Mike SOS has another bunch of reviews for your reading pleasure.


ATAKHAMA
EXISTENCE INDIFFERENT
WOODCUT
Rising from the ashes of Funeris Nocturnum, Finnish metal troupe Atakhama strive to combine Eastern European black metal bludgeonings with a discernible Florida-style death metal crunch on EXISTENCE INDIFFERENT, making this nine-track offering a tumultuous yet technically sound disc. Tracks like "Predatory Acts" feature an incessant double-bass drum barrage and an atypical guttural growl that you can actually understand, while the instrumental title track hits levels usually reserved for the likes of Morbid Angel and Zyklon with squelching guitars morphing into a blistering black metal mechanism. Prepare to be blown away by the interesting merger of styles conjured up by Atakhama. www.woodcutrecords.com -Mike SOS

DIVIDED BY ZERO
THE BLACK SEA
SIK WORLD
A plethora of hard rock styles collide on Divided By Zero's 15-track offering, giving THE BLACK SEA a lot for the listener to grasp hold of. From the heavier Disturbed by way of Avenged Sevenfold aura of "Double Negative" to the 311-esque funk of "Strike in the Time-Bomb Town" and "Ashes of Armies", this San Diego based outfit manages to churn out some uninspired, slickly produced nuggets ready for modern rock radio airwaves or the speakers of the shopping mall's alternative shops. When the band tones it down such on "The World is Not Mine", they've got a somewhat earthy vibe that truly gets undermined by the nu-metal meanderings of tracks like "Damn the Dream". If you dig Flaw, Buckcherry, and Godsmack and are seeking a super-polished hybrid of these bands rolled into one, THE BLACK SEA is the album you've been waiting for. www.sikworld.com -Mike SOS

CRASH ROMEO
MINUTES TO MILES
TRUSTKILL
"Pop rock sensation" Crash Romeo hail from the mecca of pop rock, New Jersey, and play the kind of innocuous power punk that so many faceless acts these days are trying to commandeer. On this quintet comprised of childhood friends' 11-track release, there's a whole lot of hullabaloo for the Warped Tour crowd to gush over, from the huge hooks and synth underlays of "Get Up, Shut Up", the infectious chorus of the title track, and the dance-rock sensibilities displayed on "Hot Commodity". Despite the fact that these guys are undeniably tight and play with a enthusiasm that can't be faked, their whiny style seems to ape Brand New, Taking Back Sunday, and Motion City Soundtrack simultaneously without any real sense of identity of their own, causing many to skip right over MINUTES TO MILES and go to the original source. www.trustkill.com -Mike SOS

IGNITE
OUR DARKEST DAYS
ABACUS
After a six-year hiatus from recording, the rejuvenated Orange County, CA hardcore outfit Ignite come out swinging with a vengeance on OUR DARKEST DAYS. Retaining its signature sound, the 14 tracks that adorn this meaningfully masterful release harken back to the band's salad days without any sense of retread or shame. Instead, tracks like "Let it Burn" and "Save Yourself" carry the same vitriolic virtue and socially conscious slam of much of the band's incendiary works, while the rapid-fire "Are You Listening" displays fast-paced melodic hardcore at its best, with a short, punchy delivery and effectively tinged with an air of reservation. In fact, a lot of this disc is laden with these traits, sans the band's last two tracks, the done to death cover of U2's "Sunday Bloody Sunday" and the out of left field acoustic "Live for Better Days". If Ignite stopped at track 12, they'd have an arguably flawless blueprint of what melodic hardcore should entail. Even with these glitches, OUR DARKEST DAYS far and away does the job, approaching these tracks with true passion and conviction in a genre flooded with new jacks constantly wheeling out half-baked product more concerned with being stylish than providing substance. www.igniteband.com -Mike SOS

ROSES ARE RED
WHAT BECAME OF ME
TRUSTKILL
You know the kind of band that endorses more clothing lines than musical instruments that wears its hearts on its designer shirt sleeves and laments over lost love? Roses are Red are one of those limp-wristed chick friendly rock acts whose 11-track excursion sounds huge thanks to Brian McTernan's expert production. But at the end of the day, despite the rich guitars of "Remember Me" and the tug at the heartstrings feel of "Show Your Eyes", WHAT BECAME OF ME is basically suped-up love songs for the Warped Tour crowd all too eager to flick a Bic for the first time. www.trustkill.com -Mike SOS

ENOCHIAN CRESCENT
BLACK CHURCH
WOODCUT
Extreme in both sound and in deed, Finnish black metal outfit Enochian Crescent have returned from a hiatus of sorts to unleash this ambitious nine track opus on your hapless soul. Aptly titled BLACK CHURCH, this quintet demonstrates its demonic delusions with an arsenal of death 'n roll choruses, manic vocals that switch from guttural growls to wailing howls of pure evil, and a slew of ritualistic chants that give off the impression that a sacrifice is going down tonight. Keeping it offensive and raw yet mixing in a flurry of keep you guessing tactics atypical for a black metal group, Enochian Crescent's upholding of all that is evil is subsidized with rations of unorthodox yet intriguing creativity, giving BLACK CHURCH a distinct edge over its corpsepainted compatriots. www.woodcutrecords.com -Mike SOS

