Füneral Rain Press Cörps

Genre: Death Metal
Label: Dark Descent Records

Gravehill’s metal of death is a force to be reckoned with, and their newest album hits with even more of that force, enough to bang your head and shake your fist.
A higher level of technicality (due to a new guitarist, primarily) but not while compromising the raw brutality that Gravehill endeared themselves to me with, When All Roads Lead To Hell is a feast of riffs and solos, and Mike Abominator’s unique vocals are better understood while still sounding like he’s choking on sandpaper. Fucking awesome!
Mike was quoted as saying that When All Roads Lead To Hell is a better album than Rites of the Pentagram, and even though all bands say that he meant it. And I agree. I loved Rites…, but …Roads… IS better!
Throw in a secret track consisting of a cover of AC/DC’s “If You Want Blood (You Got It)”, and you’ve got a fucking brilliant disc of human hating, Christ bashing death metal.
9 out of 10.

Gravehill on Facebook.
Gravehill on MySpace.

Genres: Hardcore, Metal, Punk, Rock
Labels: Indie Recordings, The End Records

As anyone who comes along these parts knows, we don’t get much punk reviewed. So when I was offered to review Kvelertak’s debut full length, I jumped at it immediately. Then when I saw it has John Baizley’s trademark style of art for the cover, I was immediately intrigued even further.
I mean, fuck man, it’s an OWL with TENTACLES and FLOWERS and WOMEN!
Anyway, the music. Kvelertak are a strange Norway band that mixes a couple genres together, but mostly it’s hardcore and punk at it’s… hard core. Bad joke. Screaming in their native tongue, which throws the listener off at first, Kvelertak’s self-titled is a gorgeous intro for those that haven’t heard them, and a refreshing change of pace from the standards in punk rock right now, where everything is English-spoken.
The album is full of rifftastic music that reminds me of everything from Black Flag to AC/DC, showing their influences off like it’s going out of style, with a vocalist that sounds like he should be in a nuthouse. In other words, pretty damn sweet. Throw in a couple instances of a blackening touch and some slightly death moments, and it’s a disc full of schizophrenic win; no wonder why Kvelertak has won two Spellmann Awards (Norway’s Grammy Award). It’s hitting North American shelves in eight days (with killer bonus tracks!), so go get it.
8.5 out of 10.

Kvelertak on MySpace.

Genre: Melodic Death Metal
Label: Casket Music

Melodic death metal from England, but originally from New Zealand, Monsterworks steps up to fill an interesting void that I didn’t know existed. Inspired by Deicide and Queen, full of melodeath riffage (think early In Flames, Dark Tranquillity, and Cynic) and mixed death and classic metal vocals (Cryptopsy, AC/DC), The God Album is a really good listen.
It’s definitely not for everyone (hipsters beware!), as it’s a little bit of a tough-to-digest listen if you’re not fluent in metal. True fans of multiple genres will find this to their tastes I’m sure.
Favorite tracks are “Everything You Believe is a Lie”, “The Enemy of My Enemy”, and the album closer “(Hymn of) Fire”.
7 out of 10.

Monsterworks on Facebook.
Monsterworks on MySpace.

Genres: Doom, Stoner Rock
Label: Napalm Records

It’s been a long time since I’ve listened to Monster Magnet. Ever since “Space Lord” was a hit video, really. And I’m glad I got the chance to check this new album out.
As it was back in the day, Monster Magnet is the perfect stoner’s guitar album. Riff after riff this album is solid, something heavy to always bang your head to. Lyrically, and vocally, Dave Wyndorf is in full form, displaying an interesting and strong voice, and one that sounds like no other in the industry. And damn can the man SING!
Each song seems strong enough that it can be a radio single, and I really would love to see videos made for each one, with Dave Wyndorf writing and directing them. But that would probably never happen, but one can dream, right?
My favorite song, “Gods and Punks”, is destined for greatness, getting played on the radio in ten, twenty, thirty years from now in the same pile as AC/DC’s “Thunderstruck”, Metallica’s “Master of Puppets”, and Black Sabbath’s “Paranoid”.
The song after, “The Titan Who Cried Like a Baby”, reminds me of Danzig, while the title track has a flavor that only Monster Magnet could make; it’s the same flavor that many current rock bands on the radio are trying to cop, and not quite being as successful at. In fact, “The Titan…” is a total aural oddity compared to the rest of the album, as it’s the only song that sounds not quite like Monster Magnet. Everything else is a wha and reverb drenched rock ‘n’ roll extravaganza that takes you to a completely different plane of existance. Even the slower “Time Machine” sounds more like Monster Magnet.
In all, Mastermind is an achievement in both sound and look (the cover was done by the same folks who’ve worked with Wolfmother, Chris Cornell, Foo Fighters, and more), and it proves the hype that yes, in fact, the Space Lord is Back!
8.5 out of 10.

Genres: Hard Rock, Heavy Metal, Rock
Labels: Armoury Records, Mystic Production

The second album out of three from Eagle Rock’s package, Black River is a very nice surprise. Especially considering that two of the members are from the Polish blackened death legends Behemoth, and this album is really nowhere near black or death metal.
In fact, it’s pretty much straight up cock rock right out of the pages of AC/DC’s Book of Writing. And damn it is an asskicker of an album. It’s hard, heavy, and pure fun. Lyrically, it’s about drugs, drinking, and fucking, so there’s really no reason why you shouldn’t own this.
8 out of 10.

Black River on MySpace.