REVIEW: SUMMON - FIRE TURNS EVERYTHING...BLACK

 

SUMMON - FIRE TURNS EVERYTHING...BLACK (Blackened Moon Recs., 1996)

Produced by Summon

Tracks: 1- Intro/Blind Shadows of Darkness, 2- Enter Into Eternal Oath, 3- Eve of AntiCreation,4- Praising to a Blackened Moon, 5- Burning Black Desire, 6- Tales of Immortality, 7- Outro: Forest of Dark Spirits

As many of you may know this is Summon´s first album. Summon is a great black metal band whose latest two albums I have reviewed in past months. And here I have in my hands the first ones. They are Classics of the black metal style. This band starts with an intro before getting into their full speed full of hate black metal with really raw guitars. When compared to their other albums this is the one that has the least good sound (despite being all the instruments really clear in the mix). The best thing for me are the guitar riffs which are killer and have a lot of power and desire to crush the listener. This album is a black metal classic along with their next one. A great band full of darkness. Favorite tracks: "Enter Into Eternal Oath", "Tales of Immortality" and "Eve of AntiCreation". Contact: www.blackenedmoon.com

REVIEW: SQUAD FIVE-0 - SQUAD FIVE-0

 

SQUAD FIVE-0 - SQUAD FIVE-0 (Tooth and Nail Recs., 2002)

Produced by Barry Poynter

Artwork by Rose Wind Jerome

Tracks: 1- I don´t want to change the world, I just want to change your mind, 2- Make you a star, 3- Make you dance, 4- Screaming With the Sirens, 5- Piece of the Dream, 6- Underground hearts, 7- The Adolescent Night, 8- Turn It Up, 9- Don´t come Runnin, 10- No Tomorrow, 11- Crystal Coastline, 12- Wasted (With You), 13- Get Away

Dirty rock´n´roll with some interesting punk and Hanoi Rock / L.A.Guns influences. It´s been a lot of time since I listened a band like this one. They play rock and roll with a lot of attitude (specially on the vocals which I liked a lot). The guitar riffs reminded me a lot of what Tracii Guns and company did on their debut album or in "Cocked and Loaded". There are cool solos and a lot of melodies and above all I liked the choruses which are the main point of this songs...it is like you are waiting the chorus to arrive !! Rock´n´roll!! This band rocks!! Favorite tracks: "Screaming With the Sirens", "Turn It Up" and "Wasted (With You)".Contact: www.toothandnail.com

REVIEW: SLICK SHOES - SLICK SHOES

 

SLICK SHOES - SLICK SHOES (Tooth and Nail Recs., 2002)

Produced by Neil King

Tracks: 1- My Ignorance, 2- Pass me By, 3- Friday nite, 4- Ten Ways, 5- Alone, 6- I knew, 7- Remember, 8- So Much More, 9- 1 A.M., 10- No More Words, 11- 1000 Times Before, 12- 151

Melodic punk rock with strong emphasis on the vocals melodies. One thing that I like from this recording is how good the band has achieved the vocal harmonies in the choruses and the bridges of their songs. And the melodies are catchy but they don´t make the listener feel tired like in bands like Rancid or Blink 182 (that is my opinion). Another thing that distinguish this band is the guitar sound that is different from what bands of the style use. And that is really good because the guitar is one of the main ingredients of their music. This is Slick Shoes fourth release and they are getting succesful (they toured a lot in support of their previous album). The album will be on the streets on April 9th. Favorite tracks: "Pass Me By", " So Much More" and "1000 Times Before". Contact: www.toothandnail.com

REVIEW: SIX FEET UNDER - TRUE CARNAGE

 

SIX FEET UNDER - TRUE CARNAGE (Metal Blade, 2001)

Produced by Brian Slagel and Six Feet Under

Recorded at The Factory Criteria Studios

Artwork by Paul Booth

Tracks: 1- Impulse To Disembowel, 2- The Day the Dead Walked, 3- It never Dies, 4- The Murderers, 5- Waiting For Decay, 6- One Bullet left, 7- Knife, Gun, Axe, 8- Snakes, 9- Sick and Twisted, 10- Cadaver Mutilator, 11- Necrosociety

Strangely this CD starts with a mid tempo track. And it is one of the best tracks of the CD...and maybe a good option for Six Feet Under to add more variations to their music. As everybody knows Six Feet Under´s music is pure death metal in the vein of Cannibal Corpse (Chris Barnes previous band). And the music here is brutal and deadly, but it has one problem: there are not much variations and I think that the musicians are good enough to do it better. One of the main problems is Barnes himself who sings very similarly since his first recording with Cannibal Corpse "Eaten Back To Life". Maybe a little variation would do some good to the music. The sound of the recording is really good specially on the killer drumming and on the guitars that are devastating. Favorite tracks: "Impulse to Disembowel", "The Murderers" and "Cadaver Mutilator". Contact: www.metalblade.com

REVIEW: SHADEWORKS - SOOTY LIMBS

 

PRESS RELEASE:

SHADEWORKS - SOOTY LIMBS (Independent, 2001)

Produced by Shadeworks

Recorded at the Shade Studio

Artwork by Gib, Fae and R-NO

Tracks: 1- Sooty Limbs, 2- Blind Healing, 3- Terra, 4- Silky Birds

What a great release. But it left me wanting more songs!!! I want more !! Form beginning to end you have to recognize Mr. Nicolas Arnaud´s talent. He is the only man behind Shadeworks. And he is only helped in this recording by the wonderful female vocals that Mae sings here. The tracks have a lot of great elements: I will make a list: interesting riffs, great melodies, many atmospheres (in fact Arnaud in some places creates melodies with the bass and then the guitar plays a solo or does another melody), good guitar solos and the excellent vocal performance that Mae does in all the recording. There are many atmospheric moments, specially when the vocals are combined with keyboards or some melodic line. One more thing: I want more !!! Favorite tracks: The whole MCD: A lovely ethereal yet heavy release. Contact: anicolas777@lycos.com

REVIEW: SEPULTURA - NATION

 

SEPULTURA - NATION (Roadrunner Recs., 2001)

Produced by Steve Evetts

Recorded at AR Studios, Rio de Janeiro

Artwork by Shepard Fairey

Tracks: 1- Sepulnation, 2- Revolt, 3- Border Wars, 4- One Man Army, 5- Vox Populi, 6- The Ways of Faith, 7- Uma Cura, 8- Who Must Die?, 9- Saga, 10- Tribe To a Nation, 11- Politricks, 12- Human Cause, 13- Reject, 14- Water, 15- Valtio, 16- Bela Lugosi´s Dead, 17- Annihilation, 18- Rise Above, 19- Revolt (demo), 20- Roots Bloody Roots (live)

Here we have Sepultura´s latest offering. This time the Brazilian guys have continued the path started with their previous recording, "Against". That is adding some simpler elements in the songs. And obviously there are Derrick Greene´s vocals which are notoriously different from Max Cavalera´s ones. They have more of a hardcore flavor. The CD has some high points and some not so high (in fact I think that the simpler tracks are not so effective as the other ones and could be from other band different from Sepultura). A step forward but I think they have to recover the spirit of the last three or four albums with Max. Favorite tracks: "The Ways of Faith", "Who Must Die?" and "Reject". Contact: www.roadrunnerrecords.com

REVIEW: SCREAMING AFTERBIRTH - PUKE PILE

 

SCREAMING AFTERBIRTH - PUKE PILE (United Guttural Recs., 2001)

