Nightmare - The Aftermath

It's great to see a band that's been around this long still making relevant music for today's audiences. Incroyable!French metallers Nightmare have been around since Jimmy Carter was president even if you don't readily recall their music. But (luckily, for us) they broke up for about a decade in the late 80s and reformed in 1999 with a new sound. Okay, it was really just a shift from a straight NWoBHM sound to power metal, but that shift - along with drummer Jo Amore handing his drumsticks to his brother David and taking the reins as lead vocalist - has made all the difference to fans of heavy, driving rhythyms, and some of the best singing to be found in the genre.

Amore and crew know their way around a good metal riff, and their latest album, The Aftermath, showcases this fact on pretty much every track of its 50 minute running time. For me the real thrill is Jo and his voice; this guy sounds amazing. Like Symphony X's Russell Allen, he has the powerful rasp of Ronnie James Dio but can also wail on big choruses like a champ. And let's not forget the killer guitarwork of Franck Milleliri and Matt Asselbergs, who keep a satisfying crunch going from start to finish. All in all, this is some damn fine power metal.

The Bottom Line: If you're thirsting for some great power metal, look no further than Nightmare and their latest, The Aftermath. They'll set you straight. Vraiment!

- Genghis aimeraient voir ce groupe en concert...

Podcast #174: Out

What makes a great tribute band? Much of is based, on how well the band re-creates the original music. Another key component is the set list. Do you want the hits or some underground, lesser known tracks? Join Genghis and Ragman as they hit the town to discuss this topic, with local tribute band legend, Sean Ocker (Echoes). Sean gives us the do's and don't of how to have a successful tribute band. The guys also have some good discussion on other hard rock and heavy metal related topics. So grab a beer and a burger and dig in for some great conversation.

Beer of the Show: Buried Hatchet Stout (Southern Star Brewing Company)
	Appearance: 3.5 Aroma: 3.0 Palate: 3.0 Taste: 3.0 Overall: 3.0	"The boys from Conroe sure do know how to make a tasty stout with just the right mix of sweet and bitter goodness. Zounds!"

Featured Tracks: Steel Panther - Gang Bang at the Old Folks Home; Fight - Immortal Sin; Steel Panther - Party All Day (Fuck All Night); Helstar - Souls Cry; KXM - Rescue Me

Sean's Classic of the Show: Soundgarden - The Day I Tried to Live

Ragman's Classic of the Show: Sponge - Molly (Sixteen Candles)

Sean's Pick of the Show: Black Country Communion - The Great Divide

Genghis' Pick of the Show: Black Stone Cherry - Blame it on the Boom Boom

Ragman's Pick of the Show: Pretty Maids - My Soul to Take

- Ragman wished the crowd could have kept it down a bit...

Podcast #174: Out

Annisokay - The Lucid Dream[er]

This quintet of hard rocking Germans is really great stuff if you're looking for a cross-genre metalfest.Every now and then a new band comes along that causes this somewhat jaded reviewer to look back at his stereo and go "woah, who is this again?" Newcomers Annisokay are just one of a number of great new bands coming out of Germany these days and I couldn't be more impressed.

While some may call them post-hardcore or metalcore, there are elements of other genres (including melodeath) that come together in a satisfying mix of melody and metal crunch. Even their name belies their crossover mindset in a reference to Michael Jackson's Smooth Criminal ("Annie, are you okay? Are you okay, Annie?"). Starting with a music box melody, you get the feeling you're entering some sort of Tim Burton dreamscape, but it quickly breaks into an In Flames-esque guttural onslaught. And that's just the opening track. There are other sounds here that are as innovative as they are familiar and that's probably what makes it all work, but it's the fact that these young guys from Germany are doing something that seems very American in its sensibility and self-assuredness but with a clever and experienced European spin on it.

Even more fascinating is how they incorporate electronic elements into the mix without taking the metal edge off of things - and for clubbers there's even a dub step version of the opening track (the HoppiTronic Remix) that actually kind of rocks. I'm not gonna run out and start clubbing or anything, but I'm in awe of how these musicians crank out highly listenable music from such an unusual mix of genres. Nice work.

The Bottom Line: Annisokay seems to be the best amalgamation of innovative, 21st century metal from both sides of the pond and it sounds great. If you're looking for something fresh and full of energy, check out these young Saxons' debut.

- Genghis totally did the robot guy dance from The Dave Chappelle Show during that last track...

Unisonic - For The Kingdom (EP)

The boys of Unisonic know their way around some classic heavy tunes, you betcha.You may remember the impressive eponymous debut of supergroup Unisonic, boasting Helloween vets Michael Kiske and Kai Hansen, as well as members of such illustrious rock bands as Pink Cream 69 and Krokus. Rags was pretty geeked, and why not? There's a palpable chemistry between Mike and Kai that, backed by this formidable rhythym section, makes for some amazing metal music brimming with energy and pyrotechnics.

You can feel the fun these guys are having, imagining Kai with a big grin on his face as he whips out tasty licks from his ESP Flying V, and I defy you to keep your head still while listening to this EP. This seems to be the new norm where bands often are putting out EPs in between full length LPs to keep the fans involved while also keeping their creative juices flowing and waiting for schedules to align. The two new tracks, For The Kingdom (from their upcoming sophomore album) and You Come Undone are accompanied by four live tracks, Unisonic, Never Too Late, Star Rider and Souls Alive (recorded at the Masters of Rock 2012 festival).

The Bottom Line: This is classic hard rock/heavy metal from a group of guys that have decades of experience and enormous talent. If you're a fan of such classic heavy tunes, you pretty much can't go wrong with Unisonic. 'Nuff said.

- Genghis was throwing horns up left and right listening to this...

Dust Bolt - Awake The Riot

This thrash album rocks hard. And they even have a kick-ass old school, apocalyptic, album cover. Nice.Heilige scheiße! Bavarian thrash masters, Dust Bolt (even their name is classic bad-assery) are back to kick your ass all up and down the straße with their second album, Awake The Riot. I'm pretty sure you have to scream that title whenever you read it for the full effect.

As the site's thrash metal fan in residence, my standards are deceptively simple: it has to rock. No bullshit, no fancy tricks, just hit me with that one of a kind intensity that only thrash can deliver. And the lads do just that. For a young quartet that's only been putting out product since 2010, Dust Bolt's music - like fellow neo-thrashers, Havok - follows the old school "if it ain't broke - we're gonna break that motherfucker now" philosophy in the path of the original masters of the genre: high octane, balls to the wall, metal from start to finish. There's some pretty furious riffage here and if you don't build up a sweat air guitaring to this, you're just not trying.

The Bottom Line: This is classic metal worthy of the Bay Area masters who started the subgenre. This bodes well for the future, with the new guys not just carrying the thrash metal torch, they're lighting a rocket with it and riding that bitch into the sun.

Tracks Likely To Cause An Increase In Your Insurance Rates: The whole damn album

- Genghis needs to do some live moshing...