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-reviews-

~unleashed from the northeast - compilation~

MOSHGROUND (NETH)
Huhh is deze lp echt pas in 2006 uitgegeven ??? Het klinkt als een typische nwobhm/epic heavy metal verzamel elpee uit 1982 !!! Het is haast geen true meer te noemen, het klinkt gewoon echt alsof het meer dan 25 jaar oud is ! De lp bevat 6 nummers aan iedere kant drie : Ogre ( nwobhm ), Blood Red ( doom nwobhm ), Upwards Of Endtime ( epic nwobhm ). Iedere band laat dus twee typische nummers horen waarvan ik bij iedere band gewoon niet kan geloven dat het nieuwe opnames zijn. De productie en het hele geheel is gewoon anno 1981/82. Fans van de oude nwobhm/epic metal zullen smullen met deze langspeler, want dit klinkt allemaal zo vertrouwd ! Ik ging dan ook helemaal uit mijn dak toen ik deze schijf op mijn draaitafel legde ! Fans van de oude”Witchfynde, Witchfinder General, Black Sabbath en Omen” mogen deze lp niet laten liggen dit is heavy metal zoals het ooit is bedoeld ! Een dikke 10 is dan ook meer dan op zijn plaats !

HELLRIDE (US)
Killer limited edition (400 only, on black vinyl) vinyl-only compilation custom-made for those that worship at the altar of vintage 70's hard rock and NWOBHM! Features rare and exclusive tunes from the mighty Ogre; Upwards of Endtime and Blood Red!

SACRED METAL (GER)
Vinyl ist immer ne klasse Sache - und wenn das Ganze dann auch noch liebevoll aufgemacht und exklusives Songmaterial am Start ist: umso besser! Erste Band auf dem Sampler ist Ogre, eine Combo, die irgendwo zwischen 70s-Doom und dem sogenannten Stoner Rock hin und her pendelt. Nicht unbedingt mein Lieblingsstil und der Sänger stößt auch recht schnell an seine stimmlichen Grenzen, gut nach vorne gespielt ist es aber dennoch und Spaß haben die Jungs auch in den Backen. Zweite Band sind Blood Red, die scheinbar alles mixen, was es an Obskurem in den letzten 30 Jahren gab. Hier ein bisschen ganz alte Kiss, da Manilla Road, dann wieder Cirith Ungol... Das Trio hat auf jeden Fall seine Hausaufgaben gemacht und weiß, wie man den Obskurmetalfan hörig machen kann. Coole Sache. Upwards Of Endtime sind sicherlich die "bekannteste" der drei gefeaturten Bands - man bietet mit "Upwards Of Endtime" einen Song des gleichnamigen Debüts sowie mit "Romasantas Beard" eines meines Wissens bisher unveröffentlichten Track feil. Wer die Band kennt, weiß, was ihn erwartet. Episch angehauchter, ebenfalls tief in den 70ern verwurzelten Heavy Rock der Extraklasse.

~sadly never fore reviews~

NOIZESTYLE MAN (IT)
Colossi di pietra che si ergono maestosi, costruendo gigantesche are per rendere onore e grazia alle proprie divinità. Sembra questo il mitologico, ancestrale mondo messo in musica dagli Upwards Of Endtime, band che tra 2005 e 2006 ha sfornato due dischi interessanti e piuttosto singolari considerando il panorama metal underground odierno. I cinque ragazzi del Connecticut sono in giro dal 2003 e hanno attraversato diversi cambi di formazione prima di giungere alla line up di oggi, che comprende sempre il singer Phil (voce stentorea e granitica, tra Ozzy e Bobby Liebling) e il chitarrista Matt (gli unici due presenti nelle prime due uscite), ai quali si sono aggiunti il secondo chitarrista Tony, Paul (basso), Jim (batteria) e Si (tastiere). Entrate e uscite di scena che non hanno intaccato l’impeccabilità di un gruppo totalmente devoto all’heavy metal puro e primigenio. Gli Upwards Of Endtime riprendendo in pieno le sonorità epiche di Manilla Road, Omen e Cirith Ungol, mischiandole con l’ala più oscura della NWOBHM (Angel Witch, Witchfinder General), classici come Judas Priest, Iron Maiden e primi Fates Warning e ovviamente maestri del calibro di Black Sabbath e Pentagram. Il risultato immediato è stata la registrazione del full lenght omonimo. Dieci tracce di potente ed oscuro metal, con le ovvie limitazioni del caso (registrazione che non rende giustizia ai suoni, qualche limitazione di scrittura, un amalgama ancora da plasmare) ma ruspante e convincente quanto basta. Brani come “Conquerors” e “Stairwell to hell” sono veri e propri inni di battaglia, canti d’orgoglio ed appartenenza. “Battlefield” spinge invece sull’acceleratore, mentre “Phantom limbs”, “I am legend” e “Wish it all away” virano decisamente verso lidi heavy doom. Sorprendono anche “Jerhume Brunnen”, caratterizzata da un’apertura folk, e “Dead to me”, che suona come una versione metal di Misfits e Black Flag. Le cose vanno ancora meglio su “Sadly never fore”, dove la varietà stilistica e la potenza del sound si accentuano notevolmente. “Beyond infinity” è un travolgente avvio ‘motorheadiano’, seguito a ruota dal groove assassino di “Dwellers of the dust”. Sentite e malinconiche trame melodiche fanno la loro comparsa (“Circles: reprise”), monoliti doom trovano ancora il dovuto spazio (bellissima “Princeps tenebarum”, lo spettro dei Candlemass di “In my wake”), così come cavalcate epic (“So mote it be”, “The one thing”) e vibranti dichiarazioni d’intenti (“Defenders”). Le chicche da non perdere però sono almeno due: il mix di Motorhead, punk e metal che anima “Dreamachine” e “The gathering”, ballata notturna tinta di psichedelia da un soave organo. La band è al lavoro sul terzo disco, che a quanto pare vedrà una svolta: sono citati come ulteriori modelli di riferimento primi AC/DC, Ufo e Scorpions era Uli John Roth. Viste le premesse attendiamo ansiosi.

GUITAR6 (US)
It annoys me to read so many recent reviews praising the band Wolfmother for "bringing back" the style of Black Sabbath when their music is barely similiar and nowhere near as good. However, Upwards Of Endtime has the right idea. Their music is not entirely oldschool doom, nor is it simply just an imitation of Sabbath, but make no mistake about it - this is traditional heavy metal done right. These tunes are built on dangerously catchy riffs, a fuzzy vintage production style and a fairly unique vocalist who could be compared to Wino from Saint Vitus. Even though there is a large similiarity here to bands like Sabbath, Manowar, and Angel Witch, this still has somewhat of a distinct sound to it, as the band mixes in a dirty punk atmosphere that works brilliantly with the slower, dragging doom tracks like "The Gathering". There is wonderful variety on Sadly Never Fore, this is a fine dedication to the true spirit of heavy metal. 

THE METAL OBSERVER (GER)
You know, I don't care who you are, but you've got to love lo-fi, dee-eye-why Heavy Metal. Well, maybe you don't have to, but if you want to have the status of "cool fella in the eyes of one Wesley", you had better recognize the awesomeness intrinsic to unadulterated Metallic goodness. And if you do recognize that intrinsic awesomeness, you're probably going to enjoy "Sadly Never Fore", the second full-length by USA True Metallers UPWARDS OF ENDTIME. Though the album title might evoke images of Doom or Goth and the band's moniker might bring to mind some sort of Prog Rock, the band is balls-out Heavy Metal of the old school variety. And for that, I give them a nod. Well, UPWARDS OF ENDTIME not only play with the righteous Heavy Metal spirit, but they also write good songs and play them pretty well to boot. With tracks like "So Mote It Be" and "Circles: Reprise", UPWARDS OF ENDTIME show that they can piece together some real fist-pumping Heavy Metal anthems.  Listening to this album shows that the Heavy Metal underground is alive and kicking. There are some real gems here, though, convincing me that UPWARDS OF ENDTIME will be a Metallic force to be reckoned with. Check it out and support underground Metal! 

BRAINTICKET (US)
Cult underground metal sounds from the U.S.! Good stuff for those into the old ways of Cirith Ungol, Omen, Manilla Road, Brocus Helm, Witchfynde, NWOBHM etc... 