Tracks: 1- Entangled in Entrails, 2- Stump Fucked Piss Flaps, 3- Open Pussy Surgery, 4- Anal Volcano, 5- Completely Stuffed Bitch, 6- Writhing and Contorting, 7- Cottage Cheese Between her Legs, 8- Epidurial Emissions, 9- No Orifice Shall Remain, 10- Mongloid Whore, 11- Puke Pile, 12- Stabbing Faces and Kicking Guts

The Music that Screaming Afterbirth makes can be described as Bestial Death Grind. Yes, it is incredible the wild brutality that this guys have transmitted to this CD. In fact this must have been one of the most brutal releases ever. Fast as hell riffs with blast beats vocals that go from screaming to guttural, then back to screaming. The guitars have been tuned down a lot to make the riffs much more crushing and it really amazes the rhythmic riffs which are like a hammer in your brain. One of the main things here is the amazing drummer who is killer in the blast beats and even has sometime to add some interesting patterns to the guitar riffs while kicking the double bass drums. Extremely brutal !! Favorite tracks: "Writhing and Contorting", "Completely Stuffed Bitch" and "No Orifice Shall Remain". Contact: www.unitedguttural.com

REVIEW: RAIN FELL WITHIN - REFUGE

 

RAIN FELL WITHIN - REFUGE (Dark Symphonies Recs., 2002)

Produced by Rain Fell Within with Ron Vento

Recorded at IQ Studios, Clinton, MD

Artwork by Mike Riddick and Erika Swinnich

Tracks: 1- Torn Apart, 2- In the Knowing of You, 3- The Child Beneath, 4- In My Dreams, 5- Save Your Soul, 6- Winter´s Embrace, 7- Into the Tower, 8- Sirens, 9- Burned Away, 10- Passing Time

How wondeerful can be a female voice?? I don´t know, but I can mention many female vocalists that I really love: Kari Rueslåtten, Tarja Turunen, Erika Swinnich. This women have voices that can be as delicate as cristal and as powerful as a thunder. And Rain Fell Within have two great vocalists: Dawn and Laurie who sing duets in many parts of this CD. Rain Fell Within´s music is played with the heart, brain and soul from this amazing musicians, having a key role the omnipresent Keyboards and the heavy guitars. How heavy can be a band without being brutal? Well, Rain Fell Within is heavy as hell and yet they are extremely subtle with all their dark melodies. The sound of the recording enhances a lot the results. One of the albums of the year !! Favorite tracks: The whole album. Contact: www.darksymphonies.com

REVIEW: PREJUDICE - REALITY

 

PREJUDICE - REALITY (Firebreath/T.E. Recs., 2000)

Produced by J.P. and Prejudice

Recorded at Art Sound Studios

Artwork by Kris Verwimp

Tracks: 1- New Breed, 2- Act of Despair, 3- Deformity, 4- Disctated lives, 5- Embrace, 6- Betrayed, 7- In-Vitro, 8- Shadowed Thoughts, 9- Vicious Conduct, 10- Nuclear Malediction, 11- Spheres

Prejudice is one of the best metal bands ever coming out from Belgium....that is for my taste. I really like their brutality and the good sound that this recording has. They have complex riffs and many riffs on each track courtesy of Tuni, a great guitarist who sometimes uses a seven string guitar that adds a lot of bottom end to the riffs. Also there is a killer drummer here whose double bass drumming can be listened really clearly (I liked a lot the way in which the bass drum is mixed). The music is extremely brutal and that does not mean fast. In fact this guys go for extreme brutality without abusing blast beats and things like that (in fact the drummer makes some interesting technical things that make the result better). There are multiple changes in some tracks like on "Embrace", sort of a mix between brutal death metal and free jazz. An excelent release from an excelent band!! Favorite tracks: "Deformity", "Betrayed" and "Nuclear Malediction". Contact: www.prejudice.be

REVIEW: PHILIP GAYLE / RICHARD CHOLAKIAN - HUD PES

 

PHILIP GAYLE / RICHARD CHOLAKIAN - HUD PES (Yabyum Prods., 2000)

Produced by Philip Gayle

Recorded live by Marco Saenz at Aztlan Recordings

Tracks: CD 1: 1- Sick Bones, 2- OK (part 1). CD 2: 1- OK (part 2), 2- Available Jones

Amazing duet improvisations of this two great musicians !! Philip Gayle is joined here by percussion master Richard Cholakian for a serie of duets. Here we hacve in two CDs four extreme and spontaneous tracks. Some called this intuitive music and I think this is a great term top classify the music that Gayle and Cholakian make. It is increedible to see howgood this two guys interact. It seems like there is a mental conection between them. They explore their instruments in all the possible ways. Experimentation at its best. Favorite tracks: "OK" (thius track is the best...is divided in two parts, one on each CD and the total duration is almost 78 minutes)Contact: www.philipgayle.com

REVIEW: PHILIP GAYLE - SOLO LIVE 98

 

PHILIP GAYLE - SOLO LIVE 98 (Yabyum Prods., 1998)

Produced by Philip Gayle

Recorded at different live shows

Tracks: 1-Otoko No Tsuwari, 2- Uvula Pipe Cut, 2- Sic em Slobber, 4- Bibimbap Statement, 5- Paboya No Papparapah..., 6- Hagishiri, 7- Keguri Pulgbnluh, 8- Uppii to Pepe Monogatari, 9- Santoki Pnmbmna, 10- Easily Inquisition Trial, 11- Chlebulah Blhnbnlhnjhnha, 12- Narunun Kohttakchi

This is a Cd where Gayle shows his improvisations and spontaneity in a live environment, for example in some radio shows that he did. The music here is really improvisational and the same time there is a feeling of intimacy. There is only Gayle and his instruments (here he uses mandolin, 6 string guitar and a modified 3 string toy guitar). He is always playing with dissonant sounds and bordering extrema cacophony but he seems to always remain under his own control without making the dissonance sound bad. In fact I think this guy can be compared to excellent musicians in the same vein like Eugene Chadbourne, Derek Bailey or the guys in The Vertrek Ensemble. I would love to see Phillip collaborating with other musicinas in some weird improvisational project. Favorite tracks: "Uvula Pipe Cut", "Santoki Pnmbmna" and "Easily Inquisition Trial". Contact: www.philipgayle.com

REVIEW: PHILIP GAYLE - KEGURIBAP

 

PHILIP GAYLE - KEGURIBAP (Yabyum Prods., 1997)

Produced by Philip Gayle

Recorded by Birgrumbacher

Tracks: 1- , 2- Pustular Eruption, 3-, 4-,5-,6- Gambrinous Sapcicle Scuddies, 7-, 8-, 9- Billy Homemade Paste, 10-

Here is another Cd with Philip Gayle´s amazing improvisation. As you may have seen here I only put some of the name of the tracks. That is because many of them are written in japanese charachters and I didn´t want to make awful mistakes trying to put them. On this recording Gayle uses a lot of different guitars, mainly the 4 string and 5 string guitar, and some banjo too. The songs have really demential parts and others that are extremely melodic and harmonic. Also he experiments in the realm of sounds and noises adding a lot of variations to his improvisations. For people who like musicians that try to break boundaries always. Favorite tracks: "4", "Billy Homemade Paste" and "7". Contact: www.philipgayle.com

REVIEW: PHILIP GAYLE - PNBNA

 

PHILIP GAYLE - PNBNA (Fleece Recs., 1998)

Produced by Philip Gayle

Recorded at Aztlan Recordings

Artwork by Tricia Moreau Sweeney

Tracks: 1- Leaning Tower of Dust Bunny, 2- Onion Smoke, 3- Crescent Moonflower, 4- Gallinule Legs, 5- Arasha Korosha, 6- Flower is a Pinata, 7- Lenvoy Lirp

