REVIEW: XENOMORPH - BANEFUL STEALTH DESIRE

 

XENOMORPH - BANEFUL STEALTH DESIRE (Independent, 2001):

Track List:1- Dragon´s Breath, 2- Post-human (The X-morph Deathcult), 3- Blood of the Stars, 4- Storm Innocent Eve, 5- On the Most Blackened Wings, 6- Bestia Infernali, 7- Last Contribution to Art, 8- Once Upon Armageddon.

Judging for this recording Xenomorph is the ideal band to start to hit your head and fists against the wall ina a frenzy. Take Fear Factory, put something of bands like Aeon and The Forsaken, mix it with some Carcass and Death and you will have an approximate idea of how this band sounds. Xenomorph exudes agression and brutality through every pore of their skin, retaining some subtle elements like the ska-like passage in "Dragon´s Breath" (1:27) or the guitar passage in "Blood of Stars" (1:25). The main element here is the killer drummer who is really tight and is a master of double bass drumming. Listen this release and feel the fury !!!!. Favorite tracks: "Post-human...", "Storm Innocent Eve" and "Bestia Infernali". Contact: www.x-morph.com

REVIEW: WITCHFYNDE - THE AWAKENING

 

WITCHFYNDE - THE AWAKENING (Demolition Recs., 2001):

Technical data:

Recorded at Foundry Recording Studio

Cover Artwork by Mike Schindler at Dragon Design

Track List: 1- Hell Hath No Fury, 2- Death of Innocence, 3-Vampyre´s Tale, 4- Blessed Be, 2- To the Devil a Daughter, 6- The Awakening, 7-Unholy Shadows, 8- Astep Closer (To Hell), 9-Unknown Soldier, 10- Ghost Dancer

Power/thrash metal in a real pure format!! It has been a lot of time since the last time that I heard an album like this one. All the elements that were really popular in the late eighties in the thrash/power metal scene are hear: crunchy rhythms, good vocals, guitar solos, twin guitars, thrash drum patterns. There are also some subtle moments like on the darker "Vampyre´s Tale" or in the Iron Maiden-like "Blessed Be" (it reminded me of "Remember Tomorrow"). The difference between this guys and the actual power metal scene is that Witchfynde goes to the rawer side of the style instead of using (or abusing) the neoclassical influences that so popular seem to be in the style nowadays, and prefer to use darker melodies, less high-pitched melodies (sometimes similar to those of Vicious Rumours Carl Albert). Interesting release from a style that has not dissappeared. Favorite tracks: "Hell Hath No Fury", "Vampyre´s Tale" and "Unknown Soldier". Contact: www.demolitionrecords.com

REVIEW: WAR - WE ARE... TOTAL WAR

 

WAR - WE ARE...TOTAL WAR (Orion Music Entertainment/Necropolis Recs., 2001):

Technical data:

Tracks 1-7 recorded at The Abyss - Nov. 1996. Produced by WAR and Petr Tägtgren.

Tracks 8-14 recorded at The Abyss - Oct. 1997. Produced by WAR and Mikael Hedlund.

Cover and Album design by Blackmoon

Track List: 1- Satan, 2- I am Elite, 3- Total War, 4- The Sons of War, 5- Revenge, 6- Reapers of Satan, 7- Satan´s Millenium, 8- War, 9- Rapture, 10- Ave Satan, 11- Soldiers of Satan, 12- 666, 13- We are War, 14- Bombenhagel.

This is a kind of supergroup of the scandinavian black/death metal scene. Joining efforts here are Peter Tägtgren (Hypocrisy, The Abyss, etc.), It (Vondur), Blackmoon (Necrophobic, Dark Funeral, Infernal), All (Vondur) and Mikael Hedlund. This album compiles the best tracks of War´s two releases called "Total War" and "We are War". Extremely fast and raw tracks full of blast beats and All´s screamin anguish vocals. It and Blackmoon grind through all the recording with their chainsaw-like guitars.while Peter Tägtgren drums furiously breaking your neck with his blast beats. The seven last tracks have a different sound (I like more the way the guitars sound on the seven first tracks, they are better mixed). Also this CD includes a cover track of Sodom´s "Bombenhagel" in a ripping version. Favorite tracks: "I am Elite", "Reapers of Satan" and "Ave Satan" (it sounds like old Venom !!!).  www.necropolisrec.com

REVIEW: VORE - LORD OF STORMS

 

VORE - LORD OF STORMS (Independent, 2001):

Technical data:

Recorded, mixed and mastered by Aaron Allen at Buzzwo Studios.

