Get YOUR Ticket to Mayhem! Tickets to the Jan 21st Whiplash/Morbid Saint Show Now Available Online!

That's right, so don't go sleeping on it and miss out because this show is going to SELLOUT! Get your tickets to mayhem right here right now.

THIS is what your are in store for:

Whiplash and the RETURN of Morbid Saint!!!! Sat Jan 21st 2012 Phila, PA

Tickets are available online here
This show will sell out so don't sleep on it and miss out on this. Get your tickets while they're available.

Well kids, I was gonna wait until later when I had all the details in order to announce this show that's been in the works since October but pretty much.....FUCK Santa Claus, Whiplash & Morbid Saint are coming to town! Sat Jan 21st in Philly, PA. $15 ALL AGES, 21+ to drink. Venue TBA. FB event page to come, but enjoy the killer flier for now and pass it along!!!

Storming Through Trenton NJ: Warbringer, Midnite Hellion & Lethal Strike; 10/17/11

Well it doesn't exactly take a rocket scientist to figure out what's gonna happen when you lock a bunch of nutty headbangers in a room with Warbringer, Midnite Hellion & Lethal Strike, AND add alcohol. Something is definitely getting broken, someone's getting hurt and your probably not gonna make it to work the next day, I know I didn't. And as usual, with good reason of course, this was a show that I was really looking forward too. It had all the right ingredients for that ever so exciting recipe of disaster we all crave so much. DESTRUCTION!

I tried making it a point of showing up on time to help the Midnite Hellion guys out with their stage props and catch the opening band but that didn't exactly go as planned. We did manage to get there just in time to catch the opening act though, Trenton, NJ's very own Corpse! Making their debut appearance with California's very own Warbringer nonetheless, not bad too bad of a start huh? I really wasn't too sure what to expect from them to be honest. I've been talking with these guys online for a little bit now and I could tell they were putting a lot of work into their newly formed band, and I think it really came through that night.



I can honestly say that I enjoyed watching these guys play and that for a first show, they did pretty damn good, far better then I could ever hope to do if I were to ever take to the stage. With a very strong old school Death/Thrash sound to them I think if they keep at it they'll be hammering it out alongside the rest of the Jersey militia before they know it. Obviously these guys had a very short set but I managed to get the camera on just a little bit into one of their songs which I really dug, Possessed by the Pentagram. You can find these guys on Facebook & Youtube so go ahead and give their page a 'Like'. Lets give these guys some support, OR ELSE!

I'm sure at some point between bands I went to the bathroom and drank a soda, or drank a soda and went to the bathroom or something but does anyone really want to read about that? Maybe you do? Who knows.

Anyway, up next was a group of maniacs from Jersey City that you should already be quite familiar with, especially if you've been reading this Blog/Zine/Thing: Lethal Strike. I was just reviewing these guys previous show not too long ago and comparing their energy to bands like Warbringer and now I'm seeing them on stage right alongside Warbringer, definitely pretty cool.



These guys always play with a fist packed full of energy, their front man never stops moving for a single second and that is exactly what I like to see up on stage. I've said it before and I guess I'm gonna say it again but I really don't know why these guys haven't gotten way more attention on the national level. At the moment they're in the process of recording/releasing their debut EP which I'm really looking forward to getting my hands on and passing around like the plague. If you haven't already done so, head over to their Facebook page, give them a 'Like' and keep your eyes on what they've got going on. I know they've got a lot of shows coming up so don't be a total wimp, get out and see these guys live, show some support and buy their EP when it comes out.

But now, for my favorite part of the night, drum roll please....Trenton, NJ's famous batch of monsters. They're evil, they're ugly and they're coming for you; Midnite Hellion! I was lucky enough to catch their debut show up in Kearny, NJ back in September, which you can read about on here, and it was absolutely killer. So it should go without saying that I wasn't expecting anything less this time around. But at the same time, I sure as hell wasn't prepared to dodge all the shrapnel that came flying from this explosive performance....

While these guys were setting up their equipment a few people, including myself, helped set up some of their stage props. The MH guys had brought a number of sections of an evil Halloween fence to line the stage with, which wasn't exactly the most stable or durable thing in the world as we'd soon find out....haha. But we got it up & standing and got things looking a bit more evil then usual around there.

