Shadowdoom9 (Andi)'s Reviews

I think most Godflesh fans would agree with me when I say their first 3 albums (Streetcleaner, Pure, and Selfless) are their best era. They're one of the first bands to mix industrial with metal, and they've really shown what they've made in those 3 albums. When they started adding real drums and hip-hop groove in this album, it can repel the audience while adding newer fans.

So yeah, this album is a little more average, but it's still something I enjoy. Godflesh once again releases an 11-track bass industrial metal album with songs for you to love and hate. I guess that album title really makes sense...

The first song "Wake" is guaranteed to wake you up so you can smell the industrial metal spirit. There's wonderful riffing in "Sterile Prophet" among other infectious elements. However, "Circle of Sh*t" is where the hip-hop sh*t begins to rise. Metal elitists should not stick around for that stinker. "Hunter" would make you wonder, "What happened to the Mastodon-influencing sludge this band once had!?"

Redeeming the quality with emotion, "Gift From Heaven" levels things up with guitar groove, alongside a shouting chorus ("I am nothing, feel like everything") and a mumbling verse ("I am love, I am hate, hate my love, love my hate"). "Amoral" has more technical atmosphere. Next song "Angel Domain" has infectious bass to go with melodic guitar, along with catchy vocals. This is worth headbanging to in a way that you can enjoy without going as vicious as when you listen to death metal. Drum looping occurs in then next song, "Kingdom Come", though it sounds repetitive.

"Time, Death and Wastefulness" is just a waste of time, even after f***ing death. However, my favorite song in this album is "Frail", practically close to post-metal with the ethereal atmosphere. It fits much better in Hymns, but that's my only complaint there. "Almost Heaven" almost seems like a sequel to "Gift From Heaven", but sadly no. All we get is just industrial hip-hop sh*t. Thankfully, it's not available on vinyl for any vinyl collectors out there.

So the music is strong in half the amount of songs, especially the well-done samples and synths, and the vocals really stand out, but the lyrics and beat are painful to hear at times. Despite the negative aspects, I'm sure both the old and new fans might dig some songs, though there's no chance at some of those songs reaching touring....

Favorites: "Wake", "Sterile Prophet", "Gift From Heaven", "Angel Domain", "Frail"

I started my Godflesh journey with their first two releases, their self-titled EP and Streetcleaner. I have clearly understood the appeal of industrial metal ever since, and recently I've reviewed Pure and the Merciless EP. I continue my brave Godflesh quest with Selfless!

This is where the band expands their repertoire while becoming more accessible in the riffing. Selfless is not as strong as the aforementioned first two releases, but it's worth frequent listens. Despite their usual minimalistic sound, there's the fear of being condemned as selling out when the earlier harsh density is being moved away from. With that said, this ain't pretty mainstream music, Godflesh's heaviness is still unbreakable.

"Xnoybis" is an interesting start, with a heavy riff as the drum machine marches on alongside shouted vocals, the latter relied on while adding clean-singing melancholy. However, during the times clean singing prevails, it sounds a bit off-key, yet fits the atmosphere. Going big on the industrial metal is "Bigot". Same with "Black Boned Angel".

"Anything is Mine" is the only song here that takes on more of an industrial death 'n' roll tone. It's fury lets you stomp your cleated boots to the ground and grind anything underneath to dust. Hinting at Justin Broadrick's later project Jesu, "Empyreal" is a beautiful fragile song, distancing itself from the sound of their previous entries. Some might be bored, while others, like myself, might find it entrancing. The heaviness has never before sounded so light. Stretching out the skeletal structure is "Crush My Soul", delivering more traditional industrial sounds, with electronic samples reminding some of Aphex Twin at that time. Though being released as the first single might've tricked fans into thinking the entire album would be like that. "Body Dome Light" adds a bit of an EBM vibe to the industrial metal sound.

"Toll" is pretty cool, though not significantly decent. The slower "Heartless" might've inspired the sludgy vibe of Converge's You Fail Me. "Mantra" seems to drone on like a mantra, another early hint of Jesu. The CD version includes a special track, the nearly 24-minute "Go Spread Your Wings", the longest Godflesh song and my favorite of the album, possibly of the band. It is a modern epic journey through Broadrick's tunnel of imagination, as drums and guitars pound along. This might surely beat the previous album's "Pure II" as Godflesh's ultimate epic!

Not one Godflesh album is identical to one another, and while that's good, it's hard to tell exactly what represents them the most. As the usual elements are kept, the progression helps keep the albums separate. Selfless isn't the best part of the band's peak period, but it is a momentous album that I love. Accessibility aside, it's an emotional helper. Of course, what you prefer is up to you, whether or not you really want this album to crush your soul!

Favorites: "Xnoybis", "Anything is Mine", "Empyreal", "Crush My Soul", "Heartless", "Go Spread Your Wings"

Godflesh is one of a few bands to start their own league, that league being industrial metal, with one side of the genre being heavy and the other being skinny...Puppy. You might think Godflesh is being indecisive, but it's part of what makes them unique.

This is pure industrial metal, fresh from the 90s. Earache is an essential record label for game-changing albums from bands like At the Gates, Cult of Luna, Woods of Ypres, and of course, Godflesh. The bass really drives through as G.C. Green pounds away, while Justin Broadrick plays his droning distorted guitarwork. The guitar and bass are in a nice loud balance with distorted tone. It sounds so raw and clear, and the drum machine almost sounds like real drums!

The title track is so slow and doomy, with powerful riffs crushing your spine and ripping it out from your neck. That's the kind of feeling induced from the sludgy bass and the heaviness brought forward from the 45-second mark onwards. The crushing riff may sound redundant, but the repetition is worth it. Justin's smashing vocals come close to growling. This could be used in a dramatic slow-motion movie fight scene. Midway through is a clean bridge that's also repeated. Everything is memorable here! "Blind" follows, sounding more industrial with low beats. The guitar and bass have some sound effects in the tone. Justin's vocals are the usual deep and dark with no cleans. The lyrics are the same throughout the repetition, but that's what makes them memorable. However, too many stanzas spoil the structure a little. On the other hand, even without a proper chorus, the music and lyrics stay memorable. The lyrics are so simple yet have powerful meaning. Justin can help Godflesh possess the greatness it really needs.

"Unworthy" has more sounds and more speed. Not really the greatest of the EP, but worth listening to. The vocals sounding clean in the beginning seem out of place. Other than that, it's still pretty good. Lastly, "Flowers" is just a strange drone instrumental based on "Don't Bring Me Flowers" from the Pure album. It can work as both an eerie piece of music in a dark haunted house and relaxing background music when chilling in a lounge.

Godflesh has made another simple EP that you can listen to without disappointment. It focuses on minimalism instead of technicality that never fails to amaze me. This is one of Godflesh's more metallic releases and an underrated offering that should be picked up. Merciless deserves listening mercy!

Favorites: "Merciless", "Blind"

Justin Broadrick and co. really know to light up the industrial part of my metal heart. Normally, whenever I test out a bit of industrial metal from other bands, the end result is just disappointing machinery or sounding too goth or electro. By that rate, you might as well be banging on concrete doors and sheet metal and call all that sh*t "industrial". Yes, you can use unorthodox objects as instrumentation, but it's not just banging them around like preschool music class, you gotta really...think! While Godflesh has never been an Infinite band for the most part, they certainly think outside the conventional box the way progressive/avant-garde metal bands would think. That's a good reason why this album is called Pure, this is pure unconventional music that marks h*ll of an expansion for metal boundaries.

Of course, it's definitely worth it for metal fans. Sure they can grab a hold of accessible rock/metal, but to really spice up this taste, more abstract sounds deserve some appreciation. This band can sound abstract while setting reasonable limits, like a few riffs per song. That's one thing to make industrial metal a proud subgenre, and the short amount of riffs are never too technical or melodic. And it makes industrial metal sound good with all that droning groove and memorable melody. The catchy aspects are still there to break the monotony. Godflesh have done their job well...

This is prominently shown in "Spite" that can be the sign of a shining gift. "Mothra" has groove-powered industrial metal riffing that's never out of place. It's so special and different, and that's the key for the style of Godflesh. Justin's vocals are up to the highest standard, but the riffing is the right priority. Things seem to brighten up with "I Wasn't Born to Follow", though it gets a bit weird.

"Predominance" adds some menacing vocal layers that allow the song to dominate. The title track drums pretty well, but the beat is a little annoyingly predictable, and there are barely any of those wonderous riffs. "Monotremata" is a throwback to the earlier heaviness while adding more melodic vocals. However, it sounds a bit unsettling overall.

"Baby Blue Eyes" is where there's more bliss to go with the sinister sound, becoming more stable. Throbbing Gristle seems like a great influence on the nice atmospheric surface before being attack by what lies beneath. "Don't Bring Me Flowers" helps the band stand by their principles for this highlight. The CD version has two bonus tracks, the first of which, "Love, Hate (Slugbaiting)" is just obsolete ambient-industrial. You can say the same about the 21-minute "Pure II", but it's actually greatly immense.

With that, Pure is a notable part of Godflesh's tenure and continues to show what masterful pioneers of industrial metal they are. There's barely anything boring. It can be strange and moody, but the droning riffs are what make this band memorable and other bands jealous. This is pure industrial metal the way it should've been!

Favorites: "Spite, "Mothra", "Predominance", "Don't Bring Me Flowers", "Pure II"

Justin Broadrick is very underrated in the metal scene. He's one of the contributing inventors of 3 different genres; grindcore, industrial metal, and post-metal. How did he contribute to those genre inventions, you may ask? Well for grindcore, he played guitar for grindcore pioneers Napalm Death for a few demos, one of those demos becoming side A of their debut Scum. After leaving that band, he began experimenting with music that was atypical for metal at that time. He wanted to create something out of the genres and bands he loved, including the hardcore of Discharge, the crust of Doom, the anarcho-punk of Crass, the industrial of Throbbing Gristle, the noise of Swans, and the post-punk of Killing Joke. This mix became prominent in his project Head of David, the first ever band of both industrial metal and post-metal! At the same time, Justin has his own project going on with G.C. Green and Paul Neville. Originally named Fall of Because after a Killing Joke song, the name was later changed to Godflesh.

It's a little cliché for the very first release of a project to be self-titled, but that doesn't matter. The Godflesh EP was groundbreaking at that time for setting up a new genre that's slower and gloomier than even doom metal. Justin Broadrick was inspired by the cold bleak atmosphere of his home town Birmingham, similar to the city's most famous band Black Sabbath, but Godflesh went far ahead with their influences. In the 70s and 80s, almost every metal band had set up an entryway for new genres to be formed. Besides Black Sabbath, the hard rock of Deep Purple would inspire the heavy metal of Judas Priest who would inspire the NWOBHM/speed metal of Raven, Iron Maiden, and Accept that would inspire the thrash metal of Metallica and Slayer that would inspire death metal, grindcore, and black metal, thus forming the extreme metal umbrella together with the slow doom metal of Candlemass who would inspire Godflesh to reverse those standards. Godflesh focuses on the heavy groove dissonance of industrial/noise masters at its bleakest. No electronic-dance sh*t, just the heaviness of dissonant bass and downtuned guitar. How else can you define industrial metal?

Think about this further in the opening "Avalanche Master Song" which has lyrics of strong hate and a pondering bass groove as its main role unlike other metal bands accompanied by guitar feedback and a programmed marching rhythm. That f***ing groove has practically invented groove metal, inspiring Pantera to drop their glam act, Sepultura to add more groove to their thrash, and the alt-noise-metal band Helmet to be formed. Then we head to the hardcore-sounding "Veins". Then the doomy "Godhead" shows the band in creepy filthy gloomy sludgy agony. They've surpassed Black Sabbath by many miles and would break ground for new subgenres to come in the 90s with more focus on heaviness and groove, instead of speed and melody that's completely absent here.

Next track "Spinebender" focuses on creative beats and dissonance that might bring discomfort to anyone including classic metalheads. Once again, "Weak Flesh" shows Broadrick's Discharge-like hardcore roots with a more "p*ssed" faster pace while having the atypical vibe. Wait a minute... "Godhead", "Weak Flesh"... That's it! That's how they got their name, to mix sludgy doom and hardcore in an industrial sound. Glad they aren't named "Weakhead", lol. "Ice Nerveshatter" has hip-hop beats that actually sound excellent. Hip-hop was like the Voldemort of metal at that time, but Godflesh killed that taboo and showed us that mix isn't that bad in their first 5 full albums.

Speaking of full albums, the 1990 reissue extends the EP into kind of a full album with two long remixes from the Streetcleaner album, "Wounds" and "Streetcleaner 2". Both of those remixes show some of Broadrick's hip-hop roots that were scornful from metalheads at that time, along with his influences from Swans in a different perspective of devastated reality. You can also hear a bit of the solid vocal aggression to be delivered in the Streetcleaner album, more aggressive than the EP where the music has spoken.

Godflesh, both the band and their self-titled EP, was a new beginning for metal. Initially, it wasn't strongly received and still in the underground, but it marked a revolutionary path setting to Streetcleaner that would change metal history forever. This masterpiece of an EP and Head of David back then were a taste of the industrial metal future!

Favorites: "Avalanche Master Song", "Godhead", "Weak Flesh", "Ice Nerveshatter"

Strapping Young Lad came to an end in 2007. After their final album The New Black, Devin Townsend made two more solo albums, the ambient The Hummer and the comedic metal opera Ziltoid the Omniscient. Then he announced the end of Strapping Young Lad and a break from touring to focus on family and album writing/production. So how did this final SYL album work out in both the production and the result?...

This album continues the band's usual violent kick-a** destruction! They keep the standard diversity true to the band. They add more of the melody of their previous two albums while bringing back the heaviness and humor of the first two.

"Decimator" already brings in the riffing melody, along with enjoyable clean vocals reaching a nice ending crescendo. The anger comes back in "You Suck" which never sucks! It continues the rage that has made most of the band's previous albums killer. "Anti-Product" adds a little more funky jazz in the horns and flute in the bridge. This is metal at its least serious while nicely listenable. For me, "Monument" is skippable because it sounds too happy for me. It fits better for one of Devin Townsend's solo albums, and it's the reason why I can't give this album a perfect 5-star rating.

