MetalFRO's Musings

The Gamut - tonight's playlist!!!

2012-01-25T18:36:00.000-06:00

The Gamut is back again this Wednesday evening with more great music! As always, there are plenty of twists and turns in the show tonight, with a wide variety of musical styles and plenty of bands you may not have heard of! You don't want to miss this line-up tonight, so tune in at 9 PM EST and listen in via http://www.sanctusgladius.com !

Tonight's playlist!
Through Solace - Tides II (Metalcore)
Hilastherion - See the Pain In His Face (Melodic Death Metal)
Antestor - Sorg (Black Metal)
Hit the Deck - Another Game (Hardcore Punk)
Circle of Dust - Course of Ruin (Industrial)
Rosanna's Raiders - Do It Right (Female-fronted Hard Rock)
Mortification - Brutal Warfare (Thrash/Death Metal)
DigHayZoose - Slow Serious (Alternative/Funk Rock)
Dreamer - Shake the Dust (Commercial Metal)
Symphony in Peril - This Flame Breeds Disbelief (Metalcore)
Legacy - Vision of Perfection (Classic Metal)
Tourniquet - Ready or Not (Thrash Metal)
Monolith - Second Birth (Symphonic Extreme Metal)
Saviour Machine - The Night (Gothic Metal)
Terraphobia - The Unforgotten (Metal)
Hands - Northern Lights (Progressive Hardcore)
The Deal - Songs of Yesterday (Punk)
Afterimage - Burning Hands (Deathcore)
Seventh Angel - Abelard and Heloise (Doom/Thrash Metal)
Lucid - New Life (Groove Metal)
Whitecross - Re-Animate (Classic Metal)
Elgibbor - Satan's Doom (Black Metal)
Darrell Mansfield Band - No More Blues (Classic Rock)
Step Cousin - I Don't Need It (Thrash Metal)
Spy Glass Blue - Me Mine (Gothic Rock)
SorrowsJoy - The Suffering (Progressive Metal)
Chicago is Burning - Anne Boleyn (Industrial/Hardcore)
War of Ages - Scars of Tomorrow (Metalcore)
The Throes - Passion Flower (Alternative Rock)
Fires of Babylon - Going Through Changes (Power Metal)
Rose - Crazy Little World (Alternative Rock)
Sacrament - Mortal Agony (Thrash Metal)
Seventh Avenue - Juggler of Words (Power Metal)
Feast Eternal - Rage of Angels (Death Metal)
Jacob's Trouble - Time Bomb (Rock)
Disciple - Remembering (Groove Metal)
Nobody Special - Numb (Punk)
System Failure - Metalcore)
Ransom - Only the Just Let Go (Female-fronted Hard Rock)
Deuteronomium - Lost Indeed (Melodic Death Metal)

Don't forget to visit http://www.sanctusgladius.com during the show to login for station chat (you can sign in with your Twitter or Facebook account!) and chat with me and other listeners during the show!

The Gamut - tonight's playlist and CD giveaway!!!

2012-01-18T18:24:00.003-06:00

The Gamut is back again this Wednesday evening with more great music! I have some new music in my collection, so I'm sharing with all of you by playing some new stuff that hasn't been featured on the show before. Plus I have a CD giveaway tonight - someone will win a copy of Coram Deo's "Death Is Dead" EP! You don't want to miss this line-up tonight, so tune in at 9 PM EST and listen in via http://www.sanctusgladius.com !

Tonight's playlist!
Krig - Stop the Manipulation (Death Metal)
Theocracy - The Master Storyteller (Progressive Power Metal)
The Crucified - Fellowship of Thieves (Thrash Metal/Crossover)
Torman Maxt - Job's Plea (Progressive Metal)
Of David - Set Me Free (Hard Rock)
Martyrs Shrine - Butchered Planet (Thrash/Death Metal)
Bealiah - Kairos (Black Metal)
Halcyon Way - IndoctriNation (Progressive Metal)
The Dog & Pony Show - Gaudy 2 Shoes (Metalcore)
Asher (CA) - Exhortation (Female-fronted Melodic Metal)
Love Song - Freedom (Jesus Music)
Immortal Souls - Nuclear Winter (Melodic Death Metal)
Guardian - Rock In Victory (Classic Metal)
Arnion - Fall Like Rain (Thrash Metal)
Coram Deo 0 Boundary Line (Death Metal) - CD Giveaway!!!
A Hill To Die Upon - May the Thing Be Destroyed (Death/Black Metal)
Deitiphobia - I Tore the Sky (Industrial)
Anti-Hell Society - Allegiance (Punk)
Harmony - Enter the Sacred (Power Metal)
Venia (US) - Gentleman (Hardcore)
Servant - Burning Bridges (Female-fronted 80s Rock)
Ultimatum - Conform to Reality (Thrash Metal)
Grave Robber - Paranormal Activity (Horror Punk)
The Blamed - Knock Me Down (Hardcore)
Sympathy - And All Flesh (Death Metal)
Headnoise - Anti-Bodies (Female-fronted Punk)
Velocipede - Just Like You (Alternative/Grunge)
the Human Flight Committee - Serious Emotional Problems Beyond Pacifism (Indie Rock)
Dana Angle - It Could Happen To You (Singer-Songwriter)
Mortification - Metal Crusade (Power/Thrash Metal)
Towne Cryer - Egypt (Female-fronted Metal)
Seventh Angel - The Turning Tide (Thrash Metal)
Sonic Martyr - Death of Self (Alive in Christ) (Progressive Hard Rock)
Bloodgood - Eat the Flesh (Classic Metal)
Drottnar - Ad Hoc Revolt (Avant-Garde Black Metal)
InnerWish - Lawmaker (Power Metal)
As Hell Retreats - Inferior (Deathcore)
The Rex Carroll Brand - Delta Memories (Blues Rock)
Vindex - Ultima Thule (Melodic Metal)
Deliverance - Slay the Wicked (Thrash Metal)
Mortal - Neplusultra (Industrial)
Feast Eternal - Into the Hands of an Angry God (Death Metal)

Don't forget to visit http://www.sanctusgladius.com during the show to login for station chat (you can sign in with your Twitter or Facebook account!) and chat with me and other listeners during the show!

The Gamut returns tonight!!!

2012-01-11T19:02:00.000-06:00

Sorry for the delay in posting the playlist, but some minor technical difficulties nearly sidelined the show tonight. But fear not! The Gamut makes its return on the mighty Sanctus Gladius Radio! With a new station, new attitude, and new beginning, The Gamut rises from the ashes like a phoenix to deliver the best tunes to you, the listening audience! Join me tonight in celebration of the show's return and listen in via http://www.sanctusgladius.com !

Tonight's playlist!
ZAO - Human Cattle Masses Marching Forward (Metalcore)
Pax 217 - Melody (Rapcore)
Blindside - Knocking on Another Door (Post-Hardcore/Heavy Rock)
Dalit - Dem (Doom Metal)
Ruby Joe - Fast Lane Sinner (Rockabilly)
Stir - Tattoo Smile (Hard Rock/Alternative)
Demon Hunter - Screams of the Undead (Metalcore)
Sotahuuto - Peruuttamaton vala (Modern Death Metal)
Crashdog - Question Stupidity (Punk)
Divinefire - Hero (Power Metal)
Roadside Monument - Oh So Fabled (Indie Rock/Alternative)
Essence of Sorrow - Supreme Oppression (Progressive Metal)
HarvestBloom - Blood (The Creed) (Female-fronted Hard Rock/Ballad)
Kekal - The Gathering of Ants (Avant-Garde Progressive Metal)
Bride - Some Things Never Change (Hard Rock/Metal)
Elgibbor - Tau (Black Metal)
Dogwood - Confusion Zero (Punk)
Fasedown - False Array (Thrashcore)
Hokus Pick - Turn Around In Circles (Alternative)
Guardian- Are We Feeling Comfortable Yet? (Hard Rock/Alternative)
Saviour Machine - Abomination of Desolation (Gothic Metal)
Joy Electric - Post Calendar (Synthpop)
xLooking Forwardx - Good Intentions (Hardcore Punk)
Vomitorial Corpulence - Plastic Savior (Grindcore)
Disciple - Rich Man (Hard Rock/Ballad)
Deliverance - 1990 (Groove Metal)
Terraphobia - Soldiers of the New Millennium (Extreme Thrash Metal)
Morella's Forest - Oceania (Female-fronted Indie Pop/Alternative)
The Dignity of Labor - Oxygen (Synthpop)
Blenderhead - Escape Reason (Hardcore Punk)
Random Eyes - Living For Tomorrow (Power Metal)
Broken Flesh - Son of Perdition (Death Metal)
Resurrection Band - Little Children (Female-fronted Classic Rock)
Circle of Dust - Levler 1(Easier to Hate) (Industrial) *Refractor remix
The Corbans - Heffy Green (Alternative Rock)
In the Midst of Lions - Opposition (Deathcore)
Silage - Election Skank (Ska)
Paralisis - Paralisis (Technical Death Metal)
Bon Voyage - No Paradise (Female-fronted Indie Pop/Alternative)
Discern - Grace (Death Metal)
Seven Kingdoms - Into the Darkness (Female-fronted Power Metal)
Danielson - Deeper Than the Government (Indie Pop)
Narnia - Dangerous Game (Power Metal)
Oh Sleeper - Son of the Morning (Metalcore)

Don't forget to visit http://www.sanctusgladius.com during the show to login for station chat (you can sign in with your Twitter or Facebook account!) and chat with me and other listeners during the show!

The Gamut returns this Wednesday!

2012-01-08T15:57:00.000-06:00

The Gamut makes its triumphant return on Wednesday, January 11th! We will now be broadcasting via Sanctus Gladius Radio - same time slot, different day! Keep it locked in at http://www.sanctusgladius.com from 9 PM EST to midnight every Wednesday night for great tunes! Playlist TBA soon!

For Today - Breaker (2010)

2012-01-04T20:00:00.001-06:00

Every now and again a band comes along that is just captivating. They're not the best in their genre, the most skilled, or the group that is lauded the most highly by their peers or fans, but when you go see them live, you just know it - they are the real deal. There's nothing fake about them, no pretenses or anything getting in between the band and their fans, other than the usual obstacles (money for touring and recording, etc). For Today is one of those bands. They make good music, sure, but they're not the top metalcore band around, or even the best or most talented band on their label (or former label, Facedown Records). They are acclaimed in some ways, but their music is seen by some industry pundits and metalcore bashers as generic and uninspired. How one could listen to their music and think it's "uninspired" is a mystery to me, but then I'm biased because I've been following the band since shortly before their Facedown debut was released, and have seen them live on 4 occasions. "Uninspired" isn't a word I'd use to describe For Today in any stretch of the imagination.

For Today's inspiration is much more intense than many of their contemporaries, in that their undying devotion to God and Jesus Christ is what fuels their music, and with this record in particular, the spiritual warfare that is at work in the world today, with the battle for the souls of man being waged in the hearts and minds of people, especially the youth. Now before you stop reading this review and accuse me of being a "bible thumper" or some such, just know that while I have faith in God and believe in Jesus Christ, I don't consider myself a "model Christian" by any means. I have my own faults and shortcomings (don't we all?), and would in no way be qualified to pass judgment on anyone without examining myself first. Having Christian faith isn't essential for the enjoyment of For Today, but it helps when you can connect with the lyrics because of the powerful connection the lyrics have with the material and with the players.

"Breaker" is the band's 3rd full-length album overall, and as of this review, their final release for Facedown Records. This, like their 2nd album, is a concept record, of sorts. The album's lyrics reflect the spiritual warfare going on, mostly from the perspective of the victorious Christian who is aware of and actively engaging in said conflict. The spoken word bits are all excerpts of the poem "Breaker" by Jose Palos, and are voiced on the album by Jose himself, a nice touch. These portions (with the exception of the final section, "The Breaker's Commision") all communicate the hopelessness, pain, fear, anxiety, and abuse that young people feel and experience in life. These present as interesting contrasts to the bold declarations of spiritual fulfillment in most of the tracks, and make for a unique juxtaposition. There are times when the poem and lyrics intersect, such as in "Arm the Masses" ("The frontlines are littered with the bodies of the unarmed!"), or "The Breaker's Encounter" where the writer recalls an earlier time of suffering and is now expressing hope and deliverance through Jesus. Powerful stuff if you believe, and even if you don't, it makes for an interesting ride.

Musically, this is pretty monstrous and heavy metalcore going on. Guitars are the heaviest they've been on a For Today release, in terms of sheer weight and crunchiness. The band also uses a bit more texture here, by including more acoustic and clean guitars, and by having more chording here and there that takes them out of the "chugga chugga" metalcore realm and into more varied territory. The inclusion of some more old-school hardcore punk bits (like in the fast, group-shout in the album's centerpiece, "Seraphim), the melodic "Breaker" interludes, and the continued use of varied time signatures and semi-technical dual-guitar leads helps continue to push the band's sound forward. Bass guitar is a welcome sound here as well - rather than being totally buried in the mix, you can actually hear what's going on and while not virtuosic, certainly provides the necessary element to the mix. Drumming remains a strong point in For Today's musical arsenal. David Morrison isn't the best drummer in metal, but he knows when to go full-bore with double-bass and fast rhythms, and when to slow things down for effect, as well as adding nice cymbal flourishes and interesting fills often enough to let you know he's contributing to the overall package. Mattie sounds great here, providing an impassioned vocal performance that he hasn't matched on record thus far. He provides even greater range than before, with a combination of deep growls, mid-level throaty yells, higher pitched raspy vocals (in that Dan Weyandt, Jeff Walker vein), as well as adding some more hardcore-styled shouts and bits that seem to move from spoken word (or shouted) to hardcore to more gruff vocal in the same breath. Jose's spoken-word performance is also passionate and well done, as are the clean vocals, gang shouts, and the big chorus of voices on closer "The Breaker's Commission".

One thing I'll say that I don't like here is the overuse of 808 bass drops. I love a good breakdown here and there, but I thought "Portraits" was a bit too judicious with the use of 808s. "Breaker" steps that up a notch and includes a few too many of them for my tastes, even as a long-time seasoned fan of the metalcore style. I just think that when the bass drops are so intense that it sounds too distorted, even on CD, it's time to peel it back a bit. When my nice Infinity sound system in my van is screaming for mercy if I crank this album up too far, it tells me that this is perhaps over the top. Some of the riffs are more repetitive than in the past as well, which is less an issue for me, since I understand that metalcore is as much about the rhythmic aspect as it is the riffs. However, I would encourage the band in the writing process for their next album to bring in some of the melodic sensibility from their debut, and combine that with the crushing heaviness that "Breaker" brings to the table and they'll have a winning combination. Also, with only 8 actual structured songs, the album is a bit short on content. This is less detrimental in this case, because I feel the overall set of songs is stronger than that of its predecessor, "Portraits". But however visceral, it still makes for a short listen.

At the end of the day, this is quite possibly For Today's most accomplished release. I still really love their debut, and "Portraits" stands as a great album in its own right, but with "Breaker" I feel the band is moving in the right direction by making their music even heavier, and by continuing to expand their palette with new elements and textures. I wouldn't recommend this as an introduction to the band if you're unfamiliar with them, as the concept of the record may come across a little weird, so I still tell people to start with either "Ekklesia" or "Portraits" first. For established fans of the band, this album will be a must-have, and has received a LOT of play from me over the last year. I look forward to their Razor and Tie debut, as are most of their fans, and recommend this wholeheartedly to the For Today faithful.

86/100

Crosswire - A World in Flame (2010)

2012-01-04T19:00:00.000-06:00

In mainstream music, it is good to be number one. Getting a number one hit or number one album is a lofty goal, but nearly everyone ascribes to it because when you reach that pinnacle, you're on top of the proverbial world for a short while. If you can sustain it, as a scant few have, you've struck gold. For those in the underground, it's much less about being number one, or finishing first in the race, so to speak. It's often more about the journey - how does your music define you as an artist, and how do you grow from album to album or project to project in your playing, singing, writing, and overall artistic abilities. The journey is about learning, improving, and making interesting art along the way that hopefully affects enough people (other than yourself) to make doing it worthwhile.

It could be said that rock and roll music is not all that original these days. There are a large number of offshoots and sub-genres of rock music, ranging from the folky indie rock sounds of The White Stripes to the barren wastes of black metal. Retro is in, and if you play glam metal (Steel Panther, anyone?) or thrash metal (Lich King, Warbringer, Arnion, Evile, etc), you are nearly guaranteed an audience. But what about bands playing just straight-up, hard hitting rock and roll with attitude to spare? They have their fan base as well, though they may not be as readily apparent or ravenous for the music as the aforementioned camps. Still, there are plenty of fringe AC/DC fans who just love hard rock music, and that is the key to the success of bands like Crosswire.

Right away I was struck with the similarities to recent band Jet, whose 2 radio singles from their debut were instant touchstones as I spun the disc and began listening to "This Richman". Crosswire aren't clones, however, as they distill other influences throughout that song, as well as throughout the album. Shades of Jet come through, as well as nods to Cinderella, Guns 'N Roses, and a bit of Lynyrd Skynyrd (more about that later). The other thing that is apparent immediately is that this is a low-budget rock record, and PROUD of that fact. The production values are very stripped down and the sound is raw, which helps give this record some charm and spunk that it would lack if it had been more processed and more "sterile" sounding. There is an undercurrent of blues permeating this record that gives the songs a certain swagger, and the whole thing is very catchy and memorable, a nice feat for a new band, especially given the somewhat throwback nature of their chosen style.

Guitars ring out loudly and without much regard to what might get in their way, with a nice crunchy tone that recalls the aforementioned bands without aping any of them. The occasional clean or acoustic guitar is also gleefully under-produced, which means that sometimes you can hear the mistakes or sections where the band isn't at their best. This works both for and against the band, in that, this almost "live" feel shows what the band might sound like in a club and that they can pull the material off in a live setting, but may wear on some listeners who look for a more polished album performance. Bass guitar is well done, and even featured in one track ("Justin Case", a short instrumental, almost a joke song), sounding nice and adding sufficient undertone to the proceedings. Drum work is mostly tight, though a few slightly more sloppy spots again highlight the live feel of the album. Keys (organ work, primarily) is good here, and adds a nice touch. A few tracks benefit from that extra layer, and they are well played to appropriately add that layer without being obtrusive. Vocally, the album is a mixed bag. Seth is at times right in the pocket where he needs to be, hitting notes on the head and singing/howling his heart out. There's one portion of "Look To the Sky" which is particularly impressive, where he pulls out a rapid-fire delivery of several lyrics that echoes Guns 'N Roses' Axl Rose in terms of how he pulls it off. Then there are moments where he falls flat, literally, by under-singing notes just enough that it becomes apparent he's at the limit of his range. The other moments where things don't stack up vocally are the slower bits, particularly the ballad "Miles To Go". Seth needs to develop his vocal chops a bit more before attempting this kind of emotionally heavy ballad, because while his honesty is felt, his performance leaves a lot to be desired in this track.

"A World in Flame", the band's debut, is a solid, listenable hard rock album that benefits from the zeal and attitude that comes through the performances, as well as the apparent knack for songwriting that is already present in the material. Where it is lacking is their overall tightness and polish. I feel like if the band tightened their musical attack ever so slightly, and polished the production in the same manner, the rough edges of the band might be honed down just enough to make the listening experience that much more enjoyable. The other thing that must be said is that while they make effective up-tempo rockers ("This Richman", "World In Flame" or "Southbound Train"), as well as good mid-tempo stompers ("(Stop Your) Love On the Road", "Look At the Sky" or "Desert Eagle Blues"), they haven't mastered the ballad yet. "Miles To Go" comes across as the bands' "Freebird" moment, where they'd hope the entire club was on their feet waving lighters around and singing along to the up-tempo chorus. The problem is, where "Freebird" is a classic because of its winning combination of songwriting, emotion, energy, and flawless performances, "Miles To Go" just comes off as amateurish by comparison, and the aforementioned "live" feel of the record just exacerbates this by showing all too up front that the band isn't ready to take on this kind of song yet. Add the cheesiness of the lyrics (despite being heartfelt), and the album is taken down a couple notches because of this one albatross of a track. Having said that, it's not the worst ballad in history, just a painful reminder that the band needs to continue to develop their songwriting chops before taking on this kind of challenge again. Fans of hard-hitting rock and roll that tire of the multi-layered and over-produced schlock on the radio will rejoice in this release, and I find myself spinning it semi-frequently just to get that bluesy rock and roll flavor in once in a while. I will recommend this to fans of old-school rock, as well as fans of Jet or the other bands mentioned earlier. There's plenty to like here, and if you can see past the flaws, you're in for a pretty good listen.

70/100

Eisley - The Valley (2011)

2012-01-04T18:00:00.001-06:00

You have to admire the persistence of artists, especially those who were born to be so. Many a musician well past their so-called prime have been accused of being washed-up, has-been players who shouldn't even be out embarrassing themselves on the club circuit, let alone trying to recapture their "glory days". Other musicians get out there and make great music but fail to make an impact and quit out of sheer frustration due to the lack of recognition of their art. But for those who were truly made to be musicians, it's difficult for them to get out of the craft, even when life comes at them from all sides and makes things more "interesting" than they might be used to. This is when the rubber meets the road, and when only the strong survive.

The difficulty and drama Eisley experienced from 2007 forward has been well documented, so I won't write a book here about the events that caused the band's 3rd studio full-length release to be so delayed since 2007's "Combinations" album, the release that was to catapult the band into super-stardom (in indie-pop terms, anyway), and get Eisley the recognition they so rightfully deserve as one of the reigning female-fronted bands of this style. Sadly, though "Combinations" did raise their profile somewhat, it failed to garner the band the fame and record sales that the record company was probably hoping for, and as a result, the relationship between Eisley and Warner Bros was likely tenuous prior to the end of their contract came up in 2010. Add the personal tragedies and drama within the ranks of the band, and it's easy to see why it took nearly 3 years between writing and recording to finally get their 3rd album out to the fans.

One thing that must be said about Eisley is that they certainly know who they are. While the band's sound has shifted away from the slightly more obtuse indie-pop of earlier efforts to a much more radio-ready version of their sound, it's still immediately recognizable as Eisley, in part due to the consistency of their material, but also the lovely voices of the DuPree sisters and their effortless delivery (despite their assertions to the contrary). The band still combines a somewhat tough (for indie-pop, anyway) guitar delivery with delicious vocal harmonies, acoustic and mellow passages, perfect pop melodies, and tight instrumentation. What has changed since the earlier releases is that they have a much more "focused" sound, than they did early on. Some songs lean more toward the melancholy while others are more "up" or happy sounding, but nothing sounds too far from a middle ground that vacillates between "hopeful yet pensive" and "sad but optimistic".

Guitar is just right for this kind of music - the sort of tightly played, yet slightly lazy rhythm playing that embodies what makes this kind of music so much fun to listen to. It's deceptively simple, the kind of thing that might give an aspiring musician (who's also a fan) the impression that they could run up on stage and join in with the band and jam out. At the same time, it's also concise in its presentation, well executed and content to be an integral part of the instrumentation, but not overbearing in the mix. Piano and keyboard work is excellent as always, with Stacy's playing on this album reflecting an almost "bouncy" quality that keeps the mood light, even in the more somber songs. Bass guitar sounds good alongside the guitars and drums, and is well played, though as expected with this style, not flashy or doing anything overly complicated. Drum work is competent and well suited to the material, with the appropriate level of weight when needed, and more dynamic when the songs call for it. The additional orchestral flourishes (such as is found in "Kind", for example) are a nice touch, and sound great in context with the material. As always, vocally the material is a delight. While Chauntelle maintains that her vocals aren't her strength, I personally feel all 3 sisters sound fantastic, and that perhaps that imperfection is part of the charm of the overall vocal sound - there's a certain feeling present in a voice that isn't classically trained that you just don't get from vocalists who are trained to avoid certain personal inflections or inclinations.

I've been listening to this album pretty solid for months now, and I think it's a strong release. One understands the context of the lyrics better when having some knowledge of the events leading up to the album's release, which isn't necessary for interpreting them, but certainly gives the listener the upper hand. The album's penchant for lyrics dwelling on broken or lost love is both a strength and a weakness, in that the common theme works well, but by the end of the album it can be a bit too much drama. After all, how many songs can one write about the dissolution of a marriage and love relationship before they've said everything that can or needs to be said about the subject? Still, that's only a minor criticism, as there's enough depth and breadth to the songs that the subject matter isn't entirely stale by disc's end. I do miss the more obtuse lyrics of some of the earlier releases, and I also miss the more broad scope of material as well. This album, as I said, is very focused in sound. Don't expect to hear a "Marvelous Things" or "Lost at Sea" here, because you won't. There's far more "Telescope Eyes", "Invasion", or perhaps "Golly Sandra" in the material here. One of the things that initially attracted me to the band was the sort of weird vibe that "Marvelous Things" and its video had. That's not what made me stay hooked, however - it was the vocal harmonies and the combination of songs that were incredibly tuneful and memorable all at once. So while the band has in some ways "lost their innocence", they still have the memorable and tuneful material in droves, so a record like this is infinitely listenable. I guess the best way to say it is this: this isn't my favorite Eisley release, but I consider it a triumphant return for a band that was in the throes of personal tragedy, and certainly a record that any fan of Eisley should eat up without hesitation. Fans of indie-pop in general undoubtedly already know of this album, and likely already have it in their collection. If you're just getting into the style, I'd recommend getting "Room Noises" first, if only to see the range of the band before delving into either "Combinations" or this platter. Otherwise, I have no reservations recommending this strongly.

