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Elm Street – Barbed Wire Metal
Elm Street – Barbed Wire Metal (2011, Massacre Records)
1. “Barbed Wire Metal” … 3:45
2. “The Devil’s Servants” … 4:00
3. “Elm St’s Children” … 5:41
4. “Heavy Metal Power” … 5:44
5. “King of Kings” … 4:50
6. “Leatherface” … 5:06
7. “Merciless Soldier” … 3:55
8. “Metal Is The Way” … 6:14
Band:
Ben Batres – Vocals and Rhythm Guitar
Aaron Adie – Lead Guitar
Brendan Farrugia – Bass Guitar
Tomislav Perkovic – Drums
Producer: Ermin Hamidovi
Melbourne, Australia’s Elm Street are a band that plays good old fashioned heavy metal and are proud to do so! At first glance of the cover art and logo (and knowing they are on the Massacre label), I thought maybe they were going to be a brutal-sounding thrash band but don’t let that artwork by the legendary Ed Repka fool you! Yes, this band does have some thrash moments (such as the relentless opening number) but they describe themselves as traditional heavy metal and also display a great sense of melody and New Wave of British Heavy Metal/traditional metal influence. The melody aspect is evidenced on the second track “The Devil’s Servants” and it also reminds me of Black Veil Brides. Don’t worry, it’s not metalcore.
Another thing that stands out about this band is that they are horror movie fans. I mean, the band’s name is Elm Street and they have songs called “Elm St’s Children” and “Leatherface”. These guys are all about delivering fun, powerful heavy metal — “Barbed Wire Metal”? “Heavy Metal Power”? “Metal Is The Way”? You betcha!
There’s lot of good solos and riffs throughout this album and singer Ben Batres has that necessary roughness that wells work with traditional metal. His voice reminds me of Mr. Lordi. I love the gang vocals, too, by the way!
The band knows their way around a melody but they are heavy and fast enough that you won’t think they are wimping out. So, if you want some fun and recent heavy metal to bang your head to Elm Street’s Barbed Wire Metal is just what you need!
File this under “Albums I Wish I Had Heard In 2011″!
Highlights: “Barbed Wire Metal”, “The Devil’s Servants”, “Elm St’s Children”, “King of Kings”, “Metal Is The Way”
Riot – Immortal Soul
Riot – Immortal Soul (2011, SPV/Steamhammer Records)
1. Riot … 5:03
2. Still Your Man … 4:16
3. Crawling … 5:52
4. Wings Are for Angels … 5:09
5. Fall Before Me … 4:55
6. Sins of the Father … 3:55
7. Majestica … 0:57
8. Immortal Soul … 4:46
9. Insanity … 4:40
10. Whiskey Man … 4:15
11. Believe … 4:17
12. Echoes … 4:57
Band:
Tony Moore – Vocals
Mark Reale – Guitar
Mike Flyntz – Guitar
Don Van Stavern – Bass
Bobby Jarzombek – Drums
Producer: Bruno Ravel & Riot
Riot has returned to deliver pure American heavy metal to the masses!
Immortal Soul features the reunited Thundersteel/The Privilege of Power line-up (with additional guitarist Mike Flyntz) that featured the gifted Tony Moore vocals. I’ve always said Riot has never released a bad album. They’re taken a few twists & turns when it comes to the style of rock/metal they would play, but it’s always been quality stuff. I really didn’t have any doubts about the quality of Immortal Soul and became even more enthusiastic for it when the excellent “Wings Are for Angels” was released for streaming earlier this year. That’s one of my favorite songs of 2011!
This album is a great trip back in time. The production is fantastic but the songs are written like this is the direct follow-up to Thundersteel. Anyone who was a fan of that album and Privilege of Power will NOT be disappointed with Immortal Soul. Yeah, this is American POWER metal at its finest. Mark Reale is still firing off some nice solos and coming up with great riffs, Bobby Jarzombek is a monster on the drums as always and Tony Moore is still killin’ it on vocals.
