Municipal Waste - Massive Aggressive

Finally some in-your-face thrash after a long time. And thats what you get in Municipal Waste's latest release Massive Aggressive which slams out thirteen blistering tracks under a period of half hour. But then who's gonna complain about it when the genre in question is crossover thrash. For quite some time now Municpal Waste have been leading the thrash revival, and they do so with style as seen in this album. Incorporating punk charcteristics with thrash syles while letting out an array of mosh riffs, Waste pay tribute to Nuclear Assault and Exodus whose influence is clearly seen through the record.

With more crisper riffs and catchier choruses in the album, Massive Aggressive clearly shows that the band's music has matured considerably since their previous outing in Art of Partying which is still considered their seminal piece. And its not just the music that has evolved, but the lyrical quality has gone up too in the album as heard in tracks like Upside Down Church. The band in fact triumphs in maintaining the aggression through the album.

Ryan Waste tears the fretboard apart with his killer riffs in songs like Shredded Offering. The efforts over the bass and drums are pretty commendable as well.Tony Foresta is in the top of his form as he lets go of his vocal prowess in tracks like Massive Aggressive and Wolves of Chernobyl. One of the highlighting track of the album is Wrong Answer that features some of the catchiest riffs of the record while shifting pace from frenzied stampede to a moderate groove. Mech - Cannibal and Relentless Threat are other killer tracks from this album.

Massive Agressive is a standard crossover fare that includes upbeat musicianship alongwith quality song writing. The album once again proves why they are leading the resurgence of thrash movement with out any doubt. And after this amazing fare, I wonder what comes next from Municipal Waste

Amogh Symphony's Latest Track

Vectorscan, the latest single from Vishal J.Singh's Amogh Symphony is out for streaming on his MySpace site. As per his blog, the new track is all about differeneces and similarities between corrupt human mind and viruses.

Ok, now i have no idea what made him choose such an absurd topic to base his song upon, but I do have fair idea of how the track might turn after his path breaking previous album Abolishing The Obsolete System. Who knows maybe this could turn out to a song from his side project with Luke Jaeger?
Visit his MySpace page to give the track a hear.

Vishal J.Singh and Luke Jaeger's New Project.

Vishal J.Singh, the one man supremo behind Amogh Symphony pathbreaking sounds has teamed up with Luke Jaeger of Sleep Terror fame to form a new project.

Amogh Symphony's Vishal J. Singh has taken upon himself the weight to take technical death/progressive metal scene to a new dimension as heard in his debut album '' Abolishing The Obsolete System''. And now one can only wonder what more unexpected sounds we would get to hear from this project.

Anticipate Inner Sanctum's Chaotic EP This September

Just few days back Inner Sanctum released official images bearing the words ' Anticipate Chaos' without revealing what its all about.

But now sources have revealed that it could be if not necessarily be the name of their forthcoming EP. Clearly this a huge step taken forward for the band that gets undisputed accolades wherever they perform. The track 'Quarantine' which for long has been the opening track at their live gigs is up for streaming at their site.

Click here to give it a hear.

Gig Review: One Last Time - 15th Aug

15th August, 2009 was India's 62nd Independence Day . 15th August 2009 was the day when Bangalore's two of the best metal acts MyndSnare and Extinct Reflections played 'one last' gig. Yes, after so many years of existence, MyndSnare and Extinct Reflections played their last gig as KP,Sandesh and Yasmin from MyndSnare will soon be leaving for the States to pursue a year and a half course in LA based Musician's Institute. Sandesh's departure also spelt the end of Extinct Reflections of which he was the lead guitarist. With the vocalist Prasad of ER out of the band as well, ER's days with their best line up are over.

Originally scheduled to be held at Xtreme Sportz Bar, B'ghatta Rd(Bangalore) the venue got shifed to B-FLat, Indiranagar(Bangalore) at the last moment. But either ways both the places cannot be ideally considered for a metal gig as the acoustics were just above average. Yet, 200 strong crowd turned up( limted number of tickets were for sale) to witness these bands one last time. Stranglehold, a side project comprising MyndSnare, ER and Inner Sanctum band members kickstarted the set playing only one original track and few covers including a Lamb of God's Laid to Rest. Quite a lot of us in the crowd were left stunned seeing them play such unusuually high numbers of cover till Gaurav(vox- Inner Sanctum) the vocalist added that the band re-grouped on a short notice of four days prior the gig.

Next came Extinct Reflections who played all their six original compositions including their best track 'Recognise Analyze'. They also played other crowd favourites ' Swallowed into Silence' and ' In Praise of Your Shadows'. Sandesh's work around the guitar was mind-blowing, beyond any words of excellence and so was Kishan's furious drumming. But what again took the crowd by surprise was to see Gaurav handle the vocals again for ER. And soon ER departed and up came much awaited MyndSnare.

