REVIEW: ENS COGITANS - HEART OF THE WAY

 

ENS COGITANS - HEART OF THE WAY (Nostradamus Records, 2001):

Technical data:

Recorded and Mixed at Red Rose Studios

Produced by Michael Antonov and Ens Cogitans

Artwork by Ilya Trusov.

Track List: 1- Stone Mill, 2- Fire from Within, 3- Search of Kalokagathy, 4- Hart of the Way, 5- As The Heartbeat Vanishes, 6- Through the Moonlight

On their previous album, Ens Cogitans reminded me as a mix of the Paradise Lost of "One Second" and the Apradise Lost of "Host". That is a band with certain electronic elements but still very heavy and gothic with their own identity. This time this guys have changed their sound and their music has become more technical. There are multiple passages withinm each track going from the most calm parts with keyboards, clean guitars and whispered vocals to heavier parts with distorted guitars, more dynamic voclas and interesting drum breaks and tmpo changes. One thing that I must remark is the interesting work of the bass player who contributes a lot to the final result doing a lot of arrangementes (the bass is mixed really loud on this CD). This is one of the best bands that I have listened from the Russian metal scene. Favorite tracks: the whole album. Contact: http://nostradamusrec.euro.ru.

REVIEW: ECZEMA - SOLEDAD, EL LLANTO DE LA MUERTE

 

ECZEMA - SOLEDAD, EL LLANTO DE LA MUERTE (Independent, 2001):

Technical data:

Recorded at Estudios El Jardín Paramétrico

Produced by Michael Antonov and Ens Cogitans

Artwork by Ilya Trusov.

Track List: Soledad, el llanto de la muerte: 1- El tiempo, 2- Un instante..., 3- Un recuerdo, 4-...una eternidad, 5- El miedo

Al otro lado del Espejo: 1- Esencia de odio, 2-Crees despertar, 3- Sacrilegio a Vivaldi II 

Here we have in one CD the two latest works of this Spanish band. They are called "Soledad, el llanto de la muerte" (Loneliness, the cry of death with one 29 minutes track divided in five parts) and "Al otro lado del espejo" (The other side of the mirror"). This band is a very good example of the new scene that I would like to call Iberic extreme metal scene. Eczema makes a technical kind of death/black metal (there are elements of death metal in the guitars riffs which are more rhythmic, say in the vein of Death and also a lot of black metal in the vocals and certain melodies). What I like from this guys is that they use speed as a complement and not as their main element. They have a profound sense of what is constructing a track and they have structured their songs really well while using a lot of different parts within the same track. There are also a lot of guitar melodies which help to make the songs more interesting , and also millions of rhythm changes (excelent!!!). This is another of my favorite CDs of the month. Favorite tracks : The whole CD. Contact: ivaneczema@yahoo.com

REVIEW: DIVINE RAPTURE - PROMO 2001

 

DIVINE RAPTURE - PROMO 2001 (Independent, 2001):

Technical data:

Recorded at Dimensional Sound Studios.

Engineered and Mixed by Erik Rutan

Mastered by Colin Davis.

Track List: 1- Affliction, 2- Funeral Mist, 3- My demon, your dove

Divine Rapture comes back after their debut album (which was a demo CD with different versions of six tracks) with this brutal tracks that maybe will be part of their next full length. The music is even more brutal than on the "Divine Rapture" CD... and the mix is much more clear. They have chosen Morbid Angel/ Alas guitarist Erik Rutan to engineer and mix their new tracks and he has done a good job making the sound like a mix between modern death metal bands and clasical bands like Dismember, Morbid Angel or Disincarnate. The three tracks contained on this promo CD are full speed and brutality, with some original touches like the more rhythmic stuff and the guitar riffs. I am waiting for their new full length for this year. If it is like this three tracks, it will be like an atom bomb. Contact: www.divinerapture.net

REVIEW: DIVINE RAPTURE - DIVINE RAPTURE

 

DIVINE RAPTURE - DIVINE RAPTURE (Hrborrah Records, 1999):

Technical data:

Recorded at Silent Studios.

Mixed by Justin Anthony Madax

Produced by Divine Rapture and Justin Madax

Artwork by Mike Hrubovcak.