82/100

Album of the Moment - Mastodon's "Crack the Skye"

2012-01-02T18:00:00.000-06:00

I must admit I'm quite "late to the party" where Mastodon is concerned. I grew up listening to a group called Mastedon, which is an entirely different kind of animal: a semi-progressive AOR/hard rock project helmed by one John Elefante, now more known for his pop albums than his rock material. But in the modern age, Mastedon is mostly forgotten and Mastodon rules the minds of the modern metal masses. I'd heard the name, seen the cool album art and heard samples, but hadn't bothered to buy any of their material yet until earlier this year when I happened upon copies of both "Blood Mountain" and "Crack the Skye" still-sealed and priced to sell at my favorite regional music store, so I thought to myself, "Perhaps it's time to find out what all the fuss is about." So I bought the 2 CDs and took them home with me.

"Blood Mountain" is a good listen, though it gets a touch repetitive toward the end. I probably need to give it a few more spins before I give it a final judgment. But "Crack the Skye" resonated with me immediately. It's a dense, brooding collection of progressive post-sludge metal that combines the thick chunky guitar riffing of their earlier material with much more atmosphere and a good melodic sense, even if the melody lines are a bit spare at times. What struck me as well was the eerie, almost Ozzy Osbourne-esque vocals at times, and the judicious use of double-tracked vocals to include an underlying deeper-toned partner vocal which adds a nice touch. I also appreciate the way they mix up the time signatures here and there, bust into an interesting solo once in a while, and just have loads of atmosphere in tow. "The Czar" is a fantastic musical ride, starting out slowly and building through crescendos of riffs and swells of drums, "Oblivion" is a perfect lead-off track and single, with it's immediately engaging riff and sound, and the other songs on the album provide for plenty of listening enjoyment throughout.

I'm not ready to call myself a Mastodon "fanboy" just yet, but I'm starting to see why they have such a big fanbase. I quite enjoy this CD, and am hoping as I collect more Mastodon material, I'll find something to love about each one. I'm considering going all-vinyl for the rest of my Mastodon purchases, in part because I'm a collector and just love vinyl, but with music like this that has that real dense, warm feel to it, vinyl is the perfect medium, especially since they draw influences from Black Sabbath and early hard rock/metal like that as much as they're channeling Kyuss or The Melvins at times. If you're reading this, you're probably laughing because you've heard this all before and I'm just telling you what you already know, but so be it. I'm just glad I finally jumped on this particular bandwagon.

The Gamut is moving!!!

2011-12-27T19:30:00.002-06:00

And now for a MAJOR announcement for The Gamut - the show is moving! Not only is The Gamut moving to Wednesday nights, but it's also moving to Sanctus Gladius Radio! That's right - The Gamut is to have a new home after 3 years of broadcasting on Blabber Jesus/Untombed Radio! Thanks to BJR/Untombed for the years of fun and music, but it's time to make the move! The show will stay in the 9 PM EST to midnight slot, but will now be on Wednesday evenings! Not only that, but The Gamut is getting a new logo! More to come, and an official announcement of when the show starts up again will be forthcoming - stay tuned!!!

Dalit - Dalit (2009)

2011-12-26T19:00:00.002-06:00

Very few bands can truly embrace both real melodic sensibility and oppressive atmosphere and heaviness at the same time. Usually, a fair degree of either element is sacrificed in favor of the other. Bands that are oppressively dark and heavy usually focus less on the melodic side of things, while bands focusing on melody usually lose some of the aggression or heavier atmosphere in the process. When a band can combine both elements successfully, the results can be quite a treat. That's not to say that the combination must represent the pinnacle of melodicism while also representing the pinnacle of oppressive atmosphere and heaviness. That would be too much to ask, even for masters of the craft. But certainly striking a balance between the two elements while both still being present and evident in the mix is an achievement unto itself.

Dalit accomplish this balance with their eponymous debut. The band plays a melodic form of extreme doom metal, much in the same vein as early material by doom stalwarts My Dying Bride, or at times like the heavier material of My Silent Wake from the UK. Dalit are not mere clones, however: their style is familiar, but the band has their own take on the doom metal atmosphere and heaviness. It's difficult to label specifically, other than to say it follows the conventions of other doom bands that go for a sound less influenced by traditional doom bands like St. Vitus and Candlemass, and more influenced by the gothic doom sounds of early Paradise Lost. Either way, Dalit creates a solid atmosphere peppered with melodic lines and interesting things going on, even within the somewhat purposefully minimalist constructs of doom metal.

What is easy to pin-point is that the band is already adept at making highly listenable yet heavy doom metal. Guitars ring out here with style, crunching with low-end heaviness when they need to, and singing forth in glorious high notes and harmonic resonance at other times. The layered guitar sounds work well, with underlying riffs powering the songs while melodic lines are played atop that base to great effect. In several spots there are also clean guitar sounds that complement the distorted guitar sound well. Bass guitar rumbles nicely underneath - not flashy, but competent and on-point. Drum work is mixed interestingly here: bass drum sounds thump underneath and cymbals crash and ring nicely, though a bit low in the mix at times. Snare sounds good, though not too punchy. Vocals sit in the mix at a nice spot - not too loud to overpower the instrumentation, but not so low in the mix that they can't be heard or understood. Vocalizations are generally in the "death growl" space, though there are a few clean female vocals here and there which sound great. They're not the over-done sub-standard female gothic vocals either; they have a bit more personality than you might think. There are a couple spoken word voice samples used on the album as well, which is a nice touch. "Silent Genocide" also includes a distorted vocal sound which also sounds cool over the music.

I took this CD with me on a business trip out of town and literally spun the thing constantly the entire week. I would guess I probably listened to the CD all the way through while in and out of the car some 30-40 times during the course of that week. I never got tired of it, either as background music, or as something I was intently listening to. I have since plugged it into my car stereo or at the office for listens on repeat and it works well as music that can be easily engaged in, but also serves as excellent background music. This is a nice touch as well, because some music demands 100% of your attention, and some is content to play as a soundtrack to your life. This falls somewhere in between and is quite capable of being in either space.

What's not to like? At first blush, I was disappointed that this wasn't more crushingly heavy. I wanted something to pummel me over the head like Paramaecium's debut "Exhumed From the Earth" did. But then that was an entirely different animal - a doomy death metal band versus this straight up heavier doom metal. Having softened on that initial viewpoint, my main concerns now are that the drums are mixed a bit too low. Given that the album is released on Endtime Productions via Sam Durling (mastermind of percussive industrial entity Mental Destruction) to mix the drums that low is a bit of a mystery, considering the bread and butter of his own former project was percussion. In some ways I wish the album, though it works well as just under 40 minutes. At that length, this is just screaming for a vinyl issue. There was supposed to have been a Dalit 7" release, but to my knowledge it has never materialized. This would be a treat to own and hear on vinyl, as the overall warmth of the album (curious, given it's chosen genre) would benefit nicely from this format. As it stands, it's available in 2 CD flavors: the standard jewel case version, and a digipak with alternate artwork. If you're a fan of deathy doom metal, this is an album you likely already know about or have in your collection. If not, this probably isn't the best place to start, but you can certainly do a lot worse than Dalit, and this fine debut shows the band already skilled enough to make their mark. Recommended.

80/100

My Modern 7 Inch vinyl collection

2011-12-26T18:58:00.002-06:00

Here's a smattering of different 7" record releases that I own - enjoy!

My Facedown Records vinyl collection

2011-12-26T18:57:00.002-06:00

Here's what I have so far from Facedown Records pressed to vinyl!

Christmas-themed Vinyl Records

2011-12-24T17:39:00.002-06:00

My paltry collection of Christmas-themed vinyl: all two of them!

Artist Spotlight - Mad At The World

2011-12-23T17:20:00.000-06:00

It may seem old-fashioned or even kind of goofy now, but the expression "mad at the world" was at one point a perfectly reasonable thing to say when you were frustrated. Nowadays it's all f-bombs and histrionics, with everyone scrambling to outdo everyone else's expressions of frustration and anguish. But you don't have to scream at the top of your lungs to be heard, nor do you need to pepper lyrics with expletives to get the attention of those who might benefit from your stated position and/or message. It helps sometimes, but taking the high road is usually the best way of communicating these things to your audience, because in the long run, the short-lived attention getting techniques may only serve to later alienate the audience as they age, so the impact you may have once had will be lost. Avoiding these kinds of pitfalls will ensure a more lasting, positive impact on the crowd who may be listening to you.

Such is the case with Mad At The World, who came out in the late 1980's with a new sound (for "Christian music" anyway), a bit of a fresh perspective, and a decidedly intelligent lyrical bent that expressed the disenfranchisement and detachment some people felt with the world at large, in a way that would have both immediate impact, as well as leaving a lasting impression. In the years that followed, MATW (as they shall heretofore be known) changed their game (more than once) and took on dark subject matter from a vantage point of exposing those things and shining upon them with truth and light so as to warn listeners of societal and spiritual pitfalls, as well as being frank about things that some folks weren't entirely comfortable being frank about. It is this blatant honesty and vulnerability that made MATW so endearing to listeners, and why so many years later they are still held in such high regard. The fact that their music (regardless of what genre they were taking on) is great certainly helps as well.

MATW started out in 1987 when Roger Rose began composing music and recorded a demo tape that landed in the hands of a Frontline Records executive. Roger's tape was impressive enough to garner him a record deal, and he then set out recording the eponymous debut album with younger brother Randy, and guitarist/bassist Mike Pendleton in tow on several tracks. Initially, the style was a very Depeche Mode-esque synth/dance pop with a melancholy bent and a very serious lyrical direction. This was not to be bubble gum pop music, but real thoughtful pop with weight and meaning to it. The debut was released in 1987 to critical acclaim among the CCM press, and fans of the synthpop style ate it up. The 2nd release, "Flowers in the Rain", saw the group incorporating more traditional instrumentation beyond the synthpop base they started out with, so there were more drums and guitar on the record, as well as more rock-oriented songs and arrangements than before. Indeed, the last track on the album "Dancing On Your Grave" (with the first lead vocal by Randy Rose) signaled the coming change to a more hard rock direction.

The 3rd release, 1990's "Seasons of Love", showed the band shifting entirely toward an alternative/hard rock style, complete with an acoustic ballad, several hard rocking tracks, and more blues-influenced arrangements. This album also included 2 tracks with Randy on vocals, giving him more opportunities to show his talent as not only the band's drummer, but also as a vocalist with a decidedly grittier approach than Roger's more smooth vocal sound. The 4th album, "Boomerang" (1991) took the hard rock sound full-on, sporting even harder tracks and more straight-ahead rock arrangements than ever before. This album included more tracks with Randy on vocals, and the band's most controversial track, "Isn't Sex a Wonderful Thing?", which posed the question that if God created sex, shouldn't it be a wonderful thing? Unfortunately, as the lyrics explore, it's not always wonderful when used out of the context of a marriage relationship, as the examples of misuse of sex provided by the song will attest to. 1992 saw the band's 5th album "Through the Forest", often considered the best by fans of the group. This saw a continuation of the alternative hard rock sound from the previous 2 albums, but had an overall darker tone with punchier songs and arrangements, as well as material that was a bit more exploratory in nature with other stylistic elements included for great effect. One particular highlight was "M.A.T.W. (Reprise)" which was a driving hard rock remake of the band's eponymous track from the debut album. The final track on the album, "If I Can Dream" is a cover of an Elvis song, and a stylistic departure from the rest of the material, signalling another change in direction. Also departing were Mike Pendleton and guitarist Brent Gordon.

"The Ferris Wheel", released in 1993, saw the band moving away from the hard rock of the previous 3 releases into a more alternative pop-rock (or power-pop) direction, concentrating less on muscular guitar-driven songs and more on pop and rock arrangements, with a decidedly less "tough" sound, reminiscent of mid-period Beatles music in many respects. While Randy continued to explore a heavier hard rock/metal sound in his band Rose, he was lock-step in MATW with more mellow tunes on this disc as well that he wrote and sang. Randy also brought in 2 members of his solo band, Ben Jacobs on guitar and Mike Link on bass to round out the line-up. Coming some 2 years after that was the band's final studio album, "The Dreamland Cafe", which featured an even greater emphasis on Beatlesque power-pop than before, as well as tinges of light psychedelia. Some of the material, according to interviews, was played entirely by Roger Rose. Though this was the last studio album the band recorded, they remained active in some fashion until 1998 when they officially called it quits. Randy continued making solo music for a time (under the new Mothership moniker), and Roger disappeared from the music industry limelight. 1998 also saw the release of "World History", a somewhat uneven compilation album of tracks from the band's 1st 6 albums - curiously, their final album is not represented on the release at all. Also curious is that the compilation steers toward the more mellow side of the band, though a couple harder rock tracks are included, rather than exploring all facets of the band's sound.

The band's impact is difficult to quantify, because they were a small fish in a small pond, in the sense that they didn't sell a lot of albums, and were probably more critical darlings than a band with a large fanbase. Still, their influence can be heard throughout popular Christian music over the following decade and then some. Synthpop duo House Of Wires covered the song "Mad At The World" on their 2nd album "Monogamy", and many bands from a number of genres have expressed both respect for and love of the music of MATW. Some other bands respect what MATW accomplished musically and lyrically, even if they aren't necessarily fans of MATW's music. Either way, Roger and Randy Rose (and the other various members of MATW through the years) have made an impact on the rock music world with their songs and their hearts worn decidedly on their sleeves. I salute MATW for their creative approach, their lack of fear in changing things up when they felt called to do so, and for the wealth of great music they have released.

Monolith - Monolith (2010)

2011-12-23T10:00:00.001-06:00

It's a sad thing when talent goes under the radar due to lack of exposure or an over-crowded art scene. All too often, talented musicians go unnoticed because the ones that hog the limelight, though often talented themselves, are taking up too much of the public consciousness. It's not the popular artist's fault most of the time, because that's just how things work out based on promotion, and being in the right place at the right time. At least in current times, with the advent of the Internet for self-promotion and distribution, it's possible to overcome that in small measures. I'm hopeful that Monolith seizes the opportunity to do so, because there's a definite talent at work here.

Monolith is a 3-piece band based out of Ontario, Canada. They play a highly melodic, symphonic style of extreme metal. While this kind of thing isn't new by any means, the way the band executes their particular brand of symphonic extreme metal is interesting and highly listenable. Some bands of this style get bogged down in overblown arrangements, lack of songwriting ability, or too heavy a slant in one direction or another (in terms of how they balance the elements of their style). Monolith suffers from none of these shortcomings, and their debut shows they not only have great command of the style, but the songwriting is quite adept, showing maturity in melodic sensibility, arrangement, and balancing the heaviness required for this style with the catchiness one might expect from a band far less heavy in sound. The 12 tracks contained herein represent a very strong debut album that puts the band in a very good spot to get their name out there among the bigger names in the industry.

At its core, the Monolith sound is constructed of melodic death metal, but it's really so much more than that. Indeed, there are times here when their sound barely meets the requirements of said style, while other times they embrace those aesthetics and capture that sound more completely. The symphonic elements put the band above and beyond many in the "melodeath" camp by giving such a layered feel to the material that many melodic death metal bands simply can't match in terms of sheer melodicism and "fullness" of the sound. The bands use of dynamics is also strong here, knowing when to fully pummel the listener with heaviness and aural intensity, and when to pull back to sparser riffs and arrangements to let the songs "breathe" a bit, giving the listener a more varied experience. This maturity in songwriting is at once surprising and refreshing, given the short list of recognizable bands these guys have been in.

Guitar work here by Colin Parrish is excellent, with chunky riffing, melodic solo work, dual-guitar leads sprinkled throughout, and plenty of catchy melodic lines. While Colin isn't the finest guitarist in the scene, he does a good job of showcasing his talent for melodicism and his knack for driving riffs that help propel the songs forward. Drumming by Colin Nafziger is quite good, with mostly sub-blastbeat drumming and some interesting fills and things going on here and there. Double-bass work isn't flashy, but is appropriate for the songs, and his sense of implementing drum fills and rhythms that fit into the songs is on display here. Bass by Mike Gallant is also strong, with a bit more presence in the mix besides just being backbeat. Bass guitar isn't as instantly audible as in some less "dense" metal, but he does a good job of providing the necessary "weight" underneath the guitar, and complementing the songs while not showboating. Colinl Parrish also provides all the keyboard work and symphonic elements. These bits contrast each other nicely by having very overt, obvious keyboard sounds alongside synthesized-yet-realistic symphonic elements. This contrast works well most of the time and provides an interesting element more bands should consider exploring. Vocal work is two-fold here: bassist Mike Gallant provides all the "harsh" vocals, while guitarist Colin Parrish provides the cleanly sung melodic vocals. Unlike Christian Älvestam (Miseration, ex-Scar Symmetry), Colin's clean vocals aren't the passion-filled wails one might expect, but are a carefully honed "effected" vocal that employs an interesting "tunnel" effect while smoothing out the sound. It's not an autotune vocal sound, but it does have a very mechanical feel to it. Colin also double-tracks the clean vocals at time to great effect. Nothing I say can accurately describe the music, however. I'd recommend listening to samples via the band's Myspace page to truly get an idea of what they're doing.

The only real knocks I have about the album are that Colin's clean vocals can get a touch monotonous, even though his highly stylized approach works well for the music. Also, the drums have plenty of power behind them, but they sound 100% triggered. Nothing wrong with that per se, but I would love to hear what Mr. Nafziger could do with a totally acoustic kit in the studio and what that might produce. I'd also like to hear Parrish flex his guitar muscle a bit more and increase the complexity of his solos a touch and do more of that in general, though not to the point where it interrupts the tasteful flow of the songs. I think the band strikes a good balance between metal aggression and melodic flair, and I think given more time, their catchy songwriting could develop even further to make an album that will do more than fly under the radar like this excellent CD has.

Some may be unaware of the rough road this album has had getting out into the music world. The band had recorded this material in 2009 and I actually had an advance digital copy to use for my radio show, and I interviewed Colin Parrish at that time to get the skinny on the band. At that time they were freshly signed w/ Bombworks Records and working toward a CD release. Unfortunately that deal fell through and it never materialized, so the band released the CD independently. I applaud them for their determination to do so, because the album not only sounds fantastic (excellent production!), but the complete CD package is also nice with easy to read lyrics and a nice booklet. If you're not a digital-only person and you like having the physical product in hand like I do, this is one to have to show the quality of what an indie release can be. All in all, this is a high quality metal release that should please fans of melodic death metal, metalcore, possibly deathcore fans (those of more melodic persuasion), and "extreme metal" fans in general should get a kick out of this. Highly recommended.

87/100

Omar Domkus - Shades Of a Shadow (2010)

2011-12-22T19:00:00.001-06:00

I'm a rock and roll kinda guy. Don't get me wrong, I love music in all its various forms, and appreciate nearly every time of musical expression. But one look at my cassette, vinyl, and CD collection will tell you that my musical interests lie primarily in the form of rock, hard rock, punk and all forms of heavy metal. That said, I do consider myself to have fairly broad taste in music, and I enjoy diversions from "rock music" often. Most frequently this is in the form of either electronic music or what is classified (often erroneously) as "new age", i.e. Mannheim Steamroller or Checkfield. Sometimes, however, other diversions strike me just as much and I end up enjoying them immensely. Such is the case with Omar Domkus' "Shades of a Shadow" album.

For those of my readers also of the rock persuasion, the name Omar Domkus might sound familiar, and it should. He was the bassist for the once prominent goth-punk powerhouse Scaterd Few, alongside brother Ramald Domkus, now christened simply Allan Aguirre. Scaterd Few's debut "Sin Disease" had a HUGE impact upon its release, at least in circles of such familiarity. I myself own an original CD copy of said album and enjoy it a lot. Subsequent albums were quality, if not missing that visceral feeling and energy that the debut possessed. If you're expecting anything near the punk rock assault of Scaterd Few, you'll be sorely disappointed. Open your mind, however, and you're in for a real treat.

"Shades of a Shadow" is by all accounts a bass guitar album. Not in the sense that it's nothing but bass guitar, but as a bassist (fretless, at that), Omar propels and dominates the album as necessary. There is plenty of other varied instrumentation on here, from "world music" styled drum work to ambient keyboards, jazz horns, layered guitar, acoustic guitar, and so on. But by and large, Omar's bass work is what defines this CD at the "base" level (sorry, pun intended). And that's a good thing from where I sit, because bass guitar is often the forgotten element on rock and metal records, the back-seat driver who rarely gets a word in edge-wise, content usually to plunk along with the drums to help propel the music. But here, Omar gets to showcase his talent for melody, his playing ability, his songwriting skill, and his overall command of the instrument.

The thing that strikes me (in a good way) immediately about this CD is its diversity. The opening track is an unassuming ambient piece, dominated by dreamy keyboard sounds, while "Tianenman Square" is a full-on female-vocal alternative music piece with a lush harmony and guitar sound. "Little Man" is an almost folk-like acoustic guitar number that sounds like a New York City street jam, and "Baroque" is an interesting diversion into muted horn work and interesting minor key bass/drum interplay while "Rejoice in the Dance" is a cool lounge jazz number. Most of the rest of the material follows a bit more common thread, being bass driven songs lightly flavored in a "world music" kind of vibe, but probably not fitting 100% into that mold or description. These tracks are interspersed with vocal work (by Omar), while some remain totally instrumental. This variety of material and the way the album flows from track to track is part of the success of the release - Omar has enough variety here to keep things fresh, and the tracks that deviate from the common formula are sprinkled into the track order perfectly to break up the monotony (so to speak) and add a little spice to the proceedings. He couldn't have chosen the track order any more perfectly if he tried.

The instrumental work here is great - Omar's bass is, of course, in top form, with a lot of chording and interesting things going on, as well as plenty of sliding up and down the neck to accentuate that aspect of playing fretless bass. Drum work is tasteful and well done, with the appropriate amount of drive when needed, as well as being sparse when the song calls for it. Guitar work in various forms all sounds good, especially on the aforementioned "Tianenman Square". Horns come off nicely with that classic muted sound, and in spots are either piercing or calming, effectively evoking the right flavor. Keyboard work is also good, though less present after the first few tracks, though it is generally also tasteful and well done. Omar as a vocalist is better than I expected - he sings well, on-key, and has the right kind of voice for this type of project. It's a very "real" sounding voice, with no unnecessary inflection or bravado. It's just a man singing from the heart, and that's refreshing.

This kind of album is hard for me to "rate" accurately, because this is not the kind of music I listen to frequently. I must say, however, that after Omar sent me this CD I took it on a work trip with me. I was out of town for a whole week on business, and about half-way through the 8 1/2 hour drive to my destination I popped this CD in and started listening to it. I only took the CD out of the player once during the week to play a couple other CDs during a long drive on a busy evening during a major snowfall. Otherwise, I listened to this CD basically all week long in the car. In total, I probably spun it well over 20 times during that span, and I wasn't tired of it. I occasionally get the melody for "Tianenman Square", "Little Man", "Aishes Chayil" or "Looking Darkly Through a Mirror" stuck in my head, and I still pull this CD out nearly a year later and play it semi-frequently when I am in a mellow mood. To me, that speaks to the quality of the overall package.

I must conclude this review with an apology to Mr. Domkus for my tardiness in writing this review. I had hoped to write the review during that week of being away, which was my initial reason for spinning it so many times. However, with the frequent listens and my inexperience with this style of music I held off until I could put my thoughts into words more eloquently. While I'm not sure I have done that, I feel confident that I have at least said good things about the release. There are some tracks here that are probably "filler" in the classic sense, because there are a few slightly redundant melodic lines throughout, but overall this is a strong release. Take my rating below with a grain of salt and understand that it's more a personal barometer for me than a true rating of its quality. I enjoy this CD and I think anyone who enjoys mellow stylings and appreciates the bass guitar would enjoy listening to this disc. Recommended.

80/100

Theocracy - As The World Bleeds (2011)

2011-12-22T17:19:00.000-06:00

Heavy metal fans can be a persnickety bunch, often being overly sensitive about genre boundaries or what category a particular band or album fits into. If there's too much influence or sound borrowed from an outside style, or too many "unmetal" elements injected into the style, it often becomes the death knell for a band trying to gain crossover appeal between metal fans and rock fans in general. Metal bands often have to walk a slippery slope between artistic integrity and pleasing their fanbase. Steer too far away from your metal roots and you're branded a traitor. Don't inject enough "freshness" into your sound or music and after a couple albums you run the risk of being a "stale, washed up has-been" in the metal scene.

Thankfully, Theocracy doesn't have to deal with either question. They are a metal band through to their very core, as their 3 albums will attest to. And each album has been a different experience from the others, offering different elements and feeling while retaining the same basic metal constructs that fans have come to expect. With this, their 3rd album release, we get a further development of the Theocracy sound. For the genre-specific out there, this band falls squarely in the "Progressive Power Metal" category, but to tag them merely as such does this band a grave injustice. Theocracy have to be heard to be believed, and their music transcends the basic category it falls into because of just how well it's written, performed, and just executed overall.

