What the.... The HM Review of Ultimatum Lex Metalis 1-5

Something is very wrong when the reviewer from a Secular Metal Magazine rates a Christian Bands Music higher than a Christian Music Reviewer at HM. Such is the case with Decible vs HM. The secular reviewer is at least intrigued by the notion that Christians would listen to and chose to play secular cover songs while the Christian lambast the Ultimatum guys for their desire to cover Non Christian songs. To call the Ultimatum guys a semi talented dark bar act is a little over the top and out of line IMO.

Oh well, hopefully DVP will not have this Hack reviewing any more Metal.

links?

Just because he did not like it doesn't make him a hack. Maybe he likes Metal and just happened to not like this.

Reviews are just one person's opinion...

According to you guys opinions are 100% subjective anyway so why bother reading any reviews at all?

Temple of Blood wrote:

According to you guys opinions are 100% subjective anyway so why bother reading any reviews at all?

I think they're 100% subjective and I WROTE reviews for 10 years...ultimately you are the only judge that matters.

The thing about reviews is that, ideally, you come across a reviewer that, based on what you've read vs. what you've purchased, you share similar tastes with and follow that person.

But in these days of webzines and blogs popping up everyday with "reviews" you can't get any sort of consistency.

No surprise really. HM has never really supported Ultimatum. It's not the first horrible review they've given us.

At least they review your stuff at all.

Now they can get back to pretending that metalcore is really creative stuff.

ultmetal wrote:

No surprise really. HM has never really supported Ultimatum. It's not the first horrible review they've given us.

If Cephas was still around we would have supported you guys 110%!!!

It's all about advertising and money. They review our stuff because Retroactive pays for advertising in their magazine.

thejokeriv wrote:

If Cephas was still around we would have supported you guys 110%!!!

I knew it wasn't about them truly wanting to support the scene.

I didnt even realize HM was still around...

Where can I read these reviews? Are they on the magazine's site? I gotta see this crap.

exact33 wrote:

I didnt even realize HM was still around...

It's still around, but they don't cover metal any more. It's all about popular music now and has been for many years.

Fat Freddy wrote:

Where can I read these reviews? Are they on the magazine's site? I gotta see this crap.

Most of their reviews are no on-line. However, there is a nice piece about "reviews" currently up on their web site you can read and comment on.

http://www.hmmagazine.com/2009/11/an-open-letter-to-an-angry-album-review-reader/

325ad wrote:

Something is very wrong when the reviewer from a Secular Metal Magazine rates a Christian Bands Music higher than a Christian Music Reviewer at HM.

I don't agree with this statement. Not for nuthin' but just because HM is a Christian mag doesn't mean they will, or should, give every Christian band a rave review just because they're Christian.

I'm not picking on Ultimatum here, I'm just sayin'. Think about it, if a Christian mag gave every band they reviewed a free pass just because of their religious beliefs, then they're not being fair to the band(s) or readers. Nobody can like everything. After a while it would start to show that the mag is really saying, "Well, I think this band kinda sucks, but we'll give them a break cuz they're good people and they're doing God's work."

I'm an amateur metal critic myself and quite frankly I don't care if a band worships God, Satan, Captain Kirk, or the Teletubbies. If they're a good band, they're a good band. If they suck, they suck. I'm not gonna blow smoke up somebody's butt just to stay on a label or band's good side (and I've gotten some pretty vicious e-mails in response to negative reviews I've written, both by bands themselves and by their fans. You should've seen how many goofballs sent me poorly spelled threats and insults when I beat up a DragonForce CD a few years back... hahaha!).

I haven't read the LEX METALIS review in question but it sounds to me like the Ultimatum CD just got passed to a hater on the HM staff. We're all Ultimatum fans here and yea, it sucks to hear about them getting trashed in print, but it happens to everybody once in a while.

Never read hm and probably never will. I don't understand all the hate for lex metalis though. Its one of my favorites of the year!!! hey ult. apparently your label didn't buy enough advertising. LOL!!!

