WRUV Reviews

Kittie – I’ve Failed You
Release: 2011Aug30 (US)
Label: eOne Music
Rating: 2/5

We’ve always demanded so much from Kittie,
who sought to be more than just faces pretty.
I’ve Failed You is telling,
the writing on the wall’s spelling
how the songwriting ends up this weak.

Creatively, the feral Canucks
still have their claws, but can’t get unstuck
from the novelty, gone—
plus new generations spawned—
there is less reason to give a peek.

FCC: 10
Try that link above.

01. I’ve Failed You
02. We Are The Lamb
03. Whisper of Death
04. What Have I Done
05. Empires (Part 1)
06. Empires (Part 2)
07. Come Undone
08. Already Dead
09. Never Come Home
10. Ugly
11. Time Never Heals

~MetalMattLongo

Opeth – Heritage
Release: 2011Sep13 (US)
Label: Roadrunner
Rating: 3/5

I followed Opeth to the gaping maw of Hell,
but since exploring Heritage, I’ve broken the spell
of Mikael’s every gorgeous vocal inflection—
because nothing can save that boring midsection—
and though not always necessary to growl and yell…

Ponderousness is never their style.
The “Orchard”-”Slither”-”Lines” promo left only smiles!
Plus, why is it that the last two pieces
are almost the names of Agalloch releases?
These fiery roots yield bittersweet fruits from ground less fertile.
(Alternate Buffy ending: Switch from Sweden to Sunnydale and guard the Hellmouth with Giles.)

FCC: OK
Try: 2, 4, 8

01. Heritage
02. The Devil’s Orchard
03. I Feel The Dark
04. Slither
05. Nepenthe
06. Haxprocess
07. Famine
08. The Lines In My Hand
09. Folklore
10. Marrow Of The Earth

~MetalMattLongo

Dream Theater – A Dramatic Turn of Events
Release: 2011Sep13 (US)
Label: Roadrunner
Rating: 3/5

Man, more like A Boring Plod of Uneventfulness. Alright, we all know founding member Mike Portnoy no longer drums in this band, right? He’s been floundering a bit, between his A7X stint, attempts to form new bands, and the retardedtry of recent lawsuit threats. But Dream Theater is still contracted to Roadrunner, who I’m sure will be good-goddamned if there isn’t a new album every two years. I guess what kills me about this album is the length, which I should be used to by now. The band just loves to churn out these 70+ minute monstrosities unopposed, mostly because they have an editor-eating Sarlacc.

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Bitter Resolve - Bows and Arrows Against the Lightning
Release: 2011Jul01
Label: Strangelet / Ozium Records (SWE)
Rating: 3.5/5

As I sit down for a morning burn, usually the last thing on my agenda is spanking-new music from a relatively-unknown band on a damn-CD-R-with-affixed-mailing-label-that-can-potentially-destroy-whatever-is-playing-it-by-being-off-balance. Yeah, shit like that knocks you down a peg around these parts. Yet Bitter Resolve got my attention, first by my reflexive affinity for stoner metal, and second by the titles. Their six-song debut EP is quite awesomely named Bows and Arrows Against the Lightning, and the lead track “A Day without Faeries” sounds like it will be just adorable.

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Anthrax – Worship Music
Release: 2011Sep13 (US)
Label: Megaforce
Rating: 4/5

Among the ‘Big Four’ thrashers, Anthrax scarcely affected—
that early ’90s “Noise” hit me, but then went years neglected.
With Belladonna back, I see what’s been missing.
But focus on all tracks, don’t go reminiscing—
for Worship Music is an action directed.

Scott, Frank, and Charlie form a decades-strong core,
With heaviness and harmonies back to the fore.
You need neither “Hymn” nor “Worship”
For they both weigh down this warship,
As does the latter half (mostly the last four).

FCC: 2, 7, 8
Try: 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 10

01. Worship (intro)
02. Earth On Hell
03. The Devil You Know
04. Fight ‘Em Til You Can’t
05. I’m Alive
06. Hymn 1
07. In The End
08. The Giant
09. Hymn 2
10. Judas Priest
11. Crawl
12. The Constant
13. Revolution Screams
14. New Noise (The Refused cover)

~MetalMattLongo

Untimely Demise - City of Steel
Release: 2010Nov28 (original) / 2011Sep13 (re-release)
Label: Self-released (original) / Sonic Unyon (re-release)
Rating: 4/5

Sometimes, without realizing it, your ears need to wrap around specific sounds. The reasons vary, but in the case of myself and Untimely Demise, I hadn’t heard solid new melodeath in months. So I looked at Ed Repka’s artwork from City of Steel, tried to figure out what’s in store, and though I expected a certain level of thrashing goodness, the 33-minute, 7-song EP has crept into my playlists for weeks now.

The length is perfect; just enough to sample, and the seed is planted for future growth. Helping immensely is guitarist Glen Drover, known largely through Eidolon and his stint in Megadeth (for whom his brother, Shawn, still drums). The legendary latter’s classic sound is occasionally captured, but more likely you’ll hear allusions to Arch Enemy or Death. Oh—how could I forget?—the band I think they sound closest to, and where I draw strongest comparisons: Skeletonwitch.

