REVIEW: THALARION - TIMES OF DESPONDENCY

 

THALARION - TIMES OF DESPONDENCY (Mighty Music, 2002)

Produced By: Roman Slavik and Thalarion

Tracks: 1- 911...As the War Raged, 2- My Bitter Overstrain, 3- Tunes of Despondency, 4- A Tatrastream Romance, 5- Tatyana, 6- My Weakness, 7- Confined, 8- The Endless Cacophony, 9- Fly Away

Cover Art by Jacek Wisniewski

Recorded at Exponent Studio

This wonderful band comes directly from Slovakia and they have composed nine tracks of incredible beauty while at the same time they deliver savage riffs and black metal vocals. One of the main elements here are the keyboards that create the artmospheres that are essential to Thalarion´s music and orchestrates each of the compositions while contrasting with the fast guitars and the heavy drumming. It is really interesting the contrast between the melodies and the devastating guitars, between Juraj brutal vocals and Nela´s clean female vocals (she is great through all the recording). There are many changes on the songs and the band uses a lot of clean guitars combined with keyboards to deliver new atmospheres. One thing to remark is the excellent sopund that this release has, really making all the music shine with its perfection. A must

Favorite tracks: All the CD

Contact: www.mightymusic.dk

REVIEW: TERMINAL DESCENT - MANIFESTING THE PRESENT

 

TERMINAL DESCENT - MANIFESTING THE PRESENT (Independent, 2002)

Produced By: Terminal Descent

Tracks: 1- I am that I am, 2- The Illusion Barrier, 3- Cultivating the Demon meme, 4- The Doctrine, 5- Taming of Beasts, 6- Hostage To the Devil, 7- Manifest The Present, 8- The Prophets Profit, 9- Subtle Misanthropy, 10- Cryptic Demise

Cover Art by Terminal Descent

This is another offering from this band that has an eerie sound (really raw sounding guitars) with brutal elements like the vocals and melodies and interesting arrangements. It is weird to listen to this band music because of the strange sound that the guitars have, specially when combined with slow drumming that gives a feeling of primitive doom that one is not expecting in the fastest parts that are closer to death metal. The sound of the recording is extremely raw and primitive and gives us the sensation of being listening to a live recording (specially because there are not overdubs and there is only one guitar doing all the arrengements all the time). One fundamental element here are the climatic parts like the beginning of "The Prophets Profit" which I think the band should use even more

Favorite tracks: "The Illusion Barrier", "Taming of Beasts" and "The prophets Profit"

Contact: http://members.tripod.com/terminaldescent

REVIEW: TERMINAL DESCENT - OF DARKEST LIGHT

 

TERMINAL DESCENT - OF DARKEST LIGHT (Independent, 2001)

Produced By: Terminal Descent

Tracks: 1- Satanic Mitigation, 2- Maelstrom of Inner Conflict, 3- Atom and Eve (of Science Vs. Religion), 4- Of Darkest Light, 5-Fatality through Futility, 6- Pandemic Somnambulant transition, 7- Let Sleeping Gods Die, 8- Acorn of Deviltry, 9- Acquisition of prescience, 10- Quantum Volition, 11- Rhetorical Quest Ion, 12- Master of My Own Domain, 13- Bound to the Boundless

Cover Art by Tom Hammer

This band is extremely brutal but at the same time has many climatic elements. Yes, the guitars construct incredibly fast riffs in many tracks (with an extremely raw and primitive sound that contrasts with some of the arrangements) but in many places they play melodies and interesting guitar solos that show another dimension of Terminal Descent´s music. There are many changes on each of the songs of this album and the drumming is bestial (I would mix the bass drums louder because there are interesting passages with double bass). The combination of brutality (specially on the vocals) and melodies is an essential feature of this band´s music and I think this guys should use even more melodies over crushing guitars and fast drumming as in "Atom and Eve" that is what gives them a lot of identity.

