Conqueror

BEHOLD! Gates of Slumber's third proper effort, Conqueror.

Does the supposed start to the Holiday season make you want to run full speed through the throngs of living dead at Wal Mart with blood stained Conan sword in hand? Yes, you say? Then this is the album for you. Pure doom. Pure metal. Gates of Slumber is in a metal category all their own. It is called: fucking awesome.

...enjoy...

Traveller

Released in 2003, Traveller is an epic piece of music based on the 1970's role playing game of the same name. Now, I know what you are thinking... how could an album be any good if it is based on a role playing game? Well, that's just how sick a band Slough Feg (they shortened their name a few years ago) have been over the years. They could sing songs about the daily trials and tribulations of your kitchen toaster oven and it would blow your simple mind half way across your shitty little neighborhood. Traveller takes you on a Sci Fi adventure among the stars where epic battles lay waste to alien species across the universe. At least that's what I think is going on. Led by the legendary Mike Scalzi (ex Hammers of Misfortune), this album is an ode to guitar driven heavy metal. The riffs alone have been rumored to induce premature labor. Scalzi's vocals are as impressive as they are unique to the metal world.

There are soooo many bands that rehash "old school" heavy metal and it just comes across so cheesy and stale. Slough Feg are not and have never been one of these impostors. These guys are of a wholly different variety, existing not just beyond, but on a different plane of existence than the silly trends of the metal world. No trend fuckery here kids. Slough Feg are a unique musical experience that have remained underground for far too long. Their originality is a breath of fresh air and as we have seen all too often, artistic originality and talent don't necessarily result in financial success. So, after you download this album and realize how empty your life has been without it, I ask that you proceed to purchase everything ever produced by Slough Feg HERE.

Until then... The Lord Weird Slough Feg serve as a painful reminder as to just how weak your metal is.

...enjoy...

Gods of the Earth

We have here, the latter of two releases by Texas doomsters, The Sword. Gods of the Earth was released way back in 2008 and has seen the band reach all sorts of new highs (pun intended). They've seen their music seep into the collective (un)consciousness of video gamers with songs featured in some supposed game called Guitar Hero. You may have heard of it. They have also toured extensively with a band who call themselves Metallica. But let us not hold any of this against them.

Some out there, and they are legion, condemn The Sword as "hipster" metal. Now, I'm not saying there aren't "hipster" trend fuck bands out there latching on to the whole retro metal movement. I'm just saying that The Sword are too good to be lumped with them. If classic Black Sabbath and early Metallica are two sounds you would like see blended together, than these guys are for you.

Gods of the Earth is a more tightly composed album than it's predecessor, although Age of Winters is pretty awesome too, but what is special about The Sword is their ability to take classic metal ingredients, mix them together, and have the result be familiar yet refreshing. Having a couple songs based on Conan stories ("The Frost Giant's Daughter" & "The Black River") never hurts either.

Let the head banging commence.

...enjoy...