(HOME)

	AARNI – Bathos “Chthonic Hybrid Musick” from Oulu; atmospheric and darkly melodic instrumentals supporting medieval incantations that build a solemn and majestic tone with more than a touch of Latin/Italian goth to it. The blending of influence and instrumentation (listen to the Middle Eastern/metal mix of “Nivt Net Meru”) gives these leisurely-paced compositions something of an epic quality (particularly the battlefield dusk of the closing “Kesayo”), a facet that the length of the tracks (generally running 6-12 minutes) reinforces. But it’s not without its lighter, dreamier, more meditative moments such as “Mental Fugue.” Rich, intriguing and occult. * * * * Firedoom Music – www.firebox.fi – Teollisuustie 19, 60100 Seinajoki, Finland

	ABSCESS – Damned and Mummified Wickedly sick-assed stoner grind with some brilliant ultra-heavy grooves that make this a head-ripping good time. The band’s hearts are in the right dark places with bile-dripping tracks like the opening “Through the Trash Darkly,” “Swallow the Venom” and “Twilight Bleeds,” throughout the entire album performing an accomplished blend of metal styles into one hellish underground party. A viciously good time, Abscess would fit a perfect double bill with Hellblock 6. * * * * Red Stream Inc. – www.redstream.org – P.O. Box 196242, Winter Springs, FL, 32719-6242

	ALCOHOLICS UNANIMOUS – 20 Years of Tanked Up Tunes Dr. Kegger M.D. is a classic fucking album; original drinking songs, by drunks, for drunks, put up rim-to-rim with famous covers, all interspersed with vintage beer ads. You cannot argue with that. And I can honestly say that seeing A.U. perform live Upstairs at Nick’s in Philly was a highlight of ~25 years of concert-going. So, the bar, so to speak, was set pretty high for this batch of Tanked Up Tunes. And does a gang of drunkards ever disappoint? Wait, don’t answer that. What you got here is another bunch of old standards and home-brewed numbers that include five unreleased tracks plus another 19 from eight different releases over the years. Of questionable proof to be sure, but dig some of the gems contained herein: the never-enough call of “Six Pack to Go,” the seductive instrumental “Gin Rickey,” odes to both malt liquor (“Crazy Horse”) and the horn-blowing “Rot Gut,” the stew-bum salute of “Wino Boogie,” punk-drunk anthems “Drinking Saved My Life” and “Santa Claus DWI,” “Alcotopia” (enough said), and the immortal “Shittin’ and Pukin’ at the Same Time Blues.” Not to mention jug-certified tributes to the genre the likes of “Don’t Come Home a Drinkin’ (With Lovin’ on Your Mind),” “Bloodshot Eyes,” and “Tonight the Bottle Let Me Down,” with special mention to “The Wino / White Lightnin,’” “Drinkin’ Wine Spo Dee O Dee” and the revival-style “Drinkin’ Wine.” Drinking music that’ll leave you drunk and happy, spinning the album on replay as you snore into the shag and your neighbors pound the walls. And in the painful morning light still asking the question, Why the FUCK isn’t this on more jukeboxes?!? * * * * Steel Cage Records – www.steelcagerecords.com – P.O. Box 29247, Philadelphia, PA  19125

	ALL MY FAITH LOST... – As You're Vanishing In Silence Prettily somber and sadly sweet, there’s an alluringly haunted, drifting quality to the music of All My Faith Lost… Propelled by acoustic strings and keys, and the hushed vocals both male and female, these tracks of love and loss are almost subliminal in their expression of glorious mourning. Perfect rainy day music. * * * Cold Meat Industry – www.coldmeat.se – Villa Eko, 595 42 Mjolby, Sweden

	ALL MY FAITH LOST... – The Hours The Hours begins on a shadowy folk music note as subtle flute and acoustic guitar are joined by a duet of male and female voices in “Angelike.” This drifting melancholy precedent is followed by the more instrumentally accentuated but no less languid “Notti Biance” and the even deeper and more multi-layered “The Waves,” the feminine vocals of which swim into and join the contrasting male vocals of “Ocean Sea.” “Presagio Triste” and “House of Incest” are so sorrowful and understated that they’re practically anemic; in fact, much of the album seems to flow out like blood into a warm bath. With ghost story, even: “An Early Fright.” The album fades to black with the forlorn “Amado Mio,” a song that plays like a very last letter. Very much suited to the gothic mindset in that it is beautifully dismal, The Hours is definitely made for dark evenings and candlelight. * * * Cold Meat Industry – www.coldmeat.se – Villa Eko, 595 42 Mjolby, Sweden

	ALL TOMORROW'S PARTY – Yoo Doo Right, Yoo Doo Slide Opening up with the blissful echoes of the lengthy feel-allright jam of “Sympathy for the Junkies,” Japanese timewarp All Tomorrow’s Party bring the overindulgence of the Seventies swelling forward into the clubs of the 21st century with their combination of drug-inspired rock and the roll of high production values and effects. Fuzz, distortion and drone are the key components here, supporting a contraband-fueled lift-off of guitars and percussion on top of which floats the subdued Vicodin murmur of the vocals. All are layered together so thickly that they simultaneously create and defy their own gravity, creating a rich atmosphere unique unto itself. The deep Cooder-inspired Southern swamp groove of “Fever” is particularly arresting, as is the rise and fall of love’s bad trip “As Tears Go By.” Good times, good times – just the right soundtrack for that time of the evening when you’re taking the patio party inside. * * * * Alive Records – www.alive-totalenergy.com – P.O. Box 7112, Burbank, CA  91510

