O
December |
|
Octane Gypsy –
Tough Luck Mile (EP)
(S/R – 2008) A 2 piece outfit consisting of Eleanor Goldfield on Lead Vocals and Brian Swede on Lead Guitar with a little help from their friends to sort out some of the other Bass & Drum parts – these being German Briseno & Derek Smith respectively. They met via a mutual friend on Sunset Strip and started making perfect music together. With the gutsy guitar-work of Brian and the Snazzy, Raw, Sexy Voice of Eleanor this turned into a visual and listening paradise. 4 tracks here show exactly what they are capable of – be it a cover of The Rolling Stones ‘Honky Tonk Woman’ the in your face rockin’ Save Me’; the southern likeness of ‘Double Shift’ or the hot and sweatiness of closer ‘Rebel’s Highway’ you know right way that this band has got it and deserve a lot of attention. Can’t wait to hear a full length album. 10/10 By Glenn Milligan |
November |
|
OHGR - Devils In
My Details
(SPV - 2008) As an industrial metal band goes, I think Nivek Ogre and Mark Walk have taken it a little too far. I have got nothing against industrial metal such as Ministry, NIN, Die Krupps and claw finger to name but a few, but when the music and the vocals don’t make sense and all you have is a continual barrage of weird sounds and vocals that were taken from one of the Apollo missions, it’s time to turn the CD off and put something else on that doesn’t need drugs to understand it. This 11 track 42 minute CD needs an acquired taste like Marmite, you are either going to love it or you are going to hate it. I’m afraid to me it’s that horrible Marmite taste which stays with you for the rest of the day. I won’t encourage drug taking but something has to be taken for this to make sense. 2/10 By Tony Watson |
August |
|
OLD
97s - Blame It On Gravity Old 97’s
are a four-piece alt-rock at from the good ol’ town of Dallas,
Texas who apparently turn out to have been round the block, a considerable
lap or two, already. 7/10 |
| Order
of Nine - A Means To Know End Order Of Nine are a band that are tight and solid from start to finish. The band are a mixture of Savatage, Sabbat, Sacred Reich, Ice Earth, Testament and Dragon Force. 'A Means To Know End' is a power metal bolt of lightning hurling it’s way through the sands of time and out the other side into oblivion to provide a fast and furious epic that leaves the airwaves with a full bodied sound. From the start of ‘Single Shot’ through ‘An offered Hand’, ‘Gods of War’ to ‘Last Dance’, Order of Nine mean business and no one is going to stop them. An entertaining CD and a joy to listen to, with its thrashing guitars, belting drums and a voice that would nearly put Geoff Tate to shame. 8/10 By Tony Watson |
May
2008 |
| Open The Skies – S/T I'll be frank, it's been a while since I last came across a band that made me want to rip off my own ears and feed them to wild dogs, but Surrey based cry babies Open The Skies are just the band one needs to get some serious self mutilation done. Formed in 2006, the quintet have quickly built up an army of loyal fans throughout the UK and Europe. Now with their debut album firmly in the can, OTS look set to dispense their coma-inducing Screamo drivel to poor unsuspecting crowds the world over. Now you might think I'm being a tad harsh, but come on, when a band labels themselves as “melodic post hardcore screamo” they're simply asking for trouble. Still think I'm being harsh? How about the exaggerated samples of ‘Intro’, slowly giving way to some typical, 3rd rate BMTH-esque chugging, or ‘A Silent Decade's’ bombardment of strangled, 2nd rate Fightstar melodies, atop the kind of stop-start riffage that gave American bedwetters The Bled their 10 minutes of fame. Top this off with the over-dramatic chant along choruses of ‘He Spoke Of Success’ and, low and behold, we're left with another album from another group of miserable, broken-hearted bell ends, destined to be huge when the kids find out about them. Simply put, there aren't any redeeming features about Open The Skies. And given that the world is currently largely over populated by this kind of sh*te, you shouldn't need any more reason to avoid this band like the f*ck*ng plague. Take heed and move on. 2/10
By Tom Brumpton |
Sept |
|
Overloaded –
Regeneration