They also unveiled the killer brand spanking new MH banner that you may have noticed hanging behind them (how could you not notice that?) which my better half/partner in crime actually painted for them. AND, you may, or may not, have noticed the bands logo printed on the double bass drums. If you couldn't tell already, these guys have been putting some serious effort into their band and it goes well beyond just their image. These guys have a pretty solid traditional Heavy Metal sound with some elements of Speed & Thrash creeping under it to pull it all together.

Before kicking things off, their front man Sonny Zackeo got everyone in the crowd warmed up and laughing along with his hilarious commentary and stage antics, which was interrupted by someone's cell phone or something playing music through their amp every time the volume was turned up on their guitar. I still don't really know what was going on but it had me laughing.



Now, this was only their second show, but it was also their debut hometown gig and they had a pretty strong crowd there all fired up to see them before the had music even started. And just like in Kearny, you could feel something building up in the crowd before things came crashing together.



Kicking things off with the title track of their upcoming demo 'The Fever', they got things moving along right away and the crowd didn't need much time at all to catch up with them. So far so good as far as the fence was concerned, I had my eye on it....



Cranking out their sonic attack with Cross the Line and 1903; two more solid track off their upcoming demo, and following it up with a new one titled Witching hour.

It was about this time that I really started to notice how hyped up people were getting, jumping up and down off the stage, singing along, really getting into it and just going crazy. And just when you thought things have reached their limited these guys decided to push it over the edge with a Slayer cover; Black Magic!



The timing for this couldn't have been any more perfect, it was just like throwing raw meat into a pack of wild dogs. People began trampling over the fence to get on stage and sing along, grabbing pieces of it and smashing it against the stage, over their heads, throwing it and playing air guitar with pieces of it. By the time the song had ended there wasn't a single piece of this fence left standing or intact, all you could see were the smashed up pieces strewn across the floor, getting trampled on as MH pulled out one last song and another great cover for the night, Iron Maiden's Invaders!



This was the perfect end to a great set and I'm glad we got it all on video. Until next time....Beware of the Midnite Hellion!!!

At this point I was in serious need of some 'fresh' air and headed outside to bs for a bit, which basically turned into the rest of the night until Warbringer took to the stage. From what I'm told Diamond Plate and the rest of the bands on tour with Warbringer were really great and I'm bummed that I missed out on them. Ah well, these things happen. They'll be back.



After giving my ass a break I made my way back inside the second I heard the unmistakable sounds of Warbringer setting up, one of the best bands to come out of the new school attack on the West Coast and in the US in general. California, New Jersey & New York, I don't know what it is but there is something about the beach & ocean in general that pretty much guarantees top notch metal.



Anyone whose seen them before knows exactly what I'm talking about, these guys are a literal metal storm, delivering waves of destruction to every single show they play, and that is exactly what they unleashed upon the people of Trenton New Jersey. Blasting off with a barrage of West Coast terror, these guys got the crowd moving in a heart beat. And when the crowd stopped....front man John Kevill made it clear that he wasn't gonna be having that, literally stepping off stage to get the crowd moving by pushing them while still singing and not missing a beat! If you wanna stand still go find a fucking chair or stand in the back!



With a solid mixture of material from all three or their studio albums there wasn't a moment to rest. I hadn't had a chance to pick up their latest album yet, Worlds Torn Asunder, so I wasn't too familiar with their newer material other then what I'd come across on youtube, but I was definitely digging it. They busted out plenty of goodies from their first album War Without End along with their second release Walking Into Nightmares. I kept screaming for Instruments of Torture but my screams went unheard! But with songs like Total War, Shoot to Kill & Combat Shock how could I complain?



At some point guitarist John Laux managed to rip down some ceiling tiles with his guitar after slammed the neck of it into the ceiling, sending dusty tile fragments all over the place, not slowing him down for a second! Another casualty of War I suppose. Unfortunately, this war had an end to it and these guys had to call it a night.





Being the big dork that I am, once they got off stage I took the opportunity to chew John Kevill's ear off a bit along with my buddie Sam Agnew, one of the ax wielding maniacs of Jersey's Condition Critical. At some point I had mentioned to him that he needs to listen to some Condition Critical and pointed Sam out as one of their guitarists. Our jaws dropped when he told us that he's listened to them and actually likes them, mentioned their song Time Wave Zero saying that's a great song title. Again, being the big dork that I am I had to get that on film and asked him if he could repeat that again. And this is it, a perfect end to a killer night!

