The Fat Freddy Review Column

Yeah, I liked what I've heard from this "band". I didn't even realize there was no bass player.

They need a serious name change though. Something like Tina Tattoo.

Bug Girl has got me curious, I am definitley going to check 'em out

manny wrote:

Bug Girl has got me curious, I am definitley going to check 'em out

X 2!!!!!

OMEGA CROM – BLOOD, STEEL & FIRE (C+)
Reversed Records, 2010
9 Tracks, RT: 44:15
[ http://www.omegacrom.com ]
[ http://www.myspace.com/omegacrom ]
>>
These youthful Canucks are so metal that their joints probably squeak when they walk. BLOOD, STEEL & FIRE, the self-released debut from Vancouver based Omega Crom, is a whirlwind of old school, high speed thrash riffage, impressive drum abuse, and lyrical tales of warfare and destruction, all wrapped up in a cool cover painting featuring a blood covered, axe wielding Conan the Barbarian type. Not too shabby for a first effort, I suppose. They call their style “Ripping Metal” and describe their sound as “Judas Priest on Steroids” on their MySpace, but does Omega Crom live up to their press hype? Well…almost. Drawing inspirations from both the thrash/death metal and prog realms, Omega Crom can certainly play. The guitar team of Johnny Ketlo (who also handles lead vocals) and Wayne Holden are an impressive pair of shredders and they’re the true stars of this band, laying down walls of twisting, razor-wired riffing on every track, while Dan Lapierre backs them up with some suitably intense drum devastation. Omega Crom can whip up one hell of a thrash storm (as on the stand out track “Passing of Azazel”), and then slow things down (see the opening of the epic last track, “Metal Devastation”) without losing an ounce of intensity, but unfortunately (for me at least) the band falls short in the vocal department. One second Kelto’s screeching out lyrics in a high pitched falsetto, then suddenly he switches to a death style “BLURRRRRRRGH!” and then shoots right back up again, up, down, up, down, throughout the entire disc. After a while it’s like listening to a sonic yo-yo. These guys should either draft a full time vocalist so Ketlo can stick to guitar (where his strengths truly lie), or he should simply pick one vocal style and stay with it. BLOOD, STEEL & FIRE sounded pretty damn good on the first spin but on subsequent plays the vocal schizophrenia began to grate on me. Still, BLOOD, STEEL & FIRE is not a bad “rookie card” release from a young band who have got the musical goods. If they could narrow their focus a little and quit trying to be all things to all metal people, they could be a band to watch come their next release.

Nice reviews!!!

Dang, been a while since I wrote any new reviews... been slackin'... but I'm getting back into the groove... here are two of what should be quite a few more over the next coupla weeks.

MY SILENT WAKE/THE DROWNING – BLACK LIGHTS & SILENT ROADS (C)
Bombworks Records, 2010
8 Tracks, RT: 73:15

Doom, Dooom…DOOOOOOOOOM…yawn. I’ve been known to dig a bit of Doom Metal here and there but this split release featuring a pair of British doom/death heavyweights was a chore to get through. Both bands were unfamiliar to me before receiving BLACK LIGHTS & SILENT ROADS, though I’d at least heard of My Silent Wake, who are known mainly in the Christian metal underground since MSW mainman Ian Arkley has also been a member of such cult Christian bands as Seventh Angel and Ashen Mortality. The Drowning are an unknown quantity (at least to me) but judging from the liner notes inside the CD booklet, both bands are good friends and have shared numerous gigs together, which led to the idea for this split. Anyway, musically, both bands on this split sound quite similar and should be up your alley if you’re down with stuff like My Dying Bride, Paradise Lost, and the like, i.e. slow, epic, gothic drones with vocals that sound pained and tortured before breaking into occasional death growls during the heavy parts. (“Whine…whiiiiiiine….groooooaaaaan….WOOOOOARRRRRRGH!”). As for me, if I didn’t have the CD booklet in front of me, I wouldn’t have known where My Silent Wake’s half of this split ended and the Drowning’s half began. Honestly, the only song that jumped out at me was MSW’s final track, “Rebirth,” and that was only because it’s 23 and a half minutes long (!!) so by the midway point I was practically screaming “For cryin’ out loud, is this damn song over yet??” The Drowning are similarly long-winded on their first track, “The Doomsday Feire” (?), which clocks in at nearly eleven minutes. Is it a requirement in the doom/death scene to utterly challenge the patience of the listener or something? I hate to sound like a prick and I realize that I am simply showing my ignorance of this area of the metal scene with my uninformed commentary, so suffice to say that both sides of this split were simply not my cup of tea. To the bands, I say doom on, brothers, doom on… you’ll just have to do it without me.


