Swap-A-Comp - The Reviews!

Man, I feel like an ass. I set this up, and I'm the last to get reviews done! Well, here is Disc 1 from DB (Disc 2 review will go up later today):

1. Amorphis - The Gathering
We start of DB's comps with some Amorphis. This is from their doom / death debut album The Karelian Isthumus. Being a fan of death metal, this is a fairly nice start! I personally care NOTHING for the bands later foray into progressive, experimental music. THIS is the kind of music they should have stayed with, in my opinion. Mostly mid-paced, though the band ramp the speed up on a few occasions. NICE start!

2. Amorphis - The Pilgrimage
Song two is from the same album as the first tune. I love the tempo changes! Mid-paced and crushing one second, almost a thrash polka next, and then some vicious blast beats! The keys thrown in weren't too distracting (not a big fan of keyboards). Overall, another really nice tune!

3. Antithesis - Deceiver Within
This is a band I've been meaning to hear for quite some time. Never got around to it, though I've heard 'em described as power / thrash. Ah well, no time like the present! This and the next track are from the band's Dying For Life album. We start with a some mid-paced bass and drum. The guitar comes in with a nice, catchy riff. Once the meat of the song is reached, it's a fairly heavy mid-paced crunch. The singer reminds me oh Phil Rind from Sacred Reich a bit. A few little technical flashes thrown in. The song is a bit....schizophrenic.... Seems like they are trying to do too much all at once. Not a bad song, but not what I was expecting.

4. Antithesis - Politicide
This one starts off with some very good bass guitar playing! Dude is GOOD! We then jump into a nice heavy, crunchy riff and goes right into some groovy mid-paced stomp! The riffs get slightly more technical and sweeping as the song goes. The song is better constructed than the last one, IMO. I enjoy the solo quite a bit. I've always preferred guitarists that match the solo to the song, instead of using the song as an excuse to shred.

5. Aska - Legion
Must say I'm not familiar with this band at all. I've seen the name here and there, but never looked into them. Almost a Maiden-like vibe to the riff when the song first starts! What we get here is old-school, no frills heavy metal. Shouldn't be surprised, really, as checking into them reveals members of Omen here! Not a bad tune, really. A bit....generic....but enjoyable, nonetheless. Slight melodic influence is present.

6. Aska - Vowbreaker
This track is from the same album as the preceeding one. Same as the last tune, there is an almost Maiden-like "bounce" to the riffs. Also like the last tune, it's a tad generic. It just seems to me that the music overall lacks some....umph! Maybe a heavier production would have helped. Still, not bad for a listen or two.

7. Bonded By Blood - Immortal Life
NOW we're getting into my bread and butter! Bonded By Blood are one of the many new bands playing retro-thrash and wear their influences on their sleaves (how could they not, seeing as they are named after the legendary Exodus album!!). Puts a HUGE smile on my face! Full-throttle thrash metal, baby!! The lead guitarist does a VERY nice job. I think my only knock would be the song is a touch to long. The riffs just aren't QUITE strong enough to have been stretched out to 4+ mintues. Should have cut it down to 3 minutes tops.

8. Bonded By Blood - Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
Ok, yah, it's goofy as can be....but damn if I didn't laugh! A crossover-laced little ditty based off the popular (when I was kid, anyway) cartoon. Only about a minute long, so it doesn't overstay it's welcome. Not bad for a one-off.

9. Hatchet - Frozen Hell
We're hit with yet another band going the retro-thrash route. Hatchet seem to have a bit more speed metal influence in their sound, as this track isn't as abrasive as the Bonded By Blood tune. I really like this tune, as it mixes the speed up a bit. I've KNOWN about these bands, but with my obsession focused on rebuilding my collection, I end up buying mostly out-of-print albums and overlooking the new legions. I'll have to fix that at some point, as this is good stuff!!

10. Hatchet - The Dead Will March
This track starts of with a crushing riff, and has a bit more menace than the previous tune. Though not full-throttle, the tempo still gets upped a bit at nearly the minute mark. I like the rapid-fire vocal approach here! Hatchet seem to be a band that is attempting to build their own sound, instead of hammering out retro-thrash for it's own sake. I can appreciate this!!

11. Inhuman - Sinister
I've heard of this band, as I do enjoy some hardcore, but never really checked them out. I'm reminded slightly of Hatebreed and Sworn Enemy, as like both bands this is metal-laced Hardcore. We get the shouted vocals, the chugging riffs, and the pure anger. Not bad, but I was hoping for a bit more speed...

12. Inhuman - Darker Than You Think
Now THIS is more like it! After a crushing riff intro, we're off and running! The vocals are actually a bit clean through the verse, which was something of a surprise. No solos, which isn't a surprise. Not a bad tune!

13. Cage - Hell Destroyer
Have been curious about this band for a while now, but never got off my ass to check 'em out. This tune comes in with a Halford-esque vocalist, ripping out the falsetto screams. I kinda have to smile when I hear bands playing songs that are Painkiller influenced (seeing as that is probably one of the best speed metal albums EVER!!!). I like the guitar work and the solos, quite a bit. The vocalist, though, is the highlight!! Man, he's got some lungs AND some range!

14. Cage - Christhammer
This one opens with a choir-like vocal sound. A few seconds of that, and we're off and running again! Damn, but I can't get enough of this vocalist!! Much like the first tune, we get power / speed metal that sounds mightily influenced by Painkiller era Priest. Good stuff! I'll have to add this to my list of stuff to grab after my colletion is back up to snuff.

15. Mantic Ritual - One By One
I seem to remember Ult giving this retro-thrash outfit some love when they were under the name Meltdown. Change of name, and we get the debut re-released by the mighty Nuclear Blast Records. What we have is full-speed-ahead old-school thrash metal! I'm reminded a bit of early Sacred Reich for some reason... Yah, this ain't original, but that isn't the damn point!! I enjoyed this one quite a bit!

16. Mantic Ritual - Death And Destruction
This tune is more mid-paced than the one before it. Long live the Bay Area sound!!! haha Anyway, we get a big-time thrash break right smack in the middle of the tune. Some nice bit of shredding over the top of it! Man I love this stuff!!!

17. Twisted Tower Dire - To Be A Champion
I know a little of this band, but not much. I found their debut album years ago for cheap, but it wasn't really my thing so I traded it away. This one sounds a lot better! Maybe it's just that the band are more confident after a few releases? Kinda of worships at the Helloween - Keepers altar, but that's not necessarily a bad thing! Though I'm not rushing out to buy this, it's still enjoyable nonetheless!

Glad to see another fan of Hatchet. They don't seem to get as much love or recognition as some of the contemporaries, but they're just as good in the retro-thrash field. Although I think they lost their lead singer, so who knows what their future holds.

So far so good, some tracks didn't intrest you but nothing bad was said about any of the songs. Most of my past comps had some songs that were torn apart by the reviewer, glad to see I didn't stink up the first disc.