Razormaze, Hessian & On Top @ JR's Phila, PA 11/30/11

Condition Critical, Midnite Hellion to play with Obituary: Thurs Nov 17th @ Championships Trenton, NJ

Clash of the Old & New School Titans: The Free Outdoor Thrash Show @ FDR: Phila, PA 10/1/11

One thing I've always noticed about most of the larger metal shows around here is the cross section of people you get in attendance when it comes to age. You can almost always count on the older, bigger name bands to bring the old school metalheads out of retirement and out of the woodwork in force, with the younger crowd bringing up the rear. I've also noticed that you pretty much get the exact opposite when you break things down on a local level with local bands. You can usually count the number of old school dudes on one hand that make it out to see any of the newer bands, local or touring. And you can probably use the same exact hand to count the younger guys making it out to see any of the local old school bands that are still pounding it out around here, not taking the exclusion of the underage kids into account thanks to the whole 21+ bar scene that plagues the area these days.

This is something that I think about a lot, whether I'm sitting around my house, at work or right in the middle of a show, and it always leads me to the same places; what causes it and what can be done about it. I'll spare you guys the lengthy details and my thoughts on it all but a lot of it stems from getting stuck in a certain routine, having the same circle of friends, a general lack of all age shows and the only end result that can come from all this: not really knowing what's taking place on each others side of the fence.

Luckily for me I've had a nice position up on top of that fence with a good view of both camps, and this more or less crippling dilemma got me thinking....what would happen if I got all of these people into the same room, with bands from both schools on the same bill. Would it be something of an awkward high school dance with people cliqueing up on either side watching curiously from a distance, or would there be a violent chain reaction from the exposure of these two devastating elements? This little thought has held my brain hostage for quite some time now until recently, when I just couldn't take it any longer, so I decided that it was time to unleash my little experiment on the unsuspecting people of Philadelphia....

The FREE ALL AGES OUTDOOR THRASH SHOW at FDR Skatepark!!!!

There really is no better time to be outdoors than in the cool autumn weather, aka good jacket/hoodie wearing weather! It's definitely my favorite time of the year and it only seemed fitting to do an outdoor show around this time. I mean think about it, really....who actually enjoys being outdoors at these big shows in the sweltering heat? Sweating your brains out with your clothes stuck to your back...it's miserable. And the fact that it's free, all ages and at a skate park, I'm really not sure how you could possibly set up a better show than this. Not to mention the killer line up!

With this being my first show and all I really wanted to make a point of going all out to show people just what they can expect from Falloutzine shows, and I got a good bit of help from a lot of good people. For starters every single person that had a hand in this event from the bands and the sound guy to the DJ and even the guy grilling up food for the bands had donated their time and effort to us for free, in order to contribute to something worth supporting; our scene. We even had the guys from Possessor drive all the way up from Virgina just to play this show alongside the mighty Anvil Bitch! Now that's dedication.

Because of the restrictions involved with relying on the sun for light, there's no lights down in the wasteland of FDR park, we had to kick this show off pretty early and cut it off around 6pm, or at least that's what we tried to do. The early start time caused a lot of stragglers to miss the opening acts, God Sex Weapons and even the neck wrecking maniacs from NJ, Condition Critical, which sucks for you guys because they put on a killer set, as always. A head count at the end of the night ended at roughly 140 people, not bad for our first show considering the threat of rain that day huh?

But enough about all that, let's get to the music!Kicking things off we had God Sex Weapons, a newer band that was recently brought to my attention by Jason Carr, the guitarist from the local old school thrash band Citadel. I wasn't really sure what to expect from these guys when he first told me about them, but it sounded pretty promising. And after taking the time to look into these guys I knew they'd fit right in on this bill.

Hailing from the outskirts of Philly, these guys from the Levittown/Croydon PA area are a group of younger/teenage metalheads that have been hammering away for a little over a year now with their current line up. They've got a pretty tight sound and I definitely look forward to having them play some more gigs with us in the future.

