3 Inches of Blood - Fire up the Blades

You would think that a band who has replaced every member who plays an instrument between albums would suffer in quality. 3 Inches of Blood defies that expectation, though, as FIRE UP THE BLADES is probably an even tighter and crisper performance than its predecessor, ADVANCE AND VANQUISH. Listeners can still expect a similar affair, though, as the songs still have that classic metal vibe, populated with the two vocal attack of Cam Pipes, the Rob Halford/King Diamond squealer, and Jamie Hooper, the snarling growler. This time, however, there is a heightened sense of intensity and even a little bit more variety of song styles.



On one hand, you have your PAINKILLER-inspired songs like the fantastic “The Goatriders Horde.” Fans of double bass blasting, blazing guitar solos, and insistent choruses will raise their devil horns to this cut during their first listen. On the other hand, though, the album offers some more groove-laden material. Songs like “Trial of Champions” and “God of the Cold White Silence” offer tempos in a more middle of the road range while still maintaining their heaviness. These tracks also feature some of the coolest instrumentation on the album with some organ sounds thrown in to create interesting atmospheres behind the pummeling guitars and drums.



Overall, the album has a real crisp and clean production that will treat listeners to an updated version of classic metal motifs, including some galloping Maiden riffs, some Priest speedsters, and a heavier sound that is all their own. Fans of European power metal will even hear a lot of what they like here. The only drawback to the album may be a sort of shortage of standout tracks in the second half. Still, there is an intensity throughout the album that will be appealing to metal fans of all ages that should make this a well-received record. With an all new cast of supporting characters, 3 Inches of Blood have once again proven themselves to be a fiery and vicious metal entity.

S.O.D. - Rise of the Infadels

Stormtroopers of Death (AKA S.O.D.), the legendary crossover band featuring members of Anthrax, Nuclear Assault and M.O.D. and a true bastion of political incorrectness, returns with RISE OF THE INFIDELS, an hour-long E.P. featuring four previously-released but hard-to-find songs and a live set from Seattle, Washington in late 1999. Of the four studio tracks, two are originals and two are covers of hardcore songs while the live show is an uncut soundboard recording featuring almost the entire SPEAK ENGLISH OR DIE album as well as a few of the band’s tasteless odes to dead musicians. RISE OF THE INFIDELS is a release aimed solely at major fans of S.O.D. and for that, it succeeds but there is little of interest here for those outside the band’s rabid cult followers.



Charlie Benante’s speedy drum intro on “Stand Up and Fight” hearkens back to the glory days of crossover circa 1985 and Billy Milano’s tough-guy hardcore vocals remain among the best of the genre. “Java Amigo,” an amusing tirade against fancy coffee and Starbucks, briefly cruises along with a Suicidal Tendencies-like groove before launching into hyperspeed mode. Agnostic Front’s “United and Strong” and Negative Approach’s “Ready To Fight” seem solid but without being familiar with the original versions, not much can be said.



The “Live at The Fenix” portion of RISE OF THE INFIDELS will be the real draw here for most. Given the fact S.O.D. rarely played live shows and only had two official studio releases—1985’s SPEAK ENGLISH OR DIE and 1999’s BIGGER THAN THE DEVIL—it had to be real treat to be part of what is clearly an energetic atmosphere at the venue. The show is complete with all the pauses and audio fadeouts left intact that provides a real feeling like you’re there and part of the crowd. Milano’s stage banter is a hoot and hearing the band rip through classics like “Kill Yourself,” “Milano Mosh,” “Speak English Or Die” and “Fist Banging Mania” will get anyone moshing around their living room.



S.O.D. is one of the first bands that brought hardcore and thrash metal together and their influence is undeniable, so it’s a shame that RISE OF THE INFIDELS is being marketed as their final release but with only a pair of albums in over twenty years and relations allegedly not the best between Milano and Scott Ian, the end seemed inevitable. While the studio tracks aren’t worth getting too excited about, at the very least, S.O.D. fans can revel in securing another live show from crossovers greatest band on RISE OF THE INFIDELS.

