REVIEW: TRIBUTO A RATA BLANCA - LA LEYENDA CONTINÚA

 

TRIBUTO A RATA BLANCA - LA LEYENDA CONTINÚA (Nems Enterprises, 2001):

Technical data:

Recorded at La Nave de Oseberg by Martín Toledo, Diego Martinez and Sebastian Manta. Except bass, drums and rhythm guitar on "La leyenda..." recorded in Caverrock Studios by Tero Kinnunen

Mix and mix production: Piet Salck, power House Studios, Germany

Mastering by Mika Jussila at Finnvox Studios

Cover and Logo: Eric Philippe

Design and Layout by Andrea Yeber

Track List: 1- Rompe el Hechizo (Azeroth), 2- Los Ojos del Dragón (Humanimal), 3- La Misma Mujer (JAF), 4- Guerrero del Arco Iris (Beto Vazquez Infinity), 5- Herederos de la Fe (Devenir), 6- Asesinos (Lörihen), 7- El Sueño de la Gitana (Saúl Blanch), 8- Agord la bruja (Jeriko+Walter Meza), 9- Jerusalem (Presto Vivace), 10- Abrazando al Rock´n´roll (Rosacruz), 11- Chico Callejero (Selidor+Mario Ian), 12- Mujer Amante (Barrozo, Perini, Takara, Bistolfi, Leonetti), 13- Sólo para Amarte (Coria, Lis, Scarcella, Marian, Sánchez), 14- La Leyenda del hada y el Mago (Giardino, Barilari, Johansson, Vuorinen, Nevalainen, Vänskä)

Like in all tribute albums or compilations here we have different results depending on the song that was chosen to cover and of the band that is doing it.

Here we have fourteen Rata Blanca classics and I must say that here I am getting subjective: I like more the first Rata Blanca album and the "Entre el Cielo y el Infierno" one. And I like more the bands that have chosen not to cover the song in an almost identical way than the original. That is why I like more tracks like "La misma mujer" done by JAF who has a completely different type of voice than the original singer Saul Blanch. Eventhough the same happens with "Chico Callejero", I find that the result is not as effective as in the aforementioned song, I think that here the vocals doesn´t achieve the power that the songs deserve. On "El sueño de la Gitana" original singer Saul Blanch does an almost exact version than the original. Another of my favorites is "Agord, la Bruja done by Jeriko and Horcas singer Walter Meza. This is a musically very even tribute. Favorite tracks: "La Misma Mujer", "Agord la Bruja" and "Jerusalem". Contact: www.nems.com.ar

REVIEW: TRAIL OF TEARS - PROFUNDEMONIUM

 

TRAIL OF TEARS - PROFUNDEMONIUM (Scarecrow Recs., 2001):

Technical data:

Recorded at jailhouse Studios, Norway.

Produced by Hans Eidskard and Trail of Tears.

Design and Layout by travis Smith.

Track List: 1- Countdown to Ruin, 2- Driven Through the Ruins, 3- Fragile Emotional Disorder, 4- Profundemonium, 5- Sign of the Shameless, 6- In Frustration´s Preludioum, 7- In Frustration´s Web, 8- Released at Last, 9- Image of Hope, 10- Dissapointment´s True Face, 11- The Haunted

Trail of tears is one of the Norwegian revelation bands. Their sounds is a climatic death metal with female vocals in the way that Tristania did in their first recording. The vocals of Ronny Thorsen are pure death metal, prefering to be effective and clear than guttural and Helena Michaelsen´s ones (she was replaced by Cathrine Paulsen) are the perfect contrast, destiling passion and pain (and using very effectively her middle range instead of abusing the highest notes she can reach). Obviously here we have a lot of keyboards and orchestrations that construct effectively the songs interacting with the heavier guitars and the voices. This is what I would call a very baroque death metal release, full of ornaments and arrangements. Favorite tracks: "Driven through the Ruins", "Sign of the Shameless" and "Image of Hope". Contact: www.redheaven.com .

REVIEW: TED KILLIAN - FLUX AETERNA

 

TED KILLIAN - FLUX AETERNA (pf MENTUM, 2001):

Technical data:

Recorded at Fusion Post Productions.

Mixeed and Mastered by Jeff Kaiser, March/April 2001

Design and Layout by Ted Killian.

