NOISE FROM THE UNDERGROUND VOL. 3
The third installment of Crypt-Kickers: Noise from the Underground is the most jam-packed yet, 11 tasty albums that span the audio spectrum, a bumper crop of fantastic doom and stoner rock from Ripple Records, garage-ravers from Spinout Nuggets, roots rock classics from Liberation Hall, thrash and old school Metal Blade re-issues from Punishment 18 Records, soundtrack from Dragon's Domain, and technical power metal from Greece via Sleaszy Rider! So strap in, let's dig in...
WOLFTOOTH: WIZARD'S LIGHT (2025) - STONE NOMADS: EMPIRES OF STONE (2025) - BLACK SABBITCH: UNREST IN THE WEST (2025) - HERETIC: BREAKING POINT (1988) - THE BLASTERS: AMERICAN MUSIC (1980) - THE BLASTERS: NON-FICTION (1983) - DAVID RUSSO: SPACED INVADERS SOUNDTRACK (1990) - TYPHUS: FATE WEAVER (2025) - PANIC: EPIDEMIC (1991) - BONE CHURCH: DELIVERANCE (2025) - CREAM SODA: SERVING YOU ...(2025)
Label: Ripple Music
Duration: 43:48 mins
Band:
Terry McDaniel - Bass
Jeff Cole - Guitars
Chris Sullivan - Vocals, Guitars
Jeremy Lovins - Guitars
Shane Shook - Drums
'Wizard's Light' is the fourth album from Richmond, Indiana's Wolftooth, and while this is my first time listening to them, I have already ordered their last two albums, because this album is fucking aces. The album opens with the creepy intro "Hymn Of Belgarath (Intro)" before launching into the bombast "Sightless Archer" with chugging rhythms, searing leads, and some clean/melodic vocals that brought to mind Sword, sounding both contemporary but vintage in the best sort of way. The opening twin leads of "Darkened Path" are so tasty, and the title tracks opens with a bluesy riff and turns into quite an earworm. The bands mix of stoner, doom psyche, and NWOBHM is a winning bit of alchemy, well produced, terrific lyrics about battles, wizards and warriors, and a metallic edge that gets the blood and fists pumping. If you're a fan of Sabbath/Ozzy, The Sword and Weedian I think you will find they share a kindred fire for galloping rhythms and riff-tastic guitars, and killer clean vocals. This single-disc CD from Ripple Music arrives in a four-panel digipack with killer artwork by David Paul Seymour, and a clear plastic tray holding the CD with lyrics printed in the inner panels. The album is also available on vinyl.
Track Listing:
1. Hymn Of Belgarath (Intro)
2. Sightless Archer
3. Darkened Path
4. Wizard's Light
5. Sounds Of Redemption
6 Eternal Hunt
7. Armor Of Steel
8. War Brigade
9. Bloodline
10. All Father
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STONE NOMADS - EMPIRES OF STONE (2025) CD
Label: Ripple Music
Duration: 39:32 mins
Band:
Jon Cosky - Guitar/Vocals Jude Sisk - Bass/Vocals
Ben Wozniak - Drums
'Empires in Stone' are Texas doom/sludge power trio Stone Nomads third album, a blistering slab of concrete heaviness that is heavy on textured layering and atmosphere, the album opener "Lost inthe Storm" is H.E.A.V.Y., super-sludgy but driving, the guttural but melodic vocals are impressive, and when it kicks in with the technical soling I was sort of blown away. "Empires of Stone" has some tasty Sabbathy doom riffing that, with melodic vocals that just sweeten the deal, it's epic. My favorite track is easily the monolithic "Mount Aras" which has a Celtic Frost heaviness to it that has been on repat in my car all damn week, then shifting gears on "Desolate Sands", which is more intricate but stil offers slabs of riffs for days, before once more pummeling you with "Death Adder" which is a chug-monster. Stone Nomads Texas-style doom/sludge is blistering, uncompromising and highly infectious. This single-disc CD from Ripple Music arrives in a four-panel digipack with artwork by Jan Tanduk Art, and a clear plastic tray holding the disc.
