Album Reviews

[binnie]

Updated Index: A-D:


A – Hi Fi Serious – page 8

AC/DC – Black Ice – page 1
- Let There Be Rock – page 4
- Flick Of The Switch - page 7

Accept – Blood Of Nations – page 5
- Stalingrad – page 13
- Balls To The Wall - page 16
- I’m A Rebel – page 19

Aerosmith – Night In The Ruts – page 10
- Permanent Vacation – page 15
- Music From Another Dimension – page 19

The Afghan Whigs – Gentlemen – page 13

Against Me – White Crosses – page 7

Ahab – The Giant – page 21

Airbourne – No Guts, No Glory – page 2
- Black Dog Barking – page 23

Alabama Thunderpussy – Fulton Hill – page 4

Alkaline Trio – This Addiction – page 9

Alice Cooper – Welcome 2 My Nightmare – page 8

Alice In Chains – Black Gives Way To Blue – page 1
- The Devil Put Dinosaurs Here – page 24
- Dirt – page 28

The Almighty - Crank – page 4

Alter Bridge – Fortress – page 27

Amebix – Sonic Mass – page 12

American Head Charge – The War of Art – page 31

Amen – Amen – page 13

Amon Amarth – Deceiver of The Gods – page 27

Amorphis – Skyforger – page 30

Anathema – We’re Here Because We’re Here – page 4
- The Silent Enigma – page 15
- Weather Systems – page 18

Angel Witch – Angel Witch – page 2

Anger Management – Beyond The Threshold of Pain – page 8

Animals As Leaders – The Joy Of Motion – page 30

Annihilator – Annihilator – page 5

Phillip H Anselmo and the Illegals – Walk Through Exits Only – page 27

The Answer – Everyday Demons – page 1
- Revival – page 9
- New Horizon – page 26

Anthrax – Sound Of The White Noise – page 4
- State of Euphoria – page 7
- Worship Music – page 8

Anti-Mortem – The New Southern – page 30

Architects – Here & Now – page 5
- Hollow Crown – page 14
- Lost Forever/Lost Together – page 31

Armored Saint - La Raza – page 2

Artilery – Legions – page 29

Asking Alexandria – From Death To Destiny – page 27

Assaulter – Boundless – page 9

Asomvel – Knuckle Duster – page 27

Astra – The Black Chord – page 19

At The Gates – Terminal Spirit Disease – page 14

At The Skyline – The Secrets Of Life – page 19

Attica 7 – Blood Of My Enemies – page 18

Attica Rage – Road Dogs – page 24

Audrey Horne – Audrey Horne – page 4
- Youngblood – page 20

Auf Der Mer – Auf Der Mer – page 22

August Burns Red – Leveller – page 9

Avenged Sevenfold – Nightmare – page 3
- Hail To The King – page 26

The Baby Animals – Shaved & Dangerous – page 9

Sebastian Bach – Kicking & Screaming – page 8
- Give ‘em Hell – page 29

Badlands – Badlands – page 1

Bad City – Welcome To The Wasteland – page 7

Bad Religion – No Substance – page 2

Baroness – Blue Album – page 2
- Yellow & Green – page 17

Beastmilk – Climax – page 32

Beasto Blanco – Live Fast Die Loud – page 29

Bible of the Devil – Freedom Metal – page 1

Biffy Clyro – Blackened Sky – page 2
- Opposites – page 21

BigElf – Cheat the Gallows – page 4
- Hex – page 10

Big Linda – I Loved You – page 7

Billy Talent – II – page 18

Biohazard – Ubran Discipline – page 6
- Reborn In Defiance – page 18

Black ‘N’ Blue – Hell Yeah – page 7

Black Breath – Heavy Breathing – page 6
- Sentenced To life – page 13

The Black Crowes – Lions – page 22

Black Label Society – Order of The Black – page 3
- Sonic Brew – page 16
- Catacombs of The Black Vatican – page 29

Black Moth – The Killing Jar – page 13

Black Tusk – Passage Through Purgatory – page 15

Black Sabbath – The Eternal Idol – page 3
- Technical Ecstasy – page 7
- 13 – page 23

Black Spiders – This Savage Land – page 26

Black Star Riders – All Hell Breaks Lose – page 23

Black Stone Cherry – Between The Devil & The Deep Blue Sea – page 9
- Magic Mountain – page 30

