PHILM - Harmonic

 

This is gonna seriously piss of some Slayer fans. Dave Lombardo is without question the greatest drummer in metal today and has been for a few decades now. But he's also no stranger to playing outside of the metal realm, whether it's with Fantomas, John Zorn or bashing his way through Vivaldi's Four Seasons. His new trio PHILM not really like anything like he's done before. He's stripped down his massive kit to a small 4 piece (but thankfully has kept the gong) and plays a more restrained style in this psychedelic trio. Note I did not say power trio. At times the music gets rocking, but is nowhere near Cream, Blue Cheer, etc.

PHILM is rounded out by guitarist/vocalist Gerry Nestler and bassist Pancho Tomaselli (a long-time member of War). Their debut album Harmonic is a very groovy affair. Lots of improv and the guitar playing emphasizes atmosphere. The rhythm section is beyond tight and flexible. You know these guys have must have jammed out on "Low Rider" and "Slipping Into Darkness." I would love to hear that! The influence of Pink Floyd is pretty strong but there's a lot of Led Zeppelin in there, too. Lombardo is a well known pot head and some of this record sounds like they got really baked and watched The Song Remains The Same before heading to the jam room. The song "Way Down" uses a slowed down "Whole Lotta Love" riff for the verses before launching into a "No Quarter" jam.

Musically I have no complaints with this record. The jams on "Sex Amp," "Harmonic" and most of the other songs are cool. The only real drawback is in the vocal department. Nestler's voice is OK but doesn't have a lot of range. It can't be easy to put words to these songs but too often he falls into an almost spoken word delivery. When the songs heat up in intensity the vocals turn into a kind of predictable Tool-influenced type of thing. Not bad, but nothing to get too excited about either. On the other hand, vocals do help some of the songs from just being meandering jams. A frontman would probably be bored in a band like this. In a live situation I could easily see this being much more effective. Like I said before, people who only like metal will hate this but since Ripple attracts such a wide range of musical nut jobs, I know I'm not alone in appreciating this one.

--Woody

https://www.facebook.com/PHILMOfficial

Terrordome – We’ll Show You Mosh, Bitch!

I would think the purpose of sending out a blanket blast of promos is to get someone’s attention, get your album reviewed, and use that press to build up more excitement for your band.  So Terrordome, mission accomplished!

I received a 5 song blast from Polish thrashers Terrordome, and it hearkens back to the glory days of thrash.  This is full-on, mash the accelerator and hold on for dear life music.  It goes by in a blur, the average song length is only about 2 minutes, but they manage to pack a punch in every second that is recorded.  The press release cites Slayer, Dark Angel, and Cryptic Slaughter as influences and they aren’t kidding around.  If you ever thought Slayer and not Metallica were the height of thrash, this one’s for you.

And you gotta love bands where English is a second language.  I don’t mean to poke fun at all; it’s just that they use English with such gusto, like the album title, “We’ll Show You Mosh, Bitch!”  Song titles are good too, like the energetic “Thrash Til Deaf”, which I have no doubt would be the end result of a Terrordome show.  I kinda like “Silence (While the Violence’s On)”, too, as a title.  It’s like those European guys on Family Guy, they use the language as best they can but there are always little cues that English is not the mother tongue for them. 

So anyhoo, this release is short and sweet and this review will be too.  If you like early, old school thrash, if you like metal that relentlessly pummels while it makes you feel so good at the same time, get your mitts on this release and party like its 1984.

-– ODIN

Slayer - Diabolus In Musica

Woody inspired me with his review of the new Slayer album, and though it didn’t excite me the same way it did Woody, it still made me think that I, well . . . all of us at Ripple, owe Slayer a debt of gratitude. It was the music of Slayer, after all, that reaffirmed my love for all things metal and compelled me to approach Racer, way back in the day, and propose doing a music review fan zine. Much like our brother, Woody, I’ve been listening to Slayer since I was a wee lad . . . Haunting the Chapel was the first bit I heard from these guys. I remember sitting in a recliner as the neighborhood toughie that all us kids really wanted to be like dropped the needle on the record and I heard Tom Araya screaming out lyrics about the holy cross being the symbol of lies and crucifying the lives of Christian born. On one side, I completely freaked. Never had I heard such blasphemous words spoken. Then the other half reared its ugly head and I ran home, tore all of my Motley Crue pictures from my bedroom wall, and discovered the world of extreme metal.


Now, extreme metal is my sound of choice. It’s not an uncommon site to find me brandishing my battle axe to the subtle sounds of Bolt Thrower, or scrapping the barnacles from the hull of my Viking ship to the warring chants of Amon Amarth, or trekking through the barren deserts of Egypt to the haunting throes of Nile. But none of these scenarios would be possible without the diabolical devastation brought forth by Slayer. The band has become an institution. Hell Awaits opened the gates. Reign in Blood instantly became a classic. Seasons in the Abyss made them legends. Diabolus in Musica . . . did I just hear a needle go tragically scratching across the face of some vinyl? Yes, Diabolus in Musica is the Slayer album that reaffirmed to me that the band was still vital to heavy metal. I’m sure the die-hard Slayer fans never felt that they lost a step, but y’see, I did. I began to lose interest in the band around the time of Seasons because I started to feel that they’d been there and done that. Diabolus changed that for me.

