REVIEW: NIGHTSHADE - NEBULA TRANCE

 

NIGHTSHADE - NEBULA TRANCE (Independent, 2001)

Produced by Nightshade

Recorded at CEM Studio

Cover Art by Chris Kallias

Tracks: 1- Prisoners of Time, 2- Sons of Khaos, 3- Stellar Circle, 4- In the Heart of A., 5- Cain´s Curse, 6- Fall of Light, 7- Spear of Destiny, 8- Polaris, 9- Two Worlds, 10- One Day, one Life, 11- Hyperion XVI, 12- Ozymandias

Here we have Nightshade´s new album. Their music is really weird and at the same time really heavy and powerful. In fact, the way in which this band´s music has been labeled is Electro Dark Metal. And this is because the way their guitar sounds, because of the way in which their drums sound (this guys don´t disguise the fact that they use programmed drums as many others band do) and because of the heavy use of keyboards and electronic sounds. In fact, the first thing that I want to say is that Nightshade´s music is really atmospheric, while being really heavy. The distorted guitar riffs contrast a lot with the keyboards and electronics (a great example of this is "In the Heart of A." that starts really electronic and then becomes heavy as hell. The vocals are most of the time spoken or whispered which add some mechanical feeling to Nightshade´s music (which is essential to achieve the result that this guys want). If you like originality then you will surely like Nightshade.

Favorite tracks: "Prisoners of Time", "Cain´s Curse" and "Polaris"

Contact: http://deadly-nightshade.freeyellow.com

REVIEW: NECROTIC CHAOS / CARDIAC NECROPSY - SPLITTING THE VULVA (SPLIT CD)

 

NECROTIC CHAOS / CARDIAC NECROPSY - SPLITTING THE VULVA (SPLIT CD) (Dark Artz Releases , 2001)

Produced by Rezal Death

Cover Art by Yus Arai

Tracks: Necrotic Chaos: 1- Cataclysmical Enlightenment, 2- Forth Abbatoir, 3- Infernal Sorcery, 4- The Black Flames of Hatred, Cardiac Necropsy: 5- Choking on Cum, 6- Beastial Fistfuck, 7- Blood Sex and Saliva, 8- Whorridify Whore Kill, 9- Desecrating the Vulva

This is a split CD between two extremely brutal bands. First comes Necrotic Chaos whose music can be described as extremely brutal death metal. Thir riffs are powerful and they use a lot of brutal drum patterns in order to achieve their bestial as hell death metal. The sound of Necrotic Chaos is extramely raw, specially the drums which sound really different than most of the bands of the style, specially the snare drum. There are some interesting guitar melodies which I think the band should use more often (an example of this are some of the riffs in "The Black Flames of Hatred") Then comes Cardiac Necropsy which is in fact more of a grindcore gore band with extremely distorted vocals and ultra fast parts full of blast beats and chainsaw like guitars. Cardiac Necropsy has not as much variations as Necrotic Chaos but their music is extremely brutal too and will smash your brain to pieces.

Favorite tracks: "Cataclysmical Enlightenment", "Infernal Sorcery" and "Bestial Fistfuck"

Contact: Necrotic Chaos: darknecro@slayerized.com . Cardiac Necropsy: www.beastialfuck.com

REVIEW: NARGATHROND - FOR WE BLESSED THIS WORLD WITH PLAGUES

 

NARGATHROND - FOR WE BLESSED THIS WORLD WITH PLAGUES (War is Imminent Productions, 2002)

Produced by Nargathrond

Recorded at CDM Records Studio

Cover Art by Abián

Tracks: 1- Nocturnal Everlusting, 2- For We Blessed this World With Plagues, 3- Farewell to the Flesh, 4- The Season Shaped in Black, 5- As I Gave You Birth, 6- Death is Tender, 7- The Serpent and the Snake, 8- Deep Beneath, 9- Cast Away Your Dreams, 10- Silver Ghost, 11- Winter Comes This Autumn, 12- Let My Dreams Become Your Nightmares

This is a weird band. And this is not an extremely complex band or experimental one. In fact, the difficult thing here is to label their music...I can say that is heavy....but this guys use a lot of rocking riffs and the vocals are more brutal and there are plenty of keyboards and melodies. Yes, they don´t fit in death metal, not in black metal, not in heavy or power metal...maybe they are closer in some parts to gothic metal but they are much much heavier. Well, lets say that Nargathrond has heavy guitars (which I would like them to mix louder...and maybe add another guitar to give more bottom end to the music) and a powerful vocalist that brings to my mind in some parts to Moonspell´s Fernando Ribeiro (Wolfheart era) even if he sings in a completely different way. They also have clean parts like in "The Season Shaped in Black" which are climatic and interact well with the keyboards.The band is a trio and I think they will find a lot of interesting things to do adding a second guitarist who can add a lot of heaviness to the band.

Favorite tracks: "Farewell to the Flesh", "...As I Gave you Birth" and "Winter Comes this Autumn

Contact: www.unholycross.com

REVIEW: MYSTERY BLUE - DEMO 2002

 

MYSTERY BLUE - DEMO 2002 (Independent, 2002)

Produced by Mystery Blue

Recorded at JAM MUsic

Cover Art by Mystery Blue

Tracks: 1- Dark Visions, 2- Roller Coaster Ride, 3- Angel

A climatic acoustic beginning on "Dark Visions" with the powerful voice of Nathalie singing at the top of her voice. Mystery Blue is not a new band, they have been recording since the eighties with a lot of effort and really good taste. Their music is pure heavy metal and Nathalie gives agreat feeling to the songs (sort of a Doro Pesch but he sings a little bit higher in some places). IN the second track called "Roller Coaster Ride" they are closer to thrash with a lot of speed and extremely heavy riffs. One thing that I liked a lot are the killer guitar solos which are a trademark of Mystery Blue´s musicbecause they are played with really good taste and add an interesting feeling to the songs. Now I await their new full length which I think will be loved by heavy metal maniacs. And check Nathalie´s vocals which are killer!!