Track Listing
1. Lost In The Storm
2. Eyehatesociety
3. Valley Of Souls
4. Empires Of Stone
5. Mount Aras
6. Desolate Sands
7. Death Adder
8. The Devil Lives In Texas
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Label: Ripple Music
Duration: 43:43
Band:
Alice Austin - Lead vocals, Emily Burton - Guitar, Melanie Makaiwi - Bass
Angie Scarpa - Drums
The debut album by the all- female Black Sabbath tribute band Black Sabbitch keeps the eternal flame of Birmingham's finest lit with a terrific setlist of songs from Black Sabbath's Master of Reality, Sabotage, Vol. 4, and Never Say Die, and album that is a bit conspicuous in it's absence of Sabbath's most iconic songs with the exception of "Children of the Grave", but I was quite happy with the song selection, which showcases the band's grip n Sabbath deeper cuts, with some occasional flourishes that stray from the originals, but stay true to the spirt of the metal-masters. The grooves are tight, the riffs are taut, and Alice Austin's vocals while not spot-on Ozzy are fantastic, I love her interpretations of the songs, after decades of adoring Sabbath I do love a solid cover and I think Black Sabbitch really nail these songs, their version of "The Wizard" complete with that tasty harmonica accompaniment had me replaying that track several times. Likewise "A Hard Road" has a sort of new life to it with the band's feminine vocals, the live energy is terrific, and of course the songs are stone-cold classics, but Black Sabbitch bring some new energy to it, staying true to the spirit of the original with plenty of swagger and heaviness, but still able to add their subtle stamp to it. I will say, when I first saw this announced I thought it was odd that a Black Sabbath tribute band were releasing an album, but after listening to, at least six times now, I say bring on another one from Black Sabbitch! Give those Zakk Sabbath albums a rest and give Black Sabbitch a spin. The album, which features artwork by guitarist Emil Burton, is also available on vinyl.
Track Listing
1. Wheels Of Confusion/The Straightener
2. A National Acrobat
3. The Wizard
4. A Hard Road
5. Lord Of This World
6. Hole In The Sky
7. Children Of The Grave
8. Into The Void
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Label: Punishment 18 records
Duration: 45:00
Band:
Dennis O'Hara - Bass
Brian Korban - Guitar
Mike Howe - Vocals
Bob Marquiz - Guitar
Ricky Merick - drums
L.A. metal band Heretic is a speed metal band formed in 1984, this one and only one full-length album in 1988, originally released by Metal Blade Records, with singer Mike Howe, The band broke-up right after in 1988, when Howe joined Metal Church as their new vocalist, with the album 'Blessing in Disguise'. Strangely, the remaining members of Heretic formed a band with the original singer of Metal Church, David Wayne, the band was Reverend, which I was quite a huge fan of! I knew of Heretic at the time of this album's release, pretty sure I would hear it in rotation on the local metal show The Rock Shop on WSFW, Seneca Falls, NY. that was hosted by the late Bob Appel, and I am pretty sure I ended up with a cassette dub of it from my highschool pal Seriah, who years later would end up hosting the long-running metal show The Last Exit for the Lost on WVBR, Ithaca NY, which is still going strong 30+ years later! Anyway, glad to see this getting a reissue from Punishment 18 Records, while Howe's name is best known as vocalist for Metal Church this is an interesting footnote in his career, a solid old school power metal album, well-produced for it;s vintage by Bill Metoyer (Sacred Reich, W.A.S.P., Slayer, Acid Reign, Armored Saint, Trouble, Flotsam and Jetsam) with solid riffing and some thrashy tendencies, but leaning more into power/speed metal with some pleasing chugging guitar and driving rhythms. I think when this first made the rounds I was way into thrashier metal and I was turned off my more traditional metal, I know, silly, right? Anyway, with fresh ears nearly forty years later I can honestly say this is a solid album, it's not an all-timer by any means, too many mid-paced songs for my tastes, but still totally solid, with some tasty tightly wound riffs and more intricate acoustic interludes, but the real shine her are the vocals from Howe, they soar and have grit, and are front and center in the mix. This release arrives in a standard CD jewel case with an 8-page booklet with credits and lyrics.
