The Sword's "Warp Riders" Out Now

As most of you probably know, the new The Sword album is out now and it is a treat to the ears indeed. I reviewed it on Altsounds here. Check the review out, then come back here to hear my three personal favorite songs on this album.

Done reading the review? My first fave song from this album is the title track 'Warp Riders'. Voivod meets Pentagram, yet pure The Sword. One of the most paranoid sounding, flawless space metal songs of all time.


Then there is the chilling final track (The Night the Sky Cried) Tears of Fire).



And we can't forget 'Tre Brujas'. The video is amazing.

Tres Brujas


The Sword MySpace Music Videos

The Fabs: That's the Bag I'm In

Some drugged out, lowdown, sleazy Texas garage psyche from 1967. I love The Fabs and this song is an inspiration to me on those hard to wake up mornings. Listen to the lyrics...

Heliso Creed: Lactating Purple

Blast off to the opening track of one of the most insane space rock albums ever...Helios Creed's "Lactating Purple"!

Abdullah: Earth's Answer

Mesmerizing, heavy, deep, melodic, goth stoner metal.

Chrome: Saint Jimmy's Birthday

Insane, heavy psyche, Hendrix inspired space rock from Chrome's 1997 album "Retro Transmission".

What You May Have Missed While I Was Out...

Here are some links to what you may have missed over the past several weeks. These are links to my music reviews for Altsounds.com. Give them a look if you haven't already.

1. Light Pollution's
"Apparitions"

2. Primordial "Spirit the Earth Aflame"

3. Sleepy Sun "Fever"

4. Tony Danza Tapdance Extravaganza "A Series of Unfortunate Events"

5. Roky Erikson and Okkervill River "True Love Casts Out All Evil"

6. Blitzen Trapper "Destroyer of the Void"

7. Jon Spencer Blues Explosion "Dirty Shirt Rock N Roll"

8. Haste the Day "Attack of the Wolf King"

As I said earlier I will still be posting short music segments here as well as other things. For the full length music reviews and music news click on over to Altsounds.com. I will try to link them back over here whenever I can.

The Sword's "Warp Riders" and Where Have I Been?

Hello, folks. Long time no see. I've been writing music reviews for Altsounds.com. I will continue to do short music posts and other non-music related musings here. I thought long and hard about it...I want to keep this blog open. There's lots of movies I want to review here as well. I will try to make it a point to link to my music reviews that are on Altsounds here.

Here's my review of the new Sword album "Warp Riders". The release date is this Tuesday the 24th. Enjoy. Click here.

Chrome Hoof

An increible band I was just introduced to by a friend on Facebook...Chrome Hoof. Heavy psyche prog 1970's space rock jazz fusion . Brilliant. They remind me of a cross between Hawkwind, Magma, King Crimson, and Chrome. Check them out. I'm going to be tracking down more of their stuff...Thanks Jeremy!

Danzig: Deth Red Sabaoth

Ok. I'm a hugeDanzig fan. From The Misfits, to Samhain, and on....he's had a few setbacks, but you mostly cannot go wrong with anything the guy touches. I'm going to try to step back a bit and give myself a little distance on this review. First off, I was a bit skeptical about picking up this album. Danzig has been around so long, what else can he do that he hasn't done already? And does Danzig still have it? These are the questions I was seeking an answer to by picking up this album. Did it answer my questions? Read on.

I had read many good things about "Deth Red Sabaoth" and the few short samples I listened to were incredible. So I picked it up and was initially blown away. From the first track "Hammer of the Gods" I was taken back to the bloody blues filled world of Danzig from his first three works. Such incredible vocals, and one of the nastiest head banging riffs of all time. The next few tracks keep up this same pace...a lot more guitar solos than usual for Danzig but they are heavy and bluesy and they fit. At times I was taken back to the gore-soaked days of Samhain. The momentum keeps up through much of the album. Track 6 "Deth Red Moon" is perfect, one of the best Danzig songs of all time.