METAL DISTRICT (GER) 
Ein herausragendes Album mit nichts als echtem Stahl darauf wird von unseren Freunden UPWARDS OF ENDTIME präsentiert. Inzwischen ist es schon Album Nummer zwei und die Band kann verflucht stolz drauf sein. Für mich gehört die Scheibe zu den zwanzig besten und inspiriertesten Alben 2006 und wer mich kennt, der weiß, daß ich in diese Liste sicherlich keine gehypte Majorkacke mit aalglatter Digitalproduktion packen würde, bei der sich das Schlagzeug wie eine Nähmaschine und die Gitarren wie frisch aus dem PC anhören, zurechtgerückt, geradegetrickst, leblos und stromlinienförmig eben. UPWARDS OF ENDTIME basteln sich eine Mischung aus Doom, ungezügeltem Heavy Metal und leichten Punkrockeinflüssen zusammen, die noch mit einem guten Schuß 70er Heavyrock aufgewertet werden. Die Band hat eine sehr starke Persönlichkeit, einen absolut eigenen Ausdruck, selbst wenn sie nicht mehr innovativ sind. Drauf gesch...ossen, liebe Mitbanger, denn UPWARDS OF ENDTIME haben Seele. Durch ihre Adern treibt pure Magie, fährt durch ihre Finger und ihren Geist, springt über auf die Instrumente und letztendlich auf die Freaks, denen der wüst verzeerrte Bass an manchen Stellen nicht zu herbe, die Produktion nicht zu räudig und der Gesang nicht zu irr klingt. Phil singt in der Tat wie ihm der Mund gewachsen ist. Ein technisches Ass ist nicht an ihm verlorengegangen, aber man erkennt ihn aus hunderten von Metalshoutern heraus. Ich sprach ja schon die Produktion an. UPWARDS OF ENDTIME sind ja schon vom ersten Album her nicht unbedingt für den perfekten Schönklang berüchtigt, nun, ein wenig klarer tritt die Musik auf „Sadly never fore“ doch zutage, was aber lange nicht bedeutet, daß UOE irgendwie geschmeidiger und angepasster klängen. Die Scheibe scheint mir live eingespielt worden zu sein, man spürt die Energie der interagierenden Musiker, wie sie nur im Proberaum oder einer Bühnensituation entstehen kann, dieser Inspirationsfluß sich gegenüberstehender Menschen, die zusammen ihre Kreativität entfesseln. Das heißt also, daß Freunde von happy crappy Plastikmetal vor diesem komplett organischen und sehr intensiven Sound bedingungslos kapitulieren werden. Und genau das macht diese Band aus. Keine Konventionen, keine Kompromisse mit dem Mainstream. Stilistisch habe ich ja schon eine Eingrenzung versucht, was natürlich nicht so leicht ist. Ein schön zähflüssiger Lavarocker wälzt sich schwerfällig aus den Boxen, schon poltert der nächste Song flott, geradlinig und herrlich ungehalten drauflos, daß es fast wie VENOM zu Debützeiten mit purem 70er Metal gepaart klingt. Glaubt Ihr nicht? Egal, diese Band macht es einfach. In Zeiten von klangtechnischem und spielerischem Perfektionswahn ist solch ungezügelter Metal einfach eine Offenbarung, total erfrischend und mitreißend. Die Stücke selbst sind nicht ansatzweise kompliziert, allerdings auch nicht zu schlicht strukturiert. Geradlinigkeit und nach der Gewöhnung an den rohen Sound durchschimmernde Eingängigkeit liegen den Musikern, Rock’n’Roll eben, die Grundlage des UPWARDS OF ENDTIMEschen Metals. Nach dem zweiten Durchlauf gehen die ersten Parts schon nicht mehr aus der Birne, nach zehn Durchläufen wird man vor der Anlage knien und ob der Grausamkeit der ganzen aktuellen Pseudobands bittere Tränen weinen, bevor man diesen Amis bedingungslose Treue schwört und wenn man noch zehn Durchläufe draufpackt, verleitet einen jede einzelne hier vertretene Metalhymne dazu, mit Schwert, Motörsäge, Hammer, Schraubenzieher oder von Vaddern entwendeter Pistole erst auf die medienhörigen Pseudos in den eigenen Reihen und dann auf die Tekknofreaks in der Wohnung unter einem loszugehen und diese AUSZUROTTEN! Keine Toleranz für Plastikmetal mehr!

CONCRETEWEB (US)
Upwards of Endtime’s previous 10-track album merely paved the road for their second full-length 14-track release, “Sadly never fore”. They learned a lot in the year between these releases and in 2006 they’ve delivered a new disc of fairly unique sounding metal. Some spoken film passages between songs to me give it the feel of Solace’s “Further”. Musically though, this has less in common with these New Jersey drunkyards. The songs are short, sharp cuts of straight-down-the-line metal with riffs and guitarsoli aplenty. The guitar tandem of Matt Moran and Scott Reynolds lash out some excellent dual guitar harmonies and flamboyant solos throughout the album that blend together so naturally. Highlights are plentiful, but “ Dreammachine” is the outright winner for me, borderline Motörhead speed metal and crushing drums. It has a punky feel to it but not in a bad way The overall album is like a mutant of Witchfinder General (voice and sound), Cirith Ungol ( doomy), Sir Lord Baltimore (blistering guitarsolowork), Slough Feg(melting metal riffs), Roxy Music (creepy keyboards) and Anvil Bitch ( punky speed chaotic parts).They could be a force to reckon within the heavy metal scene.

POWERMETAL.CL (CL)
Upwards of Endtime es un grupo oriundo de Estados Unidos al cual llegué por mera casualidad y bajo la recomendación de un par de amigos gringos, los cuales saben de mi fanatismo por el US Heavy/Power metal de los ochenta. El estilo es heavy metal, pero de ese heavy gringo ochentero y tradicional, característico de bandas como Brocas Helm o Manilla Road, quienes se nota han influído muchísimo en la forma de entender el heavy metal por parte de los miembros de Upwards of Endtime… sin ir más lejos, la voz y la forma de cantar de Phil Swanson, es muy similar a la de Mark “The Shark” Shelton, alma de los eternos Manilla Road. Hasta la fecha solo había escuchado este tipo de propuesta en los discos de The Lord Weird Slough Feg (actualmente llamados solo Slough Feg) o en los trabajos de Hammers of Misfortune (ambas bandas poseen el mismo vocalista/guitarrista: Mike Scalzi). La verdad es que para quienes compartan mi gusto por este tipo de bandas, Upwards of Endtime es un excelente descubrimiento, una gema extraviada en algún recóndito lugar de los States que solo brilla para quienes saben apreciar cuando algo esta hecho de forma honesta, lejano a modas pasajeras y que no requiere siquiera de una gran producción para deslumbrar por su contenido propio, de hecho el sonido es muy sucio, como si se tratara de la banda más stoner de la actualidad, pero es Heavy Metal… y del bueno. Consíganlo y denle un par de vueltas a temas como Beyond Infinity, So Mote It Be, la increíble Home Sweet Home o The Beast, es un disco que se deja oír muy fácilmente, son 14 temas, pero con una duración promedio de algo más de 3 minutos. Absolutamente recomendable.

Live4Metal.com (US)
Well, I’ll be damned. These doomsters are back with another disc for all to hear. Quite frankly, I never thought I would hear another sound from them again, but my editor here on the U.S. side (Scott) asked me to cover this one since I did the last one well over a year ago. I guess there’s no time like the present to hear what they have to offer in 2006. “Beyond Infinity” is up first and damn it’s heavy and fast. This is a combination of punk meets Motorhead, ala “Ace Of Spades.” The guitar solos during the breakdowns are loud, obnoxious and more than ready to pummel your ears. The vocals are reminiscent of Messiah Marcolin from Candlemass, except not as strong. The song flies by in just over two minutes, but is pretty cool. Lead singer Phil does his best Ozzy impression on “Dwellers Of The Dust.” This one has a bit more of a doom vibe, but never is bogged down by the sound. The upbeat tempo just keeps on rocking out as if the apocalypse was well underway. More solid musicianship ensues, but before you can really dig this jam it’s already over. Guys, I know you want to keep it short, but another minute wouldn’t hurt. The guys quickly pull back on adrenalin to serve up a slower paced jam in the form of “Circles: Reprise.” The use of keyboards are prominently displayed here which at times remind me of being in church. The momentum however never gets to the point of putting your ass to sleep. This disc is nothing short of waffling you upside your head. This four piece has the right mixture injected to make this a memorable experience. The tracks are spread out accordingly so that you never get tired of one style for too long. In the end, this is the best underground band going right now. This CD will make my personal top ten for sure in 2006 and hate to say it, but these blokes can and will give artists like Cathedral a run for their money. You want some new and refreshing doom metal, then this is it. 

METALCDRATINGS.COM (US)
Hot on the heels of their favorably received 2005 debut CD, enigmatic Connecticut doomsters Upwards of Endtime strike swiftly with a strong sophomore outing. Those who read the review of the debut on these pages just a couple of months ago may recall that this band are a far cry from the galloping power metal acts that are featured most prominently on this site. Upwards of Endtime opt for a much more obscure take on the classic metal sound, one that is organic and earthy, undulating and unpredictable. Describing their sound is a daunting task, as Upwards of Endtime don't fit neatly into a stylistic pigeonhole. Perhaps the most accurate characterization is that the Endtimers blend the Sabbathy doom stylings of St. Vitus and Pentagram with the cult true metal leanings of Manilla Road and Brocas Helm. There are also plenty of NWOBHM nods, a few Lemmy Kilmister-inspired bastard buzzsaw bass runs, and even the occasional organ accompaniment ("Circles: Reprise"). Tempos drift all over the map, from abbreviated adrenaline-fueled necksnappers to lugubrious lumbering-elephant doom. To enhance the cobwebs-in-the-corner vibe, there are even a couple of off-the-wall B-movie snippets introducing particular songs. Perhaps the highest praise I can give Upwards of Endtime is that 'Sadly never fore' does nothing differently than its predecessor, but it does everything just a little bit better. Notwithstanding a change in the 2nd guitar slot and a different person twirling the knobs in the studio, the character of the band remains firmly intact, from vocalist Phil Swanson's distinctive Ozzy-meets-Wino-meets-Mike-Scalzi wail to the towering monolithic riffs to the sludgy rhythm section to the retro, basement-styled production values. The difference is that there has been an improvement in the songwriting department, as this collection of 14 to-the-point songs (covering just 43 minutes) is hookier, catchier and altogether more memorable and more "finished" than the batch of tunes on the 's/t' CD. Equally importantly, there is a certain cohesiveness, a red line running through the tracks, that reflects a refinement of Upwards of Endtime's sound and style. The songs still exude the band's disparate influences, but those influences have had more time to simmer and soak in together, melding into a sound that is uniquely Upwards of Endtime's to claim as their own. Whereas the last album included a number of "what the #$*%" moments where the band's left-field musical ideas did not seem to fit, this time the dots have been connected, and the T's have been crossed to where it all just makes sense. And the highlights on 'Sadly never fore' -- including the speedy pulverizing "Beyond infinity", the ripping "Dreamachine" and the cool riffer "The one thing" -- crush the band's previous output. It should be abundantly clear that Upwards of Endtime are not for everybody. If your musical spectrum never extends beyond Gammaween, Stratarctica, and Iced Guardian, then please move along as there's nothing for you to see here. But if your metal tastes embrace the hauntingly obscure, positively kult strains of Manilla Road, Pentagram and such, or if you are an open-minded metalhead generally, then Upwards of Endtime may be just the breath of fresh air for which you've been searching. My only requests of the band for their next platter are to include a lyric sheet delineating Swanson's thoughtful and thought-provoking lyrics, to clean up the production just a tad, and to flesh out some of their sub-3 minute songs (of which there are 7 on this CD) to come full circle with their songcraft. For now, however, let the gasoline flow through your veins, inhale the fumes deeply into your lungs, and crank up 'Sadly never fore'.

EVIL LEGEND RECORDS (US)
Raw Doom Metal with qualities of DOOMSWORD, BLACK SABBATH, WITCHFINDER GENERAL, MOTORHEAD

METAL PAGE (GER)
One of the few unique bands existing. If you like bands in the style of DEEP SWITCH, MANILLA ROAD, CIRITH UNGOL, DEATH SS, ADRAMELCH, EXISTENCE etc. you probably will like UPWARDS OF ENDTIME. They have their own style and this is in my opinion something very positive to say about a band. Their first album was a step in the right direction, "Sadly never fore" seems much more worked out. This is Metal, this is Doom, this is Hard Rock, this is 70s.....and its all the same. Hear it 1975, 1985, 1995, 2005, 2015 and so on, its allways far away from time and space...maybe they will meet HAWKWIND there?

