REVIEW: EVERGLOW - A NEW LIFE

 

EVERGLOW - A NEW LIFE (Independent, 2001)

Produced by Tony De Block

Recorded at Studio Midas

Cover Art by Cindy Baert

Tracks: 1- Into the Unknown, 2- Labyrinth, 3- Lost in the Woods, 4- Like a Shadow, 5- A New Life, 6- Golden Lion

This CD starts calmly with the introduction called "Into the Unknown" before getting into a powerful heavy metal with extremely well sounding guitars in "Labyrinth". And how powerful are the guitars !! This guys and girl have a lot of power in their riffs (which are different than in most of the bands of the style). There are many things that give a lot of power to Everglow´s music: first, as I mentioned above, the guitar riffs that are crushing, then the great work of the drummer (he makes a great use of the double bass drumming accentuating really well the guitar riffs along with the bassist), then Cindy Baert´s vocals which are melodics but are used in a way that follow the rkiffs and add a lot of atmosphere to the songs. Then come the keyboards and here I have to remark the really great work of this guy: he plays passages and chord progressions through all the recording, adding a lot of personality to Everglow´s songs. The mix is really well, specially on the guitars (I love the way they sound, really crushing). If you like heavy metal, power metal or styles with a lot of power and melody then ,check Everglow.

Favorite tracks: "Labyrinth", "Like a Shadow" and "Lost in the Woods"

Contact: cindy.baert@skynet.be

REVIEW: ELVIRA MADIGAN - WITCHES -SALEM (1692 VS. 2001)

 

ELVIRA MADIGAN - WITCHES -SALEM (1692 VS. 2001) (Northlore Records, 2002)

Produced by Marcus H.

Recorded at Madigan Studios

Cover Art by Luis Royo

Tracks: 1- Anno Domini 1232, 2- Orroborros and the Pilgrim, 3- Lilliannah - Demonologi Für Dömda, 4- Nocturne, 5- Crestfallen, 6- Kvinnorovet, 7- Häxor, maror och vitror, 8- Djävulens Novis, 9- Ecclesia Non Novit Sanguinem, 10- Interludium 1, 11- The Kindred (1692) , 12- Ritual (varsel del I), 13- Gregory IX, 14- Dark is the Seraphim, 15- Honeythorne

This is with no doubt one of the best CDs that I have ever listened. The perfect mix between heaviness, melody, atmospheres and feelings. The perfect mix from what is powerful and what is subtle. Here we have Elvira Madigan who is a one man band whose brain and heart is Marcus H. Marcus is behind every note that is played on this CD and he has achieved a masterpiece ! I have not listened to the previous Elvira Madigan´s album "Black Arts" but if it is half as good as this one then that would be a great album to listen!! The main thing here is the contrast between the heavy guitars (really well mixed) and vocals and the keyboards and melodies: yes, this things interact in some parts, in others clash one against each other, and in others they mix in a really subtle form. One thing that is essential to Elvira Madigan´s sound are the keyboards which give a lot of the feeling and atmosphere here (along with the guitars that make a lot of climatic passages that are fundamental here. This is a conceptual album with lyrics about witchery and inquisition whose complete story you can read on Elvira Madigan´s website. I have to say it again: One of the best CDs I have ever listened.

Favorite tracks: This is one of the CDs of the year!!!

Contact: www.elviramadigan.com

REVIEW: DRAWN AND QUARTERED - TO KILL IS HUMAN

 

DRAWN AND QUARTERED - TO KILL IS HUMAN (Moribund Records, 1999)

Produced by Drawn and Quartered and Keenan Kelly

Recorded at Vagrant Studios

Cover Art by Gabriel Byrne

Tracks: 1- Ministry of Torture, 2- Machete Bloodbath, 3- The Hills Run Red, 4- Open Mind, 5- Carnal Copulation, 6- To kill is Human, 7- Implements of Hell, 8- Christian Extinction, 9- Broken on the Wheel, 10- Punishment of Burning Torment, 11- Mangled Beyond Recognition

The brutal release of the month!! Yes, this CD is brutal as hell....with many blast beats and a lot of double bass drumming. The guttural vocals are extremely powerful and bring to mind Chris Barnes era Cannibal Corpse. The guitars are extremely huge and distorted giving Drawn and Quartered´s music a huge wall of sound to rely on. The bass player is really good at accentuating the riffs following sometimes the guitars and sometimes the drums adding a lot of bottom end to the music. The drummer is an octopus, specially in the fastest parts where he does blast beats without missing the timing of the track. The sound of the release is really good (even if the snare drum sounds a little bit hollow in some parts). A must for death metal fans and lovers of anything brutal.

