Fucked Fingers

Check out what Stu did whilst out dirtbiking with G a couple of weeks ago.

Fucking tasty!

.....and now:

Doomriders - 'Darkness Come Alive' (Deathwish Inc.)

Crawling from the darkest corners of Boston, Massachusetts , Doomriders once again rise from the grave to bring us the band’s second full length album ’Darkness Come Alive’ and by God does it!

‘Fade From Black’ and ‘Heavy Lies The Crown’ open a window into the blackest of souls setting the bar for the 17 track rager before exploding into the visceral ‘Bear Witness’. In typical Doomriders style, ‘Darkness Come Alive’ toys with many a genre and style. The semi-title track ‘Come Alive’ almost dabbles in the realm of acid educed doom where as ‘Bloodsuckers’ and ‘Knife Wound’ are hardcore punk cross-bread with a classic British heavy metal. The truly epic ‘Jealous God’ has a spine shattering riff that would make even the Melvins tremble. Shit you not, sir.

Even on first listen, the music is tighter, more complex and focused with the tracks like ‘Mercy’ boasting an impressive guitar duel between axe-men Nate Newton and Chris Pupecki. Not to mention Newton’s gruff vocal talents slashed all over riff heavy ‘Lions’ as well as the thrashing ‘Rotter’. Be it the JR’s constant smashing of the skins to the pummelling baselines from Jebb Riley, ‘Darkness...’ is un-relenting on all levels. All of these evil jams are peppered with little musical interludes and evil drones that keep the record flowing from track to track and add to the already sinister guise of the record.

You only have to listen to ‘Darkness Come Alive’ to notice how much Doomriders have grown as a band. The almost tongue-in-cheek homage paid to their influences and idols on first release, ‘Black Thunder’, is absent whereas their sophomore effort takes a nose dive into a world of the macabre and the grim as the band now walk their own path.

Doomriders have made a heavy metal record sound the way it should. Not the over produced nonsense you hear time and again these days. Their second full length shows a hunger to produce the best metal record possible. This record gets your fucking blood pumping. It’s rough around the edges. It’s low-fi, independent and fucking harsh. It ignites the same passion in the listener as the band has to play and record these ferocious jams. But above all this record is stone cold true, jack! Doomriders = Heavy fucking metal. Fact.

These four dudes from Boston have evolved into what can only be described as a massive, hulking beast of a band since their debut effort. The ‘difficult second album’ curse has been completely obliterated as ‘Darkness...’ shines through as one of this year’s stand out heavy metal releases.

Go fast! Play loud! Worship the second coming of the mighty Doomriders. On your knees!

Megadeth - 'Endgame' (Roadrunner)

There has been much doubt surrounding Megadeth and more so with its founder, Dave Mustaine, in recent years. With the release of their twelfth studio album a lot of people, fans and journos alike, wondered if Mustaine and co still had it. Then a fortunate few who had heard advanced copies of this new album started to spread the word that it was a “return to form”. Something that you always take with a pinch of salt whenever you hear that but it was only when I managed to snatch a copy of ‘Endgame’ for myself that I realized that, for once, it was true. Megadeth were back!

With only the one ballad-y track for self indulgent purposes, the majority of ‘Endgame’ is classic Megadeth from furious start to brutal finish. Opening up with ‘Dialectic Chaos’, a blistering instrumental intro, then ‘This Day We Fight!’ we is goose bump material. Classic thrash fucking metal! Thanks Christ for that. Only two tracks in and the strawberry blonde, curled lip-ed one has fully reassured me this record is not a dud!

Dave Mustaine, at whatever stage in his life, has always had a major gripe with one thing or another and it’s this, like all classic Megadeth albums, that really drives the record home. The Lyrics sound like they are being spat at you through gritted teeth and ooze passion. All the albums themes are what you’d come to expect from a Megadeth album. Control, oppression, rebellion, suffering. Check, check, check and check!

Megadeth wouldn’t be able to function with just Dave Mustaine and a tip of the cap has to go to the rest of the band. Shawn Drover’s drumming is breathtaking and only added to James Lomenzo’s bass work as heard on ’44 Mins’. ‘Endgame’ and ‘Bodies’ are both outstanding thrash jams and Mustaine’s fret skills are just as furious as they were twenty years ago as demonstrated on the savage single ‘Headcrusher’ and ‘1,320’. This is the classic Megadeth sound with stand out axework from both Mustaine and the incredible Chris Broderick.

Despite it’s comparisons to past glories, it’s no ‘Rust In Peace’ or ‘Peace Sells...’ but it beats seven shades of shit out of ‘Death Magnetic’ along with most heavy metal releases this year. ‘End Game’ is Mustaine at the best he has been for years. This is vintage Megadeth that is ready to slay the music world once again. Welcome back Dave. We’ve missed you.