Review: God Forbid, "Gone Forever"

With their latest release, God Forbid join the ranks of a new breed of American metal bands like Shadows Fall, Killswitch Engage and Chimaira that don't mind mixing and matching their favorite parts from all the various subgenres of heavy music.

To see a perfect illustration of this, you have to look no farther than the first single off this album, "Better Days." It pummels you into submission during the verse, then lifts you back up with a melodic chorus that will burn its way into your head and get stuck there.

The whole album follows suit. It takes elements of hardcore, death, thrash and good old-fashioned melodic metal and creates a Frankenstein monster that's just as volatile and just as fascinating as Mary Shelley's creation.

I can't resist a good melodic vocal with a vicious call-back scream, and this album is packed with them, most notably "Washed Out World." But the band can also rip out a good straightforward exreme metal number, too. Check out "Anti-Hero."

The New Jersey-based quintet tears through nine songs on "Gone Forever," each as good as the last. From the thrash of "Force-Fed" to the bludgeoning "Judge the Blood," the album is outstanding from start to finish. Welcome to the future of extreme metal.

Get "Gone Forever."

Review: Damageplan, "New Found Power"

Pantera fans, rejoice. Founding brothers Vinnie Paul and "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott have called in reinforcements for their MIA bandmates and recorded an album that will have Pantera fans asking one question - Phil who?

They had big shoes to fill on vocals, but former Halford guitarist Patrick Lachman was up to the challenge. Lachman can do a spot-on Phil Anselmo impersonation in case the band wants to roll out some Pantera tunes, but he's also got a versatility that allows him to do much more than just be a clone of his predecessor. (Take a listen to "Reborn" or "Soul Bleed" to hear another side.) The band's tattoo artist Bob Zilla takes over on bass, laying down a solid bottom end.

With song names like "Breathing New Life," "New Found Power" and "Reborn," it's not hard to figure out that a lot of the songs are about new beginnings and reflect the band's struggles over the past few years. (There's also a very pointed jab at Anselmo.)

The album is a new beginning in more ways than one, though. Without the expectations of a Pantera album, Dime and Vinnie took the opportunity to stretch their songwriting skills, resulting in a much more varied album.

While numbers like the title track, "Breathing New Life" and "Explode" are ripped straight from the Pantera songbook, there are songs you'd never hear on a Pantera album, like the acoustic "Soul Bleed," the earthy "Moment of Truth" or "Pride" and "Save Me," which come down more on the commercial side of today's metal scene. In essence, they can have their cake and eat it, too, with pummelling songs that will satisfy Pantera fans and a few that could find crossover success.

Is it a new Pantera album? No. Half the album is too mellow, and it just doesn't have the same spark. But it's as close as we're likely to get.

Get "New Found Power."

Review: Into Eternity, "Buried in Oblivion"

Into Eternity first wowed me with their 2002 release "Dead or Dreaming." Its high-powered blend of progressive and extreme metal was surprising and refreshing.

The Canadian quintet returns with a much more ambitious offering for their official Century Media debut. "Dead or Dreaming" was all about the hooks, focusing on the progressive side and melodies that stick with the listener. There's nothing on this album that I'll hum for weeks like "Absolution of the Soul" from the last record, but the songs here are much more complex and engaging.

The focus on "Buried In Oblivion" is fully on the heavier side of the band, even veering a bit into the black metal realm on songs like the outstanding "Dimensional Aperture" and "Beginning of the End."

The band also embraces its Canadian roots. "Point of Uncertainty" sounds so much like Canadian thrash legends Annihilator that I had to check the liner notes to make sure Jeff Waters hadn't joined.

For those who prefer the progressive side of the band, there's a treat in the companion pieces "Buried in Oblivion" and "Black Sea of Agony." The first is a soft song with some nice orchestrations which leads perfectly into the second song, which would have been right at home on "Dead or Dreaming." There's some very nice vocal play on this album between Chris Krall and Tim Roth with interesting swaps and harmonies. The clean vocals sound at times like Geddy Lee and at others like a young Geoff Tate and the death vocals run the gamut from shrieks to rumbling growls.

With this album, Into Eternity shows that it has more to offer than a few catchy hooks. They're definitely a band to watch.

Get "Buried in Oblivion."

Review: Force of Evil, "Force of Evil"

If you miss the good old days of heavy metal, then this is the album for you.

When I was growing up, there was no band darker or more evil than Mercyful Fate, with the power riffs of Hank Shermann and the ear-piercing wail of King Diamond. Now Shermann, tired of waiting on bandmate King Diamond to come back into the fold, strikes out on his own. He's recruited Mercyful Fate alums Michael Denner and Bjarne Holm, former King Diamond bassist Hal Patino and vocalist Martin Steene, for a debut album that, not surprisingly, sounds an awful lot like Mercyful Fate.