In a bit of turnabout from 2008's "Mirror of Souls", "As the World Bleeds" sees the band beginning the proceedings with the longest song of the album, the epic opener "I AM". This song perfectly encapsulates everything this band is about: it's brimming with catchy melodies, contains both quiet moments and driving metal, is passionate and anthemic, and takes the listener on a journey while listening. As you listen through the rest of the album, you get much of the same in varying degrees - not every song is nearly as epic as the opening track, but the variety the album presents in tempo, melodic feel, heaviness, etc. is part of what keeps Theocracy albums so captivating from beginning to end. The songwriting is also a big part of what makes this record such a winner. In this regard, "As the World Bleeds" is quite possibly their strongest record. "Mirror of Souls" had a lot of heavy-hitter tracks which really showed what the band could do, but a couple of the tracks were a touch less memorable after multiple listens. I have spun this CD numerous times so far and have not tired of the material at all. While some songs tend to blend together a touch more than those on "Mirror of Souls", the overall strength of the album as a whole outweighs this minor shortcoming.

As expected, the instrumentation on this album is fantastic. With Matt Smith moving full-on into the role of vocalist, one might expect this album to sound a lot different than previous Theocracy releases in terms of style and presentation, but it really is consistent with what has come before in terms of songwriting approach and quality. Guitars still ring through the speakers with sufficient crunch and authority, and solo work is as good here as it has been. In some ways, the guitar solo work is a step up from the previous album as there is more of it here and it is more varied an interesting. Bass guitar adds nice weight underneath and while not being overly flashy, is well played and a good compliment. Drum work is as good as ever with on-point double bass work and the right balance of speed and precision with dynamics and range when called for. Keyboards sound great here, encompassing a number of different sounds and adding plenty of texture to the overall presentation. Matt Smith's vocals are in fine form here, as strong as he was on "Mirror of Souls" and perhaps even a half-notch above that album in terms of his overall vocal use. He really pushes himself here both in terms of the use of his upper range, as well as his overall versatility and dynamic range.

What more needs to be said? This is a strong contender for me for "Metal Album Of The Year" if such an award existed in my little world. The year isn't over yet, and there is at least one other hotly anticipated album I haven't heard yet that could rival this for sheer quality and presentation, but either way, Theocracy delivers again in spades with this release. If you are one of the few who didn't get into "Mirror of Souls" because of the epic 22-minute suite at the end, give this album a fair shake. I think you'll find the consistency of songwriting and quality of material to be welcome, and the immaculate performances here are some of the best you'll hear in metal music this year. If you're in any way a fan (casual or hardcore) of progressive rock and/or metal, you won't want to miss this one. Essential.

95/100

Modern Vinyl Releases From My Collection

2011-12-08T22:28:00.000-06:00

I define "modern" vinyl as anything post-1991, since that's the year that US-based record companies really dropped out of the mainstream vinyl market and started focusing almost solely on cassettes and CDs. Vinyl never left completely, but it stopped being available en masse at every corner music store. Records covered here:

Luscious Jackson - In Search of Manny EP
Circle One - Patterns of Force re-issue
Grave Robber - Be Afraid
Grave Robber - Inner Sanctum
Grave Robber - Exhumed
Theocracy - Mirror of Souls picture disc
My Silent Wake - A Garland of Tears black/red special edition

Enjoy!

Tourniquet Vinyl Re-Issues!

2011-12-08T22:12:00.000-06:00

Just a few thoughts on the recent re-issues of the 1st 2 Tourniquet albums by Vinyl Remains:

The Gamut is taking a short Christmas season break!

2011-12-04T13:35:00.000-06:00

The Gamut will be taking a short break during the Christmas season. With Christmas Day and New Year's Day both falling on Sundays, plus work commitments and family Christmas celebrations, I'm just swamped during the month of December! The Gamut will return in January with a renewed sense of purpose and hopefully more surprises in store for all of you! I hope everyone has a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

New Video - My Media Collection

2011-11-28T07:46:00.000-06:00

So I have begun to record videos of me showing off my media collection. I am starting with some current vinyl releases and will eventually show off my entire vinyl and CD collection, and at some point will start to include my video games, DVDs, comic books, etc. This video is just an intro to all that, laying the groundwork for what's to come.

Hopefully everyone will enjoy seeing my collection!

The Gamut - Vinyl Confessions tonight!!!

2011-11-20T09:02:00.000-06:00

As is Gamut tradition, the 3rd episode of each week is a theme - tonight's theme is Vinyl Confessions! Named after the classic Kansas album of the same name, it means that every song you hear in the show tonight is something that has been pressed to vinyl. You may be surprised at how much new music is on vinyl, as well as what classics are on vinyl that you may not have been aware of! Tons of awesome wax in the show this week, so tune in tonight at 9 PM EST via http://www.untombed.com to listen in!

Tonight's playlist!
Impending Doom - There Will Be Violence (Deathcore)
Whitecross - Red Light (Classic/Commercial Metal)
Daniel Amos - My Room (New Wave/Rock)
Place of Skulls - Cornerstone (Doom Metal)
The Way - Do You Feel the Change? (Jesus Music)
The Crucified - Mindbender (Crossover/Thrash Metal)
Tourniquet - The Threshing Floor (Progressive Thrash Metal)
Grave Robber - Fear No Evil (Horror Punk)
Frost Like Ashes - Born To Pieces (Black Metal)
Vector - Mannequin Virtue (New Wave/Rock)
Leviticus - Let Me Fight (Classic Metal)
Further Seems Forever - How To Start a Fire (Emo/Modern Rock)
False Idle - High Hopes (Punk)
Theocracy - 30 Pieces of Silver (Progressive Power Metal)
Detritus - Point Of No Return (Thrash Metal)
Joy Electric - Burgundy Years (Synthpop)
Guardian - I'll Never Leave You (Classic/Commercial Metal)
War of Ages - The Fallen (Metalcore)
The Esventy Sevens - What Was In That Letter (Rock)
Deliverance - If You Will (Thrash Metal)
Mortification - Impulsation (Progressive Death Metal)
Barnabas - Subterfuge (Female-fronted Progressive Metal)
Petra - He Came, He Saw, He Conquered (Hard Rock)
Vengeance Rising - Fatal Delay (Thrash Metal)
Jetenderpaul - Seapoon's Casket (Indie Pop)
My Silent Wake - Cruel Gray Skies (Doom Metal)
Love Song - Freedom (Jesus Music)
The Dark Romantics - Lonely...Alone (Indie Pop)
SinBreed - Dust to Dust (Power Metal)
The Blue Letter - We'll Cutn Down the Trees and Name Our Streets After Them (Post-Hardcore)
For Today - Seraphim (Metalcore)
Becoming the Archetype - Into Oblivion (Progressive Death Metal)
Anberlin - Godspeed (Modern Rock)
Hands - Cube (Progressive Post-Hardcore)
InnerWish - Sirens (Power Metal)
Bloodgood - Self-Destruction (Classic Metal)
A Plea For Purging - Heart Of a Child (Metalcore)
Mad At The World - There Is No Easy Way Out (Synthpop)
Stryper - Surrender (Classic/Commercial Metal)
First Strike - Hard Times (Hard Rock)
Final Axe - Baptized In Blood (Classic Metal)
Carrying the Fire - Bleednig Hearts and Bloody Hands (Hardcore)

Check out the Untombed website @ www.untombed.com ! You can tune in easily via the web-based player on the front page, link to the stream via your regular audio player, read album reviews, get music news, and link up to other great resources, including Divine Metal Distro, your one-stop source for all things Christian rock and metal! Don't forget, station chat has moved to Untombed.com at the bottom of the site, so make sure you sign up or use a Facebook or Twitter account to sign in and chat w/ me and other listeners during the show!

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, or your new Windows Phone 7 device via StreamyThing! Listen in from your Android device via the "A Online Radio" or StreamFurious applications, as well as the new beta version of Winamp for the Android platform!

Hands - Give Me Rest (2011)

2011-11-09T20:00:00.002-06:00

When I listen to hardcore, I am usually listening for one of two reasons. One, I am listening for the primal energy and heart that comes from more old-school hardcore, where it's early punk rock made angrier and heavier because they just needed it to be more in-your-face due to whatever it was they were trying to express. Two, I am listening for the simplistic heaviness and "oomph" of modern hardcore with its down-tuned guitar sound, overly bassy tones, intense group shouts, and powerful presentation. And while there are certainly crossovers between early hardcore and what is considered hardcore in today's world, the aesthetics are still often separate between the two. Hardcore bands of today are often striving to be faster, heavier, and more "brutal" than their hardcore brethren of yore, sometimes neglecting one of the elements that makes hardcore so vital, so intense: unbridled passion.

Now, hardcore isn't the only form of music teeming the passion. No, there is plenty of passion to go around in nearly all forms of music. The difference, though, is that sometimes hardcore music can be almost entirely carried by the passion injected in and through it. Not that hardcore musicians are limited musicians, because many of them create catchy, interesting riffs and songs that stay with you, not just content to simply pummel you with loud audio. But there are hardcore bands whose musical aesthetic is faceless and nameless, and their acclaim is solely based upon their chosen "platform" or lyrical bent, and the copious amounts of passion they put forth in their work.

Hands 3rd full-length release doesn't suffer from this disease of indistinguishable (or passionless) hardcore, for a myriad of reasons. First and foremost, while the band started off as a reasonably melodic, passion-filled hardcore band, their earliest material was devoid of any defined personality or lasting impact. Indeed, "The Everlasting EP", while being a good listen from beginning to end, is hardly memorable. Its songs are too "samey" and often go on far longer than they need to. By all accounts, though I don't yet own it myself, "The Sounds of Earth" was a major step up for the band, with a more muscular sounds that retained the melodicism of the EP and brought more atmosphere along with it, as well as more succinct songs. "Creator" was another step in the right direction, offering better riffs and a more honest, gut-level take on the proto-progressive hardcore the band was attempting to play on their debut. With "Give Me Rest", the band has thrown away the "hardcore handbook" entirely, creating an altogether unique and engaging listening experience. While traces of the hardcore-infused sludge/metal are still present, they are tempered with loads of atmosphere and feeling.

Immediately noticeable is the fact that the music presented is so spare. This is not to be taken as a bad thing following how "Creator" made ample use of guitar riffing and melodic playing. Rather, it is a seemingly deliberate attempt at making more out of less, as if the simple melodies and instrumental passages were meticulously constructed. No drum hit or cymbal crash, no bass string pluck or guitar strum is wasted in any way. Each note is purposeful, doing its job in constructing the bare minimum necessary to propel the song. That's not to say there aren't a few more complex riffs, because there are. But those riffs seem to be specifically placed every 2-3 songs to build momentum, only to allow the atmosphere of the surrounding tracks to be the dominant theme. All instrumental performances here reflect that minimalist ethos, and the album is stronger for it overall. Of particular note is the drum work by Josh Silbernagel - his rhythms and playing here may seem overly simplistic at first, but it's deceptively so - it makes sense in context of the material and makes for the perfect accompaniment to the bass and guitar, as well as the vocals.

Lyrically, the album is very personal, but not so much that it's difficult to glean meaning or purpose from the songs. This album appears to reflect a spiritual journey that seemingly starts during a crisis of faith, a point at which the narrator is both wrestling with his own faith and questioning the moral center of the world around him. The story shifts into a mode of recognizing one's own "filthy rags", then repentance for said indiscretions, then into a somewhat militant view of the world (typical with young Christians judging the world through what they perceive as the eyes of their Creator), and then a more softened perspective at the end, much more at peace and harmony with their faith and their environment. It's a fantastic journey that is at times tense, other times quite subtle and serene. Vocalist Shane Ochsner is in fine form here, with both emotive and accurate clean singing, as well as a combination of more hardcore vocal sounds, from a higher pitched scream to a lower toned, more "throaty" growl, reminiscent of the heavier material from "Creator". His performance on this album is impeccable.

All in all, this is my contender for hardcore album of the year, even though truth be told, it's probably more post-hardcore in aesthetic and execution. Still, when I have the CD in constant rotation in my van for 2 weeks straight, including a day trip 2.5 hours away from home where I ended up listening to the CD 5 or 6 times in a row on the way home, it's fair to say that once you "get" what this band is serving up, you'll be addicted to this album like I have the last few weeks. The one caveat I would have is, purchasing the album on CD or digitally is probably the best choice. I am a vinyl enthusiast and will definitely be purchasing the vinyl version when I get a chance, because the songs here flow so well together and so seamlessly at times, listening to the album from start to finish, uninterrupted is the primo way to experience this opus. Highly recommended to all fans of hardcore - this is what hardcore music can be when you think outside the box and allow creativity to rule versus merely "following the script".

90/100

The Gamut is back tonight!!!

2011-11-06T13:41:00.002-06:00

The Gamut is back in full effect after a week off, and there's lots of great music in the show, so tune in tonight at 9 PM EST via http://www.untombed.com to listen in!

Tonight's playlist!
Seventh Star - Thick and Thin (Hardcore)
Crux - Generation X (Punk)
Saviour Machine - A World Alone (Gothic Metal)
Galactic Cowboys - Just Like Me (Progressive Metal)
Whiteheart - Dominate (Hard Rock)
Soul-Junk - (zayin) threewise (Indie Pop)
Besieged - The Years Between (Metalcore)
Whitecross - When the Walls Tumble Down (Classic Metal)
Krig - Chaos In the Air (Death Metal)
Jimmy Hotz - Observations of a Larger Reality (Progressive Rock)
Wigtop - March of Souls (Techno-Industrial)
Kekal - Longing For the Truth (Black Metal)
Norma Jean - A Small Spark vs. a Grat Forest (Metalcore)
Luminaria - Imao (Gothic Metal)
Floodline - Surrender (Progressive Metal)
Eternal Mystery - Insanity Plea (Grindcore)
Starflyer 59 - Something Evil (Alternative)
Once Dead - Flesheater (Thrash Metal)
For Today - Words of Hope (Metalcore)
Glamdring - Consecrate (Black Metal)
Rosanna's Raiders - Love the Lord Your God (Female-fronted Hard Rock)
Fourth Estate - Crazy Ivan (Instrumental Rock)
Saints Never Surrender - Inspiration (Hardcore)
Angel 7 - Power of Belief and Love (Black/Power Metal hybrid)
Dumpster - Divining (Alternative Rock)
Stryper - More Than a Man (Classic Metal)
Mortification - Human Condition (Progressive Death Metal)
Disciple - Dive (Groove Metal/Hard Rock)
Living Sacrifice - Dealing With Ignorance (Thrash Metal)
Dogwood - Out of the Picture (Punk Rock)
Rehumanize - Rick Warning (Grindcore)
Joy Electric - J.E. Picturephone (Reflect You, I connect You) (Synthpop)
Common Children - Storm Boy (Alternative)
Sweet Comfort Band - Get Ready (Classic Rock)
Vociferor - Unworthy (Black Metal)
Inked In Blood - Compassion Is My Own Descent (Hardcore)
Heaven's Force - In League With the Priest (Thrash Metal)
Blenderhead - Power Trip (Hardcore Punk)
Narnia - Inner Sanctum (Power Metal)
Underneath the Gun - Muckracker (Deathcore)

Check out the Untombed website @ www.untombed.com ! You can tune in easily via the web-based player on the front page, link to the stream via your regular audio player, read album reviews, get music news, and link up to other great resources, including Divine Metal Distro, your one-stop source for all things Christian rock and metal! Don't forget, station chat has moved to Untombed.com at the bottom of the site, so make sure you sign up or use a Facebook or Twitter account to sign in and chat w/ me and other listeners during the show!

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, or your new Windows Phone 7 device via StreamyThing! Listen in from your Android device via the "A Online Radio" or StreamFurious applications, as well as the new beta version of Winamp for the Android platform!

ReinXeed - 1912 (2011)

2011-11-01T14:00:00.003-05:00

Tommy Johansson is a smart guy. After a couple early attempts at putting the ReinXeed project together, he finally got started with a full album release in 2008 and has been going at breakneck speed ever since. He has released 4 albums under the ReinXeed moniker so far, one each from 2008 through 2011, as well as participating in both Golden Resurrection albums in 2010 and 2011. He also recorded a compilation called "Swedish Hitz Goes Metal" which takes classic pop hits from Ace of Base, ABBA and other Swedish pop stars and metalize them. This idea is not new, as Helloween did an ABBA cover (along with several other varying styles) a few years back, but certainly the man has done his fair share of making a name for himself within the European metal scene over the last 4 years.

The other thing that Tommy has done is consistently improve upon himself during that timeframe. By all accounts, each ReinXeed album is an improvement over the previous release. While I can't speak for the 1st 2 ReinXeed releases, as I haven't acquired or heard them yet, I will say that 1912 is a step up from Majestic both in terms of songwriting and overall performance. While Majestic was a fine album of neoclassical power metal, it had a hard time (like many of its peers) of separating itself from the pack, though the guitar work certainly helped it gain ground. 1912 puts ReinXeed in another league, however, by doing more interesting things melodically, pushing Tommy vocally in terms of combining that pop sense of melodicism with the, erm, "majestic" (sorry, pun intended) feel that this style demands, and by improved songwriting that makes the album a more interesting listen throughout. Where Majestic was content to take the rote neoclassical and power metal formulas and add Tommy's fretboard magic on top, 1912 becomes a much more fully realized release, due in part to the concept and storyline of the sinking of the Titanic. Much like the blockbuster film on the same subject, this album takes the event and turns it into a more personal and interesting affair than simply the sinking of the world's largest cruise ship.

Musically, this album is quite the tour de force. Tommy is in fine form, pumping out melodic, unique, and catchy riffs that allow the songs to be both firmly grounded, but also weightless and majestic due to the bombast. Lead playing is as good as you've ever heard from Tommy, with a nice combination of both tasteful licks and shredding leads to keep guitar solo fans happy. Drum work by Viktor Olofsson is quite good, with plenty of galloping rhythms, and his playing here is rife with precision. Bass by Nic Svensson is also good, though a bit less audible in the mix. Additional guitar work by Matias Johansson and Calle Sundberg is as it should be, with precise playing that is at once emotive and powerful. Tommy is no slouch on the keyboards as well, with several nice spots where he allows that instrument to shine without taking center stage or over-utilizing it. Lyrically, the album is strong as well, with the perspective of a passenger of the sinking Titanic through most of the songs, as well as an outsider's perspective on a couple tracks reflecting on the size, scope, and historical impact of the Titanic itself, as well as on the fact that the ship was supposed to have been "unsinkable". One contrast I find particularly enjoyable is how the sinking of the ship is somewhat overwrought in the lyrics, and an event that likely didn't take long (in the sense of the passage of time) is looked at very carefully and from multiple angles, which takes on a bit of a "slow motion" effect from the story perspective, contrasted with the speedy and melodic power metal being played. This juxtaposition works surprisingly well, and gives the album a unique feel to it.

Some of Tommy's melodies are quite unique and interesting, like the chorus melody in the title track. They are somewhat remeniscent of Blind Guardian's "A Night At the Opera" album in their sort of unique approach, and also in their somewhat grandiose execution, complete with vocal and instrumental layering. ReinXeed doesn't come off as a clone, however, which helps keep the material fresh, despite the similarity. Honestly enough, other than perhaps the album's longevity (all this bombast can be slightly tiresome after a while), or perhaps the somewhat disjointed flow of the lyrics (going from chronological storyline to musing about the Titanic and back to storyline), I don't have anything negative to say about this album. ReinXeed has done what every band should do from one release to the next: namely, to improve upon what they've already done and add new elements to their proven formula so it doesn't become stale. The band has accomplished that in spades, as I think "1912" is a significant enough step up from "Majestic" that fans of the band and newcomers alike will find plenty to love here, and will be impressed by the band's overall success with fusing the concept and story to the music. Highly recommended, if not essential for fans of the band and melodic power metal in general.

92/100

The Gamut - theme episode tonight, "Epics and Long Songs"!

2011-10-16T15:15:00.002-05:00

Long-time Gamut listeners will remember that every 3rd Sunday used to be a "theme" episode - well, now new listeners can get in on the fun because "theme" Sundays are back! Tonight is all about epics and super-long songs! This may be the shortest playlist in Gamut history, but the show is still full of awesome music, including an 11-minute epic from Theocracy - "I Am" from the band's up-coming "The World Will Bleed" album debuts in The Gamut this evening! Tune in tonight at 9 PM EST via http://www.untombed.com to listen in!

Tonight's playlist!
As I Lay Dying - Condemned (Metalcore)
Theocracy - I AM (Progressive Metal)
Kekal - Escapism (Avant-Garde Metal)
Agathothodion - Man Born Blind (Black Metal)
Veni Domine - The Chronicle of the Seven Seals (Progressive Metal)
Mortification - EnVision EnVangeline (Progressive Metal)
Virgin Black - The Everlasting (Gothic Metal)
Paramaecium - The Birth and the Massacre (Doom/Death Metal)
Deuteronimium - Tales From the Midst of the Battle (Progressive Death Metal)
Kinetic Element - Reconciliation (Progressive Rock)
Michael Phillips - Mirrors Within Mirrors Pt. 2 (Progressive Hard Rock)
Thy Pain - Wounded Heart (Melodic Death Metal)

Check out the Untombed website @ www.untombed.com ! You can tune in easily via the web-based player on the front page, link to the stream via your regular audio player, read album reviews, get music news, and link up to other great resources, including Divine Metal Distro, your one-stop source for all things Christian rock and metal! Don't forget, station chat has moved to untombed.com at the bottom of the site, so make sure you sign up or use a Facebook or Twitter account to sign in and chat w/ me and other listeners during the show!

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, or your new Windows Phone 7 device via StreamyThing! Listen in from your Android device via the "A Online Radio" or StreamFurious applications, as well as the new beta version of Winamp for the Android platform!

The Gamut - tomorrow night's playlist!!!

2011-10-08T16:57:00.000-05:00

The Gamut is full of awesome music and huge variety, as always! Tune in Sunday evening at 9 PM EST via http://www.untombed.com to listen in!

Tonight's playlist!
Tortured Conscience - Modern Day Pharisees (Death Metal)
ReinXeed - 1912 (Melodic Power Metal)
Halcyon Way - On Black Wings (Progressive Metal)
Carrying the Fire - Free At Last (Hardcore)
Fear Not - Give It Up (Hard Rock)
Behold the Kingdom - Valley (Deathcore)
Kekal - Futuride (Avant-Garde Post-Metal)
Terraphobia - Soldiers of the New Millennium (Thrash Metal)
Believer - End of Infinity (Progressive Metal)
Blood Covenant - Fall Babylon (Black Metal)
Golden Resurrection - Standing On the Rock (Melodic Power Metal)
Dirge For Today - There are flowers on your grave (Blackened Folk)
Decision D - Diabolic Shadow (Technical Thrash Metal)
Joy Electric - The Electric Joy Toy Company (Synthpop)
Oh, Sleeper - Son of the Morning (Metalcore)
Menahem - Prisons Without Walls (Progressive Metal)
The Scurvies - Don't Let Me Go (Punk)
Swine Suicide - Howls of Worship (Black Metal)
POD - On Fire (Rapcore)
Crossforce - Out of the Darkness (Classic Metal)
Project 86 - The Spy Hunter (Modern Heavy Rock)
Eisley - Oxygen Mask (Female-fronted Indie Pop)
Becoming the Archetype - Path of the Beam (Progressive Extreme Metal)
Random Eyes - New Flow (Melodic Power Metal)
Sotahuuto - Tohuaja (Modern Death Metal)
Saint - To the Cross (Classic Metal)
Stairs to Nowhere - Silent Times (Between Torpedoes) (Indie Rock)
Staple - The Songwriter (Post-Hardcore)
Woe of Tyrants - Break the Fangs of the Wicked (Melodic Death Metal)
Incrave - Unveil the Truth (Melodic Power Metal)
Pastor Brad - Turn Up the Light (feat. Ken Tamplin) (Hard Rock)
The Moshketeers - Locked In Chains (Thrash Metal)
Omar Domkus - Tianenmen Square (Female-fronted Alternative)
Nomad Son - At the Thresholds of Consciousness (Doom Metal)
Job - A Psalm for the First Caust and Last Refuge (Experimental Doom Metal)
Seven Kingdoms - Somewhere Far Away (Female-fronted Power Metal)
Thy Will Be Done - Mourning Without the Sun (Metalcore)

Check out the Untombed website @ www.untombed.com ! You can tune in easily via the web-based player on the front page, link to the stream via your regular audio player, read album reviews, get music news, and link up to other great resources, including Divine Metal Distro, your one-stop source for all things Christian rock and metal! Don't forget, station chat has moved to Untombed.com at the bottom of the site, so make sure you sign up or use a Facebook or Twitter
account to sign in and chat w/ me and other listeners during the show!

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, or your new Windows Phone 7 device via StreamyThing! Listen in from your Android device via the "A Online Radio" or StreamFurious applications, as well as the new beta version of Winamp for the Android platform!

Golden Resurrection - Man With a Mission (2011)

2011-10-08T11:45:00.003-05:00

Christian Liljegren (aka Christian Rivel) is a busy man. And not just busy like having plenty of stuff going on. I mean busy as in, the guy apparently doesn't sit still. If my count is right, Christian has either spearheaded or been involved in the recording of some 15 albums since Narnia released their debut in 1998. So by my count, that is more than 1 album on average per year. Sure, there have been years where he hasn't released any material, and heavier periods (like 2004-2006 where he was involved in at least 5 different albums, 3 just in 2005!), but suffice to say, the man has kept himself busy, professionally speaking. Add to that the fact that he runs his own record label(s), and you have one busy guy. He left Narnia, presumably so he could be less occupied, but aside from less constant touring, I think Christian is probably still busier than the average metal musician.

