Album Reviews


Review: BWAK DWAGON – ‘Plum Island’ [Album Stream]

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Photo Credit: JBradley

BWAK DWAGON was forged in the rock n roll town of Cleveland, Ohio. The three piece band is made up of Matthew Clement on drums and vocals, Dave Busch on guitar, and Jason Robinson on bass. Together, they mix heavy riffs with haunting tones and lyrics. This powerful trio has plenty to offer and though this band may be small in numbers they are big in sound. The band released their self-titled debut album in 2014 and was released independently by the band. It is also now available on vinyl via Gotta Groove Records I might add. The debut was recorded by Paul Maccarrone (Obnox) at 71st Door in Cleveland, OH and mastered by Charlie Loudin (The Pistolettes) at My Other Car Is The Space Time Continuum in Kent, OH. The band of course has had a strong string of live performances in and around the Cleveland area and has quickly drawn attention to their heavy and haunting sound. Just 2 years later the band has released a follow up to their debut titled ‘Plum Island’ which released in September of 2016. The band coming off the heels of a successful first album again went to Paul Maccarrone for recording and Charlie Loudin for mastering. The lyrical content is one of the strongest points within the Bwak Dwagon sound and those words are brought to life on paper and in voice by Matthew Clement. It’s not often we get a chance to hear the drummer show off his pipes while also beating his drum kit to shreds but Clement is able to easily accomplish this.

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Review: ACCEPT – ‘The Rise Of Chaos’ [Official Videos]

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My first encounter of ACCEPT is still vivid and it does evoke the exact feelings the band’s music walked me through couple of years down the line, when I stumbled across their legendary song ‘Balls To The Wall‘ of their 1983 album of the same name, which is more than just an album. It is a phenomenon to be honest! Their last three albums have been doing pretty well, with the band achieving more success than they had in their entire career, with Mark Tornillo on vocals it also happens to be my favourites along with a couple of old school classics from the Udo era. After a hiatus and hitting back to the grind in 2009, ACCEPT have been pretty much putting out consistently power packed albums with a cycle of touring followed by the release of each album. They’ve been busy you can tell, and to hit that off at this age even after 30+ years of existence is worth a huge round of applause.

The teutonic titans are here to continue the legacy and deliver more good old school metal to the masses as they are just a knock away from the release of their 15th studio album, ‘The Rise of Chaos’, which comes out crashing through the gates on the 4th of August via Nuclear Blast Records. Back with a new line up and rejuvenated spirit, ACCEPT are pretty much consistent with what they do and hence further cements the fact why they are your old school go-to boys, with this record.

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REVIEW: MOTOGRATER Do Not Disappoint With ‘Desolation’

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As a writer, it’s a bit of an exciting game of “What will they do next?” when it comes to bands releasing new material.  Some bands change their sound, some bands change their look, and then there are bands that invent instruments.  Okay, maybe that last one is a little less frequent than the others, but it does happen and in 1995, Motograter became one of those bands. Continue reading →

Review: BLUES FUNERAL ‘Awakening’ [Exclusive Track Stream]

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Blues Funeral formed in 2014 by Jan Kimmel (guitar), Cory Cousins (drums) and Maurice Eggenschwiler (guitar). All three of those guys were previously members of the band Sanctus Bellum. Blues Funeral is highly inspired by the 60’s and 70’s rock and metal scene and you can hear the influence in their sound. They added experienced upright bass player, Gabe Katz, who decided to kick his upright to the side and go electric with Blues Funeral. The band’s name is inspired by the 1969 Groundhogs cut, “Blues Obituary”, is an ode to many of the group’s influences including classic bands like: Deep Purple, Blue Oyster Cult, Mountain, Black Sabbath, Jimi Hendrix, Cream, and more. Blues Funeral’s goal is to explore some new musical territory and truly find their own sound. Their debut album ‘The Search’ is set to be released on July 30th. It was recorded at Lucky Run Studio in Houston, TX. The band composed, arranged and produced the album themselves and it was mastered by Collin Jordan at The Boiler Room in Chicago, IL. Collin Jordan has mastered albums for Blood Ceremony, Wovenhand, Eyehategod, and The Gates of Slumber. The bands debut album ‘The Search’ made #11 on my top 25 albums of 2016 (read here). Almost a year ago I stated “I assure you that there isn’t anything like this band on the market right now. They are truly a prototype for exactly what a lot of bands are trying to achieve and can’t” and I still believe this is true. Their sound and style is something that other bands won’t even attempt to duplicate. The band has now put the final touches on their sophomore album ‘Awakening’ which released August 25th. 

