Swap-A-Comp - The Reviews!

PRD Comp IX Disc 3 Review



1. The Rentals - Getting By: I like this pop-punkish song with a cool keyboard line, verses and chorus. It’s kinda cutesy but fun.

2. Lynam - Is This A Heartbreak Or A Loaded Gun?: This song starts off like a punkpop tune and then kicks in with a BIG Hysteria-Def Leppard-type chorus. Great song!!!

3. The Misfits - Dig Up Her Bones: Not too familiar with this band but I like this song! This has a bit of an Offspring sound on the chorus.

4. Dog Fashion Disco - The Acid Memoirs: Sounds like it has a bit of System Of A Down in it…. pass.

5. Into Eternity - Spent Years Of Regret: The beginning is awesome then it gets a little bit like System as well, but with screamy guy on vocals. Chorus is good but it still is not for me.

6. Kreator - Dying Race Apocalypse: This starts off very promising and holds my interest. Interestingly, the vocals do not bother me at all on this song even though they are gruff.

7. Tankard - Octane Warriors: It seems that there is a bit of NWOBHM in their sound. Good solo. I like.

8. Ravage - Freedom Fighters: Starts off with some cool drum stuff and just plain rocks. The singer is a bit weak but doesn’t drag the song down and I like the way the double bass is used in this song. The middle-eastern influenced guitar solo is cool, too.

9. Nocturnal Rites - Eternity Holds: I did not expect these guys to sound like this. I was thinking this was more of a Growly band it’s not, I like. I’ve avoided these guys because I thought that they were a death metal band….. more of a Andi Deris led PC69 type sound. Good song. This actually sounds like a song Sister Sin did when they played here in Sacramento.

10. Evergrey - Misled: I have the album “Torn” by this band. Good Prog Metal without all of the wankery. Very song oriented with nice lead and background vocals. They seem to have more in common with Vanden Plas than Dream Theater. I like these guys as well.

11. 69 Eyes - Dead Gone: Another Big singalong, chorusy song that sticks in my head in a good way. Like that Lynam song, another cool tune!

12. Shiny Toy Guns - You Are The One: I remember this band from the “Would You Buy This Thread” good updated New Wave song. Kinda like if Human League came out now.

13. The Church - Destination: I’ve only ever heard the “Under the Milkyway” song and this song has a cool Neoprog feel to it(like later Twelfth Night or Fish-era Marillion when they write singles). I’ll have to look into this band…..

14. Chuck Mosley - Tractor: I always liked early FNM, so I was interested to hear this. Starts off acoustic and then goes to this weird alt metal song that is cool. A slow and grinding song with an interesting mix of acoustic and heavy.

15. Lake Of Tears - Devils Diner: This sounds like something off of a Jim Steinman production with a disco beat, not bad, but I wouldn’t seek it out.

16. Avantasia - Death Is Just A Feeling: Did not like. The singer totally killed it for me. Also, the chorus sounds a bit like something from Alice Cooper from the 80’s… maybe Poison? It does have a tasty solo, but that doesn’t save it... nope.

17. Grave Digger - My Blood Will Live Forever: The singer is on the edge of what I don’t like in vocalists, but it is a good metal tune with a killer verses and choruses.

18. Shadows Fall - Those Who Cannot Speak: I’ve tried to get into this band but I just do not like the vocalist. They need a good singer because the music is pretty damn good.



There is some bands to check out and re-investigate on this one but a few I just did not like.

Lynam is great if you like that song. That's pretty much their sound.

69 Eyes just get better with each release. "Angels" and "Back In Blood" are their best IMO. Oddly enough, they started out as a glam/sleaze band before switching to the goth hard rock sound they have now.

Part 1 of 3. Enjoy!

Disc 1 - Thrash/Speed Metal Frenzy from Kmorg.

1. Intro/2. Godforsaken - Armageddon
Nice way to open up a disc of thrash metal. Vocals on Godforsaken are a little more harsh that I usually like, but not unlistenable. The music is a nice thrash polka with some mid-tempo breaks to change things up a bit. This Armageddon is not to be confused with the American Armageddon. Or so says Kurt.

3. Enola ga-hey - Witchhammer
Love this!! I have one of their discs (The Lost Tapes) that I got in a trade with Kmorg already, so I was familiar with their brand of melodic thrash. This one comes from their 1487 album which is on my list. Until I'm ready to part with a kidney to purchase it, this lone song will have to suffice.

4. Now! - Equinox
Another band I'm somewhat familiar with, but I never heard this particular song. It sort of reminds me of an old Anthrax tune. Instead of yelling "1,2,3 NOW!!", it could be "1,2,3 NOT!" I like this one.

5. A Tale of a Nightmare - Apocalypse
Speedy thrashy metal with clean vocals and some nice variety. This is right up my alley. Too bad that this one as well as some others on this list will probably cost me a testicle to track down and purchase.

6. Reincarnation - Artch
Another band I've read about and have been meaning to pick up. They've been on my want-list for what seems like forever. I like this.

