REVIEW: VACANT STARE - VINDICATION

 

VACANT STARE - VINDICATION (Copro Records, 2002)

Produced by Andy Sneap

Recorded at Philia Studios

Tracks: 1- Obscured, 2- Inertia, 3- A Head Start, 4- Patience, 5- Where I stand, 6- Come Face Up, 7- Halving the Fuse, 8- Prognosis, 9- Seeds of Unrest, 10- 1 A.M.

This CD starts with an electronic drum beat and soon you find yourself in the eclectic world of Vacant Stare. This amazing guys combine with no problem riffs that could be from a death metal band, some modern metal breaks, clean vocals and screaming ones (the vocalist is really good with the melodies that are not what one is accustomed to listen) . This release has a great sound with all the instruments and vocals mixed clearly. The guitar sounds change all of the time adding some effects to it and playing from crushing riffs to sustained notes to open chords to some short solos, to some Voivod type riff. This is a band that deserves to be known because they are of great quality. And they seem to be really openminded adding a lot of originality to their music. Favorite tracks: "A Head Start", "Where I Stand" and "Seeds of Unrest". Contact: www.coprorecords.co.uk

REVIEW: TWOTHIRTYEIGHT - REGULATE THE CHEMICALS

 

TWOTHIRTYEIGHT - REGULATE THE CHEMICALS (Tooth and Nail, 2002)

Produced by James Wisner

Recorded at Wisner Productions

Artwork by Chris Staples and Twothirtyeight

Tracks: 1- The Hands of Men, 2- There is no Dana, 3- Coin-Laundry Loser, 4- The Sticks are Woven in the Spokes, 5- This Town Will Eat You, 6- The Spoiled One, 7- Les Wirth, 8- Moving Too Far, 9- Songs Will Write the Words, 10- Ears and Fingers, 11- Indian in your Eyes

The first thing that got my attention is the huge sound that this CD has (despite not being an ultra heavy band ). The clean guitars are really well mixed in great combination with the bass and the arrangements can be heard in all their magnitude. Twothirtyeight´s music relies heavily on melodies (made by the guitars or the vocals) but it seems to me that this melodies are not happy. In fact I feel there is some dark or sad element in their music. I can not say what it is but I can feel it. Maybe Vocalist Chris Staples melodic lines are dark (sometimes he reminded me of The Cure´s Robert Smith). A good option for those who like very melodic music with some interesting twist. Favorite tracks: "There is No Dana", "This Town Will Eat You" and "Moving Too Far". Contact: www.toothandnail.com

REVIEW: TORTURE SQUAD - THE UNHOLY SPELL

 

TORTURE SQUAD - THE UNHOLY SPELL (Destroyer Recs., 2001)

Produced by Ciero and Amilcar Christofaro

Recorded at Da Tribo Studio

Artwork by Joan Delville

Tracks: 1- The Unholy Spell, 2- Warmonger, 3- Spiritual Cancer, 4- Abduction Was the Case, 5- The Host, 6- Area 51, 7- Welcome Home, 8- Under the Wings of the Empire, 9- A Soul in Hell

This CD starts with hyper brutality with the title track....a track designed to bang your head against a wall with the rhythm of the killer drums here. Everything here is made in order to make this brutal death metal in a really effective way. In fact the riffs are devastating and the vocals are guttural (one of them) and saming (the other). I liked a lot the shifts from one rhythm to the other that this guys make. They are technically proficient and they have interesting thrash metal influences. Speed is one element here that can not be left out when describing this band´s music. It is fundamental. Lovers of brutality, here is Torture Squad !! Favorite tracks: "The Unholly Spell", "Abdusction Was the Case", and "Welcome Home". Contact: www.destroyer.com.br

REVIEW: TOOL - LATERALUS

 TOOL - LATERALUS (Emi Virgin Music, 2001)

Produced by Tool and David Botrill

Recorded at Cello Studios an The Hook

Artwork by Alex Grey

Tracks: 1- The Grudge, 2- Eon Blue Apocalypse, 3- The Patient, 4- Mantra, 5-Schism, 6- Parabol, 7- Parabola, 8-Ticks and Leechees, 9- Lateralis, 10- Disposition, 11- Reflection, 12- Triad, 13- Faaip De Oiad