In fact, listening to songs like "Eye of the Storm" and "Samhain," I could almost imagine myself back in those leather-and-spikes days. They're songs that can hang with the best of Mercyful Fate.

Though he tries on songs like "Under the Blade," Steene doesn't quite have the vocal chops of King Diamond, but he's more than adequate to carry the songs, and those who don't like King's shrieks and growls might even prefer him.

Musically, the album is solid. Guaranteed to get any old school metal fan banging his head.

Get "Force of Evil."

Review: Iced Earth, "The Glorious Burden"

Here's one history lesson that should sway even the most unstudious music fan. Iced Earth guitarist and founder Jon Schaffer outs himself as a history buff on this album, which also marks a historic moment for the band.

When long-time vocalist Matt Barlow departed to return to college, he left a huge void. Fortunately, a Judas Priest reunion with Rob Halford left singer Tim "Ripper" Owens looking for a job. Owens stepped in and laid down some incredible vocals on this album. No longer confined to sounding as much like Halford as possible, Owens stretches out on "The Glorious Burden," and the results are fantastic. It's obvious he believes in his new band because the vocals on this album are more passionate than any of his phoned-in performances as a hired gun with Judas Priest.

The songs on the album - the typical crisp, fast, precise Iced Earth fare - cover key points in American history, from the signing of the Declaration of Independence ("Declaration Day") through the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks ("When the Eagle Cries," "The Reckoning"). It also explores world history with Attila the Hun ("Attila") and famed World War I pilot Manfred von Richthofen ("Red Baron/Blue Max") providing the subjects for two of the strongest outings on the album.

But the heart and soul of this album is a song that almost didn't make the cut because of its length, an epic 32-minute piece based on the battle of Gettysburg. It's easily the most passionate piece of music Schaffer has ever put on an album.

He uses the music to great dramatic effect, perfectly punctuating the ebb and flow of the battle as it plays out in the lyrics. He also uses bits of Civil War-era songs like "Johnny Comes Marching Home" and "Dixie," at one point, blending them together in a nice symbolic gesture.

There are also some poignant moments lyrically in the three-part masterwork as a Confederate soldier contemplates having to cross swords with his best friend in "Hold at All Costs," and the band (with the help of Barlow) makes us privy to a haunting conversation between Generals Longstreet and Lee just prior to the ill-fated Pickett's Charge in "High Water Mark."

Though I'd like to think the best is yet to come, this could well be the crowning achievement of Schaffer's career.

Get "The Glorious Burden."

Review: Kid Rock, "Kid Rock"

I was one of the biggest critics of Kid Rock's last album, the appropriately-titled "Cocky," but I have to admit it grew on me. So I was a little more prepared for the emergence of Kid Country on his latest self-titled album.

This album is an even more dramatic departure from the rock-rapper's past than "Cocky." But it's also a much better album. "Kid Rock" gives him something he's never had, a distinct personality. It's a much more coherent record than "Cocky," which bounced from one end of the spectrum to the other.

The album has a long list of contributors from Hank Williams Jr. on the Aerosmith-laced "Cadillac" to a reunion with Sheryl Crow on "Run Off to L.A." These guest spots provide some of the hottest tracks on the album, including "Black Bob," where Shreveport native Kenny Wayne Shepherd lays down a wicked wah-wah lick, and "Hillbilly Stomp" which features the talents of ZZ Top's Billy Gibbons.

There are some clunkers on the album, like the Kenny Chesney-penned country ballad "Cold and Empty" - which despite being a little dull is an almost surefire crossover hit - and the sappy "Do It For You," which really doesn't fit the Kid's style. But he more than makes up for those with raucous rockers like "Jackson, Mississippi" and "Son of Detroit," an inspired take on David Allan Coe's "Son of the South."

Those looking for the Kid Rock who recorded "Bawitdaba" and "American Bad Ass," may not find him on this album. There's only one rap, "Intro" (which for some odd reason is the album's seventh song.) But those who come to this album prepared for Kid Rock's transition into a Southern rock crooner should enjoy it.

Get "Kid Rock."

Review: Blind Guardian, "Live"

If you're a fan of Blind Guardian, this two-CD collection of some of the best songs from the band's seven studio albums is a must-have. If you're not a fan, this collection of tunes fueled by fantasy and legend is a fantastic introduction.

The album, recorded at venues all over Europe and Asia, show that the rest of the world knows what the American metal community is just starting to pick up on - that Blind Guardian is one of the most original and distinctive bands out there.

"Live" provides a quick overview of the band's progression from a fairly straightforward power metal outfit on songs like "Majesty" and "Valhalla" to the symphonic powerhouse they've become on numbers like "Nightfall" and "The Soulforged."

The focus on the album, is on the later, more complex works. They play six of the nine songs on "Imaginations From the Other Side" and five tunes from "Nightfall in Middle-Earth."

The album provides more than two hours of Blind Guardian in fine form, making the smooth transition from blistering power metal to minstrel songs. It's the latter that often get the bigger reaction from the crowd.