However, "Wrong Side" is a true progressive industrial metal highlight. I just love the insane drumming in this one! Anyone who thinks that kind of drumming doesn't belong in industrial metal can stand corrected. "Hope" has more of a groove-metalcore vibe that nicely shakes things up a bit. The metallic "Far Beyond Metal", originally a touring song from as early as the City tour, features by Oderus Urungus of GWAR (RIP). "F***er" is a mid-paced metal love duet with Canadian hard-rocker Bif Naked.

"Almost Again" is where drummer Gene Hoglan deserves some praise for his mighty drumming blasts, but you know who else? Devin Townsend for his fine lyrics and raw vocals, not to mention founding this band! Is it just me or does the guy in the last 10 seconds of the song screaming and collapsing sound like Hoglan after this impressive work? Hmm... At least he will be well-suited for a drum soloing battle with Meshuggah's Tomas Haake. "Polyphony" is a good track to return to for a sincere calm before the final storm. The magnificent 6-minute title finale opens with mighty power and ends with a climatic sign-off, all without tiring me out. A true industrial metal swansong!

Devin Townsend continued once more to venture through his heavier band. Some of it is forward, some of it is backward. They continued their recent melodic direction while having a lot more of the earlier heaviness and humor. It's like they've continued where their 90s era left off in the same place as their 2000s era. It's a shame that SYL is gone, and it's probably for the best. Nonetheless, the band's speed and groove would make some comebacks in a special multi-album project from this Canadian metal man!

Favorites: "You Suck", "Wrong Side", "Hope", "Far Beyond Metal", "Almost Again", "The New Black"

Until just recently, I never really had the appeal for industrial metal. I thought it was an overrated mainstream metal genre like alt-metal, with the invasion of bands like Ministry and Rammstein. Now I can see where its heavier background lies, when I was pulled into listening to Strapping Young Lad during my run through Devin Townsend's discography. This band has started my quest to dig into industrial metal's heavier background for bands like Fear Factory and the genre's true pioneers, Godflesh!

But for now, I'm gonna review the Strapping Young Lad albums, starting with this one Alien (the rest would be after I finished reviewing the Devin Townsend albums). Alien is the follow-up to their self-titled comeback album and, unlike other bands' fourth albums, is of higher quality instead of lower. Their extreme industrial metal is punishing!

Kicking off the CD with a bang is the fantastic crushing intro "Imperial". The song features the humans within this machine; drummer Gene Hoglan, guitarist Jed Simon, bassist Byron Stroud, and Devin Townsend who also plays guitars while screaming with a bit of clean vocals. Great start! Following this is the brutal "Skesis" where you can hear Gene's amazing drumming that might've inspired the more metal side of Protest the Hero. The drumming is filled with punishment, no remorse. Finally, the vocals kick in that are amazing as always, along with fast riffs and neat keyboards all over. The song that many people have heard the most is surprisingly the one with swearing in the title and the lyrics, "Sh*tstorm". Devin Townsend sounds absolutely p*ssed and determined to stab your eardrums (already done by the music in a way I like). The entirely shouted vocals threaten you with crazy lyrics. The song is fast with good riffs and fantastic keyboards. The choirs diversify this amazing song. Can this album get better?! Yes, with "Love?" This is an absolutely emotional composition of punishing heaviness. Devy's great vocals range from screaming to clean. The guitar, bass, and keyboards are amazing with fantastic lyrics. The best song of this album! Though I'm sure there's at least one or two song by the band that's better...

"Shine" is another song that prevent the quality from going down, crushing you into Hell with riff heaviness and drum insanity. The song keeps you busy and in attention with Devin's maniacal screaming. Once again, the choir in the second half keeps the interesting level high. There's more relentless chaos to come... "We Ride" is a fast riff ride, driving through the well-written lyrics in high gear. Something that makes this song unique for Strapping Young Lad is the amount of soloing, well-performed for listeners' ears. "Possessions" is another major highlight for this album. The lyrics might be corny for other bands, but they fit well with the band's great riffing and crushing drumming. What's fantastic is the choir being more prominently used. The choir isn't underused or overused but just right.

"Two Weeks" is where the album starts... SLOWING DOWN?!? YES!!! BUT FOR ALARM?! NO!! It's Pink Floyd-like well-written slowness! Still there isn't a break in atmosphere, adding to the album's greatness in mellow relaxing form with emotion. The only people who can't deal with this song are either strictly heavy metalheads or anyone wanting to hear the song go 200bpm like All That Remains in their song "Two Weeks" or DragonForce. "Thalamus" returns to the heaviness, and while it sometimes drones on, it's still good. Its diverse effect keeps the album interesting. The last track in real song form is "Zen", bringing back the speed that was missing in the previous two tracks. The great riffing and drumming is impossible to forget. The absolute final track "Info Dump" is a controversial track worth liking or hating. It's a 12-minute ambient track, but it doesn't affect the perfection at all. If you're patient enough to stick around, you would find that there's more than just feedback, instead being a feedback experiment. It's so cool yet scary! It sounds like the feedback has its own beat. Then the feedback stops then comes back differently, getting louder and more distorted. This is SYL's "Elastic"!!

First Strapping Young Lad (and Sphere) album I've reviewed and already I think this is the best of their tenure! It has heavy anger and emotional power. Alien is probably my new best of 2005. No matter the craziness, you must hear this!

Favorites: "Skesis", "Sh*tstorm", "Love?", "Shine", "Possessions", "Zen"

You can't get away with saying Strapping Young Lad isn't original. This band has a unique bulletproof blend of industrial metal with progressive/hardcore influences. However, you can also consider this band the modern industrial Anthrax because of both the thrash elements and the humor. Sure the lyrics can be weird and the music can be noisy, but that's just part of what I like from this band, and what Devin Townsend can do with his music. During his hiatus from Strapping Young Lad, he started recording his own solo albums besides one-time projects and producing albums by other bands, noticeably Soilwork's Natural Born Chaos. Perhaps that Soilwork album gave him motivation to focus on heaviness in a slightly more serious, less humorous light, along with his creative anger sparked by 9/11. The SYL ship stands strong!

With crystal clear production, you can hear everything including the thundering drums, deep bass, and heavy guitar punch. Making the production clear can be a b***h for some bands, but they've done it in ease. I must admit, I enjoy the groove-ish riffing more than that of Pantera of Machine Head. Though it's the intense drumming that stands out the most, with Gene Hoglan performing blazing beats in technical groove. The bass is also relentless! The keyboards stand by the heaviness to emphasize it. And finally, Devin still has his diverse vocal range, adding slightly more cleans while doing the usual growling/screaming.

"Dire" is an epic intro where you see the gates of Hell opening as you enter. "Consequence" pounds through with evil riffing and searing drumming. "Relentless" picks up the extreme relentless energy, though it could've been done a little more interestingly. The more hardcore "Rape Song" is also not super great, but it works well for the album and doesn't affect the score one bit.

"Aftermath" is a real gem in this album. It's like a massive war anthem! Near the end is some amazing riffing energy that any metalhead should love. Thrashing around is "Devour", though the melodic sections sound a bit like heavy/power metal. Next song "Last Minute" has the closest the band has gone to black metal.

Then we have the more deathly "Force Fed". And then "Dirt Pride" has the hyperspeed thrash of Testament's faster songs. Do you think the band can continues this chaotic speed? Nope, "Bring on the Young" ends the album similarly to City. It is a drawn-out slow epic building up to a powerful climax. I honestly like this album's closing track better than that of City, despite that album being more perfect than this one.

You know what?! Nothing can stop Devin Townsend from being creative, and nothing can stop me from listening to this heavy band of his! It's a promising album for those who enjoy fast and heavy extreme industrial metal. Anyone who doesn't should stay the f*** away. Solid intense gold!

Favorites: "Consequence", "Aftermath", "Devour", "Dirt Pride", "Bring on the Young"

Strapping Young Lad's debut album Heavy as a Really Heavy Thing marked the full debut of Canadian metal mastermind Devin Townsend. He also made a couple albums for one-time projects (Punky Brüster and Ocean Machine), between that album and this second one City. So the band started off solid with their debut, unleashed lots of rage with some touches of Devy's signature humor. Could City be a big improvement?...

F*** YEAH, MAN!!! I love this album! If you're into Strapping Young Lad, and anger mixed with humor, this album is a must. With its intensity and swearing, my parents wouldn't have let me listened to this when I was a young teen over 10 years ago. But I'm an adult now, same age as Devy when he recorded this! Who can stop me now!?

Beginning with a bad-a** intro, "Velvet Kevorkian". Someone taps a spoon on an anvil before the album's tone gets set for the city you're rushing through to get home. Devy's evil shouts are also what you'll expect in this album. "F*** SLEEP!!! F*** ALL OF YOU! Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls... WELCOME THE F*** HOME!!!" You finally make it home and start blasting out this CD with "All Hail the New Flesh", a d*mn great hammerer! The legendary Gene Hoglan performs an intense drumming avalanche through this noisy cacophony whirlpool and the aggressive vocal cyclone from Devy, though his clean vocals help keep you in safe shelter alongside the keys. Townsend can really show us his insane vision of extreme industrial metal. He yells "ALL YOU ARE IS ALL YOU ARE!" in an uplifting chorus before more brilliant riffs and keyboards. UNBELIEVABLE!!!!!! "Oh My F***ing God" will make you wanna scream that song title. It's one of the heaviest songs I've heard in my life, probably heavier than even Morbid Angel and Slayer combined! Lots of sounds and build-ups from different dimensions can be heard, not for the faint-hearted. Even the violins change the time signatures! F***ING BRUTAL!!!!!

The heavier metalheads wanting to try some industrial might like "Detox". You just want to scream along to those lyrics, from the repeated chant of "Hey! Devo!" to the lyrics of heavy paranoia. "HOW DID I GET HERE TONIGHT!? WHAT AM I DOING HERE?!? HOW DID I REACH THIS STATE?! HOW DID I LOSE MY SIGHT!?!? I'M LOST!!! I'M FREAKING! And everyone knows, everyone's watching! So here, All my hopes and aspirations, THEY’RE NOTHING BUT PUKE!!! GOD I’M SO LONELY!!" SEE!?! You can get progressiveness from the extreme industrial metal of this band, rather than just the post-sludge of Neurosis! The main riff returns, more melodic than earlier, as a spoken sample talking about nerve cells functions can be heard followed by the last of the tortured cries and ending with a return to the catchy bridge riff. "Home Nucleonics" starts with a brief audio sample saying "The beat starts here". H*ll yeah, it starts here... WITH A F***ING SCREAM!!! This one makes heavy bands like Meshuggah and Northlane sound like smooth jazz in comparison! Probably the heaviest, most chaotic storm from Strapping Young Lad besides "Sh*t Storm" and having the most amazing screams from Devin Townsend. "I! WARNED!! YOOOOOOOOOOOOOU!!!" I consider "AAA" to be brilliant groove-ish industrial metal, right from the sick intro. One of my favorites from one of the first industrial metal bands that I've encountered and truly like. Need some batteries for this grand song? The riff near the 3-minute mark has massive f***ing heaviness for half a minute, then this killer sh*t really goes off. Now imagine singing along to this in the bus, annoying the other passengers. "No one hears so no one knows and... NO ONE! NO ONE F***S WITH MEEEE!!!" I guess you can kind of consider this Korn gone Meshuggah.

"Underneath the Waves" blasts you away is a cold winter storm of chaos, starting with a kick-a** riff! The earlier intense emotion is still around with atmospheric keys. The powerful drums are emphasized through lyrics that talk about life going on for "F***ING NOTHING!!!!" Up next is a cover of the Cop Shoot Cop song "Room 429". The lyrics are weird but kick-a** as f***. I bet 25 years after this review, this track still won't be outdated, thought it might cause haunting melodies. You can visualize yourself being trapped in an isolation room away from the people surrounding you, even at the minimum social distance of two meters. Once again, it connects to the theme of a city that isolates you. Closing the album is "Spirituality", sounding calm and spiritual while ominous. After a nightmarish day in the city that hurts you like a b***h, you want to sleep it all away until tomorrow. You're just tired of "all you sick stupid people" and want to "pray to God they'll hear me". You let all the emotions remaining in you before finally sleeping in the night before another agonizing day. It all ends with Devin's last whisper of "I found a way out of here". Well technically it ends with an alien voice saying "Strapping Young Lad rocks my hairy a**s", but let's ignore that.

City is filled with original talent and brilliant emotion. Honestly, this is one of the heaviest albums that I enjoy in industrial metal, and maybe even metal in general. The city is an intense emotional place you have to be brave and metal-headed enough to try. There's nothing in the main album I can ever deny. It's so d*mn mind-blowing!

Favorites: "All Hail the New Flesh", "Oh My F***ing God", "Detox", "Home Nucleonics", "AAA"

"I am the coming of a new age, stained we still stand tall! I am the coming of a new age, and I will never fall!" Yes, a new age was coming, the age of one of the mightiest progressive metal masterminds, Devin Townsend! Well even though I lost interest in his solo material, the material of his former band Strapping Young is still with me. Let's begin my SYL review journey with the one album that started it all for Devy (not including his contributions to Steve Vai's Sex & Religion)...

I understand that this album isn't for the pure old-school thrash fans. Heavy as a Really Heavy Thing is basically heavy thrashy industrial metal with lots of noise and rage. Despite a few disorganized songs, the album comes out as a great beginning for Devy's massive career.

The journey begins with "S.Y.L." Holy sh*t, this is angry energy to make fans of industrial metal happy. It's quite genius how you can hear toddler Devy present his own play in the intro and then teen Devy as an A&W employee in the outro. Strapping Young Lad and Meshuggah are the two go-to bands for metal's heavy intensity in the 90s. Next up, "In the Rainy Season" continues to test out the anger that would be shoved up haters' f***ing a**es, adding to the album's general theme. There's also a well-placed clean chorus, an aspect later adopted by Soilwork. Another track, "Goat" is just silly and pointless, though the lack of seriousness is somewhat admirable. The album gets more interesting when you hear "Cod Metal King" sounding like a dance-metal track that should've been used for a vampire romance film like Twilight.

"Happy Camper (Carpe B.U.M.)" can be considered industrial grindcore insanity. "Critic" continues the savage riffing hellfire. Thrown into the mix is the wonderful "The Filler - Sweet City Jesus". I find the title hilarious because it's not filler at all. It's a great song with lots of interesting vocals and guitars.

Small subtle details make "Skin Me" enjoyable. Another song to have extreme potential is "Drizzlehell". That one can be considered a modern metal anthem despite the mechanical distortion and annoying beat. Now if there's one signature aspect Devy hasn't forgotten, it's his sense of humor in "Satan's Ice Cream Truck". It's like a children's song twisted into death metal, pretty much the Happy Tree Friends of metal music. Quite funny, but not really my thing.

