APRIL 2003 UPDATE
(reviews are listed alphabetically...)
ALOHA
SPIRIT "Aloha Spirit"
CD 67/100
Surf Pop Punk
France
The history of Aloha Spirit starts in the south of France when 3 guys start playing something in-between Skatecore and Garage Surf, or between Power Pop and Surf Punk; it's rather hard to describe. I would call it "summer holiday beach music". But one thing I can tell you for sure is the fact that they got inspired by bands like Green day, Nirvana and the Pixies. This is the kind of music that pops in your head whenever you picture yourself in Hawaii. And that's what it is all about, because "aloha" means "welcome" in Hawaiian. And that's the "spirit" this trio wants to get during their concerts. It may work but nowadays it takes a big pair of balls to play a genre like this. Back in the sixties or seventies, people would have been thrilled. Just sit down, relax and light up a few joints. Now I rather doubt it. The youth of today demand more and more, and they expect more from album productions. And don't get me wrong: this album kicks off very nicely, with a Punk Rock sort of song. Kind of catchy. Songs 2 to 5 are pure about that relaxing part: surf, sea, unwinding… but the last couple of songs don't have the intensity they need to keep me and my interest awake. And the French lyrics don't bother me at all; it's just that this album sounds kind of flat. But I'm pretty sure they can spice it all up in the future.
Yves
http://www.stonedeadprod.fr.st
ANESTESIA
"Satisfied"
CD 79/100
Grindish Death Thrash Hardcore Nu Metal
Czech Republic
I have to admit I was taken by surprise here. Anestesia comes from the Czech Republic and for some obscure reasons I was expecting another Krabathor, another Godless Truth clone. Good tortured music is what we get here. Death Metal, Grindcore, Hardcore and crapload of shit (featuring some "Nu Metal" influences) mixed in varying proportions. Usually, this kind of product isn't my cup of tea, but Anestesia found the right balance between all those different musical genres and "Satisfied" manages to hold my interest for most of its duration. Some more experimental passages as "U.F.O.E.T." with vocal effects don't work too well but the Hardcore-influenced vocal work coupled to Death/Thrash Metal frameworks are a real bonus. This album has obviously had some effort in identity put into it and though I'm absolutely not an aficionado of this genre, I can tell this is pretty high quality music…So on that account only, Anestesia already deserves to be recommended. Try this, you'll be surprised.
Georges
self / Cephalic Records
ANKA
"Carbone 14"
demo CD-R 73/100
Energetic Rock
France
French Rock groups
don't appear much on the radio these days. It's true, Britney or Shakira don't
make the task easier… But that doesn't mean they don't exist or that they
don't play good music. Anka's there to prove it. In the same vein as Dolly and
Noir Désir, the four guys from Grenoble play a square, energetic and
driving Rock that, according to them, comes from the fusion of Metal and Pop.
The music is sometimes like French Rock but perhaps with a more British sound
to the guitars. The sound but also the words are important, and evoke the happiness
and unhappiness of today's world. These songs, as sung with all of Chris Guilladin's
conviction, are in perfect accord with the music, which is very expressive as
well. The whole thing seems to invite you to move. The power of music and words,
ready to wake up more than one listener, could be one of the slogans of Anka.
Their three-track demo lacks originality but is efficient and proves that the
French Rock scene has a lot to offer us nor is it ready to die out…
Géry Brusselmans
ANTARTICA
"Erasing mankind"
demoCD-R 78/100
Cool Death Metal
Norway
Here we go, Black Metal from Norway and guess what, they are definitely different from what we get are used to hearing from this cold Scandinavian country. I even get the feeling that looking at Antarctica as a Black Metal band could give you the wrong impression about the music they deliver through the five (+ an outro) tracks of this demo. This is actually pretty decent stuff really; it's got a heavy (cool Death) feel to it and the whole concept may be labeled as sort of a crossover between slow-paced Death Metal, first hour Thrash, heavy Dark Metal and is rather catchy, surprisingly so in fact (especially if you consider the average length of most of the songs played here). The music played by Antarctica must grow on you and you need several careful auditions to appreciate the band's way of composing music. Don't let me scare you… as the songs recorded for this "Erasing mankind" aren't something to sit in front of your CD player with, drooling over the complexity of the bass drum frameworks or the linking between the guitar lines. Their first production was sold to some local humans with interest in this sort of music (yes, they are not regarding themselves as the genitors of a new musical creation) but this new opus will surely appeal to a wider audience. Good work.
Georges
http://www.home.no/antarctica / Sweet Nausea Promotion
ARKHON
INFAUSTUS "Filth catalyst"
CD 77/100
Black/Death
France
Second offering from the Paris based act. "Perverse Black Death Metal tapping in on brutality, intensity and efficiency" is what is printed on the bio, and for once it almost makes sense. The brutal and intense Black Death Metal combination is somewhat obvious 'cause Arkhon Infaustus still delivers the same mixture…Be sure, all the "Hell Injection" lunatics shall not be bewildered or disappointed by "Filth Catalyst". The quite chaotic, disturbing avant-garde Death Black Metal is still the band's trademark; everything is simply a little bit heavier, more mature (I hesitate to say more structured) on the eight tracks of this album. The enlistment of a second guitar player also enriched the band's musical potential, bringin' more diversity in the guitar department. As for the perversity of the concept, well, they indeed and definitely induce a more nihilistic and/or depraved message than most of the acts playing similar stuff. The band's fame also benefits from the sexual/perverse surroundings that accompany their live performances (to be honest, I saw those Frenchies about two years ago at the old Frontline…and I didn't notice anything special during the first half of their show…). Financial hard times for the band's fans as Arkhon Infaustus shall release a split EP with their label mates of Revenge (ex-Conqueror from Canada if I remember well) in weeks to come.
Georges
http://www.osmoseproductions.com
ASTROFAES
"The eyes of the beast"
CD 79/100
Black Metal
Ukraine
Formed in 1996 in the icy Ukraine, Astrofaes already released (if I understand well) four other CDs : "The Attraction: Heavens And Hearth" in '97, "Dying Emotions Domain" in '98 and the two albums, "Heritage" and "Ancestors' Shadows" in 2001. This "The Eyes Of The Beast" must thus de the band's fifth studio work and was recorded during the winter of 2000 (thus, it must be the third one in the band's history!) It's not really important in the end… Back to music: here you have a typical Oaken Shield release. A pure underground first hour Black Metal CD for pure underground Black Metal minds. This label doesn't really worry about financial and/or commercial purposes. "The Eyes Of The Beast" will only appeal to a very restricted portion of the Black Metal scene. Songs such as "And Winter Will Rise…", "Secret Of Eternal Forests" and "The Light Of Blood And Pain" absolutely don't show any kind of connection with today's Black Metal golden boys (Cradle Of Filth, Dimmu Borgir or Old Man's Child…). Astrofaes' spirit is close to Mayhem, Burzum or Satyricon's chaos. No enjoyable music to listen to, no easy choruses… Nothing easy to get into... Pure hate and chaos!!! Pure Black Metal!!!
Georges
Oaken Shield / Adipocere
BIOHAZARD
"Kill or be killed"
CD 87/100
Hardcore
USA
Biohazard, the first Hardcore band to have been recognized by a Metal public, is back with the new release "Kill Or Be Killed". After Seven albums, this new one follows the new wave of Hardcore; it's basically NY Hardcore mixed with Metal power. It's brutal, violent and loud. The sound of "Kill Or Be Killed" is similar to that of younger hardcore bands like Hatebreed for example. As opposed to their precedent album "Uncivilization", Biohazard have found a new wave of anger to surf on. This album is not as highflying as "Mata Leo" but it's pretty close to "New World Disorder". Biohazard are pioneers in this style of Hardcore and have proved their power ever since their debut. Everybody knows that Biohazard are most of all a live band - and one of the best ones around no less. In conclusion, " Kill Or Be Killed " is a really good new brutal Hardcore album released for the scene. And if you have the opportunity to go see them: go, go, go and enjoy!!!
Arnaud
BLOOD
RED THRONE "Affiliated with the suffering"
CD 83/100
Death Metal
Norway
What struck me first was that Blood Red Throne's second album cover was completely childish for a band of this nature. This is the first and only bad comment I'm able to write about "Affiliated With The Suffering". The successor of "Monument Of Death" (already released through Hammerheart Records) is a very good old school American Death Metal album. Still far from what we're used to listen to from their previous musical experiences (Satyricon, Einherjer and Emperor), Blood Red Throne can be categorized as in the same league as early nineties American Death Metal. Blastbeats, mid-tempo song structures and ultra guttural vocal work is the name of the game here. The brutal Death Metal mixture delivered shows lotsa connections with first albums released by American pioneers such as Cannibal Corpse, Autopsy, Brutal Truth or even Incantation. This is well played and brightly composed by a band that obviously knows how to make the whole thing work out. No bad comments…just perhaps a lack of surprise (if you definitely want to be negative).