Philip Gayle´s main goal on this recording is experimentation. And he has chosen to do it here through many different instruments: mandoline, 12 string guitar, cello, waterphone, just to name a few of the many that he uses through all this recording. The music contained on this recording is extremely spontaneous (they are solo acoustic improvisations) and boundaries breaking. In fact Gayle is constantly exploring new paths with his instruments in the search for the ultimate sound. Lovers of improvisation and experimentation will surely like this album that while melodic in many places is constantly surprising the listener with new sounds. Favorite tracks: "Crescent Moonflower", "Flower is a Pinata" and "Onion Smoke". Contact: www.philipgayle.com

REVIEW: ONTARIO BLUE - SHINE

 

ONTARIO BLUE - SHINE (Fluttering Dragon Recs., 2000)

Produced by Stephen Pennick

Recorded at Enlightment House

Artwork by Stephen Pennick

Tracks: 1- New Beginnings, 2- Chant of the Forgiven, 3- Mara´s Daughter, 4- Lost City, 5- Change, 6- Shadows, 7- Don´t Weep for Me, 8- Memories of Tomorrow, 9- This Mortal Coil, 10- Kali in Mine Eyes, 11- Rise

Stephen Pennick, the man behind Ontario Blue (main composer, arranger and musician on this CD) is a great artist and here he delivers this album called "Shine". In fact, the music contained here is really atmospheric and full of keyboards (some parts reminded me of some new age artist, some Kitaro and others). The tracks here are small ompositions like small classical pieces done with heavy use of keyboards and electronics. There is also a dark celtic flavor in some of the tracks. Pennick´s vocals are similar to the ones that make Brendan Perry in Dead Can Dance and you will feel some shades of that band in Ontario Blue´s Music too. Those who like this style will surely enjoy this recording. . Favorite tracks: "Mara´s Daughters", "Don´t Weep for Me" and "This Mortal Coil".

REVIEW: OLIGARQUIA - NECHROPOLIS

 

OLIGARQUIA - NECHROPOLIS (Destroyer Recs., 2000)

Produced by Ciero and Oligarquia

Recorded at Da Tribo Studios

Artwork by Wanderley Perna and Gregor Osipoff

Tracks: 1- Hiroshima, 2- Reflections of Death, 3- Induction, 4- Real Nightmare, 5- Enslave! Synonym of Money, 6- Correction, 7- Voices, 8- Agony, 9- Crucial moment, 10- Blood Streets, 11- Ecstasy

This is a climatic band...their music is death metal with some melodic parts and some hyperfast riffs that can be listened in black metal bands, also there are some parts that are slower almost doom, some rocking riffs (Carolina Parada does not play the riffs that one expects and that is really great). The vocals are guttural and fit the music really well. I would like a mix a little bit better, specially on the drums cymbals and hihat which are a little bit buried in the mix. The main factor here are the guitars with great riffs that sometimes are simple and sometimes more technical (like the ones in "Real Nightmare"). I feel a certain thrash metal influence in some of the parts. The result is this really good album !! Favorite tracks: "Reflections of Death", "Enslave ! Synonym of Money" and "Crucial Moment". Contact: www.destroyer.com.br

REVIEW: OCULTAN - REMEMBRANCES OF EVIL, THE CRUCIFIXION

 

OCULTAN - REMEMBRANCES OF EVIL, THE CRUCIFIXION (Evil Horde Recs., 2002)

Produced by Ocultan and Ze Renato

Recorded at Phonovox Studios

Artwork by Michel R.

Tracks: 1- Supremo Mal, 2- Eterno Poder Obscuro, 3- As Sete Caldeiroes Do Inferno, 4- O Orgulhoso Exu Belzebuth, 5- O Sangue, a Maior Oferenda, 6- Vossas Damas, 7- Lembranças do Mal, a Crucificaçao, 8- A Matança

This is music that is full of hate against christianity!! Yes, black metal in its rawest form!! The tracks here are incredibly fast and the guitar sound is really raw (as are the drums too). The guitar riffs are extremely fast and there are a lot of arrangements in this ultraspeed riffs that make the tracks more atmospheric while full of hatred at the same time. The sound of this recording is good (I would like maybe the bass and snare drum mixed a little bit louder). Also the packaging of this CD is great with a booklet really well printed with pictures and drawings and all the lyrics (which are in portuguese). This is pure black metal from Brazil / South America for the world !!!! Favorite tracks: "Eterno Poder Obscuro", "As Sete Caldeiroes Do Inferno" and "Lembranças Do Mal...". Contact: www.evilhorderec.com or http://www.geocities.com/ocultanblackhorde

REVIEW: OBTUSE - PROMO 2002

 

OBTUSE - PROMO 2002 (Independent, 2002)

Produced by Obtuse

Recorded at Blalsdell Studio

Artwork by Obtuse

Tracks: 1- Retrospect, 2- Wrong Place, Wrong Time, 3- Close To the End, 4- Questions, 5- Preacher

Judging by the cover art you would not guess what kind of music this band plays. In fact they play brutal death metal with extremely crushing riffs and tempo changes. In fact the brutalitty of this band is inmense and they make interesting arrangements in the tracks with excellent riffs like the one at 0:10 in "Wrong Place". The tracks are short but totally energetic and full of power. In fact, longest track within the five contained here is "Questions" that is three minutes long. The main thing here besides the brutality of the music are the interesting riffs that the guitarist creates. I would like to listen a full length from this guys really soon. Favorite tracks: "Retrospect", "Close To the End" and "Questions". Contact: www.obtuse.nl

REVIEW: OBSCENITY - COLD BLOODED MURDER

 

OBSCENITY - COLD BLOODED MURDER (Morbid Recs., 2002)

Tracks: 1- Intro, 2- The Arrival, 3- Caught In Life, 4- My Dark One, 5- Alien Hand Syndrome, 6- Sleepwalker, 7- Blessed By Nature, 8-Soulpain, 9- Cold Blooded Murder

Brutal death metal directly from germany. The first thing that caught my attention (besides the brutality of the tracks) was the quality of the lead guitar player....he is really good and reminded me of great musicians like Alex Skolnick and James Murphy in some of the guitar solos. Then another thing: despite being extremely brutal the tracks have hooks !! Yes, the riffs are catchy in many places and the way the vocals are done (guttural) gives some extra rhythm to the tracks. The sound of this release is extremely good, specuially on the drums (killer double bass !!) and the guitars (an amazing wall of sound). This is a band that achieves greater brutality through really professional musicianship and doing really good compositions with different parts and technically difficult passages. A must !! Favorite tracks: "The Arrival", "Caught in Life" and "Sleepwalker".Contact: www.morbidrecords.de

REVIEW: NIGHTSKY BEQUEST - OF SEA, WIND AND FAREWELL

 

NIGHTSKY BEQUEST - OF SEA, WIND AND FAREWELL (X-Rated Recs., 1999)

Produced by Andre Mateew

Recorded at Graffitti Studios

Artwork by Emil Saparevski

Tracks: 1- Intro, 2- Windsymphony / Reflection of Lost Years, 3- Your Sun / If I could Wipe this Dust Off My Eyes, 4- Green eyes, 5- The Moon is Waiting for its Song, 6- To Sing a Song / Just Life is Left, 7- Shadow of Myself / A Silent Bird...