7. Complete Annihilation - Avenger of Blood
The first time I checked these guys out a coupla years ago, due to our very own Lurideath's drumming, I didn't care much for the vocals and dismissed them. Hearing this track again, I'm having a change of mind. Yea, the vocals are still just as harsh, but perhaps listening to so much new thrash these days, I've softened up a bit. Put this in the "maybe" category.

8. Derelict - Battered
Not bad. Something about it reminds me slightly of the band Tool, the slower parts in particular. Then it changes up the pace, keeping things interesting. I guess this would be considdered "modern thrash". Not sure I'm sold on the screaming parts of the singer, but again, not wholly unlistenable.

9. Let Blood Rain - Blood Tsunami
I've had this band recommended to me numerous times by Amazon when I've purchased any retro-thash bands ("Others have purchased this...). Musically fine, but the vocals kill it for me. One track here is fine, but I don't think I could take a whole album of this.

10. Free From Death - Consecrator
Hmmmmmmm, don't have much to say on this one. I don't like or dislike it. It's just there. Not a bad song, but nothing sticks out either. Not crazy about the vocals, so maybe that's it. Next.

11. Minds of War - Convicted
If I remember correctly, Locky put a track from these guys on the last comp-swap we did. Don't think I cared for them then either. I'm probably gonna start sounding like a broken record here, but again, it's the vocals that are killing it for me. Too coarse.

12. Wildfire - Sabbat
This sounds pretty good. At one time I owned Mourning Has Broken by Sabbat, but sold it off. I did rip a copy to my computer before shipping it off though. It didn't do much for me. They were a little too overly technical for my tastes. Nothing settled into a groove. Just constant time changes for the sake of wankery I suppose. This track however is from the Dreamweaver album which I've never heard and sounds pretty good. I understand it's a mostly different line-up from Mourning..., so maybe that's why I like this better.

13. Taste the Blood - Detrius
More thrashy goodness. Gruff vocals, but fit well with the music and doesn't bother me. I could listen to more of this.

14. Into the Night - Enforcer
Been meaning to pick up something from these guys. This track makes me want to do it sooner. Good speedy metal with a slight NWOBHM-vibe.

15. Dying Season - Heathen
This is off their newest disc Evolution of Chaos, which I still need to pick up. I have their older stuff and love it. This newer material sounds just as good. Surprisingly good. EDIT: I just won a copy over the weekend on ebay. Hope to have it later this week.

16. Circle in the Field - Steel Reign
I recognize these guys from the cdbaby website. I almost bought this album, but for reasons I can't recall now, never made the purchase. Might have to rectify that one. Maybe the power-metally name put me off? Nice classic heavy metal tune, not really thrashy though. And the guitarist has the same last name as me. Wonder if we're related somehow?

17. Release from Agony - Destruction
Heard of these guys for years, along with the likes of Sodom, Kreator and other German thrash. Decent enough, but I tend to lean towards the Bay Area side of the pond when it comes to thrash.

18. Mr. Death - Intruder
I have a crappy mp3 cdr of one of their other albums, but I never heard this song from the Higher Form of Killing album. I could listen to this type of thrash all the live long day, smashing plates faster than a Greek wedding reception and moshing around the room like a mental patient with invisable ants in my straight jacket.

19. Nice Dreams - Powermad
An underrated band that garners high praise from the 7 or so people that actually heard this underground classic. I can see why. It's that good. I have a cdr of their stuff but will be on the look-out for a real copy.

20. Intro - The Absence
An "intro" for an "outro" song? You just blew my fragile mind. This is just an instrumental, so it's kinda hard to judge. Reading Mr. Kmorg's write-up on Metal Metropolis, these guys are a melodic death metal band, akin to Arch Enemy, Soilwork and others with that Gothenburg sound. Since I can only take that genre in mighty small doses, I doubt that I'd care much for this band. But as an instrumental it works fine.

Overall disc one was a hit with me. There are definatley some bands that I've either been meaning to check out or will now based on what I've heard here. The lack of funds can be maddening for a music collector. And even the ones that didn't rattle my sack work in the context of this mix disc. I wasn't skipping over any tracks, for what that's worth. Now onto disc 2 with the more melodic side of things...

The Rentals is a band Mike Sharp (the old bassist for Weezer) started. They only have 3 albums. Their first album sounds pretty much like the first Weezer album. The other 2 are a little more different but in the Alternative style.

Lynam is a great band. Heard of them because of TOHO. THANKS TOHO! =o) I really like the album that song is off of. I want to pick up the rest of their albums but they seem to be very pricey the last I checked.

I'm surprised you weren't familiar with the Misfits. I thought everyone was even if it was only from a song or two. This is new Misfits, but now this vocalist has left and Jerry Only is basically the only Misfit left. The rest of the band now is 2 guys from Black Flag with Jerry Only singing.

Dog Fashion Disco is how Polkadot Cadaver sounds like so if you don't like this song you wont like either band.

Into Eternity do sometimes get a little crazy with the growling vocals but the clean vocals really impress me. That guy is an awesome singer with the high pitches that he can do.

Kreator is probably my favorite thrash band. his vocals aren't too harsh as some could be.

Tankard is another great thrash band that I just started getting into this year. All their songs are about Beer haha.

