Robotosaurus - Sayra Bahk Vol. 1 & 2

        

Boasting former members of a number of fellow Australian bands including Love Like…Electrocution, Robotosaurus create quite a racket down under. Combining elements of grind, hardcore, slower sludge elements and even death metal (more so in the vocal department). Probably the most prominant thing about these two EP’s that jumps out at me are the guitars. With a somewhat unique at times riffing style and a particularly grating tone, these songs definitely demand some attention. Volume one of the two part series has the shorter, more chaotic tracks, where as Volume two concentrates more on longer, slower, almost stoner like passages. Standout track on Volume one: Blood Trade. Standout track on Volume two: the near sixteen minute closing track No Refuge. Pretty promising stuff if you ask me, as it kind of took me for surprise never hearing of these guys prior to this. However, only being their debut I am very interested to see where they take it from here.

Download Sayra Bahk Vol. 1: Last Refuge Of The Exiled Man

Download Sayra Bahk Vol. 2: Trifornais

Riddle Of Steel - Got This Feelin’

Calling St. Louis, MO home, the three members of Riddle Of Steel give us some pretty solid guitar rock with little hints of prog, post punk, stoner, and classic metal thrown in for some variety. But, don’t jump into this record expecting Rush, Jawbox, or Maiden because the jams R.o.S. crank out are more aligned with Queens Of The Stone Age. One BIG reason this record has gotten so many spins for me is because it reminds me of another very similar record which i fell hard for. That album being You And Me by Open Hand. The similarities are uncanny, with the big difference being Open Hand better varying tempos. Thats not to say R.o.S. are running in the red 24/7. Far from it. If you enjoy a REAL rock record with great guitar and hooks galore, but still retaining that indie/underground edge, Riddle Of Steel just might be a contender for you new favorite band. The band has previously released an EP, and a full length, as well as a brand new long player all on Ascetic Records. While I enjoy the entire R.o.S. catalog, this in my opinion is their strongest effort to date. So put this on and play it LOUD.

Here is what some people have said about Got This Feelin‘:

The feeling gotten from Riddle of Steel? Three guys from St. Louis who like power pop and like old-school metal even more. They blend the two styles with ease on Got This Feelin’, and the result is a homage to several components of rock & roll. “The Sunshine Strangler” (although it misfires with muddy vocals) also shows their influence from post-hardcore bands such as Shiner and Jawbox. Dates with Rye Coalition, The Dismemberment Plan, Cave In, Les Savy Fav, and Minus The Bear not only earn them street cred but also is further proof of their ability to fit comfortably among diverse artists. “The Lovers of Nothing” is Sloan with an attitude, merging melody with chugging guitar riffs, and follows with such fully charged tunes as “Baby Bird” and “Got This Feelin’.” They take a step off their chosen path when the subdued “Invisible Hands” is lead by pretty, ringing guitar, later contrasting with manic, almost Iron Maiden-like guitar work on “This Is a House of Lies.” Rock on.-All Music Guide

With a band name like Riddle of Steel and an album cover sporting saw blades and lightning bolts, I was expecting some generic brand of heavy metal to come blowing out of the speakers. The credits seemed to confirm my suspicions, seeing that all of the songs on Got This Feelin’ were created with just three instruments: guitar, bass, and drums. Fortunately, instead of the insipid hard rock I thought I was going to get, I was dealt a unique mix of indie power-pop and prog-rock that teeters on the edge of heavy metal.

On this sophomore full-length, Riddle of Steel creates churning, hard-driving rock tunes that are fashioned around Rob Smith’s rabid drumming and the pounding, rhythmic bass lines put down by Jimmy Vavak. Andrew Elstner adds his own brand of propulsive, precision guitar work, and coupled with the band’s tight arrangements, the results are venturesome rock tunes that are more than just your usual MOR muscle rock, although they can pack a wallop.

