The Bakerton Group – “El Rojo” [Weathermaker] If you’ve ever wanted to know what Clutch would sound like if they did away with vocals and followed their instrumental muse while channeling Hawkwind, this is your album. With help from Per Wiberg (Opeth) on keyboards and even an alto sax player named Raven on a couple of tracks (4, 10), it’s a groovy, funky, jazzy outing full of riffs that would not be out of place in anything their alter-egos concoct. I initially felt that there were plenty of interesting moments, but without as high replay value, due largely in [...read more]

Iron Fire – “To The Grave” [Napalm] … In order to combat the glossiness of much power metal, a band has to do one of the following: play faster, or embrace the darkness. The Danish quintet does both, and also tends toward battle themes, so anyone that enjoys the genre has plenty to like about these guys.  The keyboards are a bit too lilting at times (3, 11), but do add the right atmosphere in places (4). I reviewed a copy with voice-overs, so I had a hard time with all but the first four tracks, but I do [...read more]

Satyricon – “The Age Of Nero” [Koch] … Black n’ roll is becoming more prevalent these days, using more accessible song structures to reach a broader audience beyond the “kvlt.”  This seventh album was written by Satyr in a godforsaken cabin somewhere in the mountains of Norway.  It was brought to sunny L.A. and recorded/mixed by “Evil” Joe Baresi, with Satyr helming production.  The warmth Joe brought to bands like Kyuss and Saviours is not allowed to melt a drop of Satyricon’s icy exterior; clarity and balance are what’s at work here, accentuating the subtle palette in which the [...read more]

Ohhh, it’s on.  Though there is still some old stuff I gotta dredge up, there should be no more new pix and vids from the PowerShot A640.  The versatile D90 is my new weapon of choice, which will bring better quality photos and HD video to Mind Over Metal. Hails!

  Kreator – “Hordes of Chaos” [SPV] … The German thrash legends celebrate 25 years with this ferocious 12th album, and boast the speed standard for metal in 2009. Every song present has quality guitar work which shines through the deliberately raw production and, coupled with Mille’s savage vocal performance (though lacking in variation), makes for a damn good listen.  It does sag a bit in the middle (4, 5, 6), finally regaining full traction in the final third, but this doesn’t much detract from its full force.  Notable as the first recording since 1986’s Pleasure To Kill to [...read more]

If you took a couple of mantis––one imbued with the spirit of 3 Inches of Blood, the other with the execution of The Black Dahlia Murder––and shook them up together in a jar, the ensuing battle would sound a lot like DDD.

Grave Digger – “Ballads of a Hangman” 4-Track Promo [Napalm] … 120% metal? 120% tease! More solid power metal from the German stalwarts, in appetizer form.  I’m anxious for the full album, cuz these songs are pretty damn ferocious. Not the strongest lyrics, but delivered with passion by the gravelly Chris Boltendahl, the band’s sole original member. Musically, it’s some of the best traditional style metal from any country, with a tight rhythm pocket and explosive solos that serve their songs well.  Watch for a duet with Veronica Freeman (Benedictum) on the full length.  FCC OK … Try 1, [...read more]

Becoming The Archetype – “Dichotomy” [Solid State] … between the inspiration for this album (C.S. Lewis’ Space Odyssey), the reworking of a hymn (8), and their record label itself, one can expect Christian undertones here, which some may find off-putting … however on their third effort they made good choices, like abandoning Metalcore (and clean vox with it), and perhaps more importantly, enlisted Devin Townsend (Strapping Young Lad) for production duties … Dev also appears on 1, and Ryan Clark (Demon Hunter) lends his voice to 2, which are part of the trio of songs that start the album [...read more]

  Miseration - “Your Demons ~ Their Angels” [Lifeforce] … having left Scar Symmetry, versatile vocalist Christian Älvestam finds fertile new ground on this devastating debut, masterminded by Jani Stefanovic (normally known for Power Metal with Divinefire and Essence of Sorrow) … performing almost all instrumental parts, he’s hybridized the essence of Gothenburg Thrash with the execution of American Death Metal (the result sounds like the spiritual opposite of Behemoth) … very promising indeed, especially since a full band is now assembled … FCC OK … Try 1, 2, 3, 6, 9 … 2008Nov18 01. Thrones 02. Perfection Destroyed 03. Seven Are The Sins 04. [...read more]

The Faceless - “Planetary Duality” [Sumerian] … whatever “-core” this band once embodied has since been replaced by Tech Death in spades, further embracing forefathers like Necrophagist (read: no breakdowns) … they have also clearly been listening to Cynic, evidenced in their artwork, lyrics, and use of vocoder … still trying to find their niche on their second release, they were wise to ramp down the keyboards on this album, but should consider doing away with–or improving–the clean vox … 3 and 8 are instrumentals … FCC OK … Try 1, 2, 4, 5 … 2008Nov11 1. Prison Born 2. The Ancient Covenant [...read more]