Control the Music with these buttons!
I want to introduce to you Athena, the Crowgrrl!
She comes to The Chamber with a deep love for the hard, dark music so many of us love. Every two weeks she'll feature something new and special, so please come back on a regular basis. All titles are linked to Amazon.com where you can listen to clips and get great prices.
*Armour’s eponymous debut features musicianship sharp as a well-honed sword
and as hard-hitting as a warhammer. These modern day Vikings shine like the
Midnight Sun on breastplates and weaponry! Their signature sound incorporates
some of the best of ‘80’s style Arena/Power Metal and kicks it into the New
Millennium with testosterone-fueled strength and bravado.
Hailing from Finland, Armour are: founder/vocalist/rhythm guitarist
Vince Venom, bassist Pete Talker, lead guitarist Mike “HC” Slutz,
and drummer Johnny River. Their debut release is impressive indeed, a
raucous victory celebration that’s as enduring as castle walls.
The anthemic Rock ‘ n ‘ Roll Tonite immediately causes fists to start
pumping high in the air, and features a kick-ass guitar solo. The
testosterone-fueled The Time Is Right can only be described as pure
strength unleashed. The raw, raunchy Sex Demon is very reminiscent of
W.A.S.P. (who has
always been one of The Crowgrrl’s favorite bands anyway. Enough said!)
The rollicking Roll Out (Or Get Rocked) is another Arena Rock anthem.
Satan’s Knights races like a bat out of Hell! Can’t Resist Your Spell
surrenders completely to irresistible lust.
Magick Armour unleashes otherworldly forces under a Full Moon’s light.
Hellfire is a scorching attack. The ruthless Ready To Attack shows no
mercy. Clattering glasses punctuate pure celebration in Heavy Metal Drinkers.
I have an interview with bassist Pete Talker down by The Moat!
You can learn more about Athena, the Crowgrrl at: MySpace!
*Age
of Evil is definitely a band to keep your eyes on! Still in their teens,
these guys have musical maturity and finesse that surpasses even some seasoned
veterans in the music industry! Judging from their recent EP,
Get
Dead (Evil
Eye Entertainment), the future of Metal is in good hands indeed.
Hailing from Scottsdale, Arizona,
Age of Evil is
comprised of two sets of brothers –bassist Jacob Goldberg, drummer
Garrett Ziff, vocalist/guitarist Jeremy Goldberg, and lead guitarist
Jordan Ziff - who have not only known each other from an early age, but
have made music together most of their young lives as well. The band already has
extensive European and US touring and a full length album,
Living A Sick Dream, (on which featured a guest appearance by former
Megadeth guitarist
Marty Friedman!) under their
belts, and are hard at work on their sophomore full length.
Check out the videos for:
Living A Sick Dream and
You Can’t Change Me.
Although Get Dead features two classic covers, the bulk of the impressive
music was penned by the band themselves along with their producer John
Herrera. Those two covers mentioned are
Skid Row’s
Slave to the Grind and Judas
Priest’s
Hellion/Electric Eye. Both are very true to the originals, yet with
letting the band’s individuality also shine through.
The adrenaline-fueled Cruel Intentions is a merciless assault of pure
rage. The ferocious Get Dead title track is a murderous pummeling!
The other two tracks on the EP are actually live versions of tracks from their
Living A Sick Dream album that capture the band’s raw energy and stand as
testimony to the rapport they generate with a seriously pumped up audience.
These are the anthemic Eye For An Eye and the pure blinding speed of
Glimpse Of Light.
*Although
Immolation are no strangers
to the Extreme Metal scene – indeed, they’ve been forerunners setting the pace
for Extreme Death Metal for two decades now! – their new
Majesty & Decay is their first release for
Nuclear Blast Records.
And their musical fire burns bright – like a bonfire growing, flames licking
high on the pitch black sky.