2010 was another busy year for Mr. Liljegren, as he released the 2nd Audiovision album, guested on the 2nd 7days release, AND put out the debut of his latest endeavor, Golden Resurrection. The album hailed a return of the neoclassical metal he had become known for in Narnia, but bumped up the speed and intensity factor a bit, resulting in a strong showing and a fine debut album. Just 11 months (to the day!) later, Christian and company are back with their sophomore outing, "Man With a Mission". Still present are Tommy Johansson's sweeping neoclassical playing and Christian's strong vocals. The big difference here, however, is that everything has been amped up save for the speed. In fact, the album has considerably slowed down to where the number of "speedy" songs has dwindled to just a couple. Most of the material is mid-tempo, or meets somewhere in the middle between the speed of power metal and neoclassical, and a more traditional metal stomp. This isn't wholly unique, by any stretch, but does give Golden Resurrection slightly more identity than they had before. In a way, it's like they've taken a Hammerfall approach that says, "Speed isn't always better, sometimes it's just more."

In terms of guitar work, Tommy is on-point as always, and brings some fairly strong riffs with a good melodic sense. His lead playing is always skillful and technically adept, while also being melodic, and that shows here, perhaps a bit more strongly than on the debut. He also adds some vocal work here and there, harmonizing with Christian in background and group vocals, as well as doing a few lead vocal trade-offs with Christian at times (including on the bonus tracks). Christian is in fine form here as well; I firmly believe he has only improved with age, and his material with Divinefire was (I feel) his strongest work up to that band's original demise in 2008. Golden Resurrection has continued this, with Christian nicely transitioning back and forth between his smooth-as-butter "golden" voice, and his more gritty, aggressive tone that he uses at times to accentuate the tempo, mood, or power in the songs. Bass work by Stefan is solid, though it's often difficult to pull out of the mix. In other words, his contribution is less overtly obvious than the rest of the band, but when you hear his rumbling underneath, it's easy to see he contributes. Drum work by Rikard is also quite good, with a good use of varying tempos, not content to just double-bass drum his way through the album. He is quite solid and provides competent rhythms behind all the music, and doesn't showboat or take over the music. Special mention must be made of keyboardist Kenneth Lillqvist - the man certainly knows his way around his instrument, and he provides an excellent backdrop for Tommy's guitar, sometimes acting as a "second lead", other times merely providing a melodic framework for Tommy's guitar pyrotechnics so the song doesn't lose the melodic sense in the midst of all the fireworks.

Lyrically, the band trudges the usual territory of faith in Christ, power through faith in Christ, empowerment through Christ, etc. There are a couple of exceptions, such as "Golden Times" which is more of a reminiscence than an overt statement of faith, and "Flaming Youth" which is directed a bit more specifically at, well, the youth and their direction. But if you're no fan of "Christian metal" because of the lyrics, this won't win you over, and will probably be one more album on the pile of records that turn you off. I would challenge those listeners to keep an open mind, however. While Christian isn't the most adept lyricist out there, he tries, and he is earnest in what he is singing, even when his stuff tends to veer into "maximum cheese" territory. So while the lyrical themse on the album tend to be a touch redundant at times, they're at least consistent.

The digital release of the album includes 2 bonus tracks not available on the physical CD: "Point Of Know Return" (a Kansas cover), and "The End Of the World", which is a fitting and timely tribute to the late Gary Moore. Both songs are well done and show the band from a slightly different vantage point. Actually, I quite like their take on "Point Of Know Return" after listening to it a few times, with Tommy providing the bulk of vocals and Kenneth's keyboard shining throughout. If the band decides to change things up again after this release, a metalized Kansas-like progressive direction would be something I could see (and would welcome) from this group. Likewise, "The End Of the World" is a strong closer, though perhaps just a touch overlong. It starts with a lot of guitar wizardry by Tommy, obviously paying homage to Gary's underrated guitar playing skills, particularly in light of his time in Thin Lizzy, no doubt. Once the song actually gets underway, after a 2 minute solo-fest, we are treated to a mid-tempo rocker with a strong, aggressive vocal by Christian and some guitar flourishes by Tommy.

Overall, this is a strong second album by the group. After my initial disappointment that the speed and power of the debut isn't present here, I think that actually works in their favor in the long run, as the market is currently overloaded with a glut of also-ran power metal bands. I'm betting Christian and Tommy know that, and this album seems like a conscious shift away from the speedy European power metal sound to a more hybridized sound that combines classic European power metal with traditional heavy metal and hard rock, which I think will give the band plenty of crossover appeal. It also gives their songs a bit more collective identity this time around, so while the songs start to bleed together a bit mid-way through, this sees the band moving in the right direction. Recommended for fans of melodic, power, or really any traditional European style of metal.

80/100

TV Time - Star Trek: Voyager

2011-10-08T11:30:00.000-05:00

Who would have thought after mid-1969 that Star Trek, then just a freshly cancelled TV series, would have grown steadily to become a juggernaut of a franchise, spawning 11 movies (across 3 iterations of the franchise), 5 follow-up series (including an animated continuation of the live-action original), and a multi-billion dollar industry including toys, props, costumes, novels, comic books, video games and conventions worldwide? I suspect if Gene Roddenberry were alive today, he would even be surprised at the level the Star Trek saga has become ingrained in the cultural lexicon. Despite the long-running popularity of Star Trek in some form or another, some iterations of the franchise have been regardless as "lesser" in the Trek canon, often unfairly. One of the more slighted portions of the Trek universe has been the unfairly maligned Star Trek: Voyager series.

Voyager comprised many firsts for the Trek universe. It is the first show to feature a female captain, the first to feature a ship designed for scientific exploration (versus diplomatic missions like the Enterprise), the first ship to incorporate bio-electric circuitry (the "gelpacks"), and the first to put the crew in a long-term situation where zero Federation support is available during the course of the show's run. After the ratings for Star Trek: Deep Space Nine were less than what Paramount was probably expecting, Rick Berman and company were probably looking for ways to recapture much of the finge "Trek audience" that weren't rabid fans, per se, but were fans of Star Trek: The Next Generation because of it's emphasis on exploration and "bottle episode" plots, while still weaving in drawn-out plotlines, character development, and a general underlying theme. Personally, I feel they accomplished this with Voyager.

In case you, the reader, are one of the folks who never saw Voyager, here's the synopsis. Captain Catherine Janeway has been given command of Voyager, a starship from the new "Intrepid class" whose chief mission will be scientific exploration. However, their initial mission will be to thwart the Maquis, a group of cessationists who were protesting (and fighting against) the Cardassian occupation of the Bajoran system. The Maquis vessel had gone missing in an area of space known as The Badlands. During the course of the mission, both the Maquis ship and Voyager got caught up in a subspace phenomenon that pulled the ships over 70,000 light years into a region of space yet explored or charted by the Federation known as the Delta Quadrant. The area of space where the Federation is based (on Earth) is known as the Alpha Quadrant, for comparison's sake. Once they were thrown into the Delta Quadrant, they encountered several new races, one of which was the being responsible for bringing them that far, who died shortly after their arrival. Due to this being's death, they were unable to be transported back to the Alpha Quadrant, and thus was born the show's primary underlying plot line - getting back home. Both being stranded and needing to rely on each other for survival, the Maquis and Federation crews banded together and became one crew aboard Voyager to find a way to get back home, despite the fact that at maximum warp, it would take some 70+ years to do so.

You've come a long way, baby...

It is in this goal, and the determination of the crew to find ways of shortening their trip home, that the show finds its initial footing. However, viewers are quickly drawn into the myriad storylines, and are quickly prompted to care about the characters in the ensemble cast due to the vulnerability of their situation, their determination to get home, and their "humanity", indeed, even for those characters who aren't even human. Alien crew members who joined the Voyager crew early on whose "humanity" was evident early on include the Ocampa named Kes, and her love interest, the Talaxian junk dealer known as Neelix. Perhaps the most shining example of character "humanity" is the "Emergency Medical Hologram" doctor, played expertly by Robert Picardo.

Did someone forget to deactivate me AGAIN?

The thing about Voyager that makes it so endearing is that the cast is so well chosen for the show based upon the characters they play. Half-Klingon, half-human B'Elanna Torres can be at once fired up and yet still tender, accentuating both sides of her personality. Janeway is a strong lead with a commanding presence, yet she reveals her layers and gives viewers a reason to rally behind her as the captain. Ensign Harry Kim may have the nickname "Starfleet" from Belana, and his "by the book" approach may seem a bit silly in the face of the odds the crew faces, but he's just such a nice guy that he's hard not to like. Tom Paris' renewed sense of responsibility and desire to experience life is infectious, and who doesn't like Neelix and his over-eager personality and "people-pleaser" mentality? Then there's Kes, who, despite only being on the show for 3 seasons, manages to capture a child-like wonder (indeed, for a race that only lives between 7 and 9 years, at 2 she is still very much a child) that is inspiring. Let's not forget Chakotay, who nicely balances his Maquis bravado with his previous Starfleet sense of duty, and then The Doctor, who brings much comedy to the preceedings.

Captain, I have a delightful Leola Root Stew you simply must try...

Now in 2011 (10 years after the show's run ended), though the show looks a touch dated due to changes in hairstyles, updated CGI and special effect techniques, Voyager still looks pretty good and still manages to impress, though not in the same way TNG did years after its debut. Still, it's no slouch when it comes to the visual department. Depending on your chosen format for viewing, some of the visuals may be a touch "jittery". Now that Voyager is on the Netflix Instant service, that's where I'm watching it (though I do plan on purchasing either a DVD or perhaps BluRay set at some point), like the intense orange lighting in portions of Engineering on the ship. It's slightly off-putting at first, but you get used to it, considering the timeframe when it was made and the limits of the effects technology at that time. In terms of sound, the modern Trek series have always been good about sound editing, and Voyager is no different. Rarely do you need to either crank the volume up, or turn it down in order to avoid being "blasted" by your TV, or to catch that lingering word or phrase. The show has always had well-balanced sound. A handful of the early episodes are unintentionally funny at times, in part due to the cast sort of feeling their way through their characters - like when Kes freaks out due to being unendingly hungry and Neelix throwing her over her shoulder to haul her off to the doctor - her reaction is priceless. But then TNG suffered from a very "stiff" cast for about the first season and a half or so, which makes this less a complaint and more an observation.

I guess the thing that makes me most nostalgic about Voyager is that I never properly finished it. Voyager, like the other modern Star Trek series, was in syndication, and not long before it moved exclusively to UPN is when I stopped watching because we had no UPN affiliate where I lived. So while I watched long enough to see the introduction of the much-lauded Seven of Nine character (Jeri Ryan's calling card), I didn't get to see much of her character development before I was unable to watch the show. I wasn't madly in love with Jeri like most other Trek fanboys were - honestly, with what little I saw, I preferred her in Boston Public after Voyager ended. That said, I am anxious to see the development of her character fully, as I understand it was an interesting evolution from dyed-in-the-wool Borg to a more fully realized individual. And perhaps that's the thing that Voyager boasts, at least as much as The Next Generation - that ability to take a cast of characters and propel them into a situation that forces you to care about them from the word "go", and then keeps you interested by making them as real as possible within the context of the fantasy world they were created for. That, and the blissfully utopian view of society that Gene Roddenberry espoused, are the endearing qualities that give Voyager a leg up over much TV sci-fi fare, and certainly allows the show to hold its own against its other Trek alumni. If you haven't jumped on the Voyager bandwagon, now's a good time to start.

The Gamut - tonight's playlist!!!

2011-10-02T15:18:00.002-05:00

The Gamut is full of awesome music and huge variety, as always! Tune in at 9 PM EST via http://www.untombed.com to listen in!

Tonight's playlist!
Renascent - Scenes of a Tragedy (Melodic Death Metal)
Whitecross - Straight Thru the Heart (Classic Metal)
Vector - Fine Line (New Wave/80s Rock)
Plague of Ethyls - Blaze (Female-fronted Grunge)
Every Man's Hero - No One Ever Said a Word (Hardcore Punk)
The Color Morale - Hopes Anchor (Melodic Metalcore)
Uthanda - Wrapped Around Your Heart (Alternative/Ballad)
Bon Voyage - Diary (Female-fronted Indie Pop)
King James - The Calling (Metal)
Exegesis - Guerreros Del Rock (Symphonic Extreme Metal)
LSU - Shallow (Alternative Rock)
Golden Resurrection - Glory To My King (Power Metal)
Outlander - Worlds Away (Progressive Hard Rock)
In the Midst of Lions - Opposition (Deathcore)
Blessed By a Broken Heart - She Wolf (Heavy Modern Pop-Metal)
Hguols - My Eyes Have Opened (Instrumental Black Metal)
Sever Your Ties - Things Are Better (Left Unsaid) (Melodic Hardcore/Screamo)
Divinefire - Secret Weapon (Power Metal)
Deitiphobia - Crucifixion of Will (Industrial)
Starflyer 59 - Blue Collar Love (Shoegazer/Alternative)
Benea Reach - River (Sludge/Extreme Metal)
Stir - Joe's Son (Hard Rock)
Enshrouding - Final Ravages (Black Metal)
Morella's Forest - Star Gazer (Female-fronted Alternative/Dreampop)
A Hope For Home - Restoration: The Return From Exile (Progressive Hardcore)
Scaterd Few - Kill the Sarx (Gothic Punk)
Petra - Counsel Of the Holy (Hard Rock)
Darkness Before Dawn - Material Existence (Melodic Death Metal)
Asher (CA) - Unavoidable (Female-fronted Melodic Metal)
Crimson Moonlight - The Cold Grip Of Terror (Black Metal)
Post Mortum - Goodness Gracious (Nu-Metal)
Rehumanize - Repent and Believe (Grindcore)
Nobody Special - Sliding Backwards (Punk)
Haven - Deliver Me (Classic/Power Metal)
Goodnight Star - Dubparty (Synthpop)
In Grief - I Am (Progressive Death Metal)
Step Cousin - Standing On the Mountain (Groove/Thrash Metal)
Flee the Seen - Wardrobe Full of Fiction (Female-fronted Post-Hardcore)
Mortification - Elastisized Outrage (Metal)
Jimmy Hotz - Beyond the Blues (Progressive Rock)
Recession - Get Killed (Chaotic Metalcore)

Check out the Untombed website @ www.untombed.com ! You can tune in easily via the web-based player on the front page, link to the stream via your regular audio player, read album reviews, get music news, and link up to other great resources, including Divine Metal Distro, your one-stop source for all things Christian rock and metal! Don't forget, station chat has moved to Untombed.com at the bottom of the site, so make sure you sign up or use a Facebook or Twitter account to sign in and chat w/ me and other listeners during the show!

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! Got Windows Phone 7? Check us out via www.streamything.com! Listen in from your Android device via the "A Online Radio" or StreamFurious applications, as well as the new beta version of Winamp for the Android platform!

The Best Music You've Never Heard - Nine-Headed Cactus Demon

2011-09-29T21:00:00.000-05:00

"The hallucinogenic drugs such as psilocybin, mescaline, and peyote are not rude per se. But it can be difficult to observe all the niceties of etiquette when you're being chased down the street by a nine-headed cactus demon." - PJ O'Rourke from "Modern Manners: An Ettiquite Book For Rude People"

Okay, so I know what you're thinking: "Nine-Headed Cactus Demon? Sounds like some obscure black metal band, or maybe some obscure 60's psychadelic or acid rock band." You'd be wrong on both counts, however. Nine-Headed Cactus Demon (NHCD, as they shall be heretofore known) was a short-lived alternative/indie "college band" in the literal sense, in that they were a group of students at the prestigious MIT university in the early-mid 1990's. NHCD is particularly of interest to me because of guitarist/vocalist/songwriter David Penner. He is originally from my hometown of Aurora, Nebraska, and his younger sister was in my class in school, though I didn't get the opportunity to know her very well. You see, her parents worked in some government-related discipline, so this classmate spent most of her time in Pakistan at the US Embassy. Quite the swanky gig, and quite an eye-opening experience for a young girl in a country dominated by Islam, where women and females in general aren't well regarded. So while I knew her by her brief attendance during my 5th grade year and occasional visits back to the US through Junior High, I can't say I actually knew her.

Fast-forward from 5th grade to the end of my Junior year of high school, approximately April of 1995. I was riding high on having a car again (after totalling my first car within a month and a half of purchasing it), and my friends and I were working toward our ACT tests, and were preparing to take those. Having only a cassette deck at that point, I of course had the wonderful tape adapter that would plug into the headphone jack of my portable CD player (an early model with some limited "skip protection". It was this device that fueled much of my early CD purchases, as having the ability to "crank up" these tunes in the car was a real treat. I had borrowed this underground CD from a friend (earning me cool factor points in nerd-land), and had spun it a few times, but other than casually enjoying what I heard, it hadn't quite "clicked" with me fully yet. The morning we were to take our ACT tests I got up WAY too early, and went out driving to go pick up friends. Turns out, they weren't planning on me picking them up until a few minutes before we were supposed to leave to drive the 30 minutes to the large regional high school where we'd be taking the test. So in the meantime, because I was wide awake, couldn't go back home and go to sleep, and needed to de-stress from the thoughts of ACT test failure looming in my head, I just drove around in the dark and played some new tunes. Among those was the Megadeth odds-and-ends CD "Hidden Treasures", which still has a couple favorites for me from the band.

After jamming out to some metal, I decided to change things up and played the NHCD disc. Though I had listened to it before and enjoyed it, the full realization of how awesome it was had failed to capture me - until that morning. As the sun was rising and I played that 6-song EP through, it dawned on me (see what I did there?) what I had been missing thus far. The CD had its own sound, its own vibe, its own unique feel. Not only that, but while the band was far from the over-produced "alternative" music we were being fed on the radio, they still sounded professional and like they weren't just some fly-by-night band making a CD because it sounded like a fun thing to do. This band was more truly "alternative" than most of what my generation was being told was actually so. Suffice to say, I ended up liking the CD so much that I just conveniently forgot to return it to my friend...

What makes NHCD more special is the variety in songwriting and performances. They mix a laid-back guitar pop/rock sound (though not jangly) with some jazz influences, as well as a bit of neo-folk, funk, light grunge, and adult contemporary (don't let that tag scare you, this isn't Michael Buble) to forge a relatively broad, open-ended sound that has a lot going for it. In terms of songwriting, these 6 nuggets represent a very strong batch of material that David and his bandmates composed, and the diversity of material is more of a strength to the EP than it is a weakness, like it often is for bands that have trouble finding their identity. Instead, NCHD's identity is in the loose feel and leisurely pacing of the material, coupled at once with the precision of their performance. It is this balance that has made "Gone" such a consistent player in my car or van, and on my iPhone. I keep coming back to it time after time, and 15 years after it's release, it still sounds great, and still represents a real "alternative" to most of the rock and pop on the radio at that time.

Sadly, NHCD seemed destined to be a shortlived project, as many "college bands" tend to be. A guy who was a year ahead of me in high school went on to MIT and supposedly joined NHCD (on bass) for a time. When he was back in our hometown visiting his family, we struck up a conversation with him, asking if the band was going to make any more CDs, and he said they were (then) currently working on new songs and recording. I don't know if anything came of those times or not, because "Gone" is the only evidence I have that they released recorded material. This upperclass guy also said he would bring some more copies of "Gone" back with him on his next visit because they still had a box of them sitting around unsold, but that also never transpired. If anyone has any other NHCD demos, EPs, or albums that I am unaware of, I would love to get copies. I would also love to get another copy or two of "Gone", preferably in mint condition, as I've played the heck out of my copy and it's seen better days. Copies of "Gone" are few and far between, and there's very little out there on the internet about NHCD, though Amazon has a couple copies of it (as of this writing) that are priced higher than I'd like to pay for a replacement copy.

After the demise of NHCD, David Penner went on to join (or possibly form) the techno-dance outfit Andain, which was poised (according to the press release, anyway) to take the dance/house world by storm. As it stands, however, they only made one CD single (with numerous remixes) that has since gone on to have some level of internet fame, in part due to the music video with a rather attractive woman writing around amidst colored laser lights and such. It's a great danceable synthpop tune, and would have been a good direction for David if he'd have stuck with it. I suspect he chose the professional route, however, as his MIT degree likely would have been wasted on such things as pop music. Andain fizzled out prior to an official release of their album, but have reformed as a duo (sans David) and have new music, so at least part of that legacy lives on. But my fondest memories of David's music will always be the little 6-song EP he and his college buddies recorded, because it's such a raw expression of what real musical talent unencumbered by record company politics can truly be, while maintaining an excellent sense of melody, songwriting, and professionalism through it all. Bravo to you, David.

Oh, and, sorry Matt - you can't have the CD back!

As a side note, since it's 15 years now since the release of the CD and there's virtually no chance that it's ever going to be re-issued, I have decided to take the chance of uploading the disc in variable-rate MP3 format, so others can hear the music and experience what I've been enjoying all these years. If any of the band members decide they want the link taken down I will certainly oblige, but my guess is, they probably won't mind having the music out there for others to hear. Either way, be my guest and download what is probably one of the most unique and interesting indie releases to come out of the "alternative" era.

Download here

Skid Row - Subhuman Race

2011-09-25T18:20:00.000-05:00

Before anyone reads the words before them, I have a sneaking suspicion that some might think my timing for this review is somewhat dubious. This is due, in part, to the fact that just days before I am composing this review, That Metal Show featured Skid Row guitarist Snake Sabo, and host Eddie Trunk went on and on about "Subhuman Race" and it became a running joke throughout the show. So much so, in fact, that it's probably the most TV coverage the album has possibly ever had. That's a shame, really, because this is quite possibly Skid Row's finest hour. And I don't say that as a TMS fanboy or someone who has recently discovered this gem. No, I've known this for years and have made it known to all I know who are even remotely fans of Skid Row that this was the best thing they ever did. I've been spinning this monster album for some 12 or 13 years, and it's the one I go back to most often.

When most people think of Skid Row, they either hear the familiar chords and words of "I Remember You" or "18 and Life" running through their head. Maybe they remember the video of the latter and it's (at the time) strong imagery. Or perhaps they remember being wowed by how much heavier and more aggressive "Slave to the Grind" was compared to the band's eponymous debut. If they though that was a jump, wait until they hear the oft-forgotten followup. This album is absolutely teeming with aggression, power, riffs galore, impassioned vocals by the one and only Baz, and a sound so tight that it reeks of professionalism, despite some songs almost soundling like the band is about to come apart at the seems. And indeed, after this record, it did.

From the roaring opening riff of "Enemy" it's clear this record will come out all guns blazing, and it doesn't disappoint. All but one of the initial tracks pummel the listener into submission with heavy riffing, heavy grooves, and Sebastian Bach's screaming vocals. While some may be initially put off by his increased use of screams, they shouldn't lose heart, because there's still tons of melody and it's plenty accessible, despite the harder exterior. In the wake of the grunge movement, many hard rock and commercial metal bands either got heavier, wimped out and went full-on glam, or succumbed to the grunge sound, adopting that and attempting to "keep with the times", much like Candlebox did (though rather unsuccessfully). Skid Row wisely avoids that pitfall, adopting only a bit of the "dirtiness" of the grunge sound, but keeping their identity in tact with heavy riffing and vocals that didn't reflect the quasi-dour and angsty vibe that many of the grunge bands put forth. Rather, Baz sounds truly pissed-off here much of the time, as he rails against everyone and everything for any reason or no reason at all. He glides seemlessly between smooth crooning and gritty, throaty vocals that sound like he's gargling driveway gravel and can belt out screams with the best of them and come right back down into a clean vocal again when the song requires. When he double-tracks over himself it produced great results in many situations, like in the chorus of "Medicine Jar" (which could easily have been a rock radio single).

Snake and Scotti are at their most aggressive here on guitars, but they are no less tuneful than they are anywhere else. In fact, on songs like "Eileen" and "Into Another" the band is as melodic and tasteful as they are in bigger hits, just with a slightly different approach. But monster riffs in songs like "Empty", "Frozen", "Beat Yourself Blind", and "Face Against My Soul" are just some of the treats you'll hear in this outing. This CD also has plenty of varied solo work, from the tasteful to the tasty - there are licks aplenty here. The twin guitar attack in "Medicine Jar" is a nice treat. Rachel Bolan thumps away on bass in the background keeping time with everyhitn well and never straying too far from the path, but the good production values on this disc allow you to actually hear what he's doing, and he sounds good underneath the heavier vibe Scotti and Snake lay down. Rob Affuso beats the drums as skillfully as always, and has a good sense of dynamics here that allows him to pound the tar out of them when need be, but he takes the time to keep things low-key and quiet when it serves the song. The extra use of double-bass is a nice touch in some songs, and Rob adds different flourishes here and there for effect, but his strength here is in really going after the pounding rhythms and accenting them slightly to give the songs additional weight.

While the album may have its fair share of lyrical clumsiness at times, no Skid Row album with Baz at the vocal/lyrical helm is without that minor issue. There are moments where you feel like he's trying to hard to make a clever quip, but he misses the Steven Tyler mark sometimes, though what he ultimately comes up with fits contextually with the subject of the song. Most of the time, however, he hits the mark, coming up with a variety of subjects he expresses well, from self-deprecating humor to social unrest and outcry, to more inward and personal topics. While the album contains no "Quicksand Jesus" per se, it doesn't really need one because there's enough material here to stand up on its own. As it sits, "Into Another" is probably the album's biggest contender for the single that missed, as this song should have performed nicely on hard rock radio, much like Motley Crue's "Misunderstood" the previous year. And with massive grooves like those in "Enemy" and "Frozen", and "Ironwill", the album is stronger despite the lack of radio singles. Oh, and yes, you can ignore the faux-industrial thing a couple minutes after "Ironwill" ends - it's a typical throwaway "hidden" ditty.