In the end, we have a solid high-quality album of anger and humor that has marked the beginning of this Canadian metal man's adventurous journey. After two albums for one-time projects (Punky Brüster and Ocean Machine), Devin Townsend would bring his SYL sound to perfection in the band's next album City....

Favorites: "S.Y.L.", "In the Rainy Season", "Cod Metal King", "The Filler - Sweet City Jesus", "Drizzlehell"

Thanks to Daniel, I now have the final remaining piece of the post-sludge elemental star, Rosetta! If you wanna know what this album, The Galilean Satellites is about, the nearly blank booklet explains it all in one sentence... "These songs are about a space man."

If you wanna know more than just a simple sentence, just press play and you'll find yourself as an astronaut eternally stranded in space with no other surrounding lifeforce. The Galilean Satellites contains two discs; one filled with monolithic dirges of spacey post-sludge not for the faint-hearted, and the other filled with desperate ambient tracks of strange beauty. And when you time both discs to play at the same time, they fit like a glove! A bit like Neurosis' Times of Grace and its ambient counterpart.

Disc 1 begins this space-doom venture with "Départe" (Departure), starting clean on the guitar and keyboards. Then the buildup comes, warning you that the space adventure is gonna be life-risking. Then the vocals of Michael Armine crashing in with the crushing music of both chaos and grace. "Europa" continues the helplessly great framework.

"Absent" sees you travelling through a space dimension, and midway through, the guitars do a bit of soloing. The vocals are mostly ambient until Armine does some screams in the last-minute climax. "Itinerant" is a 16-minute epic that's mostly piano-based. It's great, but the epic I prefer is "Au Pays Natal" (The Homeland), 13 and a half minutes of the best isolated post-sludge madness ever heard!

Disc 2 is the ambient counterpart where the space-man has already died from lack of food, water, and air as if floating through the infinite universe alone. Both that scenario and the ambient sound sculpture can be enough to give you agoraphobia, which fortunately I don't have. This creepy reverb can give you feelings of loss, and it's a nice effect that would be nice if you're in the mood for that. It's interesting how I, a heavier metalheads who's not usually into ambient music, feel more immersed by this disc than the first. It's an aural adventure well-crafted!

Whether one of the two discs or both at the same time, the listener has to be absolutely determined. Clearly, it wasn't made easy with all tracks going over 8 minutes, but it sure looks like it was. The Galilean Satellites is no easy task. If you're driving while listening to the album on your radio, it's not for a small errand trip, it's for a cross-state road trip made epic. But it's better to listen to the album at home on your computer or MP3 player if you really want a perfect post-sludge trip out of reality!

Favorites: "Europa", "Absent", "Au Pays Natal", the complete Disc 2

Before I ever found this site, I didn't know jack-squat-and-pop about industrial metal and The Sphere. All I knew was a bit of Rammstein and one song from Ministry, and I only heard of Godflesh when people say that's the first band to truly be industrial metal. Now with all these DIS vs. DAT debates going on in The Sphere, I get to try a few industrial metal albums like a cooking show judge. The lyrics still attack politics, but this album is in the Reagan era and is inspired by the "Just Say No to Drugs" campaign.

The Mind is a Terrible Thing to Taste has left a different impression in my young mind compared to the other album I've reviewed. Back then, electronic madness and guitar aggression were an innovative combo. This album is tied with Godflesh's Streetcleaner as the spawn of industrial, though Godflesh's debut gets more credit.

"Thieves" starts with a hyper guitar riff over a dance beat, then the verse has Al Jourgensen's distorted screams of "THIEVES AND LIARS!! MURDERERS!!! HYPOCRITES AND B****RDS!!!!" Then the chorus stops for a stretched guitar chord until one more scream of "THIEVES!!! LIARS!!!" Then the drums go full-on thrash, but they should used real drums instead of programming. I'm guessing they couldn't find any drummers going that fast. After an ambient intro, "Burning Inside" kicks in a propulsive beat and repetitive guitar to keep you awake. This pounding tune is helped out by the vocals. When I wrote this review after waking up this morning, this song fired me up way more than coffee! "Never Believe" is another industrial machine, this time Chris Connelly on lead vocals for deranged ambient assembly. This is still worth headbanging until your head falls off!

"Cannibal Song" has some laid-back saxophone without ever going mellow. The disturbing vibe is helped out by Chris Connelly doing lead vocals one more time. "Breathe" returns to the Jourgensen-sung madness of the first two tracks, this time deliberately more intense! It takes your detached head and slam-dunks it back between your d*mn shoulders, caused by driving drums and vocals repeatedly telling you to "BREATHE!!! ...YOU F***ER!!" Then the song tears your head off again like a fish in the kitchen. One of the best here! "So What" is more than a 8-minute song, it's an anthem with harmonic guitars and catchy bass as Jourgensen declares, "So what!? it's your own problem to learn to live with. Destroy us! Or make us saints!! WE DON'T CARE!!! IT'S NOT OUR FAULT THAT WE WERE BORN TOO LATE!!!!" This song of the generation's apathy will get you screaming/singing along to an anthem that's unlike any other.

If "Test" was a test on a different style, they failed that one. It's just a weak rap track with uninspired verses and none of Jourgensen's screaming. WHY IS THERE ALWAYS SOMETHING HIP-HOP!?! Fortunately, "Faith Collapsing" is the second anthem of this album with great bass, tribal-ish drums, and the only lyrics besides all those weird soundbites and samples is a repeating chant of "FAITH COLLAPSING!!!!!" Another weak track "Dream Song" which is an awful way to close the album. I'm not even gonna describe it, another than the narration sounding like a wet dream. They should've taken out that sh*tty track and "Test", leaving "Faith Collapsing" as the 7th and last song.

The Mind is a...revolution starter for a different metal genre that is industrial metal, alongside Godflesh's Streetcleaner, to inspire bands like Fear Factory and Rammstein. I suppose I could one day listen to its developing predecessor, but for this album, this is for industrial metal fans who want their head tossed around. Otherwise, look out!

Favorites: "Thieves", "Burning Inside", "Breathe", "So What", "Faith Collapsing"

Godflesh was formed by Justin Broadrick after leaving Napalm Death and his own side-project that wasn't going anywhere. If anyone thought Godflesh was just another grind act, they would be surprised by an entirely new sound in their 1989 debut Streetcleaner! However, for listeners of other noisy experimental acts like Fall of Because (earlier incarnation of Godflesh) and Head of David, this pioneering industrial metal sound was already foreshadowed...

Similar to Napalm Death's debut (whom Broadrick was only that debut's first side), each of the two sides were recorded in a different session, with the CD bonus tracks that originally consisted of Tiny Tears EP. This is basically 3 distinctly cohesive EPs compiled into an over-hour-long album that helped define industrial metal!

The first 5-track side is probably the heavier groove-driven side, starting strong with the well-known tune "Like Rats", a furious groove track with a noise-powered bridge ("You breed...like rats!!"). Then we get "Christbait Rising", the track with the most groove and a bit of a hip-hop influence ("Christbait, slugbait!!"). Most of the time, I say hip-hop and metal don't mix, but I'm willing to make an exception here. The hip-hop influence is only in the beats with no rapping at all. Instead, the vocals are just shouts of aggression and reverb, the closest connection to Napalm Death. "Pulp" is another favorite here that can pulverize you into a pulp with the bass and drum machine rolling under the burning guitar slashing through vocals in a hopeless crescendo yelling "PULP" repeatedly until the last breath. "Dream Long Dead" is a good song, but not as great as the album's standouts. Another standout includes the awesome "Head Dirt". They continue playing super lower riffs that sometimes hang in the background behind bass and drums, but either way, the guitar can never go unnoticed!

Beginning the colder isolated side is the devastating intro "Devastator"! For this side, stepping in is second guitarist Paul Neville who were also with Broadrick and G.C. Green in Fall of Because. "Mighty Trust Krusher" has some of Godflesh's earliest traces. Same with "Life is Easy", with an approach easily compared to Swans before they moved out of their original industrial-noise sound at that time. Thanks to the dual guitar attack, bands like Pitchshifter would be able to emphasize their discordant lead work and help develop industrial metal. The torturously tremendous title track begins with a disturbing sound sample of suffering, then starts the industrial sludge/doom march as aliens clean the streets free from the corpses of those killed in the invasion, announcing the death of humanity. And finally, into the "Locust Furnace" the corpses of the human race are thrown into for their cremation. In that song, Justin continues his shouts of tortured devastation until the end ("FURNACE!!!").

And now, here we are at the third and final side, the unreleased "Tiny Tears" EP, starting with the title track... "Tiny Tears", probably my favorite song of that EP/side! "Wound" is another standout with its main riff bringing down even the tallest and most stable building. "Dead Head" frantically stretches out the vocals in an optimistic way. Last but not least, "Suction" is another short piece. Similar to the rest of the EP, it sounds more like industrial hard rock within the riffs and beats, with the vocals sounding cleaner for an ethereal tone. But it's still worth hearing...

Streetcleaner has cleared the gap between industrial and metal to form a hybrid genre that Godflesh would be known for throughout their career. However, they would later experiment with electro-dance/trip-hop sounds, similar to the new Pain of Salvation album. The main driving force of Godflesh's debut is the instrumentation. This album is the classic of all industrial metal classics and a crucial part of any industrial/metal fan's collection!

Favorites: "Like Rats", "Pulp", "Head Dirt", "Life is Easy", "Streetcleaner", "Tiny Tears", "Wound"

The previous album by Gaza, He Is Never Coming Back, has been described as a tackle through "humanity's primitive religiousness". This time around, the band wanted to make another album that would level up the neck-snapping, skull-shaking, head-bleeding sound of their grind-ish mathcore/sludge metal. As intense and colorful-worded as their third and final album, No Absolutes in Human Suffering, can be, it still doesn't reach the greatness of the band's debut...

It's still fun though, balancing melody with chaos. With Converge guitarist Kurt Ballou onboard in production, the grind/crust/core elements have denser prominence than before. Call this "prog-ish crusty mathcore" if you will! There are many intense switches from noise to rock, all in warp speed.

"Mostly Hair and Bones Now" opens with a post-drone intro through the first third of the track, then explodes into intense grind-mathcore. "This We Celebrate" shows their more experimental side. "The Truth Weighs Nothing" has an annihilating blend of classic and experimental metallic hardcore that I can hear from the earlier albums of Architects, Eighteen Visions, and Vision of Disorder. "Not With All the Hope in the World" starts off as a mathcore blur, but ultimately evolves into beautiful sludge.

"The Vipers" unleashes a lot more of the noise-grind elements, alongside some melody and a mid-paced breakdown. Absolutely dexterous mathcore violence there! The mid-paced title track shows some muscle in the band's talent. "The Crown" throws back to the sound from their debut while adding in the early Architects-like experimentation.

They slip a bit in "When They Beg" with its sudden switch to post-prog-ish soloing. "Winter in Her Blood" adds a bit of extreme djent-core not too far from Veil of Maya at that time. Breaking the cycle in the sound and lyrics is "Skull Trophy", throwing in some jazzy breakdowns and talking about some "hillbilly sh*t" (yes that's in the lyrics). "Routine and Then Death" is a relentless doomy swansong for the band's career. "It's the same noise every day, we walk back and forth".

Gaza ended up splitting up due to abuse allegations involving vocalist Jon Parkin. The 3 remaining members formed a new band, Cult Leader. Despite that drama, Gaza's material is enjoyable for the beautiful chaos of grind-ish mathcore/sludge metal. Those 3 band members' journey isn't over, only starting a different chapter after this one.....

Favorites: "Mostly Hair and Bones Now", "The Truth Weighs Nothing", "The Vipers", "The Crown", "Winter in Her Blood", "Routine and Then Death"

Two and a half years after Gaza's debut album was a feature release, it's time for this album to take the throne. It's a solid blend of mathcore and sludge metal, and I would certainly recommend it to those who enjoy that combo. Though Gaza is never coming back, their music is gonna stay with us in this site.

Black Market Activities and Deathwish Inc. are two of the most excellent extreme metal/hardcore record labels around. With Gaza signed to the former, they've added in elements of fellow bands of the label such as Cancer Bats and The Red Chord into their sound. And holy sh*t, this offering is so stellar yet monstrous! Gaza has the chaotic rage of mathcore and dark dread of sludge metal with pieces of post-metal and grindcore, all in crushing devastation.

The album opens slow and doomy with "How It Is. How It Is Going to Be." Halfway through, some groove is added to the mix, and by the end, only feedback remains. Next up, "The Kicking Legs" really kicks things up with dissonant grind-ish mathcore through just 3 minutes (short, yet long compared to songs of that sound). The blend of sludge and grind is demonstrated in "Bishop". Then comes the first of a few interludes named after different occupations, the southern-ish ambient "The Biologist", a brief calm before the storm continues as intense as the rainy season in my country...

You know what I'm talking about the short yet mighty "Windowless House". Then the title track has a bit of the discordance of Underoath at that time. "Canine Disposal Unit" will leave the listener all beaten and bleeding, and their only hope is to crawl through the slow second half. Still the experience is worth it. The restrained "The Anthropologist" is another beautiful interlude. Then "The Meat of a Leg Joint" adds more meat to the sound.

"The Astronomer" is a full-on post-metal interlude. Then "Tombless" continues the aggressive fury of grind. From the last short interlude, "The Historian", you know that The Revolution is a clan that can include dark slow heaviness, not just the bright upbeat melody of early Enter Shikari. Ending the mathcore/sludge action is "Carnivore", nicely yet brutally. The untitled hidden track should actually have been considered part of the album. It nicely flows out of the rest of the album as a 15-minute progressive post-sludge Crusade (you know the reference), in a similar style to Neurosis. A very good ending for this album.

He Is Never Coming Back may not stand out as much as the band's debut, but it really shows how well they've achieved. Elements of grindcore, post-metal, and doom are added to the mathcore/sludge sound in a lyrical battle against organization. The only soft parts of the entire album are the first two interludes and that 15-minute hidden track. Everything else is bulldozing chaos! For those interested in this kind of sound, I highly recommend this offering to you all....