I've had the privalage to play a show with Ravage last year. When I heard them play I was blown away. The vocalist isn't the greatest but he makes it work. Its actually his band so he won't be leaving.

Nocturnal Rites was on a awesome track record for a few years. The singer on this song isn't in the band anymore but the singer they have now is better. Some of the song writing has changed but they are still a great band although their last few records haven't been that great.

My favorite Evergrey album is Recreation Day. Its great all the way through. That album reminds me of Dream Theater but heavier.

Like TOHO said 69 Eyes albums get better and better. This song just gets stuck in your head and even though it basically repeats the same lyrics over its a really catchy song.

I never thought I would like Shiny Toy Guns but I got that Major Tom song stuck in my head so I set out to get their albums. I came to really like their stuff. I think I like the second album a little better. Its a little more rock but this song is from their first album. Its just as good but some things are a little too poppy for me.

The Church my friend got me into. I never owned any of their albums and I decided to go to one of their shows which was an all acoustic show. The place had about 20-25 show up but they still played and I really enjoyed it so I've been hooked ever since. All of their albums are different. I don't like every song but they are a good but and a lot different from other stuff that I do listen to.

Chuck Mosley finally made a great cd since he left FNM. If he makes another album I hope its as good as this one.

That Lake Of Tears song is what got me into the band. The rest of their stuff especially the newer stuff doesnt even sound like this song which I probably should have put on the compilation instead but I always liked this song so figured what the hell.

Wow! You don't like Jon Oliva?! He was the one singing on the Avantasia song. I love that song.

Grave Digger is something you really have to get used to. He's not the greatest vocalist but its his band so you just have to deal with it haha. They are one of my favorite bands.

I agree with you on Shadows Fall. Their music is awesome, but the vocals bother me too. I hate the yelling ones and the clean vocals are great. I think with the newer album they did a way with a lot of the yelling. Their music is just that good i can get past it which is tough for me sometimes.

Phoenix Reign Drummer wrote:

Wow! You don't like Jon Oliva?! He was the one singing on the Avantasia song. I love that song.

REALLY!!! That was Jon Oliva singing?!?!?! WOW! You really got me on that one .....I love early Savatage. I could listen to Sirens all day as it was my first Savatage cassette(long ago upgraded to cd) and still one of my favorite albums.

Maybe I did hear the Misfits in my youth.... I can't remember through all the haze(those were the party daze after all ).......... never owned anything by them... That I do know.

Yeah, Lynam and 69 Eyes caught me by suprise.... in a good way.

What's funny is that I can't stand Def Leppard past Pyromania, but when I hear other bands use that BIG CHORUS thing of theirs it doesn't bother me... weird.

Yea that was Jon Oliva his voice is kind of distinct from anyone elses I thought.

Def Leppard is another story. Those bands took what good Def Leppard did and made it better when they dropped the ball.

The last disc of Sideshow's comps will get a review w/in the next 24 hours. I was burned out after reviewing the 2nd one and called it quits. After some sleep and when I'm done with mowing the lawn in the morning, I will see about getting to it.

Maskim-House Of Trial: Here we have some thrash with some vocals that resembles Jimmy Brown in style. This works for me and the music is almost as good as Deliverance. The guitar solo is magnificant and not your typical thrash solo. 4.5/5

Omen-Vampir Varos: Name sounds familiar but it's not, this band is Hungarian. This time we have power metal which is a welcome break. This doesn't even border thrash, just pure true power. Best song so far on this disc. 5/5

Vio-lence-Liquid Courage: Back to thrash but that is not a complaint because this is some good thrash, albeit not very unique. The vocals are shouted without much melody but aren't as annoying as most in this style. 4/5

Enviromental Hazzard-Chivalry Infection: This is power metal with thrash tendencies and pretty decent. The vocals are mostly growled with little melody but not overly annoying. The guitar work in this is a highlight and gives it a highler rating than it would have gotten. 4/5

Havoc Mass-Scared For Life: This thrash band has vocals similar to early Sepultura and could be considered borderline death. The guitar solos are also Sepultura-like. Despite not having much melody this is some awesome brutal thrash and gets a fairly high rating. 4.5/5

Invocator-The Persistence From Memorial Chasm: This is some death leaning thrash with growled vocals (not deep and gutteral though). This is the style of thrash that gets monotonous but is good for an occasional listen. 3.5/5

Crayon Death-Gridlock: Leave it up to an American band for a name like this. Most noticalbe is the vocals on this one. The guy is a bass vocalist which actually sings. Vocals like this are more prevailiant (sic) with goth bands but not in thrash. Unusual but works and me likey. The guitar solo is done nicely and gets the nod as the best solo so far. 5/5

SFH-Just An Hour Ago: Another non-thrash band and is also not power. This is closer to classic metal but not vocal-wise. The vocals are harsh but melodic and the guitar solo is great but not the best. This takes the title of best song so far on this disc. 5/5

Mortal Sin-I Am Immortal: This is back to the genre of choice for Sideshow but this is the kind I like, the kind with melodic vocals. Nice guitar solos here as well. 5/5

