REVIEW: METHARIA - METHARIA

METHARIA - METHARIA (Independent , 2001)

Produced by Metharia

Recorded at Akustika Studio and Jumping Spider Studio

Tracks: 1- Wakinyan Tanka, 2- Come un oasi, 3- Il risveglio delle idee, 4- Bestia dentro, 5- Il Buio della Tempestá, 6- Sudo Sangue, 7- Di Notte

Favorite tracks: "Wakinyan Tanka", "Il Risveglio delle idee" and "Sudo Sangue"

Metharia is an italian band who plays metal in its purest form with many progressive and some death touches. The first thing that struck me are their great melodies and their changing sound between clean and distorted guitars (this is fundamental for the Metharia sound along with the combination with the keyboards). I find this CD very interesting because of the multiple ideas that you can find within each of the songs (melodies, rhythm changes, vocal changes, etc.) and the band never looses their power while mixing them . Another thing that is surprising is the voice of Luca Volani...he sings in many places like a heavy metal singer, then he can growl like a death metal one and he has a lot of different shades that are great for the mood that he wants to create on each of the tracks. Thumbs up for Metharia!!

Contact: www.metharia.net

REVIEW: MEMNOCH - CHAOS IS SILENCE

 

MEMNOCH - CHAOS IS SILENCE (Records, 200)

Produced by Memnoch

Cover Art by Memnoch

Tracks: 1- Running Man, 2- Words Unheard, 3- Consummate Wrath (Part 1), 4- Killing Fields

Memnoch is a death metal band with a lot of interest features: first of all, they have original riffs (specially on the slowest parts that allows the band to develop their ideas in a great way). Then, they not abuse the fastest parts to reach a more brutal result, preferring to concentrate on the original riffs, on some rhythm changes and some melodies. This is a MCD that contains four tracks of pure death metal with some thrash touches in a couple of riffs which my ear liked a lot (like the one at 3:30 in "Consummate Wrath"). Then band achieves a lot of brutality in many parts and they mix this with some changes that make each of the tracks an interesting experience for the listeners.

Favorite tracks: The four tracks are really powerful and lovers of death metal with like them a lot

Contact: www.memnoch.invictus-crew.de

REVIEW: MEGADETH - RUDE AWAKENING

 

MEGADETH - RUDE AWAKENING (Metal Is Records, 200)

Produced by Megadeth and Bill Kennedy

Cover Art by Storm Thorgerson and Peter Curzon

Tracks: CD1: 1- Dread and the fugitive Mind, 2- Kill the King, 3- Wake Up Dead, 4- In My Darkest Hour, 5- Angry Again, 6- She Wolf, 7- Reckoning Day, 8- Devil´s Island, 9- Train of Consequences, 10- A Tout le Monde, 11- Burning Bridges, 12- Hangar 18, 13- Return to Hangar, 14- Hook in Mouth

CD2: 1- Almost Honest, 2- 1000 Times Goodbye, 3- Mechanix, 4- Tornado of Souls, 5- Ashes In Your Mouth, 6- Sweating Bullets, 7- Trust, 8- Symphony of Destruction, 9- Peace Sells, 10- Holy Wars

Here is the live Megadeth album! And there is two sides of it: one is the good side: a lot of songs played live with an acceptable sound (even if the guitars can be better ) and all the strength that Megadeth has, and also they have all original material with no covers, then the bad thing : I would have liked them to mix better the album and also I would have changed some of the tracks from "The World Needs a Hero" for some of the ones that they used to play in other tours like for example "502" or "Skin of My Teeth". But with as many good songs as Megadeth has it is almost impossible to satisfy everybody. I hope this guys reunite and make albums like "Rust In Peace", "Peace Sells" or "Countdown to Extinction" soon.

