Down to Nothing - Splitting Headache (2005)

Right down to the gross out comic book style album cover, the second full album by Down to Nothing strongly recalls the early 80's heyday of D.I.Y. street punk. At 11 songs that only rarely break the two minute barrier, Splitting Headache is all shouted vocals, massed guitar riffs, righteously sloppy cymbal heavy drumming, and lots and lots of good old fashioned swearing. It's a mess, but it's an energetic mess, one that will leave the receptive listener aching for a little cathartic slam dancing by the end of it. Particular attention must be paid to the outstanding "Us v. Eachother," one of the best old school punk songs of the year. As punk evolves through each successive generation of teenagers, mutations are accepted and elaborated upon to such an extent that the punk rock of 2005 only rarely sounds like the punk rock of 1981, and the punk of 1976 sounds like classic rock in comparison. Splitting Headache, however, is proof that there are certain punk verities that will never go out of style.

Band: Down to Nothing
Album: Splitting Headache
Genre: Straight Edge/Hardcore Punk
Country: Richmond, Virginia, United States
Release Date: Jul 12, 2005
Label: Thorp Records

"Tracklist"

01. "Go Ahead Wit Yo' Fake Ass"
02. "Us V. Eachother"
03. "I Can't Believe My Eyes"
04. "Smash It"
05. "Burn III"
06. "Unbreakable"
07. "Home Sweet Home"
08. "We're on the Run"
09. "Risk It"
10. "Skate & Annoy, Vol. 2.0" (Skate or Die)
11. "I'm So Lucky"

Splitting Headache ♪♫

Down to Nothing - Save It for the Birds (2003)

Band: Down to nothing
Album: Save It for the Birds
Genre: Straight Edge/Hardcore Punk
Country: Richmond, Virginia, United States
Release Date: Jul 29, 2003
Label: Thorp Records

"Tracklist"

01. "Save It for the Birds"
02. "One Eighty"
03. "The Normal People"
04. "Outcome"
05. "Choke Louder"
06. "3 or 4 Years"
07. "Pet Peeve"
08. "Who Are You to Say"
09. "Honorable Mention Mr. Starky"
10. "What Goes Around Comes Around"
11. "Fire Escape"

Save It for the Birds ♪♫

Winter's Verge - Tales of Tragedy (2010)

Band: Winter's Verge
Album: Tales of Tragedy
Genre: Power Metal/Melodic/Progressive
Country: Cyprus
Year: 2010
Label: LMP

"Tracklist"

01. "World of Lies"
02. "Old Man's Wish"
03. "I Swear Revenge"
04. "For Those Who are Gone"
05. "Captain's Log"
06. "Envy"
07. "Dark Entries"
08. "A Madness Once Called Love"
09. "Tomorrow's Dawn"
10. "Reflections of the Past"
11. "Curse of Time"

TALES OF TRAGEDY ♪♫

Winter's Verge - Eternal Damnation (2008)

Band: Winter's Verge
Album: Eternal Damnation
Genre: Power Metal/Melodic Metal/Progressive Metal
Country: Cyprus
Year: 2008
Label: LMP Records

"Tracklist"

01. "Eternal Damnation"
02. "My Winter Sun"
03. "Get Me Out"
04. "Hold My Hand"
05. "A Secret Once Forgotten"
06. "Goodbye"
07. "Spring of Life"
08. "Can You Hear Me"
09. "For I Have Sinned"
10. "To You I Sail Tonight"
11. "Suicide Note"

ETERNAL DAMNATION ♪♫

10 Years - Division (2008)

Division sounds like the work of a band that carefully and thoroughly deconstructed its previous hit and attempted to replicate it several more times for the follow up. Division is a smooth, radio friendly record with the debut aggressive tendencies almost entirely sanded off in favor of new producer Rick Parashar's glossy layers of instruments and vocals. Even potentially powerful quiet to loud rockers like "Russian Roulette" and "11 AM (Daydreamer)" feel over manicured and far too polite, singer Jesse Hasek's vocals losing their emotive power in the overall listlessness. Even worse, hints that the bandmembers now consider themselves "artists" occasionally rear their ugly heads: the coda of "Picture Perfect (In Your Eyes)" is nearly as long as the body of the song itself, and even worse, it features a spoken word poem read by one of the album female backing vocalists. (Simply that the album has female backing vocalists in the first place is a warning sign for this brand of alternative metal call it "November Rain" syndrome, but really, a poem? Why not just call the guy from the Moody Blues? He can't be busy.) It may well have the intended effect of prolonging the band chart life temporarily, but Division sounds if anything like the exact opposite of artistic maturation.