Spectacular release !! Nightsky Bequest is a really climatic and dense band whose music is at the same time enchanting and deppressive. The female vocals dominate the songs here contrasting with the deeper male ones. There are passages where the heavy guitars enter but most of the time the music is full of keyboards parts that are really well composed and designed to cause different feelings in the listener. There are great guitar solos in some tracks and a lot of interesting ideas flowing through all the tracks. If you want quality musicianship, great melodies, amazing atmospheres, enchanting vocals and great compositions that will leave your sense hurting and asking for more, then check Nightsky Bequest. Favorite tracks: All the CD. It is a great masterpiece. I loved it.. Contact: http://xrr.musicpage.com

REVIEW: NERVOCHAOS - LEGION OF SPIRITS INFERNAL

 

NERVOCHAOS - LEGION OF SPIRITS INFERNAL ( Destroyer Recs, 2001)

Produced by Tchelo Martins and Nervochaos

Recorded at Da Tribo Studios

Artwork by Denilson Tenebra

Tracks: 1- Cold Feelings, 2- Envy, 3- Conventional Lives, 4- Our Fury, 5- Speechless, 6- Repulsive World, 7- Satanic Domain, 8- Let the Bible Burn, 9- Upside Down Crosses, 10- Mortal Decay, 11- When The Mask Falls Down, 12- Those Behind The Light, 13- Legion of Spirits infernal, 14- Pure Hemp

A really strange guitar riff opens this CD of this brutal band. They come from Brazil and they have recorded this CD on the same studio as other cool bands like Genocidio and Oligarquia. The music is brutal death metal with some touches of modern bands. One of the main features here are the multiple changes that the band makes within each of the tracks (even if some of them are really short). Guitars are really well mixed and the drums too (the snare drum has this thin sound typical of modern bands like Slipknot or Machine Head and that adds a different feeling to the slower tracks where this si more evident even if the music is completely different from this bands). Fans of Brutality with great musicianchip and great technique will love this one. Favorite tracks: "Envy", "Repulsive World" and "Upside Down Cross". Contact: www.destroyer.com.br

REVIEW: MY MINDS MINE - SCENES OF THE COMPLETE ANNIHILATION OF THIS PLANET

 

MY MINDS MINE - SCENES OF THE COMPLETE ANNIHILATION OF THIS PLANET (Amenta Recs., 2002)

Produced by My Minds Mine

Recorded at Sing Sing Studios

Artwork by Bert

Tracks: 1- Nothing, 2- Signing Up, 3- Lockup Volunteers, 4- Anti-man, 5- On the Soil of Greed, 6- In Decay, 7- I Lied, 8- Empty Figureheads, 9- Sociopath, 10- Cyberchrist, 11- Easy come-easy go, 12- Numbered Corpse, 13- Pest, 14- Seen and Not seen, 15- Remote Controller, 16- Switch Blade Attitude, 17- Imago Mundi, 18- Confront, 19- the Game, 20- Reproach, 21- My Minds Mine, 22- Mobilization of Chaos, 23- Born Tired, 24- Pretentious Idols

This band is really extreme and crazy with really hiper fast tracks in the most extreme grind style. In fact the 24 tracks contained here are short and are like small bursts of energy and power. I like the longer tracks better beacuase it is where the band shows more what they are capable of doing. This is a band to see live (As you can see on the "live in japan" video that comes on this CD) because of the energy that they deliver on stage which is amazing. The drummer here is a machine doing all the blast beats through every track and he accentuates a lot the guitar riffs in the slower parts. This is a CD for fans of crushing and brutal grind !!. Favorite tracks: "In Decay", "On the Soil of Greed" and "Born Tired". Contact: www.amentarecords.com

REVIEW: MERCYFUL FATE - 9

 

MERCYFUL FATE - 9 (Metal Blade, 2001)

Produced by Kol Marshall and Mercyful Fate

Recorded at Nomad recording Studios

Artwork by Thomas Holm

Tracks: 1- Last Rites, 2- Church of Saint Anne, 3- Sold My Soul, 4- House on the Hill, 5- Burn In Hell, 6- The Grave, 7- Insane, 8- Kiss The Demon, 9- Buried Alive, 10- 9

Better late than never ! Here Music Extreme brings you the review of Mercyful Fate´s latest album. As always King Diamond and Hank Sherman deliver their metal with conviction and strength. In fact I liked this recording much more than some of their latest material. Why? Because this has all the elements of classic Mercyful Fate but it includes some new interesting riffs and ideas that were not present before. Also the sound here is really good and allows Sherman´s riffs to be listen better and you can appreciate what a good guitarist Mike Wead is. Mercyful Fate is a classic band that still makes great music ! Favorite tracks: "Church of Saint Anne", "Burn In Hell" and "Kiss the Demon". Contact: www.metalblade.com

REVIEW: JOHN LATARTARA - PENETRATIONS: SONIC EXPLORATIONS IN SEXUALITY

 

JOHN LATARTARA - PENETRATIONS: SONIC EXPLORATIONS IN SEXUALITY (Sachimay Recs. , 2002)

Produced by John Latartara

Recorded at WGBH Studios

Tracks: 1- Perverse Implantation, 2- Interlude, 3- Ripe, 4- Touch Through, 5- Interlude, 6- Hitotose, 7-Interlude, 8- Trust and Betrayal, 9- Simone´s Confession, 10- Interlude, 11- Chateau La Coste

Welcome to the realm of extreme sonic experimentations. John Latartara is a musician dedicated to the exploration of the deeper sonic possibilities in the music world. And here he has designed eleven tracks to reflect the different aspects of the sex realm. Latartara delivers a lot of different styles within a track like "Perverse Implantation", going from a repetitive phrase to a burst of noise within a few minutes. His main exploration is within the realm of cacophony making notes clash one against the others (a heavy use of dissonances). Check as an example the track called "Ripe" where all this elements are even more evident as there are more musicians improvising and creating a really weird musical environment. For lovers of experimentation this is a must. Favorite tracks: "Ripe", "Touch Through" and "Trust and Betrayal". Contact: www.sachimayrecords.com

REVIEW: INCARRION - INTO THE EXPOSED ABYSS

 

INCARRION - INTO THE EXPOSED ABYSS (United Guttural Recs., 2002)

Engineered by Greg Conrad

Recorded by Greg Conrad

Artwork by Zig

Tracks: 1- The Creature Experiment, 2- The Darkest City, 3- Untangled from the Flesh, 4- Encapsulated in Ice, 5- Skeffington´s Cyves, 6- Desperate Procedure

Unitted Guttural records is a label dedicated to the release of the music of the most extreme bands over the planet. And they have Incarrion among their artists. Incarrion´s music is a burst of energy from beginning to end and the main thing here is their brutality that can be listened from the first second of this recording. The tracks are fast and brutal in a clear death metal / grind style but despite the speed the band delivers incredibly good guitar riffs with a great guitar sound that makes the result even more brutal. The vocals are extremely guttural as they should be on a band from this style. I like the riffs which are a little bit slower but are more crushing like the ones in "The Creature Experiment" (3:50) for example or the beginning of "The Darkest City". This CD can be described as a lesson in brutality. Favorite tracks: "The Darkest City", "Enacpsulated in Ice" and "Desperate Procedure". Contact: www.unitedguttural.com

REVIEW: HALFWAY TO GONE - SECOND SEASON

 

HALFWAY TO GONE - SECOND SEASON ( Small Stone Recordings , 2002)

Produced by Halfway To Gone

Recorded at W.O.M. Studios

Artwork by Mike Saputo

Tracks: 1- Great American Scumbag, 2- Already Gone, 3- Black Coffy, 4- Escape from Earth, 5-Thee Song (A Slight Return),6- Whiskey Train, 7- Brocktoon´s Wake, 8- Outta Smokes, 9- Lone Star Breakout, 10- Never Comin Home, 11- Tryptophan

