Record Exchange Boise

Reviews:

All credit to Swedish thrashers Carnal Forge for maintaining such an unusually high rate of productivity. Since their inception in the late '90s, they've averaged almost an album a year-this is their fifth-while many slothful bands struggle to manage a new record every three or four years. Of course, Carnal Forge's pace would be even more remarkable if each of their discs were a Beatles-like gem laden with hit after hit, but sadly, they ain't quite that good. Still, around half of what you hear on the wonderfully titled Aren't You Dead Yet? deserves to be called catchy. Like the Haunted, whom they closely resemble, Carnal Forge have a knack for blasting out old-school, Bay Area-style thrash with uncanny precision and melody; they sure fit snugly on the proposed bill for the aborted 2003 Metal Gods tour with Halford, Testament and Amon Amarth. When they're on the money-as on "Burn Them Alive," "Exploding Veins," and the Slayer-esque "Inhuman" or "Totally Worthless"-this seems like a disc you'd want to keep in that CD tray with the controls set on "repeat." Then the ninnies go and spoil it by alternating the would-be hits with generic At The Gates-isms or stereotypical thrash, so that careful editing and manipulation will be needed to bring out the full effect of this record.

"All credit to Swedish thrashers Carnal Forge for maintaining such an unusually high rate of productivity. Since their inception in the late '90s, they've averaged almost an album a year-this is their fifth-while many slothful bands struggle to manage a new record every three or four years. Of course, Carnal Forge's pace would be even more remarkable if each of their discs were a Beatles-like gem laden with hit after hit, but sadly, they ain't quite that good. Still, around half of what you hear on the wonderfully titled Aren't You Dead Yet? deserves to be called catchy. Like the Haunted, whom they closely resemble, Carnal Forge have a knack for blasting out old-school, Bay Area-style thrash with uncanny precision and melody; they sure fit snugly on the proposed bill for the aborted 2003 Metal Gods tour with Halford, Testament and Amon Amarth. When they're on the money-as on ""Burn Them Alive,"" ""Exploding Veins,"" and the Slayer-esque ""Inhuman"" or ""Totally Worthless""-this seems like a disc you'd want to keep in that CD tray with the controls set on ""repeat."" Then the ninnies go and spoil it by alternating the would-be hits with generic At The Gates-isms or stereotypical thrash, so that careful editing and manipulation will be needed to bring out the full effect of this record.

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