Black Veil Brides – Set The World On Fire – page 29

Bleed From Within – Uprising – page 21

Bleeding Through – This Is Love This Is Murder – page 9

Bloodbath – Fathomless Mastery – page 15

Blue October – Approaching Normal – page 8

Body Count – Manslaughter – page 31

Bombus – The Poet & The Parrot – page 29

Joe Bonamassa – Black Rock – page 2

Bonded By Blood – The Aftermath – page 19

Boris – Attention Please – page 10

Brides Of Destruction – Here Come The Brides – page 6

Brijitte West & The Desperate Hopefuls – page 5

The Bronx – The Bronx III – page 1
- The Bronx IV – page 20

Buckcherry – All Night Long – page 3
- Confessions – page 20

Bullets & Octane – In The Mouths Of The Young – page 7

Burgerkill – Venomous – page 24

Bury Tomorrow – The Union OF Crowns – page 18

Cancer Bats – Hail Destroyer – page 1
- Dead Set On Living – page 13

Candlemass – Death Magic Doom – page 25

Cannibal Corpse – Kill – page 28

Cathedral – The Carnival Bizarre – page 22
- The Last Spire – page 27

Cavalera Conspiracy – Blunt Force Trauma – page 8

Children Of Bodom – Relentless Reckless Forever – page 5
- Hate Crew Deathroll – page 14
- Halo Of Blood – page 24

Chimaira – Resurrection – page 5
- Age Of Hell – page 8
- Crown of Phantoms – page 26

Chthonic – Takasago Army – page 9

Church Of Misery – Thy Kingdom Scum – page 24

Civil Wars – Barton Hollow – page 10

Clutch – Strange Cousins From the West – page 1
- Earth Rocker – page 21

Cobalt – Gin – page 17

Conan – Blood Eagle – page 30

Converge – Axe To Fall – page 3
- All We Love We Leave Behind – page 18

Gilby Clarke – Pawnshop Guitars – page 5

Communic – The Bottom Deep – page 18

Chris Cornell – Scream – page 1

Coroner – No More Color – page 32

Corrosion Of Conformity – C.O.C – page 14

Crank County Daredevils – Livin’ In The Red – page 12

Crippled Black Phoenix – 200 Tons Of Bad Luck – page 3

Crowbar – Sever The Wicked Hand – page 5
- Symmetry in Black – page 31

The Cult – Love – page 6
- Beyond Good & Evil – page 13
- Choice Of Weapon – page 14

Daft Punk – Discovery – page 10

The Damned Things – Ironiclast – page 22

Danko Jones – We Sweat Blood – page 12

Dark Angel – Darkness Descends – page 32

Dark Tranquility – Fiction – page 5

Darkest Hour – The Eternal Return – page 5

Dead Letter Circus – This Is the Warning – page 10

Death – Scream Bloody Gore – page 17

Death Angel – Act III – page 13
- Relentless Retribution – page 21
- The Dream Calls For Blood – page 27

Decapitated – Carnival Is Forever – page 21

Deep Purple – Come Taste The Band – page 3

Def Leppard – On Through The Night – page 12
- Songs From The Sparkle Lounge – page 20

The Defiled – Grave Times – page 4
- Daggers – page 27

Deftones – Diamond Eyes – page 2
- Koi No Yokan – page 19
- White Pony – page 28

Destruction – Day Of Reckoning – page 14
- Spiritual Genocide – page 19

Devildriver – Pay For Villains – page 1
- Beast – page 5
- Winter Kills – page 26

Dew Scented – Icarus – page 17
- Insurgent – page 25

Diamond Head – Death & Progress – page 6

Diamond Plate – Generation Why? – page 25

Bruce Dickinson – Skunkworks – page 15

Dillenger Escape Plan – Ireworks – page 17
- One Of Us Is the Killer – page 25

Dio –Killing the Dragon – page 5
- Sacred Heart – page 13

Divine Heresy – Bringer Of Plagues – page 2

Dokken – Tooth & Nail – page 15

Doro –Doro – page 21

Down – IV: Purple EP – page 17
- IV: part 2 – page 30

Dropkicks Murphys – Blackout – page 12

Duff Mckagan’s Loaded – Sick – page 1

[binnie]

Index: E-L:


Earth Crisis – Neutralise the Threat – page 9

Earthrone 9 – Lo-Def(inition) Discord – page 12

Emanuel – Soundtrack to a Headrush – page 3

Enabler – All Hail The Void – page 20

Entombed – Wolverine Blues – page 5
- Left Hand Path – page 13

Everclear – Slow Motion Daydream – page 13
- Welcome To The Drama Club – page 14

Every Time I Die – The Big Dirty – page 4
- Ex lives – page 14

Evile – Skull – page 24

Exciter – Violence & Force – page 22

Exhorder – The Law – page 6

Exodus – Bonded By Blood – page 7
- Impact Is Imminent – page 14
- Pleasures of the Flesh – page 32

Extreme – Waiting For The Punchline – page 7
- Saudes De Rock – page 19

Face Down – The Twisted Rule the Wicked – page 6
- Mindfield – page 12

The Faceless – Autotheism – page 21

Faith No More – Album Of The Year – page 5

Fear Factory – Mechanize – page 2
- The Industrialist – page 14
- Demanufacture – page 28

Feed The Rhino – Mr Rec Eye – page 6
- The Burning Sons – page 17
- The Sorrow & The Sound – page 33

Fight – War of Worlds – page 19

Firebird – Firebird – page 4
- Double Diamond – page 14

Five Finger Death Punch – The Wrong Side Of Heaven & The Righteous Side of Hell part 1 – page 26

