REVIEW: BEHEMOTH - THELEMA 6

 

BEHEMOTH - THELEMA.6 (Avant Garde Music., 2001):

Technical Data:

Recorded and mixed in Hendrix Studios, Poland (July-August 2000)

Mixed by Nergal, Inferno and Arek Malczewski

Produced by Nergal and Behemoth.

Images and Sleeve Design: Graal

Track List: 1-Antichristian Phenomenon, 2-The Act of Rebellion, 3-Inflamed With rage, 4-Pan Satyros, 5-Natural Born Philosopher, 6-Christians to the Lions, 7-The Universe Illumination, 8-In the Garden of Dispersion, 9-Inauguration of Scorpio Dome, 10-23 (The Youth Manifesto), 11-Vinum Sabbati

Do you remember Behemoth´s first album? Well, this is a completely different band, the sound in fact is completely different. More polished. The raw black metal spirit is there but done in a much better way with more original ideas. A great surprise is the great production that Nergal has achieved here that emphasize the power of the instrumentation and certain subtle ideas (like guitar lines that are in the background or some keyboards) that would not have had the same effect if the sound had been poorer. It is good to see the evolution of this band in a different way than a lot of others that radically change their style. In fact, the good thing about "Thelema 6" is that it has allowed the band to get better and at the same time evolve in the correct direction, one of originality, personality and better musicianship. Contact: www.avantgardemusic.com .

REVIEW: AZRAEL - MAFIA

 

AZRAEL - MAFIA (Locomotive Music , 2000):

Technical Data:

Recorded in M.M. de Monachil Studios, Granada, Spain.

Produced by Azrael y Josué Martin

Cover Art / Design: Sirai.

Track List: 1-Vuela, 2-Tarde Ya, 3-Mafia, 4-Volver a Nacer, 5-Jehová, 6-No Muerto, 7-Alas de Cristal, 8-Saca la Cabeza, 9-Atrapado, 10-Vendiste tu propia vida, 11-El Inexpugnable ocaso del Laberinto de la Razón

What do we have here? Heavy metal directly from Spain, with some electronic touches (great keyboards) and a modern sound in the guitars. "Tarde Ya" opens with a more climatic intro (with heartful guitar solo) before getting into a Helloween-style galloping. Not too original but powerful. In this song the vocalist shines more (eventhough I don´t like him very much). The title track is quite more original in the beginning with some clean guitars. What amazed me more is the great sound that this release has, really clean and loud (I would put a little less flanger to the vocals in some places)!! "Jehová" is one of my favorite tracks because of the lyrics dealing with preachers that fuck people to get their money (includes a radio program sound with the voice of a preacher asking money to the people). My favorite tracks: "No Muerto", "Atrapado" and "El inexpugnable ocaso del laberinto de la razón". Contact: www.locomotivemusic.com

REVIEW: ASHES TO ASHES - SHAPES OF SPIRITS

 

ASHES TO ASHES - SHAPES OF SPIRITS (Independent , 2000):

Technical Data:

Recorded at Gordon Studio. Engineered by Thomas Sörlie

Produced by Michael Stenberg

Cover Art / Design: Björn Luna, asisted by Shagrath

Track List: 1- Shapes of Spirits, 2-Gabriel, 3-Castle in The Air, 4-The Mourning, 5- Dying Room, 6-Divide and Conquer, 7-Sacrilege, 8-Ad Infinitum

If I mention Norway: what would you expect? Black metal? Wrong !! This band is much more than that, we can label their music as atmospheric/doom/gothic metal  (just to give some clue about their sound, I hate labelling musicians) with some symphonic elements. The trully distinctive element here are the combinations of male and female vocals. Starting with a beautiful instrumental intro called "Shapes of Spirits" to the next song, the powerful "Gabriel" with great vocal work (Randi Hoftvedt is a darker Liv Kristine) and a middle riff similar to the one in Deep Purple´s "Perfect Strangers". And a middle section has a darker and more atmospheric mood. The songs are long and they allow the band to develop a style reminiscent of old Paradise Lost, My Dying Bride, Anathema or Theatre of Tragedy (but with much more use of keyboards). This band succeeds in making the listener feel all the sensations that they wanted to transmit. A fundamental release. My favorite tracks: All the album. Amazing. Contact: atoa@atoa.net

REVIEW: ANKHARA - ANKHARA II

 

ANKHARA - ANKHARA II (Locomotive Music , 2001):

Track List: 1 - Jamás, 2- Mundo de Odio, 3 - Entre Tinieblas, 4 - Océanos de Lágrimas, 5- No digas nunca, 6-Buscando mi Camino, 7-Quema tu miedo, 8- Junto a mi, 9-Una vez más, 10- Tu sangriento pasado, 11- Ankhara

