Anthrax - For All Kings - track by track Review!

 FOR ALL KINGS

Anthrax

Grownman's Track by Track review!!!!

You Gotta Believe - Great start on this one that matches up quite well with their last album. The writing is strong and Belladonna feels like a better fit for the pace of this song. The main riff is reminiscent of early Anthrax. This is the first recording with Jonathan Donais of Shadows Fall on lead. It's definitely a plus that he's such an instrumental part of this song with his solos. This is how you introduce a new member.

Monster At The End - Two tracks in and Anthrax feels like their back for good. With all the line up changes in the past few years it's pretty cool to see Anthrax back at it's best. Donais once again is the spotlight of this track with his leads and solos peppering the listeners ears throughout. I can't say it enough this song is made for Belladonna. The pace of the last album made it sound like he was playing catch up. This time around, this is a perfect fit.

For All Kings - Check out that friggin bass beneath it all, Frank Bello is on point. When I first heard this track alone, I wasn't digging it. Now in the context of the album, it makes a hell of a lot more sense. The pace of the track is in order with the rest of the album. The production is so well balanced that you can clearly hear how great the new lineup gels together. The band sounds tight.

Breathing Lightning - A radio friendly track that incorporates all the thrash crunch the band's known for. I guess this old dog can learn a few new tricks. It's probably the most pop thing the band's ever done and I can't hate on them because it's actually good. The track even ends with an outro similar to the acoustic strumming on Sabbath's Laguna Sunrise.

Suzerain - This is what Scott Ian was talking about when he said that this album will have some of the most metal inspired music they've performed in their careers. Belladonna embraces his Dio on this one and the new kid Donais adds that next level of guitarmanship the band's needed for a very long time. I recall the band heading into the much more metal territory when they first hooked up with Dan Nelson. We saw how that went right? This time around, I think the band is well equipped and comfortable enough to explore their darker side. Come on now, Donais solo in the latter half of this song slayyyyyyyyyyyys!!!!!

Evil Twin - Break out your long board and thrash hard.

Blood Eagle Wings - The track begins with Uniquely Distorted riffs that transition into a signature Anthrax thrash groove. This will keep you swaying and singing along the whole way through.

Defend Avenge - What year is this? This is straight outta the early Anthrax songbook. No time to write. Time to MOSH! ..... this will even put a smile on the hardened brows of Testament fans

All of Them Thieves - This tune has a heavy Pantera influence. By demons be driven this feels like something that could have easily been on "Sound of White Noise' or 'We come for You All". The band has never sounded fuller or more confident.

This Battle Chose Us - While it definitely has a beautiful crunch, I'm not completely sold on the entire track. It's lost a bit of the energy and steam the rest of the album embodies. It might grow on me after a few listens but for now this feels like filler. 

Zero Tolerance - Bouncy signature grooves reminiscent of early Anthrax. Some of the best guitar work on the entire album and when I consider what I've just listened to, I'm blown away. The song as a whole isn't my favorite track right now but it definitely will thrash your face off.

extra live tracks - a bonus 

This is the album that will finally satisfy both the Belladonna and Bush fans. The thrash and metal components really work well on this album in a way that I haven't heard for sometime. Compared to the many original Thrash/Crossover bands from the 80's, Anthrax still deliver and bring to the table some fresh ideas without changing the dynamics of their sound. The album really benefits from the lack of drama and lead vocalist shakeups their last one dealt with. That was a large problem with even getting that album completed. I can't say it enough, Jonathan Donais is the fuel injection that Anthrax really needed going into this album. Many fans had no clue what to expect from yet another Anthrax line up change. His playing brings out the best in these thrash vets. It sounds like the band has found a fountain of youth in their playing. The production is pristine and does a great service to the melodic moments that appear throughout this album. If I had my hands held to the fire to actually give this album a score, I'd definitely give it 8 out of 10. It's so much better than their last album and it feels like everyone is on the same page now. As a long time fan, I'd like to see the band be even more productive in the future to knock out a few more albums before any shake ups occur. Shadows Fall is on a hiatus, Ian is focused on Anthrax business again and Belladonna seems to be fully initiated into his role as vocalist which means that they should not wait very long before getting into the studio again after they complete a touring schedule for this one. Strike while the iron is hot men!

