After changing substantially between their first and second
album, and then tweaking their sound further on their last demo, Abdullah seem
to have settled down comfortably into a sound of their own. There’s still
echoes of the doom metal of their debut and the NWOBHM influences that came to
the front on ‘Graveyard Poetry’, but those styles have been blended with punk
and straightforward rock to create a more original and consistent sound.
The guys have taken to referring to themselves as “high energy death rock”, and
that seems about as good a description as any. It’s like a tag team match
where The Misfits and Acid Bath square off against Black Sabbath and Diamond
Head. The band may have tweaked their sound over the years, but the high
caliber of musicianship and songwriting has remained constant. If Abdullah
has any “problem”, it’s that they can’t be easily marketed in any of the
existing rock/metal subgenres. As far as I’m concerned, that’s more like
an asset. Hopefully some smart record company will see that as well, because
these guys are good. Visit the band's
website for more info. (Bob Ignizio)
Sure,
it’s been done before. Straight forward rock charging full speed ahead. Nods
to Motorhead, Thin Lizzy, Grand Funk, Sabbath, Kiss, and the whole pantheon of
seventies ass kickers, but played with a punk rock attitude. Amps II Eleven
just do it better than most. The songs are catchy, and while the lyrics are far
from deep, they’re generally clever and well written. And then there’s the
extended instrumental jams. Some may call it self indulgent, but I love it.
The lead breaks aren’t just wank fests, but carefully constructed compositions
in their own right. No, vocalist Matt Chernus doesn’t have the widest range,
but he knows what works for him. A little more variety in his delivery would
help, but I doubt too many will complain. And you won’t be amazed by the way
songs like “Jesus Hates Cleveland” or “Bourbon Sprawl” expand the boundaries of
rock, either. These guys just aren’t interested in that sort of thing. But if
you want the perfect soundtrack for your next drunken binge or fist fight, this
is the album to put on. (Bob Ignizio)
Man, I love this job. Not
only do I get to spout my opinions about music to the world, but I get to listen
to CD's like ‘Epic’. I haven't really listened to Borknagar before. Sure, a
track here, a track there, but not a whole album. Really, with all of the
extreme metal coming out of Europe these days, who can keep up? Well, if the
other albums from this band are as good as this one, then it's definitely been
my loss. "Epic" is an incredibly strong outing from these Norwegian thrashers,
and one that may very well make it into my top ten favorite albums of the year.
Vintersorg's vocals alternate artfully between full-on death growls and melodic
passages, and the music is equally malleable. While not as good as Opeth,
Borknagar is definitely going in that direction. Asgeir Mickelson handled both
drums and bass for this album due to the departure of original bassist Tyr, but
the album doesn't suffer for it. Oystein G. Brun's guitar work is heavy without
being trite, and adventurous without being pretentious. Lars A. Nedland's
keyboard work accents songs like "Future Reminiscence", "Origin", and "Circled"
without overpowering the arrangements. All in all a fine piece of work. The
Heathen Hippy gives it five severed goat-heads. (Taliesin Govannon)
Crucified Mortals –
‘Converted by Decapitation’ (Stigmatized Records)
The Cleveland metal scene has been pretty sad for the last
couple of years. There are still some good bands keeping the faith, but
precious little in the way of new blood (unless you count nu metal, and I
don’t). Thankfully, Crucified Mortals prove there’s life in our scene yet.
Clevelanders Zach Rose, Sebastian Dzialuk, and Craig Horval are joined on this
disc by Vader bass player Novy (from Poland), and they deliver a fine slab of
mid eighties style thrash. I’m reminded at times of Carnivore, Destruction,
early Slayer, and Venom. In true eighties thrash style, the disc opens with a
peaceful sounding intro before kicking into the all-out thrash of “The Reaper’s
Blade”. The music is fairly technical, but punishing songcraft is the main
focus, as on the stellar title track and “Sentenced to Extermination”. This is
an extremely retro band, right down to the production. I have no problem with
that in and of itself, but if you’re going to dig up the past, you’d best be
able to hold your own against the bands that were there before you. Crucified
Mortals do just that. Visit the band's
website for more
info or to buy the disc. (Bob Ignizio)
After changing substantially between their first and second
album, and then tweaking their sound further on their last demo, Abdullah seem
to have settled down comfortably into a sound of their own. There’s still
echoes of the doom metal of their debut and the NWOBHM influences that came to
the front on ‘Graveyard Poetry’, but those styles have been blended with punk
and straightforward rock to create a more original and consistent sound.
