Review of Revocation's self-titled

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1. The Hive

2. Scattering The Flock

3. Archfiend

4. Numbing Agents

5. Fracked

6. The Gift You Gave

7. Invidious

8. Spastic

9. Entombed By Wealth

10. A Visitation

One of the most exciting modern metal bands on the planet, REVOCATION return with their fourth full-length and most mind-blowingly impressive album to date.  Displaying an unprecedented level of musicianship, the quartet shred and slaughter their way through ten insane tracks of guitar wizardry, stunning dexterity and next-level songcraft.  This self-titled masterpiece combines all of the band's trademark elements and cranks them up to 11.  Thrashing, virtuosic melodies, top-notch technical drumming and an all-out vocal assault take the listener on a lightning ride through the hallowed halls of heavy metal.  REVOCATION have proven that they are here to stay and miles above their peers.

An eerie riff and lead guitar start the album. When the band collects and plays together that riff is really badass. The first track, “The Hive,” is really fast and brutal the whole way through. There is a great technical part with a sick solo near the end of the track.  The ear bleeding riffs along with the constant pounding drums makes “Scattering The Flock” an incredible track. The main riff is quite catchy and although the track is a little melodic, it keeps it fresh with insane speed. There is an impressive solo on this as well. “Archfiend” starts with a pretty awesome drum beat and when the guitars come in with their evil melodic sound, it is chilling. This track is all over the place with speed, technicality, melodics, and solo. These guys are perfect in all aspects, even throwing in a very incredible acoustic diddle near the end, which led quite nicely into the last riff and solo.

The next track, “Numbing Agents,” is insane with the way it flowed. The riffs are over the place, with intense drums as well. It was quite an enjoyable listen, especially the solo, with it’s love for the whammy bar. “Fracked” had an interesting groove to it and I felt as if it was like heavy metal with a death metal twist. The guitar on this is quite catchy, with a grim turn half way through to keep things fun. The bass riff on that grim piece is really chilling, followed by great solos. A good track to mosh to is the next one “The Gift You Gave,” with its punch the face feel in the guitars as they shred through your skull from their quickness and groove. There is an impressive solo on this that dive bombs right into a weird sounding riff as well.

After the first riff of “Invidious,” a quick acoustic diddle happens and when the guitar replicates that diddle it sounds so epic. This track is so catchy in its delivery, it is all over with the speed and rhythm, but also has epic solos and leads. “Spastic” brings technical bits along with the bass grooves are killer and superb solos as well. This track is just as it’s titled and it definitely had a feeling of Meshuggah with its pacing. The start of the next track, “Entombed By Wealth,” led in nicely from the track prior. This one has nice sludgy bits that quickly go into shreddy masterpieces. It also had great lead guitar and solo half way through. This track was a good mix of speed and melodic. The mix of eerie leads, speedy rhythms, and machine gun pounding drumming made for an excellent conclusion to the album, with “A Visitation.” Bringing a mix of crazy riffs and solos this was an awesome track.

Having heard some things of Revocation through internet radio stations, I really enjoyed what I heard. Finally listening to a full album worth of their music, I must say I am now a fan. This album has everything you like about death metal and terrorizes your ears with this. These guys are now one of my favourite death metal bands. If you’ve not heard these guys, there is something wrong with you and you should pick it up next week.

Review of "Of This & Other Worlds" by Hidden Masters

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1. She Broke the Clock of the Long Now

2. Into the Night Sky

3. Perfume

4. See You in the Dark

5. Last Days of the Sun

6. There Are More Things

7. Nobody Knows That We're Here

8. Like Candy

9. Grey Walls Grey

10. Fall in Line

Hidden Masters. Three men, three entirely different entities…. the sharply attired, smooth voiced, fireball guitarist David Addison (who would certainly have been at home in Joe Meek's back room), wild haired psychedelic bassist Alasdair C Mitchell and behemoth singing drummer John Nicol. This most energetic of musical units concoct a truly mind bending miz-maze of cleverly constructed, lightly spiced musical escapades that somehow embraces Norman Petty Studio productions and the various tones and sub-genres of the Elektra and Vertigo bands in one fell swoop. Honest. What make this trio so special beyond their exemplary musicianship and singing is their utterly daring free form grasp of genre breaking. And some think it could never be done. Poo-ee! Dave can veer from Johnny Kidd & The Pirates styled rock 'n' roll to searing Avalon Ballroom acid-rock into full blown progressive rock time signatures that moves from folk and classical into proto-metal and back again. Call it excessive if you will, but it works and even at its most complex it's never over blown.

