Album Review: The Violent Inzident – This Is Nu Metal

You’re either going to love this album or hate it. Depending on your nostalgia level for that dark, dark time… “the nu‑metal years” between 1997 and 2001. I, for one, certainly do not have rose-tinted glasses on when I think back to those times. However, for the clowns in The Violent Inzident they have made Nu Metal a way of life

By photocopying the biggest names of era: taking the costumes of Slipknot and Korn‘s Adidas, they lay out the nu metal line instantly and very thickly. This band is a complete piss-take of the style in all its cringiest forms. Conjuring all of the period’s biggest acts in red caps. Almost to the point they may get sued, the parodies here range from blatant to cringingly forced.

With songs such as “Whores of Instagram” being a prime example and an example of parody to the point of piracy (SOAD being the target here, with the rapid Serj-vocals sections) with a strong hint of incel bitterness sprinkled in. The self-titled track “The Violent Inzident” pulls from the cringe-masters Limp Bizkit, while “Brazil is great” is fairly airtight, as it apes Soulfly and the “Roots” era Sepultura providing the closest glimpse of “real” metal with a thrashing section. What the track “Down with your mistress”is parodying is almost too obvious to mention. The painfully cringe parodies only get worse from here. Coal Chamber/Mushroomhead in the firing line in “Fou Fou” and the less said about the corny Korn tracks the better.

Granted the cliches of the time have not aged well, just as much as the humour also fails, with some of the jokes falling much flat now, much than would have back in the day. Basically much funnier in 2001 than in 2025. Any record that has a “No snowflakes” warning on the cover is never going to be a good sign; the cringy track “Triggered (The Snowflake Anthem)” makes it clear which other Red caps they may also prefer.

There is no issue with the musicianship, and the production is top-notch, however, for me, this whole album and band just filled me with intense “cringe” (word of the day on this review). We all know that metal from this era was lame and super easy to poke fun at, but the joke wears thin fast. Not to defend the sound, however you slice it, but for many people, nu‑metal was their gateway into the world of heavy music. A part of me doesn’t want to be as harsh due to the satirical nature of this act, but this cringe-tastic album, I doubt think I will be pulling out too often. [6/10]

Album Review: S.M.D. – Hatefed Motherfucker 666

This is one of the fastest and most furious records I have ever heard. From basically the first note, S.M.D.‘s mission is to play as fast as possible, and they can say they excel at this to excess. Think of DRI or S.O.D., but played at double speed at least. I can seldom think of a Speedier band. S.M.D (which I assume stands for Suck My Dick) from California has produced a unique racket on this album.

With the Bass croaking, rumbling rasps overpowering the mix, the scratchy guitar tones become secondary to the low end as they plunder through 16 tracks of crossover thrashcore at practically one speed: Fast!. Only very occasionally breaking into mid-pace moments (such as the cool Corrupted Morals cover) before continuing to thrash and beat you some more.

The guitar feels like an afterthought as they run through simple yet effective Suicidal Tendencies riffs picked from their B-sides. In no way trained or professional, the vocals are fuck mad, angry, and very unpolished shouts. A Rapid-fire barking attack, like the fast bits in power-violence, makes the fury come through tenfold. Admittedly, the album’s midsection does lull into a monotony a touch, and I feel this is designed for speed freaks only, so others may be put off by the constant battery. It’s a “blink, and you’ll miss it” experience that is over in only 24 minutes. Overall, this album, for the pure insanity of it all, is one that just has to be heard to be believed. Check this album, it won’t take you long. As for S.M.D, carry on, you crazy bastards. [7/10]

EP Review: Dreich – Edicius

It almost feels obvious that the sub-sub genre of Depressive/Suicidal Black Metal seems like a means to an end. Not that I am condoning that “end”. (Seek help: samh.org.uk) However, Aberdeens Dreich are seeking to enhance and bring new life into the genre. This full-band project (a rarity in the genre), Dreich’s debut EP “Edicius” (which is suicide spelled backwards), released via As Pestis Records, is an intriguing listen. 