SENTINEL STEEL (US)
Masters of obscure 1980s style US traditional epic power/doom metal return quickly with a follow up to their successful debut. Fans of early Manilla Road, Brocas Helm, NWOBHM, obscure cult metal, this is for you! 14 songs influenced by fantasy, literature, myths and history.

HELLRIDE (US)
Upwards of Endtime unleashed quite a welcome surprise on the metal underground last year when their debut S/T CD was released. Firmly centered in the territory of twisted and unorthodox true metal (think Manilla Road, Cirith Ungol & Brocas Helm, though not in the same league with those legends (no shame or crime, who is?)), with smatterings of everything from NWOBHM to Sabbathisms to even occasionally The Misfits, the debut was an interesting and powerful breath of fresh air. Despite a less than stellar production (i.e. treble overkill on “Battlefield”) it was far more metal and far more unique than the next 20 shiny, wankfest, “Power Metal,” shenanigan- ridden releases that pass for metal these days put together. All in all a debut that held solid promise and delivered the goods all at once. So a year on and here is the sophomore effort “Sadly Never Fore”. It definitely inhabits a similar stylistic territory to its predecessor and is in some ways more of the same (not a bad thing at all). This is not a carbon copy though. It’s a step up in maturity, production consistency (still not big league quality, but better and far more consistent) and has a larger dollop of doom added to the mix (working very well on “Home Sweet Home” and “Princeps Tenebarum” which brings to mind past Swedish gloom merchants Stillborn). The punk edge is still there at times (the intro to “Beyond Infinity“ almost anticipating a Discharge/Varukers onslaught only to go full out metal in the next twist. The guitar soloing is an area of improvement with provocative bursts of old school but twisted fret mania throughout (imagine Michael Schenker on a crack binge). In the way these are woven into some of the songs, along with unexpected riff twists, Upwards of Endtime show one of their great strengths, that is the ability to walk a very fine tightrope between cohesion and chaos (a skill exemplified by the earlier referenced Brocas Helm). Most of the songs are relatively short in length, but with 14 of them and a very, very decent price tag you’ll be getting more than your money’s worth and this is solidly recommended for all true metal heads . No sophomore slump for UoE, once more they have delivered a solid, rocking and inventive slab of metal.

BLOODZINE (GER)
Heute aus der Abteilung Was wurde eigentlich aus... Atrocity! Kann sich noch jemand an die beiden Alben der US Deather erinnern? Nun, das letzte Lebenszeichen via Tonkonserve gab es 1992, doch wie Katzen das Mausen nicht lassen können, so zieht es auch Musiker zurück an die Instrumente. Gute dreizehn Jahre später findet man auf dem selbstbetitelten Debüt von Upwards Of Endtime Rich Flint am Bass und Jeff White an den Drums, inzwischen hat gar noch Scott Reynolds aus der Atrocity Mannschaft Bill Ladley an der Gitarre abgelöst, der noch auf diesem Album zu hören ist. Ausserdem an Board sind Matt Moran an der Gitarre und der eher aus der Punkszene stammende Phil Swanson (Blastmat, Damnation) am Gesang. Mit Death Metal hat man heute noch recht wenig zu tun, der Opener Conqueror verheisst angenehm schweren Doom Rock bis Metal, der direkt an Pentagram und Saint Vitus erinnert. Besondere Stärke von Upwards Of Endtime sind hier schon mal das geniale Gitarrensolo, der altbackene Gesamtsound und die Vocals, die mit einer Mischung aus Bobby Liebling und Glenn Danzig bei The Misfits sofort zu faszinieren wissen. Um nicht in der Masse unzähliger Stoner bis Doom Bands zu verschwinden, kommen der Band die unterschiedlichen Einflüsse zu Gute, die hier zu einem schon fast wieder eigenständigen, homogenen Guß verarbeitet werden. Bei Battlefield rockt auf einmal ein punkiges Riff, Hellnight begrüßt mit einem Bastard aus Motörhead und Doom und bei I Am Legend schwingt man gar eine fesselnde epische Metalkeule, die sowohl mit erstklassigen Melodien als auch einem mitreissenden Chorus überzeugen kann. Man hat sich bei den Einflüssen wirklich nicht nur auf ein paar wenige beschränkt, so erinnert Jerhume Brunnen G zum Beispiel ein wenig an die Prog Rocker Gun, etwas an Uriah Heep und dann doch wieder an die Punkantwort auf Pentagram. Es scheint, als habe man Doom, Prog / Psychedelic, Punk und NWoBHM förmlich aufgesogen und ähnlich wie Slough Feg zu einem ganz eigenen Cocktail verarbeitet, der vor Spielfreude nur so strotzt. Zwar können Upwards Of Endtime noch nicht gegen die Konkurrenz aus San Francisco anstinken, mit ungezwungenem Rock, der die Existenz der Jahre nach 1982 geflissentlich ignoriert, können sie aber jetzt schon begeistern und lassen auf eine weiter Ikone der noch nicht ganz ausgerotteten, kreativen Musik hoffen. Neben der regulären zehn Tracks des Albums findet sich auf der CD übrigens noch ein gut 23 Minuten langer Track, an dessen Ende man einen rückwärts abgespielten Song vorfindet. Hierbei handelt es sich um eine Coverversion von Burning A Sinner, das von der ersten Witchfinder General Single stammt. Wenn das mal nicht kultverdächtig ist.

WEST SIDE DAVE (US)
After being thoroughly knocked out buy their S/T debut, I was looking forward to the sophmore release from Upwards Of Endtime. So, now comes "Sadly Never Fore"; was it worth the wait? You betcha!! UOE is proudly entrenched in a nether world of early `eighties Metal [Manilla Road, Cirith Ungol & Brocas Helm and various NWOBHM bands], as well as early `seventies Heavy Rock [Uriah Heep, Sabbath, Lucifer`s Friend] and perhaps a bit of early Doom for good measure. A stylistic mess would proabaly ensure in less capable hands, but UOE have used their influences to craft a sound all their own, or at least give their band it`s own personality. Sound-wise, it`s similar to the debut; no spit-shiny, Pro-Tool`ed production values spoken HERE! But this only enhances the music, and give the album the proper feel overall, as evinced on "Home Sweet Home", "Princeps Tenebarum", "Beyond Infinity", "Dreamachine", and "Defenders" [these last 2 are among my favorites!]. Phil Swanson still employs the early Ozzy-style vocals [sounding better than Ozz EVER did!] to great effect, and the rest of the band have meshed into a well-oiled Metal machine! In sum, "Sadly Never Fore" is an album made by musicians who play for themselves as well as people just like them, ya know, you and me! So return the favor; buy UOEs` albums, as well as those by similar Underground artists. That way we ensure that great bands like this will continue to share their art with us for years to come! VERY highly recommended!

METAL COVEN (GER)
Upwards of Endtime sind für mich eine der genialsten US Metal Entdeckungen der letzten Zeit!! Und fand ich ihre selbstbetitelte Debüt CD schon überaus super, so legt das neue Album "Sadly never fore", welches mir hier als strengstens limitierte Vorab Promo CDR vorliegt, noch mal ein paar mächtig große Schippen drauf!! Wie auch schon beim ersten Anlauf, so vermischt die Band auch auf ihrer zweiten Oldschool Attacke in gekonnter Art und Weise klassischen Doom Metal ala Black Sabbath, Pentagram und Cathedral mit kauzigem 80er Metal ala Manilla Road, fetzigem Rock'n'Roll ala Thin Lizzy und sogar einer netten Prise Punk Rock ala Misfits und Ramones!! Letzteres kommt immer dann besonders zum Vorschein, wenn sich Upwards of Endtime dazu entschließen, das Gaspedal voll durchzutreten und bei Songs wie beispielsweise dem flotten Opener "Beyond Infinity" oder dem treibenden Kracher "Dreammachine" ein paar Kohlen mehr ins Feuer zu legen und ihre massig Pferdestärken zu rasanten Überholmanövern einzusetzen!! Ein Gangart, die der Band wahrlich nicht minder gut zu Gesicht steht wie der schleppende, mystische Doom Metal, den sie bei magisch-manischen Göttergaben wie "Circles (Reprise)", "So mote it be" oder "The Gathering" zum Besten geben!! Gerade der letztgenannte Song, ein sehr ruhiges, gerade mal 2 Minuten langes Wahnsinnsstück, hat es mir besonders angetan, stellt dieses düster-verwunschene Zwischenspiel für mich doch so etwas wie eine kleine Hommage an die britischen Doom Götter Pagan Altar dar... denn in die okkulten Lyrics wurde nicht nur der Bandname dieser Kulttruppe geschickt mit eingebaut, sondern auch von der ganzen Stimmung und Atmosphäre her erinnert mich dieses Liedchen doch ein wenig an die besinnlicheren Parts auf Jahrhundertalben wie "Volume One/Judgement of the Dead" oder "The Lords of Hypocrisy"!! Fürwahr, Upwards of Endtime schöpfen auf "Sadly never fore" wirklich mit Riesenkellen aus den Vollen und präsentieren uns einen eigenwilligen, unorthodoxen und schlicht und einfach über die Maßen erhabenen Mix aus altbackenem Rock'n'Roll, traditionellem Heavy Metal und unverfälschtem Doom Metal, wie er mit seinem obskuren Feeling, seinen düsteren Texten, seinem erdigen Sound und nicht zuletzt auch seinem eigenständigen und geradezu überragenden Songmaterial eine wahre Offenbahrung für jeden Anhänger von heavy rockenden Metalklängen der alten Schule sein dürfte!! Upwards of Endtime bezaubern und verwünschen ihre Hörer vom ersten Moment an mit ihrem absolut unvergleichlichen Charme und völlig eigenem Wesen!! Und unvergleichlichen Songs wie beispielsweise dem völlig irrsinnigen "Princeps Tenebarum" oder dem nicht minder genialen "Great Goat God" sei Dank gelingt ihnen auf "Sadly never fore" sogar das rare Kunststück, den klassischen Heavy Rock und Metal der 70er und 80er entgegen dem momentanen Trend und Zeitgeist nicht nur absolut erstklassig zu reproduzieren, sondern ihn über weite Strecken hinweg sogar in einem durchaus neuen, bisher noch nicht da gewesenen Licht erstrahlen zu lassen!! Diese Band ist, um es kurz und bündig auf den Punkt zu bringen, geradezu ein Paradies für jeden traditionsbewussten Rocker und Metaller und ganz egal ob eure Vorlieben nun beim wilden Rock'n'Roll, beim knatternden Heavy Rock, beim peitschenden Heavy Metal oder beim massigen Doom Metal liegen, in einem werdet ihr euch alle einig sein und das ist die Tatsache, dass Upwards of Endtime eine wahrlich bemerkenswerte Band sind und dass sie mit "Sadly never fore" ein durchweg erstklassiges und in seinem Ganzen schlichtweg erhabenes Album geschaffen haben, an dem kein Fan von fetzig-harter bis schleppend-zäher Gitarrenmusik auch nur im Entferntesten vorbei kommt!! Wenn ich's richtig verstanden hab, dann ist die offizielle Veröffentlichung von "Sady never fore" bisher noch als Eigenpressung gedacht und für Frühling/Sommer 2006 angesteuert... falls zufällig einer von euch, die das Review bis hierher gelesen haben, Connections zu 'nem Plattenlabel hat, das eventuell Interesse daran hätte, diese geniale Truppe unter seine Fittiche zu nehmen, dann würd sich Sänger Phil bestimmt freuen, wenn diesbezüglich 'ne Mail in seinem Postfach eintrudeln würde... selbiges gilt natürlich auch für Mailorder, die dieses Wahnsinnsteil und seinen ebenfalls sehr guten Vorgänger in ihr Programm mit aufnehmen wollen und für Fans, die ihre Sammlung durch die CDs von Upwards of Endtime bereichern wollen!! Also schreibt was das Zeug hält!! ;)

