Funeral Rain Press Corps

Genre: Heavy Metal, Speed Metal

Label: Heavy Artillery Records

NONE of you have any idea how badly I have been wanting for this day to come! I’ve been following these lads since they were Final Awakening (sort of) then Leatherwitch and then finally, Spellcaster. “I can’t wait until the demo comes out.” It did. I reviewed it. “Can’t wait for the EP to launch!” It did. I reviewed it. “Hey guys, when’s the album gonna get here?”

Oh, it’s here…

Under The Spell features re-recordings of all of the songs from the EP Spells Of Speed (minus the live tracks) so there’s an instant metal boner for anyone who missed out on all the glory of Locked-On or Chainsaw Champion. In addition to old favorites, the soon-to-be new crowd favorite, Nite Of The Hellbeast and insta-pit-stigator, Molten Steel and more join the ever grown ranks of completely off the wall classics that Spellcast farts out like three alarm chili!

Thomas Adams still sounds as powerful as ever, especially since they went back and did retakes of when he faltered a wee bit back on the EP. The track, Sands Of Fear is where he gets to kick you in the ass the hardest with his unique brand of vocals. He even dips into some growls from time to time!

Cory and Tyler still have it in spades when it comes to whipping up neck-wreckin’ riffs! I dare you to listen to Molten Steel and NOT try to bang your head and play air-guitar! And let’s talk about the human beer can that is Shad Covert and his ability to expand on a gallop beat until it’s a living, fire breathing entity… shit! Shad actually conjured the goddamned Hellbeast!

Holy fuck! I can hear Gabe playing the shit outta his bass this time around! It sounds glorious and all, but in Power Rising, there’s a few spots were it kind of fluctuates from the background to the foreground in a odd bit of a mixing snafu. No real harm done though. You just REALLY get to hear what he’s made of for a few seconds!

There is one thing I should bring up though. As far as “new” material goes (they’re all technically new since they were all re-recorded) there’s three totally new tracks and an minute, forty-one intro on an eight track album. Some may find this bullshitty, but most of us won’t care to terribly much.

Overall: The spells have been cast, the posers slain and your life has been given meaning! Under The Spell is every bit as mind blowing as you thought it’d be and maybe even a little more! Recommenced for fans of… well, METAL!

9/10

Spellcaster On Reverbnation

Spellcaster On Facebook

Genre: Heavy Metal, Speed Metal
Label: Stormspell Records

YES! From the ashes of 80’s powerhouse thrash outfit Sentinel Beast comes a juggernaut of equal fury and greater presence, Fischel’s Beast! Formed by ex-Sentinel Beast guitarist Barry Fischel with the intent to (finally) produce the material that would have been Sentinel Beast’s follow-up EP to “Depths Of Death”, “Commencement”. Each song on this six song EP was either written of partial put together by the old Beast, but was tweaked and completed by the new Beast. “Commencement” is a heavy, power/thrash outing that is more than deserving of your attention if you’ve even heard of Sentinel Beast!

“But Typhon,” you ask, “how does it compare to ‘Depths Of Death’?” Well, it’s a completely different animal. Not better or worse, just different. Of course, “Commencement” was recorded twenty-two years later so it has a more polished (i.e., better quality) sound. Throw a pair of balls on Debbie Gunn and teacher her to carry a tune and you’ve got new blood vocalist Anthony Cross. Helluva guy, this one is! Six string slinger Barry Fischel is in top form as he shreds the shit out of these five (plus an intro) tracks! Add on to this splendidly wonderful package a guest spot from world renowned guitar virtuoso Chris Caffery and “Commencement” blows it’s classic semi-predecessor out of the goddamn water!

Overall: Commencement fucking kills! It’s hard, it’s fast, it’s the natural evolution of metal! Check it out NOW!

9/10

Genres: Punk, Speed Metal, Thrash
Label: Suffering Jesus Productions

Pistöns bring an album of ten hard hitting, ass kicking, and beer swilling rock songs in the vein of Motörhead and oldschool punk, with some metal riffs thrown in.
A trio if Italians who love to rock out with songs about rocking out, how cool their friends are, and how they are number one, Pistöns is a fucking great listen, and it’s goddamn hard to drive around without cranking the shit out of my car stereo and driving around with my windows down.
Oh, and the speed limit is impossible to obey with this going. They get a 7.5 out of 10.
So if you want to listen to some hard rock that will make you headbang, check out Pistöns. No commercialism, this is a kick to head of rock music.

Pistöns on MySpace.

NOTE: This is an old review, moved here from the Funeral Rain Zine MySpace.

Genre: Heavy Metal, Power Metal, Speed Metal
Label: Stormspell Records

About a year ago, Darkblack released an album under the name, The Sellsword… and it was glorious. So for me and many others, Midnight Wraith’s release is an epic event in and of itself. Ah, but here’s the rub; will it live up to it’s magnificent metal masterpiece of a predecessor? The answer: Oh good lord, YES!

Right off the bat there’s a noticeable improvement: they fixed the mixing problem I bitched a little too much about in my review of The Sellsword. So now, Tim Smith’s pitch perfect for preaching the metal pipes are out front where they belong! Not to be outdone, Anthony Crocamo’s axe swingin’ is tip-top notch, akin to that of maybe a Glenn Tipton and a energetic Kyle Shutt. And since Midnight Wraith’s tempo never shifts too far from mid paced, so you’ll get some thick riffs from time to time, but he never skip on the groove. Ohhhh yeah!

Other than the obvious length issue, I have nothing to gripe about.  Midnight Wraith blends all of the truly classic forms of metal into a super metal that cannot be stopped! Darkblack RULES! Period.

Overall: This release is everything I’ve come to expect from Darkblack and am damn glad that the need for anything, even an EP went answered. They read my emails! (Only kidding folks.)

10/10

Darkblack On MySpace

Genres: Crust, Hardcore, Speed Metal
Label: Southern Lord

A nice little EP here in Razor to Oblivion. It’s fast, hard, and heavy as fuck. In your face type of hardcore crossed with an almost Motörhead-meets-Bathory sound. It’s no wonder why crust punk scenesters are loving this band and the vinyl version sold out almost immediately.
Favourite track of the four is “Fatal Error”.
8 out of 10.

Black Breath on MySpace.