Heavy Metal New Blood EP Review : Plague of Ashitaka - I - Elder Luminaries

Plague of Ashitaka – I – Elder Luminaries (Unsigned)

Rating 3/5

London/Brighton based Plague of Ashitaka have just release their EP “I – Elder Luminaries” on ITunes. This follows on from their debut EP “Taking Lives on Ancient Tides”.

Throughout the EP the guitar work is fast paced, the percussion hard hitting and the vocals are rough and brutal culminating in a well rounded in your face heaviness that permeates through all tracks.

With combinations of short, sharp riffs and more elaborate styles the guitar work is impressive particularly on “The Fleshlumpeater”. The almost black metal style vocals, with background harmonies and layering, compliment the incessant pace of the instruments.

“Spells of Euthanasia” is probably my favourite track on the EP with its relentless pace and furious percussive segments, in addition to some excellent guitar work and vocals.

The album is technically very good, well mixed and overall a solid metal album to check out. Elder Luminaries is only part one so I will look forward to the next instalment.

Meanwhile check out their facebook page to preview some tracks or you can purchase the EP through ITunes

Track Listing:

1. Midnight Masquerade

2. The Solitarian

3. The Fleshlumpeater

4. Spells of Euthanasia

5. Onyx Scroll

Heavy Metal New Blood EP Review : Paean - Livium

Paean – Livium EP 2011 (Unsigned)

Rating : 3.5/5

Estonian progressive doom/death metal band Paean have just completed their debut EP following on from their 2010 demo “The Radiant Moon”

The character of the EP it set by a dark and shadowy undertone most evident in the intro sections of “Illusive Imprisonment” and “Impending Sacrifice/Fall of the False Lords” with their almost wraithlike atmospheric starts supported by the pulse of the drum, to keep the tempo going, as layers of music gradually build up before the crushing vocals kick in.

The EP contrasts these ethereal interludes with dark, menacing vocals and furious paced hard and heavy denser segments of sound.

My personal favourite is “Crimson Seas” with a slightly faster paced start and some excellent guitar sections with ominous riffs leading into more elaborate guitar work and also some very strong percussion sections. “Awakening” also has high-quality guitar parts.

The lyrics are dark with themes of death, revenge and justice being prominent and invoking Norse mythology throughout the EP.

The recording quality is good and the mixing of instruments is well done allowing vocals/instruments to be heard clearly and individually, yet still managing to interlace well together to provide the full on heavy backdrop at the right time.

The EP makes for impressive listening so head over to their facebook page to check them out.

Track Listing:

1. Illusive Imprisonment

2. Crimson Seas

3. Awakening

4. Impending Sacrifice/Fall of the False Lords

Heavy Metal Album Review : Acherontas - Vamachara

Acherontas  Vamachara (Agonia Records)

Rating : 4/5

The third full length album from Greek metallers Archerontas begins with a deceptively slow atmospheric opening track. Its spoken word section supported by ethereal backing vocals does nothing to prepare you for the brutal wall of sound that will hit you with the remaining tracks on the album.

Guitars and vocals (both spoken word and growling) are the prominent individual sounds on the album as a whole with sections of strong sounding percussion for example on “Blood Current Illumination”, however, these individual instruments are always surrounded by an all encompassing pure heavy sound with a lot of use made of distortion. This serves to give the whole album a unifying presence of full, heavy in your face noise. Having said this the tempo changes throughout the tracks provide enough distinction to avoid the album sounding like one continuous track

The title track “Vamachara” is one of the stand out tracks for me kicking straight in with the brutal heaviness I have come to expect and with some of the most passionate rough vocals on the album. Tempo changes and an excellent guitar solo towards the end. Also “Ohm Krim Kali” which from an ominous slow start heavy on percussion ebbs and flows as more layers and volume are added to the music and then stripped back down and the spoken word vocals fit well with this track.

Overall an album for lovers of the heavy sound which while being consistently good has enough diversity to hold the attention. It definitely has me reaching for the back catalogue.

1. Opening the eye of the storm

2.  Blood Current Illumination

3.  Abraxas

4. Ohm Krim Kali 

5.  Beyond the Mazeways to Ophidian Gnosis

6. Drakonian Womb

Heavy Metal News of the Week 25th November

After launching a scathing attack on producer Rick Rubin (see video on Metal Hammer) Corey Taylor has at least confirmed that there will be at least one more studio album for Slipknot which is the words of Corey Taylor will be “very melancholy. It’s going to be a more saddened form of rage when it does happen, and it will be a path that we’ve never gone down before” After seeing their performance at Sonisphere 2011 it’s definitely one I will check out.

