Review: Speed\Kill/Hate, "Out for Blood"

I missed the 2005 debut from Speed\Kill/Hate, side project of Overkill guitarist Dave Linsk, but I just might have to go back and check it out after hearing their latest effort, Out for Blood.

The 2011 lineup of the band is completely different from the 2005 version, which also featured a couple of other Overkill members. Linsk is the only remaining member from that roster, joined here by vocalist Bob Barnak, former Ripping Corpse bassist Dave Bizzigotti and former Sindrome drummer Tony Ochoa.

I went into the record expecting it to have a definite Overkill flavor, and there are moments of that in songs like “Breeding Hate” or “Written in Blood” which wouldn’t be at all out of place on a release by Linsk’s other band, musically at least (Barnak’s hardcore roars are another matter).

Review: Chrome Division, "3rd Round Knockout"

There’s just something about black metal guys getting together to jam on some old-fashioned hard rock that works. By all rights it shouldn’t, since the accessible melodies and memorable hooks that go along with the style of music are pretty much the exact opposite of what black metal bands normally do. But every time I hear one of these projects, it seems to be pretty good.

Chrome Division is the brainchild of Dimmu Borgir vocalist Shagrath, who plays guitar for the band and only does backing vocals. I remember enjoying their 2006 debut record Doomsday Rock ‘n’ Roll, which, as I recall had much more of a Motorhead feel.

Still Spinning: Infectious Grooves, "The Plague That Makes Your Booty Move"

Converting a huge CD collection to digital as I’ve been doing slowly for the past couple of weeks can be tedious, but it also has its rewards: Namely, stumbling across very cool records that you haven’t spent any quality time with in years.

I’ve rediscovered several in the process, the most recent being Infectious Grooves’ 1991 debut The Plague That Makes Your Booty Move.

Founded by Suicidal Tendencies vocalist Mike Muir and bassist Robert Trujillo (now in Metallica), Infectious Grooves also featured guitarists Dean Pleasants (George Clinton, Ugly Kid Joe, Jessica Simpson) and Adam Siegel, as well as former Jane’s Addiction drummer Stephen Perkins.

Freebies: Download Anthrax's "Fight 'Em 'Til You Can't"

Download the first released song from Anthrax's upcoming record, "Worship Music," at anthrax.com or using the widget below.

Review: Ozzy Osbourne, "Blizzard of Ozz"/"Diary of a Madman" reissues

One of the more contentious issues in Ozzy Osbourne’s career may have finally been laid to rest with the release of a pair of reissues on Sony Legacy — Diary of a Madman and Blizzard of Ozz.

The story starts shortly before the release of Diary in 1981, when bassist Bob Daisley and drummer Lee Kerslake were fired from the Ozzy band and replaced by bassist Rudy Sarzo (Quiet Riot, Whitesnake) and drummer Tommy Aldridge (Black Oak Arkansas, Gary Moore, Whitesnake). Not only did Sarzo and Aldridge replace the pair in the band, but also in the credits for Diary. Daisley and Kerslake successfully sued Jet Records in the mid-1980s to have their credits restored and to receive royalties from the records. Daisley even continued to work with Ozzy through 1991’s No More Tears, writing much of the lyrical content from Ozzy’s early career and playing bass on every record except 1986’s The Ultimate Sin — though he did write most of the lyrics on that one, as well.

Review: Amorphis, "The Beginning of Times"

After having essentially given up on Amorphis after 2001’s Am Universum and 2003’s Far from the Sun, which I just didn’t get at all, I’ve been very pleased by the slow and steady comeback they’ve launched since. The introduction of the powerful voice of Tomi Joutsen in 2005 was a step in the right direction, putting them back on the map with 2006’s Eclipse, which was the first Amorphis record I had liked in years. Silent Waters in 2007 improved on the formula a little more, seeing the return of a few death growls here and there in the mix. But the comeback was complete with the release of the 2009 masterpiece Skyforger, which saw the band once again at the height of their creative powers and rivaled anything they’d done in the past.

That release set a high bar and even higher expectations for the band’s latest effort, The Beginning of Times.

Review: Three Thirteen, "Full Tilt"

I so rarely get a physical product these days with review copies that I think I get way too excited when I get a nice one in the mail. The trappings of Three Thirteen’s Full Tilt aren’t all that elaborate – it’s a folding slipcase, designed a bit like an old LP cover, with a three-page insert. But it’s still pretty damned cool.

The band is a throwback to the classic 1970s and ‘80s days of hard rock and metal, and the packaging celebrates that era.