METAL REVIEW (US)
Solid, raw, unforgiving U.S. traditional heavy fuckin’ metal...Upwards of Endtime play a solid version of classic, traditional metal akin to bands such as Angel Witch, Brocas Helm, Cirith Ungol or very early Manowar. Sadly Never Fore has a beautifully raw, unforgiving sound and is loaded with catchy riffs, ripping leads, bubbling bass lines, and rollicking, rolling drums from point A to point B. The record smatters in a variety of styles to help keep things varied and interesting as well. Faster cuts such as opener, “Beyond Infinity”, and later tunes such as, “Dreamachine”, “The Beast”, and “The Great Goat God”, mix in a touch of scrappy punk, giving them a ‘tear the fucking walls down’ feel that brings to mind early material from Chicago street-metal kings, Zoetrope, while more plodding cuts such as the morose “Princeps Teneharum”, and the gloomy, organ-soaked funeral drape of “The Gathering” deliver doom-tipped arrows into the melee as well. The bulk of the record, however, falls within a nice, galloping, mid-paced traditional metal attack. Songs like “So Mote It Be”, “The One Thing”, and “Defenders”, all feature solid, catchy song-crafting, woven together by some damned fine shredding lead guitar work. The record’s biggest surprise hits with the incredible closer, “Time Again”, a tune that features truly one of the most infectious guitar licks I’ve heard from a metal album this year.

THE BASAR (GER)
Obscure but completely brilliant Doomy Heavy Metal from the US.

HELL BENT FOR RECORDS (GER)
Monster Doom Metal with some faster parts as well, highly recommended!

~s/t reviews~

POWERMETAL.DE (GER)
Es gibt in den letzten Jahren einen gewissen Hype in Richtung Retro-Sounds. Ich verweise auf Kapellen wie THE DARKNESS oder in letzter Vergangenheit WOLF MOTHER. Während diese Bands musikalisch auf den Pfaden von QUEEN oder BLACK SABBATH wandern, diese Musik aber in modernen Studios modern klingen lassen, beschreiten UPWARDS OF ENDTIME aus Connecticut andere Wege. Bei ihnen sind nicht nur die musikalischen Wurzeln in der Altvorderenzeit zu suchen, nein, auch der Sound ihrer Veröffentlichungen dröhnt herrlich staubig aus den Boxen und entfaltet so das entsprechend angenehme Retro-Feeling par excellence. Schaut man auf den Werdegang der Bandmitglieder, so würde der Insider gänzlich andere Klangfarben erwarten als das, was auf dem schwarzweiß verpackten Tonträger zu hören ist. Während Sänger Philip Swanson bei den Hardcore/Punk-Bands BLASTMAT und SANITY ASSASSINS tätig war, spiel(t)en Basser Rich Flint und Drummer Jeff White bei den amerikanischen Krachmachern ATROCITY, die bitte nicht mit der gleichnamigen Truppe um Alex Krull zu verwechseln sind. Dieses Trio darf man als Stammbesetzung ansehen. Gitarristen gaben und geben sich bis heute die Klinke in die Hand. Ein Zustand, der sich hoffentlich bald ändern wird. Aber dazu später mehr. Die beiden Staubsaugervertreter auf diesem Werk hören auf die Namen Matt Moran und Bill Ladley. Aber auch Ur-Klampfer Paul Jacovino schrubbt bei zwei Nummern ('Phantom Limbs' und 'Battlefield') mit dem Gast-Feudel klebrige Riffs aufs Parkett. Ihr merkt es an meiner diffusen Wortwahl, UPWARDS OF ENDTIME sind weit entfernt von einer eleganten Band mit Schöngeist. Vielmehr regiert auf den zehn grandiosen Doomstern nihilistisches Gebrummel mit herrlich leidenden Gesängen. Die Stimme von Phil wird man unter Tausenden wiedererkennen, da er zwar einen leichten Ozzy-Faktor in der Lunge hat, diese Spurenelemente aber so minimal sind, dass ich sie mir aufgrund der musikalischen Nähe zu frühen SABBATH-Werken auch nur einbilden kann. Die Mucke basiert auf schlürfenden Dröhn-Riffs, die von markigen Wummer-Bässen unterlegt werden. Im Gegensatz zu anderen Vertretern des langsamen Rockens treten UPWARDS OF ENDTIME allerdings auch gerne mal Arsch. So überfällt den in Sicherheit gewiegten Hörer in 'Wish It All Away' eine brachiale Marschattacke, die heimtückisch zu Nackenverrenkungen führen wird. Und das, nachdem gerade diese Komposition so herrlich spacig aus den Boxen fluffte. Überraschung gelungen! Aber auch andere Tracks verblüffen mit Ideenreichtum, Melodien(!) und amüsanten Intros. "The dead will rise and take over the earth" als eingefadetes Sprach-Intro zum Dynamik-Groover 'Hellnight' oder die trockene Aussage "Death can be a sweet release" zum Start von 'Stairwell To Hell' sind nur zwei Beispiele von Stellen, an denen der Rezensent sich ein vergnügtes Schmunzeln nicht verkneifen kann. Vor allem wenn die Musik anschließend eher nach NWoBHM meets CIRITH UNGOL on Doom klingt. Sehr ulkig auch die Idee, 'Burning A Sinner' (WITCHFYNDER GENERAL) rückwärts aufzunehmen. Nach anfänglichen Einstiegsproblemen muss ich heuer sagen, dass mir dieses Erstwerk von UPWARDS OF ENDTIME fast so gut gefällt wie das Demo von THE LAMP OF THOTH und wir somit einen weiteres Highlight aus dem doomigen Untergrund präsentieren können. Die Band hat bereits einen amtlichen Nachfolger eingedampft, dessen Besprechung in Kürze hier zu lesen sein wird. Stay tuned!
 

HELLRIDE (US)
UoE take classic late 70's/early 80's NWOBHM, add a little Cirith Ungol eclectic vibe and some very raw SST-circa''82 production for a killer debut of raw heavy metal. Battles, apocalyptic visions and more battles with the odd sacrificial virgin to the devil for kicks.

METAL MANIACS (US)
Unapologetically inspired by the vintage sounds of '70s/'80s psychedelic rock and doom, this band is not without innovation. Pulling elements from the likes of Pentagram, Hawkind, and Judas Priest, Upwards of Endtime pays homage to their influences rather than simply trivializing and exploiting them through replication, many modern bands of this era so often do. No scenester-fodder here; just a wicked brew of pure vintage metal with class.

METAL LUNATICS (GER)
Einen leckeren und eigenwilligen Doom-Happen amerikanischer Prägung will ich euch hier präsentieren! Und kaum dreht sich die selbstbetitelte CD im Player, da geht die Stimmungskurve auch schon steil nach oben. „Conquerors“ ist direkt ein mächtiger Höhepunkt! Als ob Black Sabbath versucht hätten, eine klischeetriefende Heavy Metal Hymne zu schreiben! Ein Song der wunderbar zusammen mit Reverend Bizarres „Doom over the World“ auf einem Sampler mit Gute-Laune-Doom landen könnte! Ein ganz starker Einstand! Mit „Phantom Limbs“ wird es dann um einiges düsterer, was der Qualität jedoch keinen Abbruch tut. Die Mucke ist weiterhin sehr Sabbath beeinflusst und leicht abgespaced. Vom Tempo her geht’s auch nicht so sehr in den Keller, so dass die Mucke auch für nicht-Doomer hörbar bleibt. Das folgende „Battlefield“ ist dann wirklich kein Doom mehr. Der Song ist kaum über zwei Minuten lang und prescht mit einer für Genreverhältnisse geradezu atemberaubenden Geschwindigkeit dahin. Ein bisschen wie Cathedral auf Speed… ganz krank, aber irgendwie doch geil. 
Weiter mit „Hellnight“… hier gibt’s dann wieder die erwarteten Lava Riffs in Kombination mit einem beinahe hypnotischen, zweistimmigen Gesang. Sänger Phil ist sowieso eines der stilprägenden Elemente von Upwards of Endtime. Er setzt seine Stimme sehr vielseitig ein und hat mit seinem nasalen Touch einen großen Wiedererkennungswert. Und auch die übrigen Songs halten dieses Niveau, während man jedem Einzelnen die Liebe und Leidenschaft anmerkt, mit der er das Licht der Welt erblickte. So scheut man sich auch weiterhin nicht, zähflüssige Doom Riffs mit gnadenlosen Speed Metal Passagen zu kreuzen, auf keltisch-folkloristische Parts zurückzugreifen oder was auch immer, solange es im Dienste des Songs geschieht! Das Ergebnis ist, dass dieses Album sicherlich alles ist nur nicht langweilig! Fans von Black Sabbath, Blue Chear oder Pentagram werden an Upwards of Endtime unter Garantie ihren lieben Spaß haben; ebenso jeder andere, der auf einfallsreichen Metal mit Seele steht. Der geneigte Underground Fan sieht da schon mal mit guter Mine über die eine oder andere Schwäche der Produktion hinweg und genießt stattdessen die Magie, die wie ein Schleier über dem gesamten Debüt der Amis liegt!