OBSCURANT
FIRST DEGREE SUICIDE
WOODCUT
Finnish metal troupe Obscurant have got a whole lotta Goth in its death metal blend, as indicated on the nine-track endeavor FIRST DEGREE SUICIDE. Ethereal like Sentenced and Katatonia, this quartet's mid-paced menacing gets a bit tedious after a few listens, but the synths make up for the monotony a bit by providing a rich texture to songs like "Blinded By Love" that otherwise would sound plodding. If you enjoy burning incense, walking through graveyards at night, and dolling up in dark makeup, chances are Obscurant should find its way to your CD changer in the near future. www.woodcutrecords.com -Mike SOS

TO THIS DAY
CHAPTER 1: BETWEEN THE BRIDGES
1981
Buffalo straight edge quartet To This Day are a bludgeoning hardcore bunch for sure, as the unit's 11-track debut definitively showcases. Ripping pages right from the Hatebreed playbook, the band's chugga-chugga riffs and razor throated screams found on "Nameless" and "Texas Funerals and Flapjacks" are best accompanied with 50 or more shirtless dudes beating the hell out of each other in a confined space. While To This Day is undeniably crushing, their arrangements and overall presentation is quite basic, a trait that sadly lumps them with the countless other brutal bands that display the tough guy attitude and follow the same musical templates ad nausea. www.x1981x.com -Mike SOS

JED
SYNESTHESIA
SELF-RELEASED
Pacific Northwestern veteran quintet Jed's hybrid style combines the trademark sounds of their geographic area with eruptions of alt-metal explosiveness on the 11-track SYNESTHESIA. Drawing from the shadowy vibes thrown out by notable area acts such as Queensryche and Alice in Chains for its aura of melancholic darkness while drumming up the wares of Sevendust and Mudvayne for the sheer aggressive output, songs like "Nympho" and "Nothing" showcase intense bursts of melodic yet unpoppy hooks sewn together, forming multi-faceted monstrous offerings. Unafraid to explore the murky reserves of the mind through the enlightenment of the unit's unwavering metallic force, songs like "New Ambits" and "Two Eyed Cyclops" take excursions to areas frequently inhabited by Deftones and Chevelle with a semi-nihilistic industrial rock swagger, while cuts like "Opal" stomp over nu-metal plateaus with hypnotic rhythms and sinewy grooves abound. SYNESTHESIA is an album laden with darkened dynamicism and elaborate layers that fans of a higher order of metal will undoubtedly swarm to. www.carnelianagency.com -Mike SOS

SLAVE ZERO
THE PAIN REMITS
SELF-RELEASED
Demonstrating a bountiful bouquet of brutality, Slave Zero is Ireland's answer to extreme metal and damn, do these guys deliver. Meshing Meshuggah-esque low end with a vast array of seething metallic guitar and vocal interludes that range from Pantera to At the Gates, this quintet's five-track offering showcases nothing but relentless carnage with nary a second to catch your breath from the malicious maelstrom of pummeling riffs and bleak yet boisterous vocals that range from death growls to wartime shrieks. Put Unearth, Losa, and Kreator in a blender and serve with a swift kick to the teeth and out comes THE PAIN REMITS, an album where songs like the bludgeoning death stomp of "I Fear For You" and the hostility-laden intricacy of "Relief" exists solely to severely punish you. www.slavezero.net -Mike SOS

BAD LIEUTENANTS
EVERY TIME I COME AROUND...
TEENAGE HEARTS
Crass by choice and rude by design, this conglomerate of Northeast punk and hardcore musicians come to the table with an impressive pedigree and an undisputed attitude on EVERY TIME I COME AROUND. Bad Lieutenants sound like they've lived a hard life on this 15-track ode to decadence, as songs like "Billy Smith" and "Midnight Beefcake" indicate a band in tune with the seedy side of life, complete with an unruly guitar buzz and relentless Ramones by way of Buzzcocks rhythms. Unpolished and proud, this is a disc for those that have lost faith that sleazy punk has gone by the wayside. www.badlieutenants.com -Mike SOS

CRASH KELLY
ELECTRIC SATISFACTION
LIQUOR AND POKER
Cock rock with more pop sensibility and talent than anything that'd turn up on the Sunset Strip, the Toronto-based Crash Kelly have molded themselves after Thin Lizzy, Cheap Trick, and glam rock of the '70s and deliver a fun, yet slightly sterile 12-track release. ELECTRIC SATISFACTION is a huge sounding and easily digestible record, as the Beatles-esque "You're a Drag When You're High" and the STP big beat of "Ride the Wire" would sound best in a hockey arena sandwiched between Poison and Grand Funk Railroad. Produced by fellow rock connoisseur Gilby Clarke, this Canadian quartet's endeavor is a hook-happy, nothing but a good time feel rock record that somehow sounds as vintage as these dudes' stage clothes. Lighthearted yet rock solid, ELECTRIC SATISFACTION outshines its peers by outclassing them on tracks like "She Put the Shock" and "Cracked and Faded", expertly highlighting the group's steaming fretwork and bluesy leanings. Safe and sturdy, Crash Kelly plays the kind of rock anyone from 8 to 80 can get into. www.liquorandpokermusic.com -Mike SOS

THE JUNIOR VARSITY
THE GREAT COMPROMISE
VICTORY
Illinois emo outfit The Junior Varsity's THE GREAT COMPROMISE gets the re-release treatment courtesy of new label Victory Records, who in turn pack a bunch of bonus tracks and alternative versions as well as a DVD in to sweeten the deal and give the fans the biggest bang for their buck. But don't expect as much quality over quantity here, unless you're a huge fan of the group's innocuously bland alternapunk phase that, while crafted with great care, gives off an indifferently unmemorable vibe. www.victoryrecords.com -Mike SOS

