DEUTERONOMIUM - STREET CORNER QUEEN/HERE TO STAY

Deuteronomium pushes the metal petal right down through the floor. They described their style of music as ‘death n roll’ and this album showcases it all. A double disc of ferocious intensity, heavy made to be played loud. We have Bullroser Records to thank for offering this slice of metal paradise to the metal public. A compilation of everything these guys have done prior to 2008’s latest album In the Midst of Battle.

If you already have their original releases you might not necessarily need to pick up this album. This is a complete collection of all things Deuteronomium, included is their debut album 1998s Street Corner Queen, their 1999 follow up Here to Stay also the 1997 Tribal Eagle EP. Elements of thrash metal, death metal, and 'death and roll' dot this collection so turn up the volume. The majority of songs are in the 2-3 minute range, which itself is very cool, short fast and to the point, maximum rock n roll.

If that wasn’t enough Deuteronomium re-recorded their song ‘Christ Addict’ for this special release. It’s different from the song 'Christ Addict' on Here to Stay. Both songs use the same lyrics, but musically this particular song is much more restrained, not death metal but strong power metal. There are some other re-recorded songs and b-sides made available here. In total 10 extra tracks are present and three of those were re-recorded from older versions.

Deuteronomium - Tribal Eagle (Live at Metbar Lenzburg) from MeSuAx on Vimeo.

This double disc album shines with strong songs with a lot of intensity and brutality. My favorite stuff is on Here to Stay. I almost think of Motorhead, now I realize ‘Head aren’t death metal at all, but the vibe still just hits me that way. I hadn’t heard these guys before, but when Bullroser sent this to me all I could do was play and replay the Here to Stay material. Just awesome, ‘death n roll’ indeed, it grooves and flies at top speed with a great instinct for hooks.

A big thumbs up for this re-release check ‘em out and enjoy some Finnish brutality.

8 axes

My Silent Wake & The Drowning - Black Light and Silent Roads

The elements of doomy goodness are presented here for our mutual edification. This split album of My Silent Wake and The Drowning presented by Retroactive/Bombworks records is an amalgam of the ethereal and the material. Black Lights & Silent Roads is the title of this rather heavy piece of musical fancy.

What we have is four songs by each group entity that sound like being lost in the forest on a dark and dreary night. No lights no moon no path before you but perhaps a steep cliff. Waiting for a coachman to rescue you and carry you to a nearby castle but none are in sight.

Not having heard either group before I must admit that my fondness for the My Silent Wake material is more embedded as opposed to The Drowning. However both groups have a penchant for composing moody and haunting melodies with enough dynamics to make one truly wonder if someone is looking over their shoulder. I would not advise listening to this material alone as it just seems to settle into a rather melancholy place and keeps the listener there.

Powerful guitars highlight my favorite songs; My Silent Wake’s “Bleak Endless Winter” sounds just like the title indicates. Bleak indeed, but enough authority in the guitar department to make you take notice; as the guitars complement the strength of Ian’s vocal. Magnificent. It would completely improper to not mention the twenty two minute epic ‘Rebirth.’

This falls into the category of epic, My Silent Wake have produced one long bit of whimsy that moves and sways like a stormy winter evening with the rain and wind to make you wonder if the power should fail what would you do. ‘Rebirth’ moves slowly building with different percussion and sounds that bring this creative effort to an emotional peak. Vocally ranging from extreme to the melancholic. If the name My Silent Wake is to make reference to the dying inside that we all live through daily, then it stands to reason that their songs are an outward expression of the pain and grief we often hold within.

The Drowning bring their own style of melancholy to the forefront, reminiscent of a funeral procession among horse drawn carriages. The long walk to the graveyard never had quite the accompaniment that The Drowning brings. Slow and heavy, more emphasis on the HEAVY part I believe. The songs are good, however I find my imagination returning to the My Silent Wake material. “Silent Epiphany” is my favorite performance from this side of the disc.

It might be because this is the most upbeat song on the album I’m not sure. Extreme vocals pretty much dominate The Drowning performances but that is their style. At times it doesn’t make room for the mellower dynamics that might add more punch to their songs.

