REVIEW: HELLFUCKED - DEATHECRATION / 1ST OFFENSIVE

 

HELLFUCKED - DEATHECRATION / 1ST OFFENSIVE (Ketzer Distro, 2001)

Tracks: 1- Bitchkill, 2- Death-throat of Satan, 3- Strychnin, 4- Es müssen Sterben..., 5- D.F.K., 6- Fick Deine Verfickte, 7- Fickpisse Selber Du Arschloch (Hellfucked Laden Zum Schimpfen Ein)

Hellfucked is a german band from what i can deduce from the dialogues that are between their songs on this CD. Thir music is a black/thrash metal band. What do I mean? Their music has a ll the carachteristics of black metal with the rotten vocals, the fast and furious riffs, the thundering blast beat drums, but they also have guitar riffs that sound definitely like an eighties thrash metal band with those drums patterns and those guitar riffs with a lot of space and a raw sound. This type of riffs combined with blast beats in some places and screaming vocals gives the identity of Hellfucked. Favorite tracks: "Strychnin", "Bitchkill" and "Death-throat of Satan". Contact: http://www.welcome.to/ketzer

REVIEW: HEARSE - HEARSE

 

HEARSE - HEARSE (Independent, 2001)

Tracks: 1- Torch, 2- Well of Youth, 3-Raptured in Twilight

This is a band from Sweden that features ex Arch Enemy vocalist Johan and they make something that I would called heavy death metal, because the vocals are clearly deathly and the guitars and melodies have the essence of heavy metal on them (there are also some galloping riffs too!!). Hearse has a killer guitarist risponsible of many of the melodies contained here and he is the center of the band creating the song structures with his riffs and then letting certain melodies flow while Johan screams at the top of his lungs.There are great ideas here and I would like some label to contact this guys to give them the production that they deserve. Favorite tracks: "Torch", "Well of Youth". Contact: hearse@polisen.nu

REVIEW: GRIND MINDED - YOUR SUFFERING WILL BE LEGENDARY

 

GRIND MINDED - YOUR SUFFERING WILL BE LEGENDARY (Filthy Records, 2001)

Produced by Hilan Ciric and Grind Minded

Recorded at the Sing Sing Studios

Artwork by KG designs

Tracks: 1- Tomorrows Ashes, 2- Hatecore, 3- Six Feet Under, 4- World Domination, 5- Goddestructeve, 6- Inconsummatus

This is a one intro- five song CD from this death band with an extremely fat sound with an emphasis in the bottom end riffs done by the guitars and bass. The CD opens with a sort of tribal intro before getting into the first burst of powerful death!!!! What amazes most here is the sound that is really fat with a lot of bottom end...I think that the guys have tuned their guitars really low. And the band has hooks in their rhythms....just check the first track called "Hatecore" where the vocals go along with the guitar to create this deadly music. There are some blast beats like in the beginning of "Six Feet Under" which is a more death grind track (but the drummer prefers other rhythms instead of the faster ones. The overall sound here is good...I would have mixed the drums a little bit louder and I really liked the combination between the guitars and the bass that make the sound here really crushing. Favorite tracks: "World Domination" and "Hatecore". Contact: www.filthyrecords.xs3.com

REVIEW: GREEN CARNATION - LIGHT OF DAY, DAY OF DARKNESS

 

GREEN CARNATION - LIGHT OF DAY, DAY OF DARKNESS (The End Recs., 2002)

Produced by Endre Kirkesola

Recorded and Engineered at Dub Studios

Cover Arts by Niklas Sundin

Tracks: 1- Light of day, day of darkness

As the booklet says here, this is Tchort´s music legacy. For those who don´t know Tchort, he is the man behind Blood Red Throne and he has played in bands like Emperor and Satyricon to mention just a few. Green Carnation is his project (that takes the name of the band he had before) where we can see a deeper side of his musical personality, more complex, more flowing. There is only one track here and is more than 60 minutes long, full of changes, different parts, rhythms, melodies, riffs, sound experimentation, heaviness, subtle parts etc, etc. Tchort is a source of musical resources of all type here, showing all he knows in compositional matter in all its magnitude. And he shows a lot of diversity too. This is one of the CDs of the month. Contgatc: www.theendrecords.com

REVIEW: GRABNEBEL FÜRSTEN - VON SCHEMEN UND TRUGBILDERN

 

GRABNEBEL FÜRSTEN - VON SCHEMEN UND TRUGBILDERN (Ketzer Distro, 2001)

Tracks: 1- Von Schemen und Trugbildern , 2- Was Bleibt, 3- Sturmpropheten, 4- Sehnsucht, 5- Sakralästhetik, 6- An Den Kalten Ufern, 7- Leben Mit Der Angst, 8- Fluchtgeburt, 9- Schwäne