So what we end up with here is a highly listenable piece of work by a band that had more than their 15 minutes of fame, but should have had a few more to encompass this brilliant slab of molten hard rock and heavy metal. Nothing this band put out before or since matches the heaviness, power, or raw emotion of "Subhuman Race", and I suspect that unless something lights a fire under Snake and the boys, nothing will. I can't recommend this album enough to fans of hard rock, heavy metal, and Skid Row. Fans who were disappointed that Guns 'n Roses' "Use Your Illusion" albums weren't as hard hitting as "Appetite For Destruction" will find plenty to love here, and this may be the fix they'd been looking for 8 years after that masterpiece's release. I certainly did. Highly recommended.

88/100

The Gamut - tonight's playlist!!!

2011-09-25T15:04:00.000-05:00

Great music in the show tonight, with a few bands that don't get played in The Gamut nearly as often, plus a couple personal favorites! Tune in at 9 PM EST via http://www.untombed.com to listen in!

Tonight's playlist!
Soul Embraced - Everything Reminds Me Of You (Metalcore)
Stricken - Heavy Laden (Groove Metal)
Divinefire - United as One (Power Metal)
Selfmindead - Progress (Hardcore)
The Chariot - Phil Cospy (Before There Was Atlanta, There Was Douglasville) (Chaotic Metalcore)
Goodnight Star - Are You Hurting? (Synthpop)
Monotheist - Blood For Blood (Progressive Death Metal)
Royal - Glitter (Female-fronted Indie Rock)
Elgibbor - Epidemic of Death Part I (Black Metal)
Deliverance - Contempt (Thrash/Groove Metal)
Take It Back! - Hollow Eyes (Hardcore)
Stavesacre - St. Eriksplan (Modern Heavy Rock)
Wish For Eden - Ocean (Grunge)
Seven Angels - Unseen Truth (Female-fronted Power Metal)
Sacrament - Mortal Agony (Thrash Metal)
Soul-Junk - (resh) solar mist (Indie Pop)
Under Midnight - Dream Baby (Industrial)
Mad At The World - No More Innocence (Synthpop)
Tourniquet - A Dog's Breakfast (Progressive Thrash Metal)
Slam Cat - Commitment (Groove Metal)
Joy Electric - Rickety Trickery (Synthpop)
The Constellation Branch - The False Awakening Pt II: The Carnival (Indie Rock)
Northern Ash - Messianic Oversight (Black/Death/Thrash hybrid)
Undercover - Three Nails (80's Rock/Punk)
Hguols - ...of Sovereign Toccatas (Instrumental Black Metal)
Resurrection Band - Paint a Picture (Classic Rock)
Left Out - When We Are Together (Punk)
7days - We Cry No More (Progressive Metal)
Eternal Mystery - Blind Eyes See No Truth (Grindcore)
Krig - Narcissistic Mechanism (Death Metal)
Vigilance - Revelation of the Damned (Classic Metal)
Immortal Souls - Nightfrost (Melodic Death Metal)
Crossforce - Tomorrow Will Come (Classic Metal)
Deitiphobia - Soldier Soul (Industrial)
Once Nothign - Waves (Southern Metalcore)
Vector - Spontaneous Reaction (Them Boys Is Funky remix) (New Wave/Alternative)
Xinr - Don't Tell Me No Lies (Classic Metal)
Kekal - The Vampire Song (Avant-Garde Post-Metal)
Lo-Ruhamah - What Lines Reveal (Progressive Black Metal)
Bloodgood - Awake! (Classic Metal)
Morella's Forest - Gentle Go the Hours (Female-fronted Alternative Rock)
War of Ages - Through the Flames (Metalcore)

Check out the Untombed website @ www.untombed.com ! You can tune in easily via the web-based player on the front page, link to the stream via your regular audio player, read album reviews, get music news, and link up to other great resources, including Divine Metal Distro, your one-stop source for all things Christian rock and metal! Don't forget, station chat has moved to Untombed.com at the bottom of the site, so make sure you sign up or use a Facebook or Twitter
account to sign in and chat w/ me and other listeners during the show!

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! Listen in from your Android device via the "A Online Radio" or StreamFurious applications, as well as the new beta version of Winamp for the Android platform!

The Gamut - all-request tonight!

2011-09-18T13:20:00.001-05:00

Tonight is all-request on The Gamut - post your song requests here! Keep in mind, the show is governed by RIAA restrictions, but otherwise go nuts!

A Tale of Two Netflix

2011-09-08T21:49:00.000-05:00

So, you'd just about have to live under a rock to have not heard about the Netflix price. The media has had a bit of a field day with this, and a fair amount of customers have decried the move, claiming they plan to jump ship and go with Blockbuster's service or use their local RedBox for DVD rental, or possibly the new Amazon service. My question is, what is everone so up in arms about? This is a non-essential service provided for strictly entertainment. Not only that, but as has been mentioned by a Netflix exec, increasing prices and making the streaming and DVD plans divergent means that they can provide better service. I only just joined in February of this year, so while I understand I feel the impact of this FAR less than someone who has been a member for years, I still don't quite understand the huge backlash that has happened.

I will wholeheartedly agree with the majority of Americans who think gas prices are too high, or property taxes are too high, or taxes in general are too high. I will wave my flag of support behind initiatives to shrink the size of government and end corruption in politics. I cannot fault anyone who says that products and services are becoming too expensive in general to truly budget for everything families want and need, because though costs go up, wages aren't following suit. But when a service like this changes their price structure so they can provide better service, and it's a relatively small price change, isn't it a bit petty to decry the service and suddenly leave said service strictly for that reason?

To be fair, I'm a bit of a niche Netflix subscriber. My wife and I have used the streaming service almost exclusively. Granted, the Instant library is far greater than it was even just a few months ago when we first started, but being able to stream TV shows, movies, anime, and documentaries from our Wii, laptops, and my iPhone are a wondrous thing. Not to mention that some of my favorites are available via this service, which just makes it more attractive to me. I understand that average subscriber is going to be pining for blockbuster films on DVD as soon as they're released, but let's be honest - how often are you going to be the first one to get the big blockbuster in the mail as soon as you've added it to your Netflix queue? Chances are, if everyone wants "Film XYZ" on DVD and have it pre-loaded into their DVD queue, plenty of folks are going to be disappointed when it doesn't show up in their mailbox the week it's released, or 2 days after they send back whatever DVD they've had in their home.

But as much as content is becoming more and more online and less with "owned" content, it makes sense that this model would be the right move. They can continue to expand and support the DVD business for those subscribers that want it, and they can focus on having the monies available to continually license good content for the Instant service, which I suspect will only continue to grow and get better. I'm a DVD lover, and I own a number of DVDs of varying types: music/concerts, movies, niche fare, and TV series. Some of that content is on the Instant, some of it is not. But as more becomes available online, the more opportunity I as a subscriber will have to have more ready access to that content, even if I already own it in a physical format. I will continue to purchase DVDs for content that either will likely never be on Netflix Instant, or for stuff I want to permanently have a physical copy of for my own uses. I will use the Instant service for quick access to content, regardless of whether I own it or not, and it affords me the ability to see all kinds of stuff that I will enjoy watching, but would never pay full price for in a physical format, or purchase digitally. If there are "must see" movies that I miss in the theater, I can always rent a DVD here and there, but by and large, the Instant service meets my needs and provides a lot of value for what's available and how much my wife and I use it.

In short, I don't feel the need to complain about Netflix's price hike and service level change. Companies change over time and sometimes the growing pains of those changes include paying more. As far as I'm concerned, Netflix offers a valuable service at a low price-point, and this change isn't going to convince me to change service providers or "jump ship" as a means of showing Netflix that I'm a dissatisfied customer, because if I'm being honest, I'm quite satisfied.

I Hear Voices - Subtle Female Vocalists

2011-09-07T19:30:00.001-05:00

It's no secret that the rock and heavy metal worlds are overwhelmingly dominated by male voices. There are plenty of notable female vocalists in these camps, to be sure, but when the vast majority of vocalists are male (despite the boon of female-fronted goth metal bands in the last 10 years), it's safe to say that this market is harder to crack when you're a woman. Contrast that with the pop music world: while the production, A&R, and ownership segments may still be male-dominated, when it comes to vocals, the women have the corner on the market. Sure, there are boy bands, Justin Beiber (yes, he's male) and male pop superstars like Elton John and George Michael, but women have consistently been the driving force in pop music since the late 1960's and early 1970's when men began turning their attention to harder rock music.
Female vocalists also range quite a bit as well. You have your bona fide divas, the women who could sing you the phone book (thanks American Idol, for that nugget of wisdom) and you'd be amazed, due to their vocal quality, ability to be on-point with notes and delivery, and often their incredible range. Then you have women on the other end of the spectrum who get by almost entirely on attitude and swagger, despite some of them having decent to good voices. You know, like Suzi Quatro, Joan Jett, or Wendy O. Williams. Some women have that one-two punch combination of power and versatility where they can bowl you over with powerful vocals, then in the next breath be delicate and dynamic, like Heart's Ann Wilson, Pat Benetar, Barnabas' Nancyjo Mann, or perhaps Evanesence's Amy Lee. Some pop singers have reasonable voices but make waves simply by exposing themselves more than they should, and earn the adoration of throngs of fans because they're so "daring".

Then there are the subtle voices that are just so smooth, pure, and velvety that they just make you melt when you listen to them. There's nothing inherently powerful about their vocals, no "big" notes, no inhuman vocal range, no giant crescendos that draw you to them instantly. These are the singers whose understated performances become the stuff of legends because they are just really good at what they do, and while they may not turn heads like the Brittney Spears' of the world, they impress fans by simply doing what they do and doing it well. Voices like these I like to think of as "quietly captivating".

SADE

Is that a Covergirl model?

Everyone knows Sade has a good voice, and most everyone has heard one of her early hits like the sultry "Smooth Operator" or "The Sweetest Taboo" on the radio at some point. But the hits aren't enough to truly appreciate Sade Adu or her talent. She has such a rich, smoky tone to her voice that has a unique quality to it. But it's more than that - her singing is so accurate, even if she's not doing anything overly complex. Listening to Sade sing is a simple joy entirely because she just sounds SO GOOD when she does. When she took a break after her 1992 album and came back 8 years later with "Lovers Rock", some folks might have thought she would make no impact, but with that smooth voice of hers subtly crooning the lead single "By Your Side", it was inevitable that she'd be back in the spotlight again. All I can say is, it's a good thing enough people with taste supported her return.

Margo Timmins (Cowboy Junkies)

Yes, she is feeling the music.

I'm slightly less familiar with the material of Cowboy Junkies than I am of Sade's music, but after listening to just a few minutes it's easy to hear that same kind of quality in Margo Timmins' voice - hers is a very subtle way of getting your attention, by simply singing sweetly and almost lazily along with the songs. Of course, most of the Junkies' tunes are pretty laid back anyway, but Margo underscores that with what can almost be called a lackadaisical performance. That's not a bad thing, mind you - the way she sings over the lazy sort of country/folk/rock the band plays is breathtaking in its own special way. Take Sarah McLachlan and strip out the overly emotive nature of some of her stuff, and you have a slight idea of what Margo sounds like. This is especially true on the band's 1996 album "Lay It Down" where Margo just floats along over the music so perfectly. Don't take my word for it though, go listen for yourself and discover this woman's subtle vocal talent.

Norah Jones

She's just so cute! ^_^

Last, but certainly not least is Norah Jones, a woman who, over the last 9 years has captivated audiences with her slightly soulful, understated voice and her ability to take a song and just add that little extra to it that makes it transcend just being a song. Her voice has such a natural, pure tone to it that words can't describe it - you simply have to listen to her sing to understand it. In addition, she has stylized herself a bit of a musical chameleon. Sure, her material is (mostly) grounded in pop-jazz, but she has explored country, folk, and indie pop within the framework of her voice and piano playing. Norah is an artist I'd consider to be brilliant in her way of singing/playing the material "just right". She doesn't over-sing stuff, she doesn't go nuts with the piano and do all kinds of crazy runs or whatnot - everything is so tasteful that it's always in service of the song. In an age where showboating seems to be all the rage, Norah Jones is a shining example of what an artist can accomplish when they just do something and do it really well. That doesn't even take into account that she is famous Sitar player Ravi Shankar's daughter!

So there you have it - understated voices that thrill me. I love powerful voices too, as evidenced by much of the music I highlight on this blog, but sometimes the simple, elegant voices just hit the spot as well. I'll be highlighting other vocalists over time, touching on ones that inspire me (as a vocalist myself), some that I just find amazing in their talent and abilities, or vocalists that I feel have brought something unique and interesting to the table that perhaps other vocalists haven't done in the same way before.

RetCon Ruminations – Modern Extreme Metal

2011-09-04T19:00:00.001-05:00

Musical elitism bothers me. With a form of expression and entertainment such as music, as wide-ranging as music is and can be, there are “genre elitists” or purists that feel their particular chosen style, genre, or sub-genre is somehow “sacred” and should be exempt from tampering or cross-pollination with other styles or forms. Unfortunately, this attitude is pervasive in the heavy metal community, with purists thinking that anything not meeting their arbitrary set of criterion cannot be considered a part of the heavy metal musical “family”. Traditional metal fans despise what is referred to as “nu-metal”, and extreme metal fans don’t like too much melody or other musical styles influences their beloved death and black metal. Black metal can’t have lyrics that don’t concern themselves with satan, the “Old Ones”, or some other mythical “evil” figureheads. Otherwise it has to be “post-black metal” or some other description. Heaven forbid (or hell, perhaps?) that this musical style have anything to do with Christianity or any other religious form of expression. Same for death metal, which apparently is supposed to be all about death and cannibalism and horror, even though the tech-metal band Cynic is revered for their overtly technical death metal and purposely obtuse lyrics. It’s all arbitrary, and as far as I’m concerned, this practice just STINKS of elitism and hypocrisy.

I don't think Korgul cares what constitues metal, as long as he can crush, kill, destroy.

But I digress – I myself have been guilty of some form of musical elitism over the years, though markedly less blatant or purposeful. Most of my guilt comes from occasionally slagging on a band or album for mixing musical styles together that either don’t make sense, or usually for bands that try to do something along those lines but just fail miserably because they don’t have enough musical know-how to pull it off. I don’t see this as a bad thing, since a band should have more than a working knowledge of the styles they’re trying to marry before trying to sell their recorded works to the public. In the grand scheme of things, this is a relatively small issue, compared with the more widespread genre elitism that takes place in the rock and metal world daily.

With that in mind, I have considered the idea of a “Musical RetCon”. In effect, this would look at a modern style of music and then turn back the clock 20 years to see if the responses to this genre or style would be the same. Not that we can accurately determine that now; that’s simply not the point. Rather, I just posit the idea that if said style had originated alongside some of the more revered styles, would they have been accepted in their infancy just as their parent styles were, or would they have been as reviled then as they are (by elitists) today? I submit before the court the question of metalcore and deathcore – would those styles have been as widely panned by metal purists had they been introduced during the height of thrash metal, the initial stages of death metal, and ultimately the first embers of what became black metal?

Firstly, let’s start with a couple definitions, just to clear the air. Personally, I see metalcore as a melding of hardcore music (in a more modern form versus early hardcore like Minor Threat or early Agnostic Front) and heavier forms of music like thrash and death metal. While the conventions of thrash and death metal are nearly always eschewed for a hardcore aesthetic, the music is generally heavier than hardcore music, resulting in something that retains a hardcore basis but is heavy enough to be considered metal music. Likewise, deathcore is an extension of the metalcore sub-genre, itself taking on the characteristics of metalcore but leaning further in the direction of death metal with greater emphasis on downtuned guitars, guttural vocals, and overall “brutality” in the sound. Just to make sure my own personal feelings aren’t on trial here, I have opted to link to the Wikipedia articles on both styles to ensure that their origins are understood.

Knowing that, based on these definitions, there is a healthy amount of metal influence in these sub-genres, it would seem on the surface that metalcore and deathcore would be welcomed into the metal fold with open arms. That would be all too easy, however, as the so-called “metal elite” is often far too self-absorbed for that kind of open-ended thinking. For a genre that rages against conformity and praises individualism, metal is often victim to its own set of arbitrary rules and regulations, with websites like Metal Archives (aka Encyclopaedia Metallum) leading the charge for metal conformity and uniformity. When did heavy metal become a genre of rules and regulations? When did the style of music that was supposed to shake the foundations of the world become old news and succumb to the weight of its own self-imposed law? I thought metal WAS law?

Metal IS in fact law, case closed!

So while I say some of this in jest, sarcastic tongue planted firmly in cheek, it isn’t without some frustration that I call for this move toward sanity. Metalcore and deathcore may both be trendy right now, but consider how long these styles have already been in play. Metalcore has been around in some form since the mid-1990’s when bands like Earth Crisis and Living Sacrifice started blending hardcore elements together with crushing metal sounds. And to me, the roots of deathcore stretch back more than 10 years with some of the more modern death metal bands at the time (like Embodyment, with their “Embrace the Eternal” album) beginning to incorporate elements that drove some of the deathcore sound, regardless of the presence or absence of hardcore-styled breakdowns.

Let’s look at another example closer to home. Thrash metal started in the early 80’s and didn’t truly catch on outside the underground until the mid-late 80’s when Metallica, Megadeth, Anthrax, Slayer, Testament, Exodus, Overkill, etc. started to gain major fan-bases by touring and releasing solid albums. So while the roots of the style can be traced back to late 70’s and early 80’s British metal and punk (Motorhead, anyone?), it took a few years before the style started to gain favor in the metal community. By the late 1980’s, thrash bands from the San Francisco “bay area” were popping up left and right, with even more aggressive bands cropping up in Europe (i.e. Destruction & Kreator) and abroad. From 1988 to about 1991, before the grunge explosion, one might have said thrash metal became trendy. One might even say thrash has become trendy once again, with a lot of retro-thrash metal bands popping up, old bands re-uniting and making great records (Testament comes to mind with their latest album), and a lot of young, hungry metal bands making classically-styled thrash records that sound as if Overkill or Exodus were channeling their 1980’s output into a new generation with better production values.

We are NOT the babysitting service!

By the same token, death metal became “trendy” in the mid-late 1990’s when metal was in a more underground state, with tons of death metal bands popping up and emulating early output by Death, Morbid Angel, Bolt Thrower, Deicide and Cannibal Corpse. Some bands did their own unique things (like Atheist, Pestilence or Gorguts), while some bands opted for a straight ahead, no-frills approach. Likewise, black metal has in some way become trendy or fashionable. Indeed, when college-age guys dressing like hipsters are playing (often quite well) their own take on the black metal aesthetic, it’s obvious that it’s not just a bunch of guys wearing corpse paint and burning churches any longer. The gig is up, and while the large number of “bedroom black metal” bands won’t overtake Immortal any time soon, the age of “true” black metal which is all about Satanism (in whichever form you prefer) is pretty well over. This brings to mind the subject of “the music is the message, the message is the music” which I also disagree with, though I will tackle that subject at another time.

Yes, I still live in my mom's basement.

Seasons change, and so do opinions over time, but I am in awe at how vehemently the metal elite continues to enforce this ruling against metalcore and deathcore upon the metal community at large. It would seem to me a much more fitting and “metal” thing to do is to leave the determination of what is and is not metal up to the metal fans themselves, rather than dictating that to us instead. Given that metal is (supposedly) all about rebellion, non-conformity, and “doing your own thing”, it appears a major double-standard to decry the hardcore-influenced metal bands and deny them “metal status” when earlier crossover acts (MOD, SOD, DRI, etc) are generally considered as metal as the thrash bands that inspired part of that sound. Why don’t we re-draft the definition of metal to be a little more expansive? I say we go both ways – let the “glam metal” bands be metal, and let the metalcore and deathcore bands be metal. You don’t have to like them all, and you don’t have to acknowledge them all with the same reverence or status, but they can all still be metal. But at least this way metal can be a bit less exclusive and a bit more open minded, which is part of what metal is supposed to be all about. At least, that’s what I’m told…

For the uninitiated, the term ‘RetCon’ is short for “Retroactive Continuity”. In terms of television, movies, books, comics, etc. it is the practice by some writers or Intellectual Property holders to retroactively add storylines or modify things that happen either prior to or during an established timeline for that particular medium. For example, a movie trilogy is established, then perhaps a later work of fiction or TV series related to that movie may retroactively insert details into the original trilogy storyline that were not present in the original medium. It is a literary device used often to make what is happening now (in the current storyline) relevant or connected to the prior or existing story or events.

The Gamut - CD Giveaway tonight!!!

2011-09-04T18:57:00.002-05:00

I've got a copy of Elgibbor's "Soterion Apollumi Hamartia" album to give away tonight, plus great tunes in the show tonight as always! Tune in at 9 PM EST via http://www.untombed.com to listen in!

Tonight's playlist!
Indwelling - Decay (Death Metal)
Veni Domine - Eli Lema Sabachtani (Doom/Gothic Metal)
Exegesis - Terror Nocturno (Symphonic Black Metal)
The Showdown - Cerberus: The Hellhound Awaits (Groove Metal)
Jet Circus - Dress In White (Hard Rock)
Cast a Fire - These Troubled Waters (Gothic Hard Rock/Folk)
Rob Walker - Down (Grunge/Alternative)
Living Sacrifice - Conditional (Metalcore/Extreme Metal)
Datum Point - Master Plan (Groove Metal)
Clash of Symbols - Give (Alternative Rock)
Legacy - Cross the Line (Classic Metal)
Tourniquet - Caixa de Raiva (Technical Thrash Metal)
Loudflower - I Guess I Need You (Alternative Rock)
Demon Hunter - Beauty Through the Eyes of a Predator (Metalcore)
Joy Electric - The Ministry of Archers (Synthpop)
Illuminandi - Illumina Tenebras Meas (Gothic/Folk Metal)
Sweet Comfort Band - They Just Go On (Classic Rock)
Crush the Enemy - No Thanks To... (Hardcore)
A Plea For Purging - Finite (Metalcore)
Anguidara - Operate (Industrial)
Elgibbor - The Trumpet (Black Metal) -- CD Giveaway!!!
Patriarchs - Submerged (Melodic Metalcore)
Sympathy - Twilight and Rebirth (Death Metal)
Disciple - Coal (Groove Metal)
The Corbans - Heffy Green (Alternative Pop/Rock)
Darkness Before Dawn - Symbiosis (Melodic Death Metal)
subseven - Family Secrets (Emo/Heavy Rock)
DigHayZoose - Brighter Daze (Funk/Alternative)
The Way - There's a Love (Jesus Music)
Oil - Divided (Groove Metal)
Seventh Star - The Undisputed Truth (Hardcore)
Divinefire - Hero (Power Metal)
Erasmus - into oceans, the ever one (Black Metal)
Liptocoal - Forever (Modern Heavy Rock)
Mad At The World - Alone (Hard Rock/Alternative)
Sacrament - Testimony of the Apocalypse (Thrash Metal)
Bon Voyage - Why Can't You Be (Female-fronted Indie Pop)
MxPx - Walking Bye (Pop-Punk)
Stryper - Loud 'N Clear (Classic Metal)
Hope of Glory - You're Nobody (Jesus Music)
Velour 100 - Shine (Female-fronted Indie Pop)
Zao - In Times Gone Past (Metalcore)

Check out the Untombed website @ www.untombed.com ! You can tune in easily via the web-based player on the front page, link to the stream via your regular audio player, read album reviews, get music news, and link up to other great resources, including Divine Metal Distro, your one-stop source for all things Christian rock and metal! Don't forget, station chat has moved to Untombed.com at the bottom of the site, so make sure you sign up or use a Facebook or Twitter account to sign in and chat w/ me and other listeners during the show!

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! Listen in from your Android device via the "A Online Radio" or StreamFurious applications, as well as the new beta version of Winamp for the Android platform!

Game On! "Guardian Saga" for iPhone

2011-08-30T21:30:00.000-05:00

With all the powerful, fancy technologies available today, gaming has risen from the status of "Slightly less than nerdy" to a very mainstream, acceptable thing to do. People play Farmville and Bejeweled on their Facebook accounts, Angry Birds on their phones, and Wii Sports with their families. Where gaming was once a bastion of geekery everywhere, it has become so ubiquitous now that it's becoming harder to remember the time when geeky kids (like myself long ago) gathered around a TV and a Nintendo or Sega console to fend off hordes of demons, take out rival gangs, stomp on walking mushrooms and turtles, and collect golden rings at high speeds through a grassy green area. Indeed, those halcyon days of childhood gaming bliss are sadly no more.

What we have today is a group of very powerful game consoles that do their best to impress you with realistic graphics, sound that can match the latest blockbuster movie, and gameplay mechanics that are not always easy to pick up when initially sitting down to play. Now, don't get me wrong: I enjoy the impressive nature of today's games. I like the faux-realism of a title like inFAMOUS (makes me a want a PS3 real bad!), and a title like L.A. Noir reminds me that we have come so far in the pursuit of realism within gaming. But, call me crazy, sometimes I long for the simpler days of yore where small sprites that barely resembled the character they were portraying jaunted across the screen in pursuit of the big bad foe and the "action sounds" of a game like Double Dragon sounded more like snapping wafers than snapping necks.