DISAFFECTION – BEGIN THE REVOLUTION (B+) Bombworks Records, 2010
10 Tracks, RT: 36:38

Old School Thrash Metal is alive and well on this impressive debut full-length by a quintet of youthful Brazilians. BEGIN THE REVOLUTION is aptly titled, as these guys are all about bringing back the Glory Days, when Exodus, Slayer, Kreator, and Destruction ruled the scene. Kicking off with the sound of automatic gunfire, BEGIN THE REVOLUTION then gives way to the machine-gun riffing of “Metal Kombat,” and from then on it’s either leap into the pit or get outta the way as Disaffection proceeds to rattle yer goshdarn head! Leading the charge is vocalist Cleiton Magno (credited as “the Kaotic Vo-Kaos”), whose voice may be a bit of an acquired taste for some, as he’s a hyperactive blend of Paul (Exodus) Baloff’s yelp and Mille (Kreator) Petrozza’s snarl, while the guitar team of Paul Moraes and Daniel Neves are the band’s secret weapons, peeling off endless walls of riffs straight from the Hanneman/King playbook and laying down cover fire for bassist Helo (yes, just “Helo”) and drummer Francuar Silva. Judging by fast paced ditties like “”Stupid Ideas,” “Which One’s The Truth?” and “Blind Mind” I’d say that these boys have been listening to a whole lotta BONDED BY BLOOD (the Exodus album, not the band), KILLING IS MY BUSINESS…AND BUSINESS IS GOOD, REIGN IN BLOOD, and EXTREME AGGRESSIONS, so if any of the aforementioned bands/albums are in your collection, BEGIN THE REVOLUTION will fit nicely right alongside them on your CD shelf. The album does eventually lag a bit towards the end, as the last two tracks (the uber-short call to mosh “I Wanna See the Kaos” and the weird spoken word/drone “The End of Beginning”) seem like fillers tacked on at the last minute to pad the CD out to album-length, but other than that I have no major complaints. These boys are all about the denim vests, leather jackets, high top sneakers, and bullet belts, and even though I personally feel that the current retro-thrash scene is becoming a bit stale, BEGIN THE REVOLUTION stoked the fires of metal nostalgia most admirably and has been enjoying mucho spintime in my CD player over the past few weeks. As the band says in “Metal Kombat,” “Welcome to…the Metal Arena!” Amen!!!

Excellent writing as always and it is nice (and a bit strange) to know new bands are keeping old school thrash alive.

Great reviews, I agree absolutely. Ian needs to go back to thrashing with SA.

A few new ones from Retroactive Records here... I think I may have been a little rough on those "Vision" albums but seriously, if you'll excuse the pun, they were God-Awful. Ugh!

