REVIEW: REPROBATION - THE COLOUR OF GORE

 

REPROBATION - THE COLOUR OF GORE (Forever Underground Recs. - 2001):

Produced by Mike Sheffield and Reprobation

Photography by Jessi Virtuosio

Track list: 1- Sins of the Sick, 2- Butchered Souvenirs, 3- Crippled Minions, 4- Fuck the Rotted Meat, 5- Lament Suffering, 6- Entropy

Mini-CD from this guys dedicated to the most pure gore/grind/death. The six songs presented here are short and effective, in the vein of bands like Carcass or Incantation (mainly in the sound). A great effort from this band, which I think should use more of those crushing riffs that they use sometimes to avoid the fastest parts , making more original the compositions. I like a lot the work of Rob Whitworth and Shawn Connors on guitars with those pinch that they throw in the middle of the riffs. To remark also are the more rhythmic parts in the tracks (Mike Rees on drums). This band, with a little bit more of experimentation could be a big hit in the underground. Favorite tracks: "Butchered Souvenirs", "Sins of the Sick" and "Fuck the Rotted Meat" . Contact: www.foreverunderground.com or www.geocities.com/reprobation

REVIEW: PROFANITY - SLAUGHTERING THOUGHTS

 

PROFANITY - SLAUGHTERING THOUGHTS (Cudgel Agency Recs. , 2000):

Technical Data:

Recorded at the Brickhouse Studio (August-September 2000) by Albrecht Felsenstein and Profanity.

Produced by Profanity

Cover Art and layout by Profanity

Track list: 1-During the Hours of Darkness, 2-Drowned in Dusk, 3-Soultornado - Hate Burn inside, 4-The Springs Within, 5-Giants of Void Vortex, 6-Soulitude, 7-Strangulated with Thoughts, 8-When Colour Becomes Pallor

Germany´s Profanity have made a really heavy album. Death/thrash metal is the music they play full of souble bass drumming and no subtle things. Music design to crush you down like a ten ton hammer smashed on your head. Thomas Sartor vocals are guttural but at the same time understandable and fit perfectly the mood of the music that the band makes. It is amazing to see that this is a trio, because they have a really full sound, in fact I think that Martl has to make a lot of speed picking on his bass as a second guitar would do to fill every space. Profanity is a band designed to kick your ass and it seems to me that they have achieved their goals with this album (see "Drowned in Dusk" or "Soultornado-Hate Burn Inside" just to name a couple of the tracks presented here). Don´t ask melodies, don´t ask keyboards or female vocals. If brutality and power is what you wnat here is Profanity. Favorite Tracks: "Drowned in Dusk", "The Springs Within" and "Soulitude". Contact: www.profanity.de

REVIEW: PRIMAL DAWN - PRIMAL DAWN

 

PRIMAL DAWN - PRIMAL DAWN (Independent, 2001):

Technical data:

Recorded and Mixed at Salt Studios, Dublin.

Design by ADS, Dublin.

Track List: 1- Absorbing the Lies, 2- Let them Die, 3- Blood of The Land, 4-Pull the Trigger

Death metal directly from Ireland!!! I have read good reviews about this guys and they are fair. They are a crushing band and on this MCD they show a lot of brutality. Some of the recording reminded me of the german band Profanity which I think have in mind the same thing as this guys: pure brutality and heavy as hell music. What makes this guys so fucking heavy? First and main reason is the guitar sound which is like the sound you get cranking a Marshall amp up to 11 and cutting the middle ranges...that is a bigger than hell wall of sound!! . Also the interaction with the bass who is playing similar lines in a lower range. Then the drummer who is killer (I think that with a better sound here the results will be heavier). Finally the growling vocals of Mr. John Mc Ghee who adds the final touch to bring this unholy band to the fron of the death metal scene. Favorite tracks: "Absorbing the Lies" and "Blood of The Land". Contact: primaldawn@hotmail.com

REVIEW: PETTALOM - THE WINE OF THE NIGHT

 

PETTALOM - THE WINE OF THE NIGHT (Demise Recs., 2001):

Technical data:

Recorded at Voicing Studio.

Produced and Mixed by Alan de Augustinis and Celso Veagnoli

Design and Layout by Sergio Oliveira.

