REVIEW: VISIONS OF THE NIGHT - ENVISIONING THE NEW AGE

 

VISIONS OF THE NIGHT - ENVISIONING THE NEW AGE ( Bloodbucket Prods, 2002)

Produced by Visions of The Night

Recorded between April and December 2001

Cover by Wolvesblood

Tracks: 1- Hatred for Humanity; 2- Postalled; 3- Murder of the Self; 4- Beseiged by demons; 5- Six Ways From Sunday; 6- Manifestations of Impure Thoughts; 7- Celebrity Scalped; 8- Consumption; 9- Black Revelation; 10- Victory through Suicide; 11- A Heightened Sense of Perception; 12- Grindblast (Dissolution); 13- Postalled (Vampiric Bloodfeast Version)

This is a really devastating release. It is an extremely brutal CD but at the same time has certain synth arrangements that gives another dimension to Visions of the Night´s music. This band has in its lineup Alexander Erhardt, also known for his work in Horde of Worms...and as in that band here we have alos a programmed drum machine that gives a strange touch to the music. Jenn Kilburn is a killer bass player adding a lot of the brutality to the music through her bottom low end lines pleyed at super speed and accentuating the heaqvier drum parts. Thumbs up also for Wolvesblood who does the main vocals which are really brutal. I liked a lot the use of the synth and some clean guitars in tracks like "Celebrity Scalped". I like this guys and girl because they are really brutal but they have also the desire to experiment with a lot of new sounds and atmospheres.!!

Favorite tracks: "Postalled"; "Six Ways from Sunday" and "Consumption"

Contact: www.visionsofthenight.net or www.bloodbucketproductions.com

REVIEW: VIRULENT - AZOTH

 

VIRULENT - AZOTH (Independent , 2002)

Produced by Virulent

Recorded at Moskou Studios

Tracks: 1- Crowning the 4th Age; 2- Dreams of Disharmony; 3- Zyem Carasophia

Here is Virulent´s new material and they have progressed a lot since "Under the Hex...." their previous recording. Here we have the guitars with a more crushing sound and the drums are clearly mixed so you can feel the hyper fast blasts done with great precission. Here we have amazing guitar riffs done with a lot of technique that creates the mood for Jorre Jansen to spit his guttural vocals with all the hate he is capable. Here we have a good work of bassist Ed Siderius who follows the guitars or the drums (depending the part of the track). Fans of brutal death metal will surely be delighted with all the elements that I described before and I encourage them to check this release.

Favorite tracks: The three conatined here

Contact: http://go.to/virulent

REVIEW: VIRULENT - UNDER THE HEX OF AMDUSIAS

 

VIRULENT - UNDER THE HEX OF AMDUSIAS (Skullcrusher Prods., 2000)

Produced by Erik De Boer and Virulent

Recorded at Studio Harrow Prods.

Cover by John Martin

Tracks: 1- Renouncement, 2- Kali Yuga; 3- Cult of the Magma Mares ; 4- Regie Amdusias; 5- Necropolis

This is what I call a violent release. Guttural vocals, guitars with a huge sound, hyper fast drumming and all this with a really good sound. Here we have a band thata has a lot of heaviness on each riff and knows how to do everything sound heavier than hell. The production here is good and I think that with a better sound this band could be in the same level as for example The Forsaken. This recording si from year 2000 and I think they have evolved since then doing another recording called Azoth which is self produced. What I liked most here are the guitar riffs which are original and sound really well when combined with the explosive drums...also the bass player does a great job in making the structure of the song with the drummer. For fans of brutal death !!!

Favorite tracks: "Kali-Yuga", "Regie Amdusias" and " Renouncement"

Contact: http://go.to/virulent

REVIEW: VICTIMAS - ANGUISH IN THE WAKE OF DESOLATION

 

VICTIMAS - ANGUISH IN THE WAKE OF DESOLATION (Deadworld Syndicate Records, 2002)

Produced by Accelerado

Recorded at KUNM 89.9

Cover by Victimas

Tracks: 1- Murderous Resurrectional Foresight; 2- Breeding the Slaughter; 3- Mandatory Disposition

Victimas is brutality guaranteed !! Each of the three tracks contained here is pure brutality from beginning to end. IN fact the tracks are short and effective. They have a really fat guitar sound that crushes your brain (he makes interesting riffs specially in the more rhythmic parts) with its power and the drummer is killer adding blast beats in the fast parts and a lot of heavy rhythms in the slower ones. The track i like most is "Mandatory Disposition" because they have added a clean guitar that fits the rest of the music perfectly and it is also the track with more changes and that nmakes it really interesting and original. The vocals are extremely guttural and fit the music perfectly. This is a record for those who love brutal music at its best!!!!

