Funeral Rain Press Corps

Genre: Instrumental Psychedelic Rock
Label: Independent
Format: Digital Promo (Freeman Promotions)

Ninth Moon Black hail from the USA, specifically Eugene, Oregon, right in the Pacific Northwest, and they are currently promoting their latest release of psychedelic rock instrumentals.
Having never heard of these chaps and lady before, I was very intrigued when I saw the album cover. I love the band name, and with a translated title to mean Time Eater, it just seemed right up my alley. Barely two minutes into the first track, “Renascentia”, and I knew I was going to like this.
The music really reminds me at times of Tool (especially their Lateralus era), and then the Pink Floyd elements kick in, opening whole new sound palettes that Ninth Moon Black explore. The songs all meld together, creating one gapless track in essence, but each song is truly it’s own at the same time, and it’s good enough to throw onto repeat for a few listens in a row.
One of the bonuses for everyone is that the album is available at Bandcamp for a Pay-What-You-Want. The link is below. Also, it will hit vinyl soon through Orca Wolf Records.
Favorite songs are “Via Dolorosa” and  ”Mors Carnis”.
7 out of 10.

Chronophage Tracklisting:
1. Renascentia
2. Via Dolorosa
3. Bestia Devorat Tempus
4. Mors Carnis
5. Animus Lumino
6. Numeratio

Chronophage Personnel:
Erin – Guitar/Visuals
Caleb – Bass
Kasey – Drums
Eric – Keyboards
Atom – Guitar

Ninth Moon Black Official.
Ninth Moon Black on Facebook.
Ninth Moon Black on Bandcamp.

Genre: Hardcore, Punk, Grind
Label: Independent 

After submitting my review for Seizure Crypt a couple of days ago, it was suggested that I gave another hardcore band from New York a shot. After a couple of days of letting Expendable Humans sink in, it is crystal clear that I owe my brother-in-metal, Dave, a big ol’ THANK YOU!!! I’m not ashamed to say that Vise Massacre had me won over in a matter of minutes with their hyper aggressive hardcore style and filthy, almost grind percussion tactics!

The overall sound that Vise Massacre spits out is a grimy hardcore masterpiece full of fresh ideas and time tested structures. There are tracks here that are reminiscent of If He Dies… He Dies, Oroku and even a little bit of a sped up Fog Wizard. So it’s safe to say that I had a massive erection forming over the first two tracks of this album.

I mentioned aggression just a few sentences ago and I don’t think that that description alone does the mood that this album conveys any justice whatsoever. Imagine walking through a crowded shopping mall, the day after Thanksgiving. You’re overheated, tired from getting up super early and fed up with all of the idiotic mouth breathers that are usurping your oxygen. An overweight house frau steps on your toe and doesn’t so much as break her waddling stride to apologize for crushing your big toe under her bovine hoof that’s crammed inside a two sizes too small croc.

Getting pissed yet?

Well, now imagine that in your hands, you’re holding two .357 Desert Eagles that never need reloading and all of the doors leading out of the mall have been locked from the outside…

Expendable Humans is the soundtrack pumping out of the P.A. system overhead as you mow down the annoying and tolerable alike.

Aggressive! Psychotic! Hateful! Fucking Perfect! Vise Massacre unlock the homicidal maniac in you through their blend of loud pounding drumwork, hardcore bellowing and grinding riffs. Expendable Humans is a hardcore adventure unlike any other that I have gone on before and couldn’t wait to take it again as soon as the album was finished. And I did. Over and over again. Once while I was strolling though the mall even…

Overall: When all is said and done, a recommendation  to listen to this album couldn’t be glowing enough from me. This is easily an album that I could listen to for days on end, tell a friend about it and listen to it with him/her for more days on end! Vise Massacre may prove that humans are expendable, but they themselves are invaluable to the metal/hardcore community!

10/10

-  Typhon

Vise Massacre On ReverbNation
Vise Massacre On Facebook 

Genre: Hardcore
Label: Closed Casket Activities

I’ll be perfectly honest with you guys; I chose to review this album based entirely on the name of the band. Although, I think “Weretigers Fight” or “Where Tigers Fight” would of been better…

Immediately, I’m reminded of the likes of Pulling Teeth (US), Runiner and a prog-less The Pax Cecilia. And that means driving, simplistic beats, roaring screams, gritty riffing and a Take No Shit approach to music! If that sounds like something you’d enjoy, then I suggest you skip the rest of this review and seek this album out because that it exactly what Death Songs exemplifies!

When Tigers Fight do a great job at mixing old school hardcore sentiments and style with the tighter modern style of hardcore without anyone losing face or sounding too “slick”. This journalist appreciates that more than you’ll know since he’s been on the fence about which side of that whole argument to jump over to. And thanks to Death Songs, I can remain comfortably seated for just a while longer.

