Holy shit! Did I just turn on the lost The Unseen record?! Seriously, any of these tracks on this album could have come off of Explode, save for maybe guitars with a bit more balls to them. Ashers have come forth with their brand new album, Kill Your Master, and this is truly a romp into the fun filled, energetic world of hardcore punk and crossover. Not quite as heavy as Municipal Waste or early Corrosion of Conformity, but certainly comparable to early D.R.I. And by the way, by making the comparison to The Unseen, I say that with as much admiration and interest as possible, because I adore Explode, so for this album to comparable is really cool and a huge surprise!

Fans of old school punk and hardcore will absolutely eat up Kill Your Master and demand more, but newer fans of the retro-thrash movement may be left wanting something a bit heavier, because make no mistake, this is NOT a metal album, this is in your face old school hardcore punk with a flare for heavier riffs at times. With that said though, Kill Your Master goes hand in hand with any thrash album, as should any quality hardcore album, so if you consider yourself to be a real, true fan of thrash and hardcore, it should be a no brainer that this album will be to your liking, because it’s certainly comparable to any of the legendary acts of the genre like the ones I mentioned, and also The Casualties, Discharge, and The Accused. So why are you still reading this? Go forth and enjoy!

(UPDATE: HA! After writing this I was putting down the band line up, when I realized that the lead singer is none other than Mark Civitarese from The Unseen. Fuck I’m good!)

VERY GOOD

Similar Artists: Municipal Waste, D.R.I., The Unseen

1. Kill Your Master
2. Destitution
3. End Of The Rope
4. Vanished
5. Watch It Burn
6. Time Lapse
7. Blood And Grain
8. Killing Time
9. Now So Clear
10. Eyes Of Demise
11. Cold Dark Place
12. Faith Denied
13. Class Of ‘94

Mark Civitarese – vocals
Billy Brown – guitar, vocals
Justin Brooks – guitar
Kasey Rivera – drums
Joe Packard – bass

Thorp Records

http://www.myspace.com/asherstheband

www.youtube.com/watch?v=ENBX_v1Po1Y

Album: 11:11
Label: Pias
Year: 2009

The Sword, along with a few other players, are largely responsible for bringing the stoner riffs to the forefront of metal. Many elitists panned them as being coattail riders, or posers who went from indie to stoner metal in a blink of an eye. Truth be told, The Sword were merely in the right place at the right time, and their music caught a wave to success. Warp Riders, the band’s third, is by and far their most mature release to date, and one that has shown obvious evolutions in their sound.

What began as mere stoner metal has grown to encompass classic heavy metal, and 70’s hard rock. Bands like Thin Lizzy, Uriah Heep and fellow modern metallers The Lord Weird Slough Feg all play a significant role in this music. While the tried and true The Sword sound remains, this is a much more psychedelic, and dare I say, lighter trek in the journey of this group. The edgy, slightly under-produced buzz of the first two albums is gone, in favor of a much more crisp sound that favors more of an arena rock vibe than that of the sweat saturated chaos of the first two outings. While I am greatly entertained and even surprised by this slight adjustment in sound for The Sword, I can’t help but miss their unruly heaviness. Does The Sword suffer from this new take? Absolutely not. I consider Warp Riders a quintessential example of organic advancement in a band’s sound, and am highly encouraged by this new record, but still, it doesn’t quite stand up to what put The Sword on the map to begin with.

I am being nitpicky with this release, I will be the first to admit that, but that won’t stop me from cranking this beast for several more days, because this really is a straight forward, groove laden, old school stoner album with so much to offer to both new and old fans alike.

VERY GOOD

Similar Artists: Thin Lizzy, Black Sabbath, Uriah Heep, Budgie

1.    Acheron/Unearthing the Orb
2.    Tres Brujas
3.    Arrows in the Dark
4.    The Chronomancer I: Hubris
5.    Lawless Lands
6.    Astraea’s Dream
7.    The Warp Riders
8.    Night City
9.    The Chronomancer II: Nemesis
10.    (The Night the Sky Cried) Tears of Fire

J.D. Cronise – Vocals, Guitar
Kyle Shutt – Guitar
Bryan Richie – Bass
Trivett Wingo – Drums

Kemado Records

http://www.myspace.com/thesword

www.youtube.com/watch?v=DujEtAfMx28

Album: Self Released 7 Inch EP
Label: Read Above

http://www.myspace.com/kingsdestroynyc

www.youtube.com/watch?v=efojzMwLIK0

Album: 7th Symphony
Label: Mercury Records
Year: 2010

A forbearing intellectualism is what Neurosis is all about, and has always been about. They are not balls deep metal, nor are they artsy fartsy elitists. Somewhere in the middle, Neurosis has wow’ed countless listeners with their blend of sludge, hardcore and so many avant garde tidbits, that they have made a career out of defying what it means to fit into a “category” of music. One album that perhaps defined what Neurosis is and always will be all about, is 1994’s Enemy of the Sun, originally released during a time when metal was suffering greatly in terms of popularity. There has and always will be creativity within metal, but the means to express one’s self and be rewarded with your minions the world over appreciating it, was not as prevalent. However, mainstream America was also taking it in the ass by the grunge scene, hip hop was tearing through the charts, and electronica was starting to make huge waves. Neurosis, during this time were groundbreakers to say the least. Enemy of the Sun, for example, is an album that wouldn’t really find it’s true calling until…well, now, which is probably why Neurot Recordings have opted for another re-issue of this great album, with new cover art and all other grandiosity associated with it. Bringing such an influential album back into the hearts and minds of the metal scene, especially with so many new fans ready to eat up anything associated with sludge/stoner/doom these days, this is a primo time to jump.

I will be honest though, despite the dramatic influence Enemy of the Sun had on music, I can’t say it’s one of my favorites, as with most Neurosis recordings. Track after track, this is an album reserved for nothing but creativity, and less on actual blunt force trauma, breakdowns and melodies. I know I sound like an editor at Rolling Stone or whatever, but I enjoy what I enjoy, and Enemy of the Sun is not a record that is pleasing to the ear per se. In other words, I would not rip this out and play it to and from work, or play it for my friends to demonstrate the style of doom based rumblings.

Neurosis is much like the architect Frank Lloyd Wright; ultra modern and still as influential as they were when they started, if not more so, but in terms of creating a sound that is easily adaptable and enjoyed, not so much to the average individual, including myself. Shoegaze, stoner, sludge and atmospheric enthusiasts should already own this album, but if you don’t, immediately head to your favorite retailer and purchase this, because you are missing the Old Testament of your Bible.

AMAZING

Similar Artists: Melvins, Isis, Tool

1.    Lost
2.    Raze The Stray
3.    Burning Flesh In Year Of Pig
4.    Cold Ascending
5.    Lexicon
6.    Enemy Of The Sun
7.    The Time Of The Beasts
8.    Cleanse

Dave Edwardson – Bass, Vocals
Jason Roeder – Drums, Percussion
Scott Kelly – Guitar, Vocals, Percussion
Steve Von Till – Guitar, Vocals, Percussion
Simon McIlroy – Keyboards, Sampling

Paul Lew – Horn
Kris Force – Violin
Erika Little – Voice

Neurot Recordings

http://www.myspace.com/officialneurosis

www.youtube.com/watch?v=V_eevJgzaWY

Album: What Lies Beneath
Label: Universal Music
Year: 2010

http://www.myspace.com/tbp