SACRED METAL (GER)
Eines meiner Alben für 2005 stammt von der damals komplett unbekannten Formation UPWARDS OF ENDTIME um den supersympathischen Sängerknaben Phil Swanson. Ein ehemaliges Mitglied der US Death / Thrash / Grind Bastarde ATROCITY versprach superräudiges Gebolze, nun räudig ist die Musik auf jeden Fall, aber längst kein Geballere. UPWARDS OF ENDTIME sind irgendwo zwischen schmierig doomigem Heavyrock, altem NWoBHM Sound, ein wenig Gothpunk a la MISFITS und viel Metal’n’Roll der Marke MOTÖRHEAD daheim, was ihnen hörbar Spaß bereitet. Die Songs sind geradlinig aufgebaut, getragen von markanten Riffs und sehr intensiv brodelnden Gitarrenleads. Phils Stimme liegt in mittleren Höhen und man merkt gleich, daß er kein Technikgott ist. Phil ist, um es so zu sagen, kein Opernsänger, sondern ein Bluesshouter und das, dieses dreckige, emotionsgeladene Feeling von der Straße hat der Mann exzellent drauf. Seine Stimme ist beschwörend. Der Sound auf diesem Album ist sehr komisch. Zwischen dumpf und rauschend pendelnd wird er so manchen potentiellen Fan sicher verprellen, denn mehr als Rehearsalqualität ist es oft nicht, was da so aus den Boxen schrubbt, obschon Schwankungen auftreten und mancher Song recht klar wirkt. Gut, diese Scheibe ist eine absolute Eigenproduktion, eine kleine Band hat eben oft nicht mehr Geld, um einen Majorsound rauszukitzeln. Egal, auch so macht es eine Menge Spaß, dieser Truppe zu lauschen. Meine persönliche Hymne hier ist das epische „Wish it all away“, welches zwischen mittelschnellem Stampfen, gemässigtem Up Tempo, schwebenden Sololäufen in bester Epicmetalmanier und herrlich doomigem, schleppendem Heavyrock hin und her gedreht wird, dabei aber niemals den Faden verliert. Das Stück ist sehr mitreißend, eigenwillig und markant. Es sticht nicht nur aus dem starken Albummaterial heraus, sondern zeigt der Masse an gleichklingenden Digitalmetalbands mit ihren auf Stahl getrimmten Popsongs den ausgestreckten Mittelfinger. Von dieser Band wird man definitiv noch mehr hören, das zweite Album „Sadly never fore“ werde ich demnächst an gleicher Stelle besprechen! Unter dieser Adresse kann man sich Songs der Band anhören und mit ihr kommunizieren: http://www.myspace.com/upwardsofendtime Steckt einen Gruß von mir mit rein.

STONERROCK.COM (US)
This slab is just a big ball of metallic fun. Seriously. Now, I don’t mean to imply that these guys don’t take their music seriously – they play with all the earnestness one could ask for, and if you have any doubt that they love playing what they play, one spin will convince you otherwise. But the thing that makes this super-cool is that they love playing the same kind of music that I (and probably a good number of y’all) love. Want some Sabbath? Got it. Want some Blue Cheer? Got that. Want some warrior-metal (minus the histrionic vocals)? Check. Maybe a little Mercyful Fate (again, without the histrionic vocals)? Here ya go. The sound of thundering hooves introduces the bongtastic first cut, “Conquerors,” which features a blistering guitar solo that is the quintessence of metal guitar, and it just keeps delivering, track after track. Not a clunker in the bunch. I’m dead certain that the members of this Connecticut-based band all have ass-kicking record collections, but that’s not to say that there is nothing here beyond homage – this stands alone quite nicely, thanks – but it is guaranteed to bring smiles to anyone who has room in their hearts for the old-school. UOE are never not heavy. We get a little doom on “Phantom Limbs,” a little Captain Beyond-ish psych-metal on “I Am Legend.” Damn, we really get just about everything. (Forgive me for all the name-drops, please. Remember the old saying, “Writing about music is like dancing about architecture.) As much as everyone in the band can bring it, the guitars really carry the day here. According to the liner notes, two of the band members are listed as playing guitar, while a third person is listed as playing rhythm guitar on all tracks. Another bonus, in my eyes, is that the singer sings it all straight – no piercing screams or glass-gargling gruntage – some of you must remember the days when you could actually make out the lyrics on a metal record. Welcome back. This is the goods. If you aren’t at least tempted to play some air-guitar to this, you must be friggin’ narcoleptic. And there’s even a hidden track at the end (after 20 minutes of dead air) that you don’t want to miss, because it’s recorded all backwards and shit. See? Metallic fun! Highly recommended.

METAL REVOLUTION (DK)
From the very first riff and very first sound of Upwards of Endtime’ 2005 demo you’re in no doubt where from this band droves its main influences. It is a mix of sludging Doom metal and NWOBHM and much in the vein of esp. Black Sabbath. Other than BS I can hear some elements of Pentagram, Manilla Road etc. The lyrical part is satisfying so are the song structures. Most of all it seems to me that this band is here to have fun, it seems like they don’t take themselves nor their music very seriously and they can’t expect me to do so either. If you’re looking for old school heavy metal/doom release to chill with then look no further, Upwards of Endtime can sure entertain you for an hour…

METALCDRATINGS.COM (US)
Let's face it: The metal marketplace is both highly congested and highly compartmentalized. In the power metal genre alone, literally dozens of overlapping offerings are unleashed every month, many of them bearing at least superficial similarities to each other. Indeed, the very raison d'etre of this website is to aid the discerning metal fan in distinguishing the more worthy releases from their less meritorious counterparts. Given this staggering glut, it is both refreshing and admirable to see a new American band come along with the courage to step outside the circle and do their own thing, without regard to what is trendy or popular. Connecticut's Upwards of Endtime are just such a band. On their newly issued, self-released, self-titled debut platter, the band largely eschew the Blind Guardianisms, Kai-isms, Maidenisms, Priestisms, and Manowarisms that are so prevalent in today's metal music scene. In their place, Upwards of Endtime offer up 43 minutes of what can be best described as a hybrid of doom/stoner metal a la Pentagram, St. Vitus, Cathedral and The Obsessed, on the one hand, and kult, adored-in-Greece acts like Manilla Road and Brocas Helm, on the other. (That's not to say that this CD is impervious to today's true metal clichés. For example, in opener "Conquerors", the lyrics prattle on about "true sons of metal" and "protectors of steel" who are "storming the castle walls.") The guitar tone is fuzzed-out and sludgy, and the bass lines rumble along in true Sabbath tradition. Meanwhile, Phil LNU's vocals are characterized by that distinctive Ozzy tone, also sounding reminiscent of the guy from Pentagram. But just when you think you have Upwards of Endtime's sound pigeonholed, they uncork a curveball like "Battlefield", a 2-minute uptempo, filtered-vocals number sounding more like a punk track than Iommi & Co. Another surprise is "I am legend", one of the only songs to feature the classic metal gallop and epic guitar melodies that are so dear to my heart. The entire package has a DIY, warts-and-all vibe to it. The cover art is a rudimentary black ink drawing on a white background. There is no CD booklet, just a double-sided card with no lyrics, minimal credits and no photos. The production is murky and ragged (perhaps intentionally so), with various instruments undulating higher and lower in the mix like some hypnotized jack-in-the-box under the influence of seriously mind-altering substances. In "I am legend", for example, all the other instruments fade out early, leaving the drums to stand alone hammering away on their own until the song ends. Obscure B-movie soundclips pop up from time to time at the beginning of songs. The curiously titled "Jerhume Brunnen G" commences with an a capella vocal bit that bizarrely marries a barbershop quartet to a sailorman's hymn, before busting into an almost Slough Feg (The Lord Weird) arrangement. Upwards of Endtime are obscure, they're unpredictable, and they don't seem to care if any of us "get it" or not. Unfortunately, I'm afraid that few members of our community will "get it". Some will dismiss it as too "kult". Some may not be able to get past the unpolished, greasy garageness of the thing. And others may just brand them a stoner band and be done with them. But all of these rationalizations sell Upwards of Endtime short. There's more going on here than initially meets the eye. This debut CD includes some undeniably strong songs, it doesn't follow a formula, and it has its own character and personality. At the end of the day, Upwards of Endtime may not play my favorite style of metal, and they may not be up to the technical/production standards of many 21st century heavy metal releases, but they offer a nice diversion and a worthwhile palate-cleanser to break up my otherwise steady diet of traditional, power and true metal. Besides, with a little searching, one can easily locate new copies of this CD for less than $5. At such a ridiculously low price, why not give them a try?

THE END RECORDS (US)
Old-school metal greatness! This full-length from cult US band Upwards To Endtime is a must for fans of Brocas Helm, Manilla Road, early Manowar and other gods. 67 minutes of doom-laden epic metal.