BLACK CRUCIFIXION
FAUSTAN DREAM
PARAGON
This Finnish outfit took 10 years to make this slab of depressive metal, so give 'em a pat on the back for staying despondent for that long. Black Crucifixion really covers all the dark corners of rock on this one, lifting from Celtic Frost, Opeth, Type O Negative, NIN, and a slew more, almost as if the band hung back in the shadows for a decade, taking notes on how to fuse it all together. And while some parts of this disc radiate a real "I did this in my basement" vibe, (which illicit a certain old school charm), other tracks like "Wrath Without Hate" rock out like Danzig versus Marilyn Manson with Entombed guest refereeing. Barren piano, sound effect usage rivaling any summer blockbuster, and all the mascara-dripping Goth-rock dramatic dynamics your fishnets can handle is all here, enough to please your little cousin that's into HIM and your high school buds that still crank out Hellhammer. www.paragonrecords.net -Mike SOS

URKRAFT
THE INHUMAN ABBERATION
EARACHE
Danish metal quintet Urkraft's sinewy sharpness shines on THE INHUMAN ABBERATION, the unit's latest 10-track offering. Produced by Tue Madsen, the thrashing guitars, intricate arrangements, keyboard sprinklings, and a crushing overall massive production make Urkraft sound enormous on tracks like the Gothenburg-tinged "Forsaken". While this outfit isn't as adventurous as other acts, Urkraft's mechanized precision, tasteful instrument layering, and dependable explosiveness found on cuts like "Too Strong For the Strongest Lord" make this album stick out further than its peers. www.earache.com -Mike SOS

THE DRAMA SUMMER
MAKE A MOVE
EULOGY
Upbeat and bouncy, The Drama Summer reaffirms the fact that Ohio isn't just for lovers anymore on the four-track sugar rush of MAKE A MOVE. Them lovebirds best make room for whiny emo bands like this crew, whose palatable suburban mall-punk sound suggests they were produced solely to play a trailer at Warped Tour. This run of the mill yet hard working band mesh Yellowcard, Hawthorne Heights, Simple Plan, and New Found Glory into a glorious punk-pop affair, as songs like "Don't Go" sets 14 year-old hearts ablaze while the more rocking and totally stock yet rebelliously spirited "We Make Rejection Look Beautiful" will be many a boy's first middle-school mosh experience. www.eulogyrecordings.com -Mike SOS

SILVERSTEIN
18 CANDLES
VICTORY
Cleaning out the closets, Silverstein unfurls its early material thanks to Victory Records, as the 70-minute offering 18 CANDLES documents the band's fledgling days. Complete with bonus tracks and an excellent album jacket to boot, this fan-friendly release truly gives the fans a nice chunk of music to sink their teeth into. While the band sounds way advanced today, for those that need to get up to speed, this release is the most efficient way to do so. www.victoryrecords.com -Mike SOS

ANATA
THE CONDUCTOR'S DEPARTURE
EARACHE
Disparaging on its peers' choices, Sweden's Anata instead opt to hop on the artsy route to metallic bliss with sensational results on the 10-track THE CONDUCTOR'S DEPARTURE. Able to blend intricate guitar runs, pulverizing riffs, and advanced rhythmic patterns effortlessly while maintaining a slightly more ominous and less clinical aura, songs like the title cut hint at both prog metal posturing and evil death metal clubbing without either fully taking charge. With obvious influence from bands like Gojira and Death as well as a slew of other notable acts whose metal dually contains brainwaves and behemoth riffs, tracks like "Better Grieved Than Fooled" churn out jazzy technicality with an urgent sense of masterful musicianship steering the ship. If you're bored and need a surge of creative metal to awaken and enlighten, this CD may do the deed. www.earache.com -Mike SOS

NACHTMYSTIUM
INSTINCT: DECAY
BATTLE KOMMAND
Brave enough to come from behind the veil of corpsepaint long enough to see what lies above the underground, Nachtmystium's latest sinister offering still sonically slays your ears with blasphemous blast bests and demonic guitar chugging. Yet, this grim group's latest 10-track INSTINCT: DECAY breaks typical black metal convention by implementing a slew of deliberately non-black metal devices into its cauldron of chaos, resulting in a smorgasbord of sound from the entrancing "Decay" to the expected volatility of "Antichrist Messiah". Broadening its horizons without eliminating its staple nuances, this disc may make this brand of music branded as vile and contemptuous a bit more comprehensible to the laymen listener, surely enraging the devout yet ultimately rewarding the group for its epically morbid visions. www.battlekommand.com -Mike SOS

ROCK CITY MORGUE
DEAD MAN'S SONG
SELF-RELEASED
White Zombie bassist Sean Yseult resurfaces in the New Orleans-based troupe Rock City Morgue, an eclectic outfit that skirts on the out roads of dark rock, roadhouse country and blues, and horror punk. On the 13-track DEAD MANS SONG, bands from Social Distortion to Supersuckers to Misfits to Nick Cave to Concrete Blonde to QOTSA could undoubtedly be cited as influences, on tracks like the '80s punk shock of "Never Ending”, the harmonica-flavored haze of "Darkness Has Fallen", and the atmospherically and mildly anthemic piano-led "Hearts". Armed with a lounge lizard panache as much as a punk rock sneer, Rock City Morgue's vast amenities and shifting style fit somewhere in between the woebegone whiskey cowboys drifting the plains and the Goth princesses decked out in black evening attire that love them. www.rockcitymorgue.com -Mike SOS

