Ektomorf - Redemption

click to enlargeImagine Max Cavelera of Soulfly doing vocals for Sevendust. Then scatter several parts of pure 90's era whiteboy gangsta and you have this band in a nutshell. Most of the vocals are straight up Max Cavelera though.

The Max Cavelera style vocals don’t bug me too much, but the psedo tuff guy parts are like nails on a chalkboard. The music actually goes from Sevendust, to Soulfly, to almost Limp Bizkit crap. No really...it's that bad at times.

If this cd came out 20 years ago this band could have been massive. They do what they do well. I just despise the whole whiteboy hip-hop tuff guy thing. Hell, if it came out 20 years ago and had Ross Robinson producing these guys might have given Korn a run for their money.

The reality is that this is 2011 and this kind of crap comes off dated as hell in a very bad way. There will be a few that are still into this style and because of that this band will have a good enough following to open upon a few good club tours around the world. But pretty soon I predict these guys will be asking me if I want fries with 'that'. UMmm... Fries.

Holy Grail – Crisis in Utopia

click to enlargeImagine if Avenged Sevenfold had balls, played real Metal, and didn't comeoff as so overly produced that it had more in common with Pop music thananything else. Think of M. Shadow on vocals, Jeff Loomis of Nevermore on oneguitar, Gus G of Firewind and Ozzy fame on a second guitar, and your favorite traditional Metal rhythm section backing them, and you have this band in a nutshell.

I have to admit that I was extremely unimpressed by this band when I first saw them. The video for the song is as bland as it gets and kind of ruined the song for me. Part of this is due to the fact that the band is made up of mostly ex-members of White Wizzard. I loved White Wizzard and wrongfully expected this band to have at least some simularities. They have nothing in common with White Wizzard and that threw me for awhile. I imagine it threw many people off. But when I was able to judge the band on it's own merits that is when they started to sound pretty good. Still not great, but they are growing on me. I think for a first release this sis pretty good. In the long run it will be a good thing that they sound nothing like their former band. It will force jadded pricks like to judge them on their own merits.

That being said, the band does need some work. They need to work on having some hooks that grab a person and won't let go. Right now I can't remember anything about a song seconds after it is over. This will keep the band from breaking out into the bigger level Metal bands of today. They are off to a great start though. I look very forward to hearing how they evolve and grow in the future.

Helstar - Glory Of Chaos

click to enlargeImagine a very traditional Metal band gets a severe case of Schizophrenia and the wost case is with the singer. So if you keep in mind that although at Its roots this Helstar release is traditional Metal, there are elements of both Thrash and Black Metal sprinkled all over the place, you will have this release in a nutshell. Variety in one Metal release doesn't get this well crafted often.

So maybe it is because so many releases I get sent are at best a disappointment and at worst pure torture, but this release stands out like a brick of pure gold dropped into the bottom of a portable toilet at an all day Metal Festival. In fact it leaves me torn on what cd to feature next week.

There is very little bad that can be said here, but nothing is ever perfect when you are a jaded prick like me. At times the 'thrash gallop' is over used a bit. On two songs he over uses his Dino Burger impression. Petty complaints in the overall picture of this otherwise amazing collection of new material.

When I complain bands sound too flat and monotone, this band is a great example of how to mix it up in a way that actually increases the intensity instead of decreasing it.

Evergrey - Glorious Collision

click to enlargeImagine the most brilliant and heavy guitar work with overly melodic vocalsand you have this release (and this band) in a nutshell.

Ever since Monday Morning Apocalypse Tom's vocals have gotten progressively more melodic. Why in Metal does everything have to be either super growl extreme or wimpy as hell clean vocal? Where are the newer bands with a nice Lemmy (Motorhead) rasp? Where are the replacements for Bruce (Iron Maiden)? My idols aren't getting any younger and we need some powerfull singers that still have their balls attached! If Tom would find that balance between the standard flat growl and the ballless delivery shown here this cd could have been the most amazing thing Metal has heard in years.

Now It's not as bad as the Elvenking release I reviewed yesterday. In fact this is a recording I can guarantee I will be listening to many times after this review is posted. It just frustrates me that it comes so damn close to greatness. I continue to follow this band in hopes that they find that balance.

Elvenking Red Silent Tides

click to enlargeImagine the weakest, most wimpy, ballless Power Metal ever created with the most sappy love ballds ever written. Then you have this release in a nutshell.

Seriously. I would call this gay, but it would be an insult to gay people I think of as pretty damn awesome (Rob Halford, Freddie Mercury, Bear from the band Bile, NPH, George Cloony's character on South Park). I know what you are thinking, "Calling Power Metal Gay is too easy." Although this is true,this band brings things to all new levels of wimpy. This band makes the worst 80's glam band seem like Slayer in comparison. Even if you are a fan of Hammerfall and Manowar this will probably be a little too lite and fluffy for you.

The vocalist is painfully soft and maintains a girly pitch throughout the entire release. The guitars, (although skillfully played) are lacking in any real crunch or true Metal pounding riffs.

Well produced, well played, but probably even too soft for your girlfriend that tries so very hard to get into Metal but finds it too abrasive.