Georges
BLOODROSE
"Into Oblivion"
CD 84/100
Death/Black Metal
Finland
Even if "Into Oblivion" is Bloodrose's first real album, this Finnish act is what you may regard as a long existing formation, which has its roots in the year 1995 (when some of the band's members were active in a band named Hatework). The band sound reminds me of Children Of Bodom, with a strong focus on both Black Metal atmospheres and Death Metal violence. As a matter of fact, I get the feeling that both Black and Death Metal influence Bloodrose's members…and a strong hybrid music is delivered throughout the seven tracks of "Into Oblivion". The continuous rhythm changes and the reversed riff schemes on guitar are almost hypnotic. The combination of all those paces with some very interesting key backgrounds (sometimes quite similar from what we know from both Dimmu Borgir's first albums) is far superior to your average 'fast / slow / fast' patterns that so many acts seem to indulge in. The half gurgled / half screamed vocals are another bonus here and nicely complement the band's musical choice. I would recommend "Into Oblivion" to fans of Children of Bodom in particular, but also to all the N.W.O.S.D.M. lunatics as Bloodrose delivers a very mature piece of work here.
Georges
http://www.retributerecords.com
CARSON
"Empty Scream"
demoCD-R 79/100
Alternative Rock
Scotland
It's a sad and quite calm music that these young Scots named Carson compose. Maybe it's calm because it's what you remember about the 8 tracks alternating poetic moments and more rhythmic ones. Maybe it's more enticing on stage than on CD. But when you listen to Carson, you enter a new universe. From the first notes on, a sax solo accompanies the guitar, so you think that the four musicians are going to present you a Jazz demo until the drums prove you wrong. This is Rock! Not as sterile as the other bands you can hear on the radio. Not as experimental as other CDs you'll find at the music library. Just a savage mix of both that leads us to conclude that Carson already found their own style. The typical Alternative Rock ingredients are there but pushed back a bit into the background, to allow their musical creativity to speak. I really think that this first album is neat and well constructed, the first one in a long series…
Géry Brusselmans
CHRISTIAN
DEATH "Lover of Sin"
CD 85/100
Goth Black Metal
USA
Who is expecting the newest typically Goth album of Christian Death might be buying this CD for the wrong reasons… "Lover Of Sin" should rather be considered the solo album of female singer Maitri, co-written and co-produced by Valor, lead singer of Christian Death. Musically, this album is much more Black or Extreme Metal-oriented than Gothic and therefore I think it will please Metal fans in the first place. "Lover Of Sin" is a very original album; it's also really dark and full of anger, hate and despair. The sound is really strong, thanks to the very good guitar work (the guitar sound is very typical and fits perfectly with the anger and despair expressed throughout this album) and the excellent drums with typical Black Metal blastbeats by Ishtar. The fast parts alternate with very dark atmospheric parts (like for example the first part of the track "Eulogy Cathedral"), which really gives you the creeps. On top of this, the very expressive and powerful vocals of beauty Maitri (who has a magnificent bosom, watch the band picture and you will agree…) complete the songs perfectly. It is very difficult to choose a favorite track here; this album is interesting and intriguing from the beginning till the very end. If you are looking for something new, I can highly recommend you this album - at least, if your soul is strong enough!
AOD
http://www.candlelightrecords.co.uk / Bertus
CONTEMPT
"Stormforce"
CD 82/100
Death/Thrash
Denmark
Nothing new under the sun of Denmark? "Stormforce" (Contempt's first studio work) shows a band tapping in on both late eighties Thrash Metal and a more modern Death Metal approach. Not really the first time we are facing with this kind of music. So, nothing new? To be honest, I get the feeling that describing Contempt as another fine example of how Danish Death Thrash Metal sounds like, gives a wrong impression about the band. In accordance with the first hour Thrash sound, the basic set-up of Contempt's musical world slips into straightforward type patterns that are tempered by a mid-tempo Death Metal approach. The vocal work is very efficient and nicely complements the band's musical direction. Catchiness mainly comes from the way songs are constructed and don't exclusively rely on the guitar department. Contempt doesn't break new grounds but their blend of Thrash Death Metal succeeds in creating a special trademark in a more and more overcrowded scene. I eventually wasn't surprised to read in the bio that Contempt was created over ten years ago. A special mention for "Cailforce" that without any reason reminds me of Iron Maiden's "Transylvania". Good work.
Georges
Diamond Records / Rock Inc.
COUNT
THE STARS "Never be taken alive"
CD 93/100
Emo-pop-hardcore-punk-n-roll
USA
Oh yeah baby! Victory Records is going big. After signing Ten Foot Pole and Voodoo Glow Skulls, they start signing "Punk Rock" bands like Somehow Hollow and this very Count The Stars. Call it what you want but this is the future of Punk Rock. The living proof of this are bands like Jimmy Eat World, New Found Glory, Starting Line, Sugar Cult, Taking Back Sunday, Midtown, Staring Back, Park, … and I can keep on naming bands. It's not about speed anymore but it's getting kind of softer in a positive sense of the word. Count The Stars play edgy, powerful and melodic Rock & Roll. I really love their melodies. So start getting used to it. If other bands in this genre haven't persuaded you yet, this album might. As for myself, I really can't find anything bad to say about this album, on the contrary; since I put this new CD in my stereo for the first time, it hasn't left it. And it just keeps screaming for more. It's the kind of album on which the songs are very catchy so that you remember them well. Honestly, this is one of the better releases this year and I wonder what the future will bring for this New York quartet. Lots of good things I presume…
YVES
http://www.victoryrecords.com / Hard Life Promotion
CULT
OF LUNA "The Beyond"
CD 98/100
Sad Slow Core
Sweden
I will always remember how I felt the first time I listened to Cult Of Luna's music, an uneasy and heady atmosphere yet so beautiful: their first creation was so imperial. I wondered how they would manage to attain the same quality with their following work, as it was so close to perfection. Well, I was wrong to doubt and Cult Of Luna proved to be more than a one-album band. This time they landed on the most famous Earache label that was running down the bill but managed to get back on track as time went by. Pell Henricson was enlisted to provide COL some power and melancholy within a raw sound. Heavy guitars, martial drums and Klas Rydlierg's vocals, in-between screeching and cavernous, evoke a powerful and enthralling feeling. Just like on the first record, violins, pianos and acoustic moment bring fresh air to this pandemonium. Describing Cult Of Luna's music is very difficult since the style is so intimistic, so just lend an attentive ear to this truly unique band. As far as I'm concerned, I've already found my best record of the year, though it is only January.
Doomyan
http://www.earache.com / Zomba
DARK
POETRY "An ugly little freak"
CD 76
Groovy Death Metal
France
I was quite happy to receive this "An Ugly Little Freak". I never heard the band's two previous works (the demos "Once Upon A Time…" and "Wharol"), but I saw their name in lotsa very positive reviews. Unanimously described as a kind of encounter between Power Thrash Metal and melodic Swedish Death… the whole lot adorned with some Black Metal surroundings. I was impatient to discover this one…and I'm disappointed now… perhaps I'm stupid but I couldn't find the slightest bit of Swedish Death Metal in the nine tracks of "An Ugly Little Freak". Some Entombed references can be found here and there but we're apparently dealing with the heavy Stoner Metal period of the band. I'm probably going to be slaughtered for this…and I will avoid the French territory next summer, but to my opinion, "An Ugly Little Freak" is a soft version of some of Pantera's classics… Songs such as "Soldier" or "Once" show absolutely no connections with the N.W.O.S.D.M. but on the other side, they will surely delight the Phil Anselmo lunatics. "An Ugly Little Freak" is absolutely no bad album and a large array of Thrash Power Groovy Death Metal listeners will without any doubt bang their head when listening to "An Ugly Little Freak"…but I'm not comfortable with this music.
