Down IV Part I – The Purple EP

Technically this isn't a Pantera album (and if it was I'd be able to review it, it's been well over 7 reviews since I last did the band). :) It's, like every other review this month, has just been sitting around in draft.... Most from before they were released. This is the fifth release, including a live album (people mistake the In The Year of VI as number six, but it was recorded in 2006), by metal group DOWN. They formed in 1991 and had Phil Anselemo, of Pantera, Pepper Keenan, of Corrosion of Conformity, and Kirk Windstein, Todd Strange and Jimmy Bower, the last 3 of Crowbar. This isn't the first time I've heard of these guys, but this is the first like real time I'm hearing them. I listened to this thing while I was reviewing this, and I honestly didn't think I have enough beef to it, so I listened to it once, then listened to some other music that it reminds me of, then came back. So yeah. I do like some Pantera stuff, but I still need to dive into them. I don't think I've ever even listened to Damage Plan (I still haven't). I got some listening to do, and fast. The sequel, Down IV Part II is set for May of 2014. (Good thing I made that date)

1. Levitation: There is a song titled Levitation by the Sludge Metal band Mastodon. This song very much so reminds me of Mastodon. The song fades in with a something that reminds me of Blackened off ...And Justice For All. I do love that track, so I'll be waiting to see what awaits. Once the song actually starts it reminds me of Mastadon mixed with Pantera. This track right here sounds like Phil got a bunch of musicians together to play Pantera music.
2. Witchtripper: This song is funny to me, in way of how much I could see this being a Mastodon.  Well maybe not exactly, the verses mostly. I could also see this being a kind of song that the Melvins would have done, in the intro. The vocals aren't as Phil but then again I could be going crazy. I also here some Sabbath at parts, but.... this doesn't have what I like in Sabbath. I think the solo is okay also, but again... I don't know.
3. Open Coffins: This song has a type of Pantera vibe going on there. I like this song, this could be like a Pantera song that I imagine being of Vulgar Display of Power. I mean, but the thing is I like that album, this track is just kind of..... boring to me. I like the sound it's just I don't really care much. Also this goes a little long for my opinion. It got old about three minutes in.
4. The Curse: This song is pretty sick sounding. This isn't a bad as I thought. I never thought it was bad, but I didn't think that it was this kind of cool. This really is a Pantera song. I could also see it kind of being a Sabbath song. The thing is they have a feeling I like, they have something about them.... the willing ness to not just do the same song over and over. They have spirit, I'm not getting any of that from this EP at all.
5. This Work Is Timeless: This song is pretty cool. I still think I need to re-listen to some of the bands that this Ep reminds me of, but It's an Ep so it shouldn't be that bad. This could be a song by Mastodon. I've only listened to Blood Mountian in it's entirety, and a few songs here and there, but I could see this being a song by them. This tune isn't terrible, but I just want something more. Like maybe a left hook. Something exciting, something to make me go... I didn't expect that at all. I mean chaning it back to a Blackened or ...And Justice For All type feeling isn't going to make me like your record anymore.
6. Misfortune Teller: This song is pretty cool. I like the way is sounds. This EP has grown on me since listening to it. I did take about a half hour break half way thru the Ep, because I had to use the rest room, but It's grown on Me. There is a riff in the song that reminds me a little of a Zeppelin riff. I can't quite put my finger on it, but it reminds me of it. There's kind of like a hidden track at the last 30 seconds of the song. At least or a Metallica one. Also great title.....

Overall I have to give this a 4/10. You know in my time away I listed to the other guys bands and to be honest I'm not insane about this. I don't really like this EP that much, and I was excited to hear it when it came out. I feel like a lot of these reviews aren't as good as I want them to be, but I need to get them out of the way to do albums I'm more passionate about you know. Plus this year, after this month, new reviews will be by Request, Choice, or Interest. I have to hear it first if I pick it myself also. I still can't believe if I did a review a day, for me to clear out the drafts it'd take almost two years and a review every single day.

