Hope For The Dying- Aletheia Review
Progressive Metalcore Maestros
Those Who Fear- Unholy Anger Review
This album is pure rage
Is it me or does it seem like a lot of the up and coming bands that are coming out of Facedown are slowly getting back into old school hardcore? If this keeps on happening, I'm gonna be broke by the end of 2013 ahahaha. Well anyways, Those Who Fear are a Pittsburgh Hardcore outfit that unleash music that is brutal to the ears and throws you around like a rag doll. The first single Daggermouth blast open with punishing riffs and brutal breakdowns, along with the vocalist catchy vocal style, at times it seems like he's rapping which i really thought was pretty neat, while at other times it seems like he does little death-core type growls. The two tracks that stood out for me are (un)holy anger and holy anger. Both of these tracks pretty much differentiate the meaning behind being angry for a right reason, and being angry for sinful purposes, and i thought they did a great job exploring that topic. The lyrics are bold and Christian based. Taking topics such as heresy, standing up for what you believe in, conviction, internal struggles with sin and hypocrisy. They definitely have a gritty theme to the lyrics and they are written in a street smart fashion. The production is extremely loud and heavy, at times i felt like the breakdown in the song was going to make my body fall to the floor! Those Who fear have created a beast that should come with a caution sign saying "Warning: post-hardcore fans might faint from the brutality of the Pittsburgh beatdown crew". haaha do yourself a favor and buy this amazing album!
Dynasty- Beyond Measure Review
Hardcore done oldschool
Dynasty was a band that caught me by surprise. Considering i love Facedown records and the majority of music they put out, i have never heard of these guys before. Well, after watching the lyric vid for "Explicit Method" i was impressed by the old school hardcore approach they took to their music. I Didn't really listen to anymore of their tracks and decided to buy t shirt and the album and surprise myself. I gotta say, that was a pretty wise decision!
All the songs are hard hitting old school style hardcore, with lyrical subjects ranging from Christianity (which are pretty bold, not watered down). to subjects ranging from how today's society is. The songs are pretty short in hardcore fashion, but they are definitely addicting to listen to over and over again. The last track features guest rapping by Inspectah Deck of Wu Tang Clan, and surprisingly they pull it off well! The production is really gritty and garage sounding, giving it a gritty old school feeling. Tommy Green of Sleeping Giant and Jesse Burnett of Stick To Your Guns does guest vocals on Rise to Victory, so fans of those bands should appreciate that! Dynasty's Beyond Measure is a great hardcore album from beginning to end!
All the songs are hard hitting old school style hardcore, with lyrical subjects ranging from Christianity (which are pretty bold, not watered down). to subjects ranging from how today's society is. The songs are pretty short in hardcore fashion, but they are definitely addicting to listen to over and over again. The last track features guest rapping by Inspectah Deck of Wu Tang Clan, and surprisingly they pull it off well! The production is really gritty and garage sounding, giving it a gritty old school feeling. Tommy Green of Sleeping Giant and Jesse Burnett of Stick To Your Guns does guest vocals on Rise to Victory, so fans of those bands should appreciate that! Dynasty's Beyond Measure is a great hardcore album from beginning to end!
Extol- Burial
Obscure Extreme metal masterpiece
Extol are one of those bands that never got the recognition that they deserved. Mixing elements of technical death metal with touches of thrash and black metal. While delivering blackened death metal vocals accompanied with melodic singing. Extol is truly a one of a kind band. Starting out in the early 90's by the Espevoll brothers, their first songs were featured on a Rowe productions compilation cd along with Antestor and co. 1998 saw their debut of the first Extol album Burial. Lyrically the album deals with forgiveness, seeking help/ crying out to Christ for help, and the ressurection of Christ. The lyrics have a mature and intelligent tone, so you won't be getting the "Jesus Christ is lord of lords, repent or burn! 777! Holy!" The lyrics are more like this, taken from the song, celestial completion:
"The biological struggle is coming to an end Tears and sorrow in the eyes of the beloved
Spirit rising, Underneath a carcass Marked by the signs of time Floating away Into another dimension Travelling with the speed of light
Reaching a wonderful place Under a deep blue sky
No fear, no pain Just peace and harmony Majestic music Filling the air
Millions of colourful flowers Covering the ground
A tall companion In shiny white clothes beside me A warm dazzling light makes me feel whole As all my longings are satisfied By the power that runs through it
I bow down to the source of the light And I hear a vigorous voice
Well done good and faithful servant You have been faithful with a few things I will put you in charge of many things Come and share your Master's happiness."
