Drag The Lake album review "I Am Violence"

         Drag The Lake is a Canadian death metal band from Northern Ontario. The bands  EP "I Am Violence" is one of my favourite death metal albums that I currently own. I've listened to them for roughly two years and have seen them perform live once. When I saw them it was one of the coolest shows I've been  oo to date. Because they are an underground band the venue was above a bowling alley, they had about six-seven bands on the bill. Drag The Lake was the headliner of the show and they got on at about midnight.  There were no barriers security or any real separation between the bands and the fans. In between sets the band members were among the crowd listening to the other bands play. Still one of my fondest memories of any concert was at their show.  I was moshing and tripped onto the stage (the stage is only 2-3 feet off the ground.) Without missing a beat the lead singer Mike threw his arm over me and pushed the mic into my face and had me sing a few verses from the song "I am Violence."

It was such a cool experience and is now the reason why I listen to underground music and was a huge inspiration to me on why I write this blog. After seeing Drag The Lake and seeing the talent they possessed and the caliber of their character as a band, I wanted to give underground bands a voice and let people see how talented they are. To me that show showcased what metal should be there was no ego or anger it was just a bunch of people jamming out and celebrating something they love. Which was just downright amazing. I also briefly met the lead singer Mike after his set and for a band that plays such violent and brutal music they are the niecest guys. So as you can tell Im a bit of a fan girl but none the less I'll get on with the actual EP now, thanks for bearing with me.

The first song on the EP is entitled "Widowmaker" and holy crap is it a great intro, the drums and guitar start, comeing in short quick flashes that get your head instantaneously banging. Then the lyrics open up with the verse "I am a monster" and I kid you not the growl will send shivers down your spine, it sounds like it came directly from the pits of hell. From there the song only gets heavier as it progresses. With the vocals switching in between piq squeals and growls and the guitars and drums doing spaced out slow heavy riffs that make you feel like your moving in slow motion. This song is an insanely heavy start to an insanely heavy album and it only gets better.

The next song is called "Deathrow" and it starts just as heavy as "Widowmaker" sending the listener into a trance as they are taken away by the musical brutality that is being thrust upon them. The lyrics to this song are evil at best and are a perfect match for the music. The drums kick off with some inhuman double kicks that makes my feet sore just thinking about. They'r aren't as many pig squeals in this song as "Widowmaker" but it gives us a much needed eardrum rest. Then about three quarters of the way into the song a guitar solo rises above the tuned down guitars which gives a little bit of an eighties hair metal feel. The solo is very well done and the drummer does a great job of keeping a simple pattern during this time period so as not to overshadow the soloist. 

Then we have my favourite song on the EP "I am violence." This song has the most brutal intro not only on the record but in my opinion out of most death metal artists. I can't even explain to you how juiced this song will make you. Within seconds it kicks off and you are on one rage filled journey and the anger just builds at no point in this song is there a lull in the hardcore elements. It is a freight train from hell and it's got no intention of slowing down. The musical elements of this song are exceptional to as the drums and guitar hammer away in burst having brief pauses only to smash right back into it. The guitars are on quick rapid loops that give this track a thrash metal feel. Especially the kicks in this song. They are once again disgustingly fast and would make bands like Slayer and Hatebreed to have a drummer like this in their genre. The song has no let down and stays heavy till the last second which is absolutely fantastic. If you haven't heard of Drag The Lake before this would be a great song to have their talents showcased.

Then the album finishes off with a song called "To the Crows" which the song title is a pretty good indicator for what your in for. The song is fast angry and brutal and has the signature elements that are in all the other tracks on the EP. The short loops, extremely fast kicks and the vocals that make your skin crawl. In this song though about three quarters into the song there is a guest vocalist. His screams aren't as deep but fit in perfectly with the section of the song that he comes in for. The way they've set up his vocals it sounds like he's almost screaming in pain and trust me when I say when you hear this song it will make perfect sense why it fits in so well. Then they have the breakdown to end all breakdowns. There is about a five second pause of all music and then it hits like a tsunami. This breakdown is on par with bands like Pantera and Carnifex. I challenge anyone here not to head bang during this break down. It can't be done. It's just to perfectly put together.