(S/R – 2007) These guys appear to have changed a wee bit and gone rather stoner edged to what they were previously doing that was more in-your-face heavy a la 80’s style. Love ‘Feeling Overlaoded’ especially when Chris Gillen goes for it on the vocals. ‘Ride That Feeling’ is a strong number and reminds me of ‘Kill ‘Em All’ with it’s riffage and drums high up in the mix. It’s a good album but I feel that they have tried to jump onto that Sabbath bandwagon too much at times as opposed to being themselves - the album suffers as a result of this because there are too many bands doing this already – plus from having their 1st album, I know they are better than this. At least ‘Try This On For Size’ strives back into the right direction somewhat. Disappointing. 6/10 By Glenn Milligan |
August |
|
Orange Goblin –
Healing Through Fire
(Mayon Records – 2007) Stoner band still as much as when they started – they even played the Download Festival at Donington Park this year – just a pity I missed them.. Growling away with their slabby heavy stomping Sabbath like riffs all over the place not to mention the gargantuan voicings. Highlights on here are the opener ‘The Ballad of a Soloman Eagle’; ‘The Ale House Braves’ & the acoustic and classical ‘Mort Lake (Dead Water) that adds a different contrast to the loud offerings on here. 7/10 By Glenn Milligan |
| June
|
|
OBSESSIVE COMPULSIVE
- Corpses Of Thought
(Self-Released) Girl-fronted outfits are becoming a regular growth in the fields of Brit metal crops at current. Fascinating as quite a few are, and some turn out less quite so, these noe-gothsters are proudly accounted for by the former. A smoother, and deeper driving (and not to mention better) version of Evanescence would not be hard to imagine listening to this mini-album’s six deeply penetrating numbers which blend soulful flowing grooves with modern-day power metal feel for an end result that should take them right to the top of the table especially if they maintain this impressing form. I don’t know if your local HMV has got hold of any copies of but checking their website (see below) may equip you with info on how. Info I’d recommend using too. 9/10 By Dave Atttrill RECOMMENDED IF YOU LIKE WEBSITE |
|
ONE MAN ARMY AND THE
UNDEAD QUARTET - Error In Evolution
(Nuclear Blast - 2007) Subjects before – possibly of Metalliville attention, this Scandi quintet are sure of that this time with their refreshing approach on a scene that has taken in some frankly average contributors in recent times. There may have been a time of course when O.M.A.A.T.U.Q.’s own brand of pleasantly subdued old school thrash was about ten to the proverbial pence itself but these chaps roll it off so well it’s practically unreal. Relying not totally on speed selection, their stomping twin guitar hammerings add juice not only to the likeliness of the band’s persona having grown up spinning discs from various Bay Area acts but also Brit lions of the time such as Venom and Tysondog in particular. Scarcely one in eight extreme metal outfits emerging from the works nowadays make such fearless use of soloing abilities as One Man Army’s resident shredder Mikael Lagerblad (I like the name mate), but already unashamedly unfashionable music should wallow in its merits to the fullest extent. ‘Error...’ is the band’s second full length release, which testifies that plenty enough liked their debut to keep them in the business a little bit longer. On that note, mind staying round for a third one, lads - we’d like a bit more ass this one’s a blinder! 9/10 By
Dave Attrill |
| OPEN
NIGHTMARE - Pinks Of The Vintage
(Vegas Records - 2006) Open Nightmare are a band I last heard from about
three years ago, though unfortunately courtesy of some tedious poor-man’s-Boy
Sets Fire-like melodic metalcore drivel.
And what do they do? In probable revenge for the 4/10 review I gave previous album ‘Sliced By A Turbo Machine’, dunk another fifteen piles of it down in front of me and expect me to stay awake for the whole half-hour-plus of it again. Except that I do as this time these guys have seemingly found their feet - this album does have a few substantial numbers which show that they’ve sat down for a bit longer than they did for ‘Sliced…’ and instilled a bit more thought into what they are creating. Still plenty of room for improvement yet, that should be noted, we could have survived without what seems like a hideous mauling of Depeche Mode’s ‘Just Can’t Get Enough’ but O.N. look to be recovering from a false start. The future promises a killer disc but this is nowhere near as close to a nightmare as that previous offering mentioned hereinto. Turbo machine operators, your slicing duties are no longer required….. for now anyway. 7/10 |
|
Overloaded –
Hail The Kingdom (E.P.)
