REVIEW: SERPENTS KISS - DISTANT SHORES

 

SERPENTS KISS - DISTANT SHORES (Independent, 2002)

Produced by Will

Recorded at Butterhook Studios

Artwork by Wayne and Will

Tracks: 1- Black Wizard, 2- Face the Slayer, 3- Strider, 4- Kingdom, 5- Gojira, 6- Serpents Kiss, 7- Victory, 8- Distant Shores

This is heavy metal with a lot of european sound. The riffs, the sound the drumbeats, all here is pure metal and the vocals. In fact I liked a lot the vocals because they use a lot of middle range instead of high pitched screams (there are influences of Mark Boals and Mats Leven here but only on the middle range of this singers). Also in the middle part of "Face the Slayer" there are some screams that reminded me of Exodus Paul Baloff. I like the songs because they have an interesting structure and they are well developed with great hooks in the choruses and in some of the guitar riffs. This guys deserve a better sound for their next recording and it would be great if they can find a drummer that can give a new dimension to Serpent´s Kiss music. It is always great to listen good heavy metal.

Favorite tracks: "Black Wizard"; "Kingdom" and "Victory".

Contact: william.philpot@ntlworld.com

REVIEW: SERCA - SINGULARITY

 

SERCA - SINGULARITY (Independent, 2001)

Produced by Serca

Artwork by Serca

Tracks: 1- Upload, 2- Back To Nature, 3- Morphological Freedom; 4- Side Affects, 5- Reinvention, 6- Somewhere to Fall

Do you want industrial music? Do you want weird music? Do you want experimental music? Do you want really climatic music? Then Serca is a good option for you because they mix all this elements and more. From moments extremely industrial to calm parts that are almost ambient. With influence from Nine Incha Nails to Foetus and everything in between this band makes a great job in creating this extreme kind of music. What I find really weird are the vocals that most of the time sing xtrange melodies that are not common in the style....great, because this gives a lot of originality to the music. Another thing that I liked a lot is the combination of dirty industrial guitars with clean ones. Fans of the heavy, of the strange, of the original will surely like Serca.

Favorite tracks: "Upload"; "Morphological Freedom" and "Side Affects".

Contact: www.serca.net

REVIEW: SENTENCED - CRIMSON

 

SENTENCED - CRIMSON (Century Media, 2000)

Produced by Hiilesmaa

Recorded at Tico Tico Studios

Artwork by Niklas Sundin

Tracks: 1- Bleed in My Arms, 2- Home in Despair, 3- Fragile, 4- No More Beating as One, 5- Broken, 6- Killing Me, Killing You, 7- Dead Moon Rising, 8- The River, 9- One More Day, 10- With Bitterness and Joy, 11- My Slowing Heart

I have been following this guys career since their "North from Here"album. And I liked the twist that their music got after "Amok". This latest album shows us the more melodic side of the band (eventhough they had shown it in "Frozen" and "Down"). This time the songs have more catchy choruses (die hard fans would hate this) with hooks (in the way that Paradise Lost has developed in their latest albums) and a lot of clean guitars. I liked the contrast between this melodies and Ville Laihiala´s vocals which are really powerful. This is one step forward in the career of this band that should have finished to record their new album by now.

Favorite tracks: "Fragile"; "The River" and "With Bitterness and Joy".

Contact: www.centurymedia.com

REVIEW: SATANARCHY - DISGRACEFUL WORLD

 

SATANARCHY - DISGRACEFUL WORLD (Primitive Art Recs., 2002)

Produced by Satanarchy and Putzweck

Recorded at Dog Pound Studio

Artwork by Joakim Knutsson

Tracks: 1- Disgraceful World, 2- Raw Dog /Rawnatas, 3- This Ain´t!, 4- Behold the Dragons of the Revolution, 5- Taste of God, 6- Fast Eddie Clark, 7- Face the Demon, 8- Armed and Organized, 9- The Noble Art of Stealing a Nation, 10- Jesus City posh Punks

It´s been a lot of time since I have not listeend to a band of this style. The most clear influences here come from: Venom, Motorhead and Discharge (they have this raw metal attitude with simple and catchy riffs at full speed). The music here is raw and powerful like the bands I mentioned before (the Venom influence is the most clear) and their guitar riffs are catchy enough to make you bang your head without control in the fastest parts.Also there is some thrash metal influences in certain parts that gives a different side of Satanarchy´s personality to the listener. It is fundamental here the rocking twist that this band gives to their music (specially on the drumbeats and the guitar riffs). This helps a lot to the songs because they show a lot of charachteristics that make the songs more interesting. The solos are fast and frantic as in bands like Slayer or Morbid Angel. A great option for people that is looking for this style !!!!

