REVIEW: STORMHAMMER - COLD DESERT MOON

 

STORMHAMMER - COLD DESERT MOON (Century Media, 2001):

Technical data:

Recorded and mixed by Rudy Kronenberger at Crownhill Studios.

Cover Artwork by Markus Glanz

Track List: 1- Sinner´s Soul, 2- The Law, 3- Breach of Faith, 4- Yells of Rage, 5- Misty Hills, 6- Children of Dawn, 7- Doomsday, 8- Cold Desert Moon, 9- A Dragon´s Tear, 10- Nobody´s Child, 11- Masquerade of Life, 12- Strength of Wisdom.

This is Stormhammer second album and I think that is pretty more direct than their debut album. New vocalist Tommi Lion (ex-Drifter) sounds a little bit more rough than the previous one (Michael Schinkel). The music goes through the path of power/heavy metal in the vein of bands like Blind Guardian and Jag panzer to name only a few, that is not as clean as Helloween or Rhapsody and not as rough as a thrash metal band would be. In fact the sound of the guitars is heavier than in the above mentioned bands. There are all the elements of the style (power metal fans will be delighted) fast runs, solos, harmonized choruses, etc. etc. Favorite tracks: "Breach of Faith", " Cold Desert Moon" and "Masquerade of Life". Contact: www.centurymedia.com

REVIEW: SPONTANEOUS MUSIC ENSEMBLE - CHALLENGE

 

SPONTANEOUS MUSIC ENSEMBLE- CHALLENGE (Emanem Disc, 2001):

Technical data:

Analogue Recording made in London by Eddie Kramer on March 1966 and April 1967.

Mixing, Editing, mastering and Design by Martin Davidson

Analogue to Digital Transfer by Paul Wilson

Track List:1- E.D.´s Message, 2-B.Ornette, 3- Club 66, 4- Lday of Reckoning, 5- End to a Beginning, 6- Travelling Together, 7- Little Red Head, 8- After Listening, 9- End To a Beginning, 10- Distant Little Soul

Emanem Discs is founding new treasures every time and editing them on CD. For example this are free jazz recordings by the Spontaneous Music Ensemble done during 1966 and 1967. With such great musicians as Trevor Watts on alto and soprano sax, Kenny Wheeler on flugelhorn and Jeff Clyne on double bass, the music here is pure improvisation and experimentation, clearly dominated by Watts sax that brings shades of classical 1950s-1960s jazz whil flying free to improvise over his bandmates structures. There are some shinning moments here like Paul Rutherford´s trombone on "Day of Reckoning", followed inmediately by Watts say in a really moody phrase. This a testimony from a time when free jazz was in all its splendour. Favorite tracks: "2.B.Ornette" (as the title says...really Ornette Coleman), "Travelling Together" and "Day of Reckoning". Contact: www.emanemdisc.com

REVIEW: SONATA ARCTICA - SILENCE

SONATA ARCTICA - SILENCE (Nems Enterprises, 2001):

Technical data:

Recorded at Tici Tico Studio by Ahn Kortelainen.

Mixed by Mikko Karmila at Finnvox Studios

Mastered at Finnvox Studios by Mika Jussila

Cover artwork and loo by Eric Phillippe.

Track List: 1- ...of Silence, 2- Weballergy, 3- False News Travel Fast, 4- The End of This Chapter, 5- Black Sheep, 6- Land of the Free, 7- Last Drop Falls, 8- San Sebastian (revisited), 9- Sing in Silence, 10-Revontulet, 11- Tallulah, 12- Wolf and Raven, 13- The Power of One

Sonata Artica´s new record is similar to their debut album but has some elements that are more pleasant to my ears, like for example more solos that are not in the vein of Timo Tolkki or Yngwie Malmsteen but they are more original instead. Tony Kakko is singing better on this release with less abuse of high pitches. In fact I think he is the vital point of Sonata Arctica. There are some rhythms apart from the usual race and galloping from power metal bands ( in fact the rhythms here reminded me a lot of Nightwish). There is still too much Helloween influence in some parts (for example in the chorus of "Weballergy") but they are not so similar now. Good piano parts (for example on "The End of This Chapter" )that I think the band should use more often to add some atmospheres to some of the tracks. There is also a more conscious search of different textures like on "Sing in Silence". Those who liked their debut album wilkl sure like this one too, eventhough there are different elements. Favorite tracks: "The End of This Chapter", "Black Sheep" and "Sing In Silence". Contact: nems@nems.com.ar

REVIEW: SATHANAS - THY DARK HEAVENS

 

SATHANAS - THY DARK HEAVENS (Blackmetal.com, 2001):

Technical data:

Recorded at the Audioloft in Ambridge Pennsylvania April 2001.

Engineered By Buzzy Beck.