THE REX CARROLL BAND – THAT WAS THEN, THIS IS NOW (B+) Retroactive Records, 2010
10 Tracks, RT: 38:49

Guitar wizard Rex Carroll, best known in Christian rock circles for his years of shredding with Whitecross and King James, has chosen a very appropriate title for his latest solo project. In addition to the Eddie Van Halen/Yngwie Malmsteen influenced playing that Carroll was famous for in the ‘80s, he is apparently also a lifelong fan of Southern/blues rockers like Stevie Ray Vaughan, the Allman Brothers, ZZ Top, and Lynrd Skynrd, and he brings those influences to the forefront on THAT WAS THEN, THIS IS NOW. The album definitely draws a line in the sand between the material of his old bands (“THEN”) and his new direction (“NOW”). It may not be metal, but have no fear, THAT WAS THEN, THIS IS NOW is still a seriously cool slab of good ole fashioned down home blues/boogie rock with a healthy amount of guitar pyrotechnics. I will confess that I’m not terribly well versed in Southern rock (other than the usual Skynrd and Molly Hatchet hits that get played year after year on classic rock radio) so at first I was unsure whether or not this CD would be up my alley. I needn’t have worried, as the disc sucked me in from the uber-catchy first track “Find a Way” and kept me rockin’ all the way through to the final track. The combo of Rex’s soulful vocals and his fleet fingered guitar skills brought the Jeff Healey Band to mind (remember their killer soundtrack work in the classic movie “Road House?”). Fans of Rex’s old school shred style should especially appreciate the instrumental “Fools Gold,” which is an absolutely rippin’ piece that sounds like Yngwie Malmsteen jamming at a Southern BBQ/biker rally. This leads into my favorite track, “Workin’ Man’s Blues,” a blow-the-roof-off ZZ Top-style jam, and “Witch Dr. Blues” and “Delta Memories” are no slouches either. The band switches gears for the gospel-tinged “My Train” and the ballad “Rock My World” before returning to harder rockin’ pastures with the sizzling closer “Throw Them Bonz.” It remains to be seen how Rex’s old fans from his Whitecross days will react to this new direction, but you can definitely consider me a convert.

VISION – MOUNTAIN IN THE SKY (C-) Born Twice/Retroactive Records, 2010
11 Tracks, RT: 45:55
VISION – VISION (25th ANNIVERSARY EDITION) (C-) Born Twice/Retroactive Records, 2010
10 Tracks, RT :37:33

Born Twice Records is a new sub-label of Christian rock specialists Retroactive Records, dedicated to reissuing long lost classics from the “Jesus Music” movement of the ‘70s and ‘80s. This was an unusual era in Christian music when rock musicians began making their first tentative steps into the Christian scene, inspiring controversy from some audiences and religious leaders who were suspicious of the so-called “Devil’s Music” being used in the name of the Lord. On paper, it sounds like an interesting period in rock history, but unfortunately the first two releases on the label to cross my desk turned out to be extremely bland, slick, sappy stuff – i.e. the sort of thing that gave “Christian Rock” such a bad rep in the first place. For those unfamiliar with the early 80s combo “Vision,” (myself included, till these two discs showed up in the mailbox), they started out as a praise/worship band sponsored by a Florida church youth group, and began attracting attention when they drafted two former Lynrd Skynrd members – keyboardist Billy Powell and bassist Leon Wilkinson – into the lineup. Powell and Wilkinson were newly minted Christians at the time and had been out of the music scene since the tragic 1977 plane crash that had killed three Skynrd members and put that band on ice for a number of years. Vision released their MOUNTAIN IN THE SKY disc independently in 1984 and followed it up with their self-titled release on the CCM label Heartland Records in 1985. With two Southern Rock legends in Vision’s lineup, I quite frankly expected to hear something a little gutsier than the wimptastic sounds that poured from my stereo speakers. Instead of the gritty rock n roll that Skynrd made famous, this is…well, what you’d expect a Worship/Praise band that had access to Marshall stacks and keytars to sound like. Both albums deal in totally lite-n-fluffy AOR that recalls Night Ranger at their wimpiest, Styx at their sappiest, or Journey at their most sugary sweet. Put it this way: Ned Flanders would be proud to rock this stuff on his iPod. OK, I’ll grant that the Vision boys could play. “Dynamos” on MOUNTAIN IN THE SKY and “Standing on the Rock” from VISIONS both have somewhat decent grooves, but other than that…yuck. It’s as if these guys plugged in and said “OK fellas, let’s rock…but not TOO hard, we don’t want to scare anybody!” I suppose Vision may be of interest to hardcore collectors of CCM rarities or to insanely completist Lynrd Skynrd fans, but the only reaction I had to these discs was to write this review as quickly as I could so I get them out of my stereo. I’ll continue to reach for my Deliverance, Sacred Warrior, Stryper, or Ultimatum discs (to name just a few) when I want a Christian rock fix. Sorry fellas.