THOR
DEVASTATION OF MUSCULATION
SMOG VEIL
The indeterminable musical force going strong since the ‘70s known as Thor returns with DEVASTATION OF MUSCULATION, a metallic warrior call of sorts whose latest offering once again unfurls the Manowar meets KISS shock rock shtick. While this legitimate Canadian crusher’s strongman acumen is undisputable, the music found on this 10-track disc isn’t exactly as exciting as Thor’s feats of strength and endurance, yet songs like “The Return of Odin’s Son” should make the sword-wielding, Odin-worshipping crowd fairly happy. Basically, Thor’s latest release is a cheesy, bang your head as a guilty pleasure kind of disc that is as campy yet compelling as a Troma film or reality television, as songs like “Queen of The Damned” and the surprisingly tender “Don’t Abandon Me” deliciously demonstrates the fun side of heavy metal without a net. www.smogveil.com -Mike SOS

LYE BY MISTAKE
ARRANGEMENTS FOR FULMINATING VECTIVE
LAMBGOAT
Highly potent technical metal with doses of insanity is what this St. Louis troupe unleashes on your unsuspecting ears, as Lye By Mistake’s eight-track offering is as savage as it is off the wall. “Ostrich Feathers and Apple Pie” runs through seething death metal, twangy pick and grin country, and expansive world beat within the course of one song, while the abstract vocal approach taken on “Jon Nash and The Flipper” sounds like Every Time I Die after smoking some low grade rock. ARRANGEMENTS FOR FULMINATING VECTIVE is not an album for your common Hot Topic kid, so be prepared to invest some time and allow the craziness to sink in fully to totally appreciate the symphonic swirls and tumultuous movements included here. www.lambgoatrecords.com -Mike SOS

VERMIN
A NIHILSTIC SWARM
DEITY DOWN
Dutch death metal act Vermin play with the kind of volatile yet complex heaviness that much of today’s progressive death metal acts utilize. On A NIHILISTIC SWARM, the brutality factor is cranked up to 11 on cuts like “Eyes Wide Shut” and “Ascend”, as this quartet’s ruthless restlessness doesn’t allow for much time to get your bearing before they blast you again. Displaying a technically sound style with touches of Cannibal Corpse-esque volatility on tracks like the clobbering “The Plague” and “Vertigo”, Vermin should appease those that enjoy their music to solicit a good beating or two. www.vermin.tk -Mike SOS

HARLOTS
THIS IS THE SECOND DEATH
CORROSIVE
Ohio metal merchants Harlots liberally borrow from the noisier end of the spectrum on the nine-track THIS IS THE SECOND DEATH, creating a whirlwind of caustic riffs, gut-busting vocals, multi-instrumental noodlings (violins and ambient noise, anyone?) and the kind of kamikaze percussion that dually holds it all together while sounding like it is spinning completely out of control. Tracks like “Remote Coagulation” chugs, grooves, and steamrolls through a Today is the Day meets Converge trip, while “Asceticism” rips through guitar riffs like Between the Buried and Me at a Mastodon swap meet. The organized chaos this collective unit creates is highly recommended if you enjoy your metal to blow you clear out of the water. www.harolts666.com -Mike SOS

DIVIDER
AT TWILIGHT
SHOCK VALUE
Long Island thrashy metal band goes to God City, makes stunning record, destroys all in its path. That’s the overview of Divider, the quintet who, alongside guru of heavy Kurt Ballou, have concocted this six-song sojourn whose off-kilter abrasiveness and unadulterated metallic hardcore stance is an angst-ridden tour-de-force brimming with dissonant guitar chugging, pummeling rhythms, and the kind of pulverizing arrangements like “Doomsday” and “Question Everything” that are deliciously disjointed enough to spread like wildfire. If you like your hardcore gritty a la Modern Life is War and Bleeding Kansas, AT TWILIGHT is a guaranteed winner. www.dividerandconquer.com -Mike SOS

NECROPHOBIC
HRIMTHURSUM
CANDLELIGHT
Swedish extreme metal veterans Necrophobic return with HRIMTHURSUM, a 12-track affair whose blackened metal pretense and hate-lined song titles like “The Slaughter of Baby Jesus” should raise quite a few eyebrows amongst the metal community. Demonstrating the kind of old school evil on cuts like the Slayer meets Immortal tune “Bloodshed Eyes”, only a band who played alongside luminaries like Celtic Frost and Bathory can conjure up this kind of conviction. Overall, HRIMTHURSUM showcases this quartet’s intriguingly menacing mid-paced black metal whose demonic drive never wanes, especially on the haunting track “Sitra Ahra”, a stomping track whose eerie chorus and atmospheric aura transfer you directly to Hades. Prepare the altar for this one, folks. www.candlelightrecordsusa.com -Mike SOS

SINCE REMEMBERED
COMING ALIVE
BLOOD & INK
No frills punk styled hardcore is what the fiery crew Since Remembered serves up on the 12-track COMING ALIVE. In the vein of Comeback Kid, this intense quintet rolls out a raucously rapid-fire arsenal of catchy hardcore like the title cut and the punk-infused "Ten Years" that sounds great in the throes of the moshpit, but lacks the necessary ingredients to be taken any further than VFW halls and all ages free for alls. But, if you're down to throw a few windmills, these guys provide the proper setting. www.bloodandinkrecords.com -Mike SOS

