REVIEW: RAVENCLAW - WHERE MIGHTY RAVENS FLY

RAVENCLAW - WHERE MIGHTY RAVENS FLY (Atlantida Productions, 2002)

Produced by Ravenclaw

Recorded at W.A.R. Studio

Cover Art by Ralf Brandstäter

Tracks: 1- In Battle, 2- Fenriswolf, 3- Shores of Heaven, 4- Valhall (Der Rabenwinter), 5- Ravenclaw, 6- A Vikings Journey, 7- Hermodr a Helferd (Burzum cover), 8- Power and Might, 9- Sword of Honour, 10- Set Sail (A Vikings Journey Part II), 11- Weltenbrand, 12- Atlantida (Fighting for Atlantis)

Starting with the sound of a dialogue of the "Conan the Barbarian" movie here we have this extremely climatical band. In fact this is a duo featuring Alex and Ruslanas. The music is full of dark and melodic passages in the beginning with keyboards that create enchanting melodies while there are background sounds that add some moods to the feelings of the songs. The vocals are mostly spoken and fit perfectly the amazingly dark climates that this guys create. Then what a surprise!! Starting at track number 4 "Valhall" the musci chnages and a programmed drum enter and the keyboards start doing more noisy stuff getting soon into a blast beat with sort of a flute going on....really weird!! There are songs that have many mooods like the long "Set Sail ..." which starts with an ancient melody played with sort of a bagpipe. If you like different moods on one CD then you should check Ravenclaw!!

Favorite tracks: The whole CD is really a masterpiece

Contact: atlantida@ukmerge.omnitel.net

REVIEW: QWESTION - Y

 

QWESTION - Y (Independent, 2002)

Produced by Mike Griffith

Recorded at In the House Studios

Cover Art by Mike Griffith

Tracks: 1- The Mask, 2- Freeprov, 3- Chaos Theory, 4- A Little Swim Before the Walk, 5- Forest of the Norm, 6- Muse, 7- 3one2, 8- Yachacha

Here we have Qwestion music...and this is one that is difficult or almost impossible to label. It has heavy guitar sound in many parts, it has programmed drums (or drums that sound like electronic percussion), it has some samplers and scratching turntables and stuff like that, it has some bluesy and jazzy melodies (check "Freeprov" to see this and be amazed). The music here is instrumental and really complex to play, specially on some changes of rhythms and on the improvised guitar melodies "check again "Freeprov"). The musicians here have a lot of quality and they are really well rehearsed and know how to play together (some tracks have really difficult tempo changes like for example "Chaos theory" which is extremely difficult to play. The sound is good but I would like them to mix louder the guitars to add some extra power to the songs. A must for people who like originality and experimentation.

Favorite tracks: "Chaos Theory", "Forest of the Norm" and " Yachacha"

Contact: www.qwestion.net

REVIEW: QUIETUS - DESTROYER OF WORLDS

 

QUIETUS - DESTROYER OF WORLDS (Independent, 2002)

Produced by Quietus

Recorded at The Shed

Cover Art by Chris Waters

Tracks: 1- Bow (In the Beginning), 2- Bloodsworn, 3- Destroyer of Worlds

I would call Quietus music a mix of ambient (because of some almost ambiental passages), black metal (because of some screaming and spoken vocals and some fast riffs), death metal (because of some riffs and vocals) and industrial (because of the machinal sound of the drums, the samplers and electronic sounds and some distorted vocals that are on the songs contained on this CD). In fact I find elements of this styles here but all have been processed and twisted into the form of Quietus music. The main thing here is experimentation by Chris Waters the only mind behind the music. The only low point here is the sound which buries some of the guitar riffs making them almost inaudible. I think Chris can remix this three tracks because they are really good and with a better sound they can be more effective.

Favorite tracks: The three contained on this CD

Contact: www.geocities.com/quietusband

REVIEW: PSYCROPTIC - THE ISLE OF DISENCHANTMENT

 

PSYCROPTIC - THE ISLE OF DISENCHANTMENT (Independent, 2000)

Produced by Psycroptic

Recorded at Red Planet Studios

Cover Art by Bill Dean

Tracks: 1- Carnival of Vulgarity, 2- The Sword of Uncreation, 3- Condemned by Discontent, 4- Netherworld Reality, 5- The Isle of Disenchantment, 6- Of Dull Eyes Borne, 7- Pycropticpath, 8- Beneath the Ground We Dwell, 9- The Labyrinth

Psycroptic is brutality guaranteed. Here we have this band that spits dethaly riff after deathly riff, drum beat after drumbeat creating a bestial world of death metal in each of their tracks. The riffs are fast and the guitars have a sound that is not similar to the one used by most of the bands of the style. Yes, there sound is more compressed, more compact,, allowing the guitarist to play superfast and technical riffs with razor sharp precission.. Besides the faster more brutal parts, the drummer plays some complex staff, specially some part where he uses a lot the ride cymbal like following some guitar parts. The vocals are extremely heavy and guttural in many places adding a lot of deathly feeling to the music. If you like brutality plus complexity, then check Psycroptic.