Favorite tracks: The three contained on this demo

Contact: www.mysteryblue.com

REVIEW: MORIA - MÖRKRETS INBROTT

 

MORIA - MÖRKRETS INBROTT (Independent, 2001)

Produced by Moria

Recorded at Moria´s Homestudio

Cover Art by Moria

Tracks: 1- Ödets Vind, 2- Åtrå Efter Liv, 3- Slavavals

Here is Moria´s new offering. And this is a really good one !! It is just that it lives you wanting more!! The music on this three tarck CD is amazingly climatic, even with extremely heavy and raw guitars. This is because the musicians in Moria know really well how to combine guitar melodies and how to create this dark atmospheres that are the trademarks of the Moria´s sound. Another of the main points here are the vocals, which are essential part of Moria´s music: here we have brutal male vocals that sometimes are harmonized by a clean female voice or by a cleaner male voice, this gives a lot of contrast to the music and add a lot to the dark atmospheres created here. Another thing that I liked is the use of some keyboards that most od the times does somber chord progressions and sometimes add some sad melodies. One thing that I have to remark is the good sound that this recording has despite being home recorded. A must for lovers of darkness.

Favorite tracks: The three are great tracks!

Contact: http://back.to/moria or www.mp3.com/moria

REVIEW: MIDNIGHT SYNDICATE - VAMPYRE - SYMPHONIES FROM THE CRYPT

 

MIDNIGHT SYNDICATE - VAMPYRE - SYMPHONIES FROM THE CRYPT (Entity Productions, 2002)

Produced by Midnight Syndicate

Mixed at Mandala Studios

Cover Art by Keith Parkinson

Tracks: 1- Awakening, 2- Graveyard, 3- Unhallowed Ground, 4- Crypt of the Forsaken, 5- Winged Fury, 6- Blackest Rose, 7- Ravages of Time, 8- Catacombs, 9- Unseen Eyes, 10- Undead Hunters, 11- Ancient Comes, 12- Dusk, 13- Spectral Masquerade, 14- Vampyre

Here is the new Midnight Syndicate album....and I have to say that I have been awaiting this release anxiously. After listening to their previous recording "Gates of Delirium" which was a masterpiece I didn´t know what this guys could do to do a better album...and they ahve surprised me with this "Vampyre....". This is a darker release than the previous one and all the elements that make Midnight Syndicate a unique and original band are here. For those who don´t know the band, listening to this guys music is like listening to a movie soundtrack (if you close your eyes you can imagine the whole situation), there are plenty of changes and feelings on this recording. The orchestration here is superb as are also the compositions, really complex and full of different moods and atmospheres. Midnight Syndicate have become one of my favorites and they are a classic band!! A must.

Favorite tracks: All the CD is a masterpiece as it was the previous one !!!

Contact: www.midnightsyndicate.com

REVIEW: MELECHESH - AS JERUSALEM BURNS...AL´INTISAR

 

MELECHESH - AS JERUSALEM BURNS...AL´INTISAR (War Is Imminent Productions, 2001)

Produced by Melechesh

Recorded at Y.S.Studios - Jerusalem

Cover Art by David Roberts

Tracks: 1- Intro, 2- Sultan of Mischief, 3- Assyrian Spirit, 4- Planetary Rites, 5- Hymn to Gibil, 6- The Sorcerers of Melechesh, 7- Dance of the Black Genii, 8- Baphomet´s lust, 9- Devil´s Night, 10- As Jerusalem Burns...Al´Intisar, 11- Desert Pentagram (bonus), 12- Malek Al´Nar (live in jerusalem 1996) (bonus)

Directly from Israel comes Melechesh. This is a recording from 1996 from this raw black death metal band with some eastern influences (specially in the lyrics). The sound of this recording is extremely raw, specially on the hyper fast guitars and the blast beat drums (maybe the ride cymbal is a little bit loud in some places covering other frecuencies). There are interesting mid paced parts which I think the band should use more in order to give more variation to the tracks contained here. I find interesting when the band slows down a little bit and plays some sort of interesting eastern sounding melody as it happens in "Assyrian Spirit" after the balst beats. This CD comes also with a video CDR track with the song "Hymn to Gibil". The vocals on this recoprding are of the screaming type used by black metal bands adding a lot of hatred and dark feelings to the tracks.

Favorite tracks: "Assyrian Spirit", "Dance of the Black Genii" and "Baphomet´s lust"

Contact: www.unholycross.com

REVIEW: MAELSTRÖM - MAELSTRÖM

 

MAELSTRÖM - MAELSTRÖM (Independent, 2001)

Produced by Alexandre Cegalla

Recorded at Edengard Studios

Cover Art by Leviathan

Tracks: 1- Sea of Darkness, 2- Maelström, 3- Obscure, 4- Lilith, 5- Eternal Curse, 6- Every, 7- Despair, 8- The Visionary Hope; 9- Faust, 10- Bleak, 11- Insane, 12- Shadows, 13- Legions of Hades, 14- Forever in my Mind, 15- The reverse of life

This is one of the albums of the month!!! A beautiful acoustic guitar plus keyboards open this Maelström CD sending us directly into the world of this band. In fact this is a one man band (Alexandre Cegalla does all the composition and he plays guitars, keyboards and does all the vocals here ) with two guest musicians on bass and drums. I would call the music here "progressive climatic melodic heavy death metal" just to give an idea of what you can find here: heavy riffs in sort of a heavy metal fashion but with a bigger sound, a lot of climatic pa´rts with a lot of keyboards and acoustic guitars (check "Obscure" and see the beauty of Maelström´s music), then you have a voice that is guttural in some places but in most of the recording is in a sort of Therion (Theli-era) type of voice. The mix of the album is really good, maybe the drums can be mixed clearer but that doesn´t affect the final result. A must for all metalheads

Favorite tracks: All the CD is great!

