Oh Say Can You Scream
Various Artists
Screaming Ferret
This is a compilation of heavy bands from the Screaming Ferret stable. To be fair to all bands, I’ll say a bit about each track (I’m so nice!):
The track by Meliah Rage, “Mind Stalk,” is some early-‘80s style metal, a la Killing is My Business…-era Megadeth; the singer even sounds like Dave Mustaine. The song is a wonderfully hard rocker and I enjoyed it thoroughly.
Distrust is up next, with “Breaking the Pain Barrier”; these guys play heavy riffs and big drums, and kick some major booty. The singer growls in a similar manner to Phil from Pantera/Down, and this song sounds like something from Down’s first record.
The next band here is Red Right Hand, who sound like a cheap White Zombie/Rob Zombie rip off, and their song was boring.
“Atomictivity,” from Candy Striper Death Orgy opens with a corny sample of sirens and stuff, but the song is totally worth the wait. This song is “1,2” thrash metal with super fast picking; it reminded me of late-‘80s skate metal stuff, and I was blown away by the fast parts in this song; sadly, the singer thought he was tough, but wasn’t, putting a small blemish on this track.
Cold Blooded’s “End it All” was a remotely interesting N.Y.H.C. metal track, with a Biohazard sounding singer. Kind of a snoozer.
“Doom Generation” by Tearabyte is possibly the worst song on the compilation; it’s crappily-recorded stomping hardcore, with the most annoying singer in the history of the world… trust me.
The next song, “Reign Of Terror” by Disdain, is the kind of song that, if you’re going to give it such a cliche name, you’d better do something in the song to make up for lack of creative titling; sadly, the song is a standard, boring mid-tempo metal stomper, with a big hunk of Swiss cheese for a lead singer.
Recognizer offer up “Built For Porn,” which is so poorly recorded that I would be ashamed to be in the band. The music itself it completely corny and weak chugga metal stuff about cyberporn… wake me up when this one’s over.
“Velcro” by Comadose sounds like Korn, a la Life Is Peachy; I don’t need to tell you that it sucked if you’ve ever heard that Korn record.
Finishing up the comp. was Suicide Contest, with “Ballad of Lew Proudfoot;” it sucked. The lead singer sounds like he’s in the battle of the century with a turd he’s trying intensely to expel from his intestines.
Overall, there’s about four good songs on this compilation. The rest of it is unforgivably bad rock music that attempts to intimidate, yet only serves to nauseate.
Screaming Ferret Records: http://www.screamingferret.com
