[ aquarius records

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It's been *how many* years that Celtic Frost fans have been waiting for this??? Well here it is! The first new album from Switzerland's extreme avant-garde metal pioneers since 1989's Vanity/Nemesis. We don't want to make you wait any longer, so we'll keep this review brief. What you want to know is, is this a disgrace to the hallowed CF brand name or did they manage to live up to their idiosyncratic and influential legacy?? Well, we think they have done the latter, and boldly too. (Besides, how can you disgrace the legacy when you've already made glam mistake Cold Lake like 20 years ago? though we hasten to add, Cold Lake is actually one of our FAVORITE Celtic Frost albums, perversely enough.) Spinning Monotheist makes us think that CF mainman Thomas Gabriel Fischer has been listening to a lot of old Godflesh lately, not a bad thing! This has that uber-doomy industrial vibe to it, complete with feedback squeals and shuddering beats. Not dancey industrial, but factory/machine industrial. All that heaviness is accompanied by a large dose of melancholic melody. Add Tom's dramatic, almost Bowie-like spoken-sung vocals (and more than one instance of his famous death-grunt "uhh!"), and you've got a Teutonic, twisted, Type-O gothy, doom/industrial/prog/classical/black metal, non-rehashed return from Celtic Frost that's no disappointment at all. Uhh!!! While supplies last, we've got the import slipcase digipack version with bonus track.

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Cathedral + Celtic Frost styled doom debut from England. With some weird parts to make it interesting.

Whoops, we've had this for quite a while, but forgot to list it! After two discs for I Hate Records, the third album from UK metalcore doomsters CG came out via The Church Within earlier this year (way back in January, right before CG went on tour in Europe with the mighty Saint Vitus). But it's never too late for doom. And if you're looking for a fix of somethin' heavy off of this week's list, of the downtuned sludge variety of heavy that is, this oughta do the trick. With chunky guitars, hoarse HC vocal shouts, and pummelling drums (from the guy who also plays in Lord Vicar), Centurions Ghost sound like they mean business, and it's a mean business indeed! While a tad bit more trad doom than the average Neur-Isis effort, their sludge is far from slo-mo. And though they can scare up some stonery atmospherics, they don't come off as being very "ghostly" despite their name - the rather lovely and arcane cover drawing by Sami Hynninen (aka Albert Witchfinder of Reverend Bizarre) belies the brutality of the music within!

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We like the name this British doom metal band picked for themselves, it's making references to both ancient history and supernatural phenomena, and more importantly, sets one up for a story to be told... at least we're curious about who the centurion was and why they're now haunting the place. This, the band's second album for the doom-centric Swedish label I Hate Records (whose records we definitely -don't- hate, as recently reviewed and recommended offerings from the likes of Jex Thoth and Fall of the Idols should attest) doesn't answer those questions, but it does sound in keeping with the general spooky concept, though it's not as 'old school' doom as you might expect. With lurching riffs, rhythms like a Roman legion on the march, cathartic screams (a bit Neurosis some of this), it's heavy and doomy all right. It rages more than it plods, the pace here often fairly fast and thrashy, the vocals often anguished and angry. Previously (in our review of their A Sign Of Thing To Come debut a few years back) we'd said that this band sounds a bit like a weird Cathedral and Celtic Frost hybrid. Now we'd say they've got a lot more noisecore in their doom. Tracks like "In Defiance", for instance, sound like Isis with a more classically metal approach to melody (and guitar leads) as well as a dose of hardcore brutality. Or we could say that this band has more in common with the likes of Village Of Dead Roads, Mouth of the Architect, and Today Is The Day than it does, say, Revered Bizarre or Gates Of Slumber.

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Dizzying! Mathematically advanced, metalcore deathgrind stoner madness (and more!) from these Colorado freaks. Definitely a worthy successor to their previous pot-fueled masterpiece, the labyrinthine Lucid Interval. In fine grind style, you get plenty o' samples and gargled inhuman vox on top of Cephalic's metallic geek frenzies. But just when you think you have a handle on what's going on, you'll find...anomalies. These guys like to mix it up, from Dillinger/Cryptopsy craziness to doom sludge to hardcore breakdowns, to the epic moody almost-goth creepiness of the disc's final track "Octogeny Of Behavior". And for those who think "stoner" rock is supposed to sound like Sabbath or Kyuss, well...just check out the heavy psych riffage that kicks off track five, that ought to make you happy! Overall, pretty amazing, as we expect from these guys. Just imagine a corrupted filesharing session between Meshuggah and Neurosis...

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Colorado stoner-math-grind band's sample-filled, mind-melting 2nd album.

After the hyper onslaught of their recent masterpiece "Lucid Interval", this one-off experiment comes as a drastic departure for these grindmetalheads, though it's certainly in keeping with their allegiance to the sweet leaf! What do we mean? Well, "Halls Of Amenti" is but one 19 minute doom metal dirge, heavy on the DOOM. Downtuned slow motion sludge that would sit comfortably in your collection next to Thergothon, Skepticism or Esoteric! Think Sabbath or Candlemass or Trouble but slooooowwwwwed waaaaaaaay dooooooown. And fronted by a growling and shrieking death metal vocalist. Fans of the above mentioned bands as well as Corrupted, Boris, the Melvins and all things sludge should not pass this by. This beautifully packaged clear 3" cd is supposedly the first of a three part series.

RealAudio clip: Halls of Amenti

It's hard to imagine that a bunch of semi-pro pot-smokers could motivate themselves to produce music this technical, fierce, and over-the-top insane, but they did. This ain't your typical "stoner rock" that's for sure -- although there are some weighty breakdowns of riffed-out doom, Cephalic Carnage's general modus operandi puts 'em at the top of the fast n' tricky league with the likes of Dillinger Escape Plan, Coalesce, Meshuggah. Heavy metalcore mayhem w/ grunting death metal vocals, hypnotic fusion-esque guitar figures, post-rock dynamics, random electronic noises, major drum beat-downs, cryptic samples, and hyper-shred musicanship. (And some surprises we won't mention.) Anyone into metal that's avant-garde in its complexity and brutal in its execution -- the above mentioned, and also Mastodon, Gorguts, Dying Fetus, Wicked Innocence, Cryptopsy, Agoraphobic Nosebleed, etc. -- probably already knows about these guys, but if you don't, you'll be glad to get to know 'em! Metal cluttered with lyrical references to the cannabis leaf might not seem so brainy, but with this, their third and best full-length album, Cephalic Carnage prove they're possibly the geniuses of the genre. They're kinda the anti-Electric Wizard, if you know what we mean, though of course we love the even-heavier Wizard's much simpler, slow n' low odes to the leaf as well -- and both bands transcend the cannabis-connection to hook those of us just interested in the music, anyway.