As, you can see, the band clearly knew how to write beautiful lyrics, along with beautiful music. The technicality/ odd time signatures and beats of the guitars and drums are just right. Never overdoing it or going all over the top on us, each song has an amazing chorus, amazing riffs, ridiculously fast and complex drumming, and chugging bass. There are two songs that are in Norwegian. "Jesus Kom til jordan for a do" and innbydelse" once you translate lyrics online, you'll find two amazing songs lyrically. Innbydelse is just as technical as any other Extol song, while Jesus Kom til Jordan for a do has viking type chants and a doom metal edge to it. You can find the English acoustic version on you tube covered by somebody else. Just type in the search bar "Jesus came to earth to die acoustic extol". Though their is no guitar solos on this album, the riffs can really hook you in to the song, and it seems like each song has it's own atmospheric tone. This will always be my favorite Extol album, and Extol will always remain in my top three favorite Christian metal bands along with Tourniquet and Mortification. Hopefully these guys make a comeback cause they will cause a lot of noise in the metal underground!- Jordan
"The biological struggle is coming to an end Tears and sorrow in the eyes of the beloved
Spirit rising, Underneath a carcass Marked by the signs of time Floating away Into another dimension Travelling with the speed of light
Reaching a wonderful place Under a deep blue sky
No fear, no pain Just peace and harmony Majestic music Filling the air
Millions of colourful flowers Covering the ground
A tall companion In shiny white clothes beside me A warm dazzling light makes me feel whole As all my longings are satisfied By the power that runs through it
I bow down to the source of the light And I hear a vigorous voice
Well done good and faithful servant You have been faithful with a few things I will put you in charge of many things Come and share your Master's happiness."
As, you can see, the band clearly knew how to write beautiful lyrics, along with beautiful music. The technicality/ odd time signatures and beats of the guitars and drums are just right. Never overdoing it or going all over the top on us, each song has an amazing chorus, amazing riffs, ridiculously fast and complex drumming, and chugging bass. There are two songs that are in Norwegian. "Jesus Kom til jordan for a do" and innbydelse" once you translate lyrics online, you'll find two amazing songs lyrically. Innbydelse is just as technical as any other Extol song, while Jesus Kom til Jordan for a do has viking type chants and a doom metal edge to it. You can find the English acoustic version on you tube covered by somebody else. Just type in the search bar "Jesus came to earth to die acoustic extol". Though their is no guitar solos on this album, the riffs can really hook you in to the song, and it seems like each song has it's own atmospheric tone. This will always be my favorite Extol album, and Extol will always remain in my top three favorite Christian metal bands along with Tourniquet and Mortification. Hopefully these guys make a comeback cause they will cause a lot of noise in the metal underground!- Jordan
Ultimatum- Symphonic Extremities review
Underrated heavy/thrash metal gem
So, if you haven't heard of Ultimatum and have been in CTMA for over a year, then i feel bad for you! Ultimatum is a heavy metal band with thrash influence that was formed in 1992 by guitarist Robert Gutierrez. 1993 they released a demo, then in 1997 they released they're first album Symphonic Extremities. Symphonic is a beast of it's own sometimes reminding me of countdown to extinction era Megadeth instrumentally on tracks like the killing fields. While the title track takes more of a speed metal approach with a catchy chorus, while blink (the most thrashiest song on the album) kicks your butt! Vocalist Scott waters reminds me of a mixture Steve "Zetro"and Bobby "Blitz". World of sin is definitely my favorite on this album though. The shout along vocals are excellent, the riffs are sick, Scott's voice is gritty and brings personality to the band. The drums sound clear and are well played also. Though their aren't a bunch of solos, whenever a solo is played, my jaw is left on the ground. The production isn't top notch, but it doesn't really matter for me, that gives it more of an old school feeling for me. Symphonic extremities will remain in my top three fav Ultimatum albums along with Puppet of Destruction and Into the pit. I highly recommend trying to find this one online and give it a spin.
War of Ages- Return to life review
Keeping metalcore fresh and original
War of Ages has been on the Christian metal scene for a few years so far, making each one of their metalcore releases fresh and original while making sure they don't sound as dull and boring as 85% of all the other metalcore acts. Leroy Hamp and the crew do a great job of making each song unique and different, while having that signature WOA sound. The guitar work is still brilliant and features a few face melting solos (though, they aren't as intense as immortal's.) The chorus's are as catchy as ever, though i wish the bass was turned up a bit. Plus, the lyrics are really well written, from standing up for your faith, forgiveness, and loneliness, this is the band's most inspiring album lyrically. The production is top notch, especially when you can hear Leroy's screams and it has the ability to give you goosebumps. Overall, Return to life is an amazing album filled with ferocity, passion, and intensity. It's my favorite War of Ages album and i highly recommend it to anyone who is a fan of metalcore and Christian metal in general.-Jordan
Antivenom- Sacred Funeral review
Great black metal!