Mottek-Bury Your Remorse: This thrash band starts off well and now we seem to have another good song in a long line. The vocals hit and my first impression sicks. The vocals are harsh and shouted but lined with some melody and somewhat similar to Chuck Billy (without the growls). Not a 5 star song but close. 4.5/5

Panic-Hypochondriac: Again good thrash with a semi-melodic vocals that are sung and yelled at the same time. I really like the song here and it reminds me of Joey era Anthrax with high class guitar melodies. 5/5

D.A.M.-Man Of Violence: This time the vocals are almost completly clean with only tinges of harshness. Another in a long line of great songs and is probably the best thrash song of at least this disc if not all three. 5/5

Catalepsy-Hot Dog And Beercanhill: Leave it to a German band for a song title like this and thrash that is done nicely. The vocals are harsh but semi-melodic and measure up to my standards. Germany knows it's metal and these guys are no exception. 5/5

Crash-The Addiction Conspiracy: This time the vocals are not melodic and semi-growled but are actually not annoying (I know I don't seem very consitent when it comes to thrash vocals but I don't pretend to know it myself). Not a great song but better than average. 4/5

Brutality-These Walls Shall Be Your Grave: This ends the comps with old school death metal. Not very groundbreaking but good for what it is. Despite that, death metal like this is a dime a dozen and gets monotonous for me after a while (nice guitar solos though). Reading some reviews of the album this is from and I may have to hear more of these guys before drawing any final thoughts on this band but right now all I have is one song to base my opinion off of. 3.5/5

I must thank Sideshow for making this almost completely thrash because done properly thrash is one of my favorite genres. The problem is too many thrash bands these days sound alike and have very little variety and there are so many great old-school bands that got lost in the shuffle (many even Ult doesn't know about). Also so many thrash bands have vocals devoid of melody, a quality I prefer over all others. This gives me some guidence to be able to sift the gold from the dirt.

Glad you liked the disc, MG71!! Im going to review disc 2 from you soon-ish....

Thanks again Kurt. Speaking of reviews, here's Part 2 of 3...

Disc 2 - Melodic Metal from Kmorg

1. I.N.V.U. - Pretty Maids
I Envy You. Clever. Not a bad song to kick off what will be some melodic metal and/or hard rock. Not my favorite genre, but there are some good groups out there. Now for the Pretty Maids. Honestly, I never gave these guys much of a chance based on their name alone. And I probably still won't. Again, a nice rockin' tune, but it's not turning me into a super-fan.

2. Intuition - TNT
Oh TNT. Not at all what I expected from a band with a name associated with the AC/DC tune. I purchased the Intuition album as a blind buy at a Goodwill shop expecting some 3-chord, meat & potatoes rock n' roll. What I got was melodic AOR sappy cheese. I traded that disc to Spec for five minutes alone in a closet with his Debbie Gibson collection and a bottle of lotion.

3. Gethsemane - Conception
Eh, not bad, but more keyboard-oriented than I like. Well done prog-rock, but I can be picky with my prog-rock choices and nothing about this tune sticks out as exceptional.

4. Calling for You - Desperado
Desperado? That name sounded familiar. I immediatly recognized Dee Snider's voice when this tune came on, then I began to think I knew the song even though I don't own any Desperado. Turns out, this track also appears on Dee's Widowmaker debut album. It's not a bad ballad and it's pretty catchy, but it seems a little out of place on the Widowmaker album, which if I understand correctly was supposed to be heavier & dirtier than Dee's Twisted material. I don't know how well it fits in with the rest of the Desperado album. Good song nonetheless. Dee knows how to write a good ballad without it being sappy.

5.We Rule - Fifth Angel
These guys actually get some airplay on sattellite radio, which is where I first heard of them. I was familair with this song and 2 or 3 others and have tried to get their discs a few times on ebay, only to be outbid. I like the little I've heard from them though and would like to hear more.

6. Taking My Breath Away - Icon
I've read that these guys were another one of those lost-gems-shoulda-been-huge-80's bands, but I'm just not hearing it with this song. Sounds like typical 80s slickly produced pop metal to me. No that there is anything wrong with that.

7. Passion Departed - Kingdom Come
I remember these guys from back in the day and more or less dismissed them as a generic Zep clone. I don't know if this is an old tune or something newer, but it's pretty good. I don't know that it's gonna make me a fan, but not bad.

8. Forever Yours - Jorn
Heard of the man, but never heard him sing. The guys got talent in spades for sure, but I'm just not a fan of his brand of European power metal. Perhaps this was not the right track to hear too. Maybe something with more gusto behind it would have fared better than another ballady-type tune. I know he put out a covers album and the recent DIO tribute album. Maybe something from there woulda sparked my interest more. Oh well, no harm. Moving on.

9. Late for the Party - Steelheart
'Late for the Party' pretty much sums up Steelheart's career. They were just a year or 2 too late to make an impact on a populace that was turing in their acid-wash jeans for flannel shirts. Too bad because that lead singer really has some pipes on him. I had a Steelheart disc for a short time, but sold it off. There was a time when I probably woulda been all over this, but nowadays, it just seems dated to me.

