Devil Music A-Z: Enditol

Back when I first wanted to expand my operations on the blog site Sacha Laskow of Enditol was the first person/project to send me a free promo for review. And it was a good start as you can read here. Really good progressive music especially as a side project. I hope this project continues and gets more exposure as I like it better then his main band Divinity. Recently Quigs at TNOTB did an interview with Sacha and it's pretty decent so go check that out. In the meantime enjoy the track Monoculture from the S/T debut. And if this is intriguing you can go to their Myspace to learn more.

Devil Music A-Z: Edge of Sanity

Ah Dan Swano. The things you can do and have done in metal. Outside of the metal circles it would be a collective 'who?' but the rest of us know Dan as the guy that can produce albums with the best of them and has appeared on a myriad of projects. Where he made his mark was with Edge of Sanity.

If you want to listen to some of the best melodic death metal then you need to pick up the now defunct Edge of Sanity back catalog. In fact Edge of Sanity early on was linked with Opeth and in fact was the better of the two bands. Dan could do the growl and it was coherent but then switch to a bluesy form of hard rock and the back to brutal easily. Probably the only album that was meh in some aspects was 1997's Cryptic due to Swano not being involved at all. But then he reformed the band in 2003 with the stellar Crimson II (sequel to Crimson which is actually a 40 minute long song). And then promptly let the band fold due to the fact that he could not sustain the growl in a live setting for long. After the jump is some tunes from Edge of Sanity. Enjoy.

Devil Music A-Z: Dream Theater

My journey with Dream Theater begins like most people with Images and Words. The song Pull Me Under was getting regular rotation on MTV and I thought it was pretty cool. But when I listened to the whole album I didn't quite get it. You might even say I didn't like it. Here were these guys going on these wild musical tangents with each song and it almost seemed like narcissism from each member on how good they were. Not to mention James Labrie's vocals took some getting used to. Was this a prog band? Power metal? What the hell was going on here?

After I actually listened I got it though. These guys were taking rock music to a new level for the time. So I came to like Images and Words and bought Awake. I couldn't get into Awake either the first time though. Too many changes. But repeated listens and I got it. Once I realized this wasn't fast food metal like so much other stuff I became more accepting of what they were doing. You can't just listen one time to appreciate it. I lost track of them for a long time though thanks to the dirty 90's but went back and actually had a better feel for what was going on and have enjoyed pretty much every release.

The future of Dream Theater is going to be interesting. Most people familiar with this band by now knows that founding member and overlord of DT, Mike Portnoy, is not there. I'm not going to get into the drama surrounding that but without his lyrics a la Neil Peart and musical vision and the rest of the guys calling the shots this time it will be intriguing to see what they do with it. We might even get an album this year and still no word on who the new drummer is. Stay Tuned. In the meantime here are some Dream Theater videos over the years.

Devil Music A-Z: Draconian

It's a pretty slow news day so I figured I get another one of these out of the way. and actually this one will be easy since I essentially did it a year ago. You can read my entry on Draconian here. I would like to add some things to that now.

Very few bands have gotten me anxious to hear anything like Draconian has. As my involvement in this blog increases I'm inundated with news on tons of bands both signed and unsigned, obscure and uber famous. So it only adds to it when one of my favorite bands of recent years gives absolutely no updates in any shape or form. They do have a Facebook page but it's administered by someone not in the band and it stays very quiet for long periods of time. In November it said they were in the studio and to expect a Spring Release but unlike their contemporaries there are no teasers or album info to date. So Draconian, if you read this give us some updates on what's going on please. In the meantime here is a clip of 'The Amaranth' of the first full length album Where Lover's Mourn.

Devil Music A-Z: Doro

This one won't be much about Warlock or any of my teen crushes I had on Doro Pesch the person. It's about Doro the solo artist.Following on the heels of my fandom of Warlock, Doro released Force Majeure which was intended to be a Warlock release but legality forced it to be otherwise. I was interested in what direction she was going to go with this album and it stayed pretty true to what had been released prior. A bit mellower and more radio friendly but there were some scorching tunes too. Then the self titled album was released and produced by Gene Simmons and what a stinker that was. That might have been the first time I threw out a cassette after buying it. I then deviated to other music and groups and really didn't check back in until many years later.

Going over her discography over the years since there was some hits and misses but overall Doro has really become a hard rock act. She's dabbled with electronic music and AOR music and some of its been good and some of it not so much. But she's still out there putting out albums and touring even if she's nowhere near as popular as she was 20-25 years ago. And she will always be the queen of heavy music. I don't care what anyone says. After the jump is some videos by Doro over the years.

Not Doro and Warlock. Just Doro.

