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CHRONICLES OF CHAOS E-Zine, February 4, 1997, Issue #17
Editor-in-Chief: Gino Filicetti <ginof@interlog.com>
Coordinator: Adrian Bromley <energizr@interlog.com>
Assistant Editor: Alain M. Gaudrault <alain@mks.com>
Contributor: Brian Meloon <bmeloon@math.cornell.edu>
Contributor: Steve Hoeltzel <hoeltzel@blue.weeg.uiowa.edu>
Contributor: Adam Wasylyk <macabre@interlog.com>
Contributor: Drew Schinzel <drew@magpage.com>
Contributor: Andrew Lewandowski <lewan@peachnet.campus.mci.net>
Mailing List provided by: The University of Colorado at Boulder
--> Interested in being reviewed? Send us your demo and bio to:
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
CHRONICLES OF CHAOS
57 Lexfield Ave
Downsview Ont.
M3M-1M6, Canada
Fax: (416) 693-5240 Voice: (416) 693-9517
e-mail: ginof@interlog.com
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
DESCRIPTION
~~~~~~~~~~~
Chronicles of Chaos is a monthly magazine electronically distributed
worldwide via the Internet. Chronicles of Chaos focuses on all forms
of brutal music; from thrash to death to black metal, we have it all.
Each issue will feature interviews with your favorite bands, written
from the perspective of a true fan. Each issue will also include
record reviews and previews, concert reviews and tour dates, as well
as various happenings in the metal scene worldwide. We here at
Chronicles of Chaos also believe in reader participation, so we
encourage you to submit any material you may have to Gino Filicetti
<ginof@interlog.com>.
HOW TO SUBSCRIBE
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
You may subscribe to Chronicles of Chaos at any time by sending a
message with "coc subscribe <your_name_here>" in the SUBJECT of your
message to <ginof@interlog.com>. Please note that this command must
NOT be sent to the list address <coc-ezine@lists.colorado.edu>.
WORLD WIDE WEB SITE
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
We are currently in the process of constructing a website for
Chronicles of Chaos. You can check it out by pointing your web
browser to http://www.interlog.com/~ginof/coc.html. If you have any
comments or suggestions, please e-mail Brian Meloon
<bmeloon@math.cornell.edu>.
FTP ARCHIVE
~~~~~~~~~~~
All of our back issues and various other Chronicles of Chaos related
files are stored in the e-zine archive at ftp.etext.org. Connect to
this site using your favorite FTP program and chdir to
/pub/Zines/ChroniclesOfChaos. For a description of each file in the
archive, check out the README file. You can also reach this site
through a web browser by pointing it at:
ftp://ftp.etext.org/pub/Zines/ChroniclesOfChaos.
AUTOMATIC FILESERVER
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
All back issues and various other CoC related files are available for
automatic retrieval through our e-mail fileserver. All you have to do
is send a message to us at <ginof@interlog.com>. The 'Subject:' field
of your message must read: "send file X" where 'X' is the name of the
requested file. Back issues are named 'coc-n', where 'n' is the issue
number. For a description of all files available through this
fileserver, request 'list'. Remember to use lowercase letters for all
file names. If you experience any problems or are having difficulty,
feel free to e-mail us the usual way at <ginof@interlog.com>.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>><<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
Issue #17 Contents, 2/4/97
--------------------------
- Editorial
- Loud Letters
- Ferocious Features
-- Morgana LeFay: Music and Visions
-- Dark Tranquility: The Darkest of the Dark
-- Monstrosity: Monstrous Meglomania
-- Ramp: Rapping with Ramp
-- Morgoth: Morgoth Metamorphosized
- Independent Interrogations
-- Tchort & The Family Mantis: No Prayer For The Mantis
-- Revelation
-- Anathema - _Eternity_
-- Angel Corpse - _Hammer of Gods_
-- Assuck - _Misery Index_
-- Bal Sagoth - _Starfire Burning..._
-- Brain Toy - _Screaming Volumes_
-- Darkside - _Melancholia of a Dying World_
-- Desire - _Infinity... A Timeless Journey Through the Emotional Dream_
-- DOA - _New York City Speedcore_
-- Fear Disorder - _In a Rage_
-- From the Depths - _From the Depths_
-- Funeral - _Tragedies_
-- Gehennah - _King of the Sidewalk_
-- Grip Inc. - _Nemesis_
-- Heavenwood - _Diva_
-- Jaww - _Southbound_
-- Korpse - _Revirgin_
-- Life Garden - _Ahitanaman_
-- Lord Belial - _Enter the Moonlight Gate_
-- My Dying Bride - _Like Gods of the Sun_
-- Molested - _Stormvold_
-- Monstrosity - _Millennium_
-- Morgion - _Among Majestic Ruin_
-- Mortician - _Hacked Up for Barbecue_
-- Murder Corporation - _Blood Revolution 2050_
-- My Only Victim - _No Voice, No Rights, No Freedom_
-- Necromass - _Abyss Calls Life_
-- Nightstick - _Blotter_
-- Puissance - _Let Us Lead_
-- Revelation - _Frozen Masque_
-- Sentenced - _Down_
-- Slightly Miffed - _Puzzled?_
-- Soma - _The Inner Cinema_
-- Strapping Young Lad - _City_
-- Tchort & The Family Mantis - _Nightside of Eden_
-- Theatre of Tragedy - _Velvet Darkness They Fear_
-- Throne of Ahaz - _On Twilight Enthroned_
-- Vader - _De Profundis_
-- Abel & Cain - _Hands Off Cain_
-- Ember - _Within the Realm of the Snowqueen_
-- Hematovore - _Ways of the 8-Footed_
-- Moozzhead/Family Harsh Noise Experimentation (split demo)
-- NDE - _Falling_
-- Rotting - _demo_
-- Soriben - _Senor de Luz_
-- Cradle of Filth: The Principle of Evil In England
- What We Have Cranked
- The Final Word
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
E D I T O R I A L
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
by: Gino Filicetti
Greetings loyal readers, once again we are back, like a bad
habit you just can't kick. This month has been pretty quiet on the
CoC front, but as always we've got a surplus of material with which
to explode your mailbox.
As you may have noticed, my e-mail address has changed. You can
not begin to imagine the trouble that changing your address entails,
but let's not get into the gory details. As of right now, my new
e-mail address is mailto:ginof@interlog.com. Please use this address
if you wish to e-mail me a Loud Letter or anything else, ginof@io.org
is no longer valid. Also, this means that our homepage has moved too,
the new URL for the Chronicles of Chaos page is:
http://www.interlog.com/~ginof/coc.html, please update any links or
bookmarks you may have.
Lately, we've noticed that CoC has grown in size with each
subsequent issue. Although some might view this as beneficial and as
a sign of a healthy, growing 'zine, we think that CoC isn't about
being as big as we can be, but being as GOOD as we can be. That is
why we've decided from now on, we're going to keep the 'zine down to
a controllable size, making sure that we weed out all the unworthy
material so that we can deliver a good, readable magazine each month.
We'd also like to announce a new addition to our lineup of
"writing professionals." Many of you will recognize Pedro Azevedo's
name from our last issue. Pedro is a native of Portugal and is
heavily into the doom scene. Both these, as well as other positive
traits make him a welcome addition to the CoC fold. We hope you enjoy
Pedro's writing as much as we do. Now Chronicles of Chaos can truly
be considered an international publication!
I'd also like to announce a new FTP mirror site where you can
download all of CoC's back issues. Our good friend "Marduk" (from
#metal on IRC) has graciously given us some space on his site, just
point your web browsers or ftp programs to:
ftp://ftp.dimensional.com/users/marduk/coc.
Enjoy the issue people, and don't forget the Loud Letters!
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
[For all of you cravers of metal info out there, I advise you to
check out this Canadian publication, it's got some of best news and
inside scoops you can find anywhere. -- Gino]
BRAVE WORDS & BLOODY KNUCKLES
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Join The Annual St. Valentine's Day Massacre!!!
BRAVE WORDS & BLOODY KNUCKLES #16
February/March 1997
32 Pages Of heart-breaking metal featuring...
ENTOMBED, The QUEEN Tribute, SENTENCED, STRAPPING YOUNG LAD, THE LAST
HARD MEN, SAVATAGE, TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA, THERION, FEAR FACTORY,
STUCK MOJO, SICK OF IT ALL, BRUTALITY, SINISTER, SOLITUDE AETURNUS,
LIFE OF AGONY, BIOHAZARD, FLOODGATE, THOR, GLENN TIPTON, NECROPHOBIC,
DAWN, BROKEN HOPE, MOTLEY CRUE, PARADISE LOST, PIST-ON, VISION OF
DISORDER and many more metal morsels!!!
_______________________________________________
Street Date - February 14, 1997
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
BW&BK UPDATE - January 1997 Distribution - 2,000 copies in North
America Presently available in over 45 HMV Stores across Canada!
For more brave info, please contact:
TIM HENDERSON (Publisher/Editor/Retailer/Producer/Lunatic Fan)
354 1/2 Yonge Street Suite #38, Toronto, Ontario, M5B 1S5, Canada
Voice: (416) 545-0666 Fax: (416) 586-0819
mailto:bwbk@inforamp.net
BW&BK SUBSCRIPTION INFO
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
6 Issues - in Canadian funds:
Canada - $30.00 / U.S. - $35.00 /International - $40.00
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
M""MMMMMMMM dP
M MMMMMMMM 88
M MMMMMMMM .d8888b. dP dP .d888b88
M MMMMMMMM 88' `88 88 88 88' `88
M MMMMMMMM 88. .88 88. .88 88. .88
M M `88888P' `88888P' `88888P8
MMMMMMMMMMM
M""MMMMMMMM dP dP
M MMMMMMMM 88 88
M MMMMMMMM .d8888b. d8888P d8888P .d8888b. 88d888b. .d8888b.
M MMMMMMMM 88ooood8 88 88 88ooood8 88' `88 Y8ooooo.
M MMMMMMMM 88. ... 88 88 88. ... 88 88
M M `88888P' dP dP `88888P' dP `88888P'
MMMMMMMMMMM
This is the column where we print those lovely letters our readers
decide so graciously to write us. Whether they be positive, negative,
ignorant or just plain spelled wrong, you can rest assured that
they'll be here in their original form. If you'd like to see your own
letter here, e-mail it to <ginof@interlog.com> and enter 'Attention
Loud Letters' in the subject field. Hopefully all letters received
will be featured in upcoming issues of Chronicles of Chaos.
Date: Tue, 7 Jan 1997
From: Insaniak <mitch@ifu.net>
Subject: CoC #13 - Happy Anniversary!
>From CoC #13, Reviews Revisited / Writer Rebuttal section, The
STUPIDEST SECTION EVER:
>Finally, the moment of truth has arrived. This being our
>anniversary issue, we thought it would be fitting to
>give our writers a forum to express THEIR thoughts
>about certain albums reviewed during the past year.
Excuse me, but isn't that what reviewers do? Express their thoughts
about the albums being reviewed! Why the fuck do you need to go back
and do it again? Did you trendy idiots change your minds? Maybe
you're just upset because you get reader feedback that disagrees with
your review? TRUE(tm) metalheads stand by their convictions. Stand up
and take your flames like a man!
This is by far the STUPIDEST thing I've ever seen in CoC; it tops all
the extraneous non-metal & loser demo bullshit you use to flesh out
the ever-expanding lardass of a 'zine you spam us with every month.
Maybe if you trimmed the fat, you wouldn't have to make the
super-lame monthly apologies to your readers for being late!
Oh yeah, Happy Fucking New Year!
- Mitch Coken, aka Insaniak on #metal -
Date: Sat, 18 Jan 1997
From: Lundsbye <blackmail@mailbox.swipnet.se>
Subject: Re: Change of address.
The message we sent to you earlier today was a mistake.
After your insulting review of Female Impersonator we became aware
that you lack sense of both music and humour, and I was convinced
that I had removed your address from our e-mail list. But obviously I
had forgotten that. There has been a TREMEDOUS response to
BLACKMAILr, especially on the web, so things have been quite hectic.
Now that you made me aware of my mistake, I have removed your
address. You will hopefolly get no more mail from us. And don't
bother to respond, unless you have changed your mind about music and
critics ethics.. CoC needs to be put away before it gives someone a
coronary!
Maths Lundsbye, manager
Date: Mon, 23 Dec 1996
From: smoker@oregoncoast.com
Subject: Update!
Bummer news about hte delay but all I can say is a CoC for New Years
Eve would be killer. I probably wouldn't get to read it until then
anyway. Actually I wouldn't complain if I only got one every couple
of months. The price is very right for a zine of its quality. You
guys really should be getting paid :>
smoker@oregoncoast.com
Date: Fri, 03 Jan 97
From: CHRIS SMART <chris.smart@eclec.com>
Subject: couple of things ...
Hey Gino. Once again, a supurb fuckin issue of CoC.
I especially liked the classics section, since Rust in Peace got in
there.
Also, I haven't checked out the web site, so you may already be doing
this. I thought the other day that a good thing to do would be to
have a "must-buy" section or something, where album reviews aren't
organized chronologically, but by rating. I.E. All albums that got an
8 or higher could be listed, with importance being placed on the 9's
and 10's especially. Might save people the time of going through the
back issues looking for the things they must pick up. Just a
suggestion, its probably a lot of work.
Keep it heavy in '97, and thanks again for keeping me informed as to
what's going on. If it wern't for the net I'd be groovin to Load
these days. (laugh)
Chris. chris@uoguelph.ca
Date: Mon, 06 Jan 1997
From: maarten de jong <Maarten.deJong@96.STUDENT.WAU.NL>
Subject: Attention Loud Letters
Hello CoC,
I've just read your issue #16 and it was the best one I ever saw.