When witnessing the Masters in the live arena it is always of interest to see what the audience make of three gentle fellows who can sing like The Association and alternatively rock like bastards. Dave with his Robert Frippish meets Buddy Holly speccy appearance although every inch the anti rock star mixes in droll humour with some nifty foot moves as he casts knowing glances at the first bemused crowd. It's a presence you can't quite put your finger on. Long haired and bearded bassist Alasdair in boating blazer, polo neck, amulet, flares and zipper boots adds a venerable UFO Club touch to match the constant psychedelic flourishes whilst laid back grizzly man John props up the show with both manic and restrained drumming and further stellar vocal support. There isn't another trio like it. Their differing personalities and demeanor almost seem at odds with each other but work, like a dream pop group should. There's something quintessentially British and eccentric about the whole premise, almost Dr Who-ish in their off kilter time travel and intellect.

Signing with Rise Above is definitely the right home for the musical visionaries who with their debut album Of This & Other Worlds cover so many of the musical flavours favoured by the label and a whole lot more. 'Perfume' recalls a young Julian Cope doing his Jim Morrison impersonation fronting an all analogue and further steeped in '60s US psych Teardrop Explodes, 'Into The Night Sky' has something of Arthur Lee experimenting with country-rock and Black Sabbath about it, 'Last Days Of The Sun' could well be by the most talented '60s garage band making a diversion into classically tinged, psychedelic pop and 'There Are More Things'' blend of Mel Torme jazz crooning, mambo rhythms and barber shop vocalising sounds like the sort of fevered technicoloured musical dream interlude you would only expect to hear in vintage Disney feature Dumbo. 'Like Candy' toys with ancient American folk in the same way as acid-fried hippies The Charlatans whilst 'Fall In Line' could very well have featured in a trip scene from an old AIP drugsploitation flick, urgent riffing and madrigal harmonies one minute, paranoid warning vocals the next… Strawberry Alarmclock, Clear Light…. and the odd Who-ism. Perfect.

Hidden Masters innate grasp of music, emotion, suspense and storytelling; how to build and build and never be afraid of derring-do; of when to not mix two streams of music together that shouldn't and to ramp up the amps to 11 whenever needed is something no other band is doing or could attempt to do. They are certainly a very impressive band to arrive this late in the musical genesis of the rock industry. So far out, they're in. So mixed up, they're right!

Jon 'Mojo' Mills, April 2013.

MORE ABOUT HIDDEN MASTERS

Their first 7", 'Nobody Knows That We're Here' was described by SHINDIG!magazine as "the most important psych-pop '45 to come out of these fair isles for the past 30-something years".

Debut album,Of This and Other Worlds is a true revelation. Defying genre imprisonment of any kind, Hidden Masters have ingeniously created their own world of mindbending musical ecclecticism, avoiding any notions of pastiche. Whilst there is a strong leaning towards 60's pop and psych moves, the overall vibe is one that is vital, fresh and visionary.

Since their emergence at the turn of the decade, Glasgow-based trio Hidden Masters have been catching ears and turning heads with their dynamic ensemble sound, lush three-part vocal harmonies and a highly original and idiosyncratic fusion of musical styles, running the gauntlet from Rock'n'Roll to pop, West Coast Psych rock to Gospel and Folk to mind melting Vertigo-era prog, often all within one song, and positively aglow with melody, movement and imagination.

Their electrifying live shows offer the audience a one-stop intravenous blast of hedonistic joy, involving carnal flailing of limbs, euphoric wow-impulse neural stimulation and unprecedented levels of perspiration.

An incredible old school psychedelic sound starts this album of right with “She Broke the Clock of the Long Now.” It has extremely catchy riffs and grooves and great soft vocals. These guys may be mellow but it’s hard not to like their style. “Into the Night Sky” is a really chilled out track, with kind of progressive a feeling with the mix of heavier rock bit and mellower bits. The organ on this track was nice and I like the end of this track, it has really interesting combination of doom metal and obscene riffs. The next track, “Perfume,” had some awesome riffs and keyboards, with faster paced and slower parts. This track is interesting as it’s hard to follow. The guitar and bass on “See You in the Dark” had a very catchy flow to them. It felt like this track belonged at the beach the way it sounded. The vocals are great with the accompanying of the backing vocals as well. A definitely nostalgic track is “Last Days of the Sun,” going back to the days of when psychedelic rock first began. It’s a stellar track, it makes you want to wear hippy clothes and smoke marijuana like it was legal.

The drum and bass sounded great at the beginning of “There Are More Things.” When the guitar joins it just sounds so amazing. It’s quite the groovy track. The rhythms on “Nobody Knows That We're Here” are great, with quicker riffs and mellow breaks. The keyboard really added to how badass this track is and the vocals had a really enjoyable flow to them as well. “Like Candy” has sweet acoustic guitar on it, with equally sweet vocals as well, sweet, like candy. This track is all about the catchy feel as the whole track is memorable with the fun feel it brings. The organ and guitar make “Grey Walls Grey,” with the entertaining to listen to bass as well. Some of the riffs on this were so awesome and the acoustic part is great as well. An excellent track to end the album is “Fall in Line” with groovy bass lines and guitar plucks, as well as catchy riffs, and with a bit of keyboard here and there.