Favorites: "How It Is. How It Is Going to Be.", "The Kicking Legs", "He Is Never Coming Back", "Canine Disposal Unit", "Tombless", "Carnivore", "Hidden Track"

Darren Travis and his 3-men (including himself) crew Sadus returned for one more album before their fade into oblivion. People were expecting them to resurrect their classic sound, but ended up frustrated by the different result. It really doesn't help the band's distant presence when they chose not to climb the old-school wall meticulously built with all their hard work. This legendary act has pulled what is deemed an unforgivable move.

Travis is so hellbent on continuing the band he has on with Jon Allen and Steve Di Giorgio since the 80s that he refuses to work for any other artist or band, wanting to focus on only one band in the metal spectrum, waiting for the right time to pull hard on the strings of his guitar in the next Sadus episode. Whether or not the band would ever leave the underground, Travis has never lost his passion. Despite never reach the mainstream, Sadus still has their cult following despite a change of taste. They've never made anything that truly sucked and they still have their anger here with barely any problems.

The band's genius talent is definitely still around "In the Name of...", a stylish opener where the vicious bass of Di Giorgio engages hand-to-hand with Travis' frantic riffing and hysterical vocal screeching in a hard modern-ish thrash showdown against the retro. It's not too apparent when "No More" is a groove track with electronic samples. Another supporting part of the album is "Smackdown", which has some hardcore Helmet/Biohazard-like vibes that might repel Sadus fanatics.

The title track saves this situation a bit with the technical riffing from the early 90s to never disappoint, shredding through numerous pounding tempos. "Lost It All" is not a total loss, though the creepy industrial groove doesn't really please fans despite interesting melody. "Sick" pulls off some sick wild thrash in an attempt to bring back the sound from their golden classic years. However, that gets toned down again with "Down" which has jumpy groove drama, but comes out as a forgettable mess. That's the closest we have to a Sadus stinker.

"Freedom" is what I found out is a tribute to late Death frontman Chuck Schuldiner, and how could it not be? They've serious made such a progressive piece with inspired oriental-sounding melodic hooks, that and the exemplary bass making the song a modern classic. "Freak" is a short yet excellent technical headbanger that makes a chaotic showdown to get your attention. "Cursed", the longest track by Sadus at over 8 minutes, is a complex diverse beast, beginning with oriental sitar riffing before delighting fans with the band's signature overlapping riffing, fast crescendos, and melodic passages. An undisputable highlight! The finale "Crazy" is not really that crazy, just having some thick dramatic groove that doesn't make a distinct way for the band to start having their vow of near-silence, though the modern tone really dominates.

After Out for Blood, Travis and co. made their ride in their most supported tour yet with dozens other metal bands, then after that, they've been done with prominent activity for a long while, though they're recently making a new chapter in the saga. I won't rush. Whichever thrilling ride they take after this album in the future, I'm up for it....

Favorites: "In the Name of...", "Out for Blood", "Sick", "Freedom", "Cursed"

This man, Sadus vocalist Darren Travis knows how to keep his patience. His bandmate Steve Di Giorgio is often busy with other metal bands, but when he finds the right time, he and Travis get to work on another album. Back then, the only other bands Di Giorgio was in were death metal legends Death and Autopsy. It wasn't until 1999 when he began being busier with dozens more bands. While he is one of the finest guitar/bass players in thrash metal, his time in Sadus is where he was at his most creative...

Sadus has expanded their contributing field quite a bit. They began bashing their way through supersonic thrash in their 1988 debut Illusions. Then they started spicing things up with their deathly technical thrash metal pair albums, Swallowed in Black and A Vision of Misery, both released in the early 90s. That was at a dark time when demands for new sounds overpowered many thrash bands active since the 80s. The band still managed to record the Red Demo in 1994 and later released a compilation, Chronicles of Chaos (probably named after one of the very first metal webzines). Then came Elements of Anger, featuring re-recordings from that demo!

Beginning track "Aggression" really takes its name seriously, pouring out all its anger towards the listener. That's how they do their modern-ish technical thrash! Everything's perfectly eventful, including performing hectic technical guitar at the same time as shouting vocal drama, ahead of Di Giorgio's burping bass. "Crutch" follows as a modern progressive thrash composition to fight in an arena. "Words of War" has wild technical thrash from their "retro" phase while making eclectic borders on death metal tempos.

"Safety in Numbers" plays the safe route as a sprawling ballad-ish track with long times of atmosphere, mid-paced with rough riffs creeping into quiet passages. "Mask" continues this not-so-speedy approach similar to the atmospheric groove/thrash of Grip Inc. "Fuel" (from the Red Demo) is short, but shreds in the faster second half.

"Power of One" is also from the demo, this one being mid-paced and leaning towards sinister doom. "Stronger Than Life" is a real banger of destruction with rapid guitar rage before the mid-break stomps through. "Unreality" also takes its name seriously with its surreal intro, then we jump into the mosh action of technical semi-thrash. "In the End" is the ending track of ballad-ish groove that people thought was the end of that band's saga...until their next album a decade later.

Yep, there was an almost decade-long period of silence for this band before their next album, though the silence after their most recent album is much longer and ongoing, despite a few concerts and hints of recording new material. It shouldn't be too long before a new album, right? Anyway, enjoy their last album before the new millennium!

Favorites: "Aggression", "Crutch", "Fuel", "Stronger Than Life", "Unreality"

With good technique comes good progress. Technicality never bores me, but I'm sure it has bored people when it comes to bands that make 15+ minute compositions. Sadus has never done that though. Sure they're technical, but their debut Illusions has super-fast tracks with each side totaled up to that length. With their second album, Swallowed in Black, the exceptional interplay never ceases. Intense aggression is part of their technique!

One of the most obvious aspects of Sadus is the need for speed. Fast riffs and drums speed all around, though they don't surpass the speed of Illusions. It's so good to hear this supersonic chaos, for all this exciting mayhem. Thrash is all about speed and riffs, and the drumming dexterity really fits well with the amazing riffing. Fast extreme solos screech higher and louder than a cat with its tail in a blender, and the bass emphasizes the guitar work a bit. The rhythm guitar, bass, and drums all form a great rhythm section to pummel and kick a**.

From the opening highlight "Black", right there you get to hear the finger-licking bass of Steve Di Giorgio who would later use that talent for his time with Testament. The final minute of that song has some of the d*mn greatest interplay in thrash. H*ll, that song might just take the award as one of the greatest thrash metal hits! "Man Infestation" adds a bit of a spooky sludgy twist in the intro Darren Travis' demented shouting before delivering some more very speedy thrash. Then they add what sounds like many more riffs than Dark Angel's last album in the two-minute "Last Abide". One minute into "The Wake", the band unleashes some of their amazing chemistry. It has waken me up way more than coffee when writing this review in the morning.

"In Your Face" explodes like a grenade blasting away your face, all in just one minute! "Good Rid’nz" provides a complementary mix of riffing and bass, especially at the 3-minute mark. Another killer highlight! Death metal riffing can be found in "False Incarnation" in catchy variation you just gotta hear to believe.

There's less predictable brilliance in the melodic "Images". Then "Powers of Hate" contains some more of the chaotic aggression. The 6-minute highlight "Arise" is a grand showdown of alternating pacing and elaborating riffing, before closing with a doomy ending. This tech-death/thrash epic deserves more attention than Sepultura's album Arise. "Oracle of Omission" is one more compelling technical thrasher.

Please, just listen to this album! It doesn't surpass the awesome Illusions, but there really should be more attention for this album. It's out of print, but it still exists. Get it from a used CD store or YouTube, anywhere!

Favorites: "Black", "The Wake", "Good Rid'nz", "Images", "Arise"

In my opinion, thrash tastes better as an underground dish, that's part of the appeal of some thrash bands that I'm glad to discover. One of those bands is Sadus, who have made some of the wildest deathly tech-thrash around!

That's right, thrash has reached the ultimate limit of furious velocity! This is the beginning of my review journey from their chaotic debut Illusions (also known as Chemical Exposure) to their swan song-ish album Out for Blood. Darren Travis performs lightning-fast riffs and awesome raw vocals, while Steve Di Giorgio foreshadows his later supreme bass talent. Scream "Slayer" all you want, but with Illusions, Sadus has played some of the fastest, most technical and memorable thrash I've heard in my life.

"Certain Death" begins this album with a cyclic song structure. Then two minutes of thrash greatness awaits in "Undead"...for the first half of the song; the vocals don't come until the second half that's still fast and heavy. "Sadus Attack" is a short b*lls-out attack.

Coming up, "Torture" sounds fitting for this singer's mood. His shrieks pierce your eardrums, reminding me of the black metal style I'm not a fan of, but it fits well for this thrash style. There are times when the bass is more audible than in other songs, especially when dueling with the guitars in the solos. There's another flawless song, "And Then You Die", despite its two-minute length. More technical extreme riffing can be found in "Hands of Fate" inspired by peers Slayer and Kreator.

"Twisted Face" starts with a Jaws theme homage then attacks as one of the fastest tracks here. "Fight or Die" is also often f***ing fast. The title track has the most prevalent slaughter aggression. The ambient outro "Chemical Exposure" (title track for the album's reissue) is unexpected, but you don't care because you're already nicely wiped out.

Regardless of the band's fate, Illusions should not be ignored as probably the fastest and most furious thrash album I've ever heard. If we're rating this by percentage, I would give it 97%; the 3 points taken off are for the mixing quality, but hey, this is Sadus' 80s debut. All minor errors aside, this is a perfect thrash album, like "in your f***ing face" thrash that very few bands executed so greatly. Any fan of Dark Angel, Slayer, or Kreator, should take a break from those bands and listen to this holy grail of thrash!

Favorites: "Undead", "Sadus Attack", "And Then You Die", "Twisted Face", "Illusions"

Angel Rat is one of those underrated albums I love for the most part, but people don't seem to appreciate the value of softening this band's sound for the mainstream, which is quite understandable. After all, Canadian metal band Voivod made it big with their late 80s trilogy of progressive thrash masterpieces, yet they still haven't reached the height of luxury owned by the American peers of their thrash sound. For this album, instead of making another full-blown concept album like Nothingface, they took that album's future melancholy and put them into more accessible creations. In fact, this has been their most accessible album for 3 decades now, though after an experimental trilogy of albums, their self-titled 2003 album would continue that accessibility. Between those two aforesaid trilogies, Angel Rat is the odd one out with none of their thrash roots or great amounts of experimentation. The Pink Floyd/Rush-inspired progressive metal is still, but in lighter psychedelia that would cause great success!

Anyone expecting Voivod to have their fascinating sound in every effort might not take this album well. Whereas their late 80s prog-thrash trilogy is hot enough to melt your brain before freezing it back to place, all Angel Rat does is warm your brain with no effect. It's a nice kind of warm for me, along with the unusualness of songs that work individually and the cover art that has a circus-like band logo and title while keeping the purplish background color, looking like a stoner doom album cover art or something. The songs are simple with melodic hooks. Piggy (RIP) has developed his guitar work, but farther away from the 80s dissonant aggression. The vocal lines by Snake are broader but less punk-ish. Once again, the mellowness of Nothingface continues with a cryptic dash...

The album begins with a pointless short intro, "Shortwave". Then the rock radio-friendly "Panorama" plays. It's a shame that song didn't get a single, unlike the next one... "Clouds in My House" basically sounds like a spacey combo of Rolling Stones and David Bowie. "The Prow" is what the definition of "seapunk" should've been instead of the recent idea of reviving 90s popular music with Little Mermaid stylistic themes. There are incredible verses, a catchy chorus, and a trippy bridge, all filled with mellow vocals, harmonic guitars, and even organs. Almost like a Nothingface B-side! "Best Regards" is another one of the best of the album, though still far from the band's earlier albums.

"Twin Dummy" is the music equivalent to a creepy smile, with bass melody flow. The title track is a friendly contrast to the previous song, sounding soft with a hint of melancholy. The industrial rock-ish machinery of "Golem" is a powerful hint to the band's mid-90s experimental trilogy, telling a tale of self-awareness within artificial intelligence in existential monotone. A discovery of futuristic humanity that can surely surpass any Star Trek TV series episode!

Their experimentation with new instruments commences in "The Outcast", beginning with synthesized harmonica played by Ivan Doroschuk from Men Without Hats, after Voivod drummer Michel Langevin (Away) performed drums for the Men Without Hats album released earlier that year. There are interesting style changes to find in that song as well. "Nuage Fractal" knocks the album score off a fraction, but it's still good. Same with "Freedoom", sounding too mellow. But did the previous songs suck trash or sound too mellow or detract your interest in the band? Answer: "None of the Above"! However, that final track sounds a bit average, though it only loses a couple percentage points.

Any fan of 80s Voivod who hadn't heard their later discography would, at first hearing of Angel Rat, yell "WT*!?" with no fear of being caught swearing. Yeah, that album is surprising, but it's a pleasant surprise for me, subtly removing the thrash while subtly moving to a different direction. Instead of giving your brain a seizure, it soothes your spirit turning haze into mist. This is an amazing album that shows a band softening their sound in 1991, unlike death metal bands back then. Nothing heavy, yet all beautiful!

Favorites: "Panorama", "The Prow", "Best Regards", "Angel Rat", "Golem", "The Outcast"

For some bands, their debut album is their best and reigns over their later albums, so do you think Voivod would release a brilliant to surpass their 1984 debut War and Pain? D*mn right! Hailing from Quebec, this band has exploded into the thrash scene via underground tape-trading ever since releasing two demos which are both each twice as long as this album and should've their first two albums right there. It's quite amazing how a young band from the French part of Canada can make a couple demos that make a total of two and a half hours in length. Half of the amount of tracks are covers, and the other half are original songs that would be re-recorded for their first two albums; the stunning debut War and Pain and the raging 1986 follow-up Rrröööaaarrr. BUT WAIT!! The long demos don't end there! A couple more long demos were recorded with a few more new songs for their second album along with re-recordings of earlier songs, the latter demo being a 100-minute live demo, and the total length of those two demos is 3 HOURS!!! Needless to say, they would keep making long demos for their next few albums, but my point is, the band sure knows how to write and get ready. Many of you know that 1984 was thrash/speed metal's biggest year; Slayer and Metallica unleash some thrash storms; Sodom, Destruction, and Kreator stabilize the foundation of the German black metal turned into thrash scene; and the maniacal Swiss Hellhammer (pre-Celtic Frost) unleash hellishly noisy heavy speed chaos in their Apocalyptic Raids EP and a couple split albums like Metal Massacre, which also featured a Voivod track on the year of the only 1984 album I actually see the appeal, you guessed it, War and Pain!

