Reprisal- Boundless Human Stupidity

Reprisal is a Metalcore band from Italy. This album was released by Good Life Recordings in 2000. I was in a record store in New York City many years ago and I had barely heard of this album. So I checked out the front and back cover and realized this must be a Hardcore record. I had also heard about this Hardcore band Kickback from Paris who was supposed to be really good. I found their newest album at the record store also. I went to ask the staff at the record store what he thought about me buying two albums I had never heard before and he said something like it's a good deal because they're on sale and they're new releases. I listened to what he said and walked out of the record store that day with both albums. Since that day I have loved the Reprisal release Boundless Human Stupidity. I feel that this is such a brutal album but I also feel that the guitar riffs are really catchy. The guitar riffs are still extremely heavy but it's just something in the writing process that seems to come naturally to them which is to have brutal riffs combined with catchy riffs. I love how the singer Enrico Sampaoli just screams his guts out. He is like a man possessed screaming bloody murder to the throngs of fans who adore him. He has so many different screaming styles that he uses to employ his madness. For every word we have a matching screaming style so that the vocals flow nicely. If Reprisal didn't have Enrico singing for them they would be a much different band because he is such an important part of the band with what he can pull off on the microphone. I feel like the band are perfectionists at playing Metalcore and their sound is a sort of controlled chaos. All those years ago in a New York City record store I was right to purchase the Reprisal album and I still listen to it today. If you enjoy Metalcore you will be all over this record and find a new favorite also. This is one of my favorite Metalcore albums ever and should be held in high regard by all who love Hardcore music. Check it out immediately.
Thanks for reading my review.
Kevin
                                                                                                                                              

Iron Age- The Sleeping Eye

Iron Age is a Hardcore and Thrash band from Austin, Texas. This album originally was released in 2009 on Tee Pee Records and was reissued in 2019 on 20 Buck Spin. This is not just your average extreme metal band because vocalist Jason Tarpey plays synth and singing bowls. Their song structures and the way they right their songs is just so unique and different sounding. On "The Way Is Narrow" record they cover Satori Part 1 by Flower Travellin' Band. This is a cover of a psychedelic rock band from Japan done by an extreme metal band from Texas. I have also heard Iron Age called a Thrash Metal/Crossover band. One thing is for sure they don't like to be put into any category and when you're this talented you deserve your own category. Next to the Hardcore vocals we have these amazing chanting vocals that create an eerie feeling. Now we have this very triumphant feeling to the music which makes me think of ancient battles won. We just had some synth work and damn that sounded amazing. I felt like it could put me in a trance because it was so hypnotic sounding. Jason Tarpey can sing extremely well and of course with his talents he can scream really well also. His vocal range and chanting vocals make him an incredible singer and the perfect vocalist for Iron Age. The Thrash guitar parts in that song were simply outstanding and again show how talented of a band we have here. I should mention that this is a devastatingly heavy album but that is not what you think of when you listen to this record because there is so much happening on this album. We have a multi layered approach to this recording that makes it sound so good and the clarity of the recording is impressive. This could be do to the reissue in 2019 on 20 Buck Spin. The last song "The Way Is Narrow" is a masterpiece complete with singing bowls. You must have this record because you will always find something different to like while you are listening to this album. With this reissue out this should be thought of as the classic record that this already was but now re-released to the public everyone can now hear this classic album. Thanks for reading my review.
​Kevin

Daylight Dies- No Reply

Daylight Dies is a melodic death-doom band from North Carolina. This album came out on Relapse Records in 2002. Wait a minute, I have to catch my breath! These guys are simply amazing and just outright outstanding. I first heard them in 2000 when Idle came out on Tribunal Records. I'm a massive fan of Tribunal Records but now Daylight Dies is on Relapse Records which is another fantastic record label. I feel like they had to move on to another bigger independent record label for more exposure and that is why they made the switch. This is a straight up heavy metal record but because this album is so brutal sonically and so vicious in it's delivery I believe all fans of heavy music may really like this release. There are also some elements of melodic death metal present on this album. What we really have here is an original sounding death-doom band. The singers vocals are sickening and his tortured screams sound almost maddening. The guitar riffing is so unbelievable because it's so precise and it sounds like the blazing riffs could be on fire. We just had some total death metal growls which were done to perfection and sounded totally amazing. The mood to this album is very dark, somber, devoid of feeling. It has a feeling of nothingness and an overall feeling of intense sadness. Sometimes you get so low that you need a band to speak to the way you're feeling and at that time Daylight Dies would be the perfect band for you to listen to. We have simply gorgeous and majestic piano work here that takes you to the bands home of North Carolina. It was quite a surprise to hear piano played on this album and I thought that was unique. This band is full of surprises and that is a really endearing quality for a band to have. I think what makes this album so special is that I believe all fans of heavy music may really like this release. This is for sure a classic album and deserves to be treated as one. I think you should buy this record because you will love it. Thanks so much for reading.
​Kevin
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