REVIEW: MIGUEL SANCHEZ - THALISMA

 

MIGUEL SANCHEZ - THALISMA (Carbon 7 Records, 2001)

Produced by Guy Segers and Alan Ward

Recorded at Studio Bonzai and Studio De Studio

Layout by Els Van Hemelryck

Tracks: 1- Esperanza, 2- Contigo Soñar, 3- Mi Rollo, 4- Lere, 5- Fuente de Colores, 6- Punta Paloma, 7- jam De Studio, 8- Siete Cuatro, 9- this, 10- the Heritage (Buleria)

A beautiful release. Miguel Sanchez, "el Canijo" has the gift of knowing how to mix perfectly flamenco, jazz and even some new age music. And that is perfectly demonstrated on this release where he makes a great combination of his influences. There are also some eastern sounding melodies (this feeling is enhanced because of the use of exotic instruments in this context). I like the way Sanchez plays his guitar letting it breath with arpéggios and making some interesting melodies. Also there is a great work on vocals that are closer to flamenco than to the other styles mentioned above. There are plenty of phrases done by the instruments here doing some scales (a lot of phrygian modes and harmonic minor sounds). Also there are a lot of guest musicians who help to make this album a great one. Favorite Tracks: "Fuente de Colores", "Punta Paloma" and "Siete Cuatro". Contact: www.carbon7.com

REVIEW: MEGADETH - THE WORLD NEEDS A HERO

 

MEGADETH - THE WORLD NEEDS A HERO (Metal-Is Recs, 2001)

Produced by Dave Mustaine

Recorded and Mixed by Bill Kennedy

Front Cover Photograph by Dave Cronin

Tracks: 1- Disconnect, 2- The World Needs a Hero, 3- Moto Psycho, 4- 1000 Times Goodbye, 5- Burning Bridges, 6- Promises, 7- Recipe for Hate...warhorse, 8- Losing My Senses, 9- Dread and The Fugitivr Mind, 10- Silent Scorn, 11- Return To Hangar, 12- When

Megadeth´s latest album is a step in the correct direction, that is that of albums like "Countdown to Extinction", "Rust In Peace" or "Youthanasia". That is departing from the structures used in albums like "Cryptic Writings" and "Risk". Why? Well, this sound much better...there are more guitars, more solos and the songs don´t have a structure so commonly used in metal (I think this was the problem in "Cryptic..." and "Risk"...it was simple music written by a complicated and technical band that could do more than that). New guitarist Al Pitrelli is really good in his job doing good solos in songs like "Return to Hangar" or "Disconnect". Even the first single "Moto Psycho" is closer to "Angry Again" than to "Almost Honest". I hope they continue like this and I would love to listen in the future extremely technical and heavy tracks like the ones in the classic "Rust in Peace", but with the more modern sound that Dave Mustaine and co. Are using in their new albums. Favorite tracks: "Disconnect", "Return To Hangar" and "Recipe for hate...Warhorse". Contact: www.megadeth.com

REVIEW: MARTYRIUM - IDEOLOGY OF DEATH

 

PRESS RELEASE:

MARTYRIUM - IDEOLOGY OF DEATH (Independent, 2001)

Recorded and Mixed by Erwin Hermsen

Recorded at Walhalla´s Basement on three days of May 2001

Tracks: 1- Failure Existence, 2- Enter Imaginations, 3- Stratus, 4- Abysmal, 5- Ave Solitude, 6- Mystical Journeys, 7- Ominous, 8- Eternalize Death, 9- Anguish and Despond, 10- Unleash War

This is death metal with a really mechanical sound!!! That is the first impression that you have while listening to the music on this CD. And a lot of this carachteristical sound and brutality is due to the particular sound that the drums have with an open hihat and a heavy use of cymbals. This is extremely fast and brutal death with screaming vocals and powerful guitars that play the riffs at maximum speeds without missing a beat. Some parts reminded me of Kreator (Endless Pain and Pleasure To Kill era). The sound is really good because you can listen clearly the riffs and changes and breaks despite of the speed at which this guys play their tracks. The ten tracks of this CD span the bands career from 1997 to 2001. A must for death freaks. Favorite tracks: "Enter Imaginations", "We Solitude" /this has to be their first single!!!) and "Unleash War". Contact: www.martyrium.cjb.net