Hailing from Yonkers, NY,
Immolation is: vocalist/bassist Ross Dolan, drummer Steve Shalaty, and
guitarists Robert Vigna and Bill Taylor. Majesty & Decay continues the
Immolation tradition of violently tackling tough social/political/religious
issues, a raging inferno that destroys and cleanses everything in its path.
The haunting atmosphere of Intro forces us into the bleak landscape to
come; there is no retreat. The Purge is a chaotic holocaust leaving
nothing but ashes in its wake. A Token Of Malice is a firestorm burning
out of control. Empirical musicianship punctuates the Majesty & Decay
title track.
Divine Code shows how twisted beliefs can rise to glory before falling
into an abyss; the song has fantastic albeit tyrannical guitars and blast beats!
The raw In Human Form unleashes pure primal hate and fury. There’s a grim
beauty to the musicianship in A Glorious Epoch, which depicts masses
being choked under the yoke of political dominance. Interlude is a
stormy, ominous instrumental.
The dire A Thunderous Consequence is a desperate plea to bring soldiers
home alive. The mournful The Rapture of Ghosts laments living only to
die; cold lead guitar sounds like banshee wails. There’s also a fabulous solo
with a hint of a Middle East flavor in the furious Power & Shame, where
greedy political and/or religious leaders hold their people in a vice like grip,
ignoring those people’s cries and pleas. Musically, The Comfort of Cowards
is like a blind, zombie-like march as it lyrically decries people killing in the
names of their gods, of blindly following beliefs to the point of war.
Germany’s
The Crimson Ghosts have become a (fiend) force to be reckoned with
indeed, stepping out of the dark shadows of their early days as a Misfits cover
band to become of the (Hellfire-ishly) brightest of the Horror-Punk genre. Their
third release,
“Dead Eyes Can See” is a great example of this. The whole album is a fun
romp from start to finish, and it’s hard to pick favorites! Some highlights
include “Devil’s Night” – a tribute to The Crow – or the lycanthropic
rampage of “To Hunt You Down” or “Nightbreed” which is a seductive invitation
into Midian itself. Every day is indeed Halloween when this disc is spinning! --
Athena
When one hears mention of a Crimson Ghost, the first thing that comes to
mind is the Misfit’s distinguished
logo of that name. And although the humble beginning for Germany’s
The Crimson Ghosts was indeed as
a Misfits cover band, they’ve burst through the cemetery gates to take
the world by storm in their own right!
The Crimson Ghosts – Vlad (howlings), Jackal (6-string violence and
howlings), Monstro (subsonics), and Reverend (skin bashing) – deliver an
absolutely infectious witches’ brew of Horror-Punk. This is clearly evident on
their extremely fun third album,
Dead Eyes Can See (Fiend
Force Records) which immediately earned a slot in The Crowgrrl’s
personal Heavy Rotation stack! This album’s more fun than an all-night Monster
Movie Marathon at the few vintage Drive In Theaters around the country (like
Bengie’s Drive In in Baltimore, MD).
The musicianship and vocal harmonies are excellent throughout!
The spooky
Dead Eyes Can See title track sets the Horror Movie atmosphere – violent
percussion against haunting keys sending chills down the spine (this song would
be perfectly at home as part of a horror movie soundtrack), with the spoken
warning at the end that “Where you’re going, every day is Halloween!” An apt
observation, as indeed Halloween like thrills and chills engulf the listener
from that moment on!
Invade! goes straight for the jugular, bringing us alien invaders hell
bent on the complete decimation of mankind. Zombie hordes – straight off the
screen from Romero’s movies - show no mercy in their ravenous search for brains
in Bloodred. The seductive vox in Nightbreed invites the listener
to celebrate the night in Midian itself. (I’m sure Clive Barker would be proud!)
Werewolves abound under a full moon in the feral To Hunt You Down.
A poor soul is trapped in schizophrenia or dementia in the tormented Voices
From The Inside. The robotic FX are fun in the intro of Armagetron –
cold, heartless steel that conjures images of
The
Terminator. Forsaken (Requiem) has a mad scientist trying to
reanimate a dead lover. The vicious yet tongue-in-cheek (and maybe brains, too)
I 812 is another Zombie feeding-frenzy!
