Scythe CD Giveaway

In celebration of their recently released album "Beware the Scythe", Chicago's Scythe are giving away free CD's! The next 10 people who "like" Scythe's Facebook page will win a free copy of "Beware the Scythe" on CD, with the 300th "like" getting their choice of either a vinyl or CD copy of the album.

In order to qualify you must "like" Scythe's Facebook page and leave a comment saying "I want a CD!" If you are one of the next 10 "likes" you win a CD. If you are the 300th "like" it's your choice of vinyl or CD. 
Visit Scythe's Facebook page at: http://www.facebook.com/scythe.chicago

To hear the entire "Beware the Scythe" album, stream it for a limited time here: http://www.scratchthesurface-webzine.com/2012/04/scythe-beware-scythe-album-stream.html

My Dynamite - My Dynamite

My Dynamite are an Australian band who are quite similar in style to the Black Crowes. In fact, they are so similar in style that I several times had to shut off my the album to make sure I hadn't actually put on a Black Crowes album. As anybody who's read any of my reviews will know, I personally have no problem with bands who emulate another band in style, as long as they have quality songs and do it convincingly (See my review of Katana). The question becomes then, do My Dynamite have quality songs and do they do their homage convincingly? The answer is, a resounding YES!

Katana - Storms of War

For starters, I just want to say that I absolutely 100% love traditional metal: Iron Maiden is my all-time favorite band and I love Judas Priest. As a result I'm a sucker for stuff like "Storms of War". I've never heard Katana prior to this album, but after hearing this album I will be seeking out their debut album as soon as possible.

How can I describe Katana? Singer Johan Bernspang is this generation's Bruce Dickinson and the rest of the band pull off the gallop of Maiden convincingly.

Kraanium - Post Mortal Coital Fixation

Before getting very far into this review, let me state one thing: I absolutely love horror in all forms of entertainment. I love horror books, I love horror films, I love horror games and I love death and black metal. I also don’t mind the horror that has some gore in it: I enjoyed the movie Saw, I like Richard Laymon's novels and I've listened to Cannibal Corpse a few times. Now, gore for gore's sake however I'm not into. I see no point to it and have no idea how people get into it.

Moonloop | Interview with Eric Baule

Hailing from Barcelona in Spain, Moonloop has spent the last several years of their career slowly developing and perfecting their sound and musical identity, and such efforts now culminate in the beautifully crafted debut record “Deeply From The Earth” soon to be released by Listenable Records.

We caught with lead vocalist and guitarist Eric Baule to discuss the bands beginnings, their current situation, and their plans for the future.

Moonloop has been around for more than ten years, but only now had the chance to present us their debut full-length album via Listenable Records.

Please tell us why did you take this long to come up with your first full-length work?

“Moonloop took a few years to consolidate, and our writing process changed a lot since the beginning, so until we didn’t felt that we had a couple of good songs to record an album, we were recording our first demos and improving our sound. Getting our personal sound and write good songs has been our goal, and since Vic joined on bass guitar on 2008, the band felt comfortable enough to begin the recording of a serious album.”

Torche – Harmonicraft

Bringing all the elements that have made them standout previously US riff monsters Torche return with their third full length album “Harmonicraft”. The band again unleash the things that made earlier releases like “Meanderthal” and “Songs For Singles” so infectious and enjoyable, but whilst strapping them into place within “Harmonicraft” the quartet has managed to make them even bigger, better, and more addictive. The album offers up what one would expect from the band without truly stretching into new pastures but it is just larger, bolder, even more in the face, and simply an immense enjoyment.

Diseim - Holy Wrath

I liked "Holy Wrath" way more than I should have. When I saw that the band was described as "old school sludge/death metal from Latvia" I thought that the album was going to be a painful experience to get through. Then when opening track "Black" came on and had some weird laughing snarling thing going on, I was sure the album was going to be horrible.

A funny thing happened though: The album got good. I don't mean like album of the year good, but good as in I want to listen to this album again and not delete it off my hard drive after reviewing it good.

HeXen - Being And Nothingness

On their second full-length effort, Los-Angels based thrashers continue to churn out a memorable, aggressive and no-frills thrash metal onslaught that will appeal to fans of Testament, old Megadeth and Exodus. “Being and Nothingness” really sounds like a record that some of these bands could have made during the height of their early years, offering nine crushing tunes that masterfully recapture the whole spirit and energy of the glory days of speed and thrash. 

Thee Orakle – Smooth Comforts False

This year has seen Portuguese bands release some impressive albums and Smooth Comforts False from Thee Orakle is no exception. A blend of mesmeric and imaginative progressive metal layered with jazz influences, Middle Eastern essences, and symphonic metal, the album is an inventive and unpredictable feast powered by a spine of groove and tech metal to make it consistently enthralling and perpetually exciting.

Formed in 2005, Thee Orakle took no time in building a fine reputation at home before finding similar responses further afield.

Moonspell – Alpha Noir

1995 saw the release of the excellent and inspirational debut album from Portuguese gothic metallers Moonspell and the emergence of a band that singularly forged their own path and sound to inspire rather than follow current trends. Through the equally impactful “Irreligious” the following year to their acclaimed eighth album “Night Eternal” in 2008, the band has trodden their own musical path to be one of the more important bands in goth metal. Their new album “Alpha Noir” keeps their presence at the fore of the genre with more sounds sure to inspire.