REVIEW: [o3] - WITHOUT FACE

 

[o3] - WITHOUT FACE (Guano Recs. - 2001) : From Estonia comes this CD conformed by four tracks, from this trio. The sound of the band is not conventional, specailly the way in ehich Roby plays the guitar. "No face" starts with a really interesting sound from the band (I like the way the cymbals and the hihat sound, like for example in a Queensryche, really well equalized) to enter in a furious track to bang your head to. The style of this band can be described as metal with a modern and original sound. "What About", the second track, starts with a clean part, with Roby singing in a very subtle way, entering more heavily later and returning to subtle again.Can we say that this band makes progressive metal? Yes, I think so. "Invisible Game" starts with a strong guitar riff sort of a new metal band but played with a heavier sound. Interesting. To end this MCD the band has recorded a Judas Priest cover , "Saints In Hell" (yes, the one in the classic "Stained Class") but very different from the original (purists won´t like this). Contact: www.o3.ee or o3@o3.ee .

REVIEW: NOCTUARY - WHEN FIRES BREED BLOOD

 

NOCTUARY - WHEN FIRES BREED BLOOD (Lost Disciple Recs. - 2000) : As a lot of you may know, Noctuary was the first band that I interviewed for Music Extreme. And this choice was not casual because this band has the fame of being one of the bests in their style of brutal death/black metal brutal. When one listens to this CD you understand that that fame is coimpletely justified, because of the power that this guys have in their music. It is not only speed or power, as you can see since the beginning with"Clouds Donning the Black Sky". In the eight tracks here (organized in five chapters on this CD) we can see a lot of arrangements, breaks, rhythm changes, etc. …my definition is that this band knows how to use the charachteristic elements from the style, plus they know how to use spaces and silences that are so useful in music. Listen to "…And Hate Embraced The Night" to see the quality of this band, to see how subtle can be their arrangements, or to "Vengeance Before Valor" to see how they do those guitar solos and how tight the band is in the faster parts. This is a record that you must have in your collection or shoot yourself.. Contact: www.lostdisciple.com or ALHuman@aol.com .

REVIEW: METH - BIOMORPHIC SYMPHONY

 

METH - BIOMORPHIC SYMPHONY ( Independent, 2001): Bill Sannwald is a really creative person and uses everything that he can get his hands on to arrive to te results that he wants in his compositions. So, here we have a lot of electronic elements and some sounds that can be from an Atari videogame or something like that, also we have his guitar, and he has managed to create this "Biomorphic Symphony". I must say that I like much more this CD than the last one, "Transformers:…" (already reviewed on an issue of Music Extreme) because it seems to me that here Sannwald has found the path to explore in the future. The melodies are spectacular and are in the vein of classical music (in fact there are sounds like a synthesized harp and some synth strings that remark Sannwald´s results). I think that we have a real evolution here. Also, the seven parts that are present in this opus are independent but at the same time cloely related one to each other. I hope that Bill continues in this path, because he has found something new, full of ideas and really fresh. Contact: Keirka777@hotmail.com

REVIEW: KOMA - CRIMINAL

 

KOMA - CRIMINAL (Locomotive Music - 2000): This is a heavy/rock/thrash band from Spain and singing in spanish, with some clear rock influences in their sound. The band sound makes me remember a little bit to Testament in their CD "The Ritual" (specially in the beginning of "Menos Mal"). Really good sound, really powerful, intelligent rhythm changes. The tracks are really well done in a heavy rocker attitude that I have not listened in a long time (listen to"Un plan Criminal" to shake your head). The tracks never lower their level of power "Jack Queen Jack" with a riff that could have come from the most powerful era of the american Skid Row with really humouristic and sarcastic lyrics. I have to point out the guitars of Brigi Duque and specailly Natxo Zabala´s solos that shine whenever they have place with a modern sound. There are songs in a hardcore mood "Das Pena" with a middle riff in the bridge where you can imagine people moshing and banging their heads. I think that this CD can be appreciated by heavy metal fans or for those who love rock or those who love classic thrash metal. Favorite tracks: "Das Pena", "El Diluvio Universal" and "Postmortem". Contact: www.koma-group.com or www.locomotivemusic.com 

REVIEW: INGROWING - SUICIDE BINARY REFLECTIONS

 

INGROWING - SUICIDE BINARY REFLECTIONS (Obscene Prods. - 2001): This band comes from the Czech Republic and has a great reputation in the brutal death/grind european scene, equaling almost to his Krabathor. They also say that their live show is amazing! This new record is more brutal than the last one called "Cyber Space". The most notorious influence that I fnd in this band is Dying Fetus but not too much evident, I think it is a matter of sound. "Binary Reflections", the first song after the introduction "Suicide..." is a track at full speed, grind with guttural vocals in the vein of Napalm Death ´s "Mentally Murdered", but, there are also certain rhythm changes (that are mad in a similar way in the tracks here) that make the final result better. Look as an example to the breaks and cjhanges "Chemical Emotions" (0:53) (1:14) or the beginning of "Ethereality Section" and its changes (0:27) and (1:14). It is a really good recording for lovers of hyperspeed grind and the most brutal death metal. Contact: www.obscene.cz or curby@obscene.cz

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