REVIEW: DUNCAN WILDER JOHNSON - DESTRUCT-A-THOR

 

DUNCAN WILDER JOHNSON - DESTRUCT-A-THOR (Wonderdrug Recs., 2001)

Mastered by Ken Camaro

Edited and Produced by Tara de Marco and Duncan Wilder Johnson

Graphic Design by Duncan Wilder Johnson

Tracks: 1- God of Car Crashes, 2- Dictionary definition of the Word "Dude", 3- Heavy Metal Mountain Movie, 4- heavy metal Part 3: Ozzfest, 5- Tim Catz, 6- Dude, Fuckin´war, Man?, 7- On Fire, 8- Nipplekabob, 9- Heavy Metal part 5: Motorhead, 10- Screaming penis eats the Corpse, 11- Assholes Part 1: Electric Boogaloo, 12- Assholes Part 2: Chicago, Enhanced CD: Heavy metal part 4: Scissorfight

The music of Duncan Wilder Johnson has elements from metal, from straight rock´n´roll, from stoner rock and from hardcore too. The first name that comes to my mind is Henry Rollins but Duncan is heavier and has influences closer to the more extreme side of the specter. Even if there are certain rock elements here, they are played with a big fat guitar sound that makes the result heavier. Duncan has a great sense of humor as he shows in "Heavy Metal Part Part 3: Ozzfest" a spoken track where Duncan tells the audience about his experiences in the Ozzfest festival. I liked a lot this combination of extremely heavy and fast tracks with spoken tracks with great humour. This CD has twelve rocking tracks plus an enhanced part with a video for "Heavy Metal part 4: Scissorfight" live performance. Don´t miss this CD. Favorite tracks: "Heavy Metal Mountain Movie", "Dude, Fuckin´war, Man?" and "Screaming Penis Eats The Corpse". Contact: www.wonderdrugrecords.com

REVIEW: DREAMING IN RED - SILENCE BEFORE

 

DREAMING IN RED - SILENCE BEFORE... - DEMO 2001 (Independent, 2001)

Tracks: 1- Devotion, 2- I bid You Welcome, 3- Dalse, 4- Lunatic, 5- Ashes, 6- denied, 7- Braeheart, 8-Resist, 9- Lost Souls

The album opens with a clean guitar and a voice speaking before getting into the heavier side of Dreaming in Red. I like a lot one element and that is the combination of one guitar doing an extremely heavy rhythm combined with other guitar doing some sad melodies over it. And that is the thing that sets Dreaming in Red apart from the other bands...that combination of heaviness and bestiality with melody and subtle moments. There are a lot of passages where the instruments shine. Plus the vocals are real death in some parts and remind me of bands like Illdisposed. The drummer is killer with a lot of double bass drumming and a lot intersting patterns using the toms and the ride cymbal. Fans of bands extremely heavy but at the same time really melodic will have orgasms with this release. Favorite tracks: "I bid you welcome", "Ashes" and "Resist". Contact: www.dreaming-in-red.com

REVIEW: DRACO HYPNALIS - PROMO 2001

 

DRACO HYPNALIS - PROMO 2001 (Independent, 2001)

Tracks: 1- Fortified Source of Invisible Light, 2- Cairm - Cleansing Time Keys, 3- Departed for the cloud - Vaulted Portal, 4- Intermezzos for Live Gigs

Are Draco Hypnalis the Dream Theater of black/death metal? I think that this comparison is not wrong because of the great technical skills that this guys have. Since I listened their music I become a big fan of this band. This guys are beyond styles, beyond metal, beyond death...they are composers, amazing musicans, full of ideas. The music in this promo is better than on their demo from 2000 and they have evolved a lot in just one year, making their music more porwerfulñ and diverse yet very complicated to play (that means that the skills of this guys are well above average). Here we have three new tracks with a better sound, specially on guitars and with more keyboards (I love the way the keyboards sound here), and there is also a bonus with some intermezzos that Draco Hypnalis uses in their live shows. An amazing album. Come on metal labels!! You have to offer a deal to this guys!!!!!. Favorite tracks: All the tape !! Contact: dracohypnalis@seznam.cz

