Static-X – Cannibal (Reprise)

Not since ‘Wisconsin Death Trip’ has Static-X sounded so good.  Melding industrial, thrash, and futuristic disco metal beats Cannibal’s harsh, stripped down tracks find the band returning to its roots.  Clocking in at 37 minutes in length, the album leaves no room for messing around and is a straight up shot of adrenaline from beginning to end.  Catchy as they may be, each track is short, simple, and to the point.  The album starts out with Wayne’s piercing death metal screams, which give way to the ultimate head banging track – “Cannibal.”  The brutally fast rhythms of “No Submission” will pummel you…well, into submission.  If that doesn’t work then the techno dance grooves and Wayne’s rapid fire vocal delivery on “Behemoth” will definitely beat you to a pulp.  The serrated riffs of “Chemical Logic” and shredding solo in “Chroma-Matic” signal a new era for the band.  Always changing their style just enough to keep things fresh without straying too far from their core sound Statik-X have added guitar solos thanks to the return of Koichi Fukuda to the fold.  The band continues with their pledge to keep disco evil on “Electric Pulse” and “Goat” and the fierce grooves of “Destroyer” will take fans back to the early days.  This bone searing unrelenting release is Static-X’s leanest, meanest, and most metal album to date.  Old skool fans will be pleased. -NIN

The Secret Meeting – Ultrashiver (Noiseplus)

Listen up peeps there is a new project out there that you MUST check out.  The Secret Meeting is a collaboration between the dynamic duo Statik & kaRIN (collectively known ad Collide) and Dean Garcia of Curve.  This accomplished collaboration melds the best of both Collide and Curve; however, The Secret Meeting is its own animal – one that will please fans of both groups and entice countless others.  An exotic hybrid of darkwave, trip-hop, and industrial Ultrashiver is a stunning release that will take the listener to new dimensions.  The songs are lush with well crafted instrumental work, and the band’s flawless execution allows each composition to embody its own distinct physical entity.  kaRIN’s sensual vocals are both intoxicating and soothing and they coat each track with warm ethereal tones.  Her voice melds nicely with the warm Middle Eastern textures of “Am I Here?”.  Raw and rough riffs slice through a tranquil electronic landscape on “Blacker than Blue,” and the harsh industrial components of “Forwards and Sideways” will light up any dance floor.  It’s hard to listen to Ultrashiver and not find The Secret Meeting intriguing.  Two of the album’s tracks have already been enlisted for CBS’ ‘NCIS’ so no doubt you’ll be hearing more from this great group, but why wait go to myspace.com/thesecretmeeting and get your copy of Ultrashiver today and while you are at it be sure to check out kaRIN’s cool designs at www.saintsandsinners.tv and sign up for newsletters at www.collide.net.  -NIN