Review; Xenosis - Of Chaos & Turmoil

1. Of Chaos & Turmoil
2. Building 7
3. Homeland Insanity
4. Soulless Army
5. All Seeing Eye
6. Bromance
7. I Am Ceasar
8. Abyssus
9. Nature Erased
10. Bilderberger King


Death Metal has always appeared to be a very closed-minded genre. Many of its die-hard fans, or purists have a very specific idea of the 'right' way for a band to play Death Metal. Guttural vocals, super-distorted guitars, and everything rhythmic or melodic moving at breakneck speed from start to finish. It may be almost 30 years since the genre first tore its way into the heart of the Metal underground, but bands that call themselves Progressive Death Metal are often still scrutinised, and polarise opinion completely. Despite the fact that some of the essential Death Metal bands had a progressive edge to them; Death, Atheist, or Cynic anyone?

Xenosis, from St. Ives, Cornwall, have the calling cards of Death Metal right from the off. 'Of Chaos & Turmoil' is as powerful an opening song as any, and sets the bar pretty high for the rest of the album. The blend of Death Metal and Jazz influences is not a new one, but it is refreshing to hear a band execute this musical style without sounding pretentious, or soullessly technical. There is a very real weight to this music that makes it easy on the ears, rather than being unnecessarily challenging to wrap your head around, which is always the danger with Progressive or Technical Death Metal. As the record carries on, the song 'Homeland Insanity' has some very interesting twists and turns, including some unusual time signatures, with things going from steadily-paced to sixth-gear in an instant at several points. There's a short but memorable guitar solo, and some astounding bass work from bassist/vocalist Ryan Denning also.

The vocal style is old-school Death Metal, which is once again refreshing to hear, and makes a change from the Death Metal trend of trying to have the deepest and most brutal vocals that leave the lyrics unintelligible at times. 'Soulless Army' carries a great sense of groove with it, and is the kind of song that it's impossible not to headbang to, especially during the riff and lead work at the tail end of the song. 'All Seeing Eye' goes from eerie beginning to wild eccentricity in the space of a nanosecond and bears a lot of the hallmarks of Jazz, making it an exciting listen. One can only imagine how fun and challenging it must be to play this song live!

The first thing that jumps out from the song 'Bromance' is the intense speed that the drum work of (Now former member) Ian Arnold breaks into on frequent occasion. It's a genuinely jaw-dropping display of skill that would be enough to make any lesser drummer give up there and then. The song also shows off a great sense of melody during a slower section in the middle of the song. Some not-so clean singing makes an unexpected appearance in the song as well, and it serves the song relatively well.

'I Am Caesar' may as well be called 'Insert awesome instrumental work here'! Cool bass intro, solid stomp-along riffs, exceedingly fast mosh-ready sections, Jazzy clean sections, all check. All sublimely executed. The guitar chops that are on show throughout this album, let alone this song by duo Stephen Moss (Who has unfortunately since left the band) and Jules Maas-Palmer are exceptional in the truest sense of the word. 'Abyssus' opens as a straight-edge thrasher before changing things up yet again, in what is definitely a running theme throughout the album, but not one that ends up feeling old or overdone, thanks to the quality of the music itself.

'Nature Erased' brings a wall-of-sound style to the fray, that then breaks into another whale-dwarfing groove. Not that it's surprising at this point, but the way the band play their respective instruments is beyond skill, but the song writing capabilities that have been on display throughout the album are what shine brightest; there are no leads or guitar solos that feel self-indulgent, no bass flourishes that feel unnecessary, everything is well structured, very intricate and flows effortlessly, making the album feel like a full body of work, rather than just a collection of songs.

Casual fans of metal may become baffled by this album, people who play metal on any instrument will adore this album before realising that they really need to put more practice in. I like to think that even the staunchest of old-school Death Metal purists would like this album, but I can't be sure. However anyone that isn't close-minded and vitriolic against anything outwith their little bubble will find something in this album that should remind them that what has kept Metal relevant and exciting throughout the decades is it's ability to evolve. This album is a prime example of that evolution and that excitement. Not just a great showcase of Metal or Death Metal, a great showcase of music.


