REVIEW: ECZEMA - SOLEDAD, EL LLANTO DE LA MUERTE

 

ECZEMA - SOLEDAD, EL LLANTO DE LA MUERTE (Independent, 2001):

Technical data:

Recorded at Estudios El Jardín Paramétrico

Produced by Michael Antonov and Ens Cogitans

Artwork by Ilya Trusov.

Track List: Soledad, el llanto de la muerte: 1- El tiempo, 2- Un instante..., 3- Un recuerdo, 4-...una eternidad, 5- El miedo

Al otro lado del Espejo: 1- Esencia de odio, 2-Crees despertar, 3- Sacrilegio a Vivaldi II 

Here we have in one CD the two latest works of this Spanish band. They are called "Soledad, el llanto de la muerte" (Loneliness, the cry of death with one 29 minutes track divided in five parts) and "Al otro lado del espejo" (The other side of the mirror"). This band is a very good example of the new scene that I would like to call Iberic extreme metal scene. Eczema makes a technical kind of death/black metal (there are elements of death metal in the guitars riffs which are more rhythmic, say in the vein of Death and also a lot of black metal in the vocals and certain melodies). What I like from this guys is that they use speed as a complement and not as their main element. They have a profound sense of what is constructing a track and they have structured their songs really well while using a lot of different parts within the same track. There are also a lot of guitar melodies which help to make the songs more interesting , and also millions of rhythm changes (excelent!!!). This is another of my favorite CDs of the month. Favorite tracks : The whole CD. Contact: ivaneczema@yahoo.com

REVIEW: DIVINE RAPTURE - PROMO 2001

 

DIVINE RAPTURE - PROMO 2001 (Independent, 2001):

Technical data:

Recorded at Dimensional Sound Studios.

Engineered and Mixed by Erik Rutan

Mastered by Colin Davis.

Track List: 1- Affliction, 2- Funeral Mist, 3- My demon, your dove

Divine Rapture comes back after their debut album (which was a demo CD with different versions of six tracks) with this brutal tracks that maybe will be part of their next full length. The music is even more brutal than on the "Divine Rapture" CD... and the mix is much more clear. They have chosen Morbid Angel/ Alas guitarist Erik Rutan to engineer and mix their new tracks and he has done a good job making the sound like a mix between modern death metal bands and clasical bands like Dismember, Morbid Angel or Disincarnate. The three tracks contained on this promo CD are full speed and brutality, with some original touches like the more rhythmic stuff and the guitar riffs. I am waiting for their new full length for this year. If it is like this three tracks, it will be like an atom bomb. Contact: www.divinerapture.net

REVIEW: DIVINE RAPTURE - DIVINE RAPTURE

 

DIVINE RAPTURE - DIVINE RAPTURE (Hrborrah Records, 1999):

Technical data:

Recorded at Silent Studios.

Mixed by Justin Anthony Madax

Produced by Divine Rapture and Justin Madax

Artwork by Mike Hrubovcak.

Track List: 1- Desirous Nonsubsistence, 2- Purging thy Torrents, 3- Black Moon Harvest, 4- Unyielding Presence, 5- The Well of Enlightenment, 6- A Glimmer From beneath, Raw Primal Versions: 7- Black Moon Harvest, 8- Desirous Nonsubsistence, 9- Purging Thy Torrents, 10- Unyielding presence, 11- A Glimmer From Beneath, 12- Multimedia track

This is Divine Rapture´s debut album that contains six tracks from a demo in its Original Versions and in its Primal Raw Versions, where the first ones are better sounding than the second ones. The music is a modern death metal in the vein of the fastest Morbid Angel with good and fast solos  (some of them done with Harmonizer, like the ones in "Purging Thy Torrents") and emphasizing the more rhythmic side of their musicl personality (some riffs are great for seeing the band live in front of stage diving crowd). There is also a powerful and growling vocalist and some melodies that are thrown here and there and help the tracks to have their own identity ("Black Moon Harvest" is a total death metal hit)The sound is not so good, specially the drums are a little bit opaque, but considering the one that they have achieved in their new material they have solved easily this problem. Favorite tracks" "Black Moon Harvest", "Unyielding Presence" and "A Glimmer from Beneath". Contact: www.divinerapture.net

REVIEW: DISINTER - DEMONIC PORTRAITURE

 

DISINTER - DEMONIC PORTRAITURE (Morbid Records, 2001):

Technical data:

Recorded at Studio One

Mastered at JEM Studios

Engineered by Chris Djuricic and Disinter

Artwork by In Deed Hell

Track List: 1- First and Last In Battle / Strength and Honour, 2- An Eternity of Pain, 3- The Hunter´s Moon, 4- Where We Are Mortal, 5- Woven with pestilence and War, 6- What Once Was, Again Shall Be, 7- Cyclopean Ruins, 8- Upon The Winds of Vengeance, 9- Whirling Spectral Voices, 10- Demonic Portraiture

Some issues ago I reviewed the previous album from this death metal machine called Disinter. Now is time for their latest opus "Demonic Portraiture". The first thing that I notice is that this time the sound is much better than in their previous effort making the tracks more effective. The music is still hyper speed death metal with melodies here and there, and extremely technical (those super fast guitar melodies on the first track for example are really difficult to do while beig coherent with the rest of the band). This CD contains ten tracks of this crushing band, and all of them are extremely brutal but at the same time they have some subtle riffs and certain melodies that make the things more interesting (also there are interesting drum patterns like the one at 1:19 from "An Eternity of Pain"). Lovers of brutality, here is smething for you !!Favorite tracks: "An Eternity of Pain", The Hunter´s Moon" and "Whirling Spectral Voices". Contact: www.morbidrecords.de

REVIEW: DIES IRAE - NAIVE

 

DIES IRAE - NAIVE (Oz Records, 2001):

Technical data:

Recorded at Fredman Studio

Engineered and Mixed by Fredrik Nordström

Artwork by Daniel Herrera.