Contact: www.maelstrom.com.br

REVIEW: LUCIFUGUM - INVADE

 

LUCIFUGUM - INVADE (War is Imminent Productions, 2000)

Produced by Lucifugum and Climent Monserrat

Recorded at Panorama Studios

Tracks: 1- Intro, 2- Nocturnal, 3- Those Chaos from the Giants; 4- The Dark Eyes of Satan, 5- Ethereozul, 6- Where the Ancient Thoughts Pass the Dead Sky, 7- Moongrinder, 8- Holocaiust from the Blazed Lands, 9- In Satan we trust, 10- Vers La Nit

Lucifugum is a pure black metal from Spain (even if in some aprts they have some death and thrash touches). After the orchestral and atmospheric intro the tracks on this CD are raw and fast with amny changes within the same song. Another of the main features on this CD is the use of many differnt types of vocals: some screaming, some more guttural, some distorted, some spoken, some shouted, some melodic ones....and this gives a lot of diversity to the music. There are many melodic parts done with the guitars (I would like them to mix louder the guitars so this melodies will be on top of the mix and be the main ingredient of the band´s sound) . The drummer is extremely fast and does a lot of great double bass drumming while the bassist follows him and at the same time does interesting arrangements (as in"Those Chaos from the Giants"). Here we have a good option for thoise who like black metal and want something different.

Favorite tracks: "Nocturnal", "The Dark Eyes of Satan" and "Moongrinder"

Contact: www.unholycross.com

INTERVIEW WITH NECROMEMISIS

 

1. Do you like your music being labeled brutal death metal or do you think that it is too narrow?

Yes and no, yes because we do incorporate a lot of aggressive and intricate stuff in our songs, but then again we do have some melodic parts too, we don't want to be held to just writing a certain style of music all the time, we like to experiment with a lot of different styles of music, black, death, grind, hardcore, etc.

2. How has the "Demo 2002" been doing since its release?

Since the release of our demo it has been doing really well, we have a pretty good following out here because of it, we have been sending it all over the place, to people in other countries, radio shows, fanzines, etc… just who ever wants a copy, It is being played on some radio stations out here, 89.9 KUNM; Tomb Stone Rock, (very brutal radio show) and also on 104.7 The Edge on there local hour, and our shows seem to be getting bigger every time we play.

3. How did your music change when Bill left the band and was replaced by Wayne?

When Wayne came into the band, we think that the music has gotten more and more technical and intricate with every new song that we write he is very unique in his style of lead playing, as you will see on our next CD. He is a really good fit for us.

4. How important is having a good technique with your instruments for Necromemisis music?

It is extremely important to have a good technique with our instruments so that we can pull off some of the intricate and technical stuff, that we incorporate within our music.

5. How were the songs in "Demo 2002" composed?

They were composed in 2001, they had been written by all four of us, Ian Andres, Nick, and Bill, all of us pretty much knew how to play different instruments, so we just through all of our idea's together, and in July 2002 we went to a local studio (Third Eye Creations) and recorded our demo.

6. Do you have new material to be recorded?

Ever since the release of our demo we have been playing a lot of shows, but as of late we have written some new songs, and we have a lot of other idea's that we are working on, we are going to be recording here pretty soon, the new material is very sick and brutal, and should be available soon, check the website for updates.

7. Which is your equipment live and in studio?

All equipment is used both live and in the studio:

Ian: Marshall VS100 Head with a JCM 1960 Cab, L.T.D. Viper Guitar, and B.C.

Rich NJ Mockingbird

Wayne: Johnson 300 Head, VGH 412 Cab's, Jackson Warrior, Reverse Dinkey 7

String, Digitech DSP Whammy Pedal.

Andres: Carvin 500 Head, Hartke 4x10 Cab's, Ibanez bass

Nick: Pearl Export Series Drums, Zildjian & Paiste Cymbals, Evans Drum Heads,

Alesis D4, with DDrum Triggers, and Vic Firth Drum Sticks

8. How was your experience opening for bands like Soulless or Gorgasm?

Excellent, Educating, and Exciting.

9. Which are the band's main influences?

We have a lot of different influences, Deeds of Flesh, Gorgasm, Cannibal Corpse, Morbid Angel, and Slayer, just to name a few…

10. Something more to add? 

Keep it sick and very brutal, and thanks to all the sick muthafuckers out there who support the scene, and fuck off to all who oppose.

Check our Website for updates,shows, merchandise, etc…

www.necromemisis.homestead.com/necromemisis.html

Contact: necromemisisevil@cs.com

REVIEW: LOL COXHILL & VERYAN WESTON - WORMS ORGANISING ARCHDUKES

 

LOL COXHILL & VERYAN WESTON - WORMS ORGANISING ARCHDUKES (Emanem Disc, 2002)

Produced by Martin Davidson

Cover Art by James Ensor

Tracks: 1- The first duet of Worms, 2- The Second Duet of Worms, 3- Organ interlude, 4- The first Archduke Duo, 2- The second Archduke Duo

It is always amazing to listen a recording where Lol Coxhill takes part. And on this one he plays with another great musician as Veryan Weston is. This incredible duets of piano and soprano saxophone are an amazing experience. The good thing about Coxhill and Weston playing is that despite experimenting a lot they always achieve a certain melodic quality to all their tracks. It is like a stop and go process ...you have experimentation, then melodies, then experimentation again. And this type of experimentation brings a lot of different sensations to the listener and paint different pictures of this duets music. It amazed me how Coxhill achieves all the dynamics that he does on this CD: in fact he goes from extremely soft phrasaes to stronger ones, to almost thrashing his instrument (listen for example to "The Second Duet of Worms" to see what I am talking about). The good thing about listening great musicians like Coxhiull and Weston is that you always find something new in their music to learn from.

Favorite tracks: "The first Duet of Worms", "The Second Duet of Worms" and "The First Archduke Duo"

Contact: www.emanemdisc.com

REVIEW: LIVING SACRIFICE - CONCEIVED IN FIRE

 

LIVING SACRIFICE - CONCEIVED IN FIRE (Solidstate Records, 2002)

Tracks: 1- Imminent War, 2- Symbiotic, 3- 3x3 We Carried your Body, 4- The Poisoning, 5- Send Your Regrets, 6- Subtle Alliance, 7- Into Again, 8- Separation, 9- Black Seeds, 10- Ignite, 11- Distrust, 12- The Martyr, 13- Reach for the Sky

Here is Living Sacrifice new album. And here we have thirteen tracks of pure energy and power!! Comparing to their previous album that was also devastating, this one has more killer riffs and amazing rhythm passages. For those who don´t know the band, Living Sacrifice is the perfect mix of death metal, modern metal and thrash metal. They use a lot of different feelings, speeds and rhythms in order to be original on each atrck and deliver their ultraheavy music. And here is no exception: the thirteen tracks are mindblowing....from the killer drum passages to the huge guitars that deliver riff after riff making a lot of changes that make songs extremely interesting. The sound of the recording is really good and allows us to listen every instrument on this recording!! A great new release from this classical band!!!