Thankfully, I am not the only one who feels this way, as the Wii Virtual Console service would attest, as well as the string of casual games available on various smartphone platforms. Not to mention the handheld gaming market is still a place where more retro-styled games can happily exist without being tampered with too much. So while there have been a number of retro-styled RPG games developed for the smartphone world, none can claim to be as purposefully retro as Guardian Saga for the iPhone. Indeed, this 8 or 16-bit wonder (developed by 9th Bit Games) is the most retro-styled game I have played so far on the iPhone, and is one of the most enjoyable games I've played on any smartphone platform (yes, even against Angry Birds!).

Guardian Saga is a nice amalgamation of classic RPG gameplay and slightly updated graphics. Visually, the game resembles 8-bit classic RPG's, with Dragon Warrior being the primary influence. Graphically, though Dragon Warrior is the main influence, elements of early Final Fantasy titles also creep in, though everything is much more bold and bright. The graphics are cleaner than an 8-bit title, so they have a more polished 16-bit look to them, though some of the effects (like the fog over the water) are far too clean even for 16 or 32-bit, so obviously some of the graphical power of the iPhone is used. Fade-in and fade-out effects are nice, and what little animation there is in the game is done nicely, with that touch of old-school feel to it. The music in the game is reminiscent of 8-bit RPGs as well, and I'm reminded very much of the GameBoy title Final Fantasy Legend (the original), which actually isn't a true Final Fantasy title, but rather the English translation of Makai Toushi Sa·Ga instead.

I've been walking o're the world map, all the live-long day...

Gameplay is very simple, with lots of map crawling, loads of random, turn-based battles, and talking to NPCs in the various towns and locations. Conversation with most NPCs is pretty dry, though there are a few funny moments (a redneck girl in one town cracked me up) and a handful of characters that will say more than one sentence to you. Indeed, these aren't the lengthy conversations that recent RPGs give you, but resemble the kinds of things programmers had to sacrifice when they had only so much memory to work with on a game cartridge. Overall, this game has a nice clean, bright, familiar but enjoyable graphic appeal to it.

All this fog has to be a harbinger of some kind!

Music is nice in that old chip-tune way, though pretty sparse. Sound effects are also wonderfully retro, though again, sparse. The world map is actually fairly decent in size for the relatively small scale/scope of the game Guardian Saga actually is. Control is fantastic, wich a nice NES-styled see-through "control pad" on the screen (lower-left corner) and then a single "action" button when you need to either talk to an NPC or activate something (like switches in the Earth Shrines). Directional control with this simplistic method is very fluid and works fantastically. Battle scenes are directed by simply tapping the option you want to choose (Attack, Magic, or Run) and it does just what you tell it to do - simple, elegant, and it just works.

This enemy is called "Bubbles" - sure doesn't look cute and cuddly!

The menu system (accessible by tapping the stats pop-up in the upper-left corner when remaining stationary) is also intuitive, giving clear indication of what you need access to. Equipment can be swapped out merely by tapping on the existing equipment you want to replace and picking the new out of the list. Spells are accessible via the Magic screen, and are available via a single tap. Items and qeuipment are just as easily reached. The "Quick Save" option is useful if you need to save somewhere outside of a town (you normally save at the local pub, of all places), though it does exit to the main menu when you choose that option.

Yeah, I got your options right here.

So with all this great gameplay and content, what's not to like? While I applaud the designers for what they've done here, there are a few improvements that could be made. Firstly, the music and sound effects are incredibly sparse. There should be more of both, and the music should change based on being in different locales more than just world map music, cave/dungeon music, and "the storyline is advancing via cutscene" music. The few sound effects are good but there just needs to be more of them. Also, while the game is easy to pick up and relatively easy to play, there just aren't enough options - a larger world map would be good with more towns and a bit more "easing" into weapon and armor upgrades. After your first 2 upgrades things start to get really expensive and you have to do a lot of grinding just to build up enough cash to get that sword or armor you want, which is a bit more tedious than it needs to be. Random battles are always a point of contention with traditional RPG games, and while the battle frequency is nicely balanced, I feel like the battles could be better somehow. I also feel like the game is a bit short - I'm only about 4 hours or so in to the game and I'm already about to down the 3rd Guardian (out of 4), so it seems like even the shortest early console RPGs had more gameplay than this. I would really love to see a sequel to this game with a larger map, more music & sounds, more varied areas/landscapes, a longer and more involved story, and more NPC interactions (with more humor).

Despite my few qualms with the game design, this is a well constructed adventure that really evokes that feeling of late night Dragon Warrior or Final Fantasy marathons, which ultimately is what this game appears designed to do. It takes me back to my childhood where RPGs were somewhat daunting and intimidating (before they really started to interest me), so they make me recall the Friday night sleepovers at my best friend's house, and me staying up late to try Dragon Warrior after he fell asleep, only to be bested by the stupid blobs. This is a fun adventure that is well worth the $1.99 9th Bit Games is charging for it, even though I snagged my copy free via the FreeAppADay service. If you have any interest in classic RPG gaming or want to relive the early stages of the genre's heyday, this is the adventure for you. Highly recommended.

Album of the Moment - Slaughter's "Stick It To Ya"

2011-08-29T21:00:00.000-05:00

In the late 1980's, record companies were quick to try and cash-in on the growing trend of "glam metal" bands. This crop of hard rock and lite-metal bands copied the sleezy 1980's Sunset Strip scene as much as possible, resulting in a somewhat massive glut of bands playing this style of music. From 1988 until sometime in 1991, MTV was flooded with groups trying to carve out their own small piece of the pie. Thankfully, with all the bands copping this style during this period, there are plenty of bands worth your time and money. One such band was Slaughter.

Despite the oversaturation of the market with everything from White Lion and Warrant to Femme Fetale, there are plenty of talented groups who could not only play their instruments sufficiently well, but also write good songs that would stay with you. Slaughter was one of those bands, at least initially. While over the years their ability to write a catchy, memorable song faded somewhat, their first couple albums showed a band with great promise, talent, and enough attitude to make up for what they lacked in sheer musical chops. Slaughter's debut, "Stick It To Ya" is a prime example of why record companies were hopping on this bandwagon left and right.

SITY is blessed with an abundant sense of melody, solid performances, inspired vocal wailing by Mark, and songwriting that has enough panache to do more than just get stuck in your head for a couple days. Some of these songs ring in my ears for weeks after listening to them, and when I haven't pulled the album out in months I can still hear choruses or get parts of songs stuck in my head. So while Slaughter might not be at the top of the glam metal heap, they certainly held their own with this album. Add to that Tim Kelly's fretboard fireworks and you have a recipe for success.

Unfortunately for Slaughter, future albums would suffer from too many songs (The Wild Life), "sameyness" (Fear No Evil), and somewhat stilted direction changes (Revolution), but this album is nearly all magic. Aside from a couple tracks that get way too corny in the lyrics department ("She Wants More" and "Loaded Gun" come to mind), most of the songs on this release are top-notch. From the radio-ready ballads "Fly to the Angels" or "You Are the One" to the rocking of album cuts like "Eye to Eye" or "Burnin' Bridges", this set of songs is quite strong and showcases the band's talents on all fronts. Mark has never sounded better (with the possible exception of the Vinnie Vincent Invasion track "Love Kills"), and the band is tight and vital. So while I still think other 1990 bands/releases are stronger or have more staying power (see Firehouse's eponymous debut), this remains a highlight of the pre-grunge 1990's rock scene. Recommended.

The Gamut - tonight's playlist!!!

2011-08-28T12:07:00.000-05:00

Great tunes in the show tonight as always! Tune in at 9 PM EST via http://www.untombed.com to listen in!

Tonight's playlist!
Impending Doom - Children of Wrath (Deathcore)
Holy Soldier - The Pain Inside of Me (Commercial Metal/Ballad)
Selfmindead - No Sense (Hardcore)
Servant - Jesus Star (Classic Rock)
Crashdog - Brainfill (Punk)
Beloved - Into Your Arms (Modern Rock/Emo)
The Echoing Green - Redemption (Synthpop)
Starflyer 59 - Something Evil (Alternative Rock)
Antestor - A Sovereign Fortress (Black Metal)
Jetenderpaul - Breaking Candy Hearts (Indie Pop)
Letter 7 - Stand on the Rock (Classic Metal)
Ceremonial Sacred - Blood Storm (Black Metal)
Post Mortum - Burning Tears (Nu-Metal)
Venia (FIN) - A Sigh of Redemption (Female-fronted Power Metal)
Deus Invictus - The Open Sky (Progressive Extreme Metal)
Petra - Disciple (Classic Rock)
Guardian - Send a Message (Hard Rock)
Feast Eternal - Ashes to Dust (Death Metal)
Bloodgood - Stand in the Light (Classic Metal)
Showbread - The Vulture (Raw Rock)
Seraiah - No More Lies (Hard Rock)
Barry McGuire - Face to Face (Classic Rock)
Ruby Joe - Fast Lane Sinner (Rockabilly)
Tefilla - Exorators Chapel (Technical Extreme Metal)
Tourniquet - Acid Head (Progressive Thrash Metal)
Audiovision - The Rock Of My Soul (Power Metal)
Ken Tamplin - Suspicious Eyes (Hard Rock)
Joy Electric - Forever is a Place (Synthpop)
The Last Hope - Consequences of Transgression (Hardcore Punk)
Sacred Warrior - Day Of the Lord (Power Metal)
Step Cousin - God In a Box (Thrash/Groove Metal)
ManufraQture - MasQuerade Ball (Industrial)
Goodnight Star - He's My God (Synthpop)
Dark Lay Still - Angel of Light (Melodic Black Metal)
Flesh Denial - A Soundtrack to the Apocalypse (Grindcore)
Grave Robber - Reanimator (Horror Punk)
Deitiphobia - Clean (Industrial)
Angel 7 - Power of Believe and Love (Black/Power Metal)
Lost Dogs - Be My Hiding Place (Folk/Rock)
As They Sleep - The Unseen (Melodic Death Metal/Deathcore)
Outlander - Guilt (Progressive Hard Rock)
Echoes the Fall - Black and White (Modern Heavy Rock)
Taketh - Not Quite Right (Melodic Death Metal)

Check out the Untombed website @ www.untombed.com ! You can tune in easily via the web-based player on the front page, link to the stream via your regular audio player, read album reviews, get music news, and link up to other great resources, including Divine Metal Distro, your one-stop source for all things Christian rock and metal! Don't forget, station chat has moved to Untombed.com at the bottom of the site, so make sure you sign up or use a Facebook or Twitter account to sign in and chat w/ me and other listeners during the show!

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! Listen in from your Android device via the "A Online Radio" or StreamFurious applications, as well as the new beta version of Winamp for the Android platform!

The Best Music You’ve Never Heard = The Hatters

2011-08-27T18:37:00.000-05:00

Sometimes a band comes along that is so great they seem to coast right over the top of the music scene and don’t touch down long enough to get noticed beyond a passing glance. They are incredibly talented musicians and good songwriters, but for whatever reason, the public consciousness just never gets wind of them. Despite critical acclaim and having connections with other bands that have already garnered some attention, they still don’t catch a break. They may even tour with a band making waves, which should open doors, but sadly, it never happens. All of what I’ve just written perfectly describes The Hatters, a forgotten band from New York that should have blown the doors off the music industry, but sadly remains relegated to bargain bins and a few glowing mentions on the Internet.

The Hatters don’t sound like a band from New York, so that may be part of their problem. Rather, they sound like a band squarely from the South, but not in the Lynyrd Skynyrd sense – think more Allman Brothers. But that’s not the whole story – no, their sound combines elements of bluesy southern and classic rock, to be sure, but they have a “jam band” quality about them that gives them a more expansive palette to draw from. Plus they add some of the (then) modern elements that make them relevant for their time, plus their songs and presentation are such that when you hear them, they stick with you.

The Hatters started out as The Mad Hatters somewhere in around 1989, and went through a handful of logos and iterations before the stable line-up of Adam Hirsh, Adam Evans, Billy Jay Stein, Jon Kaplan, and Tommy Kaelin began to make waves among the East Coast rock scene in the early 90’s. They were signed to Atlantic Records and released a live album called “Live Thunderchicken”. It’s a risky move, releasing a live album before any studio material comes out, and this too, may have been part of the band’s downfall. Atlantic must have thought the band was so impressive live that they felt it was appropriate to do so. I don’t have “Thunderchicken” yet, but by all accounts it’s a stellar recording of the band’s live performances, and some regard it as their best release on account of their “Jam Band” status. I prefer to think of The Hatters as more a “rootsy” rock band, alongside then contemporaries like Spin Doctors, Blues Traveller, and to some extent, Collective Soul.

I'm not exactly sure what a "thunderchicken" is supposed to be...

Where my Hatters story starts is the band’s proper full-length studio debut, the mouthful-titled “The Madcap Adventures of the Avocado Overlord”. While some may be turned off by the overly long album title and cheesy artwork, I was immediately drawn to it and when I looked at the album sleeve in the used CD store, I immediately thought to myself, “This artwork and album title are so awesome – I have to hear this!” So I got the cashier to pull the CD out of the drawer and let me listen to a few moments of it in the demo player. Within 2 or 3 tracks, I was loving what I was hearing, and I knew I had to have it. I plunked down the money for the disc (along with a couple other releases) and went on home. In the coming weeks, I spun “Avocado Overlord” countless times, taking it in and enjoying every moment of it as I listened to the band sound so confident with their songwriting, presentation, and just their whole vibe. There wasn’t anything else out there that sounded quite like The Hatters, despite a number of other bands having a sort of retro-tinged sound that recalled the bluesier side of the 70’s rock scene.

I'm not sure what an Avocado Overlord is either, but it must rule!

I have continued to spin “Avocado Overlord” frequently over the last 12 or 13 years since I first bought the CD. I nearly bought the follow-up album “You Will Be You” on several occasions, though I was still so enamored with the debut I felt like anything else would be a let-down. I was partially right, as the band’s 2^nd and final studio effort just couldn’t quite compare to the debut. It’s a fine album on its own, but compared to its predecessor, it doesn’t have the songs, and tries a bit too hard to capture a bit of the commercial flavor some of their peers had, though without losing what made them unique. They succeeded musically, despite the obvious shift toward a more “alternative” and slightly chunkier guitar sound at times, but at the end of the day, the songs just aren’t as catchy, memorable, or well-written as on the debut. Some of the lyrics (“The Naked Song” in particular) are also a bit clumsy, which didn’t help. Despite these issues, “You Will Be You” isn’t what I’d call sophomore slump, it’s just not quite as strong as the debut.

Well of course I'll be me, who else would I try to impersonate?

Having said that, most people probably gloss right over this band’s releases in the bargain bin or the “H” section at their favorite CD store, and I’m guessing their iTunes and Amazon digital sales are abysmal, given the band’s lack of exposure. This is a true shame, because “Avocado Overlord” in and of itself is one of the greatest under-head rock albums of the 90’s, and the band’s other work deserves to be heard as well. If you find “Avocado Overlord” in the $2.99 bin and think to yourself, “It can’t be that good…” think again. If you pass it up, you’ve made a big mistake and you’ll realize that if you then end up picking it up later, because this is some of the finest bluesy rock ‘n roll you’ll ever hear.

Cinema Fancy – Rise of the Planet of the Apes

2011-08-27T18:00:00.001-05:00

When the original Planet of the Apes remake was announced, I was a bit skeptical. Not because I’m some great lover of the originals (I’m not), or because of the usual knee-jerk reaction of, “Here we go again, another remake.” I was skeptical because it was a remake of a classic, famous movie, with Mark Walberg being cast as the main character. Now, don’t get me wrong, the man has talent, and has turned into a good actor (despite its dubious origins, his performance in “Rock Star” is quite strong). But it seemed an odd fit, and an odd time to remake the film or try and reboot the revered franchise. Still, my wife and I went and saw it in the theater, and though it was bereft of a lot of substance, it was an enjoyable popcorn sci-fi flick with enough B-movie fun to keep it interesting. The ending of the movie set up the possibility of a sequel, but it never materialized, presumably because the movie’s modest showing at the box office and rather lukewarm reviews probably scared away those who would otherwise have backed a second movie.

Fast forward 10 years later, and we have a pseudo-sequel, though in name only. Rather than continue with the reboot effort from 2001, 20^th Century Fox wisely chose to simply “re-reboot” the franchise again. This time around, the plot is similar to that of the 1972 film “Conquest of the Planet of the Apes” (the 4^th film in the original saga), and based on how the plot plays out, it seems like a logical place to start.

SPOILER ALERT!!!

The plot goes as follows: scientists playing with technologies they don’t fully understand use chimpanzees as the test subjects for a new drug that is supposed to improve mental function as a means of solving deteriorating mental state conditions like Alzheimer’s disease. In the process, one chimp who receives a particular iteration of the test drug begins to show signs of increased mental capacity, but after a lab accident where the ape appears to “go crazy” the project is scrapped. It is later discovered that the chimp “went ape” due to the fact that she had just had a baby and was protecting her offspring. Despite the order from the company’s top dog to put down all the apes after the project failure, the baby ends up the problem (then pet/companion) of head scientist Will Rodman (James Franco). Will has a stake in the development of the drug because his dad, Charles (played well by John Lithgow), suffers from Alzheimer’s. Again, despite the order to destroy the experimental drug, Will takes several doses from the lab and uses it on his dad, which at first, gives Charles his mind (and life) back.

I'm not crazy after all!

Everything appears to be going well for Will – he meets a beautiful woman (played by Freida Pinto) who he quickly develops a romantic relationship with, and his dad is himself again with the help of the experimental drug. He convinces his boss to re-open development of the drug due to the results of his findings with Caesar (the baby chimp he took home). Things are not as they seem, as is always the case with these stories, and Charles starts to lose his grip on reality again, and when the full-grown chimp Caesar scares the life out of the neighbors and bites off the next-door neighbor’s finger to protect Charles, he is forced to live in a primate facility run by milquetoast John Landon (Brian Cox) until Will can find a way to convince the court to allow Caesar to return home. During his time in the facility, Caesar pines for home and is at first shunned by the other primates for having clothing and for being the “new guy” in the facility. The power structure quickly shifts when Caesar learns how to out-smart the other apes and exerts his newfound authority by gaining their trust. As his stay in the facility lengthens, he becomes disillusioned by it, and visits by Will and Caroline are met with less interest, and eventually he elects to stay in the facility when given the chance to leave when Will comes to pick him up after Charles’ death.

You left me in this dump, you jerk!

Meanwhile, the newly developed version of the retrovirus is found later to be deadly to humans when the primate expert hired by the scientific research firm dies after exposure to the gaseous form of it, and during his health decline he pays a visit to Will (who had since quit his job) to warn him of the effects the drug was having on him. He sneezes on Will’s neighbor Rodney McKay, er, Mr. Hunsiker (lovable jerk David Hewlett), which sets in motion the events that will trigger widespread transmission of the virus (now airborne) all over the world, since Mr. Hunsiker is an airline pilot.

When Caesar figures out how to escape the confines of the facility he returns home where he steals the latest iteration of the experimental drug out of Will’s refrigerator and uses it to boost the intelligence of all the other primates with the newly developed airborne retrovirus. This leads to him devising an escape plan for all the residents of the facility, which results in the death of Draco Malfoy, er, Dodge Landon (played by Tom Felton), who works there. Though this upsets Caesar, he forges ahead with his plan and all the primates escape under his leadership. They proceed across the golden gate bridge to a large forest where he had previously frolicked before the accident that caused his incarceration. The police are called out, but Caesar and friends are determined to get to this sanctuary, so they find ways to get around the glut of traffic on the bridge and cause plenty of damage along the way. Caesar is adamant in his leadership of the others that they not kill humans, though a few casualties always seem to happen. When the primates do eventually find the forest, their rampage ends, as it appears they are happy just being in their natural environment (or as natural as they are to find in San Francisco, anyway). Will catches up to them and asks Caesar to come home, and to his shock, Caesar speaks and tells Will that he’s already home. Will lets Caesar go and live with his new pals in the forest.

"I'm home, Mama. I mean, Will."

The effects in this movie are really well done – it’s often hard to tell when the primates in the movie are real, and when they are CG, though there are still spots where the CG is obvious. But as a whole, this movie highlights just how far the technology has come. James Franco is good as the lead, and delivers a surprisingly emotional performance; one I wasn’t sure he was capable of based solely on his role as Peter Parker’s best friend/nemesis in the recent Spider Man movies. John Lithgow is great as usual, and does double-duty as the crazy Alzheimer’s patient and Joe Normal when he is on the experimental drug. Frieda Pinto is lovely, and while the script doesn’t afford her much to work with, she gives a sincere performance. Felton plays a good American jerk as well as he plays a British one, and Brian Cox can still play a jerk with the best of them. Of course, David Hewlett is perhaps an even bigger jerk here than he was in Stargate Atlantis, if that’s possible. Andy Serkis played Caesar, though I’m not sure how much of that was voice-acting and how much actual physical work he did. I felt like the story was engaging, the plot was believable, given the nature of the previous “Apes” films, and the end of the movie set up nicely the possibility of multiple sequels based upon the transmission of the retrovirus and the possibility that apes all over the world would begin to gain intelligence and rise up against their human captors.

Here’s what I didn’t like. First, though the movie struck a good balance between caring people and non-caring people contrasted with good apes versus apes in it for only themselves, there was still a bit too much of that air of “animal rights”. This is highlighted by how the primates are treated by Felton’s character, how Brian Cox’s character doesn’t appear to care about the animals beyond the face-to-face interaction with Will, and how everyone appears to be scared or intimidated by Caesar when he bites off Hensiker’s finger. Contrast this with Caesar’s insistence that no humans be killed during the escape, and it’s all a bit too “tree hugger” at times. I think sometimes the Hollywood set tends to forget that animals are animals, and they’d eat you alive if they thought you were their only possibility of a last meal.

Despite this somewhat PC undertone in the film, my wife and I rather enjoyed it and look forward to what the possibility of a sequel might be. I’d give the film a solid 8 out of 10 for presentation, some action, a well-written script and solid cast, and overall good emotional and character development throughout the story line. If you’re looking for a late-summer blockbuster, or just a really good sci-fi film that won’t bowl you over with cheese factor, “Rise of the Planet of the Apes” just might be your ticket.

Vinyl Confessions - Grave Robber releases

2011-08-27T16:00:00.000-05:00

I love vinyl albums. I love the large-scale artwork, the spinning of the album on the platter, and the sound that emanates from my speakers when a record is playing. I also love the collect-ability of vinyl and how limited edition releases can enhance an artist or band's discography beyond just standard CD's, digital releases, or even cassettes. Vinyl is the traditional collector's choice of format, despite the arrival of the 21st century and the Internet Age. While vinyl never went away (the underground rock, punk and hardcore scenes still thrive on this), the mainstream has now embraced vinyl once again. The problem with this is that most current mainstream vinyl releases are of the "audiophile" variety, i.e. they are overly expensive 180-gram vinyl that costs 2-3 times as much as either a CD or digital release would cost. Now, I'm all for high-fidelity audio, but I don't think most folks who listen to Nirvana or Metallica are the proud owners of $5,000+ audio systems with $2,000 turntables that contain diamond styli. I'm certainly not in that camp, and I suspect I'm not alone by a long shot.

So it is with great joy that a vinyl lover like myself can find great deals on classic albums (via thrift stores or second-hand record shops), as well as when current artists release new music on vinyl, whether those releases are included in the original "run" of an album, or whether they are a special or limited edition situation that happens some time later. Even more fun is when a band puts out a vinyl release that has that extra something special that makes it either more fun, more collectible, or just more desirable to own. Hand numbering, free digital downloads included, CD-R copies of the release as a bonus, etc. These are all great features of a modern vinyl release. But at the end of the day, the vinyl lover has to be satisfied with the purchase of the vinyl album, since the amount of physical space that record takes up has to be worth sacrificing to own it.

Awesomesauce.

Thankfully, the recently issued triumvirate of Grave Robber albums are worth the space on your shelf. Kudos to Vinyl Remains for flying the indie vinyl release flag, and for issuing these 3 beauties. Grave Robber's debut album, "Be Afraid" checks in first with new cover art, as well as a delicious golden see-through vinyl. The band's 2nd album "Inner Sanctum" is released as well, and despite having the same artwork as the CD release, looks great at that size and sports a snazzy see-through red platter. And finally, the recent compilation "Exhumed" is here, also with original artwork, but in a wonderful bright green see-through record that ties in nicely with the green logo on the front. In addition, each release includes a 2-sided semi-gloss print that has artwork and album credits printed on them.

The albums sound great in vinyl form, though I am biased because I already enjoy the music contained therein. My audio setup I usually use (at my office) isn't high-end by any stretch - I have a table-top "retro" stereo unit w/ a top-side turntable and then have a nice set of Logitech speakers plugged into that with great frequency range and response, and a nice subwoofer included in the package. So while a bit of the "vinyl hiss" is present due to my somewhat lacking configuration, it still sounds great while it's spinning. The music comes across sufficiently loud like the original CDs do, with no additional mastering evident. From a sound perspective, these things don't disappoint. The see-through colored vinyl albums are a treat, and though most indie vinyl re-issues or special editions are released in either colored see-through or the sort of opaque "tie-dye" style nowadays, I am still giddy like a school boy when I see the bright colored records slide out of the sleeves. The retro graphics styling on the vinyl center portion is also great, giving it that sort of late 50's, early 60's feel.