Over all this band is killer and I think anyone here that's into metal should give this band a listen. Even if your not into metal give it a listen, this album very well could turn you to the dark side and next thing you know your dressed in all black in a jean vest that went out of style forty years ago. For more reviews and updates follow me on Instagram @headbangersheaven 

Thanks for reading.

Headbangers Heaven productions.

Eric Snelling

2016 All Rights Reserved.

Burden Of Sanity Album review "Decimate"

          Today I listened to a band named "Burden Of Sanity" from Miami Florida. The best I could describe the genre of music they play is probably hardcore Punk with some influences of hard rock and some definite grunge. The thing I really liked about this album is the band used their music as a chance to get a message across where as many Punk bands sing about stupid cliches and getting wasted. Burden Of Sanity in no way stooped to the level of filling their music with stupid lyrics about doing drugs in high school or about how there eighth grade girl friend Susan broke their heart. The music has a layer of seriousness and reminded me slightly of Rage Against The Machine.

The first track on the album is called "MLK" and is a great intro to the album as it plays some of Martin Luther King Jr's. famous speeches to the background of a continuous synth loop before slowly the voice becomes over taken by static and we are thrown into the next song.

The next song on the album is entitled "Feel This" and it is awesome, the structure very much reminded me of the drowning pool song "Bodies" but with a new and fresh spin. The song has abrupt starts and stops to the music while the lead singer whispers the trade mark phrase from the song Feel This. The drumming is a very simple and effective pattern that combined with the guitars gradually grows and climbs as the singers vocals become stronger as the song progresses. About a third of the way into the song we are met with a toned down guitar solo of sorts as it shreds quickly and effectively while the drums keep time and make sure that our heads never stop banging even for a second.

The next song that caught my attention was "Sleep Now" which has a slower start with the drums doing the intro to the song and the song maintains it's slow tempo. What it lacks in speed it makes up for in musical capabilities. The guitarist of this band absolutely shreds throughout the entire track constantly changing volume chords with some expert distortion. The guitar in "Sleep Now" definitely makes the track.Then right near the end of the song the tempo completely changes the drums pick up as a savagely beautiful double kick beat bashes through the music and the guitar drops to a lower tempo giving the song a much more hardcore punk feel.

The last song on the album is entitled "Ease The Pain" the intro is again an off beat start that pays homage to bands like Tool but the slow intro is short lived as the guitars kick in. The tempo slightly increases but maintains a mellow sort of transleucent feel that left me feeling like I was in a trance. The drums keep an aggressive and steady beat for the entire song making sure that everyone knows when and how hard to bang their heads.

Over all it was a very good and unique album and if your a fan of Punk or have an interest in unique music I would highly recommend it. If your still on the fence about the album I've attached the sound cloud link below.

 For more posts and information follow me on Instagram @headbangersheaven


Burden Of Sanity sound cloud -----> https://soundcloud.com/jervis_b_o_s/albums

Headbangers Heaven Productions.
Eric Snelling.
2016 All Rights Reserved

Disturbed Concert review

            To kick this review off first I have to say that I am a huge Disturbed fan, they were one of the first bands that brought me over to the dark side. I remember clearly I was twelve or thirteen and in school when my friend came over and asked me if I liked heavy metal. At that time the heaviest bands I'd listened to were  zzy Osbourne and Black Sabbath, so of course I respond yes. My friend handed me the ear bud and in came the intro to "Down With The Sickness" within seconds I was hooked. Between the powerful riffs, insatiable lyrics and that evil sounding voice that is the thing of nightmares I was a Disturbed fan. That day I went home hopped on my piece of crap computer and downloaded Lime Wire (yea remember that) and downloaded every single Disturbed song I could get my hands on. Well and a half dozen virus that eventually led to the untimely demise of my moms lap top.