(No Deal Records – 2005) Monstrous ballsy rockin’ metal band from Detroit, MI with a fabulous raunchy vocalist on this 7 tracker that is just what the Doctor ordered – with the opening serious yet tongue in cheek humour of ‘Beaver Fever’; then there’s the too many chicked up nights of ‘Feeling Overloaded; the well crafted ‘Where are you running to?’. ‘Sick’ is a real interesting one too and love those vocals on the chorus. They are starting to receive press in the USA and it’s little wonder why –can see ‘em supporting some big metal band over in the UK in the next year or so. Looking forward to hearing more. 9/10 By
Glenn Milligan |
| Jan
- April 2006 |
|
ORDER OF NINE –
Season Of Reign
The first thing that strikes you about Order Of Nine is Michael DeGrena’s vocals – he sounds remarkably like Geoff Tate (Queensrÿche) with a bit of Warrel Dane (Nevermore) thrown in for good measure. In fact Order of Nine were formerly called ‘Templar’ featuring on the Queensrÿche tribute album ‘Rebellion’ and their rich, heavy sound confirms this influence. Being a Queensÿche fan this album appealed in many ways such as moody, atmospheric tracks like ‘Some Sort Of God’ and ‘Somnia Requiem’ but I must stress Order of Nine does possess a sound identity all their own. This is demonstrated by ‘Bloodline’ with a change to powerful, chugging guitar/bass and the aptly titled ‘Bull Run’ with predictably aggressive, high-tempo riffing. For me though the better tracks on this album are the more melodic ones such as ‘Moment Of Weakness’ and ‘Betrayal’ that both build extremely well to heavy, tune-laden crescendos. I would have liked to hear more guitar solos on this album because I thought the brief glimpses you get during ‘The End’, ‘Matter Of Pride’ and ‘Somnia Requiem’ were done very well. At the end of the CD is a simple little melodic ballad without a track number entitled ‘Nameless’ that was catchy and perhaps hints there will be more of this come - I certainly hope so. This is a great album and is most definitely worth a listen. 8/10 By Al Hoath |
|
OVERGARVEN - Promo
2005
Overgarven hail from Greece, a country with, I believe, quite a flag on the extreme metal map of late, the pride of which is obviously established scene giants Rotting Christ. Their brand of melodic death metal is pretty grabbing from the beginning and their guitarists sound like they’ve had a serious listen to Metallica, My Dying Bride and Paradise Lost in their youth. Adding some intermediating female guest vocals on three of the five tracks, amongst the growling of their own singer, does favours but his voice itself is fairly decipherable sometimes. Altogether quite impressive stuff. Send more if you want. 7.5/10 By Dave Attrill
|
|
Overloaded –
Hellfire E.P.
(S/R) What a loud, high, harsh, big f*ck*n’ voice this guy has – Chris Gillen is the name he goes by who fronts this band from Detroit, Michigan alongside Guitarists Erik Kluiber & John Sullens; Bassist Michael Massie and Drummer Lorenzo Gonzalez. They travel on their ‘Crazy Horses’ looking for ‘Zygote’ heading for the ‘Shotgun City’ on the ‘Heavy Metal Highway’ and along the way supporting many a band such as Skid Row, Krokus and Tuff. They guarantee to give your ears an overloaded drum full of hard rock. If you only hear a handful of bands this year make sure that this is one of them. Check out www.overloadedmusic.com 10/10 By
Glenn Milligan |
|
ORDER OF NINE –
Season Of Reign
The first thing that strikes you about Order Of Nine is Michael DeGrena’s
vocals – he sounds remarkably like Geoff Tate (Queensrÿche)
with a bit of Warrel Dane (Nevermore) thrown in for good measure. In
fact Order of Nine were formerly called ‘Templar’ featuring
on the Queensrÿche tribute album ‘Rebellion’ and their
rich, heavy sound confirms this influence. For me though the better tracks on this album are the more melodic ones such as ‘Moment Of Weakness’ and ‘Betrayal’ that both build extremely well to heavy, tune-laden crescendos. I would have liked to hear more guitar solos on this album because I thought the brief glimpses you get during ‘The End’, ‘Matter Of Pride’ and ‘Somnia Requiem’ were done very well. At the end of the CD is a simple little melodic ballad without a track number entitled ‘Nameless’ that was catchy and perhaps hints there will be more of this come. I certainly hope so, this is a great album and is most definitely worth a listen. 8/10 By
Al Hoath |
|
OUTLAND - Long
Way Home
