Testament

Anthrax and Testament, House Of Blues – Anaheim, January 23, 2012

There was a very compelling reason to make the trek to Downtown Disney this wet Monday night in January. Three, actually and their names were Anthrax, Testament and Death Angel.  While buddy Dave and I got in to see the last song of the opener’s set, the venue was already packed and sweaty and plenty of hair was flying.  Tonight was co-headliners Testament’s turn to take the middle set and as the lights lowered the anticipation rose.  Chuck Billy is as generous as he is imposing and he was all smiles and air guitars throughout the band’s massively powerful set.  One of the architects of the thrash/speed metal genres, Testament laid down charging beats, chugging dual guitars and fast-chanted raspy vocals for opener The Preacher.  Lights flashed along with Alex Skolnick and Eric Peterson’s amazing fretwork.  While the safest place to be at the venue was in the upstairs bar, the best place was the front of the crowd pressed up against the photo pit barrier as bodies flew over and fists were raised to yell, scream and sing along to the metal masterpieces.  Billy’s glowing microphone stand was part light saber, part motorcycle handlebar and part muffler pipe, the singer swinging it upside down to play air guitar on it.  Testament’s style of metal is dark and dangerous, yet still focused on dynamics, tempo changes and mind-altering guitar solos.

Yes, Testament played Practice What You Preach and D.N.R. (Do Not Resuscitate), two iconic metal songs that belong in the Bible of Thrash.  Into the Pit was a highlight of the night, the band a whirlwind of energy spinning the audience into a frenzy of flying hair and thrown up metal signs.  Electric Crown is the Testament crossover song, proving that Billy can sing tunefully and the band can do melody along with their brutality.  Testament wrapped up their set with the intense  Disciples of the Watch.  Billy alternated between fast spit vocals and throaty growls, inciting fans to most to the insane beat and red-hot solos.

Anthrax

I’ve seen Anthrax many times throughout their career, and never have they been anything less than amazing.  Their most famous songs invite audience interaction, especially in call and response songs Caught In A Mosh and Efilnikufesin (N.F.L.) and I just learned after all these years that Antisocial is from a French band named Trust. Anthrax presented many songs from their new Worship Music disc, featuring the long awaited return of Joey Belladonna, who was in fine voice on this, the second night of their tour with Testament.  They opened with Earth is on Hell and Fight ‘Em ‘Till You Can’t, proving that the band, celebrating their 30th year, still have plenty of fire in them and plenty to prove to the world.  Charlie Benante created a militant beat as well as dropping percussive bombs throughout the venue as the set began.  Caught in a Mosh got the not so young punks on the floor to swinging their knees and elbows.  We chanted along with Belladonna “I ain’t gonna live my life this way/ Cold sweat, my fists are clenching/ Stomp, stomp, stomp, the idiot convention.” Anthrax made Antisocial one of their signature songs decades ago, a call to arms and a theme for acceptance in an intolerable world.  The Devil You Know is one of the catchiest songs on Worship Music, again incited fans to move and yell along, the song full of melodic changes and hackle-rising moments. The band was just warming up as they introduced Indians, still so vital years on, one of the band’s more socially conscious songs.  The pit opened up, heads banged and the crowd roared along with Belladonna “Love the land and fellow man/ Peace is what we strive to have” and “…A flag of many colors is/ What this land is all about.” In the End, the closer on the new album came next.  A dark number as close to mid-tempo as Anthrax get, the song was emotional and epic, with ominous drums and swirling and uplifting guitars. It shows Anthrax are just getting better in the song-writing department and was a glory to experience in a live setting, with the vibrations washing over us.