Dave Lombardo of Slayer recently tweeted about Slayer being back to writing new material. After two years of touring this will be good news for Slayer fans. The band are playing this one close to their chest and the fact that they are working on a new album seems to be the full extent of information available on this...


Soilwork drummer Dirk Verbeuren releases a third part of this extreme metal MIDI for drums “Library of the Extreme III – Fill Insanity” check out more details here 

Norwegian Extremists Enslaved have announced some European tour dates details here

Heavy Metal New Blood Band Profile : Zombie Eating Horse

Zombie Eating Horse

Jon - Vocals
Lond - Guitar
Josh - Bass
Dyame - Drums

Hailing from Los Angeles Zombie Eating Horse originally began under the guise of Random Animal around 2008, started as a recording project by Jon and Lond, however, a series of events including Jon’s band at the time using the name Random Animal led to the beginning of Zombie Eating Horse with the name taken from one of their tracks. The Line up was completed in June 2011 with Josh and Dyame resulting in the bands first live appearance at the end of August 2011.

Now nearing the end of 2011 Zombie Eating Horse have just released their debut EP “What about the Sheep” – you can check out the review here

"...we are really just a Heavy Metal Band" Lond

With influences including Deftones, Glassjaw, Meshuggah, Pantera and Sepultura, Zombie Eating Horse classify themselves as a “brutal groovy metal band with a punk rock attitude” but after catching up with Lond when asked to fit themselves into a Genre he says that really they are just a heavy metal band.

The band have a lot of activity going on at the moment playing a gig on 23^rd December along with Exmortus and Apoplexy at The Moose Lodge, Whittier, CA and working towards their album “2012” with hopes to release independently at some point at the middle of next year.

And so the interview questions...

Heavy Metal Bullet (HMB): What was the last album you bought?

Lond: The last album I bought was Rancid's "Let's Go", I use to have it on tape back when I was like 13, I found a used CD and snagged it for $5

HMB: What was the first metal album you bought?
Lond: Korn's first album was the first metal CD I ever bought, then I discovered Metallica

HMB: Snap!

HMB: Do you own any albums that you would be embarrassed to tell a metalhead you own?
Lond: Not really, we all like some crazy jams, some of us dig Katy Perry and Lady Gaga type of stuff, we really don't care what anyone thinks about it!

HMB: What is the strangest thing you have seen at a gig (your own or someone else’s)?
Lond: I played a gig with my other band Antagonist somewhere in Oklahoma and a guy was in the circle pit getting down with no legs! He was having the time of his life! I've seen some crazy stuff but I think that was the coolest thing to see on stage playing music in some unknown place.

HMB: Are there any funny band related stories you can share?
Lond: I could tell you some great stuff but I don't want to get anyone into trouble, lets just say we've all had our moments.

HMB: Anything else that you would like to share?
Lond: Thank you for taking the time to check us out, our EP "What About The Sheep?" is out now for free download on Sound Cloud "like" us on Facebook follow us on Twitter @ZombieEatHorse.

Booking Info: ZombieEatingHorse@gmail.com we'll see you on tour!

So check out the EP and if you are stateside go ahead and check them out live, the band show raw talent and potential and we can only expect better things

Heavy Metal Album Releases 21st - 30th November

So with almost 40 to choose from in Heavy Metal Bullet's list alone I have highlighted two of the albums I am looking forward to hearing once they are released tomorrow 22.11.11 and hope to follow up with a review:

Acherontas the trailer for the album (soon to be added to the Heavy Metal Bullet You Tube channel) has definitely caught my attention so will be sure to check this one out.

Behemoth - Demonica: Am looking forward to it because it's well Behemoth...


And in other releases (in alphabetical order):

