REVIEW: INFERI - THE CALL OF THE DARK SIDE

 

INFERI - THE CALL OF THE DARK SIDE (Furias Records - 2000): Directly from Argentina and to the world comes Inferi, one of the few black metal bands from the local scene. This is a band that does not play only the most raw aspects of de style, but also the most rhythmic and subtle things. (see the Sabbath-like riff from "Riding from Apocalypse (1:34)). Using climatic riffs like the ones that open "The Call of the dark Side" and using different types of vocals they manage to create interesting textures in the style of bands like Dimmu Borgir ("For All Tid" era). Very interesting work from Fabrizio Andrada on guitaras and the rhythmic base of Ariel Canca on bass and Sebastián Rodríguez on keyboards and drums. The songs on this CD have been recorded in the Bunker Studios from Buenos Aires and it was mixed and mastered by Marina Rapallo and Alejandro Caputo and the overall sound is really good. Maybe I would use a more potent guitar sound and would put a little bit down the drums cymbals, but that is a matter of tastes. Favorite tracks: "Rivers of Blood , Flow from Hell", "Riding from Apocalypse" and "They will never escape from Destiny". Contact: furias@ssdnet.com.ar 

REVIEW: IMPALED - CHOICE CUTS

 

IMPALED - CHOICE CUTS (DeathVomit Recs. - 2001): It seems that this band has had some problems with their election of cover art for the CD that presents a lot of blood and human guts. The material here presented is not new, with the exception of two tracks "Nightsoil" and "Until Death", but is inedit material from this band. The CD is divided in four sections: the first one contains the new songs…in the vein of Carcass "Necroticism…" and two covers, one frome Impetigo ("I work for the Streetcleaner") and another one from Carcass ("Carneous Cacoffiny"). The other three parts are made of tracks extracted from demos, splits and compilations released by the band ( among them the first recordings with Leon del Muerte on vocals, that are the two last songs in the CD). It is very interesting to see the evolution of this death/gore band because it would be good if they continue to write in the vein of the two new songs. The music in the new songs is more tidy and presents more polished ideas, also they show a greatly improved sound where the guitars sound louder and stronger. To all Carcass fans this CD is a must. Favorite tracks: "Night Soil", "Until Death" and "Carneous Cacoffiny". Contact: Deathvomit Recs: www.deathvomit.com 

REVIEW: IMPACTO FECAL - ENCERRADO EN MI

 

IMPACTO FECAL - ENCERRADO EN MI (Independent - 2000): This spanish band dedicated to the most pure death/grind presents this CD that has seven songs plus an intro and an outro and a bonus track containing their demo "Inhumanización" (It was not on my promo CD. What a pity!!!). The music, as I said,is full power death/grind. What amazed me is the use of riffs that are not played at superspeed, for example in "Alianzas de Sangre" or de beginning "En Blanco". César vocals are absolutely gutural but you can follow the lyrics reading the booklet. If I had to give some advice to the band, would be to use more riffs in the style of those in es "Encerrado en mí" (0:26) (1:08) (1:26) that make more interesting and challenging their music. The demo "Inhumanización" presents songs recorded in the Estudios Señor Guindilla on January 1998 and it has been remastered by J. Desiderio on December 1999. Favorite tracks: "Dos Segundos", "Encerrado en mí" y "En Blanco". Contact: ImpactoFecal@ono.com

REVIEW: ICED EARTH - HORROR SHOW

 

ICED EARTH - HORROR SHOW (Century Media - 2001): After the triple live album "Alive in Athens" and the EP "The Melancholy", here comes the new CD from Iced Earth, with a new lineup (that includes the great Steve Di Giorgio on bass and Richard Christy from Death y Control Denied on drums). This new Iced Earth shows us clear impruvements, basically in the rythmic section. Also, if we compare with their latest studio album, 1998´s "Something Wicked This Way Comes" we can see an improvement also in th sound that now is more clear, more full. The concept of this CD spins around horror stories, for example "Dracula" or "Frankenstein" (watch the Iron Maiden cover, "Transylvania" really well done). There are songs that have been done really well for example the second track called "Damien" with some classical sounding choirs. It is evident that there has been a lot of practice and rehearse from this musicians in the last years. Will Iced Earth become one of the main bands in heavy metal in the next few years? Favorite tracks: "Damien", "Ghost of Freedom" and "Dragon´s Child" .Contact: www.centurymedia.com or www.icedearth.com

REVIEW: HOLY MOSES - MASTER OF DISASTER

 

HOLY MOSES - MASTER OF DISASTER (Century Media - 2001): The band that I was hoping to listen again has reunited to kick our asses again!!!! Yes, Sabina Classen is back, together with Jochen Fuenders and the new members (it is a surprise for me that Andy Classen is not there eventhough he participates in the composition of the tracks). This five song EP shows us a Holy Moses showing all the energy as in "Finished with the Dogs", "The New Machine of Lichtenstein" or "World Chaos" but with a much modern sound (I have to remark the drum sound, specially the bass drums) and the guitars (that sound fatter than in the other recordings). A total different thing is Sabina´s voice…she is great !!!…what a strength !!. I thionk that she is what gives the band its identity, if you listen the song , when the vocals start you will know exactly that it is Holy Moses. The MCD is crushing from beginning to end and leaves the listener hoping for more, so I have to say one thing…We wait a CD with more songs really soon!!!!. Favorite tracks: " "Feel The Pain", "The Hand of Death" and "Down on your knees". Contact: www.centurymedia.com or www.holymoses.de or www.bullet-tv.de

