and immersive storytelling centered around the richness of Norse mythology. Deceiver of the Gods captures the quintet at the peak of their powers. "Every time we start working on new music we begin with the idea that we're going to write the best album ever," vocalist Johan Hegg states. "We knew we wanted a more aggressive, live feeling to this record but there's no formula behind what we do. We just try to write something that takes us a step further than the last record, and is something that will excite us and our fans. Deceiver of the Gods is the result."

From the moment the title track explodes in a haze of thrash-flavored aggression to the final mournful passages of epic closer "Warriors Of The North" there is not a wasted moment, the band bombarding the listener with ten tracks of compulsive and electrifying metallic fury. Whether they're attempting to remove your face and separate your vertebrae with the deranged attack of "Blood Eagle" or carrying you on the back of the mammoth grooves driving "We Shall Destroy" and "Father Of The Wolf" they hit with decimating force, all the while unleashing ruthlessly captivating melodies. With the aforementioned thrash elements creeping in, as well as the old school metal and doom accents lending added depth and scale to standout track "Hel", guitarist Olavi Mikkonen admits this time out the band were not afraid to wear their influences on their collective sleeve. "We decided fairly early that we should go all-in on the songwriting for this album. If we had ideas or riffs that were perhaps a little too thrash oriented or traditional-metal sounding for Amon - or that were maybe too Amon or perhaps similar to what we had done in the past - we would still keep them as long as we really liked them. A few years back we would pass on those ideas and riffs, while now we feel it was right to just go with it. I think the result is that the songs are wider, they have stronger melodies, they are better composed with lots of dynamics in them, and there are no fillers or blanks on there. Everything is as good as it can possibly be, and reflects just how driven we were to make this a great record."

When it came to writing lyrics Hegg let the music of the individual songs provide the inspiration, rather than trying to force a set of preconceived ideas upon them. Though the record is not limited to one specific theme, the character of Loke, the Norse God who is commonly thought of as a dark and mischievous entity, has a strong presence, and also inspired the title Deceiver of the Gods. However, for Hegg the appeal of the character lies with the fact he is not simply drawn in black and white, as others might believe. "I think what's intriguing about him is that he's probably the most human of all the gods in northern mythology. A lot of people see him as an evil character, but he's not the equivalent of Satan. He also does a lot of good things, and particularly with his talent for diplomacy he manages to get the gods out of trouble a lot of times. The only problem is that he's usually the one that gets them into trouble in the first place! I just think he is really engaging in that he possesses a lot of human traits in the sense that we can do good and bad. We can be fantastic people and great people and huge people, and we can be very, very small people. We can be small minded and egocentric and devious and all of those negative things, and I like how he reflects that."

For Deceiver of the Gods the band turned to legendary producer Andy Sneap, a man whose résumé includes seminal albums from the likes of Cathedral, Arch Enemy, and Cradle Of Filth. Hegg explains, "We wanted more of a live feeling to the recording and we felt that Andy's style of producing could definitely help us with that. At the same time, knowing the records he worked on previously we felt he could probably help develop our sound so it became a little bit more angry and dangerous, without that polished sheen of our recent records." Mikkonen concurs, and he credits Sneap with playing a pivotal role in just how aggressive the finished product is. "It's rougher, and like a punch in the face, which is what we wanted it to be. Though adding more thrash elements into a few of the songs helps the whole album sound more hostile, it's ultimately the production that makes them sound more aggressive. On the last few records it didn't matter how aggressive the riffs we wrote were, whenever we went into the studio at the end they just didn't sound as intense." In tracking the record at Sneap's UK studio, as much as possible the band recorded long takes rather than clinically piecing things together, determined to give the album as much life as they could. "Fredrik (Andersson) recorded all the drums live, with the guys playing guitars and bass along with him to get the groove of it, and that makes for the energy that you don't get when everyone records separately, and I think that really comes across," Hegg states. "I think that was a very good way to record for us, it gave everyone a better feel of each song, and it was a good time being in the studio and laying it all down."

Having invited members of Entombed, Children of Bodom and Apocalyptica to guest on 2008's Twilight Of The Thunder God and Witchcraft's Simon Solomon to add guitar to two tracks on 2010's Surtur Rising, with Deceiver of the Gods the band sought out former Candlemass vocalist Messiah Marcolin to lend his instantly recognizable vocals to 'Hel'. "The idea of doing something with him came up quite a long time ago, and we were waiting for the song that it would best work on," Hegg explains. "When we started getting the basics down for 'Hel', we felt it would be a perfect song for him to contribute to. The way it came together was very natural. We sent him a rough version with my vocals and he worked his own on top of that and around the music. I think our contrasting styles work together brilliantly, and it's really exciting for us to have that on the record."

With 2013 marking Amon Amarth's twenty-first year, as well as the fifteenth anniversary of their debut full-length, their longevity and reputation for releasing killer album after killer album places them on a similar trajectory to the likes of Slayer and Cannibal Corpse, which is rarified company to be in. Likewise, having seen many younger faces flocking to their shows alongside their longtime faithful, the band are enjoying themselves now as much as they ever have, and Hegg wouldn't have it any other way. "It feels fantastic that we've been able to do this for so long and managed to get this far, and it's been a hell of a ride. I don't think we've yet reached the limit of how far the band can go, and we still have plenty of aspirations - and opening for Iron Maiden one day remains high on the list! I'm just happy as long as we can continue doing this. I try not to lose myself in dreams of what might be and rather focus on where we're at and what we're doing right now, and having as much fun along the way as we can."

