JUSTIN’S METAL REVIEWS WC 25/10/10
COUGH / RITUAL ABUSE
There have been some really good releases in 2010 but one Genre has been
sorely lacking and that’s Sludge / Doom Metal, until now that is.
If were talking Doom Metal then the name Electric Wizard has to come up
and the comparisons are quite obvious but lets face it if you’re going to be
compared to another band it might as well be a very successful one.
Surely I don’t need to tell you what the music is like? But Justin Case I have
to, the words, slow, limbering, and ponderous, spring to mind, lengthy tombs
full of foreboding, heavy as Hell riffs with the vocals that sound like the
tortured souls of the damned. If all this sounds appealing to you then
you will really enjoy the five epic tracks on this fine CD, such as “Mind
Collapse”, “Crooked Spine”, “Ritual Abuse”, “Crippled/ Wizard” and the
brilliant “A Year Of Suffering”.
If you like Sludge / Doom Metal you will find yourself playing this CD
again and again and it will keep us going until the next EW album, totally
essential buy.
WEBSITE http://www.cough666.info
& http://www.relapse.com
TOTAL PLAYING TIME = 53 mins + 5 STUNNING TRACKS
FIREWIND / DAYS OF
If your one of the many people who have only just discovered Firewind
because of Gus G’s involvement with the latest Ozzy album “Scream” then you my
friend are in for a serious treat, especially if you like Power Metal.
This is in fact the bands 7th album and they have been going
for over 8 years, so you have a lot of catching up to do and this is a very
fine place to start, one listen to the brilliant opening track “The Ark Of
Lies” and you will realise that these guys have talent a plenty and can write
very fine tunes indeed. The brand of Melodic Power Metal with plenty
emphasis on the Power and the Metal bit, with a very strong sense of
commercialism about them, makes this a really good CD. The Guitar playing
of Gus G is perfection itself, his technical ability is similar to that of
Yngwie Malmsteen, with a flawless, fluidity and a strong Melodic bias that help
makes songs like “Heading For The Dawn” or the superb, potential hit of
“Broken” rise way above the competition. Another very fine track is “Kill
In The Name Of Love” so is so catchy it will have you singing along in no time
flat and the same can be said of “The Yearning”.
If you have only just discovered Firewind then getting hold of their
older albums is a must and for older fans like me it’s a joy to see more
attention being bought to a great band that rally deserves it, buy the hardback
digibook as it has 3 extra tracks, including a Judas Priest cover that they did
for a recent Metal Hammer tribute CD and it wont cost you any extra dosh,
easily album of the week.
WEBSITE http://www.firewind.com
& http://www.centurymedia.com
TOTAL PLAYING TIME = 66 mins + 16 SUPERB TRACKS