Riot is one of the great American heavy metal bands. It’s a shame they never got the widespread recognition they deserved in the 36 years of their existence. Mark Reale is one of metal’s best guitarists even now. Though the world at large may be unaware, for those of us in the know, we know that Riot’s place in the pantheon of heavy metal is secure.
This is an album not to be missed by Riot fans or anyone into a more tradition heavy metal sound from bands such as Judas Priest. This whole album is classic Riot full of the thrashers, speed, power and melodic metal that many fans fondly remember from the previous Tony Moore era.
Highlights: ”Riot”, “Still Your Man”, “Crawling”, “Wings Are for Angels”, “Fall Before Me”, “Sins of the Father”, “Immortal Soul”, “Believe”
http://www.riotrockcity.com
http://www.facebook.com/riotrockcity
Savage Messiah – Plague of Conscience
Savage Messiah – Plague of Conscience (2011, Earache Records)
1. “Plague of Conscience” … 5:31
2. “Six Feet Under the Gun” … 5:01
3. “Carnival of Souls” … 6:02
4. “In Thought Alone” … 4:36
5. “All Seeing I” … 05:09
6. “Beyond a Shadow of a Doubt” … 4:09
7. “Architects of Fear” … 5:14
8. “The Accuser” … 4:04
9. “Shadowbound” … 4:50
10. “The Mask of Anarchy” … 8:37
Band:
Dave Silver – Vocals, Guitar
Joff Bailey – Guitar
Stefano Selvatico – Bass
Mauricio Chamucero – Drums
Producer: Scott Atkins
Savage Messiah are a band I knew absolutely nothing about until I watched music journalist Dom Lawson’s “Iron Sandwich” video review for Plague of Conscience. He gave it a lot of high praise so I figured since the album is currently free to download I’d be a fool to not sample it.
This is the band’s third release and it’s apparent I’ve been missing out on this slice of British steel. I don’t know how this album compares to previous releases, but I’ve seen some places present Savage Messiah as a (retro) thrash metal band but they aren’t that at all. Thrash is just a portion of their sound, they are also equal parts power, speed, melodic and progressive. In short, they are HEAVY METAL. They don’t dance anywhere near the extreme side of metal (like Slayer) and the vocals of Dave Silver are clean & extraordinary. I don’t even get much of a retro vibe from them but they are certainly going to appeal to that community of old school fans because you can hear a bit of Priest, Maiden and Megadeth.
Plague of Conscience has been made available as a FREE download over at Earache Records’ website, so download it while you can. I’d also like to point out that the download comes complete with artwork for the album cover, booklet (with lyrics) and back cover. The artwork throughout is just beautiful. A CD edition of the album will be hitting shelves (and distros) in January 2012.
Granted, you shouldn’t take something just because it’s free but in the case of Plague of Conscience, Savage Messiah & Earache Records have given the public one hell of a deal and now the band has at least one more fan.
Highlights: ”Plague of Conscience”, “Six Feet Under the Gun”, “In Thought Alone”, “Beyond A Shadow of a Doubt”, “Architects of Fear”, “The Mask of Anarchy”
http://www.facebook.com/SavageMessiahMetal
http://www.myspace.com/savagemessiahmetal
Megadeth – Thirteen
Megadeth – Thirteen (2011, Roadrunner Records)
1. “Sudden Death” … 5:09
2. “Public Enemy No. 1″ … 4:15
3. “Whose Life (Is It Anyways?)” … 3:50
4. “We the People” … 4:33
5. “Guns, Drugs, & Money” … 4:19
6. “Never Dead” … 4:32
7. “New World Order” … 3:56
8. “Fast Lane” … 4:04
9. “Black Swan” … 4:10
10. “Wrecker” … 3:51
11. “Millennium of the Blind” … 4:15
12. “Deadly Nightshade” … 4:55
13. “13″ … 5:53
Band:
Dave Mustaine – Lead Vocals, Guitar
Chris Broderick – Guitar, Backing Vocals
Dave Ellefson – Bass, Backing Vocals
Shawn Drover – Drums, Percussion
Producer: Johnny K
Thirteen is Megadeth’s 13th album. It’s become cliched to title your album based on its chronological order in your catalog just as much as its become lame to stylize an album title or song as something like Th1rt3en. It’s just unimaginative and lame (to me anyways) but I suppose I’m just nit-picking.