Georges
self
DARK
VISION "Full Moon Shines"
CD 65/100
Heavy death Metal
Greece
Eight songs of ultra melodic heavy Black Metal. Mostly slow and melancholic with a few nice guitar passages. Dark Vision's musicians aren't bad at all but unfortunately that doesn't make the eight compositions recorded here any better. Ultra conventional keyboard lines and predictable choruses interspersed with repetitive guitar parts ("Passing The Gates" is a fine example of Dark Vision's musical concept). Some songs started off quite well but I usually began to loose interest after one or two minutes. "Full Moon Shines" is the kind of album that seems to have been recorded too early... Dark Vision's songwriters do have some nice ideas but they are still unable to make the whole thing work out throughout a complete album. The vocals are the most disappointing element of this "Full Moon Shines" as they lack power and variation. The whole album just passed by without any passion…When recording this album, Dark Vision changed their musical direction and took on a new singer… Perhaps we should expect something completely different on their next recording. Meanwhile, "Full Moon Shines" is not terrible but not very exciting either…just common.
Georges
Defleshed is considered to be one of the forerunners of the Swedish Death Metal genre that developed in the early nineties. Next to their band Defleshed, the members were also actively involved in several other musical projects including names like Dark Funeral or Illdisposed. This is perhaps why this "Royal Straight Flesh" is the fourth full-length album recorded by a band that started back in the year 1991 (both first albums "Abrah Kadavrah" and "Under The Blade" released in Europe through Invasion records are re-released through the Dutch Hammerheart records.). Through the years and release after release, Defleshed became an established name in the European Death Metal scene. The basic set-up of "Royal Straight Flesh" is in accordance with the early Death Metal style, slipping into simple, direct and to-the-point song structures. Material is catchy; essentially ultra fast paced and sufficiently diversified (especially for a band of this nature) referring to both general concept and individual songs. The performance is incredibly tight and the furious vocal work will without any doubt impress all Death Metal lunatics. Superb work…a mandatory purchase.
Georges
http://www.regainrecords.com / Rock Inc.
DELUSIONAL
"Delusional"
self produced CD 67/100
Rock
Canada
Delusional, a Rock band. This might appear strange but it would be hard to give a more precise label to this Canadian band. Pop, Folk, Psychedelic and Reggae songs all link the 12 songs on the album. It is the absence of consistency that astonishes right up to the last song. One also gets this impression from the musicians, who appear to be playing the same song but with very different moods. But this eclecticism can also be seen as a trump card, notably owing to the melodic wealth of their songs, which is very unusual for a Rock group. The voice, which takes on an almost instrumental value, as well as the acoustic arrangements and the distortion, without doubt add to the ability of Delusional to give their songs a Pop soul. But the link to be observed between these disconnected songs is not visible from a technical point of view but rather appears in the general atmosphere that it releases. A celestial and melancholic atmosphere is created notably by the keyboard but also in part by the rhythmic guitar and soloist. So if some of you still wonder what style Delusional plays... You could say it is Indie Psychedelic Space Pop/Rock. Those of you who are interested have been warned!
Géry Brusselmans
From the first audition on we can feel that the members of Demon Child have been in good Black Metal hands… It's enough to open the booklet and admire them all wearing their Sunday best, posing amidst trees with their truly evil make-up in the good old tradition. They have knives, look angry and apparently are not here to joke. The album opens without any surprise with a dark introduction on keyboards, after which the group comes to the point and begins to strike you with the unavoidable Black Metal equation: a warlike riff, a violent scream and then everything gives way, the implacable machine launched on a furious blastbeat. It's Brutal Black Metal, and it sounds effective. "Shadow Cult" quickly reminds one of Dark Funeral or Enthroned and their Apocalypse Manifesto saturated by hate in the most brutal parts (which aren't lacking), except that their assault is less sustained and gives the listener some time to immerse himself in frozen and majestic landscapes outlined by the ashes of hate. What we have here is a devastating opus of raw and fast Black Metal carried by omnipresent ambient keyboards and some melodic riffs. Of course it's not really original but it succeeds to render something of the sound of hell and it's technically well done. For those who love musical storms: a wind of hate blowing from Finland to your ears.
Satha
http://www.soundriot.net / Rock Inc.
DIEHARD
YOUTH "…Without the Kids we would be dead"
CD 90/100
Hardcore
USA
Young guys coming from California, Diehard Youth have earned their place in West Coast Hardcore. Their latest release "…Without The Kids We Would Be Dead " is the first step to conquer the Power Melodic Old School Hardcore. With the help of the great Paul Minor (who also worked with Death By Stereo) the CD sound is very "crush" as we love it, but stays as melodic as the first release "Ensign". I think that their apparition on the Indecision Records sampler is one of the reasons of that very special sound. "… Without The Kids We Would Be Dead" is more powerful and mature than "All For One, One For All", that was released under licence with Warfare Records. After having completed their USA West Coast tour and the East Coast tour in March 2002, Diehard Youth is ready to conquer the world.
Arnaud
http://www.gangstylerecords.com
You can always rely on the ex-Eastern Block countries for some back to the roots brutal Death Metal and Disloyal is absolutely no exception. Those Polish lads did quite an enjoyable job. Of course the three tracks of this promo don't bring something new to an overcrowded scene but for what Disloyal do, they simply do it right (with conviction and a good sense of balance and timing). There is the odd smell of Vader or Krabathor, but nothing too obvious. Some slow sections break the speed up into different musical structures and the vocals are as guttural and powerful as you would wish them to be. The guitar parts seem to have a melodic edge to them and nicely increase the accessibility of the whole concept. If you want to discover some innovative or even original Death Metal don't even give Disloyal a try…on the other side, if you wanna hear some very well performed first hour raw and pure Death Metal, Disloyal may be your next thing.
Georges
EMBRACING
WINDS "The Astounding Dawn"
demoCD-R 73/100
Abient/Dark Metal
Portugal
Embracing Winds is formed by two members: Pedro Oliveira and female singer Margarida de Moura, both originating from Oeiras, Portugal. With this first demo, they present us a very atmospheric and relaxing six-track CD. This demo can be catalogued in the ambient section, even though the music of Embracing Winds has some Metal influences, such as the very melancholic guitars, which are typically used in the main Doom or dark Metal works. The compositions are really interesting. They are of course keyboard-based. The guitars and the magnificent opera-like singing of Margarida complete the tracks. Their music is really compelling, just put on the CD, have a glass of wine and be seated in a nice chair and you will instantaneously drift away to marvelous magical places. The main problem with this demo is its production. The levels vary from track to track (this particularly was quite annoying) and the sound lacks a bit of power. Good point here is that the sound is clear. Embracing Winds is currently working on a second demo CD. If the sound of that demo will have improved compared to this one, keeping all the good things of "The Astounding Dawn", a melancholic masterpiece is about to see the light of day.
AOD
self
EMBRAZE
"Katharsis"
CD 74/100
Metal
Finland
Well!!! Not quite sure what to call this "Katharsis". Alternative Heavy Death Metal with classic and Stoner Rock influences may be a good start. Another difficult one for me to review for sure…as Embraze's music is not really my favorite thing. On the other side, I'm sure those guys are very good at what they do. The music is really heavy but catchy and groovy at the same time. Some themes may sometimes sound a little bit old-fashioned… they are not miles away from the last albums of Sentenced or even Amorphis but Embraze manage to maintain their own identity. Eventually my main (and almost only) objection here concerns vocal work, which could be much better, much more aggressive and more varied with a little effort… a more guttural approach could nicely increase the originality of the whole concept …(for sure, it's just a question of taste). "Katharsis" is Embraze's third studio recording and it shows a band that taps in on both identity and catchiness. Strange, I first thought "this album shall bore me to Death"…but I surprisingly replay it for the second time today… Having reached the end of this inconclusive review, I come to the same conclusion: "Katharsis" is not a bad album but this kind of music still isn't me.
Georges
http://www.mastervox.fi/embraze
FATAL
EMBRACE "Legions of Armageddon"
71/100
Thrash Metal
Germany
This Fatal Embrace is not in any way connected with the Swedish act (going by the same name) that, a couple of years ago, released a very good first N.W.O.S.D.M. album on Candlelight rec. Just take a look at the band's pics on this "Legions Of Armageddon" and you will directly guess the kind of music you'll be dealing with. Fatal Embrace comes from Germany and sounds like the successor of the "second rate" eighties German Thrash Metal bands. Both first tracks of this album show some inclination toward a more modern Death Metal sound (Desaster with some Slayer influences)… but from "Mentally Perversion" on, Fatal Embrace plays German Thrash Metal for German Thrash Metal maniacs. Quite simplistic (but not bad at all) guitar attacks and the use of those particular screams (including the fabulous German accent) might be regarded as the band's main characteristics. The listening of this album warps me back about fifteen years to when LPs like "Metal revolution", "Vengeance Of Hell" (Living Death with the unbearable singer Toto), "Zombie Attack", "The Morning After" (Tankard) or "Sentence Of Death" (Destruction) stayed on my turntable for hours. "Legions Of Armageddon" is all pretty basic stuff and there's no way they can stand out in the overcrowded German Thrash Metal scene but German fans will surely be delighted with this album. It's thus a matter of taste.