Favorite tracks: "Imminent War", "The Poisoning" and "Subtle Alliance"

Contact: www.solidstaterecords.com

REVIEW: LINES - LINES IN AUSTRALIA

 

LINES - LINES IN AUSTRALIA (Emanem Disc, 2002)

Produced by Martin Davidson

Recorded at Ultimo ABC Studio 227, Sydney

Cover Art by Jim Denley and Martin Davidson

Tracks: 1- Lines in Australia, 2- Marks on the Sand, 3- Bush Onion Story, 4- Smokey Country, 5- Wurrkadi, 6- Seen from Above, 7- Bell Flower, 8- Ghost Gum

This is great spontaneous music!! Lines is a five piece band consisting on some interesting musicans: Axel Dörner on trumpet, Jim Denley on flutes and alto sax, Philipp Wachsmann on violin and electronics, Marcio Mattos on cello and electronics and Martin Blume on percussion. And this guys let the improvisation flow through all this recording session that they did on February 12th ,2000. It is great to see the interaction between this musicnas, specially I liked the way Mattos creates sounds with his cello while Blume makes some noises and sounds with his percussion. The good thing here is that this musicians play a lot with sounds and silences, so there are parts where al instruments rmain in silence whil one plays a phrase and then let the other instruments play and breathe. People who like experimentation and spontaneity will sure love this. People who has not listeend this type of music before will find this interesting (even if they will have to pay attention to don´t miss a sound played here)

Favorite tracks: "Marks on the Sand", "Wurrkadi" and "Seen from Above"

Contact: www.emanemdisc.com

REVIEW: LEGION - OF ONE - PROMO 2002

 

LEGION - OF ONE - PROMO 2002 (Independent, 2002)

Produced by Legion

Tracks: 1- I see, 2- The Change, 3- Blindgods, 4- Rage of Ages, 5- Forever Bleed, 6- Fuse, 7- By the Furies, 8- Of One

Here we have this extremely brutal band with hyper speed in many of the tracks. In fact, Legion are a cult band in the death metal underground. Their album from 2000 "Conqueror" is killer and this promo shows us a little bit of what they are doing now. They have evolved a lot in the construction of the songs that sound much tighter now with a lot of fast aprts and incredible double bass drumming. There are two types of vocals , the guttural one and the screaming one that interact really well thorugh the eight tracks contained on this promo CD. The riffs are crushing (I would mix a little bit louder the drums and the guitars and I think the CD would be perfect) and are followed by the bass in a great way because that adds a lot of bottom end that this riffs need. It is good to see that this band is getting better each time. Now I hope to listen their new full length release.

Favorite tracks: "The Change", "Blindgods" and "By the Furies"

Contact: http://members.xoom.com/legion_99

REVIEW: LAW OF THE PLAGUE - THE FIRST INFECTION DEMO

 

LAW OF THE PLAGUE - THE FIRST INFECTION DEMO (Sinternational Records, 2002)

Produced by Law of the Plague

Tracks: 1- Piss on My Grave, 2- Inside Out, 3- Moribund (Penetrate)

Here we have this powerful metal band with really modern sound. I find in their music influences from bands from Machine Head, Crowbar, Pro-Pain, Pantera. And the good thing is that this guys mix this influences and get their own sound. But what is the main thing here? Power!! Yes, total power in their music! From the guitar riffs with a huge sound to the double bass drummin and the breaks (really tight rhythm section with powerful bassist and drummer), to the screaming vocals and choruses. Everything here is designed to devastate the listener with pure energy and power! This is a demo designed for pure headbanging. I think this guys must be killer in a live show. The second track here is slow in many parts and at the same time extremely heavy. One more thing: on the CD says that the full length album will be released on 2002. I hope they release it really soon because this is a killer band!

Favorite tracks: The three tracks are a good showcase of brutality!!!

Contact: www.sinternational.net

INTERVIEW WITH SERIAL BUTCHER

 

1- How has been the "Serial Butcher" CD doing since its release in June?

Since we're not selling it on a major scale i can't really answer that question. we're primarily sending it to zines and labels to get some exposure. we sold a handful at shows and through the website as well. weare however on the brink of signing a deal with a record label so i guess it will be sold to the general audience in a matter of weeks.

2- How would you compare "Serial butcher" to "Exhumed Rotting"?

Well it's 4 years later so it's definitely more advanced as far as songwriting and technical skills go. the production is also a lot better. The only thing unchanged is the lyrical level (or lack thereof haha). Our drummer Nico also wrote more songs this time around compared to Hendrik in the older days.

3- How did Serial Butcher´s music change when Bob and Steve left the band? Which is your lineup now?

I don't think it really changed significantly. steven has rejoined us last year so now it's just me (nicolas) on second guitar who's new in the band.

4- What are the lyrics in songs like "Brutally bashed Baby Boom" about?

Something with a broomstick and a woman's womb. i don't wanna go into details here.

5- Which is the equipment of the band live and on studio?

Live we use Kramer and BC Rich guitars, and Engl and Digitech amps. In the studio we used a pod pro and protools instead of the digitech though. Nico has a tama drumset. Steven just drinks a lot of beer.

6- How is the process of composition of Serial Butcher´s music?

Since Hendrik is too busy with his bar these days it's mostly nico who comes up with new riffs. We'll work on it together and mold it into a song.

7- How do you see the evolution of the band since your first demo tape?

Over the course of the past 6-7 years i'd say SERIAL BUTCHER has always had one focus in mind - being the most brutal band around, without turning into some ridiculous grind band. we try to write catchy tunes as well and i think we pretty much succeeded in doing that.

8- Why was your first demo tape never released?

Because it sucked.

9-Which are your plans for 2003?

