There is bunch of very cool novelties around, dudes, and some of them are real blows! I'm talking about new ARTILLERY (freaky amazing return!), new PRIMAL FEAR (forever the best German metal), new JOE STUMP (king of shred!), new CAULDRON (brand new old styled sounding band), new HAVOCK (fast and relentless thrash), new PLANAR EVIL (old style but fantastic thrash)...
But, as you know, you can find info on new stuff virtually everywhere.
Today I'm introducing something else, likewise good, but less under the radar.
Opensesami: portroyal
SKELETONWHICH-At one with the Shadows (2004)[Melodic Black/Speed/Thrash Metal]
Chances are that if you already know
Skeltonwitch, you came to know them via their second album
Beyond the Permafrost, which is the album that’s gotten wider distribution and is worth-the-money just tor the title track: a killer! This is the out-of-print, with almost no circulation first debut (very difficult to find). The production is demo quality and it’s only thirty minutes in length, so be prepared! Yet everything you'd expect - knowing the second - is present: the melodic soloing and harmony riffs of power metal, the blasting drums, shrieking vocals, and dissonant tremolo riffing of black metal, and even some of the growled vocals and trademark riffs of melodic death metal. The ideas are not entirely new cosidering its age: deathcore bands dealt profusely with what is done here, but Skeletonwitch blends the whole much more fluidly, without clean vocals, emo lyrics, breakdowns, and that obvious pilfering that other bands are often guilty of. All in all, it's a very enjoyable banging experience!
KIUAS - Kiuas War Anthems (2008) [Power M./MDM]
This band from Finland has gotten quite a lot of praise heaped upon them since their inception. And I badly like them! Kiuas play Power Metal, except not in the way you'd expect. Sure, they have fantasy-based lyrics, but the music here is about as far from derivative as Power Metal can get, having elements of Death Metal and 80s hard rock blended into the colorful palette of influences on display. For an accurate description imagine Pantera crashing their tour bus into that of Stratovarius, Children Of Bodom striking a deal with Iron Maiden or any other pact you would reckon to be VERY unlikely. And that is exactly why Kiuas sounds so different and refreshing.
This is a rather rare EP, distributed in occasion of the English tour last year. Together with a couple of their best battle-horses, you got the chance to enjoy their live performance too. Plus a fantastic cover of Testament's "Electric Crown".
KILLERS (UK)-New Live and Rare (1998) [Heavy/Power M.]
"Murder One" is Paul Di'Anno's biggest solo record. While many have constantly dogged his post-Maiden work as "irrelevant NWOBHM" that record can still be considered as a lost classic. Sadly for him, Paul never recaptured the mood of that record again. While "Nomad" and "Menace to Society" are great records, Murder One is the record where he proved that he had something to give after Iron Maiden experience, that even fans outside of his strict cult following could enjoy. So if you don't want to buy his entire Killers back-catalog, you can go for this small box of treasures. The material from "Murder One" is less aggressive than that of "Menace to Society", but both are interesting cross-sections of the mans career and worthy of listens.
To real Paul fans the abundance of compilation could be upsetting, but compared to the others this one actually serves some good purpose. You get the best of the Killers band in one small unit.
ANGEL WITCH-Sinister History (1999) [NWOBHM]
Coming over to Japan this August, and I'm still dubious about attending it or not. Despite the legendary aura glowing around their name, I have to admit that, for some strange accident of fate, I never happened to met their music during my metal childhood. So turning to them at this point, offers really few clues for passion or appreciation: it's a style that "classic" as it may be, it is enjoyable as long as it brings to mind recollections af gone good old days. Provided you had'em litening to them! Certainly
Angel Witch's disaster story don't help. But founder/guitarist/vocalist Kevin Heybourne refusal to quit and perseverance eputhomizes the strong will that ties band & true hard-core fans around the world. I'll invite you to check out a good review of their history at this
LINK, 'cause it's better of any I can tell you. This disc isn't the best they have to offer, but it is a pretty decent collection of demos and tunes from their first albums, plus six live cuts from various gigs. Pretty much for die-hard fans!
CANNIBAL CORPSE-Eaten Back to Life (1990) [Death M.]
Now, you know I am not a great fan of Death M. But you have to give Caesar what belongs to Caesar:
Cannibal Corpse are an act that has been able to cut out a very prominent niche to themselves within the style. And with all the differences and variation you can go look for inside the uncountable examples proposed and misproposed until the present, the only monolith that overshadows them all - at least in Cpt. mind... and not only for their gruesome covers, which I love! - it's them! Fresh from a tour in Japan I couldn't attend, lately I went back on their catalogue to brush up my rusty death experience a bit with their first. Any fan of Cannibal Corpse's recently releases will be absolutely destroyed upon listening to this. Lots of tempo changes, fast drums, killer riffs. Eaten back to life, is not as much sloppy as of what Cannibal Corpse has finished by doing in the last 10 years. Beside it has one the best production ever. Wish I could stand the entire album lenght!!!
AA.VV.-Sweden Rock Festival CD 2009
Fresh from his experience, buddy
J13 donated to the Port this ass-kicking collection of tunes from this year festival edition! Good selection of bands, tunes and vibes. Hope to be able to attend it too next year. Content as follows:
1. Triumph - Lay it on the Line
2. Ken Hensley - Lay i
n Black 3. Picture - Nighthunter
4. Sabaton - Ghost Division
5. Bonafide - Down
6. Svlk - 52
7. Five Fifteen - Heartbreaker8. Primal Fear - Metal is Forever
9. Astral Doors - Quisling
10. From Behind - Darker Days
11. Constancia - King is Calling
12. Bonafide - Dog
13. Enforcer - Roll the Dice
14. Torch - Blind Leads the Blind
Get your claws on it, if you can!