The Night Creeper - Uncle Acid

This is the fourth studio album by the UK's Uncle Acid and The Deadbeats. And for this album I guess Uncle Acid decided to go solo..... :). Hey did Led Zeppelin, or Mr. Bungle ever go solo after their groups broke up? Well all jokes aside (it'd be funnier if I was doing this when they dropped the Deadbeats title on their 2013 record) a friend of mine who does reviews showed me this band, and they are pretty solid. He has his own blogger located here. Check out his reviews, he does more metal and rock reviews. And this album cover screams Halloween in my mind. Well I don't have much to say about them other than I enjoyed this first time though, let's rip it apart this time and see if it holds up ;)

1. Waiting For Blood: This is the first track I heard from the record, and I think it's a great opener. It really grabbed my attention and made me want to review the album. This riff reminds me a ton of Sabbath, but not in a bad way. Like there are times riffs remind me of something and it is like "RIP OFF" but this, maybe the vocals help and the feeling to, I don't think it's a rip off. I think the solo is solid, it's got this really Sabbath all over. I mean even the solo sounds like Tony Iommi.
2. Murder Nights: For whatever reason I think this is a spoof on the title Boogie Nights. You know the 1990's movie with Heather Graham naked. That's reason enough alone to watch it.... Its finally on Netflix. Though I'd say it's not as good as I wished it would be. But as far as songs go this has a hypnotic feeling riff. It feels a tad evil, not sinister and satanic but dabbles in the occult. And the vocals here reminds me of a song that I think people might recognize Wrathchild. The vocal melody in the chorus (or refrain) that is, not the actual voice. The actual voice reminds me of Conan Mockasin, if he were in a Sabbath genre tribute band. All thought, if this was sped up, it might pass as an Iron Maiden riff. The section that changes, the bridge of sorts, it reminds me a ton of Who Do You Love percussion wise. But it is really cool. Only complaint, turn the guitars higher in the mix maybe, they sound really awesome.
3. Downtown: I assume this is the sequel to Prince's 1980 classic Uptown, or at the very least a sister song to it rather. This descending riff makes me feel like I'm going down. I do like the vocals, they sound rather heavenly. That was a left hook for me in all honesty. I just finished listening to albums from this year that bore me or either are uninteresting. The guitarist has another tasty solo, and after guitar part reminiscent of the ending of Train Kept A-Rollin', the song ends. 
4. Pusher Man: I laughed when I saw this title. There's a funk classic by the same name from the 70's. So I was kinda hoping this would be a cover of that track. A stoner rock cover of Curtis Mayfield's Superfly track..... I can picture it now. Sadly it's not a cover, but it is a still a solid track. This is a pretty solid pleasant, to my ears, song. They don't' just focus on slow and grit. Those harmony vocals really give it an atmosphere. I really love those harmonies. I friken love them.
5. Yellow Moon:  I love the flute, thought is doesn't really sound like a real flute. It kinda reminds me of a Mellotron. This beginning have a very intro/transition feeling to it. It's also an really nice change, similar (in the way it works) to what Fluff does on Sabbath Bloody Sabbath. Also the whole guitar and everything outside the "mellotron" remind me of both The Green Manalishi and Albatross by Fleetwood Mac. But shocking as it may be, this song evolves and changes into something much more joyous. I feel like it'd be a great ending. And that piano that come in at the end, I think they know how to pull my heart strings. While it's too soon to tell, I kinda feel like with a dozen or so more listens this could be a favorite of mine period.
6. Melody Lane: Isn't that located just down the street from Penny Lane. The music isn't bad here, it's more the vocals. The robotic, sharp, psychedelic Conan Mockasin-esque vocals just kinda hurt at the beginning. Now the refrain is awesome, and this song is awesome too. It's just that beginning part I don't think clicks.The solo is another great one. While I don't think it's mind blowing, it's still pretty sick sounding.
7. The Night Creeper: The title track, as you can see, is probably one of the lesser tracks. Not that I don't like it, but like the intro is just nothing that special. At this point the album has established what it can do, and what it's sound is. So this track just feels like it's sticking within those "limitations". I mean, yes there is an instrumental part that feels a bit different in terms and feels very epic and like it's going to build up. That same epic feeling that was missing from The Book of Souls, but I don't know. I just.... wish that build would pay off rather then building and doing a Book of Souls. And that solo isn't great enough to make me feel the thrill I wanted to feel.
8. Inside: This is a song that has a very, how do I put it, marching feeling to it. I mean not really, kinda, but like the guitar has this bluesy thing. It's just like notes are missing. Like instead of doing a blues. Just get your guitar out and play any blues rhythm guitar part, you know what I'm talking about, and it'll fit. Not that this is bad, I just.... don't know what to make of this.
9. Slow Death: Another slower song, that has rain. Oh they used rain, Black Sabbath rip off. If anything, I'd compare this to a non-psychedelic Conan Mockasin track. I know I've compared to vocals to that, but this track feels like one but without the psychedelia. It reminds me a tad of Forever Dolphin Love too. And I love that electric piano roll. This is a really good penultimate track. Very soothing. I also get a vague Planet Caravan feeling from this track. And the way the song gets louder and larger reminds me I Want You. And I can't believe that was 9 minutes long.
10. Black Motorcade: Closing the album was get something that sounds like it'd be better fit on, this might be a stretch, but The Wall. With just guitar as the prominent instrument, well and organ and vocals, it's a nice closer. And those strings really help add to the feeling of mellow I get.