Lyrically, you have some of the best examples of capturing the stress and angst that come from strife and repression that I have heard in years! The songs just leap out at you and embed themselves in your brainspace and stick with you long after the album is finished! And the fact that they’re delivered by hardcore heavy hitter Mike McTernan make this tiger fight that much more ferocious! McTernan’s shouting on this album is what I’d imagine a human cement mixer would sound like if it suddenly gained sentience and fronted a hardcore band. And I mean on the nose!

If I’m going to fault this album for anything, it’ll be the same thing that haunts most other hardcore/punk releases: repetition. Just about every song sounds similar to the song before it in structure and lyrical content (as awesome as that may be). Other than that, I really shouldn’t complain since they managed to get EVERYTHING else right!

Overall: After listening to When Tigers Fight for less than a minute, you can tell that this is one of those rare bands that is comprised of 100% heart! Don’t let this tremendous piece of hardcore escape your interests and check out Death Songs for yourself and let it speak to you the way it spoke to me.

9/10

-  Typhon

When Tigers Fight On Facebook

Genre: Hardcore, Metal, Punk, Fucking Fun!
Label: Independent

It’s been a while, but hitting play on Seizure Crypt’s latest testament to the D.I.Y. lifestyle, You’ve Been Had, is like reconnecting with an old friend. That may seem weird to anyone who knows about my older reviews (back at E-Metal Reviews/E-MetalSpace) of their albums, Hello My Name Is… MADNESS and Under The Gun since I barely gave the first one a chance and said that the second, “only kind of sucks”. But here, wherever I am and in whatever year this is, I’ve grown older and wiser. And guess what? I think I’ve spent enough time in the Crypt to understand what these motherfuckers are all about!

Where to start…

Well, I guess I can address the fact that this album does, in fact, sound like it was recorded using Do It Yourself methods, but by guys who’ve been doing this sort of thing for a while. Yeah, the sound can be a little rough and grainy at times, but Seizure Crypt seems to know how to tweak it to their advantage. That or their music is so full of “FUCK YOU!” that even sound itself bent the laws of physics to accommodate their hardcore lifestyles! I’m going to go with that last one.

Normally, you don’t go into a Seizure Crypt album thinking that it’s going to be a mindblowingly awesome experience with complex riffs and off-time drumming… and this album is no exception. It’s just simple but entertainingly aggressive punk/hardcore tunes that will be the perfect soundtrack to a wild and drunken night of slamming people through bar furniture! Also note that both vocalists give there all to shout, bark and psychotically rant their message at you in the scuzziest, most street level way possible! It has become a matter of charm at this point, believe it or not.

I’ll probably be cutting this review short since my hard-on for these guys keeps growing and I can’t bring myself to understand why exactly… The guys in Seizure Crypt do what they do because they love to do it. If more bands were like this, then there would be better music all around for everybody!

Overall: I’ve since gone back and listened to my other two Seizure Crypt albums and I can safely say that You’ve Been Had is the best offering to date. If you’re a fan of the D.I.Y. spirit, pick up this album (and maybe the others later) and bang your skull until that gray mush come out! And remember, “Life is not a fad you fucking poser!” Throw yourself into the Crypt!

8/10

-  Typhon

Seizure Crypt Official
Seizure Crypt On Facebook

Genre: Thrash Metal
Label: Slaney Records 

Virginia based thrash metallers Possessor have been exploding heads with their ruthless brand evil metal since around 2009, but if you didn’t know any better (and the production was a little grainier), you’d swear you’ve stumbled upon a lost gem from the early 80′s! I remember when the “old school revival” thing became a trend and fizzled out (mostly) about two years ago. I could of sworn that that was going to be the end of it for a while. Luckily, Slaney Records and Possessor sought to teach me otherwise!

Possessor starts the festivities off in A City Built With Skulls with a distorted introduction that is, honestly, of little importance and is actually pretty boring. Suspense isn’t built at all, just annoyance. HOWEVER, once that intro ends, the fucking SLAUGHTER begins!!! A torrential flood of blood and beer bursts from the floodgates as this Virginian fivesome annihilates EVERYTHING in sight with Taste The Blade! From there, everything only gets better!

The guitars are PERFECT for the feel these guys were going for. Every riff is speedy, blackened and sleazy, right on down to the core! The same can be said for the, some could say, OVER aggressive drumming as well. Naw… we won’t say that! The drumming is spot-fucking-on and dirty as balls! The vocals on the other hand can get to be a little grating at times, but are an overall necessary component to Possessor and their filthiness!

I notice that I’ve been saying “dirty” and other variations of that a bit so far in this review. Well, dirty is what comes to mind when I’m listening to this album. Dirty, nasty, filthy, sleazy fucking metal! You all know what that means and most of you love it!  I know I do!

Overall: I don’t have a clever pun or any cheesy word play for you this time. Just a straight forward command: Check out City Built With Skulls! Shit fucking kills!!!

9/10

-  Typhon

Possessor On Facebook