Except one thing: Brian's review of "Dusk... And Her Embrace". I
don't totally disagree with his review, but there are a few things to
be mentioned: he gives it 8 out of 10, and he says he's a bit
disappointed. Then why give it 8 out of 10? I was not disappointed
with the album and I'd rate it 10 out of 10. The guitars are a weak
point of CoF. Well, allright, that's true, but a lot of black metal
bands play guitar like a couple of children and that's not mentioned
in THEIR reviews. And why not mention the drums? I mean, Nicholas is
one of the better black metal pounders. Where most Scandinavian
schoolboys can't do more than some little blastbeat, he has got a
great technique, varies his rhythms and plays really tight. And there
is more. CoF has songs with a lot of riffs, rhythms, turns, breaks
and so on and have much more variation than other bands. Dani can
sing, talk, scream and grunt and growl in different ways. Damien
really knows how to use his synths, which is something not all bands
can say. And the lyrics of CoF are absolutely superior to ANY other
band. I'm sorry, but that's a fact. No vulgar "Hail Satan" crap or
some stupid War Against Christianity, but great stories, even black
metal lovesongs. Supreme Vampyric Evil! With all these great things,
it's very difficult for a guitar player not to be looked upon as "a
weak point". I suggest Brian writes an apology to CoF and, as a
punishment, may only listen to "Nocturnal Supremacy" for 10 years.
People who don't agree with me can mail me (the correct address is
Maarten.deJong@96.student.wau.nl) or discuss it with me on IRC (I'm
Annatar on #metal). C U later folks and keep up the good work! Your
zine rules.
Annatar
Date: Fri, 17 Jan 1997
From: Richard Fusco-G12943 <Richard_Fusco-G12943@email.mot.com>
Subject: 'Attention Loud Letters'
Where do I begin? First off: this E'zine fuckin' rocks nuts!! Coc has
been in existence since 1995 and I finally got wise and subscribed
right before issue#17 (better late than never). Congrats on one
KILLER 'zine created by the fans for the fans, the way it should be.
I write for a local underground 'zine ("Black Planet") and have
supported Metal since the very beginning.
We, the fans, need to keep up with this on-going effort to keep this
music going strong!!! Fuck all so called "music critics".....they
don't have a clue as to we listen to. Again, great job!!!!
Rick Fusco
Albuquerque,N.M.
Fusco-G12943 Richard@email.mot.com
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
___________ .__
\_ _____/__________ ____ ____ |__| ____ __ __ ______
| __)/ __ \_ __ \/ _ \_/ ___\| |/ _ \| | \/ ___/
| \\ ___/| | \( <_> ) \___| ( <_> ) | /\___ \
\___ / \___ >__| \____/ \___ >__|\____/|____//____ >
\/ \/ \/ \/
___________ __
\_ _____/___ _____ _/ |_ __ _________ ____ ______
| __)/ __ \\__ \\ __\ | \_ __ \_/ __ \ / ___/
| \\ ___/ / __ \| | | | /| | \/\ ___/ \___ \
\___ / \___ >____ /__| |____/ |__| \___ >____ >
\/ \/ \/ \/ \/
The meat of the matter lies here. Read on for the juiciest morsels on
bands ranging from the reknowned to the obscure. No fat, no gristle,
just blood-soaked slabs served hot and ready. Dig in, readers.
M U S I C A N D V I S I O N S
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
CoC talks to Morgana LeFay
by: Adrian Bromley
"We are going to go touring this new year. Possibly in March,"
starts guitarist Tony Eriksson about the plans for 1997 over the
phone from his homeland of Sweden. "Hopefully we will be out for a
while in Europe but right now we don't know how long it will be as
the booking agent is still working on it. So far we only have some
stuff booked for a month of shows and the thing is we are going out
as headliners and I don't think that is such a good thing" Why not?
"It would be better to go as a support band because we are not that
famous yet," says Eriksson with humour in his voice.
The band - comprised of other guitarist Daniel Persson, drummer
Jonas Soderlind, vocalist Charles Rytkonen and bassist Joakim Heder -
have worked hard since the release of their debut album _Knowing Just
As I_ in 1993 to gain exposure in Europe. That same year the band
released _The Secret Doctrine_, following that up with the
well-received _Sanctified_ (1995) and the collection of old and newer
material on _Past Present Future_ later that year. Prior to reaching
1997, the band released their latest effort, _Maleficium_, a
swash-buckling assortment of both power metal and progressive metal
sounds that thrive on well-presented songs.
"I think what we have done with _Maleficium_ is a mixture of 80s
metal and 90s metal," he concludes about the make-up of material on
their latest LP. "I don't think there is quite a difference with this
album and the ones before, but we can't really see the difference as
we play the material. It is a lot easier for other people to judge
the album and what we did differently. We are very satisfied with
what we are doing," he continues, "and I think because of the fact
that we listen to a lot of bands, Morgana LeFay is a mixture of
everything that we are listening to. And that makes our music
interesting to listen to most of the time." When asked what he thinks
sets Morgana LeFay apart from other bands of that musical genre he
answers, "I think pretty much the sound sets us apart. I think we
have specific ways of performing this kind of metal. We are
influenced by a lot of bands - not just metal bands. We don't try to
sound like other bands, we just create music and a sound that we are
comfortable with."
One of the key elements to the music and lyrics of Morgan LeFay
is the use of imagination and fantasy. Eriksson loves the creativity
that flows from one's imagination and how it takes shape into songs.
"It is a lot easier to do songwriting this way. For me personally I
read a lot of books and watch a lot of movies. It is more interesting
to write about deep thoughts and use fantasy when writing material.
We think about reality as well sometimes. On the _Sanctified_ record
there was a song called "Mad Messiah", and that was about that crazy
bastard David Koresh (famous cult leader from Waco, Texas) and what
he did."
When talking to Eriksson and reading the band bio, it isn't hard
to pinpoint where the band has lacked in regards to exposure and
success: North America. Eriksson says, "We don't know how we are
going to reach North America and get exposed. We are just the band.
We don't have the possibility to promote the band ourselves. It is up
to the record label to do that and we really don't have a big label
(Black Mark). Unfortunately is has to be like this: bad promotion and
just shit."
Eriksson and the band try to keep their minds on the band and
keep focused while facing problems. "That can be a problem
sometimes," quips Eriksson. "There are days where we have to deal
with record label contracts and stuff like that. There is more
paperwork than playing it seems. We hate that part of the music
industry but is an evil necessity, I suppose. We have been good pals
since the childhood and we are happy by nature and we will live with
what we face I suppose."
Are you happy being on Black Mark? "Happy? I dunno... we could
have been on a much better record label. But we could have been
without a record label contract as well. So, this is better than
nothing for the moment. But I don't think they can do enough for us
to break through. We have tried to sign to a major label but it is
difficult with all the record contracts and stuff like that. Lawyers
and all that garbage. We want to play music and not be lawyers."
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
_______ __ _ _______ __
/ ___/ / ___ ____ / /_(_)___ / ___/ / ___ _/ /_
/ /__/ _ \/ _ `/ _ \/ __/ / __/ / /__/ _ \/ _ `/ __/
\___/_//_/\_,_/\___/\__/_/\__/ \___/_//_/\_,_/\__/
____ _
/ __/__ ___ ___ (_)__ ___ ___
_\ \/ -_|_-<(_-</ / _ \/ _ \(_-<
/___/\__/___/___/_/\___/_//_/___/
This is the column where CoC sits down to have a face to face, no
holds barred conversation with your favorite bands, and get the
inside scoop into what's happening in their lives.
T H E D A R K E S T O F T H E D A R K
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
CoC chats with Dark Tranquillity
by: Drew Schinzel
Sweden's Dark Tranquillity have been creating their style of
(indirectly) Maiden-influenced melodic death metal for eight years
now, and they only seem to get better with age. Their latest release,
an MCD entitled _Enter Suicidal Angels_, is a four-song sampler of
songs taken from the studio sessions for the upcoming full length LP,
_The Mind's I_, and showcases a much more compressed, aggressive side
of the band, while still maintaining the tight melodies and complex
song structures for which they are best known.
With six releases (four on CD) at the time of printing under
their belts, and signed to one of the largest extreme metal labels in
Europe, if not the world, Osmose, Dark Tranquillity are definitely
here for the long run. DT guitarist Niklas Sundin was kind enough to
answer my questions, here's what he had to say.
CoC: What has Dark Tranquillity been up to since the last recording
session?
DT: Not much, speaking in terms of creative activities. Apart from
working on and perfecting the layout, cover, and photos for the
full length album and the recording of the video clips, nothing
of importance has happened. We've just started thinking of new
material and working individually on basic ideas, and when we
have enough embryonic ideas, we'll begin developing them into
proper songs through heavy rehearsing.
CoC: How has the response thus far been to your new MCD?
DT: I've only seen 3-4 actual reviews yet, but in general the
response has been excellent. It's good to see that people seem to
notice the evolution into a more powerful approach. As for sales,
it's way too early to draw any conclusions, but Osmose are really
satisfied with the initial response.
CoC: Is the rest of the forthcoming full length in the same vein as
the MCD?
DT: More or less, as the MCD consists of songs taken from the same
studio session. We've kept all the "atmosphere," moody stuff for
the full length album in order to keep the MCD pretty basic and
to-the-point, but apart from that there's no major difference
between _Enter..._ and _The Mind's I_.
CoC: To me, the music on the MCD is more reminiscent of the recent At
the Gates material. Did the band adopt this more straightforward
approach as a progression in songwriting, or were you just
trying to simplify your music a bit from the complex
compositions of past releases?
DT: Both, I guess. In order to avoid stagnation, it's important to
write songs from a different angle with each new album. After
having done a fair amount of lengthy, complexly arranged tunes
for the past 5-6 years, it seemed natural to simplify the music
this time, to strip it down to the bare essentials without losing
the DT-trademarks. Of course, At the Gates did this before us,
but in all facets of music, this is a normal procedure - going
from progressively complex music to more basic material and then
perhaps back again. Artists must vary their modes of expression
to keep their language living (that sounded far more pretentious
than intended).
CoC: What should people expect with your upcoming home video,
_Zodijackyl Light_?
DT: Well, the video will contain promo clips for the songs
"Zodijackyl Light" and "Hedon" (from the full length CD) and will
be released at around the same time as _The Mind's I_. I won't
describe the clips here, but the result got professional enough,
and I think people will enjoy it as much as we do.
CoC: Why did you decide to make a video ?
DT: Osmose suggested it, and of course we couldn't miss the
opportunity to do such an interesting thing as a video recording.
The Immortal and Impaled Nazarene videos have been well received,
and seeing that there won't be any touring for us this spring,
the clips will be a good promotional substitute.
CoC: What's behind the title _Enter Suicidal Angels_?
DT: It's a phrase taken from the lyrics of "Hedon". People can form
their own impressions of the title: I'm not into giving any
definite interpretation away, but prefer to encourage any
eventual listeners to make their own conclusions. The most
important thing is to get the imagination going.
CoC: The techno song on the new MCD came as quite a surprise to some.
Why did you decide to create a song like this? The song title
"Archetype" might be somewhat of a clue...
DT: We had the technology and time available to do a song like this,
and since we all (or most of us) appreciate harsh techno,
industrial music, we went ahead and did it. Obviously, some of
our most conservative listeners sneer and complain about this
move, but we simply release what we wish, period. As the title
implies, the song is about selecting tiny pieces, fragments, of
the whole and then re-assembling them into something new.
CoC: Will we see more of this type of thing in DT's future albums?
DT: I don't think so. It's a one-off experiment, changing into an
industrial-metal combo would seriously damage our credibility.
However, never say never.
CoC: Dark Tranquillity is on a predominantly black metal label, and
has always been a part of the black/death metal scene, but do
you really think your music can be labeled any of these? If not,
how would you describe it then?
DT: We're definitely not connected to the ideological part of black
metal, though we share some musical common ground with some black
metal acts. I'm pretty comfortable with the "melodic death metal"
tag, even if we're far from the stereotypical actors of the
genre. It's up to the listener to pigeonhole our music if the
need occurs.
CoC: I noticed that you did some artwork for the inside of the
booklet for the MCD. How long have you been doing this sort of
thing?
DT: I've been drawing since early age, and used to take care of our
demo/EP sleeve designs, but I'm not overly active with the pen at
the moment, but whenever a new T-shirt design or something is
needed, I do my best.
CoC: To me it has always appeared as if your lyrics were much deeper
and more complex than the majority of other bands. Do the lyrics
take precedence over the music, or vice versa?
DT: The music will always come in the first place, but the lyrical
side is treated with care as well. I'm the type of person who
looks at the whole concept of a band, and pay great attention to
the lyrical and visual aspects of an album. Hearing a band which
is musically OK but have substandard lyrics puts me off. However,
I don't value the importance of the lyrics in this style of music
as much as I used to, but it's still a very important part of DT.
CoC: Any plans for touring for the new LP ?
DT: Unfortunately, the planned tour in February with In Flames and
Arch Enemy got cancelled due to business-related reasons, and as
this was basically the only time of the spring that all the
members were able to tour, there won't be anything except perhaps
a few one-off shows during the first part of '97. It's a
nightmarish effort trying to co-ordinate all holidays, etc, for
the purpose of touring, especially as the music business itself
is so unpredictable. The only working solution would be for all
band members to be unemployed and free to leave home at any time,
but this is not realistic as there are bills to be paid.
CoC: Most Osmose bands don't even come close to North America, but
instead stay in Europe; any particular reason for this, in your
knowledge?
DT: Well, our style of music isn't too popular in the States; most
Osmose bands sell 3000-4000 copies at most of their albums in
USA, and for this reason it would be a financial risk to arrange
a tour overseas. However, I know that there are plans for these
things in the future, so when the time is right, I'm sure that
something will happen.
CoC: How was your most recent tour?
DT: Good. We played with Impaled Nazarene, Cannibal Corpse,
Immolation, and Vader on a 3-week European tour. The response
differed greatly from place to place for all bands, but in
general the appreciation was overwhelming, and from what we've
seen on VCR of our performances, we did a good job ourselves.
CoC: Your e-mail address is given inside the MCD. Do you or any of
DT's members ever go on the Internet?
DT: Yes, our other guitarist has access to the web, and some of us
are really interested in computing. Personally, I care more for
the wealth of information available 'neath our fingertips and the
consequences of this digital infrastructure than the purely
technical side of things. Our homepage is presently under
construction; we got all the photos scanned last week, and will
probably be accessible when this CoC issue is completed.
CoC: I think that's about it. Good luck with all of Dark
Tranquillity's future endeavors! End the interview as you wish...
