REVIEW: MENTAL AMPUTATION - MASS CRISIS

 

MENTAL AMPUTATION - MASS CRISIS (Independent, 2001)

Produced by Mental Amputation and Albrecht Felsestein

Recorded at Brickhouse Studios

Cover by Jaczek Wisniewski

Tracks: 1- Intro; 2- Mass Crisis; 3- The Inexorable; 4- Equinox; 5- Visions of Demise; 6- Hybrid Nation

Mental Amputation rules!! Their music is death metal with technical riffs and a grerat sound. The main thing here is that the songs are really well composed and there are many great arrangements that make things really interesting and add a lot of variation to the tracks. Here we have musicians that have a lot of technical skills.The recording has a great sound and there are a lot of things that shine like the keyboards in "The Inexorable", the clean guitars and the drum patterns which feature a lot of hi hat and ride cymbal that are mixed perfectly. This band deserves a recording deal now to be one of the main bands in the death metal scene. As I said before....Mental Amputation rules !!!!

Favorite tracks: All the CD. The tracks are really well composed and have many ideas going on !!

Contact: mentalamputation@gmx.de

REVIEW: MANIAS / SALÉ SANGRE - IDENTITY CRISIS

 

MANIAS / SALÉ SANGRE - IDENTITY CRISIS (Deadworld Syndicate Recs. , 2002)

Produced by Manias

Recorded in Santa Fe, NM USA

Cover by Leo Gonzalez

Tracks: 1- Abacination ; 2- Domain of Forever; 3- Trapped in a Cage; 4- Homisight; 5- Ojos Sangrientos; 6- Recuerdas; 7- Blood Covered; 8- 97 Fiends; 9- Baila Sin Piel; 10- D.I. - Avulsion; 11- La Llorona; 12- D.O.M.; 13- Hijos; 14- Growth; 15- A.O.R. - A Team Theme; 16 - Unimagined Figure

This CD starts in a great way with parts of Slayer´s "Hell Awaits" before getting into Manias / Salé Sangre´s own material. Here we have ultrabrutal death metal with a lot of rhythm variations and excellent riffs that sometimes are death, sometimes are more hardcore and sometimes sound even like black metal. The vocals are guttural in some tracks and in others are more screaming ones giving a lot of variation to the tracks. The sound is ultra raw and it gives the tracks a great raw feeling adding some darkness to the tracks. There are songs that are longer than others and I prefer the ones that have more riffs and rhythm changes. This is a good sample of what this guys are capable of doing. This CD was released originally in year 2000 so I am anxious to see what Andrew Manias and company are doing now. I hope to listen more from them soon.

Favorite tracks: "Domain of Forever"; "Recuerdas" and "La Llorona"

Contact: dead1@victimas-dth.com

REVIEW: LOST SOUL´S CRY - AGE OF FORTHCOMING CHAOS

 

LOST SOUL´S CRY - AGE OF FORTHCOMING CHAOS ( Independent , 2001)

Produced by Lost Souls Cry

Recorded at studio Postelflat

Cover by Danielle Van Deuveren

Tracks: 1-Diary of Darkness; 2- Tragedies of Existence; 3- Piece of Mind; 4- Age of Forthcoming Chaos; 5- Infinity of Nothingness

I would call Lost Soul´s Cry symphonic black death metal. Itt is symphonic because of the heavy use of keybaords and the arrangements which are epic, melodi cand at the same time really dark and sad. The tracks are fast as hell in some places giving you the idea of a black or death metal bands and the vocals are similar to those used by some black metal bands. The strange thing is that there is only one mind behind Lost Soul´s Cry and that is Frank Klein Douwel who plays all guitars and has done all the vocals and programming here. And he has done a good job, specially in the more climatic parts with excelent guitar riffs and keybvoards that create the darkest of all atmospheres. The sound is a little bit muddy but that is due mostly tothe programmed drums cymbals that give a strange effect. I think he has to do more tracks like the excellent "Piece of Mind", a really memorable tune with original melodies and sound.