A really good death/black metal band. The first thing that struck me was the really good mix that this release has (specially on the guitars) despite being a trully underground band...it seems that they have worked very hard on this. Another thing that I liked is that they have a lot of emphasis on melodies and moods, creating them with the guitars and the keyboards. Also they have a very technical drummer that knows how to accentuate certain phrases much better than most of the drummers out there. And he also knows how to do blast beats when he wants to. There are a lot of types of vocals: a more growling one, a screaming one and a spoken / singing one. I would like to listen more music from this band that really surprised me. Favorite tracks: " Was Bleibt", "Sturmpropheten" and "Leben Mit Der Angst". Contact: www.welcome.to/ketzer

REVIEW: FRODE GJERSTAD / JOHN STEVENS / DEREK BAILEY - HELLO GOODBYE

 

FRODE GJERSTAD / JOHN STEVENS / DEREK BAILEY - HELLO GOODBYE (Emanem Disc, 2001)

Editing and Mastering by Frode Gjerstad

Recorded at Stavanger (Folken) - October 1992

Drawing: Camilla Sørvik

Tracks: 1- Hello, 2- Three Two Three Two One, 3- Three by three, 4- Two three Two Three, 5- Penultimatum, 6- Goodbye

This is the result of a concert done in October 1992 by this spontaneous music masters relying in some jazz structures while breaking its boundaries. I had the opportunity to review a lot of albums where Derek Bailey participated and he is always a surprise, making his guitar talk, scream and sing depending on the mood of the song. The structure of the tracks here is clearly improvisational and you can listen almost 25 minutes of improvisations on "Three by three" geting surprised on each new part that this trio developes. John Stevens is killer on the percussion and Frode Gjerstad with his alto saxophone is the alma mater of this recording playing skillful runs while Bailey plays some chords and sustaining a note while the guitar does some weird sounds. A must for improvisation fans. Favorite tracks: Three Two Three Two One", "Two three Two Three" and "Goodbye". Contact: www.emanemdisc.com

REVIEW: FLOODLAND - THE NOW AND HERE IS NEVER

 

FLOODLAND - THE NOW AND HERE IS NEVER (Serpent Qui Danse, 1998)

Produced by michael Strasser and Axel Rob

Recorded at Future Sound Studios, Vienna

Photos by Gerald Zugmann

Tracks: 1- The Now and Here is never, 2- War In My Head, 3- Digital Heaven, 4- Sister of Mercy, 5- Talking To My Radio, 6- Trust, believe and Die, 7-Shepherd Death, 8- marionette, 9- The Plague, 10- Black Rain, 11- Neon Dreams, 12- Too Late, 13- Behind the Unicorn

This is the prelude of what Floodland was going to achieve in their new release, "Ocean of the Lost". There are three years between that album and this one and the band got better in that time sounding tighter and doing more intrincate arrangements. The music here is again very dark with an emphasis on vocal arrangements, guitar melodies and keyboards that help the music to be as climatic as the band wants. It is interesting the way in which the vocals are harmonized in some tracks like "Shepherd Death" where you can listen to a deeper vocal in the background while the main vocal is completely in the middle range. The palms here go to the guitarist, Burnhard Wieser, who is the risponsible of many of the moods contained in this recording through his constant change between clean and distorted guitar. A classic. Favorite tracks: "Trust, Believe and Die", "The Plague" and "Neon Dreams". Contact: www.floodland.org

REVIEW: FLOODLAND - OCEAN OF THE LOST

 

FLOODLAND - OCEAN OF THE LOST (Wait and Bleed, 2001)

Produced by Milos Dolezal

Recorded at Hacienda Studios, Zirovnice

Cover Art: David Maninger

Tracks: 1- White Skin, Black Soul, 2- Ocean of the Lost, 3- Crepusculum, 4- Never, 5- I standing Fall, 6- Always on the Wrong Side, 7- The Dawn (version), 8- remembering Tomorrow, 9- Coming Home Tonight, 10- Mist of Time, 11- Sea of Light, 12- Prague, 13- 1648, 14- The Camp, 15- Coming Home Tonight (reprise)

This is a release with a really good mix and sound! The band Floodland goes along the style that I call gothic metal, that is a style heavier than gothic rock but retainingv the climatic elements of that style along with some of the arrangements. And this is one of the fundamental things in Floodland´s music: the arrangements...they have plenty of them here, from certain guitar arpeggios along with keyboards that enhance the music to certain vocal passages that make the music really climatic or the female / male vocals duets that are used in songs like "Never". This CD has fifteen tracks in this vein and it is interesting to see how well developed the songs are, being exactly that: SONGS. The main influences thta I can listen here are: Moonspell, Sisters of Mercy, some Paradise Lost ("One Second" era), that is very dark music but constructing songs that have a lot of hooks on them. Favorite tracks: "Crepusculum", " Remembering Tomorrow" and "Always on the wrong side". Contact: www.floodland.org

