Cavalera Conspiracy - Inflikted

Cavalera Conspiracy
Inflikted
Roadrunner



Let's get this out of the way up front: Inflikted (Why Max, Why?) sounds far more like Soulfly than Sepultura. You could probably guess that from the clever, non-cliche album title. It does sound somewhat like Sepultura, but in that way that everything these two do will sound like Sepultura. That said, Inflikted doesn't sound like any particular album or era.

On their debut album, the Cavaleras are joined by Soulfly's Marc Rizzo and Joe Duplantier from the mighty Gojira and they bash out 11 tracks of neo-nu-death-mosh-core-whatever. Hell, just knowing that Max and Igor wrote this should give away the sound.

A lazy person would say it sounds like Roots, but it doesn't. Inflikted sounds more like something Victory would have released back in the 90s. I wouldn't be a bit surprised if that was the Cavaleras' intent. For example, the keyboards on the title track are used the same way that Earth Crisis did on the Slither album. The record sounds like death metal at times and like Pantera at others. There's no hip-hop influence on Inflikted, so progress is being made. Most metalheads will dig this record. However, if you hate Soulfly, you should probably keep on trucking. Hey, my co-workers hate this record, so Cavalera Conspiracy did something right.




Cavalera Conspiracy - Inflikted




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Tim & Eric Awesome Record, Great Songs!

Tim & Eric Awesome Record, Great Songs!
Cinco Records



Oh man, is this awesome or what? If you don't dig Tim & Eric Awesome Show, what are you doing here? If you don't get Tim & Eric Awesome Show, then you just don't get American or Canadian comedy. Somebody out there remembers Mr. Show, right? If you don't know anything, here's the basic rundown: Tim & Eric Awesome Show is a live-action extension of Tom Goes to the Mayor that focuses on public access TV parodies and poor film-making techniques.



Well, now you've got all the music to the show. Music? Yeah, remember this?



or this one?



They're all yours now. Leave a comment if you DL this one, you ingrates. What do you like about this amazing show?




Tim & Eric Awesome Record, Great Songs! part 1

Tim & Eric Awesome Record, Great Songs! part 2




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Coldworker - The Contaminated Void

Coldworker
The Contaminated Void
Relapse



Coldworker was formed by the ex-Nasum members following the death of Mieszko Talarczyk. Coldworker was not intended to be an extension of Nasum and The Contaminated Void reflects this. Where Nasum was straight-forward grind, sounds like grind-influenced death metal, reminiscent of Dying Fetus but with less guitar wank.

Actually, on songs like the title track, I can hear some new-school, Unearth-type riffing. Alternately, Coldworker gets old-school when they slow down. The slower riffs sound like Autopsy or old Entombed. The Contaminated Void isn't anything progressive or ground-breaking. At the same time, it's not stuck on a nostalgia trip either. This is a solid debut by a good band with a bright future, who also seem to have overcome a deep, personal tragedy. The second Coldworker record should be killer.




Coldworker - The Contaminated Void





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Cops suck so much, they kind of rule.

This would happen in Dearborn. Thank you very much to Grim Chris, who passed this along.

Immortal Fate – Beautiful

Immortal Fate
Beautiful
625 Thrash



My first brush with Immortal Fate was seeing their name in an old 625 Thrash ad. The label described them as sounding similar to Incantation (who I think are the bee’s knees). I always wanted to check out the band, but I never did. Flash forward to years later and I’ve finally got my hands on the Immortal Fate LP.

For as much as this band claims to be death-metal inspired, I don’t hear it. Sure, they swiped Incantation’s breakdowns, but Beautiful is still firmly rooted in Bay Area grind. The death metal influence heard on this record sounds more like Autopsy and Obituary’s mid-paced moments. They aren’t anywhere near as fast as Incantation. For the most part, Beautiful sounds like Plutocracy, No Less and other Bay Area grind-violence bands. It’s pretty good for a bunch of punk rockers playing metal.




Immortal Fate – Beautiful




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Eyehategod – Dopesick

Eyehategod
Dopesick
Century Media



Eyehategod is one of my favorite bands. They’re the perfect mix of Black Sabbath and Black Flag. They’re pioneers of the NOLA scene and sound. They are one of the most respected bands in America and Dopesick is considered by many to be the band’s masterpiece. With that in mind, Dopesick is my least favorite Eyehategod record. I’m well aware that this logic is similar to choosing your least-favorite Snickers bar. If you like Snickers bars, then you’ll like them all; they’re all basically the same.

