The 2004 rarities/best-of compilation by Static-X, titled “Beneath Between Beyond” [Warner Brothers Records], is a severe must for any fan of this Industrial/Aggro Metal powerhouse. Besides being better than their last opus, “Shadow Zone” [Warner Brothers Records], it provides some exceptional rare material. Love them or hate them, Static-X is truly unique. (Personally, I think …

Sometimes that New York attitude can payoff. Such is the case with the Death Metal band Suffocation. Their unique style and relentless has made them legends in the genre. And that reputation is very well-deserved. Their 2004 opus, “Souls To Deny” [Relapse Records], is a blistering testimony to their talents. Suffocation has a dense, primal …

Grindcore, it makes the blood sing and the bones shatter. The Grind Metal act Jumbo’s Killcrane is one such beautiful monstrosity. Their 2005 release, “The Slow Decay” [Crucial Blast Records], is a massive abyss of thunderous glory. This is Psychedelic Doomgrind for Generation Wrecked…. Jumbo’s Killcrane has a crushing sound, an obliterating mixture of Powergrind …

Deep, dark, and powerful: My Fate brings a new and relentless edge to the Powercore genre. Their 2004 debut, “Happiness Is Fiction” [Crash Music, Inc.], is as vibrant as it is vicious. Dark, melodic inflections are fused into the intense roar of burning ferocity. Intense grooves with a tenebrous, melodic bent are at the core …

Undoubtedly you should expect some big noise about any band that features members from Crowbar, Graveyard Rodeo, Down, and New Religion. But Valume Nob is worthy of all the stir. (The band-members are Kirk Windstein, Marshall Black, Frey Thieler, and Sid Montz.) Their 2004 opus, “Most High” [Crash Music, Inc.], is about as raw and …

In the darkest depths of the abyss, only the fiercest survive. Imperial Crystalline Entombment (a.k.a. I.C.E.) does more than survive in the utter bleakness, they thrive on the fury. Harsh, dismal, and intense: Imperial Crystalline Entombment makes Blackened Swedish Death Metal for only the most severe conditions…. Their 2004 opus of grim glories, “Apocalyptic End …

One of the coolest bands to come along in aeons has to be Beaten Back To Pure. Their 2004 opus, “The Burning South” [This Dark Reign Records], is Southern Doom Grind at its finest and fiercest. (Think Acid Bath fused with Corrosion Of Conformity, and you’ll get a solid notion of their style.) Beaten Back …

In the ever-growing morass of modern Hardcore, it’s nice to see a young band with some of that Old School vibe. Comeback Kid does this brilliantly. Their 2005 sophomore opus, “Wake The Dead” [Victory Records], rattles your bones and shatters tombstones. Waking the dead is a possibility here…. Starting as an offshoot of FIGURE FOUR, …

In the realm of Melodic Death Thrash, few can compare to the ferocious All That Remains. While Shadows Fall gets the biggest acclaim from the genre, All That Remains has a sharper sound. Their 2004 masterpiece, “This Darkened Heart” [Prosthetic Records], perfectly fuses melodic darkness and sheer power. Intensity, melody, and caliginosity into the eclipse …

One of the greatest Brutal Death Metal bands ever, Occult, has returned with a burning fury. Their 2004 opus of blunt force brilliance, the aptly titled “Elegy For The Weak” [Candlelight Records], is a superb example of the beauty of brutality. It’s harsh and enthralling-no wonder their legends. Crushing grooves blast through dense barrages of …