TEREX TITAN: Tempest: CD

TEREX TITAN is a four piece band from Aalborg, Denmark who formed in December of 2012 and play a groove laden, sludge tinged style of hardcore that is tight and brutal. This is the band’s debut eight song album and it’s a great listen from the start to the end.

The sludge is nice and thick, like sinking in quicksand and letting it draw you in, the hardcore is fast and furious and will get you moshing and the band really puts everything that they have into these eight songs. The vocals are a mix of screaming and guttural, the guitar playing is fast and full of great leads, huge drumming and fat bass guitar all give this a heaviness that sits in the awesome zone.

This shows how good they are, I put this on and even at eight songs and just over thirty minutes long, it felt too damn short and I had to play it again. A great debut that will get played a lot in my house, now you go out and buy a copy and do the same in yours!

https://www.facebook.com/terextitanband

THE PERMS: The Aberdeen EP: CD

This trio from Winnipeg, Manitoba have put out five albums before this release and the quality is there right from the first note. They play a mix of power pop mixed with a hint of punk energy and the mix is intoxicating.

Kicking things off with “It’s Mania,” the guys really lay down the template for the rest of the EP, an upbeat and high energy rocker, the harmonizing is on-point and the band play like this is the best song that will ever be played. “Aberdeen” sports a huge sound built on layers of vocals and energetic playing with whoa-ohs adding to the thrill of the song. “The Parent Thing” is so catchy that you may need to get your shots before listening to it, everything is perfect and I could listen to this song over and over again with the WEEZER feel to it and the complete sense of fun that these guys put into it. “Walk Away” gets a bit more rock infused than the other tracks and it has a great ’60s influence that makes you think that you’re in a time warp that you don’t want to leave.

Great playing, a sense of complete fun and a love of the music makes this a small sampling that will both excite you with the talent on here, but frustrate you because of the short running time and only four songs. You need to go out and get this one as soon as possible!

https://www.facebook.com/ThePerms  http://thepermsmusic.com/

ENDVADE: Ascension: CD

This band from Montreal, Quebec plays a tight and intense style of metal that incorporates core, progressive metal, technical metal and Djent all mixed together to melt your head. You get four songs on this EP and every one of them is a mosh fest that will get your head banging as soon as you start to listen.

Gruff, raspy vocals with thick bass, lots of leads, rhythm and pummeling drumming make up this set of songs with the band playing hard and heavy to get you to get your anger and frustrations out. These guys really get down to the nitty-gritty of the music and play with head down intensity and a pure love for what they are doing, no bullshit, just hard and crisp metal. The guitar and bass playing are the standouts with those two instruments giving us the best show on the EP. Not one song is bad, not one is boring, everything is a punch in the kidneys.

For only four songs, these guys pull off an EP that feels full and complete, not a second is wasted and it really sets you up to want to hear what’s next from them. These guys have put a ton of work into the tight sound and awesome production…more!

https://www.facebook.com/endvadeofficial  http://endvade.bandcamp.com/

DIFFUZION: Insomnia: Download

While they are currently in the studio recording their third album, Belarusian act DIFFUZION today have released their first single from the new album. You get five songs on the EP, two mixes of “Insomnia” and three of “City Of Dust”.

“Insomnia” starts things off with a tight and pounding beat and distorted vocals that gives this songs harsh electronics a great forum to kick up a noisy and pulsating vibe that really is catchy. “City Of Dust” is a more mellow synth pop track that has female vocals and flows over you and makes your head bob and gets stuck in your head. “City Of Dust (Junksista mix)” is a bit more deconstructed at first, but then kicks into a nice groove with some Euro house touches that give the song a nice dance floor vibe and get you moving. “Insomnia (sleepless mix by Eff Dst)” hardly has any vocals and has a cool UNDERWORLD vibe going on that brought back memories of spinning their music back in the ’90s and this remix would fit in great with a night of cool electronica / techno. “City Of Dust (Diversant:13 mix)” has a cool, bubbling sound that keeps the dancefloor in its sights, but has a bit more depth and it would sound great loud in the car.

A great taste of what the band is up to and it really makes you look forward to their new album. I’m going to be playing this a lot.

https://www.facebook.com/diffuzion  http://diffuzion.bandcamp.com/

https://www.facebook.com/Alfa.Matrix  http://alfamatrix.bandcamp.com/

THE MISSION: Swan Song EP: Download

THE MISSION have put out a new album and the newest single is “Swan Song”, one of the most popular songs on the album and now comes out as an EP of remixes and one new song.

The radio edit is a fantastic, tight version which made for the perfect start to the EP, “More Than The Truth” is a new song that was recorded during the sessions for the new album The Brightest Light and has a bit more of an electronic feel than the songs on the album, but is a high energy song that really gets your toes tapping and is definitely a treat to have on this release. “Swan Song (Reconstruction Circa 1984)” is really cool, the addition of a 909 drum machine, and the guitar sounds are all phase and chorus, really give the song the feel of an older song that you might have missed out on from back in the ’80s and is worth playing over and over again. “Swan Song (Deconstruction)” takes the song and brings it down a few notches while retaining the power and majesty of the song. “Swan Song (Reaper Version)” is really interesting, a kind of karaoke version sung by producer David M Allen after coming home from a night at the pub and Wayne Hussey thought it was great and kept it. The final track “Swan Song (Lament)” is an acoustic take that really brings out the emotion and a sensitive side to the song.

