I remember when my music tastes were beginning to expand beyond glam metal and grunge in the early-90’s, I felt encouraged to try stuff based on cover art. You remember, back in the day when you could go to a music or movie store and browse stuff, there really is no better way to find some new stuff. Doing this I was turned on to bands like Pantera, Sepultura, Biohazard, and Pro-Pain. I remember listening to that first Pro-Pain album, The Foul Taste of Freedom. That was a pretty solid album and certainly a little different than I was used to, not being much of a punk or hardcore fan. It was also early in the rapping metal days.
Do you like heavy music? Of course you do. So does The Destro. The Dallas, TX, quartet seem to be quite intent on delivering music that punches you in the head repeatedly. There is nothing wrong with this at all, so long as all you want to do is bang your head at one consistent pace for about a half an hour, perhaps even forgetting about song changes. Yes, you read that right, Harmony of Discord is not even a half hour long and it almost feels like one long song!
Twelve songs clocking in just over the 30-minute mark, Trap Them certainly know that it is better to get in and get out while the getting's good. Darker Handcraft, their third album, is concise, to the point, and poised to hand out a beat down. This music is in your face and wants to draw blood. Whether it is any good is a different case all together. You certainly can't take away their energy, aggression, or their ability to play as tightly as they do within the confined quarters of their sound, but I am not about to hand them the keys to my car. If you know what I mean.
Full Blown Chaos is one of those bands that I swear I have heard before. The name rings so familiar and I just know they have been around for awhile, but for the life of me I cannot place them. Perhaps I have just seen the name so many times I have convinced myself I know them. Whatever the case may be, I have to consider their latest release, the cleverly titled Full Blown Chaos, my first official introduction to the band. It is a decent one, if not a terribly exciting one.
This Belgium based powerhouse know how to deliver pure aggression. These guys are flat out heavy and their goal is clearly to kick in a few skulls whenever they can. To be honest, before the press release landed in my in box I had never heard of Bloodshot. It appears they have been around since 1999 and this album was originally released in Europe in 2008. Now it is 2011 and it can make its way across the pond for a State-side release. I have to say I thin it may have been worth the wait.
With the opening sounds of "Beast" I can picture a pit full of hardcore kids letting out a roar, arms raised to the sky with balled fists, followed by a quick burst of applause, a flash of light and the start of a violent fury that will not end. A swirl of bodies, fists and feet pierce the air over their heads, bodies getting tossed like rag dolls. All of this happens while The Acacia Strain turn the stage into splinters. This music is angry, violent, and goes right for the throat. If you like a god dose of chug with your metal, get yourself a cup full of this strain. You won't be disappointed.