REVIEW: MARDUK - LA GRANDE DANSE MACABRE

 

MARDUK - LA GRANDE DANSE MACABRE (Blooddawn prods. / Regain Recs., 2001):

Technical Data:

Recorded at Abyss Studios

Recorded and Mixed by Tommy Tägtgren. Produced by Marduk

Graphic Design by Roger Forslund

Track List : 1 - Ars moriendi, 2- Azrael, 3- Pompa Funebris 1660, 4- Obedience Unto Death, 5- Bonds of Unholy Matrimony, 6- La Grande Danse Macabre, 7- Death Sex Ejaculation, 8- Funeral Bitch, 9- Summer End, 10- Jesus Christ...Sodomized.

The CD starts slowly...Slowly? Marduk slowly? Yes !! The intro called "Ars Moriendi" is a really melodic and doom like way to begin the CD. But this only lasts a couple of minutes before getting in to the sonic avalanch of "Azrael". What has always amazed me of Marduk but more on each album is their capability of being chaotic and extremely technical at the same time adding more than simple aggression and speed to their songs (B War is one of the best black metal bass players, adding a lot of arrangements to Marduk´s music and the band is really tight and professional). The two instrumental tracks here show this and also a future classical "La Grande Danse Macabre". Obviously this will make short minded people and assholes alike to scream that Marduk have sold out but the fact is that they get better every time without limiting themselves. Favorite tracks: "La Grande Danse Macabre", " Bonds of Unholy Matrimony", and "Azrael". Contact: www.marduk.nu or regain@telia.com 

REVIEW: MÄGO DE OZ - LA LEYENDA DE LA MANCHA

 

MÄGO DE OZ - LA LEYENDA DE LA MANCHA (Locomotive Music, 1999):

Technical Data:

Recorded in Estudios Box, Madrid, España.

Produced and mixed by Goyo Esteban

Cover Art: Gaboni

Track List: 1-En un Lugar..., 2-El Santo Grial, 3-La Leyenda de la Mancha, 4-Noche toledana, 5-Molinos de Viento, 6-Dime con quien andas, 7-Maritornes, 8-El bálsamo de Fierabrás, 9-El pacto, 10-La ínsula de Barataria, 11-El templo del Adiós, 12-Requiem, 13-Ancha es Castilla

This is the Mago de Oz CD that was recorded before their magnum opus "Finisterra". The story that is told here is the one of Don Quijote de la Mancha a classic of the spanish literature. Violins, bagpipes, keyboards, flutes, everything is helping this spanish sextet to create their music and give them a much needed identity in the fields of heavy/power metal. There are influences here, of course, the most notorious ones are of Iron Maiden (in the twin guitars), Skyclad and Helloween (in the vocals). What I like more here is the heavy use of this unconventional instruments that are not used just to do effects but to make harmonies, melodies, phrases, textures. I find very clever the use specially of the violin (it seems to me that Mohamed the violinist is the key part of Mago de Oz). Another good point for this band are the really interesting lyrics through their songs. Fans of heavy metal and power metal will be delighted with this release. Favorite tracks: "Molinos de Viento", "El Santo Grial" and "El Bálsamo de Fierabrás". Contact: www.locomotivemusic.com 

REVIEW: MÄGO DE OZ - FINISTERRA

 

MÄGO DE OZ - FINISTERRA (Locomotive Music, 2000):

Technical Data:

Recorded in Estudios Box, Madrid, España.

Produced and mixed by Goyo Esteban

Mastered in Masterphonics, London

Cover Art: Gaboni

Track List:

CD 1: 1-Prólogo, 2-Satania, 3-La cruz de Santiago, 4-La danza del fuego, 5-Hasta que el cuerpo aguante, 6-El señor de los gramillos, 7-Polla dura no cree en Dios, 8-Maite Zaitut, 9-Duerme..., 10-Es hora de Marchar

CD 2: 1-Fiesta Pagana, 2-El que quiera entender que entienda, 3-Los renglones torcidos de Dios, 4-Kelpie, 5-Tres tristes Tigres, 6-A Costa da Morte, 7-La Santa Compaña, 8-Conxuro, 9-Astaroth, 10-Finisterra