So after waiting nearly eight years when I saw the tour with Breaking Benjamin and Saint Asonia I was sold. So I splurged and instead of getting the usual lawn seats I bought floor and my god was it worth it. This concert was single handedly the loudest concert i have ever seen, at one point I was under the amp and my bones were rattling. It was slightly painful but nothing a few drinks and several weeks of chiropractic care can't fix. Saint Asonia and Breaking Benjamin put on an exceptional show and are both amazing live. Disturbed was in a whole different league. The vocals were unbelievably good live and the stage presence and show was giving me eyegasms.

Each song they played had enough Pyro to burn the city to the ground and was a unique pattern that really added to the effect. Add that to the fact that the entire stage was bathed in red light radiating evil and hate and what you have is one wild show.

Disturbed opened up with 10 000 fists which could not have been a better opener within moments of Disturbed taking the stage fists were thrashed up in rage and the entire crowd was on their feet chanting the song. Every where you looked people were smiling ear to ear as they sang along to one of Disturbed's biggest hits.

The next song that really caught my attention was "The Vengeful One" which is in my opinion the best song off of their new record. The song again had everyone in the audience going wild as yet another pyro induced stage show went off. This time though the fire was so huge that I started sweating, it was insane as the band members danced around these massive bolts of flame that were in sync with the drum hits. The song was expertly done and not a single person in the audience wasn't head banging.

The next song I thought was worth mentioning was "The Sound Of Silence" for this song they cut the stage in half with a curtain and all the lights were dimmed. The guitars were switched out with an acoustic and a piano was brought out. It was a really cool moment and completely changed the pace of the concert, even though its not something you'd expect at a Disturbed show it was awesome none the less.

Then of course we have "Inside The Fire" which is my favourite Disturbed song the lyrics in that song are bone chilling to me even to this day. As it coldly speaks of a girl who commits suicide and is now forever banished to hell. The way they played it live did the song justice, as you'd expect the pyro during this song was insane as well. I actually didn't get a great view of the stage because I was head banging like I was having an epileptic seizure. "Inside The Fire" was by far my favourite song they played live and was probably the second loudest song of the whole concert.

Then of course we had "Down With The Sickness" as the final song of the night, this song was executed with perfect brutality. The opening drum beat immediately got my blood boiling as I jumped and thrashed eagerly. Finally when that signature scream opened up the song the whole crowd lost it. This was the loudest song of the set and the vocals and music was right on as my face melted from the pure unadulterated metal. It was nearly impossible not to move as the crowd went wild shoving to get closer to the stage. The band mates couldn't even hold together there angry persona as they smiled at the crowd from the pure glee of watching us loose our sanity to the song.

In conclusion Disturbed was unreal live and I would for sure see them again, if you are able to still see them on one of their upcoming dates I would highly recommend it.

Headbangers Heaven Productions.

Eric Snelling.

2016 All Rights Reserved.

Carnifex "Slow Death" Album review

          Carnifex is an American Death metal band from San Diego that got its start in 2005 releasing their debut EP entitles "Love Lies In Ashes" at the end of 2006. Death metal and Death core have quite possibly become one of the most over saturated genres of metal with many bands putting out albums and songs that are all similar sounding and lack any form of creative ingenuity it is extremely refreshing to listen to a band that takes all the cultural trends and stupid cliches that have worked their way into Death core and throw them out the window. Carnifex has stayed true to their sound and have steadily released exceptional records for almost eleven years without loosing their edge.

Usually bands start to mellow after years on the road as they grow up and their music reflects that, with many of their albums becoming repackaged clones of music they'd released years before. Carnifex on the other hand seems to get even more brutal and violent with each record they release. Especially since they introduced Black metal elements into their music with their 2010 release of "Hell Chose Me" Many thought (including myself) that it would be impossible for them to top this album which was at the point the hardest and most evil sounding album I had ever listened to. But when I first slipped the CD for "Die Without Hope" into my computer my mind was blown as the shrieking, screaming, growls and breakdowns literally caused me sensory overload and I sat in a perpetual state of shock as the evil sounds emitting from my piece of crap fisher price CD player encompassed me.