Releasing the album, playing more shows and hopefully touring a bit around Europe so everybody can witness the wonder that is SERIAL BUTCHER.

10- Any final words?

Yup thanks for the interview, check out http://www.serialbutcher.com and see you at our shows! peace out

REVIEW: LEGION - CONQUEROR

 

LEGION - CONQUEROR (Dark Horizon Recs., 2001):

Technical data:

Recorded at Centurion Studios, March 1997.

Metal Grip Photo by Tracy Smart.

Track list:  1- Centuries, 2- Predominant Will, 3- Trust in Fate (One´s Own Undoing), 4- Discern, 5- Evergrey, 6- Plague of Indifference, 7- Infested Earth, 8- Curtains

This is a Legion recording from 1997 and it has two bonus tracks: "Infested Earth" from"Blissful Misery" demo (1994) and "Curtains" from "Legion" demo (1992). The music here is bestial death metal of the most brutal type (say in the way of bands like Sinister, Grave or Altars of Madness-era Morbid Angel) with some great riffs like the one at the end (6:36) of "Centuries" over which a good solo is played. The speed here is really fast in some parts (with lots of double bass in some places) and in other parts they prefer to use the riffs in a different way to make the heaviness prevail instead of the mere speed (for example on the beginning of "Predominant Will" with double bass drumming, melodies and riffs). The two bonus tracks don´t have the good sound that the rest of recording has (eventhough it is quite good for being demos from 1992 and 1994) and I prefer the tracks from 1997 instead.

Favorite tracks: "Predominant Will", "Discern" and "Trust in Fate".

Contact: : www.geocities.com/darkhorizon666

REVIEW: KENZINER - THE PROPHECIES

 

KENZINER - THE PROPHECIES (Leviathan Records, 1999)

Produced by David T. Chastain

Recorded at Babe Music Recording and Leviathan Studios

Cover Art by Rainer Kalwitz

Tracks: 1- Live Forever; 2- The Razor´s Edge, 3- Carry On Tomorrow, 4- Race With Time, 5- Trail of Tears, 6- Eternity, 7- Dimensions, 8- Like a Paradise, 9- Through the Fire, 10- The Prophecies

This is Kenziner´s second albuma and here we have some progressions comparing to the debut album. Here the sound is better, with the guitars sounding better, specially on the faster riffs. Here Jarno Keskinen shows us again what he is capable of doing with his guitars. The beginning with "live Forever" is great at top speed (thekeyboard intro of this song is pure David T. Chastain!!). here we have again the virtuoso guitar/keyboards solos and the harmonization with keyboards. Here we have again Stephen Fredrick strong vocals (one thing that I find always interesting in Leviathan Records recordings is the use of singers with a lot of power like this one, Kate French, Leather Leone, etc.). All the members of the band have their shining moments on this recording, for example the drums are great in "The Razor´s Edge" with interesting passages and good fast rhthms. Again, lovers of virtuosism check this one.

Favorite tracks: "Live Forever", "Race With Time" and "Through the Fire"

Contact: www.leviathanrecords.com

INTERVIEW WITH CAUSE FOR EFFECT

 

How has been your "Album" received by the audience and the press?

- Mostly the feedback has been really positive, actually surprisingly positive. I mean I first doubt how metal press would react but so far reviews have been good, almost all of them, of course there's somebody who doesn't like us.

Metal fans have found us and that's a little surprise to me, especially here in Finland I have always doubted our "success" but people have liked our music and now we have more gigs in Finland than never before. Also people from all over the world have liked. Atmosphere for this kind of music is more open than few years ago.

How different is "Album" from "Fast Material"?

- Fast Material has guitar, it's more straightforward stuff. Really fast and even faster. I played guitar to it and it's still a good album, but somehow we walked that path to the end, we had to check our vision and songs started

to change into more complex/jazzy direction. Dropping guitar out was a critical decision and in time we weren't sure about it but later it was clear that it was right decision.

Album is more complex, more different parts and rhythms, it's just better.

Fast Material showed what we were in 1998 and Album showed us in 2001.

How is the process of composition of Cause For Effect´s tunes?

- Just a normal weekday after the work. Sometimes I have some sort of vision but usually we just start to play and if the mood is right, then something new starts to born. We aren't perfectionists; we don't re-compose or re-arrange our songs over and over again. We trust our intuition and we can feel almost right away is the song good or not.

Why did you decide to become a duo in 1999?

- Two reasons: Our guitarist was kicked out in 1996, between 1996-1999 my brother was a session guitarist for us but because of lack of time and his own band, he decided to leave. Then we didn't find any suitable guitar player. We thought the situation and then decided to continue without guitar. It wasn't a sudden decision, it took several weeks to think and make a decision.

Which are your plans with Cause For Effect in the near future?

- Playing gigs here in Finland, European tour in October, 6way compilation CD will be released in august where we participate as live material. February 2004 new miniCD.

Do you have plans of a new recording for 2003?

- We recorded 15 new songs in may 2003 and they will be released in February 2004 as miniCD. Also we will compose few songs more in autumn and add them to the miniCD.

Are you going to play older material (1992-1996 material) or rerecord it in the future?

- No, we have so much new material to play that we don't have to use nor play old stuff. It doesn't interest us.

Which is Cause for Effect´s equipment in studio and live?

- At the studio we use normal mixing desk and hardware and computer with audio software, sorry I don't remember the name. The studio is our friend's band's rehearsal place and he has all equipments you need for a studio, he run a studio with his friend but quitted and then built his own.

At live, there usual PA system and then my own bass and bass amplifier, Ari uses his own drums because it's easy to put them in the front of stage. Because we are two man band Ari's drums are beside me in the front of the stage and he's a bit sideways towards the audience.

Do you have other bands or parallel projects?

- Ari has a stoner rock band called Mount Moses. I don't have time nor energy for second band. CFE is enough for me.

Something more to add?

