THE REEFER HUT:

• Stoned To Death (1995, Demo) A demo band from Ohio, The Reefer Hut is eclectic to say the least. Death influences, as well as Industrial, even a rap tune. Very brutal stuff, probably the biggest bass response I've ever heard on a demo. The songs have a few inventive riffs and some damn scary vocals, although I've been told by the band that the demo isn't necessarily a good indication of what their working on right now. They've also got a live drummer now (the demo has programmed drums). I'll wait to see where the band goes from here, hopefully they'll record some new stuff soon.

• Embalmed Existence (1993) Standard death metal mixed with keyboards, slow parts, and jackhammer drumming from Alex Marquez. Each song starts with a vocal interlude about the human condition, real grim stuff. The riffs on this album are really good, some very heavy and original stuff, and definitely carries an atmosphere all its own. Almost 10 years later and it still gets time on my CD player, definitely check it out.
• Ritual Slaughter (2007, Promo EP)
• Mistaken For Dead (2008) After a 15 year Hiatus, Resurrection decides to reunite and release a second album. Well, I guess reunite may not be quite the right word, since guitarist John Astl and vocalist Paul DeGolyer seem to be the only two returning members (although they were the core of the original band). Also, the style is pretty different, to be expected for a 15 year break, but in general I think it's almost better to think of this as a totally new band. And with that said, this band kicks some serious ass. It's old school death metal with plenty of groove, fast doublebass and a few blasts in the right spots. Just about every song has at least one standout riff that sticks in the brain. The production is powerful, clear and sharp. The sound style is almost like a faster, more aggressive Obituary. Paul's voice are far more up front on this album, far fewer effects, overall his vocals have gone from spooky on their first album to downright venomous and in your face on this one. I don't dig the new Storyteller voice on this album though, I much preferred the ones from the original (thankfully the new voice only makes a few limited appearances). If you want to hear some early 90s style death metal with 21st century production value, this is a fantastic album, and I hope they continue to produce more albums in the future. Definitely my favorite release of the week.