I've always said that it must be pretty rough for the opening band whose got to break the ice for a bunch of people that aren't too familiar with their music but these guys did a pretty damn good job of it, so I'll just let their performance speak for itself.


Be sure to show those guys some support, you can find them on Facebook and all the other usual places.

Next up was Condition Critical, a band who should need no introduction at this point. Originally scheduled to play 3rd I had to switch their spot out with Bitchslicer due to some scheduling issues that had come up. But nevertheless, your gonna need some serious force to try and slow these guys down. We've been passing their demo around like crazy so it shouldn't come as a surprise that everyone who came out was psyched to finally catch these guys at their very first gig here in Philly.



Tearing open their set with the first song off their demo 'Bred to Kill', and quickly followed up by the second song off that demo 'S.M.R.' (Self Mutilation Ritual) you could tell that people in the crowd were standing there in total shock trying to figure out what the hell they had witnessed just from the looks on their faces. You obviously can't judge a book by it's cover but I don't think these people really expected that kind of sonic force to come blasting from the fingertips of these four younger dudes from Jersey. Let that be a lesson; Condition Critical does not fuck around.



In an attempt to try and prevent any heart attacks from taking place in the crowd, or from blowing up their equipment from what was about to come next, Sam Agnew, the latest edition to the band, took it easy on us with a brief intermission consisting of a solo of classical proportions.


And just when these guys made you think it was safe to relax for a minute, they bring up Tyler Van Osten, bassist for the South Jersey thrash band Cerebral Decay, to take over on vocals for a cover of Demolition Hammer's '45. Caliber Brain Surgery'. The name Demolition Hammer Jr. has been thrown around a lot to describe Condition Critical, and after this video was posted to their FB page they were paid the ultimate compliment by the band themselves!



And to close out this awesome set, with a favorite of Warbringer's vocalist John Kevill (watch this video) is the last song off their demo, Time Wave Zero. Do yourself a favor and make sure your at the next gig these guys play because your only depriving yourself here.



Next up was the OBSCENE Philly band known as Bitchslicer!

These guys have been tearing it up around the city since 2001 and just kick ass in general. There wasn't a single band on this bill that wasn't a pleasure to work with but these guys were really great. Willing to lend a hand with anything that was needed and just all around awesome. And we didn't even get to their music yet! Unfortunately my girlfriend ran off to the store (to pick up more food) with my camera just before their set started and didn't get back in time, so we were unable to film it! I'm kicking myself in the ass for not grabbing the camera off her but I'll just have to make it up to them next time wont I? Sorry guys!

In case your not familiar with these guys, you can dig them up on Facebook, Youtube and all the other usual places that you creeps listen to music at. But in the meantime, check out some live footage of them ripping it up in New York recently with Possessor, Hellcannon & Deceased! A kick ass show I couldn't make but keep hearing about!



One of the things people kept asking me about leading up to the show, and afterwords, was how did I get so many great bands to play for free. Well, the answer is pretty simple. It's because all of these guys genuinely care about the local scene and helping to build it up. Between the oldschool guys that remember what things were like back in the day to the new school kids that are hell bent to rebuild it, there is a real force to be reckoned with here and this is just the beginning of it.

DJ GR/EG spinning vinyl and quite a few heads between sets!

So far we've gotten a pretty lethal dose of the new school, but now it was time to clobber you over the head with a heavy handed dose of the old school force known as Citadel, a band that needs no introduction around here.

If you don't know who they are...you'd better change that. I was lucky enough to shoot an interview with these guys a few days before the show at one of their practices and hear the very first song they've written since they reformed. It seriously blew me away and I was psyched to hear it again live at FDR.



One of the many things I love about these guys is the power behind their vocals, Will Shull has a voice that will grab your attention and he knows just how to use it. This is something I got a lot of feedback about from people after the show, including John Gaffeny, bassist of the great Allentown Heavy Metal band Sinister Realm. (Check them out as well!!!)

Not content to just let the crowd stand back, Will got everyone moving and pulled them up front to unleash one of my favorite cover songs they do, Lethal Tendencies from Hallows Eve. A song that always gets a reaction from the crowd no matter where they're at.