Before this album, I’ve never heard of Hidden Masters and I was blown away. They have a psychedelic rock style that I haven’t heard in a while. The only thing that comes anywhere close is “17^th Street” by Hammers of Misfortune. Hidden Masters do well to provide you a feeling that makes you feel as if you are in the 70s and it is very enjoyable. You should definitely pick this up, as it is something everyone can enjoy.

Track-by-track commentary of "Our Glorious Dead" with Luna Reign

This is a new segment in which we delve into the thought process of bands and musicians, finding out how they form their songs, what inspires them, and what their own music means to them. In this first look, we get a better understanding of the one-man band Luna Reign, a very gothic heavy metal project, and his album "Our Glorious Dead." I also reviewed this album and you can read the review here. Go support this guy and what he does by liking the Luna Reign Facebook page and buying the album at BandCamp, which is pay what you want.

Luna Reign: 'Our Glorious Dead' definitely had a musical aim. I wanted to make it more guitar driven. I wanted to crunch things up and make it more live-gig-able for your average gig punters ears, shallow I know, but I was going head to head with currently popular death/black metal acts. I wanted OGD to be different from 'In Love and Silent Screams’, which was all heart and sincerity. Which this

album is too, but heavily driven by anger and frustrations. I also wanted originally to put a guitar solo in each song, but each song has its own identity and it tells me what its needs and doesn’t.  A lot has happened in the year and a half that it took to write this album, and each song is definitely a reflection of this.

1. DEATH EUPHORIA

Luna Reign: The song is about man's blatant love for war and death. Testosterone drives man to hunt, fight and conquer. Death Euphoria speaks about those who have been to actual war and survived to tell the tale. But the state of Death Euphoria never leaves you, and thunders through your veins mercilessly. Its also a reference to man's current crash in the modern world, he is deemed thick and useless in his strengths, and as a result, gets over loaded and explodes with brutality. 'See your men reduced to this, hunting for meat next to frozen chips'. True man cannot exist in modern society, so where should he go? Cursed with the state of 'Death Euphoria'.

2. MIRROR MIRROR

Luna Reign: Logically this song is about reflection, but not just of the self, but also of the world. It speaks of a tiredness of ‘when will all this self-suffering end?’. The constant battles to stay alive in a nanny state laced with knives. In many ways this song also takes a political angle, demonstrating the injustice of modern society. Lost in this world of wolves as little red riding hood is dead. The first verse also gives reference to the near murder beating I witnessed on my street. From the view of the beater and the beaten. Another explosion of alpha male 'Death Euphoria'. Crawling through the dirt trying to find justification of existence, in a world that doesn’t give a shit! Joy, joy, happy, happy, joy. Don’t worry the album gets lighter as we go in...................not.

3. SINNERS

Luna Reign: This is one of my favourite tracks on this album. I could be really shallow and just say that it’s a Gothic sex song, a song you’re supposed to make love on a gravestone too. But like normal, it’s a bit harder and deeper than that. It’s about finding solace with the supposed freaks of society. Finally finding a kinship with other who have had similar life and death experiences. About coming together as one, to show a ray of light to each other. Almost a hope song in abject darkness, which is where we find the light. Oh yeah, don’t forget the sex!

4. HOME SWEET HOME

Luna Reign: No! this is not a Crue cover, I would sooner hack off limbs than do that. This song is a direct assault on societies idea of the modern family and the model it should adhere too. This song, like all Luna Reign pieces, simply shows what is actually going on in your average family. Displaying the difficulties and how society says you should cope with it. Its like being lead down a road saying you will be supported the whole way, then abandoned into a pit of acid. Once again the mirror is held up to reflect what is actually there, not fantasy ideas. Embellished with Guitars and anger.

5. BLACK LIGHT

Luna Reign: Light............that is black. It has a similar message to 'Sinners', just without the sex. A song of determination against all odds to succeed in whatever you want to achieve. Shine your own dark light onto the world, don’t be ashamed of who you are, the world is wrong, not you. If we are truly to believe God, then you are perfect.

6. SO COLD

Luna Reign: This song nearly represented the end of Luna Reign; I was so closed to quitting, whether it was by depression or writers block. The world was taking massive chunks out of me and I could no longer see...................anything. Another hope song in a sea of Hell nothingness. The studio lay dark, shadowed and very cold as the harsh winter ate away at my body and soul. These lyrics came straight from the mind, nothing was prewritten. It is what it is, once again a mirror held up, but this time, at me.

7. BEYOND THE WAVES

Luna Reign: Its midnight and a man stands on a beech, in the pouring rain, watching the tide come in. The waves wash around him, yet he doesn’t move. It gets deeper and more savage, but there he stands staring lifeless into the black horizon line. No tears, just rain pouring down his face. Ambulance lights flicker and bounce off the police cars. Screams of desperation and begging come from all around. But still he stands there, letting the cold waters of death wash over him, taking him away. The Soul has gone, leaving only lifeless flesh. A moment passes and all is changed. Still he stands in the rain, but alone. His sister would not take him, no matter how many times they throw him to her. She calls the time, not them. For she is all around us. For she is my sister. And she is death.

