REVIEW: INFESTUM - INFESTUM

 

INFESTUM - INFESTUM (Battle Hymn Records, 2001)

Produced by Infestum

Recorded at Out of Records Studios

Engineered by Eugene Tsilikov

Tracks: 1- Secha (Slasing), 2- Wolfish Nocturne, 3- Victim of Hate, 4- Instrumental, 5- Night is Waiting for the Heroes

Infestum are a band from Belarus whose music can be described as something similar as vikin or pagan metal. But they have some old school death and black metal influences too. The music here is very raw with a lot of interesting melodies that give a lot of identity to the songs. The guitar sound is loud and distorted as hell (maybe they should mix it a little bit lower, not too much, to let more space for the keyboards). There are a lot of extremely fast parts, but the more interesting moments are when this guys slow down a little bit as in "Wolfish Nocturna" where the guitars arrangements and keyboards shine more. The drums have a weird sound in some places , sounding as a war drum !!! (also in "Wolfish...", and that fits really well the music). The vocals are typical from black metal bands (and are the ones that are more appropriated for the band music. If you like black metal, pagan metal or viking metal then you will surely like Infestum.

Favorite tracks: The five tracks are powerful and fast!!

Contact: http://come.to/battlehymnrec

REVIEW: INFEKTOR - AHUAR MAIEK

 

INFEKTOR - AHUAR MAIEK (War is Imminent Prods., 2001)

Produced by Infektor and José Bilbao

Recorded at Estudios G&S de San Fernando

Cover Art by Pedro Quevedo

Tracks: 1- Intro, 2- Pesadilla, 3- Se Impondrá la Razón, 4- Miradas, 5- Ahuar Maiek, 6- Promesas/Mentiras, 7- Nunca Más, 8- Silencio

Here we have this band that comes directly from Spain. They are really powerful and they have devastating guitar riffs. They have some elements of thrash metal in their music but they have a really modern sound. I love two special things from this guys: the first one is the percussion that adds a different feeling to this band´s music, and the second one the use of the flute. I think this guys have to use more this two elements (they use it heavily in the intro and in some of the tracks but we want more !!!!). The vocals are really thrashy and add a lot of strength to the songs along with the heavier than hell guitars. The sound is really good and let us aprreciate all the music and makes Infektor even a more powerful band. If you like this style of music with original elements you will surely like Infektor (alsoi the songs are in Spanish).

Favorite tracks: "Se impondrá la Razón", "Ahuar Maiek" and "Silencio"

Contact: www.unholycross.com

REVIEW: HUMBUCKER - MONDO ELECTRO

 

HUMBUCKER - MONDO ELECTRO (Independent, 2002)

Produced by Humbucker and Chris Kozlowski

Recorded at Polar Bear Lair

Cover Art by Humbucker

Tracks: 1- Melancholy Kaleidoscope, 2- Saintly Addiction, 3- Fallen Away, 4- Nowhere Dreams, 5- Cold World Scene, 6- Searchin, 7- Pushin´Too Hard, 8- Life Echoes, 9- New Year´s Song, 10- Bottle of Sin, 11- My World´s Insane, 12- Sound Around Me, 13- Earthtone Blues

Here we have this rocking band with a lot of power in their riffs. Here we have great songs in a stoner rock fashion but with a lot of mid tempos which I think are great because add a lot of heaviness to the band´s music. This guys have a great feeling and attitude through all the CD playing their songs with a lot of conviction and having a lot of power on them. The songs are really well constructed and they have a lot of hooks that are great for the listener (I found myself singing the songs while listening to them). Humbucker´s music has a lot of energy and I really like the singer who has a lot of identity on his voice and sings really well the songs contained on this CD. The guitarist is really well adding acoustic touches when the song needs it (like on "Saintly Addiction"). This is a really rocking release!!!!!!