So you might ask what does Black Lights & silent roads sound like really. The production is solid and deep. To describe the style of say My Silent Wake the band says this.

“Doom/death metal with Goth, mediaeval, folk, black, progressive and experimental elements. Our music generally appeals to fans of My Dying Bride, Paradise Lost, Agalloch, Katatonia, Anathema etc...Make up your own mind.” MSW MySpace.

The members of The Drowning had this to say….

"The Drowning are not just a general Metal based band, with the members all having there own influences, the bands inspiration has come from the darker ambient side of music with the likes of the above bands influence being heard in many of the The Drowning's songs.

The band have also incorporated the use of acoustic guitars and keyboard effects to create the darker edged atmosphere in most of The Drowning's tracks... which makes them hard to compare with bands from the same genre.

The heavier side of The Drowning comes from many of the Dark, Death, Black Metal band genres past and present which have a strong influence on many of the band members.” The Drowning MySpace.

This album is like the In Grief album I reviewed sometime ago. There’s enough on the surface to keep you interested but as you continue to listen the depth and insight of the recording makes itself known. These metal composers have put together a tapestry of fine euphonic thought that is not the norm. If melancholy is your thing than obtain Black Lights & Silent Roads quickly as this might be one of those gems that gets lost in the shuffle.

7 axes

THE SEVENTH POWER - DOMINION AND POWER

Coming from the mighty Menchen Metal Machine in the city of sin, Las Vegas; comes The Seventh Power. I grew up near San Francisco which Vegas has NOTHING on as far as sin goes! HA! This disc is the groups second release entitled ‘Dominion and Power,’ on Retroactive Records. Bill Menchen brings Robert Sweet (drums) and bassist Rod Reasner and gives us another fantastic metal platter.

On this release Bill not only plays a tasty guitar but brings a unique vocal performance as well. With a tonality that reminds this listener of Ozzy, The Seventh Power shines brighter than the aforementioned vocalist. Even tho the vocals here lack strong dynamics it works. The vocal is processed a bit, but it’s almost monotone. Johnny Cash was montone and I own many of his discs, so I wouldn’t let that deter you from checking this out.

‘Dominion and Power’ has catchy melodies, and powerful music. From the title track to ‘King of Kings’, ‘Everlasting Fire’ and ‘Raise m High’ Menchen and crew take no prisoners. No song here is over four minutes and thirty seconds. So your not gonna get long epic tunes, but quick punchy and catchy songs for a generation with a short attention span. This is good heavy metal like early Saxon or early 80’s Priest. Bang yer head in wonder!

Robert Sweet (yes that one!) provides a solid backbone to this attack, like the wishbone that holds it all together. He hits the grooves and plays those pots and pans like only Robert can. He really adds to the feel of these songs and locks very well with bassist Rod Reasner. Both of those guys make sure Bill doesn’t go off into orbit with his guitar assault. As I’ve already mentioned Bill’s guitar playing is very good and tasty. Like I’ve not heard in a long time.

Lyrically this release is very straightforward in its Christian message WITHOUT cliché. I appreciate that because Bill does provide a creative way to speak about Jesus without insulting my intelligence (thanks bro!!). I don’t buy discs for the words, but when they’re done right I enjoy it that much more.

The production is strong. Pounding drum tones, crunchy clean guitar parts and some thumpin’ bass guitar. No mud here with a large sound to boot. Score!! I find myself singing along and playing that good ole air guitar, fun stuff.

Make sure you add this release to your buy list and Santa’s wish list…. Blessings !

8 AXES

STRYPER - MURDER BY PRIDE

Twenty five years ago Stryper released the now classic six song EP entitled the ‘Yellow and Black Attack’. A rather startled and astonished music community was taken aback by this foursome from Southern California. Large contingents of fans developed and have hung on through a lot of ups and downs.

