Adestria - "Chapters"
3/26/12 Razor & Tie Records

I don't know much about California's Adestria, but I stumbled upon one song, liked it, and bought their debut album "Chapters". My first impression of this band after a few minutes listening, was that they reminded me of a mixture of All That Remains and Killswitch Engage, which is a very good thing.

When this band is heavy, they're HEAVY, they involve some keys in their songs which can either make or break an album, but I think they execute it perfectly. Their metal vocals are great, whether they're screaming or growling its spot on. They do however use clean vocals a lot, which personally I never like in my metals, but they do it in such a way that doesn't make me frown. Their breakdowns and guitar work are solid and keep me interested throughout the whole album. "The Odyssey" is probably the best song on "Chapters", while "Outsiders" has a nice flavorful taste of hardcore in it which was a great addition. "More Than You Know" shows the softer side of Adestria (maybe too soft?), but 3 minutes in they go back to the brutality. They end the album with "Scarlet Letter", a powerful song with an even more powerful ending. This song has some female vocals, as does "Whiskey For The Soul" and one or two others, which work very nicely.

This band will definitely make a rise in the metal world in the next year or so, I enjoyed this album, and although I'm biased because I don't fully enjoy clean vocals, I'm sure most other listeners will. "Chapters" is a good mix of genres, with death metal and post hardcore, it'll make for a good listen for all metal fans.

The Metal Alliance Tour @ The Worcester Palladium
3/22/2012

My ears are still ringing and I smell like PBR, must mean another loud night out in Worcester. The Metal Alliance Tour rolled through town this week, and it was a breathe of fresh air, we've been lacking in the concert department lately. The lineup was great with bands from diverse genres, and a second stage of local acts as well. From death metallers Job For A Cowboy and Impending Doom, to the high vocals and thrash-esque party that is 3 Inches of Blood, this was a very fun show.

The local bands were great, The Summoned closed off the second stage and they were awesome. With a very spastic sound and great stage presence, they were fun to watch. Moving down to the main stage, Impending Doom had a great set, playing mostly older songs and some new ones from their latest album "Baptized In Filth" (reviewed below). 3 Inches Of Blood followed and they also have a brand new album out, they opened with their newest track "Metal Woman", and played such favorites like "Battles and Brotherhood" and "Deadly Sinners". 3 Inches of Blood always put on a great show, I've seen them many times and still get excited whenever I see their name on a bill, same goes for Impending Doom. If you ask me, the first 2 bands didn't get enough time, I'm pretty sure they got 25-30 minutes, which to me isn't enough but they made sure they filled every second with greatness. Job For A Cowboy hit the stage next, and WOW, they always steal the show. They opened with "Entombment Of A Machine", which is a GREAT song and a great way to open their set. They have a new album coming out on April 10th entitled "Demonocracy", so they played a few new tracks and they were rich in JFAC heaviness. After Job For A Cowboy the crowd needed a nap, but there was no time to rest with Dying Fetus about to destroy our eardrums even more. Everyone loved Dying Fetus, and they sounded really great, but as far as visuals go or 'putting on a show', that's not really their thing. They're very old school in that sense, they come, they rock out, they leave, WHICH ISN'T A BAD THING. A huge fan favorite came on next, The Faceless, they always put on a great show and mix their set-lists up with new songs, old songs, fast songs, and slow songs. The crowd loved them, went nuts, and some even left after their set. Why leave before the headliner comes on?! Devildriver exploded onto the stage next, with an hour or so to play, and plenty of songs to fill that slot. Much like the past 5 bands, their set was also comprised of oldies and new goodies, pleasing everyone's ears. They opened with "End Of The Line", and although a lot of people left the Palladium before Devildriver came on, you wouldn't have known by the movement and noise coming from the floor. Once their set was over and the fog settled, many pleased metal fans made their way towards the exits.

The Metal Alliance Tour contained many great bands from different genres of metal, and brought out plenty of metal heads (although the attendance wasnt too high, everyone enjoyed themselves no matter who they came to see). With Job For A Cowboy, Devildriver, and The Faceless being the fan favorites, and 3 Inches of Blood and Impending Doom sharing new music and putting on great shows (as usual), this was a very successful night at the Worcester Palladium. Next stop, the New England Metal and Hardcore Festival.....

March 22nd, 2012:

The Metal Alliance Tour w/ Devildriver, The Faceless, Impending Doom, 3 Inches of Blood, and many more @ The Worcester Palladium. To see more, go here.

Or go to www.massmetal.net

Impending Doom - "Baptized In Filth"
3/13/2012 E1 Music


Impending Doom, the christian metal band that sounds NOTHING like a christian metal band. They released "Baptized In Filth" off of E1 Music, which is their fourth release to date. They're heavy, they're loud, they're deceiving, they're great. 


This album sounds very very angry to my ears, a much darker release from their past few albums. "For The Wicked", "Chaos Reborn", and "Angry Letters To God" are the angriest and loudest tracks on the album, oozing with pure aggression to the "non believers" and general population. Within one listen I can tell, this band is pissed! Pissed and slightly sympathetic and worried. The track "Absolute Horror" is a much slower and mellow song, but its still heavy and fantastic. This album has a slightly different sound than their last few releases, but that initial Impending Doom flame and sound is still there, and we can hear it.  The opening track, "Murderer" , encompasses the album as a whole, involved both their new and old sounds. Then towards the end of "Baptized In Filth" we come across "My Light Unseen", and I'm not entirely sure where this song fits on the album, or why its playing right now, but it is. It isn't an awful song, but, it doesn't belong on this album, or in Impending Dooms arsenal, and left a sour taste in my mouth. 


"Baptized In Filth" definitely sounds different for an Impending Doom album, and while it isn't as great as "The Serpent Servant" or "Nailed. Dead. Risen", its still a heavy album, and majority of the songs please the Impending Doom craving.  The band is evolving musically and lyrically and still write great metal jams, and if you ever get a chance to see this band live, DO IT!!!!!!

February 29th, 2012:

August Burns Red w/ Texas In July and Silverstein @ The House Of Blues in Boston

To see more, go here!