The dueling, staccato guitar and bass along with the sharp tempo changes on “Deeper Still” are similar in style to late-era King Crimson, but the standout tracks are “Invisible Hands,” “The Sunshine Strangler,” and “Aquiline.” On these tunes, ROS turns down the frenzied drumming and pounding bass and turns up the brisk time changes and taut instrumental interplay to concoct some edgy and catchy power rock. Unfortunately, this potent formula cannot be maintained consistently and in fact is completely discarded on the dull rocker “Detroit Flu.”

Although both Elstner and Vavak are credited with vocals, it is hard to distinguish between the two. The vocals are the same on every song both in style and voice, sometimes resembling a combination of Adrian Belew (King Crimson), Perry Farrell (Jane’s Addiction), and Doug Martsch (Built to Spill) put together, but somehow they end up sounding generic and fail to entertain, further weakening these tunes’ appeal.

The better tracks on Got This Feelin’ flirt with adventurous prog-rock, but just when you think ROS is going to shed its brawn in favor of more groove-oriented outbursts, the guys revert back to heavier rock territory. Their music is best when they are relaxing their muscles, not their brains, and investigating the more complex rhythms that are both tuneful and powerful. But their kick-ass attitude gets in the way, ultimately producing an inconsistent offering that makes it hard to solve this Riddle of Steel.-Delusions Of Adequacy

Download Got This Feelin’

Early Man - Closing In

Early Man is a FUN band to listen to. Period. Originally from Columbus, Ohio but now based in New York, Early Man play a style of rock that is equal parts thrash and stoner metal. While some jump to cite The Sword, Wolfmother, and even Black Sabbath as the obvious sonic contemporaries, one would be hard pressed to find any band as enjoyable as Early Man. I mean this record just slays. And if I’m not mistaken I believe this was recorded as a two piece! Having since added a second guitarist. Now I know there is a glut of these so called stoner, doom, dare i say “throw back” type bands who worship at the alter of Sabbath, but few have given me as many repeated spins than these guys. Just listen to those riffs! if this record doesn’t get your toes a tappin’ or head a bobbin’ , then I’m afraid you may be dead my friends.

Heres what some people have said about Closing IN:

Riding in the thunderous pack of post-ironic metal is New York’s Early Man. Like fellow back to basics revivalists Three Inches of Blood, Early Man is a two piece with an unabashed love of Cro-Magnon NWOBHM. They sound so freakin’ sincere about what they’re doing, they manage to draw both the No Life ’til Leather crowd as well as those who buy Iron Maiden t-shirts to make some sort of dimwitted, cooler-than-thou social commentary.

As with their three song demo released last year, Closing In sounds like it should’ve been released right after Metallica’s Kill ‘Em All and Paul Di’Anno was just replaced by some dude from Samson. Back when metal was pimply, angry, and ugly. And while it’s metal in all its primitive glory, it’s also fairly accomplished. There’s a base of chugga-chugga riffs driving the whole deal, but that would be wholly unremarkable if not for the overall playing. They’ve got a handle on what makes an ass kicking head banger, and it shows in tracks like “Four Walls,” “Thrill of the Kill,” and “Fist Shaker.”

While the vocals occasionally touch upon a too shrill level, it’s still all good, straight-from-1982 metal. Early Man may be winking at us when they play, but they do it well enough that I don’t care if it’s a joke or not. - StonerRock.com