Track List: 1- Winged Black Spirit, 2- To Bring Torture, 3- Empire Daemonum, 4- Thy Dark Heavens, 5-March Through Fire, 6-Queen Of The Netherworld, 7 -Curse Your Saviour, 8- Banished To Eternity.

Black/death metal directly from hell!!!!!! This is Sathanas first CD for the new Blackmetal.com label and is a really good surprise beginning with the great sound that this release has and continuing with the great black thrash metal riffs that are delivered in each track. The music is really powerful and the guitars have the sound that all black metal bands should have (this is for bands that record their guitars that sound like a saw instead of a guitar): heavy, deep, fat sound and supported by a greatbass that helps to make the riffs bigger and harder. Check as an example the first track: "Winged Black Spirit" that is a song for saying: Hail Satan! And bang your head!!. The most interesting element here is how original are Paul´s riffs. They sound powerful and they are all very different one from each other and that makes "Thy Dark heavens" a very interesting album. Dark Spirits awake with this crushing album. Favorite tracks: "To bring Torture", "Thy Dark heavens" and "March Through Fire". Contact:  http://members.tripod.com/sathanas3

REVIEW: SACRED SIN - TRANSLUCID DREAM MIRROR

SACRED SIN - TRANSLUCID DREAM MIRROR (Demolition Recs., 2001):

Technical data:

Recorded at 13th Cave Studios.

Produced by Jose Costa and Sacred Sin

Engineered by: Pedro Miguel

Cover Art: Mike Schindler / Dragon Design

Track List: 1- Translucid Dream Mirror, 2- La Clef des grands misteres, 3- Ravish the Soul, 4- Sukunft Kenntnis, 5- Gift of Second Sight, 6 - Maleficent Genii, 7- Extra-natural Mediator, 8- Mei Lacrimæ in Tenebræ, 9- Transmutation, 10- By the Wyvern we flowed, 11- Prelude to phenomene, 12- Unbridled hate, 13- The shadow of gate.

Can we call this music Progressive Death Metal? I think so !! But this is really progressive...listen to the keyboards and Imagine that in Dream Theater...they would not be out of place...but here they are applied to a death metal band...Amazing!!! And they give a lot of originality to Sacred Sin´s music. Another thing that makkes this recording special is the amazing sound. The band recorded this CD on their own studio and it was engineered by the guitarist Pedro Miguel who seems to have known what he wanted when he did his job (one thing that got my attention is the sound of the bass drums, really tight, almost electronic). I will mention some things that you can find on this album: melodies, twin guitars, harmonies, breaks, acoustic passages, tempo changes, keyboard passages, speed, unholy heaviness, some female vocals, lyrics in english, german, french and latin, great guitar and keyboard solos...you have everything on one CD. One of the albums of the month. Favorite tracks: The whole album. Contact: www.demolitionrecords.com or http://welcome.to/sacredsin

REVIEW: REV 99. - TURN A DEAF EAR

 

REV.99 - TURN A DEAF EAR (Pax Recordings., 2001):

Technical data:

Produced by 99 Hooker & Ernesto Diaz-Infante.

Engineered and Mixed by Ross Bonadonna, 99 Hooker

Art Design by 99 Hooker

Track List:1- Local Bomb, 2- Pavement Jam "Hey Your Car´s On Fire", 3- Olde Tyme Unnatural Rock ´n ´r oll, 4- Your Title here, 5- Spank My Piano, 6- We Should´ve Known, 7- Possum Ridge Paralyzer

This is a group of demented geniuses doing improvised music in an spontaneous way: 99 Hooker on chaos poetry and electrified sax, Ernesto Díaz-Infante on amplified acoustic guitar, piano, toy piano and glockenspies, Chris Forsyth on electric guitar, Akio Mokuno on G3 Powerbook (???) and Ross Bonadonna on studio manipulation. The result is experimental an funny at the same time, specially the chaos poetry ("Where is your accent from? CNN?"). The variety of instruments and the way they are played does not allow me to identify completely who is playing which part but the whole improvisation sounds really good. Who said that improvisational music was boring and for serious people?. Favorite tracks: "Pavement Jam...", "We Shoul´ve Known" and "Local Bomb". Contact: www.paxrecordings.com

REVIEW: PURGATION - REALM OF THE DEAD

 

PURGATION - REALM OF THE DEAD (Independent, 2000):

Technical data:

Recorded at Digital Traxx - La Place, Louisiana

Track List: 1- Watching the World Die, 2- Eulogy (Part II), 3- Slumber, 4- Realm of the dead

It is funny to see how sometimes certain stereotypes can fool you. One of this stereotypes says that if you have a CD with a really dark cover featuring some dark painting including some diabolic figures, then you must be looking at a black/death metal CD. But here we have that really dark cover artwork and the music is completely different from what I expected. In fact what we have here is great hard rock with some grunge and stoner influences. The first track "Watching the World Die" reminded me of old Soundgarden ("Louder Than Love" era). Crushing guitar rhythms and twisted vocal melodies are the main features here. Riffs that reach heaviness using power chords instead of one note speed lines. Drums that are played giving a lot of space to the others instruments to breath. The good thing about this CD is that it is not hard rock, it is not grunge, it is not stoner rock, it is not hardcore, but has things of all this styles. Favorite tracks: "Watching the World Die" and "Realm of the Dead". Contact: www.purgation.com and www.mp3.com/purgation

REVIEW: PROPHET - BROKEN PROMISE

 

PROPHET - BROKEN PROMISE (Independent., 2001):

Technical data:

Recorded /Mixed by Jukka Puurula at MD-Studios in 6 days.