But does this album maintain this quality all the way through? Sadly, no. Songs such as "Ju Ju Bone" and "Black Candy" sound like he is trying too hard to maintain his devil blues schtick. Plus the pace really begins to slow and meander towards the end on "Pyre of Souls" (both versions). He redeems himself on the last track "Left Hand Rise Above", a classic deep dark Danzig ballad, but is it enough? I think it is.

"Deth Red Sabaoth" is still a pretty solid album that could have been made better with the omission of three or four songs. Does Danzig still have it? I think he does. Did he outdo himself on originality? Not really, but it's Danzig, love him or hate him. Pick this disc up now.

Truckfighters: Mania

It's been a while since I've bought any new music. Budgetary cutbacks maybe but also I have so much to listen to in my collection already. Last week I finally broke down and made two purchases: Danzig's "Deth Red Sabaoth" and Truckfighters "Mania. Danzig will get a review very soon, but first I want to talk about the new Truckfighters.

First of all Truckfighters "Mania" was released in 2009. It is still in import status here in the U.S. but is available for download for $8.99 over at Amazon. The Truckighters have been one of my favorite bands as of late. This is their third full length album. Many might look at them as a somewhat derivative Kyuss clone from Sweden but if you look underneath there is so much more.

First of all, these guys take their desert rock seriously. Heavy and disorienting as a blinding dust storm, the Truckfighters bring the 100 plus degree tempuratures on and you can feel it in every note they play. Massive face melting riffs, thundering bass...everything you could ask for. Look a bit closer. There is a huge King Crimson influence lying just underneath...most of their work has a King Crimson "Red" era feel to it. Deep dark shuddering, dissonant bass, slightly atonal guitar work, volatile time changes that crush you at the drop of a hat, a skewed sense of melody...all the while threatening to give you whiplash from irresistible head banging grooves. Add to it the smooth melodic Ian Astbury-esque vocals and you have a winner every time.

"Mania" builds on the momentum of their first two works. Their first album "Gravity X" was very straightforward and downright irresistible. It's a classic and hard to beat. Their second one "Phi" was very angular, darker and deeper. Their latest one is a cross between the two, bringing in the hooks more so but at the same time keeping things as trippy as possible. They bring in some space rock touches here and there and also add a bit of a Led Zeppelin feel towards the end on "Monster". The song wrtiting is clearly the best of their career on this album. The first track "Last Curfew" slowly builds...quiet and subdued with a nice bass line and subtle guitar work...it makes me wish I was in the desert right now. It draws you into the album and then you're hooked. The second track "Monte Gargano" blows your head off and blasts you into space with seriously catchy almost poppy hooks. The third track "The New High" is classic Truckighters...earth shaking, head banging desert metal with choruses so catchy they rival The Misfits or Fu Manchu at times. As the disc progresses, things grow stranger, and darker, heavier, and more hallucinatory as you begin to question your sanity. All in all an incredible work. Is it their best effort yet? I personally prefer their first release "Gravity X' for the sheer energy level alone. "Mania" is a very strong release, however. You can't go wrong with any of their three albums. I suggest getting them all, but that's just me...

Hank Williams 3: Country Heroes

The way country music should be. Drink up.

Nebula: Carpe Diem

A little heavy space rock courtesy of Nebula for you.

Billy Lee Riley: Flying Saucer Rock 'n' Roll

Some killer insane rockabilly courtesy of Billy Lee Riley. Crank it.

Electric Wizard: We Live

Slow, deep, and hard. Wait, that's Type O Negative territory. Never mind. Just listen to this track. Heavy as molten lava, beyond Type O, yet still slow, deep, and...wait a minute. Just surrender your ears to Electric Wizard's "We Live".

Rob Zombie: Demon Speeding

Pure, focused, insanity from Rob Zombie's "Sinister Urge" album. "Demon Speeding" makes me want to drive way too fast into the depths of b-movie hell and madness....