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The first time we heard Cephalic Carnage was at a little club in San Francisco, and the band were easily the most insane thing we had ever seen, death metal via stoner rock, the drummer playing what sounded like a continuous drum solo, while the rest of the band spit out churning sped up stoner riffs, transformed into a lurching head spinning what the fuck chunk of outsider metal. They never quite captured that warped, druggy, damaged weirdness on record, but they definitely came close, a twisted death metal grind hybrid, with occasional drum machines, weird processed vokills, creepy samples, streaks of noise and disembodied chug, they were definitely way more outsider grind than death metal, but with every record, they seemed to shed some of that fucked up ness, which in one way was a shame, but in another was maybe unavoidable. They got better and tighter and less weird. Or did they? On first listen, their latest, Mislead By Certainty, seemed crazily straight ahead, especially on the record opener, which was super melodic sounding Swedish style death metal, it sounded good, but it threw us for a loop, but it only took a few more minutes to realize these guys were just as fucked as ever, that song shifted over and over, eventually locking into one of the most twisted atonal freakout jams EVER, the sort of sounds that make you almost queasy, before slipping right back into some more melodic riffing. And so it goes, the band leaping from furious blurred grind, to full on classic death metal riffage, to total NWOBHM melody, to awesomely thick and filthy dirgey doom, and the thing is, every song goes through a crazy amount of permutations, a song may go two minutes blasting relentlessly, before suddenly shifting gears and turning into some twisted glob of grinding off kilter whatthefuck only to slip right back into the song again. And let's not forget the awesome 12+ minute "Repangaea", which begins all low slung and creepy, a dirgey doomy bit of drift, there even seems to be some saxophone(!), it builds to a seriously epic blast of melodic power metal / noise rock bombast with clean vocals and a killer hook and everything, before getting all spaced out and blissy, then a little modern metal style chug and churn, before an awesomely dense slowed down death metal outro. Wow. And just so you know it's Cephalic Carnage, they follow that up and finish things off with a super intense one note grind blast, with some seriously ridiculous and sick twisted vokills. Somehow, with just one single all the way through listen, this record went from being a huge disappointment to one of our new favorite metal records. Fuck yeah!

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We've always wanted to list something by Italian occult doom metal master Paul Chain (ex-Death S.S.), he's a true underground legend in the realms of magickal violet-hued heaviness and improvised downer psychedelia. We've referenced him in several reviews, when discussing the likes of Blizaro, Black Hole, and Tony Tears, but never before have we had any of Paul Chain's own stuff available to list - until now. A whole bunch of his rare '80s and '90s albums have just been reissued on the Minotauro label, and so we finally get to review 'em, starting with this sought-after classic, 1995's Alkahest. Out of print for years, it now makes a welcome return on both cd (in a miniature lp-style gatefold sleeve, with obi) and limited edition double gatefold vinyl. Alkahest is a good entry way into the master's extensive discography, as it possesses much of his unique, weird vibe while not being nearly as experimental and abstract as some of his other albums. Instead, Alkahest functions as a solid, spooky slab of traditional doom metal, offering up plenty of plodding, heavier-than-thou riffage that any fan of Black Sabbath, Saint Vitus or Cathedral ought to happily bow down to. We mention retired UK doom gods Cathedral in particular 'cause their frontman, Lee Dorrian, who's a HUGE Paul Chain fan, happens to sing on about half of this album (a thrill of a lifetime for him), Dorrian's gruffer guest vocals quite a contrast to Paul Chain's own strange, haunted, higher register croon, and not just because there's actual lyrics to the songs Dorrian sings, while Paul Chain's vocals are, as is his wont, all purely phonetic, not in any language at all (see what we mean by him being experimental?). Dorrian's gravely gargle mellows out a bit for the mournful ballad "Lake Without Water", quite lovely with medieval lute and acoustic guitar, sort of in the vein of Sabbath's "Solitude"... Overall, Alkahest is brimming with doomed, despairing, druggy atmosphere, the Sabbathic riffs and psychedelic soloing supported by strains of doleful church organ and hints of synth, an Italian prog/soundtrack influence definitely present. Really an excellent album all doom hounds (especially those into early Cathedral) should have in their collection! And in a way, strangely uplifting for something so hopelessly dark and doomy. Ok, next up, Detaching From Satan by Paul Chain's Violet Theatre...

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We've got two new cd reissues from cult Italian doom maestro Paul Chain (ex-Death SS), nicely packaged in swank mini-lp style jackets with obis, 1989's double album Violet Art Of Improvisation, and this one, Ash, originally released as a 12" ep in 1988, that we'd never heard before - so were sorta surprised by the demonic speed metal stylings, complete with screechy, raspy vokills, of the first three tracks, which sound kinda like a slightly psychedelic version of Venom!!! (Zemial fans, check this out.) It's not until tracks four and five, the spectral instrumental improv of "Abyss" and the moan-metal of "I Remember A Black Mass", that the spooky, Sabbathy stuff we were expecting from Paul Chain kicks in. Then, this new cd edition includes 2 bonus tracks, raw rockin' ones that suggest Motorhead even more than Venom. Good stuff all around on this disc, delivering both doom plod and deathly raging.

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Unlike the thrashy attack of Ash, 1989's Violet Art Of Improvisation is a LOT less metallic. A lot more space rock, albeit doomy space rock, and yeah it does sound improvised. Improvised on drugs. There's two sprawling discs' worth of this strange stuff, jammed with sci-fi synth-laden, drum-machine driven droning space-outs, hippie strum, lo-fi drum soloing, strange spoken vocals (and weird, phonetic singing), liturgical organ ominousness, tape-manipulated insanity and plenty of other echoing FX freakery. Includes a couple especially lengthy tracks, one being the truly mind-blowing 31 minute acid epic "Tetri Teschi In Luce Viola" that sounds like something that should be on the NWW list! Paul Chain & Co. really went for it here, reminding us of Arthur Brown, Reynols, the Carnival Of Souls soundtrack, and even The Conet Project in places.

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SORRY. San Francisco's Champs (or C4AM95 as they prefer to be called for silly legal reasons) are an amazing two guitars and drums no bass, sometimes three guitars no drums, very rarely any vocals, trio that on this their debut album crank out over seventy minutes of catchy, complex, mostly instrumental metal in indie/math-rock clothing. Kind of like the indie-prog of Don Caballero or Breadwinner, with touches of Trans Am (the bombast and occasional "techno electronica" interlude) ...and healthy helpings of Iron Maiden, Thin Lizzy, Metallica, Carcass, Motley Crue, Priest, etc. I could go on. Mesmerizing live, they're on tour now but will be back soon so I hope y'all went to their shows. For what it's worth, there's a former member of Nation of Ulysses in their ranks. Rec-o-f'n-mended.

While Israeli label Total Rust may specialize in all things slow and sludgey, doomy and dirgey (see reviews of Tort and Lurk elsewhere on this week's list), they have been known to dabble in sounds buzzier and blacker as well. Which was most definitely the case with French black metal horde Hyadningar, whose The Weak Creation was a big favorite around here, which at the time we described as "a serious storm of grim, technical, melodic black metal, a strange mix of Deathspell-ish complexity, epic soaring melodicism, dour depressive miserablism, and even a hint of Viking metal here and there." And the reason we mention that, is the fact that Chaos Dei, is a new project featuring both the drummer and the guitar player of Hyadningar, and while it might not be as all over the place, Chaos Dei's Arising From Chaos, is a super varied, and super ruling chunk of grim noisy blackness. And not noisy in the sense of noise music, but more noise ROCK, the band seeming to have infused their black buzz with some classic noise rock tropes, whether it's the more mathy arrangements, or the vocals, which sound less black metal shriek and more noise rock yowl, the music too, slip easily from blazing buzzing fury, to mathy chugging churn, as well as some almost post rock sounding melodic stretches. The production too is strange, brittle and bright, which gives the music a distinctly different vibe than a lot of black metal, but when these guys do get all grim and spit out a blast of blurred blackness, it's fierce as fuck, and seriously black and brutal. C'mon, they're French, you know how we feel about French BM, and odds are you do too. So imagine that French blackness with some noise rock influence, and a distinctly twisted sense of melody and arrangement, and you'll get an idea of what's going on here. The sound is raw and furious, but at the same time atmospheric and experimental, it's grim and troo enough for the least discerning black metalhead, but fucked up and original and just twisted enough for the rest of us who are after something weirder, hell they even dedicate a RIFF from one of their songs to Simon Boswell for his soundtrack to Jodorowsky's Santa Sangre!