Favorite tracks: "The Hills Run Red", "Carnal Copulation" and "Broken on the Wheel"

Contact: www.geocities.com/Drawn-An-Quartered

REVIEW: DIPNOI - TORN

 

DIPNOI - TORN (Independent, 2002)

Produced by Dipnoi

Recorded at Estudio Da Tribo

Tracks: 1- Torn, 2- Greed, 3- Melting

This is Dipnoi´s new material. This time we have a MCD called "Torn with three tracks. And this three compositions show us a lot of evolution from this brazilian band compared to their previous release "FKDDD" which we reviewed some issues back. The guitars sound more powerful, and specially vocalist Ricardo Matsumoto has gotten really better adding more strength to his voice. The drums are also really well mixed and here they can be listened in all its magnitude. One thing that I found interesting is that they have found a new sound here, like more weird with use of wah wah in the guitars and many guitar phrases (check the middle part of "Greed" to know what I am talking about). And here there are also the thrash feelings that are essential on Dipnoi´s music. You can listen them in the three tracks but this time mixed with new elements. A real great evolution. Now we await the new full length album.

Favorite tracks: The three tracks are really good. Dipnoi has evolved a lot !!

Contact: www.dipnoi.com

REVIEW: DEMURE - DEMO

 

DEMURE - DEMO (Independent, 2001)

Produced by Demure

Recorded at Xaphans Palace of Debauchery

Cover Art by Demure

Tracks: 1- Cosmic Gold, 2- New One, 3- Earthly Creatures, 4- Father Hubbard, 5- Wholly Shit, 6- Thoth

Here we have this band whose style can be described as sort of black metal with some viking metal influences and some shades of death metal (specially on the more guttural vocals that are used in some parts and in some of the guitar riffs). All the recording has sort of a dark feeling, specially in the parts that the band uses keyboards such as in the beginning of "Earthly Creatures". There are many guitar riffs within the same song (and that is one of the main features of Demure) that go from fast one note riffs to more rhythmic ones or some breaks along with the drums. The voclas here are of two types: there is the screaming one and the more guttural death metal type of voclas. Also in Demure´s music is very important the heavy use of bass guitar phrases such as the one starting at 2:40 in "Earthly Creatures". I would like the band to mix a little bit louder the guitars adding some more low bottom to them (even if they have the great bass adding a lot of bottom end to the sound). A really good option for lovers of black and death metal.

Favorite tracks: "Cosmic Gold", "Earthly Creatures", "Father Hubbard"

Contact: www.demure999.com

REVIEW: DEATHGUY - THE LEGEND OF ROMANCER

 

DEATHGUY - THE LEGEND OF ROMANCER (Trinity Records, 2000)

Produced by Deathguy

Recorded at Ghost Studio

Cover Art byThanit

Tracks: 1- Ballad of Sunset (intro), 2- Zero Frontier, 3- Lust Murder, 4- Lake of Tears, 5- Savage Seraphim, 6- Black Swan, 7- The Promised Land, 8- Beheader, 9- The Beast, 10- Marn, 11- Den Sungkhom

This CD starts with a melodic intro before getting into the really amazing world of this death/black metallers. Yes! Here we have this band whose music is a really great mix of elements of both death metal, black metal with a lot of original and interesting elements, such as the use of keybaords that give a lot of epic feeling to the songs or the guitar melodies that are fundamental for Deathguy´s style. The death metal appears in some of the riffs and some guttural vocals. The black metal can be listened in the fast riffs and some of the more screaming vocals (check for example the beginning of "Lust Murder"). This guys have a lot of technique that allows them to perform this song which have a lot of complexity in the many changes and moods (check for example "Zero Frontier" to see how many changes this guys make within the same song). The mix is good but I would have mixed a little bit different the guitars, maybe a little bit more fat or something like that. This is an absolute must for any metal fan!

Favorite tracks: All the CD is really great!

Contact: www.trinityrecords.com.hk orthepsitrakorn@hotmail.com

REVIEW: DARK FAITH - THE SENTENCE OF SATAN

 

DARK FAITH - THE SENTENCE OF SATAN (War is Imminent Prods., 2002)

Produced by Dark Faith

Recorded at "EL Refor"

Tracks: 1- Dark Faith, 2- Blinding Darkness, 3- Reflection, 4- Human Sacrifice, 5- Judas, 6- Religion, 7- Impure Son, 8- Necrophagus, 9- The Sentence of Satan

Here we have this black metal band coming directly from Spain!! Their music is raw in many places with fast guitars and drums and they have a lot of changes in their songs that make things really interesting! Ruth´s vocals are really devilish and fit the music perfectly. I liked a lot some acoustic passages in tracks like "Religion" who starts in a very calm way before getting into mayhemic black metal. The drummer is killer and makes a lot of fast passages, double bass drumming and breaks giving the band the dynamics they deserve. I like a lot when Ruth follows the guitar riffs with the vocals like in "The Sentence of Satan" (this track has also many killer guitar riffs). The sound of this recording is really good specially the drums that sound extremely well. Lovers of black metal will surely love this band!!