Exhibiting their humor, Frank Bello’s vibrant bass riff introduced Joe Jackson’s Got The Time, it was a fun two minutes, taking me back to he 1990′s, seeing them on the Persistence of Time tour with Public Enemy and Primus, yet tonight I was shoulder to shoulder, smiling along with fellow fans.  They dusted off Medusa from 1985′s Spreading the Disease, a song owing more to Iron Maiden than anything the band did afterwards, a welcome blast from their youthful past.  More dust was kicked off Metal Thrashing Mad from debut album Fistful of Metal when some of the band were barely out of their teens and Thrash wasn’t yet known.  Belladonna wailed on the high notes (“Whoooooaaaaoooooooyeah” Meeeeeeeeeeeetaaal!”) and the song wouldn’t sound much out of place on the Sunset Strip with Motley Crue and the local hair metal bands of the day.  You don’t have to be a comic book fan to appreciate I Am the Law, but the song is inspired by the future cop anti-hero from the 80′s that is getting a movie remake starring Karl Urban (Star Trek, Lord of the Rings, RED).  Benante and Bello layed out a swinging rhythm, Scott Ian and Rob Caggiano tore through some killer solos, the fans fell on the sweat-soaked pit and vocal chords were ruined chanting the song title. But just when we thought the band was done, Benante slung out a hip-hop beat and Ian chugged into the Hava Nagila riff for a bit of  I Am the Man.  Bello sneered into his microphone the poorly rhymed lyrics, Ian commenting that even after 30 years together, Benante still had to “Watch the Beat”!  Anthrax finished off the night returning to I Am The Law, leaving us tired, sweaty, hoarse, sore and happy to have the chance to experience the might band in such intimate confines. The guys stayed on stage bowing and clapping, taking pictures, throwing out guitar picks and drum sticks in appreciation of the fans that have kept them going for three decades.

(Review and Photos by Bret Miller)

Neverworld’s End by Xandria (Napalm Records)

It’s been a few years since we’ve heard from the likes of the mighty Xandria, and the band now returns in a grand and glorious way with an album destined to become a symphonic metal classic. Now on the Napalm Records roster of talent, Xandria is sure to enchant fans of such noted entities as Nightwish and Epica.

Neverworld’s End is Xandria’s fifth full-length album to date, and the first to features the wondrous operatic vocal talents of Manuela Kraller. Twelve songs in all are featured, absolutely epic in scope, performed with imagination and passion by all parties involved.

The masterwork commences with the stunning A Prophecy Of Worlds To Fall, a sweeping and dramatic magnum opus that is exhilarating to behold. Ms. Kraller vividly demonstrates a supreme vocal talent on par with the great ex-Nightwish vocalist Tarja Turunen. A grand slam beginning that will instantly bewitch the listener.

Valentine is up next, majestic with its epic metal soundscapes and impassioned vocals. Forevermore is the definitive power ballad, which packs an emotional charge that is nothing short of devastating. The aptly titled Euphoria is sure to provoke collective fists of triumph waving high and proud in the air within a live setting.

Blood On My Hands is dark and brooding storytelling at its finest followed by the engrossing Soulcrusher. The Dream Is Still Alive is evocative and inspiring, with beautifully lush vocals and wistful melodies. Then the pedal is set the metal with The Lost Elysion. A touch of folk music is featured within the dynamic Call Of The Wind and the solemn A Thousand Letters.

Cursed has a memorable refrain that will make the listener want to stand up and salute. Closing out Neverworld’s End is the nine-plus minute grand finale entitled The Nomad’s Crown, a shimmering composition that is a breathtakingly sonic extravaganza.

Neverworld’s End is an auditory odyssey destined to place Xandria on the metal map for the ages to come. The musicianship is thoroughly first rate, featuring the superb talents of Philip Restemeier on guitars, Marco Heubaum on guitars, Nils Middelhauve on bass, Gerit Lamm on drums, and the aforementioned Manuela Kraller on vocals. An unforgettable symphonic journey that music aficionados will want to relive time and again. Expect this one to ignite Top Ten Lists the world over when 2012 spins to its dizzying conclusion.

(Review by Kenneth Morton)

Xandria on Facebook

Impulse by Erra (Tragic Hero Records)

Tragic Hero Records has been signing a good number of promising bands lately, and with their past track record (Alesana, Motionless In White), many of these new entities are sure to hit the big leagues. Raging out of the gate is Erra from Birmingham, Alabama, whose thunderous debut entitled Impulse is sure to thoroughly impress fans of such notable acts as Misery Signals and The Devil Wears Prada. Brilliantly technical and grandly intensive, there is plenty of sonic excitement to be found within the 10-song collection.