Overall I give this 10 track record a rating of 8/10.  If theses guys are a rip off of Sabbath they are ripping of what makes them great. The fact that the band had no fears in the 70's is why I will never speak ill of them. They had the balls to push the boundaries of the genre they established. These guys clearly picked up on that. The songs here, while similar in sound, all have a certain thing were I can tell when a song starts and when one ends. They don't all blend together. That's really good. This will most likely be a favorite at the end of the year for me. And who knows; this time maybe next year, it will be a 9 or an 8.5. This thing is really great thought, check it out if you like metal or are open to just listening to anything really.

Death•Is•This•Communion• - High On Fire

This is the fourth full length album released by High On Fire. I found out about theses guys via Needledrop about a year or so ago. Well, one of my friends wanted me to do this album, so I said... Fuck You!. But more seriously, I did this. I think that the album cover is pretty sick. I've already heard half of De Vermis Mysteriis.

1. Fury Whip: The beginning of this song is interesting. It makes me want to stay and see what happens. Sometimes you hear something and it's like "no I don't want to go on", thus far I want to continue. The guys voice reminds me of a more raspy Lemmy. Actually, his voice reminds me a lot of Mastodon's lead singers voice. This song reminds me a little of the whole Blood Mountain album.
2. Waste of Tiamat: I like the acoustic intro to this song. The way that it sounds. This song is pretty cool. I think it's a lot like the first track, but that isn't always bad. I kind of want the next track to be more mixed up, but you know, whatever. I do like this solo a lot though. I think it's pretty cool the way it sounds.
3. Death of this Communion: This song actually reminds me a little of Black Sabbath. On their new album 13. I will be reviewing that soon, hopefully it will be up by the end of the month. I like the kind of "ugly?" sounding offbeat guitar hits. Other than that I don't really know what else to say.
4. Khanrad's Wall: I like the way this song kind of starts out Spanish sounding. I kind of hope that they keep some of that sound through the rest of the song.
5. Turk: I have a stuffed turkey named Turk. This song isn't actually that bad. I'm enjoying this song more than the last few. This song is kind of cool.
6. Headhunters: Where's Herbbie? I like the way that this song is starting out. It's kind of like an intro to this song.
7. Rumors of War: I think that this song is pretty good too. It's reminding me more of Mastodon, but good Mastodon. You know, not the songs that are weaker. 
8. DII: This is a pretty sick track. And I love the mellotron in the background. I wish you could hear it a little better. But yeah, this is a solid song.
9. Cyclopian Scape: I really like the beginning of this song. This is a pretty solid song. And the ending, that's pretty sick.
10. Ethreal: This song isn't as good as the last few for me, but you know, whatever.
11. Return to NOD: I do like this tracks title, but there isn't really anything special from this track. I mean I do like the "breakdown" part of the song, but beside that I am not hooked. Maybe in the future with a few more listens I'll be hooked, but yeah.

Overall I have to give this a 7/10. I don't hate this, but I don't think it was mind blowing. I did enjoy this and look forward to, definitely not anytime soon (maybe a few months), reviewing another album by these guys or in this genre.