DevilDriver - The Last Kind Words

It’s taken three albums but it seems like DevilDriver has finally found its niche. The band’s self-titled 2003 debut still carried some unpleasant shreds of vocalist Dez Fafara’s former band Coal Chamber, but THE FURY OF OUR MAKER’S HAND two years later was a huge step in the right direction as the band tinkered with the formula and found its own identity. On the all-important third album, THE LAST KIND WORDS, DevilDriver has concentrated more on writing well-crafted songs and focused less on an unflattering attempt at acceptance by the metal masses. The band’s forced we’re-so-heavy-please-like-and-accept-us approach has finally become secondary to writing strong, memorable songs. Landing Jason Suecof (Chimaira, God Forbid) and Andy Sneap (Megadeth, Nevermore) for production and mixing duties, respectively, THE LAST KIND WORDS boasts crisp, clear sound with everything set perfectly and providing plenty of thrust for the band’s trademark grooves and Fafara’s unrelenting brutal vocals. The “new and improved” guitar pyrotechnics of Jeff Kendrick and Mike Spreitzer really sizzle, too, and with scads of hook-filled melodies to offset the blistering ferocity throughout, there are a lot more doors that could open for DevilDriver because of this release.



“Not All Who Wander Are Lost” is monstrously heavy with big riffs and Fafara’s instantly recognizable bark hammering through. The rolling drums of John Boecklin and fluid basslines of Jon Miller settle in for one of those tasty grooves that DevilDriver has become known for. “Clouds Over California” and “These Fighting Words” combine aggression with accessibility as Fafara’s harsh bellow thunders across everything but with fiercely melodic guitar runs to reel listeners in. “Horn of Betrayal” boasts an impossibly infectious bridge, a majestic, melodic death-influenced dual guitar flourish and Boecklin’s rifle range double bass attack. Fafara’s throaty growl and some flashy chops from Spreitzer and Kendrick make “Monsters of The Deep” one of DevilDriver’s heaviest songs to date and the rumbling intro is like coming under cannon-fire provided by Miller and Boecklin who lock into a satisfyingly thick, meaty groove. “Tirades of Truth” bristles with a moshpit-ready, thrash-based riff-o-rama that will have necks snapping and heads banging before adding a few pinched guitar squeals to the mix. Throwing a curveball on closing track “The Axe Shall Fall,” a Hammond B3 organ gives a seventies arena rock feel that is so far out of place, it actually works.



DevilDriver has always been Dez Fafara’s baby without question, but the band just sounds so much more…complete…on THE LAST KIND WORDS. It’s almost as if Fafara has loosened his grip on the leash a little and allowed the rest of the guys to play around a little more on the songs and the result is fantastic. This is DevilDriver’s most accessible album to date but they have done so without sacrificing any of the heaviness they have coveted all along. Of course, THE LAST KIND WORDS will face its share of scrutiny as many closed-minded individuals still cannot get beyond the fact that Fafara was once in Coal Chamber, but the fact remains, this is going to be one of the best modern metal albums to come along this year and should finally put to bed the parallels drawn between Dez Fafara’s current and former bands.

Nile - Ithyphallic

South Carolina's Nile have once more emerged from the catacombs beneath their pyramidial burial chambers to let loose another assault upon the ears of those initiated into their cult of brutal technical death metal worshippers. Once again, listeners are treated to a barrage of explosive blast beat-driven riffs, triple deathgrunts belting out tales of death, war, and horror, insane guitar leads, and of course plenty of Egyptian horns for atmospheric effect. 2007's ITHYPHALLIC continues to walk the same blood-and-sand-stained path of 2005's ANNIHILIATION OF THE WICKED, effectively playing it safe with little in the way of experimentation - but playing it 'safe' for Nile is still treading where few, if any, others dare to tread.