Band: 10 Years
Abum: Division
Genre: Alternative/Heavy Metal/Post-Grunge
Country: Knoxville, Tennessee, United States
Release Date: Apr 8, 2008
Label: Republic Records

"Tracklist"

01. "Actions & Motives"
02. "Just Can't Win"
03. "Beautiful"
04. "11:00 AM" (Daydreamer)
05. "Dying Youth"
06. "Russian Roulette"
07. "Focus"
08. "Drug of Choice"
09. "Picture Perfect" (In Your Eyes)
10. "All Your Lies"
11. "So Long, Good-Bye"
12. "Alabama"
13. "Proud of You"

Division ♪♫

10 Years

Knoxville, Tennessee 10 Years formed in 2002 around vocalist Jesse Hasek, drummer Brian Vodinh, guitarists Matt Wantland and Tater, and bassist Lewis Cosby. The band released the Killing All That Holds You EP themselves a year later, and started to develop a local following for their Tool and Deftones influenced alternative metal. Killing All That Holds You was eventually expanded with four additional studio tracks and some live acoustic material. 10 Years signed with Republic/Universal, and in August 2005 their major label debut appeared. "The Autumn Effect" was produced by Josh Abraham (Staind, Static-X), and set up a 10 Years tour with Disturbed that ran through the fall.

The Autumn Effect

Band: 10 Years
Album: The Autumn Effect
Genre: Heavy Metal/Alternative Metal/Post-Grunge
Country: Knoxville, Tennessee, United States
Release Date: Aug 16, 2005
Label: Republic Records

"Tracklist"

01. "Waking Up"
02. "Fault Line"
03. "The Recipe"
04. "Cast It Out"
05. "Wasteland"
06. "Seasons to Cycles"
07. "Half Life"
08. "Through the Iris"
09. "Empires"
10. "Prey"
11. "Insects"
12. "Paralyzing Kings"
13. "The Autumn Effect"

The Autumn Effect ♪♫

In Flames - Sense of Purpose (2008)

Frantic metal band In Flames can deliver a good melody around the militaristic, precision drumming of Daniel Svensson and the occasionally guttural yelps of frontman Anders Fridén. Whether it's a tight, polished effort like "The Mirror's Truth" with traces of classic metal like Iron Maiden or especially Judas Priest, In Flames definitely bring a sense of purpose to this record. From there, the group increase the Metallica ish franticness with "Disconnected" that relies on heavy guitar riffs but a far lighter, almost airy chorus and bridge. This is improved upon later on the album as "I'm the Highway" takes the record to another level. Probably the heaviest track is "Condemned," that again is driven by Svensson and the guitar tandem of Jesper Strömblad and Björn Gelotte. These less intense moments are rarities, though, as "Sleepless Again" almost contains slight "emo" characteristics throughout. The group truly strike gold with the deliberate but delectable "Alias" that brings to mind classic Led Zeppelin in the various twists and turns it takes. Following a beefy, brawn saturated "Move Through Me," In Flames save the crowning achievement for the lengthy, winding "The Chosen Pessimist," which opens like a reflective, introspective piece of music by Sigur Rós before finding its way effortlessly. In Flames continue to make their mark by being rooted in a strong metal or hard rock foundation but being musically and creatively inquisitive enough to seek out something more.