Devil's Music A-Z: Dominia

Things are real slow right now so let's get another entry out of the way shall we? This is an interesting one because I found this band by accident when I was briefly doing the unsigned and unknown feature from Myspace. Dominia was one of the few bands I really enjoyed their music from and accepted a friend request.I guess you can say they are a symphonic blackened gothic band from Russia. They can be pretty heavy but at the same time incorporate strings and keys. Good stuff and as far as I know they are still unsigned after releasing two full length albums. Which I don't get because these guys are really good and could compete on labels such as Season of Mist or Napalm.Here is a video they did to get a sense of what I'm talking about. Check them out.

This song is so bad ass and is probably my favorite Be prepared for some sexiness in it as well.



Check out more on their Myspace

Devil Music A-Z : Dokken

Dokken was one of the few bands from the hair metal era I really liked. I had seen articles on them in Circus magazine and a few tracks here and there after Tooth and Nail but I hadn't really payed much attention to them until I saw them open up for Judas Priest on my first ever concert. So many good songs that didn't delve into the let's go get crazy and laid lyrics of their contemporaries. Don Dokken actually could sing and George Lynch was always one of my favorite guitarists because he was self taught. Not one of these neo classical junkies like so many others of the time.

After the first break up I pretty much lost track of what they were doing though I did check out the reunion album many years later. It was ok but nothing like the stretch of 80's classics. I've seen them a total of three times live over the years, the last being just Don and Mick of the original band members.And always because they happened to be opening for someone else I was there to see. Regardless I dig them and it's too bad more bands didn't follow suit with what these guys had going on. Who knows, the L.A. scene might have lasted a bit longer if they had.

Devil Music A-Z : Disturbed

Yep. I own some Disturbed. Physical copies even. Why, the elitist snobs might ask? Because I enjoyed the music, why else? When Disturbed broke through with the Sickness I was 30 and too old to be a scene kid at the time. They were a melodic metal band at a time when nu metal was trying to cement it's legacy and really just being a bunch of douches. After not hearing anything for so many years that made me want to revisit metal or hard rock and see what was out there, Disturbed was a breath of fresh air. When Believe came out it was a softer album then the first with even more melodic passage and catchy hooks so I thought these guys could be my new modern favorite. And it pretty much was so through the third album until I started really becoming aware of what else was out there on the metal scene.

Fast forward to now and I've discovered so many other bands that have more talent and creativity then Disturbed does. Disturbed has gotten used to being successful and it really shows on their latest effort Asylum if you want to call it an effort. There hasn't been any deviation from the last 3 albums and frankly I'm bored with them now. The songs are still catchy but when I'm saying to myself I've heard this before its time to move on. And I have. Thanks Disturbed for being the second generation gateway band for me and I will continue to listen to your music on my shuffle, but I'm seeing other people now. We can still be friends though right?

Devil Music A-Z: Dio

This is going to be probably the shortest of these yet. Probably do to the fact that I have in essence already done one due to the untimely passing of Ronnie James Dio. You can read that here. Instead here are a few more videos from Dio the band that I didn't post before.

Devil Music A-Z: Dimmu Borgir

I will never be accused of being the most kvlt metal fan on earth. Case in point my fandom of Dimmu Borgir. When I first listened to them it really was my first exposure to anything black metal related. Even then I wasn't too into the blastbeats and the croaking type vocals.It wasn't until I really listened to the songs that I realized just how much was going on. The symphonic overtones that made each song sound epic. The fact that I could understand Shagrath's words. And the fact that he could go from croaks to growls to roars. I get his vocals are processed in the studio but it sounds evil like it should. It wasn't until I started reading the comments of others that I realized how much disdain for this band people that did like tr00 black metal had for Demon Burger.

Dimmu Borgir has come out of late admitting that they're not pure black metal. Isn't that enough? I say this because that was one of the biggest gripes is that they passed themselves off as being black metal and weren't. Well let me say this, fans of the frostbitten and grim. Fuck off. Your music in it's purest form is the most ill produced and boring shit on the planet. Much like your commentary on Dimmu Borgir.Ooooo let's be evil and satanic and corpse paint our faces to be bad ass.Go and listen to Stormblast and let those of us that don't give a fuck about Immortal,Behemoth,Darkthrone, or Keep of Kalessin enjoy extreme metal that doesn't make us turn it off after a minute in.While you're outgrowing the corpsepaint I'll still be listening and enjoying Dimmu Borgir's music. In the meantime let's sexy this post up with a NSFW video that I've posted before. It sort of encapsulates everything I like about DM's music.



If you're new to this band check out my other posts by clicking the Dimmu Borgir tag on the right and check out a couple of videos from the newest album Abrahadabra that's out now.