REVIEW: FEW LEFT STANDING - WORMWOOD

 

PRESS RELEASE:

FEW LEFT STANDING - WORMWOOD (Solidstate Recs., 2001)

Tracks: 1-Burn me to the ground, 2- The latest Fad, 3- What´s the use, 4- Kneel Down and Fight, 5- Against All, 6- Contemplating Spiritual Suicide, 7- The pursuit of happiness, 8- Give credit where credit is due, 9- No Apology, 10- 10000 Angry hardcore kids, 11- Identity Crisis, 12- Educate the ignorant, 13- Wormwood

A full strength beginning on this CD with "Burn me to the ground" . this is the new Few Left Standing CD that will be released on February by the extreme and modern label Solidstate Recs.. Few Left Standing is a modern death metal band with guitar riffs that are not typical of the style ...in fact they are more dissonant (as an example check the opening of "The latest fad"). There are also some melodic lines done by the bass guitar that make the tracks more interesting and diverse. But the fundamental thing here are the crushing guitars with their dissonance and the rotten and powerful vocals in the vein of Death. The CD is 50 minutes long and there are 13 brutal tracks with no mercy for the listener. Favorite tracks: What´s th use", " The pursuit of happiness" and "10000 angry hardcore kids". Contact: www.solidstaterecords.com

REVIEW: FEW LEFT STANDING - WORMWOOD

 

FEW LEFT STANDING - WORMWOOD (Solidstate Recs., 2001)

Tracks: 1-Burn me to the ground, 2- The latest Fad, 3- What´s the use, 4- Kneel Down and Fight, 5- Against All, 6- Contemplating Spiritual Suicide, 7- The pursuit of happiness, 8- Give credit where credit is due, 9- No Apology, 10- 10000 Angry hardcore kids, 11- Identity Crisis, 12- Educate the ignorant, 13- Wormwood

A full strength beginning on this CD with "Burn me to the ground" . this is the new Few Left Standing CD that will be released on February by the extreme and modern label Solidstate Recs.. Few Left Standing is a modern death metal band with guitar riffs that are not typical of the style ...in fact they are more dissonant (as an example check the opening of "The latest fad"). There are also some melodic lines done by the bass guitar that make the tracks more interesting and diverse. But the fundamental thing here are the crushing guitars with their dissonance and the rotten and powerful vocals in the vein of Death. The CD is 50 minutes long and there are 13 brutal tracks with no mercy for the listener. Favorite tracks: What´s th use", " The pursuit of happiness" and "10000 angry hardcore kids". Contact: www.solidstaterecords.com

REVIEW: EVAN PARKER - LINES BURNT IN LIGHT

 

EVAN PARKER - LINES BURNT IN LIGHT (Psi Records, 2001)

Recorded at 11 October 2001 by Martin Davidson

Cover Art by Roger Ackling

Tracks: 1- Line Im 2- Line 2, 3- Line 3

This is a killer experimental album of solo pieces by soprano saxophone master Evan Parker. There are three pieces here "Line 1", "Line 2 and "Line 3". The first one was played improvising before the audience arrived and the other two were played in front of the audience. Parker plays phrases using a lot of notes on each making the audience gasp because of the technicality that this phrases demand. The notes played are not performed within some scale or some commonly known structure. Instead of that the music here is coming directly from Parker´s brain to his fingers, lungs and mouth making this a masterpiece in spontaneous music. This CD is released on Psi Recs. a division of Emanme Disc, the reknown jazz/experimental music label, Contact: www.emanemdisc.com

REVIEW: ESO-CHARIS - ESOCHARIS

 

ESO-CHARIS - ESOCHARIS (Solid State Recs., 2001)

Produced by Bruce Fizhugh and Eso-charis

Recorded at Poynter´s Palace in little Rock, AR

Cover Photo by Bitter

Tracks: 1- Born With a Future, 2- Processed Bodies, 3- Once Upon a Fashionable, 4- The Narrowing List, 5- Spirit of Revival, 6- Dunamis, 7- Skimmers, 8- The Judas Swing

