Grindcore is a wondrous thing. The sheer amalgamation of brutality and genius makes this style truly unique. But even within this world there are some bands that are truly exemplary. One such act is Dying Fetus, whose ferocious brand of Crust/Deathgrind Metal razes the sky. Their 2003 opus of brute force excellence, titled “Stop At …
It has been ages since any truly great Deathrock has destroyed the status quo. Even the mighty Entombed has dulled a bit. But at last, the glory has returned…. The dynamic, visceral band Transport League has released their 2003 opus, “Grand Amputation” [Crash Inc. Records]. Transport League‘s style fluidly mixes Deathrock with elements of Hardcore, …
Straight-ahead, efficient Pop Punk is the key to the Sum 41 dynamic. Their 2002 opus, “Does This Look Infected?” [Island Records], is the best one yet. A bit more aggressive and old school, it depends less heavily on the formulaic Pop Punk sound without abandoning it altogether. Clean vocals (normal and yelled) hammer through fast …
The past few years have been a boom-time for Psychedelic (Stoner) Metal, and Doom Metal. Bands like Queens Of The Stone Age, Sourvein, Fu Manchu, Kyuss, Sixty Watt Shaman, and Black Sabbath carry a loyal following. And 2003 will be no different. Another cool new band to add to the illustrious list of Psychedelic Metal …
The 2003 self-titled debut by Audioslave [Epic/Interscope Records] is exactly what one might expect from a band featuring former members of Rage Against The Machine and Soundgarden. Formerly known as Civilian, this act fuses elements of those two bands into a Melodic Metal/Hard Rock style with a flawless, groove-driven sound. Chris Cornell's vocals are smooth …
From the depths of the South American Black Metal scene comes a frenetic, hellish thing. That infernal creation is the band Unearthly. Their 2003 opus, “Infernum: Prelude To A New Reign” [Crash, Inc. Records], is a fierce display of Melodic Black Metal devastation. Fusing the old and the new, Unearthly verges the gulf between Blackened …
It's all about the intensity. That very well should be the mantra for this band. On their self-titled opus [Wind-Up Records], BOY HITS CAR pushes the limits of conventional Hardcore into the breach of a beautiful madness. Mixing powerful, emotive Hardcore with Aggro Metal and melodious Pop elements, they have created a work that is …
One of the finest examples of high-grade, Pop Punk perfection has to be the Ataris. Point-in-fact, they tore-it-up on “The Jimmy Kimmel Show” (ABC) last night, doing a blistering cover of Don Henley's “The Boys Of Summer” and the original “In This Diary.” The Ataris are the archetype for Pop Punk greatness. Their 2003 masterpiece, …
It's nearly that time of the year…when that grimmest of holidays comes around. And in the tradition of that day, Halloween, I found the perfect band. The band is Viking Crown, and their new CD called “Innocence From Hell” [Necropolis Records] is the creepiest Black Metal that I have ever heard. Imagine dark, dense guitar …
For those with good memories, one might remember a great Grindcore band from around the early 1990’s called Cadaver. This Norwegian outfit was a influential catalyst for many modern Grindcore, Death, and Black Metal acts throughout the dismal world. Now the legends have returned with a new name and some new members. Changing their moniker …