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From the grim frosty twilight of Tennessee, comes this amazing disc from Chaos Moon, a mysterious duo whose black metal, on first listen at least, is a thick smear of classic Norwegian buzz, but on closer listening reveals all sorts of stuff going on, a whole 'nother dark soundworld, where traditional black metal is spread out into expansive soundscapes and infused with all manner of distinctly non-black elements, resulting in a sound that is super unique while remaining troo and grim. After reviewing so many black metal records, and sure this is probably true of any genre, but especially with black metal which has such a predescribed core sound, it gets tougher and tougher to describe the sound no matter how original it is. We often find ourselves wishing for a black metal thesaurus. A customer once emailed us to let us know that in one review we used the word 'buzz' 20 or 30 times. But what can you do, when a music's main element is the buzz, and it's how a band creates and shapes that buzz that makes it special. So Chaos Moon, who are also obviously masters of the buzz, and this, their second disc is rife with buzz, furious washed out dense slabs of grinding guitarfuzz, shaped into alien insectoid riffs, and spread over thrashing blast beats, and some of the most awesomely anguished vocals we've heard in ages. So yeah, that would be enough for us to dig this disc, proclaim it worth owning, and give it repeated listens. But thankfully it's a lot more than that. The core sound of black metal, that buzzing blast, is just such a perfect sound, we sometime wish a band would surface that just played one riff, with the drums locked into a looped blast beat, and remained that way, static for the length of a disc, of two discs, ten discs!! So when we talk about black metal and buzz, we're biased cuz we just love that sound, but some records truly do take that buzz and reimagine it, reinvent it. And those are the records that stand out. And while parts of this record are pure old school black metal buzz, the rest of the record, blossoms into something totally new and amazing, using that buzz as it's anchor. The opening track is furious and fast, like older Satyricon, super dense and complex, spread out to fill up a whole disc we'd be sold big time, but even here, the songs is laced through with dense gnarled tangles of melody, and weird almost post rock sounding breakdowns, long tripped out dronescapes, seasick melodies, and some subtle but serious hooks. But it's about halfway through where Chaos Moon transform into something entirely new, thick glistening smears of synth spread out into gauzy dreamscapes, drifting and shimmering, a constant fuzzy backdrop to the buzz and blackness above, often threatening to subsume the metal component entirely, and the two distinct melodies, engaged in some complex harmony, the rapidfire jagged guitar lines and the smooth flowing synths, somehow blending into some impossible dreamy buzzy swirl, separated by long stretches of hushed muted murmur, and barely there soft focus drones, even some cool, Godspeed like post rock interludes, the guitars a clean jangle, strings soaring, the drums loping amidst this epic sonic swoon. Even the pure black tracks are swathed in thick layers of high end synthesizer whir, and washed out whirls of minor key melody, turning what might have been just some moody melancholy black metal into glorious, super dramatic, emotional black metal epics, like Godspeed and Sigur Ros backing up Leviathan, or Immortal scoring a Coen Brothers film, or an alternate black metal score to some super intense harrowing tragedy, just gorgeous chunks of complex, cinematic black metal post rock majesty.

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You can probably tell we've been doing some spring (summer?) cleaning, as we've been digging up some killer blackened artifacts that somehow managed to slip through the cracks and remain hidden for far too long. One of those artifacts is this, Origin Of Apparition, one of two albums from 2007 by Southern black metal horde Chaos Moon (which sort of sounds like the name of Sailor Moon's arch enemy), and it's a glorious slab of blown out buzz drenched USBM, a one man band who whips up thick walls of crumbling distortion assembled from anguished tortured wails, angular riffing, minor key melodies, and some blown out frenzied drum programming, the sound often slipping into some woozy depressive doominess, rife with swirling synths, all very haunting and dramatic, eerie and esoteric, the slow parts will definitely have you thinking of Xasthur, while other moments offer nods to the maniacal blackness of Silencer and the blissed out buzz of Velvet Cacoon. Really good stuff, fans of grim bedroom blackness and darkly depressive black buzz will dig big time. LAST COPIES!!!

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SORRY. Two cds of off kilter, screaming fastcore. This collection is everything ever recorded by these crazy kids from Dekalb Illinois. Cd one contains 96 songs, in chronological order, from their stumbling retarded hardcore roots, to their emergence as the reigning kings of absolutely pummeling powerviolence. Disc two is all unreleased stuff, including a really long movie, that contains 30 second blasts of CB live intercut with scenes from actual Charles Bronson movies. With truly comprehensive and completely illegible packaging. Absolutely amazing. Essential for fans of Crossed Out, Man Is The Bastard, Drop Dead, etc.

We've long been fans of this mysterious outfit from Indiana, whose witchy blackened atmospheric black doom doesn't sound so much Midwestern as it does like it was conjured up from some other realm, via some mysterious ritual that involves much bloodletting, torches, robes, goats, a full moon, and probably some virgins, but as we mentioned in our review of record number two, Charnel House's sound seems to gradually be growing more atmospheric and witchy, and less overtly metallic. The debut was a murky muddy sprawl of doomy riffage, noise drenched creep, and furious blasting blackness, but even back then the haunting ethereal vocals gave the music a seriously witchy, ritualistic vibe, and if anything, that sounds has moved completely to the fore on Black Blood, just check out the opening track, which pairs buzzing sinewy bass and loping minimal drumming, to very minimal guitars, no riffing or buzzing really, more sort of swirling and atmospheric, with everything dropping out occasionally, leaving just those hazy vocal incantations, and a skeletal rhythmic backdrop, and when the sound does shift into blasting blackness, the production is so strange, that it doesn't even really sound heavy, or necessarily black metal, instead, it's a strangely frenzied rapid fire skittery blast, none of the music changes, just the drums, blasting lo-fi beneath the wraithlike vocals, and gauzy atmospheric drifts, freaky and far out and super cool. Here's where we might say, and so goes the rest of the record, and while much of the rest of the record does involve the same elements, the structures and arrangements are all over the place. "Atavism" launches immediately into a pounding, blasting, noise rock churn, but there seem to be no guitars, just buzzing bass, and those ever present witchy vocals, it's a super strange combo, and again, the production is bizarre, brittle, space-y, we're reminded at times of Aluk Todolo for sure, the same sort of occult rock vibe, but Charnel House are much more chaotic, a little ramshackle, lurching from chaotic noise rock crush ("Of The Sea") that minus those vocals, could be some weird band on Load, to wild chaotic drum heavy blowouts like "When You Become", that sound a bit like a dialed down Lightning Bolt performing some sort of arcane sonic ritual, to the almost post rock meander of "Sewn Shut", the haunting spectral vocals tying them all together into some sort of otherworldly blackened avant psychedelic occult rock ritual, that is deeply and darkly mesmerizing. LIMITED TO 200 COPIES!!! Beautifully silkscreened fold over sleeves, the back half revealing the lp inside, each one hand numbered, includes a download code as well!