The listener is hooked in right away with the devastating strains of White Noise, demonstrating a wondrous mix of intensity and melody. Render The Void is an ambitious effort, a kaleidoscope of sound that will dazzle the senses. The dark atmospheric yet brutal tones continue on with the soaring Pattern Interrupt, followed by the brutality of the mighty Seven.

Architect builds up the tension with an artistic crescendo while Efflorescent flows through your mind like a heavy metallic dream. Vaalbara is technical to the maximum while Heart exudes a good deal of skill with its melody and vibrant potency.

Obscure Words has some swirling guitar work that renders this one a stand out. Invert concludes the record with a ferocious impact that will surely leave the listener wanting to hear a whole lot more.

The guitar interludes are imaginative and compelling, credited to the talented duo of Jesse Cash (also on vocals) and Alan Rigdon. The rhythm section is supremely tight, performed with a stunning sense of conviction by bassist Adam Hicks and drummer Alex Ballew. And then Garrison Lee drives it all home with wildly impassioned vocals.  Together, the collective known as Erra is unbeatable force to be reckoned with.

While their EP Andromeda was a stunning effort that garnered the band a good deal of notice, Impulse is sure to propel Erra onto even greater musical glories. A stunning work of extreme art that is sure dazzle the senses of all who enjoy their metal works with a fiery sense of technicality and intrigue.

(Review by Kenneth Morton)

Erra on Facebook

PhantasmaChronica by Chryst (Omniversal Records)

In an age where bands notoriously copy one another in their relentless pursuit of the mundane, Chryst will feel like the second coming of a brand new musical revolution. Once known as the mighty KorovaKill over a decade ago, the band has returned in the form of the enigmatic Chryst, presenting unto the jaded masses a thoroughly imaginative adventure in epic psychedelic metal. The avant-garde theatrics to be found within PhantasmaChronica are as thrilling as they as bewildering. It will take more than just a casual listener to fully appreciate the rich tapestries, but those who take the time and venture through the magnum opus will be richly rewarded. (Or scratching their heads wondering what the fuck they’ve just put their delicate ears through – you decide!)

The cover art certainly is a puzzling – a savior hanging from a windmill and a man with a clouded beard looking on somberly. There is even a goldfish flying serenely through the perfect blue sky. Not the typical metal cover art by any means, but then you must understand that Chryst is FAR from your typical metal collective.

PhantasmaChronica is a single 47-minute song split up into 14 testaments of sonic extremity. The disc kicks off with the ominous sounds of The Awakening, where Chryst experiences a dramatic resurrection into the land of the avant-garde.  I Are You kicks off with a dialogue between some rather unsavory individuals, and then slams into a demented classical choir and stunning black metal underscore.

Leaving The Ashes continues our ascent into the obscure and unexplained following by the fevered inclinations of the insanely delightful Storming Outside. The Surge Lands is a hypnotic march with otherworldly chimes sure to tickle the senses, segue-waying into the darkly morose Universe Inverse.

The spirited dementia keeps assaulting the listener with fiendish glee, with A New Age, Metatropolis and beyond expanding through time and musical genres with a grand sense of magnificence and wild-eyed wonder.

The NovoPharus/The ChronoMagus will make you want to launch headfirst into a mosh pit of self-destruction while The Drill Tower staggers the mind with its delicate sense of unease. Tempium Tempus is a nightmarish lullaby of mystical intrigue followed by the dark manifestations of Grow Into The Labyrinths.

The journey through the madness and mayhem of Chryst concludes with the one/two surrealistic punch of The Architect Maze and Back In The Room.

The masterwork of Dr. Chrystof Niederwieser, PhantasmaChronica is an unforgettable expedition of sheer artistry, setting the bar for extreme music to a whole new imaginative level of distinction. An underground classic for the musically enlightened – and a massive state of aural confusion for the sheep and others of the commonplace variety.   Nothing short of mesmerizing!