Rock´n´roll !!! Yes, here we have a band that plays heavy rock with a lot of southern influences and some doom and stoner rock touches. The music is catchy and has this seventies like sound which all the fans of the style love. One thing that I liked is the feeling that all the tracks here have and that is like some sort of rock meets psychodelia. The guitar is really distorted and has a lot of lower range which is emphasized by the distorted bass (the band is a trio and havinga a bass player who plays chords with a distorted sound makes the sound much heavier). The gorilla in the cover art has a whisky bottle in his hand and I think this is a great album to listen in a hot noon with a cold whisky in your hand. A great rockin band !!! Favorite tracks: "Great American Scumbag", "Black Coffy" and "Lone Star Breakout". Contact: www.smallstone.com

REVIEW: HAEMORRHAGE - MORGUE SWEET HOME

 

HAEMORRHAGE - MORGUE SWEET HOME (Morbid Records, 2002)

Mastered by Peter Neuber

Mastered at Mega Wimp Studio

Tracks: 1- Mortuary Riot, 2- Oozing Molten Gristle, 3- Midnight Mortician, 4- Virulent Mass Necropsy, 5- Funeral Carnage, 6- Obnoxious (Surgeon of the Dead), 7- Exhuming Impulse, 8- Unlock the Morgue, 9- Sublime Anatomy of Revenge, 10- Morgue Sweet Home, 11- Mangled Surgical Epitaph, 12-The Forensic Requiem, 13- Dirge for the Sick, 14- Intravenous Molestation of Obstructionist Arteries (Opus IV)

If I had to label the music of this guys I would surely like to put a label like morgue death metal or forensic death metal or something like that. The music is pure death metal with some grind touches in some places. There are certain influences from the first two Carcass albums and a brutality beyond boundaries through all the tracks. The music is hyperfast and brutal with rotten vocals and a sick sense of humor which I like. The recording has a good sound but is really difficult to mix clearly the drums cymbals played at such hyperspeed. The lyrics deal mostly with forensic themes and the dead and putrid things. Fans of this style would love them. Favorite tracks: "Mangled Surgical Epitaph", "Unlock The Morgue", and "Virulent Mass Necropsy". Contact: www.morbidrecords.de

REVIEW: GODLESS - LET THERE BE DARKNESS PROMO

 

GODLESS - LET THERE BE DARKNESS PROMO (Independent, 2001)

Produced by Chris Muimbwa and Nick for ''Useful Bass Production''

Engineered by Nick Georgiou in Studio ''N''

Tracks: 1- Godless, 2- Hordes, 3-Tale of a Gothic Cathedral, 4- Heavens Final Failure

This is death metal with interesting riffs and some epic parts and a sound that reminds me of late eighties/early nineties death metal bands like Morbid Angel or maybe Asphyx. And despite coming from Greece it has no similarity to all the famous underground greek bands. This recording is a rough mix four track of the Godless CD "Let there Be Darkness" which has seven trckas (61 minutes) of pure death metal!! The good thing here is that despite being a raw one man band (Chris Muimbwa is behind all the music here except for the lead guitar) Godless music has place for melodies in the guitar riffs that make a really interesting contrast with the rawer parts. Chris vocals fit the music perfectly and he has imagined very interesting phrases like the ones at 2:17 of the track "Hordes" which is really crushing. Even if I like the four tracks my absolute favourite is "Tale of A Gothic Cathedral" which is more than fourteen mnutes long and it has a lot of changes and different parts and sounds. I would really love to listen the other three tracks that are not contained on this promo. A death metal band designed to blast youFavorite tracks: The four contained here. Contact: godlesstheband@yahoo.gr

REVIEW: GENOCIDIO - REBELLION

 

GENOCIDIO - REBELLION (Destroyer Recs., 2001)

Produced by Ciero and Genocidio

Recorded at Da Tribo Studio

Artwork by Marangoni Junior

Tracks: 1- Rebellion, 2- Reflexion of Down, 3- Hidden Army, 4- Nephilins, 5- Lost Children, 6- As The Gods, 7- Dominion, 8- Harvest of Souls, 9- Social Sterility

Brutal Death Metal directly from Brazil !! The music here is raw with a great sound specially on the guitars which are really clear and crushing at the same time. The band really likes speed but also they like to make breaks like on the second track "Reflexion of Down". The vocals here are really guttural and they are mixed very well with some reverb on them that makes the result better. There are a lot of interesting drums patterns where the main feature is the double bass which is really up on the mis as I like. The main thing here is power...and this band is really powerful doing a great job. A killer work also by the bass player who accentuates in an interesting way the drum beats as can be heard in "Nephilins". This CD contains a Napalm Death cover "Social Sterility" taken from their classic "From Enslavement to Obliteration". Favorite tracks: "Hidden Army", "Lost Children" and "As The Gods". Contact: www.destroyer.com.br

REVIEW: FLOTSAM & JETSAM - MY GOD

 

FLOTSAM AND JETSAM - MY GOD (Metal Blade Recs., 2000)

Produced by Bill Metoyer and Flotsam and Jetsam

Recorded at Vintage Recorders, Phoenix, AZ

Artwork by Bryce Prevatte

Tracks: 1- Dig Me Up To Bury Me, 2- Keep Breathing, 3- Nothing To Say, 4- Weather To Do, 5- Camera Eye, 6- Trash, 7- Praise, 8- My God, 9- Learn To Dance, 10- Frustrate, 11- Killing Time, 12- I.A.M.H.

It is a pity that this band has always been recognized for being the band where Jason Newsteed used to play, even if he played only on their first recording "Doomsday For the Deceiver" before going to Metallica. Flosam and Jetsam has changed a lot since that times (but they have not changed their thrash spirit). One of the main changes were Eric A.K.´s vocals which are not as high pitched as they used to be....then the guitars have a much more modern sound and they are much more fat. Also they have mixed their thrash roots with a lot of the modern styles that arised in the metal scene, and they have obtained a new Flotsam and Jetsam´s sound (the evolution of Bill Metoyer´s mixes has been crucial here). This is a really underrated band which deserved a better destiny because of their great quality. Favorite tracks: "Keep Breathing", "Weather To Do" and "Frustrate". Contact: www.metalblade.com

REVIEW: FATIMA HILL - AION

 

FATIMA HILL - AION (Worldchaos Prods., 2002)

Produced by Ajio Kino

Recorded at Crew Studio, providence Studio and Studio Ride.

Artwork by Takamichi Koeda

Tracks: 1- Ares Dragon, 2- Babel Dune, 3- The Black Bat, 4- Aeon, 5- Ultimata, 6- Other, 7- Stigmata, 8- The Song for Beatrice part 3 / the Se ven Songs

Fatima Hill is one of the best bands to come from Japan (I also like a lot other Japanese bands like Sigh or Manipulated Slaves). They are a heavy metal band with many elements of eighties thrash and a lot of keyboards and orchestration. On this recording they feature eight elaborated tracks which are a big step forward from their previous album )specially in sound, I consider this one much better).I liked specially the way in which Takamichi Koeda´s keyboards are mixed up in the front and the combination that he does when the guitars make the more melodic solos (Takamichi orchestrates the solos with interesting passages). Yuko´s vocals are great and she does not abuse the high pitched tones, using a lot of vibratos in the phrases. The recording is really well mixed and that adds a lot to the final result. If you like classical metal with some new elements, then check this band. Favorite tracks: "The Black Bat", "Ares Dragon" and "Stigmata". Contact: worldkdm@syd.odn.ne.jp or www.fatima-hill.com

REVIEW: ELECTRO HIPPIES - THE ONLY GOOD PUNK

 

ELECTRO HIPPIES - THE ONLY GOOD PUNK (Peaceville Recs., 2002)

Recorded at Lion Studios, Sound Project and Live at Planet X 15/04/89

Tracks: There are 40 tracks on this release from this underground cult band taken from many of their now unavailable recordings.