THE METAL OBSERVER (GER)
UPWARDS OF ENDTIME act somewhere between sludging Doom and stomping midtempo with the plus of a bit NWOBHM and it results in a pleasant happening. It instantly reminds of bands like PENTAGRAM, WITCHFINDER GENERAL or BLACK SABBATH! Or bands like MANILLA ROAD, BROCAS HELM or CIRITH UNGOL with their epic manner. It’s like a dream for fans of this genre but the low-budget production could be a bit more pressuring but it’s also nicely rough. The band rose out of the US bands ATROCITY and BLASTMAT and they are a sure tip, convincing with cool surprising moments, so that it’s never too predictable. And if you have no problems with a Ozzy/Bobby Liebling-like vocal style, you’ll also love this voice here. -Ralf

METAL RULES (US)
The bastard child of punk and doom is called Upwards of Endtime. With his departure from the band Blastmat, vocalist Phil decided that he needed a new outlet for his creative energies. After 9/11 he felt he needed a less political way to not only get out his frustrations but also to challenge his vocal abilities so he put out the word and The seeds of Upwards of Endtime were planted. With the band coming together they went into the studio and after a years work the debut UPWARDS OF ENDTIME was released. Containing a stew of punk, hardcore and mostly good old fashioned sludgy metal, Upwards of Endtime mix a rough gravelly production with some serious attitude to dish up 10 songs that have hooks a plenty yet will appeal to a wide variety of metal fans. “Conquerors” opens up the CD and offers no hint that members of Blastmat and Atrocity are the main minds behind this music. The doomy riffs are augmented by addition of some atmospheric guitar melodies that gel nicely with the overall mood of the song. “Battlefield” leaves no doubt as to where these guys have come. They tempo is kicked into overdrive and the vocal is distinctly punk in its delivery and has a very strong 80s feel almost reminding me of Bruce Dickinson’s choppy vocal delivery used on “Aces High”. One of the highlights of the disc is “Hellnight” which again has a very oldschool metal feel to it without actually sounding dated. The disc closes out with the self titled “Upwards of Endtime”. The Misfits in a major departure point for this song as Upwards of Endtime seamlessly blend straight ahead metal with its background in punk. The cover artwork is simple and to the point and works well with what the band are trying to do. It took a few spins to realize what this band was all about. At first what seemed rough and unorganized finally sank in as the band’s pointed attempt to be true to their own personal roots and to wrap those roots in a traditional metal jacket. Though rough around the edges, Upwards of Endtime have all the tools necessary to create some great metal.

ROUGH EDGE (US)
The following paragraph appears on the Upwards of Endtime website: "Made up of x-members of the cult grind death metal band Atrocity and hardcore punk outfit Blastmat, UOE bring the collective common ground influences of Black Sabbath, Misfits and Motorhead together to create their own personal style of doom rock stoner punk heavy metal." While that may be a pretty good description, it's not exactly the way I'd describe Upwards of Endtime and their self-titled CD. In fact, the bands they most remind me of are a couple of local Ventura County legends: Cirith Ungol and Helarage. It's not so much that Upwards of Endtime sounds a lot like either of those bands. Cirith Ungol were on the cutting edge of metal back when it was just transforming from the Deep Purple "Smoke on the Water" licks to the galloping rhythms of Iron Maiden and Motorhead. And Helarage took inspiration from bands like Maiden and Judas Priest and made that classic sound their own. Upwards of Endtime, on the other hand, take a hint of the haunting sound of bands like the Misfits and fuse it with the fuzz-laden guitars of early Sabbath and modern stoner rock. But what really makes Upwards of Endtime remind me of Cirith Ungol and Helarage is the band's attempt to capture the true sound of heavy metal on a recording. There's a rawness and a passion here that aren't found on many records; a trait both the local bands I mentioned shared. True, their songwriting could use a little growth and, yes, the production here is just short of awful (the sound throughout is muffled and tinny) but you can still feel the band's raw power blasting through, especially on the songs that lean more toward the classic heavy metal sound than anything the Misfits ever recorded. Fans of "doom rock stoner punk heavy metal," or any of the sub-genres therein, will find something to like on "Upwards of Endtime."

METAL DISTRICT (GER) 
US Doom mit gleichen Anteilen alter PENTAGRAM, SAINT VITUS, BLACK FLAG, früher TROUBLE und etwas rauhem NWoBHM Sound. Was kommt dabei raus? Ein roher Bastard, das kann ich Euch sagen. Hier und da geben die Jungs Gas, können aber auch schleppend grooven oder mittelschnell stampfen und rocken, kein Problem. Okay, das können viele andere Bands auch, das sind Standardtempi für echten Heavy Metal. Was also bieten uns UPWARDS OF ENDTIME so besonderes? Sie haben diese zerschmetternde Wucht in ihren Gitarren, das Album ist herrlich urwüchsig produziert, vielleicht im Sinne der allgemeinen Digitalisierung unterproduziert, aber dadurch umso lebendiger und natürlicher im Ausdruck. So muß Metal klingen und verdammt, diese Band ist absolut METAL. Kauzig, sperrig, das sind Attribute, mit denen sich UOE herumschlagen müssen, aber wenn man sich erst mit ihnen eingelassen hat, dann werden die spröden Stücke rasch zu Hymnen. Die Musik ist sicherlich nicht supertechnisch, superkomplex und auch nur ansatzweise frickelig, aber darin liegt ja auch der Reiz. UOE sind durchdringend intensiv, Doom pur, auch in den schnellen Momenten. Selbst mit diesem schrägen Sound, bei dem der Bass im Hintergrund dröhnt, die eine Gitarre nur als Kratzen zu vernehmen ist, die andere Klampfe ein wenig matschig - schwammig brummt und singt, das Schlagzeug den Lärmpegel nur verstärkt und der Gesang stark im Vordergrund steht. Naja, ich sagte ja, urwüchsig, als stünde die Band im gleichen Raum mit Dir. Absolutes 

CENTURY MEDIA (US/GER)
A Sabbath/Saint Vitus styled band with a definite punk and NWOBHM flavor to it. This is a solid debut from Upwards Of Endtime.

METALFAN.NL (NL)
Saint Vitus, Black Sabbath, Judas Priest, Count Raven, Solitude Aeternus en Reverend Bizarre. Daar haalt het Amerikanse Upwards Of Endtime de mosterd. Ex-leden van (de eerste) Atrocity en Blastmat hadden even genoeg van al die herrie en dit titelloze debuut is het tastbare resultaat. Lekkere zware mid-tempo riffs, een pompende ritmesectie en de Ozzy-achtig stem van Phil maken dit album tot een feest der herkenning voor de classic doom fan. De composities zijn erg melodieus, elke zanglijn pakkend en de teksten lekker simpel. Af en toe wordt het gaspedaal echter wel teveel ingedrukt en dan klinkt het alsof we naar een punkband luisteren. We verschieten dan ook niet dat de heren The Misfits en Motörhead óók tot hun favoriete bands rekenen. Andere aparte (maar dan wel slechtaardige) afwijkingen zijn het totaal misplaatste Joodse gezang in “Jerhume Brunnen” en het titelnummer dat bestaat uit 24 minuten stilte gevolgd door drie minuten vage remix-herrie. Dat kost minpunten! Net zoals de wel erg matige productie dat bij zulke ervaren muzikanten eigenlijk niet meer mag. Dit plaatje is dus gewoon lekkere WWD met wat vage punk-elementen. WWD? Ja! Warm Weer Doom! De nieuwe plaat is trouwens ook al af, “Sadly Never For” getiteld, en komt later dit jaar uit. 

DAREDEVIL (GER)
This is Heavy-Rock right in the vein of Black Sabbath and if you hear the vocals you will agree with me. I really like the old school Heavy-Metal riffing in the songs...pared with the vocals of Phil who really sounds like Ozzy in his best years. These guys are fantastic and the songs are catchy as hell.

WEST SIDE DAVE (US)
Upwards Of Endtime is the brainchild of former Blastmat vocalist Phil Swanson, and also features former members of Atrocity [U.S.]. "Demonchild" would be more like it! The band`s S/T debut is an unholy mix of doom metal, NWOBHM and early Thrash that has "early Eighties" stamped all over it; hell, you could tell me this was recorded in 1985 and I wouldn`t call you a liar! But I believe that`s the plan; UOE is definitely rooted in the past, and they don`t care WHAT anyone thinks, trends be damned! The album`s opener, "Conquerors", starts off with thundering hooves and swords a` clanging before diving into the Sabbath sludge headfirst. This cut really gives you a Witchfynde-vibe, and things only get better! Phil`s early Ozzy-esque vocals provide the 10 tunes here with the proper feel, and perfectly compliment the music. It`s garage production values all the way; no pristine, Pro Tool`ed digital whatsis HERE! Just thick, distorted guitars and bass cranked all the way up over pounding drums. The next cut, the trance-inducing "Phantom Limbs" is downright spooky, with it`s hypnotic, ominous riffs and haunting vocals, broken only by the speedy time changes mid-song. The hyper-powered "Battlefield" sounds like a long lost Angelwitch track [this is a good thing!] while "Hellnight" radiates pure EVIL, and is my favorite tune at the moment! Other high points include the galloping "I Am Legend", "Stairway To Hell" [with it`s "Technical Ecstacy" feel] and the viking-themed "Jerhume Brunnen", among others. Top marks go to the band for accomplishng the difficult task of making each song stand apart from the other, where others mining the same territory simply play as loud and low as possible. Certainly one of THE best new bands of 2005! And guess what? As of this writing, UOE are set to unleash their sophmore effort; can the band possibly top THIS album? BET on it! Highest possible recommendation! [and thanks to Phil for sending me the CD!]

BRAINTICKET (US)
Out of nowhere comes this band that delivers some pretty dang good doom inspired heavy metal music. Clearly inspired by the NWOBHM movment and adding a dose of east coast doom (obsessed, internal void, pentagram), these boys have gotten off to a great start. Dig if fans of the above and other solid heavies; witchfynde, iron man, life beyond, against nature, pentagram, captain beyond, sabbath, saxon, diamond head, etc...

VAMPIRE MAGAZINE (GER)
This is a pretty strange band that mixes quite some different kinds of influences, and a band that is completely new to me. Consisting out of members from the punk band Blastmat and some other bands that are said to be cult. This Upwards Of Endtimes is of a complete different turf. Hailing the old doom legends like Black Sabbath, Pentagram and Witchfinder General with a wink to bands like Misfits (listen to "Battlefield" for instance) and perhaps the slightly heavier Motörhead. Each song seem to have another main influence or source of inspiration, "Hellnight" has got something of a Motörhead feel to it mixed up with the old horror punk of Misfits for instance, but in other songs their love for bands like Brocas Helm, Manilla Road, Pentagram, Cirith Ungol, St. Vitus and Black Sabbath can be heard quite clearly. All in all this demo put on CD is a welcome and fresh alternative for the blasting metal I heard lately, fans of all the aforementioned bands should give this band a shot, I think this CD is available for less than mid-price, so that can't be reason for ignoring them!