8. LAST BREATH

Luna Reign: Rejuvenation like a sunrise pushed this song into existence. My grandmother’s funeral song, a mirror held up to how families seem to behave when a supposed loved one has died. I have always found funerals to be a bit of a farce, I always held great contempt for all present. As if their mourning is somehow false and egotistical. A cry to death to not take themselves away, rather than the dead person. A cry to mortality as they suddenly face death. But mainly the theft of the said dead persons possessions. They are hardly cold before their worldly possessions are being snatched by loved ones. Funerals and said to be done for a sense of closure, not for me. If I don’t see them floating around at the funeral checking everyone out, they end up at my house a few days later. The dead are never truly gone.

9. FADE

Luna Reign: Going against the grain of society is never easy, but vital, I find, to being oneself. The world doesn’t like individuality, it likes ants. If you are not an ant expect a rough ride because society will either try to change you into a drone or squash you. Fade away is what the normal world wants you to do. If you are alternative in any way, I am sure you understand the meaning to this song. Or perhaps this is just my story............

10. UNTIL THE END

Luna Reign: This song is about someone who has just lost their religion and is left only seeing death. Desperately they get back on their knees praying to any spirit they can think of, but are left feeling nothing. Simple lesson really, Life is short. Live it to the maximum, don’t take no for an answer. Cast away fear, as the worse that can happen is that you will die, and that’s going to happen anyway?!?! So live your dreams!  because only the living can dream. I love you and hope to see you at the next album or gig. Thank you for your support. Your ears keep this clock ticking.

Spotlight: Wolverine (starring Hugh Jackman, Hiroyuki Sanada, Tao Okamoto, Rila Fukushima)

In modern day Japan, Wolverine is out of his depth in an unknown world as he faces his ultimate nemesis in a life-or-death battle that will leave him forever changed. Vulnerable for the first time and pushed to his physical and emotional limits, he confronts not only lethal samurai steel but also his inner struggle against his own immortality, emerging more powerful than we have ever seen him before.

Hugh Jackman (Les Misérables, The Boy from Oz, Real Steel) as Logan / Wolverine

Hiroyuki Sanada (47 Ronin, Revenge, Lost) as Shingen Yashida

Tao Okamoto as Mariko Yashida

Rila Fukushima (Karma: A Very Twisted Love Story) as Yukio

Will Yun Lee (Red Dawn, Sleeping Dogs, Total Recall) as Kenuichio Harada

Haruhiko Yamanouchi as Ichirō Yashida

Brian Tee as (Mortal Kombat: Legacy, Grimm, Crash) Noburo Mori

Svetlana Khodchenkova (Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, Lavrova's Method, Office Romance. Our Time) as Viper

Famke Janssen (Taken, Turn the River, Hemlock Grove) as Jean Grey

This is definitely a Wolverine that I wasn’t sure if I would like. Having him mortal is an interesting idea, although it just doesn't seem right to me. It grew on me after a while, because I understand that there has to be a part in every super hero plot where they lose their powers. It’s just always been a weird idea in my opinion. Wolverine being in Japan is definitely a new innovation to the movies and highly entertaining as watching him in a place with a different culture than his way of living is hilarious. The part where they force Wolverine to clean up is especially funny, as it was like bathing an unwanting pet. The train fight scene was one of the best fight scenes I've seen in a while. There is something about high speed action that is always incredible. If you are a fan of Wolverine and X-Men you should definitely see this movie. Be sure to stay for the credits for something as well.

Review of "Necrocracy" by Exhumed

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1. Coins Upon The Eyes

2. The Shape Of Deaths To Come

3. Necrocracy

4. Dysmorphic

5. Sickened

6. (So Passes) The Glory Of Death

7. Ravening

8. Carrion Call

9. The Rotting

With over two decades of gruesome grinding under the belts, you might think that EXHUMED would be ready to slow down.  You’d be DEATHLY wrong.  Necrocacy is EXHUMED’s political manifesto for a new dark day---no democracy, no equal rights, no freedom of choice---bow down to your one true master---THE SAW.  Nine sickening new tracks of prime Exhumed gore---blazing guitars, filthy vocals and obscene blasting drums.  Quite possibly their finest hour, as the years roll by EXHUMED refuse to mellow.  This is a band that stinks like the rotting flesh of a nation waiting for revolution:  vote Necrocracy Party 2013!