It always amazed me how Tool was related by solme people in the media to the grunge style despite being som different. As everybody may know, Tool´s music is really climatic and it is trully based on two things: Adam Jones guitar arrangements and Maynard James Keenan´s excellent vocals. The main feeling here is oppression...and that is the same feeling that I have since listening their first album "Undertow". A great album of this band that had been in silence for a long time. Favorite tracks: "The Patient", "Parabola" and "Disposition". Contact: www.toolband.com

REVIEW: TO ELYSIUM - DEAREST VILE

 

TO ELYSIUM - DEAREST VILE (Cold Blood Industries, 2002)

Produced by The Satanic Twins

Recorded at MTS Studio

Artwork by Jacek Wisniewski

Tracks: 1- Harangue, 2- He Rears His Head in Laughter, 3- In Collision, 4- Bug, 5- The Devil herself, 6- Dana in Darkness, 7- Chaos/ Sun, 8- Seas of Starvation, 9- Meridians Fall, 10-To a Flame, 11- Doomcraft

To Elysium is an amazing band. They are somewhere between black and death metal (specially because of the male vocals) and they have excellent keyboards orchestration. The guitars are full of melodies and solos (great guitarist). Some of the riffs reminded me of czech band Forgotten Silence but they are played in a different way. The band has a killer female vocalist (great soprano range) called Esther De Vos (don´t forget this name, I think we´ll hear more from her in the future). This band has great musicallity and the tracks are carefully planned with many arrangements and instrumental passages where you can see this band technical abbilities !! An amazing album !!! Favorite tracks: "He Rears His Head in Laughter", "the Devil Herself" and "Dana IN Darkness". Contact: www.coldbloodindustries.com

REVIEW: THIS VALE OF TEARS - EXCEED

 

THIS VALE OF TEARS - EXCEED (Black Rain Recs., 2001)

Produced by This Vale of Tears

Tracks: 1- Exceed, 2- The Wind, 3- No More, 4- Flame, 5- Alone in the Shower, 6- Silence, 7- If I die (Resurrection mix), 8- My Distance, 9- Higher Spirits, 10- Inside Out, 11- Exceed (Iva vs. Ganesh edit)

What is this? A strange rhythm opens this CD, then come the vocals and then come the keyboards playing some oriental melodies over this electronic beats. Then enter the guitars with some sort of industrial feeling. Great and original !! It is great to listen the melodies done by guitars and keyboards since the first track. The vocals are strange, sort of with a punk influence and it sounds weird over the music that the band does. There are a lot of electronic elements and the drums are programmed giving an eerie sound to all of the tracks. I liked certain Tangerine Dream influences that I think that this band has. They mix it with distorted guitars and with really climatic moments being really originality. Check this band if you like originality and experimentation. Favorite tracks: "No More", "Silence" and "Higher Spirits". Contact: www.blackrain.de

REVIEW: THIS MORTAL COIL - BLOOD

 

THIS MORTAL COIL - BLOOD (4 AD Recs., 2000)

Produced by Ivo Watts Russell

Recorded at Blackwing Studios, London

Artwork by Nigel Grierson

Tracks: 1- The Lacemaker, 2- Mr. Somewher, 3- Andialu, 4- With Tomorrow, 5- Loose Joints, 6- You and Your sister, 7- Nature´s Way, 8- I come and Stand at your door, 9- Bitter, 10- Baby Ray Baby, 1- Several Times, 12- Lacemaker II, 13- Late Night, 14- Ruddy and Wretched, 15- Help me Lift you Up, 16- Carolyn´s Song, 17- D.D. and E., 18- Til I gain Control Again, 19- Dreams are Like Water, 20- I Am the Cosmos, 21- (Nothing but) Blood

This Mortal Coil always amazes me with the diversity of their material. They can be climatic, dense. They can also be sort of celtic, sort of pop. They mix influences and then they regurgitate thema as their own music (obviously there is some Cocteau Twins in there). The main thing here is the expereimentation with female vocals, using many of them (here participate as guest vocalists Kim Deal (The Breeders) and Tanya Donelly (ex-Belly). The music is very dense, abusing some atmospheres and with heavy use of effects and synths. The music is ethereal and sometimes leaves you waiting for a conclusion that never comes. Piano parts and keyboards combined with harmonized vocals. Favorite tracks: "With Tomorrow", "Several Times" and Til I Gain Control Again". Contact: www.4adrecords.com

