Mobscene
are one of the more promising metal bands in the NE Ohio area. Their style is
pretty straight forward Maiden/Priest/Queensryche/early Dokken classic metal
with just a hint of modernity. If you long for a return to the days of denim
and leather, Mobscene is the band for you. Vocalist Jeff Zaigen has a voice
that recalls Rob Halford and Geoff Tate, while lead axman Jozey Cole specializes
in the sort of flashy yet melodic fills and solos that made rock gods out of
guys like George Lynch and Glenn Tipton. And the rest of the band are no
slouches, either. Where so many of the modern power metal bands who share
similar influences wind up falling prey to bombast and double bass abuse,
Mobscene generally keeps the focus on the songs. About the only complaint I
have is that while Zaigen is a great vocalist, there are a handful of songs
where his vocal melodies aren’t particularly interesting. That and some of the
lyrics and song titles are a bit typical (“Metal Messiah”, and the one millionth
song titled “Mistreater” come to mind). But tracks like “Silent Visions”, “Time
Marches On”, “I See” and the band’s signature tune more than make up for the few
so-so tunes. About two thirds of this album is outstanding for the genre, and
nothing is outright terrible. If you call yourself a classic metal fan, you
should pick this up at one of Mobscene’s shows or at
www.detainedrecords.com. (Bob Ignizio)
This
is a collection of tracks from the influential New York band Nausea. For those
unfamiliar, the band played a style of music known as “crust”, sort of a
punk/metal hybrid that had more groove and looseness than that other
eighties punk/metal blend, hardcore. As with most bands in the crust genre,
Nausea’s lyrics were political, with an anarchist bent. The band featured both
a male and female vocalist, and while neither one is exactly what you’d call
melodic, it isn’t the sort of barking vocals one would associate with hardcore
or grindcore. Discharge and Crass are obvious influences. If you’re already a
fan of this band, or just interested because you’ve heard about them, you should
probably pick this up. The songs collected here are from out of print seven
inches and compilations that are hard to find, and expensive if you do. I
personally find some of the politics a bit naïve, if well intentioned. I mean,
I’m down with the sentiment behind a song like “Smash Racism”, but referring to
the American flag as a “patriotic banner for the racists to rally under” seems a
bit of an oversimplification to me. The music reminds me of the early stuff
from Canada’s Daylgo Abortions, a band that couldn’t be further removed from
Nausea politically. Have to say I find the Abortions catchier and more fun, but
if you like your rock to take a serious political stance you’ll probably prefer
Nausea. (Bob Ignizio)
Neshamah – ‘Communicating in
Heartbeats’ (Blood & Ink Records)
Like
a lot of bands I hear these days, Neshamah seem to have been influenced by In
Flames, At the Gates, Beyond the Embrace, Black Dahlia Murder, and other metal
bands who mix melody and mayhem. The vocals are lean towards a hardcore
approach, but overall this is more metal than metalcore. On the one hand, the
market for this kind of thing seems a bit flooded to me right now. On the other
hand, Neshamah are one of the better bands doing it. Not mindblowingly good,
mind you, but certainly above average. Par for the course in this genre,
musicianship and production are top notch, and there’s some really good riffs.
A couple songs that stood out for me: “Realisation to Move On” and “Five
Fingers Down”. I guess it really boils down to whether your appetite for bands
like this has been satiated or not. I’m feeling a bit full myself, but I think
I could still make room for Neshamah. Just don’t offer me a “waffer thin mint”
afterwards. (Bob Ignizio)
Phestur – ‘Downtown and Underground’
(Sonicwave International)
Phestur
are a three piece rock band from the Akron-Canton area, whose excessive playing
out and catchy grunge rock have made them one of greater Cleveland’s most well
known bands. Phestur are Adam Hines (lead vocals/ guitar), Jake Doerger (bass),
and Scott Munson (drums). ‘Downtown and Underground’ is Phestur’s first
commercial release and follows up to many self-released independent albums in
the last 6 years as a band. ‘Downtown and Underground’ starts out with the song
“Jaded Me”, a very catchy tune that gets the head bobbing. “Come Down” is a Mike
Patton-esque jam that shows that Phestur can stray from the confines of their
genre. Track five, “Song for the Departed”, is the best track on the album, and
arguably their best song ever. It is super poppy punk with lyrics almost anyone
can relate to. ‘Downtown and Underground’ demonstrates how Phestur is best when
embracing their influences and twisting them into originality. They are very
much influenced by the likes of Nirvana, STP, The Ramones, Zep, and Faith No
More, but wouldn’t claim otherwise. I recommend this album to anyone who likes
