Corrosive: Nourished By Blood (Independent)
Corrosive comes out hitting hard with this fourth release, packing their thick, straight death metal sound with all the compulsory guitar chugs and blast beats, and then some. But it’s the brutal vocals that really solidify this release as something legitimate and not a batch of amateur-sounding imitation songs, regardless of how formulaic the record may be.
After an obligatory creepy minute-and-a-half-long intro, the album delivers track after track of brutal death metal, successfully serving up echoes of the original Florida death metal scene in the 1980s. It’s punchy and raw, its intentions are clear and it’s well-executed, but its just on the border of being a little too generic. Simply put, there isn’t anything on Nourished By Blood that you couldn’t find on another death metal record. Still, it’s got some killer tunes, and its worth a thorough listen. 7/10
Black Sheets Of Rain: In The Eye Of The Storm EP (W.A.R. Productions)
With an intro and five songs, this EP gives us a pretty good idea for what we should expect out of a full-length record from Black Sheets Of Rain. The Super-ish trio, made up of former members of groups including Atomkraft, Toy Dolls and Solomon Groove have taken an old-school approach with the song writing, performance and production on their debut EP. The music has rings of prominent NWOBHM bands, proudly displaying its influences, only it lacks the instant-classic feel much of the music from the scene had.
The guitar work on this EP is its strongest point, with memorable riffs and nice, precise playing throughout. A particular highlight is the solo in Through The Storm, though aside from the solo, that song isn’t quite as others like Still Spark Something and No Rest. When the EP ends, it feels like there should be more. Guess we’ll have to wait for a full-length one of these days. 7/10
Heavy As Texas: Heavy As Texas (Crunchy Western Records)
Well, in Heavy As Texas, we’ve found a Greta Van Fleet to Pantera’s Led Zeppelin. Seriously. This record sounds like a Pantera tribute band playing original songs—only the songs are nowhere near as good as Pantera songs. Then there’s the playing. The guitar sounds like someone copying everything Dimebag did, without the personal flavour and a significant amount less ability. Ditto for the drums, which sound like a drum machine programmed to play Vinnie Paul’s parts. The singer sounds like a guy at karaoke night whose friends always tell him he sounds just like Phil Anselmo. He’s got maybe half as much vocal skill. Maybe if these guys developed their own style, they could be alright. But as long as they’re trying to be Pantera, its clear they’re never going to be anywhere near as good as the real thing, and any attention they attract will be full of comparisons. This record is a band setting itself up for failure. 3/10
Monolyth: A Bitter End/A Brave New World (Independent)
An interesting mix of greasy thrash, old-school death metal and modern heavy metal, Monolyth’s debut record packs a few surprises, but none that fail to work within the songs. While elements of thrash and death are incorporated, the songs are still unconventional, using a warmer, much more NWOBHM sounding guitar tone and more high-up riffs than you’d typically hear in those styles. Some of the choruses are taken straight from 2000s metalcore, but that’s not a bad thing if you’re into that style, along with the older styles this album channels. Betrayed Again is a definite highlight, driven by a series of kicking riffs and a strong and versatile vocal performance. The two title tracks are standouts as well, playing out something like an epic story, and the latter has the best guitar solo on the record. This is a really cool album for someone looking for something a little different, but not so different that there should be an argument over whether it’s really metal or not. 7/10
Corrosive comes out hitting hard with this fourth release, packing their thick, straight death metal sound with all the compulsory guitar chugs and blast beats, and then some. But it’s the brutal vocals that really solidify this release as something legitimate and not a batch of amateur-sounding imitation songs, regardless of how formulaic the record may be.
After an obligatory creepy minute-and-a-half-long intro, the album delivers track after track of brutal death metal, successfully serving up echoes of the original Florida death metal scene in the 1980s. It’s punchy and raw, its intentions are clear and it’s well-executed, but its just on the border of being a little too generic. Simply put, there isn’t anything on Nourished By Blood that you couldn’t find on another death metal record. Still, it’s got some killer tunes, and its worth a thorough listen. 7/10
Black Sheets Of Rain: In The Eye Of The Storm EP (W.A.R. Productions)
With an intro and five songs, this EP gives us a pretty good idea for what we should expect out of a full-length record from Black Sheets Of Rain. The Super-ish trio, made up of former members of groups including Atomkraft, Toy Dolls and Solomon Groove have taken an old-school approach with the song writing, performance and production on their debut EP. The music has rings of prominent NWOBHM bands, proudly displaying its influences, only it lacks the instant-classic feel much of the music from the scene had.
The guitar work on this EP is its strongest point, with memorable riffs and nice, precise playing throughout. A particular highlight is the solo in Through The Storm, though aside from the solo, that song isn’t quite as others like Still Spark Something and No Rest. When the EP ends, it feels like there should be more. Guess we’ll have to wait for a full-length one of these days. 7/10
Heavy As Texas: Heavy As Texas (Crunchy Western Records)
Well, in Heavy As Texas, we’ve found a Greta Van Fleet to Pantera’s Led Zeppelin. Seriously. This record sounds like a Pantera tribute band playing original songs—only the songs are nowhere near as good as Pantera songs. Then there’s the playing. The guitar sounds like someone copying everything Dimebag did, without the personal flavour and a significant amount less ability. Ditto for the drums, which sound like a drum machine programmed to play Vinnie Paul’s parts. The singer sounds like a guy at karaoke night whose friends always tell him he sounds just like Phil Anselmo. He’s got maybe half as much vocal skill. Maybe if these guys developed their own style, they could be alright. But as long as they’re trying to be Pantera, its clear they’re never going to be anywhere near as good as the real thing, and any attention they attract will be full of comparisons. This record is a band setting itself up for failure. 3/10
Monolyth: A Bitter End/A Brave New World (Independent)
An interesting mix of greasy thrash, old-school death metal and modern heavy metal, Monolyth’s debut record packs a few surprises, but none that fail to work within the songs. While elements of thrash and death are incorporated, the songs are still unconventional, using a warmer, much more NWOBHM sounding guitar tone and more high-up riffs than you’d typically hear in those styles. Some of the choruses are taken straight from 2000s metalcore, but that’s not a bad thing if you’re into that style, along with the older styles this album channels. Betrayed Again is a definite highlight, driven by a series of kicking riffs and a strong and versatile vocal performance. The two title tracks are standouts as well, playing out something like an epic story, and the latter has the best guitar solo on the record. This is a really cool album for someone looking for something a little different, but not so different that there should be an argument over whether it’s really metal or not. 7/10