What we have here? Eso-charis is a band that in some places sounds like Nile, in some places like Soulfly, in some like a new metal band and all of this with a lot of breaks and changes within the same song structure. In fact I think that they have created with this album the Eso-charis sound that is an extremely heavy and modern sound (specially on guitars) with multiple technical changes that sets them apart from other bands of the style. It is really great to listen to the calm parts with clean guitars that are very weird using chords and open strings to create this passages that sound very twisted. The bass is distorted and that adds a lot of bottom end to Esocharis music. A really powerful album. Favorite tracks: "Born With a Future","The Narrowing List" and "Dunamis". Contact: www.solidstaterecords.com

REVIEW: EMPEROR DEB - BLACK MOSES

 

EMPEROR DEB - BLACK MOSES (Lunasound Recs., 2001)

Produced by Graeme Flynn and Jim Jones

Recorded at Emperor Deb, NY

Art by The Gasworks

Tracks: 1- Second Skin, 2- Slow Mama, 3- Yr Gonna Get it, 4- Blown Away, 5- Hot Grundies, 6- Wont let go, 7- Strange Life, 8- Cut it out, 9- 20/20, 10 Eye on You, 11- Yr Friend, 12- Under The River

This CD starts directly with a guitar playing riffs with fuzz distortion and wah wah making it sound like a mix of stoner rock and some seventies sounding rock and roll. Then it calms down and the vocals enter in the sort of hard rock style mixed with some grunge and modern rock. There are a lot of different moods going on in this CD...from direct rock to songs that are much subtler (using cleaner guitar) and rocking vocals. For rock´n´roll fans. Favorite tracks: "Hot Grundies", " Cut it Out" and "Eye on You". Contact: www.lunasoundrecording.com . 

REVIEW: EDENBRIDGE - ARCANA

 

EDENBRIDGE - ARCANA (Nems Enterprises, 2002)

Produced by Lanvall

Recorded at House of Audio Studios by Lochen Weyer

Cover Art by Markus Mayer

Tracks: 1- Ascending, 2- Starlight Reverie, 3- the Palace, 4- A Moment of Time, 5- Fly on a Rainbow Dream, 6- Color My Sky, 7- Velvet Eyes of Dawn, 8- the Whisper of the Ages, 9- Into the Light, 10- Suspiria, 11- Winter Winds, 12- Arcadia

"Ascending" the orchestral introduction takes us to the world of Edenbridge. A world full of heavy metal melodies as you can listen in "Starlight Reverie" the first track. Compared to their previous album this one is a step forward, specially in certain arrangements between the guitars and the keyboards. Obviously, the main thing here are Sabine Edelsbacher vocals who is singing in her own way without trying to sound like a classical soprano (even if that is her vocal range) ansd without abusing the vibrato in her voice. Instrumentally speaking the music is completely dominated by Lanvall´s guitars and keyboards taht construct all the songs contained here. This edition comes with two bonus tracks: "Velvet Eyes of Dawn" and "The Whisper of the Ages". Really progressive heavy metal. Favorite tracks: "The Palace" (a lot of arrangements and orchestration here), "Fly on a Rainbow Dream" and "Velvet Eyes of Dawn". Contact: www.nems.com.ar

REVIEW: DUNCAN WILDER JOHNSON - DESTRUCT-A-THOR

 

DUNCAN WILDER JOHNSON - DESTRUCT-A-THOR (Wonderdrug Recs., 2001)

Mastered by Ken Camaro

Edited and Produced by Tara de Marco and Duncan Wilder Johnson

Graphic Design by Duncan Wilder Johnson

Tracks: 1- God of Car Crashes, 2- Dictionary definition of the Word "Dude", 3- Heavy Metal Mountain Movie, 4- heavy metal Part 3: Ozzfest, 5- Tim Catz, 6- Dude, Fuckin´war, Man?, 7- On Fire, 8- Nipplekabob, 9- Heavy Metal part 5: Motorhead, 10- Screaming penis eats the Corpse, 11- Assholes Part 1: Electric Boogaloo, 12- Assholes Part 2: Chicago, Enhanced CD: Heavy metal part 4: Scissorfight

The music of Duncan Wilder Johnson has elements from metal, from straight rock´n´roll, from stoner rock and from hardcore too. The first name that comes to my mind is Henry Rollins but Duncan is heavier and has influences closer to the more extreme side of the specter. Even if there are certain rock elements here, they are played with a big fat guitar sound that makes the result heavier. Duncan has a great sense of humor as he shows in "Heavy Metal Part Part 3: Ozzfest" a spoken track where Duncan tells the audience about his experiences in the Ozzfest festival. I liked a lot this combination of extremely heavy and fast tracks with spoken tracks with great humour. This CD has twelve rocking tracks plus an enhanced part with a video for "Heavy Metal part 4: Scissorfight" live performance. Don´t miss this CD. Favorite tracks: "Heavy Metal Mountain Movie", "Dude, Fuckin´war, Man?" and "Screaming Penis Eats The Corpse". Contact: www.wonderdrugrecords.com