No mellow/acoustic intro to start this album off as “Coins Upon The Eyes” starts the brutality from the first second. It’s very heavy with great riffs and the occasional groove, bringing great solos as well. There are some catchy riffs on the next track, “The Shape Of Deaths To Come,” even throwing in some melodic bits. The solos had a really old school feeling to them. I like when the bass plays alone and then the guitar joins in. This track is an incredible one. The bass and drums to kick the title track, Necrocracy,” are awesome and when the guitar joins in it just sounds spectacular. The gut wrenching vocals and speedy shreds of the guitar, along with the solos, make this track what it is. “Dysmorphic” is definitely plentiful with solos, with two in the first minute. I like the acoustic break half way through, I like when death metal bands break up the brutality with short breaks like that. This track felt very thrashy but keeping its dirty death feel

A great mix of machine gun and punk/thrash drums come on the next track, “Sickened.” The solos on this are quite impressive, especially when they harmonize. The melodic bits on “(So Passes) The Glory Of Death” are really menacing sounding, with catchy riffs and amazing solos. The guitar makes this an enjoyable track. Keeping with the feel from the previous track, “Ravening” has some gruelling melodic riffs as well as some speedy brutal parts. The bit half way through sounded very blackened as well. “Carrion Call” has some catchy riffs, as well as some really excellent dirty bits. This is another track with a black metal sounding riff. This track’s vocals stand out the most on the album. A great conclusion to the album, ending on fast paced brutality, is the track “The Rotting.” It throws amazing riffs at you, as well as solos, even feeling a little technical at times and superb drumming, with speed and power.

This album is a masterpiece, as Exhumed creates a great combination of brutality and speed. The guitars are always great with brutal sludges, melodic pieces, and very impressive solos. The drums bring a nice blend of death and thrash metal, bringing elements from the two genres and creating a nice mixture. Having high and low vocals also brings a nice mix as well. This album is incredible and you should pick it up next week.

Game Programmer Quits Job To Sell Street Food, Doubles Salary; How Americans Get To Work; Sex In Nursing Homes; Beijing Subway Rush Hour; Other Videos I Liked This Week

I'm going to start doing weekly news again, like I used to. Down below are some things I read this week that I have found interesting. Above you will see a run down of all the posts that have gone up this week with quick links to each. Next week I hope to get this site back to normal, so look out for that.


Game Programmer Quits Job To Sell Street Food, Doubles Salary

http://kotaku.com/game-programmer-quits-job-to-sell-street-food-doubles-864816450

It seems that game programmers these days can’t seem to profit from their games, as it has been seen with many companies filing bankruptcy, so they have been forced to find other means to earn a living. One Chinese programmer has taken to the streets of China, selling a flatbread called “shaobing,” after leaving his day job because of health issues. The nickname “Ma Nong (码农)”  which means "number cruncher," is often given to Chinese game programmers, which is a play on words. The joke is that the "Ma Nong" work long hours, especially nearer to a game’s release as it needs to be perfect for launch.

The programmer in question explained: “The work hours of a programmer are long and arduous, sometimes we have to work overtime, though there was a lot of joy when we finished Yuan Zheng Online. When we are finished with work, we often go out to unwind, visiting karaoke parlours or playing basketball. Unfortunately my body was unable to withstand it all and I had to quit.”

The man found himself a girlfriend, after recuperating, and then looked for ways to make a living, which is when he ended up selling shaobing as a street vendor. It was actually his girlfriend who taught him to make the flatbread and the two of them spent their time creating recipes before they started vending. The couple bring in $3,259 a month, which is a lot in China being 19,992 Yuan.

In closing, the programmer said: “We had no idea that we'd sell so much—we sold 100 shaobings in a day, business is only getting better and better. We already earned enough for an apartment and now we're saving up more money. We hope to get married next year.”

Down below is some interesting information about how Americans get to work as well as sex in nursing homes. I also added some videos I watched this week that you might enjoy.

http://www.npr.org/blogs/money/2013/07/22/204550565/how-americans-get-to-work-in-2-graphs

http://www.bloomberg.com/infographics/2013-07-22/lets-talk-about-sex-in-nursing-homes.html

Track-by-track commentary of "Forced Human Sacrifice to the New Gods of Earth" by Bob Shaw, vocalist of Cuff

This is a new segment in which we delve into the thought process of bands and musicians, finding out how they form their songs, what inspires them, and what their own music means to them. In this first look, we get a better understanding of the two-man slam/death metal band Cuff.  I also reviewed this album and you can read the review here. Go support these guys by liking the Cuff Facebook page and buying the albums on BigCartel.

BOB: Zach creates the drums for all the songs. First, he is a drummer, he know his beats and patterns well. So he’s already thinking of what the riffs are going to sound like for each song. He sends me a rough mix of each song and I basically tell him to go ahead or if it needs to change riffs up.  I’m a huge alien freak, anything extraterrestrial excites me, so that’s what I basically write about. Destruction of the world or killing human scum, I write lyrics to the patterns of the songs and I find samples from movies/TV shows to go along with the song. I go over to Zach’s layer with the lyrics and samples on a USB and begin the vocal recording process. After that Zach mixes it all and that’s what you hear on the CD.

