Promoting my local scene is very important to me, especially when I have the pleasure of working with groups that deserve the recognition the way A SOUND OF THUNDER does. Their latest album "Tales from the Deadside" is a far, far cry from being a disappointment. Actually, I will say that it is my favorite so far. We're dealing with an excellently put together album, telling a tale of obsession, fear, and supernatural delights.

Myself, as a musician, I find this album to be quite inspirational. It is a pure masterpiece of artistry, creativeness, and it had me moving since the first note started. I detect a KIND DIAMOND influence in the way it is written, and performed. Note I say influence, it is not to be considered as a rip off or any such fuckery, but it is a story that is told throughout the album, and they use different style vocals to represent different characters and parts of the story. Sheer Quality!

I can honestly say that there were no songs better or worse than the others. The opening track; "Children of the Dark" does an excellent job of setting the tone for the entire album. There is an interesting mix of instruments used throughout album. It's a great mix of ranges, tempos, even different style, I can definitely detect some Blues elements, even possibly some riffs reminiscent of THE DOORS. Of course I say that about some of the slower parts, and you may disagree.

As melodically driven as the album is, it contains a high level of energy. The heavier parts can be quick and up tempo, remember we're not talking Grindcore shit here, just pure Metal. Nina's amazing voice definitely is the icing on the cake. I've stated this before, but her vocals are absolutely amazing. Personally, I think she could be voted best female vocals in the genre. One thing that is totally awesome, and adds real depth to the album, are the narrative spoken parts at the beginning and ends of the songs. They really help tie the songs together into the larger story.

At the end of the day, we have here a superb album. For those of you not familiar with A SOUND OF THUNDER your time has come. If you are a Metal Head, who appreciates a magnificently put together creation of music, you need to buy this album and blare it till the neighbors give up and start head banging along.