Band: In Flames
Album: Sense of Purpose
Genre: Death Metal/Progressive/Melodic
Country: Gothenburg, Sweden
Release Date: Apr 1, 2008
Label: Nuclear Blast Records

"Tracklist"

01. "The Mirror's Truth"
02. "Disconnected"
03. "Sleepless Again"
04. "Alias"
05. "I'm the Highway"
06. "Delight and Angers"
07. "Move Through Me"
08. "The Chosen Pessimist"
09. "Sober and Irrelevant"
10. "Condemned"
11. "Drenched in Fear"
12. "March to the Shore"

Sense of Purpose ♪♫

In Flames - Come Clarity (2006)

Band: In Flames
Album: Come Clarity
Genre: Death Metal/Progressive/Melodic
Country: Gothenburg, Sweden
Release Date: Feb 3, 2006
Label: Nuclear Blast Records

"Tracklist"

01. "Take This Life"
02. "Leeches"
03. "Reflect the Storm"
04. "Dead End"
05. "Scream"
06. "Come Clarity"
07. "Vacuum"
08. "Pacing Death's Trail"
09. "Crawl Through Knives"
10. "Versus Terminus"
11. "Our Infinite Struggle"
12. "Vanishing Light"
13. "Your Bedtime Story Is Scaring Everyone"

Come Clarity ♪♫

In Flames - Soundtrack to Your Escape (2004)

In Flames was certainly under the extreme metal microscope upon the release of Soundtrack to Your Escape and its predecessor, Reroute to Remain. The band had the potential to crack the metal underground wide to the mainstream, existing on the cusp of international stardom with its progressive extrapolations upon the Swedish metal genre they helped create. Fact is, Soundtrack to Your Escape exists to further polarize In Flames fan base "Touch of Red" and opening cut "Fiend [R]" are their heaviest riff monsters since Colony, which blatantly contrast "The Quiet Place," which is jammed with cascading guitar melodies and a thick, sticky chorus which, in a just world, would make for a rock radio smash. Anders Fridén is again using a myriad of vocal styles, including his mid-range death rasp (see "Dead Alone," with its old school Swedish riffs seamlessly morphing into melodic passages), an awkward clean croon ("Like You Better Dead," "My Sweet Shadow"), and an electronically enhanced warble, all of which are multi-tracked for many choruses proving that Fridén may be In Flames most powerful weapon now that the band trademark ornate guitar flights are used somewhat sparingly. Some may cry foul when confronted by a lush ballad like "Evil in a Closet" or the relatively straightforward riffing of "Dial 595-Escape," but old school whiners will be equally appeased with a barnburner like "In Search for I." Bottom line, In Flames are growing as songwriters with every passing release, and the debate over the style in which the tunes are conveyed really seems secondary when confronted with such a strong and cohesive album. Soundtrack to Your Escape will disappoint those looking to find fault with the leaders of the Swedish pack, while open minded purveyors of metal will revel in the album careful balance of credibility and accessibility.

Band: In Flames
Album: Soundtrack to Your Escape [Bonus Tracks]
Genre: Alternative Metal/Melodic
Country: Gothenburg, Sweden
Release Date: Apr 6, 2004
Label: Nuclear Blast Records

"Tracklist"

01. "Fiend [R]"
02. "The Quiet Place"
03. "Dead Alone"
04. "Touch of Red"
05. "Like You Better Dead"
06. "My Sweet Shadow"
07. "Evil in a Closet"
08. "In Search for I"
09. "Borders and Shading"
10. "Superhero of the Computer Rage"
11. "Dial 595-Escape"
12. "Bottled"
13. "Discover Me Like Emptiness"

Soundtrack to Your Escape ♪♫

Rockabye Baby! Lullaby Renditions of the Ramones (2007)

Punk rock parents with a hankering for offbeat nursery music might find what they're looking for in Rockabye Baby! Lullaby Renditions of the Ramones. An ethereal chorus of glockenspiels, toy pianos, sleigh bells, and synthesizers interpret songs like "I Wanna Be Sedated," "Pinhead," and "Teenage Lobotomy" to good (and at times hilarious) effect. There's nothing revelatory or particularly interesting about these renditions, but they do manage to unearth some surprisingly melodic elements of the Ramones' otherwise brash and stompy music. Other songs on this collection include "We're a Happy Family" and, yes, "Beat on the Brat."