Andromeda : Manifest Tyranny (Inner Wound Recording) 25.11.11
Asking Alexandria : Stepped up and Scratched (Stand up and Scream remix) (Sumerian) 21.11.11
Cage : Supremacy of Steel (Heavy Metal Media) 25.11.11
Cathedral : Anniversary (Rise Above) 22.11.11
Chasma : Declarations of the Grand Artificer (Moribund) 22.11.11
Dead : Hardnaked but Dead (FDA Rekotz) 22.11.11
Dim Mak : The Emergence of Reptillian Altars (Willowtip) 29.11.11
Eagleheart : Dream Therapy (Scarlet) 29.11.11
Enid : Munsalvaesche (Code 666) 29.11.11
Evergrey : A Decade and a Half (SPV) 22.11.11
From the Depths : Back to Life 22.11.1
Funerus : Reduced to Sludge (Ibex Moon) 22.11.11
Geinazaug : The Wretched Dominion 29.11.11
In the Midst of Lions : Shadows 22.11.11
Infernal Legion : The Spear of Longinus (Moribund) 22.11.11
Kambrium : Shadowpath 25.11.11
Macabre : Gloom (Hammerheart) 21.11.11
Mystic Prophecy : Ravenlord (Massacre) 25.11.11
Nemesea : The Quiet Resistance (Napalm) 22.11.11
Nine Covens : On the Coming of Darkness (Candlelight) 29.11.11
Nucleus Torn : Golden Age 25.11.11
Riot : Immortal Soul (SPV) 22.11.11
Root : Heritage of Satan (Agonia) 22.11.11
Rough Angel : Hear the Angels Rock! 30.11.11
Royal Hunt : Show me How to Live 29.11.11
Satan's Host : Celebration For the Love of Satan (Moribund) 22.11.11
Sunn O : OO Void (Southern Lord) 22.11.11
Svolk : Svolk em All (Napalm) 22.11.11
Tenhi : Saivo 25.11.11
The Dead Lay Waiting : Almost Heaven (Rising) 29.11.11
The Rotted : Ad Nauseum (Candlelight) 29.11.11
The Unguided : Hell Frost 30.11.11
Vektor : Outer Isolation (Heavy Artillary) 22.11.11
Vengeful : Vengeful 29.11.11
Vildhjarta : Masstaden (Century Media) 29.11.11
Virgin Steele : Age of Consent (re-release) (SPV) 22.11.11
Voodoo Six : Falling Knives 28.11.11

So much to choose from so little time, don't forget to "like" on facebook or follow @HvyMetalBullet on twitter to receive updates as and when posts are uploaded.

Heavy Metal New Blood EP Review: Zombie Eating Horse - What about the Sheep

Zombie Eating Horse : What about the Sheep

Rating 2.5/5

Zombie Eating Horse hail from Los Angeles and have just made their debut EP What about Sheep available for download. The band definitely has a distinctive sound with an almost constant full and heavy sound complimented by strong guttural vocals.

Key themes across the album showcase guitars and vocals working in tandem and often alternating before kicking back in with the brutal heaviness. “Lovely” has an almost industrial sounding start and finish which is echoed across other tracks with the use of feedback to close the tracks.

Bass and percussion are hard to pick out on the individual tracks on the EP with the exception of the first kick in on “Lovely” and throughout “What about the Sheep”

For me the stand out track is the title track “What about the Sheep” the vocal styles are more versatile and both guitars and percussion can be heard distinctively throughout the track. This track also has a slower tempo section in the mid section which provides an interesting diversion from the rest of the EP before being dragged back to the depths of heaviness with the guttural scream of “Fuck You”.

The rating may seem low on this review but it should be kept in mind that the same rating scale is used for both established bands and new bands so the 2.5 is reflective of the fact the EP shows some raw talent and excellent potential but may be let down by the overall mixing and production quality, which cannot be expected to be of the same quality as releases by major artists or record labels. The band shows good promise and I will definitely be keeping an ear out for future releases.

The EP is available for download on Sound Cloud and watch out for the Band Profile coming up on Heavy Metal Bullet in a couple of days

Track Listing:

1. Lovely

2. Alarm

3. Trash Foot

4. What about the Sheep

5. Zombie Eating Horse

Heavy Metal News of the Week 19th Nov

This weeks news is focusing on acts already announced for 2012 festivals

Download Festival 2012: The Prodigy were announced as the third headliner for Download 2012 joining a re-united original line up of Black Sabbath and Metallica playing the Black album in it's entirety.

Sonisphere won the best line up for 2011 but are lagging behind on announcements for next years line-up rumours include Foo Fighters, Chilli Peppers, Black Sabbath, Coal Chamber, Mastadon and Trivium

Bloodstock have announced the following among their line up for 2012 Dimmu Borgir, Hatebreed, Alice Cooper, Watain, Corrosion of Conformity, Paradise Lost and Anvil

Choices Choices...







On Heavy Metal Bullet This week:

Review of Devin Townsend performing Ghost at Union Chapel in Islington
Review of Heavy Metal Books: Corey Taylor - Seven Deadly Sins and Seb Hunter - Hell Bent for Leather

Heavy Metal Book Review: Corey Taylor & Seb Hunter

Corey Taylor - Seven Deadly Sins
Rating : 4/5

While this book includes anecdotes and some background on Slipknot/Stone Sour vocalist Corey Taylor's life it is a far cry from the usual biography style book presented by musicians. Rather this book takes you on a weird and wonderful journey through the inner thought processes of the mind of Corey Taylor. The content is exactly what it says on the tin, the seven deadly sins, or should I say why they are definitely not deadly and not even really sins. Corey also puts forward an alternative list of Seven Deadly Sins which any remotely decent human being would have to agree with.

