ROSS THE BOSS RETURNS WITH BORN OF FIRE
Here are a few new releases that drop today:
Body Count – Carnivore
The stigma for a lot of bands has been “rap and metal? fuck that!” but Body Count has gotten a pass for the most part. Why? Because the band outside of perhaps a misstep or two has always delivered the goods.
Heaviness, angst, and in your face, the band has always been great at pushing buttons and riling people up that are easily susceptible to taking things the wrong way. Even if their lyrics or the situations they paint themselves in aren’t to be taken 100% seriously.
The message is serious and thought-provoking, but a lot of people have taken what they say in the wrong way. Ice T said long ago said something to the effect of, “Anthony Hopkins can play Hannibal Lecter and no one says oh my god he’s influencing people to become serial killing cannibals”.
Much like the band wasn’t trying to inspire people to murder police officers or shoot people that are talking shit. It’s all scenarios and imagery that they’re selling based on phobias and mindsets that some people have.
It is up to you to interpret what they’re saying, and decide what’s wrong or right. It shouldn’t be up to a band to be held accountable for idiots that take things the wrong way and they try to make a band the scapegoat for influencing a decision they have made.
In any event, Carnivore follows the trajectory of Manslaughter, and Bloodlust, and continues to build on the band’s legacy. It is too easy to compare this to their debut and say “best since”. For a lot of people, nothing they release will eclipse that monumental debut. That doesn’t mean this isn’t a must-have for any fan of the band, because it is.
Burning Witches – Dance With the Devil
I really enjoyed the band’s last release Witch Hammer. I thought it was great start to finish, and offered several elements of classic metal mixed with modern sound and production.
But it caught me off guard in the middle of all the hype that Seraina Telli was out as lead singer. I get it, she left the band because she wanted to dedicate more time to her own band, which is a little more doomy, and a little more experimental.
But with all of the press and a label like Nuclear Blast behind them, seemed like an odd choice. Especially since they were smack dab in the middle of promoting their album, and staying with the band till after the album cycle was done could have possibly helped her cause out more?
People that were going to see them live were now seeing Laura Guldemond, who offers up a slightly different approach to the music. They’re both great, but this third release by the band seems to be a lot more fleshed out than their previous work.
The combination of music composition and Laura’s melodies take the band to different places than Witch Hammer. It’s definitely a progression for the band and has a little of everything to offer between hard rock and metal. I dare you to listen to the title track, posted below, and not get the chorus stuck in your head!
Ross The Boss – Born Of Fire
Similar to the other two releases mentioned above, Born Of Fire picks up where By Blood Sworn left off. This album is a natural evolution for the band, that keeps three of the four members that made the last album so great. Obviously, Ross The Boss on guitar, bassist extraordinaire Mike LePond, Marc Lopes who has been the longest-tenured member of the band, and newcomer Steve Bolognese, who is part of Ross’ other band Death Dealer.
It is as if they left people wanting more with their previous album and just added an extra serving of metal to the album, building upon where they had left off. Ross has been in so many different bands and done so many things over the years, he’s really brought together fans of several different subgenres of rock and metal.
His Ross The Boss albums are among my favorites, he isn’t inventing anything new, but the songs are well put together, entertaining, and catchy in all the right places. If you’ve ever been a fan of his previous releases, you owe it to yourself to check this album out. You should also check out Ross’ recent interview on Talking Metal where he discusses the album with Mark Strigl.
Rough Grind – Pieces Of Resistance
Here’s a Finish band that’s been around since 2014, but falls under the “new to me” category. The best way for me to describe them is that it’s a mix of modern hard rock, with some gritty Lemmyish vocals, and some sarcasm mixed into their lyrics and videos.
Kaos Krew – From the Ostrobothnian Plain
Another Finnish band that falls under the “new to me” category. For months it’s been the Swedish invasion, but I’ve been pleasantly surprised by the Fins this week. This band has been around since 2011, and mix in heavy riffs, and grooves, with melody, and industrial aspects. If any of that sounds cool to you, check them out.
Here are some other releases that drop today that may interest you:
Silverstein – A Beautiful Place To Drown
My Dying Bride – The Ghost Of Orion
Rose Tattoo – Outlaws
Allen/Olzon – Worlds Apart
Harem Scarem – Change The World
Novena – Eleventh Hour
Khymera – Master Of Illusions
Semblant – Obscura
Therapy? – Greatest Hits The Abbey Road Session
Avenged Sevenfold – Live In The LBC Re-Release
Blue Oyster Cult – 40th Anniversary: Agents Of Fortune – Live 2016 DVD/CD
The Neal Morse Band – The Great Adventour: Live in BRNO 2019
Accept – Objection Overruled Vinyl Reissue
Article by Victor M. Ruiz of Mars Attacks Radio & Podcast, and Galaxy Of Geeks Podcast. Connect with him on Twitter: @vmr907
