The man behind the band over the years is Nick Reyes. Not only is Nick a master of bruising your senses with European black metal, but he is also an American soldier that actually mixed some of the vocals on The Desolate during his time in Iraq. You may not know it the first time you listen to the album, but going in with this little bit of information will help you appreciate the emotion that is packed into every track that is given to you.

Right from the opening track “Among the Twilight” you feel the beast of aggression that needs and will be released. There is nothing pretty or melodic about this track. The term post black metal will not be used when you’re listening to this song with your fellow angry friends. The track opens the door to a quick trip to hell I`m sure Reyes experienced.

“Moment of Anger” is a song that builds slow much like the feelings of despair we all feel before the ultimate explosion of violence. The track doesn’t stop at the build; it actually shows you the violence in a full frontal assault of sound.

Having some of the vocals mixed in Iraq you have to believe that “Underlife” was one of them. There is a definite European influence in the song that is a mixture of many different Countries in my opinion. I could feel the anger dripping from this song and it doesn`t end in a manner that you think Reyes got it all out. The rawness of this song makes it my favorite and the lack of closure sums up military action all over the world.

For those that fight for their country I ask them all to listen to the work that Inferion has put together. The bravery you show every day to protect our rights and freedoms is something that often leads to the trials and tribulations of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. Nick Reyes has found a way to fight this beast and those of you that have bottled up anger that needs to be expressed should realize in this album you are not alone. Even though it’s called “The Desolate.”

www.myspace.com/inferion

Metal on,

Martell

Anyway, this week we look at my favorite 10 songs that make me put that peddle down a little harder when I’m on a road trip. These ten are on their own playlist and if I plan on being in the car for more than an hour these songs start the journey:

10 – Metallica – Whiskey In The Jar – Garage Inc: this could be called the best cover ever (actually that’s what my guitar playing cousin stated.) The first time I heard the track I hated it and complained to Vince about how absurd it was. Then over time I grew to love it and have to have it when there is a long stretch between coffee shops. I also have to meet this chick named Molly.

9 – Black Sabbath – Heaven & Hell – Heaven & Hell: all members of Black Sabbath firing on all cylinders describes this song best. Although not the best indicator of the legacy Dio has left us with, the song proved to many fans that Black Sabbath would be fine after Ozzy left. It’s just a damn good song.

8 – AC/DC – TNT – TNT: Bon Scott in his glory days. The chorus is sung by young and old alike to this day and certainly makes me realize the origins of hard rock and metal. I am primarily a Brain Johnson fan, but TNT and Jailbreak are sheer genius.

7 – Cancer Bats – Hail Destroyer – Hail Destroyer: listening in my car as I beat the steering wheel and scream Hail Destroyer is quite an experience that will surely lead me to a speeding ticket someday, but what the song does more is bring me to images of incredible Cancer Bat shows I have witnessed in the past.

6 – Katana – Quest for Hades – Heads Will Roll: with all these classics it’s strange to have a new one on here, but the story telling and theatrics of this song send chills down my spine everytime I listen to it. Katana is the real deal and it’s time for others to realize.

5 – The Worshyp – Left For Dead – Kingdom Earth: another newer band on the list and when you hear this war inspired story you will know why. The lyrics are incredible in themselves, but when you hit a flat stretch of highway and Marz Nova is chanting LEFT FOR DEAD; nothing is going to stop you.

4 – Motley Crue – Kickstart My Heart – Dr. Feelgood: you knew there was going to be a Crue song on the list and what better than Kickstart My Heart. This is the ultimate testosterone filled track that leaves the gas pedal glued to the floor and the women moaning in the back. At least that’s what I’m told from my unmarried friends.

3 – Testament – Alone In The Dark – The Legacy: riff driven and heart stopping. The album version or the live version from the Fillmore album both do it for me. Chuck Billy has never been better than when he is belting out the emotion that is associated with this song.

2 – Anthrax – Got the Time – Persistence of Time: Got the time? I sure as hell hope not because Belladonna is going to tell you. This cover for me is one of the best ever done and my car suffers everytime the first bass line is played.

1 – Megadeth – Symphony of Destruction – Countdown to Extinction: one of the first heavy metal songs I ever fell in love with. Through every period in my life the opening piece of this song has been with me. Now in my supposed adulthood I use it to return to my youth and power down the highway. Hit repeat!

Metal on,

Martell

Over the years I have listened off and on to the band, but have not really taken a lot of notice in them one way or the other. Going back and listening to their back catalogue and seeing some boot legged live performances I was quite impressed at their ability to blend metal styles in an aggressive manner led by the lead vocalist IPEK.

Ipek has a great ability to sing in a trio of screams, growls, and cleans. The issue at times is when each stands on its own you realize they could be stronger, but in the live atmosphere you have to say “it’s good enough for rock and roll.”

Going into The Ultimate Deception I felt I had appropriate knowledge of the band and their sound so I was quite surprised when I heard the amazing drumming of Kevin Talley being hidden by symphonic style keyboards and samples that were placed when they just weren’t needed.

The keyboards come across as theatrical and do hurt the flashes of brilliance in the thrash performances the band puts forward. The talent in Wykked Wytch is certainly undeniable and the production fills in Ipek’s voice in a manner you would expect on an album.

I don’t want to come down too hard on the album because if you are a fan of what could be classed as experimental metal than The Ultimate Deception is something you are going to want to have in your collection. For me personally WW is so good at the thrash elements they incorporate and used in the past I wanted much more of it.

This was a classic example of expecting one thing and hearing another. Although I should be able to open my mind over the three or four listens I keep getting stuck on the cover of Metallica’s Fade to Black. If you’re a thrash band doing a thrash cover; shouldn’t you keep it thrash?

Once again let me reiterate that although Wykked Wytch has created something not in my wheel house they have expanded what metal is and can be. My “old fogginess” may be over looking brilliance in a quest for simplicity.

http://wykkedwytch.com/

Metal on,

Martell