CATTLE DECAPITATION
KARMA BLOODY KARMA
METAL BLADE
Vegan death metallers Cattle Decapitation meld scolding death, blistering grind, and an apparent love of tech metal with their staunch animal rights message on KARMA BLOODY KARMA. Switching gears from grueling gallops to black metal eloquence on "Suspended in Coprolite" while laying down some initial epic guitar work that morphs into a necksnapping death metal tirade only to exit on a doom metal tip on "Alone at the Landfill", this quartet has raised the levels of extremity by executing a plethora of styles which collide into a cacophonic spree of malevolence. Get the spray paint ready and prepare to fight the faux fur fight with KARMA BLOODY KARMA as the soundtrack. www.metalblade.com -Mike SOS

FALL OF SERENITY
BLOODRED SALVATION
LIFEFORCE
German metal crew Fall of Serenity plays the kind of tight, well-manicured death metal with the melodic punch of its Swedish counterparts on BLOODRED SALVATION, the quintet’s fourth full-length release. Almost packing an arena rock clobber with its slightly electronically charged riffs found on “Twin Curse”, these guys have found the way the 6,547th way to distinctly ape At The Gates, with shards of Heaven Shall Burn and Caliban strewn in for good measure. Dastardly riffs like the one found on “As I Watch” has an American metalcore feel a la All That Remains, while tracks like “A Piece of You” provides your basic melodic death metal fodder. Somewhere between Soilwork and As I Lay Dying, Fall of Serenity is following the gameplan note for note. www.lifeforce-america.com - Mike SOS

STONEGARD
ARROWS
CANDLELIGHT
When thinking of musically heavy Norwegian imports, it's all black robes and severed goat heads, right? Not to Stonegard, whose thrashing stoner rock by way of alternative metal style manages to pack that Nordic punch, especially guitar-wise, yet show nary a sign of blood-curdled screaming or mutilated animal entrails. Instead, this quartet take the lumbering desert sounds of Kyuss, the metallic firepower of Megadeth and Flotsam and Jetsam, the stoner chug of COC, and the radio-friendly savvy of STP and make an impressive cavalcade of sturdily built dirty jams like "Ghost Circles" and "Darkest Hour". Meshing the badass vibe of Black Label Society and the anthemic metal offerings of Trivium, ARROWS heartily provides the thrill a minute heavy rock 'n roll rollercoaster ride for anyone that loves it loud is sure to latch onto. www.candlelightrecordsusa.com -Mike SOS

SOCIETY 1
THE YEARS OF SPIRITUAL DISSENT
CRASH
Freak show rock act Society 1 have issued a 30-track disc with an accompanying DVD encapsulating the porno director gone rock star Matt Zane and friend's rock 'n roll fantasy. Falling somwhere between NIN, Marilyn Manson, and Rob Zombie, the band's musical output is nowhere near as enthralling as the spectacle of scantily clad girls adorning the band as they hang from hooks secured into their skin, but at least they've got cool visuals going on for the music videos. Disposable and dated, the industrial metal meets Goth shock rock aura and unbearably dim Jim Morrison imitated spoken word interludes are only two of many reasons to avoid this one. www.crashmusicinc.com -Mike SOS

BETWEEN THE BURIED AND ME
THE ANATOMY OF
VICTORY
Between the Buried and Me are an odd lot, hence the covers of Motley Crue, King Crimson, Queen, and Sepultura on the band's cleverly titled cover song collection THE ANATOMY OF. Unlike the band's own songs, which simultaneously glisten while leaving scars, some of these choices are clunkers, like the sterile cover of Pantera's "Cemetary Gates". Yet in lieu of the spottiness of this 14-track release, these shape shifting musical juggernauts do pull off some impressive ones, like the punishingly accurate version of Faith No More's "Malpractice" and the strikingly gorgeous rendition of Pink Floyd's "Us and Them" that gives BTBAM enough reprieve for the awkward moments of THE ANATOMY OF. If you're a fan who marvels at their versatility, this one is a must own. www.victoryrecords.com -Mike SOS

VADER
IMPRESSIONS IN BLOOD
CANDLELIGHT
Polish pulverizers Vader unleash their warmongering mayhem once again on IMPRESSIONS IN BLOOD, a bludgeoning 10-track affair which once again solidifies this unit's place atop death metal elite. Still pumping out furious songs like the grave "Field of Heads" and the blistering rapid-fire of "Amongst the Ruins", Vader is one of the unsung death metal outfits whose bark is as significantly lethal as its bite, showcased on tracks like the Viking-esque metal of "Warlords". Taking no prisoners and keeping it ferocious throughout, strike another victory for this extreme metal entity. www.candlelightrecordsusa.com -Mike SOS

BURN IN SILENCE
ANGEL MAKER
PROSTHETIC
Massachusetts metalcore outfit Burn in Silence's latest offering was produced by fellow New Englander Ken Susi (Unearth), a dude that knows a thing or two about how a metal album should turn out. This sextet play the kind of searing Swedish keyboard induced metalcore on tracks like "The Age in Which Tomorrow Brings" and "Well Adjusted" that somehow successfully merges Mudvayne and Still Remains while the blistering title cut shows why these cats have shared stages with everyone from Morbid Angel to Shadows Fall. Versatile as they are volatile, if you dig the New England metal scene, add another band to the list. www.prostheticrecords.com -Mike SOS

MISERY SPEAKS
MISERY SPEAKS
ALVERAN
German metal monsters Misery Speaks' debut disc doesn't break much ground, but this 12-track offering does manage to crack some skulls with its terse delivery and blood-curdling riffs. Just check the skull crushing opening cut "First Bullet Hit" as proof of how this quintet effortlessly merges pit-thrashing metalcore and melodic death metal. Sounding like an amalgamation of As I Lay Dying, Heaven Shall Burn, and Maroon, what Misery Speaks lacks in creativity they more than compensate for in bonecrunching intensity and oodles of extreme metallic shrederry. If you're not a stickler for originality, then this disc will really make an impact. www.alveranrecords.com -Mike SOS