10. Faith In Fire - Line of Fire
Marking a 2nd HoM alumnus that makes music, Line of Fire features our very own Shawn of Fire on lead vocals. Sounding sorta like Arnel Pineda ( ) of Journey, this stuff is a little too AOR for my tastes. I like Mr. of Fire better in Oracle. Good positive, uplifting tune, just not my cuppa java.

11. Questions (It's About Time) - Mastedon
Never heard these guys...nice harmonies.

12. Fools Never Die - Nocturnal Rites
Wow, this is not what I expected from Nocturnal Rites. I thought they were a melodic death band? This sounds more like epic prog/power metal.

13. Lift - Paul Stanley
I had a promo copy of Paul's last solo album (which I'm assuming this tune is from), but I never took the wrapper off and sold it. I'm just not that big of a fan of KISS or their individual projects with one notable exception. Another decent enough tune, but if I'm listening to any KISS solo material, it better have Ace's name on it. In the words of Ult " Ace rules!!"

14. Drums of War - TinDrum
Bitchin' song title that unfortunately doesn't hold up once the music starts. This tune needs some more tribal sounding drums and perhaps a big drum solo in the middle to angry up the blood. Instead we get "Ohhhhhhhhhh ohhhhhhhhhhh oooooooooohhhhhhhhh, the drums of war". Too nice and polished for a song that has "WAR" in it's title.

15. Do You Still Belive In Love - Rage of Angels
I just sold off their disc not that long ago. Good song, good band, but just didn't garner many spins from me.

16. Do You Wanna Taste It - WigWam
I hear these guys being thrown around alot as part of the new wave of Swedish/Norwegian glam scene that's been hot lately. Very Queen-like harmonies going on there. I'm kinda digging this tune. Not sure if I wanna hear more, but it might grow on me. I might be investigating further, along with some of these other new-ish glam bands, like Hardcore Superstar.

Well, Disc Numero 2 didn't fare as well as that first one. Sorry Kurt. Aside from Fifth Angel and Desperado, I don't see tracking down much of this. Well, maybe the Jorn cover album too. It's a pleasant enough listen, but the melodic stuff just doesn't keep my interest. I like my metal more down n' dirty. Most of this stuff is too polished for me which is why a few of the discs I had were eventually sold or traded away. They were collecting dust while the Motorhead played loud n' proud. Stay tuned for next week's episode in this triolgy of Kmorg's 3-disc Metal Onslaught Review.

MetalGuy71 wrote:

16. Do You Wanna Taste It - WigWam
I hear these guys being thrown around alot as part of the new wave of Swedish/Norwegian glam scene that's been hot lately. Very Queen-like harmonies going on there. I'm kinda digging this tune. Not sure if I wanna hear more, but it might grow on me. I might be investigating further, along with some of these other new-ish glam bands, like Hardcore Superstar.

The whole album is great - not one filler song. I would highly recommend it!

exact33 wrote:

MetalGuy71 wrote:

16. Do You Wanna Taste It - WigWam
I hear these guys being thrown around alot as part of the new wave of Swedish/Norwegian glam scene that's been hot lately. Very Queen-like harmonies going on there. I'm kinda digging this tune. Not sure if I wanna hear more, but it might grow on me. I might be investigating further, along with some of these other new-ish glam bands, like Hardcore Superstar.

The whole album is great - not one filler song. I would highly recommend it!

Same here but WigWam is quite a bit different from Hardcore Superstar IMO. WW is more in the category of Pyro-era Def Leppard while HS is more like metalized glam. HS is heavier IMO (at least their newer releases are; the older ones are punkier.)

MetalGuy71 wrote:

12. Fools Never Die - Nocturnal Rites
Wow, this is not what I expected from Nocturnal Rites. I thought they were a melodic death band?

I thought the same thing, but I kinda like them.

chewie wrote:

MetalGuy71 wrote:

12. Fools Never Die - Nocturnal Rites
Wow, this is not what I expected from Nocturnal Rites. I thought they were a melodic death band?

I thought the same thing, but I kinda like them.

Apparently they were death metal way, way early in the career, then turned to more melodic/power metal. So know we know.

My favorite Nocturnal Rites disc is The 8th Sin.

MetalGuy71 wrote:

chewie wrote:

MetalGuy71 wrote:

12. Fools Never Die - Nocturnal Rites
Wow, this is not what I expected from Nocturnal Rites. I thought they were a melodic death band?

I thought the same thing, but I kinda like them.

Apparently they were death metal way, way early in the career, then turned to more melodic/power metal. So know we know.

They never released anything as a death metal band, and they keep getting more and more melodic with each release.

The 3rd and final review of Kmorg's Metal Onslaught. Enjoy!

1. Spirit - Dionysus
This ain't bad. It reminds me a little of Pink Cream 69 for some reason. Probably the vocals. Heavy metal? Hmmm, how about nice melodic hard rock? This song anyway. Maybe the rest of their stuff is heavier? Not bad though. I could listen to more of this if I'm in the right mood.