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Record number two from this mysterious blackened witchy doomdirge combo, an offshoot of similarly droney and doomy aQ faves OS. But we're beginning to think we might dig Charnel House more than OS. And it has a lot to do with the vocals, which we described in another review as "demonic priestess vocals", which definitely sums it up pretty perfectly. If that whole new wave of female fronted heavy rock bands (Blood Ceremony, Jex Thoth, Christian Mistress) is just to polished for you, then maybe Charnel House is what you're after, way more raw and lo-fi, bleak and blackened, primitive and noisy, the sound slipping easily from doomy abstract dirge, to churning blackened blast, the sound minimal, and cyclical, repetitive and trancelike, and then when the vocals come in, the sound is utterly transformed, into some sort of black forest ritual, some wild witchy incantation, hovering ethereal and angelic over the churn and chug and blast and buzz below. "Erosive" is the perfect example of CH's strange sound, the band locked into a tranced out repetitive blast, over which a second guitar chugs out a droney looped chord, lurching and lumbering, totally at odds with the manic blast below, the sound all on its own totally mesmerizing, but then every once in a while the vox drift in, and the sound becomes more blissed out, more abstract, the heaviness tempered by the spectral quality of the vocals. The music sounds like Ride For Revenge or some other strangely minimal black metal outfit, the vocals just take it somewhere else, this raw abstract black metal becomes some sort of otherworldly heaviness. Elsewhere the record grows even more dramatic, with the band spitting out explosive gouts of wild chaotic heaviness, only to stop on a dime, leaving just the vocals and a simple rhythmic pulse (and a little hazy shimmer), to drift dreamily, before the band explodes back in. While elsewhere the band go slooooooow, transforming into a way more melodic Monarch, a dour slo-mo creep, again offset by those creepy, dreamy, haunting vocals. The production is a huge part of it too, sometimes murky and muddy, all the sounds muted and blurred into a near drone, while other times the sound is sharp and corrosive, changing the entire vibe of the song and the record. The more we listen to this, the more it reveals subtle details, headphones even more so, a dense, dark layered landscape of looped black buzz and haunted witchy mystery... Housed in a cool, hand stamped, cardstock sleeve, with a huge printed full color poster / lyric sheet inside, each one hand numbered, LIMITED TO 250 COPIES!!

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Along with the insanely limited tape-and-bones-in-a-wooden-coffin from blackdoom horde OS (which is most likely already sold out), we also have this, the lp debut from Charnel House, a similarly blackened and doomy offshoot of the OS mothership, but with an added witchy element in the form of some demonic priestess vocals... The sound though is not hugely removed from that of OS, the riffs are murky and muddy and doomy, the tempo, at least at first is a slithery, lumbering creep, the percussion on the opening track doesn't even sound like drums, instead it sounds like a field recording of a passing freight train, which only makes it that much weirder and cooler, the result is some sort of abstract slowcore minimal doom, but those female vocals, definitely add another element, transforming it into something much more haunting and melodic instead of just sludgey and crusty. But CH are much more likely to erupt into full on blasting black metal, albeit a BM filtered through their own particularly cracked and filthy take on the sound, which renders the blast and buzz more washed out and chaotic, blurred and smeared, the beats, when you can hear them, either sound NOT like beats at all, like the freight train rhythm of the first track, or they're mostly buried under the roiling blackness above. And so it goes, the band shifting from that murky black crush, to more crusty minimal black doom plod, the drumming getting super strange and abstract when you can hear it, otherwise just adding to the general chaos, the slower bits are rife with soaring melodies and deep sonic swells, sometimes, leaving just ghostly ambience and those witchy vocals, just as often transforming into a murky cinematic warped and woozy drone-doom, or exploding back into another stretch of blasting chaotic blackness. LIMITED TO 250 COPIES, each one hand numbered, housed in cool folded textured paper silkscreened covers.

Record number two from this metal supergroup, and like the first one, besides being heavy and hooky and epic, once again reminds us how much we wish more metal bands had actual real singers, capable of actually and really singing, and then of course there are the shredding leads, which are sorely lacking in most metal these days as well. The sounds here are pretty classic metal, but with a hint of modern power metal a la Blind Guardian and Lost Horizon, which makes sense when you check out the band members' pedigrees: Tim "Ripper" Owens" (Judas Priest, Iced Earth, Yngwie Malmsteen), Richard Christy (Death, Iced Earth), Steve DiGiorgio (Death, Autopsy, Control Denied, Testament, Obituary), Jason Suecof (Capharnaum, Crotchduster). Most metal folks probably know Richard Christy as a radio personality on Howard Stern's show, but he's still a killer drummer, and all these guys shred, and this record is just a primo slab of classic heavy metal. It's not blackened, or FX drenched, or warped or twisted, but it is technical, a little proggy, heavy as fuck, thrashy, and hooky as hell, and if you're a fan of the classics, Maiden, Dio, Priest, etc., and have been lamenting the state of modern metal, this record is a total timewarp to the days of classic heavy metal, and like the first one, we find ourselves listening to very little else.

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MPEG stream: Ashes Falling Upon Us
MPEG stream: Zerospan

Whenever we hear some pounding death metal, or blasting thrash metal, sometimes even some grim black metal, the one thing that occasionally wears on us is the non-singing vocals, whether they be gurgling cookie monster vocals, or hysterical hellish shrieks, or demonic grunts, we sometimes can't help but wonder how much cooler the band would sound with an ACTUAL singer. So the other night we heard this blasting thrashing heaviness, which sounded pretty damn good, somewhere right between classic Maiden styled power metal, and something much more thrashy and aggressive and extreme, and then the vocals came in and we were knocked out, totally soaring classic clean metal vocals, actual singing, like Maiden or Judas Priest, which is a particularly apt comparison as the vocalist in question turned out to be none other than Tim 'Ripper' Owens, who did once front Priest, but is now fronting the awesomely titled Charred Walls Of The Damned, definitely his best gig in ages. But there's more weirdness to the story of CWOTD... Drummer Richard Christy, who has played in a million bands, including Iced Earth, Incantation, Death, Control Denied, and the pitbull fronted death metal band Caninus(!), had pretty much given up music for comedy, and eventually ended up on the Howard Stern show, where he's become infamous for some seriously fucked up and funny prank calls. Not sure why he decided to start playing again, but he gathered a pretty stellar lineup, with Ripper Owens, bassist Steve Di Giorgio (Sadus, Death, Iced Earth, Testament, Autopsy) and guitarist Jason Suecof (Capharnaum, Evince, and umm, Crotch Duster), and the record these guys have come up with rules. That is if you're into classic metal, Dio, Maiden, Priest, imagine that sort of band, but supercharged, a little heavier, a little faster, with more insane technical shredding, but still super catchy, with epic riffing, blasting drums, that classic eighties metal sound, but updated, although only a little. We're particularly reminded of more modern power metallers like Blind Guardian, or especially Lost Horizon. Charred Walls Of The Damned is quickly turning into a new favorite, we've never really lost our love for this stuff, and hopefully you haven't either, check out the sound samples, should only take a few seconds for you to figure out if this is for you. Majestic, dramatic, hooky, and super heavy. And thus, absolutely recommended. Includes a bonus dvd featuring a documentary about the making of the record (which we haven't had a chance to watch yet)...