Of course, lack of imagination could be argued for this album because five of the thirteen tracks on this album have appeared elsewhere in various forms. “Sudden Death” was originally recorded in 2010 exclusively for the Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock video game. “Black Swan” was an exclusive to Megadeth fan club members who pre-ordered United Abominations. “Millennium of the Blind” was originally demoed for Youthanasia and in that form found its way onto the 2004 re-issue as a bonus track. “New World Order” is from the Countdown for Extinction era and was also included in demo form on the re-issue of Youthanasia (a completed version appeared on 1999′s Duke Nukem: Music to Score By soundtrack). Lastly, the main riff from “Deadly Nightshade” is something that’s “been around for a while” since the mid-90s according to returning original bassist David Ellefson (this is Ellefson’s first Megadeth studio since 2001′s The World Needs a Hero) . It should be noted though that all of these songs have been completed, reworked and/or re-recorded for this album so it’s not a total cut & paste job.
In comparison to Endgame, Thirteen is an improvement. Endgame had some good tracks but left me cold for the most part. It was thrash & speed just for the sake of it and I’m happy Andy Sneap wasn’t able to return to produce this album (scheduling conflicts) because otherwise we probably would’ve ended up with Endgame Part 2. In the quest for speed & aggression, it seemed like Mustaine forgot all about melody and hooks on the last album. Thankfully Thirteen does not suffer this problem as the nature of this album is more melodic and songs like “13″ and “Guns, Drugs & Money” prove the point.
There is still enough thrash & speed to go around though. “Sudden Death” (slightly different than the Guitar Hero version) is one of the best songs Dave has written in years and should be included on any future “best of” compilations. “Wrecker” is another track sure to have you headbanging. Much of the album finds a great middle ground between being heavy while still having the hooks that will dig into your brain and keep you coming back for me.
Personally, I prefer a melodically metal Megadeth over a thrashy Megadeth any day of the week so this album has worked out well for me and has restored my faith in the band (not that it ever really faltered). Those that were enamored with the audio assault of Endgame may be slightly disappointed with Thirteen but those that liked the melodic shift in sound the band took on starting with Countdown to Extinction should find plenty here that will entertain.
Highlights: “Sudden Death”, “Public Enemy No. 1″, “Whose Life (Is It Anyways?)”, “Guns, Drugs & Money”, “Never Dead”, “Millennium of the Blind”, “13″
http://www.megadeth.com
http://www.facebook.com/Megadeth
http://www.twitter.com/megadeth
Evile – Five Serpent’s Teeth
Evile – Five Serpent’s Teeth (2011, Earache Records)
1. “Five Serpent’s Teeth” … 5:34
2. “In Dreams of Terror” … 5:07
3. “Cult” … 4:50
4. “Eternal Empire” … 5:35
5. “Xaraya” … 6:02
6. “Origin of Oblivion” … 4:55
7. “Centurion” … 5:44
8. “In Memoriam” … 5:47
9. “Descent into Madness” … 4:25
10. “Long Live New Flesh” … 5:16
Band:
Matt Drake – Vocals, Rhythm Guitar
Ol Drake – Lead Guitar
Joel Graham – Bass
Ben Carter – Drums
Producer: Russ Russell
Though I liked their last album, Infected Nations, I think Five Serpent’s Teeth is a much stronger album. Better riffs, better solos, better use of melody, better vocals. Despite these accomplishments it’s all a bit bitter sweet as this is the band’s first album without original bassist Mike Alexander who passed away in 2009. “In Memoriam” pays tribute to Alexander by using a bass riff he would play during sound checks.