HMT's Top 5 Albums of 2014 - Review vs Review

So we decided to do something no other site has done before…review each other's Top 5 as we picked them for 2014. We had a ton of music that probably could've made the list but since we didn't want to kick a dead horse we decided to try something strange and new. Professor Fork Tongue comes from a more underground sensibility while I fully admit my tastes lean towards the more commercial/main stream side of things. I took Professor Fork Tongue's top 5 and reviewed each as an album rather than track by track. Professor Fork Tongue took on the not so easy task of reviewing as many tracks of each of my top 5 as he could. Bonus points and that's why they call him the Professor. SO here we go. Remember we listened to a lot of great music this year and if it didn't make our top 5 this time around it's probably because we forced our own hands to just get something down on paper in order to have time to review. Thanks to all of the musicians and bands who contributed to this site throughout 2014. I really thought 2013 couldn't be topped and I was wrong. 2014 in my opinion offered more diversity, ferocity and down right heaviness…I have a feeling 2015 is gonna be a very good year. -grownman



Professor Fork Tongue's Review of Grownman's Top 5

Ok here we go. I'm reviewing Grownman's top 5!

1. The Great American Goodbye  by Arkham

2. Bloodstone and Diamonds by Machine Head

3. Spectral Tower

4. Godmaker

5. Permanence by Deathmole

1. Arkham - The Great American Goodbye

I don't listen to much hardcore but here it goes. 

Mourning In America

Post metal vibe on the opener . Typically not the vocal style to my liking but there's something about it I dig. 

Youngblood 

This one is kind of slow but really picks up at the bridge and becomes interesting mainly because of the interesting rhythm section.

Skeletal Machiner

Ok, I don't like this at all. Really whiny vocals over some humdrum music. It only gets worse when he tries to sing a little bit.

Kelly Thomas

I can get down with this. Some nice chaotic riffing and vocals before turning more traditionally melodic. The name Kelly Thomas sounded familiar to me so I looked it up. Check out the case as it's still very relevant with all this cop crap going down. Some disturbing images.

Flag Burner 

This probably the most traditional hardcore track on the album. I'd like to hear a bit more heft behind the guitar. One man's opinion.

Old Money 

This my favorite track so far. I'm generally liking the lyrics this guy is throwing out there. A little different than your typical hardcore fare. Speaking of different from typical hardcore fare, so is 

the rhythm section. Got a bit of a funkyness to it.

All in all I really only dug Old Money and Kelly Thomas.

2. Machine Head - Bloodstone and Diamonds

Now We Die

I feel like I'm listening to Corey Taylor in some of this instead of Rob Flynn. Not feeling the symphonic elements here. Great guitar solo. More of that please. Some Metalcore elements at work here. Haven't listened to these guys since The Blackening. Holy shit this is 71 minutes long!?!? Dear god.

Killers and Kings

This one starts off vicious. Still feel like I'm listening to Corey Taylor. I'm also hearing post LD50 Mudvayne which I'm a fan of but I don't really wanna hear it out of Machine Head.

Ghosts Will Haunt My Bones

The first thing that comes to my mind when I hear all these songs is who or what other band it reminds me of. The songs aren't bad but it's completely overridden by Flynn playing chameleon. When he's doing these whispered vocals he's coming off like a bad Chino Moreno. This of course 

before going into Corey Taylor mode. Has Flynn always sounded like this or does Taylor sound like Flynn. Not sure. I never got into Machine Head.

Night of Long Knives

Ok, I'm gonna try to avoid the comparisions. This is the only song I kind of enjoy so far. Kind of. I was hoping the subject matter would have made for a better song. It's got a dirty, thrashy Toxic Holocaust feel in spots, without sounding like them at all. Man, I'm really trying not to hear other bands but it isn't working.

Sail Into The Black

Skip it. Just skip it.