Yet, this is how I feel. What’s different about this one? Dopesick relies too much on the sludge/feedback aspects of the band. They don’t get into a Sabbath-style rock groove until “Ruptured Heart Theory”, an old song rerecorded for this album. The second side is more like the Eyehategod I know, with “Zero Nowhere”, “Lack of Almost Everything” and “Methamphetamine.” The early songs, especially “Masters of Legalized Confusion” and “Dixie Whiskey”, just sound like a drug-addled mess. Again, this is my least favorite Eyehategod record, but it’s still better than everything you own.




Eyehategod – Dopesick





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RE-UP: Cave In - Perfect Pitch Black

Cave In
Perfect Pitch Black
Hydrahead



Here's another old review, republished with a new link. Check out the original review, from No Funeral #1. What's changed in the last two years? Nothing's really changed. This album still rules. However, the liner notes (buy the record if you want to find out exactly what it says) alludes to Cave In making more records and touring. Well, that hasn't exactly happened. Maybe this year?



Cave In - Perfect Pitch Black




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RE-UP: wrestling vs. Man is the Bastard

I still have 12 FREE tickets left for the XWO match at the Johnson Coliseum in Huntsville. It's on Saturday Feb. 7th. Visit the XWO website for more details. For tickets, e-mail: no-funeral@hotmail.com

It's been brought to my attention that the link for Mancruel is in the lame MP4 format. I'm going to leave that link up for iPod nerds. For everyone that needs Man is the Bastard MP3s, click below.



Man is the Bastard - Mancruel




Stay tuned. Go Spurs.

Eyehategod – Preaching the End-Time Message

Eyehategod
Preaching the End-Time Message
Emetic




Between the creepy sample of Uncle Charlie and the ignorant, unbridled feedback which kick off this record, you should know that this is Eyehategod. Louisiana’s greatest (second greatest?) band hits us with another rarities compilation; their first release since Hurricane Katrina.

Preaching the End-Time Message is similar in content to 10 Years of Abuse and Still Broke. It features alternate takes of Eyehategod classics like “Methamphetamine” and “Serving Time in the Middle of Nowhere”, some live tracks and the poser-killing, 10-minute-long “Sabbath Jam.” Preaching the End-Time Message is a great starting point for Eyehategod newbies and it’s also a pleasant surprise for long-time fans. Recommended for everyone; like all Eyehategod albums.




Eyehategod – Preaching the End-Time Message




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Nile – Ithyphallic

Nile
Ithyphallic
Nuclear Blast



This is Nile. Most people (most metal people anyway) know Nile. For the uninitiated, they play American death metal that is thematically and lyrically inspired by ancient Egypt. They play faster than hell and they have a penchant for using non-traditional instruments. On their album The Catacombs of Nephren-Ka, they employed some human-skull drumming. They are death metal legends who, much like Cannibal Corpse and Morbid Angel, have actually achieved a modicum of mainstream success. In short, Nile is very good.

Ithyphallic is the first album Nile made for Nuclear Blast, their new home after leaving long-time label Relapse. Coincidentally, Ithyphallic debuted in the high 100s on the Billboard chart and Nile played the second stage of the 2007 Ozzfest. I’m just sayin’…

Nile has outsmarted itself this time. The band has long been criticized for being nothing more than fast. While Ithyphallic is certainly a fast record, the arrangement of the songs and the individual instruments haven’t been sacrificed to the speed gods. Karl Sanders’ lead playing has never sounded better and this Nile line-up isn’t stepping all over each other like on Annihilation of the Wicked. In short, Ithyphallic is every bit as good as Nile’s classic Black Seeds of Vengeance.




Nile – Ithyphallic




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Terror – Always the Hard Way

Terror
Always the Hard Way
Trustkill



I’ve always liked Terror, Vogel-isms and all, but Always the Hard Way sounds awkward. This record was written and recorded after Terror’s second line-up purge and it sounds self-conscious, as if they feel the need to “live up” to the first two albums.

It’s strange because, on Always the Hard Way, Terror stuck with its past game plan. The band didn’t go metal or emo or anything like that. It should sound the same as the others, although moments of genius can be heard. “Smash Through You” is a punishing hardcore song in the mold of the 90s Cleveland bands. The title track and “Last of the Diehards” both sound like the Terror that we all know and love. The clunkers on this album, like “Dead End”, are clichéd-ridden and sound hastily written.

Don’t get me wrong, Always the Hard Way is a good album, but only half of it is killer. The other half sounds like rejected/undercooked tunes from the One with the Underdogs session. I realize that this is all hypothetical and that you can’t read someone’s mind, so I could be way off on this. It’s just my educated guess. That said, Always the Hard Way comes across like a band panicked by high expectations. While not their best material, at least Terror has enough conviction to not collapse under the pressure.