How can I define Electro Hippies music for those who don´t know them? Well, let´s say that they have a lot of hardcore elements, a lot of grind in some of the tracks too and some death in many of the vocals. Let´s say as an anecdotic thins that Carcass bassist and vocalist, Jeff Walker, Did the vocals on the first Electro Hippies demo. So, this band is a brick in the extreme music wall of history. All the tracks here are taken from their late eighties releases which now are unavailable. They have in this recording a really raw sound that fans of the style would love (even if the songs here have been mixed much better than in the original releases). It is really great to see the evolution of this band going to their most extreme side (which can be listened in the live recording with a lot of grind parts and blast beats in tracks like "So Wicked" or "Profit"). The tracks are short and they are a burst of energy. Favorite tracks: "Things of Beauty", "Meltdown (live)" and " Sometimes I´m so Glad". Contact: www.peaceville.co.uk

REVIEW: DREAM THEATER - SIX DEGREES OF INNER TURBULENCE

 

DREAM THEATER - SIX DEGREES OF INNER TURBULENCE (Elektra, 2002)

Produced by Mike Portnoy and John Petrucci

Recorded at Bear Track Studios

Artwork by Dung Hoang

Tracks: CD 1: 1- the Glass Prison; 2- Blind Faith, 3- Misunderstood, 4- The Great Debate, 5- Dissapear.

CD 2: Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence (I: Overture, II: About to Crash, III: War Inside My Head, IV: The Test that Stumped them All, V: Goodnight Kiss, VI:Solitary Shell, VII: About to Crash (reprise), VIII: Losing Time/Grand Finale)

I remember some 12 years back in time buying the first Dream Theater album "When Dream and Day Unite" and thinking what a great band they were despite the recordings lack of good sound. Then came "Images and Words" and that album blew my brain !!! IN fact, Dream Theater is one of my favorite bands because they can mix perfectly the more melodic passages with some that are really heavy and they have great technical skills whioch allows them to add a lot of interesting passages and breaks to the songs that other bands can´t. I didn´t like that much "Falling Into Infinity"...but then came "Metropolis Part.2...." and the change of keyboardist and I thought they had returned to the good path !!. This new album, "Six Degrees..." is in the vein of "Metropolis" but a little bit heavier in some places. As always, this guys have a lot of imagination and incredible solos....this time Jordan Rudess shines more than on the previous album. This is a two CD pack where the second CD is comprised of only one 42 minutes long song (the title track) divided in eight parts where this guys show why they are one of the best bands in the world. Favorite tracks: As always Dream Theater delivers the best....the whole album is a masterpiece. Contact: www.dreamtheater.net

REVIEW: DOWNER - DOWNER

 

DOWNER - DOWNER (Roadrunner recs., 2000)

Produced by Bob Marlette

Recorded at Blue Room Studios

Artwork by Pushead

Tracks: 1- Flex, 2- Bi-Furious, 3- Last Time, 4- Savior, 5- Weed Eater, 6- Mud Bath, 7- Born Again, 8- Speed teeth, 9- Punching Bag, 10- Ventilation, 11- Curbed

Downer´s music reminds me in some parts of a much heavier Creed mixed with some grunge elements and some drops og gothic music. In fact what sets this band apart is the heavier sound of the guitars which are really fat and add a lot of heaviness to the tracks contained on this CD. The vocalist is really good and uses a lot of middle range vocal lines in a really melodic fashion (despite sounding quite similar in many of the tracks). The band has a cool drummer who accentuates correctly the guitar riffs and make the tracks rhythmic and at the same time very hard. Favorite tracks: "Last Time", "Born Again" and "Ventilation". Contact: www.roadrunnerrecords.com

REVIEW: DOOM - TOTAL DOOM

 

DOOM - TOTAL DOOM (Peaceville Recs., 2001)

Recorded at Birdsong and Rich Bitch

Produced by Doom

Tracks: There are 37 tracks from two classic Doom albums here.

37 tracks of energetic hardcore grind- death !!!! This is really pure and raw music from this classic band from the eighties. The tracks are form two classic recordings from this band: "War Crimes (Inhuman Beings)" and " Bury the Debt (Not the Dead)". There are tracks that sound better than others but the main thing here is the heaviness and power of their simple music. The songs are really short (less than one minute in many of the tracks). Some songs are more punk than others, some are pure grindcore like for example "Circles" (that reminded me to early Napalm Death or some things from Terrorizer). A great album for those who want to know the origins of this kind of really extreme music. Favorite tracks: "A Means To an End", " Days Go BY", "Money Drug" and "Phobia for Change". Contact: www.peaceville.co.uk

REVIEW: DEICIDE - DEICIDE (REMASTERED EDITION)

 

DEICIDE - DEICIDE (REMASTERED EDITION) ( Roadrunner Recs., 1990/2001)

Produced by Deicide and Scott Burns

Recorded at Morrisound Recording

Artwork by Ira Rosenson

Tracks: 1- Lunatic of God´s Creation, 2- Sacrificial Suicide, 3- Oblivious to Evil, 4- Dead by Dawn, 5- Blasphereion, 6- Deicide, 7- Carnage in the Temple of the Damned, 8- Mephistopheles, 9- Day of Darkness, 10- Crucifixation

It´s been more than twelve years since this recording was originally released. And this is still a classic of brutal satanic death metal. In fact listening to this you can see why Deicide has become a legend in their style. And you can realize how many bands have copied their style. Glen Benton´s vocals are extremely brutal screaming blasphemy after blasphemy and praising Satan. The sound is much better than in the original recording and here you can appreciate a lot of Steve Asheim´s killer drumming and the Hoffman brothers killer guitar tandem with crushing rhythms and frenetic guitar solos that set a standard (along with Morbid Angel) to death metal style. Favorite tracks: The whole CD....it is a true classic. Contact: www.roadrunnerrecords.com

REVIEW: DAEMUSINEM - DAEMUSINEM DOMINE EMPIRE

 

DAEMUSINEM - DAEMUSINEM DOMINE EMPIRE (Cold Blood Industries, 2002)

Tracks: 1- Daemusinem, 2- Domine Empire, 3- Throne of Illusions, 4- Witch´s Dream, 5- Killers of the Wood, 6- Burning Soul, 7- The Key of the Realm of Deads, 8- Silence in the Water Mother of Life

This is a great album. In fact I would label Daemusinem´s music as death/black metal but with riffs that go beyond what is typical in those styles. Some of the riffs are kind of thrashy, some of them are more like power metal. And there are also some keyboards that give the atmospheric touch to Daemusinem´s music. The tracks are really well developed and they have a lot of interesting riffs even in the fastest parts. And there are changes in which the vocals change doing some melodic part or where they speak some part over the keyboards chord progressions. This band is really original and at the same time very powerful. Favorite tracks: "Throne of Illusions", "Killers of the Wood" and "The Key of the Realm of Deads". Contact: www.coldbloodindustries.com

REVIEW: CORPSEVOMIT - RAPING THE EARS OF THOSE ABOVE

 

CORPSEVOMIT - RAPING THE EARS OF THOSE ABOVE (Blackened Moon Recs., 2001)

Engineered by Chris Djuricic

Recorded at Studio One Racine, Wisconsin

Artwork by Mike Beasley

Tracks: 1- Sons of Famine, 2- Maggot Lamb, 3- Waste, 4- Seas of Excrement, 5- Mind Scabs, 6- Gathering Chemical Children, 7- Seeping Dismay, 8- Death Meddle. 9- Crawling Visions, 10- Nothing

