Heavy Metal Ketchup #5

News flash: metal bands are obsessed with death! And destruction! Or at least they often have names that pretend that they are! See below if you think I'm wrong!

Dead Child, Attack (Quarterstick) Louisville hipster-metal project of Dave Pajo from Slint (a band I've proudly never had an opinion about.) My initial impression before I gave up was that the singing -- at least in its high register -- sounded too much like Jack White (sort of like the guy in Wolfmother), except even thinner than the guy in Danava. A couple riffs made me nod my head; overall air wasn't grabbing me. "Wasp Riot" momentarily reminded me of Killing Joke, perhaps due to inattentive listening.

Deadlock, Wolves (Lifeforce) Sounds like Evanescence except worse, or perhaps like Flyleaf except a lot worse -- probably in part because more explicitly "metal." Possible covert Christian-rock tendencies.

Death Angel, Killing Season (Nuclear Blast) These San Franciscans started out as a teenage Filipino-American Metallica fan club on The Ultra-Violence two decades, ago, and I lost track since; I'm guessing they're not teens anymore. Their 2008 album has some speedy and catchy songs -- “Dethroned,” “Carnival Justice,” maybe “Sonic Beatdown” -- that owe as much NWOBHM and power-metal as thrash (which latter is still plentiful, obviously.) I also like how “God vs. God” keeps going into that "Smells Like Teen Spirit" riff, and how time changes elsewhere repeatedly initiate early Metallica melodrama. The music mostly feels clunky and forced, regardless. But nice try!

Destruction, D.e.v.o.l.u.t.i.o.n. (Candlelight USA) Another fast blast out of the thrash past, this time from old Germans who give their sonics more space and dymamics than I'd remembered. Also very propulsive drumming, screeching that manages not to sound strained (even reminds me of Die Kreuzen's great Dan Kubinski at points), actual chorus hooks ("physical destruction! just kills!"), a bit of mechanical mulch, and a couple songs ("E.levator To Hell" and "V.icious Circle - The Seven Deadly Fins") that, once again, make me think of Killing Joke for some reason -- which clearly happens way too often for you to trust me on the issue. It gets pretty wearing over the course of an album, though. And the title, I'm sad to discover, has nothing to do with Devo -- It's just a silly acronmym.

DHG / Dodheimsgard, Supervillian Outcast (The End) Black metal guitar noise frequently veering off into unexpected twists and turns, most notably in "Apocalypticism," "Foe X Foe," and "Vendetta Assassin." Tracks tend toward brevity, and start out real ugly, then little binking noises open up hidden windows so dancey beats can poke out of the goop and eventually take over -- works sort of like an alternate universe version of dub reggae. I avoid taking in the entire 15 songs in one sitting, but then I'm a wuss.