Maximum Metal Rating Legend
5 Excellent - Masterpiece. A classic.
4.5-4 Great - Almost perfect records but there's probably a lacking.
3.5 Good - Most of the record is good, but there may be some filler.
3 Average - Some good songs, some bad ones at about a half/half ratio.
2.5-2 Fair - Worth a listen, but best obtained by collectors.
1.5-1 Bad - Major problems with music, lyrics, production, etc.
0 Terrible - Waste of your life and time.

Note: Reviews are graded from 0-5, anything higher or not showing is from our old style. Scores, however, do not reveal the important features. The written review that accompanies the ratings is the best source of information regarding the music on our site. Reviewing is opinionated, not a qualitative science, so scores are personal to the reviewer and could reflect anything from being technically brilliant to gloriously cheesy fun.

Demos and independent releases get some slack since the bands are often spent broke supporting themselves and trying to improve. Major releases usually have big financial backing, so they may be judged by a heavier hand. All scores can be eventually adjusted up or down by comparison of subsequent releases by the same band. We attempt to keep biases out of reviews and be advocates of the consumer without the undo influence of any band, label, management, promoter, etc.

The best way to determine how much you may like certain music is to listen to it yourself.
Band
Anti-Mortem
Title
New Southern
Type
LP/EP
Company
Nuclear Blast
YOR
2014
Style
Traditional
5/1/2014 - Review by: Eric Compton
Heaps and heaps of groove guitar
"New Southern" is the powerful debut from young Oklahoma natives Anti-Mortem. It is a silly name but a serious sound emanating from the woodshed. Heaps and heaps of groove guitar punctuate an album that draws a tremendous amount of power from production. Bob Marlette (Skynyrd, Rob Zombie, Shinedown) is the "Hollywood" producer that builds "New Southern" into the kind of record that fans of Down, The Showdown and Black Stone Cherry will appreciate. The walloping sound elevates foot stompers like "Ride of Your Life" and "Words of Wisdom" into a cacophony of southern grind. Vocalist Larado Romo sounds much older than his twenty years of age, belting out "Path to Pain" with enough sweaty vigor to validate the lyrics. "Truck Stop Special" and "Jonesboro" demonstrates the capacity to inject softer soulful melodies into the grittier work. With an average age of eighteen to twenty-two Anti-Mortem are off to a fabulous start based on the merits of this one record. They have surrounded themselves with top tier management (5B), a talented cover artist (Brent White) and the aforementioned producer Marlette. "New Southern" is indeed the new big thing.
  • 1 :REVIEW COUNT
    4 :AVE RATING

ALL REVIEWS FOR: ANTI-MORTEM
TITLE
DOR
COMPANY
REVIEWER DATE MADE RATING
New Southern
2014
Nuclear Blast
Eric Compton5/1/2014
4

ALL INTERVIEWS FOR: ANTI-MORTEM
INTERVIEW INTERVIEWER DATE TAGLINE


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