REVIEW: THE WOUNDED - MONUMENT

 

THE WOUNDED - MONUMENT (Cold Blood Industries, 2002)

Produced by The Satanic Twins

Recorded at Franky´s Nieuwleusen

Artwork by Reggie

Tracks: 1- Dawn, 2- Garland, 3- The Real, 4- Grace, Murder, Divine, 5- Billet Doux, 6- Chaos Spectacle, 7-Red, 8- Black Heart, 9- Dark Moon Generation, 10- Child, 11- A Dance With the Insane, 12- Monument

The Wounded...everything in my mind told me that this was going to be a death metal album. But I was mistaken. In fact the music of this band reminds me a lot to Paradise Lost or the first Anathema because of the song structures...but they have a big difference, the vocalist. He things in a more medium ranged type of voice and the band has harmonized vocals in some parts. The guitars are really heavy (I would have liked to have them mixed a little bit higher) and the drummer uses a lot the crash cymbal an open hi-hat to give a lot of support to the guitars and bass. Some vocal parts which are harmonized me sounded to me really seventies progressive rock. Cool and strange at the same time!!! They have hooks in most of the songs and I wouldn´t be surprised if this band gets a hit single in the underground scene. !!! Favorite tracks: The whole CD....a great album!! Contact: www.coldbloodindustries.com

REVIEW: THE NEFILIM - ZOON

 

THE NEFILIM - ZOON (Roadrunner Recs., 2001)

Produced by the Nefilim

Artwork by Alison

Tracks: 1- Still Life, 2- Xodus, 3- Shine, 4- Penetration, 5- Melt, 6- Venus Decomposing, 7-Pazuzu, 8- Zoon (Part.1 y 2), 9- Zoon (Part III), 10- Coma

The Nefilim....I don´t know if this guys are related in some way to that great band called Fields of the Nephilim. This band is in the middle path between really death metal and industrial, adding some gothic touches. The vocals are killer and brutal and give a different feeling to the tracks whose riffs are more classical metal. There are keyboards and sound effects that create the industrial atmosphere that I was talking about . The clean guitars in some places make interesting calm passages that turn into extreme heaviness when the crushing guitars and the vocals enter. This is a really powerful release from this band. I would love to hear more from them. Favorite tracks: "Penetration", "Venus Decomposing" and "Coma". Contact: www.roadrunnerrecords.com

REVIEW: THE MAIDEN YEARS - TRIBUTE TO IRON MAIDEN

 

THE MAIDEN YEARS - TRIBUTE TO IRON MAIDEN (Sum Recs., 2000)

Produced by Lea Hart

Recorded at Hatch Farm Studios

Tracks: CD 1: 1- Can I Play with Madness?, 2-Two Minutes to Midnight, 3- Wrathchild, 4- Hallowed be thy Name, 5- Running Free, 6- The Evil that men do, 7- Phantom of the Opera, 8- Number of the Beast, 9- Iron Maiden, 10- Run To the Hills, 11- The Trooper

CD 2: 1- Bring your daughter...,2- Murders in the Rue Morgue, 3- Aces High, 4- Flight of Icarus, 5- Wasted Years, 6- Remember Tomorrow, 7- The Clairvoyant, 8- Prisoner, 9- Sanctuary, 10- Powerslave, 11- Killers, 12- Fear of the Dark

I have different opinions from this tribute albums. First of all I like some of the versions, and some not. The main problem in the songs that I didn´t like are the vocals which are extremely palid when comparing to Bruce Dickinson´s or even to Paul Di Anno´s (he is participating in some of the best tracks here) (Check for example the awful version of "The Trooper"...good guitar work but extremely poor vocals). The production is good but some of the guitars lack the adequate heaviness. This is a good selection of the best Iron Maiden tracks (obviously there are many more to make great versions) Favorite tracks: "Wrathchild", "Phantom of the opera", "Murders in the Rue Morgue".