Eyes of The Dead

I DIDN'T SIGN UP TO REVIEW THE NEW COREY TAYLOR PROJECT! TAP! TAP! TAP! BY GOD I HAVE A FAMILY! I'M TAPPING OUT!!!

Sorry Grownman, I tried. At 71 agonizing minutes I just can't do it.

3. Spectral Tower - Spectral Tower

Ok I've heard some of this before, this is up my alley.

Artifacts

Really haunting sound. Vocals sounds disembodied and almost ghostly. Fits the music well. There's a particular sound here that reminds me of one of my favorite releases of 2013. Check out Tardigrada if you like these guys. They don't sound the same, just have a similar atmosphere.

There's some chanting that really adds to the mode. The symbol work really pops in contrast the the rest of the sound.

Mountain Throne

Picking up the pace just a little. Maybe not. Drum work mid song gets a little funky and brings in an unexpected element. Kind of seems out of place but kind of works also. Whoa. Idon't know if it's acoustic guitar or bass or what but it's out of nowhere and completely works.

Elder Birth

This album is flying by unlike the ol' Machineknot album. Are these drums programmed? Not that it matters, just wondering. Starting to get a little fatigued on the sound at this point. A bit of a change of pace seems to be needed. I'm not saying start playing like Razor or something, just something a little different. Ok the bridge is kind of saving this by stepping up the atmosphere a bit. Hoping for a big 

climax. Never got it.

Visions

Not sure if it's meant to be but this almost seems like a continuation of Elder Birth. Hmmm, some really nasally sound vocals way in the back of the mix before leading into vocals that sound like what I imagine a cobwebbed, ancient skeleton exiting it's tomb would sound like. Really cool, spacey outro.

Tryptic

Not much to say about this one. It's in the same style as the rest of the album just not memorable.

Departure

This one's very post metal, shoegaze type stuff. Whoa. Then the tempo picks up for a bit for the first time on the album. Wish the drums had a little more thump to them here. Wish some of these songs had more definitive endings rather than just fading out.Sold debut from these guys. Some tweaking and these guys could put out a classic.

4. Godmaker
Check out review of this album from earlier this year.
Godmaker review

5. Deathmole - Permanence

This one is an instrumental album so I won't go track by tack. It's basically post metal and mostly very soothing. It's great to fall asleep to or read to. The kind of stuff you can get lost in. Not an every day listen, it's mood music for sure.

Spectral Lore was my favorite of the bunch Different strokes for different folks, that's why metal is so great. There's something for everyone.

Grownman here, time to review the Professor's Top 5 Albums of 2014

1. John Gallow - Violet Dreams
2. Anguish - Mountain
3. Foreseen - Helsinki Savagery
4. Lord Mantis - Death Mask
5. Black Magic - Wizard's Spell

1. John Gallow - Violet Dreams

John Gallow will "weed" out the everyday headbanger from the connoisseur who really knows when they hear something special. This is a slice of bluesy doom slaying metal you just don't hear anymore. If I didn't know better I would swear this is from 1981 or earlier. Gallow has never followed a trend and is much more of a Hard Rock/Metal alchemist. On this album, he shows you that one can function in the doom world without being a Sabbath clone. Gallows leans more towards the "Tullish" sound of things where sounding "creepy" doesn't necessarily have to go hand in hand with sounding satanic. This is high quality. Good on you Professor Fork Tongue.

2. Anguish - Mountain

Dark Descent is a label I'm really respecting. They've put out a ton of great music over the past few years. Mountain is a great name for this album as its overall feel is that of a large hulking beast.
I can imagine such a beast waylaying anything that stands in it's path. The vocals bring to mind Crowbar's Kirk Weindstein if he was suited up with an armor of old chain mail and dowsed with a bucket of mead. The band makes some nice transitions that allow even the songs that come in at over 7 minutes to feel fresh the whole way through. This is definitely for the folks who enjoy the norse inspired themes and to that I raise my hammer to thee.

