These guys are prolific, and getting better with each (frequent) release. As usual, the riffage is of a very good vintage, and some real songwriting appears to be happening. Each song now seems somewhat plotted and arranged. It's amazing what that does (Cannibal Corpse could take a few notes).

In the mood for a good old-fashioned ass whipping? This disc will do just that to you and your listeners. If they keep up this breakneck recording (and improvement) pace, Asphyx is in for a storied career.

While there are only three new tunes (of the five), and one is an Anvil cover, I'm still glad to hear something new from these guys. Their album The Grand Leveller was a highlight of last year , and I had high hopes.

Not completely dashed, but this seems to be a quick-kill kind of release. They should be sitting down soon to record another great album, and then we can forget about most of this disc. Not that it's bad, but only the title track lives up to their past. And why dump a track from "Leveller" here?

Hey guys, if you want to stay on my "waycool" list, better record a full-length pretty soon. 'nuff sed.

I remember the hype over their album on Maze a couple of years ago. After hearing the album, I thought to myself, "Who were they kidding?" Turns out they were just early.

Now, this is not perfect or original by any stretch of the imagination. But it is a pretty decent marriage of traditional hardcore and that stuff they've been playing in New York for a while (Helmet, Prong, Beastie Boys, etc.) And, of course, they have what I think is the first recorded Bad Religion cover (tell me if I'm off base here). And it is a lot better than their first album.

I was a skeptic; this goes a long way to convincing me Biohazard is for real, and real good as well.

One note: don't just play the two tracks on the single; go through the whole damn thing, alright?

Coffin Break have less to do with punk than any other band on the Epitaph label. Is this a bad thing? Well, no. They use a punk attack to careen through all sorts of loud forests. This album comes across as a glorious car wreck. Kinda like watching Faces of Death parts I through whatever for the first time (knowhatimean?). Hell, even the cover makes absolutely no sense. But the whole damn thing is fun, hard and makes you say "fuuuuuuck" after hearing it.

While a lot of you got after "Crawl" in a big way, this is yet another move forward in the evolution of Coffin Break. It's so good I ache.

So what did L.G. Petrov do while he was between gigs as Entombed vocalist? Well, he got together with some more Swedish death-types and recorded this album.

Due to lengthy litigation (and a settlement, of course), there are only 8,000 of these puppies out there, so latch on to your collector's item and play the shit out of it. It is fun aggressive fare (rivaling Entombed's finer moments).

Jams, jams, jams. This is the last review I wrote for this issue, and it shows. But a damn good album.

After recording a fine EP with Jello Biafra, D.O.A. roar back on their own (and on AT) with this great album. There are no Canadian punk bands even close to this, and damn few American ones. This is as tight as …Missing Neighbors and just as fun. It outstrips the album they had on Restless, Murder, easily. They sounded tired then. Now the energy's back and so are the tunes.

In an issue with a ton of hard core reviews, this is a real standout (not to put anyone else down). No posing, just jams.

Fine crankin' punky stuff from Chi-land (or so). Albini worked the knobs for all you trend-ites, but the real goods are in the music.

Simply sensational. The typically sparse Albini production showcases fine songs and even better musicianship. I know quality when I hear it; this is that.

A special note: T&G once again yanked my nads with this EP; no full album is slated for imminent release. Oh well. My fix is satiated for a couple of months, anyway.

The latest band to succumb to the EP gig, Dismember snarl and thrash their way back into the death metal circle. The intensity builds as the disc cruises on, and for the first time, a tempo change!

Sarcasm aside, Dismember have grown musically. This is not the same thing over and over again. The energy present on their debut disc has been transferred into some real change.

While the first release of the album Califuneral caught most of you heading off onto summer vacation, the folks at Sony heard this. After a couple months of negotiations, a distribution deal was worked out between the Columbia label and those fine Minnesotans (currently, anyway) at Red Decibel. Thus the album sees a new light of day, and you get this promo single.

Not the strongest track on the album (one of the worst, actually, which says something), the tune is kinda overly Jane's-ey for me, but the two bonus tracks are not to be ignored. And you get a second chance to play these guys in a couple of weeks. Enjoy.

A coherent Cannibal Corpse. This is pretty over-the-top stuff, and you almost comprehend it, which simultaneously makes it more disgusting and yet tamer.

The grind here is not quite as mechanical as Cannibal Corpse (almost sounding like music, but the double bass/cymbal attack is still the most prominent feature.

A lot of you have already signed on, and with good reason. If you need any further evidence, just listen.

Take your average pop band. Got it? Crank the volume on the music and vocals and you have Jacob's Mouse. The tunes are so friendly, but the lyrics and presentation tend to shatter eardrums of the stereotypical Posies fan. Damn, kids, this is rock 'n' roll!

Instantly infectious, further listening will only serve to strengthen your addiction. You say you can't play this on your metal show? Grab this, Overwhelming Colorfast and make for the disc machine in your studio. Diversity rules, or something like that. Jacob's Mouse certainly does.

And I thought this was an album, I got so excited. But I'll accept four songs from these fine folks any day. No indication that an album is forthcoming, so we'd better be satisfied with the goodies contained herein.

For the unfamiliar, this lies somewhere between grunge and heavy punk-pop. With most anything else added in from time to time. So let's just call it a stew of your favorite foods.