HELLRIDE (US)
I have an almost Larry David-like compulsion to discuss why more bands don’t start with the letter “U”, but I’ll refrain. Upwards of Endtime are comprised of ex-members of political-based hardcore act Blastmat and grind/death-metal band Atrocity as a joint effort to get away from reality-based music and explore more escapist material. After 9/11 and the subsequent travesty in Iraq, I can’t blame them. UoE have succeeded in getting so far away from those bands musically and lyrically that one would be hard-pressed to guess their sphere of influence. UoE operate with almost singular Bolt Thrower-meets-Sabbath-like vision… Battles, apocalyptic visions and more battles with the odd sacrificial virgin to the devil for kicks. I’m continually reminded of Saint Vitus in the raw, no frills production,and Doomsword in the doom-stained take on battle metal. All in all, UoE wouldn’t be out of place back in ’79 when the dams began to burst or in the early ‘80’s SST when Vitus, BL’AST and Black Flag ruled the roost or now when both those things are suddenly cool again. They have that particular attribute of being able to appeal across genres, much like The Obsessed did back in the day. Metal for the punk kiddies, punk for the metal kiddies. They do, however, fall flat in the hidden track department. I think it’s a cover of Witchfinder General’s “Buring A Sinner” done backwards but I could’ve read the band press page wrong. Anyway, waiting 20 minutes for a song done backwards of anything is irritating. Other than that, this is a solid debut of appealing for the doom, punk and NWOBHM enthusiast alike.

IRON PAGES (GER)
Na, wenn das kein Volltreffer ist? Ich gehe jede Wette ein: Wäre jener Tonträger vor 20 Jahren auf Vinyl erschienen (und nicht auf CD) wäre er heute bereits mehrere hundert Euro wert! Undergroundiger (und kultiger) geht es kaum: So traf UPWARDS OF ENDTIME auch direkt aus den Staaten ohne jedes Info bei uns ein. Die CD selbst ist mit einem schwarz-weiß-Cover versehen, die einzelnen Musiker fungieren lediglich unter ihren Vornamen, Fotos gibt es keine. Obskur, sehr obskur! Die zehn Songs entschädigen für mangelnde Hintergundinformationen aber allemal: Geboten wird eine höchst originelle Mischung aus Doom-, US- und New Wave of British Heavy Metal. Songs wie "Hellnight", "Jerhume Brunnen G" oder "Dead to me" kreuzen mühelos Witchfinder General mit Cirith Ungol und Brocas Helm. Viele der Nummern sind recht ausufernd, kommen aber im Refrain immer wieder auf den Punkt zurück. Die Gitarren sind leider sehr kratzig, es hat den Anschein, daß es sich vielleicht nur um Demo-Aufnahmen handelt, aber das müßt Ihr selbst herausfinden. Was nicht leicht sein wird, denn ob einschlägige Mainstream-Mailorders UPWARDS OF ENDTIME führen, kann ich nicht versichern... 

Live4Metal.com (US)
This is basically a self-financed record from ex members of Atrocity (no, not the same outfit from Germany) and Blastmat. I never heard of them either. Either way, what has come from the ashes of a hardcore band and death metal is stoner/doom metal that will knock you on your ass. “Conquerors” shoots out at ya’ll with a Sabbath feel (somewhat vocally) thanks to Phil’s lungs and as far as the music goes…it’s loud as hell and it rocks. Distorted guitars are turned way up. The drums show no mercy as they are being bashed into the ground, and of course what is doom metal without low end bass, right? Well, it’s all here and is rounded out with a trippy atmospheric vibe, up-tempo beat and surprisingly a wicked solo. You will hear just touches of vintage Kyuss showcased on “Hellnight”, but it doesn’t take long at all for them to come into their own and inform you all that they have originality. This one definitely goes to eleven and has even more steam than the first few songs. It’s fast and unrelenting with zero boredom. I am not too sure if James Rivera is one of his inspirations, but he sure nails his sound on “I Am Legend. Basically, the guys start out with an enormous amount of steam and finishes the same way. For a band in this genre, they never drag for any given moment. The boys are insistent that they rock out until you can’t take anymore. I must admit that when I hear the “D” word nowadays, I pretty much just turn away because it’s all way too slow and boring for my tastes. When I received it and popped it in, I was blown away at how well the songs were put together and how the compositions flowed. All I have to say is…fire it up!

PSYCHEDOOMELIC (Hungary)
UOE unleashes their own style of metal which could be classified more as doom meets NWOBHM. Drawing on influences such as Manilla Road, Manowar, Brocas Helm, Tyrant and most definately, early Black Sabbath, the band delivers 10 songs in their very distinct style. Check them out and you will hear what we mean. We are quite sure you have not heard allot of metal such as this.

SENTINEL STEEL (US)
Totally cult USA true and epic doomy metal in the early 1980s style, from the recording to the production; similar to early Manilla Road, early Brocas Helm, Longings Past, Manowar (Into Glory Ride style), Tyrant (Legions of  the Dead band), and so on. Full album, 11 tracks, almost 67 minutes playing time, with song titles like "Conquerors", "Battlefield", "Hellnight", "I Am Legend" and more.

BEHIND THE VEIL (GR)
What will we have if we combine influences from BLACK SABBATH, THE MISFITS and MOTORHEAD? Of course we have the new album from Upwards Of Endtime. The new band made of ex-members from the grind death metal band ATROCITY and the hardcore punk band BLASTMAT. So Upwards Of Endtime deliver to our ears a combination of doom rock with some elements from stoner rock and elements from punk music. I think you might be confused but actually this is the way that you can describe the music from Upwards Of Endtime. The band has included eleven tracks on their newest album and believe me they have all these elements I just mentioned inside their music and actually their compositions are well worked and have a good connection between the songs. I think you should better hear the stuff from Upwards Of Endtime in order to have your personal opinion about this band. 

MAXIMUM METAL
Upwards of Endtime is a traditional metal band from Connecticut. When I say traditional, I mean it – nothing they are doing musically dates past, say, 1983. It’s pretty obvious that bands like Black Sabbath, Motorhead, and the like are where Upwards of Endtime directly derives their sound from. Their self-titled album really doesn’t give the listener anything that one of the aforementioned bands wouldn’t. Although the band consisted of more members at the time of recording, they are now down to a foursome. The guitars are creative, the bass solid, and the drums in time. The vocalist sounds like a younger Ozzy with a slightly deeper, less whiny voice. As you may have noticed, there aren’t a whole lot of negative things I can say about the band.  I’ll give them credit for putting together a steady album that flows and works. 

METAL REVIEW (US)
Wanna hear a true fact? Doesn’t matter, I’m at the helm so I get to pontificate when I want. Anyway, said fact is that back in the day (y’know, before most of us were born), metal was oftentimes party music. No corpsepaint, no ideology, no über-technical musicianship, no clutching of invisible grapefruits, and absolutely no forsaking of a good time in favor of ‘making a statement.’ Though long absent, the party-hardy mentality has been making a comeback in our august genre. A pretty significant number of genre forerunners are reaching back to the seventies and early eighties for inspiration (High on Fire, YOB, and Three Inches of Blood amongst many others), and in doing so they’re setting a fresh precedent for beery, fun-lovin’ musical mindset. Upwards of Endtime have apparently taken notice. It’d be easy to call these guys bandwagon jumpers; though the members come almost entirely from death metal and hardcore backgrounds, this self-titled debut sees them imitating a hodgepodge of decidedly old-school styles.

If nothing else, these guys obviously have no ambitions beyond enjoying themselves, and they seem to be doing a pretty good job of it. Upwards of Endtime isn’t much more than a speedily jammed-out riff fest, and  the songs are undoubtedly entertaining. Pentagram-styled classic doom is most prominently featured, and the marching mid-paced power riffs and Bobby Liebling impersonation vocals do their best to evoke the underappreciated pioneers, but Upwards of Endtime dip their toes into all sorts of shit from song to song. Tinny Misfits-inspired punk (“Battlefield”), NWOBHM chunkiness and gang vocals (“Hellnight”), and Maidenistic gallop (“I Am Legend”) all make appearances. “Dead to Me” trudges along until it’s broken up by Jeff Hanneman-esque speed soloing, and both “Stairway to Hell” and “Hellnight” riffs that sound like Judas Priest attempting a death metal lurch.

Upwards of Endtime certainly has its place and purpose, and as near as I can tell, that’s on stage in front of several dozen cheery and intoxicated fans. They pay tribute to the greats and even summon up an entertaining moment now and again.

METAL COVEN (GER)
Na das ist doch mal ein Einstand!! Und damit mein ich nicht nur den pfundsschweren Opener "Conquerors" für sich genommen, sondern vor allem auch das beeindruckende, selbstbetitelte Debüt der noch recht jungen US Heavy/Doom Metal Formation Upwards of Endtime als Ganzes gesehen!! Mit einer erdig-satten Produktion in der Hinterhand, servieren sie uns auf dieser CD einen reichlich untypischen, aber völlig kultigen Heavy Metal Mix, dessen größte Einflüsse sicherlich im klassischem Doom Metal von Bands wie Black Sabbath, Pentagram und St. Vitus zu finden sind. Das allein wär ja noch recht gängig und gewöhnlich, doch Upwards of Endtime belassen es weiß Gott nicht dabei, sondern mixen diese Mucke mit wüstem Rock'n'Roll ala Motörhead. schweißtreibenden NWOBHM ala early Iron Maiden und hin und wieder sogar einer kleinen aber feinen Nuance Misfits-mäßigem Punk Rock!! Eine wahrhaft abgedrehte Mischung, die in der Upwards of Endtime'schen Umsetzung allerdings bestens funktioniert und ihr obskures i-Tüpfelchen in Form von allerlei kultig-verrückten Introsamples und einer ganzen Schiffsladung an genial-obskuren Lyrics irgendwo zwischen Endzeitwelten, Horrorszenarien und True Metal Klischees findet!! Wer nach dieser kurzen Beschreibung jetzt Lust auf mehr bekommen hat, dem kann ich nur anraten auf der offiziellen Website der Band einmal in Oldschool Metal Granaten wie "Hellnight", "Stairwell to hell" und "Upwards of Endtime" rein zu schnuppern und sich selbst ein Bild von der Klasse dieser tollen Truppe zu machen!! Und wenn euch gefällt, was ihr da zu hören kriegt, dann bestellt die CD doch am besten gleich (entweder direkt bei der Band oder bei uns im Mailorder zum Special Price von spottbilligen 5 Euro) und erfreut euch nicht nur an den super Songs, sondern auch an dem freakigen Artwork und der gelungenen Coverversion von Witchfinder General's "Burning a Sinner", welche auf "Upwards of Endtime" dem undankbaren Zweck eines hidden Bonustracks dient... komischerweise und zu allem Überfluss wurde dieser wirklich geile Song dann auch noch rückwärts auf die CD gepresst, nach einigem Rumprobieren mit 'nem mp3 Editor hab ich ihn aber wieder umgekehrt bekommen und kann ihn somit allen Upwards of Endtime-Fans auf Wunsch per Email zuschicken!! Also nichts wie ran an den Speck... kratzt eure letzten paar Kröten zusammen und unterstützt eine der eigensinnigsten und coolsten Newcomerbands, die der US Metal in den letzten Jahren zu verbuchen hatte!!