MPEG stream: Ghost Town
MPEG stream: From The Abyss
MPEG stream: Creating Our Machine

Utterly intense and interesting, weird and sinisterly, secretly melodic death metal from this heretofore unhearalded (by us, anyway) band, from Chicago by way of Mexico. Kinda avant-garde in an un-selfconscious sense, reminding us a bit of that amazing Enslaved record from earlier this year. ("Procession To the Infraworld" is also from earlier this year but we only got turned on to it recently, and now must you be too). In comparision to that really quite psychedelic and meta-metallic Enslaved album, The Chasm is certainly more firmly rooted in your usual death metal brutality (as per vocalist/guitarist Daniel Corchado previous work with America's most doomy and deathly death metal outfit, Incantation), but The Chasm's grinding is tinged with a baroque, otherworldy flavor. A great death metal record, and you won't hear that from me (Allan) very often!

RealAudio clip: Architects of Melancholic Apocalypse

THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.

SORRY. Ex-Kyuss folk doing what comes naturally, that being heavy "desert-rock" stoner riffage. Quite competent of course. For fans of the big K, as well as Queens of the Stone Age. Head nodding if not head banging music.

This album comes directly after my glorifying / praising review of their 12" on Flapping Jet in list #140. I said this full length couldn't come fast enough and BAM! It's here. I feel the same as I did two weeks ago, if not more so. This recording is as tight and energetic as the 12". Vocals with that perfect amount of grit and soul, blazing electric guitars, and their full throttle double-barreled drum attack. It was recorded by the flawless Tim Green at Louder Studios here in SF. Rock'n'roll revivalists The Cherry Valence bringing the 70's right to your doorstep with rock riffage a la MC5, Stooges, and Kiss. Hot!

RealAudio clip: Can't Get Enough
RealAudio clip: Riffin
RealAudio clip: World of Trouble

We reviewed the cd compilation collecting both 12" eps by these Chicago thrashers on the last list, and now we have the second of those eps, the brand new one, in stock on vinyl, Monsters Of The Midwest... Chicago Thrash Ensemble's first 12" ep was a huge hit around here, and like that first record this 12" offers up more of the same, convincing us that these guys really are the monsters of the Midwest, their sound a seriously shredding retro thrash metallic mayhem that KILLS. Chugging churning riffage, throat shredding vocals, seriously devastating drum damage, and some killer jams. Raw and heavy and a bit punky, their songs rife with classic metal riffage, harmonized guitars, galloping rhythms, hell, we might as well quote bit of our old review cuz not sure we could say it better anyway: "thick dense buzzing riffage, wild pounding drummage, howled vox, some seriously chugging breakdowns, all wound up into epic classic thrash destruction. Any one who has been digging aQ faves Speedwolf should definitely check these guys out, but where Speedwolf was all Motorhead and Venom, these guys are way more Slayer, Exodus and D.R.I. Or something." Did we mention Speedwolf? Cuz these two bands should totally hook up for a tour, maybe with Behold! The Monolith too (also reviewed on last week's list), now that's a tour we could get behind. If anything this new 12" finds CTE sounding way tighter, the songs even catchier, with some downright classic riffs, and the sound, holy shit, the production is massive, making the band sound even more epic and crushing. Not sure what else to say? We love these guys, and you should too. Check out the sound samples. And go see them if you can, these guys must destroy live. Like the first 12", packaged in cool fold over silk screened sleeves, this one adorned with some stars and stripes, and um, football players?

MPEG stream: The Widowmaker
MPEG stream: Fucked Up On Shrooms At The Morton Arboretum

Finally on cd, both 12"s eps from these shredding Chicago old school heavy metal thrashers, the brand new one (the vinyl version which will be reviewed on next week's list) and the first one we listed way back when. We know lots of folks have been waiting for the cd version of that one anyway, and now it comes with a whole new record to boot, your prayers have been answered. Here's our review of the first 12: Pretty tough to resist a group called the Chicago Thrash Ensemble. So why even try? Ever since their kick ass blood splattered cassette on PlusTapes, we were pretty much totally obsessed with CTE's awesomely retro shredding classic thrash metal, and thankfully nothing has really changed on this, their first foray into vinyl, if anything the band sound better than ever, heavier, catchier, and with another passel of kick ass tunes to boot. Like the tape, these guys are channeling their thrash heroes, but it comes out a bit more punked up and raw, which only makes these jams rule even more, thick dense buzzing riffage, wild pounding drummage, howled vox, galloping rhythms, some seriously chugging breakdowns, all wound up into epic classic thrash destruction. Any one who has been digging aQ faves Speedwolf should definitely check these guys out, but where Speedwolf was all Motorhead and Venom, these guys are way more Slayer, Exodus and D.R.I. Or something. Either way, these guys rip, and as we mentioned in the review of the tape, any band that sounds this heavy and ruling on record, are probably insane live. And here's our review of the new one, Monsters Of The Midwest: Record number two from these, well, um, Chicago thrashers(!), whose debut 12" was a huge hit around here, and like that first record this 12" offers up more of the same, convincing us that these guys really are the monsters of the Midwest, their sound a seriously shredding retro thrash metallic mayhem that KILLS. Chugging churning riffage, throat shredding vocals, seriously devastating drum damage, and some killer jams. Raw and heavy and a bit punky, their songs rife with classic metal riffage, harmonized guitars, galloping rhythms, and did we mention aQ faves Speedwolf? Cuz these two bands should totally hook up for a tour, maybe with Behold! The Monolith too (also reviewed elsewhere on this week's list), now that's a tour we could get behind. If anything this new 12" finds CTE sounding way tighter, the songs even catchier, with some downright classic riffs, and the sound, holy shit, the production is massive, making the band sound even more epic and crushing. Not sure what else to say? We love these guys, and you should too.

MPEG stream: The Widowmaker
MPEG stream: Fucked Up On Shrooms At The Morton Arboretum
MPEG stream: I Thought You Was Layin'
MPEG stream: The Flood Of Spite

Pretty tough to resist a group called the Chicago Thrash Ensemble. So why even try? Ever since their kick ass blood splattered cassette on PlusTapes, we were pretty much totally obsessed with CTE's awesomely retro shredding classic thrash metal, and thankfully nothing has really changed on this, their first foray into vinyl, if anything the band sound better than ever, heavier, catchier, and with another passel of kick ass tunes to boot. Like the tape, these guys are channeling their thrash heroes, but it comes out a bit more punked up and raw, which only makes these jams rule even more, thick dense buzzing riffage, wild pounding drummage, howled vox, galloping rhythms, some seriously chugging breakdowns, all wound up into epic classic thrash destruction. Any one who has been digging aQ faves Speedwolf should definitely check these guys out, but where Speedwolf was all Motorhead and Venom, these guys are way more Slayer, Exodus and D.R.I. Or something. Either way, these guys rip, and as we mentioned in the review of the tape, any band that sounds this heavy and ruling on record, are probably insane live. Awesome packaging too. Screen printed cardstock sleeve, black inner sleeve, and coolest of all, a plastic sheet of baseball cards, one for each band member complete with various rock stats, mixed in with some actual baseball cards, the record is one sided, the B-side is silkscreened with a cool hanged man image. LIMITED TO 300 COPIES!

Just have two of these in stock. Children are a pretty cool new thrashy metal three piece from NYC, ex-members of Early Man we think, who just have this 12" out on Kemado. We saw 'em play when they opened for The Sword and Slough Feg a few months back. Good stuff, some crazy twin guitar action and raw energy. Note we said twin guitar, and they're a trio... which means, a la The Champs, no bassist! But they're pretty heavy nonetheless, and the shred never stops. Does that (and their long-haired but hipster/skaterish appearance, and label affiliation, membership pedigree, etc.) make 'em not "true" metal? Maybe, but they put on a damn good show and this 12" is worth a spin, headbangers!! Includes download card for free mp3s of these songs, too...