Georges
http://www.bruchstein-records.de
FOREST
STREAM "Tears of mortal solitude"
80/100
Doom Metal
Russia
The title already gives you the right picture of the music played here. Forest Stream was formed back in 1995 and already released two demos that seem to have encountered great success in the band's native country Russia. Forest Stream caught the attention of the English major Earache and signed a four-album deal with Elitist records. On the musical level, "Tears Of Mortal Solitude" harks back to the depressive music played in the early nineties. Long songs as "Last Season Purity", "Black Swans" or "Mel Kor" are kind of hybrids between English Doom Metal creations (My Dying Bride, Anathema) and ice-cold Scandinavian Black Metal projects (Arcturus, Ulver or Of The Wand And The Moon). Their basic approach is rather plain and uniform with some up-tempo parts thrown in here and there for compensation. Due to their length and concept, some themes may appear a little bit monotonous but on the other side (and unlike most of the bands evolving in this specific scene) instead of being excessively slow and totally depressed, Forest Stream is dark and sad in an "aggressive" kind of way. "Tears Of Mortal Solitude" is thus a very good piece of work that will delight all you depressive spirits.
Georges
http://www.elitistrecords.co.uk / Zomba
GERBE
OF LIFE / REPUDIATE "split CD"
74/100
Grindcore/Brutal Death
France
If not the best, I consider the split CD or a vinyl as my favorite audio support featuring two (or more) bands sharing (and delivering) the goods. This kind of concept regularly leads to interesting findings, as it is the case here with French new label Skull Fucked Prods. For his first record, they bring us Gerbe Of Life and Repudiate. Two excellent French Bands. Let's begin with Gerbe Of Life (well-known on the web thanks to Gab's everlasting efforts to promote their site): this is old school Grindcore with Crust and Punk influences, directly influenced by the old Napalm Death and Defecation. Stephane Buriez is in charge of production, which gives full credit to the well-fit and powerful music, which is only marred by the monotone and indistinctive vocals…That is the only bad point. Repudiate offer us six excellent Brutal Death Metal cuts. Repudiate is somewhere in-between the American and the Finnish Death Metal scene: American for the brutality and Finnish for the harmonic solos. Two goods bands on a good split!
Doomyan
GRIEF
"Turbulent Times"
CD 70/100
Psychotic Sludge
USA
Those last few years saw a good deal of Doom Metal broadening itself into a much more depressive and psychotic direction, leaving no other alternative to fans of melancholy than lose themselves into the quagmire of cheap romanticism and vampiric pompous opera chick Goth Metal. (Mind you, I do not bear any grudge against Metal with clear female vocals; I personally worship Acid King…). The main culprit behind all those sonic abuses and demented larsens of the likes of Iron Monkey and Khanate (among MANY others) is no other than Grief. "Turbulent Times" features all their material previously available on split vinyls as well as a few unreleased demo and alternate versions of songs off their "Come To Grief" record (a terror inspiring revamped "Depression"). Ultra slow yet brutal as well as piercing vocals are the trademark of those innovators that DID push the boundaries further. Since "Turbulent Times" is by no means a greatest hits type thing, it is absolutely not mandatory to get "Come To Grief" first. Either of those will help you fulfill the task of experiencing sore depressiveness put into music, wolves and blood sucking undead not included.
Halcyon.
http://www.southernlord.com / Bang Distribution
HELL-BORN
"The call of megiddo"
CD 77/100
Death/Thrash
Poland
"The Call Of Megiddo" is the first full-length recorded by this Polish four piece that, judging by material like "Legion Is Our Name", "The Call Of Megiddo" or "With The Gleam Of" seems to have picked up the intensity of nowadays' Thrash Metal with more classic mid-eighties foundations…the whole thing coupled with some kind of Death Metal structures and patterns. The overall concept (that can be compared to a kind of crossbreed between Destroyer 666 and more old school German Thrashers like Sodom, Tyrant or Kreator) is hallmarked by very good guitar combinations but also by a restricted diversity of those guitar lines from one song to another. Hell-Born don't really sound too different from nowadays' bulk of bands walking the Thrash Death Metal path but on the other side, the band succeeds throughout the eight songs of "The Call Of Megiddo" to impose a recognizable sound / concept that isn't identical to the one of the above-mentioned references in full or in particular. Good work.
Georges
HROSSHARSGRANI
"Schattenkrieger"
CD 81/100
Dark/Atmospheric Metal
Austria
3 years ago, the first Hrossharsgrani CD, "…Of Battles, Ravens And Fire" came into my possession. Well, I found out about the name of the band only one week ago, since their logo remained a mystery to me, which I could not elucidate. I remember the battle sounds and hymns and the choirs on that CD. They were intriguing enough to make me search for some additional info, but I failed that time in my mission. And now, three years later your servant may review their third CD! OK, now I know the band name, even though I will never remember it, let alone be able to pronounce it. This is where the copy-paste function comes in handy in writing this review. From a promotional point of view, maybe not the best choice, but OK. Let's come to the point now. When listening to "Schattenkrieger" for the first time, this CD brought a (big) smile on my face, while I thought "what the hell is this?"… But again, this album has something intriguing and interesting, which encourages one to listen to it more closely. And so I did… The plot of this CD is really well done. The different symphonic and epic hymns are linked together by samplings and warm female narration. As also seems to be the case for Hrossharsgrani's former CD "The Secret Fire", the lyrics are totally based on "The Lord of the Rings". The Nazgul, Gandalf, Legolas, Gimli, Frodo, Sam, Gollum… they're all covered! This is rather funny, especially now that the movies still hover in the back of our minds. On this level it may not be overly original, but globally this CD sure is worthwhile. "Schattenkrieger" is variegated; lots of instruments are used and lots of atmospheres created. The songs are all really recognizable and will sure stick to your memory for a while. Little drawback here is the German language use, especially since the lyrics are clear and quite important in this epos. This is of course no problem when you actually know German. Conclusion: Highly recommended for all German speaking "Lord of the Rings" fans and for sure not to be neglected by others who are into Epic Metal!
AOD
IMMEMORIAL
"Monologue"
CD 80/100
Death Metal
Poland
Another very good surprise from Poland (the previous one, named Dissenter, released the fabulous "Apocalypse Of The Damned" on the Dutch Coldblood Ind. a couple of months ago)… Here, Immemorial (not to be mistaken for the Swedish act with almost the same name) have created a commendable second album (band's first one "Ius Primae Noctis" was released about three years ago). The most relevant element here is the vocal work of female singer Marta Meger, who delivers both feeling and violence by means of ultra guttural vocals reminiscent of Angela Gossow (Arch Enemy), Rachel (Sinister, Occult) or even Sabina Classen (Holy Moses). The material throughout the eight tracks of "Monologue" offers compact and still catchy Death Metal with some originality in the guitar department (you mainly gain access to the music through the guitar lines that include some nice solo passages, like on "Wander Through Life", "Born To Redeem" or "Under Delusion"). The whole interpretation is nothing extraordinarily original but "Monologue" features an enjoyable straightforward approach that is secured by fast / mid-paced song structures. A very good album.
Georges
KABBAL
"Synthetically revived"
CD 78/100
Death Metal
France
Kabbal belongs to what you may consider to be the new wave of the French underground Death Metal scene. Quality acts such as Asmodee, Taliandorogd or (for the most professional ones): Gurkkhas and Carcariass release very good pieces of music. "Synthetically Revived", the first full-length release from the south based Kabbal, delivers nine very good tracks of aggressive Technical Death Metal. On many accounts, Kabbal is on a par with the early Morbid Angel or Krisiun sound and is highlighted by a couple of Death/Thrash combinations reminiscent of Slayer, as on songs like "The Great Massacre (verset 666)" or "Epitaph Of The Elder Ones". Songs are essentially riff based with nice rhythm changes and technical moves. Vocals are guttural and reinforce the Death Metal approach of the whole concept. One could say that Kabbal are far from being innovative, but at least those guys know how to do the job right. "Synthetically Revived" is thus an interesting release with a good entertainment value. Check it out.
