Today, I am briefly looking at the first album from British-Canadian supergroup AxeWound titled Vultures. The band consists of singer Liam Cormier from Cancer Bats, guitarist Matt Tuck from Bullet For My Valentine, guitarist Mike Kingswood from Glamour of the Kill, bassist Joe Copcutt from Rise to Remain, and drummer Jason Bowld from Pitchshifter.
Their sound blends aspects of several sub-genres of heavy metal from grindcore, thrash, power metal and groove metal. Lead vocalist Liam Cormier does an excellent job of combining clean vocals with a variety of growls and screams. For an initial release, the album can be considered a success. The first single from this release is titled, "Exorchrist." I loved this song, so I downloaded the entire album (legally), and thought the album was pretty good.
Some of the high spots on the album include "Exorchrist," "Vultures," and "Collide."
In this installment of Metal Mayhem's top 100 Metal Bands of All-Time we will look at a German power metal band, an industrial metal icon, an underrated thrash band, a progressive metal band, and hard rock/metal band from California.
40. Nine Inch Nails
Nine Inch Nails is an American industrial metal project formed by Trent Reznor in Cleveland, Ohio in 1988. As the only permanent member, Reznor is the primary songwriter, producer, and singer of the band. NIN's albums have been considered some of the most important and influential of the 1990's. These albums include Broken, The Downward Spiral, and The Fragile. On a personal note, Nine Inch Nails was one of the most important bands of my youth because I identified with the thematic direction of the band especially The Fragile. One really cool thing that Reznor did for his fans was he made NIN's album The Slip available for free via download on the band's website back in 2008. Hopefully, that wasn't the final album for the band as Reznor seems to have been preoccupied with film scores as of late.
Here is "Help Me I Am In Hell/Happiness in Slavery."
and "Mr. Self Destruct."
39. Machinehead
Machinehead is an American thrash/groove metal band from Oakland, California that formed in 1991 by vocalist/guitarist Robb Flynn and bassist Adam Duce. Inspired by early thrash bands like Metallica, Exodus and Slayer, and groove metal bands like Pantera; Machinehead was able to create their own unique style. Their albums Burn My Eyes, The More Things Change, The Blackening, and Unto the Locusts have become metal classics of the groove/thrash metal sub-genres However, when Nu metal became popular in the 1990's, they tried their hand at it with sub par albums The Burning Red and Supercharger which featured much simpler guitar riffs, and if I remember correctly, Flynn may have rapped on one of the tracks. Here is "Davidian."
38. Symphony X
Symphony X is an American progressive metal band from Middletown, New Jersey that formed in 1994 by guitarist Michael Romeo. They have release four of the best prog metal albums of all-time with The Divine Wings of Tragedy, V:The New Mythology Suite, Paradise Lost, and Iconoclast. The band's sound is like a heavier Dream Theater combined with elements of symphonic metal. Great band!
37. Guns N' Roses
Guns N' Roses is an American hard rock/metal band from Los Angeles that formed in 1985. The classic lineup of vocalist Axl Rose, lead guitarist Slash, rhythm guitarist Izzy Stradlin, bassist Duff McKagan, and drummer Steven Adler released the best selling debut album of all-time with their release of Appetite for Destruction in 1987. Along with the popularity of grunge, Guns N' Roses no-nonsense rock music were both responsible for the demise of hair-metal. Currently, only Axl Rose remains from the original lineup due to constant in-fighting among the band due to Rose being a giant douche. Here is "Welcome to the Jungle."
36. Accept
Accept is a German power metal band formed in the late 1960's by former lead singer Udo Dirkschneider, guitarist Wolf Hoffman, bassist Peter Baltes. They were a huge part of the German metal scene is the late-1970's to 1980's along with The Scorpions that were partially responsible for inspiring speed metal bands. Their album, Balls to the Walls, was a huge commercial success along with one of the worst album covers in music history. The band also received much criticism and praise for their songs "London Leatherboys" and "Love Child"as a gay anthems which the band has wholeheartedly embraced. In 2009, the band returned after a brief hiatus with a new lead singer, TT Quick's Mark Tornillo. The two albums released with the new singer (Blood of the Nations and Stalingrad) have been their best efforts since the early 1980's. Here is "Balls to the Walls."
Today we are going to take a brief look at HammerFall's latest album 2011's Infected. This is the band's eighth studio album, and a minor departure because they abandon their usual themes for a more modern theme about a virus being unleashed on society.