As soon as the album starts you know it is Amon Amarth with the Viking death metal they hit you with. The first track, “Deceiver of the Gods,” seemed heavier than their previous stuff, yet not leaving their Swedish death metal roots. There are really great tapping/hammering riffs on “As Loke Falls.” The track makes me want to start a circle pit with swordsmen on horses. It has a great melodic feeling to it and kind of even more so than I remember the band being. “Father of the Wolf” kind of gave me an old school heavy metal feel, even the lead guitar has that old style sound to it. It is a great track nonetheless although it is a little too melodic in my opinion. The next track, “Shape Shifter,” is heavier than the track prior, bringing dirty speedy riffs with melodic bits on top.

Although “Under Siege” had some over the top melodic bits, it really made me feel like I was listening to old Amon Amarth. With great heavy riffs and awesome story telling they bring together an amazing feel. “Blood Eagle” starts off great with the sound of someone getting stabbed, which is just what the band does to you as they hit your with an assault of menacing melodic riffs. This track has to be one of my favourites on the album. Another track that brings you an old Amon Amarth feel comes in the form of “We Shall Destroy.” It had a heavier feel and even the melodic bits were dirty sounding.

With a title like “Hel,” I knew this track was going to be incredible. Focusing more on a more brutal sound it made for an incredible listen. The backing vocals were great as well, the guest vocals of Messiah Marcolin (ex-Candlemass) really added to the it. Fast paced the whole way through, “Coming of the Tide” punches your ears with great riffs. The solo on this was  awesome and the harmonized bits were amazing. As an eight minute track and the last on the album, I knew “Warriors of the North” was going to be an epic one. Bringing great melodic riffs and downright aggressive parts, they make sure you know they still have energy to be better than before.

In a stagnating Swedish death metal scene, this album does better than most. It's more melodic than their classic sound but definitely an improvement over their last album. Luckily, Amon Amarth knew how to change it up, although being more melodic than I’d hope for. It is a good album and definitely better than the last, but I don’t think it beats the albums their known for.

Review of Unbowed's self-titled album

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1. Shadow of Dark Decay

2. March of the Giants

3. Gwyn Ap Nudd

4. The Prophecy Foretold

5. As Winter Claims My Soul

Unbowed began in March of 2011 as a basement recording project with grand aspirations....

In January 2013 Unbowed released their first EP "Unbowed" and is currently working on establishing their name in the local scene as well as planning for the future.

A great keyboard intro to start this album off right on the first track “Shadow of Dark Decay,” then a great folk riff joins and then it’s time to grab a pint and head bang. It had a great mix of heavy riffs and folk style.

The guitars had an awesome groove to them on "March of the Giants" and combined with the keyboard sounded incredible, definitely an epic track. "Gwyn Ap Nudd" sounds more grim than folk which is awesome, as black and folk are a perfect combination. The keyboard near the end made this track especially gruelling and evil sounding, which is badass. The next track, "The Prophecy Foretold" has more folk feel to it with catchy riffs and sword clashing epicness. The mellower finish was really nice sounding with great keyboard and bass. A badass track to end the album came in the form of "As Winter Claims My Soul," with heavy folky grooves. The drums had an awesome beat half way through, it makes you want to march into battle. It is definitely an awesome conclusion to an epic album.

Unbowed are one of the best local folk bands I know. With the epic ambience of the keyboard, the catchy folk riffs, and the more menacing riffs, they bring an incredible mix of folk and black metal styles to the table. I was able to catch these guys live once and they are definitely worth checking out live. The album is great at well, so pick it up!

Review of " Whales Part 2: Tomorrowland" by The Calefaction

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1. On The Horizon

2. Seasons In Motion

3. Lt. Bogomil

4. The Greatest Story

5. Drop The S

6. The Ballad of Epic Proportion

7. Gold Plated Winkle Pin

5-piece Experimental Rock fusion from San Diego, CA. Taking a fresh perspective on Classic music, The Calefaction delivers for all audiences. Having a vast love for just about every type of music the collaboration of styles creates a unique story in itself. Genuinely it's rare to find a band this determined focusing not on passing trends but writing great songs that will live on forever.

The first track, “On The Horizon,” is really awesome to start the day to. The guitars have an awesome flow to them and although I’m not a big fan of clean vocals, I forgive these guys because they’re a really tight band filled with great dudes. “Seasons In Motion” is really catchy, the guitar and bass riffs especially. When they went from mellow to a heavier jam it made me like the sound more and the lead guitar is really nice as well. Nick definitely knows how to make me enjoy clean vocals, I usually like my metal heavy, but this was a great break. Just when I thought I had my favourite track thought out, “Lt. Bogomil” outdoes the previous track, with really groovy melodic riffs and a heavier style. There’s even some screams on this which is always awesome.

