Garden of Bedlam EP Review!!!!!!

How is everyone doing? I am now the proud owner of the debut EP from Garden of Bedlam! I went to CDPlus this morning and picked it up (FYI, it's just $7.99!) I think this is the first actual album release from a Sault Ontario metal band since Gates of Winter released Lux Aeterna last year! So, I've gave it a bunch of listens, and now I'll post my review of it for you all (I ain't too good at formal reviews, so if it's lacking, my apologies!)

The first track is "Stand Your Ground", and it's the heaviest of the four songs by far! The riffs are crushing, everything sounds good, it's headbangable, and the passion and feelings really come through! Honestly, I do find this song kinda repetitive, but not enough that it takes away anything from the song.

This is followed by "The Truth Shall Set You Free", and I love this song! I think Buzz's vocals really shine on this song, especially with that falsetto note (it caught me off guard, but it was awesome!) Not as heavy as "Stand Your Ground", but definitely more varied and catchy, and it's a great song! Honestly, these two songs seriously remind me of Disturbed a bit, which is a good thing!

Next is "Shallow", and this time, the song really reminds me of System of a Down, especially with Buzz's singing! Josh Belleau's guitarwork stands out to me, especially on the solo! The opening of the song really grabs you in as well! It's definitely a good track, but I personally preferred "The Truth Shall Set You Free". That's just my humble opinion though, but this song is awesome too!

The final track is "Sovereignty", and I have to say, this is by far the most original of the four songs! If any song on here really screams "Garden of Bedlam", it's this one. Josh's abilities are at top form here, and everything comes together so well on this one. Evan Belleau also destroys on bass on this song in particular too! This is my other top favorite off the EP, and for good reason!

Overall, this is a great disc, with four excellent songs that have lots of familiar sounds and originality too! Also, Derek Turner's drumming is great and consistent throughout, I thought I should mention that! For things I didn't like, there were parts that were a bit repetitive, and it would have been nice to have heard solos on the opening two tracks, but those are minor complaints, the album kicks ass throughout! Also, lyrics weren't included in the package, but I'm sure I'll figure them out!

I won't grade it, I'm terrible at deciding grades, but it's definitely worth purchasing, especially if you want some no nonsense heavy metal! Pick it up today and support local music! I'll leave it at that for today, but I will have a lot of news tomorrow, including some guaranteed LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS, so stay tuned! Thanks everyone, and buy Garden of Bedlam's EP!!

P.S. Read my comments on the Kiss/Susan Myers controversy below, I've been getting a bit of positive feedback on what I said already, so give it a read!