It's rare how a band's album cover art (this one drawn by their talented drummer Away) can perfectly convey the style and sound of the album itself. The covers of their first two albums depict a bleak land with red in the sky, in the midst of an apocalyptic war led by a skeletal cyborg controlling a deadly machine of annihilating doom. That's h*lla perfect imagery for the lyrics snarled heavily by the accented Snake, alongside the instrumentation of the one-of-a-kind guitar made by the late Piggy that can't be imitated, the distorted bass of Blacky, and the drum assault by Away. This is very much the sky-high speed/thrash of Venom and the faster Motorhead mixed with the raging hardcore of Die Kruezen and Discharge, from guitar insanity in spacey soundscapes to heavy Black Sabbath-inspired riff-wrath. They basically assimilated a few bands into a unique one that can't sound like anything else in the planet. This sound is evident in their legendary classic sophomore, Rrröööaaarrr. This was pretty much the album Voivod fans were waiting for at the time, a continuation of War and Pain! Wait, no, this is more than that... It is their fastest rawest album of brilliant chaos!! They've expanded on the unique elements of their debut and at the same time introduced new stuff; odd times, manic tempos, challenging structures, and rhythmic arrangements, all of which would be explored further in their next two albums Killing Technology and Dimension Hatross, and fully taking over in Nothingface.

The starting classic "Korgull the Exterminator" is blazing fast and sets up the album as an overture song to what follows, with all the album has to offer in just near 5 minutes from the beginning bass drive and drum buildup to rad guitar, to keep the listener headbanging even before Snake's vocals kick in. There's an awesome bridge section before raging fast shredding from Piggy. Then we witness one of the fastest sections of drums and bass. Tremendous tempos and Snake's startling vicious vocals help make a heavy Voivod classic tune. It ends where the song begins, with a virtual reverb of metallic soundscape. You already know a song's gonna be hardcore-inspired with a song title like "F*** Off and Die". If that song ever had a speed limit, it had broken that limit and a citizen ratted it out to the police who are now chasing the song in a high-speed race. The super-fast action of the drums and bass have been done without triggers. It's all about talent! Away is a total speed demon of heaviness. A dynamic bridge to the chorus has innovative guitar with unique discordance. After a wild thrash solo, the song ends with one more chorus. "Slaughter in a Grave" is another thrash classic with the best of Voivod. It begins killer and mid-paced and would have you headbanging before a huge groove chorus. Alongside Blacky's blacky bass, Away keeps his constant drum assault, though the song doesn't has as speedy thrash as the first two songs, but it still rocks! A great solo centers around reverb, and Snake does perfect vocals. A true classic that Venom would've done! Next is the furious "Ripping Headaches", starting in a raging rollercoaster with maniacal vocals from Snake. The thrashy verses surround a heavy chorus that has a hardcore punch in Snake's vocals. Piggy does a chaotic solo, and Snake sounds a bit like Cronos before the heavy speed machine comes to a stop.

The fifth track "Horror" begins with some solo tapping before the colossal riff-wrath. This song has heavy rawness. In the middle of the song, there's a brief awesome solo before a fast and furious thrash section continue Piggy's soloing rollercoaster before reverting to the earlier heavy riff-wrath alongside the killer bass and drums. You only have brief time to catch your breath before kicking up the tempo to finish in thrashing rage. Speaking of which, "Thrashing Rage" is a brilliant highlight. Despite being aptly named, it starts with heavy riff machinery that is quite innovative. This crushing heaviness leads straight to what you came to this song for, high-quality thrashing drums and bass! This is a total signature tune with the bleak vibe of War and Pain and some progressive foreshadowing for their next album. Soon the song would sound close to an early example of technical death metal before a mid-tempo groove rising to the end. Truly killer! Rooting back to their debut, "The Helldriver" is another perfect classic of thrashing power. It begins with headbanging mid-paced groove while Snake has the b*lls to deliver the rad lyrics. The track has a creative chorus and an awesome riff-solo. After that is a monstrous verse, one more chorus, and an ending explosion of reverb. One of my favorite tunes from the band and the album!

Another classic "Build Your Weapons" has everything the album has, just like the opening track. Not as awesome as that track, but it has glorious riffs, killer tempos, and intense vocals, all in a thrash tune heard miles away! After Snake calls out the title like a military sergeant, the song kicks into an upbeat assault of drums and bass, once again perfectly fitting the album cover. This tune has many amazing parts and awesome riffs. Piggy does a savage solo for the heavier listeners to enjoy, before a fantastic bridge, then another brief solo, and finally some classic verse riff-rage. That's is a fun complex song, but it's brushed aside by the true blazing finale. "To The Death" is a perfect ending thrash tune. It begins with a rad discordant guitar intro with the cymbal reverbed into a gong before a heavy monstrous segment of drums and bass that disappears in a raging fast thrash explosion. This is probably the fastest tune! Despite the speed, there's a catchy brief chorus rising among the thrash verses. There's an awesome technical breakdown with vocals foreshadowing Nothingface. Fascinating!! Then a raging solo before ending the song in a storm of whammy reverb. AWESOME!!!

So that's it, the raw noisy Rrröööaaarrr. Some fans were stunned by the production being rawer than War and Pain. This 1985 production perfectly fits in with the material, both being more extreme than their debut. If you're gonna experience Rrröööaaarrr and its fullest and most thrashy, you would need some good headphones (like my Beats). And sure listening to the album on CD would have more warm power, but listening to it on the computer is the most convenient for me, so yeah. Back to the production, there's some surprising separation between instruments with subtle unique effects. This thrash metal offering is made for any listener, stoner or sober. This music is a mind-altering legal substitute to any drug. If you're a thrash/speed metal fan who hasn't listened to Voivod (like I am, but I like the more technical stuff), this is an essential part of your collection. They're one of the most original intelligent extreme metal bands. After the War and Pain, you feel the mighty Rrröööaaarrr!!!

Favorites: "Korgull the Exterminator", "Slaughter in a Grave", "Thrashing Rage", "The Helldriver", "To the Death"

Voivod started as a thrashy speed metal band inspired by Motorhead and Discharge before the spacey progressive style later. In their debut War and Pain, they still had their twisted character and aggressive energy, and this mid-80s production fits so d*mn with the raw ambience. I haven't heard such filthy bass since Arch Enemy's Black Earth!

Snake's vocals are different from what I've heard in their progressive trilogy. His shrieks are a unique distinctive feature here. His broken English is amusing, but it makes some sense because he's French...-Canadian. The music has straight fury, getting direct with crashing riffs and flaming solos by Piggy, similar to the bluesy style of Fast Eddie Clarke (both passed guitar legends, RIP) tightening some things. Away drums away with his D-beat-influenced thrash beats that are as pounding as Blacky's blacky bass.

You definitely wanna look out for the band's "theme", "Voivod", with its killer lyrics like the unrestrained "VOIVOD!!!" chorus and in one of the verses, "I'll chop your body to eat!!" The bass leads the way in "Warriors of Ice", which is so unlike the similarly named second track of Rhapsody (of Fire)'s debut Legendary Tales. Voivod's song is a straight speeder, unveiling an odd structure with Piggy's shredding that he would be looking back in pride from heaven now. "Suck Your Bone" is a fun song to listen to with Piggy's frantic mayhem, executing kick-rear rhythms and peripheral tempos that head up in the chorus.

"Iron Gang" attacks harder than a prison riot. Then the album's title track starts menacingly, a filthy dirge that is often mistimed in some parts. Still great! Next song "Blower" blows you away in chaotic frenzy, especially at the end.

"Live For Violence" crawls into one ear, violently bursts out the other, and vice versa, back and forth. The main riff of the song is powerful, along with some parts showcasing the band's future experimentation. A great heavy song! Up next, "Black City" has some of the most evil bass ever heard that alone might inspire later black metal bassists. The 7-minute closing epic "Nuclear War" has a beat marching to a peculiar rhythm. Then Piggy's aggression takes over, combusting and wrecking until the ending. SO WILD!!

Before Voivod headed into their progressive side, War and Pain slams your head clean off with a gigantic mallet like croquet. There's not a lot of progressive melody here, just fists of fury delivering punches through windows and doors. They got so good in their debut, but their progressive albums would show their evolving sound and fame....

Favorites: "Voivod", "Suck Your Bone", "War and Pain", "Live for Violence", "Nuclear War"

Another Voivod recommendation for me...but this album Killing Technology really leveled up my interest in this band and the two albums after this one, and extended my metal taste range to a few years older! Though I still prefer the progressive/technical thrash stuff, rather than the classic standard thrash of Metallica and Slayer.

I still haven't listened to the first two Voivod albums, but I've heard that those two albums stabilized Voivod's foundations with hostile cyberpunk thrash. However, this album is where the band landed in the progressive thrash map, Killing Technology! With spacey riffs in a legendary mix, this is the first of 3 progressive masterpieces by the band, with next album Dimension Hatross now becoming my all-time favorite of the band. I can now see the vision and originality and this progressive thrash trilogy.

Back to Killing Technology, the title track begins with rumbling ambience and what sounds like heart-monitor beeps (wow, so many albums with a track that has that sound, gotta make a list of those), then it stops shortly after a robot says "We are connected". Right then, freaky fast metal riffing crashes in with Snake's signature punkish vocals and lyrics of a paranoid futuristic dystopia. Now that's killer 80s prog-thrash! "Overreaction" has intense punkish bass groove selecting unique chords from Piggy (R.I.P.). F***ing you out of Kansas is "Tornado", beginning with subtle distortion before barging in with percussion and chords.

"Forgotten in Space" descends you into a claustrophobic prison planet to hold you captive. Amazing song! First bonus track "Too Scared to Scream" is a great summary of how I felt when I was 13, discovering and developing my taste in music based on my brother's interest. While I absorbed parts of his playlist of hard rock/alt-metal/post-grunge and Two Steps From Hell, he had some songs from 3 metal bands; DragonForce, Metallica, and Avenged Sevenfold (sorry, no Voivod). At that point, my tolerance was developing, and I was too scared for the screaming aggression of thrash and metalcore-turned-heavy metal, so I settled on the speedy power metal of DragonForce, which of course led me to where I am today. Excellent dark-ish reminder! "Ravenous Medicine" is pretty much one of the best Voivod songs and titles, where Snake vocals really rule.

"Order of the Blackguards" has quick thrash grooves with glorious chords erupting like a space volcano. "This is Not an Exercise" is basically furious thrash metal that has partly inspired industrial metal. You wouldn't wanna p*ss off that bull! The second and last bonus track "Cockroaches" has perfect fitting tone that should've been in the original vinyl edition for the old-school listeners to enjoy the extreme.

So unless you've been living under a rock and missed 30 years of your life, you already know that this killer band is a turning point in progressive thrash history. I would recommend this album and their next two to anyone wanting to educate themselves with original cosmic progressive thrash metal!

Favorites: "Killing Technology", "Forgotten in Space", "Too Scared to Scream" (bonus track), "Ravenous Machine", "Cockroaches" (bonus track)

When this album got recommended to me, I wasn't sure if I would completely enjoy another mathcore/grindcore offering due to my somewhat horrid experience with that Gulch album. Is the brutal intensity still worth it? Let's see...

I Don't Care Where I Go When I Die is an intense, dissonant, and unpleasant album...for some people. But for me, this is awesome! This 2006 release contains some crazy brutal music but in a way that blesses my ears and has got me hooked. Now I plan on fetching their other two albums, and maybe they would cause destructive chaos just like this one did. Speaking of breaking things down, let's get right into the songs!

"Calf" starts the album with a swift face-kick. This sounds like Converge having a heroin intervention. A constant guitar riff plays alongside a complex chord a-popping. The guitar work goes on in dissonant rhythm until the end. The lyrics are very cryptic so it might take a while to understand. The one-minute title track crashes through pure death-inspired noisecore accompanied by psychotic torment screams. The title is spoken in the beginning, and the rest of the vocals is just screams. The instrumentation switches between slowness and fast noise for a demented feel. "Hospital Fat Bags" charges through dissonant rhythmic guitar that often ascend to harmony then is dragged back down by chaos but keeps climbing to create tension. Then everything slows down for a melodic punk-influenced sludge section as a nice parallel. So killer!

"Gristle" starts hard on the guitar then goes light before heading back into the heavy waves, sounding like another song inspired by early Converge. The song rolls with a heavy punch at the end. Continuing from that track is "Sire", less chaos but same intensity. Halfway through, the guitar makes an interesting climb over sharp rocky hills of dissonance before a peaceful ending. Breaking the peace is "Sl*tmaker" with the scream "SL*TS F*** BETTER!!!" Following that is brutal guitar riffing piercing your ears harder than earrings. "Hell Crown" has the (un)usual heavy guitar. The hilarious lyrics are based on society's controversy ("Praise Jesus. LOL!! BRB!! SEACREST OUT!!!!!").

"Moth" is another great song, enough said. "Cult" is the least insane song, but it does have some funny lyrics ("Hey kids, the Jesus-reaper wears a cowboy hat!!!!") and a guest appearance Trevor Strnad of The Black Dahlia Murder with his own shrieking verse. "Pork Finder" absolutely g****mn OWNS!! Well I'm a Muslim who can't own pork, but still... Finally, the hidden track is just 7 minutes of silence with machine-gun noise at the last second. A pointless ending to this otherwise perfect album...

I don't care if people think this album sucks garbage because it's too intense for them, I Don't Care Where I Go When I Die passes this mathcore/grindcore test for finding what I think is the right balance of enjoyment. Goodbye for now, and hello Gaza!

Favorites: "Calf", "Hospital Fat Bags", "Gristle", "Moth", "Pork Finder"

It was only last month when I've finally claimed my interest in late 80s thrash, going as early as 1988, which is the release year for Illusions, the debut album by Sadus, a band I started enjoying after reviewing one of their albums, A Vision of Misery (this one). See, I never had any interest in the older proto-extreme thrash metal bands like Exumer and Messiah. Aside from those bands being too old for me at the time, brutality seemed to be quite a norm back then. Technicality and progression has always fascinated me much more, and while Sadus wasn't gonna be completely part of that charade, a few small technical elements mixed with this brutal sound became more appealing to me... Sadus is one of many bands with 80s metal bass hero Steve Di Giorgio. I was never really fully interested in his bands before, but once I listened to this album, I was pleasantly surprised. His bass really adds atmosphere! Also, I found out he's currently down with COVID. Hope he gets well soon... Anyway, back to the album, I've heard it's a more prominent pathway through death-ish thrash metal while keeping a bit of the technical affair of their previous album Swallowed in Black. This elevating combo has results that are quite astonishing!

