I don't think I've ever used the word "textured" in a death metal review before, but it sure fits here. While staying true to traditional death and doom roots, Bolt Thrower manage to blitz into amazingly fresh territory.

No gimmicks, just sharp riffs, impeccable playing (when the goings gets fast, it sounds like a purring engine, not a blacksmith's shop) and great production. I was warned last week in Columbia about this; that and more has come true.

Toss this in the machine and watch it fly away. Whenever I hear something amazing, I can never write enough about it. And it seems the better the album, the feebler I feel my writing talent is. So, in order to go back to listening to this, I'll stop now. But believe me: The IVth Crusade is rather spectacular. One play and you'll be hooked.

A recent signing of Imperial Stab Chamber, this demo speaks well enough for itself.

While bite-in-the-ass is often used as a derogatory term, it best describes these guys (positively). As soon as you think you're about slap them in some generic genre, they proceed to tear you a new one.

If these guys (not to mention Mas Optica and the metamorphosing Last Crack) are any indication, then there is one fertile scene up in God's Country.

You've heard most of this on Deicide's first album, but Roadrunner has decided to cash in... I mean reward Deicide's faithful fans with the original demos of Deicide's first incarnation. And I do agree with the liners: these rough cuts are a lot more interesting than the first album.

Judging four- and five-year-old recordings is always rather difficult. Fans will love this, and those of us still outside that legion can appreciate from whence they came.

When I spoke of French death metal a couple of issues ago (in the Afflicted review), I almost forgot about Gorguts' origins.

And what a difference from last time. From the piano on "Condemned to Obscurity" to the fairly insightful lyrics (translated or not?), this is pretty good stuff. Miles ahead of Considered Dead, Gorguts catch up to some of the latest European trends without sacrificing the runaway train over a cliff effect they are famous for.

While, to be honest, I prefer a little more refinement or something in my death metal, These guys have picked up one hell of a rep, and this album can only improve it.

Meandering between punky rave-ups and beautiful pop tunes, Green return with a pretty fine bit of recording.

You can't help but think you've stumbled into some kind of wild early seventies flashback when hearing this, but in a good way. All of the sentiments of the era are represented, but not in a normal way. Kinda a psycho-pop thing. Like if David Bowie were fronting Led Zeppelin (whose members happened to be the Stones). Or something like that.

I loved their last effort, which was a little more conventional. This is awful out there, and perhaps even more fun to listen to. Strangeness pays, especially when it sounds this appealing.

It would take a lot of beer and Black Sabbath to get me through life in Utah, and so Into Another finds solace in both. But far from being mere seventies retreads, these boys go where Soundgarden feared to tread.

Downright vicious lead work and amazing sledgehammer riffs are the trademarks, but the rough-yet-soaring vocal work is also a plus. Like the Sabs, they also take an occasional sonic break without cheezing out. I've been a fan of these guys for a while, and I think they have real potential. According to the press, they are at work on their next full-length (this is an ep), so perhaps they will realize great success soon. If you missed this when it came out a couple of months ago, by all means get your hands on it and play, play, play!

Each band does the other's song called "Static." A really brilliant marketing idea. Imagine if this caught on. Laura Branigan doing the Shadows of Night tune "Gloria" (and vice versa, if any of those folks could be rounded up). Or if Helen Reddy and Samantha Sang traded places on the "Emotion" tunes they released close to each other. Or if you could hoist Tennessee Ernie Ford from the grave to record Genesis' "That's All" (and back again). I think I'll stop while I'm ahead.

The Jawbox song is much better, by my reckoning, or perhaps I should say the Tar performance is better. Whichever. Who ever thought this up is a fucking genius.

Now if only My Dying Bride were to write a song called "Tragedy", and Barry and boys decided to give it a whirl...

The future is boundless for this stuff. Amazing.

You know the Jesus Lizard tune, as it is straight from their latest album. But the Nirvana thing can only be found here (for now).

Production-wise, it lies somewhere between Bleach and Sliver. I like it alright, but I must admit I can take only so much self-indulgent noise. And it shares a rhythm with over half of their other tunes, so you'll be sure to recognize it right off.

As for the Jesus Lizard tune, I like it better, but all of you should have been playing it off Liar long ago. I suppose that's all.

If Ned's Atomic Dustbin ever got the idea to hook up with King's X and Soundgarden, the results would be really awful. But Nudeswirl does combine a touch of Manchester with grungy riffs and some harmonies (though more in the Saigon Kick mode, I suppose), and it actually turns out alright.