Favorite tracks: The three contained here . Full brutality!!

Contact: www.victimas-dth.com

REVIEW: VEXED - PROMO 2002

 

VEXED - PROMO 2002 (Anger Music, 2002)

Produced by Vexed

Cover by Vexed

Tracks: 1- Italian Aggressive Attack; 2- Elements of Anger; 3- Bringers of Death; 4- Lust of Revenge; 5- Oblivion Takes Unanimated Brains; 6- Death Justice

Vexed is an italian band whose music is aggressive black/thrash metal. They have many elements of thrash metal in their music and I like that because they add a new featrure to black metal. The music contained on this promo CD is fast, aggressive and raw with interesting guitar riffs and many changes in rhythm and moods. The sound of the whole release is raw and I liked a lot the way in which the guitars are mixed (also I liked a lot that this guys prefer to do interesting solos instead of simple noises with the guitars). There are some influences from norwegian and english band but the good thing about Vexed is that you can not say that they are similar to some band. Fans of aggressive metal will like a lot this band.

Favorite tracks: "Elements of Anger", "Bringers of Death" and "Lust of Revenge"

Contact: angermusic@libero.it

REVIEW: VEDERVÄRDIG - POST METAL

 

VEDERVÄRDIG - POST METAL (Independent, 2002)

Produced by Vedervärdig

Cover by Vedervärdig

Tracks: 1- Introducing Suffering; 2- Dead Before the Eyes of None; 3- Seventh Day Suicide (Part 1: Ond Bråd död; Part 2: Förruttnelse); 4- Concert for Radio and Percussion

Vedervärdig music is really weird. When the guitars first started in "Introducing Suffering" (with a really raw sound) I thought "well here comes the drums and we have black metal". I was wrong !! The drums never came. Instead this guys start experimenting with the sguitar sounds and some strange sounds and noises. This is really dense experimental music with many interesting features, like the heavy use of sound effects and voices. There are whispering vocals in many places that add a deeling of darkness to this guys total experimental release. One track that I liked a lot is the one called "Concert for Radio and Percussion" that starts with a big sonic explosion before getting into the most experimental parts with many noises and sounds. Those who love musicians who make a lot of experimentation and are not afraid of breaking boundaries will like Vedervärdig´s music.

Favorite tracks: The four tracks contained here

Contact: www.allruins.cjb.net

REVIEW: UNLEASHED - HELL´S UNLEASHED

 

UNLEASHED - HELL´S UNLEASHED (Century Media Records, 2002)

Produced by Unleashed

Cover by Media Logistics

Tracks: 1- Don´t Want to Be Born; 2- Hell´s Unleashed; 3- Demoneater; 4- Fly Raven Fly; 5- Mrs. Minister; 6- Joy in the Sun; 7- Demons Rejoice; 8- Death Metal; 9- We´ll Come For You; 10- Triggerman; 11- Dissection Leftovers; 12- Peace, piece by piece; 13- Burnt Alive; 14- Your Head is Mine; 15- Made in Hell

Unleashed is back !! After a five year hiatus after their recording "Warrior" the swedish band is here again with their death metal music. One of the main ingredients of the band is here in all its splendour...and that are the hooks that they have achieved through all their career. Yes, the songs here have a lot of hooks, specially on the choruses that are designed to be singed along (check for example "Don´t want to be born" or "Hell´s Unleashed" to see how good the soings are composed in order to achieve a lot of attention from the listener). Here are all the elements that made the band famous: Johnny Edlund´s vocals, the fast guitar riffs combined with fast bass lines, the powerful drumming that gives the adequate timing and rhythm to all the tracks and the guitar melodies which are better than ever on this CD (Fredrik is killer in the melodies and solos on this releas). If you love Unleashed you will surely like this album. If you don´t know them lets have a taste of their music.