	AMERICAN GUN – Dark Southern Hearts A simple and agreeable throwback sound emerges from Dark Southern Hearts, strumming rock & roll with a wistful country note in many places. “Little Sister” and “Modern Art Blues” are pretty ones, “Someone to Blame,” with its slide guitar, is undeniably strong, “Saint of Alcohol” is a sleepy down-home number, while “This One” holds a classic note of impending fate. Although a lot of this initially sounded a little too laid-back-Eighties-radio to truly grab me, it really does grow on you. And it should be good for inclusion on a B movie soundtrack somewhere, too. * * * www.americangun.net

	ANTiSEEN – Badwill Ambassadors You know what you’re in for when the Cosmic Commander of Wrestling introduces an album – a heaping stack of sonic harassment aimed as much at kicking your ass as stimulating your senses. Anyone in the least familiar with ANTiSEEN will immediately recognize that the band is in their fighting prime here, evidenced by the boldly locomotive “Alpha Male” and “Scapegoat,” the awesome carelessness of “F.T.K.,” “Ten Pounds of Shit In a Five Pound Bag,” the definitive ode to Abdullah the Butcher “Dear Abby,” the definitive ode to the war on terrorism “Pledge Allegiance to the Bomb,” the outlaw country “Q-Pid”… even “The Dean of Sods Returns!” Easily the band’s best recording since Here to Ruin Your Groove, this is Southern-fried hatred at its hardcore finest. * * * * TKO Records – www.tkorecords.com – 8941 Atlanta Ave. #505, Huntington Beach, CA, 92646

	ASMEGIN – Hin Vordende Sod Og So From the halls of Odin and (if the wickedly happy mushroom-laden cover art is any indication) the cauldrons of Norwegian shamen comes the most skilled and unusual Asmegin. With an incredible combination of uber-gruff subterranean vocals joined together with black metal shrieks, ancestral choirs, and angelic female harmonies, all laid out alongside majestic rhythms filled out by stout drumwork, classical violin, and the strongest of metal, Asmegin easily lives up to their billing as a folk metal band. And not at all in a weak and wispy fairytale way either; the lighter interludes are surrounded by classically victorious heavy metal rampages (or maybe they’re just really really vigorous drinking songs), and although I have no idea what they are about, tracks like “Af Helvegum,” “Over Aegirs Vidstragte Sletter,” and “Op af Bisterlitiernet” are truly stirring, while the lengthy and imposing final trilogy “Vargr I Veum,” “Blodhevn,” and “Valgalder” comprises the very peak of a brilliant album. Hey, where’s the Jaegermeister and amanita muscaria? * * * * * Napalm Records - www.napalmrecords.com - P.O. Box 1983, Port Townsend, WA, 98368

	ATRIUM CARCERI – Cellblock Quiet, subdued, yet haunting little soundscapes from the Simon Heath asylum. Although each of these twelve tracks seems more like a fragment or a glimpse into the darkness of Atrium Carceri than a complete piece, together they jigsaw into a goosebumping soundtrack. Whispering echoes, cautious footfalls, and muted voices sweep through the darkened halls of Cellblock, along with the occasional feral sound of an animal or invalid who has returned to take up refuge in this damaged nest. Abuses of long ago are recalled and relived, as broken restraints click and clatter and something moving in a sack is dragged through fallen corridors, past boarded-up rooms where unspeakable acts might still be occurring. (All coming back to life and taking place in the middle of the night, of course.) All the while hushed electronic tones are lending an atmosphere of subtle menace to the entire exploration, manufacturing an understated ambiance that very capably creates an impression of abandonment while at the same time building a hesitant apprehension of what may break through the barrier of bad memories and dreams being resurrected here. Each time I’ve listened to it, Cellblock has brought the film Session 9 very forcibly to mind, and if you enjoyed the film you will no doubt appreciate this recording. * * * Cold Meat Industry - www.coldmeat.se

	AUTOMATIC 7 – At Funeral Speed Punk pop is dicey territory, what with fully-sleeved 18-year-olds with girls’ haircuts and mascara bouncing from club to commercials and back again. That being said, the opening numbers on At Funeral Speed, “40 Blocks” and “All the Happiness You Can Buy,” are undeniably strong and catchy numbers well worthy of replay. “Sunday Eyes” is a fine ringing ballad of loss, but midway through the album (“Ghost-Like,” “Greasy [Revisited]”) the band sounds increasingly tired and rehearsed, and I can’t help but feel that this is the part where I’d move over to the bar if I were watching them live. Automatic 7 does manage to pick some of it up however, as the vocal harmonies present throughout the album seem to come together best on “Fall In Line” and “The Better Part of Me.” And while I do find it odd that vocalists are sill aping Mike Ness this late in the game, when well done it’s still a good comfortable approach even if it does make a number of the songs sound almost identical. And it must be said that covering Bruce Springsteen (“Atlantic City”) does come off as a little desperately working class. Bottom line though is that most of this sounds pretty fucking good. And isn’t that what you’re listening for anyway? * * * Mental Records – www.mentalrecords.net – 2640 E. Barnett Rd., Suite E-331, Medford, OR 97504