While the subject matter may sound deep there is enough silliness and sarcasm scattered through the book to keep the reader entertained and he manages to stay on the right side of being preachy. Not only did I find the book through provoking, not least the thought was I supposed to agree with everything that was being said, but also entertaining and would definitely recommend it for a good read

Seb Hunter - Hell Bent for Leather
Rating : 2/5

With a book cover littered with recommendations I picked this up despite not having heard of the author, however, within the first chapter I found myself reacting with annoyance. The book is the true story of a boy who receives his first guitar at the age of 14 and the trials and tribulations of trying to be in a metal band when you come from Winchester.

Now music is a very subjective thing and everyone is entitled to their own opinion (which is what gives the extra point in the rating from my original 1/5), however, I found the opinions just too closed minded for me to enjoy reading, especially as they are laid out as if they are heavy metal law and he is speaking for all fans. So what annoyed me try these for starters:

Thrash Metal was like the punk revolution without the credibility
Metallica are not worth listening to (even back in the early days)
You shouldn't even listen to a metal band if they don't all have long hear (Hello - Slayer - Kerry King)
You shouldn't listen to a band if they have a keyboard (Rammstein anyone?)
Slagging off bands at every Donnigton Monsters of Rock there ever was and then admitting he had never been

Ok am going to stop as getting myself annoyed again, around the only bands I could work out that he liked were AC/DC, Kiss and Hanoi Rocks... so if you like those bands and agree with the comments above then probably a good book for you but unfortunately not for me.

Heavy Metal Gig Review: Devin Townsend Ghost - Union Chapel 14/11/11

Rating: 5/5

The evening starts with a scene I was utterly unprepared for approaching Union Chapel… hundreds of metal fans queuing to get into a church, something I have never seen before!

 

Into the church and before long the support act Hazlitt (Writing and performance credits include “The Quest” campaign for Addidas run during the 2010 world cup) appear on stage for an excellent ethereal musical opening. The scene is set beautifully for the upcoming album with the haunting vocals and orchestral backing, then after a little too long for those of us sitting there in anticipation, Devin Townsend comes on after introductions all round a quick check to make sure everyone knew what they were letting themselves in for, a quiet show!

 

Opening with the superb Fly the evening quickly enveloped me in an almost trance like state, the music and the location culminating in a sense of relaxation, enjoyment and complete absorption in the music made the gig excellent. Particular stand outs for me were "Blackberry" and the three bonus tracks played at the end. Having wondered how the gig would end as the album pretty much just fades out these slightly heavier and more lively tracks were the perfect ending to bring the crowd round from the peaceful, blissful atmosphere of the night.

 

The only slight niggles that almost prevented full marks being awarded are the long gap between the support act and Devin and the Ghost band coming on served to detract slightly from the atmosphere that had built up, and the microphone for Kat Epple’s vocals, which were exceptionally good, was slightly too quiet at times. However, as these were minor points and I had an outstanding evening it felt too picky to take marks away!

 

The intimate venue holding a maximum capacity of 800, with its high ceilings and beautiful architecture was the perfect setting for what I can only describe as a beautiful album. Devin was his usual charismatic self and ventured into the audience twice during the evening, once playing guitar up one aisle and down the other and the after the end of the show walking down both aisles shaking hands with and thanking as many fans as possible.

 

All in all a truly amazing gig!

Heavy Metal News of the Week 12th Nov 2011

A couple of exciting Download 2012 Annoucements this week...

Metallica will play their Black Album in it’s entireity as the first headliner announced this week, we can all breathe a collective sigh of relief that it is not Lulu... speaking of which check out my review link at the end of this post

The second headliner announced yesterday after a flurry of internet speculation is the original line up of Black Sabbath. The world of metal has reacted well to the news lets see if they can live up to the hype

French band Gojira have signed to RoadRunner records this week, having seen these guys live would definitely recommend you check them out if you haven’t already and will release their fifth album through the label

German Power Metallers Blind Guardian are putting together a compilation album “Memories of A Time to Come” representing the first 25 years of their career

And on Heavy Metal Bullet this week if you haven’t already checked it out:

Heavy Metal New Blood Band Profile: Ampora – Find out more about the LA Based Metallers

Another Negative Heavy Metal Study – more psychological analysis from yet another doctor who just doesn’t get it

Heavy Metal Album Review: Metallica and Lou Reed – Lulu – Experimentation in music is always to be encouraged but...