The EP is a great collection of remixes that give us different sides to the song and don’t bury the song in effects or tricks that make it unrecognizable. Every version is strong and creates a mood that will be great for all different times and places to listen to.

https://www.facebook.com/themissionuk  http://www.themissionuk.com/

http://theendrecords.com/  https://www.facebook.com/theendrecords

NO FEALTY / KOLLAPSE: SPLIT: 7″

This record is something that both bands have had in mind for a year or so, ever since the bands played their first show together in Copenhagen in 2012. The bands have been friends for years, even though they live in different cities, Copenhagen and Aalborg, so it was a natural progression for the bands to do something together after releasing their debut albums.

NO FEALTY get things going with a wall of ear bleeding noise called “Ravished” that is a short and powerful blast of intense d-beat and hardcore / metal fury that will devastate your ears. KOLLAPSE come out with their almost three times long track “Father” that hits just as hard as the preceding song, but is slower and has sludge and hardcore fighting for a place in your ears and is a crazed track that is super heavy.

This is one heavy and brutal single, perfect for blaring as loud as you can and for repeated listens. Grab this one today!

http://nofealty.bandcamp.com/  https://www.facebook.com/nofealty

http://kollapse.bandcamp.com/album/no-fealty-kollapse-split-7

https://www.facebook.com/Kollapseband  http://www.5feetunder.com/

 

HELGRITT: Helle 666: Download

This album from Las Vegas, NV resident Helgritt caught me off guard completely. The high energy album will get you up and you will feel the need to dance as soon as you hit play.

The album comes at you with blasts of Euro-house, EBM, and New Beat all mixed together in a delightful concoction that put a smile on my face right away. You also get a mix of different styles all mashed together on the terrific track “Abomination”. You get the great electronics mixed with chanting, harsh noise, and gentle piano to create a track that really stood out. From start to finish, this is an album of one great song after another with energy and a sense of excitement as a theme.

As I listened to this album, I kept thinking that this is one of the most interesting albums that I’ve heard in a long time, lots of fun tracks that just felt like a party. If you’re looking for an album that brings together the best of different genres and sounds like it’s a lost classic from the early ’90s, then this is the album for you…it is for me!

https://www.facebook.com/Helgritt  http://www.helgritt.com/

NINE VOLT HEART: The Black Cat Demos 2013: CD

This quartet of teenagers from West Yorkshire, England are on their second EP and gearing up for a full-length release in the future. They play a blend of punk, rock and alternative all mixed together to create a very catchy and inviting sound that grabs you and won’t let go. 

It all starts with the biting and venomous ripping tune “KissKissKiss” with angry lyrics and aggressiveness in the playing with the lyrics being spat out at the listener. “Phantoms and Failing Engines” starts off quiet and then bursts with power and the soaring of the vocals and the heavy guitar playing take you out to space with a blast of energy. Last song “Very Much Alive” starts off much in the same way, but is more of a slow burner and is a great ending to a short, but well down EP.

Most people think that teenagers are hopeless lay-a-bouts with no goals or ambitions, this lot prove that wrong. This is a great EP that shows the talent and proves that good music knows no age limit, from old to the young, quality come out loud and clear with these young guys.

http://ninevoltheart.bandcamp.com/album/the-black-cat-demos-2013

https://www.facebook.com/NineVoltHeart

INTEGRITY: Suicide Black Snake: CD

For the last 25 years, Dwid Hellion has served as the lead singer and sole constant member of INTEGRITY, going from album to album with changes in style from the dark, macabre music in the early nineties to the hardcore pounding of the 2000s and the experimental maturation in the 2010s. The most recent material has been a five-year collaboration with Robert Orr, whose involvement has elevated the band into a bluesy, thashier state.

“+Orrchida” with its acrobatic solos that compliment the mosh-friendly edge, really show the talent on this album. “Into the Night” the album’s penultimate track, is one of their best songs with a fusion of the fluid movements found on “I Know Where Everyone Lives” and “+Orrchida”, “Into the Night” grooves its way into melodic territory. “Beasts as Gods” is a real rager that is a pit inciter. “There Ain’t No Living In Life” is dark and moody and there’s harmonica along with another soaring solo.

INTEGRITY is a band that rarely disappoints, doling out their strongest material since their inception. This album delivers punishing, metallic hardcore that will surely please even the most skeptical fan.

https://www.facebook.com/INTEGRITY.HT  https://www.facebook.com/a389recordings

http://www.a389records.com/site/  http://a389recordings.bandcamp.com/album/a389-129-integrity-suicide-black-snake-12

ZOLLE: Self-titled: CD

Marcello Lan (guitars) and Stefano (drums) are Zolle, an instrumental stoner rock duo from Bruzzelle, Italy whose brand new release packs more riffs and heavy grooves in its less than 30 minute run time that most bands create in a career. For the past year, they have worked tirelessly to create an instrumental album that appeals to the groovy, laid back tastes of the stoner / doom rock community.

With its blurry riffs and a large drum sound – not to mention a few touches of tasteful synth atmospherics, this duo really gives the listener a ton of grooves to get into. Lan delivers a wide assortment of well thought out, crunchy power chords well suited for head banging and air guitar mayhem. Without lyrics, the songs just don’t stick with me as much as they would have with vocals, but the guys play with conviction and exuberance that makes this a really cool listening experience.

Grab a copy and let the heavy sounds flow over you and turn the lights down to get the full experience. A very interesting album that will be a definite addition to your stoner rock collection.

https://www.facebook.com/zollezollezolle  http://www.zolle.org/

https://www.facebook.com/pages/SUPERNATURALCAT/73791529788

http://www.supernaturalcat.com/home.html