Favorite tracks: "The Sword of uncreation", "The Isle of Disenchantment" and "Of Dull Eyes Borne"

Contact: www.geocities.com/psycroptic

REVIEW: PROSAPIA - SOMBRAS ASFIXIANTES

 

PROSAPIA - SOMBRAS ASFIXIANTES (Independent, 2001)

Produced by Prosapia

Recorded at Sergio Delfino´s Studio

Cover Art by Juvi

Tracks: 1- Jinete Oscuro, 2- Clamad por vos

Here we have this two track CD from this band that come from the province of San Juan in the west of Argentina. The music here is mid paced black metal with some thrash elements and a lot of climatic moments (as in the intro of "Clamad por vos" where a melodic and melancholic line is developed by the band in the keyboards). I have to say that living in Argentina and knowing how difficult is to play the most extreme styles here I have to give my thumbs up to this guys because their music has a lot of quality and they have worked hard here. One thing that they have to work a little bit is the sound of the recording that is a little bit muddy, specially on the guitars and drums (the keyboard can sound clearer but is up on the mix, so one can listen what is doing really well). I hope more bands like Prosapia arise from Argentina so we can make a big step on the extreme metal world.

Favorite tracks: Both tracks are good. This guys deserve a better sound

Contact: dr_black_death@yahoo.com

REVIEW: PIERRE VERVLOESEM - GROSSO MODO

 

PIERRE VERVLOESEM - GROSSO MODO (Carbon 7 Records, 2002)

Produced by Guy Segers and Alan Ward

Recorded at Rising Sun Studio

Cover Art by Thierry Mondelaers

Tracks: 1- Hairdressers Go Home, 2- Olympic Troubles, 3- Anti Caking Agency, 4- Amazing Grease, 5- Smacked Down by the Lord Again, 6- Have You Seen Me?, 7- The Terrible Rage of the Sky, 8- Full Metal Carpet, 9- Nobody´s Listening Anyway

Having listened Pierre Vervloesem´s previous album I find this one completely different. This is much more electric and rocking and brings to my mind some shades of King Crimson, Frank Zappa and also some Robert Fripp work (not to mention some early Yes and experimental progressive bands too). He mixes all this influences, adds a lot of his personality and sound and puts it together with a lot of improvisation and spontaneity. Here Vervloesem has been joined by great musicians including Guy Segers on bass, Charles Hayward on drums and Peter Vandenberghe on keyboards. Vervloesem explores new sound through the nine tracks of this CD making experimentation his main goal and achieving great results here.

Favorite tracks: "Hairdressers Go Home", "The Terrible Rage of the Sky" and "Nobody´s listening Anyway"

Contact: www.carbon-7.com

REVIEW: PENTAGRAM - TURN TO STONE

 

PENTAGRAM - TURN TO STONE (Peaceville Records, 2002)

Produced by Pentagram

Tracks: 1- Petrified, 2- Wartime, 3- All Your Sins, 4- Frustration, 5- Burning Saviour, 6- Sinister, 7- Bride of Evil, 8- When the Screams Come, 9- Relentless, 10- Vampire Love, 11- Evil Seed, 12- The Ghoul, 13- Wolf´s Blood, 14- Madman, 15- 20 Buck Spin, 16- Death Row, 17- Live Free and Burn

This is a compilation of Pentagram´s music that was in the three classics released by Peaceville "Relentless", "Day of Reckoning" and "Be forewarned". I think most of the people who read this reviews will surely know well Pentagram´s music. For those who don´t know them they are a classic band who have been playing this sort of doom Black Sabbath like style since the early seventies (in fact the early single "Be Forewarned" is from 1972). Here we have seventeen heavy tunes with elements that bring to mind bands like Black Sabbath, Saint Vitus, The Obsessed or the almighty Trouble (this one specially on the vocals lines). The sound is better than in the original versions and sounds clearer without loosing Pentagram´s heavy and distorted sound (I think that specially the drums sound much better this time). A classic band !!!

