Germ - Wish

This is wild stuff from down under. Think black metal meets 80s era alternative music (lots of synth).Germ is a one man show, the product of the fevered Aussie brain of Tim Yatras. It's billed as black metal meets electronica but to be honest, I'm not sure if that's totally accurate or not. Not because it's bad or anything, but when you come across such a different bit of artistic expression it's hard to know what to make of it.

There are times when it seems sublime and other times when you're finger hovers over the next track button. In between is a sonic landscape that's both familiar and alien. I can't tell you how many times I've read or heard musicians bemoan the industry's tendency to label everything that artists put out. Perhaps Tim, as Germ, has managed to produce something closer to being truly uncategorizable. On the black metal side, there are banshee vocals that are downright chilling in an appropriately ethereal mix, while on the electronica side, the hypnotic pulse of keyboard rhythms provides a a steady canvas for the rest of the musical onslaught.

I've heard a lot of buzz about how brilliant this music is, and I'm not saying it's without any appeal. I certainly appreciate the guitar solos (yeah, there are some) that try to pierce the sonic tapestry that Yatras weaves, but there's such a spacey feel to everything - like it was recorded live in a giant concert hall - that the mix often becomes muddy. Still, there's definitely something there that bears appreciation. I would love to hear a remix of this by one of the European melodeath master producers, like Fredrik Nordström.

The Bottom Line: Many have called Tim Yatras' music the creation of a genius. And it definitely shows talent and promise. The only thing missing at this point is a really good producer - one used to capturing music that's moody and melodic, but also brutually heavy - to capture a faithful respresentation of it, helping to bring out the essence of Yatras' musical inspiration for a sure to be eager audience.

Tracks To Make You Wonder What's In Them Vegemite Sandwiches Anyway: Asteroid Of Sorrow, Your Smile Mirrors The Sun

- Genghis has always wanted to visit the land of Oz...

D.I.S. - Becoming Wrath

Lace up your Vans and grab your board. It's time to try to ollie over the stage while D.I.S. pumps out the tunes.The young L.A. band Destroyed In Seconds (aka D.I.S.) has been around the last few years extolling their brand of heavy music apparently known as D-punk. Which goes to show you that Rock is clearly the most prolific music on the planet with seemingly endless variations. In this case, D-punk (which basically sounds like punk music played by a thrash band) has been around since the late 70s over in Europe - by way of Sweden, no less.

Admittedly, listening through this album was a bit like listening to one half hour song as it sort of all blends together. But that's not to say they're phoning it in. The energy is brutal and relentless, I'll give 'em that. And Jon Tomala's throat must be made of galvanized steel, cuz this guy screams like the Incredible Hulk caught his junk in his zipper after taking a whiz. I'd be remiss if I failed to mention that there are moments of the music where a nice chunky groove weaves into the mix as on No Guillotine Like The Truth, that sounds like a forgotten Sevendust track.

One last middling criticism: I know it's sort of accepted, but if you can't play a good solo (even simple ones can be good), just don't even try. Okay?

The Bottom Line: I've no doubt that this is a young man's band, and they've got the goods to be respected by any young punk looking to drink and take out his anger at the world on fellow moshers all in a good night's fun. So, skaters: pick this up and work on those sneers.

Tracks So Heavy They'd Scare Jeff Spicoli Out Of The Park: Becoming Wrath, No Guillotine Like The Truth, Built For The End, and The Crushing Low

- Genghis shamefully never did learn to skate in high school in the 80s...

Wildestarr - A Tale Tell Heart

Man, these people kick ass. Old school metal in the vein of classic Savatage or Queensrÿche.It seems like everywhere you turn, a new band crops up sporting "the retro sound" that's so popular in rock music these days - particularly in the rich, hard rock and heavy metal genres. And, yes, I'm telling you about one of them called Wildestarr. What do they bring to the table? For one, a female singer in London Wilde, who will often remind you of Ann Wilson on this amazing old school album inspired by the works of Edgar Allan Poe - how's that for O.G. metal source material?

Original bassist for Vicious Rumors, Dave Starr, lends some considerable talent to the guitar side of things, giving the music an authentic 80s era metal punch on their second album, A Tell Tale Heart. And I mean it, the guitar work sounds fantastic on this album, replete with harmonized runs, chugging power chords, and all the sonic trimmings.

Now where a lot of these efforts run afoul is in middling production that just doesn't do the material (or talent) justice, but that's not an issue here. Everything sounds great, with all of the atmosphere of classic 80s metal acts like Savatage or Queensrÿche. Bravo, guys.

The Bottom Line: This is old school metal done right. If you've got a jones for the classic sounds of your teenage years, listening to vinyl records in your friend's bedroom after school, grab this album and crank it the fuck up. Ahh, the good old days.

Tracks to Make You Air Guitar Your Ass Off In Front of Your Bedroom Mirror: In Stacatta, Transformis Ligea, Last Holy King, A Perfect Storm, Usher In The Twilight

- Genghis wishes he had this on vinyl - and a record player...

Drone - For Torch and Crown

Thrash metal from the hinterlands of Lower Saxony, with a touch of melodeath thrown in for flavor. Score!German thrash metal band Drone is currently rocking the shit out of my headphones, just the way I like it, with their third studio album, For Torch and Crown. In a soundscape of retro as well as cutting edge extreme metal bands you'd be forgiven for excusing them as yet "another thrash band". Forgiven, yes, but excused? Never.

Any fan of good thrash metal would be doing themselves a huge disservice to pass over these Saxon madmen. While the characteristics of the genre are there, it never feels old. You just find yourself headbanging your ass off when all of the sudden a nice melodic turn comes in, reminiscient of classic In Flames. And it's precisely that sonic flavor that really spices up what's already a damn fine metal stew.

The Bottom Line: If you're a thrash fan, or even just a fan of tight guitar work and heavy, chugging, rhythyms with some melody thrown into the mix, then check this band out pronto quick. Period.

Tracks To Mosh Around The Office To: Zombies In The Moshpit, Deepest Red and Short Way Down

- Genghis is still headbanging as he wrote this review...

A Perfect Day (Self-Titled)

When members of the Italian progressive power metal band Labyrinth decided to break off and write some original hard rock material, they formed A Perfect Day. Following the course of bands like Alter Bridge, the material is replete with catchy riffs, ballsy grooves, thrilling solos, and is even capped off nicely with a couple of slower ballads. This music sounds great, if a little indistinct by way of production.

It's just a pity the attention paid to Roberto Tarani's vocals wasn't given to the rest of the mix, as the songwriting and overall feel of the record is quite impressive.  My main complaint being the the way the guitar got mixed, which is a real shame as Andrea Cantarelli's playing is expectedly fantastic; melodic, soulful and tasteful. And too often you have to really strain to hear his solos mired in a muddy rhythym section. Let's hope for more output from these guys with a nice clear production.

The Bottom Line: Labyrinth members take a dip in the post-grunge, hard rock waters and turn out some really great music. Aside from some first-time technical issues, this is a band that deserves some attention.

Tracks to Make You Wanna Do Your Best Kane Roberts Impression: Under The Same Sun, 

- Genghis is gonna crank up Under The Same Sun again...