Playing all their original tracks including 'Alter Ego' , 'Layers of Hypocrisy' for almost an hour, MyndSnare showcased their skills in the peak of their form clearly showing showing why they are considered one of the best metal acts in the country. Sandesh's talent over the bass was pretty neat. But top of the form were KP's excellent riffs along with his raspy vocals and drummeress supremo Yasmin's razorshar double bass drumming. In the end every one's desire of seeing these bands for the final time were fulfilled though on a sorry note, as one has no idea where they will stand in the next one and a half years after the completion of the course.

Gig Review : Freedom Jam 2009

For long Freedom Jam has been showcasing some of Bangalore's upcoming musicians on the block with their original compositions. In fact most of the bands have played their first gigs in Freedom Jam. Previously held in Palace Grounds , with the event spanning over 3 stages and covering 50 bands, Freedom Jam 2009 was organized on a much smaller scale than before, amidst all the rumours of the jam not happening at all. Held in Alliance Francaise, the venue (a small auditorium) was just not the right place for a gig of such magnitude.

This year Freedom Jam strictly themed the gig around originality, asking registered artistes to play only original compositions. But when the gig finally took place, the story happened to have a different plot altogether. With most bands playing covers of usual international metal acts of Metallica and Lamb of God that too in the most bleakish way possible, the most fundamental theme of Freedom Jam i.e. originality was corrupted right from the beginning. The gig started with a bunch of 13 year old school boys calling themselves 'Original Fakes' playing an eclectic mix of Coldplay and Green Day covers. And they were not the only band playing covers as there was another band named Metalhead, covering Metallica and Lamb of God in a pathetic manner.

There were such large numbers of covers playing bands, that I can go on ranting about them. In fact I think I would mention the exceptional acts now. Swine Blue, an alternative act were one such band who played some catchy compositions. And so were another alternative act, Plunge who deserve a mention here for their orignal tracks. But the artist worth mentioning here would be American Idol finalist Sean Michels who played some of the most heart-warmimg blues compositions one can ever hear. The guy also knows his way around the guitar too play some of the most melodious riffs heard in a long time. Metal acts Alternate Paradox were another top notch act with some gut wrenching growls providing the headbanging factor for the gig.

Inspite of these original performances I was dispappinted not to see any known metal acts from the city. But it turned out later that due to the organizer's poor slot allocation, most metal acts refused to turn up for the gig . Some of those acts were brutal death metallers Abandoned Agony and tech death outfit Inner Sanctum, of whom the organizer apparently had never heard of! Over all Freedom Jam 2009 was a gig best forgotten. With very few memorable moments, Freedom Jam was not the gig that once captured the glory of the city's live music scene.

Mr.Big Touring India

Yet another big name commercial act is touring India and this time its US based hard rock/heavy metal group Mr.Big.

Agreed that the band has one of the most talented musicians in their respective fields in the form of Billy Sheehan excelling in bass and Paul Gilbert in guitar and that their songs have always made their way to the Billboard charts, one must also agree that that they are here to perform for the sake of the money.

Their era has for long been forgotten and making quick bucks by touring 'international gigs starved developing countries' seems to be viable option not just for the artistes but also for the organizers. Its high time we get to see some real extreme metal act. No more Iron Maiden or Deep Purple, we need more bands like Satyricon ( thanks RSJ) touring India.

For Mr.Big tour details in India, click here

Inner Santum Anticipating Chaos

Bangalore based technical death metal band Inner Sanctum has recently released this picture displaying the words 'Anticipate Chaos' in the foreground, on their MySpace page without revealing much about it.

Whether its the name of their debut album/EP or something much bigger is still unclear as of the moment. With nothing clearly revealed, all we can do is just wait and watch till September arrives.

GWAR - Lust In Space

Its been just 3 years since Beyond Hell had released and now men in costumes are back with a big bang! 43 billion years old Oderus Urungus and his band of scumdogs have once again succeded in decimating the listeners with their juicy riffs and delectable choice of wrong lyrics in Lust In Space. With this release, Gwar paints the town red with its musical debauchery and and terifyingly good serving of daft themed heavy metal.

Despite losing some of its best members like Sexecutioner, Slymenstra Hymen and tEchno Destructo, Gwar have produced their most solid record till date in Lust In Space barring the classic Scumdogs of Universe of course. After the hit-and-miss contents of its previous albums, Gwar has brough back the raunchy shenanigans making you chuckle as you listen to tracks like Where Is Zog and Make A Child Cry. Another thing worth mentioning would be that the band has clearly moved on from its 80's base punk sound into a more hardcore influenced crossover thrash saving them from stagnation.