Track List: 1- Desirous Nonsubsistence, 2- Purging thy Torrents, 3- Black Moon Harvest, 4- Unyielding Presence, 5- The Well of Enlightenment, 6- A Glimmer From beneath, Raw Primal Versions: 7- Black Moon Harvest, 8- Desirous Nonsubsistence, 9- Purging Thy Torrents, 10- Unyielding presence, 11- A Glimmer From Beneath, 12- Multimedia track

This is Divine Rapture´s debut album that contains six tracks from a demo in its Original Versions and in its Primal Raw Versions, where the first ones are better sounding than the second ones. The music is a modern death metal in the vein of the fastest Morbid Angel with good and fast solos  (some of them done with Harmonizer, like the ones in "Purging Thy Torrents") and emphasizing the more rhythmic side of their musicl personality (some riffs are great for seeing the band live in front of stage diving crowd). There is also a powerful and growling vocalist and some melodies that are thrown here and there and help the tracks to have their own identity ("Black Moon Harvest" is a total death metal hit)The sound is not so good, specially the drums are a little bit opaque, but considering the one that they have achieved in their new material they have solved easily this problem. Favorite tracks" "Black Moon Harvest", "Unyielding Presence" and "A Glimmer from Beneath". Contact: www.divinerapture.net

REVIEW: DISINTER - DEMONIC PORTRAITURE

 

DISINTER - DEMONIC PORTRAITURE (Morbid Records, 2001):

Technical data:

Recorded at Studio One

Mastered at JEM Studios

Engineered by Chris Djuricic and Disinter

Artwork by In Deed Hell

Track List: 1- First and Last In Battle / Strength and Honour, 2- An Eternity of Pain, 3- The Hunter´s Moon, 4- Where We Are Mortal, 5- Woven with pestilence and War, 6- What Once Was, Again Shall Be, 7- Cyclopean Ruins, 8- Upon The Winds of Vengeance, 9- Whirling Spectral Voices, 10- Demonic Portraiture

Some issues ago I reviewed the previous album from this death metal machine called Disinter. Now is time for their latest opus "Demonic Portraiture". The first thing that I notice is that this time the sound is much better than in their previous effort making the tracks more effective. The music is still hyper speed death metal with melodies here and there, and extremely technical (those super fast guitar melodies on the first track for example are really difficult to do while beig coherent with the rest of the band). This CD contains ten tracks of this crushing band, and all of them are extremely brutal but at the same time they have some subtle riffs and certain melodies that make the things more interesting (also there are interesting drum patterns like the one at 1:19 from "An Eternity of Pain"). Lovers of brutality, here is smething for you !!Favorite tracks: "An Eternity of Pain", The Hunter´s Moon" and "Whirling Spectral Voices". Contact: www.morbidrecords.de

REVIEW: DIES IRAE - NAIVE

 

DIES IRAE - NAIVE (Oz Records, 2001):

Technical data:

Recorded at Fredman Studio

Engineered and Mixed by Fredrik Nordström

Artwork by Daniel Herrera.

Track List: 1- Sculped In Stone, 2- Ice In Dawn, 3- Blurred, 4- Parallel Universe Pt 1, 5- Shattered Mockery, 6- Slow, 7- In Porous Verves, 8- Shades, 9- Parallel Universe Pt. 2

This guys are real beasts!!! And they have achieved an impressing CD. With a death metal truly elaborated and technical, they present us a work in which we must remark the role of the guitars which have agreat sound that soemtimes play harmonies, sometimes open chords, sometimes hyperfast riffs. Another point that is fundamental for Dies Irae is the excellent drums sound that the CD has and that makes easier to appreciate the work that this drummer is doing with his kit. He is an expert in variations, changes and breaks (there are a lot of good drums arrangements, some of them very technical and some of them done witha lot of simplicity). There are really good interludes with clean guitars where the bass shines with his constant arrangements. All this point are fundamental for this guys whose main point is creating great compositions in their style. A band to don´t miss a step. Favorite tracks: "Shattered Mockery", " In porous Verves" and "Ice In Dawn". Contact: www.ozproductions.com

REVIEW: DIAGNOSTICO FINAL - INVOLUCION

 

DIAGNOSTICO FINAL - INVOLUCION (Independent, 2001):

Technical data:

Recorded and Mixed by Ariel Malizia

Cover Artwork by Lilia Mosconi.

