Confessor

Every turn for North Carolina’s Confessor has been demanding: signed to the then-fledgling Earache label in 1990, the band released only one full-length album and an EP before breaking up in ’94, though they were part of the infamous Gods Of Grind tour with Carcass, Entombed, and Cathedral. Their slant was highly technical doom/death metal — completely unlike most bands past and present — and the wailing vocals of front-man Scott Jeffreys simultaneously endeared them to fans and alienated them from further successes. They reunited in 2002 for a benefit show for guitarist Ivan Colon, and after his unfortunate passing, the band decided to unleash their unique metal upon the masses once again. This four-song EP boasts the exceptional title track (plus its radio edit), which seethes streamlined, groovy doom like Solitude Aeturnus, while "Hibernation” is a darker version of Cynic with Jeffreys’ signature vocal soaring like Anthrax’s Joey Belladonna. A remastered 1990 demo of "Condemned” is included to remind fans how far Confessor have progressed, plus photos, computer wallpapers, and a live video of the Trouble chestnut "The Last Judgement” (also Colon’s last performance with the band) that’s particularly essential even for casual fans. With Jeffreys’ voice in control and the songwriting more focused and accessible, their forthcoming Unraveled album (due in autumn) is sure to be a bona fide metal smash.