(Review by Kenneth Morton)

Chryst Official Home Page

The Ghost You Gave To Me by 3 (Metal Blade Records)

3 (aka Three) is a band originally from Woodstock, NY.  That part is simple enough, but the rest is more difficult to explain.  Their music is progressive, non-genre-specific yet containing many styles and glorious to behold.  Joey Eppard is the leader, singing in his high,  sometimes muscular way, playing  his acoustic guitar without aid of a pick in a flamenco-like style or as a percussive element.  React, High Times and On With the Sun display a loving attention to detail in crafting beautiful and catchy pop songs with intelligence.  Songs like Sparrow carefully balance hard rock with positive uplift, adding a kazoo-ing guitar part and metallic middle to counterpoint the prettiness.  And on the song Pretty, 3 combine a disco groove, catchy riffs and dark lyrics repeating “You’re all alone.”

3 don’t do filler: every song has something going for it, whether they’re going all out angry rock on Afterglow or tempering their violence with some of the most intense guitar interplay from Eppard and Bill Riker on It’s Alive or Riker letting loose the demons on Numbers, Chris Gartmann thundering away on his kit.  I appreciate the challenges that 3 set out for themselves on The Ghost You Gave To Me, as the listening experience is inspiring and will likely make some fans take up their instruments with renewed vigor to try to translate some of the labyrinthine arrangements on this album.

The Ghost You Gave To Me is brought to a satisfying end with the mainly acoustic ballad The Barrier, the volume turned down and the emotion pulled out in Eppard’s wistful and breathy vocals and in the slow rolling rhythm by Gartmann and bassist Daniel Grimsland.  A true lighter-waving moment.

In a year of great new music, The Ghost You Gave To Me goes to the top of the list due to their diversity and passion.

(Review by Bret Miller)

Mustaine has always held up a mirror to his own life and does so again on Whose Life (Is it Anyway?) which has a punk rock looseness to the rhythm as Mustaine growls catchy lyrics about those who criticize him and others while standing in the shadows.  The guitar leads are massive, the bass guttural and dangerous.  For the closing song 13, Mustaine gets a little soulful with the lyrics:

“At thirteen I started down this path
Fueled with anger, music was my wrath
Years of clawing at scars that never healed
Drowning my mind, the thoughts are too real.”

There’s a tasty acoustic guitar solo, a dark breakdown, a soaring solo that echoes the song’s chord progression, and an overall epic and dramatic feel to the arrangement.

There are three songs about bad women on Th1rt3en and regardless of how literate the lyrics are on two of them, the song that stands out is Wrecker, with its huge groove, fists in the air chorus and overall sense of fun. Deadly Nightshade has some incredible guitar lines and the band is in high form for the middle and second half of the song, Mustaine and Broderick performing melodic, thematic and shredding solos while Ellefson and Drover are as insistent as a freight train.

Perhaps the return of David Ellefson to the fold is the reason Megadeth sound more like their 90′s selves than they have in years.  Yet the album doesn’t take off like Endgame did, the songs are solid enough but only Mustaine and Broderick’s solos truly soar.  A good Megadeth album is still so much better than thousands of other bands out there, but here’s to hoping for their next album they write some songs that match the soulfulness of 13 or the manic energy of Never Dead and Whose Life (Is it Anyway?).

(Review by Bret Miller)

In Swathes Of Brooding Light by Ebonylake (Ladlo Productions)

Back in 1999, the enigmatic Ebonylake unleashed their first magnum opus on the legendary Cacophonous Records – a label who released earlier work from such notable acts such as Cradle Of Filth, Dimmu Borgir, Gehenna, and Primordial. It may be have taken well over a decade for their next masterwork to see the dawning of a new grim day, but now in the waning hours of 2011, Ebonylake has return with the absolutely captivating In Swathes Of Brooding Light.

Within the realm of avant-garde black metal, Ebonylake fearlessly deliver dark and ferocious tapestries, recalling such innovative acts as latter day Emperor, Limbonic Art, and even a bit of Neurosis. Despite such comparisons, Ebonylake is their own sonic beast of burden, reveling in a chaotic wonderland of enchantment and intrigue.

