Týr - Valkyrja

These boys from the Faroe Islands make some really bad ass Viking metal, you better believe.Ah, the rich subgenre of viking metal. It lies somewhere in between black and folk metal but has a sound all its own, as its fans know all too well. And while I can't say I'm one of those fans, I can tell good metal when I hear it. Týr's latest effort, Valkyrja, is their seventh studio album and tells the tale of a Viking warrior striving to battle his way to worthiness for his beloved goddess Freyja, The Lady Of The Slain. Oh yeah, this is the real deal. And for a nice touch, Leaves' Eyes vocalist, Liv Kristine, joins lead singer Heri Joensen on the track The Lay of Our Love, lending a haunting beauty to the atmospheric opening arpeggios. Great stuff.

BONUS: The album has a really bad ass cover as well.

But ultimately, what's impressive is the cohesiveness of the storyline/songwriting and how it all feels like an epic tale being handed down to some new generation of Viking youth. It is said that the traditional music of the Vikings - none of which is recorded anywhere - is passed on through oral tradition and kept alive and well in Týr's native country, from which they heavily draw inspiration for their music. So, if nothing else, I must salute these Faroese sons for their intense national pride and sense of heritage. It doesn't hurt that this is some pretty bad ass metal to boot. Epic/Power metal fans should definitely give this a listen.

NOTE: This release also includes two amazing covers of Iron Maiden's Where Eagles Dare and Pantera's Cemetery Gates, should you doubt Týr's non-Viking metal related skills. Also, shame on you!

The Bottom Line: Týr has made a pretty solid concept record in homage to their Norse heritage, replete with all the staples of viking metal; thundering bass, torrential drumbeats, choral harmonies and lightning guitar work. And, yes, more Norse mythological themes than you can shake Mjölnir at. So, fans of the genre come and ride the lightning!

Tracks That May Cause Explosive Beard Growth: Hel Hath No Fury, The Lay of Our Love, Grindavisan, Lady of the Slain, and Valkyrja

- Genghis thinks Týr should write their own soundtrack to that new Thor movie...

The Nearly Deads - Zombie EP

Yeah, it's yet another chick-fronted modern rock band, but these kids got moxie.Thanks to bands like District 97 and lead singer Leslie Hunt's exhilarating vocals, my itch for female singers in a heavy rock setting has been scratched for a while. But along comes The Nearly Deads' Zombie EP with its heavy pop/modern rock rhythyms that back up a blonde chanteuse with great stage presence and the voice to back it up. Having started in Florida, they've since moved to Nashville with every intention of making it big by constantly writing and performing to hone their chops.

The band themselves seem to have a diverse set of influences, but they all collectively love 90s era grunge and claim to want to fly that flag - though I don't really hear that in their music. The music on this EP sounds more along the lines of modern rock, or heavier pop music (probably sounding so because of Theresa Jeane's vocals) with a enough attitude thrown in to make it fun without becoming the self-parody most neo-punk tends to be - even though the Evanesence-style remix Never Look Back (Reanimated) teeters on the edge.

The Bottom Line: Imagine Kelly Clarkson singing for The Foo Fighters and you start to get the idea of what you're in for with The Nearly Deads, a band that's working their asses off to make it as a modern rock band on their terms, and I have high hopes for them.

- Genghis really did like that zombie video for Never Look Back...

It's that time again, folks...

Uh, baby, I think you maybe need to touch up your lipstick a little bit, m'kay?Time for Genghis & Ragman to do their part to keep you safe from the shambling undead that threaten your existence each year. This go around, we've gotten reports from listeners about strange goings on near an abandoned hospital in Baytown.

It's all the usual stuff about ghostly images of people in hospital gowns soaked in blood, and even the occasional spirit child, a little girl, showing up out of nowhere with ominous warnings for the intrepid urban explorer.

Yeah, I'm pretty sure this won't be any trouble at all...The weather report says it should rain all dang night, but that's never stopped the lads before. They're loaded for bear with John and Bane in tow (including calls from our fellow zombie-hunting, celebrity correspondents from around the country), and - assuming they survive the night - they'll return soon with a recording of their adventure to thrill and rock you like...some sort of natural disaster.

So, keep listening and keep those horns up!

- Genghis is not thrilled about this ghost kid stuff (creeeeeepy)... 

Onslaught - VI

Crimeny this is some bad ass thrash metal from across the pond. There's apparently a strong surge of thrash bands kicking ass and taking names in the merry old land of England, but fuck if I've heard of them. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying they aren't any good. Case in point, Onslaught and their sixth studio album, simply titled VI. If this is the sound of the modern thrash movement across the pond, then holy shit!

Their name couldn't be more appropriate, as their music is well described as a hardcore onslaught. This is great, brutal thrash metal as you might expect from Europe: heavy and fast, but with a certain working class grittiness that makes you want to instantly down several beers and start moshing in your Doc Martens. Hard.

To their credit however, it's not all just blast beats as tracks like Children Of The Sand break up the attack with atmospheric vocals that add just the right touch of exotic sophistication to these down and dirty proceedings. And 66'Fuckin'6 begins with a suitably creepy, horror movie music box intro that quickly gives way to an anthemic chorus that should play huge in a club show. With any luck they'll make a US tour soon.

The Bottom Line: If you like headbanging and moshing like there's no fucking tomorrow, this is the album for you, hands down. The energy Onslaught puts out on this brutal thrash masterpiece could fuel a fucking rocket to Mars. 'Nuff said.

Tracks That Present A High Risk Of Neck Damage: Chaos Is King, Slaughterize, 66'Fuckin'6, Dead Man Walking, and Enemy Of My Enemy

- Genghis wonders if these guys play guitar all classy with their pinkies extended...

Stryper - No More Hell To Pay

The boys are back, minus the bumble bee leathers, and they brought some seriously great old school metal with them.It's been about 4 years since Stryper's last original studio album, Murder By Pride, but Michael Sweet and company haven't been just sitting around since then. After an album of covers and a re-recording of their classic songs, their latest full blown studio album No More Hell To Pay is here - and it sounds amazing.

First off, Michael sounds amazing. His voice is as good as ever, and the guitar work on this album is just fantastic. This just sounds like classic metal from back in the day. Michael himself said that this "is the record we needed to make as a follow up to To Hell With The Devil" and I'm inclined to agree. Every track on here is a great example of an old school band that still has the goods to rock with the best of them today.

Of particular interest was the cover of Jesus Is Just Alright, made famous by The Doobie Brothers. The band managed to take an old 70s freak out song and make it sound like a friggin' rock anthem. Seriously, it sounds amazing, and you gotta check out the bridge (2:03) where they get into slow jam mode. It's like a heavy Allman Brothers thing that simply rocks. Kudos to the lads for making this song sound so awesome.

The Bottom Line: Fans of classic Stryper should be pretty excited with this release. The energy on this album is palpable and the performances all around from vocals to guitar work is just so impressive. It's just the kind of thing you hope to hear from bands of old. To know that they can still make and play great music thirty years after their start is nothing short of inspiring.

Tracks To Make You Wish You Still Had Lots Of Hair To Soak With Aquanet: The whole darned thing

- Genghis really did his best not to curse in this review...