My first reviews of the new year... my resolution for 2011 is to start turning these things out in a more timely manner. These four have only been in my possession for a couple of weeks (instead of months, as usual), so I'm off to a good start.

MASS – FIGHTER (B) Retroactive Records, 2010
10 Tracks, RT: 41:09
MASS – ’84 UNCHAINED (B-) Retroactive Records, 2010
5 Tracks, RT: 21:49

Mass was one of many bands that I heard and read much about back in the ‘80s, but never actually got a chance to hear till these two new archive releases landed in my lap. I’ve often heard Mass’ name being mentioned alongside Stryper’s, as the two bands were apparently buddies and occasional tour mates back in the day. (Michael Sweet of Stryper also produced Mass’ 1988 VOICES IN THE NIGHT disc.) Though they never became more than a “cult” act (mainly in the Christian rock underground) during their heyday, Mass remains an active entity today, releasing a new album (SEAS OF BLACK) in 2010 and still doing occasional gigs around their native New England. With FIGHTER and ’84 UNCHAINED, Retroactive takes us back to the very beginning of the band’s history. FIGHTER was originally recorded back in 1982 (!) for A&M Records, but the album was permanently shelved due to hassles between the label and the band’s management, so this is the first time the material has ever seen the light of day. ’84 UNCHAINED, meanwhile, is a five song EP (now making its first-ever appearance on CD) that the band self-released back in 1984 to drum up label interest, which eventually led to their deal with RCA Records. The material on both discs shows that Mass was a young, talented bunch, that may not have been the most original band to come down the pike, but their sound was right in line with other pop/metal bands that were making similar noises around the same time. One band that kept coming to mind for me was White Lion (circa the FIGHT TO SURVIVE album), because vocalist Louis St. August’s voice seems to have a bit of Mike Tramp’s charismatic whine to my ears (though of the two, St. August is probably the better singer overall). I preferred the FIGHTER disc over the ’84 UNCHAINED EP though only by a slim margin; the main difference between the two would be FIGHTER’s production job (courtesy of one time Judas Priest knob-twiddler Tom Allom), which is a bit more raw/gritty and therefore slightly more “metal” than the melodic-rock leanings found on UNCHAINED. Highlights on each disc for me were “Fighter,” “Watch Her Walk” and “Bad Man’s Reputation” from FIGHTER and “Pedal to the Metal” and “Bones” (a never-before-released bonus track) on UNCHAINED. I found it odd that although Mass have often been classified as “Christian Metal” over the years, the only out-and-out “message” song on either disc appears to be “Holy One” on the UNCHAINED EP. (The band does indeed give a shout-out to the Big Guy Upstairs in the FIGHTER booklet, however.) Collectors will be pleased to know that these releases continue Retroactive’s tradition of detailed packaging. Both discs include full booklets with lyrics and liner notes from guitarist Louis St. August, and both albums have been treated to a quality remastering thanks to J. Powell at Steinhaus. Longtime Mass fans will definitely want to add these rare recordings to their collections, and they provide a nice starting point for new fans such as myself. Recommended.