Extremely brutal and fast death/grind with some slower parts (almost doom in some places)is what this band does. And they do it with a l,ot of intensity giving even the slowest parts so much brutality that you will not believe it. Plus, the recording has a good sound, specially in the drums which are crystal clear and play blast beats and a lot of interesting slower patterns. There are fast and furious guitar riffs combined with slower phrases. But the main thing here is the band raw and savage brutality combined with good musicianship. If you love bands that crush your brain from beginnin to end of the recording then Corpse Vomit will surely become your favourite. Favorite tracks: "Seas of Excrement", "Crawling Visions" amd "Seeping Dismay". Contact: www.blackenedmoon.com

REVIEW: BYFIST - ADRENALIN

 

BYFIST - ADRENALIN (Independent, 2002)

Produced by David Wayne (Metal Church). Engineered by Joe Floyd (Warrior)

Recorded at Silvercloud Studios

Tracks: 1- Eternal Damnation, 2- Meltdown, 3- Left To Die, 4- Mary Celeste

It has been a lot of time since I listened an album with this thrash/speed metal feeling. And I think that this is really positive, because this was a style that was really missed by me because I was a big fan of this style of bands in the eighties. The music here has great riffs and a good drummer who knows how to accentuate the changes and passages from one riff to the other. There are interesting guitar solos from great guitar players Notch Vara and John Rodriguez. The vocals reminded me of the guy that used to think in that great band called Toxik and also it has some inflexions that wouldn´t have been out of place on the first Anthrax album "Fistful of Metal". It is great to know this band because I would like to listen more from them and I know that this guys can give this kind of metal style the place that it deserves. Favorite tracks: "Eternal Damnation", "Left To Die" and "Mary Celeste". Contact: www.byfist.com

REVIEW: ATMOSFEAR - ATMOSFEAR

 

ATMOSFEAR - ATMOSFEAR (Independent, 1999)

Produced by Atmosfear

Recorded at Monseny Studios

Artwork by Atmosfear and Jorge Soto

Tracks: 1- Zero Vision, 2- Don´t Preserve, 3- Disavowed, 4- Lost Soul, 5- Trapped in Emptiness, 6-Fade Out

Atmosfear is a band from Spain that plays brutal modern metal with some influences of death metal bands, some influences from thrash metal too and a lot of power in the riffs and drums patterns. The sound is better in some of the tracks than in others. The mix gives space to the drums bu the snare is a little bit opaque for my taste. There is a lot of use of clean guitars and bass in intros and the tracks have good melodies and solos that make them more interesting for my ear. Since almost three years have passed since this recording I think the band must have evolved...I would like to check some newer material. Favorite tracks: "Don´t Preserve" and "Trapped in Emptiness". Contact: Javi Bellido - C/Garbi Nº244 (08397) Pineda de Mar - Spain

REVIEW: ARCADIA - TRUST

 

ARCADIA - TRUST ( Independent, 2000)

Produced by Arcadia

Recorded ain 2-10 June, 1999

Tracks: 1- Behind, 2- H.I.R.A, 3- Senseless-Inane

It is difficult to describe the music of this band...in fact I think that the best way would be saying that they play some sort of mix between death metal and modern metal in the vein of Machine Head but with parts that are similar to Fear Factory (there is a special combination of clean vocals and keyboards that are typical of that band). There are a lot of keyboard passages that are put between heavy discharges of guitars and drumming. There are interesting guitar solos which fit the song perfectly but at the same time add some melodic features that give a lot of originality to the songs. A better sound would do this band a lot of justice because they deserve it. Favorite tracks: The three. Contact: Demetrio Scopelliti - Via Rocciamelone, 25 - (13100) Vercelli - ITALY

REVIEW: ANCIENT - PROXIMA CENTAURI

 

ANCIENT - PROXIMA CENTAURI (Metal Blade, 2001)

Produced by Ancient & Jacob Hansen

Recorded at Los Angered Recordings, Sweden

Artwork by Air-brush Perre

Tracks: 1- A Lurking Threat, 2- Proxima Centauri, 3- The Ancient Horadrim, 4- IN The Abyss of the Cursed Souls, 5- the Witch, 6- Apophis, 7- Satan´s Children, 8- Beyond the Realms of Insanity, 9- Audrina, my Sweet, 10- On Blackest Wings, 11- Eyes of the Dead, 12- Incarnating the Malignant Deity

It has been a long time since Ancient surpased the boundaries of the black metal that they played in their origins. And they have developed a style of their own with more original elements adding even some rocking riffs and elements that are not typical of the style. This recording has a great sound that gives a lot of space in the mix to the drums and the keyboards which are fundamental in Ancient´s music. Aphazel is creative as always with the six strings and he has a great team here ....I will like to point out the keyboards played by Jesus Christ! and Deadly Kristine´s vocals which are sometimes calm and sometimes as rotten as hell making great contrasts and duets with Aphazel´s ones !! Favorite tracks: "In The Abyss of the Cursed Souls", " Beyond the Realms of Insanity" and " On Blackest Wings". Contact: www.metalblade.com

REVIEW: AKIN - STANZAS

 

AKIN - STANZAS ( Independent, 2001)

Produced by Akin. Mixed by Diego Ruiz

Recorded on 8 track digital recorder

Artwork by Javel

Tracks: 1- The City in the Sea, 2- To One in Paradise, 3- Annabel Lee, 4- The Valley of Unrest

Here is this MCD with four tracks from this band...and I have to say that this must be one of the best albums of the month and maybe of the year. The band plays a mix of climatic death and black metal but with tons of melodies and they have an excellent female vocal who contrasts with the guttural vocals. In fact she is great using the middle range of her vocal spectre since this is not so common (generally female vocalists in this type of bands use a higher pitched voice). Another excellent feature here are the keyboards and the flute which create enchanting melodies through the four tracks. Apart from the guttural vocals and the female one there are also spoken ones in the more climatic parts. One of the records of the month. Favorite tracks: The four tracks contained here.

REVIEW: AETERNUS - ASCENSION OF TERROR

 

AETERNUS - ASCENSION OF TERROR (Hammerheart Recs., 2001)

Recorded at Grieghallen Studios, Bergen

Mastered in Oslo at Masterhuset.

Artwork by Christian Misje

Tracks: 1- Possessed by the Serpents Vengeance, 2- Slaying the lambs, 3- Ascension of Terror, 4- the Essence of the Elder, 5-Warlust, 6- Wrath of the Warlord, 7-Burning the Shroud, 8- Denial of Salvation, 9- The Lair of Anubis

This band is the perfect combination between brutality and great musicianship. Sounding very tight from beginning to end they know how to put climatic passages among some of their fastest parts in a way that the tracks have a great resolution. I liked a lot this release because it is really powerful and at the same time has a lot of original and charachteristic moments that make Aeternus a truly original band. I like specially the way in which they play heavy riffs but sustaining some interesting melodies and then they go from fast to slow without interemediate steps, and to do this correctly the guys here have a complete dominion of the instruments that they play. A band to look after each release. Favorite tracks: the whole CD. Contact: www.hammerheart.com or www.aeternus.ch

REVIEW: ACERBUS - EMANATING DARKNESS

 

ACERBUS - EMANATING DARKNESS (Independent, 2000)

Produced by Acerbus

Recorded by Stuart Laurence

Tracks: 1- Emanating Darkness, 2- Blackening of Souls, 3- Loyalty To the Tyrant, 4- Living Death, 5- Malkuth, 6- Voulantary Enslavement

Brutal death grind with some parts that are extremely dissonant (check "Blackening of Souls" 2:16...almost avant garde) and rhythmic parts that make the result much better. The guitar riffs are crushing and the guys are not afraid of experimenting with new sounds. The drummer knows much more than doing simple blast beats (which he makes in a lot of parts ...but he knows much more variations). The band is a trio but sounds heavier than hell. The sound is really good but I would like them to mix differently the snare drum and I would like the bass drum a little bit louder. This release will rip you apart!. Favorite tracks: "Blackening of Souls", "Loyalty to the tyrant" and "Malkuth".Contact: Acerbus@angelfire.com

REVIEW: VALGRIND - DEFINITION OF PREPOTENCE

 

VALGRIND - DEFINITION OF PREPOTENCE (Kick Promotion Agency, 2000)

Produced by Valgrind

Recorded at Crypta Studios

Artwork by Angelien

Tracks: 1- Evil Generatrix, 2- Author of your Pain, 3- Spit, 4- Prepotence, 5- Legion of Hate, 6- When Mortal Skin Ends to Be.

