REVIEW: SEIRIM - KILL. WAR. CHAOS

 

SEIRIM - KILL. WAR. CHAOS (Cudgel Agency, 2002)

Produced by Seirim

Cover by Nightliner Tattoo Studio

Tracks: 1- Morbid Animalism; 2- Power of Elements; 3- Time for Your Deaths; 4- Your Blood; 5- Incosibea; 6-The Other Dimension; 7- Rulers of the World; 8- Creatures of Pain; 9- Killing Elements; 10- Beyond the Death

Directly from Germany comes this extremely brutal band with many interesting ideas. First of all I have the remark the great sound that this recording has, specially on the guitars which are really devastating. Then, I have to say that Seirim is one of the most brutal bands that I have listened in a long time...and they achieve a lot of this brutality through complex guitar riffs played with a monolithic guitar sound ( also this guys obviously tune down their guitars to achieve a lower end). Also the bass is clearly mixed and one can listen to it through all the recording playing patterns similar to those played by the guitars but with a more bottom end sound that makes the whole idea more crushing. Then comes the killer drumming which uses some blast beats but prefers to use heavier ideas that fit better the music. The vocals are guttural and screaming and fit perfectly the musical ideas of this ultra brutal band. Brutality at its maximum level!!!!

Favorite tracks: "Power of Elements"; "Your Blood" and "Killing Elements"

Contact: www.cudgel.de or www.seirim.de

REVIEW: RUDIS / CUSTODIO / DIAZ-INFANTE - CRASHING THE RUSSIAN RENAISSANCE

 

RUDIS / CUSTODIO / DIAZ-INFANTE - CRASHING THE RUSSIAN RENAISSANCE (Pax Recordings, 2002)

Produced by Lx Rudis and Ernesto Diaz-Infante

Recorded by Lx Rudis and Andres Custodio

Cover by Tohru Kanayama

Tracks: 1 to 3 - Three Collega Radio Ready Edits; 4 to 30 - Overthruster

I have reviewed recordings by Custodio and Diaz Infante before, but on this recording they have been joined by Lx Rudis who plays Matrix 12. This addition opens new possibilities and the trio explores them through all this recording. I liked specially Lx Rudis electronic sounds that match perfectly Diaz-Infante ´s experimentation with guitar, violin and voice and also Custodio´s percussion patterns. There is a mix of different type of experimental pieces here: one type are those musical pieces that are longer where there is more developing of the experimental ideas and other that are shorter and are sudden bursts of spontaneous sounds. I prefer the longer ones because in there I cqan see how well the three musicians interact and also how well they construct the improvisational piece. This recording is for those people who can listen to a fully experimental recording without being scared !

Favorite tracks: The whole CD is an amazing showcase of experimentation among this three open minded musicians

Contact: www.paxrecordings.com

REVIEW: ROGER SMITH - GREEN WOOD

 

ROGER SMITH - GREEN WOOD (Emanem Disc, 2002)

Produced by Martin Davidson

Recorded by Roger Smith assisted by Ian Vickers

Cover by Marion Franses

Tracks: 1- Wood Green Waltz; 2- North 22 (no Catch); 3- Forward Fast; 4- Extended Ploy; 5- Strange Interlude; 6- Waltz with heating; 7- An Extract; 8- Diminuendo & Crescendo in Green; 9- Saul´s Beret Rode; 10- Local Twang; 11- The Last of the Season; 12- Arse Myth

We have reviewed Roger Smith´s music before in the recordings where he plays with the Spontaneous Music Orchestra. This time we have the chance of listening to a more melodic side of this great musician and guitar player. First of all we see that the music here is really quiet and melodic and that is due to the fact that Smith has recorded this CD at home and he plays during the night hours. This is interesting because we can see a more subtle side of his musical personality. Here we can listen how Smith constructs his guitar lines while armonizing them ...and he has played through all this recording with his finger in order to achieve a warmer sound very different than the one that one can achieve using a pick. There is heavy use of natural harmonics in tracks like "Extended Ploy" and the most amazing thing here is that all this material is improvised. Thumbs up for this amazing musician and innovative guitar player.