REVIEW: DREAMING IN RED - SILENCE BEFORE

 

DREAMING IN RED - SILENCE BEFORE... - DEMO 2001 (Independent, 2001)

Tracks: 1- Devotion, 2- I bid You Welcome, 3- Dalse, 4- Lunatic, 5- Ashes, 6- denied, 7- Braeheart, 8-Resist, 9- Lost Souls

The album opens with a clean guitar and a voice speaking before getting into the heavier side of Dreaming in Red. I like a lot one element and that is the combination of one guitar doing an extremely heavy rhythm combined with other guitar doing some sad melodies over it. And that is the thing that sets Dreaming in Red apart from the other bands...that combination of heaviness and bestiality with melody and subtle moments. There are a lot of passages where the instruments shine. Plus the vocals are real death in some parts and remind me of bands like Illdisposed. The drummer is killer with a lot of double bass drumming and a lot intersting patterns using the toms and the ride cymbal. Fans of bands extremely heavy but at the same time really melodic will have orgasms with this release. Favorite tracks: "I bid you welcome", "Ashes" and "Resist". Contact: www.dreaming-in-red.com

REVIEW: DRACO HYPNALIS - PROMO 2001

 

DRACO HYPNALIS - PROMO 2001 (Independent, 2001)

Tracks: 1- Fortified Source of Invisible Light, 2- Cairm - Cleansing Time Keys, 3- Departed for the cloud - Vaulted Portal, 4- Intermezzos for Live Gigs

Are Draco Hypnalis the Dream Theater of black/death metal? I think that this comparison is not wrong because of the great technical skills that this guys have. Since I listened their music I become a big fan of this band. This guys are beyond styles, beyond metal, beyond death...they are composers, amazing musicans, full of ideas. The music in this promo is better than on their demo from 2000 and they have evolved a lot in just one year, making their music more porwerfulñ and diverse yet very complicated to play (that means that the skills of this guys are well above average). Here we have three new tracks with a better sound, specially on guitars and with more keyboards (I love the way the keyboards sound here), and there is also a bonus with some intermezzos that Draco Hypnalis uses in their live shows. An amazing album. Come on metal labels!! You have to offer a deal to this guys!!!!!. Favorite tracks: All the tape !! Contact: dracohypnalis@seznam.cz

REVIEW: DRACO HYPNALIS - NOBLENESS OF THE STORM GATHERER

 

DRACO HYPNALIS - NOBLENESS OF THE STORM GATHERER (Independent, 2000)

Recorded and Mixed at Policna Studio

Produced by Draco Hypnalis

Layout by Cowley

Tracks: 1- My Shields is Black Feathered Circle, 2-Cycle of Being Absurdly reversed, 3- Of Doves, Falcons and Souldust, 4- Oracle of Inner - Bonded Blue Flame, 5- Torn Funeral Shroud of their shapes, 6- Portal for the Nocturnal Weavers of Unrest.

Can we say that this is black metal? Maybe because of the vocals. Is it death metal? Some riffs may sound like that and some vocals. Is it progressive metal? Yes, there are changes everywhere, great guitar melodies, amazingly technical guitar riffs. What I can say for sure is that it is metal music and very original with excellent musicians and a programmed drum machine. With great interaction between the guitar and the bass the tracks are really well developed and I think that Draco Hypnalis are looking for originality above all. The sound is good but I think that the guitars can be mixed louder to make the result more powerful. A great prelude from a great band !! Favorite tracks: " Cycle of Being Absurdly Reversed", " Oracle of Inner Bonded Blue Flame", " Portal for the Nocturnal Weavers of Unrest". Contact: dracohypnalis@seznam.cz

DESECRATION - INHUMAN

 

DESECRATION - "INHUMAN" (Copro Records, 2001)

Tracks: 1-  Turning Black, 2- Dig up, dig in, 3- Asphyxiate on Blood

This is a three track promotional CD of Desecration latest album called "Inhuman". If you love brutal death metal here is your stuff!! The music here is in the vein of those bands that are in the most extreme side of death metal, those with guttural vocals, a lot of speed and crushing guitar riffs. The music here is extremely brutal and is reminiscent of early Cannibal Corpse, except for the sound that is much better than on that band´s first recordings. There is a lot of speed here and certain riffs are really complex. Others are more rhythmic and have hooks like the one in "Asphyxiate in Blood". Favorite tracks: "Asphyxiate in Blood" and "Dig Up, dig in". Contact: olliedes@aol.com

REVIEW: DISASTROUS MURMUR - AND HUNGRY ARE THE LOST

 