Devil Music A-Z: Devildriver

I'll try to keep this one simple. I like Devildriver well enough. It's a mix of hardcore and thrash and about as close to hardcore as I want to get. I think I liked the first two albums the best because I did like Coal Chambers stuff and Dez's vocals were cool back then. Looks like I'm not going to make the show in Oakland on the 20th like I hoped but I look forward to doing a review on the new album 'Beast' that drops on on February 22nd. So far the year has been good on album reviews and I'm hoping this won't be a disappointment.

Yes I know I just did one of these but I'm only on the D's and I have been at this off and on for awhile. Kind of want to get this done and do a followup appendix. In the meantime enjoy my favorite track from Devildriver. It's called Guilty as Sin and can be found on their EP Head on to Heartache and as a bonus track on the special edition of The Fury of Our Maker's Hand. Enjoy.

Devil Music A-Z: Demonic Resurrection

This is one of the newer bands in my library. Though they've been around for over 10 years I didn't become aware of them until I was doing one of my searches for similar bands that I already like. Come to find out Demonic Resurrection were featured in Sam Dunn's Global Metal documentary. After finally seeing that movie for the first time the band indeed was featured but not too much on their music and more about being a metal band in India.

Needless to say I gave some of their tunes a listen and this is really a fantastic band especially for the region they're in. Imagine a bit of early Dimmu Borgir,your favorite melodeath band, with a dash of ethnic music mixed up. It makes for some interesting listening for sure. These guys know their music and have carved an identity of their own which apparently alot of people have caught on to because I believe Demonic Resurrection is now the biggest metal band to come out of India. Check out one of their videos and if you like it go pick up their latest album which released last year, 'The Return to Darkness' from Candlelight Records.

Devil music A-Z : Def Leppard (R.I.P Steve Clark)

Today marks the 20th anniversary of Def Leppard guitarist Steve Clark's death and since Def Leppard is up next on the A-Z project what fitting time to talk about them a bit. I guess you can say this band was one of my gateways into hard rock and heavy metal. Pyromania was the first cassette I owned and it was due to the radio play of Rock of Ages and Rock Rock (Till you Drop). Funny looking back at how a 13 year old kid thought the music on that album was seriously heavy shit, man. But I did go backwards a bit and pick up High n' Dry too because it had some great tunes on it as well.

Fast forward four years and I'm in high school and news of a new Def Leppard album is being released and I think I was a bit excited about it because back then 4 years was a long time between releases. In fact due to Rick Allen's car accident and loss of an arm made me wonder if they were even going to continue on or what.Then the premiere of the new song 'Women' shows up on MTV and what a letdown. It's a long (for 80's standards) song that was tedious and the video took a page from A-Ha with the mix of live action and comic book pages. The hits started rolling in and I can't say I had the same feeling about this band I did in '83. The guys were looking more like a hair band with Joe Elliot's feathered mullet as well as hairspray on everybody but Phil Collen.

More years go by and and it's another long wait for another Leppard album and then the news that Steve Clark died from OD'ing on pills and alcohol.He was only 31.How much can one band go through? Adrenalize does release the next year with Vivian Campbell as a replacement.And it was more of the same from Hysteria with pop rock songs and sappy ballads. I haven't paid much attention to this band since then other then news bits of what they've been up to. After the jump is some classic Def Leppard videos from when I enjoyed them. Rick Allen had two arms and Steve Clark was still alive and seeming to enjoy life. Hope you've found peace where ever you are,Steve.

Devil Music A-Z: Danzig

Time to sexy this blog up with the new years first entry on A-Z. Pasties on *cough* nuns and rippling muscles on Glenn Danzig. I aim to please as many demographics as I can. Actually Danzig holds a strange place in my library. A guy that looks like Elvis and sings like Morrison in a metal band. I didn't start following any of Glenn's music like most people my age until the first album released in 1988. I was never much of a punk guy so I didn't pay attention to the Misfits and only knew of their song Last Caress because of Metallica.
Over the next two albums Glenn and his rotating band members would put together some unique for the time albums. I lost track of them like most other things in the 90's but went back later to see what I missed and it wasn't much. Last year (wierd saying that)Deth Red Sabaoth was released to some acclaim but I have yet to listen to it. Maybe I will. After the jump is some Danzig videos that I remember.

The most famous and overplayed song by Danzig


First song I ever heard




Uh!

Devil Music A-Z: Corrosion of Conformity

I think my Christmas adventures are at an end. So since it's still a slow news day why not get done with the C category? I'm going to need some help on this one as I only have experience with CoC's biggest album Deliverance. I'm not sure why they flew under my radar before or after this album. I just know that the album is a great mix of sludgy southern style metal. So are subsequent albums any good? I know this cd is a big departure from earlier stuff. How much of a departure and any recommendations on earlier works? For now here is my favorite track from the Deliverance album.