Neil Kernon is in the production booth once again, and once again has done an fine job at condensing the band's sound onto disc, though he seems to have brought the drums and vocals more to the forefront and cut down on the heavy layering of guitars. Wonder of wonders, Nile has now actually had the same drummer for two albums in a row, and on ITHYPHALLIC, George Kollias further cements his right to maintain his position on the drumstool, delivering a punishing, confident performance from beginning to end. Sanders and Toler-Wade are terrifying on lead breaks and technical riffs as always, and the death vocals, while every bit as vicious as on prior releases, seem to be just a bit more comprehensible to the unaided ear. While for the most part Nile sticks to its full throttle assault on the senses, there are some moments of interesting experimentation like the string arrangements on "The Infinity Of Stone" or the great warchant at the end of the album's best track, "Eat Of The Dead." Other highlights are many, from the brutal Lovecraft-inspired tale told in "As He Creates So He Destroys" to the furious, all-out assault of "Papyrus Containing The Spell To Preserve Its Possessor Against Attacks From He Who Is In The Water" (continuing Nile's tradition of presenting a song with a title which takes longer to say than the song does to play) to the ten-minute epic closer "Even The Gods Must Die." While the remaining tracks are not weak by any stretch of the imagination, there seems to be a general sense of deja vu about many of them, with a goodly number of the riffs and by-now-all-too-familiar Egyptian overtones sounding somewhat recycled from previous albums.



In the end, ITHYPHALLIC is an excellent release which suffers only from the 'more of the same' syndrome and perhaps a feeling they were holding back a bit for some reason - perhaps due to their label jump to Nuclear Blast? There is no monstrous standout cut like "Unas, Slayer Of The Gods," nor is there much in the way of real innovation or new territory ventured into. The bottom line is this is a Nile album, which means it's amazing...but unfortunately, it's also "just another Nile album," not the world-destroying monster some might have hoped for. Highly recommended for existing fans and death metal afficianados, but unlikely to win over any other new converts.

The Berzerker - Animosity

The Berzerker is a band that causes much controversy amongst metal fans. Over the course of three albums (beginning with 2000’s self-titled release), the band have been both hailed as the next step in death metal brutality and denigrated as senseless noise merchants. All the while, I’ve been completely ignorant of the Melbourne, Australia export. Why? Well, most probably because I tend to find death metal of the “blasting for blasting’s sake” variety very boring after the first few listens. For me, it just has no staying power.

So, going into my first listen of ANIMOSITY, it’s safe to say I was curious, but not exactly excited. The verdict? It’s pretty much exactly what I expected it to be: nigh-indecipherable speed death blosh, mechanized into the next century by synthetic drums and sound effects. However, that’s not to say that I didn’t enjoy it. I mean, there’s just some kind of perverse enjoyment to be derived from a pure aural assault like “Evolution”.

When the band does back off a bit and let a few riffs claw above the cogs and wires, there are some catchy bits to be heard. Most surprisingly on the song “Heavily Medicated”, which begins as a typical blast-athon, but quickly moves into an infectious melodic death metal-styled riff, just before diving back into the REEK OF PUTREFACTION zone. Such morsels are spread throughout the album, rewarding the closer listen.

All in all, with ANIMOSITY The Berzerker shows that they have more to offer than you might expect. Sure, most of the album is an unfathomable racket but sometimes that can be a good thing.

God Dethroned - The Toxic Touch

The transformation of God Dethroned from blackened thrash/death band to melodic death/Gothenburg is complete with their release of THE TOXIC TOUCH. I have to say emphatically that this is not a bad thing, NOT a bad thing at all. I know that “Gothenburg” has become a dirty word in recent years, partially through the metalcore movement cribbing all their riffs from classic In Flames and At the Gates, and also through the crap releases of Gothenburg heavyweights like In Flames and Soilwork themselves. But God Dethroned have released a superb record, one that could stand proudly beside THE JESTER RACE and THE GALLERY. Could this be the rebirth of the Gothenburg sound?



I would welcome it. God Dethroned have retained slight black influences, most noticeably in the vocals, and also in the atmosphere created. But the guitar sound, the melodies, the drumming takes us back to the heyday of Swedish melodic death. Think heavy thick guitars weaving melody after melody, riff after riff around the hypnotic keyboards (which are used very minimally – it’s all about atmosphere). Think slow heavy drumming, interlaced with fast brutal kicking and rolls. Think snarled vocals. Think searing leads. Think the best of Sweden – and that’s not Volvo or blonde nymphomaniacs.