Flaming Lips – Dark Side of the Moon – page 2

Floodgate – Penalty – page 2

Flyleaf – Flyleaf – page 9
- New Horizons – page 19

Foo Fighters – Echoes, Silence, Patience, Grace – page 7
- Wasting Light – page 9
- Sonic Highways – page 33

Forbidden – Forbidden Evil – page 12
- Omega Wave – page 14

Free Fall – Power and Volume – page 27

Fu Manchu – Godzilla’s Eatin’ Dust – page 10
- Gigantoid – page 30

Gallows – Grey Britain – page 1
- Gallows – page 18

Garbage – Version 2.0 – page 5

Ghost – Infestissuam – page 22

Ginger – 100% - page 20

Goatwhore – Carving Out The Eyes Of God – page 1
- Blood For The Master – page 16

God Forbid – Equilibrium – page 16

Godsmack – The Oracle – page 31

Gojira – L’Enfant Sauvage – page 18

Guns ‘N’ Roses – Use Your Illusions 1 & 2 – page 4
- Chinese Democracy – page 13

Grand Magnus – Grand Magnus – page 1
- The Hunt – page 13
- Triumph & Power – page 29

Graveyard – Lights Out – page 20

Halestorm – The Strange Case Of – page 24

Hammers Of Misfortune – 17th Street – page 12

Hanoi Rocks – Self Destruction Blues – page 10

Hardcore Superstar – C’mon and Take Me – page 27

Hatebreed – The Rise Of Brutality – page 6

Hate Eternal – Phonenix Amongst The Ashes – page 6

Haunted – Unseen – page 5
- The Haunted – page 32

Havok – Unnatural Selection – page 27

Heart Of A Coward – Hope & Hindrance – page 15
- Severance – page 29

Heathen – Evolution of Chaos – page 12
- Breaking The Silence – page 15

Heaven & Hell – The Devil You Know – page 1

Heaven’s Basement – Filthy Empire – page 26

Heaven Shall Burn – Deaf To Our Prayers – page 22

Hellyeah – Band of Brothers – page 16

Hell – Human Remains – page 21

Helmet – Seeing Eye Dog – page 5
- Meantime – page 11

Hermano – Into The Exam Room – page 11

Hey Hello! – Hey Hello! – page 28

High On Fire – De Vermis Mysteris – page 16

Holy Grail – Ride The Void – page 20

Husker Du – Flip Your Wig – page 3

Hypocrisy – End Of Disclosure – page 22

Iggy & The Stooges – Ready To Die – page 22

Ihsahn – After – page 23

Ill –Gotten Gains – page 21

In Flames – Clayman – page 7
- Come Clarity – page 21

In Solitude – The World, The Flesh & the Devil – page 10
- Sister – page 30

Iron Maiden – No Prayer For The Dying – page 2
- The Final Frontier – page 4
- Somewhere In Time – page 6
- Killers – page 11
- Fear Of The Dark – page 17

Iron Monkey – Our Problem – page 10

The Jim Jones Revue – Burning Your House Down – page 3

Judas Priest – Point Of Entry – page 4
- Stained Class – page 33
- Redeemer of Souls – page 31
- Turbo – page 27

Katatonia – Dance Of December Souls – page 14
- Viva Emptiness – page 15
- Dead End Kings – page 18

Kerbdog – One The Turn – page 3

Kilgore – In Media Es Res – page 1

Killing Joke – What’s This For? – page 9
- MMXII – page 16

Killswitch Engage – Disarm The Dissent – Page 21

King Blues – Punk & Poetry – page 6

King 810 – Memoirs of a Murderer – page 32

Kingdom Of Sorrow – Behind The Blackest Tears – page 8

Kiss – Sonic Boom – page 2
- Revenge – page 14
- Monster – page 18

Korn – Korn – page 13
- Paradigm Shift – page 26

Kreator – Phantom Antichrist – page 16

Krokus – Hardwire – page 22

Kvelertak – Meir – page 21

KXM – KXM – page 31

Kylesa – Static Tensions – page 12

L7 – Bricks Are Heavy - page 8

Lamb Of God – New American Gospel – page 1
- Resolution – page 12

Mark Lanegan – Whiskey For The Holy Ghost – page 11

Laruso – A Classic Case Of Cause and Effect – page 2

Jake E Lee’s Red Dragon Cartel – Eponymous – page 28

Life Of Agony – Broken Valley – page 8

Johnny Lima – Livin’ Out Loud – page 7

Living Color – Stain – page 11

Lizzy Borden – Deal With The Devil – page 22

Lost Society – Fast Loud Death – page 22

Love/Hate – Wasted In America – page 5

Lyrnrd Skynrd – Last Of A Dyin’ Breed – page 17

[binnie]

Index: M-S:


Machine Head – Unto The Locust – page 9
- Bloodstone and Diamonds – page 33
- Supercharger – page 29
- Burn My Eyes – page 28

