FS:CDs-GROMS,HORDE,WATERSTAIN,HEZZE,SAVIOR MACHINE +
ruggedcross
I run Rugged Cross Connections and here are some of the indies/imports
that I carry.....I do take trade-ins too.
Peace,
Matt
AUSTRALIAN METAL COMPILATION I - GODSPEED: (Australian import)
The impressive debut release of Mike Roweąs Down under label. This is a
must have for fans of all kinds of metal - from hard rock to death metal
to holy unblack metal! Features: Cry Mercy, Mortification, NuHumans,
Discarnated, Doxology, Deracination, Harbinger, Krioni, Screams of Chaos
(very progressive death metal!), Rossanaąs Raiders + 7 more. You get
your moneyąs worth here with 17 songs and 73:44 of disc time. No filler
material here! $20
AUSTRALIAN METAL COMPILATION II-THE RAISE THE DEAD: (Australian import)
The second volume of metal comes in near lethal dosages. We are talking
DEATH METAL here - in every sense of the term. Grinding, swirling
guitars, and gutteral growls galore. A great CD that includes: Etheral
Scourge, Screams of Chaos, Embodiment, Metanioa, and Vomoth. 15 tracks
Time: 66:35 $20
AUSTRALIAN METAL COMILATION III-THE EXTREME TRUTH: (Australian import)
I donąt believe it gets any more extreme than this one. The tracks are
pure death metal. More quality material compliments of fellow metal
head Mike Rowe of Mortification. Includes: Callous, Sanhedrin, Screams
of Chaos, Desolate Eternity, and Vomitorial Corpulence (maybe THE most
EXTREME of them all!) 32 tracks clock in at 59:49. $20
BIG FAITH-UNDERTOW: (Indie) This unknown gem features Fergus Marsh and
Michael Sloski formerly with Bruce Cockburn. Production is stellar, but
not much could make the music sound bad! True musicianship shines
through on every track. The lyrics are top-notch as well as they
effectively deal with subjects such as relationships, forgiveness, and
truth. These lyrics can stand on their own even without the music. But
thankfully we get both. Itąs hard to catagorize these guys, but it runs
along the lines of progressive modern rock. Think of the Simple Minds
during łStreet Fighting Years.˛ Als, influences of U2, and Michael Been
of The Call. A stunning release of rock-n-roll!
11 songs time: 49:28 $15
bob-TALES FROM THE HOUSE OF WHOLLY BOBBLE : (Fingerprint) If youąve
ever heard Black Happy before, you have an idea of what bob sounds like.
As you can tell from the title, these boys like to have FUN. Theyąre
not afraid to loosen up. Influences range from Billy Holiday to
Beethoven to the Clash and Fishbone. Lots of congas, sax, trombones,
and loud guitar make this a very original and creative CD. Donąt be
afraid of this one - itąs good. 17 songs time: 54:04 $15
CRY MERCY-SAME: (Australian import) This is grooviną metal in the vein
of Guardian (łFire and Love˛ era) and Bride (łSnakes...˛ era). Fans of
those 2 bands will love this one. 10 songs time: 36:55 $20
DOG BABY-DONUT: (indie)
LOTS of guitar. Vocals vary from almost wispering to barking. For fans
of Primus and Plankeye. Thereąs enough metal to satisfy metal heads and
enough alternative to satisfy alterna-heads. Very creative artwork.
You might want to be afraid of this one - This baby BITES! 15 songs
61:37 $11
INDIES AND IMPORTS
All fans of METAL should check out The Metal Crusade Report put out by
Rick Pizzo. He reports on all styles of metal made by bands from all
around the world. Send a SASE to: The Metal Crusade Report c/o Rick
Pizzo, PO Box 596, Lansdale, PA 19446-0596 USA.
FOUR LIVING CREATURES-PROLETARIATE POETRY: (Indie) I came across this
band at Cornerstone Festival and was blown away by their sound! They
have a distinctive sound, but those who like Starfyer 59, Morrelaąs
Forrest, Scatterd Few, and LSU are going to be in for quite a treat.
The artwork might be the best of the year, and production is better than
most releases put out on major labels. Get this while you can. The
band is now putting out a new release on R.E.X. under the moniker of
łSweet Nectar.˛ That means that when these are gone, I doubt Iąll be
able to get more. And if I do, theyąll go on the auction block! 14
songs time: 52:28 $15
GEOFF MANN-IN ONE ERA: (USA) I was able to obtain some copies of this
CD re-issue by the late UK progressive rocker. It contains most of
Mannąs first two solo albums from 1984 (I May Sing Grace) and 1985
(Pslam Enchanted Evening). Fans of progressive, artistic rock will love
this. Itąs become one of my personal favorites. A true artist with a
lengthy insert . 13 songs
time: 74:55 $25 (sorry, but these have a small punch hole in each
case)
GLENN ROWLANDS-TIME WILL TELL: (Indie) Professionally packaged with
excellent artwork. Production is great too. I beieve Glenn Rowlands
sounds like what Axel Rose would sound like if he ever did a solo
project. One might bescribe this as artistic hard rock. Includes some
acoustic guitar too. A fine release.
