Iron Man - I have Returned (Shadow Kingdom Records)

This album is something that fans of Count Raven, Paul Chain, and earlier Black Sabbath would love.  The vocalist was the frontman of "Sabbra Cadabra" (a Black sabbath tribute band) so it's actually quite fitting that he plies his trade in a band called "Iron Man" showing what he can do with his own ideas.  He actually sounds like a young Ozzy at times, which suits the warm distortion quite nicely.  I actually discovered this band accidentally.  While I was enjoying a few drinks at a local club, I suddenly heard a guitar sound that knocked me off my bar stool.  I headed toward the stage like someone who's been hypnotized, needing to hear that music straight out of the amplifier.  Not many guitarists get that kind of sound anymore.  If you enjoy that older flavor then you need to get this.  Of course, nothing can compare to hearing the band live, but the recording captured enough of the essence to tide you over until the band tours through your area. - Bill Zebub



Sectioned - Purulent Reality (Paragon Records)

When you hear this for the first time you might think that this CD was lost from your 90's death metal collection.  That's not an insult.  The vocals are guttural but understandable, sort of like what was going on before things got overwhelmingly extreme and experimental.  Also absent are some of the drum cliches of more recent death metal.  And of course, the lead guitar is another seeming return to the old ways.  Death metal is a form that doesn't ridicule its past, like some styles.  Outsiders might detect trends, but such things develop as bands experiement with the latest ideas.  So a "trend" is simply just a new tool to put into the toolbox.  On this album we simply return to the use of older tools, so-to-speak.  Try it.  You might like it. Bill Zebub



Brilliant Coldness - Poisoned Reality (Apollon Records)

It's always enjoyable to hear a death metal album like this.  The band has a song-oriented approach, making tasty tunes.  There are some interesting time-changes that keep the ear busy, but no song is overly flashy.  It seems that the band wants you to recognize each song as its own enitity.  The vocals remind me of the "Under the Surface" album by Casket, which is a compliment.  This is not a horrifying type of death metal - heavy, but not overly brutal.  Great songs with lots of stuff going on.  And yes, there are some melodic leads here; not the gay kind - the leads need good riffs to bear them - the honey from demon-bees will coat your ears. You'd be a fool to miss out on the goodies.  - Bill Zebub


Battlesoul s/t (myspacve.com/battlesoulmetal)

A pagan/folk metal album that has both clean vocals and throaty vocals that could belong to either black metal or death metal, depending on your ideas of purity.  Although this is a self-release, the band is far from the demo stage.  You might want to obtain a CD now because I suspect that they are of limited quantity, and of course it might one day be a trophy to boast.  Don't be afraid of the pagan/folk categorization.  Their style is actually a hybrid of many forms, and they favor the "metal" in pagan "metal" - so you are not going to hear a "party album" for a rennaisance faire. - Bill Zebub