Favorite tracks: "Of Darkest Light", "Acorn of Deviltry" and "Quantum Volition"

Contact: http://members.tripod.com/terminaldescent

REVIEW: TAD MOROSE - MATTERS OF THE DARK

 

TAD MOROSE - MATTERS OF THE DARK (Century Media, 2002)

Produced By: Tad Morose

Tracks: 1- Sword of Retribution, 2- Matters of the Dark, 3- Ethereal Soul, 4- I Know Your Name, 5- In the Shadows, 6- Another Way, 7- New Clear Skies, 8- Riding the Beast, 9- Reason of the Ghost, 10- The Devil´s Finger, 11- Don´t Pray For Me

Cover Art by Jan Meininghaus

This power metal the way that it must be done: with powerful riffs, interesting solos, heavier than hell sound, twisted melodies and a singer that adds a lot of power besides doing melodies. That is the way bands like Jag Panzer, Vicious Rumours or Jag Panzer have chosen to do their compositions contrasting clearly with softer bands (most of them Helloween clones). This band main goal is to create powerful compositions with heavy feelings and not merely putting together a couple of melodies. Here we have Tad Morose´s heavy sound with amazing vocals and powerful epic choruses that are essential for this band´s music. There are energetic guitars riffs and interesting guitar solos through all this recording and the sound is making the band sound even more powerfully. A must for power metal lovers.

Favorite tracks: "In the Shadows", "Matters of the Dark" and "Riding the Beast"

Contact: www.centurymedia.com

REVIEW: SYSTEM 81 - INVASION

 

SYSTEM 81 - INVASION (Sector 19 Recs., 2002)

Produced By: System 81

Tracks: 1- Right Here..., 2- One More Ticket, 3- Communicate, 4- Mysterious, 5- This Way, 6- Transmission, 7- Triformis, 8- Wonderland, 9- Aluminum Dreams

This is pure electronic music!! It´s been a long time since I received a band of this charachteristics for reviewing. This band uses all the elements that they can in order to create some electronic atmospheres (that are appropritate for dancing because of the bass drumbeat that is on most of the songs). Here we have many elements that are extremely climatic (this guys use many different sounds in order to achieve the results that they want) while retaining the dancing atmosphere. One thing that amazed me were the vocals that are whispering the lyrics behind the other sounds adding an eerie quality to each of the compositions. A great thing about electronic bands like this one is that they mix really well their recording making the final result brighter than it would be without the great sound. I hope to receive more bands like this one in order to spice up a little bit more the musical tastes of the extreme scene.

Favorite tracks: "One More Ticket", "Mysterious" and "Triformis"

Contact: www.sector19.com

REVIEW: SUHRIM - UNIDENTIFIED FLYING BODY PARTS

 

SUHRIM - UNIDENTIFIED FLYING BODY PARTS (Independent, 2001)

Produced By: Suhrim

Tracks: 1- Mutilated Corpse, 2- UFB, 3- Old Bomb Fucked Bitch, 4- As You Bleed, 5- House of Gore, 6- Headdrilling - the Odesy, 7- Joyride, 8- 666, 9-Hymn of the Underdog, 10- Shitlover, 11- Shathulud, 12-Headdrilling - the Sequel

Cover Art by Bruno Kan

Recorded at The Cavern Studios

Suhrim has been doing really good in the underground lately spreading their extreme brutality through all the extreme scene.A nd here we have their album full of the heaviest of death metal riffs, the most bestial drumming that a band can have and the growling vocals needed to reach the band´s main goal: transmit extreme brutality through their music. And they have achieved this goal on this album with their mid paced riffs combined with double bass drumming and with the fastest riffs where the vocals growl over and over till the listener´s brain is melted. Each of the tracks here have many parts and riffs and each of them is done to add brutality while giving new dimensions to each composition. I have to remark that this album has an incredibly good sound that enhances even more the bestiality of this guys. Here you have twelve tracks of pure brutality with good musicianship.

Favorite tracks: "UFB", "AS You Bleed" and "Shathulud"

Contact: www.dma.be/lugburz/suhrim

REVIEW: STARFLYER 59 - CAN´T STOP EATING EP

 

STARFLYER 59 - CAN´T STOP EATING EP (Tooth and Nail Recs., 2002)

Produced By: Andy Prickett

Tracks: 1- Compeating, 2- West Coast Friendship, 3- Happy Birthday John, 4- Give Up the War (Stereo mix), 5- Theme From Dromedary

Cover Art by Asterik Studio

I had an odd feeling while listening to this band. On the first track they sounded like a sixties or early seventies band but with a modern sound and that really surprised me. The music of Starflyer 59´s music is simple and at the same time climatic and full of melodies (even the cover they have chosen, "Happy Birthday John" is really melodic). The singer is all the time whispering the vocals with his particular voice, adding a deppressive side to the music of the band ( many different feelings crossed my mind while listening this songs). The guitars play always with a clean sound (sometimes they use some acoustic guitar) doing arpegios and chords that are an essential part of the music on this recording. A realoly melodic release with many dark feelings.