Keeping with the catchy riffs is the track, “The Greatest Story.” The lead guitar is really relaxing with it’s chilled out parts. The Calefaction definitely have a way with the guitar. I kind of wish they said shit instead of just “s” on “Drop The S.” There’s a nice little melodic break on this track with nice lead guitar and bass, which turns into something bigger that sounds incredible. The next track title says is all, as it is just as it is named, “The Ballad of Epic Proportion.” It’s pretty heavy for a ballad, but the guitars are for sure epically groove-tastic. It is definitely a great track to show off the vocal skill. The album ends off with some really amazing guitar work on “Gold Plated Winkle Pin.” It definitely is a good conclusion to the album which really badass riffs, that kind of in a way reminds me of old As I Lay Dying.

This definitely isn’t one of my normal reviews, but being friends with these guys I thought I should review this album so more people would know about them. I’m sure they may not be as heavy as some may like them to be but they are tighter and well established than some bands out there. You should definitely give these guys a listen, they are some great dudes!

Review of Enter Euphoria's self-titled album

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1. Trip (Intro)

2. Hallucination

3. As Darkness Consumes

4. Snappin' Necks and Cashin' Cheques

5. False Hopes

6.Think Like A Killer

Enter Euphoria was formed in April of 2010 by Brandon Damant and Brett Albin. The course of this band really seemed to pick up more or so half way in the year of 2011, as well have had their share of different members. Nonetheless this is the most successful line up the band has had. Six members all coming together to write some music that they love.

A heavy intro for the album titled “Trip” starts the album off. It really gets you in the mood to break bones and it has a little bit of a catchy rhythm to it. The next track is “Hallucination” bringing great riffs and is melodic without being over melodic, which is good. Having two vocalists doing a higher scream and a lower growl really gives them a darker sound. “As Darkness Consumes” is an awesome track and heavy with some brutal parts to it. The vocals get quite menacing on this and the solo is well done near the end. I’m not too big a fan of the title of the next track, “Snappin' Necks and Cashin' Cheques”, but whatever floats your boats, heavy metal gangsters. It is a good track nonetheless, with great grooves and what sounds like southern thrash metal breaks. There is another great solo on this track as well and this is probably their catchiest track. “False Hopes” is more about the thrash, as well as bringing nice melodic riffs into the mix it makes for a moshtastic time. The track gets more brutal closer to the end making a really good combination of everything this band does best. A really badass track to finish the album is “Think Like A Killer,” with heavy melodic riffs as well as great brutal breaks, plus a nice solo on this track as well.

I’ve been interested to hear what Enter Euphoria sounded like for a while and I am kind of impressed. These guys are tight and have really proved to me that two vocalists isn’t as bad as it seems. Enter Euphoria brings a great mix of melodic riffs as well as brutal punches to the ear. You should definitely check these guys out and see them whenever they play in the Oshawa area. Also at the time of writing, they are actually playing a show with The Faceless and Rings of Saturn, so I’d like to say congratulations to them for that and I wish I could have came!

Review of "Thy Kingdom Scum" by Church of Misery

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1. B.T.K. (Dennis Rader)

2. Lambs to the Slaughter (Ian Brady / Myra Hindley)

3. Brother Bishop (Gary Heidnik)

4. Cranley Gardens (Dennis Andrew Nilsen)

5. One Blind Mice (Quatermass Cover)

6. All Hallow's Eve (John Linley Frazier)

7. Düsseldorf Monster (Peter Kurten)

CHURCH OF MISERY was founded by Tatsu Mikami (bass guitar) back in 1995. After the breakup of his leading thrash metal band SALEM (that had toured in the UK several times and received critical acclaim from metal fans as well as the press) Tatsu decided to start his own solo project. He wanted to do something that reflected his other musical inspirations - doom metal and doom rock. Apart from metal and thrash, he was strongly influenced by doom bands like SAINT VITUS, BLACK SABBATH and became aware that his own riffs had started to include doom vibes. Also, he was very much into late 60's/early 70's heavy rock material like LEAF HOUND, NOVEMBER, MAY BLITZ, HIGH TIDE, GUN, BLUE OYSTER CULT and so on. It was natural for him to shift his musical direction from metal to a more rock-influenced style.

In 1995, Tatsu formed a band with Tomohiro Nishimura (guitar), Hideki Shimizu (drums), Kazuhiro Asaeda (vocals), that was named CHURCH OF MISERY. In April-June 1996, they recorded their very first demo entitled  "ADV.1996." Copies of this demo were sent to fanzines, labels, and bands overseas. They originally intended this as a promotional pack for friends in the underground doom scene. But Doom Records (USA) released the demo as "Vol.1" without the permission of the band. They hadn't expected anything like that to happen and of course made a complaint to the label. Ironically, as a result of this bootleg release, their name became well known amongst doom metal listeners all over the world. About 10 years later, "Vol.1" was released officially for the first time on Leaf Hound Records (JAPAN).