REVIEW: DRACO HYPNALIS - NOBLENESS OF THE STORM GATHERER

 

DRACO HYPNALIS - NOBLENESS OF THE STORM GATHERER (Independent, 2000)

Recorded and Mixed at Policna Studio

Produced by Draco Hypnalis

Layout by Cowley

Tracks: 1- My Shields is Black Feathered Circle, 2-Cycle of Being Absurdly reversed, 3- Of Doves, Falcons and Souldust, 4- Oracle of Inner - Bonded Blue Flame, 5- Torn Funeral Shroud of their shapes, 6- Portal for the Nocturnal Weavers of Unrest.

Can we say that this is black metal? Maybe because of the vocals. Is it death metal? Some riffs may sound like that and some vocals. Is it progressive metal? Yes, there are changes everywhere, great guitar melodies, amazingly technical guitar riffs. What I can say for sure is that it is metal music and very original with excellent musicians and a programmed drum machine. With great interaction between the guitar and the bass the tracks are really well developed and I think that Draco Hypnalis are looking for originality above all. The sound is good but I think that the guitars can be mixed louder to make the result more powerful. A great prelude from a great band !! Favorite tracks: " Cycle of Being Absurdly Reversed", " Oracle of Inner Bonded Blue Flame", " Portal for the Nocturnal Weavers of Unrest". Contact: dracohypnalis@seznam.cz

DESECRATION - INHUMAN

 

DESECRATION - "INHUMAN" (Copro Records, 2001)

Tracks: 1-  Turning Black, 2- Dig up, dig in, 3- Asphyxiate on Blood

This is a three track promotional CD of Desecration latest album called "Inhuman". If you love brutal death metal here is your stuff!! The music here is in the vein of those bands that are in the most extreme side of death metal, those with guttural vocals, a lot of speed and crushing guitar riffs. The music here is extremely brutal and is reminiscent of early Cannibal Corpse, except for the sound that is much better than on that band´s first recordings. There is a lot of speed here and certain riffs are really complex. Others are more rhythmic and have hooks like the one in "Asphyxiate in Blood". Favorite tracks: "Asphyxiate in Blood" and "Dig Up, dig in". Contact: olliedes@aol.com

REVIEW: DISASTROUS MURMUR - AND HUNGRY ARE THE LOST

 

DISASTROUS MURMUR - AND HUNGRY ARE THE LOST (Perverted Taste Recs., 2000)

Produced by Reinhard Trost

Recorded at TST Studios, Klagenfurt

Art by Manfred Perack and Alexander Lausseger

Tracks: 1- Necrotic Ulcerous Genoplast, 2- Are you dead, 3- Pigamism of Remains, 4- Ultimate Masturbation, 5- Land Shark, 6- Little Purple M...Penis, 7- Pedigree Insanity, 8-Headless Autophelatio, 9- the game we play, 10- Fleshmaster´s Birthday, 11- Fotus Controlled Dismemberment

This is good thrash-death metal as I have not listened in a long time. The most evident influence here is Pungent Stench nad there is some old Carcass here too. Primitive riffs played with a really raw sound and with certain classic metal influences and sound too. There are a lot of changes in some tracks going from rhythmic riffs like the one in 1:45 in "Necrotic Ulcerous Genoplast" to others that are much faster. There are a lot of tharash influences specially on some guitar riffs and the drums patterns which are not typically death blast beats. A good release from a musical style that deserves a good come back. Favorite tracks: "Are you dead?", "Land Shark" and "The Game we play". Contact: www.pervertedtaste.de

REVIEW: DEEPRED - PROPHETIC LUSTER

 

DEEPRED - PROPHETIC LUSTER (Forensick Music, 2001)

Tracks: 1- Hi Speed Confussion, 2- Multiple Errors, 3- Dismissed From Life, 4- Luster, 5- In Cold Blood, 6- A Song For The Lovers, 7- A Relentless Path, 8- Homogeneous World, 9- All Will See rebirth