	AZRAEL – Into Shadows Act II: Through Horned Shadows Glimpse Beginning on a mild atmospheric note, the heavy bass of Into Shadows Act II provides a premonition that there’s to be much more to this program than a gentle soundtrack journey through the aether. And that’s when the death-rattling vocals come screaming in. Although referred to as “free-form black metal” Azrael’s sound is more along the lines of their fine European contemporaries than some overly experimental jazz reduction of pure black metal; with a dark metal mindset and the basics of a two-man guitar/vocals bass/drums line-up, Azrael produces an impressive stream of music that ranges from blissful cosmic drift to full-bore madness, at times achieving a deliberately frantic demented grace that can be both elemental and orchestral. And while there is a fair amount of clatter and shudder certain beautifully riveting passages overshadow these stereotypical insertions, carrying pristine instrumental qualities that separate the duo from the metal herd as far as creating an eminently listenable album. If you’re searching for a voyage through aeons of imperial plagues and into the hearts of black stars, Through Horned Shadows Glimpse is very much worth your while. * * * * Moribund Records – www.moribundcult.com – 530-A 19th St., Port Townsend, WA, 98368

	BABYLAND – The Finger The efforts of this keyboard & drumpad/trash barrel-driven duo initially sounded a little too techno-disco for me, especially with the new wave vocal approach of a guy who sounds like a girl. (Kind of Robert Smithy actually, so Cure fans may dig this the most.) But it does kind of grow on you in a way, much the way the no-wave of The Lost Sounds does (despite all of the self-proclaimed “existential angst” at work here). “Nowadays” in particular is a quality number, and with the last disconnection of “LMYA” still ringing in my ears I have a feeling I’ll be playing this again. * * * Mattress Records – www.mattressrecords.com

	THE BAD VIBES – All the Right Ways to Do You Wrong Knocking out a rough C.o.S. sound with attitude to match, The Bad Vibes give ‘em off in spades here with “You’re My Fucking Problem,” “Ask Me How Much I Care,” “A Motherfucker Called Consequence,” “I Smell a Rat” and more. Mean punchy stuff, it all adds up to one 22-minute fight song. In a whiskey bottle. Filled with cigarette butts… * * * Steel Cage Records – www.steelcagerecords.com – P.O. Box 29247, Philadelphia, PA  19125

	BBQ – Tie Your Noose I had no idea what to expect from BBQ, so was most happily surprised to hear a live, yes live, one-man band who rode the line between the Fifties and Sixties all by himself. There’s an honestly retro swing, jangle and stomp to Tie Your Noose that’s more than faithful enough to lift this well above the quality of countless hack garage acts. But instead of bopping along squeaky clean-like there’s a definite Hasil Adkins edge here that makes it all the more dementedly appealing – think of a backwoods Buddy Holly with a couple of goofballs in him and you get the picture. The replayable “Don’t Hold Out On Me” would be equally at home on the soundtrack of Animal House or a homemade kidnapping video, and “Tie Your Noose” and “Burn This Town” are particularly crazed, but the entire album is an inspired performance. Bravo. * * * * Bomp Records – www.bomp.com – P.O. Box 7112, Burbank, CA, 91510

	BELPHEGOR – Lucifer Incestus A sick Satanic hellride that has FUCK THAT WEAK SHIT! written all over it. Lucifer Incestus opens up Hell Awaits-style with the twisted moans of the damned (although I doubt if you played them backward they’d say “JOIN US!”) over which a crushing onslaught of pure Austrian black metal is unleashed in a most mighty and unholy fashion. Whether pummeling the listener into submission through brute force or crafting darkly intricate symphonics, this underworld blitzkrieg screams with the bloody triumph of hellspawned fury. Sure there are blurs of speed-fueled redundancy, but tracks such as “Demonic Staccato Erection” that combine furor with savage grace, and the almost elegiac closer “Fleischrequiem 69,” show a range far wider and wield many more blades than Belphegor’s previous Necrodaemon Terrorsathan. Lucifer Incestus is a finer and more well-honed machine than that indeed, and one that satisfies on many blasphemous levels. (Including the cover art.) * * * Napalm Records – www.napalmrecords.com – P.O. Box 1983, Port Townsend, WA, 98368

	BERETTA76 – Black Beauty I would say that the vocals on “Black Beauty” had a foxy Joan Jett / Texas Terri growl to them, but somebody already made the Joan Jett connection. I think you get the idea, anyway – this is randy rock & roll with a shot or two of punk pop to it. It’s not just all about sex appeal however, as the crunch and shine of “Hold You In Hell,” the follow-up to the lusty title track, attests. “Hit Parade” cleverly uses its own poppy “La-la, la-la-la-la-la” chorus against itself, “Kicked Machine” is a 4.5 minute dirty romance, “Pretty Baby” is a sweet and sour number about which another favorable reference has already been made, and is closely matched by the following “Paper Doll” before the album closes with the wistful drive of “Runaway Son.” And of course, being from Philadelphia, PA there’s the obligatory “Hostile City” track. Melodic singalongs and slinky clean instrumentation make this a little more radio-friendly than the kinky cover art might indicate, and the lack of a lyric sheet makes it difficult to determine exactly how subversive, horny, or mainstream Beretta76 actually is. Personally I’d prefer it to be either more raunchy or melancholy, but to paraphrase the man, they’ve got a job to do and they do it well. * * * www.beretta76.com