The opening track “Cold” is the most traditional/orthodox black metal-sounding, showing a potency for the black arts. With a kick ass opening riff, grimly frostbitten vocals from the north, and mid-paced grace. Painting a heavy atmosphere that enchants and draws the BM fan in as a great teaser. However, the misery truly begins on track 2, “Sharing Death,” with its downward-bent, dismal tones and long, repetitive tremolo notes leads the listener into a spiral of despair just as the weather turns for the worse. The haunting lead melody, captured and embraced by the slow, desolate drumming, makes for an epic, treacherous journey into dark emotions seldom expressed in this intensity.

Continuing the same toxic vein is “Aperta Voulnera” (Latin for open wounds) that swells a minor-toned lead plucked riff over a blackened doom tempo. Combined with the noose-wielding, strained growls and shrieks that mirror some real pain and existential anguish not often expressed with such venom. The misery continues on “Tower of Sorrow.” but twisted further to a darker and more extreme direction, crescendoing in a shower of blast beats. The final and longest track is a purely ambient piece. With a dark industrial feel, we are treated to a dramatic reading of Virginia Woolf’s suicide note over droning and unsettling noises. A touch edgy, but effective for giving you one last chill before the EP ends.

Although not as harsh or as unforgiving as other DSBM releases on the market. However, what Dreich has authored here in this long-form EP is certainly worth investigating, but be warned, it is not for the faint of heart. [7/10] facebook.com/dreichscotland/

Mole’s Morsels: Issue III “Swiping right.”

Bands: Bloodthread, Catalysis, HexenHammer, Vantage Point

Welcome back to my occasional local singles run down. Lets get swiping and see if I get any matches.

HexenHammer – “Die on Your Cross“. Starting off with a one-man band project of former Immortal Omen bass player, Hexenhammer is a new project that takes things old school providing a gloom dark metal prayer. With a an impressive guitar lick opening hook, and the deep growled vocals paired over a traditional metal sound. Its an idea you don’t see often but works remarkable well in this gloomy tune. Overall a great slab of metal to kick this issue off with and I look forward to more material hopefully coming soon! [7/10] https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61577206757010

Catalysis – “Tremors”. Just in time for their upcoming EP launch at Dundee Metalfest, Catalysis keeps up the momentum by unleashing a fury of fiery singles. “Tremors”, “Death Blow” and just as I am typing this, “Serpentine”. Out of the 3 great tracks released so far I found my ear favouring this one the most. Delivering another lesson in groove and macho metalcore, this delightful neck destroyer track is bound to shake the ground and start pits. Since my last time covering Catalysis, there had huge line-up change with new and old blood in and out. The transfusion has resulted in Robbi of Volcano X now on bass, the addition of new guitar player Jamie from Crusaders, and the return to the scene of Excellent Cadaver singer Downie. All making another mark of Catalysis doing what they do best: Fuckin Rock! [8/10] https://www.facebook.com/catalysismetal

Vantage Point – “Punch and Judy”.  This heavy rock/metal band from Edinburgh as has always intrigued me. With an astonishing output rate (over 20 singles within the past year), their bizarre clipart style artwork. Many of which feature with some red dressed woman, which I shall name “Judy” for this release. Granted, a lot of there songs have been covers lately and this one is another (Marillion this time). Thankfully their music is much better than their cover art choices, and for this cover version they have replaced the keyboard riff with guitar making the track a lot less wimpy than the original. Treating this as more of an adaptation than a re-do, Vantage Point continue to do there best to stand out in the crowd. Not bad! [6/10] https://www.facebook.com/vantagepointrocks

BloodThread – “Omnivorous Enmanglement”. Brutality reigns in Glasgow’s Bloodthread camp. If you can’t already tell from the song title and disgusting artwork. Embracing brutality through technical metal lenses, this track shows little mercy. From the ripper riffs and guitar pinches, to the devastating druming and the demonic death growls. All this adds to disturbingly unique and brutal finale. Fantastic! [8/10] https://www.facebook.com/Bloodthread

Album Review: Liquid Tension Experiment – Liquid Tension Experiment 3

It’s supergroup time, and no other group is quite as super as the talents of this quartet, in terms of ability to jam and shred. This dream team features the God‑tier talents of the Dream Theater bunch (John Petrucci, Jordan Rudess, and Mike Portnoy) and King Crimson’s legendary bassist Tony Levin. But can this instrumental group produce more than just pointless, lyric‑less, progressive noodling?

