Funeral Rain Press Corps

Label: Black Lodge
Genre: Heavy Metal

Holy fuck.
So this album’s release date is January 29, 2010, so get ready to order it NOW.
Pretty much right from the start of the track “Where Angels Die” you can tell these guys are fucking serious. They’ve been releasing music since 2004, and this album is their best so far.
The vocalist, Andy Alkman, sounds a lot like Ozzy Osbourne, Blizzard of Ozz era, and uses his voice in similar manners as well. Musically, the rest of the band–Jocke Lundgren, Kent G Svensson, and Henke Lönn–play a style of heavy metal that is closer to 80′s styled metal, with touches of modern hard rock and metal thrown inside. In other words, it’s fucking great.
Riffs that are goddamn crushing, wah solos, and a big sound that was produced by Rikard Löfgren all come together to create something that I LOVE.
Favorite track: “I’m the Crucifix”.
My total score: 9 out of 10.

NOTE: This is an old review, moved here from the Funeral Rain Zine MySpace.

Genres: Brutal Death Metal, Medical Death Metal
Labels: Willowtip, Tankcrimes

I bought The Last Gasp based solely on the cover, and I’m so glad I did.
First I ordered it from Tankcrimes on 12” vinyl, which is a gorgeous piece of art in itself (the Impaled logo and the title on the cover are foiled!), and then I found the CD at HMV finally last night (no foil on it though). The cover that inspired this purchasing is both disgusting and awe inspiring for me.
Just like the music contained within.
This is the kind of death metal that a lot of fans of the genre are going to want to hear. Fast, catchy riffs that are sometimes heavy (“All Gut, No Glory”) or sometimes just brutally face kicking (“You Are The Dead”) with solos that are little mini-songs in themselves, and even have their own titles (“Debris All That You Can Be”, “The Obesity Epidemic”, etc.). I think these guys have definitely listened to their classics like Entombed, Death, Carcass, and the like, but also tons of punk seems to have been a steady diet of at least one of the members. It’s got a little bit of that feel. Add in the fact that members and ex-members were part of Exhumed, Engorged, Hoarfrost, Ghoul, and more, it’s like a death metal orgasm, covered in cow parts.
Lyrically, these guys are very medical, using text book terminology to sicken as well as make you laugh, complete with a band photo with the caption “The Thanatologists of St. Julien’s”, a modified prescription Rx logo (Rxxx) and other fun bits.
Get a copy!
9 out of 10.

Impaled on MySpace.

Genre: Doom
Label: Independent

Brigantia was the second band I’d discovered from Ireland way back in the day, when I first started Funeral Rain, and I’ve been following them since. And finally, even though I’ve listened to it a billion times, I figured I should review their newest E.P., The Chronic Argonauts.
Black Sabbath would be proud to hear this E.P. I think. The Chronic Argonauts truly hearkens to the Ozzy-fronted version of the band, especially the Paranoid album. Another comparison that would be suitable would be Griftegård, one of my favorite doom bands ever.
The bass is nice and mid-range, with gorgeously crunchy guitars that have a beautiful riff structure. Drums are laid back, with a little pop to the snare, but hidden in behind everything, helping to hold it together, not being the lead. Just like classic true dooooooooooom.
It’s available on CD (contact the band via MySpace) as well as a free download.
9 out of 10.

Brigantia on MySpace.

Genre: Black Metal
Label: Victory By Fire Records, Svartgalgh Records

Ahhhh… black metal. Good old fashioned German black metal with mildly depressive overtones. Awesome stuff.
And made all that much more awesome by Ravenfrost, the premier in underground TGBM as far as I can tell. The instrumentation is gorgeous, with hypnotic rhythm guitars and bass, with a nice folky lead at times, which adds another level to the hypnotic tendencies. Like Opeth meets… old Opeth.
Then there’s the parts that sound like old Cradle of Filth sans keyboards meeting Gorgoroth, pure black metal face shots with no remorse.
Fuck I love this album.
I’ll say it again in case you missed it the first time: Fuck I love this album.
9 out of 10.

Genre: Heavy Metal
Labels: Planet Metal/High Roller

From 1984 comes ZÜÜL, a band of pure metal heart and soul. Wait, what? This came out this year? And they’re a newer band? Well now, that throws a bit of perspective on it, doesn’t it?
In the same vein as a ton of real metal bands that are older than myself, ZÜÜL release their newest album and it’s a killer fist pumping disc full of sing-along choruses and riffs as electric as lightning to your face.
If you’re into stuff like Grand Magus, Judas Priest, or Metalian, you’ll probably get a stiff for ZÜÜL.
9 out of 10.

ZÜÜL on MySpace.