To kick this review off, Antivenom is a black metal project done by Armath Sargon (Who lives in Finland), and Corinne Thompson and Troy who both live in America. Armath does guitar and bass duties while Corinne does the vocals (yep, female black metal vocals!) and Troy who does the drums. There are a total of ten songs on the album and each song sets each other apart from itself. Sacred funeral is run of the mill black metal with raw production, awesome screeching vocals, and static type guitar. Total Apocalyptic Exorcism is more brutal lyrically and is pretty awesome. Unblack plague talks about being infected with the blood of Christ. Filthy lies deals with the lies of the world and how the world can deceive you, this one has great work instrumentally. Blood Path deals with following the straight and narrow path and not falling into the path of satan. Temple of flesh talks about how no Church can save you, but only Jesus Christ can. Hour of Judgement deals with being judged at the throne of God, its also the longest song on this album clocking in at 4 minutes!. Where darkness cannot reach is also run of the mill black metal. Nice and solid and nothing revolutionary. Death Angel is my favorite track and has a huge punk vibe in it, plus the lyrics are really catchy. Shadows Fade is an extremely atmospheric song about a woman falling in sin and struggling spiritually until she dies and goes to heaven, it's perhaps one of the most beautiful songs on the album. Shadows Fade is also dedicated to one of the members mother. All in All, Antivenoms debut is raw, catchy, atmospheric black metal that no one cant miss out on! Pick this one up at
http://starvetheflesh.com!!
Demon Hunter- True Defiance review
Superb metal-core masterpiece!
So, to start this review off, Demon Hunter has been around for a good 10- 12 years so far. As with every Demon Hunter album, there also comes different changes and styles incorporated into their nu-metal/metal-core formula. The core scene, usually having outdated and dried up copy and paste style music gets old really fast, But their are a few bands that can actually break that mold, and Demon Hunter is one of them. The beginning track Crucifix has a heavy thrash riff type opening sounding like a raw garage recording, then cuts into the slick and clean metal production. The track pretty much talks about the sin of the world. God Forsaken takes a more core feel to it, having interesting rhythm sections, and a brutal heavy ending to it. My Destiny is a fast and furious metal song that talks about the members growing up with metal music, it also has a nice little solo. Wake is a simple run of the mill Demon Hunter song that sounds like it could have been from The Triptych, an awesome song nonetheless. Tomorrow never comes is a ballad with lead vocalist Ryan Clark tearing it up on vocals, plus the awesome mid to end song growl impresses. Someone to hate is the heaviest song on the album and deals with Christians being criticized for their faith, hence the line "I am someone to hate." This song has even more brutal guitars and epic drumming.This I know is another trademark Demon Hunter song with no unique changes or influences, sounding more like back in the day DH, it still manages to have me hooked. Means to an End is a beautiful acoustic instrumental that has a somber tone to it. We don't care is a extremely catchy track that talks about how us as human beings don't care what we feed the younger generations when it comes to influence. This track also has a sick techno section which i was really surprised that they actually managed to pull it off. Resistance is a heavy Demon Hunter song that starts off slow, but near the end of the track, has an amazing guitar solo that sounds like it could have been in any old school metal song. Dead flowers is a ballad that has Ryan Clark doing his best at vocals in his whole entire career in Demon Hunter. True Defiance definitely has that old school metal influence, along with melody, and the standard nu-metal/metal-core roots. True Defiance is an album that will blow any fan of metal away!- Jordan Velez
Boarders- R-EXISTENCE review
Amazing Italian classic metal/thrash metal!
To start things off, this is the best Christian metal album of the year!!! That is how good this album is!