Track List: 1- Hubble, 2- Leaving Medford, 3- Cauterant Baptism, 4- Last Sparrow, 5- Recurvate Plaint, 6- Nocturnal Interstices, 7- Reverse Logics, 8- Convocation Solitaires, 9- Gravity Suspended, 10- Flux Aeterna

Really atmospheric use of electronics and guitar on this recording by master Ted Killian. It is interesting to see how this man creates certain waves of sounds, some of them more rhythmic, some of the more melodic, some of them more noisy and he starts to put one over the other to create this unique pieces. In my mind this is like the sea...when one wave dissapears then another one comes to replace it without leaving any holes. Here is the same...you have one sound in the background...then another one covers it gently and the first one stays in the back or goes away. If this sound dissapears, another one takes it places letting silence appear only to remark the dynamics. Ted Killian is really experimenting here and I love guys like this one who have the mind so open to achieve this results. Ten tracks of exploring new soils in the musical world. Favorite tracks: "Leaving Medford", "Recurvate Plaint" and "Reverse Logic". Contact: www.pfmentum.com

REVIEW: SUMMON - BAPTIZED BY FIRE

 

SUMMON - BAPTIZED BY FIRE (The Plague, 1999):

Technical data:

Recorded at Laud Studio.

Produced by Tim Lau and Summon

Digital Rendering and Art Execution by Michael Riddick.

Track List: 1- Intro, 2- Sons of Wrath, 3- Visions of Apocalyptic Grace, 4- Baptized by Fire, 5- The Silence of Chaos, 6- Dark Descent of Fallen Souls, 7- Realm of No Return, 8- Burning Black Desire, 9- Beyond the Gates of Storm, 10- Eve of Anti Creation, 11- Eternal Darkness, 12- Outro

I reviewed Summon´s latest offering on last issue of Music Extreme. This time I have in my hand Summon´s previous album "Baptized by Fire". And I can see that the band has not evolved too much since this release. Is that good or bad? That is up to you. Here is their extreme and brutal fast death metal with some black metal parts. Here is also that machine like drummer who does not miss a beat and plays extremely fast blast beats and interesting double bass patterns. Here are the guttural vocals that are so important in this style to transport you directly to hell. And here is also the really good sound that this recording has, were you can clearly listen everything that is going on while this guys play their instruments. I would compare this to albums like "Blizzard beasts" by Immortal but with a better sound. I can do an equation: speed + brutality + intense musicianship = Summon. Favorite tracks: "The Silence of Chaos", "Realm of No Return" and "Eve of Anti-Creation". Contact: www.hammerheart.com

REVIEW: SERBERUS - OUR DYING GRACE

 

SERBERUS - OUR DYING GRACE (Independent, 2001):

Technical data:

Recorded at Hellion Studios.

Produced by Dave Otero

Collage Layout by Nick Jackson.

Track List: 1- Prologue, 2- Our Dying Grace, 3- Dark Dream, 4- Ancient Throne, 5- Curse The Gods, 6- Multimedia Section: 2 live videos, the In Eternity EP in MP3 format, biography, discography, reviews, interview, lyrics, etc.

This is one of the best sounding black metal bands that I have listened in a while. In fact I think we could call the Serberus style as black/death metal because they have elements of both styles while retaining original ideas, specially in the guitar riffs (check the ones in "Our Dying Grace" with twin bridges to see why I am saying this and check the final part that is really slower with intriguing melodies and an extremely dark aura). "Dark Dream" starts fast and melodically in a way that wouldn´t be out of place in bands like In Flames or Dark tranquility. The main attraction in the band is how intersting their riffs are and how catchy are the choruses ( I can relate this to bands like Samael or Carcass whose choruses you can sing or scream along while remaining brutal) and this giives a lot of originality to the music. Plus this CD has a multimedia track were you can see two live videos of the band and check all the data, reviews, and the "In Eternity" EP in mp3 format. Favorite tracks: "Dark Dream", " Our Dying Grace" and "Ancient throne". Contact: www.serberus.com

REVIEW: SAREPTA - SOULSCARS

 

SAREPTA - SOULSCARS (Independent, 2001):

Technical data:

Recorded and mixed by Boban Milunovic at Noise Art Studio.

Artwork by pascal, hannes and Leonam by.

Track List: 1- Lying Face Downward, 2- Stress Accelerator, 3- Fear Rush, 4- Blood, tears and Hate, 5- Hungry, 6- Revolution Train.7- Blackground, 8- Assholes First, 9- Lustheide, 10- The Clutter in your mind, 11- Awake, 12- Vempires, 13- Soulscars, 14- Vulgar Speech

This is what I call a powerful album. This is death metal with a modern sound (it is what Machine Head would do if they play more death like music). Full of intense riffs, excelent guitar solos and melodies. Remember what you felt the first time that you listened to "Burn My Eyes"? Well, this is the feeling that I got here...I crancked my stereo to a loud volume and let Sarepta hit me in the face !! How can a band blend melodie and riffs so intense in such a perfect way? There are also some Prong influences here and there and maybe some Fudge Tunnel and Slayer, all mixed up and surfacing with Sarepta´s identity. Here there are fourteen tracks of pure metal made by a band designed to crush the world. Do you want power? Here is Sarepta. Favorite tracks: "Fear Rush", "Revolution Train" and "Assholes First". Contact: www.sarepta.net

REVIEW: RUNE - RUNE

 

RUNE - RUNE (Crucial Blast Recs., 2001):

Technical data:

Recorded at the Danger Room by Chris Commons

Cover Artwork by Germ?.