Favorite tracks: "Don´t Want to be Born"; "Hell´s Unleashed" and "Death Metal"

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

REVIEW: TREVOR WATTS AND VERYAN WESTON - 6 DIALOGUES

 

TREVOR WATTS AND VERYAN WESTON - 6 DIALOGUES ( Emanem Disc, 2002)

Produced by Martin Davidson

Recorded by Steve Lowe

Cover by Gus Cummings

Tracks: 1- Unrest Assured; 2- Split Frequencies; 3- Rest Unassured; 4- Finding and Binding; 5- Blending and Bending; 6- Spacing and Placing

What a great combination!! Trevor Watts on sax and Veryan Weston on piano. This duo is incredible and are extremely connected....yes, it seems that each one of them knows what the other one is going to play next and so they anticipate each other creating a really coherent improvisation (check "Unrest Assured" where seems that Watts knows what Weston is going to play and pays a similar phrase over his piano progression). "Split Frequencies" mis an example of more dissonant experimentation by this duo where you can listen some minor ninths (or minor seconds) intervals that are really clashing with the chords that Weston plays (or he plays this intervals in the chord progression making the result even more weird). This is an imporvisational duet with a lot of imagination and an extremely open mind !

Favorite tracks: "Unrest Assured"; "Rest Unassured" and "Spacing and Placing"

Contact: www.emanemdisc.com

REVIEW: THE SEVENTH GATE - NONE AS BLOODY AS THE KINGDOM OF CHRIST

 

THE SEVENTH GATE - NONE AS BLOODY AS THE KINGDOM OF CHRIST (Satan Rock Records, 2001)

Produced by The Seventh Gate

Recorded by Ken Olden and David Elizondo

Cover art by Jon Zig

Tracks: 1- The Eternal; 2- The Rubble of Glory; 3- To Forget; 4- The Mary Shelley Song; 5- Mine Will Rise; 6- Her Innocence; 7- I Alone; 8- Battered Skin

Here comes The Seventh Gate who play pure brutal satanic death metal (or american satan rock as they prefer to describe their music). In fact their music is brutality in its purest form. Crushing guitars, thundering drums, guttural vocals are all elements used here to blow the listener´s brain into pieces. But there are also more rhythmic and calm moments such as the beginning of "The Rubble of Glory" where the band plays a more mid paced riff after a clean guitar intro. This elements add a lot to the music of the band without letting the energy dissapear. The sound of the recording is really good, specially on the rhythmic guitars that are devastating. Also the drums are killer and the bass is clear in the mix following the guitars and accentuating with the drums. Steve´s vocals are guttural most of the time and screaming in others helping a lot to the brutal result. Brutality guaranteed !!!

Favorite tracks: "To Forget"; "Her Innocence" and "I Alone"

Contact: www.satanrock.com

REVIEW: THE NATIONAL CEMETERY ORCHESTRA - AS TWILIGHT FADES INTO NIGHT

 

THE NATIONAL CEMETERY ORCHESTRA - AS TWILIGHT FADES INTO NIGHT (INdependent, 2001)

Produced by Karl Nix

Recorded at Grandma´s Mosh Pit Studios

Cover by Karl Nix

Tracks: 1- Juggernaut; 2- Deaths Tragic Embrace; 3- Hence, the Tears; 4- Beneath a Dying Sun; 5- From Beyond the Oceans of Time; 6- As Twilight Fades Into Night; 7- Grasping Infinity; 8- Centuries of Turmoil; 9- Kwerqi; 10- In A Future Memory; 11- Eternities Restless Spirit

Here we have this great experimental music coming from the mind of Karl Nix, the only composer and musician on The National Cemetery Orchestra. Here we have eleven instrumental tracks full of ideas and a combination of sounds that make the result really weird. In fact here there is a heavy combination of distorted guitars playing heavy riffs and keyboards; then come clean guitar parts that embellish the music with a lot of melodies and then comes a fast drum pattern that makes things heavier. It is amazing how well developed are the songs and how many ideas can Nix put into a song without losing coherence. The sound is good and I would like him to do more solos like the one he does in "Hence, the Tears" with wah wah and combined with an ultra heavy break and riff. I have to listen more of The National Cemetery Orchestra because it is a great experience for my ears that crave for originality and good ideas !!!

Favorite tracks: "Hence, the Tears"; "Centuries of Turmoil" and "In A Future Memory"

Contact: http://www.mp3.com/NatlCemeteryOrchestr