On this third album, Evile is still bringing thrash to the masses in the same style of the classic composers such as Metallica, Megadeth, Testament and Overkill. This is not a bad thing. You could do a lot worse than get compared favorably to Metallica — and I mean good mid-late ’80s Metallica, not St. Anger/Lulu Metallica.
At the same time, while at the forefront of the “new wave of thrash” (a scene that has banked a lot on nostalgia), there is an extra quality to Evile that gives them a modern edge that even the tormented, brooding teenage souls of today would enjoy even if they think Megadeth and Metallica are a bunch of old fogies.
Whether the rest of the new thrash metal bands will continue stand once the novelty wears off, time will tell. As for Evile, they are already starting to separate themselves from the pack and I look forward to seeing what else they can come up with in the years to come.
Five Serpent’s Teeth is definitely a standout album for 2011 and not to be missed by fans of the Big Four.
Highlights: “Cult”, “Eternal Empire”, “Xaraya”, “Origin of Oblivion”, “In Memoriam”
Scheepers – Scheepers
Scheepers (2011, Frontiers Records)
1. “Locked in the Dungeon” … 4:08
2. “Remission of Sin” … 4:09
3. “Cyberfreak” … 3:45
4. “The Fall” … 4:05
5. “Doomsday” … 6:28
6. “Saints of Rock” … 4:32
7. “Before the Dawn” … 3:06
8. “Back on the Track” … 4:40
9. “Dynasty” … 3:57
10. “The Pain of the Accused” … 6:18
11. “Play with Fire” … 4:08
12. “Compassion” … 3:16
Musicians:
Ralf Scheepers – Vocals, Acoustic Guitar, Keyboards
Magnus Karlsson – Guitar, Banjo, Accordian, Keyboards
Sander Gommans – Guitar
Mat Sinner – Bass, Keyboards
Snowy Shaw – Drums
Tim “Ripper” Owens – Lead Vocals (“Remission of Sin”)
Kai Hansen – Guitar
“Metal” Mike Chlasciak – Guitar
Alex Beyrodt – Guitar
Victor Smolski – Guitar
Producer: Mat Sinner & Ralf Scheepers
Ralf Scheepers is a guy whose work I’m not too familiar with. I know he was Gamma Ray’s original vocalist and then went to form Primal Fear with Mat Sinner. I do have a few Primal Fear albums but haven’t given them anything more than one or two casual listens but it’s pretty obvious that group (and Scheepers himself) have been heavily influenced by Judas Priest.
With my elementary knowledge of Primal Fear, I dare say this debut solo album does not stray too far from the power/speed metal sound Primal Fear is known for. Actually, this isn’t even a leap for me to say since only Primal Fear member Randy Black is missing from this album and it appears Mat Sinner and Magnus Karlsson played on the majority of the tracks in addition to various co-writing credits. Really begs the question of why this is a solo project at all since their is little to no departure in terms of sound or even band personnel. Oh well.
Though this is a solo outing for Ralf (his first), the Priest connection stays strong. First off, Scheepers sounds a lot like Halford. He’s not copying Halford, this is just what he sounds like. So similar are their voices that Ralf was once in the running to join Priest when Rob left (no truth to the rumor that he would’ve changed his name to Ralford if he got the gig). Secondly, Scheepers covers the ballad “Before the Dawn” from Hell Bent for Leather (Killing Machine for those of you that don’t live in a repressed society). Thirdly, the man who actually did get the Priest gig (Tim “Ripper” Owens) duets with him on “Remission of Sin”. Fourthly, Halford guitarist “Metal” Mike Chalsiak cameos as well!
“Locked In the Dungeon” is an appropriate power metal pounder to kick off the album and Ralf’s performance shines. “Remission of Sin” is a treat just to hear two gifted vocalists duet with each other. The chorus sounds like ’80s Priest circa Screaming for Vengeance. It’s just amazing how much Ralf sounds like Halford at times with “The Fall” being a perfect example. Not only is the vocal performance just like Rob but it sounds like the type of sound Halford would do in his own solo band.