Rating: 9/10

Review; Sodom - Epitome Of Torture

Track Listing;

1. The Final Bullet
2. S.O.D.O.M
3. Epitome Of Torture
4. Stigmatized
5. Cannibal
6. Shoot Today - Kill Tomorrow
7. Invocating The Demons
8. Katjuschka
9. Into The Skies Of War
10. Tracing The Victim


Teutonic thrashers Sodom have delivered this, their 14th album 'Epitome Of Torture' and they make no qualms about the fact that they are a thrash band. Straight from the off, there are fast tempos, relentless riffs, and screamed vocals. It's a very familiar formula, but it'd be difficult to be wholly original within the thrash metal sub-genre so long since it's inception. Naturally then, there is a big feeling of nostalgia, but this is a band continuing what they've been doing since 1981, and they do it well. There are plenty of solid riffs throughout the album, particularly in the title song and the speed metal riff in 'Stigmatized' that sounds like it could've come right from the Persecution Mania sessions.

Sole remaining original band member, vocalist and bass player Tom Angelripper is clearly the driving force in the band, and his vocal style on this album is versatile, at least as thrash bands generally go. His snarled vocals are still present and evergreen, but there are also plainer screams and shouts on songs like 'The Final Bullet' and 'Cannibal' that aren't overly different from what we hear from Tom Araya of Slayer. The music itself is pretty much traditional thrash metal fare; guitar solos are where you expect them, the speed stays up most of the time, and listening to it incurs the urge to bang your head or jump into a mosh pit.

Sodom are of course one of the Big Three of Teutonic Thrash Metal alongside Kreator and Destruction, both of whom have released brilliant albums recently (Check out Kreator's album Phantom Antichrist and Destruction's album Spiritual Genocide) and it does strike me while listening to Epitome Of Torture that it's not of the same quality as the recent output by the other two aforementioned bands.

It's not a bad album; Sodom have always been a reliable band in their studio output, and have cast a long shadow of influence over both the early Death Metal and Black Metal scenes, but this album doesn't seem to have enough hard-hitting songs to make it a great album. There are some quality tunes on here; 'Shoot Today - Kill Tomorrow' and 'Invocating The Demons' being my favourites, but while through the rest of the album there are good riffs and little moments, it too often feels mediocre. 'Katjuschka' is one song on the album that is just plain generic and forgettable.

One song that does hook itself into the brain with no mercy is the penultimate song 'Into The Skies Of War' which is simply gargantuan. This itself is a catch-22, because I find it very frustrating that there is such an amazing song that shows the band still has the ability to write razor-sharp tunes but the rest of the album is littered with blunt moments. At the end of the day though, it is an enjoyable listen, but not really an essential one. You'll bang your head, you might scream along with it, but it's not going to be your most listened to album of the year unless you're the biggest Sodom fan on Earth. Nevertheless, I'm keeping my fingers crossed for a Kreator, Destruction and Sodom tour! C'mon guys, make it happen!


Rating: 6.5/10

Review; Rob Zombie - Venomous Rat Regeneration Vendor

Track Listing:

1. Teenage Nosferatu Pussy
2. Dead City Radio And The New Gods Of Supertown
3. Revelation Revolution
4. Theme For The Rat Vendor
5. Ging Gang Gong De Do Gong De Laga Raga
6. Rock And Roll (In A Black Hole)
7. Behold! The Pretty Filthy Creatures
8. White Trash Freaks
9. We're An American Band (Grand Funk Railroad Cover)
10. Lucifer Rising
11. The Girl Who Loved The Monster
12. Trade In Your Guns For A Coffin