In 1997, Japanese label Cornucopia Records released a compilation record "Doomsday Recitation" that featured four Japanese doom bands ETERNAL ELYSIUM, MILLARCA, BERENICE and CHURCH OF MISERY. At the time, CHURCH OF MISERY had a new singer, Nobukazu Chow. In 1998, with this line-up, they released an EP called "TASTE THE PAIN" on Bad Acid Records (UK) and a split CD, "BORN TOO LATE" with Canadian doom band SHEAVY. Back then, they started to play gigs constantly, mainly in the Tokyo area and started to build a good reputation with underground metal fans in Japan.

In 2000, Tatsu reformed the band with new members Yoshiaki Negishi (vocals), and Junji Narita (drums), and they started to use analog synthesizers on stage. Elements of krautrock and psychedelia, add further elements that work effectively with their evil lyric theme of serial killers. The new singer Negishi's hardcore punk/thrash/death metal background gave more aggressive edges to the band's sound, and CHURCH OF MISERY's music started to sound much more brutal than ever before.|

In 2001, they finally released their first full-length album "Master Of Brutality" via Southern Lord Recordings (USA). Doom metal/rock listeners all over the world were totally fascinated by their unique doom-gloom-bizarre songs, sounds, and lyrics. As a result this unique band acquired the undisputable reputation as "the heaviest band from Japan". Unfortunately, guitar player Nishimura left the band soon after the release of their debut album for personal reasons, but his successor Takenori Hoshi's guitar playing suited the band's direction perfectly. In short, Hoshi was more deeply into 70's heavy/psychedelic/blues rock like Peter Green (FLEETWOOD MAC), Manuel Gottsching (ASH RA TEMPEL) etc, etc. However, three years later, singer Negishi left the band because of musical/lyrical differences, and was replaced by Hideki Fukasawa who used to be the front man for Yamanashi hardcore/death metal band BLEED FOR PAIN.

In 2004, with this new lineup, they released their second full length album called "The Second Coming" on DIWPHALANX RECORDS (JAPAN). Their music style became not only more mature, but also even more brutal and bizarre, and it heavily terrorized both the doom listeners and bands on this planet. Since then, they have toured in Europe/US frequently and have shared the stage with famed and infamous western bands such as SAINT VITUS, CATHEDRAL, EYEHATEGOD, ELECTRIC WIZARD, ORANGE GOBLIN, FIREBIRD, THE GATES OF SLUMBER, DEATH ROW, ANGEL WITCH, etc. etc. Also, they have appeared in renowned metal/rock festivals in Europe/USA such as Roadburn (Holland), Hellfest (France), and Maryland Deathfest (USA) to date. Their reputation abroad continued to grow and grow as time went by.

In 2006, guitar player Hoshi left the band due to personal issues, and was replaced by Australian guitarist Tom Sutton who had lived in Japan for years. Tom had often taken part at CHURCH OF MISERY gigs and was well known to the band. He was such a huge fan of the band that he knew and could play almost all the band's songs at their first studio session. With this new lineup, they wrote and recorded their third album "Houses Of The Unholy" that was released via Rise Above Records (UK) in 2009. With this release they created another murder-doom classic and had great reactions from people in the doom scene. But, shortly after the completion of this record, the singer Hideki left the band for personal reasons, literally disappearing from his colleagues. So, the band was joined by the previous (also the successor to Hideki) singer Yoshiaki Negisi. With Negishi as a frontman again, the band flew to Europe and USA for more extensive tours.

After the release of "Houses Of The Unholy", they continue to go to western countries over and over again, and had some fantastic tours with the mighty doom-sludger's EYEHATEGOD. Besides this, they headlined in the US for the first time. After the tours for "Houses Of The Unholy", Tom decided to leave the band because of a move to England, but the band had been through a pretty difficult time while seeking his successor, and out of goodwill Tom continued with the tour.

In 2012, ex-EARTH BLOW guitar player, Kensuke Suto joined the CHURCH OF MISERY camp and they toured in Europe. But after this tour, the band parted ways with Suto and Negishi due to musical and personal differences. Tatsu and Junji contacted the previous singer Hideki, and they decided on a reunion, joined by new guitar player Ikuma Kawabe (ex-DHIDALAH) in late May 2012.With this new line-up, they started writing and recording the new record, and completed it on January 26, 2013. The new album, Thy Kingdom Scum will be out very soon via Rise Above Records (UK) and Metal Blade Records (USA). The title Thy Kingdom Scum will remind hardcore CHURCH OF MISERY fans of their early years track called "Kingdom Scum"in"Vol.1". This record includes a cover song "One Blind Mice", originally written by UK/70's Hammond organ rock trio QUATERMASS.

The album starts off with “B.T.K. (Dennis Rader)” and a great drum beat and some great guitar effects. After that the stoner metal doom riffs commence and consume, although very sludgy the riffs are really powerful. This track is only an instrumental but for an album opener it was great. Dennis Rader killed ten people in Sedgwick County, around Wichita, Kansas and the B.T.K. stands for Blind, Torture, Kill, his preferred method. A really dirty southern vibe in the riffs with really bluesy solos make for a great start on the next track “

Lambs to the Slaughter (Ian Brady / Myra Hindley)” These guys seem to have gotten even better from their double releases last year, the mix of thrash and doom that I hear from this track is in incredible. The duo, Ian Brady and Myra Hindley, sexually assaulted and murdered four youth in Greater Manchester, England.