Record label issues, Christian Pastor issues, Personal issues, Image issues, Christian Church issues, Air play issues ( I never heard them played in the San Francisco Bay Area EVER!), yet these guys have seemingly overcome the many obstacles placed in front of them. I can’t think of another artist other than Amy Grant to receive such ridicule and criticism from looks to sound of the music. Currently, their biggest obstacle, without a doubt; being the passing of Michael Sweet’s wife Kyle earlier this year from cancer. Time will tell how that will play itself out. My condolences go out to Mike and his family.

That brings us to Stryper’s current release ‘Murder by Pride’. After what many viewed as a disappointing comeback disc in 2005’s ‘Reborn’ left many wondering would Stryper ever put out an album as good as say ‘To Hell With The Devil’ or ‘Against The Law’? Well I’m not sure if this current disc will negate the nay sayers because even though there are many elements of what might be called the ‘classic’ Stryper sound, there are also many things that are not.

Being a life long Stryper fan (bought that EP in 84, but avoided the remix in 86 because that just didn’t cut it at all… thanks Cliffy for that re-master!) I really hoped for something that was just gonna flat out ROCK from beginning to end. Having said that there are many moments on ‘Murder by Pride’ where the Band shines.

The cover of Boston’s “Peace of Mind” simply cranks with ALL the Stryper elements, high energy music, guitar melodies, vocal harmonies and LOUD GUITARS! ‘4 Leaf Clover’ gets the job done as a nice hard rock number with a great chorus and it does sound like Stryper. It has a cool groove and the song feels like Stryper 2009.

Disc opener ‘Eclipse for the Son’ has a very modern rock vibe. The song itself is probably the fastest tune on the disc with a screaming guitar solo. However title track ‘Murder by Pride’ is a mid tempo rocker that initially reminded me of ‘Calling on You’ with a familiar sounding guitar harmony and tempo. Yet this song is a bit heavier than the aforementioned single from Stryper’s “To Hell With The Devil.” There are several other tunes that are pretty catchy and rock pretty well ‘Mercy over Blame’, “Alive” and “Everything” show that the band can still belt it out.

The re-recording of ‘My Love (I’ll Always Show)’ does seem a bit out of place, this song was written 25 years ago and appeared on the ‘Roxx Regime’ CD. There are several ballads/acoustic rock songs that don’t seem to really fit. It would seem they would’ve been more appropriate on a Michael Sweet solo album. It would’ve been nice to see some of the other guys contributing musically to the songs, but from what I can see Michael wrote all the material. I’m sure Oz has a few ditties he could’ve contributed. Oh well.

This album isn’t the home run I’d hoped for but enjoyable none the less. I can’t help wondering tho why does the Boston tune simply RIP and the other songs almost seem pedestrian by comparison. Just my opinion. Stryper fans should enjoy this album without reservation.

8 AXES

THRESHER - HERE I AM

Fans of old school style thrash/power metal raise your fists and yell with excitement as Roxx Productions has released a lost musical gem. From the blue collar land of coal and steel (i.e. Pennsylvania) comes Thresher. “Here I Am” is their previously unreleased 8 song self financed album. This was to be a follow up of the bands first 6 song demo ‘Totally Possessed’, but due to life issues this album was never released. That is until now!

A sound akin to early Megadeth, Metallica and at times Metal Church. Thresher hits like a freight train going past the point of no return. With upfront heavy duty guitar sounds and a solid backbone of brutal drum and bass. These guys play quite convincingly and passionately.

The opener ‘Sanctuary’ starts with a classical guitar prelude before the power chords start flying and the hair starts swayin’. John Mark Buchanan brings a vocal prowess that often reminds me of James Hetfield or sometimes Dave Mustaine. When the song hits it's apex you just want to push repeat. Parts of ‘Faith Awaken’ or ‘Amazin Grace’ are reminiscent of early Megadeth with different riffs and time change elements. While ‘Here I Am’ opens up with a very familiar sound akin to Metallica’s ‘Fade to Black’. None of these are rip offs but elements incorporated into Threshers own sound which only enhance the songs themselves and show homage to those who came before. The payoff part in ‘Here I Am’ is when John repeats ‘Here I am! Here I am oh God send Me!’ a great melody that is enhanced by the power of the music underneath it.

