ALBUM REVIEW: Ides - "Born To Run in Place"

By: Rick Ahmed

Album Type: Full Length

Date Released: 18/12/2016

Label: Serenity Now Tapes

 

“Born To Run in Place” CS//DD track listing:

1). Rt.3 Treadmill Blues

2). Motormouth

3). Surfwax Britannica

4). NPC

5). Tumor

6). Born To Run in Place

7). Refuse Refused

8). Party Martyrs

9). Pound of Flesh

10). Vacation from Nothing

11). Accelerated Decrepitude

12). Grief Cycle

13). Sorry, Nothing

The Review:

“Born To Run in Place”is New Jersey's Ides6th release, with the first pressing of tapes out via Serenity Now Records. 13 songs that each have a distinct personality of their own, where you'll find new things with every listen. The album title is an obvious homage to fellow New Jersey rocker Bruce Springsteen. It's clever and a very succinct way to sum up what seems to be the overall theme of the album; working your ass off to exist with little or no reward.

In their most basic form Ides are metallic hardcore with a strong thrash influence. They have a way of throwing in chaotic parts and dynamic time changes to keep their songs interesting.  “Motormouth” starts thrashy, gets almost post hardcore in the middle before getting hard ass then abruptly ending. “NPC” starts with a classic tough guy hardcore feeling before the song picks up the pace and becomes frantic. The drum sound on this album is awesome, the best example of this is a short drum break in the end of the titular track. Have I mentioned how no two songs really sound alike? Even the minute long speedy bangers stand out from one another. The last track “Sorry, Nothing” starts with whale call sounding feedback, before a melancholy indie rock sounding intro with some introspective lyrics. 2 minutes in, the song becomes completely chaotic. It's enjoyable and nice feeling.

The vocals are feral. The mind's eye pictures starving animals fighting over scraps of food. The emphasis isn't on sounding brutal or tying to be melodic though, there's no posing here. Singer Jill sells every single word on this thing with emotion. The lyrics are well written, which is refreshing in a time when a lot of singers are pretty fucking lazy about their words. In conclusion this album rules and is streaming off of their bandcamp, so check it out.

“Born To Run in Place”is available here

Band info: bandcamp || facebook

ALBUM REVIEW: Ghoul - "Dungeon Bastards"

By: Rick Ahmed

Album Type: Full Length

Date Released: 29/07/2016

Label: Tankcrimes 

So many bands try to do what Ghoul is doing and just can't fucking get it right. This is a perfect storm. Superior song writing, technical prowess, and an awesome aesthetic.

“Dungeon Bastards” CD//DD//LP track listing:

01. Ghetto Blasters
02. Bringer of War
03. Shred the Dead
04. Dungeon Bastards
05. Ghoulunatics
06. Blood and Guts
07. Word is Law
08. Death Campaign
09. Guitarmageddon
10. Abominox

The Review:

My introduction to Ghoulwas 2007's “Splatterthrash”. I instantly fell in love with their take on thrash. Everything about it was perfect; the guitar tone, the riffs, the melodies, and especially lyrics. It was glorious. I kept my eye on them throughout the next few years; none of their other releases really caught my ear though. When the pre-order for “Dungeon Bastards” came up in my facebook feed with the bad ass Mark Richards' illustrated cover, green splatter vinyl, and fold out drinking game, I said fuck it. Even if this album sucks it's worth the cool ass packaging.

This album does not suck. This is probably the best metal album of 2016. No bullshit. It blows my mind how few bands can't make an album with 2 good songs, but these freaks managed to come up with 10 rippers. This is actually better than “Splatterthrash”.

The first song “Ghetto Blasters" begans with a sample from what I'm assuming is an old sci-fi movie. The Last line being, "The people blindly followed a man who would become a tyrant." which is creepy as fuck considering the outcome of our last election. The sample fades out and the thrash fucking metal begins. The urge to bang ones head is quite strong on this first track, which is basically one riff on repeat with a tasteful lead over a few measures. Which is perfect, thinkExodus type thrash if you must.

Song two "Bringer of War" opens with a solid blast and a riff that wouldn't be out of place on Carcass'“Heartwork”. The higher pitched vocals also bear a resemblance to Jeff Walker, which I'm not complaining about. The thing is, it never gets old with Ghoul, as they have a second guttural vocalist, as well as gang vocals, and a cast of characters they introduce throughout the album.

Like I mentioned earlier, every song rules. "Shred the Dead" is a solid thrasher. "Dungeon Bastards" starts with more Carcassfeels. My personal favorite song "Ghoulunatics" has an awesome guitar melody, as well as a sick thrash breakdown at about 2:41. A bonus is that it seems to be about idiots like me, "an army of losers, the worst of the worst, to march to our orders and buy all our merch". As for the rest of the album, the hits keep coming. Just listen to the damn thing already!

So many bands try to do what Ghoul is doing and just can't fucking get it right. This is a perfect storm. Superior song writing, technical prowess, and an awesome aesthetic. My only fear is that people won't care to look past the masks and theatrics. These guys should NOT be written off as another gimmick band. That's what everybody did with Gwar, who also made amazing albums, but were under appreciated as anything more than a spectacle. That would be a damn shame as these dudes have the ability to churn out quality thrash!! LONG LIVE GHOUL!!

“Dungeon Bastards”is available here

Band info: bandcamp|| facebook

FFO: Impaled, Carcass, Exhumed, Gwar

ALBUM REVIEW: Gatecreeper - "Sonoran Deprivation"

By: Rick Ahmed

Album Type: Full Length

Date Released: 07/10/2016

Label: Relapse Records

When they use melodies they're more creepy than pretty. They seem to only be there to allow you to catch your breath before they sit on your chest and start punching you in the face again

“Sonoran Deprivation” CD//DD//LP track listing:

1. Craving Flesh
2. Sterilizing
3. Desperation
4. Rotting As One
5. Stronghold
6. Patriarchal Grip
7. Lost Forever
8. Flamethrower
9. Grotesque Operations

The Review:

"In defence of hm-2 death metal"  Frankly I find it a little dismissive to reduce this new wave of death metal to nothing more than a type of distortion pedal produced in the early 80's. Gatecreeperdoes have that buzzsaw tone, they also conjure the spirit of the 90's, but they add much more of a doom metal vibe to it. At the same time the composition of these songs reminds one of traditional hardcore, the fat is stripped; the goal is simple, brutality.

When they use melodies they're more creepy than pretty. They seem to only be there to allow you to catch your breath before they sit on your chest and start punching you in the face again. The vocals are harsh barked death grunts that sit perfectly in the mix so as to compliment the crunching chugs rather than overpower them.  Also, the cover art is a breathtaking oil painting of what appears to be some sort of intergalactic horizon which also wins them some points in the "cool shit I'd like to display on my record rack" category. 

Anybody into extreme music should be able to enjoy the simple brutality and groove this album offers, I'd also recommend it to fans of; Nails, Trap Them, Obituary, Entombed, Kataklysm, Harm's Way.

“Sonoran Deprivation” is available here

Band info: bandcamp|| facebook