	THE BESMIRCHERS – Besmirch and Destroy The opening track says it all: “Pussy and Smack.” And with a Murder Junkies mindset The Besmirchers proceed through another nine short-but-not-so-sweet tracks the likes of “Dead Fuck Girl,” “Daddy’s Little Fuckhole” and “Heroin Doll,” three chords matching the three ideals of blood, dope and cooze. The band even drags The Divinyls through broken glass with a cover of “I Touch Myself” before closing with the title track and the final siren-spotted “March of the Besmirchers.” Not particularly new or inventive, but on the foul scale it definitely rates a mention. As do the free cock tattoos of The Besmirchers logo. * * Steel Cage Records – www.steelcagerecords.com – P.O. Box 29247, Philadelphia, PA  19125

	BETHLEHEM – Mein Weg This disc is so far from the early S.U.i.Z.i.D. that if it weren’t for the logo I’d be unsure if this was even the same band. The drugged goth-punk wailing of that schizophrenic era has been directed into a more cinematic industrial metal style, one that initially sounds like an attempt to wed Rammstein and Rotting Christ in “Aalmutter.” Fortunately it’s not all one long progression of posturing, as there is some inventive variety to be found in subsequent tracks. “Allegoria” picks up a great and grinding beat, but only in its sixth and final minute, there are harder portions in the oddly titled “Knochenkorn” and the frantic thrashings of “Dr. Miezo,” creepy guest vocals by Toby on “Frl. Deutsch,” while “Im Sog” is a truly weird pop song, something like a German impression of a Japanese Queens of the Stone Age. I still favor the suicidal damage of the earlier Bethlehem, but for those who’ve been waiting for them to stride forward into the 21st Century Mein Weg will be a welcome release. * * * Red Stream, Inc. – www.redstream.org – P.O. Box 196242, Winter Springs, FL, 32719-6242

	BEYOND SENSORY EXPERIENCE – The Dull Routine of Existence Taking industrial music to almost sacred heights, Beyond Sensory Experience brings forth a shadowy ambiance with The Dull Routine of Existence, infusing its very topic with an occult life force guaranteed to change that routine. Mastered as if it were recorded in some high-vaulted sanctuary, even the anticipated drones and mechanical surges are given a gravity that poignantly adds to the moaning rhythms evoked throughout the performance. Most of the work is subtle and atmospheric, but at its peaks evokes an independent horror film soundtrack. Inspiration for meditation, and vice-versa. * * * Cold Meat Industry – www.coldmeat.se – Villa Eko, 595 42 Mjolby, Sweden

	BITCHSLICER – Cum Inside From the almighty Worldeater Records, whose Hellblock 6 has become a regular wall-shaker here at Paniscus HQ, comes Bitchslicer with the coolest soundtrack to hell you’ll ever be privileged to hear. A full-length 19-track that combines multiple recording sessions and tacks on a few surprises, this is some pretty bitchin’ shit – the harshest of death metal conducted in an ‘80s heavy metal style. In fact it’s almost hair metal in some places, retrieved from the edge of cheese by a hot beef injection of the Misfits. “Drag My Own Coffin to Hell” contains one of the most elemental anthems in all of metal (“Die! Die! Die motherfucker, die!”), “King Cobra – Ode to Thrash” is an instantly classic instrumental that’s joined in status by “Touch of Death,” there are a couple of “Instrumental Movie Version” headbangers (“Snuffed” and “Evil Awakening,” both of which also appear on the album with awesome vocals intact), while “Outrun the Fire” and “Long Live the End” take a surprisingly favorable death-folk turn. Livened up with cartoon music, soundbytes, “This is Satan” (“Drunken Phone Call – Session”) and a Hank Williams tune (“Y.C.H.”), not to mention some great graphics, this is fucking brilliant all the way around. * * * * * Worldeater Records – www.WorldeaterRecrods.com

	BLACK FUNERAL – Az-i-Dahak The ritual begins with the hoarsely whispered incantation of “Druj Nasu” against looming guitars and clattering drums, and then it’s one big black metal invocation to the mighty serpentine Az-i-Kahak, whose title track is particularly dark and industrial. The tribal scuffle of “Kiss of the Serpents” stands out, with the album closing on the haunted “The Fallen Arise,” and while there’s still a lot of unnecessary noise here this is much better than the last Black Funeral I heard. With a little more development this project could produce masterpieces along the lines of Epilepsy’s Baphomet. * * * Behemoth Productions – www.behemothproductions.cjb.net – C.P. 5032, 16154 Genova, Italy