Track List: 1- Sculped In Stone, 2- Ice In Dawn, 3- Blurred, 4- Parallel Universe Pt 1, 5- Shattered Mockery, 6- Slow, 7- In Porous Verves, 8- Shades, 9- Parallel Universe Pt. 2

This guys are real beasts!!! And they have achieved an impressing CD. With a death metal truly elaborated and technical, they present us a work in which we must remark the role of the guitars which have agreat sound that soemtimes play harmonies, sometimes open chords, sometimes hyperfast riffs. Another point that is fundamental for Dies Irae is the excellent drums sound that the CD has and that makes easier to appreciate the work that this drummer is doing with his kit. He is an expert in variations, changes and breaks (there are a lot of good drums arrangements, some of them very technical and some of them done witha lot of simplicity). There are really good interludes with clean guitars where the bass shines with his constant arrangements. All this point are fundamental for this guys whose main point is creating great compositions in their style. A band to don´t miss a step. Favorite tracks: "Shattered Mockery", " In porous Verves" and "Ice In Dawn". Contact: www.ozproductions.com

REVIEW: DIAGNOSTICO FINAL - INVOLUCION

 

DIAGNOSTICO FINAL - INVOLUCION (Independent, 2001):

Technical data:

Recorded and Mixed by Ariel Malizia

Cover Artwork by Lilia Mosconi.

Track List: 1- Ellos vendrán a buscarte, 2- Tu vieja Amiga, 3- Siglo XXI, Epoca Feudal, 4- Persevera y Triunfarás, 5- La razón de Vivir, 6- Sociedad Consumidora de Mentiras, 7- Malvinas Argentina, 8- Bajo el Agua, 9- Multimedia Track

This is music between heavy, thrash and a certain hardcore flavor, specially on some of the riffs and vocals. This recording has a modern guitar sound tat accentuates the results achieved by the band on the guitar riffs. The music is the perfect way for the band to express their feelings through their very crude lyrics (which have a lot of social content...people from Argentina surely will understand them). Well, the music contained here is a kick in your stomach, with a lot of power and not too much subtle elements...here all the emphasis is on the strength and power and feelings!!. The sound achieved in studio is a very good one...maybe I would have mixed a little bit higher the bass to add more bottom end top the band´s sound. A really powerful recording. Favorite tracks: "Siglo XXI, Epoca Feudal", "La Razón de Vivir" y "Sociedad Consumidora de Mentiras". Contact: www.diagnosticofinal.com o www.diagnosticofinal.com.ar

REVIEW: DARK LAND - DARK LAND

 

DARK LAND - DARK LAND (Perverted Taste Records):

Track List: 1- Sound of Nothing, 2- Schizophren, 3- Rise and Fall, 4- Rome, 5- Dreams of Childhood, 6- Das Letzte Mal

Perverted Taste records has released this extremely climatic album, full ofm what we can call depressive gothic metal. Yes, I called this deppressive and that is the feeling that you will feel while listening to this CD. In fact, one of the main things that contribute to this depressive aura is the sound of the violin used here as one of the main instruments. This string instrument literally weeps through all the tracks contained here, sometimes with despair, sometimes with sadness, sometimes with hope. The vocals are another important element here because thy are quite similar to the ones in Moonspell, but used in a different way...more slowly, more calmly, darker. The guitars are the third point of the compositive axis creating a lot odf the moods presented on this album. Contact: www.pervertedtaste.de 

REVIEW: DARGAARD - THE DISSOLUTION OF ETERNITY

 

DARGAARD - THE DISSOLUTION OF ETERNITY (Draenor Prods., 2001):

Technical data:

Recorded, mixed and mastered at Tonstudio Hoernix.

Recorded, Mixed and Edited by George Hrauda and Tharen.

Layout by Tharen.

Track List: 1- As Old as the Bones of The Earth, 2- Thy Fleeing Time, 3- A Path in the Dust, 4- In the Omniprescence of Death, 5- My Phantasm Supreme, 6- Night Before the Vastland Storms, 7- Fires Dominion, 8- The Isolated Vale, 9- A Prophecy of Immortality, 10- Wanderer At The End of Time

This is the latest Dargaard album and it seems to be the last part of the saga of Eternity that started with "Eternity Rites". Here again the songs are extremely well composed and they seem to be from a movie soundtrack (specifically from a movie about ancient warriors and ancient times). Full of keyboards and orchestrations, Daargard´s music is the perfect vehicle to manifest the feelings contained in the lyrics done by Tharen. Elisabeth´s vocals are darker than ever and they are one of the main points around which the tracks are developed. People who likes good composition and dark melodies will definitely love this one. Favorite tracks: "As Old As The Bones of the Earth", " In the Omniprescence of Death" and " The Isolated Vale". Contact: www.daargard.com

