Hatriot - Heroes of Origin

Holy shit, it's like somebody aimed the Tardis at San Francisco, circa 1983. Too nerdy a reference for metalheads?Thrash fans are no doubt familiar with Steve Souza, who has fronted many a headbanging West Coast outfit (Legacy/Testament, Exodus, Dublin Death Patrol) since the early 80s. So it should be no great surprise that he's up to his old tricks with yet another band in the form of Hatriot, whose debut album Heroes of Origin runs the classic thrash playbook step by step into the pit.

If you're familiar with the aforementioned thrash groups then you know exactly what to expect - which may thrill or disappoint you depending on how you want to see it. I for one love it. This is the classic Bay Area thrash sound and I couldn't be more thrilled with every blast beat and harmonic squeal behind Souza's Bon Scott-meets-Jon Oliva-on-PCP vocals replete with sociopolitical commentary. It's just that simple. Go get this!

The Bottom Line: If you're a Bay Area Thrash Band era kind of guy (or gal), you'll want to pick up this album, put on your faded stovepipes, lace up your Chucks, and crank the fuck out of this! From brutal start to anthemic finish, the energy just never lets up.

Tracks To Gleefully Risk Snapping Your Neck To: Blood Stained Wings, The Mechanics of Annihilation, Heroes of Origin (and all of the other tracks!)

- Genghis scared everyone in the office headbanging to this CD like a maniac...

Gold - Interbellum

It's always nice to find a band that goes for the retro thing like they really do wish they were living in those times today.I don't know how Gold's being marketed to the public as far as their official genre, but don't make the mistake of thinking they're a metal band. Not that you'll necessarily get that idea from the cover of their debut album, Interbellum. This is clearly a retro style band, including the brash chick on lead vocals in the vein of classic rockers Heart or Jefferson Airplane.

In terms of sound, the album is well produced, with a sound that manages to be modern in its fidelity while maintaining an authentic analog quality that's often sacrificed. That said, it's a little too loose for me to get totally on board with. I mean, I know that the lack of precision is part of what makes the retro sound so desirable, but I was actually distracted by it more than once in some of the guitar work as well as Milena's singing. Don't get me wrong, this band has talent. I guess I've just come to expect more, thanks to our modern age of ProTools and other recording assistances.

All in all, this isn't a bad debut album from this Dutch band. Gold manages to have the look and feel (and sound) of a band of like-minded musicians with a fondness for the music of another age. And that's so much better than the dozens of hack outfits that merely give the appearance of such reverence for an easy ride on nostalgia's coattails. Ain't nobody got time for that!

The Bottom Line: If you're looking to find a new band that writes and plays authentic music of an arguably better musical age in the vein of such bands as Heart or Jefferson Airplane, this is what you've been looking for. All you other retro poseurs are hereby banished!

Tracks to Listen to While Shopping Resale Shops for Purple Velvet Pants: Antebellum, Love, The Magician, Dreams, Medicine Man and The Hunt

- Genghis thinks it's been a while since he got his mind right...

Prong - Carved Into Stone

Nice to hear the sound of classic thrash groovers from NYC. Play it, Tommy!My first encounter with Prong was back in the day with their album Beg To Differ (1990). I immediately liked their sound as they were part of the big East Coast sound back when I was getting into the Thrash Metal genre pretty heavy. I liked their way of mellowing the razor sharp edges of pure West Coast thrash with a characteristic New York City grooviness while retaining the heaviness and you'd expect from a metal band.

While the band's gone through a lot of changes since then, founder/guitarist Tommy Victor has maintained a certain sound that keeps the operation centered and culminating in their follow-up to 2007's well-received Power of the Damager. Carved Into Stone, Prong's 8th studio album in 26 years, calls to mind my favorite of their early work like Beg To Differ and Cleansing, where you get precision metal riffs with a nice groove that overall gives you a sense of enjoyable - and, more to the point, memorable - thrash.

The Bottom Line: If you're an old school Prong fan, you're gonna like hearing them once more. It's like moshing with old friends. INTO THE PIT!

Tracks To Make You Dig Your Old Chuck Taylors Out Of The Closet: Eternal Heat, Keep On Living In Pain, Revenge...Best Served Cold, and List Of Grievances

- Genghis is still moshing around the office...

Podcast #147: Bubbly

We gotta say, this new album has some really great music on it. Thanks, Zak!Happy 2013! Join Genghis & Ragman as they bring in the new year Right to Rock style by dissecting the new year's metal offerings in terms of the good, the bad, or just the 'I don't give a shit'. Tune in to find out, with an update from Elmo on his recent legal issues. Next, Zak Stevens checks in with a preview of the new Circle II Circle CD, Seasons Will Fall, as well as discusses the band's recent performance of The Wake of Magellan at Wacken. Tune in to get this and much, much more...

DVD of the Show: Van Halen Live (Gary Cherone)

1st Beer of the Show: Imperial Coffee Chocolate Stout (New Belgium (Lips of Faith))
	Appearance: 3.5 Aroma: 4.0 Palate: 4.0 Taste: 3.5 Overall: 3.5	"New Belgium keeps the Lips of Faith series interesting with this little dark gem."

2nd Beer of the Show: Grinnin’ Grizzly Holiday Spiced Ale (Appalachian Brewing Company)
	"Despite a hoppy finish, this is a good spiced beer for the holidays."

Featured Tracks: Lemmy and Friends - Run, Rudolph, Run; Cheech and Chong - Santa Claus and His Old Lady; Van Halen - Blood and Fire; Black Country Communion - This is Your Time; Devin Townsend Project - True North; Asking Alexandria - Separate Ways (Journey Cover); Lizzy Borden - Live Forever; Asking Alexandria - A Prophecy; Black Veil Brides - Love Isn't Always Fair; Overkill - Old Wounds, New Scars; Savatage - Morning Sun; Circle II Circle - Killing Death, End of Emotion, Downshot and Epiphany

- Ragman is always amused when Elmo is around...

Podcast #147: Bubbly

Saxon - Heavy Metal Thunder (The Movie)

Well, the holy grail for Saxon fans is once again available, with a proper release.  Yes, the once unattainable Heavy Metal Thunder (The Movie) is once again available for consumption.  The release came via Cool Head Productions, a few years back, and was basically just a BBC documentary on the band.  Cool Head got Saxon's blessing to release it, but the band had no real control over the initial release.  The initial release was put out in limited quantities, I believe, to gauge how well it would do.  The movie quickly sold out on the Cool Head website, which made it virtually impossible to find.  Fast forward a few years, and now the DVD is readily available again.  Hallelujah!

Heavy Metal Thunder is a well done biography on one of the founders of The New Wave of British Heavy Metal movement.  The movie is similar to the Sam Dunn style of film making, but not quite as good.  Don't get me wrong, this thing is awesome, but had Sam done this, it might have been incredible.  The movie mixes in interview footage of the band, past and present, as well as some choice concert footage.  I really enjoyed how in depth that the film dug in to the history of the band.  It was interesting to hear the back stories of former members Graham Oliver and Steve Dawson, and what led to their exits from the band.  HMT is a must for Saxon fans.  It is packaged in a 2 disc set that includes the movie on 1 disc and a ton of extras on the other.  The 2nd disc is especially nice, because it includes a full show from the band in 2008 as well as some additional footage including praise from their peers.  All in all a solid watch.  Go get it, before it sells out again.

Bottom Line: A well done documentary of one of the founders of the NWOBHM movement.  Nice to see the band finally getting their due.  A great story about one of the most underrated bands in heavy metal history.

-Ragman thinks he hit the lotto.  He has been waiting for this film for years!