Testament - Dark Roots Of Earth

Anthrax amazed with their brilliant album and now the true thrash metal masters return with the next chapter in their storied career. Testament are the only thrash metal band that hasn't dropped a turd in their history and that record stays fully intact with Dark Roots Of Earth. If I am to be honest this album isn't as good as The Formation Of Damnation and considering how unbelievably great that album is, making another one to follow it is nearly impossible.

DRoE stands on its own with monster metal classics like the title track and "Man Kills Mankind" that sound a little darker if that is even possible. The groove of "A Day In The Death" is classic Testament and one of the albums best tracks. Many have complained greatly about the song "Cold Embrace" but I think it is better than "The Ballad" and is nearly as good as "Return To Serenity" both not bad songs at all. I actually appreciate the change of pace from breakneck metal to melodic metal structures. Chuck's voice really sounds great and Snead did a wonderful job of producing the song to make it multifaceted in its slower tempo.

When the band finds their groove as on "Throne Of Thorns" they are impeccable on every level. This song is not just the albums best song it is one of their best songs ever, period. The twin guitar soloing is on an Iron Maiden level and then the breakdown into the solo is spine tingling. Skolnick sounds like he's totally bought into the bands sound and their vision as he just lays down a solo that should even impress him after listening to it. I dare anyone not to mosh, bang thy head, punch air or just fucking lose their mind while "Last Stand For Independence" blasts out your speakers.

Testament has once again created a five star album that is yet another classic of epic proportions. They take everything that is great about heavy metal wrap it up in a delicious package and present it at an all you can eat buffet. There is not one single thing Eric Peterson or Chuck Billy could have done to make a better album.  As I said it is not as good as the musical journey they took us on in 2008 but one thing that is better and that is, Andy Sneads production. He makes the band a little snappier and glossier which makes this album really digestible with the only song that falters for me is "Animal Magnetism" that just sits a little to far in the doom metal genre for me but I still didn't hate the song.

It is just about impossible to not have to pick your jaw up off the floor at the conclusion of Dark Roots Of Earth because this is some of the best metal your ears will hear this year and honestly any year. Bands like Testament are one in a million and not since The Beatles has a band been this incredible in the quality department when making full-length albums. If their is any other bands who are in the category of not making a bad album who would there be outside of maybe the orignal Black Sabbath line-up and Saigon Kick there is no other bands I can think of who've been this consistently great besides the very short list I've made. Best metal album of 2012 and I'm pretty sure this is going to stand for the rest of the year because who else is coming down the pipe that can compete?

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New Music: Songs That Don't Suck

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Should Have Beens: Sugarbomb - Bully

Sugarbomb is a band that only released one album but that one album is brilliant. The band encompass everything that was great about rock music's history and put their influences to great use on such brilliant songs like "What A Drag" that is one of the best power pop songs there is.

Their album Bully went nowhere because in 2003 they were too cool for the pop market. Bands like this rarely get the fair shake they deserve. Look at Squeez for example with all the brilliant work of Difford and Tillbrook they are basically considered one hit wonders for "Tempted" but they have a catalog of great music larger than most artists in the mainstream. Sugarbomb hit the perfect chord with "Hello" a sunshine pop tune that is so good you want to just give it a big hug.

As the album begins to turn a little more progressive and theatrical you really get to enjoy something special. The more radio friendly stuff kicks the record off and then they unlock the creativity cupboard and unleashing some amazing music. Songs like "Motor Mouth", "Poster Child For Tragedy" that show their influences in great detail but they do it with their own spirit and ideas making their own sound.

If only the band would have stuck around and gave us more slices of genius like "Mail Order Girlfriend" the music world would be a better place. When you get a song that immediately reminds you of Jellyfish that is an awesome moment for any music fan. One of the greatest collection of musicians in one group you can find since the immortal Fab Four were Jellyfish and Sugarbomb could have been on that sort of level if only they didn't disband.

Drawing even from the Vaudevillian inspired garage rock of early Alice Cooper does Sugarbomb. One listen to "After All" most will hear Queen but at its core is the Coop's angst. If you can find a copy of this wonderful and charismatic album I'd suggest you do not pass it by. There is just too much glorious entertainment for you ears to love and have your musical journey expanded by to miss out on Sugarbomb's Bully.