Anyone who has ever held a Gibson SG in their hands, felt the warm buzz of an overdriven Peavy guitar combo amp breathing against the back of their legs, and let loose with a windmill motion on the only chord they know how to play will no doubt recognize the mission of Columbus, OH’s Early Man. If their bio is to be taken literally, guitarist/vocalist Mike Conte and drummer Adam Bennati (insert inevitable “White Stripes of heavy metal” blurb here) were sheltered from the sinful world of rock & roll by their fundamentalist Pentecostal families until the age of 19. It was then that they found the antichrist in the tomes of Black Sabbath and Judas Priest, and like good and pious disciples, applied the metal Gods’ lessons — and more importantly, their sound — to their rebirth. On their Matador debut, Early Man take up the mantle of primal, ’70s hard rock with such dogmatic intensity that you would swear the stories are true. Closing In is Paranoid-era Sabbath through and through. Simplistic heavy riffs and nihilistic imagery are delivered with the kind of ferocity that can only come from being locked in your basement during puberty by your hellfire- and brimstone-emitting parents. The problem is, there’s no irony. This is not the Darkness, Andrew W.K., or the Fucking Champs celebrating their deviant youth. Closing In is numbingly derivative, not just because it wears its influences like a bat in its mouth, but because there’s nothing even remotely memorable or engaging about it. It is an impeccably performed, recorded, and packaged parlor trick that thinks it’s a veritable anti-hair metal movement. Without a shtick, the listener is forced to judge each song against its predecessor. It’s a courtroom trial that Early Man have every right to be in, but not a chance in Hell of winning, and for the record, “Fist Shaker” sounds just like “Lack of Communication”…by Ratt. - All Music Guide

Download Closing In

The Abodox - New Knife Of The Berserker

While little is known to me of The Abodox, I know one thing… they fuking kill! If violent, caustic, screaming madness is you bag, then my friends, The Abodox is for you. The Seattle based band have previously release a seft titled full length and are in the process of completing a third album. The band also share members with fellow Seattle band Lesbian. I am sort of at a loss as to more ways to bescribe these guys to you but i think it may be best to let the music do most of the talking.

Here is what some people have said about New Knife Of The Berserker:

The Abodox “New Knife of the Berserker” CD
[self-released]
Weird stuff. From crazy technical math metal, to frantic grinding abrasiveness with lots of stuttered rhythms and oddball time signatures, to jangly clean guitars, or even slow and sludgy dirges… It’s just weird stuff. Some of the riffs these guys crank out are stellar, but I have to confess that I find their songwriting to be less than enjoyable, and stupid ass song titles like “Cock of Dan” and “Hulk Rulz” leave me with little to no interest in this band aside from the surface level intrigue provided by their musical abilities and generally original approach. Scathing vocal screams show up now and then, and they even bring in guest musicians on a handful of tracks, incorporating brief passages of horns or strings, etc. The recording is pretty rough around the edges, but not enough to really hinder their performances per se. You can hear all of the instruments for the most part, and despite some messiness in the mix they tend to get the job done. I definitely think a cleaner recording would benefit the complex side of their writing, but I can live with this. Portions of the layout are alright, the abstract cover and minimal use of text are nice, but the font used is pretty terrible, and the inner spread of the booklet is less interesting. I guess my biggest problem with this record is the way the band carries themselves. That’s just my personal opinion, but I tend to fucking hate “humor” in music, especially when the musicians are competent and tend to have a lot working in their favor. To throw that away with a silly sort of attitude is just a waste, especially because the song titles and shit that these guys dish out aren’t even funny. If they were actually funny or there was some sort of consistent air of sarcasm hovering about it, then it would be perhaps more suitable. But what you end up with here is a half decent CD full of crazy music, some killer riffs, and some noisy junk. I could see this band doing some totally insane work, but who knows? (5/10) - Aversionline

The Abodox - New Knife Of The Berserker
This album is too unconventional for metal listeners, too aggressive for Alternative listeners, and too ‘artsy fartsy’ for traditional Grindcore listeners. Fanatics of Daughters or Orthrelm might enjoy this but unlike Daughters and Orthrelm, The Abodox purpose isn’t to annoy you. They do fuck with you though, don’t get me wrong. They constantly catch you off guard. At times I have a hard time telling if this band is taking themselves seriously or not but to me that’s part of the fun of listening to them. Perhaps the attitude of the band is to take fun music seriously and the result is both coming across. I would more or less share this album with a Naked City, Patton, even a Khann fan over a Daughters or Orthrelm fan. - The Apparatus

One thing I really like is that they only use technical accents when needed. This isn’t a technical band by any means but they make up for it by flourishing in genre mixing. This band is all mixed up. A few of the genres they incorporate include Power Violence/Grindcore, Sludge, Alternative, and Experimental. This band can play almost any genre as long as it’s dirty and has a ton of power and enthusiasm behind it.