REVIEW: MAJESTY - DOOMSDAY MACHINE

 

MAJESTY - DOOMSDAY MACHINE (Actcom Recs., 2001)

Produced by Gravehill

Recorded at Pop-Artikkeli Studio

Art by Timo Väänänen

Tracks: 1- Embraced by Dawn, 2- Reptilian Temptation, 3- Realm of Confusion, 4- Deadwood, 5- I walk without a sound, 6- Doomsday Machine

A beautiful keyboards introduction opens this powerful gothic/doom metal album. Marko Hautamäki is the composer and author of all the music and lyrics. And he also plays all the instruments. There are many good ideas in all the songs. Spectacular in the case "Embraced by Dawn". Marko uses heavy guitars all over the place and that gives and extra push and power to all the tracks contained on this dark album also there are good orchestrations through all the tracks. There are good vocals here which are sometimes more guttural and sometimes melodic using middle and low range. There is a certain feeling like it had the first Godsend album...and I relly like that ! Favorite tracks: "Embraced by Dawn", "Deadwood" and "Doomsday Machine". Contact: www.actcom.fi

REVIEW: MACBETH - VANITAS

 

MACBETH - VANITAS (Scarecrow Recs, 2001)

Recorded at Bips Studios, Milano

Cover Artwork by Fabrizio

Tracks: 1-13 November, 2- Crepuscularia (Agony in Red Minor), 3- Lady Lily White, 4- Fables, 5- Moisa, 6- El Diablo y la Luna, 7- Pure treasure, 8- Green Orchestra (Sonata for leaves and trees), 9- Romanzo nero, 10- Haeresis Dea, 11- Hall of the Scarlets

A superb album!! With music that is a combination of the best things of gothic, of heavy metal, of power metal. A perfect CD with all excellent tracks. The combination of keyboards/piano with extremely heavy guitars reachs perfection on this CD. The perfect combination of melodies with heavy as hell riffs. Melancholy, sadness, majesty...everyone of this feelings can be felt here. And Macbeth has the angelical voice of Morena who is one of the main ingredients here and contrasts with the male ones that can be very deep or screaming. If you like heaviness and more subtle feelings then you will definetly love this CD. Check the guitars solos...there is really good note placement...this guys know exactly what they are playing. An excellent album. Favorite tracks: The whole CD. Contact: crepuscularia@yahoo.it .

REVIEW: LATE ARRIVAL - KICK THINGS OVER

 

LATE ARRIVAL - KICK THINGS OVER (Dunham Recs. 1997)

Produced by Jeff and Tom Dunham and Mark Nalore

Recorded at Front Page Studios

Graphic Design by Marc Don Vito

Tracks: 1- Kick Things Over, 2- Safe Passage, 3- Torments, 4- Long Run, 5-Sunny Day, 6- Monkey See, 7- Waiting, 8- On the Highway, 9- Santa Fe, 10- Sticky, 11- Rolling Stone, 12- You are Sorry

This is pure rock´n ´roll in its purest form. Full of hooks in the vein of maybe AC/DC (in fact the second track called "Safe Passage" can bring to your mind pieces of "For those About To rock (We Salute You))". But for me there is one problem...this guys need more strength in their sound. And that is fundamental. If they mix the guitars louder maybe they can achieve that. This kind of music is meant to be played louder. Maybe an example of this would be the song "Long Run" that is one of the more powerful of the CD but can be enhanced a lot. I would like to listen something new from this guys to see how they have evolved. Favorite tracks: "Torments", "Monkey See" and "On the Highway".

REVIEW: KRONOS - TITAN´S AWAKENING

 

KRONOS - TITAN´S AWAKENING (Warpath Recs, 2001)

Produced by Kronos and Jean Lou

Recorded at Second Side Studios

Front Cover by Deather ( indeedhell@ceznam.cz )

Tracks: 1- Mashkhith, 2- Sysiphe, 3- Enslaved by the Madness, 4- Bloodtower, 5- Eternal Mindwarp, 6- Outrance, 7- Sadistik Retribution, 8- Warmaggedawn, 9- Dismember, 10- Disease of God, 11- Demence of the Gnomish Warriors, 12-Supreme Nordik Reign