“Brother Bishop (Gary Heidnik)” brings dirty and catchy riffs, throwing some great solos in. The vocals are great and remind me of Phil Aneslmo a little. Gary Heidnik kidnapped, tortured, and raped, six women who he held prisoner in his basement in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. A sound clip from the murders new piece starts “Cranley Gardens (Dennis Andrew Nilsen)” with a nice bass line and some lead bits following. The stoner riffs kick in after that, bringing an awesome mix of heavier parts and mellow breaks and throwing a catchy groove riff in here and there. Dennis Andrew Nilsen is a serial killer and necrophiliac who murdered fifteen young men in London, England. He would keep his victims remains for quite a while before dissecting them and either burning or flushing the remains down a toilet.

I listened to this before listening to the original of “One Blind Mice” by Quatermass and I was expecting the original to be some punk song, but I found it was an oldie from 1970. Church of Misery did a good job and it’s no wonder they covered it since their guitar style fits well here. A great solo and lead diddle starts “All Hallow's Eve (John Linley Frazier)” with more sludge and dirt on the riffs on this track. John Linley Frazier murdered five people and dumped them in swimming pools. A twelve minute track to finish off the album with “Düsseldorf Monster (Peter Kurten)” It’s a groovy, slower track, showing off the more stoner metal side of the band. It picks up about half way through. Peter Kurten a serial killer who has killed nine people, but may have killed over sixty.

These guys always bring a great mix of stoner/doom metal with lyrical content about murderers. The sludgy and groove riffs are always awesome. If you like either stoner or doom metal you should pick up this album.

Guest review of "The Migration" by Scale The Summit, written by Rob Penna, guitarist of The Dawn Chose Orion

I'm Rob Penna, guitarist for Denver, Colorado based progressive metal band The Dawn Chose Orion. Check out our new track "This Destination Unknown" at Facebook.com/TheDawnChoseOrionBand. You can also buy our EP, Resistance, by clicking here.

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(links available the 11th)

Website

http://www.scalethesummit.com

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1. Odyssey

2. Atlas Novus

3. The Olive Tree

4. Narrow Salient

5. Oracle

6. Evergreen

7. The Dark Horse

8. Willow

9. Sabrosa

10. The Traveler

From Houston, Texas to cross country highways, one of the hardest working bands out there today is back with their new album The Migration. This instrumental prog band’s fourth release continues to push boundaries and speed limits.

Throughout their short but distinguished career, Scale the Summit has released progressively complex and powerful albums. From the upbeat and pioneering Monument to the dark and moody The Collective, STS has shown their talent and proven they are a force in modern prog. Instrumental progressive music pretty niche genre that doesn’t get nearly the attention it should, nonetheless Scale the Summit holds force and moves beyond boundaries and has earned cross country tours with legends like Between the Buried and Me and Dream Theater.

Succeeding in a post Napster music industry takes more than just talent, it also take business intellect and passionate determination, both of which this band has in spades. Having the great opportunity to sit down and pick lead guitarist Chris Letchford’s brain was quite the eye opening experience. This guy knows the industry just as well as his musical theory and eagerly delivers tips on both. I thoroughly enjoyed learning both sides of our lesson which the whole band gives before shows on tour and over Skype. Just ask them. The guys are shockingly reachable for a signed, cross-country touring band. They are very willing to answer questions across all social media. Take advantage of this great resource to up and coming bands and the hard working example we all need.

Back to the music.

The new album is really a bound from their last album The Collective. 2011’s release was a wonderfully constructed atmospheric adventure but this new album is sped up, unwrapped and heavy. From the first track, you can hear the speed and precision STS has only hinted at in previous releases. Unison takes on a new meaning as you hear to Chris Letchford and Travis Levrier accelerate through complex melodic passages with evident ease. The new addition on this album Mark Michell, who’s perfect pitch plays an important part on many tracks. His harmonious prowess takes the forefront in well placed melodies all through The Migration.

From intense, progressive, headbanging metal to fun and light melodies that create the perfect soundtrack to a dessert drive. This release takes all the elements I loved from previous releases and adds and improves on them in one 10 track package with great album art provided by the amazing Duncan Storr that fits the theme perfectly. This is a must have summer album for road trips.

Review of "III: Tabula Rasa or Death and the Seven Pillars" by The Devil's Blood

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(link avaiable Tuesday)

Website

www.thedevilsblood.com

Facebook

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1. I Was Promised a Hunt

2. The Lullaby of the Burning Boy

3. ...If Not a Vessel?

4. In the Loving Arms of Lunacy's Secret Demons

5. Dance of the Elements

6. White Storm of Teeth

7. Tabula Rasa

The Devil's Blood announced at the beginning of 2013 that they have "returned to nothingness." At the same time, they announced that plans had already been put into motion to release new material. The new seven song album, III: Tabula Rasa or Death and the Seven Pillars, will serve as the band's final full-length release. A new track, White Storm of Teeth, has been made available for streaming at metalblade.com/thedevilsblood, where fans can also pre-order the album, and view the art, which was done by Manuel Tinnemans. III: Tabula Rasa or Death and the Seven Pillars will be available for purchase on iTunes April 30th, via all other digital outlets (Google Play, Amazon MP3, etc.) on May 28th, and on CD and vinyl June 11th.