REVIEW: DARGAARD - ETERNITY RITES

 

DARGAARD - ETERNITY RITES (Draenor Prods., 1999):

Technical data:

Recorded and Mixed at Hoernix Studios

Recorded, Mixed and Edited by Georg Hranda and Tharen

Track List: 1- Eternity Rite Pt. 1, 2- Demon Eyes, 3- Fuer Grissa Est Dranka, 4-Down To The Halls of The blind, 5- Nightvision, 6-Arcanum Mortis, 7- Eternity Rite Pt II, 8-Temple of The Moon, 9- Of Broken Stones, 10- Seelenlos, 11- Transfer Complete

Here we have Dargaard´s first recording. This debut CD´s music can be described as atmospheric and ethereal. Eleven extremely subtle tracks are what you will find here...they are full with keyboards, melodies and harmonies. Sang Drax Tharen and Elisabeth Toriser are the two persons behind Dargaard´s music and they make an excelent job: Sang Drax creating all the music and the lyrics and Elisabeth with her really beautiful voice. The music can be described also as ancient and dark because of the types of melodies used here which are sad and introspective. Favorite tracks: "Down To the Halls of the Blind, "Arcanum Mortis" and "Temple of The Moon". Contact: www.dargaard.com

REVIEW: CURTIS BAHN - R!G

 

CURTIS BAHN - R!G (Electronic Music Foundation, 2000):

Technical data:

Recorded at Curtis Bahn Home Studio and at the Zeitgeist on 11/18/00.

Produced and Designed by Curtis Bahn

Track List: 1- Sbass, 2- Mechanique, 3- r!p, 4- Quabbin, 5- Ornithology, 6- r!g

This CD show us a serie of improvisations done by Curtis Bahn with his "sensor bass" and live electronics. Curtis says in the booklet that the system that he uses to do this music live has 8 audio channels and cannot be fully represented in a stereo context. Judging by this and the pictures of his musical equipment I guess that this must be even stranger in a live context. It is interesting to see Bahn improvising with his instruments letting his imagination fly free and without losing control at the same time. The "sensor bass" played by Bahn sometimes sounds almost like an acoustic bass and sometimes like a part of the electronics used here (when it gets in combination with them). To see this you can check "Sbass" (7:00) where Bahn plays very interesting phrases over the electronics giving a feeling of almost ambient music. Her e you have six tracks of pure experimentation where Bahn shows us why he is a great and original musician who is helping to extend the boundaries of music. Favorite tracks: "Mechanique" and "r!g". Contact: www.cdemusic.org/emfmedia

REVIEW: CURTAIN - SECOND FLOOR PARADISE

 

CURTAIN - SECOND FLOOR PARADISE (Warlord Records, 2001):

Technical data:

Recorded and Mixed at Lonesome Studio by Alain Grandiere.

Mastered at Actis Studio

Artwork by Curtain and Gilles Boyer.

Track List: 1- Second Floor Paradise, 2- Our Last Dance, 3- Push The Trigger, 4- Slow Down, 5- Under Your Spell

Well, this is surprising because this French band starts as an electronic band in the beginning of their first tracks before entering into a more gothic side of their music with interesting rhythms and songs that could be hits if well managed. Obviously as I told you the music is full of keyboards and electronics....let me think abot Paradise Lost´s "Host". The vocalist has a vocal range very similar to the one of Depeche Mode´s David Gahan...that is a vocalist who dominates de medium range and does his work to make this songs instant hits. The thing that amazed me most here is how dark are the tracks, because the heavy use of keyboards and clean guitars added to the vocals and combination of real and electronic drums creates a dark atmosphere giving a sense of oppression and beauty at the same time in tracks like "Our Last Dance". Favorite tracks: "Second Floor Paradise", "Push the Trigger" and "Our Last Dance". Contact: www.multimania.com/curtain

REVIEW: CROMLECH - THE VULTURE TONES

 

CROMLECH - THE VULTURE TONES (Beyond Prods, 2001):

Technical data:

Recorded at Recordia Studio

Engineered and Mixed by Fredrik Larnemo and Cromlech

Artwork by L.M.Mennella

Track List: 1- A Clarity Denied, 2- The Bleeding, 3- The Vulture Tones, 4- Garden of Sin

First strike: This band has a really good sound with really powerful guitars (very well mixed) and a hyperfast and technical drummer (also with an excellent mixing sound). Second strike: They have original riffs and they use them in a way that the songs are even more powerful than if theywere full speed one note runs. Third strike: they have interesting tempo changes and they are very comfortable specially on the slower parts where the best ideas aredeveloped among the musicians. Fourth strike: The vocalist screams a lot here but it is helpful to meke the tracks as good as they are. Further information: This is a MCD with four tracks and the four are relly heavy as hell!!!. Favorite tracks: I like very much the four tracks contained on this MCD. Contact: www.beyondprod.com

REVIEW: CLAIR OBSCUR - SOMBRE REVELATIONS

 

CLAIR OBSCUR - SOMBRE REVELATIONS (Perverted Taste Records, 1999):

Technical data:

