Warning: Extended listening of Brand New Sin's Tequila and Merendine Atomiche's Raw should only be done after consuming copious amounts of cheap beer (provided you are of legal drinking age). Pabst Blue Ribbon is too good for this listening party. Throw down a couple of bucks for a case of something like Hams, Piels or the more appropriately named Black Label. The hangover the next morning will be better than having these songs stuck in your head.

Let's start with Italian metallers Merendine Atomiche. According to their bio, they've been together for 10 years, but Raw (Mausoleum) is only their second full length (hmmmm). After one listen, you'll ask yourself why it took these guys a year and a half to write and record this record- were they learning how to play their instruments or something? These guys have spent an inordinate amount of time listening to the Pantera catalog. When they weren't listening to Pantera, they threw hair metal flash in the pans Dangerous Toys and Love/Hate into their CD player just to spice things up. You'd think after eleven years of listening to American metal and allegedly playing it, they'd sound better than a bunch of high schoolers. The cliches come fast and furious on Raw. You've got the cheesily titled "Peace Means War" with a White Lion style acoustic interlude amid the chugga-chugga riffing. Then there's the annoying cowbell banging on "Shake For Me". Who knew that cowbell could become such an integral part of Italian metal? You get a slow Pantera riff fest on "Breathe The Big Apple", not to mention a strangely placed double kick drum fill. You get faster Pantera riffs on "Roads and Beers". Need a ballad? Every good American metal record had a ballad right? "Oceans Shadow" was probably written as a serious song, but Luca Zandarin's vocals are too accented to make this song sound even close to respectable. The band claims to have used the best production equipment available, but yet the album sounds like it was recorded in their buddy's basement on a four track. Clearly this is a band signed in some back alley bar in Rome by a drunk A&R rep looking for the next Lacuna Coil. I don't think he came close to finding it.

Not to have the title of "Best Biker Bar in the Middle of Nowhere Band" taken by a bunch of Italians, Brand New Sin offer up Tequila (Metal Blade). This Syracuse-based band has been offering up their brand of Black Label Lite since 2002. Their sound hasn't progressed significantly since they burst on the music scene and that's just fine for what they do. Let's face it, it's just too damn hard to swill when you're trying to follow technical progressions of a band like Converge or Dillinger Escape Plan. Brand New Sin just deliver straight forward rock/metal with lyrics that are easy to slur along to. You get your typical bad relationship song in "Did Me Wrong" (and yes, they call the evil woman a "bitch", how original). You get your typical world falling to shit song with "Spare the Agony" as well as "Reaper Man". All good bar bands need to have some cover songs in their repertoire, right? Brand New Sin offer up "House Of The Rising Sun" to close the record. This probably sounds better after a few rounds of tequila shots then it does under the influence of sobriety. This kind of metal clearly appeals to some people. I guess I'm just a Harley, a leather vest and a domestic assault rap short of getting it.

please support          ________________________________________________________________         __________