| COPROFAGO - GENESIS (GWN RECORDS) |
| When you think of creativity in Heavy Metal you think of bands like Death, Iced Earth or Nevermore. Those are a few bands who have opened the eyes and ears of Metal fans worldwide. Coprofago is a Technical Death/Jazz Metal band from Chile. This is a brilliant CD full of aggressive Death Metal riffs with jazz influences. Truly more interesting than your average Death Metal band as this has a progressive metal sound to it as well. "Nailed Race" reminds me of Shadow's Fall. "Empty Creature" plows a hole through your speakers and also adds a perfect guitar solo and Jazz fused Riffs which make this an experience you need to hear first hand. The deeper you go on this Disc the Faster it gets. Coprofago is for Metal fans who love diversity. And these South American Metal heads know their craft and Jazz it up well. Its just that much better when Death Metal/Jazz bang heads too. Metal Mike.......................................................9/10 |
| BLAZE - AS LIVE AS IT GETS (SPV) |
| England's Blaze Bayley returns with his 3rd album since his departure from Iron Maiden. After two solid album's (Silicon Messiah and Tenth Dimension) Blaze and Co. release As Live as it gets, recorded in Switzerland and the U.K. in front of a few of their closest fans. Blaze puts forth his best effort probably since his days in Wolfsbane. Being the Frontman for Iron Maiden was not a bad idea to begin with but he had some really big shoes to fill in for Bruce Dickinson. As Live as it gets is a perfectly recorded 2 CD set as Blaze and his supporting cast can blow away many bands offstage with this kind of sounding performance.Veteran Producer Andy Sneap (Machine Head, Napalm Death, Kreator, Nevermore etc.) is also a big reason why this Live CD sounds as good as it gets. Highlights include "When two world's collide" "Steel" "Kill and Destroy" Including Maiden tunes "Sign of the Cross" and "Futureal". Not to forget the impressive cover of Led Zeppelin's "Dazed And Confused". Blaze has really found himself this time. As his critics can only say good things Post Iron Maiden. A Fantastic Double Live CD as good as it gets from this Fans View. Also check out the website at www.planetblaze.com that alone will keep you interested and Entertained. Metal Mike....................................................8.5/10 |
| MOTIVE - WORN DOWN DREAM (INDIE) |
| Gut wrenching Thrash Metal from the Phoenix, Arizona area. Thats one of the best ways to describe Motive and their latest CD titled "Worn down dream". From track to track you get a very Slayer like sound, with traces of older Metallica. Steve Buschart growls and screams his ass off all over this disc. "Hole of Respect" chugs along and displays a headbanging chorus all real Metalheads will love. The album's title track begins with a fresh acoustic intro but soon explodes into Motive Metal riffs. When Steve screams "The Radar flashes insane around the bend unnamed untamed" he and Lead Guitarist Randy Davis dont disappoint with a pure Metal guitar riff clinic to go with an awesome solo as well. The first thing you notice about the track "We were faded" is its old school Metal sound, kinda like what Iced Earth did when they released "Tribute to the Gods" a CD in honor of the bands we all listened to and grew up with (eg. AC/DC, Iron Maiden) a great song that really stands out on this disc. Brilliant song structures and writing by the band as they worked hard to make this dream a Gem of reality. I love that Motive does not fall prey to any kind of trend, fad, whatever you may call it. No nonsense here, just Heavy Metal the way it should be heard, loud, fast, furious Thrash, that damn good. Metal Mike........................................................9/10 |
| MATTSSON - POWER GAMES (LION MUSIC) |
| Lars Eric Mattsson Finnish guitar wizard teams up with Ex-Balance of Power vocalist Lance King on Power Games and raise the Hard Rock/Metal roof as this tandem reminds me of Badlands Jake E. Lee and Ray Gillen with Jake possessing more of a blues Metal style compared to Lars Eric Mattsson who's style is similar to Yngwie Malmsteen but at times not so fast or as progressive. A very Classical style from this Veteran of the six stringed strat. Lars Eric Mattsson's solo's are choked full of soul and together with Lance King's already harmonic and soulfull voice you'd think they've been making music together since grade school (maybe they have?). Both Mattsson and King complement each other well. "Beyond the Horizon - Guitar Concerto no. 1" Lars shred's the paint off his Fender Strat on this 17 minute fire breathing Instrumental track. Lance King's vocal range is amazing just as he was in Balance of Power. He displays some of that on "Blind Faith" along with Lars' fluid technique. Fans of Yngwie Malmsteen and Joe Satriani will eat this up. Overall these two should record together some more in the future as Power Games is one of the better Melodic Metal/Hard Rock CD's to be released so far in 2003. Maybe we will hear some more from this duo sooner than later. Metal Mike......................................................7.5/10 |
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| DAVID NEIL CLINE - 6 SONG DEMO 2003 (GAZOCHTAHAGEN) |