Recorded at Requiem Studio

Artwork by Alexis Dubois

Track List: 1- Petal, 2- Eros, 3- Desecrated Souls

A combination of the most hateful black metal with the most deppresive music in the most calm passages is how I would define Clair Obscur´s music. It is incredible to see the contrast between the faster parts and the slower ones. The band has all the characteristics of a black metal band when they accelerate (fast riffs, raw sound and screaming vocals, plus blast beat drums) and then, all of a sudden the keyboards enter and the role is inverted and they become the main instrument while the vocals change into a whispering mode. The three tracks contained on this CD are l,ong enough (the shortest is almost eight minutes long) to let the band incorporate all the elements they like in their compositions being them melodic or extremely raw and powerful. Contact: www.pervertedtaste.de 

REVIEW: CARNAL LUST - PREPARE YOUR SOUL

 

CARNAL LUST - PREPARE YOUR SOUL (Independent, 2001):

Track List: 1- Cannibal, 2- Crestfallen, 3- Human Die, 4- Messiah

Carnal Lust is a grind death band from France. And they are dedicated to the most extreme side of this style, the one with light speed drums and guitar riffs and with anguished vocals combined with guttural ones. And this is their latest demo and they are as brutal as they were in the prior one. There are four tracks totalizing nineteen minutes of pure grind with drums that are a nightmare pounding your brain together with the guitars that play one note riffs at an insane velocity. I hope the band gets a contract soon so we can appreciate them with a better production and obviously a better sound that would do more justice to their music. Favorite tracks: "Cannibal", "Human Die". Contact: www.carnallust.fr.st

REVIEW: CADAVEROUS CONDITION - THE LESSER TRAVELLED SEAS

 

CADAVEROUS CONDITION - THE LESSER TRAVELLED SEAS (Perverted Taste Records, 2000):

Technical data:

Recorded at NoirmontPoint Studios and at Future Studios

Recorded and Mixed by Andreas Dockl , Mixed and Edited by

Artwork by Gregor Traversa.

Track List: 1- The Moon and the Scars, 2- Young blood, 3- Time, 4- The Lonely Have No Right To Share The Summer Sun, 5- The Lesser Travelled Seas, 6- Tesco Girl, 7- I Came To Leave, 8- Lead Me, 9- First Song, 10- Arrival, 11- Heaven Street, 12- The Nothing Out of Me, 13- A Dream Within a Dream

The beginning of this CD really fooled me it sounded full of keyboards (There is some Hammond emulator and sounds like sounded as Deep Purple hahaha). And then the band enters with their death metal really brutal with a lot of rocking riffs. The main thing here is that Cadaverous Condition is a combination of brutality and quality....being extremely brutal in a lot of passages and subtle in the way they use the keyboards and certain arrangements that they use very often like certain drum patterns and guitar riffs. The vocals are brutal but sometimes another voice (spoken) is added to change the mood of certain part of the tracks. "Time" has an introduction with violin, acoustic guitars and keyboards (with whispering voices that turn into a more brutal kind later) creating a sad ballad with a lot of feeling. I find this band very original. Favorite tracks: "The Lonely have no Right To Share The Summer Sun", " The Lesser Travelled Seas" and " The Nothing Out of Me". Contac: www.pervertedtaste.de 

REVIEW: CAD - DEADNATION

 

CAD - DEADNATION (Downfall Records, 2000):

Technical data:

Tracks 1-18 Recorded at Moonset Studios, 2000. Engineered by Martin Papp

Tracks 19-23 recorded at Yeety Studios, January 1999. Engineered by Martin Korkos

Track List: 1- Attack, 2- Chess Figurine, 3- Destroy NATO Bastards, 4- On your heads, 5- Cigarette?-No thanx!, 6- Deadnation, 7- NO!, 8- Punk as Piss, 9- The beginning of the end, 10- Hamburger Woman, 11- Working Class, 12- Just Let me Rot, 13- Solitude, 14- Greetings from Hiroshima, 15- Blood on the Clay, 16- Mc American Shit, 17- Requiem for Tarkan, 18- March of Machines, 19- Gundown, 20- Salieri, 21- Anxiety, 22- Revolt, 23- I´m bad

23 tracks of pure death grind ( in some of the tracks the structure is more death metal but the vocals are always very grindcore) with some strange riffs here and there and a lot of sense of humour. This is an album where you can listen the 23 tracks and you don´t get bored despite the speed and rottenness of all the songs contained here. I find funny the way in which the band throws certain arrangements here and there, like some guitar phrases...they are very short ! (Check "NO!" to see what I am talking about). The sound is different while comparing the first eighteen tracks to the last five...I like better the first ones because there is more clarity on the instruments and specially on the voclas (the drums are well mixed on both types of tracks). Grind/ death fans will love this one. Favorite tracks: "Destroy NATO Bastards", "Punk as Piss" and "Working Class". Contact: downfall_records@hotmail.com

INTERVIEW WITH CADAVERIA

 

The first is one questions that I have to make. Why did you leave Opera IX?

Hi Federico and all Music Extreme! Well, there is not one exact reason. Simply, around one year ago some problems started inside the band, regarding the direction the band must follow, the ideology, the music, the compositions. For these reasons the relationships among the band members began to deteriorate. Instead of wasting our time in stupid arguments, me and Flegias decided to take the only possible and intelligent decision and we left the band. Some weeks later we founded CADAVERIA, a new and free project where every member can discharge his metal instincts and express his ideas, without ideological restriction.

How did you choose Frank and Killer Bob to play with you? What have they brought to Cadaveria´s music?