Favorite tracks: "Melancholy Kaleidoscope", Searchin" and "My World´s Insane"

Contact: daveroman@alltel.net

REVIEW: HUMAN ABSTRAKT - PSYCHOLOGICAL BLINDNESS

HUMAN ABSTRAKT - PSYCHOLOGICAL BLINDNESS (Independent, 2002)

Produced by Human Abstrakt

Cover Art by Human Abstrakt

Tracks: 1- Dissention, 2- Blind Disciples, 3- Disillusionment, 4- Form My Need, 5- Grit, 6- Numb, 7- Prosperous Fool, 8- Inspiration, 9- Psychological Blindness

Here we have nine powerful tracks from this brutal trio. The music has elements of bands from death metal style as well as from modern bands like Machine Head. The main thing here are the bestial guitar riffs around which the songs are constructed. There are many dissonant melodies and licks that give an eerie feeling to some of the tracks (check for example the solo in "Inspiration" to see what I am talking about). The drums are crushing and at the same time give a lot of room to the other instruments prefering to do a good rhythm instead of a fast part that maybe could ruin the song. The sound of this release is specially good on the guitars (I would mix a little bit louder the bass drums which are a little bit low here). There are many mid tempos here that are extremely hevy (I think that the heaviest parts of this albums are some of this mid paced parts). Heaviness guaranteed.

Favorite tracks: "Dissention", "Form My Need" and "Inspiration"

Contact: http://human-abstrakt.8m.net

REVIEW: HANGAR - INDIAN SUMMER

 

HANGAR - INDIAN SUMMER (Phoenix Music, 2001)

Produced by Hangar and Tim

Recorded at Old Smitty Studios

Cover Art by Destroyer

Tracks: 1- Deeper, 2- Sunshine, 3- She´s Gone, 4- Always, 5- Breathe, 6- Ghost of My Love, 7- Devotion, 8- Hands off the Gun, 9- Shallow Love, 10- Holy Mother

Pure rock´n´roll is what we have here. Yes, we have the rocking guitar riffs (with a lot of bluesy influences, specially in the solos). The vocals reminded me in some places to the great Glenn Hughes with that blues and soul tonality. The songs are well constructed and they are designed to rock and be singed by the audience. Most of the songs here have an easy chorus to sing along. It is weird that I did not know this band before listening to this CD. Maybe they are not so popular as they could have been if they had released this album in the late eighties or early nighties. This is pure rock ´n´roll, nothing more and nothing less than that.

Favorite tracks: "Deeper", "Always" and "Shallow Love"

REVIEW: HAMMERWHORE - DEVOTION TO VIOLENCE 2002

 

HAMMERWHORE - DEVOTION TO VIOLENCE 2002 (Independent, 2002)

Produced by Hammerwhore

Cover Art by Hammerwhore

Tracks: 1- Curse of the Living Dead, 2- Devotion to Violence, 3- Merciless Brutality

This is an extremely brutal release.and the first thing that got my attention was the extremely distorted (full overdrive distortion) sound that the guitars sound. The guitar riffs are bestial and fast with some thrash influences that give an interesting twist to this guys music (sort of a Venom - Black Metal / Welcome to Hell era). Hammerwhore have also a lot of hyper fast guitar solos played with some bendings and a lot of cool licks that make some manic impression to the music. The sound of this three song recording is really raw and I would mix a little bit lower the vocals and a little bit louder the bass to give some more bottom end to the riffs of this guys that are extremely heavy and this could add some more heaviness (that I think this guys would love). For lovers of extremely brutal music.

Favorite tracks: The three contained here

Contact: pwrdrive@hotmail.com

REVIEW: GAURITHOTH - HUORAVASARA 2002

 

GAURITHOTH - HUORAVASARA 2002 (Breath of Pestilence Recs, 2002)

Produced by Gaurithoth

Recorded at Studio Livsfara

Cover Art by Breath of Pestilence Prods

Tracks: 1- Orgies of Hell, 2- Second Coming of Satan´s Bitch, 3- Huoravasara

Directly from Finland comes this Raw black metal band with some thrash feeling in some of the rhythms. The songs are fast and furious and through all of them we can listen the fast guitars playing hyper speed riffs (I liked a lot the riff in the break at 1:44 in "Second Coming of Satan´s Bitch"). Here are the blasphemic lyrics that are screamed by V.W.Hellboozer and there are also some screamed choruses which give a certain classical feeling to the music of this band. I like the way this guys change riffs within the same song because that gives a lot of variations to each of the tracks here. The sound of the recording is good but I would like them to mix a little bit louder the guitars that give a lot of identity to Gaurithoth. Beware everybody, here comes the blackest band from Finland!!!!

Favorite tracks: The three contained here

Contact: http://gaurithoth.cjb.net

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