The Reek takes a cold, hard look at necrophilia. I absolutely LOVE Devil’s Night
– which celebrates
The
Crow/Eric Draven! I Am Horror is a nightmare personified. We Stay Dark
is a maniacal anthem.
*Asgardian
thunder is shaking the very foundations of Midgard in celebration of the 25th
anniversary of THOR’s “Only The Strong”! This anniversary is marked with
the release of the album, re-mastered and including bonus surprises. THOR is
also getting the magical goats – Tanngrisni and Tanngnost - harnessed to his
Thunder Chariot for a World Tour!
Thor said, “We thought it was important to put this one out because it’s the
25th Anniversary of ‘Only The Strong’, which is one of our most successful
albums ever in our career. A lot of people thought it was ‘Keep The Dogs Away’,
but actually ‘Only The Strong’ was our biggest seller. It’s got some of our most
memorable hits, like ‘Thunder In The Tundra’ and ‘Let The Blood Run Red’, which
did well on the charts in the UK at that time, then crossed over into the US as
one of the Cult Hits.”
As befitting a Thunder God, the album shot like lightning up the UK charts when
it was originally released in 1985 on the strength of such anthems as the title
track, “Thunder In The Tundra”, “Let The Blood Run Red,” still
audience favorites to this very day! The original release was on vinyl, however,
and ravenous fans have hungered for the album to be released in CD form. Not
only have their prayers reached Asgard itself, they’re treated to these favorite
songs re-mastered with the strength and polish of a
well-honed sword.
“We totally re-mastered and enhanced everything, remixed it,” said Thor. “ I
give all the credit to Steve Price and his studio Stepco Sound in Boca Raton,
Florida, for doing that. Steve really worked hard in the re-mastering.”
Guitarist Steve Price was also on the original (and many other) Thor albums, and
was part of the now-signature stage show following the album’s original release,
where Thor not only excels on vocal abilities, but also showcases his incredible
strength, bending steel, blowing up and bursting water bottles, and battling
formidable foes. (The original “Only The Strong” line-up also featured Mike
Favata on drums, Keith Zazzi on bass, and Cherry Bomb with backing vocals).
Thor is planning a video in support of the album’s re-release as well.
Although it only takes one listen to prove this album’s mastery, you’ll find it
repeatedly in your CD player – I know The Crowgrrl does – and you’ll be humming
some of these thunderous anthems long after the player has been turned off.
The intro – 2045 – leads us into this futuristic realm of Sword &
Sorcery, setting the stage for the storyline running through the album and tying
the songs together into a complete adventure (although each song stands strong
on its own as well). The Only The Strong title track – which features an
impressive shredding guitar solo – charges head-on into danger. The appropriately
named Start Raising Hell does exactly that! Razor-sharp guitars
lead the merciless assault in Knock ‘Em Down.
The Metal Avenger decimates all opponents in the crowd-pleasing classic, Let
The Blood Run Red. The very warriors of Asgard itself lead the charge in the
epic When The Gods Collide. The pure fun anthem Rock The City has
fists raised high in the air. Now Comes The Storm is a force of Nature
unto itself, a befitting song for the Thunder God! (And it features another
incredible guitar solo!)
The victorious Thunder God battles giants, dragons, and other formidable in the
timeless classic Thunder On The Tundra. The searing Hot Flames
uses burning desires to gain conquering control. Berzerkers charge into the heat
of battle in Ride of the Chariots. Although Lady of the Night
wasn’t on the original album’s release, it’s indeed a shining polished onyx gem
here as it unleashes pure unbridled passion. And the CD features another tasty
treat – the bonus track Warriors of the Universe recorded live at the
Sweden Rock Festival in 2009! The Crowgrrl highly recommends this album!
