Rebel Extravaganza

Heavy Metal And Other Occasional Musics And Cultures

lord randall

Short Sharp Shocks

Auditory Anguish – AFA [EP]

The title track is a perfect intro to AFA, bargain basement Roots-era SEPULTURA aping as it is, while ‘Chained In A Hole’ is rife with jumpdafucup bro-core, the likes of what you’d hear from the band that goes on first at a HATEBREED show, and you just know there are five bands left before you get to be bored by Jasta and his boyos. ‘Clementine’ is Mate. Feed. Kill. Repeat. dreck with some silly-ass backmasking at the end, and ‘Tierra Santa’ is – I cannot believe I’m about to say this – even worse because it tries and fails so […]

Album Reviews

Album Review: Sacred Leather – Keep The Fire Burning

‘Resurrection’ flows naturally into ‘Spitfire At Night’, which is rife with dual leads, snapmare rhythms, and the Turbin / early Belladonna delivery of vocalist Dee Wrathchild. Come to think, at the start this one shares a bit too much shade with ‘Deathrider’ for comfort; however, to the quintet’s credit, by the end we’re being fricasseed in the fiery blaze of SACRED LEATHER’s second go-round, and it’s getting hot in here. ‘Phantom Highway (Hell Is Comin’ Down)’ is divebomb after divebomb, dual lead after dual lead, and done well, Messrs. Owens & St. Michaels flying o’er the nightside streaker freeway, swooping […]

Album Reviews

Album Review: Binah – Ónkos

BINAH’s never been one to shy away from lengthy explorations within its limited number of releases, – half of the actual songs found on 2012’s Hallucinating In Resurrecture debut passing the 7-minute mark – but when the band waited seven years after Phobiate to return with Ónkos, I knew we had something potentially intriguing on our hands. Composed of two pieces, each extending past 20 minutes, it’s obvious the band wants us to immerse ourselves in this experience, and thus, headphones ‘round my earholes, I began to ascend ‘Mount Morphine’. With two synth players in the ranks, and over a […]

Album Reviews

Album Review: Denial Of Life – Witness The Power [EP]

Look at the cover of DENIAL OF LIFE’s Witness The Power EP and can someone please tell me why basically a mash-up of two of the most recognizable album covers of one of the most recognizable bands in the history of metal seemed like a great idea? And thus, armed (or footed) with monkey boots and a length of chain, did I step boldly forward to wage unholy war against such flagrant abuse of…wait, I never really even liked SLAYER that much anyway, and – aside from the album after Those Two, for all I know or care, they more […]

Album Reviews

Album Review: Dead Heat – Process Of Elimination

Coming up on its 10-year anniversary, Oxnard’s DEAD HEAT returns. The band’s been consistently at it and consistently solid over this time, knocking out two full lengths, a live album, and an EP, moving from releasing its music independently to Boston’s largely hardcore Triple-B Records, and on through the more diverse roster of Tankcrimes, to reach its all-important third album – and Metal Blade debut – Process Of Elimination. Now, this how you start an album, folks! In lieu of some piss-poor, tossed together “intro”, a guitar piece touched with the classical gently welcomes us before the lid is ripped […]

Album Reviews

Album Review: Arson Charge – A Dying Light

While Denver, Colorado remains one of the most underrated, underreported on and under the radar regional music scenes in the US, that’s in no way a guarantee that everything coming from the Mile High City is worthwhile, or even, for that matter, good. Therefore, when a PR sheet touts ARSON CHARGE as being made up of “former members of…”, this didn’t send me to Bandcamp or the socials plumbing the depths of the interweb so I could seem more “hip” or “in the know”. Because, when you get right down to it, a band stands on its own merit, no […]

Short Sharp Shocks

Ripping Remains – Carbonized Effluvium [EP]

Literally born from DRIPPING DECAY, Oregonians RIPPING REMAINS unleash their first acrid spew in the form of Carbonized Effluvium. The synth-laden title track takes its time, transuding and gelatinous, while ‘Necrodestiny’ reeks of pre-’90s CARCASS in that most glorious stench-ridden way. Decimating and twisting, ‘The Horror Writes Itself’ bucks and writhes, riff upon riff piled on the kicking rodeo bull of heaving rhythm, skinned and screaming solo ending in a boastfully Luddite groove. ‘Rub My Infection On You’ recalls moments of JUNGLE ROT in its furor, early OBITUARY in its Allen West-influenced solo. The doom swagger that begins ‘Maternal Rot’ […]

Album Reviews

Album Review: Today Is The Day – Never Give In

I’m one of the lucky ones. I witnessed the birth pangs of TODAY IS THE DAY in early ‘90s Nashville. Bands who shared absolutely no sonic camaraderie with TITD made Sunday afternoon shows at Lucy’s Records on Elliston Place. From cross-dressing cowpunk to reggae to grind, nothing was off limits. Over a dozen albums and countless EPs, singles, splits, and compilations later, Steve Austin remains behind the controls, touring members Tom Jack [bass] and Colin Frecknall [drums, percussion] joining with others with others to create the band’s latest, Never Give In. ‘Divide And Conquer’ chugs forth, electronics and industrial rhythm […]

Album Reviews

Album Review: Motherless – Do You Feel Safe?

From BIBLE OF THE DEVIL to LAIR OF THE MINOTAUR to USURPER to the almighty classic lineup of TROUBLE, Chicago, Illinois has long been a bastion of rock and metal largely bereft of the accoutrements that hold many of its counterpart local and regional scenes in check. No checklist here; that got rolled up and smoked long ago, a PBR can used for a pipe sitting in the front seat of someone’s car before clocking in for work for a double shift at some thankless blue-collar job. What matters is the riff, brethren and sisters! The sound of the drums. […]

Short Sharp Shocks

Psilocybe Larvae – Новый дивный мир [EP]

Russia’s majestic doom/death practitioners return after the emotionally and sonically crushing Where Silence Dwells with Новый дивный мир (Brave New World), a short but poignant EP. Writing for the first time in the band’s native language, the title track is aching from the start, a longing for a brave new world that wasn’t, isn’t, and can never be. Harmonies roll on a sea of crestfallen notes until pounding waves crash down, submerging. ‘Черта’ (‘The Line’) is begins windswept and contemplative before an overpowering passion swallows, the addition of a second guitar adding heft to the band’s already weighty sound and […]

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