Track List: 1- Ellos vendrán a buscarte, 2- Tu vieja Amiga, 3- Siglo XXI, Epoca Feudal, 4- Persevera y Triunfarás, 5- La razón de Vivir, 6- Sociedad Consumidora de Mentiras, 7- Malvinas Argentina, 8- Bajo el Agua, 9- Multimedia Track

This is music between heavy, thrash and a certain hardcore flavor, specially on some of the riffs and vocals. This recording has a modern guitar sound tat accentuates the results achieved by the band on the guitar riffs. The music is the perfect way for the band to express their feelings through their very crude lyrics (which have a lot of social content...people from Argentina surely will understand them). Well, the music contained here is a kick in your stomach, with a lot of power and not too much subtle elements...here all the emphasis is on the strength and power and feelings!!. The sound achieved in studio is a very good one...maybe I would have mixed a little bit higher the bass to add more bottom end top the band´s sound. A really powerful recording. Favorite tracks: "Siglo XXI, Epoca Feudal", "La Razón de Vivir" y "Sociedad Consumidora de Mentiras". Contact: www.diagnosticofinal.com o www.diagnosticofinal.com.ar

REVIEW: DARK LAND - DARK LAND

 

DARK LAND - DARK LAND (Perverted Taste Records):

Track List: 1- Sound of Nothing, 2- Schizophren, 3- Rise and Fall, 4- Rome, 5- Dreams of Childhood, 6- Das Letzte Mal

Perverted Taste records has released this extremely climatic album, full ofm what we can call depressive gothic metal. Yes, I called this deppressive and that is the feeling that you will feel while listening to this CD. In fact, one of the main things that contribute to this depressive aura is the sound of the violin used here as one of the main instruments. This string instrument literally weeps through all the tracks contained here, sometimes with despair, sometimes with sadness, sometimes with hope. The vocals are another important element here because thy are quite similar to the ones in Moonspell, but used in a different way...more slowly, more calmly, darker. The guitars are the third point of the compositive axis creating a lot odf the moods presented on this album. Contact: www.pervertedtaste.de 

REVIEW: DARGAARD - THE DISSOLUTION OF ETERNITY

 

DARGAARD - THE DISSOLUTION OF ETERNITY (Draenor Prods., 2001):

Technical data:

Recorded, mixed and mastered at Tonstudio Hoernix.

Recorded, Mixed and Edited by George Hrauda and Tharen.

Layout by Tharen.

Track List: 1- As Old as the Bones of The Earth, 2- Thy Fleeing Time, 3- A Path in the Dust, 4- In the Omniprescence of Death, 5- My Phantasm Supreme, 6- Night Before the Vastland Storms, 7- Fires Dominion, 8- The Isolated Vale, 9- A Prophecy of Immortality, 10- Wanderer At The End of Time

This is the latest Dargaard album and it seems to be the last part of the saga of Eternity that started with "Eternity Rites". Here again the songs are extremely well composed and they seem to be from a movie soundtrack (specifically from a movie about ancient warriors and ancient times). Full of keyboards and orchestrations, Daargard´s music is the perfect vehicle to manifest the feelings contained in the lyrics done by Tharen. Elisabeth´s vocals are darker than ever and they are one of the main points around which the tracks are developed. People who likes good composition and dark melodies will definitely love this one. Favorite tracks: "As Old As The Bones of the Earth", " In the Omniprescence of Death" and " The Isolated Vale". Contact: www.daargard.com

REVIEW: DARGAARD - ETERNITY RITES

 

DARGAARD - ETERNITY RITES (Draenor Prods., 1999):

Technical data:

Recorded and Mixed at Hoernix Studios

Recorded, Mixed and Edited by Georg Hranda and Tharen

Track List: 1- Eternity Rite Pt. 1, 2- Demon Eyes, 3- Fuer Grissa Est Dranka, 4-Down To The Halls of The blind, 5- Nightvision, 6-Arcanum Mortis, 7- Eternity Rite Pt II, 8-Temple of The Moon, 9- Of Broken Stones, 10- Seelenlos, 11- Transfer Complete

Here we have Dargaard´s first recording. This debut CD´s music can be described as atmospheric and ethereal. Eleven extremely subtle tracks are what you will find here...they are full with keyboards, melodies and harmonies. Sang Drax Tharen and Elisabeth Toriser are the two persons behind Dargaard´s music and they make an excelent job: Sang Drax creating all the music and the lyrics and Elisabeth with her really beautiful voice. The music can be described also as ancient and dark because of the types of melodies used here which are sad and introspective. Favorite tracks: "Down To the Halls of the Blind, "Arcanum Mortis" and "Temple of The Moon". Contact: www.dargaard.com