Once again Carnifex has outdone themselves with the release of "Slow Death." There aren't to many ways to describe this album other then downright amazing. I challenge anyone to try and get through the album without subconsciously banging their head to it. The drums, guitars and astonishing vocal range are astonishing making it immensely hard to find anything to critique on the album. The only time I was even slightly disappointed during this album was when it ended and I realized that my rage filled roller coaster ride had finally come to an end. So now that I've finished my babble about the band Ill get on with the record.

The album opens with the track "Dark Heart Ceremony" and the intro to this song is perfect, it starts with a creepy piano intro that really sets a creepy vibe for the song. Then we are met with the Carnifex that many of us fell in love with. The percussion is the first thing I noticed being a drummer myself my jaw dropped when I listened to the double kicks that were so fast they sounded more like a machine gun then a drum kit. The vocals are as per usual spot on the growls sound so evil that they will make the hair on anyones arms stand up as the song hammers along. One thing I noticed that was different from the other Carnifex songs that have come before it is the guitars are playing slower but equally heavy riffs which allow the vocals and drum loops to be stretched more. Which I thought was a great addition to an already amazing song.

Then we have the title track "Slow Death" and with a name like "Slow Death" you can guess what your in for the track is fast, its mean and it made me wish I had long hair so I could start pin wheeling it around.  The opening riff of this song will have you thrashing your body around like your in the middle of an epileptic seizure. The drums again are a main factor in the song as the double kicks are instantaneously replaced by a more melodic sounding crash symbol loop. Which gives the song a more full effect to it and it also gives everyone else in the band a few seconds to recuperate as the music slows down just enough for them to take a breather before ripping right back into the song. The ending of the song is my favourite part as the guitar does a tuned up loop that adds an extra layer of musical elements to the song. But some how even with a touch of light in the song it doesn't loose its evil elements even for a second.

The next song that caught my attention was entitled "Pale Ghost" which has a stand alone beat intro that moves into the Carnifex brutality that we've grown accustomed to. This song has a great contrast between a super fast and violent verse with a more melodic chorus. Well Carnifex melodic so still heavy as hell but it still is perfect for when the song takes on a more serious and personal style. In my opinion this song is about depression or someones battle with depression with lyrics in this song like,  "this is me drifting away" and "Im dead on the inside" it really made me think perhaps someone in the band was singing about a battle they had with depression. Whether Im right or not is another story but either way the lyrics can be interpreted in many different fashions which is another reason I love Carnifex. The break down in this song is insane, period. This is by far Carnifex's secret weapon because although your brought in for the insanely technical musical elements and amazing vocal range. You stay for the break downs, I dont think any modern band has mastered the breakdown like Carnifex has.

Then we have my personal favourite song off of the record "Six Feet Closer To Hell," in my opinion this is the heaviest song on their new album and pays homage to songs like "Hell Chose Me" off of their 2010 album of the same name. The song has the classic anthemic chorus of with the chorus being extremely easy to sing. This song is almost constructed for playing live as I can picture the people in the pit going absolutely insane when this song comes on. The music is heavy but in this case the lyrics are even heavier with the anger and hatred becoming extremely apparent with the lyrics that will chill you to the bone. The song is by far my favourite on the album and anyone who listens to it and is a fan of Death metal will instantly fall in love with the song.

Carnifex has put out another amazing record and I would highly recommend it to anyone who is a fan of the genre. Carnifex continues to fly their black flag high and proud and Im already excited for their next release. Carnifex is currently on the Summer Slaughter tour with Cannibal Corpse and will be play Ozzfest meets Knotfest. You can get their album on iTunes, Google Play and at any store that sells music.

Headbangers Heaven Productions.
2016 All Rights Reserved.
Eric Snelling.