The album starts off with a great chant-along lasting a few seconds, but when the album starts proper with “Hating Life” you know you’re happy. You’ve got a smile on your face when the gallop starts you headbanging. The vocals are clear, not growled beyond recognition. Lyrically, the album is extremely depressing, and why not. And listen to when they slow it down, the melancholy and depression is overwhelming (“Away From Emptiness” and “Typhoid Mary”). The funny thing is that although one can almost immediately identify the album as Swedish melodic death, one can’t really place a finger on who they sound like. Surely this must say something about their originality, that they haven’t just copied the riffs and sounds from the Swedish bands. Very peculiar.



I thought about going through the album song by song, but that would be quite tedious. Overall, I love this album, it’s a real throwback to the good old days where In Flames, Soilwork, Carcass, Dark Tranquillity and At the Gates were producing great albums. THE TOXIC TOUCH is not a copycat record by any means, it’s a great standalone album, with no filler among the songs. There is enough variation and brutality in the songs, enough punch and power to keep a listener interested. A great effort.

Behemoth - The Apostacy

Behemoth’s quest for world domination continues with the Polish Metal Kings’ trademark skull-splitting blackened death metal fury on their latest opus, THE APOSTASY. Where 2005’s DEMIGOD laid the foundation that was first set out by ZOS KIA CULTUS two years earlier, THE APOSTASY relishes in even more savage, grinding riffs and borderline inhuman drumming to create another slab of Thelemic-based misanthropy. One major difference between DEMIGOD and THE APOSTASY is Nergal’s use of multi-layered vocals is significantly reigned in. In their place are a singular—but just as powerful—booming vocal track that makes the songs sound clearer and less dense. Incorporating an epic tone similar to DEMIGOD, many of the songs on THE APOSTASY have a lot going on that requires repeated listens, including the use of choirs, horn sections and even piano. The overtly blasphemous lyrics are still present and despite greater melody than ever heard before, Behemoth shows no sign of softening up but it is clear that even after nine albums, the band is stretching itself as musicians and songwriters to keep their pagan/Middle Eastern heavy metal worship fresh and interesting to themselves and their fans.



The regal intro “Rome 64 C.E.” paves the way for a gut-churning drum assault courtesy of Inferno to open “Slaying The Prophets Ov Isa.” Nergal’s razor-sharp riffs and diving leads are augmented by a brief choral section that closes the track. “Prometherion” is THE APOSTASY’s version of “Slaves Shall Serve” with sweeping riffs, insane blastbeats and an underlying brutality that gels nicely with the melodies. “At The Left Hand Ov God” balances classical guitar with tribal drumming, locking into a mid-paced groove punctuated by chanting, guitar squeals and controlled double bass. “Kriegsphilosophie” (the German title translates to “Philosophy of War”) and “Arcana Hereticae” turn the controlled chaos on its head by going full throttle with vicious blasting and some of Nergal’s most brutal vocals to date. The swirling riffs and aggressive tone hearken back to elements found on the band’s earlier albums like THELEMA.6 and SATANICA, as Behemoth shifted from a black metal powerhouse to a more threshed-out and musically-challenging death metal entity. Coupled with the ivory-tinkling of Polish classical pianist, Leszek Mozdzer, Nevermore’s Warrel Dane makes a guest appearance on “Inner Sanctum” adding a new spectrum to Behemoth’s sound that will surely spark mixed reactions. The spoken word vocals and Dane’s high-pitched delivery may not sit well with the band’s longtime fans but the song does seem a bit clunky, in all honesty. “Pazuzu,” however, is a high-speed maelstrom of death metal ferocity. Ripping along at two-and-a-half minutes, the track finds Behemoth at its most brutal, barely letting up after Inferno’s drum intro and going right for the jugular powered by Nergal’s tightly-wound riffing. Likewise, “Christgrinding Avenue” exemplifies how death metal can groove and decimate at the same time. The pronounced melody never gets shoved aside by the intensity of Inferno and Nergal and with a horn section dropped in for a majestic touch, this is sure to become a fan favorite.