 An acoustic guitar prelude takes us to the harmonic way of Ankhara and to the first song called "Jamás". Heavy/power metal with european sound is whatb this band from Madrid, Spain presents in this, their second offering. What I find specially interesting here are the vocal harmonies and the guitar riffs (check the one in the beginning of "Mundo de Odio"). The music here is also full of double bass drumming, full of solos and guitar phrases and brilliant vocals, courtesy of Mr. Pacho Brea (there are certain harmonies in "Mundo de Odio" that reminded me of King Diamond despite the musical difference). "Entre Tinieblas" is a song that could have been extracted of an Yngwie Malmsteen record (due to the classical guitar phrases and the rhythms). Very subtle arrangements can be find in songs like "Océano de Lagrimas" with twin guitars and interesting solos. A good record for lovers of heavy/power metal. Great vocals on this one, maybe a little more originality is needed. My favorite tracks: "Océanos de Lágrimas", "Buscando mi Camino" and "Una vez más". Contact: www.locomotivemusic.com 

REVIEW: ANCIENT CEREMONY - SYNAGOGA DIABOLICA

 

ANCIENT CEREMONY - SYNAGOGA DIABOLICA (Alister recs. , 2000):

Technical Data:

Recorded at Alister Studio - Letwen - April/May 2000.

Recorded and mixed by P. Schu and Ancient Ceremonies. Mastered by Markus Stock.

Cover Art / Design: C. Anderle and Jones.

Track List: 1- Synagoga Diabolica, 2- Forbidden Fruit Sapientia, 3- Soul Darwinism, 4- Choir of Immortal Queens, 5- Deorum Contemptor, 6- Crowned Child, 7- Exodus 10, 28, 8- Creeping Death  

The cover art really fooled me this time: I though this was a gothic type band with all the elements that the style has, but instead I found an original black/death metal band with lots of keyboards (and some power metal elements, for example the first riff and keyboard phrases from "Forbidden Fruit Sapientia" made me remind Yngwie Malmsteen´s "Disciples of Hell" ). The amazing here is that the band prefers to use more interesting elements than mere speed, for example great riffs ("Forbidden..." (2:31), some of them reminiscent from eighties thrash metal) or whispering and spoken voices apart from the screaming ones, cleaner parts. "Soul Darwinism" is pure hatred at high speed but it has its subtle elements like for example the guitar/keyboard phrases at 1:12 that completely change the feeling of the song making it sound more epic. This is an album to prove to those who think that the genre is stagnant that they are wrong. The album also includes a cover of Metallica´s "Creeping Death". Favorite tracks: "Soul Darwinism", "Choir of Immortal Queens" and "Deorum Contemptor". Contact: www.Alister-Records.de or www.ancient-ceremony.de

REVIEW: AMORPHIS - AM UNIVERSUM

 

AMORPHIS - AM UNIVERSUM (Relapse Recs. , 2001):

Technical Data:

Recorded, Mixed and Mastered at Finnvox Studios, Helsinki - October/December 2000.

Produced by Simon Efemey

Engineered by Mikko Karmila & Simon Efemey

Cover Art / Design: http://lahco.bombsquad.org

Track List: 1- Alone, 2-Goddess (of the sad man), 3- The night is over, 4- Shatters Within, 5- Crimsom Wave, 6- Drifting Memories, 7- Forever More, 8- Veil of Sin, 9- Captured State, 10- Grieve Stricken Heart.

This is Amorphis new album !!! Starting were "Tuonela" left, this album has not big changes compared to that one, in fact it is like a continuation of the path started then. Maybe "Am Universum" is a little bit more melancholic, but without losing the strength that was manifested through "Elegy" or "Tuonela". The album opens with two killer tracks: "Alone" and "Goddess" showing all the elements that we know that Amorphis can use. Pasi Koskinen has now taken complete control over the vocals and lyrics (and that has made this aspect somewhat more introspective). There are also elements that can take us back to "Elegy" for example the beginning of "The night is over" with one heavy guitar and wah wah on the other, making that psychodelic sound that characterized the heavier songs on that album. Talking about introspection, I think that here is one of the most ethereal and introspecive songs in Amorphis career and that is "Shatters Within". Amorphis continues on the path they created. Favorite tracks: "Goddess (of the sad man)", "Crimson Wave" and "Veil of Sin" (with saxophone included). Contact: www.relapse.com

REVIEW: YEARNING - FRORE MEADOWS

 