First encountered this NYC trio opening for The Sword and Slough Feg on tour out here last year. And it was an excellent match, if you like either of those bands, there's a good chance you'll dig Children too. Featuring ex-members of Early Man and S.T.R.E.E.T.S., these hipster longhairs have got some of that currently cool psychedelic indie ironic image stuff happening (they claim they play "peace metal" ferinstance, and probably wear more American Apparel than black leather)... but then when you press play, blam, the headbanging is ON. With abundant energy, galloping beats, raging riffs, rapidfire thrash technology, and a weensy bit of left field (for metal) artsiness! Plus, most crucially, plenty of Champsy guitar harmonies - and like the Fucking Champs, there's no bass, just two guitars and drums. Though, the band these kids remind us the most of is their labelmates SF's Saviours, with similarly badass blazing leads and gruff, not-so-melodic singing/screaming. Yeah, there's some SWEET guitar action here, from the one mellow quasi-classical instrumental "H.T.H.A.T.E.O.T.W." to the extended dual guitar widdly-ness that makes the epic (nearly 10 minute) album-ender "Time Is The Living" so magnificent. Actually, these guys love to stretch out jamming on their axes all over this disc, with the likes of "Nuclear Bummer" over 7 minutes long, and opener "Advanced Mind Control" clocking in at 9:41. Inveterate air guitarists will wish they were even longer. Heck we'll take our ripping, indulgent metal where we can get it. If it's a so-called "hipster" metal band on Kemado, that's just fine if they shred like these guys do! We like their style.

MPEG stream: Subterranean Cities
MPEG stream: Advanced Mind Control
MPEG stream: Power Spirit

Children of Bodom are back yet again with more melodic thrash metal. For a second time, the band is joined by former Stone member and legendary Finnish guitarist Roope Latvala. The kids are continuing their move even further away from extreme metal, with an ever increasing keyboard presence, more prog, and catchy, straight-forward riffs. Still, there is that little bit of Death gleaming through. So, yeah, melodic-prog-thrash that remains heavily indebted to Chuck Schuldiner. Basically, if you're into exclusively kult black metal bands, or something else equally insular, then this isn't going to do it for you. But, you probably already know that. What we're saying is that this will fit nicely next to your copy of In Flames' Clayman or something of that nature, but probably not so well with your dubbed, internationally traded cassette of Von rehearsals - but if that exists and you have it, please let us know. However, if you, like many of us here at the store, grew up on metal and you can get into metal for the sake of metal, then turn it up.

MPEG stream: One Day You Will Cry
MPEG stream: Done With Everything, Die for Nothing

The third brilliant album from Finland's finest purveyors of keyboard-intensive, fist-in-the-air METAL. Mixing melodic death metal (in the vein of Gothenburg greats like In Flames and At The Gates) with light-speed neo-classical keyboard runs and accompanying Yngwie-style guitar heroics, Children of Bodom (rhymes with "modem", apparently -- don't say "bottom") have crafted a sound all their own. Raspy black-metal style vox, rock n roll attitude, brutal riffing and -- most importantly -- fleet-fingered instrumental interplay are the hallmarks of this band. Imagine a cross between Destruction and Return To Forever... This is a band those who find most of the current wave of European power metal too "lite" (with the usual wimpy vocals and choruses) but kinda like it for that genre's usual head-spinning virtuosity, speed, and headbanging metal purity. Conversely, Children of Bodom is also a band for those who find Norwegian black metal too dark and monotonous and want something with a bit more melodic "sparkle", where the keyboardist is utilized for more than just "atmosphere" (Children of Bodom's keyboardist even released his own mostly-instrumental solo album last year). In other words, they are the current metal masters at splitting the difference between "brutal" and "noodle". Their short career now already spans three albums, and, as this disc and those of us who saw 'em at this years' Milwaukee Metalfest (that'd be Allan and Andee) will attest, they're still kicking ass. Bonus track: an nonessential-but-fun WASP cover.

RealAudio clip: Bodom After Midnight
RealAudio clip: Hate Me!

Fast and furious as always, these Finnish metallers are the kings of over-the-top guitar and keyboards duels. They'd almost be "power metal" if it wasn't for the extreme black and death elements (the vocals, the attitude). This new record looks to be their biggest yet, with a commercial edge but not nu-metal. Think Judas Priest's "Painkiller" meets Pantera, but with a Swedish melodic death metal component (In Flames, Soilwork...), hopped up on Red Bull and Rock Star energy drink cocktails. Yep, "Hate Crew Deathroll" is a massive, heavy attack, crammed full of melodic leads, snarling vox, catchy choruses, unexpectedly doomy parts, Zakk Wylde style pick squeals, pop synth bits, brutal drumming, electronic frills, and Rammstein stomp. Shred guitar shrapnel explodes in all directions, in much the same way that these songs are all over the place, and in your face. Absurd, undeniable metal madness! It's all a bit relentless, but if you're metal enough you'll take it. MPEG Download: "Sixpounder" [/audio/childrenofbodom6pound.mp3] MPEG Stream: "Sixpounder" [/audio/childrenofbodom6pound.m3u]

MPEG stream: Sixpounder
MPEG stream: Chokehold (Cocked'n'Loaded)

These filthy French freaks are back!! A while ago we listed their self-released 4 song demo cdep, and it kinda became a minor sensation among AQ customers into, well, doom, but doom of the most psychedelically fucked, primitive rock 'n' roll variety. In that review, we mentioned "magical dirtbag psychedelic metal anarchy... wasted heaviness, psychomaniacal alcoholic sludge". And yeah, that, um, description would apply to this their debut full-length as well!! So queue up and get ready to guzzle CoD's high octane, wah wah crazed, Vitus-worshipping, greasy hippie biker brew. Doom, Be Doomed, Or Fuck Off consists of six new songs, filling 42 minutes with this trio's unique, over the top onslaught of hypnotically crude riffage, distortion, widdly guitar, and wailing vox (not quite so strange as on the demo, but still...not normal). And these songs are fairly hooky, too. Drugged out and doomy, but rockin'. Also, they show some signs of musical progress since the demo (not that we were hoping for any!!), getting just a bit more sophisticated sounding in their playing and compositions. Maybe. One sign of this: according to the credits, somewhere, supposedly, there's even some saxophone on this disc!! Ah, must be in the final track, the album's longest, a 12 minute excursion into tripsville, called "...Mia's Desert...", Children Of Doom sounding more like Children Of Krautrock here, all cosmically synthed and sinister, though there is guitar fury unleashed around the halfway point... oh, and then, there it is, some melancholy saxophone over krauty drum beats, how 'bout that? An interesting and unexpected ending to this eccentric album, nice. Also nice is the cover and other artwork here. We said before that CoD reminded us a bit of Julian Cope's Brain Donor band, and definitely JC would approve of the artwork on the lyric sheet/poster in the cd, a drawing with all sorts of psychedelic biker shit growing up out of an upsidedown helmet, one of those German WWII bucket style ones that outlaw bikers like to wear (if they're gonna wear helmets at all). And you'll be happy there's a lyric sheet, they're quite amusing, once again, a lot of talk about who they are ("we are evil, old school, and brutal") and plenty of swearing in the process. You gotta suspect it's all a bit tongue in cheek, but we're not gonna say that to their faces, you never know... Oh, and the one song here sung in French, "1916", is not in fact a Motorhead cover, despite the title - though these guys are in their own way, a Motorhead for psychedelic doom lovers. And like Motorhead, they love their umlauts too (our website, having apparently been programmed by posers, won't support umlauts easily, so we left 'em off, but there's supposed to be one over the "o" in "or", of all words, in the album's title...).