Layout by Dave

Track List: 1- Call of Hearts, 2- Four Season Landmark, 3- 106 Degrees

What a noisy guitar !!! This sounds like they are overdubbing a lot. Great, I like it ! And it sounds different from what one is expecting . This grind/death metal band has a big contrast within their sound which I like: this extremely loud and distorted guitars colliding with the clean bass and the extremely clean drums (they sound like in a band like for example Rage Against the Machine, spexially the snare drum).. I think the heavier parts are where this guys make breaks in their musics and there are a lot of them or on the midpaced tempos where the guitars and bass play in unison its lowest notes. The vocals are closer to death metal than to grindcore...in fact they sound like old Obituary in some parts. This is a three track EP and the three track are powerful and noisy at the same time. Recommended for fans of the styles (more death metal than grind). Contact: www.morenoise.com/crucialblast

INTERVIEW WITH ETOILE NOIRE

 

How would you define Etoile Noire´s music?

Ferruccio Milanesi: We usually define our music simply "gothic rock", because it's a very general definition: magazines call in this way really different bands, from MARYLIN MANSON to MISSION, to LACRIMOSA, to 69 EYES and we thought it could include also our music.

But it's really hard to find the right definition: probably "rock", with no other adjective, could be the best, because we have various influences, from gothic to stoner rock, punk and metal.

Pasquale Scotti: Yes, our promo starts with "Ascension", aggressive and direct, to finish with "Point Of No Return", with a melodic and calm first part soon becoming red-hot and with a painful atmosphere.

I think the key of our music is "Melt", fusion of dark/gothic and desert rock with a marked tendency to '70 rock.

Has the promo "Sleeping Black Eyes" been well received by the media?

Pasquale Scotti: "Sleeping Black Eyes" has received till now many reviews: the greatest part of them have really appreciated our attempt of mixing different styles, of doing something that could be considered our personal way of making music with something original. Only some of them, even if giving good opinions about our work, has lingered too much over on our yearning for '80 dark music: we're really honoured for they compared us to CHRISTIAN DEATH, but we don't think that it's a good comparison, because it's enough to listen to "Melt" or "Sleeping Black Eyes" to understand that we have a different approach, more rock oriented.

Ferruccio Milanesi: In general, media has been divided in two groups: the open-minded have listened to music we play, judging it for what it is, the others listened but were waiting something they wanted: so we were too dark for metal magazines, too metal for dark ones, too obscure for rock, too rock for gothic.

This is not a problem for us, because don't want to be a gothic band at any cost, to make a copy of any band of the past, or play what they expect from us to be sure they'll appreciate. We want only to be a straight rock 'n roll band, playing what we want, and we decided in this band to be free, so if a stoner riff could be good with a darkwave bass, or a straight rock song after an acoustic part with a violin, I think we have to ask nobody to do this. If people will apreciate (as many are doing) we are happy but if some magazine wants the same pre-cooked soup we are not the right band for it.

Are you planning to release a new album in 2002?

Ferruccio Milanesi: Yes, we hope that our first album will be out before the end of this year, but till now we have not found the right label for us and we're still searching

It seems to me that Pasquale´s vocals have something of a punk influence. Am I correct?

Pasquale Scotti: I don't think so... or I've not thought it till today. I listen so much to punk music but I'm strongly bound to dark rock and gothic. If your opinion about my voice is referred to its being really direct and sometimes filthy, and to the screaming, yes, you're right and I'm happy for this.

How is the process of composing all Etoile Noire´s songs?

Augusto Maiolini: There's no particular procedure, at least concerning the songs that started from my ideas: what I try to do is simply to transfer my grudges, my suffering into the songs I write. I think there's no procedure, this is what you have inside yourself and that's enough.

Ferruccio Milanesi: Usually one of us proposes an idea, and we work all togheter to arrange the song and to make it always better. Composition is for us a work that should be done with the contribution of every member of the band: each one has his own ideas and influences, and that's the way to make our music not unidimensional but the mix of different genres that is our characteristic.