I remember that I was immediately sold on this one when the band breaks into the opening track, “Bitter Peace.” The tune kicks off with a huge intro, very reminiscent of the Slayer I grew up with . . . heavy, intricate, ominous . . . all wrapped up into one bubbling and bristling ball of energy. Once that intro rolls away at the wrists of Paul Bostaph, the riff that blasts through the speakers takes me back, way back, to the time I first heard “Angel of Death.” It was as if I was hearing Slayer for the first time. It sounded fresh, while retaining that element of familiarity. Then, the absolute high speed chaos assails the senses. Notes played at the speed of light, bass and snare drums popping and snapping, Tom Araya’s sinister vocals penetrating through the musical din, all conveying a crystal clear message that war is more than the television programs most Americans are used to watching. What I found most compelling about this track was how the band used dynamic shifts in tempo to drive this nitroglycerin truck through a block wall. They slow down the tempo at just the right time for maximum effect, and if that groove doesn’t get the body swaying in time, then there’s just no hope for the masses.

“Love to Hate” gave me new found respect for Slayer. Jeff Hanneman penned a dandy with this one as he incorporates some great elements that takes the traditional Slayer sound and adds some new wrinkles. Yeah, it’s still heavier than all get out, but what makes this track stand out is the up strokes on the guitar strings, creating an eerie, higher pitched shimmer that contrasts with the imposing low end groove. This little effect gives the song so much more character than if they had just plowed through the tune in their standard get-the-fuck-out-of-the-way approach. Also, check out the little break they throw in during the second verse. It kind of comes out of nowhere and harkens back to the classic creepy Slayer sound, but again, a nice dynamic shift that keeps the song from being pedantic. The groove to “Love to Hate” is powerful, just showing that this band doesn’t need to kick down 280bpm to deliver a hearty ass kicking.

Every song gets me moving on this album . . . “Stain of Mind,” “Perversions of Pain,” “In the Name of God,” all solid songs that encompass the Slayer attitude and sound. But it’s the album closer, “Point,” that acts as the cherry on top of this sundae, bloody sundae. Musically, much like the rest of the album, the band throw in some fresh ideas that help make the Slayer sound less one dimensional. Some Slayer fans don’t want that . . . I get it. But it’s my band, too, and I want to hear a little more diversity. Check out the killer riff at the thirty second mark . . . brutally heavy! Then, it’s all about the chaos of double bass drums and uber-fast drums beats, guitar riffs, and lyrics that depict more horrifying images of war. It’s actually the lyrics that captured my attention the most with this one as they vibrantly describe the fear of war, not just that there’s bloodshed and body counts, but the actual psychological trauma of coming under fire and having to face one’s own mortality. At one point, I can see with my mind’s eye, dew drops forming on the leaves of trees in a rain forest somewhere in Southeast Asia . . . movement in the foliage and feeling the eyes of the enemy on me . . . the soft squishing of my boots in the mud and the persistent buzz of mosquitoes in my ear . . . oh, that was a bullet whizzing by my head? Shit. I’m dead.

No doubt about it. Slayer is one of the finest metal bands of all time because they capture so many different elements in their music. There’s the speed, there’s the heaviness, there’s the creativity and vision, there’s the imagery and intelligence of the lyrical conveyance, and there’s the attitude. I read recently that Kerry King wasn’t a fan of this album because they were doing weird things in the music, but those are the exact reasons that this album is so important to me. Innovative ideas and approaches to playing made Slayer relevant again. My imagination and emotions were lit on fire for a second time in my life. I’ve heard some Slayer fans vilify this album, but they never explained why. I don’t hear it. I hear a band that has that same punk rock attitude and brutal metallic energy that they always had . . . they just created interesting nuances that will forever make Diabolus in Musica my favorite Slayer album . . . next to Reign in Blood, of course. - Pope JTE

http://www.slayer.net/
 
www.myspace.com/slayer

Slayer - World Painted Blood

FUCKIN SLAYER!!

That’s all there is to say when the subject of SLAYER comes up. And since there’s a new SLAYER album out called World Painted Blood, I’ll say it again – FUCKIN SLAYER!!! I’ve been a fan since 1983’s Show No Mercy and here it is 26 years later and their 11th studio album and I’m still excited about these guys.

By now, everyone knows where they stand with SLAYER – you either love them or you are wrong. World Painted Blood picks up where 2006’s Christ Illusion left off. It’s fast, pissed off, thrashing METAL. There have been a lot of reviews comparing this album to Reign In Blood, and while World Painted Blood is a good album, it’s nowhere near that all time classic. Actually, parts of the album remind me more of Show No Mercy-era SLAYER because of some of the untamed energy. Apparently some of the songs were written in the studio with all band members present which they haven’t done in a long time.