Produced by Aleksi Ahokas and Sami Kikkalainen

Mastered by J.P. Mönkkönen at CD-Iinja

Layout and Graphics by Prophet and pervohenkka@hotmail.com

Track List: 1-From Nameless Oracle, 2- Angel´s Retreat, 3- Damnation of Reiomontum, 4- Thinking..., 5- Born to be King of Innerself.

What a surprise !! I listened the first few seconds of the first tracks and I found some catchy melody done by the vocals but in a rock way...then the whole band enters the scene and what I find is excellent gothic metal. All the tracks here were composed by Aleksi Ahokas and he knew what he wanted: heavy guitars, dark atmospheres, lots of melodies and lots of hooks for the listener. This is a great example of how a band can sound melodic without loosing strength on the way. I find some shades of the great norwegian band In The Woods in the vocals section (specially on the deppressive "I kiss and Let you Die"). An excellent production make the good points of this recording to stand out, specially in the guitar melodies. There are some guest musicians here: H. Sorvali on keyboards (Finntroll, Moonsorrow), Seppo Numela (Denigrate) on a guitar solo and Henri Vilberg (Diablerie, Triones) on growls. Favorite tracks: "I don´t believe in love", "I Kiss and Let You Die". Contact: www.brokenpromise.cjb.net

REVIEW: ODOR OF PEARS - CROWN OF THORNS

 

ODOR OF PEARS- CROWN OF THORNS (Independent, 2001):

Technical data:

Recorded at Odor of Pears Studio.

Engineered and Produced by Joe K.

Graphic Design by Russell Ragar.

Track List:1- Invocation, 2-Cage, 3- Underground, 4- In Sodom Again, 5- Fuck Christianity, 6- Dildo, 7- Babies Without Faces, 8- Joan

A charming oriental melody opens the CD along with the enchanting vocals of Diana Blackwell. This is Odor of Pears, a trío consisting of Diana Blackwell on vocals, Joe K. On music and Russell Ragar on Visuals. The result is an hypnotic kind of music full of melodies where Blackwell´s vocals are the main feature and gives the music its distinctive touch. Keyboards and electronics are all over this CD creating a dark atmosphere, almost mechanical, succeeding in transmit the sensations of loneliness, oppression, darkness. I like a lot "Cage" with its keyboard bases (like vocals) below Blackwell´s voice that gets deeper for this track. The compositions here can be described in one word: climatic, or maybe atmospheric, or maybe ethereal. A must for people looking for new sensations. Favorite tracks: "Cage", "Fuck Christianity" (a future classic) and "Babies Without Faces". Contact: www.odorofpears.com

REVIEW: NO SPAGHETTI EDITION - LISTEN...AND TELL ME WHAT IT WAS

 

NO SPAGHETTI EDITION - LISTEN...AND TELL ME WHAT IT WAS (Sofa Recs., 2001):

Technical data:

Recorded in Rainbow Studio, Oslo by Jan Erik Kongshaug.

Mixed and Mastered by Thomas Hukkelberg.

Produced by Tonny Kluften, Ingar Zach and Ivar Grydeland.

Artwork by Mari Ihlebæk

Track List:1- Mir 1.4, 2- Drop the Boy, 3- Moscowskaja, 4- If Mountains Could Sing, 5- The Night, The Death and the Universe, 6- A Country Practice, 7- Spaghetti Fingers, 8- Mr. Thompson

Norwegian experimental/improvisational label Sofa Recs.has teamed musicians of great quality like Ingar Zach, Frode Haltli, Paal Nilssen-Love, Ingebrit Flaten, Ivar Grydeland and many more in an improvisational supergroup called No Spaghetti Edition. And again the music is pure madness and a search of intuitive music, sometimes really melodic, sometimes noisy, sometimes peaceful, sometimes climatic. In fact the great thing about this recording is the way in which it surprises you with sudden bursts of screams, piano and drums (as for example on the openning track "Mir1.4"). The main thing here is spontaneity and they succeed in being spontaneous on each track. Favorite tracks: "Drop The Boy", If Mountains Could Sing" and "Spaghetti Fingers". Contact: http://sofa.norcd.no