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, 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

Genres: Deathcore, Hardcore, Metalcore
Label: Independent
Format: CD (Physical Promo)

Marry Me, Murder are a local band, who some will remember were one of the bands at the first Funeral Rain Records show. They have since gone on to press some merch and record themselves an ep proper. Five tracks of MMM’s brand of death influenced hardcore is something I’ve been hoping to hear ever since I saw them live. I wondered if they would be able to pull off their show in a studio, and it would seem that they did.
The heavy Killswitch Engage/Sepultura/Alexisonfire style riffage that I loved from these guys is in full force. Vocals are pretty varied, from death growls to clean singing. I just wish I could remember which dude is Dion and which is Rick! Drums and bass are solid, with some gorgeous snap on the snare, but I would have personally brought the bass up just a bit in the mix, or even just turned the mids up a bit more on the amp.
In all, this is a great first EP. Now if only the band credits were present on it…
7.5 out of 10.

Victimology Tracklisting:
1. Cold Blooded Calibers for Cold Hearted Men
2. Ernie Doesn’t Like the Monsters
3. Crepitus
4. Chivalry is Dead
5. Giant Killer Space Bees Vs. Flying Sharks

Victimology Personnel:
Jaydon Bunney: Drums
Jessey Bunney: Guitar
Dion Amphlett: Vocals
Jake Leggo: Bass
Rick Holmberg: Vocals
Matt Reimer: Guitar

Marry Me, Murder on Facebook.

Genre: Heavy, Black, Doom Metal 
Label: Independent

You would not believe the size of the smile on my face when this little gem materialized in my mailbox. I metaphorically splooged all over Inverticrux’s (formally known as Vintage Flesh) last album, Hour Of The Night Gaunts, so my expectations are impossibly high for their 2012 release, Virgin Reaper. With an album title like that, they’re well on their way to meeting those standards. What mysteries were to behold within? Were there any other changes along side the band name? My mind is racing with the wondrous possibilities…

Immediately, I’m ecstatic to find that the schizophrenic genre melding remains in Inverticrux’s own patented style.  Mixing elements of classic heavy metal, some toned down doom metal and slivers of black metal to make something that’s original and easily distinguishable as belonging to these New Hampshire psychopaths!

Holy… was that a harmonica? Fuck yes! I’ve always said that more metal bands should utilize the power found inside this little magical wind instrument! Granted it’s only found in the song A Cautionary Tale, but I’d rather it be in only one track than in none at all. Personal excitement over discovering the use of an under appreciated instrument aside, the overall instrumentation in Virgin Reaper has a crusty, filthiness going for it that rarely gets the praise it deserves when it’s discovered outside of punk or related versions of black metal. I for one am stoked to find it here!

More praise is to be sent vocalist RayPissed’s way! He changed up his vocal tactic this time around by ditching the constant falsetto (which so many others apparently had a problem with) and replacing it with more variety. Gruff, but not tough guy vocals lead the way while being backed up with the occasional higher end tune and and even better still version of his haunting bellowing! The guy is a vocal genius!

The production is another tally in the positive side of things. Everything sounds much crisper than it did in Hour Of The Night Gaunts while still completely down and dirty. And let’s talk about that cover art! The titular character is clutching his recently used scythe in one hand and a bloody cherry in the other while standing on a pile of skulls, surrounded by blood drenched, big titted chicks! Fucking METAL!!!

Overall: Tinkle me pink to find out that Virgin Reaper holds it’s own against it’s predecessor with it’s stylistic variations and crusty similarities! Inverticrux is a band that knocks down genre expectations and will continue to do what they wish, when they wish on into the future and Funeral Rain will be right there behind them, cheering them on all the way!

10/10

Inverticrux On Facebook 

Genre: Heavy Metal
Label: Independent

Metal Warriors Part 2, eh? So… what’s it going to be then? It’s not a split since there is only the one group credited. Is it a tribute album? Kinda. Though, I’d call it more of a compilation of cover songs. And Y.O.C. (as in Yalin Ongun Cosgun, after the vocalist) covers quite a bit in this here cover comp! From 80′s thrash (Metallica) to the super shreddy type stuff (Malmsteen) to Paul Dianno era Iron Maiden.

But the question still remains: Is it any good? Read on…

First up on this seven track disc is Flotsam & Jetsam’s Monster… ok, so we’re off to a bad start. But I can’t rightfully blame the guys in Y.O.C. for this craptastic song. Although, they did choose to put it on this compilation… It’s a great cover of a bad song. Walk away taking that one however you want to.

Up next, we’ve got Iron Maiden’s Remember Tomorrow… Now. We’re. Talking! Not only is this a great cover of a great song, it’s a perfect choice to throw listeners into the mood that Y.O.C. was undoubtedly shooting for! I personally would of scrapped Monster and started off with this one.

And now, onto my my favorite song choice on Metal Warriors Part 2: Blitzkrieg! The best part of this cover is the fact that you can tell that they were listening to A Time Of Changes and not Garage Inc. when they decided to cover this.  A cover, well done.

Regrettably, Y.O.C. cover Metallica’s Battery next. I’m fucking tired of hearing this song! The original and all of the other covers (even Van Canto’s cover of this song kills me on some level) will soon be stricken from my iTunes library if this shit keeps up! To be fair, it’s a decent enough cover instrumentally, though the vocalist’s style just doesn’t seem to sync up through most of the song.

Yngwie Malmsteen’s I Am A Viking? InstaWin! Next track!

Yay! I can bitch again thanks to this cover of Axel Rudi Pell’s Eyes Of The Lost! Look, if this is just a vocal cover compilation, then just do songs that feature the vocalist like this. But thus far, we’ve had track after track that require some skill on the guitarist/bassist and drummer’s parts as well. But again, it’s a good cover so… you know?

Finally, we come to a cover of TORANAGA’s Sword Of Damocles. Gotta be honest, I never heard the original before and by the sound of this cover, I won’t be checking it out. It’s thrashy/heavy metal-y, but it still manages to not be near my cup-o-tea. Sorry guys, ya lost me here.

And that’s that! I HATE cover compilations. Even more, I HATE reviewing them. But as far as these things go, this one wasn’t really bad at all. I got bored listening to songs that I already knew and in most cases, heard much better covers of already. But I didn’t roll my eyes or impatiently wait for the track to finish nearly as often as I normally do.

Overall: If you can’t get enough cover songs, you’ll probably dig this seven track compilation. But if you’re like the rest of us, it’ll wear you down pretty damned quick.

7.5/10

Y.O.C. On MySpace