Favorite tracks: "Disgraceful World"; " Taste of God" and "Armed and Organized".

Contact: www.primitiveartrecords.com

REVIEW: REBELLION - A TRAGEDY IN STEEL: SHAKESPEARE´S MACBETH

 

REBELLION - A TRAGEDY IN STEEL: SHAKESPEARE´S MACBETH (Drakkar Recs., 2002)

Produced by Uwe Lulis and Tomi Göttlich.

Recorded at Black Solaris Studios.

Artwork by James Woodward.

Tracks: 1- Introduction, 2- Disdaining Fortune, 3- The Prophecy, 4- Husband in Heaven, 5- The Dead Arise, 6- Evil Speaks, 7- Letters of Blood, 8- Revenge, 9- Claws of Madness, 10- Demons Rising, 11- Die With Harness on Your Back

This is a German metal band with a lot of eighties influences (power/heavy metal and some thrash metal too ) in their music. The first thing that strikes you is the good sound that this release have (I liked specially the drums that are killer.....killer double bass). Another thing that I liked is that they don´t have the kind of riffs that bands like Helloween or Rhapsody and their million clones have. In fact Rebellion prefers to use more modern riffs and a lot of interesting clean guitar arpeggios (in the vein of more proggressive bands like Dream Theater). Also it is really good tat the singer does not abuse of the high pitched screams. The story of this CD spins around Shakespeare´s Macbeth and this tragedy is really well recreated. But the main thing here is the music and Rebellion shows us how you can still do metal without copying the main bands of the style. Pure metal !!

Favorite tracks: "Revenge"; "Claws of Madness" and "Demons Rising".

Contact: www.drakkar.de

REVIEW: REBAELLIUN - ANNIHILATION

 

REBAELLIUN - ANNIHILATION (Hammerheart Recs., 2001)

Produced by Andy Classen and Rebaelliun

Recorded by Andy Classen

Artwork by Jacek Wisniewski

Tracks: 1- Annihilation, 2- Rebellious Vengeance , 3- Steel Siege, 4- Red Spikes, 5- Unleash the Fire, 6- Unborn Consecration, 7- God of a Burned Land, 8- Bringer of War, 9- Defying the Plague

A calm thirty second introduction sends us directly into Rebaelliun´s bestial death metal realm. One thing that struck me in the first listening is the amazingly clear and brutal sound that this guys have achieved (with Andy Classen´s help, he is a killer producer and a top choice for any death and black metal band who wants a great sound). The music here is brutal at the maximum level but also has a lot of arrangements (great solos, many changes and breaks). Check as an example the melodies and solos at the end of "Annihilation" to know what I am talking about. They are killer and they add a new dimension to the track making it more original. This guys are becoming better with each recording and now they have released this killer CD that will make them one of the top death metal acts (this guys come from Brazil and they are well known in the European underground). Death metal lovers, buy this.

Favorite tracks: "Annihilation"; "Steel Siege" and "God of a Burned Land".

Contact: www.hammerheart.com or www.rebaelliun.com

REVIEW: PSYCHOTOGEN - PERVERSE AND UNNATURAL PRACTICES

 

PSYCHOTOGEN - PERVERSE AND UNNATURAL PRACTICES (Independent, 2001)

Produced by Ron Vento and Psychotogen

Recorded at IQ Studios

Artwork by Chris Donovan

Tracks: 1- Venom in the Voice, 2- Chaingod, 3- Cathexis, 4- In the Dust of your Own Nothingness, 5- Tear at the Flesh, 6- Follow me (into hell), 7- Psychotogen, 8- Death of the Old Ways

Psychotogen´s music is devastating! This is a death metal band of extreme brutality with a killer guitarist that makes original riffs and interesting solos (some sweep picking here and there and a lot of shredding techniques that are not common in the death metal realm). One of the main things here is that despite being ultra fast in some placesw, Psychotogen´s riffs are more original than the ones used in most of the death metal bands. And also Psychotogen´s music has more changes , breaks and different parts, from an ultra technical riff to a clean guitar interlude, from a fast run of notes to powerful chords. Ron Vento´s production helps a lot making the instruments sound really in the front, specially the guitars which are fundamental for this music (specially in Psychotogen´s with a guitarist of this great quality). A bestial and original release.