Throughout his solo career, Rob Zombie has had every album he's released since 1998's Hellbilly Deluxe measured up against said milestone record. There's no arguing that the original was the best in Zombie's run of solo albums, but each album thereafter has had its high points and great catchy tunes. His particular brand of Industrial tinged shock rock is unique in this world, and the lyrical content is best enjoyed with some willing suspension of disbelief. The use of horror movie imagery is hardly new, but Rob Zombie manages to freshen it up with random yet catchy lyrical themes that often come across as nonsensical in the best possible way. It was this formula, alongside an absolutely mind blowing stage show involving huge robots, fire and bizarre screen shows all aided by the charisma of the man himself, that have made Rob Zombie a big name in the rock and metal world.

Venomous Rat Regeneration Vendor (Which is one of the best album titles ever!!) features all the elements from Rob's music that we have known and loved thus far; eerie horror movie samples, evil sounding riffs and guitar ditties, a larger-than-life party vibe, bizarre lyrics, and of course Rob's no-frills rock 'n' roll singing. What is a curveball on this album is that it has something of a nineties White Zombie feel to some of the songs such as the lead single "Dead City Radio And The New Gods Of Supertown". This is not necessarily a bad thing if you enjoy White Zombie, but feels very unusual this far into Rob's solo career. However, as mentioned, all the calling cards of Rob Zombie's solo career are present. This is nowhere best experienced than in the opening song "Teenage Nosferatu Pussy" - a massive, stomping tune with enough bombast to level Wembley Stadium.

The party never really ends in Zombie world, and further tunes like "Revelation Revolution" are equally suitable for headbangers and folk who want to dance, alike. "Ging Gang Gong De Do Gong De Laga Raga" has a similar brag to make, but more-so than damn near any other Zombie song to date, it is shamelessly catchy and all the better for it. I can't listen to the title chant without both shouting along and stamping my foot.

"Rock And Roll (In A Black Hole)" is a strange shift in pace, with its slow creeping verse suddenly exploding into a full on chorus, neither seem to compliment the other. "Behold! The Pretty Filthy Creatures" gets things back on track when it comes to energy, the tune itself is a grower rather than an instant set list must-have. The sense of swagger and groove is taken up to eleven on "White Trash Freaks" which is one of the album's highlights in my opinion. The cover of Grand Funk Railroad's "We're An American Band" is done well but isn't a great addition to the album, more of a setback. Each listener will either take it or leave it. The White Zombie vibe rears its head again on "Lucifer Rising" which is another good tune, but lacks the same hooks as the other songs. "The Girl Who Loved The Monster" has a great catchy chorus, and some creepy horror-movie style music behind the verse. On this song however, it gels together better than on the earlier mentioned "Rock And Roll (In A Black Hole)". The final song is a two-minute burst of energy that again brings the 90's spirit back to the fray for a decent closing song.

This is a good album, make no mistake; but it feels like an album of two halves, with the first half dwarfing the second half with ease. In a way, I find myself feeling somewhat short-changed, particularly because this is an album I've really been looking forward to. No doubt the true test of these songs will be when they're played by Zombie at one of his gloriously over the top live shows. Let's be honest - Everything can be made better live, and a few explosions, robots and the like sure don't hurt that process either.


Rating: 6/10

Review; Rotting Christ - Kata Ton Daimona Eaytoy

Track Listing:

1. In Yumen-Xibalba
2. P'unchaw Kachun - Tuta Kachun
3. Grandis Spiritus Diavolos
4. Kata Ton Daimona Eaytoy
5. Cine Iubeste Si Lasa
6. Iwa Voodoo
7. Gilgames
8. Русалка
9. Ahura Mazda-Azra Mainiuu
10. 666

Darkness and metal have gone together hand in hand since the days of Black Sabbath themselves, but this connection has only strengthened over time and these days we are often presented with an album that we hope has a very palpable occult energy to it. A lot of the time, these hopes are sunk and the occultism that is put across seems cabaret or even like a gimmick. Some bands have even gone so far to admit that they used things like Satanism as a gimmick, such as Venom. Greek Black Metal band Rotting Christ, however, seem to take a very real and deep interest in the darker side of culture and philosophy, particularly mysticism, and this comes across in their music brilliantly. Their understanding of demonic atmospherics and hypnotic psychedelics is clear from the word go as this, the band's 11th full-length album kicks off.