(Melodic Symphony - 2005) Imagine a world devoid of Danger Danger or Van Halen…. Well guitarists Jeff Prentice and Rob Nishida would rather not go there. The US duo plant and cultivate a glorious hybrid of two of melodic rock’s greatest specimens that not only blossom in summer but will still be in bloom come winter. Though a relatively unknown twosome, frontman, Prentice and talented multi-instrumentalist Nishida are joined by a familiar face at the kit in the form of ex-Mr Big chappie, Pat Torpey for the ride and the chemistry for today is complete. The result, ten slabs of AOR songwriting drenched to its hair in true-to-form class and while not too less than formulaic, Prentice and Nishida’s performances on guitars and keys mark another rising talent phoenix prepared to light the scene’s sky. Winner all the way, effectively with just a few slightly so-so moments perhaps, this is apparently not their first release, so I can only hope their label’s interested in releasing their previous offerings too if only to learn where this stunning album followed on from. It might also be interesting to know that Frontiers are handling distribution duties on this one…. a handy lot to get the name Outland acquainted with a little bit better. 9/10 By Dave Attrill RECOMMENDED IF YOU LIKE Danger Danger (circa 1st album), Van Halen, Pulse, Melodica, Bon Jovi, Westworld |
2004 |
| Overlorde
- Return of the Snow Giant
(Sonic Age Records - 2004) This is real metal the sort of stuff you'd expect from Juad Priest - in fact the vocals are akin to the likes of Rob Halford and Bruce Dickinson of Iron Maiden. Strong, powerful melodies with plenty of interstellar screaming. Some brilliant gear here like 'Starcastle'; 'Ogre Wizard'; 'Snow Giant' and 'Trapped by Magic'. Just let 'em take over and you'll think your back at high school in the 80's metal days of old. 7/10 By Glenn Milligan |
| OPEN
NIGHTMARE - Sliced By A Turbo Machine
(Vegas - 2004) About the only thing of interest to me here is the prettily collaged picture of the American flag on the back of the sleeve and perhaps one or two good tunes but otherwise I couldn't find much to get excited about, here. A random romp through ten lumps of directionless hardcore-directed punk n' roll, that sounds at best like Sick Of It All on a very bad day, or at worst a not-so good version of one or all of the various Swedish acts doing this sort of thing, is the best guidance I can offer on this occasion. I'm quite glad albums of this kind are as short as 33 minutes -thee is little that stuck out like a thumb at all on this album. One mostly for the pre-converted or obsessed, I'm afraid this may not give me nightmares but is still nothing I'm going to sacrifice sleep to listen to. 4/10 By Dave Attrill |
| OVER
THE EDGE - S/T
(Frontiers - 2004) A project mentioned in the Frontiers pipeline for some considerable time hitherto, Mickey Thomas's star-studded Over The Edge project finally emerges from the fiery depths. So what do we get for the time we've waited, is the usual question. And a rather silly one too, because the answer as quite expected is ten helpings of mouth-watering melodic rock by some of the scene's greatest songwriters. Opener 'Over The Edge' is one that Stan Bush must have forgotten about during a night on the razz, though it is interesting to notice Jack Blades's name in the credits - alright, yes there are one or two distinct Ranger-isms in the tune as well. 'One World' is an absolutely stunning tune - just listen to how Thomas takes on that chorus - and musical participations by one Mr Schon make absolutely sure of that. 'Thief' and 'Surrender' are laden with hooks that form almost the full appeal of the album alone, the latter, like 'O.W.' being another Schon/Blades co-write. As if having one member of Journey on board didn't spoil the listener enough, Jonathan Cain also noticed the boat mooring at the dock and enjoyed the cruise enough as to write a number as pleasant as 'Eyes Wide Open', although listening to some of the melody selections within, I can't help but think that Jim Peterik was a deck hand on this craft, and stopped by whilst on break to offer a bit of help. 'Forest For The trees' is probably the most fascinating if not most diverse number of the lot. Kicking off with an appetising piece of widdling for an intro, a vaguely ..wait for it..Megadeth (circa Youthinasia/Cryptic Writings era) - like verse harmony, it travels via a bridge that could have come straight from any Blink 182, Offspring, etc record and then into a chorus you might expect when Kevin Chalfant bumps into Pink Cream 69 in a doctor's waiting room. Ironically, 'Man In Between' and 'Cover Me' are Storm/Two Fires-meets Survivor matter that despite a catchy chorus on both units, begin to delve into the averageness department, especially the former - a shame since Alias's Freddy Curci is involved in said composition. 'Turn Away' turns us back right on track again - a number that will keep many tided over til the Tyketto reunion in late '04. 'Glory Day', another Blades-penned tune, this time assisted by prolific Italian scenester Farizio Grossi is another laid-back seaside-flavoured cut, ink formed almost purely again by Night Ranger-ous and Survivor-ous substances. At the end of the day, another good d. several month' work by this 'team' and one hell of a team at that, too, with Thomas's voice impressing many, alone. Hopefully not the first or last time this one'll happen but I can only ponder however who'll be in this act's live line-up. 9/10 By Dave Attrill |