- Thank you for this interview! For info, mp3 etc. visit at

http://listen.to/cfe

REVIEW: KENZINER - TIMESCAPES

 

KENZINER - TIMESCAPES (Leviathan Records, 1998)

Produced by David T. Chastain

Recorded at Dabenhill and Leviathan Studios

Cover Art by Rainer Kalwitz

Tracks: 1- Future Signs, 2- Into the Light, 3- Images of the Past, 4- Dreamer, 5- Thru the End, 6- Timescape, 7- Walking in the Rain, 8- Seasons, 9- IN the Silence, 10- Land of Shadows, 11- Inspiration in a moment

As I always say ....better late than never. And here is the review of Kenziner debut album. Here we have a powerful heavy metal band whose main feature are the guitars played by virtuoso Jarno Keskinen who plays a lot of neoclassical guitar runs in minor tonalities. And also, here we have the keyboards, played by Jarno himself, that are used in two different forms: one is to support the song through chord progressions and some melodies and then the second one are the virtuoso solos, similar to the ones played by Jens Johanssen in his different bands. There is a lot of David T. Chastain influences here (since David wrote all melodies and lyrics) but the difference is that Chastain´s music has a little bit more of identity because of the use of melodies that are closer to jazz and fusion than to Yngwie Malmsteen. This is a must for fans of virtuosos and heavy/power metal. Points extra to this release are given by the singer who has power and does not abuse the high pitched sounds.

Favorite tracks: "Into the Light", "Thru the End" and "IN the Silence"

Contact: www.leviathanrecords.com

REVIEW: KING´S X - MANIC MOONLIGHT

KING´S X - MANIC MOONLIGHT (Metal Blade Records, 2001)

Produced by Ty Tabor

Recorded at Alien Beans Studio

Cover Art by Ty Tabor

Tracks: 1- Believe, 2- Manic Moonlight, 3- Yeah, 4- False Alarm, 5- Static, 6- Skeptical Winds, 7- the Other Side, 8- Vegetable, 9- Jenna, 10- Water Ceremony

Here we have King´s X latest album. This time Ty Tabor and company have made an album that is a little bit weirder than their previos ones. We can call this band progressive (if you have listened their "Gretchen Goes to Nebraska", "Out of the Silent Planet" or Faith, Hope Love" albums you already know why I am saying this) and on this recording they show us whya they are an extremely original band. You just have to check the title track to see the way in which this guys use melodies and the uniquyes guitar playing of Mr. Ty Tabor who uses a lot of distorted open notes that add a lot of originality to the tracks. One of the adjectives that come to my mind while listening to this CD is "ethereal". King´s X osngs have this almost spectral melodies, specially in the choruses that have gained them their own identityn as a band. I think is the combination of Dog, Jerry and Ty vocals together with the guitars and the syncopated drums. Lovers of King´s X music will love this one. If you don´t know the band you cnan give "Manic Moonlight" a listen to know what they can do.

Favorite tracks: "Manic moonlight", "Skeptical Winds" and "Jenna"

Contact: www.metalblade.com

REVIEW: JON ROSE & VERYAN WESTON - TEMPERAMENT

 

JON ROSE & VERYAN WESTON - TEMPERAMENT (Emanem Disc, 2002)

Produced by Martin Davidson

Cover Art by Varyan Weston and Martin Davidson

Tracks: CD 1: 1- Just tunning, 2- The tuning wheel, 3- Forks 1, 4- The tuning wheel 2, 5- Forks 2, 6- The tuning wheel 3, 7- 3 part Invention 1, 8- Forks 3, 9- Mendel´s Library, 10- The New Guinean Dentist, 11- The Harmonious Anvil 1, 12- The Harmonious Anvil 2, 13- The Harmonious Anvil 3.

CD 2: 1- IN Search of the Pythagoran Comma 1, 2- the Tone ladder 1, 3- In Search of the Boethian Schisma, 4- The tone Ladder 2, 5- The Harmonious Anvil 4, 6- The Tone Ladder 3, 7- Melodic Fragment, Variations 1 to 3, 8- 3 part Invention 2, 9- The Tone Ladder 4, 10- In Search of the Pythagorian Comma 2

Here we have a strange and great double CD set of music done by two great musicians whose goal is to reach new frontiers in experimentation. Here we have Jon Rose (who plays different types of violins including the Double Violin) and Veryan Weston (who plays pianos and keybaords, including the Double Piano ...to see this you have to check the pictures inside the booklet). Here this two masters explore all the sonic possibilities of their instrument using a lot of differrent tunings and temperaments. Here we have such weird thing as Pythagoran temperaments, Meantone 1/4 comma temperament, Rosenberg Aumented temperament, etc. It is amazing how well this two superb musicians use this tunings and temperaments achieving new sounds and making interesting and strange sounding melodies. I will strongly recommend this two CD set to people who want to open their minds and let their imagination flow. I would specially recommend it to musicians who can learn a lot how to experiment with this elements that are used on this amazing recording.

Favorite tracks: Both CDs are wonderful pieces of artsitic experimantation

Contact: www.emanemdisc.com

INTERVIEW WITH ASTRAY

 

Is "Project Earth - Deathcult Ritual" ready? How is the music on it?

VESA: Yes, the lyrical and compositional wholeness have been very clearly in our possession for some time. But until the final mixing, the opus "Project Earth - DeathCult Ritual" can't be reached in it's ultimate physical essence which will be incarnated in form of a full length album. And the final embodiment of this work also needs someone to release it, which we still don't have.

MARKKU: The music on the album is a mix between extreme chaotic hate and gloomy depressive melodies. The album consist of nine songs and has duration little over 50 minutes. We released a couple of months ago "Promo 2002" with three rough mix songs as a sample of what the album is about. The promo can be downloaded for free from our website, so check it out!

How would you compare your new music with the one in the "Alone" MCD?

VESA: The hate has grown deeper. The depression has grown heavier. The agony has grown more painful.

MARKKU: Referring to the reviews that we've received from "Promo 2002" so far, our new material is much more original compared to "Alone". And besides the things that Vesa just mentioned above, the whole production (songs itself, playing skills, sounds, etc.) is more mature compared to earlier material.

How was the process of composition of the songs in "Project..."?

VESA: It was very painful, mentally and physically. Markku got literally sick with the pressure of the burden of making this album. We have travelled through really thick fog with this. At the beginning of the recordings Astray had full line up as a band and now there are only me and Markku left, just like when we started this band. But what can you say, only the strongest survive. Our songwriting process has always followed the same pattern. Markku composes all the material all alone. He makes some kind of demo version of it and gives it to me so that I can start planning the lyrics and vocals for it. And that goes also for every track at "Project Earth - DeathCult Ritual".