Which are your plans for this year?

Alessio Sica: Our plans are to intensify live activity and at the same time to continue working on new songs: we do love live dimension and we find it's the best way to test new songs and find the best arrangement.

Which are the styles that have influenced more heavily Etoile Noire´s music?

Augusto Maiolini: As far as I'm concerned I'm influenced by every musical genre. Every music that succeed in being expressive could influence me. Music is evolution, not bound to a specific musical style. There are band I listen to more than others, as KYUSS, MOTORPSYCHO, PINK FLOYD, but I'm also interested in bands with a more modern attitude such as MASSIVE ATTACK or PORTISHED. I think that ETOILE NOIRE will be modern and people will like them as long as nobody will be able to define us and enclose in the ghetto of a single style.

Ferruccio Milanesi: I listen to a great variety of music, classical and rock, dark, every kind of metal from glam to grind, punk and industrial. I try to be open-minded, even if obviously I've my preferred styles and bands. I think Etoile Noire has to thank for its music at the same time BLACK SABBATH and CHRISTIAN DEATH, MOTÖRHEAD and KYUSS, CURE and MISFITS, CULT and JOY DIVISION, just to mention some.

How was your work in Amok´s "Ethereal traveller"?

Pasquale Scotti: AMOK was a collaboration between ETOILE NOIRE and our friend ALESSANDRO IZZO, a really talented artist doing electronic music. This project has been our way to attempt different genres and has received receive good consent from listeners and magazines.

The band split up because we listen to electronic music but we don't like too much to play it. But probably in the future we'll resume it, maybe we'll release something, because AMOK's promo "Ethereal Traveller" was really well reviewed by magazines.

What can you tell me about your collaboration with the dark/folk band Argine?

Ferruccio Milanesi: I joined ARGINE in 1998, and till now there has been a great collaboration: we've issued a live Lp, a mcd and the second album, not mentioning various tracks for compilations. We've played live in many italian cities and in Switzerland and I think they are a band with great chances for the future, even if they've been too often limited by labels with too underground attitude who didn't promote, distibute and reissue when necessary. They are finally returning to their post-punk origins and this is a good thing for me because they're coming out of the restricted scene of apocalyptic-folk and trying to reach the world outside. Yet, playing in aggressive way is surely more natural for me, while playing in acoustic concerts was sometimes hard. Probably we'll play live as ETOILE NOIRE togheter with them in some dates.

Alessio Sica: I was enchanted by that kind of music, so when ARGINE contacted me to play on "Luctamina In Rebus" album I did it with great pleasure. After some months they asked me to join the band and I accepted at once, above all cosidering the artistic quality of Corrado Videtta and his band.

What can you tell me about the other members projects?

Pasquale Scotti: I and Ferruccio have formed in 1998 ANIMA IN FIAMME, band dedited to neoclassic dark music, with the use of piano, cello, violin, harp and sometimes contaminated by industrial influences. We've released many tracks for compilation all over the world and the first album "Sub Occasum Solis" for French label PRIKOSNOVENIE.

Ferruccio Milanesi: Music is my life, and my work, so I play also as session bass player in various bands, and unfortunately they're not always playing music I like. I hope in the future I will dedicate all my time and eneregy to my projects, with no need of doing something else.

Yet, I love collaborations, and when some guy of a band I like asks me to play in a song or to work togheter I can't help accepting.

Something more that you want to add?

Ferruccio Milanesi: We really thank you for the interest you have shown in on our music and for the space you give us on your magazine.

If all the people working in extreme and underground music would seriously work and with devotion as you music such as dark, metal and punk could be not only a drop in sea of indifference.

Contacts: ETOILE NOIRE, c/o Ferruccio Milanesi, Via G. Jannelli 45/D, 80131 Naples, Italy

etoilenoire@katamail.com

www.etoilenoire.net

ETOILE NOIRE - DISCOGRAPHY

Sleeping Black Eyes - promo CD (2001)

 

ACTUAL LINEUP

Ferrucio Milanesi - bass

Pasquale Scotti - vocals, acoustic guitars

Augusto Maiolini - guitars

Alessio Sica - drums

REVIEW: RISING MOON - EUROPEAN ALIENS

 

RISING MOON - EUROPEAN ALIENS (Metal Fortress Entertainment, 2001):

Technical Data

Recorded at Temple of Noise Studio, Rome

Track List: 1- Brutal Katatonic(a), 2- Roswell File, 3- Alien Coil, 4- Temperatures, 5- Division Abductions

