Kreator- Enemy of God

Kreator- Enemy of God

There's something I want to point out: This album came out Janauary 11, 2005. That's my 20th Birthday! WHOO-HOO! I didn't even know who Kreator was then, but one listen to this album a few months later... Well, I'm getting ahead of myself.

This is a tough review to write because it's just damn close to something that doesn't seem to be explained. As I write this, it's widely is considered to be a masterpiece, and possibly the greatest Kreator album ever recorded. But why? Why is this true? Because the title track alone makes this album a must-have. What better way to kick off an album than with a thunderous assult of guitars and drums, all the while screaming "Enemy of God" at the top of every chorus? The song is even catchy, if you can believe that!

This album is mostly politcal, something not new to this German-Thrash outfit. And, yes, that was the cheesiest thing I could write, but it's 100% true, they're not afraid of political subject matter. That is plainly evident on "Suicide Terrorist" where they cut down to size the ego and ideologically behind what a suicide terrorist is and does. "Voices Of The Dead", "Impossible Brutality", and "Under A Totally Blackened Sky" deals with war, each one giving a harsh view on the futilities of it. "Murder Fantasies" is exactly as it seems; Someone dealing with their emotions on how they wish someone was dead.

I know this review is a bit thin, so let me try to explain why exactly you should get it; This album takes the same thrash metal started 20 years ago and takes it to the new millennium. The production on this album is just incredible, and the writing is top-notch. It's a remarkable experience to hear this band and this album. Admitedly, there are some moments that seem to just sit there, but the album just has a remarkable flow to it!

4.2 out of 5.

Discharge - Hear Nothing, See Nothing, Say Nothing

Discharge - Hear Nothing, See Nothing, Say Nothing

What makes an album perfect? What makes an album do something that no album you have experinced do to you that none other has done before? It's impossible to explain, and it's impossible to pinpoint. But in what I consider to be over 8 years of REALLY listening to music, this is the first time that instead of saying, "I Want to Do something" because of the music, I actually DID something.

If this album doesn't make you do something violent, your not human!

Hear Nothing, See Nothing, Say Nothing is as violent an album you will EVER hear! Yes, you have groups like Hatebreed, Terror, and Nile out there pushing the boundries of extrme music, but none of them have that same punch in comparisson to the rawness of this album. The riffs are simple but forceful, the drums simply just beat the living shit out of you, and the vocals simply tear your skin off! It's like going dtraight into a insanely nasty war! The lyrics are fiercly political, relying on anti-politics, anti-war, anti-human, even! It's not hard to see why this band influenced groups like Anthrax and Metallica, resulting in both doing covers from this album. The loud, distorted guitars tearing away at the world. It is simply insane.

The standout moment on this album is the combination of "Cries For Help" leading into "The Possibility of Life's Destruction". Dealing with the threat of a nuclear war, it isn't exactly cliche; Instead of some pointless drivle of a 5-minute song going on about how the world will die in a nuclear conflict, it instead uses something much more powerful! It invokes the same reaction as did Lyndon Johnson's 1964 Political Ad where the "images of a cute little girl counting daisy petals give way to those of a nuclear blast countdown in this still-haunting commercial from Lyndon Johnson." That line was taken from the AllPolitics archive on the subject, but I think it works well here. The impact is exactly the same, and that is the best example of what type of album you have.

5 out of 5. 'Nuff Said.

NOW BUY THE FUCKING THING! IT'S ONLY $12!

Metallica - Creeping Death-Jump In The Fire CD EP

Metallica - Creeping Death-Jump In The Fire CD EP

OK, this is a bit of a cheat: This isn't an album, it's 2 singles, and it's officially released as the "Creeping Death" single that happens to include the "Jump in the Fire" single. But for the sake of argument, we'll call it the "Creeping Death EP".

That said, I'm not only lucky to have this, but I'm glad I listened to it.

The average metal fan most likely owns every single Metallica album. Or, at the very least, all the one's they did up to The Black Album. We tend to take them for granted, giving them a listen once in a blue moon. It may have been the starting point for most of us, but it doesn't mean we listen to them every single day.

This EP basically reminds you why Metallica is considered legends; Because they know how to write damn good songs!