Mad Capsule Markets – Cistm KonFliqt – page 23

Mad Season – Above – page 21

Malefice – Awaken The Tides – page 8

Malevolence – Reign of Suffering – page 27

Mammal – The Majority – page 2

Manowar – Battle Hymns – page 16
- Gods Of War – page 17
- Lord Of Steel – page 19

Marilyn Manson – Antichrist Superstar – page 14

Mastodon – Crack The Skye – page 1
- The Hunter – page 9
- Once More Round the Sun – page 31
- Leviathan – page 28

Masters Of Reality – Masters Of Reality – page 23

Maylene & The Sons of Disaster – III – page 1

Megadeth – Endgame – page 1
- So Far, So Good, So What – page 5
- Thirteen – page 9
- Youthanasia – page 16
- Supercolider – page 23
- Peace Sells, But Who’s Buying – page 28

Meliah Rage – Kill To Survive – page 16

Mercyful Fate – Don’t Break The Oath – page 17

Meshuggah – Obzen - page 4
- Koloss – page 17

Metallica – St Anger – page 2
- The Black Album – page 9
- Beyond Magnetic – page 10
- ….And Justice For All – page 28

Million Dollar Reload - A Sinner’s Saint – page 16

Michael Monroe – Sensory Overdrive – page 6
- Horns & Halos – page 26

Ministry – Psalm 69 – page 11
- Relapse - page 15

Monster Magnet – Last Patrol – page 27

Monster Truck – Futurosity – page 27

Morcheba – Blood Like Lemonade – page 3

Mortod – The Myth of Purity – page 12

Mothership – Mothership – page 27

Motley Crue – Motley Crue – page 5
- Saints Of Los Angeles – page 11

Motorhead – Bastards – page 1
- The World Is Yours – page 3
- March Or Die – page 29
- Aftershock – page 26

Mudhoney – Under A Billion Suns – page 6
- Vanishing Point – page 22

My Dying Bride – A Map Of All Our Failures – page 22

Nails – Abandon All Life – page 28

Napalm Death – Utilitarian – page 27

Neurosis – Honor Found In Decay – page 21

Nevermore – The Obsidian Conspiracy – page 4

Newsted – Heavy Metal Music – page 26

New York Dolls – ‘Cause I Sez So – page 2

Nine Inch Nails – Hesitation Marks – page 29

Nirvana – Nevermind – page 25

Obituary – Cause Of Death – page 24

Oceansize – Self-preserved While the Bodies Float Up – page 5

Of Mice & Men – Restoring Force – page 31

Onslaught – Killing Peace – page 23
- Sound Of Violence – page 25

Orange Goblin – Eulogy For The Damned – page 12
- Back From The Abyss – page 33

Outloud – Love Catastophe – page 7

Overkill – Ironbound – page 8
- The Electric Age – page 13
- White Devil Armoury – page 31

Ozzy – Scream – page 2
- The Ultimate Sin – page 5
- Speak Of The Devil – page 11
- No Rest For The Wicked – page 15

Panic Chanel – One – page 2

Pain – Cynic Paradise – page 1

Pain Of Salvation – Road Salt – page 8

Pantera – Vulgar Display Of Power – page 13
- The Great Southern Trendkill – page 28

Papa Roach – Metamorphosis – page 24

Paradise Lost – Faith Divides Us, Death Unites Us – page 2
- Tragic Idol – page 16

Parkway Drive – Blue – page 4
- Atlas – page 18

Pearl Jam – Backspacer – page 2
- Vitalogy – page 5
- Riot Act – page 10

Pentagram – Day Of Reckoning – page 23

Pig Iron – The Paths Of Glory – page 6

Power Trip – Manifest Decimation – page 30

The Pretty Reckless – Going to Hell – page 29

Primal Rock Rebellion – Awoken Broken – page 19

Prong – Cleansing – page 11
- Carved Into Stone – page 14

Purson – The Circle & The Blue Door – page 29

Queens Of The Stone Age – Clockwork – page 24

Quireboys – Beautiful Curse – page 27

Rainbow – Straight Between the Eyes – page 3

Ratt – Infestation – page 2

Raven – Nothing Exceeds Like Excess – page 29

Red Fang – Murder The Mountains – page 12
- Whales & Leeches – page 29

Revoker – Revenge For The Ruthless – page 6

Revoker – Chaos Of Forms – page 12

Rival Sons – Pressure & Time – page 13
- Head Down – page 19

Rocket From The Crypt – page 8

Romeo Must Die – Harship’s In Season – page 5

Royal Southern Brotherhood – Royal Southern Brotherhood – page 21

Royal Thunder – CVI – page 22

RSJ – Higgs Boson – page 29

Rye Coalition – Curses – page 13

Sabaton – Carlos Rex – page 27

Sacred Mother Tongue – The Ruin Of Man – page 18
- Out Of Darkness – page 22

Saint Jude – Diary of a Soul Fiend - page 4

Saint Vitus – Saint Vitus – page 17
- Lille: F-65 – page 25

Santa Cruz – Screaming For Adrenalin – page 29

Satan – Life Sentence – page 27

Satyricon – Satyricon – page 29

Saxon – The Inner Sanctum – page 5
- Call To Arms – page 6
- Rock The Nations – page 7
- Sacrifice – page 20