Citadel always gives it their 100% and I recommend checking them out live if you haven't already done so. You can watch the rest of their set on our Youtube channel



Next up was Possessor! The Virgina based bangers whose loyalty to the dark gods of old comes crashing through your eardrums like a flaming car wreck. These guys drove all the way up to Philly just to play this show and we're definitely glad that they did. I've had their City Built with Skulls demo since it came out last year so I knew just what we were in for.



Opening up with the first song 'Hammer and Nails' off of that demo, they wasted no time setting the tone for anyone who wasn't already familiar with them. This got the crowd moving a bit but not like it should have...and we all know there is nothing worse then a bunch of metalheads just standing around like they're at a parade. Come on guys....I know Philly knows how to dance.



Blasting through the rest of the song's off their Demo they busted out some of their latest stuff, which included a song called Champions of Chaos. I really dug it but thought it was just a little bit too long, something I had also heard from a few other people as well. Another new one they pulled out was 'Reaper of Death' which I thought was great! Check it out for yourself:



These guys put on a great show, lots of energy and you can tell they really put a lot of effort into everything they're doing. From their imagery and merch down to their old school studs & leather (and chains & nails!) stage armor, these guys do more then just play music, they put on a show! I'd like to throw out another thanks to them for coming up and especially to their drummer Chris for making such an awesome show flier! Cheers guys!

And now, finally! The old school kings of Philadelphia Thrash, still reigning supreme after all these years; the almighty Anvil Bitch!

I originally didn't think I'd be able to get these guys on the bill, but when that phone call came in saying everything was good I swear to god I was going out of my mind. Fucking Anvil Bitch! Here is a band, basically from my neighborhood, that has been holding it down in Philly since 1985. Still out there hammering away and playing shows but not getting the local support they truly deserve. I can tell you that for all this attention thrash has gotten over recent years, and the people I see popping up at other shows, that there is not enough younger faces showing up at their gigs around the Philly area, and that is something I'm hoping to help change.

Opening it up with a new one off their Sanctify EP, First Act of Violence, and following it up with one of my personal favorites, Vengeance of the Sword, these guys wasted no time making it known that time hasn't slowed them down one bit! Eviction, Gods of Fire, which is another new one that sounds anything but new and it's great!






Now, I'm not too sure if these guys were trying to actually kill the audience here or what but they pulled out the almighty Neckbreaker and then followed it up with a fist pounding cover of Slayer's Black Magic! Oh yeah, I'm pretty sure they were trying to kill us, or make us kill each other!




Next up was Sanctify and Creation with a lethal dose of Shark Attack thrown in on top! My memory really isn't the greatest here so I can't remember the exact order but somewhere in there was a cover of Exciter's 'Pounding Metal' and Motorhead's 'Ace of Spades' with guitarist John Plumley taking over on vocals.


There was talk of some people bringing rice to throw during Maggots but someone forgot the rice! We should have ordered take out. Nevertheless, these guys unfortunately had to bring the show to an end and there really was no better way to do it then with the skin crawling crowd pleasing Maggot Infestation!



All in all it was a great show, and an especially great first show for us. I'd like to thank everyone again that came out, helped out and that we hope to see you all of you again at or our future shows. We've got some great things in the works, you'll see.

Cheers!!!

Warbringer, Midnite Hellion, Lethal Strike + MORE @ Championship Bar & Brill Trenton, NJ Mon 10/17/11

Free Outdoor Thrash Show!!! FDR Skate Park: Philly, PA 10/1/11

That's right you F**KEN MANIACS, you heard it here first! It's FREE & All Ages. Help spread the fire cause this is going to be INSANE!!!! You'll see.

FREE!!!
All Ages!!!

Bands
Anvil Bitch - Legendary Old School Philly Thrash, Tearing it up since 1985!
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Anvil-Bitch-official/114553098625682

Possessor - Pure EVIL New School Thrash from Virginia since 2009
https://www.facebook.com/PossessorMetal

Citadel - Old School Philly Speed Metal from Frankford since 1986
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Citadel/147371911999221?sk=wall

Condition Critical - New School Ragers from South Jersey. Think Kreator meets Morbid Saint & Demolition Hammer in the middle of hell.
https://www.facebook.com/ConditionCriticalNJ

Bitchslicer - Obscene Philly Thrash since 2001
https://www.facebook.com/SEXwithSHARKS

God Sex Weapons - New School Bangers from Levittown, PA
https://www.facebook.com/pages/God-Sex-Weapons/161274687266424

Special Guest:
DJ GR/EG - Host of Philly's Metal Mondays & Hessian Aggression, who will be spinning nothing but the finest old school metal on vinyl between bands.
https://www.facebook.com/pages/DJ-GREG/134744306548005
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Hessian-Aggressio/162638660423479

*For those of you not familiar with FDR Skate park, it's located in the back of FDR park in South Philly, directly underneath 95. The entrance into the park is located on 20th & Pattison ave. Just follow the loop around and you'll see the park under 95 to your right.