Favorite tracks: "In My Darkest Hour", "Hangar 18", "Tornado of Souls" and "Peace Sells"

Contact: www.megadeth.com or http://www.sanctuaryrecordsgroup.com/

REVIEW: MATT MILLS PROJECT - MATT MILLS PROJECT

 

MATT MILLS PROJECT - MATT MILLS PROJECT (Independent , 2002)

Produced by Matt Mills Music

Recorded at Bottom Dollar Studio

Cover Art by Matt Mills

Tracks: 1- Intro, 2- Discovery, 3- Drive, 4- Twilight Part 1 , 5- Dark Travel, 6- Castles, 7- Twilight Part 2 , 8- E Minor 9th, 9- Solo, 10- Introspection, 11- Opus, 12- Outro

Matt Mills is a killer neoclassical guitarist. His music can be compared to musicians as Joey Tafolla or Tony Macalpine. He has made this instrumental album comprised of 10 songs an intro and an outro. The songs are sometimes more neoclassical style, sometimes more in a fusion style (like for example on "Drive". He plays here with two excellen musicians that help him with the rhythm section: those are Brian Sanders on bass and Drew Franklin on drums. The three together make this really tight trio for Mills compositions. Here Mills shows us his great taste in guitar lines and solos (check for example "E Minor 9th to see how tastefully composed are the guitar melodies). And he also plays a solo piece in "Solo" showing his classical influences. A must for guitar players and musicians and for everybody who likes neoclassical musics and superb musicianship.

Favorite tracks: "Discovery", "Castles" and "E Minor 9th"

Contact: mmills97@aol.com

REVIEW: MAGNUS ROSEN - IMAGINE A PLACE

 

MAGNUS ROSEN - IMAGINE A PLACE (Heptagon Records, 2000)

Recorded at Bohus Sound Studios

Cover Art by Per Wik

Tracks: 1- The Key To Your Soul, 2- Land of Spirits, 3- Imagine a Place, 4- Anchanted Wood, 5- Gate To Heaven, 6- First Steps, 7- Romance, 8- A Temple In China, 9- Blues Man, 10- Open Heart, 11- A Memory, 12- Past Future, 13-Newborn Waterfall, 14- A Church Without walls, 15- A Relationship in Tokyo, 16- Infinity, 17- Castle Garden, 18- No Name

Here we have the solo album from Hammerfall´s bassist and after listening this CD I can not find a reason why he does not play this type of bass lines in his main band. This could help a lot to set the band apart from the one million power metal bands that are everywhere that do the same galloping over and over again. Rosen here plays a lot of different styles but the main one is jazz. He is joined here by Biggi Vinkeloe on sax and flute (she is a really great player) and by his partner Ander Johanson on drums on three tracks. Here Rosen has found an appropriate vehicle for his musical personality which he can not reflect in Hammerfall. Check all the bass lines and melodies that he makes here to see what this guy is capable of doing. Come on Magnus!! Show the guys in Hammerfall how to do it in a more original way

Favorite tracks: "Land of Spirits", "Castle Garden" and "A Memory"

REVIEW: LUGUBRE / MISANTHROPY - UNITED IN MANKIND´S ANNIHILATION - SPLIT CD

 

LUGUBRE / MISANTHROPY - UNITED IN MANKIND´S ANNIHILATION - SPLIT CD (Satan´s Millenium Records, 2001)

Produced by Lugubre and Misanthropy

Cover Art by Björn Rubingh

Tracks: Lugubre: 1- The Devastating Hammer of Evil, 2- Pure Annihilation of Unworthy Existences, 3- Black War Destruction, 4- Drenched by Ancient Blood, 5- Nuclear Counterstrike. Misanthropy: 6- Brutally Raped and Maimed, 7- Only Hatred Remains, 8- Hate With No Compromise, 9- All Humanity Must End, 10- Virus Spreader - Outro

Here we have this split CD from this two ultra raw black metal bands. First we have the five Lugubre tracks which are ultra raw and hyper fast with a lot of black metal screams and raw guitars. This band plays really fast tracks with certain similarities to the first Mayhem. Hermit vocals are extremely painful and fit the music. The mix is not really good and I think that this guys with a better mix can make their music more effective (specially the drums). Then comes Misanthropy which is a one man band (Ed is the only composer and player here). Misanthropy has the characteristic of using a drum machine in their tracks along with an ultraraw guitar. Ed´s screams and vocals are really black and send chills down your spine. Again the mix can be better, specially here on the guitars (when he does some melody you barely can notice it) This is a really underground release and here we have two bands to don´t miss a step in their evolution.

