Thornafire – VOREX DECONSTRUCCIÓN

In America, music trends come and go every couple of years, but in South America their undying love for Metal has remained consistent for decades! They’ve produced such great bands as Sacrofago, Pentagram, Sepultura, and Krisiun, to name a few. Let us now look to Chile, where Thornafire’s new CD entitled VOREX DECONSTRUCCIÓN is making a huge impact not only the South American Metal fans, but on Metal fans all over the world.

Thronafire is an occult/anti-Christian Death Metal three-piece that writes immensely aggressive yet catchy songs that retain a groove and memorable structure. Their monstrous guitar riffs coupled with berserk blast beats and guttural growls place them in the vein of Morbid Angel, yet some of their tracks feature interesting keyboard overdubs and other tracks incorporate a female spoken voice. The vocals are entire in Spanish, but their message is blatantly clear, destroy and dominate all!

Thornafire will embark on their first ever U.S. tour in July with the legendary Monstrosity and Missouri's Torn the Fuck Apart. The band's amazing live performance is not to be missed.

Tour dates are as follows:

July 1 - Déjà vu Nightclub - Stuart, FL

July 2 - Volume 11 - Raleigh, NC

July 3 - The Half Shell - Virginia Beach, VA

July 4 - The Alhambra Arena - Philadelphia, PA

July 6 - The Lost Horizon - Syracuse, NY

July 9 - Zanies Too - Indianapolis, IN

July 10 - The Canopy Club - Urbana, IL

July 11 - The Riot Room - Kansas City, MO

July 12 - The Hideout - Omaha, NE

July 17 - The Jumping Turtle - San Marcos, CA

July 20 - The War Legion Underground - Amarillo, TX

July 21 - The Gypsy - Fayetteville, AR

July 23 - The Drunken Unicorn - Atlanta, GA

July 24 - The Oasis - Charleston, SC

July 25 - Bourbon Street North - Port Richey, FL

Rating: 3 ½ skulls

Sources:

http://www.myspace.com/thornafire

http://www.thornafire.cl/

http://www.ibexmoonrecords.com/

Hail Of Bullets – WARSAW RISING

The Dutch Death Metal giants Hail Of Bullets have just release a new EP entitled WARSAW RISING. Fronted by ex-Pestilence/ex-Asphyx vocalist Martin van Drunen, with ex-Houwitser bass player Theo van Eekelen, Gorefest-drummer Ed Warby and both Thanatos-guitarists Paul Baayens and Stephan Gebédi, Hail Of Bullets is a platoon of veterans trained in the art of total destruction. The new CD features two brand new tracks, one massive cover of the Twisted Sister classic “Destroyer” and three live recordings that capture this all star quintet at their best! As an added bonus to the old-school collector, WARSAW RISING is also available as a limited edition 10 inch vinyl edition (500 handnumbered copies)! 

Rating: 3 skulls

Sources:

http://www.myspace.com/hailoffuckenbullets

http://www.hailofbullets.com

http://www.metalblade.com/

We Were Gentlemen – LIVING HELL

Virginia road-dogs We Were Gentlemen have just released their first full length CD on Century Media Records entitled LIVING HELL. This 10 song collection of bone crushing MetalCore madness features ungodly screams combined with heavy guitar riffs and killer cut time beats. This is their first release on a major label, so I would expect to be hearing a lot more from them in the near future. They demonstrate the ability to write good MetalCore and have the drive to rise to the top of their game. Be sure to pick up this CD, as it’s sure to become a classic in a few years.

Rating: 3 skulls

Tracklist:

1. Deep Blue

2. Night Terrors

3. Cradle Your Filth

4. Illusions

5. Evolve

6. The Insomniac

7. New Blood

8. Annihilative

9. Bed Ridden

10. The Ceremony

Sources:
http://www.myspace.com/weweregents

Arsonists Get All The Girls – PORTALS

Known as Santa Cruz’s most degenerate six-piece, Arsonists Get All The Girls has just released their latest GrindCore Masterpiece entitled PORTALS. Fusing blast beats with keyboard madness, AGATG has written 11 tracks of sick and twisted music to whet the appetites of all you grind-aholic Gorehounds who thrive on this brand of insanity.

Arsonists Get All The Girls offer a unique sound that unlike anything heard before, although they claim to draw their inspiration from bands like Despised Icon, Cryptopsy, and Dream Theater. Their musical arsenal if filled with technical guitar riffing, heavy-as-hell break down beats, screamed lyrics, and some of the oddest keyboard sounds ever merged with metal. Imagine listening to your favorite Death Metal CD while playing a Nintendo Video Game, that’s kinda what AGATG sounds like. If you’re into eclectic music with an aggressive edge, definitely check AGATG’s new CD PORTALS.