Don't they just look tasty?!

Here are the few (minor) negative things. First, they're not numbered. Yeah, that's a small quibble, but with the indie vinyl market being a specialized as it is, it's always a treat to have them numbered, even if they're not individually so by hand, but if the sleeve mentions how many copies were pressed. Secondly, there are no lyrics. Why include nice semi-gloss printout sheets if you're not going to include the lyrics? It's true that Grave Robber's lyrics are pretty easy to hear and make out, but I still think including lyrics would have been a nice touch. Third, there's no download option. This is also a very small issue, but one that should be noted. If you're going to purchase the full album in vinyl format, it's a good idea to provide a download of the item. This doesn't affect me personally, because I already own all 3 of these on CD (the 1st and 3rd of which I own in multiple versions), but for vinyl lovers looking for their fix, in today's world, it's also a good idea to include something they can throw on their chosen media player. I don't consider the exclusion of the band's cover of "Children of the Grave" to be an issue (available on the CD version of "Inner Sanctum") because the vinyl probably wouldn't have had enough space to include it.

Despite my minor complaints, these are a MUST for Grave Robber fans who are also fans of vinyl. If you already have these albums in either digital or CD format, and you're not a collector or vinyl fan, they're probably not an essential purchase, especially if you don't own a turntable to play them on. The exception to that rule is if you're purchasing them again to help support the band, to which I say bravo. Vinyl needs to stay alive for more than just the collector's market (and nerds like me), and this band is too important not to support. Their message is important, their approach is unique, and everything about their music is done right. Highly recommended.

Album of the Moment - Onmyouza's "Kongo Kyubi"

2011-08-25T07:30:00.000-05:00

Those who have read my blog in an earlier post know that I'm an Onmyouza fanboy. I don't have all their albums yet (due, in part, to the exorbitant prices one pays to import stuff from Japan), but with the 5 albums I own and the DVD I paid through the nose to acquire (legally, of course), it's safe to say I've spent as much on Onmyouza in a short time as I've spent on many American and European acts to acquire a much more complete discography, and in some instances much more. Be that as it may, my undying love for this band continues as I go through all their albums again and prepare to watch the DVD when I get some time to myself in the evening.

That said, as I've been going back through their last 5 albums again, I finished yesterday and today with their most recent studio album, 2009's "Kongo Kyubi". I make no bones about the fact that I think the band's 2006 release "Garyotensei" is the black sheep of the Onmyouza discography. That's partially because I think the album is disjointed, not flowing well from the first half of the album or so to the final "suite". The first few songs are a bit too "organic" in their approach, which doesn't fully work for a band like this that is steeped in such bombast. The more overblown, "epic" tracks at the end aren't the band's best either, with some interesting "dialogue" going on (all in Japanese, of course) and a lot of overly emotive vocal work by the incomparable Kuroneko, but it's more style-over-substance than usual with Onmyouza in that instance. The band has a knack for balancing their over-the-top style and flair with great compositions, catchy melodies and songs, and spot-on performances. I also think the album was a bit too lop-sided with Matatabi's vocals versus the rest of their discography, which is slanted a bit more in the direction of Kuroneko's vocals. It's not that I dislike Matatabi's voice, but Kuroneko is the primary vocal attraction, and his performances on "Garyotensei" are lacking compared to the band's other work.

Who wouldn't want to hear this lovely lady sing?!

So why all that treatise when this post is about "Kongo Kyubi"? Well, in many ways, this album is much like "Garyotensei", in that it's a bit atypical for the band. "Mugen Houyou" (in my opinion) is the band's pinnacle, and most of their strongest work has echoed that album's pacing, structure, and flow. Witness 2007's "Maou Taiten" and 2008's "Chimimouryou" (a strong contender for my 2nd favorite Onmyouza release) as evidence of that. So a year after the band's strongest album in 4 years, they release a disc that at times echoes their 2006 "black sheep" album. "Kongo Kyubi" sees the band trying some new things, like the interesting melodic approach in "Baku", as well as some slightly more poppy bits throughout the album. Don't worry - there's plenty of crunchy metal here, but with fantastic singles like the highly melodic "Aoki Dokugan" it's hard to fault the band for this approach. They also return to the "suite" concept at the end of the album, with the "Kumikyoku Kyuubi" trilogy, but rather than the overblown and overwrought material of "Garyotensei", this material is more succinct, more focused, and far more engaging overall. I think the band recalls some of the more "happy" melodic metal of their past as well, because a couple tracks remind me of their early single "Mezame".

In any event, this is an album not to be missed, either by fans of the band or melodic metal fans in general. I know the band is working on new material, as they've released a single since this album was released, and from what I understand another album is in the works. I look forward to new material, and while this may not be the way I would end things if they don't keep moving forward, it's certainly not a band swansong if that was the case. I suspect they're still alive and well, just taking a bit more time with their next album than they have in previous years. Regardless, "Kongo Kyubi" comes recommended.

Japan FTW! Chobits!

2011-08-24T07:40:00.000-05:00

Anime and manga are uniquely tied together. This is something that, in Japan, is evident by the quick succession with which anime gets turned into manga, and vice verse. Across the water in America, Hollywood rushes (these days) to cash in on comic book heroes by turning those Intellectual Properties into money-making blockbusters, usually to the delight of casual fans, while hardcore fans are left wondering why someone who didn't understand or fully respect the source material was given the chance to tarnish that IP's reputation. Saturday-morning cartoon iterations of popular comic books often miss the boat as well, despite occasionally making enough of their own spin on the characters (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles being a good example) that they turn out to be a quality product of their own. Still, we in the US often get the short end of the stick where it pertains to seeing our favorite multi-color print characters on either the small or large screens.

But as I said, in Japan, it seems they have a much more succinct vision of how these things are supposed to work. Manga isn't just "comic books" over in Japan: it's a giant industry. There are plenty of manga written and designed for the pre-teen and teen set, to be sure, but the range of manga is across the spectrum, from the cutesy Hello Kitty to very graphic depictions of violence and adult themes, along with a whole range of hentai (pornographic manga). The anime world is very much the same, as there is a lot of crossover between the two, so the entire spectrum of tastes are catered to. For every dead-serious anime like Gundam Wing, there is something like The Slayers that doesn't take itself entirely seriously and has plenty of fan service to please specific genre aficionados.

The real trick is getting a film, OVA, or series to translate well (and accurately) to the page, and the same is true for translating manga to celluloid. Often with American media, a comic book will not often translate well to either cartoon, straight-to-video/DVD adaptation, or live-action movie because the original creator either isn't involved, has no say over the direction his/her IP takes in other media, or is just plain ignored when making suggestions or trying to help direct how their characters are brought to life. There are exceptions (the Harry Potter series of films seem to please most fans of the novels, despite some changes), but the end result is often mixed. Sometimes that is the case with Japanese media as well, though there are times when it is purposeful from the creator/author because they either desire a divergent story line, or sometimes they implement their own revisionist history.

So for fans of either an anime made into manga and the reverse, it's always a treat when those involved can translate one medium into another successfully and be relatively true to the story and characters. Chobits is a great example of this, from what I've observed thus far. I must readily admit I haven't yet read the manga series, though my wife owns the 2-volume graphic novel set. But we've been watching the Chobits anime series via the Netflix instant service (LOVE IT!), and my wife is telling me it's pretty faithful to the manga, right down to the dialogue being word-for-word in many instances.

For the uninitiated, Chobits is a story about Hideki Motosuwa, an 18-year old boy who is trying to get into college but has been rejected from the university he applied to. As such, he moves to Tokyo to attend a prep school that will get him ready for the entrance exam he'll need to pass (and score high enough on) so he can reapply to a college. As a farm boy Hideki is naive and awkward in the big city, so quirkiness like talking to himself (which provides the narration for the anime) and his social anxiety around females in general make him stand out like a bit of a sore thumb. Add to that his complete lack of knowledge about technology, and he has some learning and adapting to do. Specifically, he only knows of (but has never owned or used) "Persocoms", personal computers that are designed to look like people (usually beautiful young women). He wants one, but they are very expensive and he can't afford one. Fast forward a day or two in Tokyo and he stumbles across one laying in the trash not far from his apartment building. He picks up the Persocom and takes it back to his apartment, not realizing he dropped a vital information disk when leaving the scene.

The Persocom, who you come to know as "Chi" (because that's all she says at first) is an adorable long-haired blonde "girl" who immediately develops an attachment to her new owner, and thus the story develops with Hideki learning whatever he can about Persocoms, and with Chi learning as much as she can. Through the first couple episodes, Hideki discovers Chi is a famed "Chobits" Persocom, a series of custom-made units that have greater capabilities than standard Persocoms and have some ability to develop their own identity, like a sentient being.

"Hideki, welcome home!"

Hideki sees Chi as much as a person as he would any actual young lady, so this presents some rather hilarious and awkward scenarios as he learns how to interact with her, and as he tries to get clothing for her - indeed, the sequence where he tries for days on end to go into the store to purchase a pair of underwear for Chi so she can appear more modest is quite the knee-slapper. Hideki's inexperience with the opposite sex is further illustrated by his interactions with Yumi, his boss' daughter (who appears to like Hideki and isn't the least bit shy with him) and Chitose, the pretty young apartment manager for his building. So in many ways, despite coming from a farm background, it's easy for geeky and/or nerdy kids to identify with Hideki because he just doesn't have that social "gene" that gives him a more innate ability to interact with people. His apartment neighbor, by contrast, is more typically nerdy, having his own mobile Persocom named Sumomo (endlessly cute!), though being much more comfortable in his own skin and able to talk to the opposite sex without second-guessing himself all the time.

The initial impression one might get of the series is that Hideki is a hopelessly hormonal (read: horny) teenage boy who has an obsession with the opposite sex (and a strong desire to check out Internet porn he's heard so much about), the story is much more tasteful and endearing than that description would lead one to believe. As the story develops, you find out that Hideki's perception of Chi as a person plays strongly into their developing relationship as he teaches her and she learns more about herself and her role in his life and her own path. So while the proto-typical sex-obsessed teenager character is there, Hideki is much more a gentleman than the series may initially suggest, and this more gallant characterization makes him a likable guy, both in spite of and due to his social awkwardness and generic teenage proclivities. Hideki really is a nice guy, and this fact goes a long way to making him an endearing character.

While I haven't worked my way through the whole series yet, my impression thus far is that this is a well written, well animated, and well produced series. The bouncy, happy theme song is insanely catchy and easily gets stuck in your head, and the little ditty that plays at the beginning of each episode as it's starting also rings in your ears long after the episode is over. The positive themes of relationship and love are ever present, and the characters are almost instantly likable, which helped pull me in within just a few minutes of the first episode. Overall, I find this to be an enjoyable series, and once I'm finished watching the series, I do plan on going back and reading through the manga because I do want to see the few differences and am interested in seeing the origination of this story line.

The Gamut - tonight's playlist!!!

2011-08-14T14:59:00.000-05:00

Great tunes in the show tonight including a few requests AND a couple Gamut premiers! Tune in at 9 PM EST via http://www.untombed.com to listen in!

Tonight's playlist!
Deuteronomium - Lost Indeed (Melodic Death Metal)
Zaxas - Last Chance Believer (Power Metal)
Arch of Thorns - In the Darkest Depths (Black Meatl)
Grave Robber - Rigor Mortis (Horror Punk)
Call to Preserve - Validation (Hardcore)
Sympathy - Enslaved By Depravity (Technical Death Metal)
Jetenderpaul - Her Baroque Syntax (Indie Pop)
Sincerely Paul - Crime of Persecution (New Wave/Gothic Rock)
Venia (US) - Genlteman (Hardcore)
Apostisy - And Thus It Was and Forever Will Be (Melodic Death/Black Metal)
Lucid - Decision (Groove Metal)
Wish For Eden - Green (Grunge)
Ruby Joe - Last Chance Johnny (Rockabilly)
Crossforce - Rockin' Til the Final Day (Classic Metal) - The Gamut Premier!
POD - On Fire (Rapcore) - The Gamut Premier!
Majestic Vanguard - The Great Eternity (Power Metal)
Monolith - Across the Baltic (Symphonic Extreme Metal)
Saint - The Blade (Classic Metal)
Stavesacre - Suffocate Me (Modern Heavy Rock)
In Grief - Weak (Progressive Extreme Metal)
Orphan Project - Reach (Progressive Hard Rock)
Underoath - Emergency Broadcast :: The End Is Near (Metalcore/Screamo)
Arnion - Whitened Graves (Thrash Metal)
Crimson Moonlight - Path of Pain (Black Metal)
Project 86 - Stalemate (Modern Heavy Rock)
A Hope For Home - Post Tenebras Lux (Progressive Hardcore)
Theocracy - Martyr (Progressive Power Metal)
The Rex Carroll Band - Working Man's Blues (Bluesy Hard Rock)
The Echoing Green - Tonight (Synthpop)
Seventh Angel - No Longer a Child (Thrash Metal)
Omar Domkus - Looking Darkly Through a Mirror (Jazz/Alternative)
Outlander - Moonchildren (Progressive Hard Rock)
The Blue Letter - We'll Cut the Trees Down and Name Our Streets After Them (Progressive Post-Hardcore)
World Against World - Deserted Concern For the Irrefutable (Crust Punk/Hardcore)
Woe of Tyrants - Soli Deo Gloria (Melodic Death Metal)
SinBreed - Book Of Life (Power Metal)
The Right Wing Conspiracy - Stepped On Your Toes (Grindcore)

Check out the Untombed website @ www.untombed.com ! You can tune in easily via the web-based player on the front page, link to the stream via your regular audio player, read album reviews, get music news, and link up to other great resources, including Divine Metal Distro, your one-stop source for all things Christian rock and metal! Don't forget, station chat has moved to Untombed.com at the bottom of the site, so make sure you sign up or use a Facebook or Twitter account to sign in and chat w/ me and other listeners during the show!

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! Listen in from your Android device via the "A Online Radio" or StreamFurious applications, as well as the new beta version of Winamp for the Android platform!

Japan FTW! Onmyouza!

2011-08-14T14:14:00.003-05:00

The threat we are facing is serious. It's no longer merely Godzilla. Japanese music, animation, and culture have invaded America! Okay, so that's a bit dramatic, but during the last 25 years or so, Japanese culture and entertainment has slowly crept into the collective consciousness of the Western world. During the 1980's there were Japanese culture flirtations in the form of the Robotech anime and some Japanese rock/metal (namely X and Loudness), though those have remained largely niche. The mid-1990's saw a much more dramatic influx of Japanese culture with more widespread distribution (thanks to companies like Manga and Bandai Entertainment) of Japanese anime, which then brought to attention of Western fans the phenomenon of Asian pop idols in the form of J-Pop music. This was everything from the goofiest, corniest J-Pop known to man included in some of the more off-beat anime, to more life-like J-Pop like that of "CHAM!" in the Perfect Blue anime film (Satoshi Kon, FTW!).

The Anime industry in America (in particular) has blossomed over the last decade and a half as a result of this, and the advent of the Internet has only increased this and made anime more prevalent. No longer is it just Pokemon or DragonBall Z (blech!), but with SyFy channel's "Ani-Monday" and Cartoon Network often having more sophisticated and wide-ranging anime (everything from Gundam Wing to InuYasha to Trigun and beyond) of varying genres and styles. Landmark anime films like Akira and Ghost in the Shell have become well-respected by many serious film buffs, and anime on the whole is taken more seriously by Western culture in general.

Other Japanese cultural aspects have taken longer to "catch on", like cosplay, Japanese films (now becoming a legitimate niche in America), and in particular, Japanese music. Apart from a handful of Japanese artists or bands, Asian music in general just hasn't caught on, likely due to the giant domination of the American "music" machine dictating to us what music we like and want to hear. While that machine has served its purpose and has indeed brought some good music to the masses, I am not one to simply eat what's fed to me unless I have no other choice. I prefer to pick my own meals when I have any opportunity to do so.

Being the nerd that I am, I probably exist in the nether space between being "up" on Japanese music and not. I'm not sure if that means I'm either not hip enough, or perhaps too hip to be into bands like Sigh, Dir en grey, or Versailles yet. But for all of the Japanese bands I have yet to discover, I have taken to one that I feel is the is the pinnacle of what Japanese music is and should be when it comes to talent and creativity. Onmyouza (also sometimes spelled as Onmyo-za or Onmyosza) is a band that is lumped in with the "Visual Kei" or "Visual Style" movement, and that much is valid, but they're so much more than just a band dressing up in traditional Japanese garb with long hair and androgynous looks.

My wife says they ALL look like girls, but I know better :)

Onmyouza is a highly talented, overtly creative and prolific heavy metal machine. Since the band's inception in the late 90's, they've recorded 9 full-length studio albums and 1 EP, released 8 concert videos/DVDs, participated in a split video project with 3 other bands, and released 16 singles, along with 2 live albums, a singles/hits compilation, and a boxed set containing the bulk of the recorded works that also includes 2 b-sides CDs and a DVD with all their music videos. DO WANT!!! Unfortunately, King Records either hasn't pursued or sufficiently found distribution in the West for niche product like this, so importing is rather expensive. My collection of the band's last 5 albums and the Wagashikabane Wo Koeteyuke DVD was quite a chunk of change to purchase over a year ago. CDs that would normally cost $15 USD at any store in America are suddenly nearly twice that to import, and the DVD was a staggering $54 USD to import!

"Sweet Dreams" was written by the Eurythmics before this boxset came out, so we'll let them slide (this once) for not mentioning it.

By contrast, here's my meager sampling:

Yes, you should all be jealous of my small, but prestigious collection!

Onmyouza released their 1st album in 1999, and in the 10 years following they have recorded a string of successful albums (commercially AND artistically). Their concerts, while not as big a production as KISS, are a sight to behold, as evidenced by the DVD I have, as well as videos you can find on YouTube of the many other concerts they've filmed. One of my dreams, assuming I can afford to do so before they hang it up, is to travel to Japan and see them live in concert. I'm not sure if I'll fulfill that dream, but I hope that financial concerns won't prevent me from at least trying. Of course, that's not the only reason to visit Tokyo, but for me it's certainly a priority reason.

So what's all the fuss about Onmyouza, you may say? Let me explain. No, there is too much. Let me sum up:

Onmyouza has a female lead singer. Now before anyone cries foul and says, "But so does Nightwish/Seraphim/Lunatica/" let me say that few vocalists can compare to the likes of the lovely and talented Kuroneko. She is a powerful singer with great range and versatility, a great sense of dynamics, and fabulous control over her instrument. Watching the DVD and other live concert footage of the band, it's apparent that when performing live, she is so on-point vocally that it's almost scary.
The band breathes much-needed life into the genre of traditional metal by bringing in some Japanese melodic sensibility and traditional melodies, by utilizing both female vocals and male vocals (bassist and band leader Matatabi handles most of this), by throwing in some occasional gruff/growl vocals for effect, and by having such a sense of drama about their whole presentation that it just takes it to the next level.
While I'm the first guy that will say it doesn't matter what you wear on stage if you play well and captivate the audience with your songs, that doesn't apply to Onmouza because they make their whole "Visual Kei" look/feel an integral element to their music and visual appeal. Not that Japanese guys with long hair that look like women in their photoshoots is particularly "appealing", but then the band takes its look from dress and style that was popular in Japan quite a long time ago, well before music of their kind was even a thought. And they don't go over-the-top with their look, either. It's clean, specific, and generally consistent from one performance to the next.
Let's not forget the songs! This is a band that not only has full command of their instruments, but they also have studied years of heavy metal and understand what it takes to write good songs. They are hooky, both musically and vocally (quite a feat, considering I don't know a lick of Japanese and I find myself stumbling on the words singing along), and they take the best elements of the bands they emulate (Iron Maiden and Judas Priest are two chief influences) while throwing plenty of their own flavor in for good measure. In addition, their range is impressive, from fun, swingin' songs that are very "up" to dark, brooding pieces that ooze drama.

I've been singing the praises of this band for the last 2 years but it seems like no one is listening. Why, I have no idea, as this amazing group is just too good to go unnoticed and unappreciated by the metal masses. I know I'm not the band's only fan in the US, because I've read album reviews and comments by others, but they simply don't have enough of a following here in the states. Some metal band (Iron Maiden perhaps?) needs to take this band out for a full US tour and really blow the doors off the American metalhead populace, because I think if folks knew what they were missing, they'd flip out and realize that Japan has been hiding this goldmine of awesomeness in their country far too long. I shall end this post the only way I can think how - with music videos that shows the band at their best. Watch and learn, people.

"Nemuri" from "Mugen Hoyou"

"Basilisk" from an anime soundtrack

"Kokui no Tennyo" from "Maou Taiten"

"Aoki Dokugan" from "Kongo Kyubi"

"Konpeki no Soujin", a sequel to "Aoki Dokugan"

"Kumikyoku Yoshitsune- Raise Kaikou" from "Garyotensei"

ForChristSake - Death Is But a Breath Away (2010)

2011-08-09T22:25:00.000-05:00

Death Metal fans are a picky bunch. They often don't want anything mixed in with their metal, they just want it straight up. Like stiff black coffee, they want no cream, sugar, or anything else that will dilute, change, or "pollute" their music. Despite that, many bands have made it their mission to mix death metal with a variety of elements, everything from power metal (Kiuas comes to mind) to hardcore (deathcore, anyone?), and even large doses of melody, as evidenced by the wave of melodic death metal bands over the last 10 years or so. Things aren't so muddied when you mix death metal with the style that preceded it, as well as with the style that some say has eclipsed death metal in both popularity and brutality, though arguably so.

ForChristSake, from Northern Ireland, is a group of gents that do just that; mixing death metal with extreme thrash and elements of black metal. Their sound also includes some parts that are more cleanly sung, though still aggressive, with a dose of melody for a nicely balanced sound. There are spots in each song where you can pick out which stylistic element they're going for, but overall the songs have a nice blended feel. Production on this EP is decidedly "old school", for lack of a better term. What that means, basically, is instead of highly compressed and overly polished production values, you get a raw, classic extreme metal sound with enough sonic muscle behind it to feel like you're still listening to a recent release. Instruments are generally audible, though occasionally the sound gets a bit muddy, as one would expect with so much going on.

Guitars crunch nicely, though with a bit better production or re-amping they might have a little more power. Overall, however, the guitar sound suits the music and the sound of the EP. Guitar solos are present, with some wild licks going on, at times sounding barely restrained like early thrash metal or early death metal. Bass guitar is something that you can actually pick out of the mix, which is a nice change from most death metal. Bass work is competent and fits the music well. Drum work is fast and furious at times, and groovy in others. There are spots where it almost sounds as though the drums aren't keeping time, but when the sound is this "no holds barred" that could be my ears deceiving me. Vocally the band employs mid-range death metal growls, some more shriek-like vocals (think Jeff Walker-meets-Alexi Laiho), as well as some slightly gruff cleanly sung vocals. It's a good mixture in the 4 tracks present here.

My qualms with the EP are few, but valid. The intro to "Psalm of Repentance" is way too long, and too quiet to really make out what's going on. If it's supposed to be atmospheric that's fine, it just doesn't quite work. As much as I enjoy "Sleep" (great melodic hook in the chorus), the song is a bit repetitive, and could have been trimmed down a bit. Same goes for "Cry of the Martyrs Blood" - it's just a bit overlong. The one song here that hits the nail on the head most accurately is the single "O" with its chaotic instrumental assault and to-the-point song structure. "O" is probably still a touch long, but it at least captivates all the way through without giving the impression that it's going on too long. It's not that the rest of the songs are in any way bad, just that they could use a little tightening.

If more of the material was a bit more succinct like "O" this EP would be a stronger effort. If the band wants to explore longer songs and more progressive elements they toy with here and there, they need to improve their writing and generate more interest throughout each track rather than simply verse-chorus, verse-chorus, bridge, rinse, repeat. That probably sounds more harsh than it needs to, but when you have a lot of bands making excellent indie releases with little or no financial backing (or incentive), there's far too much competition not to step up the songwriting. That said, this EP is still a good listen and worthwhile for fans of good death metal with a bit of experimentation and variety. Recommended for fans who are hungry for more death metal.

70/100

Here's the video for "O" to whet your appetite:

Halcyon Way - Building the Towers (2010)

2011-08-08T23:49:00.000-05:00

Today’s metal scene is so overrun by bands it’s not funny. I don’t say that lightly, either – truly, if you live in a large city or in a metal-friendly location in Europe, there are spots where you can hardly throw a stone down the street without hitting a metal player in the head, probably without realizing it. The Internet (now 20 years young) has seen both a rebirth of the genre, and now what can only be termed a “glut”. Thousands of bands have come out of the woodwork over the last 15 years or so, in part due to the expansion of the metal genre as a whole due to nu-metal and hardcore/metal infusion bands. The growth has also been the continuing expansion of more traditional styles of metal, from the revival of the 80’s glam-rock scene to a thrash metal revival in the last 3-4 years, and both black and death metal taking on a new life of their own.

One other scene that has expanded greatly is the progressive metal scene. This is evident in both the large number of bands participating in the style, but also due to the growth of what “progressive” actually means in terms of metal. Not only is it bands who are instrumentally proficient like Dream Theater, or write creative song structures and utilize more complex lyrical directions (Queensryche, Fates Warning, King’s X), but also to include bands who take those things and add their own spin, their own stamp, and often hybridize their music stylistically, often to great effect. Halcyon Way, hailing from Atlanta, Georgia, fits into the latter category by adapting some of the tenets of the typical “progressive” metal field, but also throwing a little extra flavor in for good measure.