YEARNING - FRORE MEADOWS (Holy Recs. - 2001): Yearning is a duo that has made its impact in the underground since a while, Their new recording, this"Frore Meadows" shows us a band in evolution towards melodic and experimental fields (like Tiamat did but without the electronic sounding elements) . the main feature of Yearning is the singer with a privileged voice, almost operistic in some places and really death metal in others and who gives a lot of dynamism to the songs, listen for example the song that opens the CD ("Bleak"). The acoustic guitar parts or the ones without distorsion are abundant on this CD and I think that this is what the band uses to make of their music something extremely original and unique, together with the keyboards that maybe ar mixed a little bit lower than I would like. The atmosphere of songs like "Solitary" or "Autumn" is really depressive with beautiful melodies that enhance this feeling. Favorite Tracks: "Bleak", "In Strange Slowfooted Fever" y "Elegy of Blood". Contact: holyrecords@wanadoo.fr

REVIEW: VISIONARIES OF THE MACABRE - VOL 2

 

VISIONARIES OF THE MACABRE - VOL.2 (Lost Disciple Recs. - 2001): This is a compilation from Lost Disciple Recs. showing black metal bands from the USA. Bands like Bloodstorm, Kult ov Azazel, Abysmal Fall, Bloodshed Divine, Noctuary or Averse Sefira have their place here together with a lot of others of the same style. Due to their power and quality I would like to pick up some of the bands, first of all Noctuary (for the reasons that I wrote in the review of their record) with "Eternity Everfading", then Kult ov Azazel that are a very interesting band, despite the sound that the song presented her has that is worse than the one in their debut CD, also Averse Sefira with all their strength (they use an electronic drum but now they have a killer drummer), Cryptic Winds that presents us their track "Storms of the Black Millenium" with a strange black metal sound (the mix is not too good, it has too much reverb in the vocals…it seems recorded in a cave) and Corvus Coraz, with one of the best tracks (at least one of the most elaborated ones) that is "Terminus Est" with clean guitar introduction and melodies. Contact: www.lostdisciple.com or ALHuman@aol.com

REVIEW: VARATHRON - THE LAMENT OF GODS

 

VARATHRON - THE LAMENT OF GODS (Precipice Recordings - 2001): The legend of Greek balck metal is back!!!!! This is one of the bands that started the black metal scene in Greece togethere with Rotting Christ and Necromantia in the beginning of the nineties. Not like the first ones, Varathron continued to do the same style of melodic black metal that carachterized them, evolving but not changing style. This MCD (they are recording the follow up) starts with "Fire Spell/Forbidden Lust" a mid tempo track with interesting keyboard interventions and intelligent ideas. The main feature of Varathron´s music are their rhythms designed to blat your head off and their melodies that are all over the place done with guitars and keyboards. A clear example of this is "The World Through Ancient Eyes". Really good recording of this masters of darkness. I only have to add: We are awaiting for the new long duration recording. Contact: paganrec@polbox.com

REVIEW: AVERSE SEFIRA - BATTLE´S CLARION

 

AVERSE SEFIRA - BATTLE´S CLARION (Lost Disciple Recs., 2001):

Technical Data:

Recorded in Isotopia Studios, Austin, Texas

Produced by Stuart Lawrence and Averse Sefira

Cover Art: Jonzig, Layout / Design: Erika Swinnich (DS Design and Promotions)

Track List: 1- Battle´s Clarion, 2-Condemned to Glory, 3-Withering the Storm, 4- Deathymn, 5-The Nascent Ones (The Age of Geburah), 6-Argument Obscura, 7-The Thousand Aeon Stare, 8-Fallen Beneth the Earth, 9-Ablaze

I first listened to Averse Sefira´s music in the  Visionaries of the Macabre Vol. 2 Compilation (yes; the one I reviewed on last issue). The band got my atention because of the tightness in their playing and the use of electronic drums. Now, with the addition of a real drummer they develope their style of raw black metal with interesting atmospheres and riffs (check the beginning of "Condemned to Glory" to see some unconventional riffing and drumming). Really rotten vocals and an emphasis on dissonances and exotic melodies are what distinguish this band from others of the same style (check the melody at 2:23 of the above mentioned track to see what I am talking about. Tracks at full speed like "Deathymn" (great middle part at 1:02) are hand to hand with really calm tracks like the third one called "Withering the Storm" that is like an ambient interlude with some nature sounds. My absolutely favorite track in this album is "The Nascent Ones...", really atmospheric (some Slayer and Satyricon influences in there) with great sound like in all the album. A powerful release from this guys from whom I would like to listen more in the future. Favorite tracks: "The Nascent Ones", "Fallen beneath the Earth" and "Argument Obscura". Contact: ALHuman@aol.com or www.lostdisciple.com