RIVERBOAT GAMBLERS
TO THE CONFUSION OF OUR ENEMIES
VOLCOM
Taking its album's title from a popular toast by the chairman himself, Frank Sinatra, this tumultuous Texas-based crew bring an imminent sense of danger back to the sanitized circles of what is now labeled punk, as a trail of blood and broken teeth seems to follow this quartet wherever they roam. On Riverboat Gamblers' 14-track sojourn, the high-strung unit takes substantial jabs at the mall punk poseurs and posturers by beating them at their own game, providing fist pumping anthems complete with flurries of the outfit's raucous rebellious rants on tracks such as "The Curse of the Ivory Coast" and "On Again Off Again". Placing themselves in a position where Hot Water Music collides with Social Distortion on the way to the dirty rock 'n roll soiree, songs like "True Crime" and "Walk Around Me" are bursting with a sense of true passion, demonstrating that some bands care more about the music than what their label's stylist suggests they wear that evening. Exhibiting a no frills style and no compromise attitude, Riverboat Gamblers hit the jackpot on TO THE CONFUSION OF OUR ENEMIES. www.volcom.com -Mike SOS

THE EXPLODING MADONNA
THE EXPLODING MADONNA
SELF-RELEASED
The drugs must be divine in Talahassee, Fl, home of the trippy trio The Exploding Madonna, whose eponymous seven-track offering's influences range from pre-bloated, Peter Gabriel-era Genesis to Dinosaur Jr. at its most eccentric. Developing sonic swirls of elegance and grace that scream for a laser show, tracks like "Beneath Naked Heaven" and the fuzzy drive of "The Stanbury Case" display the outfit's off-kilter wares, while the cheekily titled "Joe Namath's Laboratory" has little to do with the ex-Jet quarterback, yet yields all of the hullabaloo of Broadway Joe's Superbowl victory with a cascading chorus and an all too charming Brit-rock sensibility. Bust out the bong, tune in, and drop a tab to this one boys and girls, and see the colors change before your very eyes. www.theexplodingmaria.com -Mike SOS

JESU
SILVER
HYDRAHEAD
Justin Broadrick is an icon of the underground extreme music scene, having been a major cog in the wheels of groundbreaking acts like Godflesh and Napalm Death. Taking a cue from the multitude of musicians he influenced, Jesu goes a way more melodic route than anticipated, almost sounding like a less-angry hybrid of NIN on the four-song sampler SILVER. While broad strokes of the noise Broadrick has been acclaimed for have mostly been disregarded and replaced by a more listener-friendly, melodically-induced techno rock ambiance on tracks like "Wolves", there's still enough atmospherically challenging material here to sink your teeth into on tracks like "Dead Eyes" to satisfy fans of his previous offerings. But buyer beware, this is nowhere near anything you'd expect from the dude that used to slay eardrums in Godflesh. Nonetheless, Jesu bridges the gap between Isis and Mogwai well enough for fans of experimental rock to give SILVER a go. www.hydrahead.com -Mike SOS

((sounder))
THERE IS ANOTHER SUN CLOUDED OVER WITH METICULOUS CARE
VOLCOM
Affixed somewhere between the coffeehouse lamentations and the surf club's rainy day activities, ((sounder)) finds its niche, creating laptop rock with an acoustic guitar, a drum kit, and a bunch of singing buddies. The 11-track disc reeks of California dreaming, as tracks like "It Probably Only Seemed Like a Laser Beam" stops short of prog rock thanks to its generally lazy day nature and "Hearts Don't Break Like Cinder Blocks" shrugs off the distant vocals long enough to entrance with a full-on guitar and drum jam that displays some Sebadoah-like chops. "It's Just a Sound Like Any Other Sound" exhibits a bittersweet side to the band, while "It's a Terrible Thing" shows that this project has been exposed to its fair share of Neil Young. ((sounder)) takes its lo-fi alt rock wares and contorts them into fuzzy neo-folk rock that sounds perfect while deep in the throes of a bonfire on the beach. www.volcoment.com -Mike SOS

DARKER MY LOVE
DARKER MY LOVE
DANGERBIRD
Queens of the Stone Age meets the '60s-era Stones with a Goth rock feel? Pretty weird, eh? Not if you're the quartet Darker My Love, a band that manages to make Beach Boys melodies on tracks like "Fall" sound as dark as The Cure, yet give it a psychedelic Brit-rock vibe. There are 12 tracks on this self-titled disc which rock with hanging notes that go on forever on "Helium Heels" and swirls of heavy, fuzzy drug rock like "Hello Traveler" that will help you get your Jesus and Mary Chain versus My Bloody Valentine swerve on. Radiating a realistic and convincing hard rock feel through all the guitar feedback and headtrips, this disc rocks by taking ample elements from both the Manchester and Seattle rock scenes and piecing together a stirring surge of psychedelic rock that Velvet Underground and Kyuss fans alike will admire. www.dangerbirdrecords.com -Mike SOS