Track Listing
1. Heretic
2. ...and Kingdoms Fall
3. The Circle
4. Enemy Within
5. Time Runs Short
6. Pale Shelter
7. Shifting Fire
8. Let 'Em Bleed
9. Evil for Evil
10. The Search
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Label: Liberation Hall
Duration: 31:18
Band:
Phil Alvin - Vocals, Harmonica, Guitar
David Alvin - Lead Guitar
John Bazz - Bass
Bill Bateman - Drums
Track Listing
1. American Music
2. Real Rock Drive
3. Barefoot Rock
4. I Don't Want To
5. Marie Marie
6. I Wish You Would
7. She Ain't Got the Beat
8. Flat Top Joint
9. Crazy Baby
10. Never No More Blues
11. Buzz Buzz Buzz
12. She's Gone Away
13. Barn Burning
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Label: Liberation Hall
Duration: 31:51
Band:
Phil Alvin - Vocals, Harmonica, Guitar
David Alvin - Lead Guitar
John Bazz - Bass
Bill Bateman - Drums
Lee Allen - Tenor Sax
Gene Taylor - Piano, Vocals
Steve Berlin - Baritone Sax
Track Listing
1. Red Rose
2. Barefoot Rock
3. Bus Station
4. One More Dance
5. It Must Be Love
6. Jubilee Train
7. Long White Cadillac
8. Fool's Paradise
9. Boomtown
10. Leaving
11. Tag Along
Legendary roots-rockers The Blasters get terrific reissues of their first and third albums via Liberation Hall with brand new liner notes written by Chris Morris, rare photos and memorabilia images. These releases recreates the album original releases complete with a replica of the inner sleeve. These are celebrations of all things American, energetic roots-rockers tinged with Delta blues, country, swing and rockabilly music, tightly played and infectious as all Hell, high-energy and upbeat, you'll be shakin' your tailfeather and rockin' the night away with these albums. The single-disc reissues arrive in a four-panel digisleeves, with a booklet featuring writing by Chris Morris.
Label: Dragon's Domain
Duration: 63:41
Music Composed and Conducted by David Russo
Dragon's Domain Records presents the original motion picture soundtrack for the sci-fi alien invasion comedy Spaced Invaders (1990), featuring music composed and conducted by David E. Russo (Playroom) offering an earbud tingling mix of playful sci-fi and slapstick comedy with a rousing soundtrack that is both offbeat while still offering some terrific themes, including the alien-americana "Alien Darlin'", and an array of cuts that to my ear can only be described as alien circus music, which tonally is pitch perfect. The brassier more dramatic themes are my favorite, but do love a good title credit sequence and "Martians Takin; Over the World" is a banger, few songs are more early 1990 than this one. The CD from Dragon's Domain is a limited edition of 500, arriving in a jewel case with a clear insert tray with a two-sided rear tray insert with interior artwork, as well as a trifold, six-panel booklet with liner notes by composer Brian Saterwhite .
Track Listing
1. Main Title/The Fleet
2. Welcome To Big Bean/Crazy Old Wrenchmuller/Property D34. Family Picture/War Of The Worlds/Somewhere Near Mars
4. Dropping Off Kathy/First Speeding Ticket/Wrenchmuller’s Lament/Speed Violation/The Landing/Termites
5. A Real Mission/Bad Idea/Work To Do/Scout Robot
6. Kathy Alone/Kathy’s New Friend
7. Honey Darlin’
8. Prepare to Die/Robot Slave/Attack Vehicle
9. Martian Bebop
10. WrenchmullerOn The Move/You Wanna Bet/Investigating The Ship/Kathy Hides/Dr. Ziplock
11. The Martians HaveLanded/Let’s Get ‘Em/Evading Townfolk
12. War Of The Worlds/Yikes/The Launch
13. Robot Attack/Vendroid Arrives/Wrenchmuller 16. Missing/Martians Emerge
14. No Place Like Home/Farmzoid
15. Big Toy Robot
16. 12 Minutes Until The End Of The World/Verndroid Away
17. Saving The Martians
18. Time To Go/Jim The Dog and Finale
19. Takin’ Over The World
20. Bow Down Before The Civilian/Asteroid Patrol
21. Hello Big Bean
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Label: Sleaszy Rider
Duration: 43:14
Band:
Kostas "Korg" - Vocals, Bass, Keyboards
Kostas Foukarakis - Guitar, Backing Vocals
Stefanos Konstantinou - Guitar, Backing Vocals
Dimitris Ginis - Drums
This is the 2nd album of Greek power-metallers Typhus, formerly Nuclear Terror, a tightly wound album in the traditional vein but with fantastic production. The vocals are on the higher-end, operatic and soaring, with driving guitars, interesting time signatures and rhythms, it very tasty all the way around, driving power metal with searing leads and soaring vocals that brought to mind the late-great Warrel Dane from Sanctuary and Nevermore, the music not dissimilar to the energetic metal style of Vicious Rumors. The whole album is solid with some nice variation in the song structures, my favorite track is the thrashier closing song "The Last Congregation". The CD arrives in a jewel case with a clear insert tray with a 2-sided tray insert featuring an image of the band on the reverse side, and we get some striking album art by Par Olofssonwho has done artwork for Exodus, Immolation, and Malevolent Creation, among others. The 12-page booklet features lyrics and credits.
