"The Gamut" - tonight is "Equal Representation"!

Tonight's theme is "Equal Representation" - I'm featuring genres where there are prime examples of both male-fronted, and female-fronted bands.  Of course, being the gentleman that I am, I'm letting ladies go first, so for each female-fronted band you hear, you'll hear a male-fronted band of the same kind immediately following!  You can be the judge of which is better, I'm just going to sit back & jam to the awesome music!

Tonight's playlist!!!

Bloodlined Calligraphy - They Want You Silent (Female-fronted Metalcore)
For Today - Agape (Metalcore)
Venia (FIN) - Broken Chains (Female-fronted Power Metal)
Harmony - Aftermath (Power Metal)
Bathtub Mary - Save Me (Female-fronted Indie Pop)
Jetenderpaul - When Will We Dance In Golden Gowns? (Indie Pop)
Aleixa - Disfigured (Female-fronted Techno Rock)
Leaderdogs For the Blind - Fighting Gravity (Techno Rock)
Ransom - Soul Hymn (Female-fronted Hard Rock)
Brim - What If? (Hard Rock)
Ordained Fate - No Death (Female-fronted Thrash Metal)
Detritus - Point of No Return (Thrash Metal)
Wigtop - Higher (Female-fronted Techno Industrial)
Cult of Jester - Funkatron (Techno Industrial)
Flee the Seen - Wire Tap Out (Female-fronted Post-Hardcore)
The Blue Letter - The Window Is Made of One Way Glass (Post-Hardcore)
Barnabas - Stormclouds (Female-fronted Classic Metal)
Bloodgood - Demon on the Run (Classic Metal)
Spirit's Breeze - None Should Perish (Female-fronted Death Metal)
Broken Flesh - Issue of Blood (Death Metal)
Eowyn - Silent Screams (Female-fronted Modern Heavy Rock)
Echoes the Fall - Break Away (Modern Heavy Rock)
Plague of Ethyls - Land of La La (Female-fronted Grunge/Alternative)
Sweet Nectar - Daphne Treefort (Grunge/Alternative)
Asher (CA) - Exhortation (Female-fronted Modern Pop Metal)
Blessed By a Broken Heart - Move Your Body (Modern Pop Metal)
The Clergy - Oatmeal (Female-fronted Punk Rock)
The Culprits - Victory Or Death (Punk Rock)
Deborah - Momento Azul (Female-fronted Black Metal)
Grave Declaration - To My Redeemer (Black Metal)
Arsenal - Turn Around (Female-fronted Commercial Metal)
Crystavox - All the Way (Commercial Metal)
The Lead - Jesus Became Sin (Female-fronted Hardcore Punk)
Ten-33 - Train wreck (Hardcore Punk)
Servant - Burning Bridges (Female-fronted Rock/New Wave)
Daniel Amos - Alarma! (Rock/New Wave)
Royal - Lazy/Tired (Female-fronted Indie Rock)
Consider the Thief - Drink the Sea (Indie Rock)
HB - It Is Time (Female-fronted Melodic Metal)
Hero - Immortal (Melodic Metal)
ForeverAtLast - I Tried To Add You On Myspace But Captcha Wouldn't Let Me (Female-fronted Metalcore)
The Burning Season - Something More (Metalcore)

Check out the newly relaunched Blabber Jesus Radio site @ www.blabberjesusradio.com !  You can tune in easily via the web-based ShoutCast player, link to the stream via your regular audio player, view DJ bios, and link up to other great resources, including the newly redesigned Divine Metal Distro site, your one-stop source for all things Christian rock and metal!

Alternate links to listen to the stream in a separate player (Winamp recommended, though Real Player, VLC, iTunes and others work as well):
http://207.192.71.70:8000/listen.pls
http://radio.fuhell.com:8000/listen.pls

Here's the link for Windows Media Player:
http://207.192.71.70:8000

Also our stream can now be heard on Nintendo Wii! If you have a Wii, here is what you do:

1.go on the net via your Wii console
2. type "www.Wiihear.com" into your browser address box
3. type "207.192.71.70:8000 into the Search box
4. Click the play arrow

It can take 5-10 seconds to load up & buffer, so please be patient when using this feature :)

You can also stream the station via xyzmp3.com on your PSP, PS3, Wii, iPhone, or even your TiVo!  Plus you can stream the show via your Windows Mobile phone with the free GSPlayer application!