Terror – Always the Hard Way




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Isis – In the Absence of Truth

Isis
In the Absence of Truth
Ipecac



Among those-without-clues, this record has received a bum rap. Everyone wants to rip on In the Absence of Truth for being a Tool knock off. While the album is certainly Tool-influenced, accusing Isis of plagiarism does a disservice to both bands.

When Isis first emerged in the late 1990s, during the Mosquito Control/Red Sea-era, it literally sounded like they might go down the traditional metal/hardcore route. Instead, Isis took the less-travelled Neurosis Blvd. all the way to musical glory and commercial success (for the most part). Now, 10 years into this voyage, why would you expect them to not make a record like this?

In the Absence of Truth is the most ambitious Isis record to date. It’s a sprawling epic that doesn’t have the space-rock vibe of Celestial and is far more focused than Panopticon. There are even fewer lyrics and vocals on this album than usual for Isis; which isn’t many to start. Isis uses their instruments to take the listener on a journey into the ethereal. They accomplish this with well-placed tempo changes, layers of feedback and unusual song arrangements. Isis knows how to build an atmosphere. Their down-tuned heaviness is a mental victory. Isis is not a slave to technology. This is recommended for the progressive-minded. In the Absence of Truth is Tool influenced; like that’s a bad thing.




Isis – In the Absence of Truth




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Weekend Nachos – Punish and Destroy

Weekend Nachos
Punish and Destroy
Cowabunga



Alright! Someone is keeping the Infest fire burning and that someone is Weekend Nachos. Even though they're from Chicago, they play the classic style of West Coast power violence. No, Punish and Destroy doesn’t break any new ground, but it’s so nice to hear a modern band play this style correctly; especially when so many other do not.

There’s more to Punish and Destroy than just the Infest love. I hear some Obituary-inspired riffing in there, as well as fleeting moments that are reminiscent of Brutal Truth. That said, the singer and drummer of Weekend Nachos both take all of their cues from Infest. Punish and Destroy is recommended for Infest fans. Otherwise, check out Infest first and then get Weekend Nachos. Infest.




Weekend Nachos – Punish and Destroy




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World Burns to Death – The Sucking of the Missile Cock

World Burns to Death
The Sucking of the Missile Cock
Hardcore Holocaust



Is World Burns to Death an angry band? Yes, in that way that the sun is just a tad shiny, yes, World Burns to Death is miffed. They’re not down with the current situation. Which one? Pick one.

Unlike most bands, it’s more than just imagery for World Burns to Death. Although the lyrics and artwork they use is decidedly anti-capitalist, anti-government and anti-Republican, World Burns to Death isn’t down with the current musical situation either. They play ripping D-beat-influenced hardcore that’s more than just trend-free. It has a timeless quality. This reflects a conscious decision to absorb and amalgamate the multiple sub-genres of hardcore into a pure and focused version of the style. In other words, use the best stuff and ignore the crap. World Burns to Death features ex-members of bands that you know, so there’s a hint as to their instrumental proficiency.

The other remarkable thing about World Burns to Death is that they, along side Signal Lost, have reenergized a formerly stagnant ATX punk scene. While the posers are whining about their girlfriends, World Burns to Death is out brutalizing listeners. The Sucking of the Missile Cock is more than just blinding speed. They slow it down when necessary yet no acoustic, Metallica-type riffs are to be found. As a matter of fact, this record is far less metal-influenced that most Scandinavian D-Beat bands. There’s no mosh on here either. Instead, The Sucking of the Missile Cock has an old-school, terrifying, Necros/Negative Approach vibe. This is very cool stuff.



World Burns to Death – The Sucking of the Missile Cock




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Watchmaker – Erased from the Memory of Man

Watchmaker
Erased from the Memory of Man
Willowtip



Watchmaker embodies fury. They are the ONLY band that may actually be more pissed than Insect Warfare. You’d know this if you had picked up the Hirudinea/Watchmaker split EP that was posted two weeks ago. If you want to hit the link real quick, I’ll wait…

Now that everyone’s caught up, you may have noticed that Watchmaker has two basic settings: blastbeat and faster blastbeat. Much like Discordance Axis, Watchmaker’s style of grind makes no attempt to mimic death metal. Even on “Therapeutic Dirt Nap”, one of the “slower” songs on Erased from the Memory of Man, the band can’t write a song that doesn’t reek of torment. Neither of the two guitarists plays lead. Instead of a lead/rhythm dynamic, everybody plays rhythm and the goal is to deafen people. Melody has no place here. The Watchmaker experience is equivalent to being murdered in the projects. This is not for the squeamish.




Watchmaker - Erased from the Memory of Man




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