3. Foreseen - Helsinki Savagery

    Prof. Fork Tongue shared this a few weeks back (more reason to friend the crap out of him on Facebook) and I hadn't had a chance to actually sit down and listen to it. Thus the reason this album isn't in my top 5 of the year and probably should be. Look at the cover artwork, even if this album completely sucked donkey choad you couldn't go wrong with picking it up. Luckily for everyone within earshot of this album, it shreds.
    After hearing so many crossover albums this year and having mixed feelings about most, this one pretty much nails what many of those lacked. Balls.
   It takes major cajones to take on this genre with so much confidence and fuck it all attitude. How many times have we heard the same embellished "metallica meets nuclear assault meets slayer meets sepultura meets anything that can be sewn onto a denim jacket" riffs and wondered is that all that's left of this era? Like the echoey grunt at the beginning of "Market Target" this entire album is a much needed punch in the gut for a genre that's been coming off to me lately like a two door gremlin with balled tires.
   This album stands alone. There is no time for tongue in cheek ambiguity when it comes to these dudes, it's all shred all of the time. I "forsee" Forseen's Helsinki Savagery being a standard bearer for future upstarts trying to up the irons. To all the new gen Crossover bands, stand notice. 

4. Lord Mantis - Death Mask

    As much as I'd like to say that my dog ate my homework, as soon as I saw this on Prof. Fork Tongue's list I realized that I messed up not including this on my own top 5. IT was definitely floating around in my mind as I perused the lists of releases from this year and what a relief it was to see it on the Professor's list.
   This is hands down one of the best of 2014. With a recipe of demented vocals, fuzzed out distortion and absurd lyrics, Lord Mantis frolics in the cockles of my disturbed heart. This is what got me into Heavy Metal in the first place. It scares me to love this.

5. Black Magic - Wizard's Spell

   This has all the markings of Prof. Fork Tongue's favorite types of Metal. Classic sounding speed metal that's really entertaining. The production is straight up 80's. The galloping rhythm, dual guitar solos and the percussion that's rooted in a more simpler time is a nice switch from the overproduced-thousand blast beats per second sound of this era. The vocals have a really cool range. There are influences that range from Dio era singing to the in your face hardcore punk of the Cro-Mags throughout. This is for the diehards who still long for the days of tape trading, bitching camaros and fist fights at the local drive in.

HMT Dual Track CD Review - Horrendous

Ecdysis

Horrendous

We really enjoyed our last dual review so we're throwing you another one. Straight off the Dark Descent label and it's a doozy. We hope you'll listen, buy and share the word about all of these great bands we review. The publicity we give them is well deserved.
Nuff said. Get on with it.

Track 1 - The Stranger

Grownman says
Synthy beginning. Major distortion on opening riffs that I'd expect from a band jamming out in their basement. Fuzzed out compression with a bit of a groove. The vocals are so strained and otherworldly. I enjoy when the song picks up with a bit of thrash momentum. Nice to hear some soloing over the fast rhythm later on in the song. A nice blend of classic death with some anthemic soloing spliced in.

Professor Fork Tongue says
I'm in love with the main riff on this. Sounds like something late era Carcass would conjure up. Horrendous has a melodic death metal streak in them somewhere. If there's one thing I love it's death metal with prominent bass. Vicious bass at that. First time listening to this I didn't really dig the vocals. Listening on headphones and I've completely reversed my stance. Some great solo which is something you're going to hear multiple times from me in this review. I'm no audiophile but one thing I can tell right off the bat is there is no "loudness war" production on this album. I'm not sure it's compressed at all. Every instrument has a chance to rip you to shreds. Easily the most well produced metal album I've heard all year.

Track 2 - Weeping Relic

Grownman says
Opening with a WTF moment. These vocals are bestial. The riffs are crossover crunchy. The percussion is really clean and bright. While I can't seem to get a grasp on the song's direction until 2/3rds in I can see that this band enjoys pushing the boundaries and keeping things off kilter.

Professor Fork Tongue says
This one kicks up the tempo a notch. I'm really appreciating this album a whole lot more through headphones. Again, the bass is fucking fantastic. I haven't heard leads like this on a death metal album in a long time. This one throws a couple curve balls at you.