Favorite tracks: The whole CD. I love Smith´s guitar playing. Is experimental and at the same time very melodic

Contact: www.emanemdisc.com

REVIEW: PAUL RUTHERFORD - TROMBOLENIUM

 

PAUL RUTHERFORD - TROMBOLENIUM (Emanem Disc, 2002)

Produced by Martin Davidson

Recorded by Martin Davidson

Cover by Martin Davidson

Tracks: 1- Red Rose Afternoon 1; 2- Red Rose Afternoon 2; 3- First Walnut, 4- Second Walnut; 5- First China Pig Extract; 6- Second China Pig Extract; 7- China Pig Lament; 8- Stalf; 9- Falst; 10- Flast; 11- Stlaf

This are recording of solo trombone improvisations by trombone master Paul Rutherford. The recordings are from four different concerts from the years 1986, 1992, 1993 and 1995. Here you have a man with his instrument who is always achieving new sounds and combinations that have not been tried by many musicians before him. In fact, Rutherford is exploring new paths on each track that one can listen on this CDs. In some tracks like "First Walnut" he uses sonic explorations trying to reach weird sounds with his instrument. In other tracks like "Red Rose Afternoon 1" he uses a lot of legato notes to create dissonant melodies and complicated phrases. It is amazing also how warm this instrument sound, being not loud and not overabused, reaching interesting melodies through all the CD. For lovers of exploring new sides of the music spectre.

Favorite tracks: "First Walnut", "China Pig Lament" and " Flast"

Contact: www.emanemdisc.com

REVIEW: PAIN OF SALVATION - REMEDY LANE

 

PAIN OF SALVATION - REMEDY LANE (Heelion Records, 2002)

Produced by Daniel Gildenlöw

Recorded at Roasting House

Cover by Daniel Gildenlöw

Tracks: 1- Of Two Beginninh}gs; 2- Ending Theme; 3- Fandango; 4- A Trace of Blood; 5- This Heart of Mine (I Pledge); 6- Undertow; 7- Rope Ends; 8- Chain Sling; 9- Dryad of the Woods; 10- Remedy Lane; 11- Waking Every God; 12- Second Love; 13- Beyond the Pale

Here we have the latest Pain of Salvation album...and I have to say that this is a masterpiece. From beginning to end you can see that this album is truly beautiful and deppressive at the same time. In fact I think this is the main feature in Pain of Salvation´s music....the splendour of their melodies and the sadness that all the recording has in it. One highlight to point out are the excellent vocals that have a really wide range and manage perfectly all the melodies needed here . I have to say that Daniel Gildenlöw is an amazing composer that can give a lot ofm feeling to the songs and at the same time add a lot of variations to them (check for example the crazy "Fandango" to see what this man is capable of doin and contrast it with the more deppressive and melodic "Ending Theme"). This album is going to be one of the classics in the future and Pain of Salvation is always an inspiration for musicians.

Favorite tracks: All the CD....this is what I call a masterpiece !!

Contact: www.hellionrecords.com

REVIEW: OSH - RED UNIVERSE

 

OSH - RED UNIVERSE ( Independent, 2002)

Produced by Osh

Cover art by Osh

Tracks: 1- I.C.I.; 2- Hideaway; 3- Schreispiegel; 4- Crisis; 5- Worldsaw; 6- For Me; 7- Less Beloved Daughter; 8- Mantra; 9- Wilderness; 10- And Always the Deep Red Sea; 11- Helsingør; 12- Threshold to an embrace; 13- No Limit

Osh is an extremely heavy band, and that does not mean that they are at full speed all the time. In fact the guys in Osh prefer to concentrate on riffs that sound much heavier being more rhythmic and prefering to play power chords instead of one note runs riffs. Also they have make very clever arrangements in all their tracks (as an example you can check the beginning of "Hideaway" with clean guitars before entering the heavy riffs...then in the heavy parts they have a lot of changes and dissonances going on here and there making the songs really interesting. There is a lot of variety in the vocals too...sometimes heavier, sometimes screaming, sometimes more melodics, sometimes operistic, sometimes in a tone that would not be out of place in a Mike Patton album and sometimes harmonized. But the main thing here is the originality in the arrangements ( you can check the bass in some places of "Hideaway" to see an example of how this guys use their great technical skills to make great songs). If you like originality and a lot of variations in a CD where no track is similar to each other then Osh is a great options. One of the CDs of the month

Favorite tracks: All the tracks are amazing, weird and fantastically played.

Contact: www.osh-metal.de

REVIEW: ORDAINED - THE RESURRECTION OF MORTIMUS GRIMLEY

 

ORDAINED - THE RESURRECTION OF MORTIMUS GRIMLEY (Sinternational Records, 2001)

Produced by Ordained

Recorded at D_Dungeon Studios

Cover by Scapegoat

Tracks: 1- Mortimus Grimley (2001 Mix); 2- God of Nothing; 3- All in Vein

This is a three song CD by this heavy band!! And I see some progress when compared to "The Second Coming", their previous release, specially in the sound which is much better. This time the band continues doing what they know best: excellent riffs with interesting solos, thrashy rhythms and over all this musical wall The Reverend´s anguished vocals spitting the lyrics. There are really climatic passages like the beginning of "God of Nothing" with clean guitars before getting into the heavier parts. The mix here is really good, I liked specially thebass and guitars mix which make the instruments fit perfectly to create a heavier than hell environment. This is a good MCD to await for the new Ordained CD!

