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So I'm listening to The Eyes of Medusa from San Jose, California's Kill Ritual and thinking of Luxi's review a little while ago and all I can think is "wow, it's like we're hearing two different albums." Obviously, everyone has their own opinion and hears things through their own filter but I am much less impressed with this band's second effort.

What I hear when I listen to The Eyes of Medusa is hopped-up, LA-style Hard Rock/Heavy Metal that sounds like a Thrash version of Appetite for Destruction-era Guns 'n' Roses with a dose of Faith No More thrown in. Vocalist Josh "Crimson" Gibson is a vocal chameleon and while Luxi hears Dave Mustaine, I mostly hear Axl Rose. He throws in some harsh vocals and other affectations similar to Mike Patton. There are some good, Maiden-style riffs and guitars have a nice, crunchy sound but they are overshadowed by the lyrics, which are more "American" than "European," with songs about women ("Just Another Sin") and life on the wrong side of the tracks ("Writing on the Wall"). Did I mention that Gibson "scats" during "Never Get Me"? "Skiddly-do, skiddly-bop-bop-de-doodly-doh-doh." Yeah, that's Metal.

Kill Ritual's The Eyes of Medusa is not for me. It is well played but there are far too many "commercial" aspects outweighing what little actual Heavy Metal is present. If I'm going to listen to stuff like this, I'll take Appetite for Destruction or The Real Thing. And that's a big IF.