Fat Freddy wrote:

I don't agree with this statement. Not for nuthin' but just because HM is a Christian mag doesn't mean they will, or should, give every Christian band a rave review just because they're Christian.

I'm not picking on Ultimatum here, I'm just sayin'. Think about it, if a Christian mag gave every band they reviewed a free pass just because of their religious beliefs, then they're not being fair to the band(s) or readers. Nobody can like everything. After a while it would start to show that the mag is really saying, "Well, I think this band kinda sucks, but we'll give them a break cuz they're good people and they're doing God's work."

I'm an amateur metal critic myself and quite frankly I don't care if a band worships God, Satan, Captain Kirk, or the Teletubbies. If they're a good band, they're a good band. If they suck, they suck. I'm not gonna blow smoke up somebody's butt just to stay on a label or band's good side (and I've gotten some pretty vicious e-mails in response to negative reviews I've written, both by bands themselves and by their fans. You should've seen how many goofballs sent me poorly spelled threats and insults when I beat up a DragonForce CD a few years back... hahaha!).

I agree FF. Its been awhile since I have been into the reviewing thing but I find it really hard to believe that someone can like everything that comes across their desk and find it equally as hard that someone hates everything they listen to. No one should get a pass just for what they believe - I know Steve Rowe does a lot of good work and all but I really dont like the direction mort has gone in the last decade. Its not a reflection on Steve's worth as Christian but simply a preference on his music. It is entirely possible to say you dont like something and still be civil about it.

Did the reviewer says he did not like the choice of songs and that is why the low rating? Because that would be lame. Or did he think Ultimatum did not do the songs justice?

exact33 wrote:

Fat Freddy wrote:

I don't agree with this statement. Not for nuthin' but just because HM is a Christian mag doesn't mean they will, or should, give every Christian band a rave review just because they're Christian.

I'm not picking on Ultimatum here, I'm just sayin'. Think about it, if a Christian mag gave every band they reviewed a free pass just because of their religious beliefs, then they're not being fair to the band(s) or readers. Nobody can like everything. After a while it would start to show that the mag is really saying, "Well, I think this band kinda sucks, but we'll give them a break cuz they're good people and they're doing God's work."

I'm an amateur metal critic myself and quite frankly I don't care if a band worships God, Satan, Captain Kirk, or the Teletubbies. If they're a good band, they're a good band. If they suck, they suck. I'm not gonna blow smoke up somebody's butt just to stay on a label or band's good side (and I've gotten some pretty vicious e-mails in response to negative reviews I've written, both by bands themselves and by their fans. You should've seen how many goofballs sent me poorly spelled threats and insults when I beat up a DragonForce CD a few years back... hahaha!).

I agree FF. Its been awhile since I have been into the reviewing thing but I find it really hard to believe that someone can like everything that comes across their desk and find it equally as hard that someone hates everything they listen to. No one should get a pass just for what they believe - I know Steve Rowe does a lot of good work and all but I really dont like the direction mort has gone in the last decade. Its not a reflection on Steve's worth as Christian but simply a preference on his music. It is entirely possible to say you dont like something and still be civil about it.

I also agree with FF, when I did Cephas, if the album sucked even through it was a "christian" band, I was honest and said it sucked

exact33 wrote:

Fat Freddy wrote:

I don't agree with this statement. Not for nuthin' but just because HM is a Christian mag doesn't mean they will, or should, give every Christian band a rave review just because they're Christian.

I'm not picking on Ultimatum here, I'm just sayin'. Think about it, if a Christian mag gave every band they reviewed a free pass just because of their religious beliefs, then they're not being fair to the band(s) or readers. Nobody can like everything. After a while it would start to show that the mag is really saying, "Well, I think this band kinda sucks, but we'll give them a break cuz they're good people and they're doing God's work."