Georges
http://www.diamond-prod.com / Adipocere
KATAFALK
"Storm of the horde"
CD 88/100
Death Metal
The Netherlands
The debut full-length of this Dutch act really blew me away. Their 2001 promo was already a very good piece of ultra furious Death Metal assault…but I wasn't expecting such a quality release this time. Katafalk isn't what you might call experimental or even innovative (referring to the basic interpretation of the Death Metal genre) but nevertheless, their brand of ultra speedy hateful Death Metal is more than simply enjoyable. "Storm Of The Horde" can already compete with "killer" albums like "Kings Of All Kings" (Hate Eternal) or "The Will To Kill" (Malevolent Creation). The Dutch five-piece knows how to cleverly slip catchiness and huge doses of variation into their multi-segmented Death Metal frameworks. This is Death Metal played on a very high level. The vocals are also completely out of control (and I mean this in a positive way)…I just hope that singer Wokkel, who is also active with other acts like Obtuse or Winter Of Sin, will stay in the horde as his vocal work nicely complements Katafalk's musical concept. A must.
Georges
http://www.coldbloodindustries.com
KRATOS
"Looking behind the mirror"
CD 76/100
Gothic Metal
Romania
"Looking Behind The Mirror…" is ancient. The six songs of this album (coupled with a 2002 track, for my opinion, the most interesting one of the whole promo) were recorded during the summer of 1999. Kratos comes from Romania and delivers (surprise, surprise ! ! !) Romanian Gothic Metal. For those of you who aren't familiar with the genre, Romanian Gothic Metal isn't that different from the Dutch Gothic Metal, which is quite similar to the Scandinavian Gothic Metal… Kratos delivers thus a kind of Gothic influenced Doomy Metal. The vocal parts alternate between quite different approaches (Thomas Karlsson's influence appears: Tristitia's first singer with more attractive low Death Metal growling…the whole thing coupled with weak ethereal female vocal lines thrown in here and there). Dark emotional music full of quiet sections underlined by key atmospheres that actually stand on their own and add ambiance. Very "feel good" music, not original at all but quite easy to get into (mainly if you like those special vocal works). Typically, the sort of thing you would sit down and relax to, though some themes may benefit to be shortened a bit.
Georges
self / Axa Valaha
LATRODECTÜS
"Altered flesh"
CD 77/100
Black Metal
France
An interesting evolution from "Darkened Abyss", their 2001 demo (already distributed by Adipocere rec.), although there's no great revolution in genre or anything, as "Altered Flesh" is very much in the same vein - rather a more mature and more professional approach of the already ferocious melodic Black Metal assault. Latrodectüs don't really explore new musical horizons and the usual references (Dimmu Borgir…) pop into your mind regularly when listening at songs like "Suffering's Theatre", "Consumed By The Extrinsic Substance" or "Irreverent Corpses" (for my taste the most interesting song on the entire album). Decent production, tons of keyboards, lyrics in English, French and German, the vocalist gets high scores on the more aggressive parts but seems to have a bit of difficulty with the slower passages…Nothing new under the sun, but at least "Altered Flesh" reaches high quality standards. The J. Bosch looking cover (by Bolek Budzyn) really deserves to be mentioned... Eventually, a band that quotes Olivia Del Rio and Clara Morgane in its thanks list can't be bad. Good job!
Georges
MALEDETH
"Maledeth"
demoCD-R 68/100
Heavy Metal
Italy
"Hey, have you heard Maledeth?" "Megadeth, sure man who hasn't?" "NO no, MAAAAledeth!" "Fuck no, who are they?" "Well they seem to be an Italian band. I figured that out with their email-address" "Ah neat, so they are into Megadeth, or are they some other Italian band?'" "Neither! These guys play good Heavy Metal, not wimpy, and maybe here and there some Thrash influences!" "Ah, neat, we don't get that too often from those regions don't we?" "Haha, no we sure don't!" "So to keep it Italian we should compare them to a more aggressive and thrashier Adramelch?" "No again, this band seems very odd. Maledeth's Metal is hard to compare to any band, it's quite original and at times even very catchy! Another thing is that they are certainly not a technical band, no jerking off their guitars, no impressive solos, etc. They just seem to have good clean Metal-fun and I like listening to them. Too bad their singer isn't much of a singer, hee-hee, he sings with clean vocals but it sounds ratjer horrible. He might try a rawer voice." "Ah well, maybe I should give them a listen". "Yeah sure you should!" And that's pretty much how a conversation about this CD between a friend and me went. Conclusion: Maledeth play a good deal of Heavy Metal, in their very own way and I like it!!! Too bad I received so very little info about these guys.
Jachim
self
MAXMILLION
"Maxmillion"
CD 72/100
Sludge Doom
USA
So strange an album made by former Ex-16 Bobby Ferry and Jason Corley! Just picture Cathedral having group sex with Godflesh, Electric Wizard, Neurosis, Eyehate God and some Metalcore elements … pretty messy huh? Heavy and dirty sounds merge with more atmospheric moments, which add up to an intense background. Maxmillion is way more into badass heaviness than into break neck speed and that results in a disorientating sense of power. Some of you may feel slightly disappointed by the fact that many of the songs tend to sound alike but for me that is really not a problem. Sincerely, the riffs crash into your head and stay in it for a long while. Sludge fans of the world, give this disc a well deserved spin. Doom or be Doomed…
Doomyan
http://www.retributerecords.com
MIXOMATOSIS/MASTECTOMIA
"split CD"
CD 78/100
Brutal Death / Gore Grind
Poland/Spain
When dealing with the Polish Death Metal scene, 2 names come immediately to mind: Vader and Devylin. Although the Eastern-European scene has its own style, it would be absurd to compare Mastectomia with them. This band draws its influences form acts such as Cannibal Corpse, Devourment, Putrilage… Mastectomia isn't the most original band in the world but this CD is so well balanced that you readily feel this twitch in the muscles of your neck and that makes this band a great discovery as far as I'm concerned. I believe we'll be hearing more of them soon. As for Mixomatosis, they burrow into mid-tempo Gore/Grind fields, evoking their compatriots Haemmoraghe at times, certain parts remind me of old work by Malignant Tumour or even of the cultissimous Gut. All won't appreciate the very original vocals, yet I enjoyed their catchy riffs as well as the funny Spanish intros. Unfortunately the sound quality is Mixomatosis' eternal curse as it lacks power and weakens the band's overall impact. So sad …
Doomyan
Downfall Records
MESS
AGE "Self convicted"
CD 64
Thrash Metal
Poland
Despite the presence of Nergal from Behemoth as guest singer on one of the ten songs of "Self Convicted", the vocal work is the most disappointing element of this Mess Age coming from Poland. To be honest, the vocals delivered here undermine most of the band's efforts (even those terrible German Thrash Metal singers of the mid-eighties - remember Living Death or Mad Butcher? - weren't that bad). For this particular reason, the Thrash Metal coupled here with some slow paced Death backgrounds and power Metal touches does not stay in my memory. The end product as a whole lacks structure and body (or perhaps some all-round musical growth) to escape from the large amorphous mass of acts that evolves in this scene. Mess Age sounds as a weak copy of their land mates (and label mates) Hell-Born. Even trying very hard, I do not like this...
Georges
MYTHOLOGICAL
COLD TOWERS "Sphere of Nebaddon"
CD 80/100
Doom Metal
Brazil
I heard about this Brazilian act years ago…but I absolutely didn't know much about their back catalogue. "Sphere Of Nebaddon" was already released about six years ago…and if I remember well, Mythological Cold Towers also released another album around 2000. "Sphere Of Nebaddon" is a very good collection of songs brimming with melancholic atmospheres. Percussion, vocals and rhythmics are unmistakably Doom Metal but Mythological brightly incorporates elements of Death Metal in its basic frameworks. This way more in the vein of Paradise Lost ("Icon", "Shades Of God ") and Opeth's "Morningrise" than of Anathema. The concept sounds very accessible to quite a varied array of Metal listeners as the band avoid most of the usual Doom Metal clichés (that make most of the Doom releases sound kinda common in the end). "Sphere Of Nebaddon" is the kind of album that needs to be listened to as a whole as it may loose some of its edge if you pick only individual tracks. A very good surprise.
Georges
http://www.soundriot.net / Rock Inc.
OLETHRIO
RYGMA "Kill the children, murderers"
CD 74/100
Doom/Metalcore
Greece
Although presented by their label as a Metalcore group, we can ask ourselves about the sense of such a classification upon listening to Olethrio Rygma's "Kill The Children…". They actually play an intermediate style of Metal, on the greater part sounding like some old Septic Flesh (especially the recognizable heavy melodies on guitars), with Doom/Death Metal structures based on the principle of repetition, thus privileging insistent loops but the Hardcore influences are very shy. The constant melodic force supporting the compositions is certainly one of the virtues of the group who manages to get a beautiful tension out of it, while the vocals are divided in a male voice with a Death Metal accent and a female spoken voice that is often inadequate (in fact, it sometimes gets really irritating!). Olethrio Rygma's members seem to assume their identity pretty well: the lyrics are written in Greek, their native language, which makes it all sound exotic and original even though it might not the best choice for that kind of music. As the group takes on a substantially strong critical position against the USA and the great modern plagues (which would actually deserve an English translation of the texts!), Olethrio have to refine their music even more and add some extra harmony and coherence to make it all stick. The group will surely mature; meanwhile we can be content with the good moments of this slightly uneven yet energetic, grave and epic album.
