Good Tiger - A Head Full Of Moonlight

Good Tiger is a fantastic new band with a unique satisfying sense of powerful songwriting.Straight out of the UK comes Good Tiger with their debut album A Head Full Of Moonlight. And man, their music is fucking lit. Forced to describe it, imagine a combination of the melodic intrigue of Scale The Summit with the rhythmic intensity and emotional depth of TesseracT. Now you're gettin' the idea of what amounts to a neo-progressive supergroup comprised of erstwhile members of TesseracT, Architects UK, The Safety Fire, The Faceless, and Conquering Dystopia.

Right out of the gate is the killer jam Where Are The Birds, all bottom heavy groove and the impassioned warbling of singer Elliot Coleman (formerly of TesseracT). Coleman's voice is perfect for this band, lending the softer sections of Good Tiger's music a delicate aspect that equates to a master chef's expert mingling of exotic ingredients in a recipe for deliberate effect. Snake Oil is the band's best evidence of the band being borne of the 21st century soundscape, with founding guitarists guitarists Derya "Dez" Nagle and Joaquin "Jo" Ardiles' post-hardcore riffage married to a nimble rhythmic sensibility that is instantly appealing. Understanding Silence, the album's most sedate track, gives Coleman a chance to play with vocal harmonies accompanied by only a single plaintive guitar. Follow that up with closer '67 Pontiac Firebird and its so-out-of-place-it's-perfect cookie monster chorus, and you've got one great debut, people.

The Bottom Line: If you dig the djenty side of metal, but yearn for more energetic, melodic fare, Good Tiger has your number, mate. 'Nuff said.

- Genghis is praying this band tours Texas someday...

Dynazty - Titanic Mass

These Swedish metalheads are firing on all cylinders like it's for a world's record. Check them out.Swedish melodic rockers Dynazty are back with a new studio album, Titanic Mass, which clearly tries to live up to its name through 11 tracks of fast and furious power metal tinged fury. This is some great stuff from a band that's been tearing through Europe for nearly a decade culminating a couple of years ago with their album Renatus and an evolution in their more traditional hard rock sound to something more akin to the current state of metal. Works for me!

The best part of Dynazty is their sense of melodicism, something that never goes away no matter how heavy the riffage on Titanic Mass becomes throughout this 47 minute headbanger's ball. The framework of which is supported by the twin powers of vocalist Nils Molin and guitarist Rob Love Magnusson. Nils has vibrato for days as he belts out anthemic chorus after chorus while Rob's fluid, melodic leads weave about like a lit fuse that burns through the solo sections with an urgent energy. But the meaty rhythms being laid down by the rest of the crew (George Egg on drums, Jonathan Olsson on bass, and Mike Lavér on guitar) are still a bedrock upon which any metal band would do well to stand. This is top quality melodic power metal, people, and no mistake. It's pretty hard for me to hone in on any one song as they're all pretty well balanced throughout the album. I plan to be cranking this in my car for a while, so would-be passengers be warned.

The Bottom Line: This is grade A prime, melodic power metal from a seasoned band that knows how to write a killer jam. Dynazty has made a classic of the genre that should be played loud and long. Kudos, guys.

- Genghis hasn't liked music like this since Nation...

Podcast #205: Elders

Today we talk to Mark Tremonti. *pinches cheeks* Such a sweet boy!Crimeny, we did it! The lads have returned from their self-imposed exile to give you a brand spanking new podcast about what a lot of us may be already thinking: who among the musical elite may be next to pass on to The Great Beyond? Join Genghis & Ragman as they wax philosophic about aging rockers and the frailty of life.

Then, the boys talk to the one and only Mark Tremonti about his new solo album, Dust. Mark dishes about the music biz, Alter Bridge, and tour plans of the near future. So, pop some corn and belly up to the bar. And HORNS UP!

Video Of The Show: Judas Priest - Battle Cry

Beer of the Show: Apis IV (Elevation Brewing Co.)
	Appearance: 4.0 Aroma: 4.0 Palate: 3.5 Taste: 4.0 Overall: 4.0	"This quad from Colorado has some great fruity flavors to compliment its Belgian history. Kudos to Elevation."

Featured Tracks: Red Tide Rising - Writing On The Wall; Judas Priest - March Of The Damned; Extreme - (Mutha) Don't Want To Go To School Today; The Ramones - Pet Cemetery; Tin Machine - Under The God, Alter Bridge - Addicted To Pain, Tremonti - Dust

Genghis' Classic of the Show: Scorpions - Animal Magnetism

Ragman's Classic of the Show: Ark - Feed The Fire

Genghis' Pick of the Show: Gygax - World Breaker

Ragman's Pick of the Show: Cheap Trick - Heart On The Line

- Genghis really needs an assistant...

Podcast #205: Elders

Irata - Sweet Loris

I'm always interested in rock trios, and Greensboro apparently is too.You know I'm always intrigued to find heavy bands that include female musicians. And North Carolina trio Irata blends a bit of grunge, doom metal, and psychedelic rock into a potent groove-heavy mixture that works well. Their sophomore effort Sweet Loris is a great entry in the growing (some would say overgrown) American doom/psychedelic/sludge movement if only for their sense of melody that is sorely lacking in the dour, too-stoned-to-care meanderings of most modern doom metal.

Right off the bat, with opener Lion Slayer, you get an almost proggy vibe with its bass riff as pedal tone that gives way to a wall of turgid distortion. This is fairly indicative of the overall pattern to the album's seven tracks of groove-heavy tunes - with Daisy being my favorite for its intense, monster chorus riff. And there's a kind of grungey sense of indie angst meets OG heavy metal feel to it all, like a Tool-meets-Soundgarden thing going on here that I really dig. This is the kind of band that will never be "huge" (if such even exists any more) but will absolutely rock the shit out every club they play, and I can't complain a bit about that.

The Bottom Line: It's amazing how bands can strip down to minimal members yet still make a sound that feels monumental. And when such a thing happens in small venues it can become practically a religious experience (altered states of consciousness may be involved, of course). I believe Irata is such a band, and if you're looking for great bottom-heavy groove metal, you may want to check these cats out.

- Genghis imagines this album playing in Greg Brady's bedroom in the den...

Red Tide Rising - Voices (EP)

There aren't many Colorado metal bands, but they can certainly rock.Colorado seems like a good place to form a band and begin the path to world domination, right? Strange then that there aren't more of the heavy metal variety. For every Jag Panzer or Havok, you seem to find a dozen folk bands, but enough of that. Denver quartet Red Tide Rising flies the metal flag on their latest EP Voices, filled with over 20 minutes of raging modern metal.

One of the highlights of the band's sound is the impressive voice of Matthew Whiteman. Despite being in his early 20s (and looking even younger), his voice belies the maturity and control of a seasoned musician from every guttural growl to every clean-toned chorus (check out the end of Suffocate for some solo vocals to get a good idea). And working with his brother Andrew (guitars) seems to contribute to a synchronicity that fuels this quintet of heavy grooves, which should generate considerable anticipation for a forthcoming, full-fledged studio album. The rest of the band (Matt Guerin on drums and Michael LeBois on bass) provides back up with a solid foundation that supports the Whiteman brothers like metal bedrock. This group is solid and poised for stardom, man.

The Bottom Line: Don't be surprised to see this band start to show up on [and rock the shit out of] a lot of summer tours. They've got a firm grip on the modern metal sound and perform with an energy that goes well beyond the old angsty-youth-with-7-string-guitars-and-cargo-pants stereotype. Good on 'em.

- Genghis recently read that cargo shorts are out (but why?!)...