Metal/Punk music you will love

Metal/Punk

style / mood

Editor's Picks (see more)

UP THE FURY: Behind Every Mind
"There's a war going on outside our windows and the casualty count has reached its peak." These, the opening words from "Tribal Is Never A Good Idea," the ninth track on the debut from this Long Island hardcore outfit, sum up the feel of this record perfectly. It's gripping, teaming with focused anger and justified animosity that spills over, reaches out, and takes you by the throat. As you might expect, the guitars here are the force that pushes it all along, and with two of 'em feeding off each other, it makes for a huge sound, sandwiching the listener right in the middle. The vocals are equally effective, shooting off lyrics that are condensed with rage but not senselessly consumed with it. The result are songs that come across as brutally sincere and unwavering, intense but also very aware of musicianship and, buried deep under the aggression, unassumingly poised and collected.
CD price: $10.00
HUNAB KU: The Gaze Inward
While there are seven tracks on the proper debut from this Seattle experimental metal four piece, you might not know where one ends and the next begins if you don't keep a close eye on your player's display. That's a good thing. Just let the music happen and you can sort it all out later. This is an album that demands a solid listen from start from finish, and you'd be hard pressed to find a good stopping point anyway. Although they're clearly influenced by Mike Patton (specifically Fantomas) and some of the older work of John Zorn, this is a band who really doesn't want to be pegged down with categorization, and they do a fine job of dabbling in specific styles (death metal, experimental) without resorting to leaning on any one sound for too long. Instead, the approach and feel of the songs are constantly changing, with abstract riffs crashing through, then sporadically pulling back enough to add emphasis to the more tactile melodies and sampled blips. It's relentless nonetheless, as the short breaks are just harbingers to the onslaughts that follow. It's a lot to take in, but this record is crafted with enough precision that there should be no fear of alienation from fans of real, intelligent metal.
CD price: $10.00
TRAGEDY: Vengeance
"No words/ No words can explain the anger from years and years of being beaten down." This, the opening line from the final track on this maniacally brilliant hardcore album, has to be taken with a grain of salt, because on the 11 tracks that preceded it, this band displays an articulation rarely rivaled in the genre. Musically and lyrically, this is simply what most hardcore bands aspire to, a complexity and palpable purging of legitimized and diagrammed frustration that acts both as a point of argument and a series of answers, all executed with an urgency that is guaranteed to stir up stomachs. Tightly knit but never predictable, the two guitars here are just as powerful apart from each other as they are when they slam together, and their tendency to pull back and slow things down makes their impact that much harder when they inevitably crash back in. The vocal style is along the lines of what you would expect from a band like this, but the lyrics are brash and intelligent, killing any inkling of cliche with solid truths and pragmatic thinking. This is a band that lives it, a group that shuns attention (even from major labels) and focuses solely on making music that is aware and important.
MP3 price: $9.99
ONE ELEVEN ARCHER: Familiar Highs
On their 10 song full-length debut, this Canadian post-hardcore (don't place too much emphasis on that label) four piece connect and cultivate, expanding a complex rock sound and transporting to a place that most bands only aspire to reach. Their loosely harmonized vocals slam into each other, crying out over slightly math-rock rhythmic shards that aren't boisterous or flashy, just straight ahead and sensibly contextual. Driven by steady beats that can often quickly jut off or pull back, the attention to detail in the songwriting here is surprisingly loose and effortless, allowing these tracks to remain unassuming in their underlying complexity. The same logic seems to be applied to the lyrics, which match the music in their slightly subdued but ultimately effective content and delivery. While the two vocalist approach and some of their lyrics ("liberty is falling because convenience is stalling") certainly merit comparisons to Fugazi, these guys are clearly on their own in their sparse and unorthodox use of abstract harmony and raw but melodic delivery. Bottom line, this is smart rock with songs that are well crafted and challenging in all the best ways. Fans of bands like Hot Water Music and Sweep The Leg Johnny will want to check this out for sure.
CD price: $9.97 / MP3 price: $9.97
HACKSAW TO THE THROAT: Wastelands
From where this starts, it seems appropriate to assume that this is going to be a pretty straightforward thrash/speed metal project: a band that's going to play hard and fast, throw in a few tricks here and there, and deliver the standard musical head-butt that any metal band worth their weight should be able to forcibly execute. Then you notice that the second track clocks in at over ten minutes, and none of the nine tracks here are shorter than five. The intrigue grows. Shortly after, you realize you don't even need to bother keeping track of where one song ends and another begins. There's really no point. The band keeps so much going on here that you'd only find yourself needlessly distracted. While these guys are great at playing fast and reckless metal, they're also very adept at juxtaposing it with slower, more intricate breaks and time changes, and this is where they really make their mark. The two guitars scream in stereo, racing through detailed riffs, but they know when to reign it in, and it's usually at the most unexpected moments. The vocals are fierce in their delivery but choosy in their placement, rendering them that much more powerful when they scream to be heard. Compelling but not overindulged, it's great to see bands like this push the limits of this brand of metal and really crank out some challenging, intelligent music.
CD price: $12.00 / MP3 price: $12.00

Top Sellers (see more)

CELLDWELLER: Celldweller
The debut album ranges from guitar-based electronic rock to the unique blending of heavily distorted guitars and aggression with drum & bass and trance
CD price: $11.99 / MP3 price: $11.99
REEL BIG FISH: Our Live Album is Better Than Your Live Album
Ska-popsters "best of" album with a 2xCD live album PLUS a DVD at a bargain price.
CD price: $20.00
CASEY CHAOS: PISSTORY: a catalouge of accidents/a lifetime of mistakes
Punk rock in its purest form, wrapped in social angst, feeding claustrophobic paranoia that transcends into an outlet of extremes. Violence. Pain. Obsession.
CD price: $44.95 / MP3 price: $44.95
SOULBENDER: Soulbender
Soulbender is a dark, heavy rock band from Seattle and Vancouver. The band consists of Queensryche guitarist Michael Wilton, ex-My Sister's Machine singer Nick Pollock, guitarist Dave Groves, and drummer Wes Hallam.
CD price: $14.97 / MP3 price: $14.97
DEADSTAR ASSEMBLY: Deadstar Assembly
Death Pop
CD price: $12.97 / MP3 price: $12.97
EVE TO ADAM.: Antidote
Alternative hard rock with a melodic edge.
UNJUST: Glow
Unjust has signed with KoolArrow Records for the USA/Canada & to CoPro Records for Europe. Check unjust.com for info. The new Glow (re.date 3/9)will be enhanced. For those who covet every Deftones, Dredg, Faith No More style release, here's your answer.
CD price: $10.99 / MP3 price: $10.99
PINKLY SMOOTH: Unfortunate Snort
Featuring members of Avenged Sevenfold and Ballistico, this is some manic metal. Acrobatic drums guitar and vocals, with lyrics describing vampires and morbidly twisted plots.
CD price: $10.99 / MP3 price: $10.99
DOGFIGHT: Standing Still
You'll Be Fine, Once You're Wasted, Trust Me.......
MP3 price: $9.99
SYX: A Cold Breath of What It Takes
Aggressive, heavy music blended with thick melodies
CD price: $10.99 / MP3 price: $10.99