One of the most brutal releases of 2001 comes from this growing label called Warpath Records The main feature of Warpath´s bands (and obviously of Kronos) is their good sound and good mix in their releases. Kronos is no exception and they make an extremely brutal kind of death emtal where my favorite element is listening the drums (cristal clear double bass, hihat and cymbals). There are two type of vocals: one is a screaming one and the other one is more guttural. Another thing to point out are some riffs with pinch harmonics that the guitarists do in tracks like "Enslaved By the Madness". Is great to listen brutality so clearly like on this release. Favorite tracks: "Eternal Mindtrap", "Dismember" and "Outrance". Contact: warpath@wanadoo.fr

REVIEW: KATALEPSY - PROMO TAPE

 

KATALEPSY - PROMO TAPE (Independent, 2000)

Tracks: 1- Statement of Shit, 2- Larvae, 3- Reallity, 4- Morticia´s Frumpt / Bad Dreams (Impetigo), 5- Regurgitate the Dead (Embrionic Death), 6- Turn Face (Brutal Truth), 7- Sensless Strip (Agathocles), 8- Splattered Cadaver (Repulsion), Spiralin Alcoholic Demise (Drogheda)

This is a promo from this grinding band from Bolivia !! yes !! here in Sudamerica there is a great underground scene that maybe some day will develope into a great extreme music invasion!!! This band ´s music is brutal grind death with short tracks and a really rotten sound in their guitars and guttural vocals. The sound here is not very good and I think this band deserves to record in a better place so tey guitars will shine and the drums which are hyper fast with a lot of double bass will be listened in all its magnitude. There are some covers from bands like Impetigo, Brutal Truth, Repulsion, etc. really well done transmitting the brutality of the original versions. Favorite tracks: "Larvae", "Reality" and "Splattered Cadaver". Contact: bloodshed@eudoramail.com

REVIEW: KOMA - MOLESTANDO A LOS VECINOS

 

KOMA - MOLESTANDO A LOS VECINOS (Locomotive Music, 2001)

Produced by Miguel Aizpún

Recorded live at Kafe Antzokia, Bilbao 5th july, 2001

Tracks: 1- Mi Jefe, 2- K}Jack Queen Jack, 3- Marea Gora, 4- Aqui Huele como que han fumao, 5- Bienvenidos a degüelto (there are 18 songs in the full CD)

A really energetic live recording from this spanish band. After their previous album called "Criminal", this time the band delivers a live gig recorded on July 5th, 2001. As most of you may know Koma is a band of aggressive metal in the vein of bands like Sepultura, Machine Head or Pantera, using the crushing rhythms that are signature of those bands and singing in Spanish. This recording has a great sound and production and that allows us to feel the energy that this guys transmit in their live shows. This promo contains five tracks but the edition is of eighteen tracks in a double CD. Recommended to lovers of modern metal. Favorite tracks: "Mi Jefe" and "Marea Gora". Contact: www.locomotivemusic.com

REVIEW: KILLER KHAN - ROCK´N´ROLL FOREVER

 

KILLER KHAN - ROCK´N´ROLL FOREVER (Independent, 2001)

Produced by Richard Downs

Recorded at DBS Studios, Nashville

Artwork by Charlie Mabe

Tracks: 1-Kamikaze, 2- British barbie, 3- Neither King nor Kaiser, 4- Leather and Lace, 5- The Hated and the Damned, 6- Vanishing Point, 7- Dark Shadows, 8- Hammer of the Gods, 9- Sanctuary, 10- Rock´N´Roll Forever

It´s been a lot since I listened heavy metal like this one. It is really classic metal in the vein of Ozzy Osbourne with some slow touches in the vein of Black Sabbath (in fact is closer to a band like Trouble). The guitars have a really good sound....really fat and enhance the songs playing interesting riffs that change after some repetitions generating a good song structure. And that is what Killian Khan, the singer and main man here is looking for: great heavy metal songs. Richard Downs the lead guitarist is a really good one and I think that we will hear a lot from him in the future. It is good to see that this style of music is far from dead and there are good bands like Killer Khan defending what they like doing and creating a lot of hard music. Favorite tracks: "Neither King Nor Kaiser", "Vanishing Point" and "Hammer of the Gods" (in the vein of Ozzy´s "Perry Mason"). Contact: www.killerkhan.com