Heavy Metal Album Review : Lulu - Metallica & Lou Reed

Metallica & Lou Reed - Lulu (Warner Bros, Vertigo)

Released 31/10/11
Rating: 1.5/5

Experimentation in music has to be encouraged, in fact despite arguments over who was the first, it is a fact that metal wouldn’t even exist if people hadn’t explored and pushed the boundaries, so despite the proliferation of negativity surrounding this release I was determined to approach this with an open mind. This might explain why it’s taken me a while to get round to reviewing it, to be honest I was scared by what I might hear...

Well I’ve bitten the bullet so to speak and well, erm, hmmmm, track one down and I’m pretty sure I’m not supposed to be frowning and grimacing while listening to one of my favourite bands. Still maybe track two, oh that would be “The View” the very track that had fostered my hesitance to listen to the album, still surely onwards and upwards...

...so I’m going to skip the track my track review here because my reaction is pretty much the same for all of them. It’s hard to call this a collaboration as far from complimenting each other the spoken word vocal style of Lou Reed and the, how to put this nicely, “different” musical arrangement seem to jar against each other as if everything was recorded separately and then just shoved into the same track with no real thought behind it. The lyrical content reminds me of sitting in an “old man’s pub” and listening to the local drunk ramble.

I am really struggling to find something good to say about this album, and being perfectly honest the extra 0.5 on the rating is just because it would break my heart to have to give Metallica just a 1 out of 5! Here’s a sentence I never thought I would ever say... This Metallica album makes St Anger seem like a good Metallica album! Alright maybe that is going a tad too far but you get the picture

Still to finish on a positive note at least it’s the Black Album that Metallica have just announced they will play in it's entirety at Download next year and not this... well if you can’t say anything nice don’t say anything at all!

Track Listing:

Disc One:
1. The Brandenburg Gate
2. The View
3. Pumping Blood
4. Mistress Dead
5. Iced Honey
6. Cheat on Me

Disc Two:
7. Frustration
8. Little Dog
9. Dragon
10. Junior Dad

Another Negative Heavy Metal Study...

So another day another study into heavy metal music that portrays the music in a negative light.

Dr Katrina McFerran of Melbourne University completed a study that concluded amongst other things that “Young people at risk of depression are more likely to listen habitually and repetitively to heavy metal music” McFerran asserts that most young people listen to music in a positive way, whereas young people at risk of depression are more likely to listen to music, especially heavy metal music, in a negative way.

Ok hold it right there!

My first issue with this study is both the assumption that there is a positive and negative way of listening to music and secondly that the definition used in this study can be categorically applied to an entire population. So what was one example suggested as positive and negative... positive was to block out crowds and negative to isolate yourself. Now my A-Level in psychology probably doesn’t qualify me to judge this but if you are blocking out a crowd are you not isolating yourself and therefore can they really be distinct categories?

McFerran also concludes that a negative way of listening to music is to listen to the same heavy metal album/song excluding everything else. Ok so I am partially onboard with this we have all at some point bought a new album/re-discovered an old album and listened to it solidly for a period of time but it probably isn’t healthy to do this on a long term basis, but, and this is a big but for her conclusion, would this not be the same for any type of music? Pop? Hip-hop? Rap? Cliff Richard?

At no point in any of this study does a positive interpretation of the correlation presented between heavy metal music and depression get given any face time, thinking back to my younger years and those of others I have spoken to, perhaps listening to heavy metal music has benefits for young people at risk of depression, angst ridden themes may serve to reassure people they are not alone in what they are feeling and being part of a heavy metal community can give some sense of grounding and belonging for people who may otherwise feel they don’t fit into mainstream society... but what do I know I’m not a doctor! Perhaps it’s time to start focusing on what is happening to these young people in their lives to make them feel that way rather than the current album playing on their ipod!

All information on the study taken from the University ofMelbourne Website

Heavy Metal New Blood Band Profile : AMPORA

Matt Mufalli: Lead Vocals
Matt Emburgia: Guitar, Vocals
Evan Magness: Bass, Vocals
Kyle Rector: Drums
John Huldt: Guitar


LA Based band Ampora were formed only a couple of years ago despite Matt Mufalli and Matt Emburgia having met in New Jersey at the age of four. After a year of writing and auditioning the line up was completed with Evan Magness, Kyle Rector & John Huldt. Ampora released their first EP “Last Chance” in May this year (check out my review).

I caught up with Matt Mufalli to find out a bit more about the band. Their influences stem from all metal music with musical interests in the band ranging from thrash metal to metalcore and their aim is to draw on the diverse influences to come up with an original sound to span many genres. In fact when I asked about what genre they would consider themselves to fit into in today’s metal scene the answer was a response after my own heart “Honestly, I don't love how specific genres in metal are today. I come from the school of thought, if it is heavy it is metal.” This fits with the EP “Last Chance” which I would struggle to fit into any one of the main genres let alone the more specific sub genres, it has something for pretty much everyone

“If it’s heavy it’s metal” Matt Mufalli

They are currently working on writing their full length album “which will be a continuation of what we achieved with Last Chance and it will bring even more to the table”. Metallers on the west coast of the US will be able to check out Ampora live as they are touring with Japanese band End of Days in December.