	BLACKTOP – I Got a Baaad Feelin' About This I’ve Got a Baaad Feelin’ About This opens up with such a fine sound of dirty blues echoing through deserted truckstop garages, with such a fine blurry edge to it all, that I was almost sorry to hear the vocals creep in. But their strung-out moaning wails sing such a slow sandpaper song of lowdown love beaten black and blue, stabbed with feedback and left in a neon-lit pool of wet asphalt that it’s absolutely all right. A rockabilly/R&B brawl in progress, I’ve Got . . . includes the murderous dissatisfaction slicing through “Planet Earth (@#*!!)”, the burlesque mugging of the cover instrumental “From Beyond,” and the mean-ass rumble of “No One Knows You’re A Dog,” while “Hide and Go Seek” lightens things up a bit and the classic beats of “She’s Mine All Mine” and “Keep On Doggin’ Me” will have hips a-swingin’ right into the blues of “Let Me Go Home, Whiskey.” Subtitled “The Complete Recordings,” I’ve Got . . . does indeed collect ‘em all, from the original disc of the same title to B-sides and the Australian Up All Night album. In among the original compositions by Mick Collins and crew are traditional and cover tunes, and all are infused with an urban jungle stomp that, if you heard it emanating from a dive on the locals-only side of town, you’d be both compelled and afraid to enter. Enough, and good enough, to scramble your speakers and curdle your gin & milk. * * * In The Red Records - www.intheredrecords.com - P.O. Box 50777, Los Angeles, CA, 90050

	THE BLOODY HOLLIES – If Footmen Tire You Another exuberant slab of Murder City garage rock here, If Footmen Tire You has the Hollies sounding even more like Modey Lemon than they did before. And that’s not entirely a bad thing, even if the project does come off sounding somewhat derivative. The streetwalkin’ screams, the butt-rockin’ beats, they’re all here in a straight razor-fueled hoedown that’ll put a little get-up in your pants. And everybody can use a piece of that now and again. * * * Alive Records – www.alive-totalenergy.com – P.O. Box 7112, Burbank, CA  91510

	THE BLOODY TEARS – Downhanded Rock & roll with a heaping helping of both soul and blues, Downhanded is full of organ-pumped swingers hearkening back to the days of the Seventies. And while I wouldn’t ordinarily go for that, these tunes are conducted with such and undeniable sense of the good time that you’ve just gotta like ‘em. “Talkin’ With Your Baby” is a particularly faithful number, the dance song “C’mon and Swim” will have you wanting to do just that, “Glad You’re Gone” puts a positive spin on the break-up song and there’s even a touch of “Lowrider” to the maraca-shakin’ instrumental “Snooks’ Thing.” And The Bloody Tears do it all well enough that their own songs blend right in with their rare & selective cover tunes. You’re gonna dig it, you cats. * * * Licorice Tree Records – www.licoricetree.com

	BONEDOME – Thinktankubator Extremely boring and unimpressive ‘rock’ music that’s so generic I can’t even label it. There are a few small moments here, but for the most part Thinktankubator actually manages to get worse and worse with each progressive song. This from a group of guys who sound like they just wanted to form a band for the sake of being in a band more than actually having some sort of musical vision or imagination: small club stuff created to pick up little girls who don’t know any better. The ones that didn’t walk out on the arm of a more eligible gent before the set was over, that is. O xo publicity – www.xopublicity.com – 1707 NE Jarrett St., Portland, OR  97211

	BOYSKOUT – School of Etiquette I was initially put off by Boyskout somewhat due to their appearance on a compilation I didn’t much care for; that and the fact that I seem to be outside of their apparent demographic, the young goth-punk lesbian crowd. Nothing wrong with that however (aside from the fact that some of the songs on School of Etiquette seem to be moaners about uneasy girl-girl relationships, and regardless of gender that kind of thing gets tired after a while), and giving the disc a spin found it to be full of lightly dark new wave compositions with an alluringly subdued and seductive tone to them. Subtle synthesizer strains provide something of a druggy Eighties dance club atmosphere throughout, without overpowering the songs or their breathy vocals. “Eye Make Up” is particularly slow and sedate, “Sunday Morning” has a low and lusty beat to it, and “Circus Song” is a beautifully black suicidal carnival dirge, all of which notably stand out among the album’s twelve tracks. (CD is enhanced with a video for the song “Back to Bed.”) * * * Alive Records – P.O. Box 7112, Burbank, CA, 91510

	BRIAN JONESTOWN MASSACRE – ...And This Is Our Music Part One: Note the album cover; now, although you can’t see it, note the album’s rear cover: “So young, so brave. So totally right on from the fucking get go.” Now note that I don’t think I’m going to be able to review this right now. Part Two: NOW I can. Sorry for the wait, but really, how eager are you going to be to listen to a band billing itself as “So young, so brave. So totally right on from the fucking get go”? Go get fucked, right? But their last couple Brian Jonestown Massacre discs were beautiful things, so once I got over the righteous self-promotion of the packaging and press materials I was ready to give this a spin. And, after a whiny answering machine message, BJM plugs in and proceeds to do their finely tuned sedative-hypnotic thing. Getting a little bit Donovan/Beatles-sounding on “Starcleaner,” they cop Brion Gysin for “Here To Go,” drift away into “Prozac vs. Heroin” and get really down with “A New Low in Getting High,” bring in the horns and an Ennio Morricone theremin sound for the lovely instrumental “Maryanne,” reprise “Sailor” instrumentally as “Some Things Go Without Saying,” and space out for “The Pregnancy Test.” The strum und drang of this world of pills & love sounds a lot more relaxed than on previous outings, and there are a few more small experimental interludes between pieces, but the album still maintains that heavy continental drift that makes for dreamy dope music. Those who have heard them before will definitely want to hear this, and those who have not will doubtless want another taste. * * * Tee Pee Records - www.teepeerecords.com