Me and Flegias already knew Killer Bob and Frank and we were sure we could trust them as persons and musicians. All new members are experienced musicians: Frank and Baron Harkonnen have played often as tour men, while behind the name Killer Bob there is John, Necrodeath bassist. We already were in contact with Frank 'cause he is in the musical underground, he has got his own recording studio (the studio where we recorded The Shadows' Madame) and have helped us in the past, with Sacro Culto album. He plays since he was a child but, as I told, he always played as session man and he never had a steady band. For him CADAVERIA represents the opportunity to be really part of a band, to cooperate with other people to compose his own music, and to show his talent. Killer Bob is a person open to new experiences, and even if he already plays in other two band (Necrodeath and DyNAbyte) he was glad to participate to our project as bassist and sound engineer. They are all open minded people and everyone has a different musical background (thrash, classical heavy metal, nu metal). The brought a fresh air in the band and a new energy in our sound. The union of five different minds and of five different musical tendencies is the main responsible of the many contaminations you can find in CADAVERIA music.

What can you tell me about the way in which "The Shadows Madame" was composed?

Some songs from The Shadows' Madame came from my and Flegias' past musical experience. Some ideas we didn't expressed in Opera IX are now developed in CADAVERIA. Some songs have been built on some voice melodies I had worked on during the last year. These melodies have been the first point where to start from. Other ideas come directly in the rehearsal room, brought by the new members. When the main songs' structure was ready, we entered recording studio. Having a studio at our complete disposal, with no time restriction, allowed us to care about all details. Here the arrangements were set, some songs were modified and keyboards were added. Then we started studying the details of the sound and finally we started recording.

Why did you choose Scarlet Recs. to release the album?

Among the labels we contacted, Scarlet was the one that immediately showed to appreciate our musical proposal and to be truly interested in the band. We had already been in contact with Scarlet some years ago, when Opera IX had to decide for which label to sign for The Black Opera album. Even if the band had opted for another label, me and Flegias had maintained good relationships with Scarlet (that is also Necrodeath's label). The fact to already know Scarlet stuff made negotiations be more easy, and we quickly reached an agreement. They were positively impressed by our music, they trust our potentialities, they were ready to put CADAVERIA among the label's priorities and to give the band the proper promotion. With these premises, there wasn't the risk, for us, to be one of the hundreds forgotten and "left-to-their-destiny" bands of a big label's roster. These are the main reasons that led us to sign for Scarlet.

What are the lyrics in "The Shadows Madame" about?

Well, all lyrics have been written by me and they deal with my personal interests, with my believes, my memory, my dreams and nightmares, my credo. Darkness, magic, death, existence are the main themes. "Spell", for example, talks about a young witch who places trust in cosmic energies for her rituals, it deals with meditation and natural elements, while "Declaration of spiritual Independence" deals with the power of mind, it hymns to self confidence, to freedom and to action. "In memory of Shadows' Madame" is a sort of epitaph ante mortem, dedicated to a charismatic lady survived to the jokes of fate, while "Absolute Vacuum" contains my personal meditations about evil and death. Some sentences I wrote belong to my past, some other lyrics have been composed in a second time, after the most part of the music was ready. The Shadows' Madame lyrics can be considered as the mirror of my personality, some songs have been influences by my readings, above all by Charles Baudelaire and William Butler Yeats.

Are Baron Harkonnen´s keyboards one of the main points in Cadaveria´s music?

I don't think so. In the beginning we thought not to use keyboards in CADAVERIA, then, when the main songs' structure was already set, we decided to introduce some keyboards parts in order to amplify and sustain the atmosphere of the tracks. So keyboards strengthen the atmosphere of our songs but aren't the basis of our music. I think the main point are represented by the guitar and by the voice.

Are there any songs that were left out of the album and maybe will be released in a Mini CD ?

There were some ideas for a eighth song, just made of acoustic guitars, keyboards and voice and an half idea to make a cover, but finally we opted for a different solution. There are no project for a mini CD now and I don't know if these ideas will be developed in the next album. Actually we are just thinking about some new riffs and only in June we will start the composition process for the new CD, so now it is early to say which direction we will take.

Do you have any plans of touring to support the new album?

We will play some live dates is Italy in April and May. Another live show is in preparation for July and we received an offer to play at a festival in summer, but nothing is sure at the moment. Please, check out our website for any updates!

Any final words?

I would like to thank you for this interview and all old and new fans for their never-ending support! Keep the metal flame alive and let you be enveloped by the shadows of darkness.

 

CADAVERIA WEBSITE: www.cadaveria.com

REVIEW: BLINDED BY FAITH - VEILED HIDEOUSNESS

 

BLINDED BY FAITH - VEILED HIDEOUSNESS (Tuxedo Prods., 1999):

Technical data:

Recorded, Mixed and Mastered at Crunch Com by Martin Sr. Laurent.