Scar Symmetry – Dark Matter Dimensions – page 2

Michael Schenker Group – Eponymous – page 10

The Scorpions – Love At First Sting – page 6
- Virgin Killer – page 10

Scorpion Child – Scorpion Child – page 27

Screaming Trees – Last Words: Final Recordings - page 12

Seasons After – Through Tomorrow – page 8

Senses Fail – The Fall – page 22

Sepultura – Roorback – page 5
- The Mediator Between The Head & The Hand Must Be The Heart – page 29
- Chaos AD – page 28
- Nation – page 25

Shadow’s Fall – Fire From The Sky – page 20

Shrapnel – The Virus Conspires – page 29

Silent Descent – Mind Games – page 22

Sinner – Crash & Burn – page 7

Sister Sin – Now & Forever – page 21

Six Feet Under – Unborn – page 21

Skansis – Leaving You – page 7

Skeletonwitch – Forever Abomination – page 10

Skid Row – Subhuman Race – page 1
- United World Rebellion – page 24
- Slave To The Grind – page 28

Skin – Fleshwounds – page 20

Skin – Lucky – page 30

Skindred – Shark Bites and Dog Fights – page 2
- Kill the Power – page 28

Skunk Anansie – Wonderlustre – page 3
- Stoosh – page 16

Slash – Slash – page 2
- Apocalyptic Love – page 14
- World On Fire – page 32

Slashes Snakepit – Ain’t Life Grand – page 4

Slaves To Gravity – Scatters The Crow – page 2
- Underwaterouterspace – page 7

Slayer – World Painted Blood – page 1
- Diabolus In Musicus – page 15
- Hell Awaits – page 22
- South Of Heaven – page 28

Slipknot – Slipknot – page 8
- 5: The Gray Chapter – page 33

Sodom – War & Pieces – page 6
- Agent Orange – page 21
- Epitome Of Torture – page 25

Soulfly – Enslaved – page 13

Soundgarden – Louder Then Love – page 12
- King Animal – page 19

Soulfly – Omen – page 6

Steak Number Eight – All Is Chaos – page 12

Steel Panther – Balls Out – page 14
- All You Can Eat – page 29

Stone Sour – Audio Secrecy – page 3
- House Of Gold & Bones part 2 – page 24

Stone Temple Pilots – STP – page 3
- Core – page 10

Stonewall Noise Orchestra – Constants in an Ever Changing Universe – page 1

Strife – Witness A Rebirth – page 19

Suffocation – Pinnacle OF Bedlam – page 23

Suicide Silence – No Time to Bleed – page 4
- The Black Crown – page 9

Sunna – One Minute Silence – page 9

Supersuckers – Get It Together – page 1
- The Evil Powers Of Rock ‘n’ Roll – page 17
- Get The Hell – page 28

Swallow The Sun – New Moon – page 3

Sylosis – Edge Of The Earth – page 6
- Conclusion Of An Age – page 17

[binnie]

Index: T-Z:


Tad – Inhaler – page 9

Temperance Movement – Temperance Movement – page 26

Them Crooked Vultures – page 2

Taking Dawn – Time To Burn – page 2

Tesseract – One – page 6
- Altered State – page 25

Testament – Demonic – page 10
- Dark Roots Of The Earth – page 17
- Souls Of Black – page 18
- The Formation of Damnation – page 32

Therapy? – Crooked Timber – page 1
- A Brief Crack Of Light – page 11

Thin Lizzy – Still Dangerous – page 1
- Thin Lizzy – page 4
- Thunder & Lightning – page 17

Threat Signal – Under Reprisal – page 19

Three Inches Of Blood – Long Live Heavy Metal – page 13

Thy Art Is Murder – Hate – page 21

Tokyo Blade – Burning Down Paradise – page 8

Tokyo Dragaons – Hot Nuts – page 4

Torche – Harmonicraft – page 16

Tracer – El Pistolero – page 22

Trap Them – Darker Handicraft – page 6

TRC – Nation – page 26

Trivium – In Waves – page 16
- Vengeance Falls – page 26

Trouble – Plastic Green Head – page 21

Twilight of the Gods – Twilight of the Gods – page 30

UFO – Mechanix – page 5
- Lights Out – page 7

Union – Siren’s Song – page 10
- The World Is Yours – page 21

Upon A Burning Body – Red. White. Green – page 17

Vain – Enough Rope – page 13

Vallenfrye – Splinters – page 31

Van Halen – Women & Children First – page 28

Vektor – Black Future – page 32
- Outer Isolation – page 26

Velvet Revolver – Contraband – page 11

Viking Skull – Cursed By The Sword – page 19

Vision Of Disorder – The Cursed Remain Cursed – page 18

Voivod – Target Earth – page 20

Volbeat – Beyond Heaven/Above Hell – page 3
- Outlaw Gentlemen & Shady Ladies – page 22

