Richly brutal, and bleeding sludgy darkness, the band Hate Theory has unleashed a truly sublime monstrosity. Their self-titled debut, released by World War III Records, is a pure, nihilistic slab of brilliant Sludge/Death Metal ferocity. The vocal barrages are clustered bursts-coming in a mixture of shrieks, yells, shrill growls, and guttural growls. The instrumentals range …

Texas produces some excellent bands. Their finest example of greatness is the Tribal/Industrial Death Metal act Pissing Razors. This band's latest opus, “Live In The Devil's Triangle” [Spitfire Records], is a fiery display of this act's live prowess. Combining the mechanized forcefulness of Industrial with the savage aggression of Tribal Death Metal, Pissing Razors has …

Twisted and brutal, the Death Metal band Hate Eternal knows no mercy. Their second opus, “King Of All Kings” [Earache Records], is a relentless display of Old School/Deathrash Metal. This band goes right for the throat. The Hate Eternal sound is a berserk, monstrous thing–lightning fast guitar blast, guttural vocal growls, and frenzied rhythms melt …

An innovative, unique Death Metal band that is masterful as well as catchy is a rare thing. Unearth is just such an act. Their four song, 2002 EP (mini-CD) “Endless” [Eulogy Records] is a jagged little wonder to behold. Unearth has a vibrant, vicious sound–dense Death growls mix fluidly with biting, hook-driven rhythms and highly …

Complex barely scratches the stony surface of describing band Nile. Their 2002 opus, “In Their Darkened Shrines” [Relapse Records], is a devastating, intricate gush of bloody Death Metal genius. This howling, ferocious beast is guaranteed to become a classic of the genre. Apocalyptic Death growls, guttural and utterly fierce in nature, impale the tight, hyper-blasting …

Punk is a wondrous thing…. A prime example of this is the second opus by Fenix TX, titled “Lechuza” [Drive-Thru Records]. It's a pulverizing mix of Pop Punk, Hardcore, Emo, and Metal. And honestly, it's the best Punk that I've heard in ages. Avoiding the whiney Pop Punk singing cliche, Fenix TX fires-up a lot …

One of the most legendary Black Metal bands has to be Bathory. Still as vibrant and epic as ever, their new masterpiece “Nordland” [The End/Black Mark Records] is as eclectic as it is powerful. It's not just Black Metal anymore…. Bathory continues to evolve. The Black Metal influences are more subtle now, as the act …

Sometimes a band is so good that they forcibly take your attention. Such is the case with 12 Stones. Their new self-titled opus, out on Wind-Up Records, is a clever, masterfully done amalgamation of styles. It seems odd in precept, but 12 Stones brilliantly combines Melodic Hard Rock (with acoustic elements), Aggro Metal, and slight …

From the brutal beauty of Metalcore comes a Hardcore miracle weapon–Boy Sets Fire (or boysetsfire). Their latest slab of artistic wreckage, titled “Live For Today” [Wind-Up Records], is a solid, brilliant opus. This is one severe opus. Fierce, shrill vocal growls blast through bludgeoning guitars and psychotic rhythms. This is the most ferocious brand of …

Now I have never been to California, so when asked to describe a particular scene, I can only go on hearsay. What I have heard is that the Orange County scene was firmly based in punk/ska party music in the '90s but of late it went down the serious harder metal road. Anaheim, California's own …