JUSTIN’S METAL REVIEWS 1/10/07

 

DARKTHRONE / F.O.A.D.

 

Raw, dark, foreboding, unrepentant and about as un commercial as you can get and that’s what makes Darkthrone so good at what they do and why they have been the king’s of Black Metal for so long and yet still sound so fresh and vibrant.

 

If you like early Mayhem, Marduk or Immortal on top form then you will love this new Darkthrone CD, one listen to the bleakness of “These Shores Are Damned” and you will know why they are so good at what they do, “Canadian Metal”, “The Church Of Real Metal” and “The Wisdom Of The Dead” are all additional the proof that you need.  This is yet another very strong CD from true kings of Norwegian Black Metal and deserves to be part of any real Metal fans collection and I feel sure this will be in my top 30 of 2007 and you can be sure I will be playing this to death on my HFM show, the church of real metal indeed.

 

WEBSITE      http://www.darkthrone.no/ & http://www.peaceville.com/

 

TOTAL PLAYING TIME = 40 mins + 9 BLACKENED TRACKS

 

PRIMAL FEAR / NEW RELIGION

 

Newly signed to Frontier Records German Power Metal band Primal Fear return with a very fine album indeed, in fact this is one of their best for quite a while and has some very powerful songs on it.

 

They have always come across as a the German rival for Judas Priest but slowly the band have developed their own style and are more than capable of writing very powerful Rock ballads and this album has 2 of them.  The first track “Sign Of Fear” is guitarist Mat Sinner letting rip with some killer riffs and the soaring vocals make this the ideal track to kick things off, the first of the ballads is “Everytime It Rains” featuring a guest vocal from Epica’s Simone Simmons and is such a memorable song you will be singing it in no time flat, a hit single if ever I heard one and the other is “Too Much Time” which is just as good.  Other tracks to listen out for are superb “Facing The Emptiness”, “Psycho”, “Blood On Your Hands” and “World On Fire”, overall this is a very enjoyable CD and well worth getting of the digi version as it has 2 videos on it as well.

 

WEBSITE      http://www.primalfear.de/

 

TOTAL PLAYING TIME = 50 mins + 13 SCORCHING TRACKS

 

 

EXODUS / THE ATROCITY EXHIBITION

 

Exodus are one the original Bay Area Thrashers and its good to see them return with a stunning new album, it’s a fierce, aggressive, speed riff filled, unrepentant Thrash fest that will please even the most hard to please Metal head.

 

The lyrics to the songs have always been a focal point for Exodus and this album is no exception, they are as caustic and as critical as ever and with their usual twist,  just check out “The Garden Of Bleeding” or the lengthy  “Children Of A Worthless God” for proof.  If you’re looking for something a little more concise then the raucous “Riot Act” is the track for you.  Other tracks to listen out for include; “Funeral Hymn”, “As It Was, As It Soon Shall Be” the stunning title track and “Iconoclasm”.

 

This is one of the best Thrash albums of this year and deserves to be part of your collection, when you play this CD and you hear the twin lead guitars let rip the power of the Riff will compel you to get out the air guitar and give it a damn good thrashing, just remember thrash or be thrashed.

 

WEBSITE      http://www.exodus.com/ & http://www.nuclearblast.de/

 

TOTAL PLAYING TIME = 60 mins + 9 TRACKS