Track Listing
1. Only Ashes Remain
2. Primordial Hunger
3. I Stand Defiant
4. Catacombs Of Sancre Tor
5. The Oracle
6. Apocrypha
7. Army Of None
8. Crestfallen
9. The Last Congregation
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Label: Punishment 18 Records
Duration: 46:00
Band:
Jeff Braimes - Vocals
Jack Coy - Drums
George Hernandez - Bass
Martin Chandler - Guitars
Defunct Seattle thrashers Panic's only album, Epidemic, was originally released in 1991 through Metal Blade Records produced by Gary Holt and Rick Hunolt of Exodus. The album now gets a reissue through Punishment 18 records. I remember buying this album at Area Records in Geneve, NY when I was eighteen, and living it, and being disappointed that a second album never materialized, the band showcases an aggressive Bay Area thrash influences, I hear a lot of Exodus in these riffs, thanks in no small part to the Holt/Hunolt production, and the singer here brings to mind Exodus' Steve "Zetro" Souza by way of Phil Rind from Sacred Reich, with some 'Cowboys from Hell' energy thrown in. I certainly could have lived without hearing their cover of Kiss's "I Stole Your Love" featuring Zetro mispronouncing the word 'stole' as 'stoled', but 90's thrash bands love their corny cover tunes. The CD arrives in a jewel case with a clear insert tray with a 2-sided tray insert featuring artwork on the reverse side, plus we get a six-panel tri-fold sleeve with lyrics and credits.
Track Listing:
1. Blackfeather Shake
2. High Strung
3. Hypochondriac
4. Spider Desire
5. Morbid Curiosities
6. Hellfire Club
7. 911
8. Devil's Night Out
9. I Stole Your Love (Kiss cover)
10. Pile o' Bones
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Label: Ripple Music
Duration: 33:02
Band:
Jack Rune - Vocals
Dan Setcik - Lead Guitar
Pat Good - Bass
Nick Firine - Rhythm Guitar
Rob Sickinger - Drums
Connecticut's bluesy stoner-rockers Bone Church's new album 'Deliverance' offers driving and catchy hard rockin' metal with some Southern boogie flavor, with a little cleaner sounding Uncle Acid. There's a lot of hard rock and early metal influence to be heard, but it all comes together to form their own distinct, fully formed sound. The seven tracks are impeccably produced, coming off string with the overdrive of "Electric Execution". the Southern boogie really comes through with the doomy ZZ Top-ish "Goin' To Texas" and the "Muchachos Muchachin", the former of which name checks ZZ op in the lyrics and has some tasty Hammond B-3 organ in it and tasty slide soloing. If you like tasty hard drivin' rock n' roll with plenty of swagger Bone Church have got you covered. This single-disc CD arrives in a four-panel digipack with a clear plastic tray holding the disc, the artwork by SoloMarcello is pretty terrific, looking like it owes a small debt to Garry Sharpe-Young's artwork for Grim Reaper's 'See You In Hell' album.
Track Listing:
1. Electric Execution
2. Lucifer Rising
3. The Sins Of 1000 Heathens
4. Goin' To Texas
5. Muchachos Muchachin
6. Bone Boys Ride Out
7. Deliverance
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Label: Spinout Nuggets
Duration: 36:07
Band:
Tom Page - Vocals, Guitar
Tom Emerick - Drums
Jack Etheridge - Bass, Backing Vocals
The Medway Delta's Cream Soda are a punk rock n 'roll trio of teens, their debut album is chock-full of tasty riffs in the Billy Childish/Thee Milkshakes style, tracks like "Victims of the Medway Towns" and with some snarling 70s/80s punk and new influences, like "Someone I'm Not", "I Don't Owe You (A Single Thing), and the Real Kid-esque raver "Leave You behind". I also hear a bit of Magazine, some Wire, and Buzzcocks for sure, the latter influence cemented with a rollicking cover of "Ever Fallen In Love With Someone (With Some You Shouldn't've) that shows up as a bonus track. Even when the slow it down we don't get no ballads, just a snarling laid-back beast like "You Know What I mean: which brought to mind The Ponys, or the Bo Diddley beat of "Het Hey Ray Ray". There's a pop hook to it, but it's a pop derived from snarling, jagged riffs and a freakbeat bluster and garage rock energy, not a ballad in sight, just good rockin' from start to finish. This is another one that's been in my car's CD plater for a couple of weeks now, recommended for the insatiable garage rock geeks out there looking for a new favorite trio. The 16-song CD arrives in a digipack gatefold sleeve from Spinout Nuggetss, and is also available on vinyl LP for the cool kids.
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