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MonstrO – MonstrO
Release: 2011Sept06 (US)
Label: Vagrant Records
Rating: 3.5/5

I listened to Monstro‘s self-titled debut about five times on the day of their concert here in VT. I must not have paid attention on first spin, because it lay ignored during the two weeks prior, and when I returned to brush up, the experience was much better. But can we all please agree on something? Let’s stop making Alice in Chains allusions, because the closest tie they have to that band is producer William Duvall, who replaced Layne Stayley on the excellent comeback album, Black Gives Way to Blue.

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Premonition 13 – 13
Release: 2011Jun21 (US)
Label: Volcom Entertainment
Rating: 3/5

Wino only appeared in passing as I grew up—limited to Bullring Brummies, really—though I’ve thoroughly loved his late-career TKO of Punctuated Equilibrium, Adrift, and the superb Shrinebuilder debut. The man hits 50 this year, and still has the chutzpah to churn out quality music. Itself an achievement, yes, but I felt something would not fully resonate with me, and that something is Premonition 13. (more…)

Serpent Venom - Carnal Altar
Release: 2011May31 (UK) / 2011Aug09 (US)
Label: The Church Within
Rating: 4.5/5

Serpent Venom slithers across the pond from the United Kingdom, containing former members of doom bands that are unknown to the casual fan. That is, unless you’re familiar with Gaz Ricketts of Sloth, who handles vocal duties. I stumbled upon Carnal Altar by chance and just had to add my two cents. The hypnotic album art is a throwback to the early 1970s and would be at home on a LP or Stereo 8 cover (look it up, young ‘uns!).

The “Carnal Altar” welcomes all those who dare enter with a signature that is dripping with a sound that takes the sinister approach of fellow countrymen Electric Wizard and Black Sabbath and takes it to the extreme, mixing in a touch of Saint Vitus. It is the soundtrack to a crude human sacrifice, complete with sexual overtones. “Blood of the Serpents” sends enough chills up and down my spine to cause hypothermia.

Since I always struggle with lyrics, I decided to look for a poem to describe “Four Walls of Solitude“, which sounds conspiciously like the actual lyrics for this track. I will let you decide. Here’s an excerpt: “Surrounded by these four walls / Dying alone without any calls / You don’t understand that’s just so rude / So I’ll sit, here in solitude”. [Yeah, I'd say that's fairly blatant—ed.] The track itself is a definite homage to the Lord of Doom himself, Tony Iommi, especially in the second half. “Conjuration” offers up much of the same, as it treads this familiar territory.

“Devilshire”  is more in the vein of early Electric Wizard, with plenty of thick, plodding riffs while “The Outside” closes things off on a more sinister note.  I do feel that Carnal Altar falls flat within the last three tracks. While they are entertaining, they show the unwillingness of Serpent Venom to expand upon the sound of the title track and “Four Walls of Solitude”. Regardless, this is still a very strong doom debut and it would be a shame if it were overlooked by releases from better-known bands.

FCC:
Try:  1, 2, 3, 6

01. Carnal Altar
02. Blood of the Serpents
03. Four Walls of Solitude
04. Conjuration
05. Under The Compass
06. Devilshire
07. The Outsider

End of Level Boss - Eklectric
Release: 2011May20 (US)
Label: Exile on Mainstream
Rating: 4/5

This is the third release from the UK’s  End of Level Boss — a mix of progressive, doom and stoner metal. “As The Earth Forgets Us” is a mess of crashing waves, delivering salty riffs that sync up perfectly with the orbit of the moon. It paints a broad picture of an Earth in which man was never a factor.  On “Mouth of Hats”, Heck Armstrong gasps for air among the pull of muddy riffs, courtesy of Roland Schriver and Peter Theobalds, equal parts bleak and somber.

By the time I made it to Senescence,  the creak of my knees and the pain in my writing hand sharpened. Suddenly, I had a flashback of an old man, staring in my face with a sinister cackle, his eyes peeling back in his forehead. The crash of the drums and echo of the vocals left me reeling on the floor.  Just when I thought the fear would never cease, a Blueshift occured in which red became blue and fear became hope. The filth of prior tracks washed away in favor of upbeat drums mated to a bluesy-doom time signature that brings to mind a cross between The Gates of Slumber and Candlemass.

As I became “Lost in the Etalon“, the balance between red and blue became distorted, creating a bastard cocktail of conflicting drums and wandering guitar/bass. Finally, “Red Grey Eye” capped things off with a return to the dynamic displayed on “Blueshift”. Eklectric is a fun album that urges the listener to explore unfamiliar themes (an Earth without man, the science of frequencies/wavelengths) while kicking back with the libation(s) of their choice.

FCC: OK
Try: 1, 3, 5, 7, 9

01. As The Earth Forgets Us
02. This is Not The Way It Was
03. Mouth of Hats
04. Thee Absurd
05. Senescence
06. Thud
07. Blueshift
08. If Not All
09. Lost in the Etalon
10. Red Grey Eye