And this is best noticed in the title track where the incorporation of breakdowns and harmonies are clearly observed. Moreover the overall musical skill of the band as a whole seems to have gone up as well, with BalSac and Flattus churning out cauldrons of ass-kicking guitar solos that are nothing short of fretboard masturbation. Apart from the usual retarded tracks that Gwar usually come up with, there are faster and meatier tracks too in the album like in Lords and Masters. Hoever the highlight of the album is when the track Release The Flies comes up the playlist, as this is where you'll hear the most funkiest structure Gwar has ever come up with.

Overall Lust In Space puts Gwar back in the spotlight that had first got them noticed, after their disappointing ventures in their previous albums. More importantly humor isn't lacking in the album, or else the album would have turned out be another puff. Blending retarded lyrics with the killer riffs is something that only Gwar has been capable of, and that's exactly what you get when you play this album. So if you are looking for an oppurtunity to let your hair down to some utterly meaningless yet funny shit , then Lust InSpace is just meant for you.

Bhayanak Maut

Sheer sonic assault - these words best describes the brand of music that Bhayanak Maut has come to be associated with over the years of their existence. And this is exactly what you experience the moment you hit the play button in your music player containing the latest full length untitled album from Bhayanak Maut - an onslaught of furious thrashing and gut-wrenching vocals. Chugging along with maniacal aggression along with neatly placed riffs and thunderous percussion beats that constantly accompanies the sick vocals from Vinay And Sunny, Bhayanak Maut pulls out all stops in their latest album.

Expansion is the term that best sums up the new album’s difference from the band’s previous release, and its the addition of a second vocalist Sunny of Amidst The Chaos fame that makes a profound impact to the band’s music this time. The two vocalist concept adds an extra depth in the band that was previously unseen in any other Indian band. In form guitarists Venky and Adithya hammer out solid riffs after riffs keeping things simple and uncomplicated. And these mammoth riffs accompany the groove-laced drums by Rahul that makes him one of the best drummers around the country. Where as Vinit Bharucha is steady as ever and definitely knows his way around the bass guitar. The production of the album is also pretty solid giving the band a nice, meaty sound. The bass sometimes get hidden behind the roaring guitar but that’s not necessarily a bad thing.

The album starts on a high note with pummeling beats of Habemus Papum, with the intro sounding similar to a regular Lamb of God track. By the time the track ends, I find myself growling along with the music into the fist with my head bobbing up and down in response to the manic atmosphere that the album succeeds in creating. And this pretty much sums up the kind of experience the album provides to the listeners. The maniacal sonic frenzy from the opening track continues along to the next ones keeping the listeners busy banging their heads. Ungentle, one of the albums best and grooviest tracks buffets the ears with sheets of steel. Other songs like Becoming, Violate, MNS Messenger are high on the headbanging and mosh factor as well, providing a solid listening experience. The frenzied screams along with the neatly placed riffs also make Blasted Beyond Relief another excellent track.

The only thing that lets you down in the album is that, after a certain point things tend to get monotonous. Except in the penultimate track where the odd soundtrack played by the band at a much slower tempo provides a break from the humdrum before thrashing its way to the end at a higher tempo again. However a minor glitch as that shouldn’t stand in your way to buying the album. The new avatar of the band after Sunny’s inclusion is nothing short of monstrous. And the new album must be bought to believe their latest incarnation. Bhayanak Maut have created a serious ass kicking behemoth in their new album, and if this is what they can do now, I shudder at how powerful they might grow in a few years.

Randy Blythe In A Horror Flick

Randy Blythe(here billed as D Randall Blythe), is apparently so jobless after the release of his last album with the band Lamb of God that he is making a brief appearance in the upcoming horror movie 'The Graves'.

However hot the chicks might look in the trailer with their cleavage, the movie is quite pathetic when it comes to the scare factor.

Hope Randy had a good time playing the 'dead man walking' in the movie.

For more click here

'Those Whom The Gods Detest' Is What The New Nile Album Shall Be Called

American technical death metal group have named their upcoming album as 'Those Whom The Gods Detest'. One of the biggest names around in the death metal scene today, Nile plans to release their much anticipated sixth album in November 2009.

Behemoth - Evangelion

After the snoozefest that was Behemoth's last full length release Apostasy, it seemed that the band would not be able to create the same diabolical atmosphere that they had once did in 2005's seminal Demigod. And that disappointment is met with firm amendments in the shape of their latest full-length studio release Evangelion. Having said that, it does not mean that they have reached that pinnacle point again. But they certainly seem to be back on that track with their new album Evangelion.