~demo reviews~

STONERROCK.COM (US)
Lepus are a Connecticut four-piece with plenty of experience in heavy metal. Rich (bass) and Jeff (drums) were members of thrash/death metal band Atrocity (U.S) and have played together since 1985. Following the demise of Atrocity, they eventually formed Lepus when they teamed up with guitarist and friend Frank, with the intention of playing in a more melodic heavy rock band. Initially an instrumental covers band, they soon started jamming their own material, which lead them to find the services of hardcore punk vocalist Phil (ex-Blastmat). Lepus have both feet firmly planted in ‘70`s and early ‘80`s heavy metal. This demo was recorded live with no overdubs in one day, and it is clear that these guys have 11 on their volume controls. What you get here are five original compositions and a cover of Witchfinder General`s “Burning a Sinner,” together with some samples from Monty Python and the Holy Grail. Heavy on the psychedelic leads but also on the savage riffage, this is ‘70`s influenced metal played raw and at maximum volume. It is, however, difficult to pin Lepus down into one particular genre. The demo starts out with two fast paced numbers that bring to mind bands from the NWOBHM. The third song, “In My Wake,” delivers a full on doom assault, whereas the two following songs have more of a punk crossed with early Motorhead feel. The songs are all short at around the three-minute mark and this adds an urgency and energy to the music, the vibe is definitely evil. Unsurprisingly, the cover of “Burning a Sinner” is rather well done. Praise must go out to Phil`s vocals; he sounds like the schizophrenic half-brother of Ozzy and Lemmy. The instruments are all played to a good standard, and the rhythm section is tight, if a bit monotonous. For a live recording the sound quality is decent, the overall sound has an authentic vintage feel to it. The bass, however, is cranked up to the max and does somewhat drown the guitar. These songs absolutely fly, leaving a scorched imprint on your numbed brain. Go over to their website and give them a listen. Lepus are soon to release a new 5-track studio demo titled Upwards of Endtime, featuring a cover of Accept`s “I`m a Rebel.” This will be followed by their debut full-length record, Dawn of the Day of the Night of the Lepus, also scheduled for later this year. Lepus are in for a busy year; look out for shows starting early this summer.

HELLRIDE (US)
"The Myths of Man" demo starts and ends with sound clips from "Monty Python and the Holy Grail". The line in between the title and tracklisting one the back cover of the c.d. says it all! "Recorded live in the studio with no overdubs"! I would think they would put on one hell of a live show! The music of Lepus is varied from playing what I would consider "Heaven and Hell" era style Sabbath riffing without the Dio vocals, to being almost Misfits inspired then going to Saxon, Motorhead influenced metal. They end this demo with an interesting cover of Witchfinder General's "Burning a Sinner". On the info sheet that came with this c.d. it says Lepus are working on a full-length, "Dawn of the Day of the Night of the Lepus" due out this spring, preceeded by a 5 song promo. It should be a very interesting listen. This reviewer hopes he will have the chance to review these releases. I give "The Myths of Man" a hearty hell ya recommendation. I really like the raw, live sound!

METAL-RULES.COM (US)
Here’s a weird little demo from Connecticut’s Lepus. I guess I’d describe it as progressive doom metal. Any way you describe it, there’s something unusual about it that I can’t quite put my finger on. This 6-song demo, recorded “live in the studio with no overdubs!!!” unleashes an ungainly assault of guitar riffs, somewhat monotonous drumming, and among the weirdest vocals I’ve ever heard. Vocalist “Phil” is in a class by himself. Sometimes he reminds me of Bon Scott, sometimes of Udo Dirkschneider, and sometimes of…well, he’s just difficult to compare to anybody! At first the vocals really grated on me, but they started to grown on me after a few tracks. The guitar work is pretty good. Probably the best track on this demo is number three, “In My Wake,” which finally gets this band into a quasi-doomy territory that begins to evoke Solitude Aeternus, which is definitely a good thing. This track, alone among the six, really coalesces and holds together as a catchy and memorable metal song. The others are a little aimless. Sometimes frenetic, sometimes monotonous, but always eclectic. I’m not sure what kind of band Lepus is trying to be, but whatever it is, “In My Wake” is the clearest expression of it. Overall I’m not sure what to make of Lepus. The lengthy sample from Monty Python’s Holy Grail (“It’s just a harmless little bunny, you said!”) has me thinking perhaps this band intends to be largely tongue-in-cheek. This is worth checking out, but expect to be left scratching your head.

1HEAVYMETAL.COM (US)
Formed from the ashes of the mid 80's to early 90's thrash band Atrocity, Lepus is a 4-piece band with their roots firmly planted in stoner/doom metal all the while retaining a faster edge where appropriate.  "Dream Machine" has a fast-paced 70's jam metal feel to it crossing paths with early punk.  "In My Wake" fills the doom metal vibe with Frank's thick guitar riffs over top of Phil's Sabbathy vocals.  "Circles" calls to mind the thrash metal leanings of Atrocity and the early demos of Eviction.  "The Beast" calls to mind early Motorhead while closing track "Burning A Sinner" is more along the lines of 70's doom metal / Black Sabbath.

WEST SIDE DAVE'S METAL SITE (US)
"Myths of Man" -Lepus was formed by ex-Atrocity members Rich (bass) and Jeff (drums), Frank (guitar) and Phil (vocals, formerly of the REAL hardcore punk band Blastmat). Only together for a short time, these guys have just released a 6 song EP titled "The Myths of Man". Recorded live in the studio with NO overdubs [!], "The Myths of Man" cuts the nuts off all the major label Nu Metal slop currently vomiting forth from the radio of late. The band deliver the tunes with all the tact and subtley of a fleet of bulldozers, displaying a raw power and ferocity few in the genre can ever HOPE to match. Want proof? Check out "Intro / The One Thing", "Dream Machine", the AWESOME riffage of "In My Wake", "Circles", "The Beast", and a GREAT cover of the oft-overlooked Witchfinder General`s "Burning A Sinner"! Nothing wrong with THIS band`s tastes! And this is only the EP! Imagine what this bunch can do with a full length and a slightly bigger budget! Check out the band`s site below and prepare yerself for a TRUE Hardcore experience!

HEAVY METAL MANIA (GR)
Lepus is a band formed by Atrocity's Rich (bass) and Jeff (drums) and this is their first demo consisting of five songs plus a cover on Witchfinder General's "Burning A Sinner", all recorded live in the studio without overdubs (at least according to the band), while their first full-length CD is being expected in the end of this summer. The band's music is a mix of heavy rock, garage and punk and resembles somewhat to some of the stoner bands of the recent past. "The Beast" contains a sample of a Monty Pythons' movie and has a NWOBHM atmosphere. All the songs have a duration of 3 minutes most and they contain riffs, that could mostly fit to a punk band. The vocalist is a punk band's called Blastmat former member and that adds to the whole punk image. The sound is live but alright, exactly how in these releases should be.

MUSIC EXTREME (BR)
Lepus is a powerful band whose style is aggressive and at the same time difficult to describe. Here sings Phil from Blastmat but the music is different from the one of that band. This is kind of more rocking and has some elements of stoner rock and also some seventies influences of bands like Black Sabbath. Phil´s voice is melodic, yet aggressive and gives a lot of identity to Lepus music and the sound of the recording fits the music perfectly. Here we have heavy guitars that play crushing rhythms and solos full of wah wah. The sound is raw but fits the music perfectly giving that kind of more raunchy sound to Lepus music. This is a different sound to the one in Blastmat and I think this would appeal to any fan of heavy rock and seventies influenced music.

EXTREME REVIEWS (US)
This 6-track EP is straight-ahead Stoner Rock meets old school Metal. Take elements of Motorhead, Saxon, Axe and Witchfinder General and you have something that resembles Lepus even down to the cover of Witchfinder General's "Burning A Sinner" (I loved the album covers WG always had!!). Very interesting the way they took on this CD. They recorded it live in one take in the studio with no overdubbing or any of that frills-fancy stuff. The sound is great actually and has that old feel to it. The production is low but you will appreciate what this band tried to do regardless. Not something bands do anymore since most are always looking for that "polished" sound.

BEYOND WEBZINE (FR)
Meeting former members of the group Atrocity (acting ferociously to the era in a register grind/death Metal; Rich to the low one and Jeff behind the fûts) and combo Blastmat (to tendency hardcore/punk; Phil to the song), Lepus surprises by the spontaneous choice of his musical orientation. In fact, the four Americans - being an integral part scene underground - abandoned the aggressive and brutal side of their respective preceding formations to use us the pure sound Heavy Rock, strongly tinged seventies. Low groovy, rhythmic inducing, battery métronomique to the possible one, song Heavy passing of an octave to the other and solos of unending and continuous guitars, seasoned by an effect wha-wha quality first are the principal ingredients of the six original proposed compositions.

METAL OBSERVER (CAN)
At first listen you can tell that this band came from punk origins. When I listen to the songs I hear THE RAMONES, SEX PISTOLS, CLASH, BFG, METALLICA and the singer definitely has crafted his talent after the haunting voice of Ozzy Osbourne (circa BLACK SABBATH). Although this is nothing new it was interesting to hear their take on an old style. During my listen to this CD I went to the website to see what they were all about and learned that they did originate from Death Metal acts from the eighties. There will always be a place in this world for nostalgic rebellious punk music. Many of the old Punk Rockers must be in love with the fact that old bands from the eighties like ATROCITY and BLASTMAT are here to give us something that has been long forgotten. 

METAL CRYPT (US)
With a name like Lepus and extensive use of soundclips from "Monty Python and the Holy Grail", this is obviously not a band that takes itself really seriously. This is NWOBHM with some decent riffing behind it and some rather impressive leads considering this was recorded live in the studio. And they top it off with a cover of Witchfinder General's "Burning A Sinner".