| Here's the latest 6 song Demo from the David Neil Cline band. This CD is a little different than his last disc "Thorough Scrutiny" as songs have a bit more of a Heavier edge to them and not so Frank Zappa-ish. Not to take anything away from "Thorough Scrutiny" as I thought that was DNC's time to breakthrough with that album. Because if "Thorough Scrutiny" didn't do it, then these soon to be released tracks will have a serious effect on the music Industry. A few times on this CD you can hear guitar solo's very reminiscent of Iron Maiden. The track "Road Rage" adds a heavy bass sound to an already superb groove by David himself. Great production and sound on this Demo as it has almost surpassed the last 3 CD's in quality. It can only get better from here on. David Neil Cline has put the pedal to the metal and added heavier groove with no keyboards this time. You gotta love the lead off track "Going Postal" with its headbanging chorus. And "False Judgement" pounds heavily like King's X with a blast of Corrosion of Conformity every so often. David Neil Cline has had some pretty good success since "Thorough Scrutiny" was released being part of the Classic Metal Fest 2 last summer in Cleveland, Ohio and doing better than anyone expected in a battle of the bands in 2002. David Neil Cline's next move is to release this as a full length CD and when he does expect to hear the nothing but awesome Hard Rock/Metal from an artist on the way up! David Neil Cline is NOT on the decline! Metal Mike............................................................9/10 |
| MORTUARY - AGONY IN RED (ANVIL CORP) |
| If you like pure Death Metal that hits you where it hurts then Mortuary is the ball buster you've been looking for. Vicious, hate riffs engulf this 11 track CD as Mortuary have created a slam dancing, bone breaking album fun for the whole family. Favourite tracks "Elimination" and "Calvary" explode with furious death metal frenzy. The cool thing like a lot of death metal bands this CD never lets up and blows you away from start to finish. And the big finish is Mortuary's cover of Scorpions "Dynamite" which makes the original version seem very dull in comparison. Dirk Verbeuren's Tama drums and stick's get a healthy workout as vocalist Patrick Germonville grunts and growls agony in red along the french riviera. This is a must have for all Death/Thrash Metal fans who look for something else after all the Napalm death, Morbid Angel, Dying Fetus albums have been played, well... to death. Something like Agony in Red will honestly give fans of sheer brutal metal the stuff they crave, and this kind of Heavy Metal sticks to you like glue. Mortuary seeing Red Agony and eliminating everything in its path just when you thought it was safe. Metal Mike.........................................................9.5/10 |
| HORRESCO REFERENS - ....OF OUR SOULS (ANVIL CORP) |
| Horresco Referens is another band from France on the New Metal label Anvil Corp. Not many people may have heard of them but if you listen to this CD it will grow on you and you wont forget them. ...Of our souls is the bands 2nd full length CD to go along with an E.P. released in 1994 and were part of a compilation CD in 1997. Horresco Referens ...Of our souls offers everything all rolled into one Black/Death/Thrash Metal and makes for a good listen more than once. Great Thrash riffs are heard on "Gorgeous" and "Deceptes". Very dark and eerie lyric content that goes together well with the music. Horresco Referens blends gothic like shreeks and mystical type vocals track by track as each song offers something for the imagination. Those who enjoy their Heavy Metal with a little imagination with loads of Thrash/Black Metal riffs should keep this CD in mind when shopping for that one disc that would stand out among the rest. Anvil Corp has recruited some of the best Metal france and the rest of the world has or has not yet heard about. So keep that in mind and dont forget to pick this one up and keep a creative mind open for your soul as Horresco Referens has done for themselves already. Metal Mike............................................................8/10 |
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| VLE - BOOK OF ILLUSIONS: CHAPTER I II & III (INDIE) |
| VLE is produced and performed by one musician. It displays a very Dark/Gothic/Ambient type of sound. VLE adds a dark/light, happy/sad atmosphere. Chapter's I and II were released in 2001 on one CD and Chapter III was released in 2003. This is probably one of the most Experimental band's anyone's ever heard. But Book of Illusions Chapter I & II drags on a bit much. The use of so many instruments/sounds peeks your curiosity but VLE loses you too quickly. Maybe its the tracks being mostly Instrumental and not enough vocal content. Chapter III seems to pick up where Chapter's I & II left off but is much improved as things pick up musically a little faster. Track #4 "...Of wood and water" reminds me of a combination of Cradle of filth/ Dimmu Borgir. Not all fans will like Heavy Metal will like this type of music. You either will or you wont. It depends on what variety of Heavy music your into. Creativity and concepts VLE does not lack. But it doesn't really quench my listening thirst, you know what I mean? Metal Mike........................................................4.5/10 |