Satha
http://www.black-lotus-recs.com / Rock Inc.
ONE
STEP BEYOND "Life Imitates Art"
demo CD-R
Jazzy/Funky Grindcore
Australia
One Step Beyond
might be the best and most original band hailing from Australia since Slaughter
Lord, Massive Appendage and Allegiance! This band mixes many different styles
that come improve the intelligent Grindcore delivered by this excellent three-piece.
In fact, except for some fast passages and the vocal aspect, the band ain't
too Grindcore. It's definitely Heavy, but includes very different stuff from
Rock to Reggae, Punk to Funk, Jazz to Ska or even some Industrial elements.
Apart from those influences, the musicianship is utterly amazing: absolutely
perfect and variegated. Moreover, the excellent drumming never gives the game
away, never shows that we're actually dealing with programming! The guy is a
genius! Now, some words about vocals: of course, the usual duality grunts/screams
is there but you can feel there's some fun in it. The screamy voice is very
reminiscent of early Sadus and Mass Psychosis while the grunted voice is a great
specimen of the Death Metal type.
This release is huge; I don't know whether it might attract millions of fans
or not, but one thing's certain, this album deserves attention and I hope those
Aussie bastards will get recognition and a decent record deal!
Steph
self
OPUS
ATLANTICA "Opus Atlantica"
CD 68/100
Prog/Power Metal
Sweden
Opus Atlantica is the newest project of singer Pete Sandberg, surrounded by musicians Jonas Reingold and Jaime Salazar (both members of the Flower Kings) and Johan Reinholz (NonExist, Andromeda). Nine tracks are found in this rather short album, both ballads and happier songs. The first impression I had was that this album is not very powerful - worse even, quite boring. I listened to it a couple more times and I'm afraid that I'll have to stay with that first impression. It is not all bad either; some nice guitar riffs are occasionally found on this album (as for example on "Endless Slaughter") and the choirs in "Anthem" (I do not like this song though; it's way too gentle for me) or in other tracks are great. I'm pretty sure that Pete Sandberg is a good singer but here, his vocals are just not powerful enough and thus weaken the songs on this album even more. This is mainly a problem in the happy songs, for the few ballads, it is just fine. I have said things like this before in other reviews and I guess I will have to say this again in the future: I don't think the world has been waiting for this album…
AOD
http://www.regainrecords.com / Rock Inc.
PAGANIZER
"Dead unburied"
CD 82/100
Swedish Death Metal
Sweden
Yeah! ! ! Very nice stuff here! As I often say: I'm really not too fond of what Entombed's sound evolved into; it's always been with immense pleasure that I went back to their oldest works ("Left Hand Path", "Clandestine" or their demo works released under the moniker Nihilist). If you're still into old school, fast paced Swedish Death Metal, "Dead Unburied" must be your next thing. This is intense Death Metal of superior quality, highlighted by great guitar parts (with the special Sunlight Studio sound) and a solid bass/drum foundation. Production is thus very good and the work on the drums lines deserves our special attention (mastering by Dan Swano). At the first audition, most of the listener's attention is attracted by the vocal work, next to the guest appearance of J. Sandstrom (former Grave member). You often get the feeling that singer Rogga is half growling/half gargling with swamp water in his mouth (Morbid Angel). Along with Bloodbath (with Dan Swano behind the drumkit), Centinex and Vomitory, Paganizer is another fine example of today's come back of Swedish Death Metal.
Georges
http://www.foreverunderground.com
PHANTOM
LORD "Circle of the Wasted"
CD 80/100
Heavy/Power Metal
Greece
Phantom Lord is special in several ways. First of all, strangely enough they originate from Greece and not from Germany - der Heimat of power Metal. And believe me, just by listening to them, you cannot tell. Power Metal really seems to gain popularity in the Southern-European countries the past couple of years; proof of this is the large amount of Italian and Spanish bands that produced nice CD's. Another thing that makes Phantom Lord special is the fact that they really manage to play the traditional Heavy Metal in such a way that on some tracks like "Liquid State", you cannot tell the difference between them or the classical Helloween work. OK, this makes them a little less original, but who cares, as their work is excellent… Phantom Lord stands for powerful and melodic classical Heavy/Power Metal, with lots of Heavy Metal riffs and solos; keyboards that support the songs but at times are even dominant (in a good way) and the excellent high-pitched singing of Vasilis Axiotis (hey this is Greek right?!?). And on top of this, the sound is excellent. It is really difficult to say which track I preferred; all of them are nice. Maybe it is the instrumental track "Crystal Of The Heart", because of the nice samplings and violin. Or maybe it is the ballad "Lust For Your Touch"… Give it a try and you will tell me!
AOD
http://www.black-lotus-recs.com / Rock Inc.
PICK
ON THE FAT KID "Pick On The Fat Kid"
demo CD 85/100
Punk/Rock
Belgium
"Pick On The Fat Kid" are back. Back with a new demo, recorded at their own Fat Kid Studio, produced by themselves, designed by themselves (the guitarist), and released by… themselves! This trio is starting to get popular in Belgium, as you can see by how often they get asked to play gigs. And this is their strong side. Those who have seen them know "Pick On The Fat Kid" is more than just Punk Rock music. It's, most off all, about having fun on stage and making sure the kids have as much fun in the pit as the band has. Especially when that crowd is composed of girls. Because they sing about girls and for girls. That's what you can hear in four of the five songs on this demo. It was like that on their previous demo, also on this one, and it will probably be like that on the next release as well. "You Rock My World" is a love song with a lot of variation: slow and fast, melodic and powerful. "Deception" is a fast and funny song, and will keep your feet from freezing in winter. "Grandma" tells the story of the only woman in the drummer's life and he sings on it as well. They wrote their own version of "starship troopers" in the forth song where they tell us about movies on some fast and powerful guitar tunes. On the last song, "Farewell Fuck", they sound like the newest "Randy" album in the beginning and end up in a traditional "Pick On The Fat Kid" - style. Yes, "Farewell Fuck" is something the singer's used to say after every gig! Compared to their previous work, this demo is an improvement (musically speaking, the previous one was pretty good as well) and we can hope they keep on working like that. Can we expect a full-length album on a label for their next review? Only time will tell. But for now, make sure to go and see them play live, so you can buy this demo for a nickel.
Yves
http://www.pickonthefatkid.be.tf
PROCESS
OF GUILT "Portraits of regret"
demo CD-R 76/100
Dark Electro Metal
Portugal
This is strange stuff. Process Of Guilt comes from Portugal and this "Portraits Of Regret" seems to be their first real studio experience. Making a lot of programming throughout the five long tracks of this promo, Process Of Guilt don't sound like much I have heard lately in what you may regard as the techno part of the Death Metal scene. The music sounds quite unpredictable to me, switching from atmospheric heavy passages to very industrial sounding sections coupled with low guttural vocal work - all in the blink of an eye. Some themes are definitely too long and the spoken passages don't really add something interesting to the band's special musical concept. The growled parts are quite attractive, but on the whole, the vocal work lacks the necessary diversity and undermines most of the originality of the concept. Could do better with the enlistment of a real singer and with the shortening of some endlessly repeated sections. Not at all bad but the overall product lacks bite.
Georges
http://www.geocities.com/process_of_guilt
REINCIDENTES
"Cosas de este mundo"
CD 81/100
Punk Rock
Spain
Take a good look at the cover of this album… and forget your prejudices. To be honest, when I first had this Reincidentes album in my hands, just the look of it didn't stir great expectations with me. Also because Spanish Punk Rock hasn't been very qualitative until now. They've only got a few good bands. But once I inserted the disc in my stereo, I was very positively surprised. Although Reincidentes started in the middle 80's, they manage to bring the freshness of modern Punk Rock in their songs and that's what makes this Sevillian oeuvre worth listening to. After a relaxing break, they're back and they may be heard. Looks like it did them a lot of good. If you have always had a revolutionary mind and always have been aware of social problems, then maybe this is the perfect way to learn some Spanish by listening to "Cosas De Este Mundo".
