Füneral Rain Press Cörps

Genre: Power Metal
Label: Independent

Few things put a wider smile on my face than receiving a package in the mail that contains pure, unadulterated power metal! I guess that the guys in Dawn Of Valor knew that I was feeling a little down a few days ago since they sent me an EP containing three solid track of just that! And guess what? I’m all fucking smiles once again!

I dug Dawn Of Valor’s self titled 2010 demo enough to give it an 8/10 rating. Upon listening to it again after listening to Immortal Flame, I’ve noticed that all of the improvement that the band made where due in part to a line-up change. Now, this is kind of shocking to me since I’m a guy who doesn’t like changes being applied to things I enjoy (which is one of the reasons why it took me so long to watch David Tennant’s run on Doctor Who after Christopher Eccleston was the lead. I’m so glad I did though! Same with Matt Smith… this tangent went on longer than it should of…).

When I heard that they switched out vocalists, I was more than bummed since I really liked Sean Iredale’s vocal style… but that lasted all of two seconds after Jaden Adair kicked in with some pretty badass power vocals! Similar cheers can be made for Joe Waller’s frantic drumming and Andrew Johnson’s axemanship. And after all was said and done, I consider the roster update a resounding success!

I don”t normally single out songs and praise/bitch about them in my reviews (I’ve been told that I should do it more often), but Immortal Flame makes it hard not to with Valkyrie Sky. This track is pure power metal perfection! Heavy, melodic, mid-tempo to start and then cuts loose into a bitchin’ solo that, if you’re not ready for it could send you straight to Valhalla! Also, this genre is riddled with shitty lyricism, so mad props to John Leibel for stitching this masterpiece together.

Oh, and the icing on this already scrumptiously fattening cake of powah? The closing track, There Can Be Only One is about… shit, do I really have to tell you? …although, maybe I should since that series is plagued with towering mountains of bullshit that might throw some people off. The song based on the first Highlander flick and it does this particular sacred cow more justice than ANY of the sequels!

Gripe Time (Don’t worry, the list is short.): Ugh! Again with precious time being eaten up by a spoken word intro track! PEEVE! And as much as I enjoy the new stylistic changes to the guitar scheme, I’m a little off put by the solo in Lutetium. It comes off sloppy and maybe a little forced.

Overall: Other than those little ol’ complaints, I can say with my head held high that this EP fucking owns! Here’s to this Immortal Flame burning forever! Cheers!

9/10

Dawn Of Valor Official 
Dawn Of Valor  On Facebook

Abyss Records is pleased to announce the recent signing of Sweden’s Carnivore. Plans are in place for the label to re-release a limited edition version of the band’s EP Faces of Death in early 2012. Carnivore is set to enter the studio in December of this year to record their full-length debut, which will be out sometime next year. Faces of Death is currently streaming on the band’s SoundCloud page.

Carnivore Live Dates:

1/5 – Slaughterhouse – Växjö, Sweden
3/31 – Garf – Växjö, Sweden
TBA – Tilbakakaka Festival
TBA – Säljeryd Festival
5/19 – 5/20 Westbay Heaven n Hell Festival

Bio:

Carnivore was formed in 2010 when a former project of three of the members, called Beyond Hell, underwent major line-up changes and decided to make a new start. The band played several local shows during 2010 and in 2011 they recorded a three-song EP called Faces of Death. Faces of Death was released on June 1st, and sold out in 2 hours.
Carnivore‘s musical style is based on old school elements with a modern and progressive touch, as well as an philosophical and occult lyrical element.

Daniel Ocic Sundberg – Vocals
Tobias Pettersson – Guitar
Jonas Davidsson – Guitar
Cedrik Petersson – Bass
Marcus Nieminen – Drums

Genre: Stoner Metal
Label: Independent

I’d just like to start of this review by saying that a lesser band would of wrote me off as a hack or complete ballbag for labeling them as “Brutal Queercore” while questioning what the band’s moniker, “Pinkzilla” meant. (Thanks for the second chance guys!) After blowing my mind with their 2010 demo, Pinkzilla has set the bar pretty fucking high for themselves. Can this big gay lizard make the leap? Let’s read on…

It should be noted that only three of these songs are made up of new material. The other three are re-recordings… holy shit! They’re good ones too!