Favorite tracks: "All your sins", "Burning Saviour" and "Wolf´s Blood"

Contact: www.peaceville.co.uk

REVIEW: ORPHAN GYPSY - DARKLAND DIRECTOR

 

ORPHAN GYPSY - DARKLAND DIRECTOR (Independent, 2002)

Produced by Orphan Gypsy

Recorded at Wall of Sound Studio

Cover Art by Daniel Backlund

Tracks: 1- Darklan, 2- King of Denial, 3- Under The Sun, 4- The Promise

Here we have the MCD from this pure heavy metal band . the music of this sextet is pure european heavy metal with some touches of power metal and lot of powerful riffs mixed with guitar and keyboards melodies. Some of the harmonies reminded me of bands like Stratovarius but this band has two guitars and sound heavier and more raw than the finnish band. The vocals are really clean and melodic and give the perfect melodies for this heavy metal combo. There are some twin guitars which I like and guive a lot of interesting harmonies to the songs on this MCD and fast solos that add a lot of virtuosism to Orphan Gypsy´s music. A really positive point that many heavy metal bands don´t have is the good sound that Orphan Gypsy has....and they sound raw at the same time (I think this is due to the guitars that are not extremely processed as in some bands out there. Metalheads and lovers of classicel metal will like a lot this one.

Favorite tracks: "King of Denial" and "Darkland"

Contact: www.orphangypsy.tk

REVIEW: ORGAN HARVEST - BOWELS WALTZ

 

ORGAN HARVEST - BOWELS WALTZ (Deadsun Records, 2002)

Produced by Organ Harvest

Recorded at Pitch Black Studio

Cover Art by Duncan

Tracks: 1- Dead but raped, 2- Bowels Waltz, 3- Gerontology Zoophilia, 4- Hyarocephalus, 5- My First Fist Fucking, 6- Smoking Sphincter, 7- Intestinal Maggots Enema, 8- Tetraplegic Skull Crushing, 9- Viking, 10- Aftermath, 11- War Consequences, 12- Vaginal Discharge, 13- Testicularburger, 14- Grunge, 15- Brain Eating Indigestion, 16- Scorn

It is incredible how the cover art can fool you. In fact by looking at the cover I thought that this was a gore grind band or something like that. But Organ Harvest does not belong to that style. In fact they have some grinding hyper fast parts (with vocals that fit the style), but they mix them with the most brutal death metal with riffs that are much more effective than simple speed (check the riffs at 0:43 in "Bowel Waltz" which are really thrash metal played with death metal sound or the ones in "Gerontology Zoophilia" to see what I am talking about). There are sixteen bestial tracks here that don´t have space for subtle melodies. Here everything is pure bestiality, power and brutality. Lovers of death metal prepare to check the music of this death/grind band that will rip you apart.

Favorite tracks: "Dead But Raped", "Testicularburger" and "Grunge"

Contact: www.deadsunrecords.com

REVIEW: OPHIOLATRY - ANTI-EVANGELISTIC PROCESS

 

OPHIOLATRY - ANTI-EVANGELISTIC PROCESS (Evil Vengeance Records, 2002)

Produced by Tchello Martins

Recorded at Da Tribo Studios

Tracks: 1- Intro, 2- Psychodemoniac Mentalities, 3- Messiah of Deformity, 4- Entombed, 5- Havoc, 6- Opposite Monarchy, 7- Anti-Evangelistic Process, 8- Asmodeus-The Destroyer, 9- Breaking the bones of Jesus, 10- Chaos Domination, 11- Vexation

Pure brutal death metal!! Yes, this is what we have here.....fast riffs, extremely fast drumming (with killer double bass drumming...this guy is really a machine behind the drumkit). One thing that got my attention on this CD is the complexity of some ofthe guitar riffs which are extremely difficult to play (and even more difficult is to play them correctly along with the rest of the band). And this is what I consider one of the main features of Ophiolatry´s music: their amazing combination of brutality and complexity within the same track. Did I tell you that the drummer is amazing? Well, let me tell you again as he gets better and better on each track. The vocals are really guttural and fit the brutality of the music, spitting the lyrics full of hatred. The sound is really good, specially on the drums (killer bass drum sound) and that adds a lot of strength to Ophiolatry´s music. Brutality at top level.

Favorite tracks: "Messiah of Deformity", "Opposite Monarchy "and "Breaking the Bones of Jesus"

Contact: ophiolatry@hotmail.com or evil666vengeance@aol.com