Now, this band was refreshing to listen to. Smugly Ugly are from New Jersey area and this is their debut album. This one contains eight songs of interesting music. It all sometimes sounds like noise punk with Sonic Youth influences for example in ‘Smugly Ugly’. Also there are brass instruments like trumpet, trombone, saxophone and also keyboards delivering melodic favorites and hits like my favorite ‘One Last Chance’. But, that is not all, ‘Feeling Gr8’ delivers pop punk like it was played in early 2000s with all those bands like Blink 182 and similar came out with their best music. This is a short album but so varied and interesting to listen to that you just got to spin it one more time or two times in order two catch all what you missed.
Roots of Czech band Exitus go back to 1989 when Vladan Pražák and Víťa Ferenčák formed this band but disbanded in 1991. Now, thirty years later, with help of some new forces in the band, they released their opus containing twelve songs, one being a Pro-Pain cover. Exitus play that nineties old school thrash metal with one leg being in the eighties European school of thrash and one with some hardcore influences of early nineties, or maybe crossover even. Vocals are harsh and music is like running through a gauntlet of warriors who batter you with their metal gloves on your head and I don’t mean that in a bad way. Songs like ‘Final Solution(…of Existence)’, ‘World Error’ or ‘Apocalypse Never’ are sure to win you over for sure. Guitar work is chainsaw and brutal with some melodic hook here and there thrown in for good measure. I love Eastern European scene with so much good bands coming out and waiting to be discovered every day. This is fast, aggressive, groove, no holds barred thrash metal angry attack in your face.
Skeletor are hailing from Holland and this is their new opus containing eight songs. I must admit that I haven’t listened to such inspiring and various record for a long time. Skeletor play an interesting mixture of Florida death metal influenced riffs, fast and aggressive thrash metal and adding some nineties inspired groove thrash metal to the whole picture. Top that with blistering fast guitar solos that have interesting hooks reminding me of wicked Slayer solos in the prime of legendary thrashers. This album is S.O.D. for the new millenia. But, the most interesting on this record are songs and the way they were written celebrating gore, black humor and metal. Songs like ‘The Rapemachine’, ‘Hordes of the Retarded’ or my favorite ‘Anal Avenger’ are totally awesome. Vocals are brutal and angry, bass is thundering, album is a maelstorm of speed and this is why I recommend this one. Great one indeed!
KRAYKULLA-WEBZINE 