Yves
http://www.locomotivemusic.com / Rock Inc.
REPROBATION
"Undoing creation"
CD 77/100
Grind/Death Metal
USA
From the first song till the last one a real blitzkrieg. Reprobation delivers here ten tracks of Extreme Death Metal. The band evolves somewhere near the end of the Death Metal spectrum... eventually not too far from the usual Grindcore borders. Faster than the speed of light but not uniformly so. The Grind/Death Metal delivered here is thus mostly ultra fast (some nice cool passages and rhythm changes are thrown in here and there for balance) with low-tuned guitar schemes and furious drumming. The vocal work (with an appearance of Rich Lipscomb of Fleshgrind) isn't extraordinary but it suits the rationale pretty well. You can be sure it will delight all the lunatics of this kind of extreme music. The strongest aspect of the concept is, to my opinion, concentrated in the guitar department that offers way more than the traditional wall of sound. "Undoing Creation" is, of course, dedicated to a very select audience for the others might not find enough to stay on their toes throughout the entire album, even though most of the songs feature more variety than the tons of acts evolving in the Death/Grind scene. Apart from that and for all the genre's lunatics this is a very good piece of violence.
Georges
http://www.foreverunderground.com
RUPTURE
CHRIST "Molesting the entrails of the disemboweled"
CD 85/100
Grind/Death
USA
Rupture Christ's main intent is to show the world that Metalheads really do have good taste. If the album's title is not enough for you, just take a listen to songs such as "Fetus Fucker", "Pus Filled Pussy", "Macaroni And Afterbirth" or my fave "Sludge Oozing Slop Hole". There's no need for a fight if you don't like it extreme; "Molesting The Entrails Of The Disemboweled" isn't for you. Rupture Christ plays some pretty unsubtle (and not original) Death Grind. Anyway, apart from the lyrical content and if you ignore the stupid intermezzos, you get down to music that is not that bad if you like it low and heavy. The vocal work is what you frequently hear with this kind of project: ultra low, ultra guttural…and almost incomprehensible (although the lyrics were included). The guitar parts feature some well-structured lines (especially for a band of this nature). The music is really heavy and includes some slower sections in the ultra fast frameworks…but surprisingly, the whole product lacks the mandatory impact (aggression). All in all and lyrics put aside, "Molesting…" is no bad product and is especially dedicated to the extreme end of the Death/Grind Metal scene...
Georges
http://www.soundriot.net / Rock Inc.
RWAKE
"Hell is a door to the sun"
CD 86/100
Original Sludge Doom
USA
Retribute records can be considered as the European equivalent of USA's Relapse, i.e. an eclectic label that only enlists original bands. It is not the present record that will tarnish their well-deserved reputation. This is the first time I had so much difficulty describing an album, for this one goes far off the trodden path. It would be virtually impossible to label the genre in which this music evolves... Just imagine a mix between Sludge, extreme Doom, Emo Core and many others …It's so versatile one could question the overall cohesion, but fear not folks, there is always an unexpected riff or break to attract your attention. The biography claims "you'll not be the same after having listened to this!!!" So true …
Doomyan
http://www.retributerecords.com
SCENT
OF FLESH "Roaring depths of insanity"
CD 80/100
Death Metal
Finland
I didn't read the biography and I was thus taken by surprise here. I only knew that Scent Of Flesh came from the land of the thousand lakes. Having reviewed lotsa Finnish Death Metal music like Amorphis, E.T.O.S., Sentenced, Kaliban, Cadacross…and tons of other very good acts, I was expecting more of the same : ultra melodic Death Metal with superb instrumental passages and catchy guitar lines. What I got with this "Roaring Depths Of Insanity" was raging brutal and over-enjoyable Death Metal. A fine combination of low guttural growls and basic (but I write it in a positive way: I mean efficient) first hour Death Metal frameworks with much quicker tempos and a better approach to song structures than most of the nowadays acts evolving in the same musical sphere. Surprisingly and unusually for a band evolving in this side of the death metal thing that's devoid of compromises, Scent Of Flesh became the longer the more personal with each song. Though imposing an own recognizable style and trademark throughout the ten tracks of "Roaring Depths Of Insanity", Scent Of Flesh never sounds repetitive or confused. The guitar parts are brilliant and account for most of the diversity. A fantastic album. One of my faves for this quarter.
Georges
http://www.black-lotus-recs.com / Rock Inc.
SOMEHOW
HOLLOW "Busted wings & rusted halos"
CD 85/100
Melodic Punk Rock
Canada
Have you seen this
front cover? Take a guess… Don't you agree that this looks like the "average"
Metal CD? Actually, the whole album looks that way. Well, it isn't! It's a melodic
Punk Rock CD. The small lesson to get out of this: never judge something by
its looks only! But there's a connection after all. You can hear the Metal influence
in their songs, in which they try to picture an emotional vision of friendship
and unity. But that's more of a Punk attitude and so the Punk Rock and the Rock
'n' Roll melodies come first. To give you an idea: take the bands Midtown and
Useless I.D., mix them together, make the sound a little heavier and put Nikola's
voice (Millencolin) on it. That's how Somehow Hollow sounds like. This is again
one of the newest conquests of Victory Records and I can say that I'm really
happy with this album. The melodies and the lyrics are great. So I can really
assure you that Somehow Hollow doesn't sound hollow at all - on the contrary!
It sounds pretty original; it's got a sound of its own and that's something
rare nowadays. So let's give this Canadian four piece a warm welcome.
YVES
http://www.victoryrecords.com / Hard Life Promotion
Not too much information with this one. Sorrowstorm seems to come from Central America (from Panama) and this "Caverns Of Grief" is the band's first full length. Sorrowstorm is said to offer Christian Black Metal art…and musically, I don't hear too many differences between Christian and anti-Christian Black Metal. "Caverns Of Grief" delivers eight songs of raw Black Metal-influenced music. It's not that easy to label though (unfortunately, as that would make reviewing this stuff a lot easier…). Sorrowstorm's Black Metal is pretty fast but not incredibly aggressive, with some bad inadequate key parts and nice acoustic breaks. The mixing is a bit flat and doesn't really highlight the band's musical potential. The first songs on this albums are quite weak and completely unoriginal but surprisingly, Sorrowstorm succeeds to bring some originality and body to their music and songs like "Enslaver Of Hateful Souls" or "Silent Plagues" feature good ideas and good arrangements. It seems to me that this "Caverns Of Grief" (despite a few mistakes) has achieved what it set out to do…nothing more but nothing less.
Georges
http://dysmorphicrecords.cjb.net
SOURVEIN
"Will to Mangle"
CD 75/100
Raw Heavy Doom
USA
Do you remember nearly ten years ago when Doom was merely split in two streams? One was verging on avant-garde and emphasized sadness and melancholy (the big British triumvirate of My Dying Bride, Anathema and Paradise Lost) while the other, albeit dealing with similar themes, was more down-to-earth (it tackled harshness of modern life instead of eternal love) and was musically more Rock oriented. Two more-than-cult bands headed that scene (the Obsessed and Saint Vitus) and one trendy proof label was in charge of spreading the music: the infamous German Hellhound Records. Sourvein belongs to this very category and goes even further: their brand of slightly bombastic Sabbath onslaught is highly addictive and abrasive (the opener "Bangleaf") thanks to the punishing sound and ultra raw vocals. However, the songs stay focused during the whole record, giving it much more impact. Definitively lethal.
Halcyon
http://www.southernlord.com / Bang Distribution
TEN
FOOT POLE "Bad mother trucker"
CD 80/100
Punk Rock
USA
Ten foot pole is a band that shaped my musical preferences back in the days (with excellent albums like "Rev, 1994" and "Unleashed, 1997"), next to a few other Punk Rock bands (Pennywise, Bad Religion...). I've been waiting very anxiously for this new release but this band has had some bad luck in their existence and it took them almost 4 years before they let the world know they were still alive and kicking. At first I was a little disappointed because they slowed down a whole lot for "Bad Mother Trucker" and the Ten Foot Pole I used to know played very fast melodic Punk Rock. But after listening to this album over and over again, I'm starting to like it. The "old" Ten Foot Pole is good, very good, but the "new" one, is pretty good as well. You just need to get accustomed to it. I think it has got something to do with maturity and "growing old". It's something you can hear amongst lots of bands that are in the Punk Rock scene for about 10 years, like this very TFP or even bands like MXPX, Guttermouth, Lagwagon and many others. So I think this is a general thing, and that is something you need to understand and have respect for in a way. But still, half of the songs on this album are still pretty fast and TFP have kept their traditional melodic sing-along choruses. The other half of the album is experimental, for them as well as for us, but not unpleasant - far from it. It even starts to sound pretty good and amusing after a few repeated CD auditions. And repeating is something we are somehow obliged to do, due to the short duration of the album. To say that they had over 40 songs for the new album… But that's good on the other hand. We'll be hearing about them again soon enough as they look forward to the future and are very anxious to release a new album. So I'd say "goodbye, farewell and thank you very much" to the old TFP and "welcome, I'm looking forward to it" to the new TFP and the release of this "Bad Mother Trucker".