DT: Well, thanks for the interest! By the way, was it CoC who slagged
_The Gallery_ and called us "A cheap Brutal Truth/Carcass clone"
(or something to that effect)? I've read it somewhere on the
internet... just asking!
[Don't look at me! - Alain] [Or me!! -- Gino]
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M O N S T R O U S M E G A L O M A N I A
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
CoC Interrogates Monstrosity
by: Adam Wasylyk
Losing George "Corpsegrinder" Fisher, who's now become one of
death metal's most well-known vocalists by joining Cannibal Corpse,
Monstrosity have bounced back by releasing its long-awaited follow-up
to 1992's _Imperial Doom_. _Millennium_ is not only full of
heavy/technical riffing and blast beats that will satisfy many death
metal fans, but it also puts shame to the sub-mediocre _Vile_.
I received a call from drummer Lee Harrison from his home in the
sunny state of Florida, where we talked about the new album, his new
label Conquest Music and a certain ex-vocalist.
CoC: I'll start off by getting the "Corpsegrinder" questions out of
the way, is that all right?
Lee Harrison: Sure.
CoC: Everyone by now knows that George Fisher has left to take over
the vocal duties for Cannibal Corpse. Was the break amicable? Do
you talk today?
LH: It wasn't something we wanted but we understand and it's cool
now. There's no hard feelings. He comes over sometimes and Rob
from Cannibal lives with me at my house here. We've been friends
far too long to hold permanent hard feelings. It wasn't the
greatest thing that happened like I said but nonetheless it was a
better move for George so that's why it happened like that.
CoC: And replacing him is Jason Avery. Can you go into how you and
the band hooked up with him and how the decision was made to
have him in the band?
LH: Basically, his band Eulogy had lost one of their original members
who did all the writing and I think they did one show without him
and it wasn't the same. So I think he was looking to do something
else. I heard it through the grapevine that he wanted to try out
so he came over and I gave him a tape and told him which songs to
learn. A week later he came back and we played them and ever
since then we pretty much considered him our singer. He did the
tour with Kataklysm and he did well so he's been the man so far.
CoC: Did what Eulogy was doing at the time compare musically to
Monstrosity?
LH: I mean they're a death metal band, but in the beginning they were
more speed oriented but [later] got into slower but off-timed and
heavy sounding music. But they were definitely heavy and the
voice was still brutal.
CoC: On the new Cannibal Corpse record, George's vocals were put in
place of Chris Barnes'. With _Millennium_ Jason did the back
vocalling while George did all of the lead vocals. Why was the
decision made to keep George's vocals instead of using Jason's?
LH: When Jason was joining the band, at that point he didn't know all
the songs. He knew some of them but George was around when we
were writing the songs and he was totally a hundred percent
familiar with them. Plus it was a way to have George finish up
with us instead of going from one singer to another (on the
record). That way for the next album we can start fresh with
Jason. Start writing totally with Jason in mind instead of with
George in mind.
CoC: Your first record, _Imperial Doom_, was released by Nuclear
Blast but _Millennium_ is going to be distributed by Conquest
Music. Why is this, were you dropped?
LH: No. How it actually worked is when we did _Imperial Doom_
[Nuclear Blast] released it and they did all the promotion and
this and that. That was all fine and well but when it came to
getting our royalty statements and publishing money, there was a
problem. We couldn't work it out for the longest time so we ended
up severing our contract with them until they paid up the
royalties that we felt we were owed. That was in '93, and a year
ago or so they finally came back to us and said they wanted to
work out the [money problem] so we ended up working it out and
decided to strike out a new deal as far as European distribution
goes. It's easier to do Conquest (Music) business here in America
because we know America whereas Europe is a whole different
ballgame. Since they had paid up and we made a deal where we get
our royalty statements directly from EastWest which is their
distributor, we don't have to worry about if they're telling us
the truth or not. So Nuclear Blast are doing it over there in
Europe and we're doing it here on Conquest.
CoC: You played at this year's Milwaukee Metal Fest. How did that
turn out for the band?
LH: We didn't play as good as we could have, basically because we
ended up driving some ridiculous number of hours just to get
there, get the equipment out of the van and have to play and
shit. But the response was pretty good and overall it was okay.
But that was the first date of the tour and I wish it would have
been at least the third or forth date because it always works out
as we play better after a few nights getting settled in.
CoC: As far as your personal career goes in music, weren't you a
member of both Atheist and Malevolent Creation at one time??
LH: I was in Malevolent Creation for around a year, it was right
before they got signed. Me and Phil didn't get along at that
point as there were arguments over money so that's why I didn't
stick with them. The Atheist thing came about because they were
talking about their drummer going to college and the bass player
at the time, Roger Patterson, told me that they may be looking
for a drummer, and at that time I needed a band so I kept in
touch with them. Basically it was decided that they were going to
keep the drummer because he wasn't going to go to college but
then he became sick so they needed a drummer so they called me up
that morning and asked me if I would do it. So I played one show
with them.
CoC: Now you've started your own label, Conquest Music. Can you tell
me why you decided to start it up and what bands you have on
your roster? Any future signing prospects as of now?
LH: We had contacted most of the labels as far as putting out our
next record and a lot of them really wouldn't have been behind
it. They had said more or less that no matter how good you are,
death metal doesn't sell so we can't do anything for you and this
and that. Whereas I knew that we weren't just the typical band
putting out shit for the sake of it or doing it just because it's
a trend. So I put together the label and it started out where it
was just going to be us but then as the idea progressed it became
where we ended up getting Vader and Darkside. [As for future
signings] we want to get these releases out first but we're
definitely looking around. We're trying to find real quality and
we don't want to get into a rut where we're releasing any old
black metal or death metal record that comes along, we want to
have quality releases.
CoC: What are Monstrosity's lyrics about?
LH: They're about shit going around in the world, the decline of
civilization-type thing and our opinions on what's going on, like
about life after death. Like "Stormwinds" is about vengeance and
"Dream Messiah" is about drug abuse.
CoC: You have a video for the song "Final Cremation" off _Imperial
Doom". Do you see making any videos for _Millennium_?
LH: Not as of yet, but maybe. The "Final Cremation" video was really
half-assed as far as we were concerned, and we really weren't too
pleased with it. We think that the next time if we do it, we'll
do it right and not just put out a piece of shit like "Final
Cremation" was. Basically Nuclear Blast came to us with the idea
in Hamburg, they'd record the show for the video. They just threw
it together really half-assed and we weren't really happy with it
because we weren't in Europe to oversee everything.
CoC: Did the sound of _Millennium_ come out to your satisfaction?
LH: For the most part yeah. It's definitely the best thing we've ever
done and it's something I can play for people and feel happy
about it unlike _Imperial Doom_, which we weren't too happy with.
The drums were way too loud, the guitars were too loud. George, I
know, wasn't happy with his vocals on that album. The bass was
too loud probably. The mix and the tones weren't really that good
on _Imperial..._. So for _Millennium_, it was a lot better
although the drums could have been better. They're not triggered
so they don't sound as powerful as they could. They're live and
real so it's still not that bad. It depends on how picky you want
to get.
CoC: Do you have any idea what direction your future material will go?
LH: Well, we've already got some new material and I'd say it's faster
than _Millennium_, but maybe not as technical.
CoC: And finally, I've read your posts on the internet about an
upcoming North American tour. Who are the bands and when does it
kick off?
LH: We're bringing over Vader and Broken Hope is going to headline
and it all starts February 19th in Connecticut.
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R A P P I N G W I T H R A M P
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
CoC interrogates Portugal's Ramp
by: Adam Wasylyk
When someone mentions the Portuguese metal scene, the band that
soon comes to mind is Century Media's Moonspell. That may soon change
with the powerful release of Ramp's first full-length album,
_Intersection_. Eleven songs of metal with thrash metal influences,
Ramp have written some strong music along with
thought-provoking/socially aware lyrics. Already one of Portugal's
top bands, Ramp is striding for world-wide recognition.
I had the opportunity to chat with Ramp's vocalist, Rui Duarte,
who had LOTS to say about the band.
CoC: The majority of readers don't know about the band, so could you
tell us something about the band's history?
Rui: The band started in 1988. We started to make professional work
in the beginning of the 90s. The common reason to make music
among the guys in the band was the passion for metal music,
especially from Metallica. We just started playing around as
friends and we ended up becoming a band. Since we never stopped
(playing), in Portugal we have tried to develop great work to
clean the image of metal music because it was a very closed
country, with what is concerned with this kind of music. It was
tough work, trying to clean this bad image that bands like
Metallica had in Portugal. But now we are respected and we have
two CDs out and a great number of fans in Portugal.
Unfortunately we didn't have a chance to go outside [Portugal]
because of our first CD (_Thoughts_) which was on Polygram. They
didn't want to work with us outside Portugal. So we changed to
an independent label, the label is Uniao Lisboa. The problem is
that they don't have the structure yet, with distribution and
everything. They've made a great effort, and we've made a lot of
promotion outside Portugal. So here we are. In Portugal we are
what you could say one of the top metal bands, but outside
Portugal we are not very well known yet. We'll see if that
changes in the future.
CoC: Was anyone involved in the metal scene prior to joining the band?
R: The only guy who played in a band before Ramp was our bass player.
[The band he was in] are the band that we played our first gig
with. The rest of the guys started in Ramp, it was our first band.
CoC: Tell me about your new album, _Intersection_. How long did it
take you and the band to write the material on it?
R: It took a long time. Not only because we took a long time making
the material but also because we were having a few problems inside
Portugal. After the release of the first album, things were going
very well and very fast. It was our seventh show when we made the
debut of our first album and we had the chance to open for
Sepultura. So it was great, everyone enjoyed the band. It was
getting bigger and bigger and bigger. But then we had to stop work
because we had to do military service. In Portugal you don't have
the right to choose. It's a democracy but you have to go. We had
to stop the work of the band for two years. After that we had to
try to split from Polygram because it wasn't the right place for
us, and that took one more year. During those three years we made
the album, so again it was a long time.
CoC: Explain your sound to people who have yet to hear Ramp's music?
R: I don't know man. I don't like to talk about the sound of the
band. I think people mishear it and judge it, because not everyone
hears it in the same way. What I tell people is that it's hard
music. Hard music with lyrics that are aware of things that are
happening right now around us. Not just empty lyrics that are
about crap. It's about feelings that we have about things that are
happening right now in Portugal. I think that not only in Portugal
but what's outside Portugal, in the rest of the world. When I'm
doing all the interviews, I'm getting in touch with different
realities. Like for example the Belgium reality where we played a
couple of weeks ago. It's more or less like Portugal already. Even
in America it's more or less the same thing, we have the same
problems. Perhaps for a guy in Canada or America if they read the
lyrics for a song like "So You Say" or "Fate" or "Friendly Word",
it's a common feeling that we all have. It's about a problem that
everyone has in the world right now. They're concerned lyrics.
CoC: So it's more like "hear it for yourself and judge it for
yourself?"
R: Yes. That's the best way. It depends, like for a kid who likes
Napalm Death, perhaps we are just posers. To a guy who listens to
Poison perhaps we play thrash/doom metal! <laughs>
CoC: What influences do you and the band draw from?
R: We started with Metallica and the bay area bands. I think that can
be noticed when listening to the record. Right now we listen to
all kinds of music. Members of Ramp are listening to various
styles of music from classical to jazz to trance. It doesn't
matter, as it's all just music. So for us, each kind of music has
its own thing and you have to listen to it, get into it, and take
[influence] from it. For example, dance music. Everyone criticized
dance music. I'm not very much into it, but I know the meaning of
it and I like to hear it on several occasions because it's like an
invitation for dance. The good thing about dance music is the
rhythm, and it's almost always the same (Rui imitates the beat,
"doong doong doong..."). It gives you the spirit, it captures you.
If you're inside a disco and you're listening to the music, after
a minute you're tapping your feet and you're into the rhythm.
That's the good thing in dance music, that it's an invitation for
dancing. So it depends on the spirit that you have at the moment.
Right now, we like to hear all kinds of music. This is a very
important point, especially in the 90s when everyone is fusing
[styles]. That is one of the things that we are trying to promote
in Portugal, the respect for metal music. We always say in our
interviews that "for someone to get respect, he must respect
everyone," so that's the feeling we have, to respect all types of
music. Metal music isn't the only kind of music that exists in the
world.
CoC: How is the Portuguese metal scene right now?
R: <exhales> Well, we have a lot of good bands, but at the same time
it's very complicated because we have a very small market, so it's
not easy to develop a project inside Portugal. The only band that
we have right now who are getting major work outside Portugal are
Moonspell because they're not on a Portuguese label. So it's
easier since they have a bigger market. The level of live shows
isn't very big, and the kids don't have much money to buy CDs and
they are pretty expensive here. In Portugal, we (Ramp) can expect
to sell 3000 records. That's peanuts, that's nothing. But that's
very good here in Portugal for metal music. So you can see it's
not easy to develop a band in these conditions.
CoC: Is the music writing done together or do members come up with
different ideas on their own?
R: Normally we like to compose all the material inside a garage, we
don't have just one or two members make all the compositions. It's
like, if I have an idea for a riff, I'll show it to the other guys
and we try to develop the idea. Normally the lyrics come after the
music. Normally I get inside the ambiance of the song, and at the
same time I'm imagining something from the music and that's how I
come up with the lyrics. It's good from one side, that everyone
enjoys what they do inside the band, but at the same time it's
very complicated because it's so democratic, so sometimes it's a
slow process. In the end, everyone knows that there's something
from him inside the music, it's not just the music of the guitar
player or bass player, it's the music of Ramp. It's like the
meaning of Ramp. Do you know [what] the meaning of Ramp is? It's
not the meaning of the word ramp, it's not English, it's
Portuguese. It's R for Ricardo, A for Antonio, M for Miguel, and P
for Paulinho, so it's the initials of the guys who made the band.
It's like the spirit of community. It's a band not [just] a guitar
player.
CoC: Are you currently writing for the next record?
R: Well, we have already the next record made.
CoC: Really? So how does that compare to _Intersection_?
R: It's going to have different sorts of arrangements for the songs,
but do not expect any radical change from Ramp. We respect the
same principals but at the same time had a few different touches.