Produced by Aaron Allen and Vore

Artwork and Layout by Odis Holcomb

Track List: 1- Veils of Oblivion, 2- Godslayer, 3- Host of Abomination, 4- To Be a God, 5- Lurker Above, 6- Lost Nation, 7- Agony, 8- Opaque, 9- Primordial Conquest, 10- Forging a new Vision

Death metal with excellent guitar riffs that put the accent on the rhythm instead of the speed. I can listen in this guys some influences of thrash metal, some of old death metal bands like Entombed or Dismember, and some stuff of bands like Pantera or doom metal bands. All this influences are thrown in a mixing machine and adding some identity, here is Vore´s music. It is interesting how this guys are proving something that I think is like an axiom....that in most of the cases a good riffs ends up being heavier than a blast beat or some riff bassed only in one note speed runs. The sound of this release is good specially on the guitars and vocals, I would have mixed different the drums and put them a little bit more in the front, but the overall mix is good. Favorite tracks: "Godslayer", "Lurker Above" and "Opaque" (an instrumental with acoustic guitar...most death metal bands would have shaken with fear just imagining putting something like this on their albums). Contact: www.vore.org  

REVIEW: TVANGESTE - DAMNATION OF REGIOMONTUM

 

TVANGESTE - DAMNATION OF REGIOMONTUM (Valgalder Recs., 2001):

Technical data:

Recorded /Mixed/Mastered at TV4 Studios by Alex A., Kallingrad,Russia.

Produced and Arranged by Tvangeste

Exec. Producers: Michael Chirva, Vano Maioroff

Cover: Voron Studio

Track List: 1-From Nameless Oracle, 2- Angel´s Retreat, 3- Damnation of Reiomontum, 4- Thinking..., 5- Born to be King of Innerself.

Extremely climatic and full of melodies black metal is contained in this beautiful CD. The music of this qartet has two main ingredients: the excelent keyboards and pianos of Victoria Koulbachnaia and the melodic guitars of Nikolay Kazmin, that make this band stand out from the bands of the genre (Victoria´s keyboards are everywhere, doing melodies, chord progressions, etc. for example check the passage at 10:11 in "From Nameless Oracle"). One thing that I find strange is the sound of programmed drums (the band has no drummer). The tracks are long and there are a lot of ideas developing on them where this great musicians find enough space to express themselves. There are also to guest musicians: Olaa on female vocals (great ones) and Anna on cellos an violins that help to bring darkness to the listener ears. Favorite tracks: ""From nameless Oracle", "Damnation of Regiomontum" (beautiful piano along with violin) and "Thinking...". Contact: www.valgalder.com or www.tvangeste.com

REVIEW: THERION - SECRET OF THE RUNES

 

THERION - SECRET OF THE RUNES (Nuclear Blast, 2001):

Track List: 1- Ginnungagap (Prologue), 2- Asgård, 3- Midgård, 4- Schwarzalbenheim (Svartalfheim), 5- Jotunheim, 6- Ljusalfheim, 7- Vanaheim, 8- Nifelheim, 9- Muspelheim, 10- Helheim, 11- Secret of the Runes (Epilogue)

Kings of symphonic dark gothic metal are back ! This time the al,bum is centered on nordic Mythology and specially on the world tree called Yggdrasil which consists in nine different worlds which have each one different charachteristics and which are described here through all the tracks. Christofer Johnsson seems to be very comfortable with this style of music he created with the release of "Theli" in 1996 (eventhough they had explored this path in some tracks of "Lepaca Kliffoth"). Here you have all the elements that have made Therion a worldwide success: excellent orchestral arrangements, female operistic vocals, harmonized classical choruses, deep male vocals. This time he does not have the help of one main female vocalist like was Martina (ex-Dreams of Sanity) and he is using a lot of clean and acoustic guitars and flutes and harpsichords mixing climatic moments with heavier ones driven by drums and heavy guitars like on "Midgård". This is another step in the Therion saga. Favorite tracks: "Asgård", "Schwarzalbenheim (Svartalfheim)" and "Nifelheim". Contact: www.nuclearblast.de

REVIEW: TERTIUM NON DATA - HERS IS BLOOD

 

TERTIUM NON DATA - HERS IS BLOOD (Crowd Control Activities, 2001):

Technical data:

Recorded and Mixed at Smithco & Grinder Tool and Die, Kansas City

Produced and Mixed by Brett Smith and John Bergin

Artwork and Design by John Bergin

Track List:1- I know you well, 2- Final Resting Place: Snow, 3- Box-Golden Section, 4- Low, 5- Box-Inside, 6- Hers is Blood, 7- Angelbox Closed, 8- Wisdom, 9- Blackness Burning, 10- When the Levee Brakes.