Rating: 3 skulls

Tracklist:

1. Interdimensionary

2. The 42nd Ego

3. My Cup's Half Empty

4. Skiff For The Suits

5. In The Empyreans

6. Saturnine

7. Violence In Fluid - Triceratops

8. Portals

9. I Lost My Loss Of Ruin

10. To Playact In Static

11. Tea Time Tibbons

Sources:
http://www.myspace.com/agatg

http://www.centurymedia.com/us/

Church Of Misery – HOUSES OF THE UNHOLY

Combining the best elements of 70’s era Hard Rock and traditional Doom Metal, Japan’s Church Of Misery new CD, HOUSES OF THE UNHOLY, delivers over 48 minutes of a dark and disturbing Acid Metal. The band’s love Wah-Wah driven Metal, and their fascination with disturbing lyrical imagery has brought about a unique listening experience that is liken to a psychedelic bad-trip. Their sound is heavily influenced by Black Sabbath, with that well defined 3 piece sound, but adds to it the random sound effect that mysteriously wanders into the sound-scape as part of the acid-trip effect.

Church Of Misery conjures up images of a latter-day Manson Family sitting around in blood-spattered tie-dyes, contemplating their next sinister move. Each one of the 7 epic tracks is dedicated to one the sickest know serial killers in human history. Albert Fish, Richard Speck, even El Padrino Adolfo Constanzo gets his tribute. So if you like your blood bath with a nostalgic 70’s vibe, be sure to check out Church Of Misery’s third full-length studio album HOUSES OF THE UNHOLY, and turn on, tune in, drop out.

Rating: 3 Skulls

TRACKLIST 

1. El Padrino (Adolfo De Jesus Constanzo)

2. Shotgun Boogie (James Oliver Huberty)

3. The Gray Man (Albert Fish)

4. Blood Sucking Freak (Richard Trenton Chase)

5. Master Heartache (Sir Lord Baltimore)

6. Born To Raise Hell (Richard Speck)

7. Badlands (Charles Starkweather & Caril Fugate)

Sources:
http://www.churchofmisery.net/

http://www.myspace.com/churchofserialkiller

The Crimson Armada - GUARDIANS

Not since the days of Stryper have I held such utter contempt for a band like I do for The Crimson Armada. These Black Dahlia Murder rip-offs have gone the route of preaching their spiritual benedictions while wearing the mask of Death Metal musicians. Attempting to layer their vocals like many of the more monstrous bands of this genre, The Crimson Armada falls short of reaching the proper aesthetics with lyrics like “Fall to your knees. I pray for mercy.” Not very brutal in my eyes!

The sad thing is that the guitar work is actually quite good on this CD. There is a high level of technical prowess between the guitarists. Their guitars harmonize nicely, and their riffing is very fluid with plenty of hammer-on and sweeping techniques used in their song structures. If only they didn’t try to sound so much like The Black Dahlia Murder and wrote some truly wicked music, then perhaps they would have won me over. But as far as I’m concerned, Death Metal is meant to be shocking and infernal, and this brand of Christian Metal is just not winning me over.

Rating: 1 ½ Skulls

TRACKLIST

1. Guardian

2. A Filthy Addiction

3. The Sound, The Flood, The Hour

4. In The Eyes Of God

5. The Serpents Tongue

6. Revelations

7. Desecrated

8. The Final Words

9. The Architect

10. Outro

Sources:

http://www.myspace.com/thecrimsonarmada

Moss - TOMBS OF THE BLIND DRUGGED

Fans of Occult Horror and Doom Metal lift yourselves from the dark bowels of stagnation and rejoice! Moss has arrived with their 3^rd full length CD entitled TOMBS OF THE BLIND DRUGGED. Over 40 minutes of hypnotic music with an ominous aura that will pull your carcass down into the crypts and keep you there for all eternity.

TOMBS OF THE BLIND DRUGGED relies heavily on down tuned guitars, slugging drums, and spectral screams that screech in agony. The lyrical content centered on unspoken sciences and esoteric topics such as the drug rites and rituals of the Knights Templar. There’s a lot of distortion on everything, and feedback is often used to create a feeling of uneasiness. The title track features a passage that incorporates a pipe organ sound, creating an ever greater sense of discomfort and impending doom. Light hearted listeners take heed, after listening to Moss’ new CD; you may never want to return to happy-go-lucky world of rock n roll. You’ve been warned!