A child´s voice talking about certain not so good charachteristics of humanity and the sound of a bagpipe start this Finisterra CD. Mago de Oz is a metal band from Spain with great arrangements in their music and with extensive use of instruemnts that are not so common in metal bands like violins, bagpipes, flutes, etc. This double studio CD is a masterpiece that will people that think that heavy/power metal is a stagnant genre. Here, apart from the obvious influences that any heavy metal band has there are melodies that have some oriental touches and some flamenco, gypsy and spanish music too. The more similar band that I can relate them to is Skyclad (eventhough Mago de Oz is completely different in their approach to music than this band). There are calm moments like on the beginning of "La Danza del Fuego" and faster songs and this makes the twenty tracks contained here really easy to listen and not boring. It is really interesting also, how this guys can touch really actual themes in their lyrics making a history through all the album. Really sarcastic lyrics to refer to modern problems along with certain defects that a lot of people have in their minds and souls. Favorite tracks: "La Cruz de Santiago", "Hasta que el cuerpo aguante" and "Los renglones torcidos de Dios". Contact: www.locomotivemusic.com .

REVIEW: LONDON IMPROVISERS ORCHESTRA - THE HEARING CONTINUES...

 

LONDON IMPROVISERS ORCHESTRA - THE HEARING CONTINUES... (Emanem Disc , 2001):

Technical Data:

Recorded at: Gateway Studios, London by Steve Lowe - September 4th, 2000.

Editing, Mastering and Design by Martin Davidson.

Track List:

CD 1: 1-Proceeding 3, 2-Concerto for Soft-Loud-Key-Box, 3-Morton´s Mobile, 4-Fire-In the Air, 5-Dingos Creep, 6-How can you delude Yourself?, 7-Drop The Handkerchief

CD 2: 1-Proceeding 4, 2-Red Rose Theme, 3-Orphy: US, 4-Birthday Piece, 5-Music for Pianos, percussion & Harp, 6-Pulse Piece, 7-Prior to Freedom

I am not used to listen to such big ensembles of improvising people and the feeling is quite strange for me, because I always thought that improvisers or intuitive music bands were smaller. But here they are this ALL STAR BIG BAND of improvisers musicians to demolish my preconcepts through this amazing two CD set. Saxophones, trombones, clarinets, bamboo pipes, violins are all present here to create this sonic symphonies that are presented here. Warning: People afraid of experimenting and not so open minded will be horrified by this music. I take my hat off in front of this group of musicians that can go through experimental tunes like "Proceeding 3" (wave like sounds) or "Concert for Soft-Loud-Key-Box" to name just a couple of tunes. Another thing that amazed me is the use that this musicians do of silences ( an overlooked factor in most musicians) and dynamics, despite being so many people in the orchestra. Open your mind and enjoy this new offering from this selection of amazing musicians. Contact: www.emanemdisc.com or emanemdisc@aol.com

REVIEW: LOL COXHILL - DIGSWELL DUETS

 

LOL COXHILL - DIGSWELL DUETS (Emanem Disc , 2001):

Technical Data:

Recorded at: 1-6 Welwyn Garden City (Diswell House) May 11th , 1978

7-16 Oxford (Museum of Modern Art) May 26th , 1978

Track List: 1-First Encounter Part I, 2-First Encounter Part II, 3-First Encounter Part III, 4-Side One Part I, 5-Side One Part II, 6-Additional Ending, 7-Side Two Part IV, 8-Side Two Part II, 9-Very Short Piano Solo, 10-Sode Two Part V, 11-Embraceable Who?, 12-Embraceable You, 13-Side Two Part III, 14-More Substantial Piano Solo, 15-Side Two Part I, 16- I Can´t Get Started

This is an album recorded in concert on May  1978. The first six tracks consist in duets between Lol Coxhill on soprano saxophone and Simon Emmerson on electronics and the other ten pieces in duets between Coxhill and Veryan Weston on piano. Eerie music is the one contained on this recording. Strange atmospheres and phrases are recreated by the musicians with strong emphasis on intuitive and improvisational techniques. The search for new textures to explore with their respective instruments is amaxing...Coxhill makes his saxophone scream, wail, whisper, howl and everything in between. Check as an example the beginning of "First Encounter Part three" to see the interaction with Emmerson´s electronics. For my taste I like more the results in the duets with Weston on piano because of their harmonic quality that it has more cohesion in the way they experiment with them. For example, pieces like "Side Two Part Four" or "Embraceable Who?" show a more melodic side of the duo and a betterinteraction. Favorite tracks: Embraceable Who?, Side One Part One, Embraceable You. Contact: www.emanemdisc.com or emanemdisc@aol.com

REVIEW: LOCKWELD - INDUSTRIAL REQUIEM

 

LOCKWELD - INDUSTRIAL REQUIEM (Dragon Flight Recordings, 2001):

Technical Data:

Recorded at 20 Studios.