The first seven songs found within consist of new material, performed with horrific perfection by the duo of Ophelius and Mass. If there was ever a soundtrack into the journey of a tormented mind, In Swathes Of Brooding Light is that perfect companion piece. And From the Seas the Sickening Things send the journey into chaotic bliss instantly, reeling the listener in with its staggering sounds and muted screams. I Painted the Suicide of Neptune continues the haunted reveries with an unshakable sense of dread. And the dynamic tracks continue, grabbing the listener by the throat with an unearthly intensity. Interludes of chimes and harpsichords abound as well as clocks ticking relentlessly, serene pianos melodies, machine gun drum fire, and shattering guitars, all hypnotizing the listener with a static sense of frenzied grace.  This is surely what hell sounds like.  Or sheer insanity.

For those who would like to compare the old sonnets of Ebonylake, their unleashed four-song demo As We Dance Ghosts in Thrashing Seas from 1997 has been added as bonus material. Especially notable from the earlier work is the epic A Voice In The Piano, a ten-minute plus track that is shimmering and dynamic in scope.

In Swathes Of Brooding Light is nothing short of mesmerizing. The most compelling of musical entities may be found from the underground, and Ladlo Productions has certainly graced the world with an extreme classic! Here’s hoping there will not be another ten year wait before Ebonylake launches their next grand assault to the senses of adventurous musical types the world over. One listen, and you’ll never forget your sonic swim into the bleak and dramatic waters of Ebonylake.

(Review by Kenneth Morton)

Ebonylake on Facebook
Ladlo Productions on Myspace

IV: The Requiem For The Art of Death by Immortal Souls (Facedown Records)

Facedown Records has been a major supporter of the mighty Immortal Souls, releasing almost all of their albums here in the States since the beginning. Based out of Finland, Immortal Souls unleash a stunning brand of music they call “Winter Metal” – an icy yet thoroughly inspiring style of extreme artistry that is exciting to behold. Fans of acts such as Dark Tranquillity and In Flames will surely enjoy the intricate compositions and overall intensity of what Immortal Souls has to offer. IV: The Requiem For The Art of Death is their fourth magnum opus to date, and it’s sure to dazzle the senses of metal fans worldwide.

This recording has been an especially cathartic one for bassist / vocalist A.Sarkioja and his brother (and Immortal Soul’s guitarist) E. Särkioja. Dealing with the passing of their father, many of the songs touch on loss and memory – this Requiem being deeply personal yet ultimately triumphant in scope. Divided in three distinctive Acts, IV: The Requiem For The Art of Death is as profound as it is ambitious.

The requiem commences with the haunting instrumental Art Of Death Act I: Soulbells before exploding into the devastating whiplash inducing sounds of Evil Believer. The assault to the senses continues at a breakneck pace with Nuclear Winter, a powerhouse track demonstrating just how grand and vivid the Immortal Soul’s experience is.

I Wept is extremely moving and effective – a lyrical dialog from a family trying to come to grips with a loss. Absolution continues through the darkness trying to seek some sort of truth and light in the midst of tragedy.

Art Of Death Act II: The Last Journey is a quiet reprieve before launching into the gloriously epic Reek Of Rotting Rye. Last Day On Earth is haunting and crucial, with its especially impassioned growls that grab you by the throat.

Hypnotic Atrocity merges thrash and doom metal together and the result is impressive! Thoughts Of Desolation slams at the listener next with a skilled precision. One Last Withering Rose has mostly clean vocals and stunning musical dynamics that are deeply heart wrenching yet ultimately liberating.

Closing out the album is Art of Death act III: The Requiem of the Funeral Eve – a nearly nine minute masterwork that is positively mesmerizing. The atmospheric guitar work is especially effective, transcending the listener into its icy refrains.

IV: The Requiem For The Art of Death presents Immortal Souls in their finest hour. A remarkable collection that will linger within the memory of all adventurous musical types for the metal ages to come!

(Review by Kenneth Morton)

Immortal Souls Official Home Page

It has been almost four years since the Oakland band released The Blackening, amazing fans the world over with their epic metal masterpieces.  Machine Head has evolved over the years from a downtuned Nu Metal band in the 90′s to speed/thrash metal in the early 00′s to The Blackening which showed the band at the top of their game.  Unto the Locust ups the ante with tighter arrangements, more thematic guitar solos, improved vocal delivery and an overall more refined sound.

