Malevolent - Demo (2009)

Genre: Death Metal, Hardcore, Deathcore, Grindcore?, Black Metal?
About: I'm doing a few posts today to protest my school's anti-freedom of information ideals. Youtube doesn't even load properly because they restrict the internet so bad here. Anyway, this is an album I bought (yes, BOUGHT, so if you like it please refer to the Buy link below)

This is a very interesting combination of grind, death metal, and hardcore. Difficult to categorize bands are always better IMO. The breakdown in track 1 is heavy as f*ck, and then is followed by a guitar solo 0_0. I am very glad i bought this, because this band from Southern California has a lot of potential. Even as they are now, the playing is spot on, and the composition excellent. The production is crystal clear, not demo-like at all. They remind me of the band "Winds of Plague" except with a more unique approach. Please download this, and if you like it send them a message to buy or at least thank them for a job well done!

Buy CD and Shirt for 15 dollars! (or just CD for 5) (Send a message on myspace with mailing address and paypal the money) (Note, the shirt is the lower image at the top of this post, but both are off their official myspace :D)

1. Engorged in Skeetsuit
2. Sex Panther
3. Inner Unravelling of an Ocean
(side note - itunes made this read-only? Dont know why. Read-only annoys me, will look into)

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Torrential Downpour - Torrential Downpour (2009)

Genre: From Minimalist/Ambient/Atmospheric to Death/Thrash/Experimental Metal/Hardcore
About: I'm sitting here thinking how to describe this music in words, and I just can't. It's so innovative and original. A lot of it is beautiful atmosphere but each song builds to a climax of heavy thrashing guitars and flying corpses (well maybe not but it sounds like it).

The first peak of the album is "Toile" which is almost 13 minutes, and it reminds me of atmospheric black metal in style, however I don't think it technically is... If you like Lunar Aurora, Trist, Drudkh, etc. this is for you.

Then the whole album builds to a climax which is "Three Twenty (The Hologram)". They might as well call it Four Twenty (The Orgasm) because it is a melodic death/thrash masterpiece. The last track is a perfect conclusion because it is a light flowing beautiful electric guitar melody.

The band members themselves seem cool, judging by that picture above and the fact that they signed my album when i asked. With very nice signatures I might add.

This band deserves so much more exposure than it has, so if you like it PLEASE purchase it and tell your friends! I'll tell you the album comes with a lot of extra goodies as well, but I won't ruin the surprise.

Buy this album (or their EP) on their Myspace!

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Austrian Death Machine - A Very Brutal Christmas (2008) (EP/Single) (As I Lay Dying side-project)

Genre: Thrash Metal, Metalcore, Hardcore, Comedy
About: "Austrian Death Machine is a metalcore/groove/thrash metal band from San Marcos, California. They are a side project by As I Lay Dying’s vocalist Tim Lambesis, as a tribute to Arnold Schwarzenegger one liners."
-stolen from last.fm

This is worth getting for the Jingle Bells cover alone. It goes into the most amazing riff/breakdown two thirds through that I just cannot explain in words. It's inspired by the movie "Jingle all the way." I also love the dialogue in track three. "I don't care, I want your leather jacket NAOWWWWWWWW!!!!" Track 2 is the first single from their 2007 album "Total Brutal."

1. Jingle Bells 03:01
2. Get to the Choppa 02:47
3. Hell Bent For Leather (Judas Priest cover) 02:57

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Unearth - The March (2008)

Genre: (hardcore), (Melodic Death Metal), (Metalcore)
About: It's 6am and i dont want to sleep because this is the best night of my life. I saw Unearth and 4 other bands but unearth blew them out of the water and all the trve metalheads went crazy myself included. There was a massive pit where people were either hardcore dancing or running around in circles. So here's their new album, I havent listened but they played stuff from it live and it was amazing. (Consider this my post for Oct 3d, i was too busy. ill have another post today also.)

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