	BRIGHTER DEATH NOW – Kamikaze Kabaret A new serving of churning industrial drone from stalwart Brighter Death Now. Bleak soundtracks for date rape and dismemberment, this selection throbs with painful menace from beginning to end across tracks such as “Oh Baby (I Want to Throw Up),” “Crimescene Nostalgia,” “While You Sleep” and the rest. “Testing” is an almost soothing hypnotic piece of work, but in the context of the rest of the album carries an aura of subliminal spite; “Big Happy Family” brings in muted voices of implication that the arrangement is anything but; and the multiple vocal tracks of the closing “Take Me Away” will have you thinking you’re hearing things – and you are. Play loud – loud enough to bend brainwaves. (Great album title too, by the way.) * * * Cold Meat Industry – www.coldmeat.se – Villa Eko, 595 42 Mjolby, Sweden

	BROKEN BOTTLES – In the Bottles The Broken Bottles have a good sound: SoCal punk tinged with a death rock edge, something along the lines of a gothic Social Distortion. Appealing to the morbid streetpunk mentality of disenfranchised youth everywhere (while still retaining a darkly solid sense of humor) Broken Bottles pours out tracks like “Runaway Mansion,” “Sixteen Forever,” “Gothic Chicks,” “Drinking In the Rain” (for which the enhanced CD comes with a video), and “Bloody Mary,” even performing a cover of “The Letter” and some funny ones about a fetish for “Kelly Osbourne” and the “Pink Swastika.” With an engagingly world-weary adolescent tone, In the Bottles ought to appeal to fans of punk from older TSOL all the way up to AFI. * * * TKO Records – www.tkorecords.com – 3126 W. Cary St. #303, Richmond, VA, 23221

	BUMP-N'-UGLIES – So Powerful . . . So Beautiful Fans of Rancid Vat and Freddie Blassie will be storming the stage for this one: twelve songs of boozin’ and brawlin’ from Detroit’s IWR founders Bump-N’-Uglies. Harsh streetpunk tunes scream out sagas of the squared circle from the ripping ear-boxing opener “Is It Fake?!! . . . Is It Fake?!! . . . Is It Fake?!! (The Sad Sordid Tale of Dr. D. David Schultz)” to the closing “Loser Leaves Town,” with many others in between (such as the notable “(Theme From A) Chairshot.”). Amongst these hardcore singalongables of the wrasslin’ life Bump-N’-Uglies also throw in a little drunkenness, a little necrophilia, and a couple of raging covers, and the band of bruisers even waxes a little nostalgic with the spacey epitaph “Loser Leaves Town.” A fitting soundtrack to any evening’s card . . . provided said evening involves a bit of blood and grappling. * * * * Steel Cage Records – www.steelcagerecords.com – P.O. Box 29247, Philadelphia, PA, 19125

	THE BUSINESS – Hardcore Hooligan Even if you don’t give a wee rat’s arse for football (soccer to us, mate), these twelve Hardcore Hooligan chants will still put you in the mood to kick shit out of something. From the rabble-rousing gang-stomping title track (“F-U, F-U-C, F-U-C-K, FUCK YOU!”) The Business rails on against the national pasttime becoming big business at the expense of the fans, champions their heroes (“Viva Bobby Moore”), boos rivals and cheats (“Handball”), and remembers the epics (“England 5 – Germany 1”), all the while promoting drinking (“Guinness Boys,” with a little bit up pub piano tinkling in the background) and, yes, ultra-violent oi-style football hooliganism (“Saturday’s Heroes,” “Boys Are Out Tonight”). And every one of ‘em is a hard, mean, streetpunk kick-up as rousing as a cleat to the head, ringing with pint-raising singalongs and incitements of violence. Good times! * * * * BYO Records - www.byorecords.com - P.O. Box 67609, Los Angeles, CA, 90067

	BUZZOV*EN – Revelation...Sick Again Frenetically driving stonercore from stalwarts of grind metal Buzzov*En, spattered with soundbytes and gut-ripping riffs. This weighs in as one big heavy track so individual songs aren’t always easy to distinguish, but the cutting grooves delineate themselves most satisfactorily and, after all, “All words and lyrics are merely thoughts and ramblings during periods of frustration, depression, hopelessness, drug induced misery and confusion, and like always are subject to change anytime without notice.” The howling wail of drug induced misery is perhaps the loudest here, speaking volumes about the goodness of bad times and urging the listener to roll right on in. Go on, go ahead… (Limited edition of 100 discs.) * * * House of Mumble – www.chicagostonerrock.com/mumble.html - 1573 N. Milwaukee Ave., PMB 488, Chicago, IL, 60622