I do know the name of the album and some of the concepts of the
lyrics. The album is going to be called _Future_. It has to do
with a lot of changes in society right now, not only in Portugal
but everywhere. Everything is changing very fast and it's a little
scary when you think about youth and what they're going to face.
[The lyrics] are like getting in touch with a new dimension of
problems that are surging right now, and we must be prepared to
face it.
CoC: And finally, what personal goals do you want to reach with the
band?
R: Our great goal is to make the music we like and live from it,
nothing more. It's our dream. We don't want to be stars, we don't
want to play in stadiums and that kind of shit. We just want to
make our music and hope that people like it. Last message for
everyone: "Don't forget to respect the other guys if you want to
be respected!!!!!"
Contact: Ramp Scum Fan Club, Apartado 223
2725 Merces Codex, PORTUGAL
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M O R G O T H M E T A M O R P H O S I Z E D
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
CoC interrogates Morgoth
by: Adam Wasylyk
Never being a fan of _Cursed_-era Morgoth, I wasn't expecting
much from _Feel Sorry for the Fanatic_, their third album for Century
Media. With _Feel Sorry..._ being described by the label as a "daring
leap that lets loose any hold that the 1980s might have held on
them," I had a glimmer of hope. One listen to this record will show
that Morgoth have transcended death metal by adding different
elements to their music and boasting a more commercial sound.
Amorphis have done it. So have Gorefest. And now so have Morgoth.
Older fans may have problems with this record and may cry "sell
out." Marc Grewe, who has also worked with bands like Power of
Expression and Comecon, talked about Morgoth's infatuation with
techno music, its incorporation into _Feel Sorry for the Fanatic_,
and the changes the band has undergone.
CoC: First off, tell me about the new record and how long it took to
record/write?
Marc Grewe: Actually, I have to start with the _Odium_ album. After
the tour activities for the _Odium_ album, we took a
break for half a year. During that break, everyone was
doing something different. I started to work with my
other band Power of Expression and the other guys in the
band worked a little with their computers and sampling
machines. So when we came together, we started writing
for the new album. For the _Odium_ album, we had the
keyboards just in the studio and we worked with them only
there, while for this record, the person who worked on or
wrote the song used the keyboard and the sampling
machine. That was the main difference between the last
record and _Feel Sorry..._. The singing style has
developed and it's a little different than the last one,
but that's just normal. I mean, if you play in a band,
you don't want to do the same stuff over and over again,
or at least we don't want to. So everyone in the band
took lessons on his guitar or bass or drums or vocals. I
did some vocal training for a couple of months, I
actually started a couple of years ago in 1994. So you
want to show that on the record and that's the main
reason why I sing on the album in a different way than I
used to sing before. But I think if you listen to it you
can still hear that it's me. Even if songs are maybe
different than the ones on our earlier efforts like
_Cursed_, it's still the same people and we don't deny
our roots and I think you can still hear that it's the
same band. If you listen to the _Odium_ album in between,
it hinted at which direction we wanted to go. Plus the
break where we didn't do touring or recording, we just
worked on ourselves. It's different, but it's still
Morgoth and still the same people who recorded the first
demo. [ed: lies, lies, lies - AMG]
CoC: Like you said your vocals have changed and deviated from the
death metal growls. Were you getting sick of that vocal style
and trying to do something fresher?
MG: Exactly. Death metal growling was fun when we used to do that in
the early days as it was pretty unique. It was the stuff that we
wanted to do. Of course I could sing the old growling stuff also,
but nowadays it's more important for me to train my voice for new
stuff. I'm still not at the point where I want to go to. I'm
still working on the voice and getting lessons for it.
CoC: In a live situation, are you going to use the old growly voice
or will you adapt it with the new vocals that you've learned?
MG: We're gonna do old songs differently live and try to transfer
them to the more modern sound. That means it'll be a mixture of
the old growling stuff and the stuff I've done on this album.
Sometimes we'll be more clear and sometimes we'll still remain
heavy. So it's going to be a mixture of both.
CoC: Musically, would it be fair to say that you wanted to get away
from your death metal roots for a more modern metal sound?
MG: We don't deny our roots like I said before but we don't want to
do the same stuff over and over again. It would be easy to write
a record like _Cursed_ nowadays. If we just wanted to do it for
the money then we should have done a record like _Cursed_ because
that was a strong selling album but that's not our aim. We wanted
to do something different. We wanted to do something different
with every record and we want to go further and risk something
and that's the only way we can work. No one in the band is really
into covering stuff that we've done before. We want to take
everything a step further and always try to do our best and work
on ourselves. This isn't death metal but at least it's different.
I have some problems to define what [our music] is. Some say it's
techno metal, some people say it's thrash metal, and some people
still say it's death metal so I don't know really. I think it's
just the stuff that came out and I don't label my music. So it's
up to the people who buy the album. To me it's just music.
CoC: What was the logic behind the dance track "... And Its Amazing
Consequences", as techno music is taboo on metal records?
MG: We got really attracted by the underground techno stuff, in
Europe it's getting popular. Not the kind of stuff you think
about techno, as most of the time when you think about techno you
think of that stupid bubble gum techno "boom boom." That's not
the stuff we really like, we like the underground stuff. It's
like comparing Bon Jovi with Cannibal Corpse. There are so many
different styles of that kind of music, that you can't say techno
is this or that. Like I said we really like the underground
stuff, especially in the city where we come from, in Dortmund.
There are these events with crazy people and extreme techno
stuff, [which is] extremely hard and extremely aggressive which
reminds me of the early days of metal when it was still
underground. It's fun to be there. A lot of people from different
sides are attracted by that sort of stuff, like people from the
punk and hardcore side and people from the metal side. So there's
a very special atmosphere down there. It is illegal and sometimes
police come to check it and catch you but that's the stuff we
really like and it's almost compatible with the early death metal
stuff: very aggressive and intense. To us it's something new and
if you listen to it loud it just blows you away.
CoC: So the whole band was influenced by this new wave of techno
music in Germany?
MG: More or less yes, but there are still people in the band who like
more of the metal stuff. I'd say two people are really going for
the techno stuff at the moment but they still of course listen to
metal and guitar music. The rest are more into guitar stuff than
going to those techno events, but still go to them once in
awhile. But two people are really crazy for it.
CoC: How have the critics and fans been reacting to _Feel Sorry for
the Fanatic_?
MG: People in Europe are freaking out about it. In the States it's
very difficult, I don't know. I've read some very bad reviews but
also some very good reviews so it's kinda split. I think a lot of
people from the older days can't respect the development we've
made in the music. If you expect a record to sound like death
metal and it's not then you write a negative review about it. I
don't think it's a record that you can listen to once. You have
to discover it as there are so many little hidden things that you
don't hear by listening to it just one time. You have to hear it
twice, three, four times and then you'll get the clue to what we
mean with the record. It's not one that gets in your ear right
away. So you need to listen to it, maybe more times then usual
[as compared to other bands].
CoC: I reviewed _Feel Sorry for the Fanatic_ and I liked it a lot but
some of my fellow writers didn't like it at all, especially
those that loved _Odium_. Do you feel that the change in sound
on the new album is more on the drastic side?
MG: We view ourselves as a progressive band. Not progressive as you
label bands like Dream Theater, but I see progression more in the
way like experimentation. Maybe the next record will be different
than this one. We really like to experiment with songs and if
people like the _Odium_ album, then I don't understand why they
don't like this album. In Europe, it's the other way around. The
people who liked the _Odium_ record also liked this record. But
that's the way our band wanted to go and it's just what came out
in the last two years. Maybe in the future we will do something
totally different again.
CoC: I've heard that you're planning to re-mix _Feel Sorry for the
Fanatic_. Can you go into more detail about that? Would a
Morgoth fan be able to appreciate the music on it?
MG: That's going to be involving the stuff we really like, techno and
trip-hop stuff. It's going to be totally re-mixed and it'll just
have some guitar parts in it, it'll be very different. It'll have
for example a very hard techno track on it but also a trip-hop
song which is more relaxed. It's going to be an experience. I
know that a lot of people will hate it, but we don't care. It's
what we want to do.
CoC: Any plans to tour North America for this album??
MG: Hopefully '97 will be the year for Morgoth to be on the road.
There's a chance that we'll be coming to the States in February
supporting Stuck Mojo and after that we'll continue touring
Europe.
CoC: Do you see your future material being more experimental like
"... And Its Amazing Consequences" or in any other direction?
MG: Well, you never know as anything is possible with this band. We
will never do it for the money. Maybe the next record will be
more heavy or maybe it'll have more techno. We already have three
songs written for the next one, and they're a little heavier at
the moment and are more like "Curiosity" kinda stuff, being
heavier and catchier.
CoC: Do you see another three years lapsing before the next record
comes out?
MG: Absolutely not. We had some problems after the _Odium_ tour as we
couldn't stand each other for a couple of months, so that
accounts for some of the break. We started some of the writing
for this album in January 1995 so it took one year to actually
write the album, but all in all it was three years after the
_Odium_ album came out that we released this one. Like I said we
have written three songs already for the new record and we hope
to go to the studio in October/November of 1997.
CoC: Finally, do you think the title of the last song, "A New Start"
sums up the music and your changed direction on _Feel Sorry for
the Fanatic_?
MG: That's right, yeah. It's kind of a new start for us. We've been
away for three years and a lot of people said "they're dead."
This album sounds different from the previous releases and it's
sort of a new start for the band. It's great to be back!
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,.:/
Here is where CoC gets the inside story on up-and-coming bands. Check
out this column for a variety of fresh, brutal groups. Should you be
an aspiring band on your way to super-stardom, send us your demo and
bio; our address is included in the zine's header.
N O P R A Y E R F O R T H E M A N T I S
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
CoC interrogates Toronto's Tchort & the Family Mantis
by: Adrian Bromley
For fans of local Toronto doom metal squad Tchort & the Family
Mantis, one will acknowledge that the years have been tough for the
band. The band has worked hard to get noticed and succeed through
numerous gigs and style changes over the years. They fought hard to
keep the metal scene going in Toronto (the scene is not as strong as
it used to be), but hard work and persistence by the band seems to
have finally paid off with the introduction of their well-received
debut CD, _Nightside of Eden_.
Having originally begun as a death metal band and incorporating
a violin player, the band has slowly evolved over the years into
their present day shape and sound: doom metal. Tchort's sound
consists of thick riffs etched from the books of England's premier
doom metal outfit Cathedral, the congruency and grooveness similar to
that of now defunct sludge-rock outfit Kyuss, and the satanic
fondness and pure loudness brought to our attention in the early days
of Black Sabbath. In other words: the band wears their influences on
their sleeves proudly.
The band has released two efforts in the last two years, one
being the 4-song _Ace of Shrooms_ demo from last year and most
recently the amazing _Nightside of Eden_. _NoE_ offers us six new
songs recorded with brilliant Toronto producer Rob Sanzo, as well as
the material from _AoS_, allowing us the listener to see the
evolution of the band and their sound. "We found _AoS_ experimental,
and we wanted this record to be more of a "straight-ahead" sounding
record that would embody both traditional British and West Coast
style metal," says singer/guitarist Eric Coucke. "We wanted to get
that down pat and that will allow our next record to be more
adventurous."
For the recording of _NoE_, Coucke says producer Rob Sanzo was
recommended by fellow Toronto band Mundane as well as Coucke having
known of Sanzo's top notch production from other bands, such as
Poledo. "I was a little concerned at the beginning that he was going
to be like this 'trendy' producer making bands sound similar. So I
met up with him and found him to be an incredibly cool person and
having cool ideas and willing to work with us on a creative level. To
quote him, he said, 'Working with you guys was like a vacation.' We
got along with him and another reason it worked is that he said I
reminded him of himself ten years ago." He adds, "I don't know if he
was joking but he definitely put us on the same wavelength."
According to Coucke, the band right now - made up of Coucke,
guitarist Les Godfrey, bass player Nick Sewell, and drummer Chris
Gramlech - is absolutely the best assembly of musicians he could ask
for. "I used to be the principal songwriter, and now I am happy to
see that the other guys are writing more songs for the band. We don't
really collaborate much these days," reveals Coucke, "We usually just
come to practice with a finished piece and work with it. We might
take a piece from here or there or even scrap the piece. Usually we
openly welcome submissions by band members and take it from there. A
lot of the songwriting is a process of osmosis where I will listen to
a type of music a lot and soon enough it will come out in my
songwriting," starts Coucke about writing material for Tchort. "If we
look at it as a whole and how we write songs, then it is a question
of time because we are all in our "doomsday" trip - and so actually,
today (the interview was conducted January 1st, 1997), we have three
years left." He laughs.
About Tchort's sound changes in the band's style, Coucke states,
I think we have gone from being a doom metal band to something I call
a "fuzzy" band. Both Les and I didn't really like the guitar timbre
of _AoS_ because we thought it sounded way to thrash metal and so we
changed amplifiers and that helped change the guitar sound for us."
Talking about the album (which Coucke describes as a "fuzzy
nightmare you can groove out to"), Coucke says, "I really like the
guitar tone of the album. I also like the fact that the album was
recorded live with the exception of vocals and guitar solos. It
sounds live and was mixed that way. I think the record is raw
sounding and that is what I like, too. The work put into coming up
with a guitar sound also takes time. You usually spend hours working
on it and after a lot of work we found it. I'm glad of that, too."
As the interview winds down, seeing that the band has stayed
indie for a certain period of time, the question of signing to a
label surfaces. What does the band want from a label if they sign to
one? Coucke responds, "We want tour support first and foremost. I
want to be able to have my music distributed and to be able to go
around to cities and play to the people that want to come out and see
us. We want to play to the people that enjoy our music. Right now,
obviously we don't make money doing what we do. Ultimately, if I pay
my rent and feed myself I will be happy. We just want decent
distribution and tour support. It is all we are asking for."
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R E V E L A T I O N
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
by: Drew Schinzel
Having been around since 1986, American doom-metallers Revelation
have had their fair share of underground experience. After four
albums and a two-year layover, their fifth studio release, _Frozen
Masque_, is about to be unleashed to the public, and the band
couldn't be any more enthusiastic or hopeful about their bright
future. I recently had a chance to talk with Revelation bassist Jim
Hunter. Here's what he had to say.