In short, yes, they certainly could. But did they? No. This lengthy release, which is over an hour long (almost two hours with the bonus disc), takes the listener on an epic musical odyssey. Consisting of maddening shredding guitar licks, hyper-technical drum mastery, blazing bass nimbleness, and crazy keyboard wizardry. All set in the style of extremely technical Jazz fusion blended with the proggiest of progressive rock.

This four‑way instrumental gangbang is a difficult sell for those not immersed in prog or jazz in all. So it was quickly evident that this album was not going to be up my street. Apart from a semi‑heavy bit in “Key to the Imagination”, and the sheer technicality of it all, there isn’t a huge amount of metal here, just pure, unadulterated noodling that mostly feels like the longest guitar solo session ever.

No doubt, I’m missing a trick or the point of all this. However, I’m sure the ultra‑prog music-theory nerds would be able to tell me (in a nasally voice) otherwise: and give me a thousand points of interest to this: “The counterpoints this melody interpolates and re‑enters the fret‑tapped, delay‑soaked neo‑baroque shimmer‑riff that modulates unpredictably through penta‑lydian hyper‑modes…” as you can probably imagine.

Just to rub it in as to how godly talented this group is, the album is practically indistinguishable from the purely improvised jams on the bonus disc. It is a monument to their supreme talents, while equally showing how pointless the “crafted” material is if they can pull this off at the drop of a hat full of guitar picks. Unless you are a super‑geek for this type of stuff, I struggle to really see the value in this album. It’s just not for me. [6/10]

Album Review: Nassau – Nassau

Nassau is not only the capital city of The Bahamas, a name of an aristocratic dynastic house, or a Town close to New York City, but it is also the name of the debut album “Nassau”, by the Scottish odd-ball metallers Nassau. This debut album is their first since finding much success at Bloodstock in 2021 and Hordes, this band of misfits’ talents are on full display

Kicking off with brilliant “Sobriety Is Overrated” (see below) the album does not hold back, as the snotty snarling vocals introduces their unique take of progressive death metal. While the addictive riff motif on the 2nd track “Satan” is an eternally burrowing earworm. Combined the polka circus vibe, this track is one of their strongest track in a host of great cuts. Like the slanted groove and an odd time signatures of “Stitch” again adds another layer and elements that grabs your attention. It’s as if every track seems to have its own unique hook designed to enthral and entertain.

Bruiser track “Louisiana 9-Step” is the heaviest of the album as it pummels you quickly. Which is tightly followed by “Lich King” that showcases brutal drumming, while the technical drum solo in “Take flight” shows the strong musicianship. The vocals in this album take many unique vocal choices, that adds to an unease that fuses in  Mike Patton and SOAD influences with ragtime and blues throwbacks.

To sum up the mastery on display, think Diablo Swing Orchestra while huffing on Opeth-branded glue. The guitar and bass combine innovative structure and riffs with raw technical ability. Taking progressive paths without being excessively pedantic or noodle-ly. Each couple of tracks is separated by brief uninteresting instrumental tracks. These could have been clipped or skipped with minimal impact on the record.

The tasteful and flavourful production, brings every element to the palate with ease making for polished yet powerful listening experience. At just over an hour long, it’s a touch on the longer side for the short attention spanned. Overall this is a just great album. Innovative, dynamic and heavy just the way it should be. Brilliant job guys. [8/10]

Album Review: Gorevent / Bloodscribe / Party Cannon / Parasitic Ejaculation – Cannons of Gore Soaked, Blood Drenched, Parasitic Sickness

4-way Split.