Like feeding the “Christians To The Lions” (pardon the pun), Behemoth clearly has one goal in its sight—converting the innocent masses to well-played, expertly-crafted, bludgeoning death metal. Touring incessantly in support of DEMIGOD, Behemoth blew the heads off of fans at 2006’s Sounds of The Underground Tour and are currently annihilating the crowds on this summer’s Ozzfest, so they are certainly taking the proper highways. THE APOSTASY is not a major step-up from DEMIGOD but rather a refinement of the groundwork the band has been etching over its last three albums. The cleaner production and slightly slower tempos may scare off some purists but THE APOSTASY finds Behemoth honed to a lethal, death metal machine.

Devin Townsend - Ziltoid to the Omniscent

It seems that fatherhood has made Devin Townsend a changed man. By all accounts, Strapping Young Lad has been retired and Townsend has admitted he would like to retire to an isolated spot in the woods to create, release and produce music exclusively while avoiding the public spotlight completely. For those who bought into Townsend’s over-the-top SYL persona, it may be hard to imagine the raging, testosterone-fuelled madman they saw on stage relegating himself to such a pastoral existence but off stage and an interviews, it was always clear he eschewed the spotlight and was more comfortable in the studio creating, rather than performing.



Townsend’s latest work, ZILTOID THE OMNISCIENT, is a bizarre concept album which centers on an alien from another dimension whose prime directive is the ultimate cup of coffee. Ziltoid, a nerd at heart, creates a manic musical persona to trick people of the Earth into thinking he is something he is not, only to have his cover blown and exposed for what he is. Sound familiar? The parallels between Ziltoid and Townsend himself are many and Townsend has done an excellent job at creating this metaphoric character of himself. The story is certainly original and it is a lot of fun to read the booklet accompanying the CD, too. Despite its odd premise, ZILTOID THE OMNISCIENT is all a fan would expect from a Devin Townsend album in musical terms. The album draws similarities to Townsend’s past solo endeavors including OCEAN MACHINE and TERRIA as well as the off-the-wall antics of Punky Bruster. Extended progressive passages are mixed with heavy, guitar-driven sections and solidified with Townsend’s trademark rich, multi-layered production. There are no real surprises here but it is an enjoyable and fun ride through the “omniverse” of Townsend’s beguiling mind nonetheless.



Fans of Townsend’s more progressive, melodic work will find plenty to love in tracks like “By Your Command,” “Hyperdrive” and “Color Your World.” Lush, layered vocals and ethereal guitar and keyboard passages enrapture the listener in a serene peacefulness. “Hyperdrive” is an incredibly catchy song with a mid-tempo pacing and a smooth crooning vocal from Townsend. The song could easily fit into TERRIA or ACCELERATED EVOLUTION and is the most straight-forward track on the album. On the other hand, “Ziltoidia Attaxx!!!” and “N9” bounce along on a killer groove, powered by “The Drumkit From Hell” (actually a computer percussion program on loan from Meshuggah’s Tomas Haake), that have moments among the heaviest Townsend has ever recorded. Likewise, “Planet Smasher” would not be out of place on Strapping Young Lad’s ALIEN or THE NEW BLACK. The epic “Color Your World” shifts tempos several times, going from an aggressive SYL-type double-bass barnburner to a slow, dreamy middle section before going full circle with Townsend screaming Ziltoid’s self-realization that “we are all puppets!”



ZILTOID THE OMNISCIENT is a really unique album that is filled with Devin Townsend’s humor and bears all the requisite trademarks of a Townsend project. The songs are at times long and progressive (TERRIA), unflinchingly heavy and complex (Strapping Young Lad) and also subtle and introspective (ACCELERATED EVOLUTION) but wrapped in an overseeing concept that has its tongue firmly planted in cheek (Punky Bruster). It took a few listens to really “get” where he was going with ZILTOID THE OMNISCIENT but if this is what we can expect from Townsend from here on in, his self-imposed exile is welcomed and encouraged.