And now the interview questions...

Heavy Metal Bullet (HMB): What was the last album you bought?

Matt Mufalli (MM): The last album I bought was Machine Head "Locust" and it fucking rules.

HMB: What was the first metal album you bought?

MM: Metallica's black album. Classic.

HMB: Do you own any albums that you would be embarrassed to tell a metalhead you own?

MM: I am not embarrassed because I think musicians and songwriters can learn a lot from listening to other genres of music. That being, I own albums that are everything from country to pop punk to gangster rap.

HMB: What is the strangest thing you have seen at a gig?

MM: When I was a kid I went to a Marilyn Manson show and saw one of the fans there get cornered by security. At that point, he took out all of drugs in his pocket, swallowed them all at once and then started to claim he was the second coming of Jesus. It was quite entertaining and definitely left an impression on me.

HMB: Anything else that you would like to share?

MM: Just to please listen to the music of Ampora. First and foremost that is what is about for us and we hope you like our first release "Last Chance" and you will like our others to come.

So you heard the man head over to Ampora’s website and check out the EP “Last Chance”, I sincerely doubt you will be disappointed and I am looking forward to future releases from this band.

If you are in a new or unsigned band and would like to be featured in the blog please get in contact using the details on the contact me page.

Heavy Metal New Blood EP Review : Ampora - Last Chance

Ampora – Last Chance (EP - Unsigned) 

Released 10.05.11

Rating : 4/5

The first in my series of Heavy Metal New Blood reviews, which will focus on newer or less well known bands who have just released/or are in the process of releasing debut albums or EPs, sees me focusing on Ampora, an LA Based metal band and their EP “Last Chance”

The first two songs on the EP “Designing a Downfall” and “Blissful Greed” provide a firm introduction to the music and introduce some of what stand out to me as the key components of Ampora’s music with fast paced percussion both interlacing and alternating with strong guitar highlights and sections to get you head banging with the best of them. The background chanting and singing compliment the passionate and guttural growling of the lead vocals and mix seamlessly together to give a full and heavy sound to the tracks.

The next track “Endangered” starts with brief slow atmospheric section before the drums and guitars kick in. There are more clean vocals on this track which again contrast well with the overlaying rough and heavy vocals. The spoken word section in “Endangered” provides an interesting diversion from previous tracks and is followed by an impressive virtuosic guitar solo. This particular track is definitely my favourite on the EP.

Moving onto “The Great Disappearance “ this starts with a dark and heavy intro allowing you to take a quick breath at the pause and then kicks straight back into the layering of drums, bass and guitars that lead to the gradual crescendo growling and background vocals. With tempo changes during the song and catchy lyrics this track was definitely fierce competition for my favourite on the EP.

Onto the final track “Suffering” while there seems to be a lot going on throughout the song with strong beats, intricate guitars and growling it sounds good. Slower sections contrast well with the orchestrated chaos of the rest of the song to keep you on edge and draw you back into the song over and over again.

Overall this is an impressive debut EP. The Production and mixing are excellent with the overall mix of percussion, guitars and vocals seeming just right and allowing each section their own chance to shine. Ampora are definitely a band to watch for future releases and make sure to get the EP from their website

Ampora Website

Heavy Metal New Blood Band Profile of Ampora to follow on Monday be sure to check it out!

Track Listing.

1.       Designing a Downfall

2.       Blissful Greed

3.       Endangered

4.       The Great Disappearance

5.       Suffering

Heavy Metal News From the Week Gone By

Below are a few snippets that caught my attention this week, some light hearted news, some good news and some terrible news...

Starting with the bad GWAR guitarist Cory Smoot aka Flattus Maximus found dead yesterday and will be sadly missed. Read the bands statement here

Lou Reed says Metallica fans have threatened to shoot him and also talks about possible further collaborations?! I shall be finally forcing myself to listen to and review "Lulu" over the weekend and still somewhat optimistically hoping to be pleasantly surprised.

Megadeath release the new video for "Public Enemy No 1" check it out on their website here

Black Sabbath have sparked rumours on a reunion all over the net with the appearance of "11.11.11" on their website will have to wait until then to see what it means I guess

Bloodstock Open Air Festival announce Dimmu Borgir, Hatebreed, Corrosion of Conformity and Anaal Nathrakh for the 2012 line-up, full details on the BOA website

And finally you can check out the video for the Korpiklaani song that didn't make it through to the Eurovision contest, it might actually have been worth watching if they had...