2. United - Dream Evil
A little Manowar-ish, death to posers, raise your fists for true metal, yadda, yadda, yadda cheesy goodness. Decent enough, but a whole album of this sort of posturing might get old for me. Just like fast-food, fine in small doses, but a whole diet consisting of it will have me running for the crapper.

3. Before I Hang - Jon Olivia's Pain
Being a somewhat casual fan of Savatage, I don't get too caught up in any of the many, many offshoots from that band, aside from Trans-Siberian Orchestra. Not a bad tune though. Jon's voice sounds strained at times. I think that's the first time I've actually heard something from this band project.

4. Wastelands - Avantasia
While this is a rocking song, overall I'm not a fan of this Edguy side-project. I briefly owned The Scarecrow and it was far too operatic for me. It was like Andrew Lloyd Webber trying to play metal. I'll stick to Edguy for my power metal fixes.

5. Nosferatu - Bloodbound
Their look doesn't match the music for one thing. The corpse paint & black make-up make them look like a Dimmu Borgir tribute band. Otherwise, it's a decent enough galloping power metal tune.

6. Death or Glory - Malice
Cool traditional metal tune. Sounds a little like Lizzy Borden in the vocal department. I can dig that. Been meaning to pick up something from these guys for awhile now. Looking on-line, it would appear that Wounded Bird Records has re-released some of their material, bringing it down into my price-range. Sweet.

7. They Only Come Out At Night - Lordi
I dismissed these guys because of the gimmicky costumes, sort of a GWAR-lite. But I'm actually kinda digging this song and the new one I've heard. Is that Udo I hear sharing vocal duties on this track? That's some serious metal cred right there. I may need to check out these guys a little more in depth.

8. Death of Jane Doe - Triosphere
Power/progressive metal with a female singer. Pretty good. I'm generally not a big fan of female vocals in my metal, but it works pretty well here. She's not trying to be a sexy Lita Ford, pretentious opera singer or death metal growler. Just strong melodic vocals.

9. Grand Materia - Morgana Lefay
This sounds like Savatage to my ears. I guess depending on your opinion of Savatage, this can be a good thing or a bad thing. I'm somewhere in the middle I guess.

10. Blessed Are The Strong - Malteze
Another female-fronted metal band. I think I dig this one slightly more that that Triospehere tune. This is a little more gritty. Never heard of this band or the singer. Shame, cause based on this one tune, she should be right up there with your Lita's, Doro's and any other 80's metal female singers.

11. Into the Night - Trampled Underfoot
Taking their name from a Zeppelin song, I expected a Zep-sound here. Not the case. Another one that sounds like Savatage to my ears. I think it's the vocals and keyboards. According to Kmorg's website, our very own Shawn of Fire did some time in this band as the part time (?) vocalist. I don't think it's him on this track though. Sounds more gruff than the sexy silky-smooth vocals we usually get from Shawn.

12. Reign of Terror - Rhapsody of Fire
These guys are just one in a long list of flowery European power metal that I just can't get into anymore. Yes, they are very talented and good at what they do, but it's just not cup of tea. The keyboards, choirs of vocalists and double-bass drumming that moves things along at break-neck speed. It's all too much. I'm listening this wearing headphones and I'm half expecting Dracula or the Phantom of the Opera to sneak up and goose me from behind.

13. Wings of Fate - Nitefall
At first glance, I confused the name Nitefall with Nightwish and the goth opera chick singer. Thankfully this is not the case. This is some cool heavy metal. The main riff sounds a little like a 'Twist of Cain' by Danzig. Looks like these guys were an 80's metal/doom band that never went anywhere. Some demos and whatnot were assembled and put out by our good friends at Stormspell Records in '09. I might have to check that out. Sounds pretty good to me.

14. Future World - Screamer
This one I've heard before. I have the album Target: Earth from Screamer where this is from. Sounding somewhat like older Queensryche when they were still doing the progressive metal thang. It is NOT a cover of the Helloween song with the same title. Good stuff nonetheless. I'll need to pull this whole album out again.

15. If Tomorrow's Gone - Gardenian
Melodic death metal. The melodic part I dig. The death metal part, not so much. But the clean vocals are more dominant than the growling (on this track anyway) so it's not too bad. There are some bands that I listen too that can pull off the dual vocalists pretty well (Into Eternity, Shadows Fall both come to mind). I'd have to hear a little more of the entire album to make up my mind on these guys, but based on this one song, it's pretty cool.

16. Lost Reflections - Crimson Glory
Another band that I need to get more from. I only have Strange & Beautiful from these guys, which I understand isn't quite up-to-snuff as their older material, represented here. This song has a slow, creepy, slightly King Diamond-like sound to it that builds and builds to a climax than back down to slow & melancholy. Me likes.

17. Outro - Griffin
This is just some weird jack-in-the-box sounding short instrumental to finish out the album. It gives me no clue as to what these boys normally sound like. Unless of course, all of their tunes feature jack-in-the-box music. Maybe. That would certainly make them unique. Kmorg says they play classic heavy metal. Apparently they are the 'Norwegian' Griffin, not to be confused with the US band of the same name. And no known relation to Merv.