Wait until you hear ‘Altar of Sacrifice’ a solid piece of metallic brutality that continues this discs ascent into excellence. Bring the hammer down and listen to the technical breakdown in the middle, I can see the pit swirling and the sweat flying! That just brings us to the final songs ‘Death to Asherah’, and ‘One Way Out’. The surge of power continues through all of those tunes. “Asherah” in particular reminds me of something that could’ve been included on say ‘Kill em all’, lots of riff and time components ‘DEATH TO ASHERAH!’…..

I myself could’ve done without the tune ‘Raptor’…. An attempt at metal/rap or whatever you want to call it, however once you get past the initial ‘rap’ section the band launches full speed into some very tasty riffage and lead work.

The production is above average for an independent release back in 92. The instruments are evenly distributed through the mix and the quality is there. The only question I have is, am I the only one who happened to notice perhaps more high end above 4k in this release. I don’t know if that would be a mastering issue or perhaps just how the original tapes were recorded. Anyway by simply adjust the treble control slightly that negative element is eliminated.

I also understand the early copies that Roxx Productions released had the first demo as well. My copy didn’t come with that so I’m sure all you lucky ones who pre-ordered are chuckling in your sleep.

If you love thrash DON’T miss this release, you’ll be kicking your self if you do.

8 AXES

KREYSON - 20 YEARS OF KREYSON

Coming from Czechoslovakia is Kreyson, “the first Christian metal band from the heart of Europe.” For many this will be their first exposure to this heavy metal juggernaut, even though the band has been around for 20 years. The reasons being only two of their previous releases were in English and they were never officially released here in the US. (If you can find them they would command a pretty penny I’m sure)

Appropriately entitled “20 Years of Kreyson” the bands first US release is a compendium of songs written over the bands entire career. Solid heavy metal from beginning to end. Kicking it off with the up-tempo “Judgment Day” and closing with “Warrior Angel” Kreyson show they mean business. Reminiscent of Armored Saint, Saxon and Barren Cross in the heaviness department this is heavy metal in the traditional ‘bang yer head’ fashion, yet retaining some ‘commercial’ sensibilities. There is a european flavor here that simply must be tasted.

I mention those band references in particular because all of them have written some fabulous melodies and Kreyson is no slouch in that department. Just a listen to “Endure the Night”, “Mary” or “Stay” and you’ll know what I mean. “Endure the Night” demands an immediate second listen, it’s encouraging lyrics and solid melodic foundation will have you humming and singing before long.

I’ve always been a fan of more upbeat and fast metal material. On this front Kreyson deliver, not speed metal or thrash but just up tempo material. “Warrior Angel”, “Cry Out”, “The Lord Will Come” fills that void nicely.

Many times I would hear reviewers say ‘melody’ and immediately I think of overtly commercial and rather weak songs. That is not the case here. The guitars are solid, with some excellent solos courtesy of Radek Kroc. Zdnek Pradlovsky (drums) and Ludek Adamek (bass) provide the backbone in the rhythm department. To these ears the vocals of Ladislav Krizek at times remind me of Ulf Christiansson from Jerusalem.

The production is strong and clean. Myself I coulda handled the guitars being a bit more upfront in the mix. In comparison to the other Kreyson releases I’ve heard this one had a slightly different feel and sound. Not as much of the ‘big sound’ but that doesn’t deter from the material.

What isn’t clear to me is whether this is actually new material or re-recorded material. Having checked track lists off of their English language releases I do not see any of the same song titles, so perhaps these are songs from their Czech releases. I understand these were fan favorites, picked for this release.

Another item to point out is the inclusion of a video clip for the song 'Salome'. A very cool slow song and a nice video presentation makes this a really nice addition to an already solid offering. (thanks to Matt for pointing out my neglect! argh...)

If you’re looking for some good heavy metal with the ability to sing along and have a chorus stuck in yer head this be the disc!

8 AXES