STONED COUNCIL
Universal
A surprisingly profound release from Universal, Dog Faced Gods (not to be confused with the Swedish hardcore metal band with the same name) debut release Stoned Council is solid proof that this label is finally procuring an ear for metal music. Universal Music, or MCA as they were once labeled, were penned by the metal industry in the '80s and '90s as the Music Cemetery of America seeing that practically all their metal signings resulted in a quick and untimely death. With the fairly recent success of bands like Godsmack, Universal/MCA is seemingly forging forward in their brigade to secure young metal talent. Not to say that Dog Faced Gods (better known as D.F.G.) is considered true metal, in fact, most probably wouldn't label the band as metal per se, but they do possess certain characteristics of standard metallic greatness displaying power, intensity, originality and diversity. Hailing from the San Manuel Indian Reservation outside San Bernadino, CA, D.F.G. exhibits strong classic rock roots combined with pulverizing metal riffs. Their material ranges from folk-tinged hard rock anthems in the vein of Los Lonely Boys, 3 Doors Down, and Creed (exemplified in the opening track, "Desperately," "No One Left" and "Stand Alone") to Sabbath influenced stoner-rock anthems like "Good Life" and "Will I Ever Fit In" while other notable tracks such as "Brings Me Down," "Run, Run," and "But Me" blend the aforementioned styles with a modern Zombie meets Biohazard meets Godsmack hip-hop/metal twist. What makes this work effectively is the fact that this band possesses a shit-load of musical talent providing ball-busting riffs atop brilliant chord changes and superb vocals encompassing unique and memorable lyrical hooks. One of the true highlights of this album is the brilliantly well-executed rendition of Skynyrd's "Simple Man" displaying incredibly powerful yet soulful vocals and excellent guitarwork. Stoned Council is perhaps the best major label debut I've heard since System Of A Down's self-titled release debuted in '98. This band surely has the potential to become rock superstars!
OVER KILL
RELIX IV
Spitfire Records
Overkill are the Rutger Hauer of metal...you could shoot 'em, blast 'em, throw 'em out of a fast-moving car...but they just keep coming back for more. There's just no stopping this band, they're like the Energizer bunny on Viagra that keeps beating harder and faster...on that drum. Love 'em or hate 'em, you got to respect them for the simple fact that theykeep moving forward, no matter what trends or obstacles get in their way. Unfortunately, that's not the case with Relix IV, Overkill's 14th studio effort, as it offers nothing new or exciting. Many bands reach their peak of greatness early on in their career, but I feel Overkill attained their height of achievement with their '97 release From The Underground and Below. Not to say that Relix IV is bad, it kicks the shit out of most metal releases today, but there's simply nothing special about it. It almost seems as the band is going through a phase of predictability, or as they say 'going through the motions,' which is bound to happen (if not expected) after a 20-year plus lifespan. But one must certainly give the band praise for carrying on with their traditional brand of quality blue-collar thrash-metal, which is evident in the standout tracks "Within Your Eyes," "Love," "Bats In The Belfry," and "The Mark."
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