| June
2004 |
| Orange
Goblin - Thieving from the House of God
(Rise Above Records - 2004) A brash heavy laden stoner band from Soho, London who've stood the test of time and are now key holders of the big jean wearing crown in hardcare fuzzed out wah-wah hippydom (if that makes any sense to you - it did to me when I wrote it!!) I remember seeig this band about '96 at Sheffield Corporation and they've still got as much blastin' Sabbatheque styling and bawly vocals as before but with a Texan twist at times - singing about drinkin' whiskey in 'One Room, One Axe, One Outcome' and even go Motorhead on us on 'Hard Luck' that has touches of The Allman Brothers guitar-work as well. Nice to see that ZZ Top have had an effect on this band and their version of 'Just Got Paid' is the dogs testicles. If you fancy some gorgeous Southern styled stuuf complete with female backing vocals then' Black Egg' is perfect for you. A solid album with a scorchin' hammering of killer hot riffery. 7/10 By Glenn Milligan |
| 2003 |
| OHGR
- Sunnypsyop
Having had enough of discussing
predictability in particular areas of the rock spectrum, it's time we
looked at a genre which is anything but that. The multi-direction world
of industrial rock/metal is always responsible for discs that leave
you guessing til you press the play button. Ohgr's name baffles me What about the music though? The result we come back with this time, class, is more of the dance-oriented form, synth arrangements substituting strings - apart from bass - almost right throughout. That mentioned, it's performed with the same punishing angst of Germany's Funkervogt who impressed me earlier this year with their efforts. Add to the mix some decent sounding drum beat, - in production/recording context as well as in style - and the occasional smidgen of the ol' geetar here and there towards the end and for forty-two minutes you can hear this stuff bopping its way through your body like a pacemaker gone beserk. A welcome souvenir of a scene, that rarely fails to impress. 8/10 By Dave Attrill |
| On
The Rise - S/T
Only two months after having my palm crossed with the short but sweet sampler from Norwegian newcomers On The Rise, I find myself the lucky owner of a copy of their much mouthed-off-about debut record. And were we all talking about the same album? Oh, I'd think so. As I pretty much expected, the excellent 'Beat Of Your Heart' begins the order, one of THE best melodic rock tunes of 2003 without question. Such opinion is maintained but higher for 'Lift You Up' a superb opening solo leading to an assortment of vocal melodies of the sort that House Of Shakira have quite prided themselves on over the years. The following five tracks, notably 'World Of Change', 'Leaps And Bounds' and 'Running In The Night' are molten lumps of melodic rock sweetness, each an anthem and following it up are 'Keep Our Love Alive' and 'Stay Away' both possessive of that modern day vibe that Kick take their cue from. 'Sadness Hits Like A Stone' is a groove laden rock n' roller quite in the 24K vein, turning the album style in a further direction. 'Two Young Hearts' has both the title and the style of another excellent melodic rock tune written not that long ago. Now brace yourself but does 'Could Have Been The Last Time' sound ever so vaguely like recent Leps single 'Long way To Go' ? Nice solos, though. 'Stranded' is good old fashioned AOR with bite, and closing ballad 'The Moment' is amongst the ropiest of the disc's running, backing vox used almost non-stop, throughout, working well on this occasion. If truth be told, this album is totally flawless. This is the best record that Mitch Malloy, Bon Jovi, Von Groove, Survivor, Naro, Hardline and Survivor forgot to do, and is a pristine example of why melodic rock deserve to reinstate its recognition in the commercial mainstream market. All the more reason why pulling out of their Gods 03 slot devastated me. 10/10 By Dave Attrill |
| OSI
- Office of Strategic Influence
Mad metal prog Rock that's like Dream Theatre gone Nu-metal at times with spacey effects - in fact Mike Portnoy (D.T. Drummer) and their ex-keyboardist Kevin Moore are well involved in the project. This is eclectic material and very broad based and will no doubt entertain a wide variety of listeners from Metal to Jazz fans Best tracks include the Nine Inch Nails'y 'Head'; the acoustically built 'Hello Helicopter' and the opening US Parliamentary piece entitled 'The New Math' or the title-track 'OSI' that's like Hawkwind gone techno. Hearing is believing. 7.5/10 By Glenn Milligan, BA Hons CS |
| Pre-July 2003 |
| OLD
MAN'S CHILD - In Defiance Of Existence