Disc 3 in this hattrick of metal did ok. There was some definate potential in some of the bands I heard on here. A coupla got added to my want-list to keep an eye out for. Nice job, Kurt. Thanks for the new music.

Reviews WILL be done this weekend of DB's comps. I've been so busy lately, just haven't managed to do it.

Thanks for the reviews, MG71!! It would seem that this little project did well, as you liked some, and some not. That is the way it should be.

I know I am late in doing disc 2 you sent me, and wil try to remedy asap. Life is just a ittle hectic these days

Hey JState - where are the rest of my reviews????

SideShowDisaSter wrote:

Reviews WILL be done this weekend of DB's comps. I've been so busy lately, just haven't managed to do it.

Whatever. VB and wallaby sandwiches do not make a man "busy".

Saxy compilation round 2

This one features a load of jap bands, and quite a few ive never heard before..


1. OUTRAGE "bring him back"--mid paced thrash metal from a ultra early thrash band...1983. Sounds similar to Megadeth in the vocals sometimes, pretty rad song, one of the bands I had heard of before.

2. YELLOW MACHINEGUN "french toast"--Hardcore featuring 3 girls, I love it!!! Great song title! Great album title! MIX THE EGG AND MILK.....IT TASTES VERY GOOD!!!!!!!!!

3. UNITED "combat!"--Killer thrash band, I dont know how many times I've lost auctions for bloody but unbowed, Unfortunately these dudes got really shitty later...they play a metalcore type thing now I think.

4. AION "anguished heroes"--REALLY cool power metal/thrash! I think the vocalist is a chick and is kinda hot, hard to to tell though...otherwise I may be ga-hey.

5. EARTHSHAKER "T-O-K-Y-O"--kind of a commerical-ish tradional metal, I really like this song, the keyboards accent their sound nicely I think.

6.FASTDRAW "dancin' in the darkness"--more traditional metal, great riffs. lyrics are in japanese until the chorus...I like it.

7. GARLIC BOYS "master of naked"--hahaha...love the title, speedy thrash that makes me want to walk the streets of portland in denim and leather with a gallon water container filled with PCP.

8. JURASSIC JADE "divided power, reverse"--Jurassic jade is one of my fav jap thrash bands..I love their Gore album. Maybe a little crossover-ish.

9. SHELLSHOCK "danger zone"--Very NWOBHM influenced thrash, another band that could have been considered first wave almost. According to metal archives they formed in 1984. I like it!

10. LAUGHIN' NOSE "song for USA"--japanese punk, I like this. SONNNNNGGGGG FOR USAAAA. Japanese language is so beautiful to listen to. Favorate track on the comp

11. LOUDNESS "angel dust"--tradional metal, classic loudness. Great track off devil soldier record! Fav loudness album is either this one or thunder in the east. Rippin song, the leads are phenomenal.

12. SEIKIMA-II "guns n butter"-- I remember you mentioning this band before, but I never looked too much into em, I remember them being kinda wacky. Pretty good, for some reason seikima II fashion reminds me of a japanese 90's kiss. I like em, apparently their frontman is also a journalist and sumo wrestler.

13.TOKYO YANKEES "dive into field"--Really great nasty sounding vocalist! Good track.

14. DEAD END "phantom nation"--kind of a classic metal sound, lyrics in japanese again...I love that. Nothing else really sticks out about em. The opening riffs sound like im entering like draculas castle.

15. DEVILS "bad cool johhny"--couldnt find much informations on this band, pretty rad metal kind of blues rockabillyish influenced riffs to my ears. I dig it...cool motor cycle effects at the start.

16. TERROR SQUAD "disco bloody disco"--Another one of my thrash favs from the far east. Pretty vicious sounding thrash, Great song title!

17.PULLNG TEETH "pulling is my business...and business is good"--Teeth sells...but whos pulling? really groovy sounding thrash.

18. SALAMANDER "show me your power"--hard to look up much on these dudes, they are cool though, power metal sound, this track is a live song I think.

19. ASBESTOS "no nukes, no war, no violence"--Raging track! really fast, simple chorus but a kick ass song.

20. SEX MACHINEGUNS "high speed samurai"--Really rad, catchy I dig it, its like a speed metal sound. According to metal archives their lyric matter is "Love, Culture, Food, Masturbation" My second favorate track on the comp.

21.TERROR FECTOR "betrays world"--Great thrash for coming out when thrash was out. I think their everlasting hell damnation record came out in 1994 or 1995. Sounds badass, sort of sepultura esque maybe.



Killer comp bro! cant wait to hear what ya think of the stuff I put on yours.

UNCLE SAXON wrote:

SideShowDisaSter wrote:

Reviews WILL be done this weekend of DB's comps. I've been so busy lately, just haven't managed to do it.

Whatever. VB and wallaby sandwiches do not make a man "busy".

The Kangaroo sandwiches are fine, but I'll be damned if I'm drinking VB! Give me some Carlton Draught or Pure Blonde any day! Speaking of which....it's Friday for me, and I did work hard all week.....I think I'll get drunk tonight....

Finally.... Second disc from MG71... this time it's METAL!!