Walking Papers – Walking Papers – page 19

WASP – The Headless Children – page 7

Oliver Weeks – Evil’s Back – page 7

While She Sleeps – This Is The Six – page 18

Whitesnake – Forevermore – page 5

The Wildhearts – Chutpah – page 1
- Must Be Destroyed – page 10

Will Haven –Voir Dire – page 10

Winery Dogs – Winery Dogs – page 29

Witchcraft – The Alchemist – page 14
- Legend – page 21

Wolf – Ravenous – page 1
- Legions Of Bastards – page 22

Wolfmother – Cosmic Egg – page 4

Wolfsbane – Wolfsbane – page 7
- Save The World – page 13

Wolves Like Us – Late Love – page 8

Yob – Atma – page 19

Zico Chain – Eponymous – page 13
- Food – page 25

Rob Zombie – Hellbilly Deluxe – page 5

36 Crazyfists – Collisons and Castaways – page 3

[binnie]

AC/DC – Rock or Bust (2014)

It is easy to be cynical when reviewing a new release – or, indeed, any release since ‘Flick Of the Switch’ (1983) – from AC/DC. So let’s get the rain clouds out of the way. Would a new band get a record deal on the strength of these songs? No: not even if they brought Megan Fox to blow all of the record company executives. Will AC/DC play most of these songs on tour next year? No: not even if Megan Fox turned up at rehearsals and offered to blow all of them in exchange for their airing some deeper cuts. But, in a sense, none of this matters. Rock ‘n’ roll is music for the neck down, and even though you know that ‘Rock Or Bust’ is full of pitfalls, half-jobs and ‘DC by numbers, you can’t help but like it, tap your foot, play several air instruments (often at once) and smile like a 13 year old kid who’s just found his big brother’s porn stash. Such is the inexplicably immediate charm of AC/DC.

Like ‘Stiff Upper Lip’ (2000) and ‘Black Ice’ (2008) – both of which are better than is often remembered – there is quite a lot to like about ‘Rock Or Bust’. There riffs are very good, the production is an lean – nothing screams ‘arena rock’ here and the band sound like they’re playing dives rather than plush enormodomes – and at 35 minutes there is a glorious absence of any fat or cocking about. When the title track kicks in with all of the warm familiarity of an old drinking buddy, you can even feel your gibblets tingling as you progress along your mental checklist. Lazy groove. Check. Big Chorus. Check. Rampaging solo. Check. And Brian Johnson sounds at his squeaky best, too. There are plenty of sleazy-grinned high points, too. ‘Rock The House’ is superb, a sleazy gem of pure knuckle-dragging, chromosome corrupting crassness which smells like a stripper’s g-string during happy hour. ‘Got Some Rock & Roll Thunder’ could have been written on a stamp….but you can’t resist is greasy swing and jagged roll. ‘Dogs Of War’ chimes a blues shuffle like a wounded drunk at closing time, and ‘Play Ball’, with its infectious rhythm and hook, is perhaps the best tune this band has written in 25 years. That good.

Given these gems, you can forgive the crap. No-one needed to hear ‘Rock The Blues Away’ of ‘Hard Times’. And there is something tragic about a bunch of men pushing 60 penning stuff like ‘Emission Control’ and ‘Miss Adventure’. Sure, this is a band from a galaxy far, far away (the 1970s) when Steel Panther would have been a straight-up band, but if the old fella across the street came out with shit like this you’d wince – why should it be any different with AC/DC?

On balance, then, this is far from an indispensable album. It is certainly a mass exaggeration to say that AC/DC haven’t done anything good since ‘Back In Black’ (1980) – they haven’t done anything great, but the window of time in which any band makes truly great music is short. ‘Rock Or Bust’ is certainly one of the best records they’ve made since then. Becoming more blues and less rock as they get older suits AC/DC – the wrinkles, the imperfections, and the creaks all add to the charm of a truly idiosyncratic band. ‘Rock Or Bust’ is surely their swansong, and they’ve certainly gone out swinging.

[vandeleur]

I got it couple of days ago , my review : it's canny

[binnie]

I got it couple of days ago , my review : it's canny

It is. You could hear much better straight up rock 'n' roll, however. Are you familiar with Rival Sons? Check 'em out.

[Angel]

It is. You could hear much better straight up rock 'n' roll, however. Are you familiar with Rival Sons? Check 'em out.

Rival Sons is a great band.

[vandeleur]

It is. You could hear much better straight up rock 'n' roll, however. Are you familiar with Rival Sons? Check 'em out.