Favorite tracks: "Reflection", "Religion" and "The Sentence of Satan"

Contact: www.unholycross.com

REVIEW: CRUSH EFEKT - ECLIPSED

 

CRUSH EFEKT - ECLIPSED (Independent, 2001)

Produced by Crush Efekt

Recorded at Slaymaker Studios

Cover Art by Sean Alley

Tracks: 1- Big Man, 2- Eclipsed, 3- Falling, 4- Education, 5- No Going Home, 6- The Last of Me, 7- Anthem For the Weak, 8- Powertrip, 9- My White trash Neighbors

Crush Efekt is really brutal, but not in the same sense that a brutal death metal band could be. Even if they share a lot of the brutality that this kind of bands have, Crush Efekt has a sort of hardcore feeling to their music. I think that is because of two factors: first of all the vocals that are more of the screaming type, and then there are certain drum patterns that brutal death metal bands don´t use and Crush Efekt uses a lot. Don´t get me wrong...Crush Efekt is not hardcore, but they have some elements of the style that fit perfectly their more brutal music.There are powerful guitar riffs here with a raw guitar sounds that makes things even heavier! And there are a lot of blast beat parts which are fast as hell (it seems that this guys has eight arms in many places). As I said before the vocals are of the type that add a lot brutality to the music because of their screaming tyoe (not guttural). The sound of the recording is really good, specially on the guitars that are the main element here and on the devastating drums. Brutality guaranteed.

Favorite tracks: "Eclipsed", "No Going Home" and "Powertrip"

Contact: www.crushefekt.net

REVIEW: CRAWLING SUN - LES MERCHANDS DE DESASTRES

 CRAWLING SUN - LES MERCHANDS DE DESASTRES (Tumbleweed Records, 2001)

Produced by Crawling Sun

Recorded at Turtle Recordings

Cover Art by Giselle Blanck and Bryan Rode

Tracks: 1- Quarentine, 2- Under Heaven, 3- Fall from Grace, 4- After Love, 5- Ride On, 6- Easy Kill, 7- Hurt, 8- Butterfly High, 9- Suffering, 10- Fate of Our World, 11- Merchant of Fear, 12- Never Again My Friend

A beautiful acoustic passage starts the first song called "Quarentine" before getting into a mid tempo heavy rock track. This band is a great mix of rock, metal with a lot of climatic passages and changes. To see this you just have to put the CD an listen to "Quarentine" and see how this guys go from heavy to atmospheric and climatic passages (the keyboards are fundamental and I like the way this guys use them adding a lot of harmonies and melodic passages to their music). The tracks on this CD are very differnt one from each other letting us listejn to alot of differnt sides of Crawling Sun´s music personality. The heavy guitars add a lot of power to the songs and they are really well combined with the keys making a perfect blend of delicated phrases and heavy riffs. The sound of the recording is extremely good with a great guitar mix that makes Crawling Sun even more powerful. I have no doubt that this guys are creating a style of their own.

Favorite tracks: "Quarentine", "Easy Kill" and " Fate of Our World"

Contact: www.crawlingsun.com

REVIEW: COBOLT 60 - MEAT HOOK BALLET

 

COBOLT 60 - MEAT HOOK BALLET (VME Records, 2002)

Produced by Endre Kirkesola

Recorded at Dub Studio

Cover Art by Jon Tornnesen

Tracks: 1- Chainsaw Michelangelo, 2- The Explorer, 3- Night Stalker, 4- Daddy Dearest, 5- One To Go, 6- Salvation Principle Result, 7- Meat Hook Ballet, 8- Incineration (The Apical of Fire)

Guitar riffs! Here you have plenty of them ! And I really like bands that can do this and put many guitar riffs in a really coherent way. And Cobolt 60 can do this perfectly! Going from brutal riffs to more climatic ones within the same track and giving their music a lot of changes. Despite what you could think by watching the album cover, this is not a grind band. In fact Cobolt 60 is closer to death metal but the guitar riffs are differnt from this style and the vocals too. There is a certain eighties thrash feeling that allows this guy to give more hooks to the song and gain a lot of interest from the listener. The interesting thing here is also that Cobolt 60 is a duo consisting of Mr. Hustler on drums and vocals and Dod on guitars, bass and backing voclas. And they make this great music with a lot of passion and fury. I recommend this CD to people who want new emotions...this guys surely will provide them to you.

Favorite tracks: "Chainsaw Michelangelo", "One To Go" and "Daddy Dearest"

Contact: http://home.no.net/cobolt60