This is commercial music. I see major MTV attention coming soon. The self-indulgence here is called art by the masses, and to be fair, it should be worse.

I have to put this in the guilty pleasure category. Cheap, but pleasing. Like slamming the Beast on a hot summer day. After a few, it starts to taste pretty damn good.

If Eddie Vedder got strung out on PCP, killed Les Claypool and replaced him as Primus' frontman, well, that wouldn't be weird enough.

A hybrid of grunge, funk, fuzz and some of the stranger lyrics you will ever hear. These guys are very odd, but a lot of fun. One of the songs on this tape, "Fonzie," was an airplay staple at KCOU late last fall. Because, as you know, "All the girls wanna fuck Fonzie..."

Or as another goes, "It's all heavy shit to me...". Eminently quotable, even if some folk wouldn't play it on the air, this comes with my highest recommendation.

Listening to this makes it hard for me to believe these folks live in the Midwest. The guitars on side one are a thick fog, and it takes a rather unique singing style to piece that mood.

Side two shows the more common country-rock thing coming through, but it's so fun I hardly notice.

This should have been called "Three Sides of Sex in Taboo Creek" since there is no song titled "Soft." But it stands nicely as great music.

A real Columbia (Mo.) institution. These guys were at it when I first started school, and they just get around to releasing their first disc.

Horn-flavored frat-boy funk with enough of a kick to get you going. Oddly, I find this a lot better than their live performances. It's more focused, better orchestrated. Those of you with more commercial formats should check this out. It can be a fun ride.

A bass, an acoustic guitar and voices. That's all. Sure, it lends itself to that late sixties folk-rock kinda thing, but as that goes it's not too bad.

Blessed with a knack for writing songs that, like R.E.M., sound a lot more important than they really are, State of Mind have some serious potential. And they can play their instruments rather well, which puts them at the head of their pack.

Since they started, Superchunk has felt the need to resurrect the vinyl seven-inch format (though I've been getting these on disc) by releasing singles between album projects. The product of those early releases became last year's Tossing Seeds, and since then they have released at least two more singles.

They are prolific songwriters, and what they write quickly is pretty damn good. Superchunk are the goods. And a lot of fun, too.

So does Columbia (Missouri) really have thirteen acts running around it creating the next big college music scene? Yes... and no. At least one of the bands on this compilation has finally called it quits, and a couple others are based somewhere other than Columbia but have members who go to school there. But there's everything from traditional college pop to folk to rap to wacky funk to grunge.

While some of this does seem rather derivative, you must remember this scene is rather young. And much of this is really great music. Just like Austin and Seattle, there is a definite sound, but not everyone chooses to conform. If you add in Lawrence and St. Louis, this area is rife with great bands. Paw is just the beginning (and there are more than a dozen bands around here better than those guys).

Thirteen tracks wandering in from many triumphs in Europe. And not just techno, but hard techno, as the subtitles note. Okay, so it's nowhere near KMFDM or Bloodstar in heaviness, but it is pretty decent as this stuff goes.

I recognize some of it from a tape a friend made in New York last summer, so you can tell how dated some of this is. On the other hand, only a handful of people outside the major techno clubs have heard this stuff.

Techno, to me, is an exercise in extracting any possible soul out of music. Thus, it is not among my favorite in the dance genres. But some of this actually dares to bare a little emotion (see the X Marks the Pedwalk track) and ventures towards industrial territory. Adventurous listening for the uninitiated.

Certain bands shouldn't be relegated to "Best of" status. If you want to hear the best of Voivod, pick up their entire catalog and listen through Nothingface. If you want to listen to Angel Rat, go ahead, but I do think there was a reason Blacky took off.

Aside from that, the only logical reason for this album is that the band is not continuing, though of course the press is mum on future plans. Personally, I think their place in history is assured without future recording. This disc attests to that, even with what's missing.

Like the Celtic Frost collection of a year ago, I think this is a little absurd. But what the hell. You can't beat almost an hour of Voivod.

Various Artists
At Death's Door II
(Roadrunner)

To start the year off right, Roadrunner trot out their spring death metal collection. Well, except for Death (of Relativity) redoing a Kiss song that has already been done too many times. Check out the new tracks from Cynic and Disincarnate for a hint of their forthcoming albums. Were but there was more.

Simply put, this is a money-whore project. Put together a bunch of previously-released songs by decent or once decent bands so that some idiot will think he's buying a new song from Megadeth.

You've heard all these songs before. You've played them all before. This isn't even remotely new music. There is no reason for this to get airplay, period.