Track List: 1- Beyond The Castle´s Door, 2- Ashes Garden, 3- Berenice, 4- Irate Lizard, 5- Dungeon, 6- Feelings Buried Alive, 7- Serenade To A Sleeper Fairy, 8- Celibate, 9- Sons of The Light

Since I listened this CD for the first time in Orion Music Entertainment´s shop, I loved it. I think this is the perfect combination of operistic vocals with a really heavy music and instrumental harmonies. First of all I liked the keyboards and pianos which are used in a different way than in most of the bands (sometimes closer to jazz) playing arpegios instead of the usual chord progressions. Then I liked the changes in rhythms that the band has within each of the songs that are multiple (and this showcases the skills of the musicians of the band). And then I loved the omniprescent vocals of Kátia Santana who sounds like a very dark Tarja Turunen (Nightwish) but with a different approach (she uses more her middle range), contrasting with Marcos Riva´s vocals who are deep, sometimes almost spoken (like in bands as Moonspell for example). Also you have to check the guitars who play fast riffs and great solos having a great interaction with the keys and the vocals. One of the most promising bands this year. Don´t lose a step of this guys and girl. Favorite tracks: The whole album. Contact: www.demise.com.br 

REVIEW: PARADISE LOST - BELIEVE IN NOTHING

 

PARADISE LOST - BELIEVE IN NOTHING (EMI, 2001):

Track List: 1- I am Nothing, 2- Mouth, 3- Fader, 4- Look At Me Now, 5- Illumination, 6- Something Real, 7- Divided, 8- Sell It to the World, 9- Never Again, 10- Control, 11- No Reason, 12- World Pretending

I must admit that Paradise Lost is one of my favorite bands (if not my favorite) and I always have a big expectation on what movement they are doing next (they are always a surprise changing record after record). I must admit that even if I liked "Host" it was my least favorite recording from the band. I thought that one of then elements that made Paradise Lost so special as it was the combination of melodies with heavy guitars was gone. But I was completely wrong and here they are again. Crushing you since the beginning of "I am Nothing" here Aaron Aedy and Gregor Mackintosh have found again their sound (check for example "Sell It to the World"). Sounding like a mix of "One Second" and "Host", "Believe In Nothing" is one of the best recordings of the year. One thing that I always admired from Paradise Lost is how Nick Holmes vocals get better on each recording, and here is no exception, he is singing on top of the possibilities with his amazingly personal voice. While the songs are not like the ones in albums like "Shades of God", "Icon" or "Draconian Times", they are the perfect blend of heaviness and gothic flavors. Favorite tracks: All the album.

REVIEW: PAGANIZER - PROMOTING TOTAL DEATH

 

PAGANIZER- PROMOTING TOTAL DEATH (Forever Underground Recs., 2001):

Technical data:

Recorded at Necromorbus Studio, 1999.

Recorded, Produced and Mixed by Tore Stjerna

Design and Layout by Bill Smith.

Track List: 1- Promoting Total Death, 2- Brutal Way To Die, 3- Only Ashes Remain, 4- 16 Seconds Massacre, 5- At War, 6- All Hope is Dead, 7- Cyclone of Human Atrocity, 8- Life Slips Away, 9- Pain Has a Face

Some issues ago I interviewed Rogga from Paganizer....he told me that the band had changed the lineup and its name to Carve. I also reviewed the Carve promo. Maybe he decided to keep the Paganizer name after all. Now Forever Underground Recs. is releasing the recording that made Paganizer a famous underground act. "Promoting Total Death" is a burst of brutal death metal with extreme vocals. This is a death metal feast with brutal guitars that are really well mixed and a killer drummer who is a double bass nightmare. Also one point to remark is the bass that is helping to emphasize the guitar riffs while playing very tight with the drums adding heaviness to the final result. Judging from the wall of sound of this band and the quality of their riffs (made for jumping and moshing) I think they are a great band to see playing live. Favorite tracks: "Brutal Way To Die", "All Hope is Dead" and " Life Slips Away". Contact: www.foreverunderground.com

REVIEW: NECROPLASMA - DEMO 2001

 

NECROPLASMA - NECROPLASMA - DEMO 2001 (Neodawn Prods., 2001):

Track List: 1- Intro, 2- Dark Divine, 3- Nightmare (Devillust), 4- Darkness of Hell, 5- Razorwind, 6- Outro