Hyperboreal Vibrations

BOB: This song is basically about getting abducted, to face the aliens, and getting infected with a chip. Then being forced to do whatever the aliens tell you to do. This song has Martin Funderud of Kraanium doing guest vocals.

Shattering the Lives of the Innocent

BOB: This song is about the invasion, coming in and abducting every human. Treating them like worthless scum and doing experiments on them, throwing them in cages never to see earth again.

Born of Extraterrestrial Orgin

BOB: For this song, we took the approach of a alien/human hybrid being born into the world to destroy humanity and bringing females up and impregnate them to create other hybrids, "pumping fluids into the rotten cunt."

Forced Human Sacrifice To The New Gods Of Earth

BOB: This song is also about abducting humans, forcing them into wearing chains around there neck . Being chained up millions at a time and forced into a pyramid. There’s no lyrics for this one but the one liner "WE ARE NOW THE GODS OF EARTH CONTROLLING THE MINDLESS HUMAN HERD" in a evil alien voice.

Reign Of Torture

BOB: This song is about performing experiments on humans, putting chips in there skin and torturing them. Sending them down to earth with half mutilated bodies, meaning the reign of torture will never end, even after the abduction. We had James Grundmann do guest vocals.

Defiled By The C18x Artifact

BOB: We were originally going to write the whole album about this subject. This song is basically about the Jonathan Reed story. If you haven’t heard about it, you should look it up on YouTube, there’s too much to explain. The video we got for this song is basically the found footage Jonathan took, check it out!

Pungent Stench of Mutating Flesh

BOB: This song is basically about the experiment room where they would mutilate, kill, and create humans. Its about the mounds of humans and flesh that has built the room., which is locked down and no on can hear screams in space. We have a t-shirt design for this, its pretty gruesome.

Eradicated Existence

BOB: This one is basically about the end of the world and how the aliens have took it over, to make it theirs, to repopulate it with hybrid aliens and to rule their world. They annihilated the human scum to take over our planet.

Skinned, Probed, Decapitated

BOB: Well the title basically says it all. First the humans are locked down on a table, skinned of all there flesh, and bent over for a metal rod to be inserted in there ass. As that is happening, they decapitate the humans and create human hybrids. As the last lyric says “THIS IS NOT OVER,” meaning there will be more for Cuff in the future. Maybe a continuation to this album, you’ll have to wait and see CUFF LYFE.

Review of "Forced Human Sacrifice to the New Gods of Earth" by Cuff

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1. Hyperboreal Vibrations

2. Shattering the Lives of the Innocent

3. Born of Extraterrestrial Origin

4. Forced Human Sacrifice to the New Gods of Earth

5. Reign of Torture

6. Defiled by the C18x Artefact

7. Pungent Stench of Mutating Flesh

8. Eradicated Existence

9. Skinned, Probed, Decapitated

Cuff is a 2 piece experimental death/slam band with a hint of grindcore reigning from the Durty Shwa they have been around since 2005. They have played shows with top acts in the brutal death scene and have 20+ albums under their belt. Starting out as a side project, they became serious when their other band broke up. Their themes from the start was basically porno/weed/serial killers/zombies but finding their sound and signature theme based on astronomy/extraterrestrial life. They released their 7th full length "Forced Human Sacrifice to the New Gods of Earth" this past June, with gaining huge success over it they got shows line up and more albums to come.

A great track to start the album off with “Hyperboreal Vibrations.” The slams and grooves were awesome and the guest vocals by Martin Funderud of Kraanium were great and almost sounded as dirty as Bob’s. The riffs are all over the place for some parts of “Shattering the Lives of the Innocent,” making for intense listening in between the sludgy slams. The guitars are really catchy on “Born of Extraterrestrial Origin,”with the slams and diddles. The drummer is also pretty badass as well, throwing in precision double kicks with speed. Bob’s vocals on the next track, “Forced Human Sacrifice to the New Gods of Earth,” are so gnarly on this that he can almost just be the bass guitar, with the constant gurgles. A great mix of brutality and groove, which definitely makes this my favourite track on the album.

The guitar riffs are quite catchy on “Reign of Torture” as well, with a nice solo near the end. There are guest vocals by Jaymes Grundman which sounded like Disgorge to me. The little spaceship like noise in between the slams was epic and “Defiled by the C18x Artefact” is pretty intense with its riffage. The little technical bits were really sick coming off of the slams on the next track “Pungent Stench of Mutating Flesh.” It was all around an awesome track. The blast beats were pretty good on “Eradicated Existence.” Cuff have a talented drummer, but he isn’t as talented as the guitarist who pulls off the grimiest of slams. “Skinned, Probed, Decapitated” is a perfect track to end the album. With speed, chaos, and sludge, although about two minutes in it gets eerily mellow, with ambient alien noises. It ends with more incredible riffs and vocals. This track was a fantastic way to conclude the album.

This is by far the best Cuff album to date, as Bob and Zach continue to dominate in their craft. With Bob’s inhuman vocals that sounds akin to a hungry stomach or flushing toilet and Zach’s perfect slams and grooves, Cuff is one of the bests. Be sure to check this album out and see them live!

