Kill Devil Hill (Self-Titled)

Listen, you can't beat experience. And these guys have it in spades, making a new band's debut CD sound like a veteran effort.Coming off like a cross between Alice In Chains and Whitesnake, Kill Devil Hill has the sound of a modern hard rock band with a nice old school sensibility. And it's probably due in no small part to the talents of its members: drummer Vinny Appice (Dio, Black Sabbath), bassist Rex Brown (Pantera, Down), guitarist Mark Zavon (W.A.S.P) and vocalist Dewey Bragg (Pissing Razors). The collective experience amassed here in terms of touring and crafting heavy tunes is formidible and it shows in the maturity of their eponymously-titled debut.

The dozen tunes on this album range from the Sabbathy slog of Rise From The Shadows to the Alice In Chains swagger of Hangman to the Whitesnake slither of Voodoo Doll, confidently referencing everything in between. These guys just know good old fashioned hard rockin' and it's here for the listening. The production on this album really helps set the mood, as I've seen good material like this suffer in the hands of mediocre technicians all too often.

The Bottom Line: The sheer experience of its members makes this new band's debut CD sound like the latest work of a veteran outfit with songs that sound polished and effortless. If only all new bands could come out this strongly from the get go.

Tracks To Help You Get Your Rock N' Roll Swagger On: War Machine, Hangman, Voodoo Doll, Rise From The Shadows

- Genghis was muy impressed with this debut offering...

Def Con One - Warface

Sporting a sound influenced by some of the best heavy bands ever, them Newcastle boys know how to rock a joint, I reckon.One of my favorite things about heavy metal is its tendency to reinvent itself even after a few decades and thousands of bands all over the world putting out product. I'm always excited to hear good metal from new bands no matter the genre, which brings me to this review.

From across the pond comes Def Con One to give us a dose of good, old-fashioned, British heavy metal - while giving sonic nods to some of the more interesting bands of the decades since metal's inception.  Take March of the Dead, where you can hear 90s touches of Pantera's muddy distortion before going into an Alice In Chainsy pre-chorus that flows perfectly. Blood lays down a Sevendusty groove with authority, whereas on cuts like the title track, you're taken back to the 80s for some Anthraxish mayhem. But don't make the mistake of thinking this band doesn't have a real sound of their own and that this is all aping popular music of yesteryear. DCO puts their own stamp on things with a punk ferocity that feels both thrilling and authentic.

The Bottom Line: If you're in a moshing mood, set your party to rights with a little Def Con One. This group of hooligans from Newcastle know how to rock a joint with killer grooves and seismic beats that make up a suitably dirty sound, in the best way.

Tracks to Make Enemies of Your Neighbors: March of the Dead, Warface, Blood

- Genghis is still headbanging to Blood...

Prototype - Catalyst

From thrash to prog metal, these boys have transitioned into a more sophisticated band over the last 20 years. Rock on!I am more than willing to admit that the genre of progmetal, despite being one of my all time favorites, is replete with bands that are competent but ultimately make music that's, well...boring. Sure, it's mostly about the "balls and chunk"TM, but if there's no interesting melodic component over the intricate rhythyms, you've lost me.

That's why it's nice to discover a band like L.A.'s Prototype. On their latest studio album, Catalyst, you'll find all of the usual progmetal ingredients, along with the melodic hooks that help a band's music transcend the ranks of artists that, while fully committed to their art, just don't catch my attention. Coming from a solid thrash background as the band Psychosis in the early '90s, Kragen Lum (Lead guitars) and Vince Levalois (Lead vocals, guitars) retooled their sound, and after a much lauded demo started to get a lot of work (their music's been featured in a few video games) as a new sound in progressive metal.

Vince's vocals still have the edge of thrash singer, but he's not without a good range and handles the tunes ably, while Kragen (awesome name, by the way) plays some fine leads without degenerating into the wankery that often steers a band wrong in this genre. I'm looking forward to more from this band.

The Bottom Line: Not just another Johnny-come-lately progmetal band, Prototype has earned its cred putting in performing time as a solid thrash outfit in the '90s before upping their musical game. They easily avoid the rookie mistakes of foregoing melodic interest for rhythymic gymnastics and the listeners are all the better for it.

Tracks To Make You Curious About Their Psychosis Material: Cynic Dreams, The Chosen Ones, Into Oblivion & The Ageless Heart of Memory

- Genghis really dug this album...

Havok - Point of No Return (EP)

Moshers get your dirty, old concert shirts on, grit your teeth, and GET IN THE PIT!It's no secret I'm a thrash guy through and through. I love that balls out driving backbeat with its double bass drums rattling behind a thundering bass that sounds like a battalion of riders bursting from of the mouth of hell. It's metal at its rawest and most pure; angry, defiant, loud, with an energy that's barely contained.

Denver, Colorado's Havok may cause you to think they're another band doing that retro thing that's en vogue, but their music exudes an earnestness you can't deny. These guys are metal as fuck. And old school thrash fans should enjoy every bit of Havok's sound on their Point of No Return EP which gives a glimpse of things to come from this eager and brutal outfit from the mile high city.

And to think that I'm basing this on only two actual original songs from this 4 song EP; the latter two tracks are great covers of Sepultura's Arise and a melody of Slayer's Post Mortem and Raining Blood. But such is the apparent power of this band. Reece Scruggs and David Sanchez handle the guitar duties with ease, laying a nice crunchy topping over the solid backbeat of Jesse De Los Santos and Pete Webber's bass and drums, respectively. It's like a sonic, inside-out Snicker's bar. Wow, that's like the worst metaphor ever. I WIN (you lose)!

The Bottom Line: Thrash fans have a great new band to give them the call to the pit. So, throw on your boots, bang your head, and FUCKING MOSH!

Tracks to Make You Stage Dive Off Your Bed/Desk: All of them

- Genghis may be too old for the pit, but he'll stand on the outskirts...

Eddie: Greatest. Mascot. EVAR.

Seems like this would make a good topic for an upcoming tribute episode, but when you think of heavy metal and think of the mascots, who comes to mind first? Megadeth's Vic? Motörhead's Snaggletooth?

While those guys are totally cool, for me, it's always about Eddie the 'Ead, Iron Maiden's infamous ambassador and metal icon.

I came across this picture made up by artist Stan W. Decker who apparently had his own idea of who should be representing the true face of London for all of its Olympic pageantry:

- Genghis is jonesin' for some live Maiden action (just about two more weeks)...