There are certain recordings where I definitely like the music a lot but the sound is not so good and that smooths a little bit my enthuisiasm. This is the case with this Valgrind release. And the problem is in one fundamentral thing: the guitars. The music goes in the path of brutal death metal with good guitar riffs and killer drumming. The vocals are guttural as the style demand and there are interesting harmonized guitar solos. In fact it is strange that the solos are really clear in the mix and the rhythms sound more opaque. I think the result can be more crushing with a better mix. And experience shows you the way to do it better. I think this guys have the potential to do it. Favorite tracks: "Author of Your Pain", "Prepotence" and "When Mortal Skin Ends to Be". Contact: www.kickagency.3000.it

REVIEW: THY DISEASE - ART OF DECADENCE

 

THY DISEASE - ART OF DECADENCE (Independent, 2001)

Produced by Dario and Jarek Baran

Recorded at Jaro´s home Studio

Tracks: 1- Art of Decadence, 2- Eternal Disease, 3- Finding God, 4- The Earth, 5- Frozen, 6- Cursed, 7- Crashing the Soul

Extremely talented band coming directly from poland. The band plays atmospheric death metal with interesting riffs and rhythm changes and including certain black metal influences here and there. The music contained on this CD is really technical and yopu can see how well rehearsed theband is. Tracks like "Eternal Disease" show how this guys can combine perfectly brutality and speed with melody and keyboards. Also there is a guest female vocalist called Anna Wojtowiak who is extremely talented and has a voice that contrast in a great way with Thy Disease´s music which is more brutal, giving some extra points to the final result. A must. Favorite tracks: The whole CD. Contact: Underground - P.O.Box 674 - (30-960) Krakow 1 - POLAND

REVIEW: THE SOIL BLEEDS BLACK - THE KINGDOM AND ITS FEY

 

THE SOIL BLEEDS BLACK - THE KINGDOM AND ITS FEY (Cruel moon Recs., 1999)

Produced by The Soil Bleeds Black

Recorded in Dungeon

This is an album originally recorded in 1995 and 1996. The music has a certain medieval feeling but with played with modern instruments that gives certain strange feeling to the tracks. This is music to listen with your eyes closed or in the darkness. The melodies are enchanting and they are designed in order to give a certain feeling to the tracks. And that feeling is music that can be classified as a mix between classical, medieval and certain touches of renacentist. A great ones for people who like something different to listen to. Favorite tracks: "Behold Thou My Crest", " The Charm of Making" and " A Hymn to Dechtire".

REVIEW: TAKING BACK SUNDAY - TELL ALL YOUR FRIENDS

 

TAKING BACK SUNDAY - TELL ALL YOUR FRIENDS (Victory Recs., 2001)

Mastered by Tom Gilles at Surgical Sound

Recorded at Big Blue Meenie Studios

Artwork by John Clark for Stone and Michele Lago

Tracks: 1- You Know How I do, 2- Bike Scene, 3- Cute Without the "E" (Cut from the Team), 4- There´s no "I" in Team, 4- Great Romances of the 20th Century, 5- Ghost Man on Third, 7- Timberwolves at New Jersey, 8- the Blue Channel, 9- You´re So Last Summer, 10- Head Club

Here we have a good band of melodic punk rock. They have excellent songs, much better than in many bands that are a big success. I think that Taking Back Sunday deserves to be one of the most recognized names in the punk scene. This album called "Tell all your friends" is full of melodic choruses and interesting vocals interactaction like for example in the song "Cute without the "E" (Cut from the Team)" which is a great example of what this guys can do. The guitars are powerful and add a lot of strength to the songs. But the main thing here kis how well constructed the songs are and how good are the vocals (which have a lot of pop/rock sensibility). If you love this style I would totally recommend you this band !! Favorite tracks: "Great Romances of the 20th Century", "Bike Scene" and "the Blue Channel". Contact: www.victoryrecords.com

REVIEW: TAIPAN - 11 MUST DIE

 

TAIPAN - 11 MUST DIE (Independent, 2001)

Produced by Taipan

Recorded by 3 weeks in a Coal Chamber

Tracks: 1- Rakshasa, 2- Itcha, 3- ...of bones and Skin, 4- As the Flowers Wither, 5- My Curse, 6- The heart failed, 7- Breakaway, 8- Poisened and sunken down my throat, 9- Nobody Knows (The sorrow I Found), 10- The great control, 11- Fall from Grace

This was a great surprise for me. Looking at the awful cover and the quality of the packaging I expected a mediocre band. But I was wrong. This band is really good. And which style they love? Doom!!!!!!! Yes, they are slow as hell in some tracks (and very rhythmic in others) and they have that riffs that we loved in bands like Saint Vitus and Trouble and maybe in the Obsessed. But also they have faster tracks like "Itcha" were they sound like early Venom (specially because of the primitive sound that this track has with the noisy drums). But they prefer the slow riffs and the whispering vocals which transmit pain, anguish and fear to the listener. Good one !!!! Favorite tracks: "...of Bones and Skin", "Breakaway" and "Nobody Knows (The sorrow I Found)".

REVIEW: STORMBLADE - RAINDROPS OF LIGHT

 

STORMBLADE - RAINDROPS OF LIGHT (Independent, 2001)

Produced by Stormblade

Recorded at Mauro Cella´s studio

Artwork by Matteo Bocacci

Tracks: 1- Intro, 2- The Calling, 3- StormBlade, 4- Fallen Angel, 5- Beyond the Boundaries of Infinity

Heavy metal. That is what we have here. Nothing more and nothing less. With a sound that is not really good (specially on one of the guitars and on the drums ). The songs are in the spirit of bands like Armored Saint (remember that one?). With epic choruses and some cliches of the genre. There are interesting changes in songs like "The Calling" (some Iron Maiden influences here too). Fans of heavy metal will be delighted with this one. I prefer other things. Favorite tracks: "the Calling", "Beyond the Boundaries of Infinity".

REVIEW: S.R.L. - REQUIESCAT IN PACE

 

S.R.L. - REQUIESCAT IN PACE (Kick promotion Agency, 2001)

Recorded at Audiolandia Studios

Artwork by Desiderio Sanzi

Tracks: 1- Ora e Sempre, 2- A Lex, 3- La Fine di un Sogno, 4- Ultima Ora, 5- Requiescat In Pace

Here we have this band coming directly from Italy (and their songs are in Italian language). Their music is modern heavy metal with a great guitar sound (maybe a little bit low in the mix) and good riffs (most of them in a rhythmic way that make th songs conceived to jump in a moshpit). One of the things that I liked most were the guitar solos that maybe in today´s music are a little bit forgotten, but not for S.R.L. It is good to listen a bass with a sound so clean contrasting with the guitars. As I said the one thing that I would do is mix a little bit louder the rhythmic guitar to make the result more direct. A good release from this band. Favorite tracks: "La Fine di un sogno", "Requiescat In Pace" and "A Lex". Contact: www.kickagency.3000.it