Unto the Locust leads off with a Latin chorus chanting, as an intro to I Am Hell (Sonata in C#).   Then the double bass drums of Dave McClain hits you like a  truck, Robert Flynn growls evilly and his and Phil Demmel’s guitars chug ominously.  Then a super-fast beat kicks in and the whole band shifts into overdrive.  After a few minutes it becomes apparent that Machine Head are on a mission to present the best metal album of yet another decade.  It also becomes clear the talent of founding bassist Adam Duce as he ably changes tempos and rhythms and melodies in each song.  Duce and the rest of the band will be surely tested when they bring these songs to the stage but I have great faith they’ll pull it off.

Be Still and Know follows, Demmel and Flynn working their guitar necks in tandem melody one minute, then working heavy riffs the next, then trading lightning quick solos one after the other as Duce’s bass rumbles like a diesel engine and McClain’s sticks fly over his kit with sinew and skill.  Locust opens with a very Cure-like intro leading to buzzsaw guitar riffing and punishing drums. Without losing any muscle, the chorus adds melody, but just enough.

As a palette cleanser, This is the End opens with a gentle acoustic guitar piece in advance of metal so fast it will have the kids in the mosh pits drenched with sweat.  Up next is a departure for Flynn as he sings quietly with barely contained rage then cuts loose, singing clearly and powerfully about fatherhood, about staying strong, about religion and faith on Darkness Within.  

Pearls Before Swine gives the impression that this song and the whole album was crafted with care, long hours practicing together and sleeping with their instruments so tight is the interplay between the four members.

Who We Are shows Flynn leading the tribes of hungry, ugly, high, broken and young, promising “Unbridled in determination” “Into Glory we will ride”.  Halfway through the song Flynn presents us with yet another thematic and finger flying guitar solo followed by an even faster blast from Demmel.

On Unto the Locust, Machine Head present metal in all its glory: loud, fast, and angry, while tempering the chaos with agile playing, plenty of melody and moments of beauty.

Three extra songs are featured on the Special Edition of Unto the Locust in the form of engaging covers of Judas Priest’s Sentinel and Rush’s Witch Hunt as well as a acoustic version of Darkness Within.

(Review by Bret Miller)

Heritage by Opeth (Roadrunner Records)

Opeth has gone completely prog rock on their 10th album.  Gone are Mikael Akerfeldt’s growls and gone are most of the death metal trappings the band have held onto since their inception.  You’ve always heard Akerfeldt and band’s jazz and less metal influences but now they’re at the forefront along with clean vocals throughout.

Recently departed keyboardist Per Wiberg is featured in a solo performance as Heritage opens with the title track.  Melancholy and pretty, the short piece signals a huge departure and foreshadows what is to come.  The Devil’s Orchard follows with churning organ, a lurching opening, leading to a strident beat and psychedelic weaving guitar patterns, Akerfeldt singing “God is Dead”.  Things slow down, and then get spooky, building back up into an epic rocker.  

I Feel The Dark begins with some lovely and foreboding acoustic guitar, a flute makes wafts through and the spare instrumentation is joined by Martin Axenrot’s strident drumming and Wiberg’s shadowy keyboards, the band going all Floyd on us.  But just when you get comfortable, Opeth get back to their metal roots, as they seesaw between acoustic plucking and strings and hard edged headbanging riffs.  After hearing Wiberg’s choice of organ settings on several songs, you would have to assume he is a fan of Deep Purple’s Jon Lord, especially during the Highway Star-ish Slither.  

Nepenthe showcases some of the most confident and soulful vocals from Akerfeldt, returning to the melody from The Devil’s Orchard, over a part pastoral, part jazz, quietly dangerous composition, leading into a chaotic and funky second half of David Gilmour guitars and fading thunder bass thump.  The Lines in My Hand is very jam-y with every player having their spotlight, from Martin Mendez’s agile bass to Fredrik Akessen’s many heavy and light solos to Wiberg’s pitch-shifting wah’s to Axenrot’s cymbals crashing to Akerfeldt’s soaring vocals.

On Heritage, Opeth confidently join the ranks of their progressive rock forefathers.

(Review by Bret Miller)