Yves
http://www.victoryrecords.com / Hard Life Promotion
THE
HAUNTED "One Kill Wonder"
CD 84/100
Modern Thrash Metal
Sweden
When this band released their first album, it was as if Thrash Metal was back with a modern face and, at the same time, it sounded like it wouldn't be long before it turned into a boring revival. Bands such as The Haunted or Grip Inc. were refreshing but I couldn't imagine getting excited over several albums in the same genre if you see what I mean. I've never listened much to Grip Inc's third album and I wasn't crawling in front of anybody to get The Haunted's third release either. Having recently reviewed bands such as Sacrificial or Corporation 187 - 2 very good bands in the genre - I didn't know if this kind of modern Thrash Metal was still my thing…Man, is this third album a killer release!!! Those former At The Gates guys are without any kind of doubt the leaders of the genre and are about to get huge! The key is variation. First: fast tunes that are sharp, tight with breaks orchestrated with a whip. Then: mid-paced or slow tracks that mix groovy riffing with melody and superb guitar work. Vocals fit both the Thrash as well as the Death genres avoiding monotony despite the rather heavy lack of variation. Once again I'd like to insist on the amazing guitar work that gathers all the best elements Metal can offer. If you add perfect backing by the other instruments, mainly drums, you know you can't ignore "One Kill Wonder"!
Stephane
http://www.earache.com / Zomba
THOU
ART LORD "Dv8"
CD 84/100
Black/Death
Greece
What a come back…I wasn't expecting such a quality release. Created about ten years ago by Necromayhem, a.k.a. Sakis (Rotting Christ) and Magus Wampyr Daoloth (Necromentia), Thou Art Lord already released two good chunks of Black Metal on the Greek Unisound Rec. If I remember well, our Gunter Theys (Ancient Rites) screamed on one song of the band's first opus "Eosforos". Thou Art Lord deliver modern aggressive Black Death Metal of the sex/satan variety. Eventually, the kind of music you can't easily label, as multiple styles and different lines intertwine on the nine tracks of this "DV8". The unpredictable approach expresses itself in songs such as "Crowning The Winged Skull" or "Society Of The Dilettanti". I'm pretty convinced "DV8" will please a huge array of nowadays' aggressive Death/Black Metal listeners…the songs are multifaceted (alternating different atmospheres and paces) but still well considered. Rotting Christ, Necromentia…if you add Seth from Septic Flesh and Akis from Order Of The Ebon Hand…you just realize you are dealing with the top notch of the whole Greek scene. So…a top release (of course).
Georges
http://www.black-lotus-recs.com / Rock Inc.
THUNDERSTORM
"Thunderstorm"
CD 80/100
Doom Metal
Italy
Aaaah, I did not listen to music like this for a while. "Witchunter Tales" is the first Thunderstorm album I hear, but they already have years of experience that resulted in different past releases. Thunderstorm, originating from Italy, plays mid-tempo Doomy Heavy Metal, a bit like Black Sabbath did already a long time ago. And yes, I was right! According to the info I found on their website, Black Sabbath seems to be one of the bands (like Candlemass) that inspired the guys of Thunderstorm. They also pay a tribute to Black Sabbath with their excellent cover of "Electric Funeral" that is closes this CD. I especially loved the bloated guitars in this album, which really created a melancholic but also ominous atmosphere, like an upcoming storm does. The vocals of singer Fabio "Thunder" Bellan are classical Heavy Metal-oriented. In my opinion they fit perfectly with the music, even though not everybody seems to agree with me. The hell with them! Don't forget, for maximum impact en enjoyment, this CD should be played really loud!
AOD
http://www.northwindrecords.com / Rock Inc.
VALIANCE
"Wayfaring"
CD 73/100
Heavy Metal
Italy
With this new CD of Valiance, Black Lotus Records presents us another Heavy Metal release coming from the south of Europe, in this case Italy. "Wayfaring" is Valiance's second release. They are playing fast classical Heavy Metal and, true to tradition, also some mid-tempo semi ballads are found on this CD. They also know how to play unplugged, a fact well illustrated by the very atmospheric closing track "Valiant Day". "Wayfaring" is a good CD with a good sound. Valiance found a good balance between keyboards and guitars (with some very nice solos as in my favorite track "Recall"). The singing of Gottardo is very good even though, in my opinion, it misses some little thing that makes it great. It just feels a bit too sterile to me. On the other hand, the many warm choirs in the different tracks somewhat soften this small problem. So buying this Valiance CD will make you bring an average-to-good Heavy Metal CD home that you will appreciate for sure.
AOD
http://www.black-lotus-recs.com / Rock Inc.
TITTY
TWISTERS "Demo'n side"
demoCD-R 35/100
Nu Metal
Italy
Dear readers, I have always been against writing bad reviews. That's why I only review CDs that belong on my musical preferences list. Never the less, sometimes you get CDs, like this demo of "Titty Twisters", about which you can't find any good thing to say. When I listened to the first 45 seconds, I didn't think it was that bad at all, it somehow reminded me of "Korn"… until the singer (female) opened up her baking oven. I sure am no good singer, that's why I never joined a band. Meaning that ideas or well-intentioned motivations sometimes aren't enough to be a front man or even act like one. From that moment on, this 5-track demo keeps on going at the same pace, without any variation. It's very monotonous. It's like you have been listening to the same song over and over again. This Italian band calls its music style "New Metal Spectacular". If they can prove me what's so "spectacular" about their music, I'll be very glad to hear them out.
Yves
http://www.tittytwisters.it / Kick Promotion Agency
YYRKOON
"Dying sun"
CD 77/100
Power Death Metal
France
I really looked forward to hearing this "Dying Sun". I loved and praised the band's first studio album titled "Oniric Transition" and released in 1998 through the French Velvet Music. To be honest, I feel quite disturbed and a little bit disappointed by this new recording. I completely miss the compact Death Metal of songs such as "Throne Of Complaints" or "Wind Of Decline". It seems as though not much of the original line-up has remained and the initially displayed Death Metal has been subject to some changes. The thing Yyrkoon has now delved into ain't much of brutal and direct Death Metal as "Dying Sun" strongly delivers more accessible, almost commercial music. Actually, this second album captures ultra melodic choruses featuring clean vocal work on the verge of Power Heavy Metal coupled with aggressively riffed guitar parts and gurgled voices that dominate the rest of the song. The whole material is highlighted by good guitar actions that include some foreseeable solo parts. Another thing is that most of the songs delivered here tend to get lost in their versatility and impact. Yyrkoon is a band that tries to evolve and to bring a new angle to its music…From any other act, I would hail "Dying Sun" as good, from the creators of "Oniric Transition", it is a little bit disappointing.
Georges
Anvil Corp. / Rock Inc.
ZANDELLE
"Twilight On Humanity"
CD 91/100
US Power Metal
USA
Zandelle is back, after quite a period of silence after the Shadows Of Reality album from '98. I even thought the band was as good as dead. Nothing seemed to be less true, because Twilight On Humanity is full of life and commotion from the very beginning 'til the very end. George Tsalikis (ex- Gothic Knights, remember them?) & co succeeded very well in their effort to bring back that US Power Metal feeling. The bio-sheet describes the music as a mix of bands like Dokken, Warrior, Grim Reaper, LiegeLord and the Epic touch of Warlord. Probably the best description one can think of. So we US Metal fans get what we need! Full speed riffs, bewitching solos, intense melodies and high-pitched vocals of course. People who are/were familiar with Gothic Knights will know what I am talking about! This album is simply a must for every Power Metal fan, even Rhapsody-yuppies and Strato-boys will like it because it has it all: melody, aggression, epic issues and solos (one of them -"Immortal Realms" - convinced me they actually stole it from Warlord, but they didn't; it just seemed to have the same sound and feeling, very wicked). So everyone (even YOU Mr DieHardSlaughterXtroyes-fan!) check this band it out you won't regret it. For those into previous Zandelle Releases: This one might sound just a bit more polished than the previous full and the preceding EP, but it's still 100% Zandelle!
Jachim
http://www.limb-music.de / Hard Life Promotion