 The sound of Dogs barking and growling and a strange creature scream open this recording of ultra fast and raw black metal. Even if Necroplasma is a band from Sweden, the music here is pure black metal in the Norwegian way. One thing that surprised me here is that the bass is clearly mixed...you can hear it in the fastest parts without having to listen very carefully and in some of the tracks it plays some interesting arrangements while still following the guitars. Bands like Mayhem or Dark throne or even old Bathory came into my mind while listening to this recording. Also it is interesting to listen how iun tracks like "Nightmare (Devillust)" the guitars start playing a slow melody while the drums and bass enter at full speed...The vocals in this recording are in the vein of the darkest bands in the black metal scene. Favorite tracks: "Darkness of Hell" and "Razorwind". Contact: http://go.to/neodawnproductions

REVIEW: NECRODEATH - FRAGMENTS OF INSANITY

 

NECRODEATH - FRAGMENTS OF INSANITY (Avantgarde Music, 2001):

Track List: 1- Choose Your Death, 2- Tanathoid, 3- State of Progressive Annihilation, 4- Metempsychosis, 5- Fragments of Insanity, 6- Enter my Subconscious, 7- Stillbirth, 8- Aucharistical Sacrifice

 Necrodeath is a classic death/thrash metal band from Italy. Avantgarde has released their classic 1989 album"Fragments of Insanity" because the band has now reunited to work on new material. The music here is lying heavily on thrash metal with death like vocals and it is primitive (I think that for the end of the eighties this was the standard, but nowadays...). To give you and idea this band has elements of Kreator, Destruction, Bathory, Slayer and some Celtic Frost. I would like to know which are their influences nowadays...I think that they must have changfe a little bit. In this bands that split up and then reunite after a long time it is always interesting to see the evolution that they suffer between the last recording before splitting up and the first one after reuniting. In this case I am waiting the new Necrodeath stuff to do this comparison. Favorite tracks: "Tanathoid", "Metempsychosis" and "Eucharistical Sacrifice". Contact: www.avantgardemusic.com

REVIEW: NAPALMED - MISCH MASCH MIKSASCH

 

NAPALMED - MISCH MASCH MIKSASCH (Independent, 2001):

Technical data:

Recorded in 4 track by Radek Kopel.

Design and Layout by Radek Kopel.

Track List: 1- 13.31, 2- 11.56, 3- 5.42, 4- 13.45

What we have here is complete experimentation with sounds, noises and other elements that Napalmed main man Radek Kopel brings us. As I commented before Radek likes to combine sounds and mix them in certain ways where they get coherence and structure and then develope it as a musical piece. This is a more ambient and calm album compared to Never Mind the MSBR (which I commented before). The main element here is experimentation, so if you are not afraid of that check this release. Favorite tracks: "11.56" and "5.42". Contact: napalmed@volny.cz

INTERVIEW WITH DIVINE RAPTURE

Well,are you giving the final touches to your new release?

Actually we won't be recording until late Spring. Right now we are putting final touches on all midi files (we have a few surprises for the album), song technique, practicing, artwork, and other surprises... We are also wrapping up loose ends on funding for the album with our sponsorship program (see www.divinerapture.net) and attempting to secure a marketing and distribution contract.

How does it feel to be considered one of the best bands in the death metal scene today?

WOW!!! It's great you think that, brother! We try our best to bring all sorts of emotions to the table in our music and to deliver it with skill. Dynamics are a key to our formula. They express feeling and slight noticeable alterations in playing. It shows that a band has heart. You can feel it come through on the other end of the speakers. We take our playing and lyrics seriously. The lyrics are well thought-out and deep and we are continuously trying to grow as musicians by refining our technique. We've gotten a lot of reaction for the application of technique as an enhancement to the emotion. We really take our time when we write and it allows the song to stew and receive input from our sources. Our songs don't result from jam sessions together. We try to nurture a song enough through intense thought and application that the song becomes an entity in itself instead of just a bag of riffs and I think that shows.

How did you got in contact with Erik Rutan to produce your new songs? IS he going to produce the new album too?