Track 3 - Heaven's Deceit

Grownman says
Nice palm muted and distorted riffage. For what the production lacks the deep tones and throat bursting vocals make up for. Once again these throat shredding vocals over a constantly transitioning rhythm works. It's unorthodox yet still holds true to the classic death metal sound.

Professor Fork Tongue says
This is great but short. You can hear their progressive streak in this one. I'm not gonna sit here and throw a mish mash of band names out because while I can hear hints, they don't sound like any of them. It's refreshing to hear a death metal album that's accessible but can still tear your throat out. I thinks it's official that these guys have gone from top of the heap of the "OSDM" wave, to top of the heap of death metal in general. Morbus Chron went too far to the progressive side this year but these guys worked out the formula perfectly.

Track 4 - Resonator

Grownman says
Hello, this is faster and heavier. Everything seems to just pop in my ear drum. Thrashy punk death maneuvers in the dark.

Professor Fork Tongue says
Another great one. More straight up old school death metal on this one. Vocals particularly stand out. I really can't say enough about the guitar work on this album. Voice almost sounds like amp feedback towards the end of the song. Just vicious.

Track 5 - The Vermillion

Grownman says
An echoey acoustic instrumental. Sounds beautiful. Always worked for Sabbath.

Professor Fork Tongue says
I'm a sucker for a great instrumental break. A real nice come down moment from the brutality of the rest of the album.

Track 6 - The Nepenthe

Grownman says
So many strong points to this song. Starting off with some dissonant soloing on the tracks intro. There is a nice balance between the brutality of the vocals and the strong musicianship accompanying it. Twists and turns keep my ears guessing.

Professor Fork Tongue says
Allow me to cream my pants about the production of this album some more. I can turn this up as loud as I want without distortion and destroying my speakers. This loudness war compressed crap has got to go. Try that with most albums these days and your ears will slap you. There's a really nice piece in here with what sounds like minimalist atmospheric keyboards deep in the mix that sounds great in the headphones.

Track 7 -  Monarch

Grownman says
Feels old school right from front street. The buzzing of the amps remind me of Metallica's "And justice for all" production. I love the soloing on this song and the upbeat rhythm throughout.

Professor Fork Tongue says
Oh man I love the soloing at the start but I love it even more when it really kicks in. This one is going to cause massive pits with the big riffs and anthem gang vocals.

Track 8 - When the Walls Fell

Grownman says
woah!!!! I wanna start singing "Over the Mountain". So Randy Rhoades-ish. I'm starting to think these guys own a time machine. This totally sounds like something straight out of the early to mid 80's. Well timed instrumental.

Professor Fork Tongue says
Whoa. This has a new NWOBHM vibe to it. A little out of place but I love it. These guys have some serious chops and I'm pretty sure they could do any kind of metal they want and do it well.

Track 9 - Pavor Nocturnus

Grownman says
Sounds sabbathy from the start. Iommi-esque slow riffing and that Ward'esque beat. You know this is gonna be an ominous tune from the start. Transitions into something akin to a Human era Death tune. Why have I never heard these guys before? There's a really nice bass line hidden around the mid point that I'll have to back track to on the album's next rotation in my playlist. Great old school outtro.

Professor Fork Tongue says
Slow and doomy at the start. Again, I love hearing the bass. Gives this track an extra creepiness vibe. I completely hear the Human era Death vibe that Grownman got.

Track 10 - Titan

Grownman says
As I could only expect after hearing the rest of this album. This is going to have some "Titan"-ic distortion. It definitely has a bluesy and soulful vibe which is completely unheard of on most death metal albums. Great way to close out an album that's constantly switching things up. There is not one moment on the album including this tune where I'm scrambling to regain my attention or find myself scratching my head over why something was thrown in.

Professor Fork Tongue says
Very somber track. Kind of vaguely reminds me of Sacriphyx who are great in their own right. The chanted vocals underneath the throat ripping vocals sounds great. I have a feeling this will be in my top 5 somewhere at the end of the year, it's that good. Go grab it from Dark Descent who are on a gigantic roll the last few years, especially this one.

Horrendous is Jamie Knox(drums) Damian Herring (guitars,vocals) Matt Knox (guitars,vocals)