*Svarti
Loghin’s sophomore release,
Drifting Through The Void (ATMF)
takes us on a luscious, melodic Metal journey exploring both the farthest
reaches of the cosmos to the dark recesses of the inner mind. Moods ranging from
tranquil wonder to painful screams are sure to make this an experience you won’t
soon forget (and probably will frequently revisit with numerous spins in the CD
player).
Hailing from Sweden, Svarti Loghin – which means “Black Flame” in archaic
Swedish – are: guitarist/vocalist/keyboardist S.L., guitarist/clean
vocalist Limpan, bassist Raymond N, and drummer Emil.
Red Sun Sets has a tranquil, aquatic feel like the last rays of the day
reflecting on calm waters. The marathon 8-minute Kosmik Tomhet gives the
false impression of being an instrumental, as the vocals follow a very long
intro. The song itself is beautiful, full of wonder like drifting in space among
the stars. The gorgeous guitars are a sharp contrast against the tormented
wailing vocals in Odelagd Framtid.
Drifting Through The Void rocks out with the
strength of a dangerous meteorite shower, with a bit of a twang that sharply
changes direction to an almost
Guns N Roses type vibe. Nightsky Interlude is stormy, like being
trapped in a dank, musty castle with thunder and lightning raging outside.
Screaming vocals echo under gorgeous riffs in Bury My Heart In These Starlit
Waters. The Black Sabbath
cover, Planet Caravan, is pretty true to the original and actually fits
like a glove with the rest of this album. Stargazer is a microcosm of the
rest of the album, with a variety of moods from solemn wonder to primal screams.
*(Insert
the signature
Cryptkeeper laugh here, then try to imagine the following in the Crowgrrl’s best imitation of the Cryptkeeper’s voice….) Welcome, Kiddies!
Stigma are inviting us to
descend with them into dusty, cobweb laden sepulchers to find a hidden
underworld of frightful fun. You’re guaranteed to have a fangtastic time,
banging your heads until the first rays of dawn frighten vampires back into
their coffins.
The band’s sophomore release,
Concerto For The Undead, (Pivotal
Rockordings) not only has a
Tales From The Crypt running through it, it also has comic book art (by
Andreas Berton of Corefolio
Designs) for each track instead of lyrics in the album’s booklet. This
Extreme Metal Horrorfest features anthemic vocals and choruses, a contagion of
great guitar riffs and solos, blast-beat drums and thunderous bass. Awesome
album! It also features guest vocals by Jamie Hope (ex-The
Red Shore) and Jon Hunt (ex-Dead
To Fall).
Hailing from Italy, Stigma are: frontman Stefano “Vlad” Ghersi,
guitarist Andrea Beilo, bassist Flavio Magnaldi, and drummer
Stefano Ghigliano. Concerto For The Undead was recorded at
Fear Studio. It was produced by
Bring Me The Horizon guitarist
Jona Weinhofen, and mixed
and remastered by Scott Atkins (Cradle
of Filth, Sylosis).
Maniacal laughter ushers us into this bloodfest in Chop His Head Off, but
just like
Sleepy Hollow’s horseman, you can’t keep this guy down. Pure
testosterone is unleashed in Prove You Are A Man – a dangerous dare to go
into a haunted house. The guitars are truly impressive in the intense …And
They Died Happily Ever After – a love that endures beyond the grave.
The Crowgrrl also loves the riffs in the out-of-control rampage in A
Monstrous Feeling. The Undertaker is another musically impressive
track – incendiary! There’s no Amusement Park safety codes in place as What
About A Terror Ride sends us hurtling into fear.
*What’s
that pungent scent permeating the air? Could it be Sulfur and Brimstone? Very
probably, surrounding the latest release from the black-robed minions of
Satan’s Host:
Power-Purity-Perfection 999. (Moribund
Records). The album is saturated from start to finish with all three of
the title’s virtues.
For Creature Feature’s Horror Movie fans, let’s just say that this album is a
musical equivalent of such classics of cinematic history as:
Curse of the Demon,
Black Sunday,
Rosemary’s Baby,
Race With The Devil,
The
Omen,
Ninth Gate, etc., etc.
