Motochrist – ‘Greetings from the Bonneville Salt Flats’
(Heat Slick)
Another L.A.
group. This marks their second album, which should've been the soundtrack for
‘Joe Dirt’. Their songs relate to fast cars, hot chicks, drinkin' beer and
sound like basic hard rock. Seems like they're just out for a good time, and
it's good background music for a night out drinkin'. On the plus side, the
songs are catchy and could be fun sing-alongs in a live atmosphere. For those
who don't like it too heavy, this stuff is pretty easy to take. And they sing
about cars... I like cars. Unfortunately, nothing really jumps out at me. In
fact, I can't think of a way to make a band seem more generic and tame. I'd
fall asleep on my feet if I was playing this stuff, but that's just me. I dunno
what else to say except - mediocre. There's nothing really bad about them, but
nothing very exciting either. They might be better in a live setting. Please
understand I'm being very particular. A band should have an obligation to get
my attention. These guys have some catchy tunes, they just don't catch me.
(Todd Watkins)
Norselaw
– ‘Sweet Home Scandinavia’ (Latticesphere Records)
The basic shtick here is
Norwegian black metal (i.e. Mayhem, Emperor, etc.) meets rap. Unlike 99% of rap
parodies, this is actually clever, original, and funny. It definitely helps if
you have some knowledge of the black metal scene to get all the jokes - for
instance, “Euronymous & Varg” compares the most famous murder in the black metal
scene to an East Coast/West Coast hip hop feud – but on the other hand, the
humor in a song like the title track is pretty much universal. MC’s Ragnar and
Valhalla Ice “rap” the same way your average black metal vocalist “sings”, so a
lyric sheet would have been nice. That said, my ears recognized enough of the
words to elicit laughter on several occasions. Valhalla Ice also does duty on
guitar and acquits himself admirably, although I understand Boulder axe man Mark
Gibbs has recently been recruited to beef up the musical assault. This album
was culled from two different sessions at two different studios with two
different producers, and it shows. The material the band did with Bill Korecky
at Mars Studios sounds much stronger. These songs sound like a band that
started as a total joke making the transition into taking their music more
seriously, while still holding on to their sense of humor. The tracks also
benefit from the contributions of guest MC Smoke, whose more traditional mic
skills help give the rap portion of Norselaw more credibility. (Bob Ignizio)
Fans of Soulless, or good
thrash/death metal in general, should dig this split CD. Spawn of Satan
features Soulless axeman Wayne Richards and Bloodsick features Soulless vocalist
Jim Lippuci. Drummer Chris Dora, also of Soulless, pounds the skins for both
bands. I’m not really sure what the chronology is for these two bands. They
might be side projects, or they might be bands that existed at an earlier date
and are only now having their material released on CD. Regardless, both deliver
some killer metal. Spawn of Satan have a sound that reminds me of early
Entombed or Unleashed. Heavy Swedish style death metal but with enough in the
way of good songwriting to keep things interesting. Vocalist Jim Satanic does a
fine job on the growling. Bloodsick is a little more mid eighties sounding.
Lippuci’s vocals on this material are a bit different from what he does in
Soulless, sounding a bit like the vocalist for Forbidden to my ears. Good stuff
anyway you slice it, though. If you like true brutal metal with a melodic
sensibility, you can’t go wrong with this split CD. (Bob Ignizio)
Up
Up Down Down Left Right Left Right B A Start ‘Peris, Ca’ (Limekiln Records)
Up Up Down Down, as I will
refer to them in this review, hail from New Jersey. A very cool name, which
echoes nostalgic feelings for all of us familiar with video games in the
eighties, yet it's sort of long to say. Their latest EP, ‘Peris, CA’, is a five
song mini masterpiece that is gentle at times, and yet rocks all the while. The
packaging for this record is very unique, including a very cool clearish disc.
Up Up Down Down could easily be grouped in with the whole "emo" tag that seems
to get thrown on anything with substance these days, but don't mistake these
guys for your average overnight emo sensations. These guys can play, and aren't
afraid to experiment. This record includes cellos, violins, and acoustic bass.