Other highlights are the moody “Doomsday”, the stellar cover of “Before The Dawn” and the ballad “The Pain of the Accused”. Some filler such as the cheesy “Saints Of Rock” (Halford probably would’ve loved to have had this on Made of Metal) and generic rocker “Back On The Track” have unfortunately found their way onto this album but overall this is still a good “solo” outing and should please fans of Primal Fear.
Highlights: “Locked In The Dungeon”, “Remission of Sin”, “The Fall”, “Doomsday”, “Before The Dawn”, “The Pain of the Accused”
Anvil – Juggernaut of Justice
Anvil – Juggernaut Of Justice (2011, The End Records)
1. “Juggernaut of Justice” … 3:40
2. “When Hell Breaks Loose” … 3:11
3. “New Orleans Voo Doo” … 4:25
4. “On Fire” … 3:23
5. “Fuken Eh!” … 4:08
6. “Turn It Up” … 2:57
7. “This Ride” … 3:12
8. “Not Afraid” … 3:44
9. “Conspiracy” … 3:20
10. “Running” … 2:54
11. “Paranormal” … 7:04
12. “Swing Thing” … 3:00
Bonus Tracks
13. “The Station” … 3:24
14. “Tonight Is Coming” … 3:44
Band:
Steve “Lips” Kudlow – Vocals, Guitar
Glenn Five – Bass, Vocals
Robb Reiner – Drums
Producer: Bob Marlette
This is more like it! Anvil always sounds like Anvil but I was treading lightly going into this album after the solid but plodding This Is Thirteen. The band has obviously been re-energized since the release of “Anvil: The Story of Anvil” and this is their first new studio release since that documentary came out. With Bob Marlette producing, the band has turned in one of their best sounding albums yet and the entire band really shows just how talented they are. Lips turns in some great work on guitar and Robb is relentless on the drums. Even Glenn Five gets to shine a bit — he handles lead vocals on “This Ride” (and does a darn good job too).
Look, reviewing another Anvil release is like reviewing another Motorhead or AC/DC album. If you like these band, you’ll like each and every album they put out. But Juggernaut of Justice is definitely a step above This Is Thirteen. The album seems to be more aggressive and faster than the last effort. It just goes to show that 30 years on Anvil is still a powerful and relevant heavy metal machine that plays in that fast and furious speed & thrash metal style that to me is best summed up as good ol’ heavy metal! The one time the band does go outside the box on this album is with “Swing Thing”, a surprisingly good instrumental jazz metal number. When I initially heard about the track, I thought it was going to be pretty lame but it actually works pretty well and is one of my favorite tracks off the album.
At fourteen tracks, I thought the album was a bit long but apparently “The Station” and “Tonight Is Coming” are bonus tracks. My copy is apparently a “limited edition” and these two songs are not on the album proper for a reason — they are standard brain dead heavy metal numbers (“tonight is coming/all day long!”).
Highlights: “Juggernaut of Justice”, “When Hell Breaks Loose”, “New Orleans Voo Doo”, “Fuken Eh!”, “Conspiracy”, “Swing Thing”
http://www.anvilmetal.com/
http://www.facebook.com/anvilmetal
Grave Digger – The Clans Will Rise Again
Grave Digger – The Clans Will Rise Again (2010, Napalm Records)
1. “Days Of Revenge” … 1:58
2. “Paid In Blood” … 3:58
3. “Hammer Of The Scots” … 4:02
4. “Highland Farewell” … 4:08
5. “The Clans Will Rise Again” … 5:01
6. “Rebels” … 4:41
7. “Valley Of Tears” … 4:09
8. “Execution” … 4:46
9. “Whom The Gods Love Die Young” … 6:12
10. “Spider” … 3:19
11. “The Piper McLeod” … 0:49
12. “Coming Home” … 4:23
13. “When Rain Turns To Blood” … 6:14
Bonus Track
14. “Watch Me Die” …3:55
Band:
Chris Boltendahl – Vocals
Axel Ritt – Guitar
Jens Becker – Bass
Stefan Arnold – Drums
HP Katzenberg – Keyboards
Additional Musicians:
Florian Bohm – Bagpipes
Producer: Chris Boltendahl
Another year, another Grave Digger release! This one is supposed to be a sequel to 1996′s Tunes of War. This album came out at the right time for me. After listening to last year’s Ballads Of A Hangman just recently, I was in the mood to try out some more Grave Digger. If there was one problem I had with Ballads it’s that the songs often blended together, they were too similar to my ears. Luckily that’s not the case with The Clans Will Rise Again. I think the use of bagpipes really helps gives this album and the songs their own flavor and identity but it’s not like they’re all over the place but they help spice things up. The entire album just seems more aggressive and melodic while featuring more tempo changes than Ballads.