A Vision of Misery has envisioned a mighty progressive thrash/technical death metal hybrid first planned in the late 80s, shining in the American metal scene along other bands like Atheist and Incubus (the death/thrash metal band later known as Opprobrium, NOT that other Incubus band). It's a shame that this style has faded away so fast due to a loss of its scope, but at least it has influenced death metal bands to later take on a technical/progressive path, like Death when Di Giorgio joined in (RIP Chuck Schuldiner). The other Sadus members, all assist Di Giorgio in this deathly thrash metal apocalyptic ride to fulfill their skillful vision without being lost in misery.

"Through the Eyes of Greed" begins the death/thrash ride of wild passion before patterns of intricate riffs, powerful bass, and vicious leads. It is a speedy progressive crusade helped built by dominant vocals. "Valley of Dry Bones" never gives up moshing through frantic technicality up to its virtuoso end. Sounds like they still have their energy from their first two albums! More prominent complexities would please the listener on "Machines", striking through brilliant technicality, less decipherable than other technical bands like Death at the time. There are fast escapades that aren't as abundant as the intricate riffs and rhythms, making one of the greatest pieces of technical death/thrash metal ever, besides some of Coroner's songs.

"Slaves to Misery" is more of a mid-paced that continues chopping through technicality with heavy guitar rolls and sudden death-ish aggression, while Darren Travis takes his vocals to hysterical heights in a wild race. "Throwing Away the Day" crushes with speedy shredding interrupting elaborate technical puzzles, changing pace while filled with pure chaos. The progressive "Facelift" is probably the most delightful yet serious tech-thrash piece, a dramatic composition that has more of an atmospheric doom vibe with addictive dynamics to keep the bass busy. The second half is when the guitarists amaze everyone with a supreme technical riff vortex before a fast sweep near the end.

"Deceptive Perceptions" has more atmospheric drama with mid-paced delivery, until more furious brutal thrash combat to remind some of Invocator. "Under the Knife" continues the hurricane with loads of death-ish complications beyond any band mentioned in this review so far. Finally, "Echoes of Forever" brings the compelling madness at its end. In a virtuoso showdown of altering tempos, the dueling leads and striking riffs dominate, while the bass has some memorable moments before the grand exit.

And that's it, we made it through all the stops in this glorious creation, A Vision of Misery. It has been a vision for this band to reach the summit without ever giving up. Although there have been bumps of anger hiatuses along the way, those won't stop this incredible band from fulfilling their vision!

Favorites: "Through the Eyes of Greed", "Machines", "Facelift", "Under the Knife", "Echoes of Forever"

Annihilator started their career in a bang with the groundbreaking Alice in Hell. It is a masterpiece that showed me what to love from traditional/technical thrash metal. After that one, the band decided to make one more album from their classic era. Only difference is, vocalist Randy Rampage left the band and wouldn't record another album with the band until a decade later. Despite a different vocalist, could Annihilator continue what they had in their breakthrough debut?...

Indeed they could! More of the thrash insanity was unleashed, and the audience continued growing from there. Never Neverland is nicely equal to the fans' expectations, and it's almost as much of a blessing as Alice.

Without any intro, the action kicks off in "The Fun Palace", a catchy highlight for any metalhead. "Road to Ruin" has a lyrical theme of drunk driving, which seems kind of obvious but works out quite well. "Sixes And Sevens" isn't so bad, but it's not really as spectacular as the first two tracks. It just doesn't match their greatness! "Stonewall" has lyrics about blocking information. The song itself is a catchy single to win both new fans and longtime fans.

Taking on a similar "Wonderland"-like concept to the previous album's title track while being a different story, this album's title highlight takes through dark sanity. "Imperiled Eyes" that has faster chorus riffing that can fit in the debut, though it doesn't give you much attention. "Kraf Dinner" is so cheesy. Literally! It's about macaroni and cheese.

"Phantasmagoria" has thrashy riffing worth headbanging, but the mid-paced chorus riffing is kinda lame. Another notable strong track is "Reduced to Ash". The unforgettable closing "I am in Command", a true highlight here. It quite rocks! There's another lame mid-paced riff in the beginning, but then it's decimated hard by the intense aggression of fast thrash. The verses are fast, and the chorus is catchy. It shares the greatness of the debut album's closing track, though not as brutally fast.

So while the vocals by Coburn Pharr don't match the power of Randy Rampage, the riffing and drumming in most songs is h*lla amazing, sounding catchy and fast, each whenever appropriate. Any metalhead can be up for the fun. Welcome to the palace of thrash!

Favorites: "The Fun Palace", "Stonewall", "Never Neverland", "Reduced to Ash", "I am in Command"

My ultimate Pit test is already at a magnificent start! Annihilator has one of the biggest discographies in any thrash band, with 17 albums, and only one or a few of them turning away from the genre. Jeff Waters has been determined to keep his band going despite the various changes in lineup and what is "all the rage" in metal these days. This band has made some of the best thrash albums I've heard, and this gem from the last year of the 80s is where it all begins...

I believe many of the speedier metalheads around here and out there, whether they like or dislike Annihilator, can agree about how awesome as f*** Alice in Hell is! Dark heaviness, searing technicality, and violent speed is all around. Metal listeners who can't get the hang of this band because of their later albums should give this album some listening. They'll be shocked about the different styles Jeff Waters can put together for a unique original sound. While the later albums have some of those earlier elements, Alice in Hell is where the elements truly shine, in the band's clearest example of traditional/technical thrash metal.

The beautiful intro "Crystal Ann" consists of classical guitar, something that would be integrated into the ballads or softer midsections of songs from the band's next 3 albums and beyond. It's a perfect acoustic start before the tech-thrash booms in. The intro to the classic "Alison Hell" slowly builds things up, then the speed makes its entrance. Clearly the idea of making the track title sound like the album title was taken from Slayer's Reign in Blood. The incredible Randy Rampage (RIP) does an amazing job with his vocals, ranging from thrashy snarling to falsetto screams ("AL-ison Hell!"). The more metallic "W.T.Y.D." (Welcome to Your Death) has a more original lyrical theme. Same with "Wicked Mystic". The lyrics are a bit wacky, but it's a signature aspect for the band, whether you love it or hate it.

It's kinda weird hearing some funky riff-bouncing in "Burns Like a Buzzsaw Blade", but it works quite well. That song and "Word Salad" has slightly more odder lyrics. For the latter song, Randy Rampage adds more aggression and dignity than Megadeth's Dave Mustaine, enough to make that track a superb highlight. The faster "Schizos (Are Never Alone)" is a mostly instrumental song split into two parts. The only lyrics there are the occasional saying of the song title. Quite a thrasher! A sequel ("Part III") would later be recorded for Rampage's other album with the band, Criteria for a Black Widow.

"Ligeia" continues the occasional crazy randomness. To be honest, the wackiness really is what makes the band unique and different from other classic thrash bands. It really adds a bit of happiness to the darkness without being too comedic. And there's more of that in their later material. "Human Insecticide" is the fastest, most thrashy song in the album. There's even a bit of guitar tremolos that might've planted a seed for classic black metal. No time wasted, nothing toned down, just full-on raging thrash!

All in all, Alice in Hell is a standout gem in the massive discography of Annihilator, as well as thrash metal in general. There's blazing power in every song from the guitars and bass. The vocals really have that charismatic anger. With all that and the great production, Annihilator's debut is perhaps one of the best classic thrash metal albums for me. There are many different twists in the rest of the band's journey, but the open-minded fans, such as myself, can find great enjoyment in them. Not a single thing needs to be changed in this masterpiece. Jeff Waters was once a young fellow ready to develop a long incredible journey, and Alice in Hell is the perfect start of it. Go get it if you haven't!

Favorites: "Alison Hell", "W.T.Y.D." (Welcome to Your Death), "Word Salad", "Schizos (Are Never Alone)", "Human Insecticide"

The Mosquito Control has been made great by its raw heaviness. This is more chaotic than Isis' more evolved works. If the earliest Isis album you have is Oceanic and you want something from them that's deadlier and heavier, just start with Celestial then head down to their EPs leading up to their first, this one!

The first song of their first ever EP "Poison Eggs" just so happens to be one of Isis' best songs! It starts with a minimalistic melody, then percussion and a radar-like noise gets slowly added in until finally reaching the heavy riff chaos with enraged vocals from the mosquito king (Aaron Turner). The song is both rough and great in the music and the vocals. The ending reaches a frantic climax before abruptly stopping for 10 seconds of radio distortion.

"Life Under the Swatter" is more extreme with riffing as fast as the mosquitoes' reflexes and as furious the exterminator they're dodging. The mosquitoes would swarm around him and suck out all his blood dry. Looking deeply, you might find the subtle melodies and percussion Isis would develop later.

"Hive Destruction" starts with an eerily soft melody then the guitars let it rip with something more frightening. "Relocation Swarm" has suspenseful percussion from the start, then adds in strange samples mixed with the brutal growls that is actually just torturous adrenaline. This isn't really the masterpiece people (like Daniel) thought it was, and as much as I'd like to say this is the band's longest at almost 12 minutes, I don't trust its length because the last 5 minutes is just guitar droning and screaming, like My Dying Bride's "The Cry of Mankind" but not that awesome. No wonder I gave this EP 4 stars. However, I enjoy the Japanese edition bonus track, their cover of the industrial sludge classic title track of Godflesh's Streetcleaner. Another reminder for me to step up my industrial metal game!

If you're a new Isis fan, even though this is their very first release, this is not the right place to start. You might get too attached to the heaviness of their EPs and not enjoy their full-length masterpieces. Of course, fans of Isis' full albums will see the grand difference. Though not the best start, this is where Isis' true innovation had just begun....

Favorites: "Poison Eggs", "Life Under the Swatter", "Streetcleaner" (bonus Godflesh cover)

The state of thrash metal was looking very bleak in the 90s. The style was stagnating with not a lot of its bands keeping their audience hooked to what they once thought was great, the scene starting to expect new overly progressive sounds. It might work well for the mainstream, but not for the underground from whence they came. After most of those bands try at least one album in a different style, the result would be to submit to obscurity or vanish from activity...

The mighty tech-thrash lords Coroner have done just that. However, instead of stagnating right away, they've actually planned a more pleasant progressive thrash direction through No More Color and Mental Vortex, so they've done their unique progression just right. However, the groove metal foundation has taken over in Grin.

For the first time since R.I.P. and Punishment for Decadence, the album starts with an intro "Dream Path" which has more of a tribal theme complete with didgeridoo. Then a lethargic pace grips "The Lethargic Age" which is a fairly jumpy ride without ever take a break for relaxation with its main motif similar to the opening track of Mental Vortex. Then the earlier energetic thrash enters the groove arena in "Internal Conflicts" with lively proposition and pounding atmosphere without ruining too much.

Another drastic changer is "Caveat (To the Coming)", another brooding groove track that stealthily hypnotizes the listener into the overall soundscape despite the modern non-thrashy manner. "Serpent Moves" includes synthesized vocals adding to the psychedelic industrial groove nature that might sound closer to Ministry and Treponem Pal with a bit of background synths once in a while. The groove status is maintained in "Status: Still Thinking" with atmospheric riffs in a twisted vortex and dark sinister vibes. Second interlude "Theme for Silence" can almost be a sequel to the first one, keeping the tribal atmosphere and didgeridoo.

The dark vibes continue in "Paralyzed, Mesmerized", a fitting composition that would have the listener feel like that song title, paralyzed and mesmerized, with a creepy string of pieces through melodic motifs and ephemeral leads all in spacey semi-thrash. The title track "Grin (Nails Hurt)" is a little more moderately paralyzing with patient rhythms with consistent grooves that keep you hooked up to a sudden fast crescendo throughout the last couple minutes. This formula would be repeated on the spacey finale "Host" which is an unsettling closer but my favorite in this album, their longest song at 8 and a half minutes, and a true swansong (unless counting their self-titled compilation). The unsettling elements range from the spoken vocals to constant tone changes, the creepy female chants, and finally ending in a sonic swarm of parasitic locusts.

So that marks the end of this great tech-thrash band's first era. Some praise as the band's pinnacle for reaching their final destination in evolution, which I respect for their sense of individuality. Others dislike how they succumbed to the groove metal invasion. At least they imbued their groove metal base into something different. Grin is a more open-minded album, but I wish they would return to their breakneck tech-thrash. That's what I hope for when they release an upcoming album, that and changing their band name so they wouldn't be confused with a certain ongoing virus. Unless you're a thrash purist, Grin should be a worthwhile finale from the creative Swiss metal masters.....

Favorites: "Internal Conflicts", "Caveat (To the Coming)", "Paralyzed, Mesmerized", "Host"

When I've first heard of this band Coroner, I didn't like it at first because I didn't have much of the 80s thrash appeal, but now I've built slight tolerance for some of the best technical thrash metal power reaching the end of thrash's golden decade. Despite being just a live band now until an upcoming album comes out, I still understand their high-level focused musicality that reigns supreme!

The production was outstanding, allowing the thick aggressive drums to be heard without being rendered sterile. The guitar has quite a crunch that stands out. That and the gruff vocals of Ron Royce makes sure that the band doesn't sound like a clone of Metallica, specifically James Hetfield.

The 12-second "Intro" is an odd one, basically consisting of a lot of machinery and concluding with a scream, as if someone was driving a Hummer and accidentally drove off a cliff. Seems kinda pointless, but I'll live with that. It just foreshadows the heavy sampling that makes the album unique. Then the metal action bursts in with "Absorbed". It starts with the signature riffing by Tommy T. Baron, underlying audible bass, and rapid drumming. Ron comes in to yell the lyrics written by drummer Marquis Marky. I think the lyrics are about a guy who gets attacked and lives to see his friend getting killed. The victim who's alive then tries to move on and forget it but gets driven into insanity. Tommy does a mind-blowing solo before the first chorus, then after that chorus, he does another amazing solo better than the first! Ron's vocals work well for the chorus but not so much with the verses that tell the story. Besides that and the production, that song is pretty good. Then we have the ultimate song for Coroner and technical thrash metal, "Masked Jackal"! So amazing! The great riffs, the underlying bass, the rapid drums...all awesome, especially Tommy's tapping solos. Rarely have I heard any tremolo leading from him but it sounds pretty nice there. He overlays the guitar tone, playing both a distorted and clean chord. There's some sampling including a speech and audience applause. Both the amazing music and lyrics might remind some of Megadeth. In the lyrical story, the antagonist is a power-hungry dictator, while the protagonist is some guy thinking of whether or not the dictator's plans are worth it. Overall, that track is an amazing perfect one with Coroner's flawless skills!