Musically there's nothing new about Evangelion, as at times things tend to get repetitive. To be precise the riffs heard on most of the tracks are same as any of the riffs you've heard before. However with a new label (Metal Blade Records) and a new producer( Colin Richardson), the band have definitely avoided the horrid overproduction of their sounds that marred their previous work. As a result you get to hear a single layer of furious growls from Nergal, which is far better than ten of them. So much so that you can even make out the lyrics clearly. The sounds of the instruments are also far more natural unlike being played on computers. And speaking of the drums, Inferno's drumming is quite controlled and varied enough though inhuman at times, its much better than starting off with a straight double bass and playing blastbeats for the rest of the tracks as noted in previous release.

The album makes an apocalyptic beginning with Daimonos which starts with an audio scene of what sounds like hell on earth before jumping into a flurry of mixed percussion. Shemhamforash that comes next is the album's most chaotic and fastest track with creative leads. Ov Fire And The Void may be the defining track for the band and their want to further thrust their music into the mainstream. Catchy, melodically sound like few other tracks of theirs, it sticks in your head rather quickly. But from here on rest of the tracks seem to have been placed to just fill the place till the closing track Lucifer which is an excellent attempt of the band at an epic, doing its job without droning on too long.

Although Evangelion is an excellent album, nothing in the album makes you pop your eyes out or grab your attention like Pazuzu or Conquer All did from prior works. With the same riffs being played on most of the tracks, you would expect Behemoth to come up with something more on their part.While Evangelion is a step in the right direction, Behemoth have not yet taken their music to the next level as you would have come to expect from a band of such stature. Easily better than some of their albums, but nowhere near as good as others, it is a middle-of-the-road release for a band who should by all rights do better.

Freedom Jam 2009

Its August again and Freedom Jam is back.
And this time strictly promoting originality, the organizers plan to make the bigger than before with upto 50 bands covering 3 stages.

The gig will be held on August 14th at Alliance Francaise. (View the way to Alliance here)

Interested bands/artistes can send their profiles to freedomjamindia@gmail.com.

Swashbuckle - Back To The Noose

If Captain Jack Sparrow was to ever create his own metal tracks cruising along the Caribbean shores, then this is what it must have sounded like. Swashbuckle's second full length offering Back To Noose is a very fascinating, enjoyable album with sporadic thrash influences taking precedences over affable pirate references. And surely no one hates the pirates?

The album is curious blend of thrash sounds with slews of wry humor. Brawny and furious as hell the album at times is heavy and full of aggression. Whereas at other times, the album crosses path with hearty interludes laden acoustic driven Caribbean rhythms. However in spite of the jolly good mood these random acoustic intervals create, at times you wonder no matter how pleasing the random interludes sound to the ears, they are much better off in other albums and not in a thrash album. And as the album progresses the inevitable strikes and and all the comedic interjections loses its shine.

The band takes us on a trip across the high sea, naturally beginning by Hoisting The Mainsail, downing Rounds on Rum, dropping the anchor for Splash N Thrash, before ending the voyage with Sharkbait. Amidst all these brutal merry-making, Swashbuckle does more than the standard pirate metal operation as well. Rime of the Haggard Mariner features a squeaky pirate babbling for a bit, some bagpipes, and then the sounds of pirates attacking a ship. This leads into Cruise Ship Terror which is, of course, about the previous pirate attack on the cruise ship. Back To The Noose certainly has some marvellously funny track-titles to gnaw on and the diverse nature of the music on offer is a nice surprise.

Back To The Noose is not genre defining by any stretch of the means but it does fit comfortably within the framework of the thrash metal umbrella and if that is your cup of tea, you will absolutely enjoy this. The pirate themes and thrash play off each other well, with neither dominating and there are enough pirate-themed lyrics and jokes to keep the album light and fun. Overall Back To The Noose provides a refreshing break from hard-stomping thrash metal territories with its gentle yet brutal approach.

Throwing Horns In Turkey Can Land You In Jail

No this is not about ex-President Bush Jr. throwing horns in Turkey and getting jailed abroad.

Rather it involves five unfortunate Turkish metalheads who got more than what they bargained for, when they made the devil's sign at a passing political convoy.

For the original report in Irish Times click here.

Kerim “Krimh” Lechner Is The New Decapitated Drummer

The news of Witold “Vitek” Kieltyka death in a car collision in 2007 was certainly tragic. Since then the question remained whether Decapitated will come back, considering that their vocalist Adrian “Covan” Kowanek too sustained serious injuries from which he is still recuperating.

Now as per a posting on their MySpace blog, Decapitated have named Kerim “Krimh” Lechner from Thorns of Ivy as their new drummer. And this news is certainly exciting considering I cant wait to hear new Decapitated album with ''Krimh'' behind the drums.

Here's a video of Krimh playing. The guy has the chops and its certainly going to be a difficult task to shrug off the memory of Vitek