Gorefest - Rise to Ruins

After a much-lauded reunion in the 2005 release of LA MUERTE, Dutch death metallers Gorefest are back with their seventh full-length studio album. While the prior album may have been heralded as the group's return to form, it is 2007's RISE TO RUIN that almost manages to truly recapture the spirit of the early 90's releases like MINDLOSS and FALSE. Almost, but not quite. Old school groove-based death metal in the vein of early Entombed or Grave is the name of the game here, and unlike LA MUERTE's jam-heavy style, RISE showcases a sharper, angrier, and much more focused Gorefest. Unfortunately, they still have too much of a prediliction for going off the rails into different directions mid-song, more often than not ruining much of the impact in the process, and as a consequence lessening the overall enjoyment factor of the album. Case in point would have to be opening cut "Revolt," which explodes out of the gate with a furious fusillade of drum fills from Ed Warby followed up by an energetic, driving rhythm and a great death-shouted chorus...and then they louse it up by jumping into a recorded narrative sample which completely kills the momentum of the track and goes on for way too long. Bonebakker almost manages to save the day with a superb melodic solo once the heavy riffs make their inevitable return, but I'm left scratching my head as to why they would throw something like that onto the first track...midway through the album, I might be able to forgive it, but less than two minutes into the first song? The title track follows, and is definitely a throwback to the early-90's Gorefest with some great midtempo death riffs peppered with a couple blastbeat bursts in the latter half. Next cut "The War On Stupidity" is a good example of how the band can catch you off-guard in a good way, opening up with a slow dual-guitar harmonized riff that preps you for what you might expect to be a slow, groove-heavy death track, but launches into an infuriated blastbeat-laden assault on the eardrums. That particular song title sounds like it should be a Napalm Death song, which brings up the issue of the Barney Greenway-ish vocals of Jan-Chris De Koeijer - unfortunately, he's done little to improve on the lack of variety in his roaring deathgrowls. Fans of the band will certainly be used to his delivery by now, but it may be somewhat of a turnoff for strangers to their previous material who may be hoping for more diversity in vocal sound. Of course now that I've noted that, I have to qualify it with a statement there IS some vocal variety about halfway through the slow-tempo "A Question Of Terror" when De Koeijer clean-whispers a few lines of lyrics while a distorted echo of his last word from the previous chorus floats about in the background sounding a bit like a circling vulture's call. After a couple listens, it's pretty cool, but on the first run-through, it seems like another bizarre moment that may throw some listeners off. There's some great guitar leads on this track as well, and the closeout riff after the solo section is a hammeringly heavy monster. Probably the best track on the album is "Babylon's Whores," which is a nine-minute death masterpiece with some great guitar leads and lots of timeshifts from blast-raging to brutal midtempo riffing...unfortunately, again, it's thrown off-kilter by another odd passage as the dual guitar leads midway through the song dissolve into an atmospheric clean guitar section before launching into another monstrously heavy blast-driven section. Take out that interlude and have Warby's drumrolls come in directly from the held dual note at the end of the solos and you'd have a near-perfect old school death tune. The remaining tracks all have their good moments, especially the neck-snapping breakdown riff in the midst of "Speak When Spoken To," but none of them stand out quite like the songs on the first half of the album. Good news, bad news time in the field of "participation of parties outside of the band's membership." The good news: Tue Madsen handled the production of the disc and it sounds fantastic - every instrument shines out perfectly, the drums sound full and rich with not a hint of artificiality and nothing gets lost in the mix. The bad news: The cover art by British artist Rob "Mid" Middleton is awful...what, somebody killed the Edguy jester and the one from Bruce Dickinson's ACCIDENT OF BIRTH album cover and impaled their skulls on stakes? Looks terrible, but don't let that dissuade you if the rest of this review hasn't already done so. So is the new Gorefest worth your time to check out? Plain and simply, if you liked LA MUERTE, you'll love RISE TO RUIN. It's still not a match for their earliest material, but it's pretty darn good and a whole lot better than their death-rock albums of the late 90's. Fans of old school Swedish-style death who've never gotten into (or heard of) Gorefest before should also enjoy this, provided they can ignore, forgive, or enjoy the occasional venture into "what the?!?" territory.