WOLVERINE
STILL
CANDLELIGHT
Swedish mope metallers Wolverine return with STILL, a weighty nine-track affair whose early Queensryche, Dream Theater, and Katatonia influence reign heavily on this affair. Somewhat straying away from the metal side of the fence to explore mainstream prog rock territory on tracks like the lucid "Nothing More", the quintet's teeth still manage to bare on tracks like the sprawling "And She Slowly Dies", evoking comparisons to Opeth. If you like your theatrical metal with darker hues, songs like "Sleepytown" is somberly engaging a la Dredg, while "Bleeding" churns out the goth meets prog metal tendencies the band is best known for. Despite these moments giving way for a more toned down metal side, this band still serves from a crockpot of melancholy, helping Wolverine remain a solid somber unit. www.candlelightrecordsusa.com -Mike SOS

DECIDING TONIGHT
THE DELUSIONIST
HOTFOOT
A little more rough around the edges than most emo bands, Long Island's Deciding Tonight play the kind of punk that you'd hear passing by one of the many stages on the Warped Tour on their 11-track offering THE DELUSIONIST. Eerie keyboards a la Motion City Soundtrack help to accentuate the My Chemical Romance meets The Used flavored "The Downside of Weightlessness", while the bouncy "The End of an Error" and the ultra-catchy bass-driven "When it Was A Game" sound as if coming from the loins of fellow Island rockers Taking Back Sunday, Bayside and Brand New. This disc does tread many familiar waters that many may never want to revisit, but if you think you may enjoy a well-structured screamo act with a few slick-sounding tricks up their sleeve, give this sextet a gander. www.hotfootrecords.com -Mike SOS

THE MODERN DAY SAINT
...AND TOMORROW WE WILL HAVE NOTHING
EYEBALL
Convening at the junction where street punk and emo cross, The Modern Day Saint try exceptionally hard to put a distinct spin on what's going on today with mixed results. On AND TOMORROW WE WILL HAVE NOTHING, the sounds of desperation are fleshed out via confrontational punk numbers a la Hot Water Music like "Singing for Your Supper Ain't as Easy as It Sounds" and "(Reverse) Alchemy", while "How I Walk on Water" gutsily tugs at the heartstrings with a country fried vibe and "On My Stereo" resounds with a bluesy swagger like an acoustic Flogging Molly tune. While at times sounding a bit rote, like on the unnecessary keyboard interlude on "Solutions", this resilient troupe pulled through major tragedy (their singer on this recording suffered an onstage arrhythmia and is still recovering) and is still making music, a testament to the crew's determination. If you have a penchant for passionate post-hardcore that fuses Thursday and Avail, these guys deliver. www.eyeballrecords.com -Mike SOS

THE WARRIORS
BEYOND THE NOISE
EULOGY
There's good reason why Chino of Deftones loves this group, and it probably has something to do with how they merge dumbed-down arena rock with youth crew hardcore. The Warriors have a silly name for most hardcore dudes to hone up to liking, and while they have their share of over the top Rage meets Downset moments strewn about BEYOND THE NOISE, the sheer hardcore power of tracks like "Downbeat" and "To Finally Feel" get the Snapcase vibe down perfect while "Awakened" shows that this outfit understands how the wield the power of the breakdown to its greatest advantage. This band also gets credit for taking the lyrics to thoughtful places, as these song's words all stem from Herman Hesse's SIDDHARTHA, something to make your English professor smile. Most fans of hardcore (especially Northeasterners) are going to hate this disc and think it's way too commercially inclined and gangsta, but if you like crossover acts that implement hard rock histrionics and some of the best parts of the rap-rock genre with a smattering of smack you in the face hardcore goodness, then songs like "Re-vital-eyes" and "I Won't" will become instant pit classics for you. www.eulogyrecordings.com -Mike SOS

THE BLACK SPOONS
THE HISTORY OF MODERN SILENCE
PARTICLE
NYC indie rock darlings The Black Spoons play a very sophisticated style of rock that combines a spacey shoegazing element with poignantly pensive moments whose overall airy aesthetic never wanes or debilitates the wiry yet toe-tapping melodies packed into the 12-track THE HISTORY OF MODERN SILENCE. Armed with an array of elegantly dissonant hooks like the ones found on "If You Loved Me, I'd Be Home By Now", this outfit's provocative sound is rounded out with robust percussion that seemingly takes a front seat on every track, shining brightest on "Automatic Ghost", as well as Jeff Buckley-esque warbling best exemplified on "MMWMM". Imagine Radiohead meets Steely Dan, only stripped down to a trio for an idea of the rousing interludes captured on "Incubator Dreams" or the busy bass and drum tandem that envelopes "When Will Love Be Over?" which combines Talking Heads' oddities with traces of Guided By Voices. If you like your indie rock daring and intellectually charged, The Black Spoons are the choice to make. www.particlemusic.com -Mike SOS

DIRTY RIG
ROCK DID IT
ESCAPI
Unsanitized for your approval, the lewd, crude, and totally rockin' Dirty RIg unapologetically bring you ROCK DID IT, a raucous rock 'n roll rollercoaster ride that sizzles with Sunset Strip sleaze sans the stupidity. Led by ex-Warrior Soul frontman Kory Clarke, this NYC-based quartet combines the Black Label Society grit with AC/DC-esque ass-shaking swagger, developing a leave your brains at the door and bring your beer to the dancefloor style on tracks like "Just a Star" and "Dogs". Merging a prevalent punk rock attitude that fuels in your face cuts like "Suck It" with bluesy Zep meets Aerosmith gone hair metal riff fests like "Rock Did It" with touches of Clarke's ex-outfit's driving psychedelic rock on "Cities, Scenes & Thieves", Dirty Rig delivers an honest, ass kicking heavy rock 'n roll album that solidly attempts the daunting task of bringing the danger back to rock. www.dirtyrig.com -Mike SOS