Band: Various Artists
Album: Rockabye Baby! Lullaby Renditions of the Ramones
Genre: Child/Lullabie
Country: United States
Release Date: Jan 30, 2007
Label: Baby Rock Records

"Tracklist"

01. "Rock 'N' Roll High School"
02. "I Wanna Be Sedated"
03. "Blitzkrieg Bop"
04. "I Just Wanna Have Something to Do"
05. "I Wanna Live"
06. "Pinhead"
07. "Teenage Lobotomy"
08. "Sheena Is a Punk Rocker"
09. "Beat on the Brat"
10. "Judy Is a Punk"
11. "Do You Remember Rock 'N' Roll Radio?"
12. "We're a Happy Family"

Rockabye Baby! Lullaby Renditions of the Ramones ♪♫

Rockabye Baby! Lullaby Renditions of Tool (2006)

Band: Various Artists
Album: Rockabye Baby! Lullaby Renditions of Tool
Genre: Child/Lullabie
Country: United States
Release Date: Sep 19, 2006
Label: Baby Rock Records

"Tracklist"

01. "The Grudge"
02. "Sober"
03. "Opiate"
04. "Disposition"
05. "Schism"
06. "Parabol"
07. "Parabola"
08. "Sweat"
09. "Reflection"
10. "Lateralus"
11. "The Patient"

Rockabye Baby! Lullaby Renditions of Tool ♪♫

Rockabye Baby! Lullaby Renditions of Radiohead (2006)

Band: Various Artists
Album: Rockabye Baby! Lullaby Renditions of Radiohead
Genre: Child/Lullabie
Country: United States
Release Date: Aug 29, 2006
Label: Baby Rock Records

"Tracklist"

01. "No Surprises"
02. "Let Down"
03. "Subterranean Homesick Alien"
04. "Airbag"
05. "Paranoid Android"
06. "Knives Out"
07. "Karma Police"
08. "There There"
09. "Everything in Its Right Place"
10. "2+2=5"
11. "Sail to the Moon"

Rockabye Baby! Lullaby Renditions of Radiohead ♪♫

Fear Factory - Mechanize (2010)

Band: Fear Factory
Album: Mechanize
Genre: Industrial Metal/Progressive Metal
Country: Los Angeles, California, United States
Year: 2010
Label: Candlelight Records

"Tracklist"

01. "Mechanize"
02. "Industrial Discipline"
03. "Fear Campaign"
04. "Powershifter"
05. "Christploitation"
06. "Oxidizer"
07. "Controlled Demolition"
08. "Designing the Enemy"
09. "Metallic Division"
10. "Final Exit"

MECHANIZE ♪♫

Soundtrack - Mischief Invasion (2004)

B-sides a serviceable remix of Archetype from Fear Factory 2004 album of the same name Mischief Invasion is largely instrumental populated by content that sounds cribbed from a stock music agency. Focusing on a vaguely aggressive electronic sound it's the sort of fourth tier big beat that a Spike TV producer would license for the backgrounds of a lowest common denominator reality show. Which is appropriate as this is the soundtrack to an DVD also called Mischief Invasion. It follows a gang of miscreant auto enthusiasts as they crash Europe annual Cannonball Run car rally. This isn't important science or even very entertaining for non gearheads. The rub: Jaguars are destroyed and farts are lit and crappy electronica is along for every ride

Band: Various Artists
Album: Mischief Invasion
Genre: Soundtrack/Nu Metal/Electronic/Heavy Metal
Country: United States
Year: 2004
Label: Liquid 8 Records

"Tracklist"

01. "Archetype"
02. "Snitches Are a Dying Breed"
03. "2 Hip"
04. "Put Out"
05. "Into the Light"
06. "Fly Away"
07. "Tech Gauge"
08. "Cruise"
09. "Flight"
10. "Heavy Loop"
11. "2 Late"
12. "My Rage"
13. "Wanna Relate"
14. "Mind Travel"
15. "Prey"
16. "Tweeker"

MISCHIEF INVASION ♪♫

Fear Factory - Archetype (2004)

Band: Fear Factory
Album: Archetype
Genre: Nu Metal/Progressive Metal
Country: Los Angeles, California, United States
Year: 2004
Label: Roadrunner Records

