REVIEW: ANNIHILATOR - NEVER, NEVERLAND - REMASTERED EDITION

 

ANNIHILATOR - NEVER, NEVERLAND - REMASTERED EDITION (Roadrunner Recs.)

Produced by Glen Robinson and Jeff Waters

Recorded at Vancouver Studios

Artwork by Len Rooney Creative

Tracks: 1- The Fun Palace, 2- Road To Ruin, 3- Sixes and Sevens, 4- Stonewall; 5- Never, Neverland, 6- Imperiled Eyes, 7- Kraf Dinner, 8- Phantasmagoria, 9- Reduced to Ash, 10- I Am In Command, 11- Kraf Dinner (demo); 12- Mayhem (demo of "Reduced to Ash"), 13- Freed From the Pit (demo of "Road To Ruin")

Here is a completely remastered edition of Annihilator´s second album. After appearing in the thrash scene with "Alice in Hell" this band developed their own style on this recording. Replacing Randy Rampage on vocals with Omen´s Coburn Pharr the band gained an extra edge and added some interesting hooks to the vocal lines. Also here is more clear the combination of clean and distorted guitars that made Annihilator famous. The thing that make this album interesting for those who have the original one are the demo tracks that are contained here, some of which ended as different songs on this album. An essential album in the history of metal.

Favorite tracks: "Stonewall", "Imperiled Eyes" and "Phantasmagoria".

Contact: www.roadrunnerrecords.com

REVIEW: WINDS - REFLECTIONS OF THE I

 

WINDS - REFLECTIONS OF THE I (The End Recs., 2002)

Produced by Andy Winter

Recorded at Top Room Studio

Artwork by Travis Smith

Tracks: 1- Clarity, 2- Realization, 3- Of Divine Nature, 4- Transition, 5- Passion´s Quest, 6- Reason´s Desire, 7- Premonition, 8- Remnants of Beauty, 9- Existence, 10- Continuance, 11- Predominance, 12- Inception Perspective, 13- In All Reflections, 14- Bloodstained and Sworn, 15- Mirrored in Time, 16- An Eternity of Dreams

I can not start the review in a different way: Andy Winter and company are really fantastic musicians ! In fact the music here is a mix of elements from many different styles, combined in such a great way that you will not believe it. This CD is a step forward compared to "Of Entity and Mind" (all the tracks of this MCD are here too...they are five) which was an amazing album too ! There are the omniprescent keys played by Andy Winter and there are violins, cellos and violas playing great melodies in all tracks. Jan Axel Von Blomberg (Hellhammer) is a great drummer who can show more variotions of his styles here than in many of his other projects. There are elements of classical music which I loved combined with metal in its purest forms. Lars Eric Si´s vocals are great and fir the music perfectly. This is with no doubt a masterpiece. Favorite tracks: The whole CD. It is really amazing !Contact: www.theendrecords.com

REVIEW: VIU DRAKH - DEATH RIFF SOCIETY

 

VIU DRAKH - DEATH RIFF SOCIETY (Moonstorm Recs., 2002)

Produced by Björn Langkopf

Recorded at Berno Studios, Malmö

Artwork by Olli

Tracks: 1- Death Riff Society, 2- Demon Dance, 3- Mutant Gods, 4- Bush, 5- Peaches and Cream, 6- Caravan, 7- Blade Spirits, 8- Worst Disease, 9- Dead or Alive, 10- As the Dormant Awakes, 11- Silver, 12- Ace of Spades

Viu Drakh´s music is extremely heavy. This, combined with the great sound that this recording has make a crushing combination. And they are really brutal. Their brutality relies in three elements: the guitars which are heavier than hell, the drums (this guy is a really machine man with an excellent sound) and the bestial vocals that make the music blast your brain with its strength. Starting with a melodic mid tempo in the first track (the title track) this guys start changing rhythm and speeding up showing their fierce music to the listener with no mercy. The combination between the guitars and the bass is crushing, using both of them very low riffs that sound better in this style of brutal music. People who like brutality and want a release with a great sound that make the results better should check this release with no doubt. Favorite tracks: "Mutant Gods", "Caravan" and "As the Dormant Awakes". Contact: www.moonstorm.de or www.viudrakh.de

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