HammerFall is a Swedish power metal band that formed in 1993. They are known for their clean vocals by Joacim Cans who is one of the best vocalists in all of metal. If you haven't heard these guys, I highly recommend them.
Back to Infected. This may be their best effort yet.
I rate this album A-.
In the latest installment of Metal Mayhem's top 100 metal bands of all-time, we examine five unique and wonderful bands that includes one of the first commercially successful extreme metal bands, a band that employs the use of an electric violin, a Dutch symphonic metal band, a German industrial metal giant, and Black Label Society.
45. Cradle of Filth
Cradle of Filth is a British extreme metal band that formed in 1991. This band combines elements of extreme metal with Goth metal, symphonic metal and progressive metal. Lyrically, the band finds inspiration in horror films, literature, and mythology. The vocal work of Dani Filth is one of the highlights of the band. I especially enjoy the way he combines screams and growls . . . unique vocal range. While the band uses satanic imagery in their music, its mostly used for shock value.
Here is "Cruelty Brought Thee Orchids."
44. Black Label Society
Black Label Society is an American metal band from Los Angeles formed by Zakk Wylde in 1998 due to the initial failure of Wylde's solo career. (In case you didn't know, Zakk Wylde has been Ozzy Osbourne's long-time lead guitarist from 1988-1995, 2001-2008). The band released their initial album Sonic Brew later in 1998 to rave reviews. The band has released nine studio album with all of them being excellent works of metal goodness. Their best album to date is 2005's Mafia which included the masterpiece "Suicide Messiah." Speaking of which, here is that track.
43. Within Temptation
Within Temptation is a Dutch symphonic metal band that formed in 1996 by lead singer Sharon den Adel and guitarist Robert Westerholt. The band has combined melodic vocals with songs in the folksy, Celtic tradition. The band has currently transitioned into a more poppy, electronica sound similar to Evanescence which has drawn much criticism from log-time fans. In my opinion, the band's new material is great, maybe not as good as their earlier music, but still excellent. Here is "A Demon's Fate."
42. Turisas
Turisas is a Finnish folk metal band that formed in 1997 by Mathias Nygård and Jussi Wickström. They are named after an ancient Finnish god of war. I love that! They combine elements of power metal with symphonic metal, but what stands out about them is their use of the electric violin for solos instead of a guitar. They are a really cool band! Here is "Stand Up and Fight."
41. Rammstein
Rammstein is a German industrial metal band that formed in 1994. They are arguably the most successful German metal band since The Scorpions in terms of worldwide success. One of the coolest things about Rammstein is that their entire musical catalog is in German. I like this because it shows that they have never sold out their principles to make money, but were successful regardless. Plus, there is something mysterious and melodic about the songs being sung in German that makes me excited about this band. Here is their biggest single "Du hast."
Here is the latest installment of Metal Mayhem's top 100 metal bands of all-time. In this portion of the list, we include a groundbreaking death metal band, a solo project from a metal god, a "grunge" band that is more metal than grunge, a heavy metal superstar that has gone on to have incredible success in horror films, and the first metal band to have an album reach number one on the Billboard Charts.
50. Quiet Riot
Quiet Riot is an American metal band that was formed in 1973 by guitar god Randy Rhoads and bassist Kelly Garni. The band also featured vocalist Kevin DuBrow and drummer Drew Forsyth. With the untimely death of vocalist DuBrow, Quiet Riot features none of the original members of the band, but does still tour and release new music . . . albeit not very good. Quiet Riot was famous for being the first metal act to have an album reach number one on the Billboard Charts with their classic release Metal Health which featured the classic tracks "Cum on Feel the Noize" and "Bang Your Head (Metal Health)."
Here is "Bang Your Head (Metal Health)."
49. Napalm Death
Napalm Death is a British extreme metal band that formed in 1981. Like Quiet Riot, none of the original members are currently with the band; however, their current lineup has been fairly consistent since the early 1990's. Their sound is a combination of elements of grind-core with death metal and hardcore punk. While I do not enjoy the vocals of the band, I do like the sociopolitical aspects of their lyrics and the musicianship of the band is stellar.
Here is "Suffer the Children."