SL comments on the release: "Prior to our disbanding on the 22nd of January 2013 we had been active with the pre-production of what was to be our third album. 7 songs, the complete outline of the album, had been, in humble form, recorded in my home recording studio and these demos were supposed to be the template for our studio recordings. Obviously we would never make it that far and the initial shock of that fact saddened us greatly. After but a few days we listened to this material again and decided that even though the audio quality might not be what people have come to expect from a The Devil’s Blood release, the song material was and is the best we have ever done. We came to the conclusion that these songs deserve to become a part of The Canon and that we would release them as is.

"I spent a few days gathering all the demo material together, made a very simple mix and gave the material to our friend and mentor Pieter G. Kloos to master in his studio. Here we present you with the titles of the material and the artwork which was done by Manuel Tinnemans.

"The song we have chosen to release now is "White Storm of Teeth". More so than the other material this song speaks to the completion and transubstantiation that always follows an Occult path. Not the end of a journey but the start of a completely new one. Built around thirteen stanzas in the first part and thirteen stanzas in the second part the process of inner enlightenment through confusion and entropy and the initiation through the Death of the lower self is illustrated. This theme is rampant throughout the record and its lyrics but here it culminates and completely devours itself. After this work no words are needed and, on the album, none are offered.

"The Devil's Blood has always been an entity that defied any fealty or thankfulness towards any earthly influence. But we as people need not hold to this paradigm any longer. We therefore wish to express our sincere thankfulness to all those who have supported this weird quest and have made the earthly woes to not work against us. You most definitely know who you are.

"The record will be released by Ván Records in Europe and the rest of the World and by Metal Blade in North America. It will be available as digital download, CD and LP starting the 30th of April in Europe and a date soon to be announced in the USA/CAN. With thankfulness and a glad heart filled with the pride of a work well done,

SL/.../AO"

A twenty-two minute long track by the name of “I Was Promised a Hunt” starts off the album. For how I expected this to sound, as they disbanded and never finished the production process of the album, it sounds pretty good. The guitars have a nice slow groove to start things off with quick snare rolls too and the solos are good as always. This is the first time I’ve heard them add male vocals and I think it adds to the feel. It’s a pretty progressive-like track, with slower bits and heavier pieces. The way the guitars and drum flow on “The Lullaby of the Burning Boy” is very catchy and have a nice flow. The use of female and male vocals harmonized gives it a nice sound. After listening to the really long track previously, four minutes felt a little short. The solos on “...If Not a Vessel?” were impressive. The riffs were really great and have a heavy psychedelic feel.

The guitar sounded really great at the beginning of “In the Loving Arms of Lunacy's Secret Demons” with an effect that gave it a lot of twang and then a nice solo followed. The bass was really groovy on this track and the leads added to it as well. “Dance of the Elements” starts off with a nice heavy riff and a catchy bass line, and the about three minutes in it gets mellow with some great lead riffs and solo. After that it picks up again, it’s a great instrumental. The guitars are especially catchy on “White Storm of Teeth” and the beat of the drum that goes with it doesn’t help, although it did get a little repetitive. The louder guitar parts make it hard to hear everything else, but I blame the recordings since they never finished polishing. The riffs and bass are really badass on “Tabula Rasa” and the lead parts are always good, there are impressive solos as well. This track brings a psychedelic end to a good album with an instrumental.

For their final album, I was kind of expecting more. This album could have been better if they actually finished up with it, instead of disbanding and not caring. I feel the volume levels being touched up would have helped. It is a good album, don’t get me wrong, but it sounds rushed production wise and drags it down. Pick this up if you are a fan of the band, but if you want their real talent listen to “The Thousandfold Epicentre.”

Spotlight: The Details (Tobey Maguire, Elizabeth Banks, Ray Liotta, Laura Linney)

When a family of raccoons discover worms living underneath the sod in Jeff and Nealy's backyard, this pest problem begins a darkly comic and wild chain reaction of domestic tension, infidelity and murder.

 

Tobey Maguire (Brothers, Seabiscuit, Spirder-Man) as Jeff Lang

Elizabeth Banks (30 Rock, The Hunger Games, W.) as Nealy Lang

Kerry Washington (Scandal, Django Unchained, For Colored Girls) as Rebecca Mazzoni

Ray Liotta (Date Night, Charlie St. Cloud, Crossing Over) as Peter Mazzoni

Laura Linney (The Big C, John Adams, The Savages) as Lila

Dennis Haysbert (Jarhead, Goodbye Bafana, Breach) as Lincoln

The movie has a funny story concept where a guy starts cheating on his wife and then he starts getting bad luck. With how much Tobey Maguire's character isn't at home you think his wife would catch on. Also if she caught him once, why would she trust him not to do it again? I’m not sure why anyone would cheat on Elizabeth Banks anyway, she's pretty attractive. Tobey Maguire is better at drama comedies than series films or trying to be serious like the original Spiderman, although he can't act high. It gets pretty crazy closer to the end of the movie as things happen I didn't expect to happen. It's an alright movie but it wasn't one of the best I've seen in a while. I like the last half of the movie but even then it isn’t as funny or crazy as I was expecting.