Ballads took me a long time and many tries before I finally got into it and enjoyed it but Clans I’ve instantly liked. Just some ferocious power metal to be found all throughout. Boltendahl really comes through with some powerful and harsh vocals doing a great job but his rough voice is almost comical on some of the slower moments like when “When Rain Turns To Blood” starts off.
Not really sure how you go about getting the “bonus track”. I thought it was exclusive to the digipak version but my copy came in a standard jewel case and I still have the song.
The Clans Will Rise Again is another good album that cements my status as a fan of Grave Digger and encourages me to check out more of their albums…
Highlights: “Hammer Of The Scots”, “Highland Farewell”, “The Clans Will Rise Again”, “Rebels”, “Valley Of Tears”, “When Rain Turns To Blood”
http://www.grave-digger-clan.com/
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Official-GRAVE-DIGGER-Fan-Site/256056408537
http://www.myspace.com/gravediggerclan
Razorwyre – Coming Out
Razorwyre – Coming Out (2010, self-released)
1. “Party Of Five” … 3:19
2. “Fuck You Tonight” … 4:13
3. “Operation Market Garden” … 4:19
4. “Suspiria” … 4:41
5. “Battleshark” … 6:27
Band:
Z-Chylde – Vocals
Chris Calavrias – Guitar
James Murray – Guitar
Simon – Bass
Nick Oakes – Drums
Additional Musicians:
Tim “Diamond Tim” Shann – Bass, Backing Vocals
Producer: Tim “Diamond Tim” Shann
Coming Out is a great little EP featuring a fantastic young band from New Zealand! Razorwyre is influenced by and plays in the style of traditional metal, NWOBHM, speed and thrash. In short… they rock! The band never lets up throughout this great five-song set. Z-Chylde screams like a siren and Chris Calavrias & James Murray display some great Maiden-esque work along with some fine speed and thrashing while Nick Oakes smashes and bashes along with ‘em.
“Party Of Five” is a great way to start off the album, setting the pace for the rest of album and acting as a calling card for the band. And I love how the band uses thrash but isn’t only writing “evil”, nihilistic or depressing lyrics. “Fuck You Tonight” is a great example of that: “Tonight! Tonight, I’m gonna fuck you, tonight! I’ll be out the door tomorrow!” \m/ “Battleshark” is a great closer. Not only is the title great but there’s some great machine gun riffing going on and at 6 minutes and 27 seconds it stands as the band’s lone “epic” at this point.
Razorwyre is one of the most exciting new bands I’ve heard in a while to use the ’80s metal template. And best of all? This EP is FREE! So if you want to hear for yourself, head over to the band’s website and download it! They’re working on their first full-length album right now and here’s hoping it gets released ASAP! The world needs more Razorwyre!
One thing I found interesting about this band is that they were briefly known as Gaywyre. An odd band name but I thought maybe it was some type of New Zealand thing but then this EP is called Coming Out. Is there some type of message here or am I reading too much into it? Who cares! Razorwyre rocks!
Highlights: “Fuck You Tonight”, “Operation Market Garden”, “Battleshark”
http://www.razorwyreband.com/
http://www.facebook.com/razorwyre
http://www.myspace.com/razorwyreband