 

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Review: NUCLEUST – ‘Terra Cerebral’ [Tracks Streaming]

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Artwork by Nas Ghadiri

 

Nucleust is a progressive metal band from Perth, Australia. When the band formed in 2013 they were determined to put out music that shook free the mold of typical metal. And, while they did go through some lineup changes initially, they soon began putting together songs for a debut EP. One notable thing about them is the old school approach they took in the beginning. And, like other bands in the last few years, it paid off for them. Primarily, playing the local circuit in order to flesh out their songs as well as gaining a fan base. People responded to the eclectic range of screaming vocals and the technical riffs. Fueled by this, the soon released the single track “Whisper”. It caught the attention of regulars to the scene and even local radio stations. Blunt magazine also gave it a feature track. With this success, they were ready to record a 6 track release ‘Fractured Equilibrium’ that debuted November 6th, 2014. This debut really set things in motion for them and included a 6 day tour in Indonesia in 2015. By August of that year they even had their first music video for “Faith by the Sword”. Having a drastically diverse musical background that combines influences from classical music, jazz, prod rock, death and doom metal, they’ve created a super heavy sound while maintaining a melodic flow that even goes back to Carcass somewhat. 2016 really intensified things as they toured heavily with numerous bands around Australia as well as recording their second EP ‘Resistivity’. The huge response it received led to even more tours with even more influential bands like Twelve Foot Ninja. By December they were ready to work on their first full album, ‘Terra Cerebral’. ‘Terra Cerebral’ will release July, 28th. Released with the help of Rockpit Management and publicist Chris Maric, it was mixed and mastered by Forrester Savell & produced by Max Palizban.  See what vocalist Shannon Marston had to say about the record below. Buy the album here.

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Maryland’s TUBEFREEKS Raise The Bar With ‘The Dry Tide’

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Maryland hard rockers, Tubefreeks, are at it again with their self-released, third full-length album ‘The Dry Tide’.  The album comes fully stocked with blistering guitar solos, entrancing rhythm riffs, and harmonized vocals which preserve the spirit of the 90’s grunge era that we all love so well.  I was given this album along with others to review, and nothing hit me quite like ‘The Dry Tide’ and at first listen, I was hooked. Continue reading →

Album Review: QUIET RIOT ‘Road Rage’ [Tracks Streaming]

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QUIET RIOT 2017
Chuck Wright, Fankie Banali, James Durbin, Alex Grossi

You’re never to old to “Bang Your Head”. Here in 2017 QUIET RIOT are still giving fans a reason to keep their heads banging with their newest release “Road Rage”, Available August 4th from FRONTIERS MUSIC. “Road Rage” marks the first release with new front man, and ex American Idol finalist James Durbin. The lineup is Rounded out with long time drummer Frankie “Boom Boom” Banali, long time bassist Chuck Wright and Guitarist Alex Grossi who’s been with the group since 2004. Continue reading →

Review: OWL COMPANY ‘Horizon’ [Song Stream]

