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.

Celladoor "Swamp Lobster" Album Review

             Before I get this article underway I just want to thank all the bands from the different parts of the world who have submitted their albums for me to review, its really been an amazing experience so far. I also want to especially thank my readers, I started this blog roughly two months ago and am amazed at the readers Ive ammased over this short time. I really want to express how thankful I am that so many of you come and read my reviews and I always appreciate the daily DM over Instagram from readers who have enjoyed my writing it always makes my day.

   Alright Im sorry for that momentary lapse of sappiness now I'll get on with it. Today I listened to a band named Celladoor who are from Manchester. When they sent me the album about a week ago I was slightly surprised at the name of their first feature length album "Swamp Lobster" after listening to this band the name completely fits the music. I kid you not I dont even know how to categorize this band, they definitely have elements of grunge and punk but the lyrics and vocals are something that doesn't fit any of these categories. So for lack of a better term I'm going to categorize their music as amazing. I loved every track of this thirteen song album and I really was taken aback by how original and odd this band was.

   Keeping with the aquatic theme of their album the first track on the album is entitled "Jellyfish" this is instrumental and meant to be an intro so I'm not gonna spend any time on this song, but the song "Jellyfish" feeds into "Pebble" is magnificent. The intro has a massive grunge vibe to it as the off beat drums kick in and raspy vocals take over the song. It's an instant reminder of the early nineties when Grunge was really starting to take off, with the guitars taking a back seat to the drums and vocals and creating an almost hazy sense to the song. It was extremely well done and any fans of Tool or Nirvana will feel like they are being welcomed home to a style of music that we haven't seen much in modern music.

The next song that really caught my attention was entitled "Shrooms" because whats a good rock album without some underlying message about drugs. This song starts out with an extremely slow vibe and slow plucks of a guitar and just as your settling down with a nice tea and getting ready to cry about your problems. Celladoor lets all hell break loose with a riff that gets the blood pumping. As the song progresses between hard verses and slow melodic riffs. Celladoor takes you on a roller coaster ride until finally we hear the steady beat return and slow raspy vocals that carry us throughout the rest of the song. One thing I definitely want to mention is "Shrooms" is an eight minute song and its very hard for even the best of musicians to captivate a listener for that length of time. Even more so its near impossible to capture me for that long as my ADD ridden mind will begin to go crazy but with Celladoor that is not the case as the song ends it leaves you wishing their was more.

Now by far the best song name on the album is "Shot By A Hippy" and I honestly have no idea where they got the inspiration for this song but it is a really enjoyable track to listen to. Again the triply haze filled vibe is abundant in this song and I love how they keep the constant transitions going throughout the album. One second the guitars are barely audible amongst the quiet triply beat and the fifteen seconds your smashing your head off of the car dashboard from head banging to hard. The band is great at keeping the music fun and light while still providing the hard rock element that we all love so much.

Then we have the longest song on the album weighing in at a whopping ten minutes and fifteen seconds "Dead Man Twitching" this song has about a two minute barely audible intro which actually made me wonder if my iPod had died until I realized that this was a part of the song. The first thing that popped in my head was how many times I had been laying in my bed half asleep and partially intoxicated on Nyquil and "Holy Diver" would come on and Id sit there in my dazed state wondering what in the world was going on. "Holy Diver" and that load of crap I just verbally vomited above has nothing to do with the song I just felt like sharing. Okay so now that I have my ADD back under control Ill get on with the song. This is by far the slowest song on the album and It sounds like it may have the most meaning as a song as well. This song lacks the hardcore elements that other songs have on the album but I still liked it because it reminded me of Pink Floyd which I really enjoy, this track may not be for everyone but for anyone still rocking a white man affro and trying to bring world peace through sex, drugs and rock n roll. This is your song.

Celladoor is a band unlike anything I've ever heard and I really dont know how else to sum them up other then I loved their record! Im not gonna sugar coat it the music is weird and won't appeal to everyone but I can't help wondering if when Nirvana first started the grunge movement in the nineties if this was the reaction that everyone had back then. The music is original and intriguing, so if your into grunge or just want to try something new, give Celladoor a listen.

Bandcamp ----> https://celladoor.bandcamp.com/album/swamp-lobster


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

Mantra Debut EP "The Withered World" Album Review

Today I listened to the debut EP of a UK band named Mantra. Although they didn't specify what sub genre of metal they'd like me to list them under, their music has a strong thrash metal vibe with some death metal influence so although I know thats not a genre thats what Im going to go with. The band themselves are very talented musicians and the riffs especially are done extremely well. Mantra has a distinct style that is immediately present from the first ten seconds of the EP. While many of the songs stay true to this style it would be selling the band immensely short to say that each song sounded alike. The EP is very well done and I thoroughly enjoyed listening to it, and now I'll get on with the songs.

The first track on the EP is entitled "The Withered World" so obviously with this being the title track of the record we expect it to pretty much shoulder the burden of the entire record, and shoulder it does. This song is down right awesome. Rather then toning the guitars down like many bands do to make the song sound more evil, Mantra has their guitar toned up and running a quick and brutal loop. The guitarist style actually reminded me of the early days of Iron Maiden. Thats where the connection with Iron Maiden stops though because the vocals on this song will make the hair on your arm stand up as you feel the evil coursing through your veins. Although I can't be certain what point the bands trying to get across given the name and the few words I understood it seems the song is about the world slowly dying. Whether thats a metaphor for the crappy state of the people in this world and their talentless march through life **cough ** the Kardashians **cough** or a literal analogy to how the worlds being destroyed by us numb skulled humans I dont know but what I do know is this song gets the blood flowing and the head banging.

The next song is entitled "Defilement" which is a spectacular name for a song.  The song definitely picks right back off where 'The Withered World" leaves off. The drummer is making keeping a steady and fast beat from the start as it takes on a typical thrash pattern which is expertly executed. "Defilement" is slightly heavier then "The Withered World" the guitars are tuned down much more as any presence of power metal are drowned out by the raw darkness that is emitting during this song. The growls and screams in this song are far more intense as well making the song even more heavier. The song is extremely powerful and the anger is easily heard through the voice of the vocalist.

Then we have "Our False Idols" which is you dose of irreverence as the song seems to rip through the conformity of the masses which the lyrics make quite apparent. Whoever or whatever Mantra has singled out in this song I'm glad I'm not on the receiving end of it. This song has by far the best solo on the EP it is down right amazing. Even though its super quick and leaves you wanting more the quick tuned up power solo is amazing. One thing I have to give to this band is they are amazing at maneuvering between tunings of guitars. This song simultaneously goes between the two tunings perfectly making my eyes bug out from pure amazement. And just when we think the songs over the band gives up what we want and another power solo floods our ears and brings joy to our hearts followed by an insane breakdown that will make your teeth chatter. The drummer is the true shining star of this breakdown as his rapid fire double kicks and sudden pauses make the breakdown even more amazing to listen to.

After listening to this band all I have to say is you guys have to check them out their EP is available on iTunes and ill post a link to their Youtube video where the entire EP is below.

Youtube -----> https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=sk7_JuwS5vc&feature=yotu.be

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