The most epic and heaviest track on the album is Jones of the Bridge. Just when you thought you’ve figured the band out they throw in Saxophone at the end. I honestly didn’t see it coming… Fucking brilliant on their part.

A New Knife of the Bezerker is overly heavy and is almost too good for their own recording. The shit production brings down the album but in away gives it its own characteristics. Judging from The Abodox take on music, I guarantee any new recording they do will sound nothing like this. Yet, I guarantee I’ll love it. This band covers so much in such a short release it can only expand and grow from here. Look out for The Abodox!

Download New Knife Of The Berserker

Lock and Key - Pull Up The Floorboards

Lock and Key is a Boston based band that plays a style of post-punk rock much akin to bands such as Hot Water Music, Small Brown Bike, and Against Me!. While those comparisons are fairly accurate i feel that Lock and Key merit their own corner of said style and bands of that ilk. Melodic songs with gruff, hoarse vocals abound on this, their debut full length which followed an EP and a few compilation appearances. Also I’ve just recently learned that although the band called it quits, they are releasing a final 14 track full length on Get A Life Recordings, which i have not yet been able to track down. But if the tracks on the band’s MySpace are any kind of indicator, then it’s sure to be a barnburner of a record.

Here is what some people have said about Pull Up The Floorboards:

“Lock And Key can dish the intensity, but this rampaging act also has a heady dash of hope in its music. Their intense new album, Pull Up the Floorboards, bristles with a punk drive, yet the hope is never far away. Ryan Shanahan has a barking voice that could peel paint, but the group also has a promising melodic sense amid the locomotive rhythms. Lock And Key is one of the hot Boston bands to watch in 2005!” - Boston Globe

“It takes a band like Lock And Key to remind me why I loved this type of music so much in the first place. On Pull Up The Floorboards, Ryan Shanahan’s hoarse voice, when singing, is gruff and when screaming, impassioned. The instrumentation is loud and intense, taking a page from the band’s heroes like Hot Water Music and Fugazi, incorporating emo and post-hardcore into a vicious blend of pounding rhythms, driving yet melodic guitars and vicious intensity. It’s the way emo used to sound: pure urgency and powerful guitars and rhythm. Pull Up The Floorboards is a great record, well produced and well played. It reminds me of a style that never really died out.” - Delusions Of Adequacy

“Pull Up The Floorboards from Lock And Key delivers on the promise of No Fate by stripping down music to post-hardcore basics. Although the term ‘emo’ has been so casually applied that it’s basically useless anymore, Pull Up The Floorboards reminds listeners of what the term meant in its earliest incarnation. Lock And Key is influenced by echoes of Fugazi, Hot Water Music and to a lesser extent Sunny Day Real Estate, but the key factor is that the quartet do this sort of thing really really well. Ryan Shanahan has the gruff, barking vocals, and he and second guitarist Mike Vera rarely succumb to the sort of lockstep unison riffage that weighs down so many albums of this type. Songs like The Process Of Molting are passionate without the irritating affectations that dogs so many less mature bands.” - All Music Guide

 

Download Pull Up The Floorboards 

 

New Beginnings

This is my first post. So i suppose i should tell you you a little about myself. I am a unabashed music lover, nerd, geek, whatever you call it, and this is my attempt to share with everyone what has given me countless hours of my life joy and happiness. So please take time to read and listen. And if you like something, for Jeebus’ sake, go out and buy it.