Even with the near-constant blast-beats going on in the music, there's a distinct feeling of classic metal to the band's sound. Not necessarily classic black metal, but I find it easy to see that as a good thing; many of the bands that try to deliberately pursue the classic 'Kvlt' black metal sound end up sounding like insincere, two-bit copycats. Rotting Christ have managed to seamlessly meld their black metal roots with traditional metal sensibilities whilst weaving in various folk music elements, obviously taking great influence from their homeland Greece and it's cultural history. Some of the background choir passages and orchestrations are very powerful and moving indeed. Epic, in the truest sense of the word.

In the metal stakes, Rotting Christ possess a very blatantly European sound, from the guitar tone right through to the instrumental harmonies and vocal approaches are so obviously and brilliantly continental that I catch myself thinking two things; firstly that it's only right that Rotting Christ are one of the premier underground metal acts in Europe, and secondly; that all the 'Tr00, Kvlt Black Metallers' who can be found claiming that Rotting Christ are not a real black metal band (for all the stupidest, elitist reasons imaginable!!) need to take a jump into the 21st century. There's nothing worse than identikit metal bands, as such; an album like 'Kata Ton Daimona Eaytoy' is a huge breath of fresh air, in a similar fashion to the recent works of seminal progressive black metal troupe Enslaved. The inclusion of traditional greek singers, pianos, strings and other such instruments is a bold move for a band labelled as black metal, but Rotting Christ manage to pull it off with what seems like ease. the fact of the matter is that this band is much more than simply black metal.

If the album has one point of weakness it's that it listens like a concept album; by which I mean that it all blends and melds together from song to song. It's be extremely difficult to single out a favourite song or two because the album is best enjoyed as a whole. In the internet age where most people seem to suffer from short attention spans, they may lack the patience to be able to appreciate this amazing body of work in its full glory. However, as somebody that has a great amount of patience when it comes to music, I can say that my favourite cuts would be the somehow-catchy 'Cine Iubeste Si Lasa' and the fantastically atmospheric title track 'Kata Ton Daimona Eaytoy'. The big surprise song on the record is the strangely rock 'n' roll feeling 'Iwa Voodoo' which boasts some brilliantly catchy riffs and has the overall feel of a gothic call-to-arms, as bizarre a concept as that is!

To all those who think that black metal sounds best with the shittiest production job in the world, completely indecipherable lyrics, guitars with next to no tone, and that it can only be played by Scandinavian bands; Rotting Christ's 'Kata Ton Daimona Eaytoy' has clearly proven otherwise. This is an intricate, dark and deeply beautiful album that owes as much to the intrigue of world cultures as it does to the molten heart of Scandinavian black metal, and shows just how much room metal has to evolve if the right creative minds take on the task. Listen to this album and feel the Metal World get that little bit more vast.


Rating: 9/10

Review; Killswitch Engage - Disarm The Descent

Track Listing:

1. The Hell In Me
2. Beyond The Flames
3. New Awakening
4. In Due Time
5. A Tribute To The Fallen
6. The Turning Point
7. All That We Have
8. You Don't Bleed For Me
9. The Call
10. No End In Sight
11. Always
12. Time Will Not Remain


The new Killswitch Engage album has been watched by the metal community with baited breath. This was due to two reasons; Firstly, long-term fans of the band were hoping the new release would be better than 2009's Self-Titled release, which is widely considered as a disappointment. Secondly; this would be the first album to feature original singer Jesse Leach since 2002's "Alive Or Just Breathing", arguably the band's best effort to date. Sure enough, there are a lot of people, myself included, that will miss Howard Jones but it would be a lie to say that Jesse's return to Killswitch wasn't one of the best pieces of news to come out of the metal world at the end of last year.

