Genres: Death Metal, Thrash
Label: Pulverised Records

All hail the Master of old school death metal!
Master’s newest assault on the senses is fast, brutal, and politically charged. There’s great riffs, great solos, and great vocals. But at times it touches cookie-cutter territory, taking the same riff for too long, or similar riffs used in different songs. Thankfully, these times are few and far between, leaving the listener to bang their head to good stuff like “Twisted Truth”, “Suppress Free Thinking”, and the album closer “Impale to Kill”.
If you’re looking for American death metal the way that it should be played, while adding in some thrash and punk elements, look no further than The Human Machine.
7 out of 10.

Master on MySpace.

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Genre: Thrash Thrash Thrashity Thrash
Label: Earache Records

Ok… I just listened to the Extinguish The Weak EP a dozen or so times, Feed The Beast about five more times than that in order to psych myself up to… Exiled To Earth! The upcoming (August 10th. Not too far away…) post-alien occupation concept album set six hundred years in the future!

With obvious influences from the likes of 80’s thrash titans like Testament and Annihilator, there’s sure to be a few nay-sayers out there who will continue their few years running “anti-young thrash bands” tirades (I know who you are and you know who you are)… but(t) fuck ‘em! Exiled To Earth (and Bonded By Blood altogether) is as real as it gets nowadays.

Frontman Aladdin has had some time to hone his vocal assault down to a fine point, focus it on some hapless shmucks and launch it like a poser seeking missile, causing instantaneous cranial collapse! His shouting seems a bit more structured than in Feed the Beast and it’s all for the better. Meanwhile dual axemen Alex and Juan rend and tear through riff raging mosh makers like title track Exiled To Earth, Prototype: Death Machine and Prison Planet! Drummer Carlos blasts, rolls slams his way through everything form toned down intros (Desolate Future) to flash-fests (Cross-Insemination) without *ahem* missing a beat.

Unfortunately, I’d like to give the same kind of glowing praise to bassist Jerry, but I couldn’t fucking hear him! I don’t know if it was due to poor mixing (which would suck since the rest of the mixing aspects seem top notch) or maybe it could have been my speakers. Who knows? It’s a damn shame since I dug his work in Taking Over…

Overall: It looks like in 600 A.B. (After the Bomb), the only things that survive are a handful of humans, cockroaches and head bangin’, neck rippin’ thrash! Bonded By Blood has done it again! Fuck the Crong!

9/10

Bonded By Blood On MySpace

Also Posted On E-MetalSpace

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Genre: Thrash
Label: Independent

Titan’s Eve’s first demo, Into the Fire, is a short little four song thing that just kicks ass. Thrashy, crunchy goodness that’s perfect to bang your head to.
Picture Trivium without the gloss and budget. Nice and heavy, with great riffs and hooks that bring you into the songs and make you join in rather than beat you over the head. Solos are blazing, blistering, and Metalgasmic. This CD is just awesome.
8 out of 10.

Titan’s Eve on MySpace.

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When: Wednesday July 8, 2010
Where: New City Likwid Lounge, Edmonton, Alberta

Long story short, a French death metal band called The Seven Gates were going to be destroying New City with Sonorous Odium as direct support, with Titan’s Eve and Auroch from Vancouver opening the show up. Shit goes down and suddenly The Seven Gates were not able to make it. Sent back to Frace from what I understand to be a passport issue. So Sonorous Odium were given the headliner slot. Now, onwards:

Titan’s Eve took the stage and very quickly impressed me and Mrs. Blaspheme. Their overall sound reminds me of Trivium without the polish, something still thrashy and much more raw. Before and after the set we ended up talking to Brian, their singer, and he’s definitely one of the most humble musicians I’ve met, and a really cool dude too. Wait for that video to hit the intertubes soon!
If you ever get the chance to check Titan’s Eve, do it.

A short while after Titan’s Eve left the stage, their fellow Vancouverites and brothers in metal Auroch stepped up with a very different approach to death metal, one that got them a few fans around the room. Mixing clean vocals, high falsettos, and gutterals all from the same throat, they sound a lot like Morbid Angel in the music department at times. Solos fly like bats out of hell, with intricate leads and intense rhythm, and Lovecraftian lyrics. Really fucking good, they definitely made sure that Sonorous Odium were going to have to be on their A-game.

Which, well, they were. Edmonton’s own pride and joy, Sonorous Odium play melodic death metal that reminds me of Arch Enemy (whom their guitarist sported a shirt by incidentally). They also pay some tribute to black metal in some riffs, going as far as covering Behemoth’s “Demigod” as a show closer. These guys fucking kick ass, and I think you’ll be hearing a lot of them over the next couple years. If not from others, at least from me.

In all, it was a great night. My first show upstairs in Likwid Lounge and I am not disappointed in the least, despite the headliner not showing up. Oh well, maybe next time they’ll make it.

Titan’s Eve on MySpace.
Auroch on MySpace.
Sonorous Odium on MySpace.

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Genre: Metalcore
Label: Metal Blade

So the wife and I are in HMV last night. We were going to pitch half-and-half on a 2 for $25 deal. She chose Rammstein’s Reise, Reise, and I got Arma Gathas. No particular reason other than the facts that Metal Blade put it out, and I’d never heard of Arma Gathas before.
And so after hearing Dead to this World, I’m glad I picked up the album. It’s not the most spectacular album I’ve ever heard, but it sure as hell isn’t boring either. Fast riffs that hearken more to German thrash than Swedish death metal coupled with hardcore vocals with a voice reminiscent of Phil Anselmo are the order of the day with Arma Gathas.
It’s a fun album, upon hearing it, but when you actually listen to it, it takes on a lot more meaning. Being a concept about the possible end of humanity, the lyrics are a damn grim reminder of what humans are, and what we are capable of.
I’d recommend this CD to fans of Hatebreed, Exodus, and Pantera.
7 out of 10.

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