"The Gamut" - tonight's playlist + CD Giveaway!!!

Despite the fact that I've been sick most of the weekend, the show must go on!

Listen to tonight's show for a CD giveaway - "Aggressive Angel" by Heaven's Force!  This is classic thrash metal, ala early Slayer, that is the earliest-known thrash with lyrics based upon Christian themes.  These 2 demos, recorded in 1983 and 1984 have never been widely available until now, in this limited edition digipak of 500 copies!  Don't pass up your chance to own this piece of history, make sure to listen in & enter for your chance to win!

Tonight's playlist!!!

Ezra - Bury the Dead (Death Metal)
One-Eighty - Just Like You (Female-fronted Ska/Punk)
Seventh Angel - In Ruins (Doom/Thrash Metal)
World To Ashes - The Lucent Gate (Melodic Death Metal)
Veni Domine - Eli Lema Sabbachtani (Gothic/Doom Metal)
Saint - In the Battle (Classic Metal)
Saints Never Surrender - Who Is... (Melodic Hardcore)
The Choir - Mercy Lives Here (Acoustic/Alternative)
Eternal Mystery - In God We Grind (Grindcore)
Deliverance - Map (Progressive Metal)
Remove the Veil - The Crux (Southern Metalcore)
Crimson Moonlight - Embraced By the Beauty of Cold (Black/Death Metal)
Sweet Comfort Band - Neighborhood Kids (80s Rock)
Random Eyes - Take Me Away (Power Metal)
Ruby Joe - Let's Go (Rockabilly)
Liberdade Suprema - Levante-se para Vencer (Death Metal)
Confide - The Bigger Picture (Screamo)
Hero - Gasoline (Modern Metal)
Mortification - Until the End (Death Metal)
Outlander - Wood (Progressive Metal)
Flatorophia - Catastrophic Death (Grindcore)
Dumpster - Divining (Alternative Rock)
Larry Norman - I Am a Servant (Jesus Rock/Ballad)
I Built the Cross - Minus One Star For Christianity (Technical Deathcore)
Bloodgood - You Lose (Classic Metal)
Kekal - Subsession - Once Again It Failed (Experimental Extreme Metal)
Bloodline Severed - Fear Of Reality (Modern Extreme Metal)
Ultimatum - Warlord's Sword (Thrash Metal)
Barry McGuire - Cosmic Cowboy (Jesus Rock)
Hot Pink Turtle - A Lil' Groove (Funk/Alternative)
Sotahuuto - Vastarintaan (Modern Death Metal)
Heaven's Force - Slaughter the Beast (Thrash Metal) - CD Giveaway!!!
Lo-Ruhamah - What Lines Reveal (Experimental Extreme Metal)
Dysfunctional Rotout - Welcome to Reality (Death/Grind)
Daniel Amos - Our Night To Howl, Time To Go Dancing (Alternative Rock)
Leaderdogs For the Blind - The Weather (Techno Rock)
A Hill To Die Upon - We Soulless Men (Black/Death Metal)
Visual Cliff - Angelic Shield (Instrumental Guitar Rock)
Aleixa - Non-Self (Female-fronted Techno Rock)
Deborah - Exorcism (Female-fronted Black Metal)

Check out the newly relaunched Blabber Jesus Radio site @ www.blabberjesusradio.com !  You can tune in easily via the web-based ShoutCast player, link to the stream via your regular audio player, view DJ bios, and link up to other great resources, including the newly redesigned Divine Metal Distro site, your one-stop source for all things Christian rock and metal!

Alternate links to listen to the stream in a separate player (Winamp recommended, though Real Player, VLC, iTunes and others work as well):
http://207.192.71.70:8000/listen.pls
http://radio.fuhell.com:8000/listen.pls

Here's the link for Windows Media Player:
http://207.192.71.70:8000

Also our stream can now be heard on Nintendo Wii! If you have a Wii, here is what you do:

1.go on the net via your Wii console
2. type "www.Wiihear.com" into your browser address box
3. type "207.192.71.70:8000 into the Search box
4. Click the play arrow

It can take 5-10 seconds to load up & buffer, so please be patient when using this feature :)

You can also stream the station via xyzmp3.com on your PSP, PS3, Wii, iPhone, or even your TiVo!  Plus you can stream the show via your Windows Mobile phone with the free GSPlayer application!