Heavy Metal UK Tour Dates November 2011

So I have my tickets sorted for Devin Townsend performing Ghost later this month and am very excited about it, below is more heavy metal gigs in the UK during November by City/Town.

I’ve had to limit this to the UK for both time and space purposes but any US/Europe/Rest of the World dates will be on the bands websites.

Aberdeen:

09.11.11 - Lacuna Coil (The Lemon Tree)

Belfast:

11.11.11 - Gorgoroth + Vader + Vlakyrja (Spring & Airbrake)

Birmingham:

08.11.11 - Within Temptation (O2 Academy Birmingham)

10.11.11 - The Damned (O2 Academy Birmingham)

12.11.11 - Opeth (O2 Academy Birmingham)

23.11.11 - Freedom Call (Roadhouse)

26.11.11 - Dimmu Borgir (O2 Academy Birmingham)

Bournemouth:

18.11.11 - Lacuna Coil (Old Fire Station)

30.11.11 - Napalm Death (Old Fire Station)

Brighton:

13.11.11 - The Damned (The Brighton Centre)

16.11.11 - Lacuna Coil (Concorde 2)

Bristol:

08.11.11 - Opeth (O2 Academy Bristol)

09.11.11 - The Damned (O2 Academy Bristol)

15.11.11 - Gorgoroth + Vader + Vlakyrja (The Fleece)

Cardiff:

12.11.11 - Turisas (Cardiff University SU)

13.11.11 - Lacuna Coil (Cardiff University SU)

Colchester:

20.11.11 -Lacuna Coil (Colchester Arts Centre)

Dundee:

10.11.11 - Lacuna Coil (The Doghouse)

24.11.11 - Napalm Death (Beat Generator Live)

Edinburgh:

10.11.11 - Opeth (Edinburgh Picture House)

20.11.11 - The Damned (Edinburgh Picture House)

Exeter:

14.11.11 - Lacuna Coil (Exeter Phoenix)

Folkestone:

17.11.11 -Lacuna Coil (Quarterhouse)

Glasgow:

08.11.11 - Lacuna Coil (King Tuts Wah Wah Hut)

10.11.11 - Within Temptation (Barrowlands)

13.11.11 - Gorgoroth + Vader + Vlakyrja (Classic Grand)

18.11.11 - Dimmu Borgir (Classic Grand)

26.11.11 - Wolfsbane (ABC)

Grimsby:

22.11.11 - Freedom Call (Yardbirds)

Leeds:

18.11.11 - The Damned (O2 Academy Leeds)

29.11.11 -Wednesday 13 (O2 Academy Leeds)

Leicester:

16.11.11 - Turisas (Sub91)

Liverpool:

10.11.11 - Gorgoroth + Vader + Vlakyrja (The Masque)

27.11.11 - Wolfsbane (O2 Academy Liverpool)

London:

04.11.11 - Flogging Molly (HMV Forum)

04.11.11 - Evanescence + The Pretty Reckless (Hammersmith Apollo)

05.11.11 - Evanescence + The Pretty Reckless (Hammersmith Apollo)

08.11.11- Duff McKagan’s Loaded (The Garage)

09.11.11 - Carcer City (The Garage)

10.11.11 - Devin Townsend (Union Chapel)

11.11.11 - Devin Townsend (Union Chapel)

11.11.11 - Within Temptation (O2 Academy Brixton)

12.11.11 - Motorhead (Hammersmith Apollo)

12.11.11 - Devin Townsend (Union Chapel)

12.11.11 - The Damned (The Roundhouse)

13.11.11- Devin Townsend (Union Chapel)

13.11.11 - KMFDM (O2 Academy Islington)

13.11.11 - Opeth (O2 Academy Brixton)

14.11.11 - Gorgoroth + Vader + Vlakyrja (Underworld)

15.11.11 - Insomnium (Underworld)

18.11.11 - Freedom Call (Underworld)

22.11.11 - Lacuna Coil (ULU Live)

22.11.11 - Morbid Angel (O2 Academy Islington)

23.11.11 -Dimmu Borgir (O2 Academy Islington)

25.11.11 -Monster Magnet (KOKO Camden)

25.11.11- The Devil’s Blood (Underworld)

27.11.11 - Amorphis (O2 Academy Islington)

29.11.11 - Voodoo Six (The Borderline)

30.11.11 - Tyketto (Underworld)

Manchester:

09.11.11- Within Temptation (Manchester Academy)

09.11.11 - Gorgoroth + Vader + Vlakyrja (MOHO Live)

11.11.11 - Opeth (Manchester Academy)

12.11.11 - Lacuna Coil (Manchester Academy)