I will do , I check out a lot of music based on your reviews .
Not sure if that is a good or a bad thing

[binnie]

From the Vaults: Breaking Benjamin – Phobia (2006)

‘Phobia’ isn’t a bad album. It just doesn’t make any sense. Mainstream rock has been a very difficult beast to nail since the early ‘90s. Big Dumb Rock is no longer deemed creatively viable in a world which wants rock stars to be a paradox: introverted and arena fillers. Moreover, the audience for which FM radio is designed is not really capable of handling the abrasiveness of alternative rock which is now deemed to be the norm to which all rock bands should aspire. The result is a series of bands which try really hard to do emotional complexity, but ultimately produces a half-way house between the arena and the plaid shirt which is equally short on fun and depth.

Breaking Benjamin are one of those bands. They essentially write 4 minute arena rock songs, but dress them up with a dabble of goth, a dash of grunge and lyrics which aspire for emotional drama but actually produce on staid angst. Think Live, or Incubus, or 30 Seconds To Mars and you’re on the right lines. They are certainly very slick: they know how to write a killer hook and how to balance the peaks and dips which radio likes so much. Musically, this is the equivalent of a Jerry Bruckheimer film – you enjoy it because it gives you everything you’ve heard before, and the sentimentality of the emotions produced a strong enough to satiate you temporarily.

So ‘The Diary of Jane’ has a big chorus and lots of ‘sensitive’ jingle-jangle guitar; ‘Breath’ has the soft/heavy dynamics which Staind used so well and will undoubtedly appeal to suburban 15 year olds who have yet to realise that their ‘complex’ lives are actually rather fortunate; and ‘You’ has a wall of gothic melody which will stick in your head. Imagine Slaughter if Dana Strum had dressed up as Siouxsie Sioux. We are a long, long way from The Smashing Pumpkins here. ‘Topless’ is pure Puddle of Mud or Nickleback, rock for people who don’t really like rock; the illusion of depth for people incapable of perceiving the real thing.

Despite all of this, however, these songs will stay in your head. That is a testament to how well put together they are – the record industry has always being good at producing products. The sad thing in the post ‘Nevermind’ world, however, is that it is no longer any good about being honest about it. Dressing this up as ‘art’ removes the point of what radio rock should be about: fun. At the least the much-maligned Sunset bands of the ‘80s didn’t lie to you – they knew all too well that they were selling cheap tricks and disposable thrills. ‘Phobia’ is the musical equivalent of Burger King aspiring to a Michelin Star.

[binnie]

Obituary- Inked in Blood (2014)

This is the third ‘comeback’ album from Death Metal legends Obituary, and it is easily the best. Whilst ‘Inked…’ is still a long way from the glory days of ‘Slowly We Rot’ (1989) or ‘Cause of Death’ (1990) – when Obituary were about the heaviest band imaginable – it is an absolute motherfucker of a metal record. In days when Death Metal is increasingly driven by sterile, pro-tools polished perfection, Obituary’s raw, and bludgeoningly simple, take on the genre is a glorious reminder of how down-right nasty it used to be. Topped off with the inhuman bellows of John Tardy – easily one of the top 5 all-time Death Metal vocalists – the results are often chilling.

‘Centuries of Lies’ kicks things off with a blast of social commentary – short, sharped and brutish, it is the musical equivalent of a headbutt to the nose. ‘Violent End’ features a bottom end which sounds as nasty as a four-day old corpse dragged from a Florida swamp looks; and ‘Visions In My Head’ taps straight into the sheer ghoulish joy of early Death Metal – an immense wall of sound which just OWNS. Trevor Peres and Ken Andrews conjure some nasty, gnarly riffs using their guitars to hack, not to achieve the surgical precision and intricacy of modern Death Metal, and ‘Inked…’ is a lot heavier for it. Where many contemporary riffs require a PhD in quantum mechanics to play them, the beauty of ‘Pain Inside’, the title-track and ‘Deny You’ is that the only instrument you’d need to master is a chisel. Obituary’s stomp-stomp-stomp approach to grizzled heaviness channels all that is good about metal, a facet of their feel that is showcased nowhere better than on the hypnotic power of ‘Minds Of the World’.

Relentless, incessant, dark and still formidable, Obituary have once again made a record worthy of their legacy. It was worth the wait.

[binnie]

Bigelf – Into The Maelstrom (2014)

Album number 4 from zaney rockers Bigelf is a vast rock ‘n’ roll carnival of the bizarre. Imagine the quirkier end of prog being fisted by the glitziest of glam bands and you’re somewhere close – Hawkwind dressed in pink and playing Bowie songs whilst dosed the eyeballs with happy-pills. It is an awful lot of fun. ‘Incredible Time Machine’ is a muscular Beatles romp; ‘Hypersleep’ captures the bluster of Monster Magnet; and ‘Already Gone’ has the sleepy haze of The Kinks and The Small Faces as performed by The Sweet. Smiles all round, then. Main man Damon Fox plays everything here bar the drums, for which he’s roped in ex-Dream Theater man Mike Portnoy, with typically brilliant results.