We had been speaking with him before back and forth for awhile and it just so happened that when we were set to record the new songs, he was opening Dimensional Sound Studios. So we asked him if we could come down to Tampa and set a date. He's going to produce the full-length too so we're excited as hell because his ear for the type of sound we're looking for is exceptional!! He knows how to bring out that fullness... that overall clean sound that allows you to hear the articulation and still get an IN-YOUR-FACE pummelling. And he's a real pro. He's serious about tones and preparation and just about the way things get done in general. It's a lot of fun working with him.

Can you tell us a little bit about the beginnings of the band?

Well, my brother and I started the band back in the mid 90's. At the time I was writing all of the music and he was producing all of the artwork and lyrics. We ran a few demo tapes in the Philly area to show what we were up to. We also went through a bunch of member changes then. Members just had a hard time keeping up with the speed or just found that every time we reached another step in the process, more effort was required and they'd rather wallow in their own sloth. We eventually recorded a self-titled album and released that through as many distros and media as we possibly could. We really put a hell of a lot of effort into a marketing and distro campaign for that album. As a result, the word kept spreading. Things snowballed from there. Exceptional musicians joined the band. We performed at a lot of the fests. We ended up supporting Deicide, Dying Fetus, In Flames, Mortician, etc... and we really pushed hard to get as much international media exposure as possible. If you wanna check out more info on us, hit www.divinerapture.net

Which are the main differences between the new songs and the ones in your debut album?

The new songs are definitely way more expansive, harmonically complex and open than the older album. On the first album, I wrote all the music and Mike did all the artwork and lyrics. It was a different time in our musical development. You can hear it in the riffs. The feeling of that album is definitely more closed and grass roots...in an internalized, focused energy type of way. Babak and I write a lot of the material together now and feed off of each other's input so the guitar parts actually sound that way. They complement each other and that coupled with a general natural molting of our source and playing, opens the feeling of the music into a more positively, outward-directed, flow-from-a-massive-internal-energy-well type of way. We hardly even play the same things at the same time in each song anymore. Actually the lyrics on these new songs are in the same direction as the music - more outward directed and open. Just check out the difference. Black Moon Harvest and possibly Glimmer From Beneath off the first one reflect the beginning of the molt. You can hear how the feeling is beginning to change on those two songs.

How were Divine Rapture´s live shows experience up to now?

Live has been great!! We get a kick-ass reaction at live shows. People just really feel the music and it's a great give and take between us and the crowd. As the crowd reacts, gets in the pit and sings the lyrics back to us, we feel it more and naturally give more. We've always had an enthusiastic crowd man. A lot of people saw us at the last Metal Meltdown and said we had one of the biggest crowds at the festival and that definitely was one of our best performances ,energy-wise, to date besides Deicide. When we played with Deicide, the energy level from us and the crowd went through the roof.

Did you find a new bassist for the band? Who is he?

There are a couple of successful candidates we're still going through so we'll be in contact with them and we're holding open auditions too. If anybody wants to get in contact about the position, write info@divinerapture.net. Myself and Babak are covering bass right now...

Do you have planning of touring to support the new material?

Absolutely. We're going to try and get out there as much as we can to support this album. There are already a few things in the works this year that center around late spring, fall and winter. There's a bunch of different factors that go into touring and things are constantly in flux, so keep checking www.divinerapture.net for updates....

What are Divine Rapture´s lyrics about?

My brother, Mike, writes very well thought-out lyrics that just touch a chord with everyone's paths. Even though, they reflect issues that are very personal to him, you can find meanings in them that can be applied to your own personal path. They're definitely not your normal run-of-the-mill gore dribble. Each song has it's own theme in relation to a personal struggle. For the best explanation of subject matter though, he would be the one to ask...

What do you think of the US death metal scene?

The U.S. death scene is pretty good. It depends what area and who's on the bill also. With death metal bands touring on bigger tours (i.e. Morbid Angel with Pantera), the seed spreads more also. I'd like to see what it's like over in Europe. We haven't gotten a chance to come over yet and I hear very good things about the scene there.

 

Any final words?

Wait till you hear this new material! It is completely brutal and as expansive as those songs on the cd. The album's going to have a few surprises on it too. So make sure to keep a look out on www.divinerapture.net for updates about the album and tours!!!

Divine Rapture

P.O. Box 159

Chester Heights, PA 19017

Info@divinerapture.net

www.divinerapture.net

 

DIVINE RAPTURE - DISCOGRAPHY

Divine Rapture - CD (1999)

Promo 2001 - CD Promo (2001)