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Asia - XXX

Here we go again with another Asia release and so far they haven't exactly done us any favors with new music since their heyday. The big issue with Asia is they are slick overproduced AOR and not so much a progressive rock act which they and their fans so want them to be. Unlike the impeccable Yes album from last year this album leaves way to much to be desired.

The lead vocals are missing power and I think that's due to production. More layers and a little oomph in the delivery could have helped. Howe and Downes are not anywhere near as inspired on XXX as they seemed to be in the creation of Fly Away From Here. XXX has some average material about what you'd expect after listening to anything post '83. There are some songs that are inexplicably bad where the trio of musicians should be ashamed to have released it. Then you get the one song that tweaks your ears "Ghost Of A Chance". The only song on the album that made me think I'd listen to this more than once or twice.

In the end this is an Asia album they have never been much good at making great albums that drive me to play them multiple times not even the debut does that for me. I believe if you are a fan of their very polished AOR blandness then this album will sound like Beethoven just rolled out of his grave and finished a new symphony. If you are a casual fan or liked their hit singles don't even bother because they don't come close to delivering anything that will satisfy you. One look at the mailed in album art and you should be sure that this album is nothing more than a reason to play live and pretend your still viable.

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The Offspring - Days Go By

I had to give this album a couple more listens before I wrote a review. Good thing I did that because this album seems to get better with each listen. The opening cut is a dark-side of Offspring tune that takes their prototypical California Punk Rock feel into melodic rock territory to absolute perfection. They sound spirited as the blow the doors off with the chorus claiming "Will you take what's in my head, And erase me when I'm dead? 'Cause the future is now, Now I'm disappearing" the great opening track has nice little breakdown with one minute left in the song that adds to intensity of the song. Can this sort of excellence continue you might wonder knowing their back catalog of hit and miss.

A more melodic song follows but it still has the aggressiveness that makes the Offspring enjoyable. The first single and title track is a melodic masterclass and one of the bands best songs since Ixnay for sure. The typical sound returns on a little misstep "Turning To You" which isn't one of my favorites on the album they follow it with another filler track. Then the album's most immediate and enjoyable song "Cruising California (Bumpin' In My Trunk)" which rides the fun train all the way into the station for a party you don't want to ever end. The Offspring has never been much at writing great power ballad styled songs but they pull it off with rousing success on "All I Have Left Is You" which could easily be a number one single for them. This is a true high water mark for the band and their songwriting ability.

The Latin flavored "OC Guns" is silly and I can see all the wanna be's in their low riders rockin' this one. Any normal person has to take it with a grain of salt and for what it is entertainment. The dark and sinister "Dirty Magic" is a solid album cut which fills space and gets us to another one of the bands better songs "I Wanna Secret Family (With You)" this is one of the tracks the should be another hit single. The band go right back to their beginnings with "Dividing By Zero" which could have come from Smash easily. "Slim Pickens Does The Right Thing And Rides The Bomb To Hell" is the best song title in their history and is on my list of all-time ones for sure. The song itself is a strong uptempo rocker that sounds even better when played super loud. Overall I have to say this album is probably as good as Ixnay On The Hombre which is still my favorite album by The Offspring but Days Go By might eclipse it the more I listen to it.

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Kreator - Phantom Antichrist

Who would have thunk that Kreator could actually still be releasing decent material or even new material at all. This being the thirteenth studio album by the bad of inter-changing members since their debut the band have not done much to make me a fan of their music. I have to admit with age this band has improved to a large degree. They have some songs that are worth listening to a second time like "Civilization Collapse" and the title track "Phantom Antichrist" but the sameness really does make for a boring listen after the first four or five tracks.

If you are just dragging out the odd song for a mixed playlist or have the album on a random mix with other bands then the individual songs will have a little more impact. Overall this is modern thrash album that attempts to be a little more throwback which has become pretty common today. There is nothing to write home about here and they do not re-invent the genre nor do they make the swerve into true Black Metal so I'm left with eh it's OK I guess.

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