(Century Media - 2003) Delving once again into the deep murky musical waters known otherwise as Black Metal, we find another act wanting to draw ideas from the subtle end of the genre by way of a lush keyboard arrangement layered into the structure. Scandi' symphonic bruisers Old Man's Child have established themselves their prominence on the scene through their four previous pressings and though this is the first time I've encountered their material, this latest addition to their catalogue is a potential boost to their following. By way of style, it is quite similar to Brit legends Venom through the bulk of the play length and as almost 8 out of 10 death/black metal bands today still cite the Tyneside trio amongst inspirations, you can only take your hat off to them. Fast songs dominate the album as you might expect but don't totally wall everything else out so speed and style changes do find themselves a few empty parking spaces on all storeys, driven in by expert guitar and drum performance. Nice work, chaps. 8/10 By Dave Attrill |
| Ryo
Okumoto - Coming Through
(Inside Out - 2002) A new name for you who's from a well known band - that being Spocks Beard - Ryo is their keyboard/pianist. This album is jammed full with a who's who in Rock as muso's like Steve Lukather (Toto), Neil Morse (ex-specks Beard) and super-session drummer Simon Phillips who's played with the like of The Who, Santana and Stevie Winwood. Bobby Kimball rocks out on the bluesy 'Slippin' Down' that sounds like it could be about gambling, prostitution or immigrants - who knows. Next thing you know Glenn Hughes wails onto the groove as only he can in the funky rock of 'Highway Roller'. Elsewhere, you get that Jazz-fusion Rock stuff like 'Godzilla vs King Ghidarah'' 'Free Fall'; the funky groggy 'Close Enough' or the relaxing piano led 'The Imperial'. It's one of those albums to chill out to on Saturday afternoon while reading a good book or magazine. It comes complete with a CD-Rom about the making of the album. 7/10 By Glenn Milligan, BA Hons CS |
| ON
THE RISE - Beat Of Your Heart
(Frontiers/Now & Then - 2002) Probably the shortest review I've ever typed in the pages of Metalliville, this is probably about the shortest disc I've had to review as it is just a promotional sampler consisting of one full-length track and three 1min30 excerpts from tunes off this Norwegian act's debut album. Let's not bicker - quality, not quantity remember - it's a sure fire appetite wetter for what's around the corner. When you mix Mitch Malloy, Hugo, 24K, Naro and Magnum elements together, which are all clearly audible here at several stages, like this, you know to expect little short of excellent, and you don't see me disappointed. Another act promising big, big things and those promises are very unlikely to be broken when I hear that album. 9/10 By Dave Attrill |
| OPETH
- DELIVERANCE
(MUSIC FOR NATIONS - CDMFN291) Being hooked on Opeth since last years 'Blackwater Park' CD, I now own everything from Opeth and to have 'Deliverance' land on my doorstep from the kind people of MFN, I can only say what a blessing this has bought to me in the dark nights of our cold winter. This is another six-track epic that will enlighten any one who has ears. Opeth have done it again, where do these guys get the time for their inspiration? What does inspire them? Where in hell does the intense energy come from? But what ever these guys are on, they need to stay on it! With most bands you get the odd sh*t track or you end up with a couple of sh*t albums but no, not with Opeth, they just grow and grow and grow with new ideas new rhythms and new techniques that will astound even the sheep within the pop industry. Again guys you have enthralled me with your musical talents. Keep it up 20/10 By Tony Watson |
| OPIATE
- DISTINCTIVE SMILE
(VISIBLE NOISE - 2002 TORMENT 27CD) It's nice to know that kids in Britain can do what Americans can do but better, Opiate are a British band from a small place called Annan near Carlisle. These four guys have a taste of good metal by being inspired by Helmet, Tool and Deftones, which has counted for a positive impact on the way Opiate have formed. 'Distinctive smile' will remind you of several bands throughout the twelve-track CD like Deftones, Life of Agony, Number One Son and even Lost Prophets. From the start of 'Disfunction' to 'Your Time' through 'Suck the Truth' and the nine-minute track 'Scared', Opiate will enthral you with their distinctive UK style of raw grunge, which is rather pleasant to hear from a British band. Overall this is a classic CD for anyone and it's one that will be hard to put down, well done lads, British bands will once again rule the way forward. 10/10 By Tony Watson |
| OVERKILL
- KILLBOX 13