That title is quite the mouthful! Stringing along all of the bands’ names like a human centipede, this split album from 2019, the results were undoubtedly going to be messy. As so many slam albums do. With Gore House Productions specializing in this gross area of extreme metal, this should be a great ride.

Parasitic Ejaculation (lovely name) from Santa Cruz, California, are up first, and this sets the tone for the rest of the disc, brutal groove-filled Slam. Death metal at its most ridiculously extreme. Desolating, heavy, and technical, the combination of squealing pitches and sweeps and dastardly grooves makes for an entertaining triplets of tracks.
The frankly Bonkers gibberish vocals on “Amalgamating Beings of Deformity” are (I assume) unintentionally funny, and a clear highlight so far, as they come out of nowhere and make an impression. The Slam-tastic brutal death metal sound of Parasitic Ejaculation is almost perfect for the slam fan in us all. [7/10]

Party Cannon is next, and the band is always willing to embrace comedy and their own meme status, with the sound clip at the beginning of their 3 tracks really sets the tone for the less-than-serious slam they provide in huge loads.
They go all in! Into the supremely technical side to slam with hyper flashy riffs and movements, brutal slams. The vocals here are the typical swine-level growls, ultra-deep growls, and almost literally pig-snortingly low.

Party Cannon has the largest variation in their sound, from super speedy windmill exercise speed to the genre-specific mid-range, down to almost ridiculously slow on their final track, “Electric Soldier Porygon”. The friendliest logo band here has produced some top-quality slam. Viva Party Slam! [8/10]

Next, the Japanese Gorvent takes a different route to deliver the slam. With an extremely fuzzy production job, the almost white noise level of Swedish style distortion almost drowns out the riffs in favour of rhythmic sludgy slams at a mid-paced chuggery and buggery. The Unintelligible growls are the cookiest of cookie monster blue vocals, and the overwhelming distortion makes, sadly, Gorvent the least impactful of the bunch on this CD as their 3 songs melt into a sticky blob. Brutal, nonetheless. [6/10]

The American Bloodscribe is the final act; they loop back to the style of the first act PE, with a traditional slam sound with added deathcore bite and patterns. Which brings them the closest to the mainstream. With some relatively lighter influences and black metal touches. Of note is the production, which is not as clean as the first band but nowhere near as distorted as the previous act. However, it’s the first act to really let the bass tones flow through to a meaningful effect. Overall, the final 3 songs see the album out on a high note.[7/10]

Overall is a great collection of semi-essential slam, with Party Cannons’ contributions being the strongest of the bunch. [7/10]

Album Review: Dog Tired – The Electric Abyss

Dog Tired discography Review Part IV

It’s about time I got back to this series, as Dog Tired seems to have overtaken me and bounded ahead. The first new album released since I began this series and affectionately called the “blue” album, sees the band take their biggest shake so far. Leaning heavier and heavier into thrash territory while maintaining their unique sound.

Keeping up the tradition of starting albums with an absolute banger, the title track “The Electric Abyss” is a 7-minute mosh-heavy stomper that is certified DT classic. Complete with all the Dog Tired hallmarks and stamps of approval. With the first 3 tracks melding into a trilogy of greatness, with metric tonnes of riffs and grooves. Seeing the band for the first time pushed the envelope into a heavier direction,  the dog boys stretching further and further thrash-ward. With faster and thrashier section are more prevalent, while keeping Luke “Goblin Eyes” signature Pantera-like grooves and squeals are still present. The addition of more emphasized vocals via the guitarist’s backing makes for a brutal dual vocal attack. The voices of Chris and Luke merging to at times chaotic distortions make for a more intense experience.

Further on in the album, they seem to drift into airy swerves of heavy, simple yet textured, toned chuggary instead of the brute chunky riff-based bashery we are used to. The beefy bass of Barry Buchanan, this time around, is not as prominent but is still effective for back-end bashes.