	CADAVERIA – The Shadow's Madame The Shadow’s Madame opens up on a rich operatic note (Verdi’s La Traviata) before Cadaveria and band launch into their trademark female-led black metal. Unusual as it is to have a female vocalist head up a black metal combo, it works well here as Cadaveria utilizes a great number of techniques, from roaring growls, shrieks, and classic heavy metal howling to silky croons and seductive wails. (Mostly heavy metal, though, in places coming close to gratifying simulations of Sacrilege and Witchery.) Each approach is well supported by fine and technically accomplished European metal fervor that gives the entire production a lusty victorious ring befitting songs of black magic and arcane rituals. Grand work, and I’d bet damned good to see live. (A notion the enhanced CD, coming complete with a bonus video for the song “Spell,” only reinforces.) * * * * Triple Silence Limited – www.salvation-films.com – BCM Box 9235, London WC1N 3XX, United Kingdom

	CANNAE – Horror God damn but this is a fine change of pace; a fitting alternate title to Horror would have been Murder, as Cannae opens up with the appropriate blood-curdling scream before launching into rippingly tight and vicious death metal that’s as thunderingly savage as it is mercilessly concise. Nothing soft here, the crunching dual guitars, razor-edged pendulum bass, inside-out vocals, and pace-taking drumwork all contributing to utterly dominating tracks like the closing “Projector” (mopping up the murderous screams from the opener) that stand up to and obliterate anything else on the market. Classic metal solos like those that appear on “Two Feet From the Ground” indicate an old school base, to Cannae has added a sonic post-Millennial intensity, motorized and hell-bent on domination. All around, Horror is just a brutal pleasure from start to finish. * * * * * Prosthetic Records - www.prostheticrecords.com - 11664 National Blvd #413, Los Angeles, CA, 90064

	CD TRUTH – Chemically Dependent C.D. Truth seems to having a gloatingly good time as they twist and bang out their three-chord joy, reveling in old school punk rock glory with a sneer here, a bit of sarcasm there, and a whole lot of noise in between. Shades of the Angry Samoans, The Meatmen, and the Circle Jerks resound throughout Chemically Dependent, but not in a cheesy derivative way, more in a sense of the similarity to their energy and sense of humor. But there’s a spooky edge here as well, as evinced with the hauntingly jagged “Queen of Blood,” and the enigmatic closer “Bubble Up!” has an eerie, spaced-out quality that’s strangely at odds with its perky title. “Fact of Life,” “Your Mama Found Out,” “No Retreat,” and “Columbian Drug Lord” are all loud and fun, and to the best of my knowledge no other band has composed a jaunty punk ditty called “Follow Me to Akron.” Honorable peers of modern top-notch punkers like Smogtown (R.I.P.), C.D. Truth definitely derserves a listen. Really coulda used a lyric sheet though . . . * * * * Foot In Mouth Productions – www.geocities.com/fimpakron – 610 Philip Ave., Akron, OH, 44305

	THE CHANCE Lively pop-goth tunes ringing with the wistful echo of an Eighties March Violets/Joy Division sound. Sometimes sweet, sometimes jangled, and sometimes, just sometimes, possessed of a ringing beauty so pure as to be unspeakable. Overall compelling, and containing the same delirious fatalistic love as a number of other contemporary acts participating in a similar youthfully retro vein. It makes one wonder if The Chance will come to be as popular as Interpol or as able to move the crowd as well as The Hospitals – only time and taste will tell. * * * Red Stapler Records – www.thechancemusic.com

	COL. KNOWLEDGE AND THE LICKITY-SPLITS – Fall in Love All Over Again with... More sweet-voiced retro action from the Alive front, with organ-leg harmonization and that Fifties/Sixties sound ideally suited for sock hops, kiddie shows and killing sprees; too wholesome-sounding and cheery to be completely innocent, at least in the 21st Century. It sure is purty though, so whatever activity it may provide the soundtrack to chances are it’ll do the trick. * * * Alive Records – www.alive-totalenergy.com – P.O. Box 7112, Burbank, CA  91510

	CONSUMED – Pistols at Dawn Quick, bright punkcore songs about feelings, relationships, and beating the hell out of people. Sharp, solid, well-performed and well-produced stuff, although aside from simply being good Consumed isn’t particularly distinctive. Except for something of an emo/straight edge ring to the album that gives it a ‘tough-but-sensitive’ kind of sound, albeit in a sexually ambivalent way (all of the lyrics about “you” never address anyone in particular, but song titles include “Glory Hole” and “Gentle Persuasion”). And curiously, it all ends on an odd but not entirely unpleasant new wave/steel drum synth piece? Whatever, bottom line is that Pistols at Dawn is a damn fine album, make of it whatever you will. * * * * BYO Records – www.byorecords.com – P.O. Box 67609, Los Angeles, CA, 90067

