Gates of Winter-'Lux Aeterna'

Band: Gates of Winter
Place of Origin: Canada (Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario)
Album: Lux Aeterna
Year: 2008
Genre: Progressive Heavy Metal

Just one more reason to show some respect for Progressive Metal. Really heavy, trudging sound with alternating clean/harsh vocals. Even has some female backing vocals on one track. Certainly not run-of-the-mill.

Lux Aeterna

Def Leppard

Okay, admittedly Def Leppard is NOT my favorite band in the world. I don't care for them, but you guys might have more use of it than me. Pyromania opens with a strong song, Rock Rock (Till You Drop) is one of the best rock songs of the 80s, the rest of the album is strong, it keeps it going in the same pace and style. I enjoy a few songs off the album, but Def Leppard just isn't my cup of tea. Listen to it, if you enjoy it good, if not you can join the club. Part of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal, Def Leppard came out with an EP and have been rockin since.

Pyromania

R.I.P. to a great drummer.

Country: Japan
Genre: Heavy metal


Munetaka Higuchi - Destruction
In honor of Munetaka Higuchi, famous for being the drummer of Loudness, who died on the 30th of November 2008 from liver cancer. May he find rest.

Southern Flame

Alright, this is a fucking dope as shit band. I got their album Whiskey Metal a while back and couldn't help but think of Weedeater calling themselves Weed Metal. Haha. Well anyway, this album is fucking great, it's on my top list of albums definitely. It's got a hard rock, southern rock, metal fucking sound to it, songs like Dixie Venom, Covered In Sin, and Alcoholocaust should put band on the fucking map. Expect great things from these guys. These guys put on a great show, they've got splendid guitar work, precise and clean drumming, a present yet not overpowering bass, and Lemmy-esque vocals that tie it all together really nicely.

Southern Flame- Whiskey Metal

Various Artists - Scandinavian Metal Attack, Vol. 1

Country: Sweden and Finland
Genre: Mostly heavy/speed with the two Bathory songs being Black/thrash


Various Artists - Scandinavian Metal Attack, Vol. 1

Led Zeppelin

Okay, here are the four discs of Led Zeppelin Remastered and my copy of IV. Remastered is a very, very large collection of most of their works, I say most because despite having the vast majority of their music on the discs there are songs that are missing like Boogie With Stu. But whatever, some really great music all around.

Zeppelin

Crowbar

I offer up the Sludge giants Crowbar. Their album Sonic Excess In Its Purest Form. Crowbar is a very influential sludge band out of the NOLA scene, their first album produced by Phil Anselmo which led to a very successful tenure on Head Banger's Ball. Crowbar has typically very brooding songs, accented by hardcore punk passages. They are also known for taking classic songs and making them heavy, notable is No Quarter, by Led Zeppelin. Their lyrics deal with suffering and addiction. This is a splendid album that has a place in all music collections, I particularly enjoy the song The Lasting Dose.

Sonic Excess In Its Purest Form

Passive Aggressive

Passive Aggressive are a Black/Doom band with a very Heavy Metal style on the Black Metal, making them very unique in my opinion, and very ballsy. The lyrics, typical of a lot of BM, tend to be strange and even nonsensical at times (I.E. "Chapter of the ancient bitch, the perilous.. The universe contains a shrub" = lol wut?), but the music is extremely solid, with a tight bass end that can groove as well as it can pummel. With tracks like the standout "Death And The Hungry", its hard not to feel like Passive Aggressive are going somewhere, and going somewhere good.

Hardchrist EP (Digipack including Demo);
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Breaker

Artist: Breaker
Album: Dead Rider
Country: Germany
Genre: Heavy/Speed metal

This band has some of the best music, and worst production ever. The rhythm guitar is turned up above the lead guitar AND the vocals. But it's all worth it when you hear their great classic songs. Speed metal at its best.

Breaker - Dead Rider

GOOOOOOD Korea.

Artist: Zihard
Album: Life of Passion
Genre: Heavy Metal/Neo-Classical
Country: Korea, South


Tracklist:
1. Intro
2. Crying in the Midnight
3. Viper
4. Strange Without You
5. Adversity of my Life
6. Once Again
7. Against the World
8. Sad Memories
9. Fires in the Sky



When we hear Neo-Classical we often think of the Japanes and their Neo-Classical/Power Metal bands, never do we think of South Korea, well, Zihard IS a Neo-Classical band, but what makes them different from their Japanese counter parts is the fact that they don't play Power Metal, but rather Good Ole Heavy Metal and they don't just play hurr durr fast guitar classical riffs, but instead they have a softer and manlier approach.

Zihard's Life of Passion isn't anything special and It IS repetitive and Boring for the most part, but I feel that Zihard's next output would improve alot so I still have hopes for this.

Bottom Line is that, If you love Yngwie Malmsteen and have a soft spot for Neo-Classical music, then Zihard's Life of Passion is for you.


- Dan



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