"Tracklist"

01. "Slave Labor"
02. "Cyberwaste"
03. "Act of God"
04. "Drones"
05. "Archetype"
06. "Corporate Cloning"
07. "Bite the Hand That Bleeds"
08. "Undercurrent"
09. "Default Judgement"
10. "Bonescraper"
11. "Human Shields"
12. "Ascension"
13. "School"

ARCHETYPE ♪♫

Fear Factory - Concrete (2002)

Band: Fear Factory
Album: Concrete
Genre: Death Metal/Indutrial Metal/Nu Metal/Progressive
Country: Los Angeles, California, United States
Year: 2002
Label: Roadrunner Records

"Tracklist"

01. "Big God/Raped Souls"
02. "Arise Above Oppression"
03. "Concrete"
04. "Crisis"
05. "Escape Confusion"
06. "Sangre de Niños"
07. "Soulwomb"
08. "Echoes of Innocence"
09. "Dragged Down by the Weight of Existence"
10. "Deception"
11. "Desecrate"
12. "Suffer Age"
13. "Anxiety"
14. "Self Immolation"
15. "Piss Christ"
16. "Ulceration"

CONCRETE ♪♫

Fear Factory - Digimortal (2001)

Band: Fear Factory
Album: Digimortal
Genre: Nu Metal/Industrial Metal
Country: Los Angeles, California, United States
Year: 2001
Label: Roadrunner Records

"Tracklist"

01. "What Will Become?"
02. "Damaged"
03. "Digimortal"
04. "No One"
05. "Linchpin"
06. "Invisible Wounds (Dark Bodies)"
07. "Acres of Skin"
08. "Back the Fuck Up"
09. "Byte Block"
10. "Hurt Conveyor"
11. "(Memory Imprints) Never End"
12. "Dead Man Walking"
13. "Strain vs. Resistance"
14. "Repentance"
15. "Full Metal Contact"

DIGIMORTAL ♪♫

Fear Factory - Obsolete (1998)

Band: Fear Factory
Album: Obsolete
Genre: Nu Metal/Industrial Metal/Progressive Metal
Country: Los Angeles, California, United States
Year: 1998
Label: Roadrunner Records

"Tracklist"

01. "Shock"
02. "Edgecrusher"
03. "Smasher/Devourer"
04. "Securitron" (Police State 2000)
05. "Descent"
06. "Hi-Tech Hate"
07. "Freedom or fire"
08. "Obsolete"
09. "Resurrection"
10. "Timelessness"
11. "Cars"

OBSOLETE ♪♫

Fear Factory - Remanufacture (1997)

Band: Fear Factory
Album: Remanufacture
Genre: Nu Metal/Death Metal/Industrial Metal
Country: Los Angeles, California, United States
Year: 1997
Label: Roadrunner Records

"Tracklist"

01. "Remanufacture"
02. "National Panel Beating"
03. "Genetic Blueprint"
04. "Faithless"
05. "Bionic Chronic"
06. "Cloning Technology"
07. "Burn"
08. "T-1000"
09. "Machines of Hate"
10. "21st Century Jesus"
11. "Bound for Forgiveness"
12. "Refinery"
13. "Remanufacture" (Edited Version)

REMANUFACTURE ♪♫

Fear Factory - Soul of a New Machine (1992)

Band: Fear Factory
Album: Soul of a New Machine
Genre: Nu Metal/Death Metal/Industrial Metal
Country: Los Angeles, California, United States
Year: 1992
Label: Roadrunner Records

"Tracklist"

01. "Martyr"
02. "Leechmaster"
03. "Scapegoat"
04. "Crisis"
05. "Crash Test"
06. "Flesh Hold"
07. "Lifeblind"
08. "Scumgrief"
09. "Natividad"
10. "Big God/Raped Souls"
11. "Arise Above Oppression"
12. "Self Immolation"
13. "Suffer Age"
14. "Woe"
15. "Desecrate"
16. "Escape Confusion"
17. "Manipulation"

SOUL OF A NEW MACHINE ♪♫