All the old influences are present in this debut, self-titled album: Black Sabbath, Orange Goblin, Blue Cheer (the colors man! THE COLORS!!!) and the like. So basically, you’ve got yourself a smorgasbord of slammin’ stonery-sludge metal! Vocalist/Guitarist Skyler Wells does an outstanding job at the front of the line, barking out chemically induced insanity with the efficiency of a cattle auctioneer while slinging some pretty wicked riffs ad nauseum! The same can be said about Nate Overholser’s bass work. There is just enough funk in between these slammin’ lines for all of his material to be deemed, “Stonerific” (according to my fiance). And then we come to the drums… yes. Simply, yes. I swear, every time I listen to this album, my heart finds a way to match the beat to each song!

Gah! Gastronaut is the worst song ever! C’mon guys! You’re seriously gonna put a song about the tastiest stoner snacks in the whole of existence at the end of your album that you practically dare people to puff, puff, pass to!? FUCK YOU PINKZILLA!!! This costs you half a point!

(…I have no food in my house at the moment)

Overall: An improvement in every conceivable way! Pinkzilla is easily one of the best unsigned acts that I’ve heard all year and I’m sure you’ll agree once you pick up this album!

9.5/10

Pinkzilla On Facebook 

Genre: Progressive Metal
Label: Season of Mist

This happy little EP is coming out on transparent blue 10″ vinyl and CD. And by happy I mean boner-inducing prog metal happy.
Sing-along choruses are put to real effective use on Carbon-Based Anatomy, especially in my favorite track, “Box Up My Bones”, while crunchy heavy riffs are under the leads that soar and spin with grace, beauty, and perfection. The lush sounds, amazing solos, and beautiful singing that Cynic fans have come to enjoy ever since Focus are even more omnipresent here. Synths bubble and churn, with precise drumming that has a real human hand attached to it, and both are still done by Sean Reinert. The bass work is, as usual, amazing, taken care of by Sean Malone, who is no longer in the band.
There is a real sense of wonder with Carbon-Based Anatomy, a feeling of freedom and exploration heretofore only really glimpsed at with Focus and Traced in Air. It is as if the guys picked up their instruments and said “Play. No matter what comes out, if it’s pushing the Cynic envelope, it’s good to go. No limits, no compromise.” It’s inspiring to say the least, and I can’t wait for my record to arrive.
9 out of 10.

Cynic on Facebook.

Genres: Doom, Sludge
Label: Anthropic Records

One of my favorite labels has sent me a shiny new record! And it’s on transparent green vinyl! And it’s a fucking MONSTER of a record too!

Needless to say, I was pretty stoked to give this a spin, even on my asshole of a record player that doesn’t seem to want to send sound to the speakers properly. And for some reason, maybe because it understood the awesomeness of the vinyl, the speakers were sounding great. Thank you record player. Thank you.

Now, on to the review!

Side A is Philly’s Sadgiqacea, facestomping their way through two tracks (“The Great Divide”, “Avianizer”). Doom as doom can doom, these guys are so fucking awesome. I thought their older tracks on Bandcamp were great, but these two songs throw those into the mud. If you’re into stuff like Five Will Die, Black Tusk, Fight Amp, Bison B.C., and the Side B band Grass, you should check these guys out. If you don’t know what I’m talking about when I mention those bands, think of an angry Black Sabbath with Henry Rollins getting punched in the face by Justin Broadrick as the vocalist. 10 out of 10.

Side B is another Philly doom as fuck band, who continue to kick the shit out of their listeners and amps after Sadgiqacea leave off, who they also follow in the same vein musically. I feel sorry for stages and moshers that these guys play for, because if this is indicative of all their stuff (my first time hearing Grass), they destroy shit. Bleeding ears, noses, and knuckles all around. 10 out of 10.

Math should be obvious here. 10 out of 10.

Sadgiqacea on Facebook.
Grass on Facebook.