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Owl Company is a band from São Paulo, Brazil with power to burn. The band combines hard rock influences from the psychedelic 70s to the 90s with modern rage and brutality to create a sound that is fresh, aggressive, and engaging. The band has built a strong presence in São Paulo, playing all the premier venues in town. Owl Company began in 2015 and their first single, “Condescend,” received ample radio play in their hometown and also in Rio de Janeiro. Now, the goal is to take their music to the worlds stage and become internationally known, that new music being the group’s first full-length release ‘Horizon’. The record is set to drop in July 14th, 2017. The release of ‘Horizon’ will be followed by tours in the U.S. and Europe. The bands music alone is sure to win over fans, and once they plug in on stage their presence will send fans flocking to their style. Owl Company brings all this and more to the party, crafting memorable and melodic rock music that ripples its big riff muscles and instantly makes you want to hear more. The goal is that the new album as well as the international touring will give Owl Company the well-deserved place on the world stage and into the ears of heavy music aficionados everywhere. One listen and you’ll know that Owl Company is a force of nature and will not be ignored. Continue reading →

Review: SILVERSTEIN – “Dead Reflection”

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Once more, the band SILVERSTEIN brings a brand new album to life with a list full of very solid and enjoyable tracks. The band originated in 2000 in Burlington, Ontario Canada and consists of vocalist Shane Told, lead guitarist Paul Marc Rousseau, rhythm guitarist Josh Bradford, bassist Billy Hamilton, and drummer Paul Koehler. Since that year, they have released 8 albums, 3 EPs and one DVD/CD. Currently signed to Rise Records, their newest album, ‘Dead Reflection‘, offers the same sound SILVERSTEIN has had for years. But this time, this album seems a bit heavier that most.

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Review: BYZANTINE – ‘The Cicada Tree’ [Official Video]

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West Virginia’s best hidden secret Byzantine have long been the underdog in the metal world. Their last album ‘To Release Is To Resolve’ along with the powerful single “The Agonies” really propelled the band out of the Appalachian Mountains and into the ears of metal heads worldwide. The band self released the album and it was well received and got tremendous airplay on Sirius XM radio. The hard hitting progressive band also snagged a record deal with powerhouse label Metal Blade. On July 28th, Byzantine will release their new album, ‘The Cicada Tree’, via Metal Blade Records. Heralded as the most underrated band from the New Wave of American Heavy Metal Movement, Byzantine has slowly gained a cult-like following after releasing 5 genre-bending albums. 16 years underground, it’s finally time for the world to hear Byzantine! To state that The Cicada Tree is ‘classic Byzantine‘ in no way implies that this is an album solely rooted in the band’s past. Certainly, all of the hallmarks that have made their sound so compelling for close to two decades are present and correct: muscular yet lithe riffs and fluid leads play against gripping, dynamic and at times unpredictable rhythms, while rich melodies and lyrics that are both involved and intelligent wind their way through every track. But, once more, the groove metal unit has continued their steady evolution – the interplay between their members organic and natural, imbuing the record’s sixty-two-minute running time with a freshness and urgency. The album title – and the song of the same name – is drawn entirely from an event the frontman experienced in his home state of West Virginia in 2016, “The Seventeen Year Cicada” cycle. “It’s a type of locust that lies dormant underground for sixteen years, only to emerge in the seventeenth year, and it then lives for three months above ground to morph, mate, give birth and die. We had a swarm of roughly 1,000 cicada in my front yard underneath a small tree. My eight-year-old daughter, my pregnant-at-the-time girlfriend and I spent the whole season catching and studying them. It was a beautiful experience.” While looking for potential album titles, Ojeda’s girlfriend playfully suggested The Cicada Tree, and while initially dismissing this as a joke he soon had an epiphany. “Byzantine was coming up on its seventeenth year of existence and, just like the cicada, we spent the last sixteen years underground. So, ‘The Cicada Tree’is a metaphor for the lifespan of Byzantine.” Byzantine’s Metal Blade debut ‘The Cicada Tree’ drops on July 28th it’s an album you don’t want to pass on.  Continue reading →