After the artful and calm instrumental “Aeon” you are thrust into arguably the strongest track on the record. Brutal drumming at the start of “Lord of the Vile” highlights Keith Blaikie‘s continuing mastery of the skins through brutal barrages, before the epic “1968” which combines circle pit-bating Bay Area worship with top-notch groove excesses. Dog Tired continues to be fuck heavy and ready to decimate ears.

Disappointingly, they have moved away from the mythological album covers to go for a more psychedelic pyramid thing designed by Laura (of King Witch), which just doesn’t shout out their genre’s aesthetic and is more towards a progy look. Is its good cover, but if you had only the cover to judge the style by, you might be odded out. Overall, the logical marked continuing evolution toward thrash, Dog Tired keep bringing the heavy, by new and brutal means. Another top-shelf release! [8/10]

Album Review: CKY – Volume 1

Completely passed by, by Skate culture in my youth, which I was never a part of due to having the motor skills of a drunken pelican (which did not help), I was never intrigued by CKY (Camp Kill Yourself) as I had always assumed their Logo was some skater brand or whatnot. But here I am in my late-30s, finally listening to the music that goes with the logo I’d seen everywhere. Also, since one of the offshoot/continuation bands is playing locally (Deron Miller‘s 96 Bitter Beings), it was time for me to investigate.

The instantly recognizable opener, with its infectious, bouncy riff, is uniquely theirs. If this is the only song you ever hear by CKY, then you would be well pleased. There’s a good reason it dwarfs their other songs in terms of play counts. A Magnificent slab of rock that set the album off on the right foot.

The rest of the album is a mixed (grab) bag of rock, that slides up and down from alternative, hard, to stoner and back again, occasionally jumping to the weird. Spacey vibes of “Disengage” quickly shift lanes to the disco funk of “Human Drive” before climbing back to the groovy doom sound of “Knee Deep.” Feeling a touch troubled and disturbed at times, like the fucked up lyrics of “My Promiscuous Daughter” that have not aged well. While the stoner vibes of the tune are a fine wine.

There is a lot to like in this album. A lot more than what my pre-subpotitions excused. The members’ reputation and celebrity led me to draw incorrect conclusions about what to expect. I’d assumed that the insanity of the Jackass and Vive La Bam days’ antics would have rubbed off more attitude and aggression onto the music. Leading me to expect a ballzyer rock experience with a lot more character and beef. Nonetheless, it’s a short album that leaves a mark, and I’m glad I went on this brief investigation.[7/10]

Album Review: Hed(PE) – Broke

Now this one is a throwback. Nu Metals, much-maligned Hed (Planet Earth) or (Hed)PE, is one of the genre’s most overlooked and dismissed acts. However, since I recently saw them live and kicking supporting Spineshank/Drowning Pool. Now is the time to have a relisten.

It certainly doesn’t feel like it’s been so long since this was the predominant sound of metal, and nothing makes you think “fuck I’m getting old” more than the nostalgia cycle coming back around in the 30-year cycle and adolescent sounds turning into legacy acts. Their entertaining set was admittedly not who I came to see, but they were surprisingly entertaining. With a surplus of “Jumpdafuckup” riffs that are all about the bounce and hip-hop jives and pops.

This album follows in the same vein and energy. The vocal hype emphasizes the “rap” in rap metal that is from the Durst side of nu. With a broad range of hip hop-ism and samples that creep towards cringe. “Crazy legs” apeing Biggie’s “Hypnotize” interpolation and a few less than stellar brags. One true highlight is the appearance of Serj Tankian on “Feel Good” whose distinct vocals add lots to an otherwise forgettable track. All the swagger and bravado of the rapping wears thin quickly, while the diminishing returns on thumping basic breakdowns become tiresome. This record is 25 years old now, and it feels it, a relic that is quickly fading from memory. There is some value in the earlier tracks, but most melt together and verge on annoying by the ending third. [5/10]