DISASTROUS MURMUR - AND HUNGRY ARE THE LOST (Perverted Taste Recs., 2000)

Produced by Reinhard Trost

Recorded at TST Studios, Klagenfurt

Art by Manfred Perack and Alexander Lausseger

Tracks: 1- Necrotic Ulcerous Genoplast, 2- Are you dead, 3- Pigamism of Remains, 4- Ultimate Masturbation, 5- Land Shark, 6- Little Purple M...Penis, 7- Pedigree Insanity, 8-Headless Autophelatio, 9- the game we play, 10- Fleshmaster´s Birthday, 11- Fotus Controlled Dismemberment

This is good thrash-death metal as I have not listened in a long time. The most evident influence here is Pungent Stench nad there is some old Carcass here too. Primitive riffs played with a really raw sound and with certain classic metal influences and sound too. There are a lot of changes in some tracks going from rhythmic riffs like the one in 1:45 in "Necrotic Ulcerous Genoplast" to others that are much faster. There are a lot of tharash influences specially on some guitar riffs and the drums patterns which are not typically death blast beats. A good release from a musical style that deserves a good come back. Favorite tracks: "Are you dead?", "Land Shark" and "The Game we play". Contact: www.pervertedtaste.de

REVIEW: DEEPRED - PROPHETIC LUSTER

 

DEEPRED - PROPHETIC LUSTER (Forensick Music, 2001)

Tracks: 1- Hi Speed Confussion, 2- Multiple Errors, 3- Dismissed From Life, 4- Luster, 5- In Cold Blood, 6- A Song For The Lovers, 7- A Relentless Path, 8- Homogeneous World, 9- All Will See rebirth

This guys have no mercy!!!!!! Their music is extremely brutal and they go at full speed most of the time!!! The recording has a great sound that makes the music more powerful and brutal. Deppred has a killer drummer who doesn´t miss a beat even in the fastest parts...he is like a hurricane delivering blast beats and hyper fast rhythms in all the tracks. The vocalist is really guttural in the vein of early Morbid Angel or something like Benediction. The guitarist is crushing with his fat sounding guitar with a lot of bottom end in the sound...he is like a bulldozer crushing everything that is in front of him with his six string attack. Lovers of extreme death metal will surely love this release. Favorite Tracks: "Multiple Errors", "In Cold Blood" and "Homogeneous World". Contact: www.forensickmusic.com

REVIEW: DARKNESS ETERNAL - SATANCHRIST

 

DARKNESS ETERNAL - SATANCHRIST (Dark Salvation Prods., 2001)

Produced by George Velaetis

Recorded and Engineered by Stew Kirkwood

Graphic Arts Crol Pylypow

Tracks: 1-Satanchrist, 2- Cursed To an Eternal Damnation, 3- Entering the World of the Dead, 4- Cross of Lies, 5- Descending Into Forever, 6- To Save the Lost, 7- Drowning In the Red Sea, 8- For All Eternity, 9- Dark Salvation

George Velaetis sent me some months ago his previous Darkness Eternal album, called "The Dawn of The Suffering"...and this "Satanchrist" is a big improvement, not only in sound but in the composition side too. That mix of death metal, black metal and doom with a lot of atmospheric parts is here too but much better. George is the man behind all this music and he is also performing all the instruments doing a really good job with all of them. The music here makes a big emphasis on atmosphere, melodies and the different moods that are creating (specially on the parts with a lot of clean guitars (that for my ear seem sometimes like keyboards...even if there is no use of keyboards on this CD) or where the guitar is doing really melodic lines). Completely recommended for death/black fans who want music with a lot of ideas. Favorite Tracks: "Entering the World of the Dead", "Descending Into Forever" and "For All Eternity".Contact: www.deternal.darkgod.net

REVIEW: DARKMOON - .308 ANTICHRIST

 

DARKMOON - .308 ANTICHRIST (Tribunal Records, 2001)

Produced by Darkmoon

Engineered by Bob Moore and Art Bordeaux

Design: DS Designs and Promotions ( DSPromos@austin.rr.com ). Art: Travis Smith ( seempieces@mindspring.com )

Tracks: 1- Wehrwolfe (Anti-Martyr Brigade 2001), 2- Impenetrable, 3- Pagan Graves, 4- Patriots of Fire

Extremely brutal and fast death metal with a very particular guitar sound. There is a lot of technique here and good guitar solos (with good note placement and fit perfectly with the songs). There are lot of breaks and changes within the same track and the rhythm variations are a lot too! The band is really well rehearsed and this is evident in how tight they souns in the most complicated parts. The four tracks here are extremely brutal and at the same time extremely clear. I would call this music progressive brutal death metal. There are excelent changes and excelent ideas flowing here. Favorite tracks: The four contained on this CD. Contact: www.darkmoonusa.com or www.ncmusic.com/tribunal