CoC: Greetings Jim. Most of CoC's readers are probably unfamiliar
with Revelation. Could you give a little band history?
Jim: Well, the band was started in 1986 by Steve Branagan (drums) and
John Brenner (vocals/guitar). With various bass players, they
recorded a few demos, did a track for the Rise Above Records
compilation, _Dark Passages_, put out by Lee Dorrian (of
Cathedral), then signed with the label and released the first
album, _Salvations Answer_, in 1991. Then they recorded another
demo after that, signed with the German label Hellhound Records,
and then they put out the second album, _Never Comes Silence_,
in 1993. After that, John got disillusioned with the music scene
in general and decided he wanted to quit the band. They knew a
guy named Dennis Cornelius who was a huge Revelation fan over
the years and even jammed with them a few times, so Steve felt
he would make a good replacement for John. So he became the new
guitarist/vocalist. Then in February 1994, they recorded the
_Mourning Son_ demo, and a few months after that I joined the
band, and in late '94 we recorded the _... Yet So Far_ album.
CoC: Explain Revelation's sound, in your own words.
Jim: To me, Revelation's music is totally heavy doom-type music, but
still melodic and emotional. I think we're getting better and
better at having melody but keeping it really heavy. The stuff's
getting more aggressive, not like Pantera or something, just
more headbangable. We also like to throw some weird Rush-type
grooves in there too, because we're all big Rush fans,
especially their earlier stuff.
CoC: What were some other influences on Revelation ?
Jim: I'd say our biggest influences are bands like Black Sabbath,
Rush, and Trouble, but bands like Iron Maiden, Voivod,
Queensryche, Fates Warning, and others have had a huge impact on
our musical output. I personally am a heavy metal freak!
CoC: Why was there such a delay between _... Yet So Far_ and _Frozen
Masque_?
Jim: After _... Yet So Far_ was released, we did two European tours,
one with Saint Vitus in March of 1995, and one with Solitude
Aeturnus in May of '95. When we got back from the tours, we
started writing new stuff and we were actually planning on
recording a new demo in December of '95. We ended up just
recording a 4-track rehearsal tape. But then in March of 1996,
due to some personal stuff going on at the time, Dennis decided
to quit the band and move away. Steve and I were considering
finding a replacement but then we both got so busy with our own
lives that it just never happened. Then, in about the middle of
the summer, Dennis decided he wanted to rejoin the band. Our
first opportunity to really get together was in December of
1996, we just got together for a week, jammed, and recorded the
songs from the rehearsal tape for the new demo called _Frozen
Masque_.
CoC: Are you satisfied with the result ?
Jim: Extremely, I've never really been satisfied with anything I've
been involved with recording, but I love this tape. It's not
totally perfect, but I think the songs are some of, if not the
best we've ever come up with. I just think the whole thing has a
real powerful sound that I'm proud of.
CoC: You weren't satisfied with _... Yet So Far_? To me that was a
great album.
Jim: Well, we were totally rushed for time when we recorded that
album. We only had a certain number of days in which to record
in order to be able to do the [Saint] Vitus tour. Considering we
did the whole thing, recording, mixing, and mastering in six
days, it turned out really good, just not as good as I would
have liked. There were certain things with the mix I would have
liked to have done over but there was no time. But I have to
give credit to Drew Mazurek, the guy who recorded it, he made
our sorry musical equipment sound great!
CoC: How was the St. Vitus tour? Did you get a good reaction from the
European crowd?
Jim: The Vitus tour was AMAZING! It had a very special personal
meaning for me. Vitus was the first band I ever saw in a club. I
was 12! It was Saint Vitus and the Mentors at the Hung Jury Pub
in Washington, DC in 1987. What an insane show that was! I had
been a Vitus fan ever since then. So to see their last show was
like closing a circle in my life. Those guys were so cool to us
too, totally took us under their wing. No egos or attitudes or
anything. Scott Reagers had always been my favorite Vitus singer
too, so to get to see that line-up play every night was just
mindblowing for me, and then to get to hang out with them all
day and party with them? Unbelievable!
CoC: Think there's any chance for a North American tour this year?
Jim: Unless Hell starts freezing over and America is a big supporter
of this type of music, I doubt there will a North American tour
ever! Nothing against America, I love living here but to be able
to tour in the US with the same conditions we had in Europe we
would have to be as big as Mercyful Fate or something! And
besides, we actually need one of our albums to come out in
America first!
CoC: What led to the changes on _Frozen Masque_? Your last release,
_... Yet So Far_, was not quite as heavy and had some fairly
lengthy songs on it.
Jim: Yeah, with _... Yet So Far_, we, especially Dennis and I, felt
that we had a lot to prove to the old Revelation fans, so that
album was real "jam-happy." We were just really enjoying playing
together and coming up with the craziest stuff we could. But
then when we toured, we realized a lot of the songs weren't as
powerful as we would have liked them to be, and some were just a
drag to play over and over. When you're playing with bands like
Vitus and Solitude Aeturnus, your stuff has to be really
powerful to even compare to them! So when we got back, we made
kind of a conscious effort to write more aggressive, heavier
material, and try to tighten up the arrangements a little. If
you can say the same thing musically in 5 minutes that you can
in 8, why not just keep it at 5 and not bore everyone to death?
So that's what we tried to do with the new stuff: keep the
elements that make it Revelation music but try to make it more
powerful.
CoC: With a name like Revelation, some may think you are a Christian
band. Please explain the origin of your name, and what
Revelation is all about, both musically and lyrically.
Jim: Well, the name actually came from the trouble song "Revelation
(Life or Death)" from the _Psalm 9_ album. It was Steve and
John's tribute to one of their favorite bands. The band has
always had a spiritual side to the lyrics. John Brenner's lyrics
were more overtly Christian, but our lyrics are now more from
our personal experiences, but that spiritual side is still
there. The lyrics have always been very personal, sort of a
"revelation" of the minds of the band members. Musically, we
want it to be heavy, melodic, emotional, and interesting to the
listener; not too crazy as to confuse people, but just enough so
it isn't just boring and plodding the whole time. I want our
music to be as special as my favorite bands' music is to me.
CoC: When do you see Revelation calling it quits? What would cause
you to stop making music?
Jim: Well, Revelation's been going for over 10 years now and has been
through a lot and is still going. We'd probably call it quits if
we became disinterested in playing together but I don't see that
happening any time soon. I'm looking forward to recording a new
album and doing some more tours and getting Revelation's name
known more and more in the metal scene. I personally would stop
making music when it didn't inspire me anymore, but right now
I'm totally 100% obsessed with music, it's my favorite thing in
the world! I'm sure it will end up being a life-long obsession
for me.
CoC: What will Revelation be up to the rest of this year?
Jim: Well, right now we want to spread this demo out as much as we
can to fans, labels, magazines, etc. We are looking for a new
record label, so hopefully that will work out. We're just going
to start writing some new tunes and prepare to record a new
album and probably try to play a lot of local shows in our area
this summer.
CoC: When will _Frozen Masque_ be available?
Jim: Extremely soon, people start sending in your orders now! The
demo is $5 (US) $6 (world). It may be a demo but it has
album-quality production, in my opinion. It doesn't sound like
it was recorded in a toilet or anything. We're just glad to have
something that represents us that we can get to people.
CoC: What is Revelation's relation to the Internet? Do you have a web
page?
Jim: I'm totally into the Internet, I love it! I've been hooked since
January 1996 when I first got online. I just love having access
to all the metal information I would never get otherwise. I can
really keep on top of things. And yes, we do have a webpage at
http://www.geocities.com/SoHo/7567 and we invite everyone to
come check it out! A really good friend named Tiff Gorman
designed it for us and she did a hell of a job! It's got a bio,
discography, samples, photos, and all that kind of stuff. We're
hoping to get some new samples from the demo up in the next
month or so. Also, we can be reached by e-mail at
mailto:imagez@erols.com.
CoC: Ok, I think that's about it for the interview, anything else
you'd like to say? End it whatever way you want...
Jim: I'd just like to say if you're reading this, thank you for
enduring my babble. If you're not reading this, then you suck!
Ha, ha! Seriously, we just want to encourage people to check out
our stuff, because we desperately need the money! And we'd like
to spread the Revelation disease as far as we can. Also, if
people want to e-mail me, especially cute metalhead females,
you're more than welcome to! My name is Phil Anselmo. Long live
metal!
Contact: REVELATION, c/o Jim Hunter
905 S. Clinton St., Baltimore, MD, 21224, USA
mailto:imagez@erols.com
http://www.geocities.com/SoHo/7567
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This is where we rant, rave, and rip apart albums. Check this column
every month for the scoop on the latest in heavy hand-outs.
Scoring: 10 out of 10 -- If there was ever a perfect CD, this is it!
8 out of 10 -- A great piece of metallic mayhem
6 out of 10 -- Not too bad of an album
4 out of 10 -- You are treading in dangerous waters
2 out of 10 -- If you like this, you are fucked!
0 out of 10 -- My shit can put out better music than this!
Anathema - _Eternity_ (Peaceville, 1996)
by: Pedro Azevedo (8 out of 10)
First let me get one thing off my chest: no matter how good Anathema
are right now, I liked them better with Darren White in the
_Serenades_ era. But I will be doing my best to keep this off my mind
and review the album for what it's worth. Anyway, this is Anathema's
second go with Vincent Cavanagh on vocals. After _The Silent Enigma_
proved Anathema hadn't lost it musically and also showing Cavanagh as
a competent vocalist, I expected a lot from _Eternity_. The digi-pak
version is damn long, around 70 minutes, since it features two
acoustic reprises. The album starts off with a sad, interesting
intro, very good. Tracks 2, 3, and 4 were the ones I liked the most
at first listen, and still are right now. Also remarkable is track 7,
"Suicide Veil", which brings us to the unfortunate fact that this
album tends to be all about suicide, which is something I can't
stand. Still, this is doom, right? Well, yeah, right. Anathema are
even doomier than on their previous effort, actually, but the album's
overall feel is softer than before. The guitars aren't so crunchy and
Cavanagh's voice isn't raspy anymore. He now sings with clean vocals.
There are some moments in which he sounds a bit like Aaron from My
Dying Bride, almost weeping, which is great. However, he frequently
uses a "sing-a-long" approach which doesn't seem to work too well.
Wrapping up, all I can say is that Anathema have gone lighter, but
they're still very talented. This album has some very good songs,
some excellent doom moments, but there's a bit of a significant part
of the album which I felt didn't keep up with the quality I expected,
which they deliver throughout most of the album. A very good effort,
nonetheless.
Angel Corpse - _Hammer of Gods_ (Osmose Productions, November 1996)
by: Steve Hoeltzel (8 out of 10)
The first few plays I gave this disc got me pretty darn stoked, since
these guys definitely have a ripping, ferocious, and malevolent
sound. In fact, the sound in question is virtually indistinguishable
from that of Morbid Angel's first two LPs - from the general style of
riffs and leads, right down to the trademark wild and frequent shifts
from sprinting to grinding to crazy alien riffing entwined with
koo-koo, wah-wah, squonk-squonk soloing. If you like Morbid Angel's
early stuff, as I do, then there's a lot here to enjoy, especially
"Envenomed" and the wicked "Lord of the Funeral Pyre". Still, Angel
Corpse don't exhibit as much variation in feel or style from song to
song as that "other" Angel does. And because the whole Angel Corpse
vibe is so entirely derivative of the sound of another, much more
original band, their potential impact is blunted by the knowledge
that when Morbid Angel cut their first two LPs, -they- weren't simply
imitating someone else's distinctive style. Anyway, original or not,
I still think _Hammer..._ contains some killer tracks, and if you're
a big fan of Morbid Angel's early material, then it's a safe bet that
you'll think so too.
Assuck - _Misery Index_ (Sound Pollution Records, December 1996)
by: Valgamon (9 out of 10)
Assuck have definitely returned with this new record (I hesitate to
call it a full-length because it clocks in at a mere 15:20). Here we
have fifteen tracks of raging, unbridled power - grindcore at its
very best. In case you're wondering about the line-up, guitarist
Steve Heritage is now handling vocal duties as well, and he sounds
(growls) very much like former vocalist Paul Pavlovich. Steve Kosiba
is on bass, and Rob Proctor is once again on drums. The songs seem a
little bit less precise than earlier material, perhaps a
manifestation of the burden created by Heritage's two-fold task. This
would also explain why the vocal patterning is often very predictably
on-beat, which is a disappointment at times. However, don't let those
observations fool you; this record is full of Assuck's signature
sound, often marked by unexpected breaks which are reminiscent of
Deicide's "Legion" (not surprising, considering the geographical
origin of both bands, and that they both record at Morrisound in
Tampa - a fact not lost on this reviewer when trying to remain
objective and not draw the obvious comparisons). These songs are very
powerful, soaked with dissonance and then tumble-dried in a whirlwind
of bass-heavy fury. Some have said that Assuck are a very
production-oriented band, and that they rely a bit too much on
Morrisound. After seeing them play on new year's day, I must admit
that I do prefer listening to their records; however, their live show
was far from boring. I almost feel like I'm being too critical here,
because this record is truly superb; however, after setting such a
high standard with "Anticapital," (the pinnacle of grind), this new
release does seem like a little bit of a let-down. But not by much.
If you liked that LP and the seven inches, you are sure to enjoy
this. Packaging is minimal, but does include some nice cover art by
Brandon Dunlap. And where's the vinyl?
[As you may have noticed, this review wasn't written by one of our
staffers, this review was graciously donated by Valgamon (who's real
identity will remain anonymous), thanks again Valgy! -- Gino]
Bal Sagoth - _Starfire Burning..._ (Cacophonous, December 1996)
by: Drew Schinzel (8 out of 10)
Okay, the name of this album isn't -actually- _Starfire Burning_.
It's really _Starfire Burning Over the Ice-Veiled Throne of Ultima
Thule_, but that was just a tad too long to fit in the review header.