Favorite tracks: "Piece of Mind";"Tragedies of Existence" and "Age of Forthcoming Chaos"

Contact: lostsoulscry@dolfijn.nl

REVIEW: LORD GORE - THE AUTOPHAGOUS ORGY

 

LORD GORE - THE AUTOPHAGOUS ORGY (Razorback Records, 2002)

Mastered by Rudy

Recorded in the Ruptured Bowels of the Vomitorium

Cover art by Walta Uziga

Tracks: 1-Intro; 2- Morgue Whore; 3- Krash Kourse in Psychopathology; 4- Rape Camp; 5- The Forgotten Flesh; 6- Last Supper (The Aurophagous); 7- Involuntary Vaginal Vermin Slut; 8- Post Coital Eruption; 9- Nekro-Erotik Art; 10- Zombie Molestation (Raped by the Dead); 11- Lord Gore; 12- Breakfast at the Manchester Morgue

Here are the new masters of gore music!!! Yes, Lord Gore is one of the best known names in the underground together with Impaled and Disgorge. This band has certain influences from the classic Autopsy (in the slower parts that were typical of that band). One of the things that are really welcome on this CD is the great sound that it has....really clear guitars focusing on strength and powerful riffs. Another excellent feature here are the solos which are really well mixed and they are based on good taste instead of being based on simple speed. We have several types of vocals here....some are more guttural than other and some brought to my mind classics like "Symphonies of Sickness". I liked a lot the drummer who does not abuse the use of blast beats....he prefers playing more interesting stuff that fits the music better. A great extreme release.

Favorite tracks: "Rape Camp"; " Lord Gore" and "Post Coital Eruption"

Contact: www.razorbackrecords.com

REVIEW: KOTIPELTO - WAITING FOR THE DAWN

 

KOTIPELTO - WAITING FOR THE DAWN (Century Media Recs. , 2002)

Produced by Timo Kotipelto

Cover by Derek Riggs

Tracks: 1- Intro; 2- Travel Through Time; 3- Beginning; 4- Lord of Eternity; 5- Knowledge and Wisdom; 6- Battle of the Gods; 7- Beauty Has Come; 8- Vizier; 9- Chosen by Re; 10- Waiting for the Dawn; 11- Arise; 12- The Monument of the Nile

Here we have the first solo album by Stratovarius frontman Timo Kotipelto. And here we have many famous musicians helping him on this recording. Jari Kainulainen (Stratovarius) on bass, Michael Rome (Symphony X) on guitars; Roland Grapow (ex Helloween) on guitars; Janne Wirman (Children of Bodom, Warmen) on Keyboards and many more. Here Kotipelto and company have developed a great album with many Stratovarius elements but with really strong songs and a great sound. I like specailly the way in which Kotipelto uses his voice because he has much more variations than many of the top singers of the style. Here we have also acoustic parts where he can sing and make harmonized choruses. If you like Stratovarius you will surely like this CD a lot. Also if you like heavy metal with European sound here you have a great release.

Favorite tracks: "Travel Through Time", "Chosen by Re" and "Arise"

Contact: In Southamerica: www.centurymedia.com . In Europe: www.centurymedia.de

REVIEW: KATAGORY V - PRESENT DAY

 

KATAGORY V - PRESENT DAY ( Independent, 2001)

Produced by Curtis Morrell and Katagory V

Recorded at Streamline Sound

Cover by Chris Maggio

Tracks: 1- I live On; 2- Evil Princess; 3- The Call of Midnight; 4- The Beginning of our End; 5- Steel Dungeon; 6- Morning Light; 7- The Forsaken; 8- Negative Attraction; 9- Present Day; 10- One Second Warning

Katagory V plays pure heavy metal and they have achieved their own identity while doing this. I can feel some speed metal and thrash metal influences (specially in the vocals and vocal harmonization which I liked a lot) well mixed here with classic heavy metal in order to obtain Katagory V´s own sound. And that is what is special here....while most of the bands try to copy a certain band that is more famous, Katagory V prefers to develope their own identity and play it heavier than most of this bands. I like a lot the guitar players here which are really technical and do many solos (I would like more solos !!!) and amazingly heavy riffs such as the ones in "I Live On" (this track is really powerful and deserves to be a classic metal track in the future). Here we have many changes on each track and an excellent sound that makes the results better and more clear. Katagory V rules!!!