MESSIAH – FINAL WARNING (B-) Retroactive Records, 2010
9 Tracks, RT: 42:45
MESSIAH – GOING INSANE (C+) Retroactive Records, 2010
8 Tracks, RT: 44:55

Christian rockers have long debated the question, “Who was the first real Christian metal band?” Names like Bloodgood, Saint, Barren Cross, and of course Stryper get thrown around a lot as possible answers, but in my book the members of this Detroit based obscurity have the most legitimate claim to the title, as they released their very first demo recordings waaaaay back in 1979! Supposedly Messiah was quite the Midwestern concert draw during the late ‘70s and early ‘80s due to their infamous stage act (“inspired by the sound and theatrical shows of Alice Cooper, KISS and Black Sabbath,” according to the back of one of these CDs), in which Satan was apparently summoned onstage and then sent back to Hell each night by the band’s brand of “Heavenly Metal.” Um…yeah, okay, I’d probably buy a ticket to see that too! Despite their notorious/controversial rep, Messiah never caught on with the metal world at large and their recorded output consisted of only two vinyl-only releases (FINAL WARNING in 1984 and the GOING INSANE EP in 1985) before the band disappeared off the face of the Earth. Since then, both releases have become hotly pursued collector’s items (a quick Net search shows that an unopened vinyl copy of FINAL WARNING will set you back about $500!), but thankfully the specialists at Retroactive Records have stepped in to reissue both albums, saving curious collectors from breaking their bank accounts. Both discs have been remastered and from what I’ve gathered from reading up on’em online, the sonic quality of these reissues is a massive improvement over the ‘80s originals. So how do I like’em? Musically, Messiah sound like pretty basic late ‘70s style chugging hard rock/metal to me, with decent solos, catchy choruses and heavy duty, fire and brimstone “You better turn or yer gonna burn” lyrical imagery. I can sort of hear the Alice Cooper influence the band claims in their liner notes (mainly in the vocal delivery of Charles Michael) and maybe a hint of Sabbath in the guitar tone but honestly the band that I’m most reminded of is Blue Oyster Cult. With their apocalyptic message and over-the top theatrical style, Messiah definitely seems to be trying to cop the same “Epic and Weird” style that B.O.C. had pioneered. I’d say my favorite track would be the band’s signature tune “Heavenly Metal,” which appears on both CDs, along with “You’d Better Say a Prayer” from the GOING INSANE disc and FINAL WARNING’s “Lucifer,” which opens with a spoken-word intro that’s eerily similar to the one used on Iron Maiden’s “The Number of the Beast.” Coincidence? You make the call. Either way, Messiah is not a bad listen, but by the same token I can see why they didn’t make it very far in the ‘80s metal sweepstakes. This kinda stuff was already pretty well out of date when FINAL WARNING appeared in 1984 and was totally yesterday’s news by the time GOING INSANE appeared a year later. By 2011 standards, Messiah is an interesting, trippy blast from the past. Christian rock historians and anyone else with a passion for the weirdest, wildest and most obscure corners of the metal underground will want to give ‘em a listen. Set the Way-Bac machine for 1984 and enjoy the ride!

I personally never heard of either Mass or Messiah back in the day, the only Christian rock/metal acts I was aware of was Stryper ( who sort of liked) and the Rez Band ( that I loathed), and heard of but never heard the music of Jersulam.

These reviews were great and it makes me wish I had caught a Messiah show back in the 80's, sounds like a lot of fun, as usual excellent job on the reviews and it does what a review should do, makes you curious to hear the music.

Two more... and there's a few more still on 'the pile' that I hope to get to soon.

CHROMATIC BLACK – S/T (C) OK Good! Records, 2010
11 Tracks, RT: 36:32

Several years ago, a Beck’s Beer commercial observed that “Germans don’t do comedy.” After several spins of this CD, I’m not entirely sure that they “do” punk rock, either. (Okay, so Deutschland did give us Die Toten Hosen – but what have they done for us lately?) Chromatic Black’s debut disc was accompanied by an unintentionally hilarious press release/bio that was severely lacking in background info about the Munich-based band, but it was loaded with pretentious bullsh*t like this: “A hybrid of an analog and a digital world: rock ‘n’ roll penetrated by synthetic effect collage. A central point of the musical content is the critical examination of present social concerning. Don’t read music, listen to it!” – Uhhh, say what?