Favorite tracks: "Chaingod"; "Tear at the Flesh" and "Follow me (into hell)".

Contact: www.psychotogen.com

REVIEW: PESSIMIST - SLAUGHTERING THE FAITHFUL

 

PESSIMIST - SLAUGHTERING THE FAITHFUL (Lost Disciple Recs., 2002)

Produced by Erik Rutan

Tracks: 1- Requiem, 2- Baptized in Blasphemy, 3- Summoned to Suffer, 4- Embodiment of Impurity; 5- Slaughtering the Faithful, 6- Infernal Abyss, 7- Metampsychosis, 8- Resurrected Torment, 9- Stripped of Immortality

This must be one of the most expected underground releases of 2002. Pessimist is one of the most brutal death metal bands ever seen. Their crushing riffs and drum beats (with a lot of blast beats) that are a trademark of this band and that were all over "Cult of the Initiated " and "Blood for the Gods" are present on this release too but multiplied. One thing that has helped a lot has been the production of the great Erik Rutan (Morbid Angel, Hate Eternal) who has made the guitars even more bestial and the drums clearer achieving this brutal recording !! I liked a lot the sound that the lead guitar has in the solos which is not typical of death metal bands . It is more clear and it helps to make better solos than a rawer sound that would ruin the faster ones. All the tracks contained here are designed for the mosh pit and gives you the feeling of banging your head to a wall of sound !! Amazing brutality on this release!

Favorite tracks: "Baptized in Blasphemy"; "Summoned to Suffer" and "Slaughtering the Faithful".

Contact: www.lostdisciple.com or www.pessimist.com

REVIEW: PENANCE - ALPHA & OMEGA

 

PENANCE - ALPHA & OMEGA (Martyr Music Group, 2002)

Produced by Maria Abril

Recorded at Stoney´s Polar Bear Lair

Artwork by Mike Smail

Tracks: 1- Wizards of Mind, 2- New Machine, 3- See the Light, 4- Eden Fallen, 5- Reraching, 6- Love Dies, 7- Cold, 8- Drown Me in a Sea of Empty, 9-Misery Song

Penance is a classic band that mixes doom, heavy rock and metal into their own style, making albums like this one that are destined to be classics of the style like Trouble´s "The Skull" or "Psalm 69". It is no surprise that Penance´s drummer played in Cathedral´s great "Forest of Equilibrium" album (in fact Penance released their debut album on Lee Dorrian´s label). Now, 10 years later here arrives "Alpha and Omega" with the addition to the lineup of Mary Bielich (November´s Doom, Em Sinfonia) and Matt Tuite (Wickerman, Mustache). The sound is great with a lot of rocking riffs and interesting ideas that make each of the songs clearly original and unique. The great thing about Penance is that they know how to do each track different from the other adding new ideas, melodies and riffs. The guitars have that seventies sound that is a charachteristic of this band and of those mentioned above, really well mixed (along with Mary´s killer bass and the rocking drums). A must for fans of the style.

Favorite tracks: All this CD is really crushing. It leaves you asking for more Penance!!

Contact: www.martyrmusicgroup.com or www.penancemusic.com

REVIEW: PAWNSHOP - CRUISE´MATIC

 

PAWNSHOP - CRUISE´MATIC (Beard of Stars Recs., 2002)

Produced by Pawnshop and Øyvind Grødem

Recorded at Mansion Studios, Stavanger

Artwork by Sindre Kristoffersen

Tracks: 1- Blissed Out, 2- Mean Machine, 3- las Vegas, 4- Space Cadillacs, 5- Coma Cluster, 6- Thailand, 7- baby Bitch, 8- Cruise´o´matic; 9- Year of Pleasure, 10- Living Zombie

A really rocking band full of songs with great choruses and powerful guitars. The guitars are distorted and have that seventies sound charachteristic of this style of music and they are hypnotic in tracks like "Las Vegas". The drumming si really heavy with a lot of interesting patterns that make the result even more rhythmic (the bass player sounds really good playing simple and effective lines along the drums). We have here a versatile singer with a lot of seventies influences. The result here is rock (or desert rock as some people call it) in its purest form with many guitar solos (I like the way the bass does the foundation of the song when the guitar player makes the solos). This is a really tight band that seems very well rehearsed. If you like the style I really recommend this one.

Favorite tracks: "Year of Pleasure"; "Space Cadillacs" and "Baby Bitch.

Contact: www.vinylmagic3.it