REVIEW: VINTERRIKET - STÜRME DER LETZTEN STILLE - DEMO 2001

 

VINTERRIKET - STÜRME DER LETZTEN STILLE - DEMO 2001 (Neodawn Prods., 2001):

Track List: 1- Der Letzte Weg, 2- Kerker bitterer Kälte, 3- Zauber der Nacht, 4- Morgengrauen (Einklang), 5- Äon deer Unendlichkeit, 6- ...Im Abendrot (Ausklang)

I wouldn´t define Vinterriket´s music as black metal even if it is closer related to the style. Why? Because this can give a mistaken idea to the reader of what the music is like. In fact there are blast beats in some places and muddy guitars, but the main feature here are two: one the awesome keyboards which are the main instrument here and the songs are created based completely on them, being the main skeleton through which the tracks are built. The second feature are the vocals that are clean and more in a gothic way (this combined to the german language gives a great combination for this grim and sad atmosphere). Also the tracks are not at full speed, they are slower and more climatic prefaring to use more drum patterns than the usual blast beat. I would like a couple of changes nevertheless in the sound, maybe a different sound in the guitars (mixed a little bit higher), and I would like the vocals mixed a litlle bit lower so they don´t seem so apart from the music. Favorite tracks: "Kerker bitterer Kälte", "Morgengrauen"and "Im Abendrot". Contact: http://go.to/neodawnproductions

REVIEW: VENEFICUM - DYSPHORIA

 

VENEFICUM - DYSPHORIA (Forever Underground Recs., 2001):

Technical data:

Recorded, Mixeed and Mastered at Studio Black Aura

Produced by Antarktis with Veneficum

Design and Layout by Antarktis with G. Reymond.

Track List: 1- Grace Overthrown, 2- A Releasement Black Aura, 3- Twisted Emotional Silence, 4- The Manifestation Nocturne, 5- Overture Bizarre

This guys have no mercy for the listener !! They start at full speed with their raw black metal!!! The main characteristic here is that even is the band is really raw and full of hatred, they have predominant keyboards,a nd I think that this keyboards are really well played and ad a flavor to the music that is different from what one is accustomed to listen in the style. The five tracks here have a lot of dark feeling and that is because this orchestration fills every space that the rest of the band allows with its sad melodies. What can we feel here? Hatred !! and Darkness !!. My absolute favorite track is "The Manifestation Nocturne", the more climatic one with the use of different types of voices and with the keyboard at the top of its possibilities. Favorite tracks: "The Manifestation Nocturne" and "A Releasement Black Aura". Contact: www.foreverunderground.com

REVIEW: VALHALLA - POWER AND MIGHT

 

VALHALLA - POWER AND MIGHT (Independent, 2001):

Technical data:

Recorded between Nov-2000 and Aug 2001.

Track List: 1- Gloom of War, 2- Sacrifice, 3- The Dragon Rides Again, 4- Still Alive, 5- The Sword of My Father, 6- Stayin Alive, 7- Wotan, 8- Highway To Hell, 9- Tears of Mortality

 This is Valhalla´s new album...full of rarities and covers. Featuring a better sound than in all of their previous efforts and an omniprescent keyboard, plus the soft vocals of Ines Barth in some tracks which adds a new dimension to Valhalla´s sound. Here we have five previously unreleased tracks from the band, plus a live version of "The Sword of My Father" recorded in Sonnberg on May 5th, 2001. Also this CD features a cover of Bathory´s "Sacrifice", of AC/DC´s "Highway To Hell" and a completely reworked version of the Bee Gee´s "Staying Alive" (in a really thrash version with new lyrics written by Valthor). Favorite tracks: " Gloom of War", "Sacrifice" and "Tears of Mortality". Contact: www.truemetal.org/legion-of-eternity

REVIEW: VALHALLA - DESTINATION DAY

 

VALHALLA - DESTINATION DAY (Independent, 2000):

Technical data:

Recorded on eight track demo machine June-July 2000.

Front and Back cover by Bernhard Kast.

Track List: 1- destination Day, 2- Stronger Than Ever Before, 3- Die For The Gods, 4- the Burning Force, 5- The Power of Steel, 6- For Glory, 7- Banished in Hell, 8- Sacred leather, 9- Mights of All Storms, 10- RagnArök, 11- Eternal Night

Detination Day is the third Valhalla demo and it features a much better sound than in the two previous recording. In fact most of the tracks here are from those previous albums, but they have improved a lot the sound by recording them again on an eight track demo machine. The sound is still raw and with quite a lot of melodies. Valthor´s vocals sound here like a mix between Cronos (Venom) and Tom Angelripper (Sodom) giving their particular style of metal his particular touch. Favorite tracks: " The Burning Force", "The Power of Steel" and "Die For The Gods". Contact: www.truemetal.org/legion-of-eternity

REVIEW: VALHALLA - BY THE GODS

 

VALHALLA - BY THE GODS (Independent, 2000):

Technical data:

Recorded on eight track demo machine.