Guest review of "The Migration" by Scale The Summit written by Dayle Smith, guitarist of Kynesys

My name is Dayle Smith and I play rhythm guitar and occasional leads in what we define ourselves as just a metal band because we don't like to confine ourselves to one style.

I guess it could be defined as "weird" metal. We hail from a small town called Ingersoll near London, Ontario. To check out our page and like us click here.

Buy this album
(links available the 11th)
Website
http://www.scalethesummit.com
Facebook
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1. Odyssey

2. Atlas Novus

3. The Olive Tree

4. Narrow Salient

5. Oracle

6. Evergreen

7. The Dark Horse

8. Willow

9. Sabrosa

10. The Traveler

Have you ever watched a movie without needing to see the film? Have you ever read a book without reading the words? Have you ever travelled to a far away place without ever having to leave your home? Well that kind of feeling is something that stems from me ever since I started to listen to this new album by Scale the Summit. The album itself is called the Migration and it is a whimsical journey through melody and rhythms that many instrumental bands all around the world only dream of writing. Yes I may be a tad bias on this new album because I am such a big fan but that isn't the case because there has been tons of my favourite bands that have released new stuff in the past in which I didn't find nearly as good as the early stuff or I just plain hated it anyways. This album is an experience that takes you from one realm of your mind to the very last

one, its sense of technicality mixed with melody is the perfect mix for any metal head or just plain music enthusiast out there.

To me this album seems like a concept album even without having any lyrics. The songs themselves do have underlying similarities in the fact they coincide with one another so well. The first song Odyssey is as accurate as a title for it as it ever could be. It starts off technically impressive as well and easily obtainable to the ear. It whips through intense riff after riff and then brings it all back to place of serenity. Like the story itself it is a voyage but through the music itself. You can almost see a movie while listening to it because of how thought provoking it is. This song is the perfect way to start an album and making the listener almost have to listen to the next song without a second thought.

Atlas Novus is the name of the second track to come in and it sounds like something you would hear at first intense part a movie or show. It is up beat and up tempo and calm flowing, it really progresses quite nicely. It has really nice tapping sections as well as leads that catch the ear quite well and what ties it all together are the drums and bass. One of the most key things I loved about this album and like previous albums, is the tone of all the instruments. The way the guitars sound and how clear the bass is just astounding to me. They definitely sing with their strings.

The third track, the olive tree is another song show casing the talents of the band, filled with amazing melodies and insane sound leads, it can really help make you a fan. With all the bass that cut through it shows how well these musicians flow with each other and have evolved as a band, especially since the first album. With songs like the Olive Tree it definitely shows how mature they have grown in their respected styles as musicians.

The fourth track, Narrow Salient is where the movie starts to get intense! With heavier sounding riffs it calls for something more evil but with the same melodic styles they love to use. It shows the listener that they can still be brutal but keep it in the way that they want to be brutal. And like so many other songs it progresses into calmer parts while maintaining intense leads and great solos. The fifth track is called oracle and it is a short one, almost like an interlude with some very nice chill guitar. The sixth track is probably my favourite track mainly because of the rhythms. They are so intense near the end of the song that after I listened to it, I have to relisten to it right after it! It is a song that is just beautiful to my ear and to anyone who is picking this album up I definitely suggest it!

Another brutal sounding track is the next one called The Dark Horse, it is full of heavy ripping riffs from back to front, full of intricate, complicated riffs. Definitely another awesome sounding track that is not one to miss. Sabrosa is a track that veers right up the alley of any prog metal fan. It is very similar to Dream Theater/Opeth style of songs which makes it quite awesome! It makes me realise as a fan who has been listening to this band for a while that they can constantly progress even further which makes me happy to listen to it. It has many elements added to it such as more jazz type leads and softer riffs throughout it making it quite nice to listen to. The last song on the album called the traveller starts off with some cool effects leading into the main riffs. This shows the difference in the tones they played with on this album making it more unique and versatile and let alone interesting, considering they haven't used a lot of different effects on their previous stuff.

All in all, I have found myself loving this whole album from start to finish. Not one track has disappointed me in the least bit, it has left me in awe and wonder on how well a band can't write music and continuously evolve as a group, instead of writing the generic riffs that got them popular to begin with. This is an album made for any musician as well as music enthusiast and especially like myself, a scale the summit fan. It adds flavour to their entire discography, paving the road to countless amazing live shows and songs to come. Like I previously stated, it is like listening to a movie or being transported somewhere on a long journey. This album comes out on June 11th and anyone who misses it is going to miss one of the best albums of the year, that is for sure! I give this a 9.5 out of 10, hands down!