Favorite tracks: "Compeating" and "Give Up the War..."

Contact: www.toothandnail.com

REVIEW: SOTHIS - INSTINCT

 

SOTHIS - INSTINCT (Independent, 2002 )

Produced By: Sothis

Tracks: 1- Requiescat In Pacem, 2- Psychonoise, 3- Turn off the Light, 4- To The Philosopher

Cover Art by Sothis

Recorded at Temple of Noise Studio 

Thsi band is devastating!! From the beginning they start with their black/death metal full of arrangements and different parts smashing the listener´s brain (plus there are some killer melodies that really give a lot of originality to the band). One of the things that got my attention soon is how well rehearsed thius guys are, they play many different changes and parts without missing a beat and sounding really compact and tight. The vocals are closer to the ones we know in black metal bands but sometimes there are also more guttural ones. Thumbs up for the killer guitarist whose arrangements and solos are essential to the Sothis sound. One thing to remark here is the excellent sound that this recording has, specially on guitars and drums (this drummer is killer with a lot of incredible double bass work). Here we have four brutal and technical tracks for mankind !!!

Favorite tracks: The Four

Contact: megadave78@yahoo.it

REVIEW: SIMON H. FELL - KALEIDOZYKLEN

 

SIMON H. FELL - KALEIDOZYKLEN (Bruce´s Fingers Recs., 2002 )

Produced By: Simon H. Fell

Tracks: 1- Duration, 2- Timbre, 3- Frequency, 4- (In)articulation, 5- Intensity

Cover Art by Simon H. Fell

Recorded at The Clothworkers Centenary Concert Hall 

On this recording Simon H. Fell has put into one CD an interesting composition for improvised double bass, clarinet, piano and orchestra. So, here we Fell colaborating with Rachel Cocks on clarinet, Paul Kosciecha on piano and the LSTWO Ensemble conducted by Simon Baines. This compositions show us a different side of Simon Fell´s musical personality, this is a more introspective release with more relaxed improvisation and parts where the combination of ensemble and other instruments gives the listener a sensation of peace while the musicians are still experimenting. The five parts on this CD are really complex and have many different moods on each of them (the first one is more than 26 minutes long and makes all the musicians shine). A must for improvisers.

Favorite tracks: "Duration" and "Frequency"

Contact: www.brucesfingers.com

REVIEW: SIMON H. FELL - COMPOSITION No. 30

SIMON H. FELL - COMPOSITION No. 30 (Bruce´s Fingers Recs., 2002 )

 

Produced By: Simon H. Fell

Tracks: CD1: 1- Part 1: Prelude, Swing & Variations, 2- Part 2: Klangfarbenmelodie, 3- Part 3: Blues, 4- Construct 1, 5- Construct 2, 6- Quartet, 7- Construct 3, 8- Part 4: Rhythm, 9- Interlude

CD 2: 1- Part 5: Guitar, 2- Construct 4, 3- Construct 5, 4- Construct 6, 5- Trio, 6- Part 6: Chord Progression

Cover Art by Simon H. Fell

Here we have this strange and amazing composition done by Simon H. Fell. This a 2 CD set that is divided in many parts. And on each of this parts we have different musicians ensembles playing Fell´s compositions while at the same time imptrovising. Here we have musicians whose work we have reviewed before like John Butcher or Rhodri Davies and whose musicianship is really well known. Here Fell has composed each part for a specific musician and we have here these musicians playing solo parts, duets, trios, quartets and even octets (really difficult harmonies in pieces like "Construct 1"). The music has some swinging qualities but the main thing here is the experimentation in this context searching always for new sounds and new atmospheres, expanding the limits of music.

Favorite tracks: The 2 CD set.

Contact: www.brucesfingers.com