Next is the real instrumental "Arc-Lite", which might sound like a thrashier take on Rush's instrumentals. Ron and Marky back Tommy up throughout the song and it works well. After a rapid drum roll intro rarely performed by Marky, it goes into a catchy riff hook that you need to hear to believe. It's just so amazing how in this instrumental, Tommy destroys everything more than any other thrash metal guitarist both American and European. Tommy can pick, skip, tap, and add some classical, jazz, and exotic influences into his amazing guitar playing. Ron didn't get to do his vocals for that song but we do get to experience his nice bass when listened closely. An instrumental shred ride that's never out of place! Next is "Skeleton on Your Shoulder". It sounds like a power ballad at first with acoustic guitar and choir sampling, then heads into a haunting guitar riff backed up by bass and drumming that might've been the inspiration for starting the groove metal genre. Soon it bursts into shredding and thrash metal mayhem. During the verses, Tommy once overlaps the clean and distorted guitar riffs together, sounding great and not like a cheat. Markus really adapts with the sudden time changes. Tommy also does nice tapping that make radical soloing. It's hard to decipher the eccentric lyrics but they can be interpreted in different ways and I say it's closer to an uncommon metal lyrical theme; drug use, specifically acid, which can be heard in the verse lyrics, the drug addiction that might make you dead inside. A great inventive song! Then the next song "Sudden Fall" would really get you hooked in attention. It starts with Tommy burst in a riff going high and low back and forth. Then it goes to a mid-paced groove-inspiring tempo before switching gears when the riffs come in. The thundering bass and rapid drums help the verses and chorus keep the catchiness factor. After a slower guitar riff in the chorus, the song switches to some clean guitar riff and ambient keyboards before going into a tapping solo with Tommy channeling his inner Kirk Hammett. Then it's back to the refrain riff played a little more frequently with a small vocal passage. Then it's back to the first two verses and a chorus repeating until fading while Tommy plays another solo. The lyrics are interesting, taking on the perspective of workers in mines.

"Shadow Of A Lost Dream" opens with a typical thrash riffing section before hinting the progressive groove affair that would later take on their experimental album Grin. The thrash is still there and both styles alternative between one another in the verses with different time and key changes. The lyrical theme here is uncommon for thrash metal besides other bands like Megadeth and is common is many other popular music genres; relationships. The lyrics are about a girl mad at her boyfriend for cheating on her, which you would expect more in an emo band. Of course, it's the instrumental talent and Tommy's soloing that makes the song nice and not like emo. That's probably the worst song of the album, but it still has nice sweeping. Next, "The New Breed" hooks you up with a catchy riff that would make you want more. It starts with a slow tempo before building up faster, then a quick break before Ron starts singing. Tommy's inventive riffing goes well with the incredible bass and technical drumming. Between the verse and chorus is a weird voice sampling. Interesting... More of the skipping, sweeping, and tapping are nicely mixed together into a sick solo with ruling riffs spinning around. The lyrics might be about the war in Afghanistan with the new generation of children born there having to face the terror. But still that song deserves to be on MTV and the radio. Up next is "Voyage to Eternity" which sounds closer to the power/speed metal that would influence Iced Earth. After that great opening to hook you up, it's back to the usual thrash fury with the usual drumming, bass riffs, and speedy guitar shreds. The lyrics that Ron reads out loud are about a spacecraft losing power and breaking down, just hurling into space leaving the pilot to suffer alone with no life support. That's one song in Punishment for Decadence to have a sci-fi theme, but it's not really as thought-provoking as the other songs. Fortunately, the alternate tapping and sweeping makes the song awesome to listen to. There's even a rocket engine sampling right after the solo. Marky's drumming is absolutely punishing in that amazing piece. The album doesn't end there yet, there's one more song and it's a Jimi Hendrix cover, "Purple Haze"! A thrash metal band covering Hendrix, who would've thought? The band executes it flawlessly. Tommy does great thrash shredding, and the rest of the band does a great playing it like the Jimi Hendrix Experience, though Ron's vocals sound nothing like Hendrix. A great fun song to listen to at the end of this dark ride!

Technical thrash is as underrated as this great band Coroner, compared to other bands. This band shows off perfect thrash musicianship, a nice break from later technical death metal bands like Cynic and Atheist who just feel like showing off, period. With Punishment for Decadence, Coroner's unique technical thrash deserves great credit!

Favorites: "Masked Jackal", "Skeleton on Your Shoulder", "The New Breed", "Voyage to Eternity", "Purple Haze"

I've been a big fan of technical/progressive metal for almost 6 years now, but never really the old 80s thrash metal. Of course, sometimes exceptions are made because the progressive elements I really enjoy spice up the thrash. That's certainly the case for Coroner! In my previous Coroner reviews, I've mentioned that this band is never really my favorite because of the experimentation weighing heavily against the heaviness it should've had, especially in Mental Vortex, but now I can reconsider that initial thought and finally see that they're one of the most influential Swiss extreme metal bands besides Celtic Frost. Lots of heaviness and Ron Royce's harsh vocals can be found in R.I.P.!

What I like about this band is how it stands out against the typical standard thrash metal bands, such as its unique style. Their instrumental ability helps them become superior compared to other bands in the 80s thrash scene and would give them greater impact in their later albums, all starting in 1987 with this album R.I.P. There's quite a lot of awesome material in here; 13 tracks (including 5 instrumentals) in 45 minutes!

Unusual for a thrash album, the "Intro" is a piano instrumental that kicks off the album which is enjoyable and their own original work. It really has a sinister mood before the raw darkness... The metal action begins with the classic "Reborn Through Hate", still played live since their recent reformation. This song shows how incredibly talented this band is in true aggressive technical thrash metal. I love it! This is followed by another favorite "When Angels Die" with great riffs and chorus both catchy as f***. The choirs are unexpected but bring a unique aspect. It's awesome how the band focuses on inspiration instead of the brutality of other thrash bands. There's another classically-influenced "Intro", followed by... "Nosferatu", an instrumental piece of technical thrash violence, showing the band what a blast they're having without ever f***ing around.

"Suicide Command" stands out in heavy thrash pleasure with prominent bass. "Spiral Dream" has absolutely furious tempo. The album's title track has another classically-influenced intro with a depressive mood before switching an intense f***ing heavy with nice guitar riffs and melodic bass groove. You can hear more of the bass that's high in the mix in the next track "Coma". Same with "Fried Alive" where the bass flawlessly follows the guitar melodies in a smooth pattern. More of the killer technical thrash is there to please me more than Metallica!

Then the next thing present is another little synth "Intro"... And finally, "Totentanz" is another song of technical thrash violence to end the aggression in a powerful bang. And the album ends with an "Outro" that is another thrashy instrumental, this time with sinister keyboards.

Overall, "R.I.P." is a h*ll of a killer album and probably my favorite one of the 80s thrash metal scene, with a primitive feeling that's never bad. Of course, they would become more progressive in subsequent albums which I didn't approve of at first but now I possibly might! I would later have to review the remaining Coroner albums; Punishment for Decadence and the (gulp) mechanical-groove-infused Grin to confirm the band's "favorite" status for myself. But for now, enjoy this early tech-thrash recommendation!

Favorites: Reborn Through Hate, When Angels Die, Suicide Command, R.I.P., Fried Alive, Totentanz

Ever since their 2014 album Massive Addictive, Amaranthe have been in perpetual experimental motion. Some consider this Swedish band to be part of Europe's symphonic metal scene. Well other than a few grand symphonic pieces, and one of the singers, Elize Ryd stepping in as a guest vocalist for Nightwish in place of that band's freshly departed vocalist Anette Olzon for a show, I don't quite get that association. This band is basically metalcore/power metal mixed with euphoric electro-dance-pop.

That divisive mix is what caused the band's sound to slowly drop in quality with the lowest point being Helix. However, while Manifest picks up where that previous album left off, the metal quality seems to skyrocket a bit! Maybe it's all these familiar stars in the metal world guest appearing in this album. Let's see for ourselves...

The first 4 tracks are some of the most killer songs by Amaranthe I've heard since Massive Addictive, starting with "Fearless" where the band fearlessly slays through their trance-metalcore sound like a sci-fi dystopian battle. Then "Make It Better" makes their sound better and more killer than ever before. "Scream My Name" is filled with pyrotechnical synth-guitar duels. "Viral" is a little off because of the gigantic hooks being cheesy, but they're swept away by the triple-vocal attack and crushing metal.

"Adrenaline" leans more towards the Europop side with a cheesy chorus that could've been written/performed by Graham Norton, but the metal sparks are still there. The emotive "Strong" is a strong brilliant duel between Elize and Battle Beast's Noora Louhimo. "The Game" isn't as lightning-fast as DragonForce's song "The Game" but it does have some DragonForce vibes (from their recent synths and motivational lyrics, all it's lacking is the faster speed and the guitar solo being longer). The symphonic cello-infused seductive ballad "Crystalline" dedicated to loved ones passed away or locked away due to the virus. Guest appearing there is Apocalyptica’s Perttu Kivilaakso on cello and Dragonland's Elias Holmlid on keyboard orchestration. This crystalline ballad stands out with its peaceful spacious arrangement. Beautiful!

"Archangel" continues the sinister hooks that flash all over and serves as a bridge between the softest and the heaviest. The heaviest and most innovative song in the album is "BOOM!" which is more of a djentstep rap-filled track similar to Hacktivist with spoken vocals by Butcher Babies vocalist Heidi Shepherd. Harsh vocalist Henrik Englund Wilhelmsson does high-speed Eminem-inspired growl-rapping, which normally I'm not a fan of, but here brings wild technical force. "Die and Wake Up" is my least favorite song here, sounding closer to the cheesy pop metal from the previous two albums in some parts. However, "Do or Die" definitely makes up for that, both the male version and the female version, the latter being limited edition bonus track and an excellent collab with Angela Gossow, returning from the void since her departure from Arch Enemy. The song itself reminds me of Amaranthe's earlier era with radiant riffs and laser synths. There's also a bonus cover of Sabaton's "82nd All The Way" which is pretty cool too.

Amaranthe might not be able to hook all their listeners, new and longtime, but it is more likely with this album Manifest. This is their strongest effort in 5 years, putting much of their sound in glory and honor, thanks to half of the songs being solid, plus a few amazing guests. One of Sweden's most diverse non-progressive bands is still rising!

Favorites: "Fearless", "Make It Better", "Strong", "Crystalline", "BOOM!", "Do or Die" (both the male and female versions)

Coldrain have travelled far out of their homeland of Japan to pick up more alt-metalcore influences for their initial post-hardcore sound. Masato and Y.K.C. are the two key members of the band, doing all the songwriting and performing the best vocals and lead guitar respectively, though rhythm guitarist Sugi, bassist RxYxO, and drummer Katsuma are great as well. I don't know how Michael Baskette, the producer of Slash, Alter Bridge, and Trivium made this album lightyears better than his previous produced album Fateless, but it's a blessing after a curse!

If there's any fan who had the same opinion as I had about Fateless when they had to wait for the next album, whether or not they've been patient, a great reward has been earned. The Side Effects the perfect post-hardcore/alt-metalcore addition to the band's discography. Coldrain sure know how to spice up the pop hype when adding pop elements to their sound. And with 4 awesome singles released in advance, they show what a sight and listening the album is to behold...

The song "Mayday" kickstarts the album in a bang and includes killer vocals from Ryo Kinoshita of Crystal Lake. Apparently, Masato also guest starred in Crystal Lake's single which makes me curious about listening to that song. "Mayday" didn't become a single until later when it became the title song for the anime Fire Force. The song begins with radio samples and an intro solo before the two vocalists harmonize each other in the verses before a crescendo through the chorus and climax. The speed is kicked up high with one of the in-advance singles "Coexist", a futuristic-sounding reflection of the band's roots. Following this is "See You", a simple yet catchy tune worth listening to more than once. You can enjoy singing along to this in an evening drive much more than synthwave, though not a lot of depth here. That's a nice song to get used to before getting more of the loud heaviness. The heavier song "Speak" has screams to pick you up and slam you back down. Those screams are done very well, and that's why Masato deserves his title as the greatest metal screamer in Japan.

The title track, released as a single one day before the album, is a brilliant highlight, having a more metalized Set It Off vibe. Alternating between slow verses and the faster chorus proves to be a successful move for both the vocals and the instrumentation. It is a different side of Coldrain, but you'll definitely wanna sing along. Another single is my second favorite of the album, "January 1st". This is much better than "Whole" from Vena when it comes to proving how good the slower emotional songs can be, and that is how that category should be. Masato sings harmoniously over the instruments to make that song so good, more or less. "Insomnia" is a hard loud buildup of mood. The hardcore-sounding "Answer/Sickness" is the perfect definition of Coldrain. Screams, cleans, guitar solos, pounding drums, breakdowns, time changes, you name it! That one should've ended the album as a perfect sign-off, or maybe be an encore song in concerts. "Breathe" marks a return to Earth for a nice warmup.

"Stay the Course" is entirely cleanly-sung, but the typical instrumentation makes up for that. I like that soloing bridge. What follows is the best standout of the album, "Revolution"! This sneak peek single is beyond d*mn right good, and what got me interested in the band when a friend from the outside world showed me that song and mentioned that it was used as the theme song for Mobile Suit Gundam: Extreme Vs 2. What an anthem! As always, there are strong screams and clean vocals that marks Coldrain's signature vocal department from Masato. There's even a short rapping verse that works better than even Linkin Park. Then the album ends with "Li(e)fe", which isn't the best song to close an album but I digress. The perfection stays intact!

This is Coldrain's true style, spiced up with a few experiments that work well and are cleverly done. Sure they are a couple songs to struggle with, but you'll get used to them after a bit of warming up. And I'm glad that the band manage to tour for this album before the virus came half a year later. You've done well, Coldrain!

Favorites: "Mayday", "Coexist", "The Side Effects", "January 1st", "Answer/Sickness", "Revolution"

I'm a bit disappointed by this album, and I decided not to write a full review here. But honestly, "Envy" is really good. Same with "Feed the Fire", having a similar vibe to recent In Flames. The rest of the album never really stands out, unlike The Side Effects or even Vena, nothing worth listening to instantly here.