Review of "Old Mornings Dawn" by Summoning

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(link availabe on the 7th)

Website

www.summoning.info

Facebook

www.facebook.com/SummoningBand

1. Evernight

2. Flammifer

3. Old Mornings Dawn

4. The White Tower

5. Caradhras

6. Of Pale White Morn

7. The Wandering Fire

8. Earthshine

Seven long and agonizing years have finally come to an end, as "Old Mornings Dawn" – the highly anticipated new album by the cult band SUMMONING – is about to be released! Despite the long break, the congenial duo Silenius and Protector did not stray an inch from their patch. Their distinctive melodies are the heart of all the songs on the latest longplayer, and bring the listeners directly into the fantastic world of Middle-Earth. This becomes evident in e.g. "Caradhras", where already the first notes let the mighty and ice-clad mountain appear in the mist, whereas "Flammifer" summons the spirit of Eärendil. The majestic and diverse hymns are a monument of epic proportions and are beyond comparison in each and every second. SUMMONING’s Epic Black Metal is the perfect soundtrack for a world filled with legendary characters, massive strongholds and breathtaking landscapes. "Old Mornings Dawn" marks the glorious return of a band, who has already become a legend in its own right.

A very ominous organ and choir starts off the long tracks, called “Evernight.” I liked the drumming and flute, I think it was a flute, half way through, as it made me hope for a folk epic album. The second track, “Flammifer,” had a groovy beginning and made me feel like I was in a rainforest. It seems as if these guys are a mix of folk and black metal which is a combination of two of my favourite genres. The band blends dark riffs and vocals with a very relaxing folk style which sounds incredible. An epic medieval keyboard intro to kick off the title track, “Old Mornings Dawn.” Bringing in a drum beat and what sounds like horns, this track really gets me excited for the highland games and Medieval Times this summer and this has to be my favourite track on this album.

The drums so far on this album are so groovy and give these guys such a unique sound and “The White Tower” is no different. The keyboard also keeps it folk like, while the guitars and vocal usually leave you feeling grim. It’s a slower chilled out track but they bring so much epicness you can’t help but not care about the speed of the track. The beginning of “Caradhras” was awesome. When the vocals come in I cannot help but hear Maniac, former vocalist of Mayhem, which gives me chills. The folk bit in the middle is nice sounding, they do a great job of helping you imagine being in the medieval time period. The haunting backing vocals here and there really made my skin tingle on “Of Pale White Morn.” This track made me feel as if I want on the battlefield slaying wild men trying to take over my King’s castle. I may have been watching too much Game of Thrones. “The Wandering Fire,” the next track clearly the soundtrack of previously mentioned battle. It’s a mellow track, and the keyboards provide a lovely folk feel. The intro led well into the guitars and drums on “Earthshine.” The keyboards in between the heavy verses are great giving a good blend, making it a nice album concluding track.

“Old Mornings Dawn” by Summoning pulls you into the medieval era and gives you the perfect soundtrack With folk parts that make you want to eat meat without utensils and bed many fair maidens, to darker black metal parts which make you want to wear armour and a sword at pillage lands, this album provides a unique experience. Whether you like folk or black metal you should pick this up!

Spotlight: Hit And Run (Dax Shepard, Kristen Bell, Tom Arnold, Bradley Cooper)

Hit and Run is a comedy about a young couple ('Kristen Bell' and Dax Shepard) that risks it all when they leave their small town life and embark on a road trip that may lead them towards the opportunity of a lifetime. Their fast-paced road trip grows awkwardly complicated and hilarious when they are chased by a friend from the past ('Bradley Cooper'), a federal marshal ('Tom Arnold') and a band of misfits.

- Written by Open Road Films

Dax Shepard (Let’s Go to Prison, Parenthood, Employee of the Month) as Charlie Bronson/Yul Perkins

Kristen Bell (Burlesque, Fanboys, House of Lies) as Annie Bean

Kristin Chenoweth (Bewitched, The Pink Panther, RV) as Debby Kreeger

Tom Arnold (Happy Endings, True Lies, Gardens of the Night) as U.S. Marshal Randy Anderson

Bradley Cooper (Hangover, Silver Linings Playbook, Hit and Run) as Alex Dimitri

Ryan Hansen (2 Broke Girls, Friend with Benefits, Superero Movie) as Alan

Beau Bridges (The Descendants, P.T. Barnum, Hidden in America) as Clint Perkins

Michael Rosenbaum (Smallville, Kickin’ It Old School, Bringing Down the House) as Gil Rathbinn

Steve Agee (Jesus is Magic, Sleeping Dogs Lie, The League) as Dude #1

David Koechner (Anchorman, Balls of Fury, Get Smart) as Sanders

Joy Bryant (Parenthood, Get Rich or Die Trying, The Skeleton Key) as Neve Tatum

Sean Hayes (Will & Grace, Sean Saves the World, Martin and Lewis) as Sandy Osterman

Jason Bateman (Paul, Horrible Bosses, The Chane-Up) as U.S. Marshal Keith Yert

I thought the movie would be an action by the title but the opening scene proved otherwise. The story line is pretty interesting and for a comedy it's pretty fun. When things pick up it gets pretty intense and does actually provide action entertainment. Bradley Cooper looks hilarious with dreads, but he is a badass character with a comedic twist. Dax Shepard is as funny as he usually is and Tom Arnold is also quite hysterical. In my honest opinion if they did a good job at being an action comedy, if that was what they were going for, they may have just had a little too many chase scenes and not enough talking scenes.