Like any SLAYER album, it’s easy to figure out who wrote what song based on lyrical content. Kerry King is responsible for mega-angry anthems like “Public Display of Dismemberment,” “Amerion” and “Hate Worldwide” (opening lyric “I stab you, right between the eyes”). Jeff Hanneman contributes dark, creepy songs like “Playing With Dolls” and “Psychopathy Red.” Tom Araya screams himself silly on every single one of these songs.


The riffs are brutal and fast, the guitar solos skid all over the place and Dave Lombardo’s beats are beastly and frantic. Production wise, the guitar sound is similar to Christ Illusion but maybe a bit more “modern metal” sounding as opposed to “classic metal” tones. World Painted Blood was produced by Greg Fidelman, the same guy who did Metallica’s Death Magnetic but thankfully the mix and mastering of the new SLAYER is not maxed out and overly compressed. In fact, when Metallica started getting heat for making another crappy sounding album SLAYER rushed out the song “Psychopathy Red” to let everyone know not to blame the producer.

Overall, this is a much more pleasant listening experience than the brutally heavy but monochromatic sounding God Hates Us All album. I challenge anyone to listen to that one from start to finish in one sitting and not suffer some ear fatigue. God Hates Us All was also a pretty long album and this new one clocks in at a sane 40 minutes. The entire album is solid start to finish with no real weak songs, but also no real classics either. The title track, “Beauty Through Order” and “Not Of This God” have some of the more memorable riffs. “Snuff” is probably my favorite since it starts right off with dueling leads like at the end of “Raining Blood” before making room for Tom’s booming voice.

SLAYER seems pretty pumped up about this album so expect them to play a bunch of songs on it on their upcoming tour in early 2010 with Megadeth and Testament. Revolver Magazine also has a new all-SLAYER issue out on the stands documenting the history of the band. Looking at all the vintage shots of SLAYER is the perfect companion piece to World Painted Blood.

--Woody

Buy here: World Painted Blood (CD & DVD)



http://www.slayer.net/

Ripple News - Slayer, Megadeth Team Up For American Carnage

Slayer. Megadeth. Two names synonymous with fierce, crunching power. Two bands whose histories are inevitably intertwined in defining the thrash/metal genre. Individually, their respective prowess and accomplishments are impressive; but together, they're brutal and unstoppable. Megadeth and Slayer will join forces to co-headline "American Carnage," the most blistering, the most explosive, and the most eagerly-anticipated mega-tour of the winter - and you do not want to miss it.

"American Carnage" will kick off on January 18 in Seattle, WA for a 26-date trek across North America that will include the six Canadian dates postponed earlier this month. Tickets for most shows go on sale this Friday, November 20. Ticketmaster is offering a special presage for most shows from Wednesday, November 18 at 10AM until Thursday, November 19 at 10PM.

In addition, Testament, who was also on the '91 "Clash of the Titans" bill, will be Special Guests on the entire tour, marking the first time that all three bands have shared a stage together in more than 18 years, and making this a "must see" metal event.

Both Megadeth and Slayer will hit the road supporting new albums: Megadeth's 2009 album, ENDGAME, and Slayer's World Painted Blood, the band's 10th studio venture, which hit stores November 3. Testament's The Formation of Damnation: Special Tour Edition, will be released on February 23, 2010 with special unreleased bonus tracks.

Confirmed dates for "American Carnage" are as follows:

JANUARY

18 WaMu Theatre, Seattle, WA*
19 Memorial Coliseum, Portland, OR (tickets sold via www.rosequarter.com)
21 Cow Palace, San Francisco, CA*
22 Long Beach Arena, Long Beach, CA * (tickets on sale 11/21)
23 Dodge Theatre, Phoenix, AZ**
25 Magness Arena, Denver, CO*
26 Tingley Coliseum, Albuquerque, NM*
27 El Paso Coliseum, El Paso, TX*
29 Verizon Wireless, Houston, TX**
31 Municipal Auditorium, Nashville, TN*


FEBRUARY

1 Gwinnett Arena, Duluth, GA*
2 Broadbent Arena, Louisville, KY* (tickets on sale 12/4)
4 Roy Wilkins Auditorium, Minneapolis, MN* (tickets on sale 12/4)
5 UIC Pavilion, Chicago, IL* (tickets on sale 12/4)
6 Cobo Arena, Detroit, MI*
9 Chevrolet Theatre, Wallingford, CT**
11 Izod Center, East Rutherford, NJ*
13 Susquehanna Center, Camden, NJ*
14 Tsongas Arena, Lowell, MA*
16 Pavillon de la Jeunesse, Quebec City, QC (tickets sold via Billetech.com)
18 John Labatt Centre, London, ON (tickets on sale 11/27 via JohnLabattCentre.com)
19 Air Canada Centre, Toronto, ON (tickets sold via Ticketmaster.ca)
20 Bell Centre, Montreal, QC (tickets sold via Admission.com)
22 Moncton Coliseum, Moncton, NB (tickets sold via MonctonColiseum.com)
23 Metro Centre, Halifax, NS (tickets sold via TicketAtlantic.com


* tickets sold through Ticketmaster
** tickets sold through LiveNation.com