	COPH NIA – The Dark Illuminati A subtle electronic thunderstorm opens this “Celestial Tragedy in Two Acts,” as a dark church bell’s mournful tolling rings out again and again only to be swallowed up by the turbulent background. The first act in its entirety is titled “The End,” and it suitably realizes this calling by providing a fittingly sorrowful totentanz of synthetic strings and hidden choirs of black monastic voices. This rises to an infernal peak, reaching a crescendo of self-immolation that sears it all to a blackened end. At over 15 minutes long the composition does stretch out, but at the same time also provides a brief framework for ritual activity. Act Two contains seven separate tracks, both originals and covers. “The New Oath” begins on a spoken word tone, but quickly builds into a sermon supported by backing vocals and strong instrumentation; Arthur Brown’s classic “Fire” has a hellish carousel sound that Anton LaVey would no doubt appreciate; “Credo V” contains a distinctive tribal rhythm supported by multiple layers of percussion and vocals ideally suited for dancing around the fire on a foggy moor; “Drinking to the Angel of the East” is another beautiful piece; and find-tuned angelic female vocals drive the dichotomous “Religion.” Even “Sympathy for the Devil” gets the royal treatment here in a faithful homage. The album concludes with a line from “Hymn to Lucifer,” “The key of joy is disobedience.” Coph Nia’s output has been somewhat hit or miss over the years, but it’s gratifying to hear that this album is one of the good ones in that it is unapologetically and gloriously Satanic, not to mention well performed. I would even call it their best effort to date. * * * * Cold Meat Industry – www.coldmeat.se – Villa Eko, 595 42 Mjolby, Sweden

	COSTES – Hung by the Dick Loads of ranting by Frenchman Costes, accompanied by electronics and noise. Crazed, drunken, often nonsensical shit leaning toward the misanthropic, self-hating, childish, anti-American and sex-obsessed. Basically, French performance art that sounds like a loaded child playing around in his own shit and sperm. And then you get random bits of pure curiosity such as “Jacques Cousteau Tells the Truth to the Nation” and “This Chicken is a Nigger.” It would be truly difficult to be any more annoying. What the shit. O Nihilist Records – www.nihilistrecords.net / Menschenfeind Records – www.menschenfeind.com

	COUNTRY TEASERS – Live Album (Yeah) The lumbering beauty and ever-unexpectedness of the Country Teasers live is captured here on disc, and not just from one show but with excerpts of over a dozen laying themselves across 18 tracks here. The dismal history of “Prettiest Slave on the Barge,” the almost “Live and Let Die” chord progression of “Black Change,” the covers of “Short People” (a movingly multi-facted rendition which comes with plenty of audience participation – “You suck! YOU SU-UUCK!!!”) and the immortal “Moving to Florida” (and the questionably mortal “Blue Monday”), the Day-Trippin’ misanthropy of “Please Stop Fucking Each Other” and the equally kind “Women & Children First,” all are presented LIVE with all the stop-and-start choreographed improvisation of the recordings. And then some. So get some. * * * In the Red Records – P.O. Box 50777, Los Angeles, CA, 90050

	JEFF DAHL – Battered Stuff Subtitled “One Acoustic Mother,” Jeff Dahl’s latest solo album Battered Stuff opens with the wedding ballad “I Wouldn’t Change a Thing” and moves into the Seventies sass of “Vaguely Picasso,” the raunchy pace of which is nicely matched by “I Beg Your Pardon.” The shadowy “California Blues” has an autobiographical Alice Cooper feel to it, as does “Damaged Goods,” while the notes to the folksy “Sandwich” say it all: “An ode to a sandwich. Simple as that. No metaphor. I just like a good sandwich.” The album goes South with “Ain’t Drinkin’ Myself to Death No More” and ends appropriately enough with the sorrowful Nikki Sudden-inspired “Outta Luck.” Even the reggae touch of “Before the Storm” has more of a British ska flavor to it than some sort of California frat boy gas. I liked this album considerably more than some of Dahl’s previous projects, probably due to the variety of approaches he takes in mining the rich field of rock & roll history and distilling it all into a (largely) acoustic format that allows the listener to benefit from the subtleties that 30+ years of playing brings to the deck. * * * * Steel Cage Records – www.steelcagerecords.com – P.O. Box 29247, Philadelphia, PA  19125

	DARKEST HOUR – Hidden Hands of a Sadist Nation I’ve been bagging on a number of Victory releases lately, particularly the softer albums aimed at a more juvenile demographic. But with this album I’ve been put in my place: although initially Hidden Hands of a Sadist Nation sounds just like any other explosion of industrial-strength thrash metal lorded over by a maniac with shattered vocal chords, Darkest Hour manages to incorporate enough savagely subtle rhythm into each domineering piece that the tracks are not only fiercely distinct but also imposingly complex. By the second song, “Pay Phones and Pills,” the adept blend of speed, violence, and melody within this Swedish metal hybrid is so viciously catchy that it’s truly surprising, and songs like “Seven Day Lie” (with its sick choral cursing “I hope this happens to you”) and “The Misinformation Age” will practically make you want to chew your own head off. Guest performances by members of The Haunted, Soilwork, and At The Gates enhance the project and add to its ferocity, while the epic instrumental “Veritas, Aequitas” closes the album on a somber but majestic note and at the same time effortlessly shows up stadium-metal candyasses Metallica for the posturing radio whores that they are. God DAMN this is good. * * * * * Victory Records - www.victoryrecords.com – 346 N. Justine St., Suite 504, Chicago, IL, 60607

New Print Reviews	New Video Reviews	Crites Gallery

(HOME)

tmcrites@earthlink.net