It comes as equally exciting to be able to say that Disarm The Descent is not just a good KSE album, it's a great one! The album explodes right back into Killswitch territory that we all know and love. It's more aggressive than the 2009 let-down and taps into the energy that the band had on display back in 2002. The vocal capabilities of Leach have come on by leaps and bounds in his absence, and it's great to hear that he can still deliver great choruses like the one in the opening song, and the lead single "In Due Time". Hooks can be found aplenty in this album, and they're certainly better than most mediocre Metalcore attempts that come out of the woodwork left, right and centre.

The lyrical content of the album comes across as very transparent, open and honest to the point that Leach may well be spilling his guts on the floor at several points on the record. However, the personal favourite lyrics are found in "Beyond The Flames" which also boasts some brilliant riffs and rhythm work as well as a truly beautiful sense of melody. It would be a great moment live without a doubt.

The band's clear influence was always the catchy-yet-heavy approach of Swedish metal legends At The Gates, among others. This influence still shines through in everything from the guitar chops to the vocal styles. The mixture of clean singing and harsh screams or growls is hardly original these days, but when it comes to the Metalcore boom of the 2000's, Killswitch were always one of the more impressive bands to utilize that sound. This title remains firmly in their hands upon listening to this album. The songs are massive, memorable and catchy-as-fuck. Adam Dutkiewicz and Joel Stroetzel deliver constantly great guitar work, with some lead work that other bands in the genre couldn't touch if they tried. The album feels a lot faster than Killswitch generally go, and the shift into high gear serves them well, especially in "A Tribute To The Fallen" and "All That We Have".

The album feels a whole lot heavier and more musically punishing than most of the material of the Howard Jones era, as well. There are some genuinely punishing blast-beats coming from Justin Foley's drum-kit. Combine that with the production work laid down by Adam D and Andy Sneap, who lend their expertise brilliantly to the sound of metal, keeping it from sounding over-polished, and the album comes across as anything but bog-standard metalcore. This is a band that was once poised to be the biggest American band of their generation, racing for the throne against Lamb Of God, Trivium and Machine Head (Who won the race, no question). Now, we might just see Killswitch try to leap forward again to re-solidify their position as one of modern metal's luminaries.

Disarm The Descent does slow down on the track "Always", a ballad that may not be to some people's liking. It boasts a very moving melody and a couple of muted sections with the vocals coming in from the background in an almost haunting manner. It's a wildcard song, but should be to as many people's tastes as not. It seems to make sense to put the slower song of the album at the end though, as "Time Will Not Remain" brings everything kicking and screaming back to life for one last ride through the band's rejuvenated fury, complete with sing-along chorus, naturally.

The only weakness that Killswitch Engage have ever had is that their songs can end up sounding the same on each album, they are not the masters of variety, but those who like their sound will not have any complaints in that department. The major point of celebration on this album is of course the return of the prodigal singer, there's no denying that, but such things shouldn't make a band's music better out of a sense of nostalgia. It's good then that Killswitch reverse that idea; Disarm The Descent is full of musical performances that should make people even more glad that Jesse is back. This is exactly the record that the band needed to make after their recent slump period, and it's great to see them back on good form.


Rating: 8.5/10

Review; Warbeast - Destroy

Track Listing:

1. Cryogenic Thawout
2. Nightmare In The Sky
3. Egotistical Bastard
4. Nobody
5. The Day Of...
6. Warbeast
7. Blood Moon
8. War Of The Worlds
9. Destroy
10. Nameless


I'd heard a whole lot about Warbeast from reading various interviews with Down frontman and Housecore Records figurehead Phil Anselmo, who relentlessly champions the band with very high praises. Anselmo also took on the task of producing the album just as he had with the band's debut 'Krush The Enemy' album. Since then the whole band has decided to step up a notch and bring everything to the next level, with a new bassist and guitarist in tow. Whilst I cannot comment on any comparison between 'Destroy' and the first album, having not heard it, I can say that the new album is a crusher in its own right.