48. Halford
When legendary front man of Judas Priest Rob Halford was fired from the band in 1992, he formed a band called Fight. After several years away from metal, he decided to return to his metal roots and formed Halford in 1999. The first album, Resurrection, was one of the best metal albums that I have ever heard. It features a song titled "The One You Love to Hate" which features Bruce Dickinson. I am a huge fan of this band! There is also a video clip on YouTube of Ron Halford, Bruce Dickinson, and Geoff Tate performing this song live. I thought I was gonna have a stroke due to the sheer power of the vocals. Here is "The One You Love to Hate."
47. Soundgarden
Soundgarden is an American grunge/metal band from Seattle that formed in 1984 by singer Chris Cornell, guitarist Kim Thayil and bassist Hiro Yamamoto. Ben Shepherd replaced Yamamoto in 1990 and Matt Cameron became the band's full-time drummer which established the classic lineup. Soundgarden was the first of the "grunge" bands to sign with a major label, and, in my opinion, were the best band from that era. While they will always be associated with the "grunge" movement, Chris Cornell's vocals epitomized the metal sound rather than the punk sound that bands like Nirvana, Screaming Trees, and Mudhoney championed. Here is "Outshined."
46. Rob Zombie
Rob Zombie is an American metal icon that began his journey as the lead vocalist and main catalyst of the band White Zombie in 1985. The band broke up in 1998, and Zombie released his classic solo album Hellbilly Deluxe the same year. The cool things about Zombie's work with both White Zombie and his solo efforts was that thematically, the lyrics were based completely on fantasy. There were no social commentary, no statements. Just horror inspired metal which is awesome! Here is "Dragula."
Today I am going to take a break from the Metal Mayhem's Top 100, and do an album review. Yesterday I had the pleasure of listening Phantom Antichrist which is the latest effort from German thrash giant Kreator. In case you missed it, Kreator was listed at #71 on Metal Mayhem's top 100 metal bands of all-time. If I had listened to this album, I would have ranked them much higher.
If you are unfamiliar with Kreator, they are often cited as one of the big three of German thrash along with Destruction and Sodom. The band formed in 1982 and have been considered huge influences of the rise of European death metal.
In my opinion, Phantom Antichrist (along with Born Villain) may be the best metal album that has been released in 2012. This is the band's thirteenth album, and by far, their best. This album is the first evidence that Kreator has grown as a band in the thirty years of their existence. I say that because while there is definitely aspects of thrash evident, but this album is more of a hybrid progressive-thrash album.
One problem that I always had with Kreator is the vocals of Miland Petrozza. That said, the combination of clean vocals with a variety of screams and growls is much improved.
I have always thought that Kreator was an incredibly talented band, but they have never reached their full potential . . . until now. I highly recommend this album.
Here is the latest installment of Metal Mayhem's Top 100 Metal Bands of All-Time, number 60-56. In this portion of the countdown, we have another diverse set of bands, so here we go.
55. Alice in Chains
Alice in Chains is a grunge band from Seattle, Washington that formed in 1987 by guitarist Jerry Cantrell and vocalist Layne Staley. Despite the fact that they are often associated with the grunge movement, Alice in Chains combines aspects of metal, blues, and acoustic rock. Jerry Cantrell has often stated that he considers the band a heavy metal act. In my humble opinion, they are one of the best bands that came from the grunge era due to their metal sound which I often attribute to the screeching vocals of Staley. Their best album was the groundbreaking 1992 release Dirt which was the band's best selling and best reviewed album of their career. Unfortunately, Staley passed away in 2002 from a drug overdose. The band has recently reformed with William DuVall as lead singer. Their latest effort, Black Gives Way To Blue, was not only a fitting tribute to the great Layne Staley, but a triumphant return of the best band that came out of the nineties. Here is "We Die Young."
54. Korn
Korn is an American Nu Metal band from Bakersfield, California that formed in 1992. They are an important band because they were the first band to be branded under the sub-genre Nu Metal. Korn is famous for their emotional and intense performances, most notably in the song "Daddy." Their live performance was what initially drew me to the band. When I was younger, I went to see them in Nashville, Tennessee on a whim, and it was one of the best shows that I had seen. Although I have never been a big fan of Nu Metal, Korn is without a doubt the best in a sub-genre of mediocrity. I would rather classify them as straight metal, but they are credited with as the first Nu Metal band in history, so I won't tinker with that. Here is "Make Me Bad."
53. King Diamond
King Diamond is an eponymous Danish metal band that formed in 1985 by King Diamond after the breakup of Mercyful Fate. Unlike Mercyful Fate's focus on satanism, King Diamond focused more on horror stories and other tales of macabre. If you have never heard this band before, the falsetto vocals of King Diamond are the most unusual, and perhaps one of the most influential in metal history. I would recommend their album Abigail.