No disappointment; simply drooling for more.

Fifty ways to fuck around on guitar. I'm not sure why I wrote that, but following that old SAT rule I'm leaving my first answer. Of course, the lyrics are kinda spoke-sung and the music accompanies all that rather oddly. Verra keen.

And I can't begin to describe the Bee Gee's cover on the flip. Oh, by the way, a Mule album out in early 1993. This is a fine introduction.

Originally titled White Trash Two Kikes and a Spic, the album's new name was probably intended not to offend those uptight Camelot Music managers who somehow have managed to sell the entire Epitaph catalog for a few years.

Okay, enough harping on the semi-(self?) censorship. I've been on the NOFX bandwagon since S&M Airlines. "You Drink, You Drive, You Spill" to be more exact. This is much more produced than those days. The music is better, the lyrics are funnier - the whole thing almost reeks of maturity (gasp!).

What? You mean your satire can be funnier if it isn't sophomoric and stupid? Well, yeah. And the songs aren't all minute-and-a-half thrashin' rants (not to mention raves).

Highest quality punk, even with the occasional trumpet solo. These days were made for smilin'.

Godflesh sped up and subsequently wimped out. OWP takes the finest aggression of grindcore and adds in the sterile purity of industrial beats. Well, some of the drumming may be "real", but it really makes no difference, and who cares? Like the heaviest songs on Ministry's two previous albums, this stuff is almost impossible to call music. It sets the table for the future.

Oh, and another thing: it is great fun to listen to. This compares favorably to another Roadrunner act, Fear Factory. OWP is heavier and more intent on tearing you limb from limb. A sentiment I wholly approve.

When you have twenty-something members of your music gang, things can get a little incoherent. But Pigface has managed to keep everything under control, even if you can't identify a single Pigface sound.

Yeah, if you want ten identical industrial tracks, go somewhere else. This runs from psychedelic to funk to dance to metal, and yet it all makes sense. Fook runs all over the place and passes the finish going strong. It is by far the finest Pigface effort to date. I only hope this concept works as well in the future.

As most of you already know about the death of guitarist Stefanie Sargent last summer, I shan't dwell on the details. While 7 Year Bitch manage to avoid the traditional "Seattle" sound, Stefanie couldn't escape the traditional Seattle jones.

But the remaining three members have found a new guitarist and are forging forward. This album combines material recorded last spring with their previous 7" and EP.

Their snarling punk attack is refreshing, and they're good, not just because they're women. After all, in a blind sonic test, they compare favorably to male punk bands. The songs at times have a distinctly female point of view, but is that any different than the mostly male...

Okay, off the soap box. You just play this album, not because the guitarist overdosed or because it's trendy "foxcore" (what a stupid term). Play it because it is one of the best releases out.

Crowned, along with the way-overhyped Pavement, by most pundits as the heirs to the R.E.M.-U2(oot)-Sonic Youth throne, Superchunk have still only recorded two albums and scads (yes, scads) of one-off singles and EPs. Most of those were captured on the recent Tossing Seeds, but here is something new.

Sounds like Superchunk, which is pretty damn nice. Of course, the third track is a live version of a song off their last album. But the other two tracks sit right alongside everything else this North Carolina band has recorded. Sounds great, but they are going to have to get past semi-grungy semi-jangly three chord pop music if they want to make a real impact on the future of music.

Of course, I jammed this a lot, and don't plan to let up. Lack of originality can't erase the irresistibility factor.

I didn't get any of the accents in the title, but I don't think any of you could pronounce it anyway. As for the music, which is the important part, anyway, it smokes like Kansas City barbecue. That is, eight hours at 200 degrees produces perfect beef, and while this takes a while to get going, the end result is very tasty.

This is one of those few bands who really cannot be related to anyone. They simply sound like nothing in particular that I've heard before. Sure, there is a vague funk rumbling in there, some jazz and the roars that eventually overtake all are sorta familiar. But this is really something original. And damn fine. Listen more than once. You will be impressed, especially by the great basswork.

Swirlin' guitar pop stuff. Rocks pretty damn well. The melody keeps coming back to me. I like this. Side two.

Well, nothing out of the ordinary, but something about this is very attractive to me. Not sure how to explain it, so I won't. Give it a listen and see for yourself. If nothing else you'll feel good.

Striding boldly where they only started to tread on "The Astral Sleep," Tiamat sound even more like the perfect doom/death metal combo than before.

The riffs are simply outstanding, and the further delving into classic hard rock roots lends an interesting feel. It's like the comfy chair. You know, the supreme instrument of torture put forth by Cardinal Fang? All non-Python worshippers may skip on to the next paragraph. It feels so good and then proceeds to rip your soul apart.

Yes, I really am a big Tiamat fan, but I hold my favorite bands to high standards. No, this is not your average doom/grindcore/death metal album. It is much more in all facets. This is the real future of this genre. I see a huge fan base building behind these guys. Damn if it ain't great.

Autopsy
Acts of the Unspeakable
(Peaceville)

More chunk-blowing action than you can toss a turd at. Most of the songs with vocals discuss various actions performed at a Gwar show (and worse). I must say I'm not a real fan of slasher films (or slasher lyrics), and the music is unremarkable, but decent. And they have diversified. Eighteen tracks of gore and more. If you like that kind of stuff, there is a bevy of treasure here.