17.11.11 - Turisas (Manchester Academy)

18.11.11 - Motorhead (O2 Apollo Manchester)

19.11.11 - The Damned (Manchester Academy)

19.11.11 - Freedom Call (The Roadhouse)

25.11.11 - Dimmu Borgir (Manchester Academy)

25.11.11 -Wednesday 13 (The Ritz)

27.11.11- Napalm Death (MOHO Live)

Newcastle:

09.11.11 - Opeth (O2 Academy Newcastle)

17.11.11 - The Damned (O2 Academy Newcastle)

21.11.11 - Freedom Call (Trilians)

25.11.11 - Wolfsbane (O2 Academy Newcastle)

28.11.11 - Wednesday 13 (O2 Academy Newcastle)

Northampton:

21.11.11 - Lacuna Coil (Northampton)

Norwich:

11.11.11 - Motorhead (Norwich UEA)

Nottingham

15.11.11 - The Damned (Rock City)

17.11.11 - Motorhead (Nottingham Royal Centre)

24.11.11 - Dimmu Borgir (Rescue Rooms)

26.11.11 - Wednesday 13 (Rock City)

Oxford:

23.11.11 -Lacuna Coil (O2 Academy Oxford)

Plymouth:

14.11.11- Motorhead (Plymouth Pavilions)

16.11.11 - Gorgoroth + Vader + Vlakyrja (White Rabbit)

Sheffield:

10.11.11 - Turisas (Corporation)

21.11.11 - Morbid Angel (Corporation)

24.11.11 - Wolfsbane (O2 Academy Sheffield)

Southampton:

15.11.11 - Motorhead (Southampton Guildhall)

15.11.11 - Turisas (Southampton University SU)

Wakefield:

20.11.11 - Freedom Call (Snooty Fox)

Weymouth:

19.11.11 - Morbid Angel (Weymouth Pavilion)

Wolverhampton:

20.11.11 - Morbid Angel (The Slade Rooms)

24.11.11- Wednesday 13 (Wulfrun Hall)

Wrexham:

09.11.11 - Turisas (Central Station & Yales)

York:

19.11.11 - Mostly Autumn (Grand Opera House)

25.11.11 - Napalm Death (Fibbers)

Review : Five Finger Death Punch - American Capitalist

FFDP : American Capitalist (Prospect Park)

Rating 3.5/5

In the words quoted on their website “Everyone has two choices – evolve or die” and I am pleased to say that in my opinion this band has evolved and built upon the foundations laid in their previous two releases. The percussive assault and interlacing of clean and heavy vocals evident from the start are in typical FFDP style, however, American Capitalist sounds more mature than prior albums while still maintaining the almost fun aggression of the band.

The first two tracks on the album “American Capitalist” and “Under and Over It” contain strong drum/bass sounds throughout the songs but in my opinion the mixing is weighted slightly too much towards these overshadowing the guitars, particularly in the solo. The mixture of vocals is also not as seamless as later in the albums, but both of these issues disappear with the first of my three favourite tracks “The Pride” the balance between different instruments and different vocal styles works well here and the lyrics poking fun at American capitalism and the catchy chorus would make this a good candidate for a live show.

“Coming Down” is the first of two slower tracks on the album along with “Remember Everything”. “Coming Down” takes you on a crescendo ride from the melodic start and then kicking in more and more from the first chorus leading up to the guitar solo, before coming back down again with the soft guitars at the climax of the song. “Remember Everything” has more of a power ballad theme particularly during the chorus.

In the remaining songs the guitar is more prominent and there are some good guitar solos, other favourites of mine on the album so far include “Generation Dead” with strong guitars and the vocals somewhere between clean and a growl and “Back For More” an energetic song from start to finish and strong lyrical themes with a chorus once again suited to be shouted back at the band during a live gig.

Video - FFDP discussing Back for More, Remember Everything and Wicked Ways

Check out any FFDP review and there always seems to be a hailstorm of abuse in the comments that follow, it seems odd to me to spend so much energy on bands you claim not to like why not just move on and find something that you do, and to any members of FFDP reading those comments I would refer them back to their own lyrics in “Back For More”:

“It's time to rise up, man up, get back up, never bend and won't be broken. Dust off and then come back for more”

Overall a strong third album from FFDP, while there are tracks I like better than others and some areas where the mixing doesn't sound quite right to me it’s an album that I still play in its entirety and I for one do hope that FFDP come back for more.

Track List:

1. American Capitalist

2. Under and Over It

3. The Pride

4. Coming Down

5. Menace

6. Generation Dead

7. Back for More

8. Remember Everything

9. Wicked Ways

10. I'll Fall

11. 100 Ways to Hate