With Meshuggah-sized riffs, Devildriver-style grooves, and two ladies behind the mic that parallel Maria Brink and Angela Gossoow with their ferocity and finesse, L.A.’s Butcher Babies is anything but a one trick pony. On their debut release, Goliath (Out now through Century Media), the quintet deliver a punishing eleven tracks of unbridled mayhem. “I Smell A Massacre” sets the tone immediately with drummer Chrissy Warner utilizing a metronome-like precision on the opener and throughout Goliath while Henry Flury’s razor sharp […]
Metal Monday
Metal Monday Volume 142 (10.7.13)
Did you miss Pelican as much as I did? As much of a fan as I was of last year’s Ataraxia/Taraxis EP I’d rather a full-length so the announcement of Forever Becoming being released, Pelican’s fifth full-length, definitely caused some dancing around the Popblerd offices (On my part at least). Speaking of the EP, it was a great indicator of what was coming as Forever Becoming is all around a little looser production-wise (With What We All Come To Need’s […]
Metal Monday Volume 141 (9.30.13)
Doomriders and Deathwish know how to plug a leak. When DR’s third album hit the web almost three weeks before its October 15th street date, the band and label acted swiftly and unleashed pre-orders complete with a digital download of the entire album instantly. It quenched fan fervor for the upcoming album and it’s also why you’re reading this review now (I went with the vinyl version myself). Grand Blood is the name of their third album and it is […]
Metal Monday Volume 140 (9.23.13)
Didja miss us while we were gone? I know I missed you! But we’re back and better than ever with a look at the first single off of local giants Doomriders first album in almost four years. “Dead Friends” is the first treat from Grand Blood (Due on October 15th on Deathwish, Inc) and is a welcome return. If you were a fan of their previous outings then this one is sure to have you smiling. The song shows growth, […]
Metal Monday Volume 139 (9.2.13)
Ontario’s Deathpoint is a new (er) metal outfit that you should definitely pay attention to. On their latest (And first to feature former Odium vocalist Tom Emmans), Sinister, Deathpoint avoid the sophomore slump with an album that is worth the wait (Their debut landed in 2010) and well thought out. Opener “Between The Lines” is a hard rocker for sure but just barely scratches the surface of what the rest of Sinister has to offer. Second track “For Your Eyes […]
Metal Monday Volume 137 (8.26.13)
As far as essential metal albums of 2013 goes, A Storm Of Light’s masterful Nations To Flames easily sits at the top of that list. On their latest the “metal alchemists” continue what began with 2008’s And We Wept the Black Ocean Within but go for shorter song structures but a no less dense soundscape overall. From the Ministry meets Sepultura thunder of opener “Fall” through to the ethereal chaos of “The Year Is One” which closes out the album, A […]
Metal Monday Volume 135 (8.12.13)
If the first offering off Pelican’s upcoming Forever Becoming (Due October 15th on Southern Lord) wasn’t to your liking then you might wanna dust off the turntable for the just released Deny The Absolute 7″ from The Mylene Sheath. Featuring the title track (Which will be the second track on FB) and non-album track “The Truce”, this is probably the easiest decision you’ll make all year on a vinyl purchase. First up is “Deny The Absolute” which is easily the […]
Metal Monday Volume 134 (8.5.13)
I know I should be writing about the 10th anniversary show of Boston’s Cocked N’ Loaded and the heroic feat of awesomeness that frontman Kyle Neeson performed after a mid-set injury but the last show Motherboar ever played is the focus of this week’s column because IT WAS THE LAST SHOW MOTHERBOAR WILL EVER PLAY!!!!! For the uninitiated, Motherboar is a mix of Clutch and Mastodon with some good old party vibes thrown in for good measure (Think I Get […]
Metal Monday Vol. 133 (7.29.13)
This is the arena metal that Five Finger Death Punch was born to play. The first of two (!) albums due in 2013, The Wrong Side of Heaven and the Righteous Side of Hell Vol. 1 is filled with expertly crafted heavy metal masterpieces that barely last over the three and a half mark yet still leave memorable hooks and a lasting impression. If …Vol. 1 is just the opening salvo then God help us all as to what we […]
Metal Monday Volume 132 (7.22.13)
I knew this book was going to be fun when in the opening foreword, co-writer Jon Wiederhorn stated that Uncle Al’s trials and tribulations “makes Motley Crue’s The Dirt look like Goodnight Moon“. And it really, really does! Ministry: The Lost Gospels According To Al Jourgensen is a must-have for Ministry and rock bio fans because when it comes to Jourgensen, sex, drugs, and rock ‘n’ roll isn’t just a saying it’s a way of life. As a longtime fan […]
Metal Monday Volume 131 (7.15.13)
Swelling with this air of Hacride-esque mysticism, “Nemesis of Neglect” slowly devolves into a Converge meets Entombed guitar barrage. Those comparisons continue especially taking on the Entombed guitar tones mixed with a kind of Jacob Bannon style inhuman screech but a little more guttural on “Terror”. Thus begins Heresy, the debut ruckus from Detroit’s From Hell. Moving on, “Unholy” is a seriously unholy merging of time signatures that just might just render listeners mad upon excessive repeat listens. Later still, […]