A quick listen to the opener, "Creeping Death", is refreshing; There is a warmth to the EP that you won't find on the album, one that I can't truly describe. But within the CD format of this EP, the song takes on a new life! The furious guitar intro, the venous tongue of Jame Hetfield, Lars Drums, Cliff Burton's Bass, Kirk's insane solo... They're all the hallmarks of this song.

Following up are the covers of "Am I Evil?" by Diamond Head and "Blitzkrieg" by Blitzkrieg. The recording levels of both songs differ, with the later being louder than the former. It's interesting to hear them on the EP for no other reason then to reflect upon how people 20 years ago must have felt when they heard this when it first came out. But the intensity, the skilled playing... all of it is there.

The main feeling of the entire EP is just a nice warm feeling that you wouldn't normally find on a CD. It isn't something that can be described easily; it boils down to what people must feel when they compare the sound of vinyl to CD. But this was made in a wonderful time, before when even CD's made today had the high-gloss digital-sheen. The feeling of Vinyl can be found here, and it is beautiful. By the time "Jump in the Fire" comes on, it feels like 1983 again!

The last two tracks, "Seek & Destroy" and "Phantom Lord", were alternative studio takes over-dubbed with a crowd, but they sound incredible! It's about as close to hearing a hi-fi version of them playing live in 1983 as you may get.

All in all, great EP!

4.5 out of 5!

Wednesday 13 - Fang Bang

Wednesday 13 - Fang Bang

It is incredibly safe to say that I am a fairly big fan of Wednesday 13. I started out with The Murderdolls, then I bought his Frankenstein Drag Queen from Planet 13 box set. I also have Transylvania 90210, which was his first solo album. After some 12 years of Wednesday 13 playing horror-inspired punk, ascending past The Misfits into a neon-goth quasi-S&M extravaganza, and in a good way. Unfortunately, it seems he is no longer happy just creating brilliant albums of horror-punk shtick, but he now wants to breach the mainstream. This is an odd statement to make; If you follow his career or his music, he has always had a nack for writing some incredible hooks and lyrics.

Sadly, it seems Wednesday 13 now wants the mainstream to accept him, and the result is semi-painful. He is one of those artists that tends to create the same album over and over again, but in a good way. This time, we see that he is now relying on more "easy-listening" fair than his normal punk flair; In fact, it is hard to find a single classic rock song until you reach "Till Death Do Us Party", the 9th track on the album. The album closer is a cover of "Burn The Flames" by Rocky Ericson done to a pretty nice level.

It borders on downright dull at times, with the only saving grace being Wednesday 13's lyrics. "And now we're on the run / And you know we're having so much fun / Being American werewolves in London". At least with lyrics like that you can chuckle.
2.7 out of 5.

Darkthrone - The Cult is Alive

Darkthrone - The Cult is Alive

If you read this column regularly (and I hope you do!), then you'll remember that I said that a record store liquidation can offer a chance for someone to discover bands and albums they never would normally touch. I picked this album out because someone I know fairly well from a message board had this album cover as their avatar. So seeing it in the store, I was drawn to it.

Black Metal. A genre born in England by Venom, more or less as a self-defecating joke, taken to insanely extreme and serious levels by Norwegians (for the better, I might add!), tends to get too serious at times, neglecting it's very roots. These roots include Venom, Black Sabbath, and even Blues. The Norwegian Black Metal scene has spawned an unholy union of all these, mixed in with the culture of it's surroundings. The saying is true; All art is a reflection of the times and world it is created in. Thus, a dark, foreboding genre of music is created.

I wanted to give you the history lesson because this album actually shows some respect to Venom in terms of style, and I had more fun listening to this black metal album than anything else released in the last 15 years! Yes, it is dark, it is very, as you kids say, "grimm", but it doesn't wallow around in itself. If anything, that annoys me to no end! It can be nice to get lost in an album, but not bored, and this album does nothing even close to that!

