String Tribute to Slayer (2009)

Cost: $1.00

Tracklist:

1. Psychopathy Red 2. Raining Blood 3. South of Heaven 4. Angel of Death 5. Black Magic 

6. War Ensemble 7. Seasons in the Abyss 8. Disciple 9. Dead Skin Mask 10. Dittohead

I debated in store for a while whether to get this or not, and ended up buying it just because I knew I wouldn't realistically get it any cheaper. Unfortunately I wasted my dollar--this is garbage.
  

I'm aware there is an earlier Slayer string quartet tribute CD that uses actual musicians, but the "string tribute" name here is somewhat deceitful since it's all synthesized strings.  It comes off as very cheap and MIDI-sounding in the worst possible way.  The arrangements aren't particularly interesting or creative, so it even fails as a novelty listen--there are far better 8-bit/chiptune covers of Slayer on YouTube.  Most of the songs become unrecognizable any time the main riff is not being played.  Before listening I was pleased to see "Black Magic" in the tracklisting (I was expecting more South of Heaven tracks) but of course it's one of the worst tracks.

Shining Fury - Last Sunrise (2004)

Cost: $1.00

One of my few finds from a very sparse recent haul at my main used CD provider.  Generic power metal here, primarily speedy-tempoed, with minimal keyboard use--ultimately, just another band doing some permutation of a Helloween (unfortunately, here more Deris than Kiske)/Gamma Ray-derived formula.  There are some basic similarities to the bigger Italian power metal bands, but they lack any real progressive stylings compared to Labyrinth and Vision Divine, and there are no Rhapsody symphonics.

There are only a couple of noteworthy moments on the album.  "Memories" starts out with a sample(?) of a couple arguing (due to what's being said and the slightly stilted acting, I'm wondering if this originally came from a porn).  Unfortunately, this turns into a sappy, overly-long ballad complete with a saxophone part (much less obtrusive than you'd think, though).   "Net Love" has a nicely done short atmospheric outro with some acoustic guitar work...Of course, instead of breaking up some of the album's sound-alikeness and monotony by throwing such pieces throughout, they wait until it's almost over.  I was expecting the cover of Toto's "Rosanna" to either be a complete trainwreck or a musical oddity, but it's a quite faithful rendition, only slightly beefed up in heaviness.  Even as a change of pace, it doesn't add that much to the album, and I'd personally rather listen to the original.

I honestly doubt I'll revisit this.  It's well-rooted and competent enough as a power metal release to keep it from being bottom of the barrel, but it doesn't rise above being average.

Shadow - Shadow CD (2001)

Cost: 99¢

This CD is available for trade.

Total Gothenburg melodic DM emulation here.   Already aware this was melodic death with a female vocalist, I automatically expected something more like Angela-era Arch Enemy (read: mediocre), but soundwise this falls right in line with the In Flames and Dark Tranquillity debuts.  I'm sure this was considered far more derivative back when it was originally released, but I'll happily take that above the more recent glut of metalcore with harmonized guitars that masquerades as melodeath.

The vocals are the raspy style you'd expect given their influences...Had I not known, I think I would be really hard pressed to identify the vocalist as female, especially since there are no clean vocals whatsoever.   I generally loathe "extreme" female vocals, but was fine with these.

While easily matching (or surpassing, in the case of the soloing) them in technical proficiency, the songwriting quality and variety don't always feel quite as consistent and inspired as the Swedes they take after--some of the songs feel a bit samey.  Still, fine for what it is, and I can't complain about the price.

Crawl - Earth (1995)

Cost: 99¢

Did not have high expectations for this.  I was familiar with the opening track "Skinned" from a Pavement compilation, but dismissed it as generic industrial metal with samples and shouty vox.  When listening to the entire album, I was surprised to find well done industrial death metal.   While there is some clear Godflesh inspiration here, in most songs the death metal is far more emphasized, so comparisons could also be drawn to the Fear Factory debut. Thankfully, most of the vocals are of a more guttural variety.   Not something I would listen to a lot, but I found it enjoyable.