HYMNS
BROTHER/SISTER
BLACKLAND
NYC-based Hymns play the kind of alt-country rock that derived from Neil Young and Wilco on BROTHER/SISTER, a masterfully recorded 11-track disc. From the fast-paced jangly guitars and stompbox vocals on tracks like "Power in the Street", Hymns would remind you of Kings of Leon meets Tom Petty, combining small town sensibility with a driving backbeat, while tracks like "Town" radiate a '70s pop-rock vibe that The Eagles were known for. Raring back and rocking is also part of this trio's mission, and tracks like "Brother/Sister" offset the general laid back aura songs like "Starboat" and "Stop Talking" set. Well-planned and beautifully composed, Hymns display a great depth of influence and a wealth of passion on this shining effort that hipsters and real deal rock fans alike can grip with ease. www.blacklandrecords.com -Mike SOS

ZAO
THE FEAR IS WHAT KEEPS US HERE
FERRET
Despite the fact that you need a scorecard to keep track of this band's ever-changing lineup, Zao just finds new band members and continues to crush all in its path. Their latest excruciatingly heavy excursion comes in the form of the 11-track THE FEAR IS WHAT KEEPS US HERE, a Steve Albini produced slab of the band's trademark nasty, nebulous, and noisy hardcore. Tracks like the merciless "Pudgy Young Blonds With Lobotomy Eyes" sound like a heated war pitting Melvins vs. High on Fire, while "Killing Time 'Til It's Time To Die" throws out a Discharge-like punk vibe with thunderous metalcore rhythms and a tasty guitar solo that flows into a pummeling breakdown. Flavored with the intense energy of metal warriors gone punk rock anarchists, songs like "Kingdom of Thieves" and "Cancer Eater" (which contains one of the most pristine guitar intros this side of Randy Rhoads) maintain the band's old school roots with an unrefined element that empowers THE FEAR IS WHAT KEEPS US HERE as a supreme lesson in how to keep things unwaveringly raw and punishingly heavy. www.ferretstyle.com -Mike SOS

THE CITY DRIVE
ALWAYS MOVING NEVER STOPPING
WE THE PEOPLE
Los Angeles upbeat punk popsters The City Drive play great shop at department store rock, as their self-described Weezer meets Green Day comparison is a bit off the mark, yet kind of resonates in spurts across the 12-track ALWAYS MOVING NEVER STOPPING. Almost like a less-grating and immature Blink 182 with the bubblegum hooks of Sugarcult, cuts like "Overready" and "Chasing You" are innocuous, overpolished, and devoid of any rough edges, making them fully digestible for the casual rock fan that wants to go a half-step out of the box. Perfect for soundtrack placement or background music to television melodrama, The City Drive hits the mark in creating unoriginal yet inspired nuggets of punky pop rock. www.thecitydrivemusic.com -Mike SOS

OSTINATO
CHASING THE FORM
EXILE ON MAINSTREAM
Ostinato is an Italian term for recurring musical fragment, a name which suits this Washington D.C.-based trio's sweepingly swaggering seven-track offering. Deep bass grooves, unorthodox guitar work, experimental drums, and a plethora of other musical instruments thrown in for good measure illuminate the dynamic dreaminess of tracks like "Between the Years", while a tumultuously trippy undercurrent highlights the peaks and valleys of "The Art of Vanishing", almost like a less-ominous Pelican taking charge. As shown from the visionary vibe coming off of "Latitude", Ostinato isn't afraid to engage you into a sprawling semi-shoegazing escapade before lulling you out of the trance with durable rock momentum, and that's why this is a disc you can enjoy again and again without fear of losing its luster. Stunning on all accounts, this disc is atmospheric rock at its finest hour. www.mainstreamrecords.de -Mike SOS

THE LAST VEGAS
SEAL THE DEAL
GET HIP
Much like their name suggests, this band is both unashamedly glitzy and walks on the wild side, traits which allow The Last Vegas' brand of hard-edged, bloozy and boozy rawk to feel utterly convincing. On the Chicago quintet's 10-track ode to no frills rock 'n roll, tracks like the '80s hair metal bite meets Stooges bark "Ain't A Good Man" somehow have Motorhead and Ratt arm in arm, while the rowdy title track takes choice parts from Thin Lizzy, ZZ Top, and Fu Manchu to concoct a delectable fuzzy stoner stew. Loud, proud, and balls to the wall, SEAL THE DEAL is a muscle car in a sea of sedans and minivans, effortlessly connecting the gutter to the glamour while claiming a victory for degeneratively unrepentant raw rock 'n roll . www.gethip.com -Mike SOS

THE PUTRID FLOWERS
YOUNG FOR THE LAST TIME
SELF-RELEASED
Queens-based punk crew The Putrid Flowers have morphed from punk rock princes into budding rock luminaries judging by the outfit's latest 12-track endeavor, YOUNG FOR THE LAST TIME. Maintaining the group's punk rock roots on tracks like the Offspring meets All-esque "Amanda the Salamander" and the brawny and brooding twitches of "On the Eve of St. Agnes" while straying into the metal realm with a killer lead riff and an extra dose of vitriol on "Going Your Way", this veteran unit continues to write compelling compositions. Melding the rock stuff you hear on MTV reality show soundtracks with the outfit's unique and tactful songwriting nuances and twists on "Mourning Clouds Yielding to a Midday Sky", The Putrid Flowers brand of punk rock captivates and keeps you coming back for more. www.theputridflowers.com -Mike SOS