"The Cult of Goliath" instantly shows what I was talking about. To a point, I dare say there is some punk influences mixed in there (a-la Venom), continued on "Graveyard Slut", almost taking on a more Misfits-style. That is, if The Misfits played Black Metal. "Underdogs and Overlords" is more traditional Black Metal fare, the lyrics immediately taking stranglehold on the song while the guitars and drums pound away to a heavy black metal beat.. but sped up to a nice level to keep the album consistent! On the flip side, a listen to "Tyster På Gud" will make you think you just put on an album written by Black Flag.

If anything, this album shows that reinventing one's sound is not the worst thing in the world. It's hard to find many flaws in this album, although I'm sure their diehard fans who have been with them through all 11 albums will disagree. But for me this is my first album by the band and I plan on getting some of their older stuff.

This is a must-have album, and definitely one of the best black metal recordings in a long time.

4.5 out of 5!

Hanzel und Gretyl - Scheissmessiah!

Hanzel und Gretyl - Scheissmessiah!

FUKKEN UBER! If there was ever a band I was excited about because no one has heard of them, this is it! THIS is the band people need to start listening to because they just plain rock! I felt the same way about Mastodon in 2004, so that should tell you something right there! As an added bit of trivia, one of the former members of the Cycle Sluts from Hell, Venus Penis Crusher, aka Betty Kallas, is now Vas Kallas, the co-founder of the band. One listen to this album should shut down any rumors that the Sluts couldn't write a song, let alone play their instruments. But that's another day and another review.

Today, we are going to review Scheissmessiah!, which was released in 2004. Opening the album is a nice mellow track called "Lust". It mixes soothing, almost new-age sounds with a speech from some Evangelical preacher going on about hell. This, of course, is followed by "Fikk Dikk Mit Fire". This song barrels like a locomotive with pounding guitars, intense drums, and a chorus with a hook that is impossible to find anywhere else in Industrial Metal! Vas Kallas, the female singer, tears away at the track with a sample of a croud chanting behind her. It all reaches to a fantastic track, and a must-have for anyone who likes metal.

Taking a sample from "Ride of the Valkyries", "Kaiser Von Shizer" shoes what the rest of the album is; incredibly heavy industrial metal mixed in with a good sense of humor and some intense moments! The album isn't a non-stop serious-fit, nor is it a comedy disc. It's more the former than the latter, and it works to great dynamic appeal. The guitar work on this album is great and intense. The album pushes toward thrash and speed metal at times, otherwise sticking to indutrial stylings. The samples and effects are used to the same effect as the most skilled White Zombie tune. A track like "Burning Bush" is great for highlighting the humor of the band, specifically the samples of both a woman moaning and some rapper going "1,2,2,2,2,23!" On the opposite end, "Scheissway to Hell" is an example of dynamic songwriting by the band, showing a great ability of songwriting as well.

As for another headbanger, "And We Shall Purify" is definetly up there! As much as the reference is a pain to mention, yes, the band is similar to KMFDM in it's approach, but they take it to a level they can't, and that's just plain Fukken Uber Fun!

It's hard to nail down certain songs that stand out, and that isn't necessarily a bad thing. It's an album you put on and you can enjoy it. It's not a bloated 72-minute epic, it isn't something that wallows in itself trying to find itself. It's an album that is going to make you laugh with Nazi imagey, great German lyrics, and an entertainment level that's incredibly high. Your not going to get bored and your going to agree when I say it's a great album.

4.2 out of 5!

Edguy - Rocket Ride

Edguy - Rocket Ride

It's tough to be me sometimes. Tower Records is going out of business, and since that day 2 months ago, I've been buying CD's like crazy! Hell, everything's at 30% off with an added 10% for today only, so I got about 20 for $200. Not too shabby.

If there's every a plus side to your favorite record store going under, it's this; You can take a chance and experiment with music you may never otherwise listen to. I know I wouldn't have been able to fully enjoy some artists like Black Label Society without a local store going under a while back.

But for now, we'll focus on Edguy's latest album, Rocket Ride.

It sucks.

I bought it mainly because the album looked cool as hell. Seriously, look at it! It looks like your about to get some insane album of... something! Thash metal, punk... something that will be entertaining at the very least! Instead, as I learned, Edguy is a power metal band. Formed when they were only 14 in 1995, their lead singer sounding very much like a close version of Bruce Dickenson at times.