Keep up with what's going on:
Free Outdoor Thrash Show FB Event Page

A Taste of the Upcoming Warbringer Album

Worlds Torn Asunder, the 3rd Full Length release from these Northern California MANIACS!!! Available September 27th 2011.

Lord of the Wasteland: Toxic Holocaust Returns to Philadelphia 8/17/11

There is a reason why I've always made it a point to never miss a Toxic Holocaust gig within a 2 hr driving distance from Philly. Actually there's several now that I'm thinking about it....but really it's because Joel, and now Phil & Nikki, have never failed to live up to our expectations; they've ALWAYS delivered that sonic wave of nuclear charged Thrash Metal that our eardrums need to be assaulted with. And their show at the Kung-Fu Necktie this time around wasn't any different.



For those of you that have never made it out here, the Kung-Fu Necktie is a pretty decent spot, it's more or less your average sized Kenzo/Fishtown corner bar. When you walk in you pass through a little vestibule which opens up to the bar area. Pool table directly in front of you hogging up the center of the room, several booths along the wall to your right and the bar stretching along the left hand side. The bar leads up to a back room which is a decent size, plenty of room to move around with the small stage tucked against the back wall. This place is also 'Mosh Friendly' so if you come out, don't just stand there like my grandparents.



Unfortunately this is not an All Age venue, it's a bar...obviously, so by playing here your just cutting out about half of your local following. Stop playing 21+ shows guys! I think the last All Age Toxic Holocaust show in Philly was at the Electric Factory with Gwar back in 2008....



I caught them the last time they came through here with some people I can't even recall. But this time around they've got a new album under their belt (which you should already own if your sitting here reading this!) and two other bands sharing the stage with them: Holy Grail and the Krum Bums.



I've seen Holy grail in the past and as much as I like what they're going for, they just lose me on the whole progressive/metalcore stuff they've sunk into. Sorry guys, just being honest here. And the Krum Bums, eh, whatever.



I got there just before Toxic Holocaust started setting up so we had a little time to mill around a bit and say what's up to friends etc. Once I heard the amps go on I pushed my way through the crowd (this place was packed) and made my way up to the front. From the second the first chord was struck to the last crack of the drums I don't think my head stopped moving once. I didn't really dig the track off their new album "I am Disease" when they played it the last time they came through, and I was a little worried about what else was gonna be on that album, but luckily Conjure & Command turned out to be a pretty strong album.



These guys have been around for well over 10 years now and have a crazy amount of material, so you'll always get a hit with a wide variety of stuff. They mixed it up with a good bit of new material off of C&C as well as the classics off their previous 3 studio albums as well as the Reapers Grave EP etc. I'm still waiting to hear Summon the Best....



And what kind of a Toxic Holocaust show would it be without shooting the shit with Joel afterwords? I don't think I've ever met a more humble, approachable and genuinely appreciative guy. I've seen a bit of mud slung his way online but this guy has his feet planted firmly on the ground and that's right where his head and his music is. Thanks again for authenticating/autographing my Critical Mass demo! See you guys next time!

Condition Critical 2011 Demo Review

Written by Sam Agnew

What is the main ingredient that makes Thrash Metal kick so much ass? That would be, first and foremost, the riffs! Condition Critical's very first real recording has an overabundance of riffs of the bad ass variety, and much more! This band from various parts of New Jersey has finally been able to record a demo, and it is well worth checking out. Complete with aggressive riffs, fierce vocals, a powerful bass tone that backs up the rest of the music perfectly with the drums, masterful shredding lead guitar work and impressive drumming worthy of being compared to the late great Vinnie Daze, this short three song demo does not disappoint even for a second.

