To/Die/For “Epilogue” (Nuclear Blast) The press release seems to want to push the term “Gothic” onto this band, and sure enough the vocals do have Christian Death sort of Gothic appeal, but the vocalist could also be easily, if not…
Motorplant “American Postcard” (Shiretown) The fourth CD by New Hampshire’s Motorplant is a batch of highly produced, radio-friendly tunes landing somewhere between Matchbox 20 and Third Eye Blind. Supposedly, they were the local indie band that could have been big,…
Owen “Self-Titled” (Polyvinyl) Joan of Arc, Cap’n Jazz, Owls and American Football member Mike Kinsella did EVERYTHING on this record and in his own studio, to boot. The results are quite impressive. Mellower and spacier than American Football, but actually…
Pissing Razors “Where We Come From” (Spitfire Records) Thrash from the stutter and rip school–the best kind of thrash. See Pantera for the most direct influence Pissing Razors wears, and wears proudly, I would assume. This is one of the…
Playing Enemy “Cesarean” (Escape Artist) Ex-Kiss it Goodbye (members of Rorsharch), Seattle’s Playing Enemy produce a distinct, sonic, atonal and progressive hardcore metal. More scary than macho, Cesarean actually sends a few chills up your spine in the listening process.…
Savatage “Poets & Madmen” (Nuclear Blast) With “Poets & Madmen”, Savatage flits forth another rock opera. Savatage still maintains a unique sound in the world of heavy rock and roll even after a career that spans twenty years of songwriting.…
Saxon “Killing Ground” (SPV) Saxon deserves their kudos. They were at the forefront of the British metal invasion, innovative and fearless leaders, but they were run over and over shadowed in popularity by the likes of Judas Priest and Def…
Scholomance “The Immortality Murder” (The End Records) This is a 2 CD set of incredibly innovative and highly ambitious technically proficient progressive metal with (get this) death metal vocals on the first CD, and for those who don’t take kindly…
Scissorfight “Mantrapping For Fun and Profit” (Tortuga Records) Bizarre rock, this is. The vocals have a spoken abstractness to them very much like a little known band called Tack–but if you are familiar, you’ll know exactly what I’m talking about.…