Numbers like "The Bard's Song (In the Forest)" get the crowd clapping along, and the audience is singing louder than vocalist Hansi Kursch on "Lord of the Rings." (I still think Peter Jackson missed a great opportunity by not getting this song somewhere in the film trilogy; it's a perfect fit.)

The performances are solid, the fan reaction is fantastic and it's two solid hours of Blind Guardian. What more could you ask for?

Interview: Staind

When the members of Staind came together to write their latest album, "14 Shades of Grey," they had some big shoes to fill. Their sophomore effort "Break the Cycle" topped the charts and went quadruple platinum. But guitarist Mike Mushok said the band didn't really feel any pressure in making the new album; they just went about business as usual.

"None of us expected `Break the Cycle' to sell as well as it did; that just doesn't happen very often," Mushok said. "We figured we were just going to write the best record that we could possibly write, then go out and do what we do. All you can ever do in anything is the best you feel you're capable of, and that's what we did."

It seems to have worked. Though sales of "14 Shades of Grey" haven't been quite as brisk as "Break the Cycle," the album did debut at No. 1. The latest single "So Far Away" currently holds the No. 1 position on both the Billboard Mainstream Rock and Modern Rock charts. A big reason for that success, Mushok thinks, is that fans identify with Staind's songs.

"I think (vocalist) Aaron (Lewis) writes lyrics that a lot of people can relate to," he said. "I've heard a lot of people say, `You said what I felt; you put it into these songs.' I think that's what touches people."

Staind's major label debut "Dysfunction" was more metal than melody. But with the release of the breakthrough hit, the acoustic "Outside," recorded live in Biloxi, Miss., the band found another outlet for its angst. Likewise, the biggest hit from "Break the Cycle," was the acoustic "It's Been a While," and Staind continues to explore a lighter direction on "14 Shades of Grey" that's earned them critical acclaim.

"In contrast with earlier albums, `Grey' is more light than dark," wrote USA Today's Edna Gunderson. "The new songs are sturdier and more melodic, and the band deserves credit for taking the sunny side of the street instead of the genre's low road to gloom wallows and celebrations of adolescent fixations."

Mushok says the change was a natural one. He said, looking at the bands that made a big impact on the rock world - the Beatles, the Police, Led Zeppelin - they all had one thing in common.

"I look at the music that I still listen to that's been around for a long time, and it all has great melodies," Mushok said. "That, to me, is what a good song is. It's something that has melody that, hopefully, someone can relate to and want to listen to again. I think that's one thing that has been around forever."

The guitarist is also quite pleased with the package the band has put together for this tour. They've recruited old friends Sevendust, who they opened for once upon a time, and newcomers Lo-Pro, the first signing to Lewis' record label.

"I'm a fan," he said. "I pretty much go out and watch every night and enjoy it every night. It's one of the benefits of being able to tour with bands you really like."

Mushok admits it is a little strange to follow a band that they once opened for, but he said Staind enjoys the challenge and the camaraderie with old friends.

"It's hard to go on after (Sevendust) because they put on such a great show," he said. "We've been wanting to go back out on tour together, but this is really the first occasion that we've been able to do it."

As for Staind's live performance, Mushok said fans shouldn't expect a lot of bells and whistles. They prefer to let the music speak for itself. He said Staind's performance is an emotional one that should give fans a hint about where the songs come from.

"We don't believe in a lot of production," he said. "It's really just us playing with lights, which to me is what a rock show is about. It's just about going out there and playing our songs for the people who came to hear them."

Review: Fireball Ministry, "The Second Great Awakening"

If Black Sabbath had come from Birmingham, Ala., instead of Birmingham, England, it might have sounded a little like Fireball Ministry.

With all the hype surrounding the band, I'm not sure what I expected, but it certainly wasn't this Sabbath-laced slab of stoner rock. That's not a bad thing, though. The album grows on me more with every listen.

The sound is hard to classify. The title track and intro reminds me a little of Judas Priest's "The Hellion," and the Sabbath influence is all over the record, but the album itself isn't entirely metal. There's a lot of classic 1970s rock influence here, particularly on the power harmonies.

The band provides a solid base that alternates between a brick wall of power chord sound and Southern-fried sludge grooves that are surprising since the group calls California home.

The key ingredient that sets the band apart is singer James Rota, whose voice falls somewhere between an early Ozzy Osbourne and Glenn Danzig. These days, it's refreshing to hear a metal vocalist that actually sings, and it takes the listener a bit by surprise.

Add to that Fireball Ministry's quirky melodies on songs like "Master of None" - the album's hottest track - "In the Mourning" and "He Who Kills," and you've got a recipe for success. Fireball Ministry are primed for an explosion. If this album doesn't make them one of the the biggest bands in rock, something is seriously wrong.

Get "The Second Great Awakening."