I'm an amateur metal critic myself and quite frankly I don't care if a band worships God, Satan, Captain Kirk, or the Teletubbies. If they're a good band, they're a good band. If they suck, they suck. I'm not gonna blow smoke up somebody's butt just to stay on a label or band's good side (and I've gotten some pretty vicious e-mails in response to negative reviews I've written, both by bands themselves and by their fans. You should've seen how many goofballs sent me poorly spelled threats and insults when I beat up a DragonForce CD a few years back... hahaha!).

I agree FF. Its been awhile since I have been into the reviewing thing but I find it really hard to believe that someone can like everything that comes across their desk and find it equally as hard that someone hates everything they listen to. No one should get a pass just for what they believe - I know Steve Rowe does a lot of good work and all but I really dont like the direction mort has gone in the last decade. Its not a reflection on Steve's worth as Christian but simply a preference on his music. It is entirely possible to say you dont like something and still be civil about it.

Very well said, both of you.

Here is the full review:

Quote :

Ultimatum
Lex Metalis
(Retroactive)
In every mediocre sized city, in every state (or providence), there is a collection of washed out musicians who climb on a stage in a dimly lit, never cleaned dive bar and attempt to cover songs by the metal bands they’ve worshipped since before they could drive. In this case, the band is Ultimatum, the place is Albuquerque, New Mexico, and somehow they managed to make a recording of their sludgy thrash cover songs into an album entitled Lex Metalis. And it’s a pity that their ability to play their instruments decently is overshadowed by their desecrated beyond recognition versions of songs by Metallica, Megadeth, and Motorhead. Let’s just say don’t expect a lot of royalty checks to be cut. [Retroactive] Dan Frazier

Rating: 1

Hardly a review really. More like a short insult and that's about it. Doesn't really tell you much about the album at all.

"mediocre" sized city? What does that mean?

"desecrated beyond recognition" Really? The songs are unrecognizable?

HM strikes again!

ultmetal wrote:

Here is the full review:

Quote :

Ultimatum
Lex Metalis
(Retroactive)
In every mediocre sized city, in every state (or providence), there is a collection of washed out musicians who climb on a stage in a dimly lit, never cleaned dive bar and attempt to cover songs by the metal bands they’ve worshipped since before they could drive. In this case, the band is Ultimatum, the place is Albuquerque, New Mexico, and somehow they managed to make a recording of their sludgy thrash cover songs into an album entitled Lex Metalis. And it’s a pity that their ability to play their instruments decently is overshadowed by their desecrated beyond recognition versions of songs by Metallica, Megadeth, and Motorhead. Let’s just say don’t expect a lot of royalty checks to be cut. [Retroactive] Dan Frazier

Rating: 1

I'm all for free speech and "sticking behind my writers", but that's just poor criticism. Review the music and not what you think of the band members.

ultmetal wrote:

Here is the full review:

Quote :

Ultimatum
Lex Metalis
(Retroactive)
In every mediocre sized city, in every state (or providence), there is a collection of washed out musicians who climb on a stage in a dimly lit, never cleaned dive bar and attempt to cover songs by the metal bands they’ve worshipped since before they could drive. In this case, the band is Ultimatum, the place is Albuquerque, New Mexico, and somehow they managed to make a recording of their sludgy thrash cover songs into an album entitled Lex Metalis. And it’s a pity that their ability to play their instruments decently is overshadowed by their desecrated beyond recognition versions of songs by Metallica, Megadeth, and Motorhead. Let’s just say don’t expect a lot of royalty checks to be cut. [Retroactive] Dan Frazier

Rating: 1

Hardly a review really. More like a short insult and that's about it. Doesn't really tell you much about the album at all.

"mediocre" sized city? What does that mean?

It was just a paragraph of insults aimed at the band - what crap. Of course, they can write what they want, this is a free county. But I can also write that the review is a jack ass who knows nothing about the band!

I'm gonna kick Dan fraziers Ass!!!! What a review full of crock man, like the size of their city matters?!?! The heck?

He misused the word "mediocre"....DVP should have caught that.