Produced by Tuxedo Prods. And Blinded By Faith

Cover by Jonathan Robert

Track List: 1- Somber Harbinger, 2-Behind the Placid Mask of the Starlit Cosmos, 3- Veiled Hideousness, 4- My Burnt Wings, 5- Reptilian shudders, 6- A Slumber in Cobarebs, 7- Melania

This is black metal full of guitar melodies. This guys come from Canada and this album showcases their habilities in composing good black metal with a lot of feelings and an omniprescent dark feeling. One of the main things here are the keyboards, played by Tattoo which gives atmosphere, melody and harmony to the tracks (Check for example the beginning of "Behind The Placid Mask..." to see what I am talking about). The guitars play interesting rifffs, sometimes fast, sometimes more mid paced. I would like the band to explore more the more rhthmic riffs which are more original and give Blinded by Faith its own identity while combined with the keyboards and with Tom´s vocals. The overall sound of this recording is good, very clear, and really well mixed. I want to check this guys newest album to see how they have progressed. Favorite tracks "Behind the Placid Mask of the Starlit Cosmos", "My Burnt Wings" and "A Slumber in Cobarebs". Contact: http://fly.to/blindedbyfaith

REVIEW: BERGTHRON - JAGDHEIM

 

BERGTHRON - JAGDHEIM (Perverted Taste Recs., 2001):

Technical data:

Recorded at Studio Arts and VD Prods.

Track List: 1-Aus Edlem Blut, 2- Im Weissen Wald, 3- Jagdheim

What do we have here? This CD consists in three tracks from this guys from Germany. The first one strats as a nordic black metal band and within the first two minutes it turns into something completely different with voices that are closer to gothic and riffs that are more rhythmic than fast (some of them almost rocking). This is possible I think because this track is more than fourteen minutes long and allows this guys to develope some great ideas within the same song structure (there are also some twin guitar melodies in there too, some riffs in the old Paradise Lost vein, etc.). The second track "Im Weissen Wald" is the shortes with almost eight minutes. The main feature here are the vocals done in a manner that remind old pagan songs that are sung over some guitar riffs that are the basis of the track. Again the combination of vocals and guitars reach its climax. This is a great option for those looking for originality and something new within the realms of black metal. Favorite tracks: The three. Contact: www.pervertedtaste.de

REVIEW: BENIGHTED LEAMS - CALIGINOUS ROMANTIC MYTH

 

BENIGHTED LEAMS - CALIGINOUS ROMANTIC MYTH (Supernal Music, 1999):

Technical data:

Recorded at Ohombrid Welkins Studios

Recorded, Mixed and Edited by Alex Kurtagic

Artwork by Digitalis.

Track List: 1- Tenebrious Arcadian Dream, 2- The Snead, 3- Öillades into Penumbral Mirth, 4- Wood Nymph of Summer Twilight, 5- Caliginous Romantic Myth

Benighted Leams make music in the style called black- gothic metal with some ideas that are impressing and some that are not at all (beginning with the vocals that are not as good as should be...they are melodic but they are most of the time doing the same melodies and that turns the tracks a little bit boring). There are a lot of tempo changes which are really abrupt with omnipresent keyboards that are making the basement of the songs. One thing that I would like the band to change is the sound which is of very poor quality, specially the drums that are completely buried in the mix (also the vocals are sometimes so low and in the back that you can barely listen them). Maybe next time this band will focalize better their music and get a better result.

REVIEW: BASILISK - KYO JYA

 

BASILISK - KYO JYA (Independent, 1999):

Technical Information

Produced and Mixed by Yoshinori Miwa. Assist Engineered by Akinobu Adachi.

Recorded and Mixed at Studio Pao

Artwork by Makoto Ito

Track List: 1- Black Storm, 2- Blaze, 3- Bear one´s Sufferings

Directly from japan it arrives this band that plays black metal in a technical vein with a lot of breaks and tempo changes and there are a lot of different riffs on each of the three tracks contained here on this demo. The music is fast but at the same time melodic, that is the songs have parts that are extremely fast where the guitars do that phrases that are most typical of black metal bands,a nd then there are slower parts that is where the band is in my opinion better because they make more original parts and riffs and they let their music breath and become heavier. This recording is from 1999, I wonder how this band has evolved in this two years since then. The overall sound is good but maybe the guitars could be better equalized and the cymbals don´t be so loud because they cover some frequencies tat can be useful for the music of Basilisk. Contact: basilisk@pdx.ne.jp

REVIEW: ASHES YOU LEAVE - DESPERATE EXISTENCE

 

ASHES YOU LEAVE - DESPERATE EXISTENCE (Morbid Records, 1999):

Technical Information

Cover Art: Patricia Skender

Track List: 1- A Wish, 2- Never again alone in the Dark, 3- Desperate Existence, 4- Et Vidi Solem Evanere, 5- Momentary Eclipse of Hope, 6- Searching for Artificial Happiness, 7- Shadow of Somebody´s Else Being, 8- Outro

In this second album from Ashes You Leave, the band solidifies their reputation as an excellent band in the most deppresive style within the metal realm., sharing characteristics with doom metal, and some atmospheric metal. With the always wonderful vocals of Dunja Radetic singing the melancholic lyrics of the band and giving the songs a black aura to the tracks. The sound in this recording is much better than on its debut album, spacially on the guitars that are better mixed and sound much more fat than on that release. The extense tracks like "Never Again Alone In the Dark" or "Desperate Existence" allow the band to play with tempo changes (in the more than nine minutes that each of this tracks have) and multiple instrumental passages where each musician can explore the dark side of their instruments. There are also some eastern sounding melodies done with keyboards and violins and an interesting contrast between them and the growling male vocals. Favorite tracks: "Never Again Alone In the Dark", "Desperate Existence" and "Searching for Artificial Happiness. Contact: www.morbidrecords.de

REVIEW: ASHES YOU LEAVE - THE PASSAGE BACK TO LIFE

 

ASHES YOU LEAVE - THE PASSAGE BACK TO LIFE (Morbid Records, 1998):

