I Am Abomination - Passion of the Heist EP (REVIEW)

Epic vocals, shredding to make Steve Vai blush and the overall talent displayed on this album will make you set your guitars on fire and go back to college upon the realization that you will never be this good.

Above: Critics reaction

Nick S. and Phil D., the dynamic duo behind the musically stunning  To Our Forefathers album have risen above contract disputes and lineup issues to craft this eloquent teaser of an EP (letting all of us know that a full-length is not too far behind this release). Even with only 5 tracks (the opener, Vilification, is an instrumental) this album packs more balls than the World Cup. Having done their own recording mixing and mastering, the IAA dudes have crafted an aggressive uppercut of an album that's complete with all the fretboard fireworks and vocal acrobats that only these guys can deliver.

I love this band because they've refused to bend to the scene around them. Any and all vestiges of any -core music are absent from their music. This album further showcases the duo's talent for dark, flawless rock and roll/progressive shred/metal.

The EP is centered around the concept of extraterrestrial life capturing, studying, manipulating and finally invading and eradicating the human race here on Earth. The often lighthearted tone of the music acts as an interesting counterpoint to Phil's dark storytelling. "Examination," the story of the unfortunate subject of the aliens first experiments sounds (lyrically) like a horror novel turned into a short poem; the music, while heavy, never tries too hard to match the themes being sung. Rather, it demands that we give this EP more than just a few casual glances; I've started to notice that the music does evoke some otherworldly tones that add to the consistent darkness of the lyrics.

The last song, "Invasion," is a perfect example of IAA using absolutely everything at their musical disposal to craft the perfect song. Orchestral/choral parts give way to dark, garbled alien speech, then slams right back into a slower, wardum-like onslaught of guitars and drums. You can almost see the ships sinking down from the clouds, mercilessly razing our planet until nothing is left...

AIEEEEE!!!

"Examination" is another favorite of mine. The music by itself would drive any crowd to a fist pumping euphoria, but the unrelenting seriousness of the lyrics (an undying man describing his body being torn apart and pored through as an experiment begins) paints a stark image in your mind that elicits a deeper appreciation of just how "metal" IAA can really be.

IAA is time and again a departure from whatever you're currently listening to, because they don't sound like anything that has come before them. At least, nothing the current music industry can typecast. Amidst a sea of bands all sticking to the once-new formulas of yesterday, I Am Abomination is the soundtrack to any of those who question the accepted order.

Also, this band is tits.

Tracklisting:

1. Vivification
2. Abduction
3. Examination
4. Transformation
5. Ascension (Feat. Caleb Shomo)
6. Invasion

Suicide Silence- The Black Crown REVIEW

I've written in the past that Acacia Strain's Wormwood punches you in the dick with heaviness. This latest Suicide Silence album goes a step further by dicking you in the punch. 

This quintet has always been intense, provocative and overall, heavy. The Cleansing introduced them to the world as a deathcore band, but there was the underlying promise of so much more. No Time to Bleed introduced a new bassist in Dan Kenny, new solos from Mark H. and some beautiful riffage from Chris Garza all atop the always brutal Alex Lopez.  

The Black Crown shows us an almost entirely new group of musicians at work. "You Only Live Once" begins with a spoken word intro that showcases a new direction for the band; instead of shrieking his way across the new album, Mitch Lucker seems to have taken his time writing his vocal parts on this offering. "Witness the Addiction," aside from giving us the orgasmic collaboration of Jonathan Davis (you may have heard of him) and Mitch L., this song build on the instrumental track preceding it to stand out as one of the heaviest songs SS has ever written, despite the clean vocals.

"Human Violence" is a return to some of the SS we've come to love. Its more of a thrashy, four-on-the-floor type of song that gives way to a sinister, primal breakdown towards the end of the song. "Fuck Everything" is a sludgy, powerful assault of a song that pounds Mitch's message home. Lyrically The Black Crown  seems to have a little carry over from "No Time to Bleed" in that it has an overall "fuck it, lets live life" message that anyone can get behind. The rest of the album varies between an explanation of Mitch's disdain for religion (Witness the Addiction), disgust for drug abusers (Slaves to Substance - a little autobiographical of the band, perhaps?) and the capacity we as a race have for violence (Human Violence).

The Black Crown is heavy, its fast, its precise and polished; but above all, it is the album Siocide Silence will be judged by forever. The riffs are more technical, the rhythms are groovier, and the breakdowns are breakdown-ier. The use of effects on this album (much like Emmure's slightly updated sound on Children of Cybertron) lends a whole new feel to this band. The clean vocals, the new speed and technicality and the overall growth this band has made has forged an insane album. Get it. Blast it.


Tracklisting:

1. Slaves to Substance
2. O.C.D.
3. Human Violence 
4. You Only Live Once
5. Fuck Everything
6. March to the Black Crown
7. Witness the Addiction (Feat. Jonathan Davis)
8. Cross-Eyed Catastrophe (Feat. Alexia Rodriguez)
9. Smashed (Feat. Frank Mullen)
10. The Only Thing That Sets Us Apart
11. Cancerous Skies