The album's main strengths come in the form of riffs and pulverising drum work, as shown from intro track 'Cryogenic Thawout', which showcases some Texan swagger and huge Thrash Metal riffs to set the tone nicely for the album as a whole. As soon as 'Nightmare In The Sky' drops the band goes to Mach 3 and stays that way for pretty much the whole album. The vocals spit out with some old-school Thrash spirit and every guitar solo goes straight for the neck with technical proficiency.

'Egotistical Maniac' has a great sarcastic vocal delivery that is bound to go down well with boozed up festival crowds in the summer, but also boasts one hell of an instrumental refrain that is sure-fired circle-pit material. 'Nobody' is a stomping-anthem that is bound to make any listener feel like a hard-ass with a lot of fuck you attitude. As far as Thrash Metal goes, it doesn't get much more fun and dumbed up than this, but it doesn't make the mistake of feeling silly too often as other bands like Municipal Waste do.

Through the record, the lyrical content is typical Thrash Metal fair; trash talking, alien warfare, robotic monsters, and general havoc, but it is the pace and quality of the music and the fact that the album is full of fun metal moments. These guys clearly don't take lyrics too seriously, and with musical chops as good as what they show on this album they can afford to for now. If there's one thing that lets the album down is a lack of variety; the speed is more than impressive, but the songs are each the same as the one before it. There's not much on the album that hasn't been heard from other Thrash bands before them, but the delivery feels more genuine than most modern 'Neo-Thrash'  bands I've heard recently. A decent album, not really original enough to get overtly excited about, but certainly good enough Thrash to listen to when the mood takes you.

Rating: 7/10

Review; Thy Art Is Murder - Hate

Track Listing:

1. Reign Of Darkness
2. The Purest Strain Of Hate
3. Vile Creations
4. Shadow Of Eternal Sin
5. Immolation
6. Infinite Forms
7. Dead Sun
8. Gates Of Misery
9. Defective Breed
10. Doomed From Birth

This Australian five-piece have been making considerable waves, even in the UK recently, which is admirable for a Deathcore band these days. Deathcore remains something of a dirty word among many of today's metal fans. However, as with any record, it's best to listen before you judge (Except the new Paramore album, believe me!!!)

As a side-note, before I get started on the music; That album cover is fucking awesome!

As soon as the album opens you can hear the Whitechapel influence all over the band's sound, and though the material on show is relatively impressive, this listener cannot escape the feeling that Thy Art Is Murder feel like another in a long line of Deathcore bands that try to claim they're playing the genre differently from their peers, but mostly fail to uphold the claim.

The inclusion of the odd guitar solo here and there is a welcome addition to the Deathcore formula, but the vocals, though impressive at both the high screams and the growls, are not very distinctive in style or sound. At times the lyrics are quite hard to make out, too. The rhythm section is tight as hell, with their drummer showing some serious chops. The Deathcore standard down-tuned riffs come across as quite throwaway at times, and feel very formulaic. To be fair however, the breakdowns are impressive and well placed. Especially the one found in 'Shadow Of Eternal Sin'. The production job on the album is also very good, despite the aforementioned problem making out the lyrics.

The album is clearly not without merit; any out-and-out Deathcore fan will enjoy this to no end, and there are some truly memorable guitar leads among the constant chaos. The album is also very quick of pace, to the point that if the music was a more original it'd be an exciting record. Live, I'm sure this would be considerably pit-inducing in small venues, it is a brutal as fuck album after all! To me, however, the hype surrounding this band seems a bit unjustified. Frustratingly, I feel there could be potential in this bands future, if they make themselves stand out with their music rather than their geographical location.

6.5/10