This Canadian band's debut EP is a time capsule back to heavy metal's heyday

Toronto's Skull Fist aren't kidding when they say, "We live for heavy metal, and we quest for world domination. We fight for glory and forever ride the beast!" Not only are those words plastered all over their MySpace page, but based on this band's sound, look, and attitude, you can tell these guys (and girl!) are metal to the core. Heavier than Metal is their debut EP, and Skull Fist set out to be just that. Their sound is a mix of power metal, New Wave of British Heavy Metal, and glam--and each song is filled to the brim with this retro metal thunder.

Opening track "Sign of the Warrior" has a major power metal feel to it; more so than the rest of the EP.  The vocals are screeching, the guitar riffs are crisp, and it's FAST! It really prepares the listener for all of the balls out metal that is to come.

I absolutely loved the title track "Heavier than Metal" immediately. The vocals aren't as high pitched as on the first number, except for in the chorus, when lead vocalist Jackie Slaughter sings the line, "heavier than metal for meeeee." I'm convinced those are some of the greatest notes to be sung and recorded in recent metal history. The guitar riffs and rhythm section of this track have a real NWOBHM sound to them.

"Ride the Beast" and "Blackout" are the reason I say this EP has a glam metal feel to it. They both remind me of the heavier earlier Motley Crüe stuff. In these songs, Jackie Slaughter sounds like a young Vince Neil--but much better, because he actually enunciates the lyrics. His "woahs" and "yeahs" are spot on. The guitar riffs and solos in both of these songs have an early Crue vibe to them as well, and "Ride the Beast" especially shows off drummer Alison Thunderland's thunderous skills.

EP ender "No False Metal" is definitely a huge middle finger to those bands out there who Skull Fist sees as "false" metal. It sums up this band's attitude-- they want the classic sound. Skull Fist obviously likes the vintage '80s metal, and they deliver that sound they laud so much.

As someone who is predominately into '80s metal, I find Skull Fist to be a promising new act. I will admit though, when I first saw their song titles and names (Sir Shred, anyone?), I was skeptical. I thought they might have been exaggerating and parodying the music and time period I hold so dear. But after intently listening to the Heavier Than Metal EP, I have I begun to take seriously their "denim and leather" attitude. This pure rock 'n 'roll attitude is sure to make their metal predecessors proud, and I hope it inspires a new generation of metalheads to create new classics.

9 out of 10 stars

Independent
Skull Fist on MySpace

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The Whiskey Chronicles

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"Sounds like all your favourite bands!"? Let’s see about that

I recently spoke to a friend who referred to the metalcore sub-genre as "emotional death metal”. After several listens to Farewell to Freeway's latest release Filthy Habits, I can see why he said that. While the sounds began to paint a musical picture inside my head, I've picked up on elements of death metal such as the overall heaviness of guitar riffs, harsh vocals, and pounding drums.  I've also noticed that metalcore generally contains elements not heard in your traditional death metal. For instance, Farewell to Freeway uses two vocalists. Adam Lambert (not to be confused with the glam pop-rocker of the same name) is the main vocalist, and guitarist Chris Lambert share vocal duties.  The vocals can be harsh, but they can become highly melodic and "clean" in an instant. Melodic guitar riffs seem layered on top of the blazing heavy riffs, the songs are angsty, and in Farewell to Freeway's case, the song titles themselves are more humorous or ironic than dark.

The album's opener "Liquor? I Don't Even Know 'Er" begins with a retro sounding feedback effect followed by a heavy bass line and drum sequence. The amp feedback especially makes "Liquor? I Don't Even Know 'Er" very memorable as the lead-off song. As the "liquor" in the title suggests, this track is a tale of drinking to the point where you can finally bear to have sex with someone you feel like you don't even know.  I thought it was extremely clever of the band to include a brief breakdown immediately after the lyric, "Night after night /Maybe we could break it down”. In addition to the intro and musical qualities that make this song memorable, the emotional lyrics and the angry, heavy riffs that paint the picture of the relationship struggle set the tone for the rest Farewell to Freeway's Filthy Habits.

"Usurper" is another standout track, and it became an instant favourite during my first listen to Filthy Habits.  It has quite a complex melody featuring a higher pitched guitar riff over the rest of the much heavier instrumentation. I really like the feel of this one, with its aggressive lyrics and a rhythm that's perfect for moshing.