Check out the videos on the band’s
YouTube
Site.
Hailing from Colorado, Satan’s
Host are: guitarist Patrick Evil, drummer Anthony “Evil Little Hobbit”
Lopez, and bassist Margar. For this and many previous recordings, L.C.F. Eli
Elixer was the vocalist/lyricist/High Priest, but recently the band has brought
in Jag Panzer vocalist Leviathan
Thirisen (Harry Conklin). Harry had been the original vocalist for the band’s
1986 debut album
Metal From Hell and the 1987 bootlegged unreleased Midnight Wind.
Patrick Evil stated, “The idea for a reunion with Harry has been building up for
a number of years. I felt that this was the right time to go ahead with it. Me
and Harry have felt that we had unfinished business to attend to, and we’re
heading full force!”
With the exception of two live shows –
Club Inferno at PT’s in
Denver, Colorado, on March 27 and the
Keep It True Festival in Koenigshofen, Germany on April 23 – the band is
preparing to sequester itself back in the studio for a new release with Harry on
vocals, due to be released later this year by Moribund Records. It’s being
recorded in Flatline Studio with producer
Dave Otero (Cephalic
Carnage, Martriden)
at the helm.
Anthony Lopez comments, “The new material is in the same vein as PPP…999, but a
bit more explosive and surprising. We’ve added some very interesting twists to
the music and the concept. Pat is a cornucopia of Evil Music, and regardless of
what has been said or stated in the past, he has always been the stronghold of
the music and the life force of Satan’s Host.”
The band is also set to unleash a new DVD,
Assault of Evil…666 (Moribund Records) on April 23. The DVD was
recorded during the
Great American Scapegoat Tour in 2008, and features bonus material such
as performances from the past two decades, and the band’s Samhain 2009 show.
Otero also produced Power-Purity-Perfection…999. The band entered the studio on
Walpurgis Nacht – May Eve – one of the two most important days on the Infernal
Calendar, when the Veils between the Worlds are the thinnest. This definitely
infused this elegant ceremony with even more potent Magick. The album is divided
into three distinct parts, each representing one of the virtues of the album’s
moniker.
Lyrically, the album was inspired by
Michael W. Ford,
Aleister Crowley,
and such books as
Lords of the Left Hand Path by Stephen E. Flowers,
An
Age For Lucifer by Robert C. Tucker,
Mysteries of the Temple of Set by Don Webb, and
48
Laws of Power by Robert Greene.
We start with Part I in this trilogy: Power. Warrior spirit permeates the
war-cry of Sitra-Ahra (Power 9). Dark Priest- Lord Ahriman unleashes demonic
forces, punctuated by fantastic guitars, growling vox, and pronounced
percussion. Wonderful song! Buer is a lovely serenade for infernal royalty, and
features a gorgeous melodic guitar solo.
Now we segue to Part 2: Purity. 333 (Purity 9) is a respectful summoning, with a
myriad of moods making it as beautiful as dancing candle flames on an altar. End
All – Be All – 2012 is a profound ushering-in of a new era, melding Mayan
prophecies with Luciferian supremecy. Majestic dark melodies abound in the
reverent Azael: 9 Lords – 9 Keys – Abyss-King. Paimon is a luscious but brief
instrumental.
The Grand Finale awaits in Part 3: aptly known as Perfection. The Crowgrrl
absolutely LOVES Luciferian Spirit (Perfection 9) - it can only be described as
pure Power & Glory. Satanic Magick – Evil Divine is a stunning, compelling
ritual indeed! I also absolutely love the anthemic Xem Deitus – 999!
Creature Feature © D. Dyszel 2010
Creature Feature is sponsored by Sounds Fabulous DJ Service
Make sure your Washington DC Area Wedding DJ Sounds Fabulous!
and by
Dick Dyszel's exciting new Las Vegas Style Stage Hypnosis Show