Here is " The Family Ghost."
52. U. F. O.
UFO was an English heavy metal band that formed in 1969, and are famous for being an early influence on bands during the New Wave of British Metal. Iron Maiden founder and bassist Steve Harris often cited UFO as his greatest influence. For that reason alone, UFO finds a place at number 52.
Here is "Give Her the Gun."
51. Delaine
Delain is a Dutch symphonic metal band that formed in 2002 by former Within Temptation pianist Martijn Westerholt and Charlotte Wessels. Along with Nightwish and Within Temptation, Delain is one of the best symphonic metal bands on the planet. Their albums April Rain and We Are the Others are must owns for anyone that digs this brand of metal.
Here is "Get the Devil Out of Me."
Here is the latest installment of Metal Mayhem's Top 100 Metal Bands of All-Time, number 60-56. In this portion of the countdown, we have a diverse set of bands, so here we go.
60. System of a Down
System of a Down is an American metal band that formed in 1994. The band includes Serj Tankian on vocals and keyboards, Daron Malakian on guitar, Shavo Odadijian on bass, and John Dolmayan on drums. My first exposure to SOAD was at Ozzfest '97.They were one of the best performers on the card, and I went out and purchased their self-titled album the next day. The one thing that I like about SOAD is that they are completely original. That means that there isn't a band out there that you can compare them. Their best album is Toxicity, but they have yet to release a bad album. The band took a hiatus from 2006-2010 so Tankian could work on his solo album Elect the Dead (which is fantastic), and Malakian started Scars on Broadway (not too great). They have since reformed, and hopefully will be releasing new material.
Here is "B. Y. O. B."
59. Fear Factory
Fear Factory is an industrial metal band that formed in 1989. One of the cool things about this band is that while they have been considered industrial metal, they often stray from that label employing techniques that could put them in thrash metal, groove metal, and progressive metal. Their album Demanufacture was one of the best examples of a metal concept album done right. I was able to see this band at Ozzfest in 1997, and they were amazing live. They are one of the truly under-appreciated metal bands, but no longer for they made THE LIST.
Here is "Replica."
58. Ministry
Ministry is an American industrial metal band that formed in 1981 by Al Jourgensen as a new wave-synthetic band. They changed their style to industrial metal in the late 1980's. The band didn't achieve notoriety until the release of Psalm 69 in 1992, and their famed tour with Lollapalooza. Along with Nine Inch Nails, Ministry was one of the most important industrial metal.
Here is "NWO."
57. Diamond Head
Diamond Head is an British heavy metal band that formed in 1976, and is often recognized as one of the leading pioneers of the New Wave of British Metal along with Iron Maiden, Saxon, and Motörhead. Thrash metal giants like Metallica and Megadeth have often stated that Diamond Head was a major influence on their early careers with Metallica famously covering "Am I Evil." While they never achieved mainstream success, their influence on the creation of thrash metal is good enough to warrant them a spot at #57.
Here is "Am I Evil."
56. Suicidal Tendencies
Suicidal Tendencies are an American hardcore punk band that is often viewed as the innovators of crossover thrash which is a blending of punk and metal. While I have never been a fan of this group, their impact must be acknowledged.
Here is "Waking the Dead."
Here is the latest installment of Metal Mayhem's Top 100 Metal Bands of All-Time, number 65-61. In this portion of the countdown, we have a power metal bands, two progressive metal bands, Halestorm and Primus.
65. Halestorm
Halestorm is an American metal band from Red Lion, Pennsylvania that formed around 2003 by siblings Lzzy and Arejay Hale. They have released two excellent albums, Halestorm and The Strange Case of . What I like most about Halestorm (other than Lzzy Hale is a total babe) is that they don't feel the need to fit a particular mold. They make music that can be considered hard rock, pop, alternative, and metal. While Halestorm probably fits best in the hard rock, they clearly have the metal attitude . . . good enough for me. Also, bands with a kick-ass female lead singer that play guitar are always going to catch my attention.
Here is "I Get Off."
64. Dragonland
Dragonland is a Swedish power metal band that formed in 1999. They are known for basing three albums on the Dragonland Chronicles fantasy saga which is based on some weird PC game. Despite the nerdy premise for albums, these guys are damn good. They are power metal at its best. Their guitar combo of Olof Mörck and Jesse Lindskog play some of the most epic guitar spots that I have ever heard, and their singer Jonas Heidgert is one of the best power metal vocalists today. I have read many comparisons to Dragonforce, but you would have to be deaf and dumb to make that connection. Dragonforce is all about speed while Dragonland is about melody. Great band! I owe this choice to my friend "The Infidel."