Artwork: Stephen Hasner

Track List: 1-Black resin, 2-Blue Collar Noose, 3-I know how long your legs are, 4-We Are all Sheep, 5-They are Lost, 6-Bleed through the Scriptures, 7-At the End of a Gun, At the Edge of a Knife, 8-Holy, 9-Industrial Requiem, 10-Stainless Steel, 11-A reading, a teaching and a Jihad, 12-It´s not me, 13-Feast of the Assumption, 14-4:44, 15-Dissipated Existence

Ambient/noise/industrial would be the apropriate term to describe the sound of Lockweld. A recording full of noises, sound textures and strange climates with some electronic vocals but whose main goal seem to be to explore waves of sounds that can be  obtained through electronics. Do not ask for melodies or heavy rhythms or guitars and conventional instruments. The fifteen tracks contained here are very similar and very different at the same time: they all have a similar structure that is developed through the whole track but each track explores a different aspect of the noise/ambient spectre. Only for fans of this kind of music. Contact: www.holyterror.com/lockweld or www.dragonflightrec.org

REVIEW: LILITU - THE EARTH GODS

 

LILITU - THE EARTH GODS (Vortex Motions Recs. , 2000):

Technical Data:

Recorded and Mixed by Adam Chandler in Athens, GA

Mastering by Blakk.

Track list: 1-Introduction/The Seventh Aeon, 2-Firmament, 3-To Burn Before the Sun, 4-Dead yesterday, 5-Rise and Fall, 6-The Earth We Shall Inherit, 7-The Earth Gods

How sublime and beautiful can be the arrangements that some bands make in their music !! Lilitu is one of this bands that apart from their great musicianship show great ideas and they can translate them to music with extreme quality. The Earth Gods is a record to listen time after time without getting tired of it...the perfect mix between black and gothic metal, full of keyboards, screaming vocals and deep vocals all over the songs. Here we have extensive songs where the band can get deep into your soul with their blackened melodies, with their dark arpeggios, with their obscured guitar phrases, with their black atmospheres and anguished vocals. Some influences of Amorphis, Anathema, Paradise Lost or early Katatonia can be heard here but all mixed down to get Lilitu´s personality. The overall sound of the recording is good, bu there are like three sound qualities: one is the keyboard and vocals sound that are really good, another one are the guitars that are maybe a little thin for my taste, and the last one is the drum sound that is really opaque, specially on the snare drum. I think this guys would have shown better their great ideas with a bigger budget that would have allowed them to get a better mix. Apart from this I find this to be like the missing link between gothic metal and death/black metal. Favorite tracks: "Firmament", "To Burn Before the Sun" and "The Earth we Shall Inherit". Contact: www.emerald-factory.com or www.vortexmotions.com

REVIEW: JON BUTCHER WITH DEREK BAILEY AND RHODRI DAVIES - VORTICES AND ANGELS

 

JON BUTCHER WITH DEREK BAILEY AND RHODRI DAVIES - VORTICES AND ANGELS (Emanem Disc , 2001):

Technical Data:

Recorded at: 1-2 The Vortex by Martin Davidson March 23rd, 2000

3-5 St. Michael and All Angel Church by Tim Fletcher May 24th , 2000

Editing, Mastering and Design by Martin Davidson

Track List: 1 -Low Vortex, 2-High Vortex, 3- Rhagymadrodd, 4-Pregeth, 5-Diweddglo