Do you know when the music that you are listening is climatic and introspective? If you don´t know, you will learn it while listening to Tertium Non Data. The music here is full of passages where the instrumentation (keyboards and electronics in most of the CD) create those textures that make your soul feel dark and lonely. The music is somewhere in between ambient, industrial and electronic with excellent femenine vocals (Lori Demanche has a really sensual voice) in some of the tracks and whispering male vocals. The funny thing about this release is that includes a cover of Led Zeppelin´s "When the Levee Breaks" that is completely different from the original version (full of electronic beats and processed harmonica...really original). Purists will hate this version...open minded people will like it. Favorite tracks: "Final Resting place: Snow", "Low" and "Hers is Blood" . Contact: www.crowdcontrol.cc

REVIEW: SYLVIA HALLET - WHITE FOG

 

SYLVIA HALLETT - WHITE FOG (Emanem Disc, 2001):

Technical data:

Design and Mastering by Sylvia Hallett and Martin Davidson

Wheelsongs recorded at LMC Soound by Mick Ritchie

Tracks 7 and 8 recorded at Summerhill Studio by Sylvia Hallett

Track List: 1- A Wheelwright used to live here, 2- Violet, 3- Woman with Dustpan and Brush, 4- White Fog, 5- Private War, 6- Walnut, 7- The Onyx Rook, 8- Snail and Curlew

This is a total experimental recording by Sylvia Hallett. This woman uses here a lot of objects to produce her music in a really interesting way. In fact the six first tracks here are played using a bowed bicycle wheel, vocals and a lot of digital delay effects. It is interesting to listen to this type of ambient music because it opens new boundaries to the realm of experimental music. Sometimes the music here is like a soundtrack of madness with all the effects and eerie feelings that this music brings to the mind. There is also one track of an amazing violin and voice improvisation without overdubs. And also a tape collage soundtrack for a dance film called "Body of Land". This is really interesting but you have to be openminded and expect the unexpected. Favorite tracks: "Violet, "Private War" and "Snail and Curlew" . Contact: www.emanemdisc.com

REVIEW: SUMMON - NO THOUGHTS FROM THE SKY

 

SUMMON- NO THOUGHTS FROM THE SKY (Blackened Moon Prods., 2001):

Technical data:

Recorded at Wormhole Productions, Grand Rapids, MI.

Recorded, Mixed and Produced by Summon and Kenny Roberts

Mastered at LIM Studios by Lou

Artwork by Xaphan

Track List: 1- No Thoughts from the Sky, 2- Beneath the Cryptic Tombs, 3- Beyond the Away, 4- Descension, 5- Black Wind Abyss, 6- The Surrounding Darkness, 7- Perverse Serenity, 8- Unto Which I Fall, 9- Spectral Void, 10- Raging Toward Burning Flames

Total death!!!!! Directly from Michigan we have Summon, a band dedicated to the power, speed and brutality of death/black metal. The drummer is really technical and know how to do the famous blast beats while ataining some originality in his rhythmic patterns (listen for example to "Beyond the Away" with the breaks and changes), he is also a double bass maniac. One thing that I would say is that the band has really good guitar riffs and I think that they have to emphasize the more rhythmic parts in order to get a more effective result (like the parts in the beginning of "Perverse Serenity". Or the beginning of "Unto Which I fall"). This band uses also some odd-timing in parts of their tracks. Favorite tracks: " Unto Which I Fall", "Raging Toward Burning Flames" (in the vein of old Morbid Angel). Contact: www.angelfire.com/mi/summon

REVIEW: STUCK MOJO - VIOLATE THIS... 10 YEARS OF RARITIES 1991-2001

 

STUCK MOJO - VIOLATE THIS...10 YEARS OF RARITIES 1991-2001 (Century Media, 2001):

Track List:1- Ten years, 2- Revolution, 3- Not Promised Tomorrow, 4- No pride, no respect, 5- Southern pride, 6- Wratchild, 7- Shout at the Devil, 8-Hate must be a gift, 9- Despise, 10- Twisted, 11- Only the Strong Survive, 12- Pigwalk, 13- No Regrets, 14- Propaganda, 15- Love has no Color, 16- Hotlanta, 17- Babylon, 18 - Mojo Funk

It is a pity how a genre that bands like Stuck Mojo or Clawfinger did so good (adding each one their special brand of influences) has been bastardized by the MTV culture and the media. In fact 90% of the bands that are now doing this mixture of metal with rap or hip-hop are just a crappy copy of what this bands did since the early nineties and they are of poor quality (Well...in the eighties MTV fucked metal putting all those spray hair assholes bands without talents, then in the nineties flooded the scene with Pearl Jam/Nirvana clones and now this...). Enough talk. Here is Stuck Mojo ...one of the bands that make better this style and this is an album of rarities and new tracks: there are new tracks like "Ten Years" or "Revolution" and then there are interesting things like the Iron Maiden Cover ("Wrathchild") or the Mötley Crüe one ("Shout at The Devil") . In fact they have transformed this song into their own by adding that special style that Stuck Mojo has. Another thing here is the difference in sound that there is between the new tracks and the olders (the newer sound far better). Favorite tracks: "Ten Years", "Only The Strong Survive" and "No Regrets". Contact: www.centurymedia.com