Review of Anthrax's For All Kings

Joey Belladonna's return and the subsequent release of Worship Music in 2011 put Anthrax in a pretty good place, but it seems like they didn't keep a high momentum going for long. Releasing the Anthems cover EP and switching lead guitarists may have spiced things up but they didn't exactly strike while the iron was hot. Fortunately For All Kings comes through as a solid addition to the band's discography, even if it took its sweet time getting here.

In the grand tradition of The Last In Line and Defenders Of The Faith, For All Kings feels like an extension of Worship Music and features many of the same elements. The style still compromises the melodic thrash of the classic era with the grunge metal outlook of the band's stint with John Bush. The production also leans in favor of the rather chunky guitar tone but it is Belladonna's persisting vocal talents that continue to lead the charge. They even kept a couple orchestral interludes around though they may actually be more properly composed this time.

Speaking of which, the vocal hooks in particular keep this album from feeling like a tired retread. While songs like "The Devil You Know" and "The Giant" had plenty of infectious choruses, there seems to be an even greater emphasis on catchiness here. Despite seeming like an odd single choice before the album's release, "Breathing Lightning" is a strong example of this as the catchy as hell vocal line works well with the more rock approach. In addition, songs like "Monster At The End" and "Defend/Avenge" are guaranteed to be stuck in your head for days while the vocal layering on "Blood Eagle Wings" makes the near eight minute long track even more inspiring.

It also helps that the styles are a little more jumbled here. In comparison to the fast to slow song progression on Worship Music, For All Kings is rather unpredictable and seems to jump styles between songs. While "You Gotta Believe" starts the album off on an upbeat note similar to "Earth On Hell," the following tracks opt for a mid-tempo approach and songs like "Zero Tolerance" bring some speed toward the album's end.

Overall, For All Kings is a good addition to Anthrax's discography, even if it does often feel like more of the same. It'd arguably leave more of an impact if it had come out a couple years ago, but it still manages to be pretty enjoyable on its own terms thanks to its earworm quality. Megadeth may be back on top as the most relevant part of the Big 4 but Anthrax shouldn't be reaching the Slayer levels of stagnancy anytime soon...

Highlights:
"Monster At The End"
"Breathing Lightning"
"Blood Eagle Wings"
"Defend/Avenge"

Review of BUS's The Unknown Secretary

No one can deny the influence that the New Wave Of British Heavy Metal had on every metal movement that came after it. The effect it had on Metallica among others has been thoroughly documented but its relationship with doom metal isn't quite as defined. Witchfinder General is the most obvious example of the connection due to their direct inspiration on staples like Cathedral, but even groups like Angel Witch and Holocaust have their place due to their often dark and raw approaches. In addition to having the most impossible name to search for on Google this side of 3, BUS of Athens, Greece is a strong example of the two metal genres meeting at a satisfying crossroad.

Whether you would classify the music on BUS's first full-length album as hard rock, doom, or traditional metal, it has a raw retro style that should appeal to any fans of those genres. The guitar harmonies are obviously channeling Iron Maiden's earliest efforts, the vocals have a mid-range wail reminiscent of Angel Witch's Kevin Heybourne with occult lyrics to match, and an ominous atmosphere can be felt throughout thanks to an early 80s influenced production job. But in an unusual fashion for a band associated with the doom movement, the songs all tend to be based around an upbeat swing tempo with very few of those crushing moments being featured.

Fortunately, the songwriting is focused enough to keep all the songs from sounding too similar to one another. "New Black Volume" may be the most memorable tune here thanks to its bouncy building bass line in the intro while "Forever Grey" offers the most enthusiastic chorus between the mid-70s Rush-style verses. They also do find time to put in a few outliers as "Don't Fear Your Demon" rides a crunchy mid-tempo riff throughout and "Rockerbus" dabbles with the lighter side of 80s metal complete with an opening rhythm that channels Van Halen's "Panama" of all things.

Overall, The Unknown Secretary pushes a style that will ring true with fans of all things retro metal. While some may find the album to be slightly one-dimensional and derivative of other bands, the songs all manage to convince the listener with their upbeat approach and the energy involved should keep them from being seen as a throwaway nostalgia trip. One can only hope that the name choice doesn't hinder their chances at success as they definitely have the potential to come up with something even stronger in the future.

Highlights:
"Fallen"
"Masteroid"
"New Black Volume"
"Forever Grey"
"Rockerbus"

Review of Brimstone Coven's Black Magic

Like many other bands in the 70s inspired occult rock movement, Brimstone Coven's second full-length album works through several different styles. Songs like the opening title track and "The Seers" are led by slow doom riffs, "Beyond The Astral" and "Slow Death" ride classic rock grooves, and "As We Fall" and "The Plague" take trips to more mellow dreamscapes. Everything is unified by a vintage bottom heavy production style and the expectedly diabolical lyrics delivered by vocalist "Big John" Williams.

The variety is welcome and nothing sounds out of place, but it does feel like the elements of each style tend to cancel the others out. The distant production job diminishes some of the impact that the heavier riffs aim for while the looser jams can feel somewhat stilted at times. At first, one may wonder if the band may need to focus more on certain aspects of their sound but it may just come down to a need for more charismatic musicianship.

The title track starts things off in a heavy fashion and the following songs are pleasant enough to listen to, but the second half is where things really get interesting. "Slow Death" is easily the album's biggest highlight as its bluesy Deep Purple swing brings in a great deal of energy and the rhythm section shows off some strong chops during the jams. "The Seers" and "The Eldest Tree" also do a good job of standing out thanks to their more powerful riffs and memorable vocal lines.

A greater sense of conviction would make Brimstone Coven's second full-length album a modern classic but the solid songwriting and their genre's inherent listenability still make it worth checking out. The numerous styles that are presented here give the band a lot to work with and greater potential for even more interesting efforts in the future. In the meantime, Black Magic is a safe listen for fans of all things doom and 70s rock.

Highlights:
"Black Magic"
"Slow Death"
"The Seers"
"The Eldest Tree"