Cavalera Conspiracy – Inflikted
Roadrunner Records
(4/5)
Thrash is back in full force with Cavalera Conspiracy’s debut album, Inflikted. Originally, his would have been a self-titled debut, but due to legal reasons, the band had to change their name. CC is not just any Thrash metal band, but it is made up of some of Metal’s finest musicians. The All Star line-up consists of Max Cavalera (Sepultura co-founder and Soulfly founder) on vocals and rhythm guitar, Igor Cavalera (Sepultura co-founder) on drums, Soulfly guitarist Marc Rizzo, and Joe Duplantier (guitarist and vocalist from Gojira) on bass. Together, these four guys have managed to put together an incredible album that utilizes components of Thrash metal, Heavy metal, and even some Hardcore punk. Although all 11 tracks are vital in making this album awesome, “Inflikted” (track 1/title track), “Ultra-Violent” (track 5), and “Bloodbrawl” (track 8 ) stuck out over the rest to help prove that CC has what it takes to be an amazing band. “Ultra-Violent” has to be my overall favorite from the album for the fact that it is HEAVY! It shows a more old school Thrash style, with a slow and heavy groove to it. Also, Rex Brown (current Down and ex-Pantera bassist) is featured as the guest bassist on this track. “Bloodbrawl” ranks high for its overall heaviness, its classic Thrash feel, its massive breakdowns, and the use of insane sweep picking! Also, it shows a bit of diversity with the mellowness of the last 30 seconds or so of the song. Overall, this album could help in resurrecting the Thrash sound of older bands such as Slayer, and Testament. So let down your hair, get pumped, and thrash with your friends! Cavalera Conspiracy is here and they mean business!
Egypt Central – Egypt Central
Fat Lady Music
(4.5/5)
Reality and Rock have teamed up to pierce your heart and break you down, and together they form Egypt Central! Egypt Central’s self-titled release contains 11 of the most, lyrically, realistic songs I have heard in a while. I’m not saying that no other band is releasing material that shows real emotions or portrays real life situations, but EC is doing it in a way that everyone can relate to. Egypt Central covers issues ranging from being lied to by someone close to being criticized for being different. On top of great lyrical content, EC does it all right in the way of vocals and musical aspects created by lead vocalist John Falls, guitarists Jeff James and Heath Hindman, bassist Joey Chicago, and drummer Blake Allison. John utilizes his great singing voice with some screams with the vocal help from Jeff, Joey, and Blake. Together, these four successfully cover all the vocal angles, helping to truly portray the lyrics to anyone who has similar experiences or are currently experiencing some of the same issues. Musically, the guys from EC are really just a good Rock band. Period. There’s nothing extremely over the top about the way they go about playing the songs. They are just sweet and to the point, which helps get the message across in the best of ways. There’s not always a need for anything crazy. As far as whole tracks go, I really like the entire album, but “Different” (track 1), “Leap of Faith” (track 5), and “Home” (track 11) really stuck out to me. “Different” is probably my overall favorite for the fullness of the content musically and lyrically. I guess you could say that that is the track I relate to the most overall. “Home” is my second favorite for the simple fact that it is the only acoustic track on the album. Being acoustic, the music helps give the lyrics a little more meaning and the mood is changed for the ending to a great album. Once again, overall, Egypt Central is a great album for anybody to check out; whether you’ve had the hardest life or the best life anyone could have.