REVIEW: DARKFALL - FIREBREED

 

DARKFALL - FIREBREED (Independent, 2001)

Tracks: 1-Chapter of denial, 2- Kill the Need, 3- Firebreed, 4- Land of No Return

This is death/thrash at its best. All the killer sound and vocals of death metal are joined here by the riffs of thrash metal creating a modern band with a classic sound that helps to distinguish them from bands of the scene. Also to help the final result there is a keyboard that creates certain melodies and atmospheres which are very dark. The main element here are the guitars and their riffs (some of the riffs in "Chapter of Denial" reminded me of Anthrax´s State of Euphoria album), and also the melodies thata re played by the guitarists which are killer and have a great technique and control over their instruments. I liked a lot the combination of the guitars and keyboards and specially when they join the brutal vocalist creating great moods and passages. Favorite tracks: "Chapter of denial" and "Land of No Return".Contact: www.8ung.at/darkfall

REVIEW: DARK RITUAL - PROMO

 

DARK RITUAL - PROMO (Independent, 2002)

Tracks: 1- Frayed, 2- Princess, 3- My Skin Unbroken, 4-Enhanced section

Well, this is the latest promotional CD by the band Dark Ritual. Comparing to their previous effort this one is a step forward in the correct direction. They have added a better sound to the instruments that now sound better and bigger (specially the guitars that sound much harder now ...they are a wall of sound). The music is heavy metal with thrash, progressive and death influences. Starting with "Frayed" a song with a crushing rhythm and an eerie melody done by the guitar (in some parts through a terrible flanger effect) and multiple changes that make this a really intereesting track. The vocals are stronger and have more variations on this release giving the tracks the strength that they are asking for. The second song is "Princess" slower in the beginning with interesting melodic guitar riffs and getting faster soon (again great guitar riffs and a really good bass player who is very original). This Promo CD contains three tracks plus a multimedia track containing pictures, videos, biography, lyrics, etc. Favorite tracks: The three. Contact: www.darkritual.com .

REVIEW: CHRIS BURN/ JOHN BUTCHER / RHODRI DAVIES / JOHN EDWARDS - THE FIRST TWO GIGS

 

CHRIS BURN/ JOHN BUTCHER / RHODRI DAVIES / JOHN EDWARDS - THE FIRST TWO GIGS (Emanem Disc, 2001)

Editing Mastering by Martin Davidson

Recorded at on May 25, 2000 and September 17, 2000

Design by Martin Davidson

Tracks: 1- Low Standard, 2- High Standard, 3- The Remove, 4- Scharlachglut, 5- Russelliana, 6- Souvenir De Docteur

Experimental music done with: piano and percussion, soprano and tenor saxophone, harp and double bass. And this guys know how to play in a really manic way their instruments. This are two gigs recoorded in May and September of 2000 in different environments. And here you can listen how eerie this music sounds....sometimes really coordinated, sometimes truly wild. And above all it is a music without a fixed structure and it is constantly evolving and developing into something completely different. The main thing here are Burn´s pianos and percussion that are all over the place and Butcher´s sax that appear in the more intense moments. Check it if you love experimentation. Favorite tracks: "Russelliana", "High Standard" and "the Remove". Contact: www.emanemdisc.com

REVIEW: CHIKMOUNTAIN - PORN ON THE COB

 

CHIKMOUNTAIN - PORN ON THE COB (Tachist Records, 2000)

Mastered by Paul Story and Derek Wille

Recorded in June-july 1999 and January 2000

Tracks: 1-Electric Toadjuice Experiment, 2- Where Am I, 3- the Room, 4- Chikmountain Speaks, 5- Turn Up The Music (The Air Conditioner´s Mocking Me), 6- Wronghole, 7- Revelation 101, 8- Drums, 9- Love Won´t Pay the Bills, 10- Use Once and Discard

This is totally insane and experimental music !! Yes, the music contained on this CD is for people looking for something new and original. Chikmountain is a band that has some features that I would like to mention: 1- A guitar that plays a heavy riff and in some parts is doubled by other guitar, sometimes repits an idea through the whole track, sometimes has more variation. There are some samplers and electronics effects that are fundamental to Chikmountain´s sound. There are some vocals thrown here and there but they are used like a sound effect to complete this complex and spontaneous music that Chikmountain makes. I think that most of people in magazines will have a hard time trying to label this band (specially the ones in metal that sometimes are quite close minded). If you want originality, don´t miss this recordingFavorite tracks: "The Room", "Turn Up The Music" and "Revelation 101". Contact: tachist@yahoo.com