Favorite tracks: The three tracks contained here.

Contact: www.ordained.net

REVIEW: ORDAINED - THE SECOND COMING

 

ORDAINED - THE SECOND COMING (Sinternational Records, 2000)

Produced by James K Faw and ORdained

Recorded at The Sanctuary

Cover art by Scapegoat

Tracks: 1- The Ordained, 2- Caught in a Trap, 3- Let there be Death, 4- Beloved, 5- Sealed with a Fist, 6- Lowly Little Pawn; 7-Sanctum Secorum; 8- Destroyer, 9- I Am the One; 10- Perversery Rhymes; 11- Lunatic; 12- Punk You!; 13- Golgotha

How powerfully starts this CD !!! A drums passage and then the guitars enter in a really heavy way. In fact Ordained´s music has a lot of eighties thrash metal influences, (specially on The Reverend´s vocals) but with a really modern sound in the guitars and drums. And this is a combination that is needed in the world of metal music. Why? Because the heavier bands don´t have thais influences and play in a different way and most of the eighties band have changed their sound. So, it is really good that a band like Ordained takes this music one step forward and make a crushing CD like this one. The music here has a lot of variations, breaks and changes, and interesting guitar arrangements (using many different ruiffs within the same song) that contrast with The Reverend´s high pitched vocals. It is good to listen this band with a lot of originality in their music !!

Favorite tracks: "The Ordained"; "Sealed With a Fist" and "Perversery Rhymes"

Contact: www.ordained.net

REVIEW: NECRONOM - A DARKENING PATH

 

NECRONOM - A DARKENING PATH (Winterthorn Records, 2001)

Produced by Winterthorn

Recorded at Toad Hall

Cover Art by Gustav Dore (1860)

Tracks: 1- Deadface: A Tale of Purity; 2- Sanctuary; 3- Shepherd to the Faithless: a) Alone in the Rain, b) Quandaries of the Spirit, c) Vermis Rex; 4- In the Arms of Nepenthe; 5- Ex Tribas Lunaes

This is Necronom second album and it is, at the same time, the second part of the trilogy of tears. The music is heavy and distorted while at the same time being very climatic (Christopher Howard Lincoln is the mind behind the music contained on this CD and also he is who construct the darkest atmospheres within here). The music has many touches of death metal, specially on the vocals and uses a great combination of heavy guitars and orchestrating keyboards (this is fundamental for the Necronom sound that gets you through a river of sadness while listening to the music. The keyboards are really well composed and creates the environment to develope all the music). There are interesting calm parts, specially in the complex "Shepherd to the Faithless" with its three parts. This release comes in a dark digipack format that is very coherent with the darkness of Necronom´s music. A must !!

Favorite tracks: "Sanctuary" and "Shepherd to the Faithless"

Contact: www.winterthorn.com

REVIEW: MUTALA - CARNIVOROUS DISPOSITION

 

 MUTALA - CARNIVOROUS DISPOSITION (Nocturnal Music Recs., 200)

Produced by Nicola Lonigro and Mutala

Recorded at Half Moon Studios

Cover by Mutala

Tracks: 1- The Sorcery of the Deepest Beauty; 2- On a Blind Track; 3- What Hates Will Kill; 4- Mutala Submission; 5- The Shore of the Cursed; 6- Fall of the Angel; 7- Habit to Violence; 8- Carnivorous Plants

Mutala is a brutal detha metal band but they have a lot of atmosphere in their tracks. And they achieve this through their everchanging guitar riffs and through the mix of vocals that they have in their songs (growling, whispering, spoken). Also they use in some places acoustic guitars and clean guitars which create a different feeling from the one in the heavier parts. The main thing here are the guitar riffs which are really original and greatly played and they have a lot of melodies. Plus they make excellent guitar solos !! (fans of great guitar players rejoice!!). The sound of this recording is really good and that makes the result even better. The drums are really good to making the rhythms shine in all their splendour and adding a lot of heaviness to Mutala´s track (adding blast beats when its needed or making slow patterns in the more dense parts). I strongly recommend this release!!

Favorite tracks: "On a Blind track" ; "The Shore of the Cursed" and "Fall of the Angel"

Contact: www.nocturnalmusic.net or www.mutala.cjb.net