Favorite tracks: "Pure Annihilation of Unworthy Existences", "All Humanity Must End" and "Only Hatred Remains"

Contact: www.satanmilleniumrecords.cjb.net

REVIEW: LIVING SACRIFICE - CONCEIVED ON FIRE 2 SONG ADVANCE

 LIVING SACRIFICE - CONCEIVED ON FIRE 2 SONG ADVANCE (Solid State Records, 2002)

Tracks: 1- Subtle Alliance, 2- Send Your Regrets

Here we have a sample of what the new Living Sacrifice album is going to be. After the powerful "The Hammering Process" we have this powerful new offering (not yet, it will be on the streets in September 24). We have here all the elements that have made Living Sacrifice a top metal band but with a better, bigger sound. The two songs here are heavy as hell and have many modern elements that Living Sacrifice know how to play in a really great way without loosing their power. I await the new album to see the complete result. I think this will be a killer one!!!!

Contact: www.solidstate.com

REVIEW: LIVIDITY - ...TIL ONLY THE SICK REMAIN

 

LIVIDITY - ...TIL ONLY THE SICK REMAIN (Morbid Records, 2002)

Produced by Scott (Broken Hope)

Recorded at Mercenary Digital Studio

Tracks: 1- T.L.C. (Tigh Lil Cunt), 2- Coated With My Semen, 3- Unrelenting Homicidal Obsession, 4- A Woman´s Place is On my Face, 5- Second Cumming (Pussy Lover Part II), 6- Snack Size Tits, 7- Anal Autopsy, 8- Fetal Scabs, 9- Conception Through Ingestion

Here we have the new album of this porn death psychos called Lividity. Their music is devastating...they crush the listener´s brain and ears with their deathly guitar riffs and fast and furious drum beats (full of blast beats). Here we have the maniac guttural as hell vocals that make the music even heavier and more deathly. The sound of the recording is really good and makes the instrument shine (in fact what I find great is that each of the instruments can be heard really good, even the bass guitars). There are nine tracks here that from beginning to end will not have mercy for you. This band knows how to be really heavy even in the slower parts as the ones that are on "Coated with my semen". Music for crushiung your brain into pieces !!

Favorite tracks: "Snack Size Tits", "T.L.C." and "Fetal Scabs"

Contact: www.morbidrecords.de

REVIEW: LANDGUARD - A PERPETUAL GAME

 

LANDGUARD - A PERPETUAL GAME (Independent, 2002)

Produced by Landguard

Mastered at Zappin Studios

Cover Art by Landguard

Tracks: 1- A Game Begins..., 2- A Perpetual Game, 3- Wizard of Time, 4- Mindscape, 5- Ivory Mask, 6- A Perpetual Joke

Landguard is an excellent progressive metal band. Their music is heavy and at the same time has many complex arrangements done by all the musicians that are of superb quality. Here we have many changes in the vein of Imags and Words-era Dream Theater with multiple guitar and keyboard solos and an excellent vocalist that does not abuse the high pitched notes preferring to give a warm touch to Landguard´s music with his use of the middle range. This band is amazingly clean in their sound and they have an excellent guitarist who knows how to play different riffs and incredibly melodic solos while retaining the heaviness with his guitars. The rhythm section is extremely tight and plays in a great way the many changes in Landguard´s music. This is a band that I think will be a really famous name in the progressive metal world. A must.

Favorite tracks: The whole CD is a jewel

Contact: www.landguardweb.com

REVIEW: KORN - UNTOUCHABLES

 

KORN - UNTOUCHABLES (Epic Records, 2002)

Produced by Michael Beinhorn

Recorded at Conway Studio

Cover Art by Eric White

Tracks: 1- Here To Stay, 2- Make Believe, 3- Blame, 4- Hollow Life, 5- Bottled Up Inside, 6-Thoughtless, 7- Hating, 8- One More Time, 9- Alone I Break, 10- Embrace, 11- Beat it Upright, 12- Wake Up Hate, 13- I´m Hiding, 14- No One´s There

When Korn first appeared in the scene they were welcomed as the new blood in metal....then came success with their second and third album and then people started to hate them and the whole new metal scene (this is a bag where they have put bands like Korn, Papa Roach and a million more, I don´t know why because they are very different). Fuck em!! I think that Korn brought a new style that is their own to a scene that was becoming stagnant . And they show that they have not lost their energy on this album "Untouchables" which is much heavier than "Follow the Leader" or "Issues" . Here we have all the elmente sthat have made Korn famous but with less catchy choruses and some more interesting riffs. The recording has fourteen tracks and also a multimedia track.

Favorite tracks: "Blame", "Thoughtless" and "Wake Up Hate".

Contact: www.korn.com