Track List: 1- Salva Me (Intro), 2- The Passage Back To Life, 3- Thorn the Death Flower, 4- Drowning in my Dreams, 5- Lay Down Alone, 6- White Chains, 7- Tears

This is the debut album from that dark and sad band from Croatia called Ashes You Leave. This is a band whose music is filled with darkness, sadness, anguish and pain. And this is an ideal album to listen in complete darkness or with your eyes shut letting your feelings fly. The first thing that got my attention was Dunja Radetic´s vocals...they are in a mid range and they are deeper than in many of the female vocalist that most bands have. The guitar riffs are slow, extremely heavy and very dark (in the vein of the firstg My Dying Bride for example) and they make a big contrast with the vocals and the violin lines made by Marta Batinic. The keyboards here are not the main element, but they are used instead to make interest arrangements that fit the mood of the tracks. The sound is not very good, specially on drums and guitars but it allows to appreciate the music of the band. Favorite tracks: "The Passage Back To Life", "Thorn The Death Flower" and "Tears". Contact: www.morbidrecords.de.

REVIEW: APOPHIS - HELIOPOLIS

 

APOPHIS - HELIOPOLIS (Morbid Records, 1998):

Technical data:

Artwork by Joachim Scheffler

Track List: 1- The Serpent God, 2- Choirs of Bitterness, 3- Reincarnation of the Serpent God, 4- Tear Down Your Walls, 5- Resurrection, 6- Ein Meer Aus Tränen, 7- Dominion, 8- Behold His Arrival, 9- Nobody Will Miss You

Some issues ago I interviewed this German band and they seemed to me a very interesting death metal band. Now, while listening to their music I am not dissapointed, they are powerful and they have very good skills as musicians to make their music very interesting to the listener. One good thing that I listen of this band is that I feel that they have worked a lot on their guitar riffs making some of them very glorious in the vein of some very technical band s like Megadeth in their "Rust in Peace" album but all in a death metal context (I mean, with a heavier sound and a lot of brutality added). That is, this guys have learned a lot from other styles and from their influences and then they have transformed, adapted and thrown everything into their music making it sound very original. This is also one of the CDs of the month. Contact: www.morbidrecords.de 

REVIEW: ANTROPOFAGUS - ALIVE IS GOOD, DEAD IS BETTER

 

ANTROPOFAGUS - ALIVE IS GOOD, DEAD IS BETTER (Beyond Prods., 2001):

Technical data:

Recorded, mixed and mastered by Paolo Valenti and Antropofagus at Lord Studio

Photos by Jose Taglia

Track List: 1- Fucking a Baphomet Made of Flesh, 2- 1: Chainsaw Sterilizing, 3-L´aldila...e tu vivrai nel terrore

Here is Antropofagus new MCD (with a cover art that is a tribute to Carcass "Symphonies of Sickness"). There are three tracks here and the music is a pure holocaust, pure grind. But the guitars sound much clearer than in any grindcore album (almost like an industrial band...they are mixed quite loud here). The drums are well programmed trying to make it sound more natural and it makes some interesting break and passages. There are plenty of hyperfast guitar riffs and vocals that are extremely guttural, everything surrounded by a horror film atmosphere with voices, noises and sounds that are extracted from movies of the genre. Favorite tracks: "Fucking a Baphomet Made of Flesh" and "Chainsaw Sterilizing". Contact: www.beyondprod.com

REVIEW: AMEN - WE HAVE COME FOR YOUR PARENTS

 

AMEN - WE HAVE COME FOR YOUR PARENTS (Virgin Records, 2000):

Technical data:

Produced by Ross Robinson

Track List: 1- OK Killer, 2- Refuse Amen, 3- Justified, 4- The Price of Reality, 5- Mayday, 6- Under the Robe, 7- Dead on the Bible, 8- Too Hard To Be Free, 9- Ungrateful Dead, 10- Piss Virus, 11- The Waiting, 12- Take My head, 13- In Your Suit, 14- Here´s the Poison

New Metal, Modern Metal. Call it as you like. This style has become a one on its own, loved by some people and hated by others with the same intensity. Here comes Amen, a band that practices this style but in its most aggressive form as it is shown since the beginning with the short and explosive "OK Killer" . In fact they are not taking influence from bands like Korn, etc. I think they have some Machine Head influences (even though the music is completely different, specially the vocals) because of the guitar riffs that are more hardcore crushing with some artificial harmonics here and there. I prefer the bands that are like Amen to those that have too much hip hop in their music. A powrful album. Favorite tracks: "Refuse Amen", " Under The Robe", "Dead On the Bible". Contact: www.amen-us.com

REVIEW: ALGAION - GENERAL ENMITY

 

ALGAION - GENERAL ENMITY (Wounded Love Records, 1998):

Technical data:

Recorded at W.E.T. Musikstudio

Recorded, Mixed and Edited by Lollo Öberg

Track List: 1- Inductio, 2- General Enmity, 3- No Will Without Fire, 4- Unstained Progress, 5- Nature Red in Tooth and Claw, 6- An Impending Disaster, 7- Mangod Hold The Sceptre, 8- Lies of Human Value, 9- the Angel of Decease, 10- Indifference Beyond Misanthropy, 11- It´s Darker In the Present, 12- The Root of Inhumanity, 13- Conclusio