As I said before, this demo has great riffs, which is the backbone of kick ass thrash, but not the only ingredient. A lot of bands come up with great riffs, but fail to back them up correctly. This is not the case for Condition Critical. It takes more than just a talented guitarist or two for music to come together so well. Aside from Alonso Maguiño and Dave Hewson's guitar work, we have the drumming talent of Ryan Donato, and Mike Dreher's stand out bass lines. The combination of drums and bass on this recording combine to build up the riffs perfectly, and draws out their true aggressive potential.

This is exemplified perfectly when the music builds up from a slow, heavy riff to an explosion of speed and aggression, and this happens very often on the recording. A good example of this is the first minute or so of Time Wave Zero, but I will get to that in a little bit. The music never bores the listener because of the tempo changes, and they keep the riffs interesting at all times. The dynamics created by Ryan's drumming and Mike's bass allow the rest of the music to shine through for maximum head banging potential.

This means the “rhythm section” accents the guitars perfectly, which distinguishes Condition Critical from many other new bands. The coordination between band members is noticeable, and the transitions between riffs seriously increase their overall “headbangability,” and make them more fun to listen to. All of this combined with relentless thrash breaks, and energetically aggressive, yet catchy gang shouts (that are actually well executed) makes for a high quality first release.

(Disclaimer: I do not intend to be one of those guys that gives track by track reviews, but seeing as how this is only 3 songs it seems fitting to do so in order to describe it in detail)

Now getting onto the actual individual songs(there are only 3 of them, which makes it a lot easier to talk about every detail). There are a total of four tracks, one of them being a short intro. The intro is only 30 seconds long, and is not very special, compared to the rest of the demo. It serves it's purpose of being a good introduction to the band though.

The riff is very crushing, albeit pretty standard, but what stands out is the double bass behind it. It serves as a good introduction to the band's sound, but the real attention grabber comes as soon as the opening riff of “Bred to Kill” kicks in. That is when the head banging starts, and all throughout it the rhythm section backs it up perfectly, as I discussed earlier.

My first real surprise was when Alonso's vocals came in for the first time. I have played shows with these guys two times(and another time in a few days at the time of writing this review), and both times I could not clearly hear the vocals besides noticing the fact that they were there. I was completely thrown off guard when I first listened to this demo because I did not know his vocals were that fitting.

They are definitely reminiscent of that brutal style in between thrash and death metal, but not to the point that I would call the band death metal, because the music is mostly pure thrash. He has a growled style similar to the first Malevolent Creation album, and the obvious comparison of Steve Reynolds from Demolition Hammer. That seems to be the most common description of this band; they are even called “Demolition Hammer Jr” by people. While the heavy Demolition Hammer influence is apparent, this is not all there is to the music.



Listening to the rest of Bred to Kill clearly reveals this, especially during the mid section of the song contains parts similar to what I would expect from bands like Testament. The guitar harmony part also stands out. This is not your typical “Iron Maiden” guitar harmony though, mainly because it does not utilize thirds and does not come off as “melodic.” Instead, it is more reminiscent of something Kerry King and Jeff Hanneman would coordinate between each other, although with a hint of the previously mentioned Testament influence behind it.

As Bred to Kill comes to a rampaging end, the next track, “Self Mutilation Ritual” (better known as S.M.R.), comes kicking in. The first riff of this song is very likely one of the main comparisons to Demolition Hammer that you can find on this recording. The riff is repeated with variations until the music explodes into a frenzy of Slayer inspired aggression. The riffs continue to grab the listener's attention, while forcing you to bang your head with them when it all comes to a grinding slow down into a section that drives along at a mid tempo.

Ryan's drumming underneath this section of the song stands out even more than the riffs sometimes, which is very rare for me to notice as a guitarist. This culminates into a chugging section with some technical guitar picking. Again the “rhythm section” continues to impress me, making a simple riff sound more layered with the snare hits, and the accenting of the bass. The song continues to induce more head banging until it returns to the very first riff of the song and builds up to a slow ending. Until...



Time Wave Zero kicks in. The first riff catches the listener off guard with it's brutality. As it progresses into one of the faster parts of the demo, everything comes to a brief, sudden stop. The pause towards the beginning of this track is one of the greatest moments of this entire recordings. The use of thrash dynamics really shows that these guys know what they are doing. Time Wave Zero shows what this band is truly capable of, and it is personally my favorite track on the record.