Here is "Beethoven's Nightmare."
63. Fates Warning
Fates Warning is an American progressive metal band from Hartford, Connecticut that formed in 1982 by lead singer John Arch, guitarists Jim Matheos and Victor Arduini, bassist Joe DiBiase, and drummer Steve Zimmerman. In 1987, Arch was replaced by current singer Ray Alder. While not quite on par with fellow progressive metal pioneers Dream Theater and Queensrÿche, they were an important part of the growing popularity of the genre. There album, Awaken the Guardian, is one of prog metal's best albums.
Here is "The Sorceress."
62. A Perfect Circle
A Perfect Circle is a progressive metal supergroup that formed in 1999 by Maynard James Keenan of Tool and Billy Howerdel of Ashes Devine. On a personal note, this band could have been rated higher if they were more active, but I simply love this band! I especially enjoy the vocals of Keenan . . . always have. Every album they have released is glorious and powerful, but different from the previous albums.
Here is "The Outsider (Renholder Apocalypse Mix)."
61. Primus
Primus is an American metal band from San Francisco that formed in 1984 by Les Claypool. What can I say about Primus that can possibly explain their greatness. There is simply no band quite like them, in fact, Claypool once describes their sound as "psychedelic polka." I really enjoy this band because they simply have never taken themselves too seriously, and genuinely have fun. Their albums Sailing the Seas of Cheese, Pork Soda, Tales from the Punchbowl, and The Brown Album were all huge parts of my youth. I was able to witness their greatness at Ozzfest several years ago, and they are just as great live. While they don't fit nicely into the metal genre, they don't really fit in any genre, so . . . why not here?
Here are two tracks, first "My Name is Mud."
Here is the latest installment of Metal Mayhem's Top 100 Metal Bands of All-Time, number 70-66. In this portion of the countdown, we see two thrash metal bands, one goth metal band, an American power metal band, and a progressive metal act.
Here they are:
70. Enslaved
Enslaved is a Norwegian progressive black metal band that formed in 1991. While the band has many thematic aspects of black metal, the band's song structure is closer related to progressive metal. The only original members of the band are Grutle Kjellson on vocals/bass and Ivar Bjørnson on guitar. Saying that this band is bad ass is a huge understatement.
Here is "Ethica Odini."
69. Type O Negative
Type O Negative was a Gothic metal band from Brooklyn, New York that formed in the early 1980's as Northern Lights. They changed their name to Type O Negative in the early 1990's. They gained notoriety for their 1993 release, Bloody Kisses which featured the hit single "Black No. 1." However, I prefer their often overlooked album, October Rust which possessed a more symphonic, melodic tone than any other of their albums. One thing that I always enjoyed about this band was their tongue-in-cheek, sarcastic take on topics such as three ways in "My Girlfriend's Girlfriend." Plus, Peter Steele was such a great vocalist. Unfortunately, Steele passed away in April 2010 which officially ended the band.
Here is "Love You to Death."
68. Circle II Circle
Circle II Circle is an American progressive metal band from Tampa, Florida that formed in 2001 by the former vocalist of Savatage, Zachary Stevens. While not well-known, this band releases incrediblly focused concept albums and kick-ass power metal albums. Their third album, Burden of Truth, is one of the best concept albums released in the last ten years.
Here is "Burden of Truth."
67. Heathen
Heathen is an American thrash metal band from San Francisco that formed in 1984 by drummer Carl Sacco and guitarist Lee Altus. Their album, Victims of Deception (1991) was one of the best thrash metal albums I have ever heard.
Check out "Opiate of the Masses."
66. Kamelot
Kamelot is a power metal band from Tampa, Florida that was founded in 1991 by drummer Richard Warner and guitarist Thomas Youngblood. They were joined by Norwegian singer Roy Khan in 1998, thus forming the classic lineup of the band. Khan recently quit the band due to health reasons, and was subsequently replaced by Seventh Wonder's Tommy Karevik. I haven't heard their latest album, but I'm sure it's epic. Words cannot describe how insanely awesome this band is, so I am going to give you guys two tracks to wrap your mind around.
First, "The Human Stain."