Krig - Narcissistic Mechanism (2010)

There are times when, despite all my leanings toward music that is avant garde, highly progressive, or material that is truly unique & done something different, there are also times when I just want something to pound me over the head.  Not literally, of course, but since my favorite style of music is thrash metal, as a young lad it was only a matter of time before I became interested in what became the logical progression of the more extreme forms of thrash: death metal.  I got heavily into the style of death metal in my mid-late teens, and continued to be interested in the genre through to today.  While I go through times where I don't listen to as much death metal, it's still a style I hold in high regard due to the skill required to play it, the absolute pummeling sound that many bands of this style create, and the sheer dedication to the genre that many of it's stalwart artists have shown.

So while I don't pull out Bolt Thrower's "Warmaster" or Carcass' "Heartwork" on a daily basis, I love me some death metal, especially when it's done right.  What I mean by that is this: death metal is best when it includes all the elements that makes the genre great.  I'm talking about punishing riffs, good solos here and there, fast & furious drumming, vocals that sound like they're coming from the depths of some dark place, and enough melody to allow those pummeling riffs to grab you by the throat & shake you vigorously until you've had enough.  Then, if it's really good death metal, they shake you some more.

KRIG is one of those bands that has a nice balance of the various elements.  This band knows how to go full-steam ahead when it makes sense, when to slow it down to allow the riffs (& the listener) to breathe, when to just be brutal & pummeling, and when to make things a bit more technical to create interest & keep things fresh.  Vocally, this band belongs to the "guttural" camp, with low growling vocals that come more from the Luke Renno (Crimson Thorn) school of vocals than the higher pitched Jeff Walker (Carcass) style.  There are some nice spots here & there where some cool vocal layering is thrown in, to great effect.  Some of it is "doubling" where the same vocal track is overlayed on top of itself (like in "Dilacerated"), and other times there are varied vocals that sound great layered together.  Of course, all this low-end growling makes the lyrics difficult to discern, but that is usually not an issue for fans of the genre - we are used to it!  In other words, Daniell Corpse does a great job keeping it vocally interesting without straying too far from the death metal formula.

In terms of the guitar sound, this stuff is somewhat downtuned, but that's typical for much death metal - the deeper the tones, the crunchier and more "meaty" the sound.  The guitar sound here is crunchy and dirty without sounding muddy, but retaining the level of heaviness and brutality that listeners expect.  There isn't a ton of solo work here, just bits sprinkled in here & there.  What is here is competent, though not overwhelming or flashy.  "Not Being Hypocrite" is a good example of this, as it has some basic solo work, but it's there more for effect than to be showy or display copious amounts of lead playing skill.  KRIG follows the Bolt Thrower school of lead guitar - just enough to say it's there, but not enough to detract from the riffs-a-plenty.  I also like how there are moments here and there where the riffs stop charging at you and take interesting left turns into technicality and sometimes dissonance.  It keeps things interesting, and allows for the more pummeling or melodic sections to have something else to balance them out.  The intro to "Mankind Dead Dreams" made me forget I was listening to KRIG for a moment, and I thought perhaps I was listening to Sympathy due to the interesting harmonic sound and technical nature of the riff.  The echoed solo work there really stands out as well.  Overall, Isaque Soares does a great job of including nearly all the elements a fan of death metal could want in a modern album.

Bass guitar is here, though as with much death metal, doesn't stand out quite as much.  However, in some tracks, like "End of Time", the bass is made more prominent either through a short solo, or by doing something different enough from the main riff to keep it from completely blending into the background.  Bass work by "Jully" is competent and quality throughout, however.  Drum work is also quite good, a nice blending of hyper fast beats, groove-laden work, and semi-technical beats showing the versatility of drummer Vinicious Soares.  He really does a great job without showing off too much, and allows the guitar sound to dominate without being too far in the background.  The production of course aids in this, but his playing is not so flashy or over the top that it overshadows the guitar either, which is a must in straight-up death metal.

My primary criticism of the album is that on a couple tracks (most noticeably "Hideout of Demons"), it seems as though the "fade out" at the end isn't well thought out, and the songs end somewhat abruptly, but not in a very logical spot.  This is more a production issue I suspect, and something that the band will likely work out on future albums. Overall, this is a high-quality slab of death metal, sure to please fans of the genre new and old.  It has enough nod to the origins of the genre to be a treat for long-time fans of the style, but also includes enough more modern elements to keep even the most "new school" fan pleased.  I suspect that fans of Suffocation and Impending Doom alike will find something here to like, if not love, and the fact that this album rides that line so well is a testament to the band's versatility.  If you're at all a fan of death metal and are looking for a great record to punish your ears (or your parents' ears) to, you can do no wrong with "Narcissistic Mechanism".  Recommended.


