Record Reviews



King of Salem - Prophecy

Sounds Like – Hetfield & co., pre-haircuts; Ward instead of Ulrich
Standout Track – “Blood of the Enemy”

Hometown: New Haven, CT
Label: Independent
Produced: Simon Tuozzoli
Engineered: Simon Tuozzoli
Recorded: UP Recording Studio
Studio location: Seymour, CT
Webpage for King of Salem

King of Salem proves that less is more on its latest release, Prophecy. KoS, a project entirely played and recorded by longtime friends Simon Tuozzoli and Michael Petrucci, showcases a preference for the raw, brutally open sound of early Sabbath and Metallica. Don't let the "back to basics" mentality of KoS fool you, however, as there is nothing basic about their songwriting, with Simon’s barking guitar and Petrucci’s cavernous pocket anchoring forgotten concepts such as melody and groove. This album promotes pounding your fist, head, or drinking buddy off the dash of your 1985 Coupe de Ville just as much as it leaves you thinking “how the hell did they pull that off?” Prophecy is a well-educated thrashing from a couple guys that know what metalheads everywhere have been dying to hear since 1985.

“Blood of the Enemy” is one of those rare songs that glorifies homelessness, harking back to a simpler time…a time in which we didn’t have to worry about saving up for Pottery Barn and could just concentrate on being a Viking – pillaging and such, and then perhaps cleaning the mace we cracked across some guy’s temple. Bands could always serve up a bit more 6/8 time signature carnage these days, and “Rack of What” delivers it with a side of 9/8. Now, I’ve often said the only thing better than 6/8 is 7/8, but I stand corrected, especially when a song simultaneously references Van Hagar’s “Good Enough.” Prophecy is more than good enough. It’s 9/8, bro.

stOrk - (Self Titled)

Sounds Like – ADHD Shred by Nintendo 
Standout Track – “Changing Lanes”

Hometown: Los Angeles
Label: Indie
Produced: Shane Gibson & Thomas Lang
Engineered: Nick D’Virgilio (Recording), Jeremy S.H. Griffith (Mixing)
Recorded: Guitar Ogre Studio & The Garage
Mastered: Maor Appelbaum Mastering
Studio location: Los Angeles, CA 
MySpace for stOrk

If you’ve seen Korn lately, then you may have noticed one of today’s premier “shred” guitarists tucked in the corner of the stage, quietly waiting for the spotlight. His name is Shane Gibson, and he is out to set your minds and fingers afire with his latest release, stOrk. For those of you that are unfamiliar with the “shred” genre, its stars include Steve Vai and Buckethead (the guy with the KFC bucket on his head that made you wish you had 15 fingers on Guitar Hero II). For aspiring guitarists unfamiliar with these two names, just think of anything that you cannot play. It’s on this album. Shane is a guitarist’s guitarist, a graduate of Berklee with unique ideas to spare and better sweeping technique than your grandparents. stOrk also features the excellent bass chops of Eloy Palacios and a Costco, bulk-size heaping of uber-complicated drumming from Thomas Lang.

Standing out are the groovy “Moonrock,” the frenetic “Changing Lanes,” and “Loki,” which may take a year to decipher the accent patterns. By the time you do, you should resemble the guy that stared at the Ark of the Covenant. “Prelude in the Key of Shut the Hell Up” will please classical purists, while “Metal Fatigue” sounds inhuman.

If you’re looking for great metal and a good time, avoid the bathroom stalls at your local truck stop and pick up a copy of this “goofy-ass music.”


Into The Presence - (Self-Titled)


Hometown: Los Angeles
Label: Razor and Tie
Produced: Luis Carlos Maldonado & Tim Alexander
Engineered: Tim Alexander
Recorded: Ghost Town Studio
Mastered: SAE Mastering in Phoenix, AZ
Studio location: Jerome, Arizona
MySpace for Into The Presence

The debut album from Into The Presence will make you quit your band. You’ll cry because you just financed all that fancy new gear and an auto-tuner for your singer, complete with T-Pain to produce. Yeah…not needed here. Rather, ITP shows that you can still rely on great songwriting, great players, and above all, someone that can sing their nuts off (ladies…you know what I mean).

A conscious, and well-executed, nod is given to “heroes of old” here. The likes of Queen, Zeppelin (check out the bridge in “You and I”), and Jeff Buckley are ever present in songwriting, musicianship, recording technique, and vocal quality throughout. However, claiming that ITP does not own their sound couldn’t be further from the truth. Luis Carlos Maldonado’s guitar work is stunningly inspiring and tasteful, while Tim Alexander (Primus, A Perfect Circle) once again shows that his drumming is outstanding, without standing out. Round out the lineup with the Lenchantin sisters (Paz on bass, Ana on Cello), and this album kicks some serious ass. Oh, and did I mention Luis can sing?

“End Game,” their signature song, kicks off the album with bombing drums and dancing arpeggios, only to be further trumped by epic vocal work that makes Freddie and Jeff high-five each other. Much of the record focuses on Luis’s introspection, with his writing most transparent on tracks such as “Phone Call,” “You And I,” and “My Only Crime” – all tales of struggle within relationships. Whether or not one finds this topic passé, Luis’s gift for crafting epic, spiritual portraits is undeniable. If the aforementioned songs don’t get you, surely the sexy sludge of “The Garden,” unstoppable chorus of “Broken Words,” and lonely promise of “Coming Home” (my personal favorite) will. But then, I’ve listened to this album 63 times this month, so maybe I’m a tad biased...

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