Review of "Our Glorious Dead" by Luna Reign

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1. Death Euphoria

2. Mirror Mirror

3. Sinners

4. Home Sweet Home

5. Black Light

6. So Cold

7. Beyond The Waves

8. Last Breath

9. Fade

10. Until The End

Luna Reign is an Alternative, Dark, Gothic Rock/Metal Artist. A powerful and electrified journey through creation and destruction. Powerful, sensual and seductive as black silk brushed along bare skin. Romantic and soothing, yet aggresive and abrasive. Luna Reign is a UK based solo artist, who rose to power in 2010. Luna performs all the instruments on his records which include, Guitar, Drums, Bass, Vocals and keyboards. Luna writes, produces and records all his own music. Luna Reign is influenced by Him, Placebo, The Sisters Of Mercy, Type O Negative, Metallica, The Mission, The Cult, 13 Candles, Garbage, My Ruin, My Chemical Romance. Currently #1 in the Reverbnation local rock charts (www.reverbnation.com/lunareign), with 2 albums already out and a third in the making, Luna Reign is an artist to keep your eyes and ears on in 2013... With over 13,000 hits on Youtube, songs on rotation on Nightbreed radio, Lastfm radio, museboat and Gothic radio, a #1 on Vampirefreaks charts (www.vampirefreaks.com/lunareign), 7 tracks in the top ten on Soundclick charts (www.soundclick.com/lunareign), Now Signed to Gothic World Records, 2013 is shaping up to be a good one for Luna Reign..............

The album starts with what I love about Luna Reign, as “Death Euphoria” has a catchy keyboard riff as well as the gothic rock guitars that make his sound what it is. The riff at the end of this track is so groovy and the vocals are great as usual. This track definitely sets the mood for the rest of the album. A nice gloomy bass riff with accompanying lead guitar starts “Mirror Mirror” off. When the instruments come together as a whole it sounds tastefully sludgy. The track is a great mix of gloomy riffs and nice ambience. The next track, “Sinners,” just screams to be used in the soundtrack in a classic vampire movie. It has a catchy beat and is mellow but very enjoyable. The ambience on the keyboard and the way the drums and guitar flowed on “Home Sweet Home” were excellent. I also liked the vocals and how the lyrics were sung on this track.

“Black Light” is another track with great guitar. It is not as sludgy as the earlier track, but the chugging sounded a little dirty. There is extremely impressive little solo on this as well and this might be my favourite track on the album.  “So Cold” is a really mellow but gloomy track and the soft spoken vocals adds to the chilling feel of it overall. So cold indeed good sir! The drumming on “Beyond The Waves” is quite catchy and the guitars have a really badass groove to them as well. With the combination of that and the captivating ambience it makes for an excellent listen. The bass is really awesome on “Last Breath,” which is a superbly mellow but also heavy track. It is another favourite of mine. When I thought the last track mellow, “Fade” is even more so with skin tingling lead guitars and ambience along with lovely vocals. There is a nice lead guitar and ambient feel to start the last track “Until The End” off. This goes into some old school rock feeling riffs, giving this track a nostalgic feel. It is a perfect track to end an amazing album.

This album is an incredible step up from the last album, as Luna Reign seems to be bringing heavier riffs to the table while staying true to his style. It is great to see more from him, which are always perfect tracks. If you like gothic metal/rock, you will definitely like this album.

Spotlight: Pacific Rim (Charlie Hunnam, Idris Elba, Rinko Kikuchi, Charlie Day)

When legions of monstrous creatures, known as Kaiju, started rising from the sea, a war began that would take millions of lives and consume humanity's resources for years on end. To combat the giant Kaiju, a special type of weapon was devised: massive robots, called Jaegers, which are controlled simultaneously by two pilots whose minds are locked in a neural bridge. But even the Jaegers are proving nearly defenseless in the face of the relentless Kaiju. On the verge of defeat, the forces defending mankind have no choice but to turn to two unlikely heroes - a washed up former pilot (Charlie Hunnam) and an untested trainee (Rinko Kikuchi) - who are teamed to drive a legendary but seemingly obsolete Jaeger from the past. Together, they stand as mankind's last hope against the mounting apocalypse.