MARKKU: Well, in fact the composition process of the songs was easy, I composed all the material in a few months, but everything else since then (I mean the recordings) has been very difficult (I guess that's the thing that Vesa meant)... You know, it's not very easy to record everything just by yourself in studio, so that's the reason why the recordings has took so long time.

How important is the dark and melancholic atmosphere in Astray´s music?

VESA: The words "dark" and "melancholy" are the keywords along "hate" and "agony".

Do you have still ties with Beyond Prods.?

VESA: Astray has nothing in do with Beyond Productions anymore. We have nothing against them neither.

What are Astray´s lyrics about?

VESA: Human kind is very destructive unit which seems to have one common goal. In spite of it's attempts to give some value for life and hope, nothing can't help me seeing things from the point of view that gives me a good look to the whole race as a one big crawling suicidal animal, which' destination is nothing but death. In this cult of the mortals (we're all in) is one thing we are apparently trying to avoid but what we actually do is that we are unconsciously trying to reach it. It's not really hard to see the mankind with it's drive of death as a great cult of death, is it? That's what the lyrics of the "Project Earth - DeathCult Ritual" are all about. 

What do you think of the progress the band has done since the "Until I´m Cold Enough" MCD?

VESA: I said it once and I will say it again: The hate has grown deeper. The depression has grown hevier. The agony has grown more painful. We know better how to express these things and we are more skillfull to fullfill ourselves.

Which is your equipment live and in studio?

MARKKU: Well, as we are not able to play live at the moment, so here's the gear that I used in studio (and I use at home): Jackson Soloist guitar, Jackson bass guitar, Zoom multieffects for guitar, Korg N5 synthesizer, Tama drums with Paiste and Sabian symbals, Laney and Marshall amps.

Which are the feelings that you want to transmit with Astray´s music?

VESA: Hate ...and the inner smile of the sick mind when all hope is lost. The Devil is doing his deeds and we paint the picture -where we're all in.

Any final words?

VESA: Just serve the Cult for we're all in. All hail Death!

MARKKU: Thanx a lot for the interview and support! Visit everyone in our website at www.astrayband.com and download our "Promo 2002" for free! Stay cold!

REVIEW: JERRY CANTRELL - DEGRADATION TRIP

 

JERRY CANTRELL - DEGRADATION TRIP (Roadrunner Records, 2002)

Produced by Jerry Cantrell and Jeff Tomei

Recorded at A&M Studios

Cover Art by Team Switzerland

Tracks: 1- Psychotic Break, 2- Bargain Basement Howard Hughes, 3- Anger Rising, 4- Angel Eyes, 5- Solitude, 6- Mother´s Spinning in Her Grave (Glass Dick Jones), 7- Hellbound, 8- Give it a Name, 9- Castaway, 10- She Was My Girl, 11- Chemical tribe, 12- Spiderbite, 13- Loced On, 14- Gone

Here we have Jerry´s first post Alice In Chains solo recording. And this is the first one after Layne Staley´s death. And here you can see that the spirit of Alice In Chains is alive and living in Jerry´s music. Here we have the twisted melodies and vocal harmonies of records like "Facelift" or "Dirt", here we have the vocal harmonies that made Alice In Chains music so original. But here we have also some new explorations of Jerry´s music personality. Here he has teamed with Mike Bordin on drums and Robert Trujillo on bass to create this good heavy recording. Here Jerry shows us that he can sing really well fitting the heavy riffs that he has accustomed us to. This is a good follow up to Alice In Chains music.

Favorite tracks: "Anger Rising", "Solitude" and "Castaway"

Contact: www.jerrycantrell.com

REVIEW: INFESTUM - INFESTUM

 

INFESTUM - INFESTUM (Battle Hymn Records, 2001)

Produced by Infestum

Recorded at Out of Records Studios

Engineered by Eugene Tsilikov

Tracks: 1- Secha (Slasing), 2- Wolfish Nocturne, 3- Victim of Hate, 4- Instrumental, 5- Night is Waiting for the Heroes

Infestum are a band from Belarus whose music can be described as something similar as vikin or pagan metal. But they have some old school death and black metal influences too. The music here is very raw with a lot of interesting melodies that give a lot of identity to the songs. The guitar sound is loud and distorted as hell (maybe they should mix it a little bit lower, not too much, to let more space for the keyboards). There are a lot of extremely fast parts, but the more interesting moments are when this guys slow down a little bit as in "Wolfish Nocturna" where the guitars arrangements and keyboards shine more. The drums have a weird sound in some places , sounding as a war drum !!! (also in "Wolfish...", and that fits really well the music). The vocals are typical from black metal bands (and are the ones that are more appropriated for the band music. If you like black metal, pagan metal or viking metal then you will surely like Infestum.

Favorite tracks: The five tracks are powerful and fast!!

Contact: http://come.to/battlehymnrec

REVIEW: INFEKTOR - AHUAR MAIEK

 

INFEKTOR - AHUAR MAIEK (War is Imminent Prods., 2001)

Produced by Infektor and José Bilbao

Recorded at Estudios G&S de San Fernando

Cover Art by Pedro Quevedo

Tracks: 1- Intro, 2- Pesadilla, 3- Se Impondrá la Razón, 4- Miradas, 5- Ahuar Maiek, 6- Promesas/Mentiras, 7- Nunca Más, 8- Silencio

Here we have this band that comes directly from Spain. They are really powerful and they have devastating guitar riffs. They have some elements of thrash metal in their music but they have a really modern sound. I love two special things from this guys: the first one is the percussion that adds a different feeling to this band´s music, and the second one the use of the flute. I think this guys have to use more this two elements (they use it heavily in the intro and in some of the tracks but we want more !!!!). The vocals are really thrashy and add a lot of strength to the songs along with the heavier than hell guitars. The sound is really good and let us aprreciate all the music and makes Infektor even a more powerful band. If you like this style of music with original elements you will surely like Infektor (alsoi the songs are in Spanish).

