Burn The Priest/Lamb Of God - Legion: XX

Y'know - most cover records just feel like cash grabs or an attempt to go 'back to the roots' that feels misguided and silly. Yet every once in a while you find one that isn't just badass but also straight up fun. Such is the case with Lamb Of God, ahem, Burn The Priest and their offering Legion: XX. Sure it can be a little bit silly and definitely is a step in a different direction for the groove metal legends but it's hard not to love what the band has done here. This is the sort of kind of silly and strangely poignant metal ya gotta love.

What is perhaps most impressive about this record is that rather than coming off as "Lamb Of God plays covers in the style of Lamb Of God" or "Lamb of God does kinda shitty knock offs of punk classics" the two directions these sorts of releases tend to go, it sits somewhere in the middle and that makes it great. The band perfectly encapsulates the vibes of each and every group they are paying homage too even when this pushes them in radically different directions. That's a huge part of the appeal - you can feel Burn The Priest stretching. Simultaneously though they bring a sense of polish and execution that many of the originals lacked. They breathe new life into tracks like Kerosene and I can't help but to love it.

So yes, this is the sort of infectious back to the roots offering that Burn The Priest needed to create a name for themselves. The sheer punk rock 'fuck you'-ness of Legion: XX only adds to the magic and creates something that you can't help but to spin time and time again. My personal standout is the bands cover of Kill Yourself by SOD, capturing the hardcore punk magic of the original and adding some of Randy's trademark death growls. This is a set of ten covers executed with verve and panache that belies the groups years of experience. Dig it.

Find them on Facebook!
https://www.facebook.com/lambofgod

Ski King - Sketchbook III: New Horizons

Reviewing the third in a series of cover albums from an artist I barely know about seems like an interesting exercise to say the least. See, I've heard of Ski King from German brothers of blood forged steel and he seems to be a pretty big figure on the underground over there. With good reason, he has a great voice and a wonderfully iconoclastic style, it speaks to how potent he is as a musician. Though he covers songs across genres and decades they all have a distinctly wonderful Ski King flavor thus making Sketchbook III: New Horizons way too much fun to listen too.

Part of what makes this record so fascinating for me is that, though there are some fairly obvious choices like Number of the Beast and Tears from Heaven Ski King also chooses some pretty cool deep cuts like Motorheads Christine. The sheer diversity of tracks found on this record is, as mentioned earlier, perhaps one of the premier aspects of this record. I doubt there has ever been another cover album that features songs from both Radiohead and Volbeat. There is a sense of sublime joy in the music that makes it a blast to listen too. It communicates the power and beauty that rock music has, and will have from here to eternity.

The depth of emotion and the sheer passion found in Sketchbook III: New Horizons makes it immediately memorable for me. There is something distinctly appealing about what Ski King have been able to refine with this latest record and it has left me hungry for more. Part of a massive box set, we see this German legend at his best with this record. Though, sure, we could do with some new material, this is a really exciting look into the mind of a oft-forgot musical genius. So dig into his catalogue and find peace, what else can we do?

Find him on Facebook!
https://www.facebook.com/The.Mighty.Ski.King

Prong - Songs From The Black Hole

Prong is one of those bands I never fully got. There's a lot going on in any given album of their and I do find them to be pretty darn interesting. When I saw them opening for Overkill a few months ago I got the sense that they function as rock gods for a new generation, yet I couldn't get far beyond that. Songs From The Black Hole helps to provide a excellent look into what Prong is all about, enhancing my appreciation for the wonderfully unique music the band plays by giving me an idea of where the music comes from.

The covers here are all of extremely high quality. The distinctive Prong flavor shines through, and even dominates certain tracks, yet the original composition is always respected. I think it speaks to the power of Prong that they have such a distinct taste that it can be felt across genres as they breathe new life into classics. One thing that really struck me about Song From The Black Hole is the number of hardcore covers. With songs from Bad Brains, Adolescents, Discharge, and Black Flag, they give a distinct flavor to the record. More rock-oriented jams can also be found, but I think it's the sort of fusion that defines Prong.

Essentially, the combination of hardcore grooves with fairly traditional rock is what makes Prong the band they are today. Listening to a cover of a song like Cortez The Killer by Neil Young right after the Bad Brains anthem, Banned In DC gives you a new understanding of both tracks, yet also hints at where Prong is really coming from. This is music that will open your mind and teach you bold new things about one of heavy musics premier bands. One of my favorite cover records to come out in a good long while, it only leaves me wanting to dive right back into the Prong discography!

Find them on Facebook!
https://www.facebook.com/prongmusic

Under Cover-Ozzy

 Okay, so I wanted to do some Ozzy, also I wanted to listen to other stuff. So I combined the notions and you have today's second review! Yup the album Under Cover, by our beloved friend Ozzy!This album is awesome because it takes some of my favorite 60s and 70s songs and it adds a 80s metal feel. The line up is start studded, it has the guitarist from Alice in Chains and the bassist from The Cult. In short, this is an amazing star studded line up covering amazing songs. The guitar is soaring and powerful and adds a great feel to the songs, the bass is strong and helps the rhythm. The drums are fairly good, but nothing to scream about. All in all this is a really good album featuring a lot of awesome covers.

The guitar on this album is really loud and powerful. This is a solid effort from Jerry Cantrell, he has some solos on this album that simply blow the mind with their might. Cantrell is a dark necromancer calling up the guitar riffs of old legends and turning them into a whole new and powerful creation, a creation filled with malice and might and ready to destroy anything in its path. Yeah, the guitar is that good. The bass is also fairly decent with couple of good fills. IT keeps the groove on with the drums. The drums have a bit of an awkward time trying to find a balance between 60s music and 80s metal, but as a whole it does okay.

The vocals are totally awesome, they are classic Ozzy vocals but it is really weird to hear him singing 'For What It's Worth'. It allows you to see his major influences but it is also odd to contemplate that these songs created the Prince of Darkness. What is probably the strangest selection is In My Life which shows a gentler side of Ozzy as he sings a Beatles song. It is really weird to hear this album but it is also beautiful, because one of the gods of the 80s is paying homage to the gods of the 60s. All in all Ozzy does a good job singing on this album its just vaguely psychedilic. The lyrics are traditional 60s stuff. He chooses quite a few good songs for this album, namely Sympathy for the Devil and Sunshine of your Love.

Overall this is a great album with a unique sound. It is really to here an album of 60s selections with Ozzy singing them and Jerry Castrell adding in amazing 80s style solos. This album has a beautiful aura, it is not a headbanging album, it is more of a nostalgic and sad album. However it is headbanging at times and it does create a really awesome metal aura. However that is not the overall feel of the album, the overall feel is nostalgia and resurrection. The guitar is loud distorted and powerful, the bass is somber and mighty. The drums find a really good balance between hard and light. Then Ozzy has explosive vocals. This album is totally awesome and totally worth a listen.

OVERALL 9.5/10