REVIEW: BRODEQUIN - FESTIVAL OF DEATH

 

BRODEQUIN - FESTIVAL OF DEATH (Unmatched Brutality Recs., 2001)

Produced by Seven taran Sky

Recorded at Digital Sky Studios

Tracks: 1-Mazzetello, 2- Judas Cradle, 3- Trial by Ordeal, 4- Torches of Nero, 5- Vivian Excoriari, 6- Lake of the Dead, 7- Blood of the Martyr, 8-Gilles De Rais, 9- Flow of Maggotts, 10- Bronze Bowl, 11- Auto De Fa

Brodequin´s music is hyper fast grind/death without subtle elements. Here are all the elements of the style and on certain tracks like "Judas Cradle" there are better riffs. One thing to remark: the drummer Chad Walls is very fast and very precise at the same time playing very tidy and clear blast beats as well as other rhythms. The vocals here are hiper guttural as grind demands. This CD is thirty minutes long and there are really good ideas like at 0:58 of "Trial by Ordeal" and Mike Bailey´s riffs which are original. Death/Grind like the one made by Brodequin rules!! Favorite tracks: "Judas Cradle", "Torches of Nero" and Flow of Maggots". Contact: www.unmatchedbrutality.com

REVIEW: AESMA DAEVA - HERE LIES ONE WHOSE NAME WAS WRITTEN IN WATER

 

AESMA DAEVA - HERE LIES ONE WHOSE NAME WAS WRITTEN IN WATER (Roor of All Evil Recs., 2001)

Produced by Nick Copernicus

Tracks: 1- O death (Rock me Asleep), 2- Downvain, 3- Stay, 4- Disdain, 5- Introit, 6- when I have Fears that I may Cease to be, 7- Luceat Eis, 8- Introit II, 9- Communion, 10- Sanctus, 11- Darkness, 12*- Darkness (Stromkern)

Spectacular CD!! This one of the best CDs of the month. Combining dark metal with a lot of orchestration and keyboards and some electronic elements. Also there is the spectacular voice of Rebecca Cords making this CD an experience in beauty. There a re a lot of elements of classical music (that is not strange because guitarist Jon Prassas is classically trained) and the music is very heavy in some parts and very subtle in others. There is always a predominance here of vocal harmonies that make Aesma Daeva´s a trully original band. This CD was originally released by Ascension Recs. in germany and now is released in America by Root of All Evil. Favorite tracks: The whole album. Contact: www.rootofallevil.com

REVIEW: WITCHERY - SYMPHONY FOR THE DEVIL

 

WITCHERY - SYMPHONY FOR THE DEVIL (Necropolis Recs., 2001):

Technical data:

Recorded at Berno Studio, Sweden, Feb. 2001

Produced by Witchery and Berno Paulson

Artwork by Niklas Sundin

Track List: 1- The Storm, 2- Unholy Wars, 3- Inquisition, 4- Omens, 5-Bone Mill, 6- None Buried Deeper, 7-Wicked, 8- Called For By Death, 9- Hearse of the Pharaohs, 10- Shallow Grave, 11- Enshrined, 12- The One Within

Finally Necropolis Records is releasing Witchery´s latest opus. This time the guys in Witchery have achieved their best record up to date. Beginning with the sound that is far better than the one in their previous efforts, specially on the guitars and drums. Here the tracks are better structured and composed, always revolving in their black/death/thrash style . There is as always some Venom and Celtic Frost influences in there but here they are more subtle than in for example "Restless and Dead". The palms here go to Richard Corpse´s guitar melodies and solos and to Patrick Jensen whose riffs are the main axis of the band. Favorite tracks: "Inquisition", " None Buried Deeper" and "Hearse of the Pharaohs". Contact: www.necropolisrec.com

REVIEW: VASTATOR - PROMO 2001

 

VASTATOR - PROMO 2001 (Independent, 2001):

Track List: 1- Cybernetic Heartbeat, 2- I Love You, 3- Mongolian Meat

Vastator is a band from Chile who does a style that I can fully categorize as thrash metal. And this is an advance of the tracks that will be on their next album called "The Night of San Juan". The music here is fast and powerful yet melodic. With rhythms that sound fresh...like if they have taken old school thrash rhythms and put a very modern sound to them...and interesting vocals (sometimes the vocalist reminded me of the singers in eighties thrash metal bands like Toxik). It is very interesting to find a band like this which gives an option to those who want something new instead of the same styles that are popular today. The sound in this recording is very good and I don´t know if this is the same mix that they will use in "The Night of San Juan", but is a really good one. Contact: www.vastator.s5.com