MPEG stream: Mr. Nasty
MPEG stream: Technophobia
MPEG stream: Bottle Ben In The Streets

FINALLY back in stock! As soon as we spied the cover art of this self-released cd from this obscure French doom (natch) trio, we knew it was gonna either be really awesome... or really terrible. We were hoping for awesome, though, some kind of magical dirtbag psychedelic metal anarchy that could live up the crude cartoonish line drawing of a skeleton biker riding through an apocalyptic landscape, with the band's tattooed skull logo floating in the air above him... As you can guess 'cause we then ordered a bunch and are highlighting it on our list, we think it was pretty rad indeed! Though, surely not for everyone. You gotta appreciate wasted heaviness, psychomaniacal alcoholic sludge... Named after Saint Vitus' most obscure, underrated release, it should be no surprise that C.O.D. sound a heck of a lot like Saint Vitus. But even more primitive and unpolished! They're a band that's being damn redundant when they title one of the four tracks here, "We Are Bestial And Raw". Other titles indicative of their mindset: "Hell's On Wheels", "Hangover" (a track which starts with a cheap clock radio alarm going off, a clever contrast to the tolling church bells most doom bands would use), and "Rusty World" (when he sings it, it sounds like "Fucking World", though - in fact every other word sung on this disc sounds like fuck or fucking, even when it's not). Speaking of the singing, the vocals are definitely strange, like there's something wrong with the guy (nothing to do with being French). But we like 'em. Everything here goes towards creating a messed up but hypnotic effect, the psychedelic distortion, the crude riffs, the crashing cymbals, the weird vocals, the demo production quality, the extended song lengths (it's 4 songs, as we said, but 32 minutes). In addition to those into Saint Vitus style doom (like Blood Farmers too) this might well appeal to fans of such acts as Brainbombs, The Heads, and Julian Cope's Brain Donor... The only thing cooler than this, would be to have it on cassette... which it once was, but they only made 250 of those, and probably not many more of these!

MPEG stream: Rusty World
MPEG stream: We Are Bestial And Raw

Every time I sit down to review this record, I just can't seem to put into words what makes it so great. But as this is the last list of 2005, and this record is absolutely my favorite record of 2005, it seems like it can't be put off any longer. But it's true, I listen to this record every day, all the time. And even after months of non-stop listening I still can't get enough of it. I'm a bit embarassed to say I first heard about Chiodos in some magazine touting them as a 'band to watch' or 'next big thing' or something. And rarely do I pay much attention to those sorts of things, but a few things definitely caught my eye. They were described as being really heavy, really ridiculously prog, a little emo, and with a vocalist who sounded quite a bit like a woman. And you know what, that's not really that far off the mark. Imagine the over the top prog of Coheed And Cambria and the proggy bombast of the Mars Volta, the angular art rock of a band like the Blood Brothers, some super intense Slayer style metal guitar, lots of piano and keyboards, ranging from delicate ballady bits to full on Cradle Of Filth style bombast, extremely emo lyrics, and a completely amazing vocalist who can go from a throat shredding howl to an impossibly high wail. Wrap all that stuff around super complex multi part epics chock full of killer riffs and unbelievable hooks, amazing drumming bizarre arrangements, and vocals that are just so completely are gloriously over the top. Some parts of this record are just SO massively punishingly crushing. Full on headbanging brutality. The opening riff to "The Words 'Best Friend' Become Redefined" would make any thrash metal band proud. Just check the sound sample. This is also one of those records that has lots of THOSE parts, you know the kind, the parts that give you chills EVERY time you hear them, or make you use every ounce of self control to not wildly air guitar or drum madly on the steering wheel while you're driving. One of which just might be THE part, maybe the ULTIMATE part. Freaks me out every time I hear it. Makes me want to hear it over and over and over. Makes me wish I had written it, makes me wish I was in a band just so I could play it. Check out the sound sample for "Baby, You Wouldn't Last A Minute On The Creek" and see if you can tell which part I mean. Shouldn't be too difficult. The fact is, this whole record kicks my ass that hard. Rare that a record can pull off being this heavy, this complex, this emo, this over the top all at the same time. Without devolving into something impossible and confusing. And it is wildy all over the map, sonically schizophrenic, but somehow every part just sounds completely perfect. The more I listen to it the more perfect it sounds. Anyway, not sure what else to say. It all comes down to the music, so a quick listen to the sound samples should tell you all you need to know, is this indeed the best record of the year, or is Andee full of shit? Well, just so you know, this IS the record of the year, and if for some crazy reason you don't agree, you're probably just mistaken. Or wrong.

MPEG stream: All Nereids Beware
MPEG stream: Baby, You Wouldn't Last A Minute On The Creek
MPEG stream: The Words 'Best Friends' Become Redefined
MPEG stream: Expired in Goreville

While we're still wringing a lot of reading enjoyment out of the 120 pages of the most recent issue of this cult metal 'zine, #3, reviewed here last list, we also have been excitedly perusing the two back issues we got in as well, #1 and #2, collect 'em all! As we said in our review of the latest, this is a great 'zine - the kind of 'zine that makes us wanna do 'zines again, actually. Edited by the inimitable Stewart Voegtlin, whose drunken hesher gone grad school writing style is the standard for all the magazine's enthusiastic & clever contributors, Chips & Beer's non-ironic love of underground metal past and present, the real good stuff, is abundantly evident throughout these first two issues. #1, at 96 pages, features the likes of Manilla Road (an interview AND primer), Pentagram, Christian Mistress, Negative Plane, Cauchemar (with cocktail recipes), Vanhelgd, gore artist Matt "Putrid" Carr, and more! Buy this to read about the time Bobby Liebling met Iggy Stooge... Issue #2, is up to 120 pages, crammed with stuff on Twisted Tower Dire, Thrones, The Mentors, Deceased, Midnight, Obsequiae, and much more, including a chat with our pal Ian Christie, of Bazillion Points Books. Plus, the primer this time is on King Diamond/Mercyful Fate. And both issues of course feature editorial rants, peurile cartoons, clever comix, and plenty of opinionated, if sometimes cryptic reviews. We don't always agree with 'em (when we can even figure out if they like something or not) but find their viewpoints worth considering, and certainly amusing to read. Blogs are great and all, but, well, screw 'em. Nothin' like a real 'zine! And especially nothin' like Chips & Beer.