Devil Music A-Z: Communic

I've talked this band up before but just like their music people are probably still saying "Who"? So it's their turn for A-Z and again I say check this band out. They will finally have a new release next year and for a three piece band the music they put out sounds like something a 5 piece band would do.It's progressive but not progressive in a Dream Theater way. It's progressive in a Nevermore way but still their own style. You know what I'll let the music do the talking for me. Here are some of my favorite tracks by Communic. Enjoy.

Devil Music A-Z: Coal Chamber

Yes, thats right I put a nu metal band up here. I always kind of liked them back in the day just never got around to listening to whole albums. It probably had something to do with getting married, and having kids. No time to get my psuedo goth metal groove on. I know Dez Fafara wants to forget this ever happened but you know what, the music was prety good in my opinion. Certainly better then some of the other bullshit coming out at the time.
If there was a problem with Coal Chamber at least early on it was they sounded too much like Korn and looked too much like White Zombie(see above picture).Unlike Korn I liked most of CC's songs and I guess I equally liked them along side White Zombie.Trust me when I say there were much worse bands to listen to in those days and in a away paved the way for the NWAHM.Here are a couple of tracks for those unfamiliar or want to revist the sound after the jump.

Loco (Live)


Fiend(Live)


Big Truck (Live)

Devil Music A-Z:Thanksgiving Edition:Psychostick

Yes I'm jumping ahead in the letters but Thanksgiving is a special day. Since the two themes of Thanksgiving is to give thanks for whatever you have and eating, what better band to celebrate the eating part then Psychostick?Why? Because their last album 'Sandwich' was almost totally dedicated to food.Observe after the jump.



Now not all of their songs are so angry such as this one. Here is a behind the scenes track on the album.



And of course you can't wash your meal down with just egg nog and cider. Psychostick's most famous song extols the virtues of beer.



What's that? You say the music is not very festive or holiday-ish in nature? Well the guys also put put out a holiday EP entitled the 'Flesh Eating Roller Skate Holiday Joyride'.Here is a song to kick your holidays off with.Enjoy.



So there ya have it. Run out and get Psychostick's Cd's. There's something I think for everyone. Comedy,metal,and food. Have a great Thanksgiving everyone!

Devil Music A-Z: Circle II Circle

Zak Stevens was the primary vocalist for Savatage for most of the 90's. After the disbanding of the band in 2001 he started his own project called Circle II Circle. I'm not too big a fan of the name but the early albums were definitely a continuation from his stint with the 'tage and that makes it ok. Circle II Circle is one of those rare bands that while they have power metal tendencies they focus more on songwriting and riffs. It's not overly cheesy as you'd might expect but does incorporate concepts in some of the albums like alot of prog or power metal bands do.
Apparently the latest album 'Consequence of Power' was released in September and I somehow missed it. Probably because this group gets real no press or love even in the blogosphere. I'm listening to it right now and it's not bad. There are more hard rock elements this time around and Zak seems to be oversinging in places but it's still stronger material then what Jon Oliva has done on his Pain project. So if you want no frills, thought provoking, hard rock music check out this band. You might be pleasantly surprised. Or you could tell me what I tell others that some bands never make it big for a reason.
After the jump is one of my favorite tracks by them. Probably because of the heavy Savatage influence.

Devil Music A-Z: Cinderella

Time to get some hairspray up in here. I never intended to like a hair band. It actually took me 2 or 3 videos by Cinderella to actually get an inclination that I might like their music. So I took a risk and bought Night Songs and yes it paid off. I guess back then if you were going to play blues based hard rock but get noticed you had to glam it up because these guys could do the glam with the best of them. Once their foot was in the door then they could actually play the music they wanted to. And it seemed like every album after there was less glam and more blues.The appeal for me was the raspy vocals from Tom Kiefer that went against the grain from other hair bands and fell more in line with other vocalist I liked at the time like Brian Johnson.

After Heartbreak Station like many bands of that era, Cinderella lost label support and had to go defunct for awhile.They tried a comeback years later with the Still Climbin album but it wasn't nearly as good. I understand they're still together though Tom Kiefer has throat problems that forces cancellations but not being nostalgic of that time I've still stuck with the period of 1986-1990 as being one of the best glam bands out there.After the jump is some videos that show the progression in sound and look.

This is the first video I ever saw and the first time I ever saw the swinging guitar trick.


This was probably one of the first guitar pieces I learned.


Really mainstream here but very grass roots rock.




First video off of Heartbreak Station. You know you've made it when Little Richard cameos. Very country fried song but I like it.