They sort of mix elements of Mineral, Mock Orange, and the White Octave, but in
a grittier fashion. The standout track here is the first song, "Down To The
Day." This EP was enjoyable, and if they keep it up, I think you'll be hearing
a lot more from this band in the future. (Eddie Fleisher)
Another L.A.
group. This marks their second album, which should've been the soundtrack for
‘Joe Dirt’. Their songs relate to fast cars, hot chicks, drinkin' beer and
sound like basic hard rock. Seems like they're just out for a good time, and
it's good background music for a night out drinkin'. On the plus side, the
songs are catchy and could be fun sing-alongs in a live atmosphere. For those
who don't like it too heavy, this stuff is pretty easy to take. And they sing
about cars... I like cars. Unfortunately, nothing really jumps out at me. In
fact, I can't think of a way to make a band seem more generic and tame. I'd
fall asleep on my feet if I was playing this stuff, but that's just me. I dunno
what else to say except - mediocre. There's nothing really bad about them, but
nothing very exciting either. They might be better in a live setting. Please
understand I'm being very particular. A band should have an obligation to get
my attention. These guys have some catchy tunes, they just don't catch me.
(Todd Watkins)
The basic shtick here is
Norwegian black metal (i.e. Mayhem, Emperor, etc.) meets rap. Unlike 99% of rap
parodies, this is actually clever, original, and funny. It definitely helps if
you have some knowledge of the black metal scene to get all the jokes - for
instance, “Euronymous & Varg” compares the most famous murder in the black metal
scene to an East Coast/West Coast hip hop feud – but on the other hand, the
humor in a song like the title track is pretty much universal. MC’s Ragnar and
Valhalla Ice “rap” the same way your average black metal vocalist “sings”, so a
lyric sheet would have been nice. That said, my ears recognized enough of the
words to elicit laughter on several occasions. Valhalla Ice also does duty on
guitar and acquits himself admirably, although I understand Boulder axe man Mark
Gibbs has recently been recruited to beef up the musical assault. This album
was culled from two different sessions at two different studios with two
different producers, and it shows. The material the band did with Bill Korecky
at Mars Studios sounds much stronger. These songs sound like a band that
started as a total joke making the transition into taking their music more
seriously, while still holding on to their sense of humor. The tracks also
benefit from the contributions of guest MC Smoke, whose more traditional mic
skills help give the rap portion of Norselaw more credibility. (Bob Ignizio)
Fans of Soulless, or good
thrash/death metal in general, should dig this split CD. Spawn of Satan
features Soulless axeman Wayne Richards and Bloodsick features Soulless vocalist
Jim Lippuci. Drummer Chris Dora, also of Soulless, pounds the skins for both
bands. I’m not really sure what the chronology is for these two bands. They
might be side projects, or they might be bands that existed at an earlier date
and are only now having their material released on CD. Regardless, both deliver
some killer metal. Spawn of Satan have a sound that reminds me of early
Entombed or Unleashed. Heavy Swedish style death metal but with enough in the
way of good songwriting to keep things interesting. Vocalist Jim Satanic does a
fine job on the growling. Bloodsick is a little more mid eighties sounding.
Lippuci’s vocals on this material are a bit different from what he does in
Soulless, sounding a bit like the vocalist for Forbidden to my ears. Good stuff
anyway you slice it, though. If you like true brutal metal with a melodic
sensibility, you can’t go wrong with this split CD. (Bob Ignizio)
Up Up Down Down, as I will
refer to them in this review, hail from New Jersey. A very cool name, which
echoes nostalgic feelings for all of us familiar with video games in the
eighties, yet it's sort of long to say. Their latest EP, ‘Peris, CA’, is a five
song mini masterpiece that is gentle at times, and yet rocks all the while. The
packaging for this record is very unique, including a very cool clearish disc.
Up Up Down Down could easily be grouped in with the whole "emo" tag that seems
to get thrown on anything with substance these days, but don't mistake these
guys for your average overnight emo sensations. These guys can play, and aren't
afraid to experiment. This record includes cellos, violins, and acoustic bass.
They sort of mix elements of Mineral, Mock Orange, and the White Octave, but in
a grittier fashion. The standout track here is the first song, "Down To The
Day." This EP was enjoyable, and if they keep it up, I think you'll be hearing
a lot more from this band in the future. (Eddie Fleisher)