Can we mix extreme brutal fast death metal with a lot of guitar melodies and some riffs that can sound really power metal? Yes ! And here we have the prove. From Italy comes Rising Moon and this is a demonstration of the mix that I told before.  This is a band that will kick you in the stomach with their powerful sound and their furious blast beats while having in some tracks (for example on "Roswell Fire") some interesting riffs that wouldn´t had been out of place in Carcass masterpiece "Heartwork". In fact I think that this is the path the band has to explore more in the future...those guitar melodies and the way in which one guitar plays a rhythmic riff while the other one makes some melodies over it are what can give the band the opportunity to be a unique name in the death metal scene. Favorite tracks: "Roswell Fire" and "Temperatures". Contact: www.risingmoon.it

INTERVIEW WITH DICHOTIC

Dichotic´s music has been defined as death metal, avant garde and a lot of different styles. What lies behind the music of this young candians from Halifax. Vocalist Raland Kinley helped us to clear our minds.

Even though Dichotic's music seems to be related to death metal, it seems to be difficult to describe it. How would you describe your own music?

Well, we do play death metal. Although we try not to do what other bands are doing or what we have done in the past. I guess it's "original". That's the best way to describe Dichotic's music.

Can you tell me about the beginning of the band and its evolution through time?

Dichotic has existed in one form or another since 1993. There were a few lineup and band name changes before the Dichotic that exists today came to be. The band was never really intended to be a serious thing. Before recording "Collapse Into Despair" in 1998, the band had already demoed some of its material under a different moniker, but those demos were never shopped to labels. There is acually an MP3 from a demo called "Essence" (recorded in 1996) included in the multimedia section of "Lowest Common Denominator" (recorded in 1999). "Essence" was done before either myself (vocals) or bassist Scott Armstrong were in the band.

The current lineup features Neil Grandy on drums, Scott Armstrong on bass, Raland Kinley on vocals and Richard Guy on guitar. Jeff Calder also played guitar on "Collapse..." and "Lowest...", but he has since left the band.

We just write music and record CDs for fun. It's not a money-making thing at all, and we're well aware that no label of any consequence willl ever sign us. Dichotic will go on as long as we're willing and able to play.

Is the way you make the compositions conscious (for example you say...let´s do a really heavy song, etc.) or they are basically made through jamming?

Richard and Scott tend to write all the music. Scott usually writes a full song all at once and we just learn it. Richard usually has a few riffs, and writes more riffs and structures the music during practices. I write the lyrics and figure out the vocal patterns. We only write heavy stuff, but we always try to do something different.

Another question related to composition...When the riffs are composed, are they all put together into one song or maybe you mix the riffs and parts into different songs?

Usually, we only have enough new riffs to write "the next song". However, if a particular riff won't fit into a song we're writing, the riff will either be scrapped or it could appear in a future song.

I have read in Dichotic´s web page about your touring... Which are your plans of touring to support the new record that will come up soon?

Heh...we don't really tour. Dichotic is based in Halifax, Nova Scotia. We live too far away from any of the major music scenes, and we all have careers and school to attend to, so there really isn't time or money left for touring. We do play a lot of local shows and a few road shows every year though.

Which are the main differences between "Lowest Common Denominator" and "Collapse Into Despair"?

"LCD" is less accessible than "CID". As a result, I would say that "LCD" is more original and has better ideas. "LCD" also sounds a lot more like what we really sound like. So the main differences are: "LCD" has better music and better sound than "CID".

Since "Collapse Into Despair" was released on October 1999...In which state is now the composition of the new album? Will it be released through Discorporate Music? (In this question I confused the names of the CDs…I am an asshole)

Um...actually, "CID" was released in September of 1998. Our latest CD, "LCD", was released in October of 1999. The next CD is a work in progress. It will be released on Discorporate Music, but it's far too early to speculate on a release date.

How do you see " Lowest Common denominator" and "Collapse into Despair" in the distance? Is there something you would have change?

I think we will try to perfect the production of our next CD. The music is quite solid on both of our previous releases, but we have never achieved the perfect sound we're looking for. There are not too many skilled producers who have worked with heavier bands in Halifax, so it's hard to get the sound you want sometimes.

Are there any words that you can say to your fans from Argentina?

Hmmm...I didn´t know we had any fans in Argentina. Although we appreciate support from people no matter where they are from.

 

DICHOTIC - DISCOGRAPHY

Collapse Into Despair - CD (1998)

Lowest Common Denominator - CD (1999)

Neoblast Compilation´99, contributed with "Precise"- CD (2000)

ACTUAL LINEUP

Neil Grandy - drums

Scott Armstrong - bass

Raland Kinley - vocals

Richard Guy - guitar