Having listened to Algaion´s first album, I have two things to say: 1- they are much better on this album with better compositions and better sound, 2- They have changed a little bit their approach using more often heavy metal riffs (without loosing their black metal roots in the process)and using more arrangements in all their tracks. The two minds behind the banda have developed the way to create great tracks without loosing the heaviness of their music. How subtle are this guys in some parts, and how ethereal in others, and how heavy through the whole album. The guitars are sounding much better this time than on the last album nd also the drums have improved a lot. A great improvement from a great band. Contact: wounder@tin.it 

REVIEW: ALASTOR SANGUINARY EMBRYO - ETERNAL TEARS THROUGH ASMODEO´S BLACKENED FLAMES

 

ALASTOR SANGUINARY EMBRIO - ETERNAL TEARS THROUGH ASMODEO´S BLACKENED FLAMES (Independent, 1999):

Track List: 1- Blackart Masterpiece, 2- Through Asmodeo´s Blackened Flames, 3- The Four In Unisono, 4- Eternal Tears, 5- The Universe´s Pillars Fall

In this new work from Alastor Sanguinary Embrio from Costa Rica, they show a lot of improvements when compared to "The Howling Creatures of Night". Opening like on tthat demo with an acoustic guitar intro ( this is in the vein of some works from Fernando Sor). The band shows here that the two years that separate this new work from the prior one were not spent in vane. They show that they have worked a lot to achieve better songs with better sound (the keyboards here are fundamental for the new tracks and they add interesting phrases to them). The music is still black metal but it has become more complex and they have become more subtle in certain arrangements. Well, since two years have passed since this CD I hope that they will release something new one of this days. Favorite tracks:" The Four in Unisono", "Eternal Tears". Contact: www.zonaunderground.com

REVIEW: ALASTOR SANGUINARY EMBRYO

 

ALASTOR SANGUINARY EMBRIO - THE HOWLING CREATURE OF NIGHT (Independent, 1997):

Track List: 1- Odio, 2- Poetry For Thy Glory, 3- My Fields Are unholy, 4- Through a Valley of Night Souls, 5- Where No Light Can Reach, 6- Sanguinary Embryo, 7- Ridin Thy Darklands, 8- The Infinity of Luciferian Wings, 9- Beyond my Unconscious Deep, 10- Quimera

An acoustic guyitar intro called "Odio" opens this demo from year 1997 from this band of Costa Rica called Alastor Sanguinary Embrio and lets us into their world of black arts. Inmediately after that, the band gets into the darkest black metal in a style similar to bands like Marduk or Gorogoroth. The most interesting thing here are certain riffs like the ones at 1:30 in "Poetry For Thy Glory" that are more rocking and are not commonly used in black metal and give more variations to the tracks, The sound of the whole recording is crude and primitive but allows the appreciation of the guitar riffs that are fundamental for the band´s music, specially those that are more elaborated. Favorite tracks: "My Fields are Unholy" and "Ridin thy Darklands". Contact: www.zonaunderground.com

REVIEW: AGES GONE - AGES GONE

 

AGES GONE - AGES GONE (Independent, 2000):

Technical data:

All tracks except "Psychjam" recorded at Jancee Warnick´s Studio by Jancee and Ages Gone

"Psychjam" recorded in Baron / Ages Gone rehearsal room by Ages Gone

Cover by Heike Ruschmeyer

Track List: 1- Intro, 2- 10, 3- 7, 4-9, 5- Bessy meets Ages Gone, 6- , 7- Fickpart, 8- Psychjam, 9-8

This is a very strange band. Starting in the first track as a death metal band with some keyboards and noises that differntiate them from the standard, they evolve through the different tracks into something muchweirder where the keys and pianos and more predominant. The vocals are like the ones in a death metal band, and there is also another type of vocals more like an anguished man. There are interesting guitar solos and a certain jazz influence in many of the tracks here (check the killer solo in "7") and that gives a lot of originality to the songs too. I like the way the keyboards , played by Martin Rascher, start to be predominant in the compositions interacting with the heavy guitar riffs and the bass (there are some really interesting bass patterns like for example in "9", not only in the beginning but through all the song). This is a killer band to don´t miss a step, I think that we can expect more wonderful music coming from them in the near future. One of the albums of the month. Favorite tracks: the whole albumContact: www.agesgone.de

REVIEW: ZEENON - AGAINST THE WORLD

 

 ZEENON - AGAINST THE WORLD (Independent, 2001):

Technical data:

Recorded in Gordon Studio August 2000.

Track List: 1- Better If, 2- Between 2 Worlds, 3- Utopia, 4- Secret (of Secrets), 5- Absurd

Zeenon is a female fronted powerful metal band from Norway. Going from elements of pure metal, to distorted grunge, to some industrial touches, this band covers a big spectre. Along the five tracks contained here they show how energetic their music is, and it is interesting to listen the contrast between the heavy guitar riffs and the vocals that are different from what you are accustomed to listen (they are not growling and not soprano, prefering instead to create different melodies that are more clashing against the music...great) They have two women singing: Linn Pedersen is the main vocalist and Linda Aurland who also plays the guitar makes some counterpoint and harmonies with her (really depressing ones in some of the tracks...leaving space for some heavy guitar riffs). This band have some previous recordings that are also worth to be check if you love really heavy music. Favorite tracks: "Better If", "Secret (of Secrets)" and "Absurd" . Contact: www.zeenon.com