Favorite tracks: "I Live On"; "The Call of Midnight" and "Morning Light"

Contact: www.katagory5.com

REVIEWS: KAOS RISING - WELCOME TO THE VIOLENCE

 

KAOS RISING - WELCOME TO THE VIOLENCE (Independent , 2002)

Produced by Kaos Rising

I have reviewed previously the demo from this powerful band called "Wiped Away" and I have to say that they have progressed a lot since then. First of all the sound is much better on this, their debut full length album. Their music is extremely powerful and instead of using hyper fast riffs to achieve this they use a lot of rhythmic ones which gives us a much more brutal result. From the first explosion of sound in "" we get into a nigtmare of ultraheavy riffs with amazing drum rhythms that takes us into a world of pure heaviness and brutality. This is a ten track CD designed to blow your brain into pieces with brutality. Kaos Rising rules in the brutal music world !!

Favorite tracks: Tracks number 5, 8 and 9

Contact: www.kaosrising.com

REVIEW: JOHN RUSSELL - FROM NEXT TO LAST

 

JOHN RUSSELL - FROM NEXT TO LAST (Emanem Disc, 2002)

Produced by Martin Davidson

Recorded by Martin Davidson

Cover by Martin Davidson

Tracks: 1- Jambridge; 2- Back Seat Witch; 3- Truckinge; 4- Psiotic; 5- Bye; 6- Mopomoso 2002

This CD presents us some improvised acoustic guitar solos from guitar master John Russell. The recordings here are from December 2001 to February 2002 and are a showcase of spontaneity in Russell´s playing. Here Russell shows us many different aspects of his musicl personality: from the softer side in many places of " Jambridge" to the more frenetic one in places of "Truckinge". This man knows how to extract millions of different sounds from his guitar : from noises, to soundsthat are almost imposible to discern and to melodies that are really dissonant. The last track, "Mopomoso 2002" is from a concert where Rusell improvised his music and you can listen how does his music changes in different environments (the first tracks where recorded at Martin Davidson´s house). This is an album with plenty of improvisation and experimentation.

Favorite tracks: "Mopomoso 2002"; "Truckinge" and "Jambridge"

Contact: www.emanemdisc.com

REVIEW: JACK FROST - SELF ABUSING UGLYSEX UNGOD

 

JACK FROST - SELF ABUSING UGLYSEX UNGOD (W.A.B.Recs. , 2002)

Produced by Boban Milunovic

Recorded at Boom Room Studios

Tracks: 1- Mother Mary Sleeps With Me; 2- One Hundred Percent Pain; 3- Unseen Insane I; 4- The Dance; 5- Some You; 6- Last Monday; 7 It All Means Nothing To Me; 8- El Funeral del Dictator

Here we have Jack Frost´s latest offering and I must say that is an excellent album that shows us all the elments that are main features of this band´s music. Here we have the dense guitar riffs combined with one guitar melodies in the vein of "Icon" era Paradise Lost. The music is incredibly darka nd full of deppressive melodies that fill all the tracks. Darkness arise on each of the songs contained here, specially when the depressive vocals enter. The recording has a really good sound that makes the music very direct and very effective when transmiting the feelings to the listener. Jack Forst are very tight as a band and that is shown through all the tracks on this recording. I think that fans of dark music with a big metal sound will be delighted by this CD.

Favorite tracks: "Mother Mary Sleeps With Me"; "The Dance" and "Some You"

Contact: www.wabrecords.org

REVIEW: INTERNAL SUFFERING - CHAOTIC MATRIX

 

INTERNAL SUFFERING - CHAOTIC MATRIX (DispleasedRecs. , 200)

Recorded at Sirio Productions Studios

Cover by Sho

Tracks: 1- Intro; 2- Chaotic Matrix; 3- Colossal Vortex; 4- Lurking Monstrosity; 5- Cosmic Ancient Mountain; 6- Reborn in Victory; 7- Cataclysmic Origin; 8- Vatican Bombardment; 9- Destroyer Entity; 10- The Antiquary Horror; 11- Decapitation of the Weak

Speed and brutality are the two main ingredients here. Here you have this guys hailing from Colombia and playing the most hyperfast death/grind. The vocals are extremely guttural as in grindcore bands and there are different types of them. The guitars play interesting riffs that are more in the death metal vein while the drummer makes blast beats in many places (there are places where he seems a drum machine playing hyper fast double bass patterns with a really tight sound). This guys really devastate the listener in the faster parts having no mercy through all the recording. One thing that I would like them to change is some effects that they use in the vocals which makes them less clear and I think that beeing clearer they will gain a lot in brutality. Internal Suffering is brutality guaranteed for the listener.

Favorite tracks: "Colossal Vortex", "Reborn in Victory" and "The Antiquary Horror"

Contact: www.displeasedrecords.nl