14 songs $15
GODFEAR-THE EMPTY: (Indie) This band knows how to crank quality metal!
Plus, they they have put out an indie that makes most major label
releases pale in comparison! If you canąt get enough of bands like
Detritus, Betrayal, Mortification, Tourniquet, and Deliverance, youąre
gonna love this! 9 songs time: 33:17 $15
GROMS-ASCENSION: (Import)
This band from Norway has out one of the best death/grind releases of
all time. The guitars never stop groovin. The vocals never stop
growling. This is pure intensity. When this was reviews in hm, the
reviewer gushed all over this one!
Definitely a must have for any fan of death metal! 9 songs/time: 40:14
$25
HORDE-HELLIG USVART: (German import) A death metal release meant to be
a response to death threats from the łSatanic underground.˛ I believe
that former members of Mortification make up this band. But as for now,
łanonymous˛ does everything. But the music is what is really
impressive. This is EXTREME metal at itąs best! 12 songs time: 40:20
$25
HEZZE-THE MAGIC BRAIN OF UNREASON: (Fingerprint) This is an incredibly
good release. Artwork is phenomenal and the music shows tons of talent
and musicianship. This is unclassifiable alternative. I canąt think of
any other band that even sounds like them! Their label describes them
as, łmello-punk, relentless groove-soul-pop-rock 3 piecetrio.˛
Painfully honest lyrics cut to the heart. For fans of LSU, Poor Ol Lu,
and Scatterd Few and otherground breaking alternative bands! This is
excellent, in every way! (Not for the easily offended)18 songs/time:
64:40 $15
IAIN-HEART STREET: (Fingerprint) Extremely cool packaging. Comes with
cardboard gatefold case. Another quality release from Fingerprint
Records. Iainąs faith shines through on every cut. Heąs a pleasure to
listen to - the kind of singer-songwriter that will gives you
goose-bumps everytime you play his CD (Especially when you hear the
brilliant harmonies!). But make no mistakes, this is rock-n-roll. Fans
of Peter Case, Bob Dylan, Phil Keaggy, Larry Norman, and Mark Heard will
like this a lot. 13 songs/time 58:48 $15
JASON HARROD AND BRIAN FUNCK-DRAMS OF THE COLOR BLIND: (Indie) Produced
by Mark Heard, so you KNOW itąs great. Heard also does some vocal work
hear too. But Harrod and Funck shine bright too. This is fantastic
singer/songwriter acoustic rock. The complexity and depth of the music
allow you to hear something new everytime you put this disc on. This is
really, really good. Fans of Mark Heard, John Austin, and Jan Krist
should NOT let this one pass by. 11 songs/time: 45:36 $16.
JERUSALEM-KLASSIKER 1
(Sweden-import) Finally, the classic first two releases from CCM metal
pioneers are available on CD! Here you have Volume 1 and Volume 2. The
lyrics are sung in Swedish. The music is still great. Besides, many
classical operas are sung in German and Italian, but people still flock
to theatres to see them! Donąt miss out on this one. It may never come
out in English, and even if they do, this one is cooler anyway! 17
songs/time: 73:49 $25
JERUSALEM-KLASSIKER 2: (Sweden-import) More classic Christian metal.
Available here are łCanąt Stop Us Now˛ and łWarrior˛ (arguably their
most creative and artisticly release) on 1 CD! Again, this one is also
sung in Swedish. 14 songs/time: 74:40 $25
JERUSALEM-CLASSICS 3: (Sweden-import) Hey, this one is sung in English.
Almost the complete recordings of łIn His Majestyąs Service-Live in the
U.S.A.˛ and łDancing On The Head of the Serpent.˛ Both are great metal
releases! Fans of the Scorpians will like this a lot. 17 songs/time:
75:09
$25.
KERRY LIVGREN-When Things Get Electric (Indie) This is typical
top-notch stuff from Livgren. Excellent progressive rock for fans of
Rush, Kansas, and AD. The production is very proffessional. The
packaging is includes some great pictures and cover art. This is a
hreat release, in every way. Livgren fans will not be dissapointed!