Lyrically it’s all a load of nonsense, but therein lies the fun. Who couldn’t adore the grandiose pout of ‘Alien Frequency’? When you hear the outright rock thump of ‘Control Freak’, you will scream ‘RIFF’! The funky, hedonistic hyper-trip of ‘The Processor & The Madman’ is big, orgasmic bang of music; whilst the luscious soundscape of ‘Vertigod’ sounds as good as the best cocaine you’ve ever had feels. Wrapping all of these tunes up in big ol’ Beatles melodies makes feel like old friends at first listen.

Rock music should be larger than life. It should be fun. And ‘Into The Maelstrom’ is a big, bravura, thrusting cock of a record waiting to spray you with the contents of its hairy sack of magic.

[binnie]

Marmozets – Weird & The Wonderful (2014)

Metal is experiencing a golden age at the moment. Across the spectrum of heaviness – from Death Metal to Black Metal, prog Metal to post Metal – bands are releasing genre-defining and genre-expanding slabs of heaviness. It is a wonderful a thing to be a part of. But rock music is experiencing a real slump. We may celebrate the complexity, the extremity and the uniqueness of much metal, but it’s hard to get straight up rock ‘n’ roll right. Music that hits you in the gut, makes you shake your ass and tears your heart out and gives it back to you a little bit better is important irregardless of the IQ and moral fibre of many of the people who play it. And in the 21st century, the number of great rock bands is slim. There a plenty of ‘70s pastiches, plenty of corporate entities who make records designed by committee, but very, very few bands who tap into the lust for life and sense that life could be spectacular which a truly great rock record delivers for 45 minutes.

That is where Britain’s Marmozets come in. It is very rare to encounter a band who sound fully-formed on their debut record; rarer still to encounter a rock band that isn’t just re-hashing all of what’s been done before. There are few clichés here – no screaming guitars, no misogyny, no bozo booze blitzers. But this will kick you in the head nonetheless. Opener ‘Born Young and free’ is seething with the sense that life’s possibilities are limitless (as they only ever are when you’re young); ‘Why Do You Hate Me?’ smashes together the best bits of punk and metal with more than a little dash of Artic Monkeys for added quirkiness; and ‘Captivate You’ and ‘Cover Up’ are rock at its best, kicking your ass and breaking your heart in one song.

In Becca Macintyre, Marmozets have a singer who can croon and wail with aplomb, and she’s backed by a band with chops (which isn’t rare) and a discerning sense of when to use them (which certainly is) and a way with hooks that will set your brain on fire. No one sounds like ‘Particle’: the band have buried their reference points buried in a sound which is very much their own. And the variety on display is staggering, too – they can do heavy (‘Vibetech’) and ballads of modern poignancy (‘Cry’). There’s no a second wasted, or one where you’re not begging for more.

‘Weird & Wonderful’ is the most immediate record I’ve heard in years, a record that will make you sing your throat hoarse and throw your neck out. The Marmozets drip with the vim and lust of hot, yearning, sweaty youth, the g-spot of all truly great rock.

[binnie]

Trap Them – Blissfucker (2014)

There are no adjectives to describe just how terrifyingly furious Trap Them sound. Serving up three minute tune after three minute tune based on primal, seething rage without ever becoming remotely tedious is quite a feat, and this bunch of Boston natives’ unholy maelstrom of thrash, grind and hardcore punk does just that. Imagine Crass, Discharge, Cro-Mags and DRI with a few lashings of Motorhead and you’re on the right lines. Then throw in some crack, the nastiest bass sound you’ve ever heard, and desperation and you can go some way to appreciating this musical headbutt. Perhaps not quite as shit-out-your-entire-insides-into-your-pants as ‘Darker Handcraft’, ‘Blissfucker’ is still one of the most furious explosions of music you will ever hear.

Plenty of bands are really heavy, but few that are makes songs this distinctive and memorable. Go ahead: sandblast your soul.

[binnie]

Messenger – Illusory Blues (2014)

This record harks back to a time when you put a recordon, lay back, shut your eyes and immersed yourself in a soundscape – the time of Floyd, Hendrix and the earliest throws of prog. That’s not to say that Britain’s Messenger are a retro band – far from it, in fact. It’s just to note that ‘Illusory Blues’ feels decidedly unique in the 21st century. Opener ‘The Return’ is a balance of folk and rock, organs and clean guitars gently create something very grand and the feel is of a beautiful summer night kissed with melancholy. ‘Piscean Tide’ is prog with the rock dialled down, intricate clean guitar lines entwining in a serpentine embrace. ‘The Perpetual Glow of the Setting Sun’ is as an appropriate title as you’re likely to encounter on a record this year, a beautiful, emotive song whose memories pulsate and breathe. It’s mesmerizing stuff.

‘Illusory Blues’ is not a record for a party: it’s a record for the after party. ‘Prog’ here must be used with care: the songs come first, the melodies second, and the chops are only there to realise the first two. This is a very pure musical vision realised in beautiful songs.