Rating: 2 ½ skulls

TRACKLIST 

1. Skeletal Keys         

2. Tombs Of The Blind Drugged       

3. Serpent

4. Maimed And Slaughtered

Source:

http://www.myspace.com/cthonicrites

Job For A Cowboy – RUINATION

The awesomely talented Arizona quintet, Job For A Cowboy, have just released their 2^nd full length CD on Metal Blade Records entitled RUINATION. The new album rushes at you in full force like a bucking bronco charging out of the stables from the first note, crushing you with cloven hooves and dragging you through the dirt to beg for mercy.

Jonny Davy’s layered demonic voice growls and screams over Bobby Thompson and Al Glassman chugging guitars that create a thundering wall of sound that’s topped off with Brent Riggs bottom heavy bass lines. RUINATION marks the JFAC recording debut of drumming prodigy Jon “The Charn” Rice, who delivers mind blowing blast beats and super sonic double bass work, elevating JFAC to a new level of technicality and brutality. The combination of these five elements creates an extremely well written and powerful album of pure Death Metal dominance.

If you like bands like Dying Fetus, The Black Dahlia Murder, and Suffocation, then pick up the new Job For A Cowboy. You won’t be disappointed.

Rating: 3 ½ skulls

           

TRACKLIST

1. Unfurling A Darkened Gospel

2. Summon The Hounds

3. Constitutional Masturbation

4. Regurgitated Disinformation

5. March To Global Enslavement      

6. Butchering The Enlightened

7. Lords Of Chaos

8. Psychological Immorality

9. To Detonate And Exterminate      

10. Ruination

Sources:
http://www.jfacmetal.com

http://www.myspace.com/jobforacowboy

grief of WAR – WORSHIP

Hailing from the land of the rising sun, grief of WAR is taking Speed Metal to the upper echelon of aggressive music with their brand new CD entitled WORSHIP. The Japanese quartet has set their sights on elevating Thrash to its former glory by creating a cleanly produced, heavy as hell album that will make you furiously banging your head, and they have succeeded in their pursuit with their new CD. WORSHIP is a 44 minute kamikaze attack that will have you bowing in submission to their killer guitar sound known as the Samurai Crunch!

If you’re a fan of phenomenal guitar solos like I am, then look no further than grief of WAR’s shredding guitar wizard Ken Sato, who lays down some of the most brain-melting leads ever recorded. As if the Sato’s solos weren’t enough, Grief of WAR adds to the mix the aid of Korn’s lead guitarist Shane Gibson, who performs a blistering guitar solo on the track "Into The Void." You gotta hear it for yourselves, folks… It’s friggin’ awesome!

Rating: 3 ½  Skulls

Track Listing:

1. Crack of Doom

2. Disorder

3. Captured Soul Eternity

4. New Kind of Wicked        

5. Revolt

6. Built My Brain

7. Worship

8. Into the Void

9. Midnight Sun

10. Lost

Sources:

www.myspace.com/griefofwar

http://www.prostheticrecords.com/

As You Drown – REFLECTION

The Swedish 5 piece called As You Drown has proven that the do-it-yourself mentality of the tape trading days can still work in this technical era we live in. Their debut full length album REFLECTION was produced in the band’s own AYD Studio in an attempt to maintain a demo-feel to the recording process, yet create the heaviest sound they desired without having to compromise due to time constraints. The result is a deadly dose of Death Metal music doesn’t hold any punches.

As You Drown’s old-school approach to song writing produces some really catchy, fast picking riffs, yet their cut times are filled with the stop-and-go guitar work that’s popular with newer bands today. These do-it-yourselfers have a thick guitar sound, deep clicking bass, plenty of harmonized counter melodies, percussive samples, and insanely demonic vocals. All of sonic layers in this self produced CD keep it from sounding too old-school (no doubt a benefit from having their own studio). As You Drown sounds similar to veteran bands like Cannibal Corpse, Behemoth, and Grave, but still manages to keeps their music sounding fresh and new. These guys are just getting started, so expect more great releases from this band in the future.

Rating: 3 Skulls

TRACKLIST

1. Ruins And Dead Ends

2. Horns

3. What Is Worst

4. Driven By Hatred

5. Swallow

6. The Last

7. Open Wound Salvation

8. Ashes

9. Needles

Sources:
http://www.myspace.com/asyoudrownsweden

http://www.metalblade.com