1. Dominance - Resurrected

I actually have the CD this is from. This is some seriously underrated thrash metal that I am sure more poeple here need to hear! Very Anthrax influenced, and with some slight hardcore leanings, but still they stand just fine on teir own 2 feet. Def. a highlight song on this comp, so we're off to a solid start!

2. Early Man - Sinking The Blade

I tend to overlook so many of the newer bands popping up these days, and blow them off as something for the younger crowd (I'm getting old and grumpy, I know). Early Man is har to categorize, but if black Sabbath chose to play thrash metal, I think they would sound like this! OK song.

3. Priestess - Lady Killer

Wow, this is a real gem. Totally '80's metal, the powerful way! Guess I really need to pay more attention to newer bands now! This is awesome. I see them labeled as stoner rock, but this song is nothin' but old school metal to me. Another highlight, and probably my favorite here.

4. Flotsam & Jetsam - Dig Me Up To Bury Me

I need more F&J, I know. They just seem to fail impressing me as much as I had hoped. This is a really cool song, and enjoy their thrash metal as much as anything else on this comp. but when the song is over, I've already forgotten about it!

5. Forbidden - Twisted Into Form

I own this one too! lol Yeah, my website is lacking. This is awesome, slightly technical thrash metal from the Bay Area, done right! Forbidden should have been as big as Testament and Overkill!

6. Havok - Morbid Symmetry

Heard about this band, but due to me being a bit exhausted with the whole new thrash wave, I've not bothered to check this band out yet. According to this track, I'm missing out! This is more retro sounding for the right reasons! I like this one! Godd production, great playing, and catchy songwriting!

7. Solitude - Poisoned Population

Another overlooked thrash metal band, this time from the late era of the first wave, as thwir only album came out in 1994. This is a great track. There are so many unsung heroes of this genre, and Solitude appears to be one of them!

8. MD.45 - Day The Music Died

I used to own this...... Not Dave's best work.... by far. More punk, less thrash when compared to Megadeth. Just not as great as one could have hoped for. This is a good song though.

9. Hexen - Chaos Aggressor

More retro-thrash from the new wave. Starts of with an acounstic guitar-intro then builds up in intensity, turning into a full blown thrash metal attack. Hexen appear to be proficient musicians, and the guitar work sets them apart from the hordes of new thrash acts. But I am not sure that is enough. The more I listen to it though, the more I like it!

10. Hatchet - Frozen Hell

Even more new wave thrash (I see a pattern here). This is more speed for speed sake in my ears. One could also argue that this is more speed metal than thrash, but that's a digression. I'm afraid Hatched will drown a bit on this comp.

11. Gama Bomb - In The Court Of General Zod

Guess what: I am lacking in the new thrash metal wave! department. So MG71 is doin' a great job educating me Another band I know about, but have yet to familiarize myself with. Anthrax meets Nuclear Asaluit with a pinch of S.O.D.? Infectious track that demands a mosh pit!

12. Marty Friedman - Anvils

I usually don't care for instrumental albums, but 1 song here and there can be cool. And this song is really good! Instrumental thrash shredding! Don't know if I could take an entire album worth though.

13. Negligence - Bay Arena

Oh boy, do these guys live up to the title of this song! Totally old school bay area thrash metal, recorded in 2007! This was really great!! This is an ode to the genre, musically and lyrically.

14. Skyliner - Sumphony In Black

I own this too! lol Our very own OCI is in this band. The song is a blend of everything OCI finds good in metal, so it's progressive, moody power/thrash! A really good song that you can learn more about on my website

15. Black Tide - Shockwave

This is the band with young men still in diapers, right? Well, come back when they are housebroken. lol Seriously though, this song does nothing for me. It should have the title of the next song:

16. Death Angel - Bored

Another band severly lacking in my collection. I have one of their albums, "Act III" I think. Can't say this track is urging me to dig this disc up though. Props for being one of the original bands of their scene, but that's about it for me.

17. Sebastian Bach - American Metalhead

I think I own this one too. From his 'Angel Down album', right? I listened to it once, and then put it in the big box of stuff to listen to later... That box holds over 500 titles now, I think Seb is a great singer, but he needs a band to front.

18. Anvil - March of the Crabs

I have no idea why I never got into this band during the '80's. Pre-thrash! This song is awesome!

19. Heavy Metal - Ugly Kid Joe

They play "Cats In The Cradle" every day on radio here, and that is enough for me to HATE this band! Glad this was only a goofy ending to the CD

Another cool comp from MetalGuy, and a couple of bands I will check out further!

Glad you enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed putting it together.

Quote :

3. Priestess - Lady Killer

Wow, this is a real gem. Totally '80's metal, the powerful way! Guess I really need to pay more attention to newer bands now! This is awesome. I see them labeled as stoner rock, but this song is nothin' but old school metal to me. Another highlight, and probably my favorite here.

These guys could be lumped in with The Sword in the sense that they incorporate elements of speed, thrash, stoner, doom, 80's metal and the kitchen sink into their music, yet come out with something original. I saw these guys open up for High on Fire and they just tore it up. Prior to the Fire is gonna be tops on the list for my Best of 2010.