$15
METANOIA-IN DARKNESS OR IN LIGHT: (Australian import) Brutal death
metal that will leave you wondering what hit you - well. It was a wall
of death metal! Weąre talking serious grindage here folks! Wow! 10
songs/time 55:08 $20
MORTIFICATION-BLOODWORLD: (Nuclear Blast-German import) Yes,
łBloodworld˛ was released in the USA a while back, but not like this
one! The Nuclear Blast version was remastered for a much
stronger/heavier sound. In addition, the artwork it improved also, with
the back insert showing an awesome picture of the band + other
previously unavailable photos. 10 songs/time: 44:46 $22
MORTIFICATION-BREAK THE CURSE 1990: (Nuclear Blast-German import) This
CD is comprised of the songs which were on Lightforceąs demo right
before they became Mortification. In addition, it includes a song never
before available on a Mortification album-˛Butchered Mutilation˛ (sounds
pretty, huh?). Well, actually itąs a lot better than łpretty˛ good. A
must for all Mortification/Lightforce fans. 11 songs/time: 37:03 $25
INDIES AND IMPORTS
RAMONA SILVER-YOU & ME & HELL: (Fingerprint) A stunning release by this
new Fingerprint artist. Once again, Fingerprint out did themselves by
signing another artist able to offer us something brilliant, unique
music, with great rhythms and melodies. The style of music is
alternative, but her music is so good, it shouldnąt get confused with a
lot of the other łrun-of-the-mill˛ alternative bands. Yes, sheąs that
good! For fans of Joan Osborne, Alanis Morissette, and Sam Phillips.14
songs/time: 40:13 $15
STRONG HAND OF LOVE/A TRIBUTE TO MARK HEARD-THE RADIO SPECIAL:
(Fingerprint)
A great collection of songs performed by Mark Heardąs peers. Includes
such artists as: Bruce Cockburn, Jason Harrod and Brian Funck, Sam
Phillips, Dan Russel, Pat Terry, and Phil Keaggy. But this a a radio
show, so it also includes great interviews with these artists! This is
not the same thing as Orphans of God or the original Strong
Hand...release. 14 songs/time: 70:43 $15
SAVIOR MACHINE II: (Intense) This is the original European import
version. It also includes the original artwork which
is different the art on the re-issue. I have one open pre-owned copy.
$22
SAVIOR MACHINE II: (MCM) This is the 2nd issue run put out by the band.
It is slightly longer and has been remastered for an even better sound
quality. The artwork is a lot different too. This is awesome
progressive, artistic rock. Highly recommended for fans of Rush, Dream
Theatre, and Yes. 13 songs/time: 76:13 $17
SAVIOR MACHINE-LIVE IN DEUTSCHLAND: (MCM) One of the best live albums I
have ever heard. Production is incredible. Excellent sound quality
too. This is progressive music at its best. Itąs no wonder that these
guys have a huge following all around the world! 13 songs/time: 76:13
$17
SAVIOR MACHINE-LIVE IN DEUTSCHLAND - VIDEO
One might be afraid that this video suffers from many of the problems
that can accompany live recordings. Fear not! This is professionally
done in every way. Camera work is great and audio is clear and strong.
One of the best videos ever created by a Christian artist (there have
been some sorry ones, huh?). 75 (wonderful) minutes $27
TORMAN MAXT-JUST TALKING ABOUT THE UNIVERSE...SO FAR (Indie) I have
already sold a bunch of these CDs. In my (somewhat) humble opinion,
they are one of the best new bands to appear on the Christian music
scene in quite a while. They
hardly ever comes out of my CD player! Influences which can be heard
are: Yes, Rush, Kingąs X, Galactic Cowboys, Pink Floyd, and Savior
Machine. Their lyrics are top-notch as well. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED! 10
songs/time: 39:03. $12
TOWNE CRYER-DEATH BY SIN: (Indie) This is metal the wat it should be -
fast and heavy! Great cover art. Well produced. Fans of Betrayal,
Detritus, Pantera, and Mortification will enjoy this metalinfested CD.
9 songs/time: 32:28 $13
VENI DOMINE-MATERIAL SANCTUARY: (Sweden - import)
Arguably the best metal release I have ever heard. Too good to be true.
Rick Pizzo of The Metal Crusade had this to say about it: łThis album
is an epic masterpiece. Dark and moody landscapes are painted
throughout from start to finish....Itąs all here, operatic vocals,
stellar musicianship, great songwriting, intelligent introspective
lyrics and great production. I canąt say enough good about Veni
Domine.˛ Need I say more? For fans of Sacred Warrior and Queensryche
(but this is heavier and better!).9 songs/time: 65:46 $24
VIGILANTES OF LOVE-JUGULAR (Fingerprint) What can I say about a band as
awesome as VoL? An Atlanta based band that is simply stunning. Bill
Mallonee writes lyrics that are faith-challenging, introspective, and
important. The music is excellent rock-n-roll mixed with the intimacy
of a singer/songwriter. Extemely relevant release. (Not for easily
offended) 15 songs/time: 66:28 $15
WATERSTAIN-BROKENMIND: (Indie)
A great release. I think this can best be described as progressive
metal. It definitelyly has the beef of a Kingąs X/Galactic Cowboys
guitar chords. And there are some impressive lead guitar solos. But at
the same time, thereąs a hint of grunge thrown in for good measure.
Cover art is fantastic/production is excellent. For fans of Galactic
Cowboys, Yonderboy, and Sometime Sunday.
9 songs/time: 44:56 $16
XT-EXTENDED EMPIRE: (Sweden - import) Bjorn Stigsson and Sonny Larsson
are still crankin out quality metal. The guitar work is still awesome
and Sonny still has a golden throat. For fans of Leviticus, Dio, and
Man-O-War. 14 songs/time: 59:14 $25