said bands and energetic grunge-rock on a diverse trip. Visit Phestur at their
newly designed website;
http://www.phestur.com. (Dave Evans)
Mobscene
are one of the more promising metal bands in the NE Ohio area. Their style is
pretty straight forward Maiden/Priest/Queensryche/early Dokken classic metal
with just a hint of modernity. If you long for a return to the days of denim
and leather, Mobscene is the band for you. Vocalist Jeff Zaigen has a voice
that recalls Rob Halford and Geoff Tate, while lead axman Jozey Cole specializes
in the sort of flashy yet melodic fills and solos that made rock gods out of
guys like George Lynch and Glenn Tipton. And the rest of the band are no
slouches, either. Where so many of the modern power metal bands who share
similar influences wind up falling prey to bombast and double bass abuse,
Mobscene generally keeps the focus on the songs. About the only complaint I
have is that while Zaigen is a great vocalist, there are a handful of songs
where his vocal melodies aren’t particularly interesting. That and some of the
lyrics and song titles are a bit typical (“Metal Messiah”, and the one millionth
song titled “Mistreater” come to mind). But tracks like “Silent Visions”, “Time
Marches On”, “I See” and the band’s signature tune more than make up for the few
so-so tunes. About two thirds of this album is outstanding for the genre, and
nothing is outright terrible. If you call yourself a classic metal fan, you
should pick this up at one of Mobscene’s shows or at
This
is a collection of tracks from the influential New York band Nausea. For those
unfamiliar, the band played a style of music known as “crust”, sort of a
punk/metal hybrid that had more groove and looseness than that other
eighties punk/metal blend, hardcore. As with most bands in the crust genre,
Nausea’s lyrics were political, with an anarchist bent. The band featured both
a male and female vocalist, and while neither one is exactly what you’d call
melodic, it isn’t the sort of barking vocals one would associate with hardcore
or grindcore. Discharge and Crass are obvious influences. If you’re already a
fan of this band, or just interested because you’ve heard about them, you should
probably pick this up. The songs collected here are from out of print seven
inches and compilations that are hard to find, and expensive if you do. I
personally find some of the politics a bit naïve, if well intentioned. I mean,
I’m down with the sentiment behind a song like “Smash Racism”, but referring to
the American flag as a “patriotic banner for the racists to rally under” seems a
bit of an oversimplification to me. The music reminds me of the early stuff
from Canada’s Daylgo Abortions, a band that couldn’t be further removed from
Nausea politically. Have to say I find the Abortions catchier and more fun, but
if you like your rock to take a serious political stance you’ll probably prefer
Nausea. (Bob Ignizio)
Like
a lot of bands I hear these days, Neshamah seem to have been influenced by In
Flames, At the Gates, Beyond the Embrace, Black Dahlia Murder, and other metal
bands who mix melody and mayhem. The vocals are lean towards a hardcore
approach, but overall this is more metal than metalcore. On the one hand, the
market for this kind of thing seems a bit flooded to me right now. On the other
hand, Neshamah are one of the better bands doing it. Not mindblowingly good,
mind you, but certainly above average. Par for the course in this genre,
musicianship and production are top notch, and there’s some really good riffs.
A couple songs that stood out for me: “Realisation to Move On” and “Five
Fingers Down”. I guess it really boils down to whether your appetite for bands
like this has been satiated or not. I’m feeling a bit full myself, but I think
I could still make room for Neshamah. Just don’t offer me a “waffer thin mint”
afterwards. (Bob Ignizio) 
Phestur
are a three piece rock band from the Akron-Canton area, whose excessive playing
out and catchy grunge rock have made them one of greater Cleveland’s most well
known bands. Phestur are Adam Hines (lead vocals/ guitar), Jake Doerger (bass),
and Scott Munson (drums). ‘Downtown and Underground’ is Phestur’s first
commercial release and follows up to many self-released independent albums in
the last 6 years as a band. ‘Downtown and Underground’ starts out with the song
“Jaded Me”, a very catchy tune that gets the head bobbing. “Come Down” is a Mike
Patton-esque jam that shows that Phestur can stray from the confines of their
genre. Track five, “Song for the Departed”, is the best track on the album, and
arguably their best song ever. It is super poppy punk with lyrics almost anyone
can relate to. ‘Downtown and Underground’ demonstrates how Phestur is best when
embracing their influences and twisting them into originality. They are very
much influenced by the likes of Nirvana, STP, The Ramones, Zep, and Faith No
More, but wouldn’t claim otherwise. I recommend this album to anyone who likes
said bands and energetic grunge-rock on a diverse trip. Visit Phestur at their
newly designed website;
