Sworn Enemy - Maniacal
|
Our Price: $12.98 Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours Buy Used: from $3.78 (click here) Category: Music CD See more new music releases 
|
|---|
Buy this Music CD at online store in your country
Canadian Music Store
Canadian Music Store
Free Music Notes for Maniacal
Free Music Review: IT'S TIME TO RAGE!!
Hit: 5 Stars
Now that's what I call some serious, maniacal, in your face, headbanging hardcore metal, and Sworn Enemy's brand new album "Maniacal" is exactly that. I first heard Sworn Enemy when I heard "Time to Rage" (which is of course on this album) on Music Choice Metal, and it pretty much influenced me to get my hands on this cd, and I did just that a couple months ago, and I've been hooked to it ever since. It's also become one of my favorite cd's of 2008 as well. Released on Century Media records, and produced by both As I Lay Dying vocalist Tim Lambesis and Life of Agony guitarist Joey Z, Sworn Enemy's "Maniacal" is an all out, straight up blistering, punishing, slamming, jamming, headbanging New York crossover hardcore/thrash metal beatdown that's both unforgiving and unrelenting at the same time. These guys also have some hardcore punk influences as well. Whenever I listen to this album, I like to bang my head and mosh around like crazy whether I'm having one of those rough days at work, or I just feel like rocking out. Every song on here is great too. Frontman Sal LoCoco's vocals are just harsh, raging, and downright angry throughout. He just screams and shouts with such anger, aggression, and rage. The guitar riffs on here are very reminiscent of Slayer. They're fast, frantic, raging, crushing, and unrelenting throughout, and there's also a handful of awesome, careening solos on here as well. The drumming is just excellent and very impressive, with lots of fast, hammering, thrashing beats and sick slaughtering double bass assault patterns that will beat the listener into a bloody, battered pulp.
The opening track "Ignorance" immediately gets the album rolling with fast steamrolling riffs, thundering thrashing double bass drumwork, raging screaming vocals including a catchy gang shout of "I CALL THIS IGNORANCE", and there's also a nice wild shredding solo as well. The next track "Time to Rage" continues the brutal onslaught with more fast punishing drumwork (with some blast beats added), and some addicting Slayer-esque riffs especially during the chorus, while track three "A Place of Solace" features a killer double bass drum solo at the beginning along with more slaughtering double bass onslaughts, wild thrash induced riffage, raging, powerful screams, and some awesome dualing solos to boot as well, and the ending is very brutal too. Track four "Weather the Storm" is another favorite on here that is highlighted by a winding, fiery solo at the beginning (which is definately one of the best solos on this cd) and more heavy thrashing riffs, hammering, headbanging drums, and more hate spewing vocals. The fifth track "Destroyer" features more busy double bass work, heavy battering, razor shredding riffs, and another awesome wailing solo to boot, and track six "The American Way" is highlighted by another great wailing, shredding solo as well as some muscular chugging riffs and more bruising double bass drum beats. There's actually not even one bad song on here, they're all great, but those I reviewed are my favorites. Please read on for my song ratings.
Jeremy's song ratings:
1. Ignorance (2:43) - 5/5
2. Time to Rage (2:20) - 5/5
3. A Place of Solace (4:14) - 5/5
4. Weather the Storm (3:41) - 5/5
5. Destroyer (2:58) - 5/5
6. The American Way (3:17) - 5/5
7. Fear of Failure (3:19) - 5/5
8. No End to This Nightmare (3:18) - 5/5
9. Talk is Cheap (2:59) - 5/5
10. Said and Done (5:24) - 5/5
Overall, I highly recommend this band and album to any fan of hardcore, thrash metal, hardcore punk, crossover metal, or just metal period. I also recommend this to fans of Slayer, Hatebreed, Cro-Mags, Minor Threat, and D.R.I. as well. Trust me friends, Sworn Enemy's "Maniacal" is definately worth checking out, so buy it now, and get ready to rage.
Free Music Review: Sworn Enemy, no longer...
Hit: 4 Stars
I used to be somewhat of a "sworn enemy" against...well, this band. For the record, I've really liked some of the great punk/thrash influenced bands from NYC - OLD CroMags, Agnostic Front, etc...but I've found that most of these NYC area bands have a style/sound/song-structure that feels overused, repetitive and a bit tired. (Anthrax, Hatebreed, Crowbar, etc...)
All of the Sworn Enemy songs/CD's/video's I had heard/seen of in the past never impressed me at all. Looked right over them.
Maniacal seems to have a more talented and powerful metal edge to it. It still oozes with old thrash/punk simplicity and while the songs/riffs overall aren't anything ground breaking or overly exciting, Maniacal delivers in a way Sworn Enemy never has before, IMO. "No End To This Nightmare", "A Place of Solace", "Time to Rage" and "Said and Done" are examples of what I'm talking about. Their drummer rips and carries the band IMO.
It'll go on the back shelf for a listen every now and then, but it's definitely a good edition to the music collection. Looking forward to their next CD. I hope they keep progressing. \m/
Free Music Review: NYHC at its finest
Hit: 4 Stars
Man you just gotta love New York City ball-busting HC...and I do. Sworn Enemy reminds me of all the reasons I used to go to the wicked city to the grimy sro clubs and just get brutal with bands of this ilk. While they may not be virtuosos by any means,they are truly one of the masters of their craft, and a whole lot of mosh-pit inducing fun. What is evident on this latest outing is a definite love affair with all things 80's...such as Anthrax,maybe a little Overkill? Not a bad thing at all,especially for me, considering Ive seen the aforementioned bands in small venues back in the day. Now 42 and still a faithful headbanger,I really appreciate bands like this..definitely wearing the love for metal/thrash on their sleeve,not quite reinventing the wheel,but laying down some really good mosh heavy beats,churning riffs,and some very brutal vocal deliveries that make me want to suit up and go hit the pit. This is one of the better releases Ive come across this year while rekindling my love affair with all things hard and metal,and if you like the thrashy aspects of this disc I highly recommend the new Death Angel. Rock On.Free Music Review: Puts the HARD in "New York Hardcore"
Hit: 5 Stars
Preordered via Amazon, "Maniacal" has replaced all the CDs in my car and has won permanent rotation in the CD player.
New York Hardcore (NYHC) at its finest, "Maniacal" combines great lyrics, fine guitar, bass that makes your heart thump along, and strong vocals. This CD is everything it should be. I've seen them live, once, and can honestly say, between the live show and the compact discs, that Sworn Enemy is a band that epitomizes music that speaks to your soul. Listen to the lyrics (you hardly need the lyric sheet), and between the vocals and the instruments, what you're hearing is TRUTH.
"The Beginning of the End" is on permanent rotation on my laptop's CD player; Sworn Enemy is rising fast in the ranks of my favorite bands. "Maniacal"'s songs would have been my anthems, had this CD come out when I was a teenager. As it is, it speaks to me as an adult, and teens will hear messages in which they can believe.
I can't say enough positive words about "Maniacal," and am looking forward to catching them in New York (I hope!) after the spring 2008 tour.
Free Music Review: .
Hit: 5 Stars
I purchased this album the day it came out and proceeded to put it directly into my cd player and it hasn't left since. While this album may not be much of a departure from Sworn Enemy's previous effort "The Beginning of the End", it still showcases an excellent brand of thrashy hardcore that I don't see equaled by many bands these days.
More Free Music Notes:
1 2
1 2