Produced, mixed and engineered by Valthor

Cover by Luca Giordano.

Track List: 1-Heroes of Desolation, 2- Eternal Night, 3- the First Dominion, 4- Arrows of Chaos Part 1, 5- Die for the Gods, 6- Mights of All Storms, 7- Sword of Dawn, 8- Bring Forth The King, 9- Into My Destiny, 10- Blacknight Warrior, 11- Sacred Leather, 12- Ragnarök

This was the second step in Valhalla´s career. And it was a step forward in their sound and their compositions. Twelve tracks of their blend of thrash and death metal with their particular influences and keyboards. In fact, this is the first Valhalla recording that features more keyboards and orchestration. The overall sound here is better than in "Thoughts of Glory" and the songs are better composed and they have put an emphasis on some arrangements that could not have been done without the keyboards. Favorite tracks: " Eternal Night", "Die For The Gods" and "Into My Destiny". Contact: www.truemetal.org/legion-of-eternity

REVIEW: VALHALLA - THOUGHTS OF GLORY

 

VALHALLA - THOUGHTS OF GLORY (Independent, 1999):

Technical data:

Recorded at Styria Records International.

Mixeed and Engineered by Michael Kackl

Design and Layout by Kurt HB, Alex S and Valthor.

Track List: 1- Ride The Storm (Intro), 2-Messiah, 3- For Glory, 4- Stronger Than Ever Before, 5- Silver Halls, 6- The Power of Steel, 7- Ancient Gods Calling (Outro)

This is Valhalla´s debut demo. And it shows the embryo of what was going to come later in albums like "Destination Day" (with tracks rerecorded) or "Northman" (their best album for my taste). That is a thrash/death metal with influences of great bands like Celtic Frost, Sodom and Coroner. This was a good first effort and only a prelude of what was going to come later. In fact this album does not feature keyboards as they would use later in "Northman" for example. This first album is really raw and powerful. Favorite tracks: " For Glory", "The Power of Steel" and "Messiah". Contact: www.truemetal.org/legion-of-eternity

REVIEW: UMBAKRAIL - IN UNITY "PAIENNE

 

UMBAKRAIL - IN UNITY "PAIENNE" (Deadsun Recs., 2001):

Technical data:

Recorded and mixed by S´aam ed .

Front Cover by Allan Lee.

Track List: 1- Intro, 2- On Blaspheme Mes Rois, 3- Mélants Néants, Desastres Et Soumissions, 4- In Our Hearts, 5- Like an Orckean Hunger, 6- Dome, 7- The Pagan Ceremony, 8- In Unity "Päienne"

What is this? This is black metal with a distinctive saturated sound and electronic drums. The ideas here are really good but I think that the guitar sound which is terribly saturated in combination with some electronic hihat parts ruin some parts that would have been better with a different sound. In fact some interesting guitar rhyths suddenly get lost when the blast beats or parts with more hihat appear. S´aam ed the only man behind Umbakrail has many good ideas as is shown for example in the keyboard parts in "On Blaspheme Mes Rois" which plays a simple melody over the fast rhythms before getting into a more mid paced part at 1: 32 or in the many different types of vocals that are used through the recording. I think that he must change the guitar sound in order to obtain better results...maybe the frequencies of the hihat and guitar cancel each other, I don´t know. Favorite tracks: "In Our Hearts", "Dome" and "The Pagan Ceremony". Contact: www.deadsun.multimania.com

REVIEW: TRIBUTO A RATA BLANCA - LA LEYENDA CONTINÚA

 

TRIBUTO A RATA BLANCA - LA LEYENDA CONTINÚA (Nems Enterprises, 2001):

Technical data:

Recorded at La Nave de Oseberg by Martín Toledo, Diego Martinez and Sebastian Manta. Except bass, drums and rhythm guitar on "La leyenda..." recorded in Caverrock Studios by Tero Kinnunen