It's not to say the album doesn't have it's moments. There's a constant feeling of an album bubbling, trying to reach a point where it can take the listener on the very "rocket ride" promised, but it never get's there. Not so much a fustrating listen then it is just a fair-day album, it is well below the level for an album I would really bother every listening to again.

2 Stars out of 5.

Queensrÿche - Operation: Mindcrime

Queensrÿche - Operation: Mindcrime
I hate prog-metal.

My god, there... there is nothing in the world of metal I can think of right now in terms of a music genre I hate more than progressive metal. A bunch of musical snobs going on and on these long intriguet patterns and amazing technical skills, most of them proving they could hold a candle to Vyngviem Malmstein. The reality is, the genre can bore people to tears and the only thing "progressive" about the genre to me is that they can find people who find it interesting, let alone entertaining.

That is the reason why Queensrÿche's "Operation: Mindcrime" is one of the single greatest albums in the history of not just metal, but music as a whole; It may be progressive metal, but it is a damn good album!

When I bought the album last year after hearing rave reviews for it, I was more than skeptical because of everything I just said. That, and albums rarely ever live to the hype I constantly hear being given to them. To me and others my age, we never had to sit through countless days of hearing or seeing the video for a song like "Eyes of a Stranger" a million times, so the band and album can be seen through my eyes as fresh as it was when it first arrived. Concept albums can either rise to the occasion or simply fall flat, the later of which happens a good 99% of the time. This is the exception that proves the rule; an amazingly recorded and executed orchestrated 59 minutes of pure genius!

Opening with the introduction of Nikki, the album's protagonist, waking up in a hospital bed in "I Remember Now", which leads to the "Anarchy-X" where cries of a revolution are heard, leading to "Revolution Calling", creating on of the greatest openings for an album ever, and setting the scene for the rest of the album. Simply put, if you hate these songs, turn off the album and call yourself lame.

The album may have taken place in the Regan-era America, but the album still holds true today,if not even more so. It is simply incredible and mind-boggling to hear Geoff Tate scream "I used to trust the media to tell me the truth, tell us the truth / But now I've seen the payoffs everywhere I look / Who do you trust when everyone's a crook?" in "Revolution Calling".

As the album creeps into "Operation: Mindcrime", you are now slowly learning just what happens to Nikki; he is being brainwashed to commit murder on the enemies of Dr. X.

Taken from Wiki:

The album begins with the protagonist, Nikki, lying in a hospital bed, having a flashback about his past. He remembers how, as a heroin addict, he was mesmerized to join a secret network of rebels who work for a person named Doctor X. As he joins the coup, he becomes hypnotized into a state where when Dr. X says the word "mindcrime", Nikki becomes a puppet on a string (akin to The Manchurian Candidate) to commit any murder Dr. X assigns to him. Dr. X offers a return to Nikki: Through one of his friends, a priest called Father William, he offers Nikki the services of a hooker-turned-nun called Sister Mary. (Details are vague whether these services are sexual or simply emotional.) However, through Sister Mary, Nikki begins to turn back to an emotional human being. Dr. X notices this and, seeing a potential threat in Mary, he orders him to kill her and the priest. Nikki visits Mary, he kills the priest, but fails to comply with the order to murder Mary. He decides to quit the operation and goes back to Dr. X to tell him. X, however, reminds Nikki that he's a drug addict and X is the only one who can provide his daily fix. Nikki returns to Mary, only to find her dead. He can't cope with the loss and succumbs to insanity.

The police, arriving on the scene, find him with the body and arrest him. Since he's in a near-catatonic state, he's put into a hospital, where he starts to remember…

Honestly, there is no better way to explain it since it does it perfectly.

The albums is a non-stop tour through that story, with highlight tracks including "Speak", "The Needle Lies", "Suite Sister Mary", and of course, "I Don't Believe in Love" and "Eyes of a Stranger", the albums two catchiest tracks. If you don't find yourself humming one of those two out of nowhere after hearing this album, you can't be human.

4.9 out of 5!

BUY THIS ALBUM!