REVIEW: HATEWORK - THIS IS A HOLOCAUST WAITING TO WAKE ITSELF

 

HATEWORK - THIS IS A HOLOCAUST WAITING TO WAKE ITSELF (Meathook Recs. - 2000): When I looked at the pictures of this MCD I thought "a band like GWAR with nothing to offer"- I was wrong and the music of this guys is very different from that band. It is more a mix of good hardcore and death metal (specially on the vocals). The four tracks here are powerful. The first one, , "Holocaust" it´s a mid tempo with simple guitar riffs where the vocals take the main part (then the song starts in a hardcore way, speeding up). "Hung", the second track starts slowly until a a good rhythm from drums and guitars take us to the holocaust promised in the title of the CD (great work of the drummer here). "Indisposed" is the more direct song of the four here, starting at a good speed and blasting with no mercy. "Sign of the crimes" is also very fast but is more elaborated, and it has more breaks and parts. A good job from this band which I should learn more about. Contact: meathookrecords@mediaone.net or www.meathookrecords.com

REVIEW: GOREROTTED - MUTILATED IN MINUTES

 

GOREROTTED - MUTILATED IN MINUTES (Dead Again Recs. - 2000): Like I said in the review of the compilation from Dead Again Recs., Gorerotted seem to me the band with the best production and sound. Those charachteristics are also on this CD. First level grind/death with a spectacular sound (recorded in thePhilia Studio from Henley with Dave Chang as sound engineer). Every instrument can be heard with total clarity and you can even distinguish which is Fluffy´s guitar and which is Dicksplash´s one. The vocals from Mr. Gore and Baby Sliced dominate the recording due to their gutturality ( a clear example is "Bed´em, Behead´em" where the vocals interplay is crucial to the song). Titles like "Stab me Till I Cum " or "Cut, Gut, Beaten, Eaten" show this band lyrically in the path tat showed in the early nineties Cannibal Corpse with their two first records. Totally recommended for fans of the style. Favorite tracks: "Corpse Fucking Art", "Cut, Gut, Beaten, Eaten" and "Severed, Sawn and Sold as Porn". Contact: promo@deadagain.fsnet.co.uk or www.deadagain.fsnet.co.uk

REVIEW: GODSIZE - DEATH BEFORE DISHONOR

 

GODSIZE - DEATH BEFORE DISHONOR (Independent - 1999): This band comes from Norway…and they play…no!!! They don´t play black metal!! What Godsize does could be discribed in the lands of thrash metal, despite they are not a standard band of the style neither. The influences from this trio are Motorhead, Black Sabbath and Pantera. They prefere to describe their music as a mix heavy metal and rock and they call it "killer metal". This band has a great reputation of live band and if the tracks sound so energetic in the CD, I can understand why. They have good guitar riffs and the base of drums and bass is demolishing., shinning in all its splendour in the track that starts slow and heavy called "Death Before Dishonor". For being a selfproduced recording and a debut CD it sounds really well…this is evident in a song that can be a mosh classic "Hall of Pain". This CD has ten songs with a lot of energy, no subtle things an intelligent arrangements without forgetting the hooks for the ear. Favorite tracks: "Hall of Pain", "Human Sacrifice" (with clean guitar intro) y "Inside the Outsider" (with a certain taste of Sodom "Agent Orange" era in the main). Contact: godsize_box@hotmail.com or www.godsize.no

REVIEW: FULTRACK - SEEDS OF GRAY

 

FULTRACK - SEEDS OF GRAY (Independent - 2001) : A good MCD from this finnish quartet with a style in the middle of thrash and power metal with really modern and a vocalist that we have to watch in the future.(really powerful). Through the four tracks of the CD we can see the main carachteristics of the band: clean and heavy guitars, a really good vocalist that emphasizes the atmosphere of the songs. It is really interesting to listen to songs like "The man who never was" that in the hands of this people is like a powerful hymn from Metallica´s Master of Puppets, with breaks and clean guitar parts included,. This band was opening act for Nightwish and it has a good reputation as a live act. It would be good to see them live or to listen more material from them. They are a big promise. Contact: www.fultrack.com or fultrack@fultrack.com

REVIEW: FINNTROLL - JAKTENS TID

 

FINNTROLL - JAKTENS TID (Century Media - 2001): Finntroll practices what they call "Trollish Hoedown Metal" . They are from Finlandia and their music is amazing and their originality really susprised me. Voices closer to death or black metal with guitar riffs that are very rhythmic (in fact in the first song "Födosagan" it reminded me some typical music from Finland), keyboards used in the way of power metal bands with a lot of solos and bases (like Jens johansson or Tuomas from Nightwish). Really interesting. You can listen in their tracks a lot of melodies that could have been taken from nordic folklore, like in "Slaget Vid Blodsälv" or "Skogens Hämnd". I think that this bands bings new atmospheres to black / death metal, which were searching for bands like this with a lot of originality and that show once more that putting melodies and subtle elements in their music does not mean losing strength.. And they say that this project arose from a night of too much drinking …I want right now what this finnish drink!! Songs to recommend: All the CD. It is really spectacular. Contact: www.centurymedia.com or www.finntroll.darkgod.net