It also has what I believe to be the coolest lyrics out of the three songs. It is far from typical thrash song topics, and it makes things more interesting. As the demo comes to a close, the last ringing note of Time Wave Zero leaves you wanting to hear more from this band, and I am pretty sure giving us more to hear is exactly what they intend to do.



This seriously is a stand out release for a local band. Aside from the purely musical aspects that I have been talking about on this demo, the mixing and production is very impressive as well, especially for a band's first demo release. I think they want to use the same studio for when they record an album. The CD that I have does not sound like a recording of a band that just started; the sound is literally high enough quality to be put on a full length album.

This is even more impressive because it was mostly recorded live in the studio, so it fully captures the band's energy and personality. It is bands like this that give the New Jersey metal scene hope. They know what they are doing, they are serious about it and they show no mercy.

I am not saying this as a friend of the band, but as a listener. This demo is more than worth buying, and you don't even have to pay for it because it is up for free. I would recommend supporting this band, buying some merchandise when it comes along and showing up to shows if they play near you so we can continue to support local music that is actually really good.

This release is a breath of fresh air for the NJ thrash scene. All of the members of this band were in death metal bands as well, and still are in those other projects, but you can tell just by listening to this that they were all meant to play thrash. The bottom line is: this demo will blow your mind.

An Interview with New Jersey's Condition Critical 8/20/11 @ The Meatlocker, Montclair, NJ

Toxic Holocaust - Wed 8/17/11 @ Kung Fu Necktie @ Phila, PA

Another 21+ show in Philly...imagine that.
$10 at the Door
7pm-10pm

Kung Fu Necktie (bar)
1248 North Front Street
Philadelphia, PA 19122-4602
(215) 291-4919

Condition Critical @ Airport Circle; Gloucester City, NJ

Now this is a show that I am really looking forward to, and to be honest...I have absolutely no clue who any of these other band are aside from Condition Critical, and I really don't care! These guy's don't even have a demo recorded yet, and I've never even seen them live. But judging solely from what I've seen on youtube and heard word of mouth...I am fucken PSYCHED! Hopefully we can give these guys a proper welcome to the area and maybe next time they come around they'll be tearing it up for us right here in Philly.

BE THERE OR BE SQUARE!!!!!!

Bitchslicer + More @ JR's Bar (22nd & Passyunk) Sat July 16th

Condition Critical - North Jersey's Latest Batch of Manaics!!!

So I was originally trying to hold out on this and keep these guys a secret on here until I got a proper interview together and/or a show review for their first gig at the Meatlocker in Montclair, NJ last month but I just can't do it. Why? Well just listen to them that's why. These dudes are fucking insane and I can't believe these videos are from their very first show less then a month ago!

Who sounds this good at their first show, seriously, who? Apparently the guys from Condition Critical do. I guess that's what happens when you've got the proper influences and the means to EXECUTE them! I don't wanna spoil it too much so I'll hold back a little bit in hopes of getting you back here to check out an interview with them or something along those lines, but keep you eye's peeled for these guys.

(*w/ Sam Agnew of Midian on far left)

They've got a gig coming up in Gloucester City, NJ at the Airport Circle (never heard of it? Me neither, so don't feel bad) on Sat July 30th. It's only $8 and it's All Ages. They've also got another one up North a week earlier in Montclair, NJ at the Meatlocker on Wed July 20th which is also All Ages.

You can find all the info for those shows on their Facebook page which I'll post below. But yeah, don't end up sitting at home clicking away on the internet when these guys take the stage, come out and show them your support. I'll definitely be at the Gloucester City show and you'd better be too!

Condition Critical (Facebook)

Some footage from their first gig:
June 15th 2001 @ Meatlocker, Montclair NJ

Witchaven & Nocturnal North American Tour 2011

Witchaven will also be traveling back home on their own, making stops at cities and states like Philly,New Jersey,Florida, Atlanta, St Louis, Denver, SLC, Idaho, Seattle, Portland a nd More... more info will be announced soon with a tour Flyer.

Violator - Futurephobia

'Thrash Till Death In Brooklyn' Sat Feb 26th

Warbringer - At The Crack of Doom