Children Of Bodom - Blooddrunk

Some bands disappear because either there records are shit, they die or they get day jobs. Others simply disappear from view.

Children Of Bodom's extended sabbatical (two and a half years) was in part due to the enormous demand for them around the globe following there career-defining fifth album, Are you dead yet?. But they're back now with another body of work, and what a statement of intent it is!

Despite the fact no one accused the Finnish metallers of selling out or becoming softer the rumours come with the fact Are you dead yet? was a worldwide hit...However Blooddrunk blows any labels out of the water with almost relentless aggression and brutality. The songs feel unrelentingly fast and Alexi Laiho's voice seems to have captured the kind of impulsive ranting and anger that comes after countless vocal takes.

The pinnacle track on Blooddrunk has to be Banned from heaven which is the typical Bodom anthem, or in the way Alexi describes it "A song that fucks on the first date".
Having said this even after reapeted plays Blooddrunk lacks the catchiness of there previous albums, there isnt a Lake bodom or Everytime i die!

Children Of Bodom have defiantly progressed in an astute fashion, it may not be the Bodom sound fans expected but they have defiantly improved. They have kept the kitsch synths to a minimum and opted for rugged and heavier guitar sounds, more split harmonies and raunchier solo's.

All in all Blooddrunk hits hard.

8/10

Also try: In flames, Dimmu Borgir

John 5 - Requiem (Artwork Released)

John 5's new album "Requiem" set to be released on 3.6.08 is John's 4th solo album and is set to be HUGE.

This is the artwork for it that was released recently along with a track from the new album.

John 5 has featured on the cover of all of his albums, some may see this as big headed...I don't, Just look at him.

Annotations Of An Autopsy - Before The Throne Of Infection

Arguably poised to become the Uk's answer to Job For A Cowboy, Annotations Of An Autopsy are a monstrous proposition, They will make you bleed from EVERY fucking hole...

Old skool death metal fans may harbour doubts as this lowestoft quintet are loved by the twattishly coiffured new-school hordes, but Before The Throne of Infection obliterates such cynicism with sheer intensity and force.
With up to date machine gun drumming and chunky heavy as hell guitar riffs AOAA really do sound like 21st century Death,Autopsy and even Crowbar...without the waist length hair.
The album opens with Rise Of The Leviathan with a chorus heavy guitar throwing you off guard, but then it smashes into a riff that leaves you gagging for more. This follows into Keeper Of The plague lands which isn't the heaviest track on the album but defiantly one of the fastest.

The two stand out tracks for me are Years Of Disgust and Sludge city and even though these songs are also on there E.P They have been remastered, beefed up and matured to leave us with two skull numbingly good tracks.

Overall Before The Throne Of Infection is a simple but exhilarating pleasure ; this is a truly exceptional dose of British brutality.

Also try: Job For A Cowboy, Suicide Silence.

8/10

Heaven Shall Burn - Iconoclast

As this band were new to me and Im guesing there new to you heres some information about Heaven Shall Burn.
They are a metalcore/death metal band from Saalfeld Germany and currently have 6 abums to date...All the members are vegan.

Iconoclast is there latest album and what an album it is.
The opening track could be played in a concert hall with such classics as vivaldi's four seasons soAwoken isnt exactly a hard hitting opener. But, the second track makes up for it...Endzeit is possibly one of the best songs I have heard all year, It has everything you could possibly wanted crammed into 4:17 of pure violence...Bliss.
Practically all other tracks are top notch as the lead singers vocals seem to transform the simplest of guitar riffs into something all the more powerfull and sinister, Although Murderers of the murderers is another standout track with what sounds like the drums from some shady club song blended into a metal masterpeice and if when you think of club and metal being combined you think of Enter Shikari this is far from that.

Also try: As Blood Runs Black,Threat Signal.

7/10

Joe Satriani - Professor Satchafunkilas And The Musterion Of Rock

Sir Satriani is back again with this interestingly named new album.

studio album to date and for any fans out there I shall say straight off its signature Professor Satchafunkilas And The Musterion Of Rock is Joe's 12thSatch. The album opens with something a bit fresh and oddly different to much of this album, Musterion sounds much more suited to one of Joe's previous albums but none the less is a good opener. Next we are shown a track that really sets the theme of this album...rock, Overdriver has some of the best guitar work on the album and also some of the signature squeals and effects we have come to love from Joe.
The third track I just Wanna Rock is soon to be released as a single and you can hear why, The song is ablaze with lightning fast legato's, sensational sweeps and mind bending pinch harmonics band with the classic distorted vocals of Satriani this could well be the defining track on the album.

For any guitar players out there who just want to hear as many notes played in the shortest time possible this isn't really up to the standards you heard from Joe's most famous album Surfing With The Alien....But for anybody who can appreciate a good melodic line with speed being an added bonus then this is defiantly a good guitar album to be listening to at the moment.

For fans of: Steve Vai, Santana & John5

7/10