“Building the Towers” is the band’s 2^nd full-length album, and it’s a considerable step up from their debut, “A Manifesto For Domination” in many ways. Firstly, the riffing is heavier and more commanding overall, brimming with thick chunky goodness. Second, the songs have a bit more variety in structure, adding to the album’s listenability factor versus the debut. Third, the solo work here is a bit more stand-out, with some fun stuff going on in places and just more to love. Also, the vocals on the album are a bit tighter overall, and the addition of some death growls by bassist Kris Maltenieks is a nice touch I hope the band continues to explore. Overall, the additional elements the band has added have worked well.

So in more detail, guitar-wise this album is fun. Jon Bodan and Zane are definitely flexing their six-string muscles, as there is a lot of cool riffing going on throughout the album. As mentioned before, there is also some great solo work here that nicely rides that line between overly flashy and overly simplistic. It’s a near-perfect balance of technical display and melodic sensibility. Bass guitar by Kris settles in here nicely, though it’s not overly audible. Often the casualty in metal production, bass is either relegated to providing the extra “thump” on the record from a production standpoint, or is just largely inaudible. Thankfully here Kris’ playing isn’t altogether suppressed and is at least audible in points, as well as giving the music that extra weight it needs. Drum work by Ernie is excellent, with double bass work, groovy rhythms, interesting bits and fills where necessary, and overall a really tight performance.

Vocally, Steve Braun picks up not where Sean left off, but in some ways at another level. Where Sean had a lot of grit in his voice and had some level of range, Steve comes in with a less gritty, more smooth vocal sound, as well as a bit smaller range, settling into an upper baritone, lower to mid-range tenor. Sean had a lot of expression and inflection in his voice, which made up for his minor range shortcomings on the band’s debut. Steve is an obviously more seasoned vocalist, to be sure, so his presentation is more professional, from the well-done harmonized vocal layering to the smooth-as-butter sound he achieves in many songs. Steve’s sense of dynamics comes into play a few times on the record when quieter, more plaintive moments crop up here and there, which shows his range as a singer as well. The addition of Pamela Moore in spots (famous for her contributions to Queensryche’s “Operation: Mindcrime” album) is a good choice, as her emotional and understated performance fits in nicely where included. Lyrically, this album is great. As you may have read, it’s a concept album about society in general and how our society today has an entitlement mentality and how American in particular is moving away from the core values and principles it was founded upon. The album also deals with the sort of “Tower of Babel” being constructed through the various means used to both control and unite the populace. It’s a cool concept, and one that I personally can identify with at some level. It’s also well-executed from somewhat of a semi-personal perspective. The concept isn’t dealt with directly for the most part, but shades of that can be gleaned from the lyrics when you read through them.

So with all this goodness, what’s not to like? Some folks may be turned off by Steve Braun’s slightly nasally vocal delivery. It’s not an issue for me, personally, but any nasal component can be off-putting for some. I will say that Steve in-no-way veers toward Michael Bolton territory, just that there’s a touch of the that element that comes through. I also feel as though Steve is holding back just a bit. The band is now hitting their stride, and while his performance is tight, if not excellent, I still get the sense that he’s not utilizing his full abilities as a vocalist, as if there’s more he could do or he has greater range than what this record demonstrates. I like Steve’s voice and I think he’s a fine addition to the band. I just miss some of Sean’s highly expressive delivery, as well as the high-pitched stuff he did in spots (like in the intro to the title track of the previous album). If Steve isn’t capable of that stuff, it’s not an issue – I mainly want Steve to open up as much as possible and give us a sense of his full potential. The other thing I should mention is that Halcyon Way’s broader direction with greater emphasis on riffing, increased use of solo work, and the inclusion of some gruffer vocals may remind listeners of Steve Braun’s previous band Ashent quite a bit. Some might say too much. I’m not bothered by it, because I think Halcyon Way does enough to stand out from Ashent that neither band sounds like a clone of the other. It’s just something for the band to have in the back of their collective mind as they write new material and record another record. I’d encourage them to continue to push the envelope of their sound and keep seeking new horizons. I get the impression that this band may expand its pallet further on future releases.

For now, I’d say that this release is a definite highlight, and a major beacon of light on the metal landscape of 2010. With the forthcoming EP from Halcyon Way, and Jon having (hopefully) overcome Lymphoma, I see nothing but blue skies for these five gents from ATL. Continued development of their style, songwriting, and performance, and they’ll make an even bigger impact on the scene than they have thus far. I could see them touring with a name like Dream Theater, given the right connections. I mean, DT took out Redemption (Ray Alder!) and Into Eternity on the same tour. Halcyon Way fits in somewhere between those two bands, so it’s possible right? We can dream. Highly recommended.

90/100

The Gamut - tonight's playlist!!!

2011-08-07T14:47:00.001-05:00

Loads of awesome music in the show tonight, including a few tunes I've never played and a couple bands I don't play as often or haven't played in a while! Tune in at 9 PM EST via http://www.untombed.com to listen in!

Tonight's playlist!
Holy Blood - Cold Winds (Folk/Black Metal)
Kidnap the Sun - Informal Invitation (Modern Rock/Screamo)
38th Parallel - Turn the Tides (Rapcore)
The Seventy Sevens - Cold Cold Night (Alternative rock)
Souljourners - Mind Control (Progressive Metal)
House of Wires - The Door With 5000 Locks (Synthpop)
Sacrament - Supplication of the Destitute (Technical Thrash Metal)
Human Condition - Searching For the Perfect Love (New Wave/Rock)
Mortification - Pushing the Envelope of the Red Sonrise (Metal)
Callisto - Drying Mouths (In a Gasping Land) (Post-Metal)
Erase - Love Lost (Groove Metal)
The Deadlines - Murder Creek Road (Horror Punk)
The Chinese Express - Built For Rock 'n Roll (Post-Hardcore)
Plague of Ethyls - Phantom Binge (Female-fronted Grunge)
Sweet Comfort Band - Lookin' For the Answer (80s Rock)
Starflyer 59 - A Good Living (Alternative Rock)
Virgin Black - II Embrace (Gothic Metal)
Impending Doom - The Great Fear (Deathcore)
Crux - New Morality (Punk)
Joy Electric - On Being Principally Utopian (Synthpop)
Coram Deo - Hands of the Father (Melodic Black Metal)
Emery - Addicted to Bad Decisions (Post-Hardcore)
Bringing Down Broadway - Destiny (Metalcore)
Not Under Sin - Catastrofe Final (Brutal Death Metal)
InnerWish - Burning Desires (Power Metal)
Feast Eternal - Blood Forged (Death Metal)
Rick Cua - Shakedown (80s Rock)
Eulogium - In Hours of Sadness (Black Metal)
Fear Not - Give It Up (Hard Rock)
Wrench in the Works - DeathSlayer (Metalcore)
Fires of Babylon - Lake of Fire (Power Metal)
7days - Fall Again (Progressive Metal)
I Built the Cross - Misguided Ministry (Technical Deathcore)
First Strike - I Want You (Hard Rock)
Circle of Dust - Twisted Reality (Industrial)
Saviour Machine - A World Alone (Gothic Metal)
Audiovision - The Son Will Come (Melodic Metal)
A Plea For Purging - Trembling Hands (Metalcore)

Check out the Untombed website @ www.untombed.com ! You can tune in easily via the web-based player on the front page, link to the stream via your regular audio player, read album reviews, get music news, and link up to other great resources, including Divine Metal Distro, your one-stop source for all things Christian rock and metal! Don't forget, station chat has moved to Untombed.com at the bottom of the site, so make sure you sign up or use a Facebook or Twitter account to sign in and chat w/ me and other listeners during the show!

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! Listen in from your Android device via the "A Online Radio" or StreamFurious applications, as well as the new beta version of Winamp for the Android platform!

TV Time - Chuck!

2011-08-06T00:49:00.000-05:00

I must admit I'm a couple months behind, but that's the joy of a DVR - whether I'm 6 weeks or 6 months behind, weekly TV airing schedules don't rule my life. My busy work schedule and life simply doesn't allow me to be so flip about such things. However, having a DVR that records shows for me without having to put in a new tape and set a goofy schedule (that sometimes changes depending on the week) is a marvelous technology that I have enjoyed now for the last 5+ years.

No, not THAT Chuck!

What about advanced computer technology that allows a human to become a super-computer? Oh sure, there are Mentats in the Dune mythos, and advanced thinkers in many other science fiction and fantasy realms, but things are brought more down to earth and closer to home with the underdog NBC series Chuck. One of my favorite TV shows the last few years, Chuck finished up its 4th season toward the end of May, and along with The Event, is definitely showing that NBC can still find a good show that isn't a situation comedy. Let me extol the virtues of Chuck as a TV series. Don't worry, no intentional spoilers ahead!

Carmichael. Charles Carmichael.

Chuck is a mixture of "spy-fi", action, adventure, drama, and comedy. The main ingredient is comedy, as any of the advertisements for the show would attest, but Chuck combines all those elements into a potent mixture. TV shows in the past have combined all those things into a cohesive package, but always with either drama, horror, or action as the primary backdrop. Never before has a show taken all the ingredients in such delicate proportions and tied them all together so well thematically.
Chuck has likable characters through and through. Aside from the main character, Charles Bartowski, the whole ensemble cast is really likable and extremely well cast. From the plucky comic relief of Jeff and Lester to the co-dependent best friend Morgan, to the love interest Sarah and "man of few words" Agent/Colonel John Casey, every recurring character is endearing in their own way, and character development is strong across the board. Even the smaller character parts or the recurring faces who rarely (if ever) get any lines (many of the Chuck faithful would lovingly refer to them as NPC's) are likable in their own way.
Chuck is a positive show. Many shows claim to be positive in some manner, but they don't often deliver on that promise. I mean, I love a good angsty show as much as the next guy, but sometimes you want a show that is "up" and positive. For all of its action, violence, and twists/turns, Chuck remains a show dedicated to keeping the storylines light enough that the laughs aren't forced or rote. Rather, Chuck succeeds at giving viewers a positive glimpse at a reality that might be a bit scary when view through the laity's eyes, but injected with enough humor, personality, and positivity to keep it from being dark or depressing. Kudos.

Sadly, this looks like the end for Chuck. NBC has ordered a measly batch of 13 episodes for it's 5th (and apparently final) season. There is a campaign to keep Chuck on the air as long as possible, and while that notion is fun in theory, it does mean the show would go on well past the "jump the shark" moment. Still, given what the cast is looking forward to this next year, the show has potential to continue on for another 2-3 seasons based on the shift in concept alone. Unfortunately, unless there are enough voices to tell NBC we want more Chuck (13 episodes for a final season is paltry), and that we believe the show has more life left in it, it will die an untimely death. So please, let NBC know that Chuck deserves better - it's a great show with a lot going for it that just hasn't quite got its due. It's just a tad too niche for its own good, though that's one reason why I love it. But look beyond all the geek in-jokes and nerd humor and you still have a lovable cast of characters that show you what's really possible when you take good source material and give 100% of your talent to making it successful.

Comics Love - Mega Man from Archie Comics!

2011-08-03T18:33:00.000-05:00

There are few things that truly polarize video game fans like classic rivals. Mario vs. Sonic, Nintendo vs. Sega, etc. In the video game world, one thing that separates Mega Man fans is the divide between the classic, original games, and all the spin-off series' and over-saturation of the video game market of the Mega Man "brand". Done right, however, a Mega Man game is a thing of beauty - a hard-as-nails, brilliant game that challenges even the best players and gives them all a run for their money, and something that gives a player their money's worth. Not by giving them 50 hours of gameplay comprised of level grinding or cut scenes and an endless barrage of dialogue (though those aspects can be fun too), but merely by forcing the player to think on their feet, memorize certain aspects of each level, think critically about the weapons and tools they have at their disposal, and also by choosing the order in which to fight and defeat bosses to gain weapons that may give Mega Man a specific tactical advantage over another foe or level.

The Blue Bomber is all his 8-bit glory.

Most die-hard classic Mega Man fans are of the mind that the original series is best, and that while Mega Man X had merit, lost the feel of the original. Then there are those that prefer the later Mega Man games, in part because they're balanced differently and because they offer updated graphics, sound, and gameplay mechanics. I tend to lean toward the 1st camp, though I consider myself a big fan of the Mega Man X series, having purchased the original PC version and the Playstation X4 and X5 games, as well as owning both the Mega Man Anniversary Collection for GameCube (original Mega Man series) and the Mega Man X Collection for PlayStation 2. I haven't yet plunked down the dough for Mega Man 9 on WiiWare, or the fairly new Mega Man 10 for same (play as Protoman!), but rest assured, I will be taking that leap at some juncture. I have Mega Man Zero for Gameboy Advance, but other than that, I haven't taken the jump into the 3-D Mega Man games, nor have I delved into the Battle Network or other series offshoots. Suffice to say, I just think Mega Man is best served up as a side-scrolling platformer with bosses to fight and weapons to earn.

So while this is a good time to be a classic Mega Man video game fan, what with the collections widely available (and now very inexpensive to buy used), as well as PSP ports of Mega Man X: Maverick Hunter (EXCELLENT port which I own) and Mega Man: Powered Up (snazzy remake of the original Mega Man title), Mega Man has not fared as well in other media. Sure, there was his appearances in Captain N: The Gamemaster (still lame fun after all these years), and he has been seen in various Japanese anime OVA, but no Mega Man cartoon has graced western TV screens (for shame!). There have been a number of manga and comics featuring Mega Man, but rarely has The Blue Bomber been seen outside of Japan in anything that resembles the classic Mega Man we know and love. Indeed, it seemed as if lovable "Rock" (more on that later) would be forever lacking a comic book tribute stateside.

Thankfully, Capcom has answered that call and is working together with Archie Comics, of all publishing houses, to fulfill that niche. Known simply as "Mega Man" and featuring classic characters and artwork that is both eye-catching and yet faithful to the original series' vision and look/feel, Archie Comics and Capcom have done a great fan-service to the Mega Man fan community by presenting a comic that captures the essence of what Mega Man is and translating that to the page. Not only do you get fantastic artwork by Patrick "SPAZ" Spaziante, but the story in the comic is well-written, which both references Mega Man series canon and fleshes it out more than the gaming medium allowed for in the original NES design.

Yes, it really does look that good!

The thing I really like is how they're not rushing the story along. They allow Rock (the name of the robot assistant who was transformed into Mega Man, for the uninitiated) to become a "person" of sorts, not just a one-dimensional character who fights for humanity's sake. Dr. Light is portrayed well, as is Rock's sister robot "Roll". Dr. Wily is, of course, portrayed as a major meanie, though perhaps he's not as well developed (yet) as he could be. Though the battles with the robot masters are fairly one-sided and short-lived at this point, they still add to the story and give the comic that much more credibility. My only quips at this point are a couple of Mega Man canon concerns: first, you can plainly see Rush the robot dog on the cover of Issue #1, though he doesn't appear (thankfully), which may be either a goof or simply an homage. Secondly, the first issue already mentions that Mega Man can charge his Mega Buster for an extra powerful shot, though technically the Charge Shot wasn't introduced (or indeed, upgraded into Mega Man's design) until Mega Man 3 on the NES. Aside from those minor concerns, with the 1st 2 issues thus far I am duly impressed and am looking forward to the rest of the series. I stumbled across this the month it was released in a comic store while looking for additional character issues of The Guild (got both Tink issues!), and I'm happy to say that it was $2.99 well spent because it was an enjoyable read through. I can see myself going back and re-reading these again once the whole series is out, merely for the enjoyment of the Mega Man story (experiencing it again for the first time, so to speak), and taking in more of the artwork and noticing the little nuances in the design.

So I say a major THANK YOU to Archie Comics for teaming up with Capcom and FINALLY giving us Westerners a taste of Mega Man in print that many of us have been longing for, outside of the expensive hard-bound artbooks. Hopefully this will be a successful venture and encourage both Capcom and Archie to continue this trend of classic Mega Man schwag for us veteran fans. What's the final verdict on the Mega Man comics? They "Rock"!

Jem is truly outrageous, truly, truly, truly outrageous!

2011-08-01T21:50:00.000-05:00

TRULY outrageous.

This entry might make me look like a big sissy, but I'm an 80s nerd, so humor me. During the late 80s when Jem debuted, I was forbidden to watch it because it was all about "rock and roll" and of course, that was not something my parents wanted me having any part of. I think if my parents sat down and watched Jem, however, they would have realized that half the TV shows my younger brother and I watched had more violence, "adult" content, and "adult themes" than Jem. That said, the only place I could watch this cartoon was at friends' houses.

I'll skip the long storyboard and just cover the essentials. Jerrica is a well-to-do music publishing mogul, an early 20's American dream come true. She not only owns a music company, but also moonlights as the pop superstar Jem in "disguise" for some reason, so she enlists the help of a super computer (named Synergy) created by her father, who left it to her after dying of cancer. With the computer's help, Jerrica can quickly "change" into Jem via Synergy's ability to create the holographic illusion that Jerrica is then Jem, along with other illusions. Keeping this secret, of course, becomes the central theme of most of the show, along with Jem's rival all-girl rock band, the not-so-cleverly titled Misfits. Sidebar: how do you suppose they avoided a lawsuit with the punk band that had been around 10 years prior to the show's debut? In any event, these 2 plot points intersect frequently, with both the Misfits and their manager Eric trying to discover the secret identity of Jem all the time. Of course, her bandmates know it's Jerrica, but Jerrica's milquetoast-yet-loyal boyfriend Rio doesn't know, presumably for his own safety and that of Jem and the Holograms.

The central question is this: if Jerrica is this rich girl who owns this big music publishing company, and has this powerful super computer at her disposal, why doesn't the group become this big sensation and tour the world? One must conclude that it's because that would be harder to base a weekly Saturday morning cartoon after. Why do the Misfits have it in for Jem and the Holograms so much? Is it because they're "bad rocker girls" or just because they're snotty brats who never grew up? So many questions, no real answers. But then, such is the joy of Saturday morning cartoons designed to brand products and sell stuff to parents who will buy it for their kids.

All in all, though this was designed as the girls version of G.I. Joe or the Transformers (both of which I loved as a kid and still enjoy to this day), it had enough appeal to cross over somewhat, and I enjoyed watching it when I had the opportunity. Kudos to the TV channel "Hub" for picking the show up again, despite the somewhat storied licensing issues (which is why the show doesn't have a complete DVD release yet). My wife and I have enjoyed watching Jem again, despite the utter lameness of it all. Perhaps that's why we like it so much. I mean, I can't stomach the Smurfs after all these years, and Scooby Doo is only passable. But for some reason Jem lives on, and is still entertaining at some level. But then it's better than half of the schlock that passes are cartoons these days.

Jem has seen a resurgence in popularity of late, partially due to the recent re-syndication of the show, but also because there are some Jem fan-sites popping up on the Internet, but also because a show like Jem with the big hair, wild clothes, and over the top 80's fashion is SO perfect for the cosplay crowd it's downright scary.

You only wish you were this cool.

There's even a "Jemcon" apparently happening in Holland this year (it started in 2005 in Minneapolis, of all places), so I'm guessing there will be a gaggle of Jem-obsessed fans dressed in their best Jem and the Holograms or Misfits (or Stingers!) custom outfits and costumes, parading around enjoying their cartoon that lasted all of 3 seasons. But then I shouldn't complain: G.I. Joe was "technically" only on the air for 2 seasons before the made-for-TV movie aired and derailed the series, until 4 years later when the plot-line was resurrected for a series reboot. But for Jem fans, it appears that the Internet has been a good thing.

Here's the interesting/confusing part: there's now a relatively new pop star who goes by the name "Jem", and unlike her fictional 80's glam pop/rock counterpart, this Jem is a pop-star of hipster proportions, with music that combines snarky pop, trip-hop, and other elements to make an interesting and enjoyable modern pop sound. Not sure whether or not the choice of stage name is based on her real name, or whether it has anything to do with the 80's cartoon, but it's an interesting correlation nonetheless. Apparently her music has been featured in a lot of TV shows already, so apparently she's already making good on publishing deals.

All of this rambling to say that I'm glad Jem is back on TV, and my wife is glad as well because it's a piece of our childhood we get to relive as adults and enjoy a little mindless fluff entertainment after a hard day of work.

The Gamut - tonight's playlist!!!

2011-07-31T14:43:00.000-05:00

Loads of awesome music in tonight's show - as always, a smorgasbord of great tunes to feast on! After the technical difficulty at the end of last week's show I think I've got things ironed out now so that won't happen again, so tune in at 9 PM EST via http://www.untombed.com to listen in!

Tonight's playlist!
Sympathy - Lord of All Terrors (Death Metal)
House of Wires - Dead or Happy (Synthpop)
Tourniquet - Besprinkled in Scarlet Horror (Progressive Thrash Metal)
XT - The Rock In My Life (Commercial Metal)
Bloody Sunday - The Best Of Me (Hardcore)
Headnoise - They're Trying To Kill Me (Female-fronted Punk)
Winter's Dawn - The Victory: Rapturous Surrender (Black Metal)
Convalesce - Monsters (Metalcore)
Ashen Mortality - Cast the Last Stone (Doom Metal)
Take it Back! - Standing On the Edge Of Hope (Hardcore Punk)
Halcyon Way - Rise to Revise (Progressive Metal)
Loudflower - Can't Change Yesterday (Alternative Rock)
Joy Electric - The Cobbler (Synthpop)
Mad At The World - Dancing On Your Grave (Hard Rock/Alternative)
Lost Dogs - Jesus Loves You, Brian Wilson (Folk/Rock)
Sometime Sunday - Lie (Grunge)
Chicago Is Burning - Fall Into the Sun (Industrial Metalcore)
The Deal - Here Comes the Sword (Punk Rock)
Heaven's Force - Second Coming (Thrash Metal)
Sweet Comfort Band - Armed and Ready (80's Rock)
Disciple - Before You (Groove Metal)
Blenderhead - National Drug (Hardcore Punk)
Believer - D.O.S. (Desolation of Sodom) (Thrash Metal)
Rebelhead - Say It Loud (Groove Metal)
Jacobs Dream - Welcome To My World (Progressive Metal)
Juliana Theory - If I Told You This Is Killing Me, Would You Stop? (Emo/Rock)
Allies - Feather In Your Cap (Rock)
Deitiphobia - Have Mercy (Industrial)
Haven - The Witching Hour (Power Metal)
Bloodgood - Anguish and Pain (Classic Metal)
Danielson Famile - Fruitful Weekend (Indie Pop/Folk)
Titanic - Carnival of Souls (Classic Metal)
Hell Bovine - Why Are You Dancing? (Grindcore/Noise)
Ezra - Tantum Ergo (Death Metal)
Sacrament - Haunts of Violence (Technical Thrash Metal)
After the Order - Fuschia (Alternative Rock)
Savior - See Things (Progressive Rock)
Fall of Echoes - Red Tree (Progressive Hard Rock)
Crystavox - Sacrifice (Commercial Metal)
With Blood Comes Cleansing - Take Everything (Deathcore)
Random Eyes - For Your Love (Power Metal)
The Famine - Ascend (Metalcore/Melodic Death Metal)

Check out the Untombed website @ www.untombed.com ! You can tune in easily via the web-based player on the front page, link to the stream via your regular audio player, read album reviews, get music news, and link up to other great resources, including Divine Metal Distro, your one-stop source for all things Christian rock and metal! Don't forget, station chat has moved to Untombed.com at the bottom of the site, so make sure you sign up or use a Facebook or Twitter account to sign in and chat w/ me and other listeners during the show!

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! Listen in from your Android device via the "A Online Radio" or StreamFurious applications, as well as the new beta version of Winamp for the Android platform!

Album of the Moment - At the Drive-In's "Relationship of Command"

2011-07-30T21:34:00.002-05:00

I generally dislike it when underground bands get thrust into the mainstream and all of a sudden get showered with popularity all at once. It's usually a sign that they will burn out as quickly as the so-called "music press" lifted them up. Of course, this viewpoint is sometimes one side of the coin, because without said exposure I may not always find out about them. Such is the case with At the Drive-In.

The band went from underground quiet notoriety to front and center on the rock stage when their video for "One Armed Scissor" suddenly fell into frequent rotation on MTV2 back in 2000. That seems to be how most who weren't already "in the know" discovered this band. Unfortunately their meteoric rise only lasted a short while before they came crashing back down to earth. I read a quote in a magazine at that time (Alternative Press, maybe) that described the band as "too punk to be metal and too metal to be punk." While that's not a wholly accurate description, it does capture some of the essence of what this band sounds like. This would best be described as "post-hardcore" but is far more layered than much music that fits that tag, and probably more rocking than most as well. Think of your favorite melodic shoegazer band playing at full speed with screams instead of breathy whispers and you get just a glimpse of what ATDI sounds like. Add the quirky, Cobain-esque nonsensical lyrics and you have a unique listening experience. Thankfully, the band did regroup later into quirky program-rock outfit The Mars Volta, so some of the insanity that was ATDI carried on. But this album is great, save for the possible exception to the lame, faux-creepy intro to "Enfilade" (provided by none other than punk forefather Iggy Pop). It is chock full of goofy imagery and metaphor, melodic yet driving music, and a fairly unique stamp on the scene. I pull this out from time to time and it is a fantastic listen every time.