Operation: Mindcrime (2 CDs + 1 DVD) [DELUXE EDITION]:

Earlier this year, EMI released a Box Set of the album, which included a live disc of the album, recorded in 1990 during the tour for the album. They played it in full live, and it is pratically flawless! It is almost just like hearing the album, only with the added benefit of hearing the crowd get involved, as well as the many flourishes of a live show, like the occasional speeding up of the tempo. Hearing Pamela Moore belt out the parts of Mary live dares to rival hearing it on the album itself!

4.8 out of 5!

Iron Maiden - A Matter of Life and Death

Iron Maiden - A Matter of Life and Death

Bruce Dickinson's voice is shot to hell.

That was the first thing I thought the second I heard "The Reincarnation of Benjamin Breeg" on the radio. The Infamous "Air Raid Siren" had gone down to kids whistle, but honestly, can you blame him? Ol' Bruce-Bruce is pushing into his 50's and he is, without question, one of the greatest forces in heavy metal. The man is a god-damn workhorse and sings the same songs night after night after night for over 15 years, the last 5 being the big return. But, in an odd way, the voice may be shot, but it is far from dead!

The guys in Iron Maiden have said over and over again how happy they are they didn't go out and get it "polished", leaving a more "raw" sound. That had me incredibly excited, but the result is a deeply-flawed mix. You can hear the guitar feedback at times during songs, and at times, it seems that Dickinson's vocals were recorded without him even hearing the song, most evident on "Brighter Than a Thousand Suns". I constantly felt as if an old audio clip from the 50's, namely a famous sound bite that said those exact words, would pop-up.

But that's not to say this isn't a good album. I always say that it's hard to critiquie new albums by old bands because there are two reviews and points of view that effect it; The album in and of itself, and the album in terms of the overall discography of a band. There is always a need, I think, on the reviewer of the album to give a new album by an old act the respect either the band deserves or the album deserves. If someone were to say, for example, that the latest Vader album was horrible (I don't know, I haven't heard it), they would be deemed "un-tr00" by the metal elitests and it would be hard for anyone to respect him ever again.

That is why it's hard for me to be honest as I want to about this album. I may have made it seem to this point that this album is horrible, but it is, without question, an actually decent album. It's something very different from this band, and it shows, and I'm sure Steve Harris is going to kill me for this, but it shows the band aging and growing more mature. It may not be as heavy as Dance of Death, but the overall feel is simply that of a band getting ready to hit it's twilight years and actually enjoying it by putting out decent albums.

Iron Maiden has had 3 guitarists since 2000, but this is the first time that they have used them all to create interesting dynamics. I noticed that immediatly on "Different World", the album opener. Behind the vocals of 'ol Bruce-Bruce, you can hear an angelic 3-guitar harmony, and a guitar tone that has become the bands signature for the new millenium. The song is brief at only a little over 4 minutes, and is one of the most dynamic songs on the album. In all honesty, this should have been the radio single, not "The Reincarnation of Benjamin Breeg". On "These Colours Don't Run", the guitars are used to a very good effect, reminding me of a mix of Dance of Death meets Seventh Son. Incredibly patriotic and a song of having pride, not only in your country, but also the causes you may live and die for. Nicko's drumming is still top-notch, folks!

For all that I said about it, "Brighter than a Thousand Suns" is actually quite incredible! This one may become a permanet piece in the live shows, if we're lucky to see them for a godo 2-hours every night. It is the stand-out track of the album. If any of these songs live on as a must-have, I would have to say this is it. I don't like the vocal mix at times, but it is something that grows on you. It is incredibly well orchastrated, and it has more of a feeling of classical music than metal. A ton of work, thought, and effort went into it and you can tell. This song examples everything great about the band in it's new form; the use of all three guitarists to create incredible dynamics, Nicko's drums working to complement them, Steve's bass working in harmony with the rest... and Bruce doing his damnest. I'm sorry, but Bruce's vocals are just plain shot and it's painful at times to try and find good in it.

If I was to tell Bruce anything, it would be to use the voice he has now to create a new sound for himself instead of trying to act as if he still was 25. It's deeper now and that could create an even more dynamic sound if utialized right. "The Pilgrim" does just that and it works great for it! Short and sweet, this and "Out of the Shadows" demonstrates that the band isn't too old to create hard-rockers from here to there. The dynamic tracks work to great effect with "The Longest Day" building to a decent track with an incredible chorus. It simply works because this is exactly what Bruce should have done on "Brighter than a Thousand Suns", and that is work with the voice he has. It just fits perfectly in here!