Now, with that out of the way... The new full length album from Bal
Sagoth delves even further into the depths of cheese and flat-out
absurdity, but if you can cut through the obscenely long song titles
("In the Raven-Haunted Forests of Darkenhold, Where Shadows Reign and
the Hues of Sunlight Never Dance", anyone?) and somewhat pretentious
music, what you've got is a quality album with loads of huge,
symphonic synth and some unique changes from their last album, _A
Black Moon Broods Over Lemuria_. First off, the guttural growls have
flown out the window (though not entirely), and have been replaced
for the most part by a rather unsatisfying spoken approach. In
addition, the keyboards are much higher in the mix this time around,
and provide a massive, orchestral feel, which, contrary to the new
vocals, are -extremely- gratifying, and have a very thick,
professional sound. Maybe they should've been even higher in the mix
though, to drown out the annoying guitars. Unoriginal and uninspired
guitar lines are sprinkled throughout _SB..._, and are overshadowed
only by the beautiful clean interludes mercifully thrown in here and
there. Don't get me wrong - I like _SBOtIVToUT_ quite a bit, and it's
admirable that Bal Sagoth didn't jump on the black metal bandwagon
after their somewhat-B.M. debut, there are just a few minor parts
which could have been improved. In the end, however, what you have is
a fine album with an obvious amount of hard work put into it, which
is well-deserving of a recommendation.
Brain Toy - _Screaming Volumes_ (Cerebral Records, November 1996)
by: Adrian Bromley (6 out of 10)
Progressive metal/classical trio Brain Toy's debut album radiates
creativity and a definite knack for being able to project thoughts
and visions through music, but rarely sparks any interesting and
memorable numbers. While a large portion of the material is
reminiscent of Dream Theater and Rush, Brain Toy manages to
incorporate their own take on progressive metal throughout the
album's nine numbers. The band shifts from up-tempo, aggressive
numbers onto more slowly tuned, melodic numbers that flow very
gracefully at times and do allow for some versatility to shine
through but as mentioned before nothing stands out. The introduction
and use of classical styles mixed with progressive metal styles works
off each other quite well as seen on numbers like "Shadows", "Wash
Your Guilt Away", and "Silhouette".
Darkside - _Melancholia of a Dying World_ (Conquest Music, 1996)
by: Alain M. Gaudrault (4 out of 10)
The cheesy fake-sounding automatic rifle combat noise in the opening
sequence of this album was cause for immediate concern upon my first
listen. Chalk up another one for gut feeling. I'll admit right away,
before even getting to the music, one of my biggest problems with
this release is the production, not the engineering, mind you, but
the production. I mean, technically, it seems well recorded and
sounds nice and clean, perhaps too clean, but the overall sound is
just one bad decision after another. Those sporadic electronic sound
effects are completely out of place, the guitar tone is thin and
hollow, and the vocals are too forward in the mix, although the
latter point could have been remedied by thicker, louder guitars. If
this is all due to lack of funds for a proper studio and all, I
apologize for harping, but the clean, crisp recording didn't lead me
to believe this was the case. Enough with the production, already,
right? If only that were the worst of it. Darkside is essentially
death metal, but you couldn't tell from the music. This is death
strictly by the presence of death vocals; lame, boring ones at that.
Too many sad rock structures and solos, neither played with much
skill or significant complexity, a wonder seeing as they try so hard
to be experimental. Combining elements of death, speed, hard rock,
doom, goth, and even free-form jazz, _Melancholia..._ goes
everywhere, and in the end, goes nowhere. Cohesion? Forget it.
Musicianship? Minimal. Aggression? Washed out. We're talking several
dead simple (not to mention cliche, in far too many instances) riffs,
strung together nonsensically with unexpected genre context switches,
all backed with a low-grade drummer who makes Death's Bill Andrews
sound good. Honestly, I found it painful having to sit through this
album the dozen or so times I forced myself to listen to it in order
to write this review. It should be noted that this was actually
recorded in 1994, was released in late 1995 in Germany, and is just
now available in North America, so confused lot of Austrians may have
improved significantly since, but truely, these guys need to find
their strengths and focus on them... a lot.
Desire - _Infinity... A Timeless Journey Through the Emotional Dream_
by: Pedro Azevedo (7 out of 10) (Skyfall, 1996)
Desire are a Portuguese symphonic doom band. They use lots of
keyboards for atmosphere, extremely deep and slow death vox, and they
play mostly pretty slowly. They do speed up in the appropriate parts,
though, maintaining the interest and not letting the album bore you.
These guys have managed to create a majestic piece of doom, where
orchestration is concerned. It's well produced, and it has some
pretty good ideas. There's enough on this album to keep anyone who
likes doom interested, although others may find this a bit boring.
Besides the constant keyboards, they also use acoustic guitars and
occasional black metal vox. It's all sort of dreamy, as much as
doomy. They create an interesting atmosphere, though sometimes the
music isn't thrilling - that's the price they pay for atmosphere.
They managed to keep the album well balanced, though, so the
atmosphere doesn't take over too much. It's not really an excellent
album, but it has some good ideas and they seem to have worked hard.
The next album, if they prove to be more mature and all (no, this
doesn't mean softer, and it doesn't mean dropping the death vox
either), could be great.
DOA - _New York City Speedcore_ (Earache, January 1997)
by: Adrian Bromley (8 out of 10)
Drowning in some of the most powerful techno hardcore beats and
sounds, as well as fusing together sinister screams of rage and
momentous walls of noise comes New York's Disciples of Annihilation
(D.O.A) delivering the goods. No question about it, this stuff is
heavy. Laced in serious hardcore techno and gabber (200+ beats per
minute), DOA storm through powerful concoction after powerful
concoction of sound styles as well as bringing into play samples,
industrial metal qualities and noise. Lots of noise. While the music
on _NYCS_ rotates in sound and style, there is no question that every
song is delivered with full-force and intensity. Numbers that'll
knock you silly include: "Total Annihilation", "Extreme Gansta",
"You're Dead", and the title track. I recomend this release for
anyone that craves noise/industrial/extreme music bands.
Fear Disorder - _In a Rage_ (Independent, November 1996)
by: Adrian Bromley (7 out of 10)
Local Toronto act Fear Disorder have been through the ringer too many
times to count (name changes/band members/demo tapes/etc) but at last
the band has finally been able to capture a sound and groove that is
very hard-hitting. While the music on _In a Rage_ may not be the most
earthshaking material we have heard in the last little while (with
regards to might and intensity), what Fear Disorder has managed to do
is gather together all their know-how as a hard metal outfit and
bring that out into their music. _IaR_ is overflowing with strong
riffs, monster-growls and non-stop blasts of heaviness. The music - a
combination of thrash metal (Overkill or Testament) and well-focused
metallic grooves (Voivod) - allows the four-piece to maneuver through
memorable numbers like the title track, "Hole in Your Head" and "God
Kills (And So Shall I)" with the greatest of ease. A strong debut CD
by a band that has finally mastered and perfected where they should
be in the metal music realm. Let's hope people catch on now.
From the Depths - _From the Depths_ (Dismal Records, 1996)
by: Steve Hoeltzel (7 out of 10)
Not to be confused with the Italian black metal band of the same
name, these guys hail from Cleveland, and their self-titled CD is a
cool release that mixes black metal's appreciation for atmosphere
with the styles of sonic brutality usually associated with the death
and death/grind scenes. The band alternates freely and rapidly
between the riffing and vocal styles of black and death metal, while
the percussion is generally played and recorded in more of a
death/grind style. Keyboards are brought in occasionally, and at the
right times, adding creepy vibes without dominating the sound. The
lyrics are also worth mentioning: they're entertaining little horror
stories which are actually driven by plot, as opposed to the inane
repetition of gore cliches, or the now-standard confused and garbled
attempts to mix christian satanism with old pagan religions. The
songs themselves contain lots of instantly memorable sections,
especially "It Lurks", the raging title track, and "Curse of the
Scarecrow". (The latter song gets two thumbs up - way up! - for
actually mentioning my mighty home state of Iowa by name. Put that in
your pipe and smoke it, Norse and Swedish hordes.) Why, then, haven't
I rated the CD a bit higher? Well, for one, I think the songs are
overly dominated by the lyrics. This band can definitely smoke, but
most of the time, by far, they're just providing the vocalist with a
riff to sing (or narrate) over. Longer, more involved instrumental
passages between vocal parts would really add impact to the
compositions, I think. So would more and louder guitar in the mix.
Regardless, this is likable and fairly unique.
Funeral - _Tragedies_ (Arctic Serenades, 1996)
by: Pedro Azevedo (6 out of 10)
Hmm. Give or take 3 points to that score, depending on whether you
think you'll like the slowest album I've ever heard or not. This
really is a test as to how much one really likes extreme doom. I
mean, this is the most extreme doom album I ever heard. In fact, it's
so extreme it suffers from it. This is the debut album for this
Norwegian band which features extremely slow (believe me, extremely
slow) doom/death. They have a female singer, Torill Snyen, who's able
to deliver some damn good femme vox. She left the band after this
recording, though. Her vocals alternate with a powerful death
grunter, causing an interesting effect. The problem with Funeral is
that they wanted so much to make a slow album that they overdid it.
The album's just too slow, some of the melodies are even ruined
because of that. I personally find some pretty interesting parts on
this 5-track, 60-minute album (not that long songs are a bad thing,
on the contrary), but it's too slow and monotonous for me. They're
promising a lot for their next album, though. It's been recorded in
Academy Studios (used by bands such as My Dying Bride, Anathema,
Cradle of Filth and Paradise Lost) this year and produced by the
well-known Mags. They're now going to record the female vocals, since
they only found a new female vocalist recently. The album's supposed
to be a lot better and not as slow as before. Let's see if they can
deliver all they're promising.
Gehennah - _King of the Sidewalk_ (Osmose Prod., November 1996)
by: Steve Hoeltzel (6 out of 10)
Look out, rock and roll children, because the "gods of mean and dirty
street metal" have returned, and if their bio is a reliable document,
then you can bet that Mr. Violence and friends are rocking out and
getting stinking drunk even as you read these words. Worry not,
though: your reviewer is perfectly sober at the moment. See, although
I briefly considered the idea of trying to find out just how much
sauce it would take to make me really enjoy this band, I quickly
decided that this approach would probably land me in the hospital. In
other words, I just can't get into Gehennah's brand of
Motorhead-inspired, low-concept, early eighties style schlock. Of
course, their schlockiness is intentional, as likably silly titles
like "Bitch With a Bullet Belt" and "Bang Your Heads for Satan"
demonstrate. But all this humor doesn't make the songs any more
engaging on a musical level, and frankly, I just get bored by these
repetitive exercises in simple, rocking riffing, propulsive bass
lines, gruff singing, and slap-happy tempos. If you're really into
the basic Motorhead style, you'll probably enjoy Gehennah, and if
cornball metalhead humor is your thing, then you'll find this release
to be a potent sonic brew indeed. But if, like me, you prefer the
more extreme styles that have been distilled in recent years, then
steer clear of this outdated swill and stick to the real hard stuff.
Grip Inc. - _Nemesis_ (SPV, January 1997)
by: Adrian Bromley (7 out of 10)
Okay... so now ex-Slayer drummer Dave Lombardo's new band Grip Inc.
has been given enough time to work out the kinks and problems that
may have surfaced when the band's debut _The Power of Inner Strength_
was released. Time to deal with good/bad press and enough time to
tour and show people that this Lombardo project was not a "security
blanket" after leaving (was booted from?) Slayer. The band's debut
album _TPoIS_ was an assortment of heavy drumming, powerful riffs,
technical guitar playing (provided by producer/guitar wizard Waldemar
Sorychta) and screams of anger delivered by singer Gus Chambers.
Round two. The sophomore release _Nemesis_ continues on where the
band (now a three-piece) left off, drenched in intensity and hard-ass
momentum, as well as some technical know-how. I'm actually quite
impressed with the band's "new" sound which features keyboards and
Chamber's vocals being a bit more versatile. The music has developed
more of a groove now and even though Chambers still screams his head
off, there seems to be a definite feel and creativity within the
material that showcases both thrash and speed metal qualities. For
those that thought Lombardo and Co. were going to fuck up with album
number two - you're wrong. _Nemesis_ is worth a listen and should be
enough to keep metal fans interested in the band till album number
three comes out.
Heavenwood - _Diva_ (Massacre Records, 1996)
by: Pedro Azevedo (8 out of 10)
Heavenwood are currently my favourite Portuguese band. No matter how
great Moonspell's _Wolfheart_ was, _Irreligious_ disappointed me, and
_Diva_, Heavenwood's debut, seems clearly better. You can read more
about this band from my home city of Porto in my concert review (see
CoC #16). About the album itself, it mixes some doom with death vox
and lots of Crematory-like keys. They produce a very melodic sound,
keeping a powerful edge to their music. They do show some clear
influences. Track 1 reminds me of Paradise Lost, track 4 is
influenced by My Dying Bride, and there are even some (crap) Sisters
of Mercy influences in one of the later tracks. As far as I'm
concerned, and although tracks 1, 3, and 4 are also great, the three
demo tape tracks that were included are still the best: "Judith
Heavenwood", "Frithioff's Saga", and "Emotional Wound". Brilliant
melodies all the time. It's a bit of a shame about some softer,
goth-like parts in a couple of the newer songs that put down this
score to an 8. If they had entirely kept up with their demo tape
songs' level, they would surely get a 9. A great album and one
everyone should at least try.
Jaww - _Southbound_ (Independent, January 1997)
by: Adrian Bromley (8 out of 10)
Helping fuel the intensity and harshness that Toronto's music scene
is lacking (besides bands like Tchort or Solus) comes Jaww, an
intense four-piece who's music style - similar to Cannibal Corpse
meets Obituary (a bit more thrash metal based and noticeably more
coherent) - seems to take on quite a powerful momentum on their debut
album, _Southbound_. Produced by one of my favorite local Toronto
producers, Rob Sanzo (Mundane, Tchort, Poledo), the 10-track release
heaves at us powerful and brutally charged numbers like "Trampled
Under Foot", "Free from Disease", and the cool-grooved grind of title
track, "Southbound". Having only been around since 1995 and only
having released a 4-song demo tape, _Demonstration_ (a time where
they used a drum machine), I am quite impressed with the depth and
work Jaww members put into the songwriting and song structures.