(SPITFIRE RECORDS - SPITCD224) KillBox 13 is the thirteenth album from the boys of Jersey, these 80's thrashers have never gone for the commercial side of metal, which isn't a bad thing when they can write and produce whatever they want and it's always the hard fast tornado speed thrash metal that hits the ears. Overkill have hit the decks with another thrash metal masterpiece that will be placed as one of their best yet, with tracks like 'Devil by the tail', 'Damned', 'The one', 'Crystal clear' and 'Until I die', Overkill have shown through their music that they will not move from what they enjoy doing best. Killbox 13 furiously pounds the air waves with the shape of a new Overkill in a new century with their quality, head splitting metal and the ability to look into the future of metal without being afraid of what's round the corner and with this in mind Overkill are here to stay. 10/10 By Tony Watson |
| ORQUESTA
DEL DESIERTO - S/T
Never heard of Orquesta del Desierto, well you may have heard of Alfredo Hernandez of 'Kyuss' and 'Queens of the Stone Age', Pete Stahl 'Goatsnake' and 'The Earthlings' plus Mario Lalli 'Fatso Jetson' and Steve Brown 'Hermano' who are the musical geniuses behind this soulful, spacious and mellow combination of rhythmic tracks. This self-titled CD will have any avid rock fan freaking out to it's enormous influence that grabs you like a warm sunny Sunday afternoon as you chill out after eating your Sunday dinner and drinking the glass of wine that wash it down, this 10 track hypnotic CD is full of inspiration for any young instrumentalist as it's power takes over the space you invade. There aren't many CD's that you can honestly say 'I have been inspired', forget about your 'Slipknot's' and 'Offspring's' for the time being, just sit down and chill with the flow of the 41 minute colourful ambience that engulfs your mind and releases the stress of the world. Having an open mind to this style of talent will fill you with so much enjoyment for years to come, once your hooked, this CD will be hard to put down. 10/10
By Tony Watson |
| OVERKILL - HELLO FROM THE GUTTER - 'THE
BEST OF OVERKILL'
As with most compilation CD's you either love them or hate them, with this 2 CD masterpiece, all our favourite tracks are here and much more. This twenty four-track compilation contains over 100 minutes of classics, live material, cover versions and not forgetting the new stuff. Hello From The Gutter releases the pure energy that has kept Overkill and their fans alive for over 20 years and this it self shows how they have achieved such high status within the thrash scene. Overkill show you what they
are made of when your ears are hit by a tornado of friendly violent
moshing fun through the tracks of 'Hello From The Gutter', 'God Like',
'The Rip N' Tear', 'Fuck You', 'Thunderhead', 'Rotten To The Core' and
many more, as with Overkill, what you see is what you get and this is
nothing to be afraid of. 10/10 By Tony Watson |
| OVERKILL
- WRECKING EVERYTHING LIVE
Who would believe that Overkill have been on the thrash metal circuit for 20 years, started in 1982 by vocalist Bobby 'Blitz' Ellsworth and bassist DD Verni. Overkill release a definitive snapshot of a live performance, which was recorded in their hometown of New Jersey. This selection of live tracks that spans over their 20-year carrier, captures the blood and sweat as their enthusiasm reaches boiling point with the energy that has been created throughout the gig. From the pounding raging guitars and drums of the intro track 'Necrosshine' to 'Thunderhead' into 'Evil Never Dies', 'I Hate You', 'Shred' and 'In Union We Stand', Overkill with this 13 track CD make you feel that you are actually their in New Jersey. If you think that Iron Maiden or Metallica can release wonderful compelling live CD's, then think again, Overkill can do the same. The production of this CD is marvellous; it's not too sharp and it definitely not a bootleg, which also shows how professional these gays are and how serious these gays, should be taken. 10/10
By Tony Watson |
| Onward
- Reawaken Malmsteeny Power Metal that comes across very Spinal Tap these days. Here's another dose of the predictable Pounding drums, digga digga speed guitar riffs that you've heard a million times already from bands like Hammerfall, Helloween and Iron Maiden even. Saying that though, it's done stinkingly well though and the baritone register of vocalist Michael Grant makes a refreshing change to top tenor razor thin vocals that have become too much of a firm staple to the power metal genre. A lot of the credit goes to the band founder Tony Knapp who started playing guitar at the age of 10 after being brought up listening to such icons as Jimmy Page and Ritchie Blackmore. He initially got his deal in '91 with Shrapnel Records and later signed up with Century Media. You realise why he deserved the attention when you sit back and take in the musical arrangements of 'The Seven Tides of Labyrinthine' or 'In Due Time' (a number I'd like hear live one day). The closing epic 'The Next Triumph' is awesome - part 1 'Rememberance' is classical acoustic stuff and part 2 'Reawakening' is moderate tempo metal. It's a decent deal of a release for Power Metal-heads Worldwide. 6/10 By
