H

Happy Face - Le Tigre

Links: Myspace Website

this is one of the finest albums of 2006 for me this album is masterpiece for freaks of slams and while the band name is funny to someone who hasn't heard of happy face before but you'll be knocked down by their sound for sure. first off what catches my attention is the vocals, the vocals are so diverse and aren't comparable with any one else's. they use some various vocals one of them is low gutturals which is kind of mixed with squeals but besides that they use hardcore styled vocals which the vocalist uses freely and switches between them a lot. overall this combination of main vocals and backing vocals is very cool and works rather well. the riffs are dry and clean but have a tight sound while remaining varied and groovey. there's tons of slams and breakdowns and some of them remind me of some hardcore bands but the ones they use are more varied then hardcore bands and are more sophisticated and they use some various slams patterns that you wont get bored with easily. they create an original sound that's definitely their own sound and cant be lumped into any one style overall this is not just some run of the mill slam oriented stuff here, they evolve this genre to another dimension so if you are a diehard fan of slamming stuff this should be your next cd to check out for sure. Seiji

Heinous Killings - Hung with Barbwire

Links: Myspace Website

Heinous Killings is a band from joe wolfe (ex-Clean Flesh/Erotic Incisions vocalist) and as you probably know he is well known in the underground so many fans were waiting for his return and if you were a fan of his other bands then you should already know what to expect here. the first song entitled "Possessed To Kill" Starts out with a sample from the movie amityville horror and after the sample finishes the storm of sound begins. joe plays all the instruments on this album plus vocals so you can tell he is an amazing musician, the guitar riffs range from old-school styled grooves to technical parts but either way everything grooves and they are all easily remembered as well. as for vocals you'll know why they call joe "The Predator", he uses some varied styles of vocals and they are all top notch but mainly he uses low gutturals and then he'll throw in some squeals for the fast parts and then he'll every so often throw in his patented "predator" vocals. i cant really describe what they sound like in words other than they sound hollow and like boiling water. as for the drum machine it's sound is so rhythmical and it really harmonizes with his vocals. this album is full of brutality and is sure to become a masterpiece in death metal history so check it out if you happen to get the chance to. Seiji

Human Artifacts - The Principles Of Sickness

Links: Myspace Website

Im sure that all fans of lividity knows this band human artifacts and if you not,at least you should know it soon.the band was formed in 2005 by matt bishop ex-lividity.i really waited for this stuff coming out.finally i got my hands on it haha.if you are a big fan of lividity,youll love this for sure.theres some good essences of lividity and matt continues his own way he did in lividity and bring it to humanartifacts now. first off,i really get into guitar sound matt creates.they remind me of lividity when he was in. mostly riffs are slow and mid-paced ones.they are so unique-styled and diverse for sure and not just like the recent slam style.and their slams and breakdowns are so simple and catchy too and i feel there are also grooves of old school DM .thats what i want to hear from humanartifacts as well as matt did in lividity! and im so pleased to hear his vocals again.so his vocals are so deep and pretty lows.and for me his ones are kinda like between gutturals and gurgleshe uses also occasional squeals which sound so sick .switching gutturals to squeals work as well and im so stunned by this combination haha.i really dig his vocals they are nothing but brutal as fuck.and matt let you know what low vocals are haha.his ones are low as fuck. this stuff is one of masterpieces in this year and everyones should have itthe artwork was done the mighty jon zig!! you dont be dissapointed with this stuff,if you are big fan of lividity.the band remind me of lividity at some points but thats not the same. they make their own sound differs from lividity for sure and youll understand that after hearing their songs.this is one of best releases in this year. if you dont have ,buy it soon! Seiji

Human Rejection - Torture Of Decimation

Links: Myspace Website

this is the first greece band i reviewed.i dont know too much about the scene in greece.so i couldnt imagine what kind of stuff human rejection plays at first.but they didnt let me down actually haha and they play pretty brutal stuff. first off vocals catch my attensions.they are so hysteric highs squeals.i really love those vocals.i think the vocalist is one of good vocalists using squeals.his ones are so powerful for sure. guitar sounds like thrashmetal-like riffs and the band has nice grooves.sometimes the band reminds me of internal bleedings nice grooves.in my opinion,they play kinda like the mix of NYDMs grooves and thrash metal.so that reminds me of cumbeast the label mates of human rejection. and the cover art done by the mighty toshihiro egawa that means alot for the band.the cover looks so sick.give it a listen. Seiji