Having Sanzo on board in the studio helped strengthen the sound, too.
Metal bands like Jaww seem to be popping up all of a sudden and I'm
beginning to have some hope that Toronto may be able to market a
"metal scene" once again.
Contact: Jaww, c/o Doug McLarty
1756 Queen St. West, Box 30
Toronto, Ontario, M6R-1A6, Canada
mailto:jaww@gadzook.lglobal.com
Korpse - _Revirgin_ (Candlelight Records, 1996)
by: Alain M. Gaudrault (9 out of 10)
Had I managed to get my hands on a copy of this album while I was
investigating the metal scene in Scotland, I'd have claimed, as I do
now, that Korpse is easily the most impressive band the country
currently has to offer. Their quirky approach blends trippy, groovy
elements into a hybrid of death metal and Motorhead-driven speed
rock, without sounding like a derivative of any of their influences.
This impressive three-piece have managed to successfully blend this
concoction into an album capable of convincing your lead foot to take
over on an open highway, while lending itself beautifully to bouts of
complete THC-induced inertia, and all despite hailing from
metal-deprived Aberdeen! The vocals, a subdued airy death growl, at
1st don't seem to fit particularly well with the music's speed rock
tendencies, but after familiarizing oneself with the songs, the
band's sonic vision becomes increasingly clear and highly addictive.
Lyrically, I don't know what to make of Fluff's (bass and vocals,
rounded out by Taff on drums, and Sid on guitar and flute) mental
scratchings. From the off-the-wall song titles ("Octochoosy", "Milk
and Two Salts", "To Be Continued...?", "Vitamin F", "International
1001", etc) to the oft-broken English of the lyrics themselves,
Korpse isn't about espousing deep, conceptual ideology, but pure
musical feeling, delivered expertly and unendingly throughout all
eleven tracks. Candlelight should lay off Opeth for awhile and
concentrate on promotion for this trio, who could easily gain
sizeable appeal if allowed to reach the metal masses.
Life Garden - _Ahitanaman_ (Agni Music, 1996)
by: Andrew Lewandowski (7 out of 10)
One major factor differentiates Life Garden from the majority of
their ambient contemporaries: a reliance on organic instrumentation.
Thus, _Ahitanaman_ contains no random metallic pounding, no
disorienting high frequencies, and no lengthy periods of space devoid
of anything except sparse bass droning. Disregarding the virtues of
electronics generally lends itself to one major dilemma: how does one
occupy the void? While some form of "action" constantly occurs
throughout the album, Life Garden prefer to keep their music simple.
Tribal percussion creates a mesmerizing foundation, one which rarely
gets built upon. A myriad of instruments occasionally resonate
throughout the alternate dimension manifested within the stereo of
each listener. They produce a hallucinatory effect, chaotically
exploding into the forefront one second, before dissipating a second
later. Once combined with the chants of Su Ling, this transcends into
a truly disturbing listening experience. Her voice is that of a
schizophrenic; it contains whimsy counterbalanced by indescribable
sorrow, an operatic cry juxtaposed by primal shrieks. A correlating
set of contradictions surround this album: an underlying aura of
aggression almost seeps throughout, yet it remains sparse, maybe too
much so; this sparseness lends one to pigeonhole it as "meditative,"
yet the music is far too manic to transport a listener into any one
desired mood.
Lord Belial - _Enter the Moonlight Gate_ (No Fashion, Spring 1997)
by: Drew Schinzel (9 out of 10)
Lord Belial's debut album, _Kiss the Goat_, was received with mixed
reviews by most; signs of brilliance occasionally shone through, but
on the whole the majority of people considered it an average release,
nothing spectacular. However, this time around it is a different
story. Crushing melodic Swedish black metal. Those four words just
about sum up Lord Belial's latest offering, _Enter the Moonlight
Gate_. After you begin to hear the fast riffing which opens the
album, you know you're in for a treat, and the remainder of the album
definitely does not disappoint. Taking the main elements of the
genre: acoustic interludes followed by buildup in energy, cleanly
played melodies, and skilled musicians, Lord Belial has put together
a release which should satisfy any fan of Dissection, Mork Gryning,
and others of their ilk. That's not to say that this album is
completely derivative, it does have some of its own original (or at
least original to the genre) facets: some heavy riffing, outrageous
and particularly Bethlehem-like vocals in one section, and a flute
(also used on _KtG_). A flute? Don't worry, it's not used much, and
when it -is- used, it's perfectly mixed in with the music and truly
great. Also present in one song are very moderately used female
vocals, but again, they are sparse (only in the closing moments, in
this case) and well done. Of course, what would any black metal album
be without cliched lyrics and song titles? Both are here, but neither
matter very much. Let's review: Lord Belial, _Enter the Moonlight
Gate_, awesome melodic black metal, highly recommended.
My Dying Bride - _Like Gods of the Sun_ (Peaceville, 1996)
by: Pedro Azevedo (10 out of 10)
My Dying Bride are currently my favourite band in the world. I'd rate
any of their four full-length albums 10/10. They're just
unbelievable. They keep changing every year, but are still always
great. Aaron's voice is still 100% clean, as in _The Angel and the
Dark River_, so it seems like the grunting is over. After going
lighter album after album, MDB inverted that by releasing an album
that, while still being a doom album, like they said, rocks. _LGotS_
has much more of a metal feel to it than before. They maintain (or
even increase) their brilliant use of violins and keyboards, adding
much to the music. Aaron keeps his voice excellent, moody, deeply
felt, almost weeping at times. The guitars are now much crunchier,
heavier than before, and the drumming is nothing short of excellent.
The production is near perfect. The tracks are mostly shorter than
before, less epic, but the musical quality's all there. Tracks such
as "A Kiss to Remember", "All Swept Away" or "For My Fallen Angel"
are just excellent. All of the album's excellent, in fact. There's
not one bad moment. My Dying Bride once again show their excellence,
proving to be, in my opinion, the best band on the face of the Earth.
Molested - _Stormvold_ (Repulse Records, September 1996)
by: Adam Wasylyk (7 out of 10)
From the hellish, foggy, corpse-painted depths of Norway come...... a
death metal band!!??!! Touting themselves as "one of the most brutal
and twisted death metal bands ever to hail from Norway," a good word
to describe Molested in my opinion is "chaotic." The production on
_Stormvold_ sounds loud and noisy, most likely done by the band on
purpose to sound more brutal. Lots of blazing guitars and drums with
deep death metal vocals. Starting off with the eerie riffing on "The
Usurpers Winterblood", they go on with tracks like "Fogflames" and
"Following the Growls". Fans of brutal death metal will like this
MCD, but the production does take some getting used to.
Monstrosity - _Millennium_ (Conquest Music, December 1996)
by: Adam Wasylyk (7 out of 10)
Tampa's Monstrosity have finally released their long awaited
follow-up to _Imperial Doom_. _Millennium_ contains 10 tracks of
well-played technical death metal, produced by death metal producer
guru Scott Burns, which accounts for the good production. Songs like
"Fatal Millennium", "Devious Instinct", "Fragments of Resolution",
and "Mirrors of Reason" are good examples of how technical, fast, and
heavy Monstrosity can get. This record also features the vox of
George "Corpsegrinder" Fisher who is now in Cannibal Corpse. One
listen to _Millennium_ will convince you that "Corpsegrinder" made a
horrible mistake by leaving one of Florida's better death metal bands.
[Personally, I'd give it a 9/10, this rules - Alain]
Contact: Monstrosity, c/o Conquest Music
4195 South Tamiami Trail #190, Venice, FL, 34293, USA
mailto:conqmusinc@aol.com
Morgion - _Among Majestic Ruin_ (Relapse, December 1996)
by: Drew Schinzel (9 out of 10)
To those who didn't know (including myself before listening to this),
Morgion plays strongly death metal-influenced doom. Guttural vocals
and uptempoed sections occasionally come into play during the epic
compositions, but for the most part, this is a fine doom metal
offering, combining extremely heavy riffing at times with slow,
majestic, keyboard-laden atmospheric flourishes. Morgion weave out
five anguished offerings on this lengthy MCD, every one of them an
amazement in itself, each one sorrowfully adept at proving that
Morgion are an awesome band and deserve more recognition than they
currently garner (maybe Relapse should stop promoting Amorphis and
Neurosis so much?). Even though every song is fantastic, I actually
almost gave this album an 8.5, but the third song is just so
completely awe-inspiring that anything other than a 9 would be a
"Travesty". Some might consider this review a bit too short... but
when you're talking about _Among Majestic Ruin_, there's no need to
mince words: you owe it to youself to get it immediately.
Mortician - _Hacked Up for Barbecue_ (Relapse, January 1997)
by: Adrian Bromley (6 out of 10)
I have never been a fan of Mortician and I still continue to feel the
same way about the band and the music the duo Will Rahmer
(bass/vocals) and Roger Beaujard (guitar/drum programming) create.
Sort of. While I was not a fan of 1996's _House by the Cemetary_,
there is something intriguing and kind of interesting about the
twenty-four songs and numerous samples used on their sophomore album,
_Hacked Up For Barbecue_, especially the FUCKIN' CREEPY intro sample
of "Bloodcraving". Rahmer is a horror/slasher film aficionado and
that love of demented tales and visions when coupled with savage
riffs, deep guttural vocals and low-tuned bursts of intensity make
the music powerful and crafty. Songs to crank loud: title track, "Fog
of Death", and "Necrocannibal". The only downside to this album, as
with most Mortician records, is that the album radiates a very
similar sound and style throughout. It's fast and it's utterly
disgusting at times. A sick nightmare brought to reality is what
_HUfB_ seems to have shaped itself into. Brilliantly executed, yet
sickly demented.
Murder Corporation - _Blood Revolution 2050_
by: Adrian Bromley (8 out of 10) (Repulse Records, November 1996)
Five songs only on this here EP, but five songs of sheer powerful
death metal. Made up of ex-members of death metal outfits Deranged
and Mega-Slaughter, the latest band to surface from Sweden is worthy
of a listen. Supported by complex and quick-riffed guitar solos,
harsh growls and pure intensity, Murder Corporation plow through the
five songs like a runaway freight train. Loud and dominant vocalist
Jens Johansson leads the way with some heavy growls that'll make
anyone uneasy at least once while hearing this album. All the songs
on _BR2050_ are great, especially the violently power-packed crunch
of "Point Blank Range". With just enough material to cover a bit more
than sixteen minutes, Murder Corporation's debut will make anyone
into them wait around for a second release. I'm willing to wait.
My Only Victim - _No Voice, No Rights, No Freedom_
by: Adrian Bromley (5 out of 10) (Century Media, January 1997)
Much like the other forms of hardcore/metal material surfacing from
Century Media (i.e. Stuck Mojo, Turmoil, and Hostility), Louisville,
Kentucky quintet My Only Victim mix and match music styles, melding
together both hardcore and metal music. The five-piece band released
their well-received debut album (_Burning Inside_) in 1995 and now
two years later, after many touring dates in the US and in Europe,
the band returns in 1997 with their sophomore record _No Voice, No
Rights, No Freedom_. _NVNRNF_ is a full-throttle stomp of harshness
and energetic and mayhem that scatters throughout eleven songs but as
I hear this record more and more I am lost by the somewhat stale
(boring? repetitive?) hardcore sounds the band has keyed in on with
the record. The record is raw sounding and supplies ample amounts of
ferociousness and raw power ("Unjustified," "Walls Apart", and
"Cornered".) but there seems to be something lacking. Not to say the
band lacks any form or originality or creativity, I just feel that
_NRNVNF_ doesn't quite deliver up to the momentum and adrenaline rush
that bands like Turmoil or Stuck Mojo do with their crossover
techniques. Just my point of view as I see this effort lacking
something.
Necromass - _Abyss Calls Life_ (Dracma Records, 1996)
by: Andrew Lewandowski (7 out of 10)
Talent is required to intertwine unconventional elements into an
extreme metal context, a talent which alludes many contemporary
practitioners of "avant garde" metal. Many of the black and death
metal scene's supposedly creative acts are simply unable to balance
originality and extremity; bands either become muddled in their
impotent attempts at technical superiority, or create a mask of
varied instrumentation to obscure utterly simplistic song structures.
All emotional content appears overly prefabricated as the music
screams "pretentious" instead of "poetic." For the most part,
Necromass' hybrid of death and doom metal side steps this black
abyss. Although, some sections do not work; the choral passages are
far more irksome than ethereal, and the meandering guitar solos (the
second track, "Vibrations of Burning Splendor", contains one that
lasts for a minute) are too obtrusive. Some tracks, especially the
grand finale "Before to Obsess," sound a bit overblown. Worst of all,
the Necromass vocalist calls himself Charles Blasphemy (on a less
superficial level, he possesses a nice, guttural roar) and their
rhythm guitarist goes by the name of Nachzerehrmara. When will these
bands realize that every name used after "Dead" and "Euronymous" can
only be superfluous? Back to the music: the riffing patterns are
dynamic although still somewhat repetitive, yet from this repetition
arises an effective tone of melancholy. The songs slash their way
into one's skin before settling somewhere in the most sullen depths
of the soul. The somber images evoked are fairly reminiscent of those
created by Katatonia; in fact, the music bears a close resemblance to
a more lively version of Katatonia. The addition of acoustic guitars
are more effective within the context of a Necromass track than in
many of their peers, and the surprisingly violent drumming (a remnant
from their less sedate debut on Unisound) is a reminder that this is
still a death metal band. Although Necromass fall victim to some of
the usual problems, _Abyss Calls Life_ showcases creativity without
neglecting to create interesting songs.
Nightstick - _Blotter_ (Relapse Records, January 1997)
by: Adrian Bromley (7 out of 10)
Let me give you some insight on Nightstick and then you decide if you
want to listen to it: Acid. Feedback. Padoinka the clown serving as
member and as stage prop. Heavy riffs. Ex-con serving as a member.
Samples. Distorted vocals. Answering machine message sampled.
Psychedelic music. Intense screams. Cool song titles ("Fellating the
Dying Christ"). Massachusetts natives. Relapse act. They know Anal
Cunt. Cool quote in bio ("I wanted to find new ways to be heavy...").