Glenn Milligan, BA Hons CS |
| Pre-2002 |
| OPETH
- BLACKWATER PARK
All is quite as a single note gets loader and loader, when all of a sudden the vocals of Mikael Akerfeldt roars out like one p*ssed off bear 'We entered winter once again naked, freezing from my breath, neath the lid all limbs tucked away, this coffin is your abode from now and onwards'. 'The Leper Affinity', what more can you ask for with lyrics like these, a ten minute track that has the making of being one worlds excellent death metal anthems, it doesn't finish there as the song fades away then rips into 'Bleak'. The CD is full of surprises; one minute your eardrums are being battered to death with black, death and thrash metal then suddenly changes to classical and acoustic folk music. Weird? No, highly entertaining, I have never heard of a band doing a combination of the above mentioned and what a change it makes to hear something so exciting and so original. With the other tracks like 'Harvest', 'The Drapery Falls', 'Dirge For November', 'The Funeral Portrait', Patterns in the Ivy' and the title track 'Blackwater Park' as well as the other two mentioned, this CD has been well thought out and very well produced by Opeth as well as Steven Wilson. The 8 track CD with over 67 minutes of pure brilliance has something for everyone with it's thrash, folk and classical openings, middles and endings and vocals that one minute hits you deep in the chest then rises above the intensity of the anger to leave you with piece love and harmony. Although each individual track last quite along time, the excitement throughout the CD keeps you held onto every note and the more the CD is played the more enjoyment you get from it. What a wonderful masterpiece. 10/10 By
Tony Watson |
| OZZY
OSBOURNE - Down To Earth
Six years down the line and several hundred updates in various rock magazines of the nation, later, the grand old man of metal returns with his eighth studio piece. The manic Midlander makes another crushing comeback, to practically pair with that by Iron Maiden last year with their incredible 'Brave New World' opus - a 10/10 in the first issue of the Metalliville paper fanzine in October 2000. Alright so I admit it's a rung or two down the ladder from the effort by his rival Brit act, but Oz is still the Wonderful Wizard of Metal, and fans old and new should find something they like amongst the assortment here. The bulk of the delivery is probably weighed in as influences of his previous album 'Ozzmosis' with further contemporary additions. Ozzy starts trying out a few industrial sounds for size, as did the Wildhearts on their previous album, but without spoiling the day for everyone listening, and undamaged souvenirs of his earlier solo years are still for sale here. At least five of the eleven tunes seem to be formed from guitar lines that could have been left in Randy Rhoad's grave with a sign saying - 'Do not dig up for 19 years'. Zakk Wylde still looks like the sort of chap in whose hands you can trust such sacred riffage. The rhythm section from 1996 onwards has been retained with ex-Suicidal Tendencies bassist, Rob Trujilo and Faith No More drummer, Mike Bordin putting in top performances all round. Old Ozzy, eh, he may have given up the drugs, but he sure ain't given up writing decent songs. Back 'Down To Earth' he comes but with a cheer rather than a thud. 8/10 by
Dave Attrill |
| Odin
- Fight for you life
Anyway, that's the last I heard of them until now - the original album has just been re-released on CD by Perris Records. With dirty squawkin' lead vocals of Randy O, bashing drums of Sharon Duncan, pumpin' bass of Aaron Samson and electrifying 6-string attacking of Jeff Duncan - Odin meant business. Their image was pure big hair glamour - they could play extremely well - take the medieval styled numbers - the acoustic 'Serenade to the Court' and the electric 'Modern Day' coming complete with a blistering guitar solo from Mr. O. Elsewhere, there's plenty of good ole sleazy soundz (with a good comparison being 'Bang Tango' meets 'Faster Pussycat' and Vain). Odin knocked out some ass-kickin' songs like 'Time and Time Again' 'I'm gonna get you' and 'Push' then there's the title track 'Fight for your life' with its medieval opening dialogue introduction. Grow your hair big and reminisce about the good ole days of the late 80's. 7/10 By
Glenn Milligan, BA Hons CS |
| Graham
Oliver - End of an Era
The newie
from the founder of Saxon and Son of a Bitch, Graham Oliver who Great versions
of Hendrix numbers like the proggy 'Can you see me?', 'Love What is odd
about the album are the inclusions of tracks by Bullrush 'End of an
Era' is a great title track alone - imagine crossing Oasis' 6/10 By Glenn Milligan, BA Hons CS |
