Funeral Rain Press Corps

Genre: Heavy Metal, Thrash, Groove
Label: Self-Released

Having been a substantial fan of a gift EP entitled We Bleed Disaster, I was practically drooling at the arrival of Stonecreep’s latest effort, The Death March Crushes On. Will it live up to the ridiculously high expectations I set up for it? Only the next few lines of mediocre reviewing will tell…

The Deathmarch Crushes On is the second full-length album from this Portland, Oregon based act and does everything it can to make you forget about everything else in their catalog! Heavy, frantic riffs are scattered about TDCO in equal parts awesome and badass, while the blasty drum work speed along at about a billion light-leagues per second! Vocally, Matt Litton jumps from half-clean singing, to gravelly growling, to deathly bellows, all within the same tune. You’d think that that would be a little much, but no. It’s not. I promise you, it’s just right!

Overall: Living up to my expectations, The Deathmarch Crushes On is a exercise is speed, melody and neck-wreckature! A classic entry for fans of old school heavy metal or anything that will annoy the piss out of your neighbors at three o’clock in the morning.

8.5/10

Stonecreep On MySpace

Originally Post On E-MetalSpace

Genres: Speed , Thrash, Heavy Metal
Label: Self-Released

Terra Caput Mundi throws most conventional thought out the window with Warp Speed Warriors. Each track features a tale of mystery, intrigue, galactic travel, horrific slaughter and an abundance of Speeeeeeeeeeed! These thrash/speed mongers pick up riffs at light speed and advance to Ludicrous Speed without warning (or enough time to buckle up first).

Terra Caput Mundi is metal through and through. Warp Speed Warriors drills a hole in your skull with it’s Kreator meets Maiden guitar schemes and burrows deep into your grey matter with it’s rabid beats and vicious soloing.

Overall: If you dig old school speed metal, this album is for you! And since mind-bending stories reside within each of these songs, you‘ll be satisfying the sci-fi/D&D geek in you while simultaneously wrecking your neck! Pick up Warp Speed Warriors and give it an ear read! (Available at hobby stores and sweaty nerd comic shops across the country. Also, watch out for the comic adaptation of Warp Speed Warriors from EC Comics… in my dreams… damn…)

8.5/10

Terra Caput Mundi on MySpace

Genres: Hardcore, Hard Rock
Label: Self-Released

Give ‘Em Hell, eh? The tile alone conjures up images of big sweaty dudes (with bald or very short hair) with trendy tattoos on their crossed arms while posing for their band photo. And while that might be true in The L.R.A.’s case (I don‘t know for sure since I didn‘t check their MySpace page…), you can’t judge a book by it’s cover. So let’s read on…

Give ‘Em Hell is, at it’s heart an anthem album, with songs that say things like “Fuck you!” and “Fuck off!” and “I’m a maniac!” and so on, and so on. Sure the lyrics are pretty overdone, but somehow The L.R.A. manage to make some headway in the “Just Plain Fun” department. Sure they sound like Pantera-Breed with smidgens of Thin-Sabbath, so excuse me for have a good ol’ time with Give ’Em Hell.

Overall: The tough guy bravado gets a little old in this hard rock/heavy metal hybrid, but it’s an enjoyable experience all together. Again, it’s nothing you’ve never heard before but there’s a shit ton of potential that’s bubbling under the surface.

7/10

The LRA on MySpace

Genres: Black, Ambient
Label: Self Released

Our good friend Noctuaria of the Italian black metal outfit (and one of the best bands to ever submit anything to E-MetalSpace) Nebrus, comes back at us with a new project with the moniker, Flusso Delirante Persecutorio and it’s debut album, Visioni Di Morte.

Now, this is my first real experience with minimalist/ambient black metal… Ok, that’s a lie. It’s my first foray into this genre that I’ve come out actually, factually liking the experience I had with it. It follows the loose formula well with long periods of half silence that are interrupted strange noises such as; a ticking clock, footsteps, creaking, something that kind of sounds like the beginning of the THX sound test, moaning, chanting and of course, Noctuaria’s patented brand of creepy as hell, yet somehow arousing vocals (mostly as a raspy whisper this time around).

Overall: If you’re a fan of this genre, you probably won’t find anything new here, but it’s executed well enough for you to get a kick out of it still. What’s more is that it’s as creepy as anything Stalaggh has put out, but nowhere near as shitty. Check it out and help support some of Italy’s most talented musicians.

8.5/10

Flusso Delirante Persecutorio on MySpace

Originally posted at E-MetalSpace

Genres: Hardcore, Metal
Label: Self Released

Being a tremendous fan of their live show, I couldn’t wait to hear Endless Rage’s demo on my own time, in the comfort of my own living room. And I’m happy to say that Endless Rage lives up to their reputation and their name! A torrent of violent riffs and brutal ‘core-roars engulfed my room of living and transformed it into a one man, one dog and two cats circle pit!

Influences range from Lamb Of God to Cannibal Corpse to Amon Amarth and it shows in the melodic, yet crushing rhythms that inhabit each and every neck snapping song! The vocalist has a powerful yell that you know is rage (and beer) fueled. Sometimes, he kinda sounds like Bender covering a Pantera tune. (Reinventing His Shinny Metal Ass?) Meanwhile, the leads are distinct and have the tendency to go all over the place in a good way. Soaring high and chugging through your skull!

Overall: Endless Rage is every bit as good on compact disc as they are live! You many still even suffer a concussion anyway! …when you trip over your cat and smack your head on your desk… fucking Odysseus…

9/10

Endless Rage on MySpace

Originally posted at E-MetalSpace