John Butcher, a musician dedicated to take new sounds and phrases from his saxophones (here he uses tenor and soprano saxophones), has joined this time experimental guitar master Derek Bailey (whose collaboration with the Vertrek Ensemble we reviewed some issues back) and harpist Rhodri Davies to make a travel into the weirdest world of sonic improvisation. "Low Vortex" kicks the ball and starts this CD with interesting dialogues between the three instruments, specially is interesting to see an extremely unconventional instrument like the harp being played in such an unconventional manner here. This track is almost twentyeight minutes long and it shows the chemistry between the three musicians (don´t expect classical pieces here because this is something completely different). Those who love experimental music would love this but other people who are not so accustomed could hate it. Favorite tracks: "Low Vortex", "Rhagymadrodd" and "Pregeth". Contact: www.emanemdisc.com or emanemdisc@aol.com

REVIEW: JAMES BYRD - FLYING BEYOND THE 9

 

JAMES BYRD - FLYING BEYOND THE 9 (Lion Music, 2001):

Technical Data:

Recorded at Brian Hutchinson Studios, Strange Practical Productions.

Produced by James Byrd

Engineered by Brian Hutchinson

Cover Art: Photo: Robert Whitworth , Concept and illustration: James Byrd

Track List: 1-Flying Beyond the 9; 2-Dark heart; 3-W.T.O. (We Took Over); 4- Nevermore; 5- Everything to Me; 6-Unity (While You Were Sleeping); 7-Paradise Tonight; 8-All of Me (An Allegory); 9- Avianti suite Op.1, Nº63

 Guitar God James Byrd has been shredding people´s mind with his amazing guitar playing skills since the eighties when he was the main guitarist in Fifth Angel. After Fifth Angel´s disolution he started a solo career with acclaimed albums like "Atlantis Rising" or "Octoglomerate". Now it is time for James to return to action with "Flying Beyond the 9" and this is not an instrumental album it is something in a hard rock vein like for examples Tony Macalpine´s album "Eyes of The World" but heavier. "Flying beyond the 9", the first song is full of vocal ahrmonies and the shredding of Byrd. Michael Flatters is a good vocalist for James Byrd´s music, he canbe commercial when he wants and stronger when the song need it. For those who don´t know Byrd´s guitar shredding, here are the elements that made him famous: fast scales, arpeggios, sweep picking, neoclassical runs and the use of harmonic minor scales and phrygian modes. There is a certain influence of seventies progressive rock in this album, specially on the vocals parts (some Yes in parts of "Nevermore" but drker) and certain Yngwie Malmsteen shades in Byrd´s playing too. There is in this recording also a beautiful instrumental called "Avianti Suite Op. 1 Nº63 with synthesized strings and Byrd´s tastefully playing along. My favorite tracks: "W.T.O. (We Took Over)", "Unity (While You Were Sleeping) and "Paradise Tonight". Contact: www.lionmusic.com or www.jamesbyrd.com

REVIEW: ISKRA 1903 - FRANKFURT 1991

 

ISKRA 1903 - FRANKFURT 1991 (Emanem Disc , 2001):

Technical Data:

Recorded at: Portikus in Frankfurt am Main - October 1st , 1991.

Analoguie concert recording by: Rüdiger Carl.

Editing, Mastering and Design by Martin Davidson.

Track List: 1-Frankfurter Memories, 2-After the Interval, 3-Wachsmann Am Main - Solo; 4-Rutherford Am Main - Solo; 5-Guy Am Main - Solo; 6-To the End of the Tape

Iskra 1903 is a trio formed by Paul Rutherford on trombone, Philipp Wachsmann on amplified violins and electronics and the amazing Barry Guy (whom I interviewed a couple of issues ago) on amplified double bass. This recording was made in Frankfurt Am Main on October 1st 1991 and it shows the trio at its best. I think the whole concept of the album spins around "Frankfurter Memories", a track that is thirty three minutes long and it shows Rutherford, Wachsmann and Guy constructing melodies and improvisations against the foundations that each musician provides while the others are improvising. There are no holes in here, no spaces to fill, when one musician stops playing, the others start their games of superimpositions and complementations. I can call this CD a Course in Improvisation or maybe a PHD on improvisational skills. As you can hear in pieces like "Frankfurter memories" or the three solo pieces that are presented here, the skill of this people are above average and they know what they want to achieve. Open your mind and listen. Contact: www.emanemdisc.com or emanemdisc@aol.com