Favorite tracks: "Se impondrá la Razón", "Ahuar Maiek" and "Silencio"

Contact: www.unholycross.com

REVIEW: HUMBUCKER - MONDO ELECTRO

 

HUMBUCKER - MONDO ELECTRO (Independent, 2002)

Produced by Humbucker and Chris Kozlowski

Recorded at Polar Bear Lair

Cover Art by Humbucker

Tracks: 1- Melancholy Kaleidoscope, 2- Saintly Addiction, 3- Fallen Away, 4- Nowhere Dreams, 5- Cold World Scene, 6- Searchin, 7- Pushin´Too Hard, 8- Life Echoes, 9- New Year´s Song, 10- Bottle of Sin, 11- My World´s Insane, 12- Sound Around Me, 13- Earthtone Blues

Here we have this rocking band with a lot of power in their riffs. Here we have great songs in a stoner rock fashion but with a lot of mid tempos which I think are great because add a lot of heaviness to the band´s music. This guys have a great feeling and attitude through all the CD playing their songs with a lot of conviction and having a lot of power on them. The songs are really well constructed and they have a lot of hooks that are great for the listener (I found myself singing the songs while listening to them). Humbucker´s music has a lot of energy and I really like the singer who has a lot of identity on his voice and sings really well the songs contained on this CD. The guitarist is really well adding acoustic touches when the song needs it (like on "Saintly Addiction"). This is a really rocking release!!!!!!

Favorite tracks: "Melancholy Kaleidoscope", Searchin" and "My World´s Insane"

Contact: daveroman@alltel.net

REVIEW: HUMAN ABSTRAKT - PSYCHOLOGICAL BLINDNESS

HUMAN ABSTRAKT - PSYCHOLOGICAL BLINDNESS (Independent, 2002)

Produced by Human Abstrakt

Cover Art by Human Abstrakt

Tracks: 1- Dissention, 2- Blind Disciples, 3- Disillusionment, 4- Form My Need, 5- Grit, 6- Numb, 7- Prosperous Fool, 8- Inspiration, 9- Psychological Blindness

Here we have nine powerful tracks from this brutal trio. The music has elements of bands from death metal style as well as from modern bands like Machine Head. The main thing here are the bestial guitar riffs around which the songs are constructed. There are many dissonant melodies and licks that give an eerie feeling to some of the tracks (check for example the solo in "Inspiration" to see what I am talking about). The drums are crushing and at the same time give a lot of room to the other instruments prefering to do a good rhythm instead of a fast part that maybe could ruin the song. The sound of this release is specially good on the guitars (I would mix a little bit louder the bass drums which are a little bit low here). There are many mid tempos here that are extremely hevy (I think that the heaviest parts of this albums are some of this mid paced parts). Heaviness guaranteed.

Favorite tracks: "Dissention", "Form My Need" and "Inspiration"

Contact: http://human-abstrakt.8m.net

REVIEW: HANGAR - INDIAN SUMMER

 

HANGAR - INDIAN SUMMER (Phoenix Music, 2001)

Produced by Hangar and Tim

Recorded at Old Smitty Studios

Cover Art by Destroyer

Tracks: 1- Deeper, 2- Sunshine, 3- She´s Gone, 4- Always, 5- Breathe, 6- Ghost of My Love, 7- Devotion, 8- Hands off the Gun, 9- Shallow Love, 10- Holy Mother

Pure rock´n´roll is what we have here. Yes, we have the rocking guitar riffs (with a lot of bluesy influences, specially in the solos). The vocals reminded me in some places to the great Glenn Hughes with that blues and soul tonality. The songs are well constructed and they are designed to rock and be singed by the audience. Most of the songs here have an easy chorus to sing along. It is weird that I did not know this band before listening to this CD. Maybe they are not so popular as they could have been if they had released this album in the late eighties or early nighties. This is pure rock ´n´roll, nothing more and nothing less than that.

Favorite tracks: "Deeper", "Always" and "Shallow Love"

REVIEW: HAMMERWHORE - DEVOTION TO VIOLENCE 2002

 

HAMMERWHORE - DEVOTION TO VIOLENCE 2002 (Independent, 2002)

Produced by Hammerwhore

Cover Art by Hammerwhore

Tracks: 1- Curse of the Living Dead, 2- Devotion to Violence, 3- Merciless Brutality

This is an extremely brutal release.and the first thing that got my attention was the extremely distorted (full overdrive distortion) sound that the guitars sound. The guitar riffs are bestial and fast with some thrash influences that give an interesting twist to this guys music (sort of a Venom - Black Metal / Welcome to Hell era). Hammerwhore have also a lot of hyper fast guitar solos played with some bendings and a lot of cool licks that make some manic impression to the music. The sound of this three song recording is really raw and I would mix a little bit lower the vocals and a little bit louder the bass to give some more bottom end to the riffs of this guys that are extremely heavy and this could add some more heaviness (that I think this guys would love). For lovers of extremely brutal music.

Favorite tracks: The three contained here

Contact: pwrdrive@hotmail.com

REVIEW: GAURITHOTH - HUORAVASARA 2002

 

GAURITHOTH - HUORAVASARA 2002 (Breath of Pestilence Recs, 2002)

Produced by Gaurithoth

Recorded at Studio Livsfara

Cover Art by Breath of Pestilence Prods

Tracks: 1- Orgies of Hell, 2- Second Coming of Satan´s Bitch, 3- Huoravasara

Directly from Finland comes this Raw black metal band with some thrash feeling in some of the rhythms. The songs are fast and furious and through all of them we can listen the fast guitars playing hyper speed riffs (I liked a lot the riff in the break at 1:44 in "Second Coming of Satan´s Bitch"). Here are the blasphemic lyrics that are screamed by V.W.Hellboozer and there are also some screamed choruses which give a certain classical feeling to the music of this band. I like the way this guys change riffs within the same song because that gives a lot of variations to each of the tracks here. The sound of the recording is good but I would like them to mix a little bit louder the guitars that give a lot of identity to Gaurithoth. Beware everybody, here comes the blackest band from Finland!!!!

Favorite tracks: The three contained here

Contact: http://gaurithoth.cjb.net