"For the Greater Good of God" does seem like "Dance of Death II", but not even an ounce as boring. Where Dance would simply wallow, this sond gallops and demands to know "Well tell me now what war is/ Again tell me what life is"! How all of the harships of war are for "The Greater Good of God". It's equal to "Brighter Than a Thousand Suns" for being THE song to keep, mainly because the vocals are greater and the harmony is brilliant. Again, orchastration wins out and the song shines for it. Oh, and those little bits where the guitars and drums hit at the exact same moment... simply brilliant!

"The Reincarnation of Benjamin Breeg" and "Lord of Light" have things working for them, but they simply fall flat in the whole of the song and the album, resulting in a feelig of more filler tracks or attempts at trying to go back to their older songs. It's a shame, really.

But it is the album's closer that creates the feeling I said before, that of a band getting ready for old age and growing more mature. I can't help but see Bruce getting ready to sit into a rocking chair to sing a song for me. The guitars swell nicely, the band working in a very nice harmony. I think this song could be a pre-courser for the next album, a glimpse in the direction the band is getting ready to go to. The guitars and drums work in synch at times, and the guitars galloping with the drums are a very nice touch, with a very nice guitar solo in the middle. The ending of the song is very peaceful and, although it's over 9 minutes long, you'd swear it was much shorter.

I see a more dynamic Iron Maiden forming, one mixing all that they have learned in the last 25+ years into a force to be reckoned with, the likes of which we have not seen in nearly 15 years. This album is something that you will appreciate on the 2nd listen, and one you'll love with some time. This album is like wine and a good cheese; it taste's better with some aging, which is true of Iron Maiden.

This is a 4.2 out of 5 disc, and one that should be in your collection.

BUY THIS ALBUM!

Static-X - Wisconsin Death Trip

Static-X - Wisconsin Death Trip

Back in 2000, I was in Wal-Mart for the first time in my life. I was standing around while my parents were checking out and saw two CD's by a band called Static-X, Machine and Wisconsin Death Trip. The albums covers looked cool, the CD's were on sale, and I considered buying them but held out. Last year I decided to finally check them out, and god-damn it, I'm glad I did!

The band has often been declared "nu-metal", and thus the label, "lame", has been synonymous with it. That's only due to the fact they came out in 1998 during the time when it was the only label new metal bands could get, and it doesn't do them justice. The sound is more akin to what Ministry was being declared to be and only achieved on the last two albums; Industrial Metal with some insanely heavy and catchy riffs.

The album kicks-off with, hands down, the single smartest metal lyric of the late-90's; "I See It/ I NEED IT". The lyric, in those 6 words, are the sheer embodiment of the current generation; The see it, want it mentality that we have, the same idea of rampant, almost mindless consumerism that embody most of us. We live in an age instant gratification, and as soon as we see an item, it's no longer a want, it's a need. And we must fill that need. For that, "Push It" stands as one of the greatest metal songs ever.

The songs about love and relationships makeup some of the most dynamic tracks on the album, as well as some of the most unique songs that can actually are entertaining. Most notably, "I'm With Stupid" is among the single zaniest tracks I've ever heard, the sample of the news report of the woman saying "I grabbed my shovel, and I beat him in the skull and took him down. Then I grabbed a rope and I hogtied him." adds a dynamic that is simply amazing. "Love Dump" has a very high-pitched guitar riff going through it, and it's used to perfection.

The album closes "December", a track written by Wayne Static's and Ken Jay's former band Deep Blue Dream. It would, in a sense, almost seem out of place, but it actually sits perfectly with the rest of the disc, creating a nice melodic, relaxing end to an incredibly intense album.

If there was ever an album from the mainstream late-90's metal movement for me to recommend, this would be it. If you either never heard it, or haven't heard it in a long time, it's perfect to rediscover!

4.7 out of 5, this album is great!

BUY THIS ALBUM!