Mix and mix production: Piet Salck, power House Studios, Germany

Mastering by Mika Jussila at Finnvox Studios

Cover and Logo: Eric Philippe

Design and Layout by Andrea Yeber

Track List: 1- Rompe el Hechizo (Azeroth), 2- Los Ojos del Dragón (Humanimal), 3- La Misma Mujer (JAF), 4- Guerrero del Arco Iris (Beto Vazquez Infinity), 5- Herederos de la Fe (Devenir), 6- Asesinos (Lörihen), 7- El Sueño de la Gitana (Saúl Blanch), 8- Agord la bruja (Jeriko+Walter Meza), 9- Jerusalem (Presto Vivace), 10- Abrazando al Rock´n´roll (Rosacruz), 11- Chico Callejero (Selidor+Mario Ian), 12- Mujer Amante (Barrozo, Perini, Takara, Bistolfi, Leonetti), 13- Sólo para Amarte (Coria, Lis, Scarcella, Marian, Sánchez), 14- La Leyenda del hada y el Mago (Giardino, Barilari, Johansson, Vuorinen, Nevalainen, Vänskä)

Like in all tribute albums or compilations here we have different results depending on the song that was chosen to cover and of the band that is doing it.

Here we have fourteen Rata Blanca classics and I must say that here I am getting subjective: I like more the first Rata Blanca album and the "Entre el Cielo y el Infierno" one. And I like more the bands that have chosen not to cover the song in an almost identical way than the original. That is why I like more tracks like "La misma mujer" done by JAF who has a completely different type of voice than the original singer Saul Blanch. Eventhough the same happens with "Chico Callejero", I find that the result is not as effective as in the aforementioned song, I think that here the vocals doesn´t achieve the power that the songs deserve. On "El sueño de la Gitana" original singer Saul Blanch does an almost exact version than the original. Another of my favorites is "Agord, la Bruja done by Jeriko and Horcas singer Walter Meza. This is a musically very even tribute. Favorite tracks: "La Misma Mujer", "Agord la Bruja" and "Jerusalem". Contact: www.nems.com.ar

REVIEW: TRAIL OF TEARS - PROFUNDEMONIUM

 

TRAIL OF TEARS - PROFUNDEMONIUM (Scarecrow Recs., 2001):

Technical data:

Recorded at jailhouse Studios, Norway.

Produced by Hans Eidskard and Trail of Tears.

Design and Layout by travis Smith.

Track List: 1- Countdown to Ruin, 2- Driven Through the Ruins, 3- Fragile Emotional Disorder, 4- Profundemonium, 5- Sign of the Shameless, 6- In Frustration´s Preludioum, 7- In Frustration´s Web, 8- Released at Last, 9- Image of Hope, 10- Dissapointment´s True Face, 11- The Haunted

Trail of tears is one of the Norwegian revelation bands. Their sounds is a climatic death metal with female vocals in the way that Tristania did in their first recording. The vocals of Ronny Thorsen are pure death metal, prefering to be effective and clear than guttural and Helena Michaelsen´s ones (she was replaced by Cathrine Paulsen) are the perfect contrast, destiling passion and pain (and using very effectively her middle range instead of abusing the highest notes she can reach). Obviously here we have a lot of keyboards and orchestrations that construct effectively the songs interacting with the heavier guitars and the voices. This is what I would call a very baroque death metal release, full of ornaments and arrangements. Favorite tracks: "Driven through the Ruins", "Sign of the Shameless" and "Image of Hope". Contact: www.redheaven.com .

REVIEW: TED KILLIAN - FLUX AETERNA

 

TED KILLIAN - FLUX AETERNA (pf MENTUM, 2001):

Technical data:

Recorded at Fusion Post Productions.

Mixeed and Mastered by Jeff Kaiser, March/April 2001

Design and Layout by Ted Killian.

Track List: 1- Hubble, 2- Leaving Medford, 3- Cauterant Baptism, 4- Last Sparrow, 5- Recurvate Plaint, 6- Nocturnal Interstices, 7- Reverse Logics, 8- Convocation Solitaires, 9- Gravity Suspended, 10- Flux Aeterna

Really atmospheric use of electronics and guitar on this recording by master Ted Killian. It is interesting to see how this man creates certain waves of sounds, some of them more rhythmic, some of the more melodic, some of them more noisy and he starts to put one over the other to create this unique pieces. In my mind this is like the sea...when one wave dissapears then another one comes to replace it without leaving any holes. Here is the same...you have one sound in the background...then another one covers it gently and the first one stays in the back or goes away. If this sound dissapears, another one takes it places letting silence appear only to remark the dynamics. Ted Killian is really experimenting here and I love guys like this one who have the mind so open to achieve this results. Ten tracks of exploring new soils in the musical world. Favorite tracks: "Leaving Medford", "Recurvate Plaint" and "Reverse Logic". Contact: www.pfmentum.com