80/100

Here's the companion video review:

"The Gamut" - tomorrow night's playlist!

Listen to tonight's show for a CD giveaway - "Aggressive Angel" by Heaven's Force!  This is classic thrash metal, ala early Slayer, that is the earliest-known thrash with lyrics based upon Christian themes.  These 2 demos, recorded in 1983 and 1984 have never been widely available until now, in this limited edition digipak of 500 copies!  Don't pass up your chance to own this piece of history, make sure to listen in & enter for your chance to win!

Tonight's playlist!!!

Dwell Beneath - Curse the Day (Metalcore)
Dead Artists Syndrome - Obsexed (Gothic Rock)
The Ortistix - NumbUm (Drum & Bass Punk)
Herlighet - A Warrior Never Dies (Symphonic Extreme/Gothic Metal)
Hands - Returning (Progressive Hardcore)
The Deal - Hang 'Em High (Punk Rock)
Sacrificium - Relativation of Justice (Death Metal)
Flee the Seen - November 5th (Female-fronted Post-Hardcore)
Mastedon - Thief in the Night (Hard Rock/AOR)
Mortification - Monks of the High Lord (Thrash Metal)
Kekal - Against (Avant Garde Post-Metal)
xLooking Forwardx - Talk Is Cheap (Hardcore Punk)
Crimson Thorn - Imminent Wrath (Death Metal)
Narcissus - Ambient Diablo (Post-Hardcore/Heavy Rock)
The Eternal Chapter - Through the Darkest Night (Gothic Rock)
Deliverance - Attack (Thrash Metal)
Patriarchs - Hope (Melodic Hardcore)
Paramaecium - Removed of the Grave (Doom/Death Metal)
Mad at the World - This Lie (Synthpop/Rock)
KRIG - Narcissistic Mechanism (Death Metal) - "The Gamut" premier!
Asher (US) - Heaven's Melody (Alternative Rock)
GRIM - Chastisement of the Putrid (Black Metal)
Mortal - Rail, Road (Techno Rock)
Syrens - Rebel Without a Pulse (Technical Metalcore)
Believer - Not Even One (Technical Thrash Metal)
Fires of Babylon - When the Kingdom Comes (Power Metal)
The Redemption Song - Last Rites (Hardcore)
Heaven's Force - Aggressive Angel (Thrash Metal) - CD Giveaway!!!
Taketh - Silence (Melodic Death Metal)
Onward To Olympus - Awake In a Dream (Melodic Metalcore)
Undercover - The Fight For Love (Rock/New Wave)
Narnia - Curse of a Generation (Power Metal)
Soteria - Humanidad (Symphonic Extreme Metal)
Divinefire - Divinefire (Power Metal)
Vomitous Discharge - Sacrificial Splatterfeast At Golgotha Leading to Salvation (Grindcore)
Sacrament - Haunts of Violence (Technical Thrash Metal)
Loudflower - Clouds (Alternative Rock)
Future's End - Relentless Chaos (Progressive Metal)
Alove For Enemies - Broken Pledge (Metalcore)

Check out the newly relaunched Blabber Jesus Radio site @ www.blabberjesusradio.com !  You can tune in easily via the web-based ShoutCast player, link to the stream via your regular audio player, view DJ bios, and link up to other great resources, including the newly redesigned Divine Metal Distro site, your one-stop source for all things Christian rock and metal!

Alternate links to listen to the stream in a separate player (Winamp recommended, though Real Player, VLC, iTunes and others work as well):
http://207.192.71.70:8000/listen.pls
http://radio.fuhell.com:8000/listen.pls

Here's the link for Windows Media Player:
http://207.192.71.70:8000

Also our stream can now be heard on Nintendo Wii! If you have a Wii, here is what you do:

1.go on the net via your Wii console
2. type "www.Wiihear.com" into your browser address box
3. type "207.192.71.70:8000 into the Search box
4. Click the play arrow

It can take 5-10 seconds to load up & buffer, so please be patient when using this feature :)

You can also stream the station via xyzmp3.com on your PSP, PS3, Wii, iPhone, or even your TiVo!  Plus you can stream the show via your Windows Mobile phone with the free GSPlayer application!