So basically, what we’ve got here is an artsy-fartsy, punky rock ‘n’ roll band that seems to think they’re way more original and meaningful than they really are. Their bio tips such acts as Iggy Pop, Bad Religion, and Black Flag as reference points, to which I can only shrug my shoulders and reply, “Um, OK, if you say so.” I’ll grant that musically, Chromatic Black has its stuff together; guitarists Mad Marvellous (yes, really!) and Carl Creepy (!) whip up some decent, bouncy riff action and most of the songs feature those catchy, oh-so-punk shout along choruses. “Do You Wanna,” the hilariously titled “A**hole in the Mirror” and “Under Pressure” weren’t bad songs at all, but the weak link in this band for me is vocalist Dan R. Mueller, whose voice goes from punk-rock passable, to slightly irritating, to flat-out goofy depending on which song you’re listening to. Witness his out-of-tune caterwauling/yelping on “Alright (Cos Nothing Is Alright)” or his gorilla/ape noises – yes, you read that correctly – in “Human Animal” for just a few examples. Overall, Chromatic Black sound like the kind of band that are probably a lot of fun to see live, but aren’t quite as impressive on CD. It’s not a terrible album, but it’s not a terribly interesting one, either. Pass me the Ramones, please.

HELSTAR – GLORY OF CHAOS (B+) AFM Records, 2011
12 Tracks, RT: 55:00

Back in the ‘80s, Texan cult metallists Helstar were known for their classy, classically influenced power/speed metal, characterized by the fluid leadwork of guitarist Andre Corbin and the Dio/Halford hybrid vocal stylin’s of the legendary James Rivera. Since Helstar reunited in the early ‘00s (with most of the classic lineup, save for Corbin, intact), they’ve been gradually developing into a nastier, more brutal beast, mainly by turning the “thrash” knob on their Marshalls up to 11, but still keeping some traces of their earlier, more elegant sound. On GLORY OF CHAOS, Helstar’s transformation is complete. This is not your older brother’s Helstar, this is a seriously powerful, pissed-off crunching shred machine! The one-two punch of album opener “Angels Fall to Hell” (which sounds like an outtake from Judas Priest’s PAINKILLER, hopped up on steroids and Red Bull) and “Pandemonium” get things off to an appropriately crippling start. Rivera’s leather-lunged lion’s roar has aged well, and it slices neatly through the wall of razor-wire guitar riffing courtesy of Larry Barragan and Rob Trevino. From there, ferocious tracks like “Bone Crusher,” “Summer of Hate,” and “Anger” (my fave track on the CD – check out the shredding goodness in the solo portion!) keep the accelerator pedal smashed firmly onto the floor. GLORY OF CHAOS doesn’t let up in the later innings, as “Trinity of Heresy” hearkens back to Helstar’s classic era (this one sounds like it could’ve come off of NOSFERATU or A DISTANT THUNDER) while “Alma Negra” is the song that’s most likely to throw oldschool fans for a loop. This track is damn near death metal, with 1000 MPH tempos, absolutely INSANE drumming, and Rivera screaming/snarling/growling for all he’s worth. It’s a bit of a bizarre twist in his vocal arsenal, and I’m glad he doesn’t sing like this for the entire album, but it certainly makes the listener sit up and take notice. Finally, the CD closes with two classic cover tunes as bonus tracks. The rip-roaring Helstar takes on Saxon’s “Heavy Metal Thunder” (nice!) and the Scorpions’ “Animal Magnetism” show that beneath all the newfound brutality, the Helstar boys are still old school metallers at heart. GLORY OF CHAOS is a primo slab of shreddin’ and screamin’ METAL with a capital M-E-T-A-L and it definitely lives up to its title. Gloriously chaotic, indeed!

I REALLY want that Helstar cd. The tunes I heard off it are great and I've read only positive reviews on it.