But what sounds great is track 5, "R.I.P." that is worth having on repeat, yet I subtract some points for its chorus that blatantly rips off "Dani California" by Red Hot Chili Peppers. I don't even like RHCP, but the chorus here doesn't do that song justice. What a pity... And what's worse is their cover of Alanis Morissette's "Uninvited". That one is terribly overrated and while metalizing songs are what makes covers the best, all it does was make that song f***ing worse.

What I enjoy in the music itself is both the screaming and clean vocals. However the amount of the latter is stronger and more common than the former, which is fine I guess. So yeah, the 3 singles are good, but nothing really stands out, unlike Vena and especially The Side Effects, the latter making up for everything....

Favorites (only songs I like): "Envy", "Feed the Fire", "R.I.P." (except that f***ing chorus)

Coming in at their 4th album, Coldrain were already tapped out from their epic UK journey and felt ready to make a new album. I'm guessing their tiredness has infected their work because Vena doesn't reach the same heights as their previous two albums.

Sure their sound has already sailed beyond the shores of Japan to please the western lands, but Vena seems to lack the sound you really wanna find. But at least they were confident enough to unleash more metalcore into their contemporary alt-metal/hard rock songs. While this was never THE alt-metalcore album of 2015, you'll hear a good amount of what they had to offer...

The title intro is basically a sonic face kick, attacking with one minute of un-melodic vocals and heavy metalcore riffs. A brutal beginning before the hard rock/metalcore mix to follow... There are well-done moments in "Wrong", to welcome you to actual songs with beefed-up guitars. "Divine" brings the band at friendly competition with Crossfaith without becoming too much of a b****rd hybrid. Staying innovative as ever, the groove and clapping of "Gone" unexpectedly add rock anthem traditions to the lament of a walkaway love. "Words of the Youth" continues the heartful blend of heavy screams and melodic cleans over guitar fire and fury.

"The Story" creates a blustery storm in the chorus to show how hugely famous they are in their homeland. The howling of the unwelcome ballad "Whole" brings the album stuck in a traffic jam-sized standstill that doesn't really go anywhere. Masato sounds just fine in "Runaway", but Papa Roach’s Jacoby Shaddix butts in, he really has his vocal power that make that song another highlight.

I kinda like "Pretty Little Liar" that has powerful harsh vocal techniques to level up the heaviness of the band, though not as much as the heavier extreme bands out there. However, while Masato's vocals are on fire, the actual instrumentation fails to make a laser-powerful impact and is a bit dull. I find the lovey-dovey "Heart of the Young" too sentimental. Love songs are overrated! They lose more of their key features in the closing "Fire in the Sky" which, while they stay in dangerously brutal metalcore territory, it doesn't really conclude the album naturally enough to represent the release.

Vena is a well-executed album by a group of young experts crossing over Japanese rock with western alt-metalcore, despite several songs not having enough strength or impact. Coldrain have that crossover mix locked and loaded....

Favorites: "Wrong", "Divine", "Gone", "The Story", "Runaway"

Until the End is a mini-album to expect after the original edition of The Revelation if you don't have its international edition, released over a year after the original album. The EP spawned from when the band was signed to Raw Power, a UK company leading the way for Bullet for My Valentine and Bring Me the Horizon, the former band Coldrain toured with in Europe. Coldrain would also be signed to Hopeless Records in the US, accelerating their global popularity.

Until the End, an EP that can almost be considered a spin-off to The Revelation, is a rich blend of catchy and heavy elements that have almost always stuck with them to the present. Though the international fans might not be used to this change in position...

"Aware and Awake" shows how beyond awesome this band is, especially when you're getting through the tough times of the virus. Some of the best lyrics here include "you can't break me, you can't take me down", "without the word you say, stuck inside my head", and "this life is not a race, you'll find your own escape". This is the music global fans were waiting for, more than Bullet for My Valentine or Amon Amarth. Absolutely exciting! Next up, the aggressive "Evolve" shows Masato once again having his angelic singing and demonic screaming. Masato really f***ing unleashes his singing power in "You Lie", a bit like Simple Plan's "Your Love is a Lie" but heavier and more powerful.

Speaking of Simple Plan, mix elements of that band with Demon Hunter and you get "Fade Away", a solid highlight! "March On" ticks like a timebomb before you realize that the only explosions here are the occasional bursts of heaviness. "House of Cards" is so good for a slow tune, and the only song that's not in the international edition of The Revelation. Again the songs that are exclusive to one album or another are some of the best!

If you only have the original edition of The Revelation from Japan, I highly recommend getting this EP to complete this mini-saga! Sure one or two of the songs could've been done better, but you know what they say, nothing ventured, nothing gained....

Favorites: "Aware and Awake", "Fade Away", "House of Cards"

In 2014, Coldrain were signed to Raw Power Management, a British company where many bands around the world have been signed to including Bullet for My Valentine, whom Coldrain would tour with in large festivals all over Europe. 7 years active, and this talented group had hit the big time, all thanks to The Revelation! Their third album was released a year prior in the summer of 2013, and I believe a good review is in order!

Now most of the reviewers for this album wrote about the more popular international edition, but I think it makes more sense to review both the original Japanese edition and their subsequent EP Until the End, so I can get the best of both releases. Let's get this war on...

"The War Is On" begins gently, but only for a short intro with soft singing. Then the furious high growls come in along with the heaviness, with everything in perfect balance. The drums and rhythm guitar stand strong. The dark-ish vocals invite you to join the singing, especially the chorus that is like Linkin Park's "Somewhere I Belong" on steroids. This song would definitely catch on live! Next up, the title track begins differently with a futuristic sci-fi vibe. This is a solid song worth headbanging. The growling vocals fit well with the loudness, with the clean vocals being a good addition. "Falling Forever" is another heavy song. There's a slightly greater balance between the cleans and the growls, the latter being common in the verses. This song works in the mainstream despite the aggression and should be appreciated more, a great song for newcomers!

"Behind the Curtain" has an electronic intro before the superb guitar and drumming crash in. There's some more of the signature growling. With solid rhythm, this is another great track worth headbanging. You just can't stay still! Another song to make live performances more dynamic! Continuing the journey is "Next to You", starting with quiet singing, making you wonder if this is a pleasant ballad that's a nice break from the singing/growling heaviness, and indeed it is, other than the chorus and bridge. You can pay more attention to the lyrics that are more cleanly sung than the previous songs. This mix of fury and balladry makes that song one of the band's most diverse and also one of the best of the album and live! Now time for the "Timebomb", beginning with a solid guitar/bass intro. The vocals have more dynamic aggression, rushing through subtle reverb. The guitar is important for the nice beat here, especially the fantastic solo. A beautiful song of variety!

For the next song "Voiceless", if you thought this would be a calm instrumental, you'd be wrong! Already you hear heavy drums, powerful guitars, and strong bass, one of the heaviest songs of the album. The vocals are absolutely solid, driving you through the instrumentation and lyrics. An exciting jumper! Next, "Chasing Dreams" is inspirational in both the song and the title to motivate you to chase your dreams away from darkness into positive light. The song starts with soft piano that signifies something different to go on in this song. Overcoming struggles with persistence in a nice message, this is absolutely inspiring! That track ends the international edition, but we still have two more tracks to comment on in the original Japanese edition. "Given Up on You" pulls you in right away with the singing. The song has great variation in the instrumentation. The dramatic feeling makes you realize the band's resilience after a huge disappointment which I think is their punky debut album. Drums and guitars beautifully share the spotlight. Just like Voivod's self-titled album, the ending song is titled "Carry On", which I have no words to say if I don't wanna ruin the delicate motivational message.

I think I made the right choice reviewing the original Japanese (released in Japan, not Japanese language) edition of this album. Besides wanting to get the full experience in the album and its subsequent EP, the 3 tracks exclusive to that edition are some of the best by the band, and I feel bad for people who only have the international edition. You don't know what you're missing! Anyway, whichever edition you want, The Revelation shall be owned by any fan of loud heaviness. Some songs really deserve radio play. All I'm saying is give Coldrain a chance!

Favorites: "The War Is On", "Falling Forever", "Next to You", "Voiceless", "Chasing Dreams"

Formed in the late 2000s, performing in big Japanese music festivals and ending up in soundtracks for sports games and anime series, it was the first half of the 2010s when they really started fitting well with the western scene. The mini-album Through Clarity sounds heavily influenced from the titanic UK metalcore band Bullet for My Valentine, with production by David Bendeth who would also help mixing albums by Bring Me The Horizon and Of Mice & Men. All that has really paid off...

After the release of their next album The Revelation, the band ended up on tour in the UK with BFMV, and they would also be signed to Raw Power Management which has the bands David Bendeth worked with including BMTH and OM&M (the latter acronym sounds like a candy). And it's all thanks to Coldrain's musical direction.

The EP bursts into the opening track "No Escape" which was already a pre-release single a month in advance. Heavy riffs go as lightning fast as thrash alongside relentless drumming and screams in a seamless that would leave even metal purists hungry for more. While all tracks in the EP are equally strong standouts, that one is the most unique in the vocals ranging between cleans, screams, growls, and whispers. A perfect combination! If you wanna sink into soloing waters, look no further to "Persona" with a beautiful soloing bridge before the final chorus. "The Future" is unfortunately slightly corny, sounding more forced with lack of emotional spark. It sounds more generic and fits better in a plain emo-rock album like their debut Final Destination. That's why this EP rating is a half-star short from perfection.

The much better "Six Feet Under" has brilliant vicious screaming with lyrical insanity, though there's still its melodic nature. That's the alt-metalcore/post-hardcore you're looking for! It has the perfect marriage of heavy screaming and melodic singing, along with heavy guitar groove. My personal favorite here is "Never Look Away". After a soft riff and delicate vocals, the torrential onslaught rises and builds up into an intense crescendo achieved in the chorus, and the momentum is maintained. The ending track "Inside of Me" is the most BFMV-inspired song, a bit like that band's hit "Tears Don't Fall", and the solo near the end would make you deny that this is the end of the EP.

Through Clarity is the EP that would eventually spark the impact an eastern band like Coldrain would have in the western metal scene. Almost none of the tracks are super weak, and the EP is indeed a grand prelude to the next full album. The west shall let in the eastern storm!

Favorites: "No Escape", "Six Feet Under", "Never Look Away"

If you're a nu metal/alt-rock fan, you'll for sure love this album from this English-singing Japanese band! The Enemy Inside is a great improvement from their band's earlier releases. Final Destination was a false punky start for the band. While their debut had a few good songs like "Fiction", the incredible title track, and "Counterfeits & Lies", but that's all there is to like there. Their second release, the EP Nothing Last Forever is much better produced with great tracks that aren't totally bad...

The Enemy Inside is the band's second full album and third release, and if you think there would be something disappointing, there isn't! This is the album to start your perfect Coldrain journey if you're up for a mix of nu-metal/alt-rock/metalcore.

The heavy energy they possess begins with "To Be Alive", and that's what they need for stage performances like the live DVD Three Days of Adrenaline. You don't often hear a song like "New Fate" that would never get too old. "Rescue Me" is a great song that's never awful. "Adrenaline" is another great highlight to like, and it definitely makes me up to support this band even more.

"You" is a beautiful song, showing that the band never had to translate from Japanese when writing lyrics in English. "The Maze" is also beautiful, one of the best pieces of art in this album. The bridge is performed by Mah of SiM, a fellow Japanese band that can mix mathy alt-metalcore with Central American reggae. "Rise and Fall" is another grand highlight, far better than that sh*tty Helloween song of the same title. I really appreciate this one with all my heart, and it has motivated this alt-metalcore side of me to develop. Coldrain is one of my 3 favorite Japanese metalcore bands (alongside FALILV and Crossfaith), and that song deserves to give this underrated band more attention.

"Confession" is a ballad-like song that can work as a victory song for a sporting event like the Tokyo Olympics coming soon as of this review. "A Tragic Instinct" is also emotional, yet a more upbeat tune. For the final track "Hollow", HOLY SH*T, this is tremendous! This is one of the most underrated songs by this underrated band. Definitely something the heavier fans would love!

Again, if you love nu metal/alt-rock but wanna hear that style mixed with something different, Coldrain is a band you'll love to bits. You should really keep this album if you ever get it. I guarantee your enjoyment!

Favorites: "To Be Alive", "Adrenaline", "The Maze", "Rise and Fall", "Hollow"

Now this is a much better early part of Coldrain's career! Nothing Lasts Forever is a short EP that very well should've replaced the weak emo second half of their debut Final Destination for a better debut album. This is a heavier way for western-inspired Japanese alt-metalcore band Coldrain to kick things into a high gear.

Since their formation in 2007, the band's lineup has stayed intact; vocalist Masato, guitarists Y.K.C. and Sugi, bassist RxYxO, and drummer Katsuma. Their sound is a mix of alt-metal/post-hardcore/metalcore, though the metal was mostly absent in their debut. Thanks to Masato being taught English by his American mother, the lyrics are written in English, making them more globally accessible than most other Japanese bands. This emotional EP Nothing Lasts Forever amazes me with their roots growing heavier.

The EP starts with the powerful "Die Tomorrow", mixing catchiness with violence. Already we find the classic metalcore punches with Masato's screamed vocals and the heaviness of the rhythm and riffs, before switch to their alt-metal side with the cleanly-sung chorus. Then comes the next track "We're Not Alone", where massive heaviness of the rhythms and leads while Masato sings cleanly. During then, the band makes sure Masato is not alone. The daredevil move of covering a song pays off with "Stuck", a cover of that Stacie Orrico hit. Their alt-metalcore sound fits well with the catchy pop writing, that's the kind of covers I like!

The more aggressive "After Dark" has more atmospheric riffing from the clean guitar. The screams stay in the background though. However, "The Youth" is filled with screams in different sections especially the final chorus, plus a breakdown to add to the intensity. The EP ends with a surprise, their first semi-acoustic ballad "Miss You", where Masato and Sugi take the front stage, the latter bringing his clean/acoustic guitar.

In a world where western bands rival against Japanese bands, Coldrain helps break up the war with their English-sung solution. The band also create their own mix of styles without reinventing the wheel. They can compose moments loud and quiet, and write deep lyrical topics. A promising release for a young energetic band of the rising sun!

Favorites: "Die Tomorrow", "Stuck", "The Youth"