This guys have no mercy!!!!!! Their music is extremely brutal and they go at full speed most of the time!!! The recording has a great sound that makes the music more powerful and brutal. Deppred has a killer drummer who doesn´t miss a beat even in the fastest parts...he is like a hurricane delivering blast beats and hyper fast rhythms in all the tracks. The vocalist is really guttural in the vein of early Morbid Angel or something like Benediction. The guitarist is crushing with his fat sounding guitar with a lot of bottom end in the sound...he is like a bulldozer crushing everything that is in front of him with his six string attack. Lovers of extreme death metal will surely love this release. Favorite Tracks: "Multiple Errors", "In Cold Blood" and "Homogeneous World". Contact: www.forensickmusic.com

REVIEW: DARKNESS ETERNAL - SATANCHRIST

 

DARKNESS ETERNAL - SATANCHRIST (Dark Salvation Prods., 2001)

Produced by George Velaetis

Recorded and Engineered by Stew Kirkwood

Graphic Arts Crol Pylypow

Tracks: 1-Satanchrist, 2- Cursed To an Eternal Damnation, 3- Entering the World of the Dead, 4- Cross of Lies, 5- Descending Into Forever, 6- To Save the Lost, 7- Drowning In the Red Sea, 8- For All Eternity, 9- Dark Salvation

George Velaetis sent me some months ago his previous Darkness Eternal album, called "The Dawn of The Suffering"...and this "Satanchrist" is a big improvement, not only in sound but in the composition side too. That mix of death metal, black metal and doom with a lot of atmospheric parts is here too but much better. George is the man behind all this music and he is also performing all the instruments doing a really good job with all of them. The music here makes a big emphasis on atmosphere, melodies and the different moods that are creating (specially on the parts with a lot of clean guitars (that for my ear seem sometimes like keyboards...even if there is no use of keyboards on this CD) or where the guitar is doing really melodic lines). Completely recommended for death/black fans who want music with a lot of ideas. Favorite Tracks: "Entering the World of the Dead", "Descending Into Forever" and "For All Eternity".Contact: www.deternal.darkgod.net

REVIEW: DARKMOON - .308 ANTICHRIST

 

DARKMOON - .308 ANTICHRIST (Tribunal Records, 2001)

Produced by Darkmoon

Engineered by Bob Moore and Art Bordeaux

Design: DS Designs and Promotions ( DSPromos@austin.rr.com ). Art: Travis Smith ( seempieces@mindspring.com )

Tracks: 1- Wehrwolfe (Anti-Martyr Brigade 2001), 2- Impenetrable, 3- Pagan Graves, 4- Patriots of Fire

Extremely brutal and fast death metal with a very particular guitar sound. There is a lot of technique here and good guitar solos (with good note placement and fit perfectly with the songs). There are lot of breaks and changes within the same track and the rhythm variations are a lot too! The band is really well rehearsed and this is evident in how tight they souns in the most complicated parts. The four tracks here are extremely brutal and at the same time extremely clear. I would call this music progressive brutal death metal. There are excelent changes and excelent ideas flowing here. Favorite tracks: The four contained on this CD. Contact: www.darkmoonusa.com or www.ncmusic.com/tribunal

REVIEW: DARKFALL - FIREBREED

 

DARKFALL - FIREBREED (Independent, 2001)

Tracks: 1-Chapter of denial, 2- Kill the Need, 3- Firebreed, 4- Land of No Return

This is death/thrash at its best. All the killer sound and vocals of death metal are joined here by the riffs of thrash metal creating a modern band with a classic sound that helps to distinguish them from bands of the scene. Also to help the final result there is a keyboard that creates certain melodies and atmospheres which are very dark. The main element here are the guitars and their riffs (some of the riffs in "Chapter of Denial" reminded me of Anthrax´s State of Euphoria album), and also the melodies thata re played by the guitarists which are killer and have a great technique and control over their instruments. I liked a lot the combination of the guitars and keyboards and specially when they join the brutal vocalist creating great moods and passages. Favorite tracks: "Chapter of denial" and "Land of No Return".Contact: www.8ung.at/darkfall