This is super cool. Chips & Beer is a real 'zine, on newsprint for goodness sakes, 120 pages, chock full of more metal than thou madness, deeply nerdy, enthused about an aesthetic that most ordinary metal fans let alone regular folks don't 'get', but if you do, this is for you!!! Not sure how this rag got all the way to issue #3 without us knowing about it, it's totally up our alley, being all about the type of truely cult, truly METAL stuff we dig. Fortunately we got a clue and got it in, with this brand new ish hot off the presses. It's just the thing to be reading when cranking the great new Dawnbringer album (which we just got in, to be reviewed next list) loud, 'cause there's a big interview with 'Professor' Black in here. It's also good readin' to go with crankin' just about ANY old school (or new wave of old school) metal: thrash, death, doom, true, etc. Along with the interview with Dawnbringer/High Spirits mastermind Chris Black, in this issue Chips & Beer also kicks back with Finland's Krypts and Swallowed, Australia's Cauldron Black Ram, and others... The historical side of things is also well-represented, one of the features being a lengthy piece on the epic '80s metal legends known as Cirith Ungol. And the issue's centerpiece is a massive "New Yawk Street Metal Special", a lovingly in depth look at NYC's (and Long Island's) contributions to the majesty of metal, including interviews with Twisted Sister's Jay Jay French, Manowar's Ross The Boss, the band Frigid Bitch, Dan Lilker of Anthrax/SOD/Nuclear Assault/etc.; also there's a run-down on all the KISS albums up through Music From The Elder (just like we did!), a piece about the movie Maniac, and more. Plus, Chips & Beer's got all the other usual stuff you'd expect in any self-respecting 'zine: tons of uber opinionated album reviews (we don't always agree with 'em, but they're fun to read), a letters page, ads from underground labels, and even some comix! And C&B boasts an excellent stable of headbanging writers, including noted scribe Stewart Voegtlin, the editor in fact, whose fevered writing is always abstruse but amusing, a hesher beatnik academic hybrid. Recommended! So, not only are we looking forward to issue #4, we've also gotta hunt down the back issues...

Man, there's lots of good reading material on this week's list. But this 'zine is, for underground metal fans, one of the best. Embarrassingly, we came late to the Chips & Beer party, catching on circa issue #3 and then catching up with #1 and #2 (both now out of print). We've been waiting eagerly for #4, and now it's here. Even better, it's the "Satanic Panic Special"! Which encompasses everything from a comic (there's always a lot of comix and art in C&B) about the supposed Satanic cult freakout of the '80s, to features on such Satanic bands as Teitanblood (yeah!) and a HUGE section all about "Sinister Cinema" (cult, occult horror flicks of '70s mainly) accompanied by an equally HUGE section wherein such left hand path luminaries as Dennis Dread, King Fowley, Justin Bartlett, and members of Moss, Hooded Menace, Impetigo, etc. discuss in depth their favorite horror film soundtrack music. Rad. There's also a lot of interviews this ish, including chats with betrayed Blizzard Of Ozz bassist Bob Daisley, a band we gotta hear just 'cause they're called Skullshitter, and the (kinda weird old) guy who painted the cover to Slayer's debut album Show No Mercy. Also, a piece on Possessed's seminal Seven Churches lp, and one about Roky Erickson's Satanic side. And a hell of a lot more, including of course C&B's trademark cryptic & confusing record reviews. 128 newsprint pages, everything written (and drawn) with anti-trend attitude and true underground enthusiasm, a crazy combo of elite intellectual interest and dumb headbanger humor, both. Highly recommended, for Satan's sake!

Hell yeah! Break out the chips and the beer - and crank the metal music LOUD - 'cause it's already time for the fifth installment of Chips & Beer, our favorite idiosyncratic underground cult metal (and more) 'zine. If you've got the earlier issues you know what to expect, if not, how do we explain the charm of Chips & Beer? Well, imagine a metalhead version of the old Bananafish 'zine - cryptic, creative, obviously intelligent, often absurd, and sometimes (especially when it comes to the comix) quite crude. Chips & Beer's writers, whether being straightforward or pseudo-intellectual or just plain weird, always manage to amuse, confuse, and (sometimes) enlighten, and definitely fulfill the FANzine's chief imperative of being enthusiastic admirers of whatever subject they chose to celebrate - in this issue, ferinstance, you get a piece on original Saint Vitus singer Scott Reagers ("Reagerding Reagers") that's practically a prose-poem in its effusive praise of that neglected vocalist's one of a kind talents (sentiments with which this writer can only agree). This issue is the "Italian Metal Special", and as you may already know, the Chips & Beer crew don't half-ass these "specials", nope, you'll find stuff here about every damn crazy Italian metal band you've ever heard of and many more you hadn't, the big features being on Death SS, Bulldozer, Dark Quarterer, and Mortuary Drape, but lots of obscurer Italo HM obscurities get covered too, from Adramelch to Zess - plus there's even an interview with truly obscure AQ fave and former Record Of The Weeker, Tony Tears! The Italian theme continues into in-depth coverage of Italian '80s Z-grade swords & sorcery cinema, and the works of erotic auteur Tinto Brass. But that's not all - also this ish: Betsy Bitch, Morbus Chron, Borrowed Time, Bone Sickness, Moss, Blue Oyster Cult (sort of), Lester Maddox, Longmont Potion Castle (yeah!!) and plenty more, including lots of hard-to-grok music reviews, and also reviews of modern straight to video (well, dvd) horror films, that part including a sidebar interview with director Ti West whose films Triggerman and The Roost we just listed the soundtrack to. 136 action-packed newsprint pages all in all, and recommended - nay, required - for anyone into this shit.

Alllllllrrriiigggghtt! What you've all been waiting for, a new issue of everybody's favorite hesher-oriented journal of cult stuff, Chips & Beer. 128 newsprint pages packed with all kinds of obscure writing about obscure things that dudes & dudettes with extensive metal vinyl and horror VHS collections will want to read about. Crude drawings too. Main themes as the cover states: Metal, horror, and humor. Well, about 18 of those 128 pages are inexplicably filled with information about the movie Bad News Bears, or reviews of various hot dog brands. Humor we suppose. But elsewhere, more than enough metal and horror - and more humor. A good portion of this ish is devoted to an appreciation of German metal godfathers the Scorpions, from their early '70s krautrock-y origins to world wide heavy metal fame. Going album by album, It's part primer (with facts & figures) and part perplexing prose poetry, as you might expect from Chips & Beer (a magazine wherein at least one writer likes to spell the word "folks" as "foax" for some reason). This section includes lengthy, lively interviews with both former Scorps guitarist, the great Uli Jon Roth (who as always manages to be both hippie mystical AND surprisingly down to earth) and also former Scorps drummer and lyricist Herman "Ze German" Rarebell, who provides frank talk about groupies, among other subjects. Also in #6: Finnish retro-thrashers and Ektro recording artists Ranger, Texan crossover upstarts Power Trip, underground '80s American metal masters Omen, and plenty more, including a chat with the director of an upcoming documentary about the early years of Twisted Sister (can't wait to see it!). Also worthy of note, highly entertaining interviews with two Chris's: Chris Reifert of death metal legends Autopsy (a funny guy!) and Chris Bruni of the Profound Lore label (who is asked to respond to the following wtf? question: "You ever watched Raiders Of The Lost Ark in black and white? How fuckin' hot is Karen Allen in that? She's like Amelie for dudes that listen to early Mudhoney and work in sanitation"). On the horror front, Chips & Beer #6 provides a big feature about the classic monster movies of Lon Chaney (aka "The Man of a Thousand Faces"), as well as latter films & performances in the Chaney tradition, by Karloff, Lorre, et.al. Oh and of course there's the music reviews section, rating records on a six-point scale with associated cartoon icons that range G.G. Allin (worst) to flying tits (best). The new Watain rates a G.G., but they give flying tits to the not-so-new Black In Black by AC/DC! Sometimes we wish it was easier to make sense of some of the more stream-of-consciouness-ish material in Chips & Beer, but possibly we just need to get drunker when we read it. But even sober, there's plenty that's funny and/or interesting if you share their sensibilities regarding cult metal, horror, hot dogs, etc.

[ aquarius records — Metal ]