Boarders somehow manages to incorporate the perfect mix of melody, classic metal, ballads, and speed/thrash metal to make a deadly but beautiful combination! The first song "The agony of lying" is heavy metal with speed influences showing Egi's vocal chops from going from a gritty style to ballad like singing style. The next song, "signs of resistance" is a hard rocker with heavy metal influence mainly dealing with a oppressive government not letting their people speak and the people rise up. "Vengeance is yours" deals with the end times when the world is full of corruption and hate is not the answer, but God said that "vengeance is his". "4th Reich" talks about humanity's aim for perfection and how it has caused us as human beings to be so desensitized. 4th Reich also features an amazing solo by Annihilator guitarist Jeff Waters! The song has a huge thrash influence which is clearly seen in the first 30 seconds of the song. "Pure Gold" tells about God's forgiveness and love from the perspective of a man who is ascending to heaven, this one is a straight up ballad. "Light Bringer" addresses the globalization of the government as read in the book of Revelation, and shows how turning to Christ with fellow Christians is the only way to be victorious. This song has lots of heavy metal elements with a few speed parts. "Sixth out of five" is pretty much about letting go of your "demons" (struggles, problems, addictions). The song is also a ballad filled with many nice moments. "Cause of life" is another heavy/speed metal song that will have metalheads headbanging a lot! "Meet my Heart" shows the members love and passion for music and God. This one a fast rocker with a heavy metal influence which kind of reminds me of mid nineties Megadeth. The last song is an acoustic instrumental called "To my Father". It is beautifully composed and has really amazing acoustic work done and its a perfect way to end an epic album like this one! Boarders has hit all the right notes with this album and it definitely deserves a purchase! So check this album out when you have a chance, you won't be disappointed!!- Jordan Velez
Boarders somehow manages to incorporate the perfect mix of melody, classic metal, ballads, and speed/thrash metal to make a deadly but beautiful combination! The first song "The agony of lying" is heavy metal with speed influences showing Egi's vocal chops from going from a gritty style to ballad like singing style. The next song, "signs of resistance" is a hard rocker with heavy metal influence mainly dealing with a oppressive government not letting their people speak and the people rise up. "Vengeance is yours" deals with the end times when the world is full of corruption and hate is not the answer, but God said that "vengeance is his". "4th Reich" talks about humanity's aim for perfection and how it has caused us as human beings to be so desensitized. 4th Reich also features an amazing solo by Annihilator guitarist Jeff Waters! The song has a huge thrash influence which is clearly seen in the first 30 seconds of the song. "Pure Gold" tells about God's forgiveness and love from the perspective of a man who is ascending to heaven, this one is a straight up ballad. "Light Bringer" addresses the globalization of the government as read in the book of Revelation, and shows how turning to Christ with fellow Christians is the only way to be victorious. This song has lots of heavy metal elements with a few speed parts. "Sixth out of five" is pretty much about letting go of your "demons" (struggles, problems, addictions). The song is also a ballad filled with many nice moments. "Cause of life" is another heavy/speed metal song that will have metalheads headbanging a lot! "Meet my Heart" shows the members love and passion for music and God. This one a fast rocker with a heavy metal influence which kind of reminds me of mid nineties Megadeth. The last song is an acoustic instrumental called "To my Father". It is beautifully composed and has really amazing acoustic work done and its a perfect way to end an epic album like this one! Boarders has hit all the right notes with this album and it definitely deserves a purchase! So check this album out when you have a chance, you won't be disappointed!!- Jordan Velez
Ordained Fate- self titled review
Female fronted thrash metal band that no longer exist, but should have kept going..
Well, to start things off, Ordained Fate was a female driven Christian thrash metal band from the early 90's. This album came out in 1992, and it still holds up quite well. There are four members of the band, three of them are ladies, the drummer's a guy. But the female thrash vocals are actually pretty sick! Although most of the album is mid-paced thrash , it's still a good listen. Especially with songs like holy wars, the election, tame the tongue, and no death. The instruments are played quite well, but can get boring at times. The message/ lyrics are blatantly Christian, which i think is awesome. Let's make a deal and Gold cross are okay though. If only these guys made more albums after their second album (which i don't have) they would have stirred up a lot of talk in the metal underground. Ordained Fate's debut is definitely worth a listen, so check them out.-Jordan Velez
Mortification- primitive rhythm machine review
An interesting tribal influenced groove,thrash,death metal album
For those of you who do not know of Mortification, they are considered the "superstars" of the christian extreme metal scene and have experimented with different sub genres within the metal realm such as groove metal, thrash/death metal (deathrash some people call it) and a weird power metal influence. Well, in morty's fifth offering, lead singer/bassist Steve Rowe offers up awesome thrash with evangelical lyrics showing faith, love, forgiveness, and sin. Primitive rhythm machine has a tribal drum solo in the beginning then the bass and guitar take turns chugging at each other, the song mainly deals with how tribal beats can be used to worship Christ and that all music was created by God. Mephiboseth is a fast thrasher filled with two crazy solos. Seen it all talks about all of the sin in the world and how god is watching. The true essence of power talks about the power of jesus christ. Toxic shock is a fast thrasher along with 40:31 which is extremely fast! The next song is gut wrench in which the new Mexican thrash band Ultimatum covered. Confused belief is an okay song, but providence is amazing, plus it features vocals from a member of Recon. Killing evil is only like a minute, but an awesome deathrash song that gets any thrasher to head-bang to! Morty's pmr is an interesting album filled with surprises, i highly suggest it! - Jordan Velez