The guys have taken to referring to themselves as “high energy death rock”, and
that seems about as good a description as any. It’s like a tag team match
where The Misfits and Acid Bath square off against Black Sabbath and Diamond
Head. The band may have tweaked their sound over the years, but the high
caliber of musicianship and songwriting has remained constant. If Abdullah
has any “problem”, it’s that they can’t be easily marketed in any of the
existing rock/metal subgenres. As far as I’m concerned, that’s more like
an asset. Hopefully some smart record company will see that as well, because
these guys are good. Visit the band's 
Sure,
it’s been done before. Straight forward rock charging full speed ahead. Nods
to Motorhead, Thin Lizzy, Grand Funk, Sabbath, Kiss, and the whole pantheon of
seventies ass kickers, but played with a punk rock attitude. Amps II Eleven
just do it better than most. The songs are catchy, and while the lyrics are far
from deep, they’re generally clever and well written. And then there’s the
extended instrumental jams. Some may call it self indulgent, but I love it.
The lead breaks aren’t just wank fests, but carefully constructed compositions
in their own right. No, vocalist Matt Chernus doesn’t have the widest range,
but he knows what works for him. A little more variety in his delivery would
help, but I doubt too many will complain. And you won’t be amazed by the way
songs like “Jesus Hates Cleveland” or “Bourbon Sprawl” expand the boundaries of
rock, either. These guys just aren’t interested in that sort of thing. But if
you want the perfect soundtrack for your next drunken binge or fist fight, this
is the album to put on. (Bob Ignizio)
Man, I love this job. Not
only do I get to spout my opinions about music to the world, but I get to listen
to CD's like ‘Epic’. I haven't really listened to Borknagar before. Sure, a
track here, a track there, but not a whole album. Really, with all of the
extreme metal coming out of Europe these days, who can keep up? Well, if the
other albums from this band are as good as this one, then it's definitely been
my loss. "Epic" is an incredibly strong outing from these Norwegian thrashers,
and one that may very well make it into my top ten favorite albums of the year.
Vintersorg's vocals alternate artfully between full-on death growls and melodic
passages, and the music is equally malleable. While not as good as Opeth,
Borknagar is definitely going in that direction. Asgeir Mickelson handled both
drums and bass for this album due to the departure of original bassist Tyr, but
the album doesn't suffer for it. Oystein G. Brun's guitar work is heavy without
being trite, and adventurous without being pretentious. Lars A. Nedland's
keyboard work accents songs like "Future Reminiscence", "Origin", and "Circled"
without overpowering the arrangements. All in all a fine piece of work. The
Heathen Hippy gives it five severed goat-heads. (Taliesin Govannon)
The Cleveland metal scene has been pretty sad for the last
couple of years. There are still some good bands keeping the faith, but
precious little in the way of new blood (unless you count nu metal, and I
don’t). Thankfully, Crucified Mortals prove there’s life in our scene yet.
Clevelanders Zach Rose, Sebastian Dzialuk, and Craig Horval are joined on this
disc by Vader bass player Novy (from Poland), and they deliver a fine slab of
mid eighties style thrash. I’m reminded at times of Carnivore, Destruction,
early Slayer, and Venom. In true eighties thrash style, the disc opens with a
peaceful sounding intro before kicking into the all-out thrash of “The Reaper’s
Blade”. The music is fairly technical, but punishing songcraft is the main
focus, as on the stellar title track and “Sentenced to Extermination”. This is
an extremely retro band, right down to the production. I have no problem with
that in and of itself, but if you’re going to dig up the past, you’d best be
able to hold your own against the bands that were there before you. Crucified
Mortals do just that. Visit the band's