Another unique touch to Filthy Habits is the slower instrumental track "Bones and Tissue" that falls near the middle of the album. It is brief, but it offers a nice change of pace--almost relaxing--after hearing the wailing vocals, blast of the drumming, and insane guitar riffs.

"Dharma's a Bitch" is one of Farewell to Freeway's songs with a title that shows of the band's sense of humor and irony. I've always heard that karma's a bitch, but apparently Dharma is one too! This tracks starts out heavy on the cymbals with some lighter drumming along with it. The clean vocals are probably used more on this song than any other song on Filthy Habits. This almost makes it "catchy", but sometimes I feel like the singer gets a bit whiny too on this one when he's not screaming. With all the songs on this album about life experiences, love, and personal relationships gone bad, I sort of expected for even the clean vocals to be sung with power and an angry confidence.

Another one of my personal favourite tracks from Filthy Habits is "Token Ain't Weezy”. Although I first thought the intro riff sounds a lot like Framing Hanley's cover of "Lollipop," that shouldn't fool you into thinking the rest sounds like it too. This song has a great beat for the moshpit, but it has several changes of pace--ranging from the heaviest metal to the most chilled out rock.

When comparing this album to the works of the more established metalcore bands, Farewell to Freeway has the potential to join their ranks. I don't think this band or album would be the best at explaining "this is what all metalcore is supposed to be like," but I think both perfectly illustrate the diversity among all the bands that exist in this popular--and still growing--area of metal. Farewell to Freeway's Filthy Habits should not disappoint for fans of melodic metal that are looking for a unique spin on their usual fare. I especially recommend it to those who are into bands such as Shadows Fall and All that Remains.

7 out of 10 stars

Victory Records/Riot! Entertainment

Farewell to Freewar on MySpace

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One California band is bringing a rich and diverse brand of metal to the masses

The Warriors are getting ready to release their fourth album See How You Are just as they set out on their North American Tour with The Ghost Inside, Set Your Goals, and Australia's own Parkway Drive. On their second release for the Victory/Riot label The Warriors prove once again their brand of metallic hardcore is relevant in an era where more melodic subgenres such as metalcore dominate the heavy rock scene.

The title track "See How You Are" is the very brief but memorable album opener. It begins slowly and quietly, but it gradually builds up to a heavy, angry song. I like the effect with the backing vocals during the chorus, which is one of the many "retro" or classic hard rock elements that appear on this album. You can almost picture this band sitting around, listening to Def Leppard as teenagers and thinking, "This is cool, but how can we make this stuff heavier?"

When "See How You Are" abruptly ends, my immediate favorite track from this album, "The War Unseen", begins. The intro riff is fantastic, and before the middle of the song hits, a Slayer-esque feel takes over the song. I think it may be the bass line and the fact that lead vocalist Marshall Lichtenwaldt channels the heavier side of Tom Araya into his singing. The "hey, hey" part of the chorus is extremely energetic, and it takes me directly to a Warriors live show on my first listen to See How You Are.

"Mental Chains" is probably the next biggest stand-out track, and it really changes the pace of the album. It has a hard and fast intro with a straight-up, ass-kicking hard rock vibe. After the intro, you can definitely hear The Warriors go back to their early days with the Rage Against the Machine-influenced groove that takes over this song.

After a few tracks, including the Hellyeah-on-roids sounding "Here We Go Again", "Subirse El Muerto" brings the album back to the crossover thrash The Warriors are also known for. When I first heard "Subirse El Muerto", I was pleasantly surprised. I thought the song sounded like members of Slayer formed a hardcore punk band. Again, Marshall Lichtenwaldt looks to Tom Araya for vocal influence, but this time a throaty, shouting punk sound takes over. This all may sound odd, but believe me - it works. This song is put together very well.

In fact, all of See How You Are is put together very well. The tracks are diverse, and many metal styles including thrash, groove, and hardcore come together to create this album. It also has some very classic hard rock riffs that seem to be styled after a wide array of bands all the way from metal acts such as Slayer and Pantera, hardcore punk bands like Black Flag, and alternative rap-rockers Rage Against the Machine.

While some of the songs - namely "The Enforcer" (it does have some intense lyrics, and I love the Judas Priest-sounding title!) and "Seize the Fire" - come off as monotonous and repetitive, I think this heavy album has something on it for rock fans who are into many musical styles and like to see creative fusions of them.

7 1/2 out of 10 stars

Victory Records/Riot! Entertainment
The Warriors on MySpace

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