Charlie Hunnam (Sons of Anarchy, 3, 2 , 1… Frankie Go Boom, Nicholas Nickleby) as Raleigh Becket

Idris Elba (The Losers, Thor, Prometheus) as Stacker Pentecost

Rinko Kikuchi (Babel, The Brothers Bloom, Norwegian Wood) as Mako Mori

Charlie Day (It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Horrible Bosses, Going the Distance) as Dr. Newton Geiszler

Burn Gorman (Game of Thrones, The Dark Knight Rises, Torchwood) as Dr. Hermann Gottlieb

Max Martini (Saving Private Ryan, Level 9, The Unit) as Herc Hansen

Robert Kazinsky (EastEnders, True Blood, Red Tails) as Chuck Hansen

Clifton Collins, Jr. (Scott Pligrim vs. the World, The Boondock Saints II: All Saints Day, Star Trek) as Tendo Choi

Ron Perlman (Sons of Anarchy, Hellboy, Teen Titans, 1000 Ways to Die) as Hannibal Chau

Diego Klattenhoff (Homeland, Men in Trees, Mean Girls) as Yancy Becket

Ellen McLain (Half-Life 2, Portal, Team Fortress 2) as Jaeger AI

If there is one type of movie directors want to film, I am sure a large percentage of them would say they would want to do a movie with huge robots and if there was one man perfect for this, it would be the man behind Pacific Rim, Guillermo del Toro. This film is a new favourite of mine and may be one of the best of this year. It brought a good mix of action and emotion, with incredible fight scenes as well as character progression that touches your heart box. The Jaegers were awesome and the Kaiju always differentiated, as they always evolved each time you see them on screen. Charlie Hunnam is a great main character and fits this role nicely, all the character do. There is not one person on the cast who I didn’t think deserved to be there. The doctor duo of Charlie Day and Burn Gorman made for a very entertaining time, as Day usually does. I really want to give del Toro props, as he did gaming fans a huge service of getting voice of GLaDOS, Ellen McLain, to do the voice of the Jaeger computer systems, as well as not over doing it. If you have not seen this movie you definitely should, as you will be blown away with how phenomenal it is. Also down below is a great video made by Polaris (formerly The Game Station) with praise from Guillermo del Toro himself. I watched this video before I saw Pacific Rim and it made me so excited to watch the movie.

Review of "Falling Of Skies" by Dead 3 Days

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1. Intro

2. Forget The Dread

3. Born In Abyss

4. Puppets For The Machine (Of Greed And Dominance)

5. Ain't Enough Justice For The Unjust

6. Save Your Own Damn Grace

7. Realm Of Death

8. Prey On The Weak

9. Falling Of Skies

“Dead 3 Days started in June 2011 with Austin Chappell and Jason Ware communicating through kijiji. Over the summer Born In Abyss and Realm of Death were written. By August vocalist Dakota Harfman and drummer Danny Arnott had joined the band. Like most bands they had difficulty finding a bass player, so as a favor Casey Elliott (guitar player of Vesperia) offered to play for a while but ended up having fun and joining. Casey filled in for bass for about a year but eventually got to busy with school and Vesperia and had to leave, Shayne Durocher filled his spot and has been playing with the band ever since. Once they had a full line up Puppets for the Machine of Greed and Dominance, Save Your Own Damn Grace, and Falling of Skies were written and they started playing shows. The band does all recordings at Austin’s home studio, and he produces all the music himself as well as record/produce for other local bands for his company InZen Music.”

There is a great intro to open up the album with nice tapping and groovy chugs. The album’s first track is entitled “Forget The Dread” and brings a superb mix of melodic and heavy riffs while creating a dirty sound with incredible vocals. I can’t help but laugh at the lyrics written for this track as whenever a word is strung out soooo arrree theee llleeettteeerrrsss! The next is a rerecording of “Born In Abyss,” which definitely sounds a lot tighter than on the band’s first EP with a lot clearer guitars and such. I like the little bass diddle and the solos that follow after and it is one of my favourites for sure. “Puppets For The Machine (Of Greed And Dominance)” is another rerecording. The mix of high and low screams and growls is intense on this track and makes for a menacing listen, with the addition of the guitars giving you melodic brutality.

The next track is a badass one, entitled “Ain't Enough Justice For The Unjust,” with nice grooves as well as mellow parts with bass riffs. This track has everything you love about Dead 3 Days and more, making it possibly my new favourite by them. Another rerecording comes with the great track “Save Your Own Damn Grace.” I kind of felt it was short but then I realized I was rocking out too hard and lost track of time. It has amazing riffs which are tastefully all over the place. I can’t remember if I heard the keyboards in the original, but they make me laugh with how epic they are. “Realm Of Death” is another rerecording, but an awesome heavy track with a badass mellow bass groove, which leads to a very impressive guitar riff.

The next track, “Prey On The Weak,” reminded me somewhat of Meshuggah, the way the guitar rhythm went at the beginning but after that they quickly switch it up and go completely technical but also melodic death metal which was really epic. The way they blended those three styles is really talented and make for a amazing listen. The last track is a rerecording of “Falling Of Skies” which is an intense track. The melodic breakdown at the beginning is always incredible and the whole track is one big sludge-tastic funfest, great way to end the album.

“Falling of Skies” is a great album from my friends in Dead 3 Days. The album is spectacular and although I would have liked to here more new tracks than rerecordings, it is always excellent to see how bands I know improve on their sound. You should definitely give this album a listen and if you haven’t seen them live, go do so if you live in Ontario.