Decided yet? Well all that has to be said about this band is that
this is one fucked-up bunch of musicians, coming together to create
noise... er... music. It's a great job isn't it? Have fun and drop a
blotter. :)
Puissance - _Let Us Lead_ (Cold Meat Industries, Fall 1996)
by: Adrian Bromley (7 out of 10)
Acting as the soundtrack to the awful atrocities of a war and human
suffering, Puissance's _Let Us Lead_ is a true testimonial of the
frightening world that we live in and the reality that many of us
must face on a daily basis. War and suffering are the main focus of
_LUL_. Surfacing on the ultra-cool label Cold Meat Industries,
Puissance's album is not something that many metal fans might pick up
on as it serves more as a tool of understanding rather than a fixed
voice and outlet of aggressive and angry music/lyrics. To best
describe the music I would classify it as noise/industrial/classic.
More symphonic and eerie sounding opposed to brash and lethal
injections of riffs and growls, _LUL_ follows a pattern of intensity
through mood swings and emotions. My only complaint with _LUL_ is
that the album strays too far away from a focused view/direction of
music and as well sometimes the long songs seem to lose the listener.
Not much to complain about and overall a great listen for those that
are into epic song structures and classical music.
Revelation - _Frozen Masque_ (Independent, January 1997)
by: Drew Schinzel (8 out of 10)
Back with their fifth release in six years, Revelation take a turn
towards the heavier, more condensed side and leave behind the
plodding, lengthy compositions of 1994's _...Yet So Far_ album.
Picking up on what hurt _YSF_, Revelation remain definitively in the
slow doomy genre, but this time the production helps things quite a
bit and the songs are noticeably more aggressive and heavy, while
remaining melodic. Perhaps the only thing that can be held against
this release is that the melodies and riffs could maybe be developed
a bit more - they often just kind of hang around, without being fully
taken advantage of. That said, however, there is plenty to be happy
about with _Frozen Masque_. As mentioned, heaviness abounds, and the
guitars have a solid "in your face" feel; in addition, the clean
vocals are well-performed and fit this sort of music perfectly. It
would be difficult to adequately follow-up the terrific _...Yet So
Far_, but Revelation have done so, admirably.
Sentenced - _Down_ (Century Media, January 1997)
by: Adrian Bromley (8 out of 10)
Managing to shapeshift its sound and direction over the last few
releases (_North From Here_ in 1993 and 1994's _Amok_) Finnish
metallers Sentenced return to the new year with their exceptional and
stunning release, _Down_. Much different than past incarnations of
their extreme and black style metal music, _Down_ signifies the
changing of the band - in sound and members. Gone is longtime singer
Taneli Jarva and in comes new singer Vile Laihaila, an addition to
the band that helps produce some memorable song arrangements and
allows a comforting yet powerful onslaught of vocal styles. Lost to
some extent is the rather harsh elements of the bands music (i.e.
hard riffs, growls) and in return comes a rather smooth array of rock
n' roll infested material. The technical and dark elements of the
band are still present, which allows us still to be intrigued by the
way the band assembles their music and the way it has been worked on
in the studio. While much different than the material the band
brought forth on their debut album (_Shadows of the Past_), I can
honestly say that I was not at all disappointed with Sentenced's
latest effort. It grows on you. Standouts: "Keep My Grave Open", "Ode
to the End", and "Crumbling Down (Give Up Hope)".
Slightly Miffed - _Puzzled?_ (Slightly Fishy Records, January 1997)
by: Adrian Bromley (6 out of 10)
Once you get past the brilliant, funny, and time consuming packaging
of England's Slightly Miffed debut CD _Puzzled?_ (not to mention
their amazing website, http://www.miffed.com/) the music is quite
funny and enjoyable as well. Slapstick humor, funny samples, and odd
arrangements make up this debut album by the energetic four-piece.
The music of the band can be best described as "Monty Python meets
metal." Case in point, song titles like "Bingo", "Cheesefish", and
"User Friendly". I know some of you are shaking your heads, but this
is rather entertaining and interesting. While the band is talented
enough to arrange and create the metallic riffs and other material,
it is the jokes and humor that keeps this baby afloat. Original and
funny, British metal just sat on a "Whoopie Cushion." Fourteen songs
that'll make you laugh and bang your head at the same time. Weird but
enjoyable.
Soma - _The Inner Cinema_ (Extreme Records, November 1996)
by: Adrian Bromley (9 out of 10)
I would give this record a ten, but then that would require everyone
to drop what they are doing and go out and buy it. This is one of the
best ambient/noise/extreme records I have ever heard. Before
purchasing this record at a used CD store, I had never heard of the
band. Now I want all their material. Floating with mind-altering
sounds and visions, Soma's material takes on a life of its own as it
slowly picks up momentum and grabs hold of the listener with numbers
like "Stygian Vista", "Baal", "Rise from Agartha", and "Endless". We
are whisked away into an imaginative piece of space and time that has
Soma's material being the theme music. Flavored with keyboards, jazz,
industrial, and multiple noise effects, Soma's _TIC_ cuts and pastes
onto a blackboard for us the making of an acid dropper's awesome trip
- even possibly envisioning a good high. This is mind music. To sum
this album up into one description: a pleasantly sedate voyage into
one's mind. Awesome.
Strapping Young Lad - _City_ (Century Media, January 1997)
by: Adrian Bromley (9 out of 10)
The follow-up to 1995's _Heavy as a Real Heavy Thing_, entitled
_City_, is one "ball-busting-rip-roarin'-intensified-muthafucker" of
a ride. Unlike the grinding groove bestowed on _HaaRHT_, _City_'s
material is ten-fold heavier and ten-fold more sinister. Lashing out
at break-neck speed and coated with some of the coolest rushes of
momentum and anger I have heard in some time, _City_ never rests.
>From opener "Velvet Kevorkian" onto "Oh My Fucking God" and "Home
Nucleonics", singer/producer/mastermind Devin Townsend leads a
fantastic charge of creativity. While _HaaRHT_ was the stepping stone
for Townsend to break away from previous work with Steve Vai, The
Wildhearts, and g//z/r, and be more creative and intense vocally and
material-wise, this album sets the direction where Townsend obviously
feels comfortable and where he should be. This is a very extreme
sounding record with innovative ideas and sounds, as well being able
to combine elements of Frontline Assembly, Ministry and a slew of
technical ideas. Living it loud and proud, Townsend takes SYL one
step further into the mind of a madman. At 39:40 minutes (nine
songs), it's short, but enough for one sitting. Trust me.
Tchort & The Family Mantis - _Nightside of Eden_
by: Adrian Bromley (9 out of 10) (Independent, October 1996)
I may be going out on a limb by saying this, I may be right or I may
be wrong, hell even Gino may agree with me - who knows? But the fact
of the matter is that Toronto doom metal act Tchort & the Family
Mantis' debut CD, _Nightside of Eden_, may just be the record that
England's Cathedral should have made this year. Anyone hate me yet?
[Cathedral sucks, Tchort rules - Alain] While I may be a big
Cathedral fan, and I love the new record _Supernatural Birth
Machine_, I find that the new sound of Cathedral lacks the stomp and
forceful grind that earlier releases like _The Ethereal Mirror_ or EP
_Cosmic Requiem_ had. Listen to the monstrous Black Sabbath/Cathedral
riffs of opener "Tantric Dream Fish" and you are already in heaven.
Thick, rough exteriored and downright abrasive, the 10-song album
(made up of six new songs and four from their 1995 demo _Ace of
Shrooms_) sounds amazing due to many key ingredients: 1)
singer/guitarist Eric Coucke's raspy snarls, 2) guitarist Les
Godfrey's killer riffs and 3) producer Rob Sanzo's (Mundane/Solus)
help. _NoE_ is not only a strong-riffed concoction of songs, but also
a psychedelic ride of sorts into the world of Tchort, a world that
believes deeply in one's imagination taking control. Get fried with
"Fly Agaric", "Godeater"or the cool "Wonderland War March", or
subdued by the rather potent "Satan Love Boogie". Either stoned or
sober (the first choice more likely to gain odder results), there is
no doubt in my mind that Tchort's _NoE_ is one of the brightest debut
albums I have heard in a while. Get down and dirty with Tchort -
you'll love it.
Theatre of Tragedy - _Velvet Darkness They Fear_
by: Pedro Azevedo (9 out of 10) (Massacre Records, 1996)
I expected a lot from Theatre of Tragedy after their self-titled
debut, and they didn't disappoint me. This Norwegian 7-piece melodic,
classical-influenced doom band still features the best female singer
in the world, Liv Kristine Espenaes, which is a guarantee of
excellence. Raymond's grunts are as good as ever, and he now uses
clean voice once in a while. The melodies are as excellent as before,
with Raymond's grunts, together with some well-placed powerful guitar
parts, assure the powerful edge we all like to complement the
melodies. Therefore, they haven't changed much since their debut, as
they have kept all their main characteristics. This album represents
a slight improvement over their excellent debut, at least in what
concerns some aspects of production. I can't decide whether I like
this one better than their debut or not. Maybe the debut's melodies
were just a tiny little bit better sometimes, maybe this one has a
slightly better planning involved. two great albums, that's all.
Perhaps the only reason why they're not getting a 10 score is because
they haven't shown nearly any improvement over their debut. The
vocals are still the most remarkable part of the music, but it's due
to their combination with the excellent classically-influenced
instruments and the very good melodies. This is just one of those
bands where everything seems to fit right in, nothing seems out of
place, not even the excellent, beautiful digi-pak, possibly the best
digi-pak I have ever seen. One of the top five albums of the year, no
doubt. Excellent.
Throne of Ahaz - _On Twilight Enthroned_
by: Drew Schinzel (6 out of 10) (No Fashion, December 1997)
Don't buy the latest Throne of Ahaz album looking for surprises,
because you won't find any. The material found within _On Twilight
Enthroned_ has been done by other bands a thousand times before, and
perhaps better. That said, _OTE_ isn't exactly a bad album, it's got
its own high points (and its share of low points), and is overall
fairly enjoyable, but nothing groundbreaking nor terribly
interesting. This is aggressive black metal (but what black metal
-isn't- aggressive, for that matter...), but not overtly melodic like
most other bands on No Fashion. One of the main things that hurt this
album is probably the production. High on the bass drum (just try and
pick out the snare during the fast parts), and low on guitar, the
production does nothing for this release. Still on the production
theme, the vocals have a slight echo/reverb effect added to them, and
have some kind of strange sound to them, like they were overly
engineered/produced (of course this may or may not be the case). The
melodies set forth by Throne of Ahaz are all pretty basic, nothing
complex or mind-boggling, but even with the knowledge in mind that
they weren't supposed to be complex, they aren't much to listen to.
In addition, maybe as a by-product of their simplistic approach, ToA
have somewhat of an "old school" feel at times; nothing as obvious
as, say, Deathwitch, but evident nonetheless. I hate to end this by
calling _On Twilight Enthroned_ generic, but it's difficult to avoid.
Vader - _De Profundis_ (Conquest Music/System Shock, 1996)
by: Alain M. Gaudrault (10 out of 10)
Conquest has once more done justice to a high quality death act by
domestically releasing Vader's (the first Eastern-bloc metal band
ever to be signed to a Western label, according to the press release)
follow-up full length to 1992's well-received _The Ultimate
Incantation_. Although officially released in 1995, North American
distribution has been problematic for the band since being dropped
from their original label, Earache (Fools! Dig, stop following sonic
trends and start giving metal the attention it deserves once more.)
The Polish quartet has recorded a mesmerizing album, still highly
influenced by Morbid Angel, although more focused and less
experimental than MA, borrowing early Slayer ideas, and producing a
distinct sound that often evokes greater aural impact than their
American counterparts. While not as chaotic nor as intent on speed as
the debut, _De Profundis_ manages to improve on their twin guitar
approach, displaying more inventive and harmonically complex
passages, delivered with precision and conviction. If you liked the
actual songs on the _Sothis_ EP (minus the Black Sabbath cover), I'm
convinced you'll be listening to _DP_ for some time after purchase.
Most instruments are played impeccably, with bass being too low in
the mix to tell either way. The band's production is top notch,
giving them a very full, thick sound, mixing the vocals in at just
the right level to render them more of an instrument on par with the
others, while still permitting them to be distinguishable. Slightly
reminiscent of Nicke Andersson's _Clandestine_ work, Piotr Wiwczarek
(who also plays guitar and writes all the music) does enough damage
with his throat without being entirely incomprehensible, and avoids
becoming disjoint from the music, meshing perfectly with it and
accentuating the highs and lows of the pieces as they flow along. The
low point of the album is easily the closing cover of Depeche Mode's
"I Feel You", a bonus track not appearing on the European release.
After fourty minutes of blistering, bone-chilling death, this
lightweight track sounds entirely out of place and far too
mainstream, even with Vader's attempts to beef up the song.
Personally, I don't consider this track to be a part of the original
album (I've had a copy of the European pressing long before receiving
the domestic promo), which is why I'm not letting it affect my
perfect rating.
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/ \/ / _ \ \ /\ / / / \/ / _ \| / __|/ _ \
/ /\ / __/\ V V / / /\ / (_) | \__ \ __/
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Your best source of information on the newest of the new, and the
deepest of the underground, New Noise is the place to read about all
the coolest shit you never thought existed! And if you have a band,
don't forget to send us your demo with a bio if you want to be
reviewed; our address is included in the zine's header.
Scoring: ***** -- I see a record deal in the future
**** -- Great piece of work
*** -- Good effort
** -- A major overhaul is in order
* -- A career change is advisable
Abel & Cain - _Hands Off Cain_ (4-track demo)
by: Brian Meloon (***--)
Abel & Cain hail from Catania, Italy, and play a progressive metal
style that isn't exactly unique, but isn't a direct copy of any band.
In their style, I can hear traces of many different bands, such as
Iron Maiden (middle-era), Leviathan, and fellow Italians Black Jester
(especially in "Lights in the Dark"), as well as many others, most of
whom don't come to mind off the top of my head. The fact that each of
the songs on the demo are different from each other (due partly to
the fact that three of the songs were written by three different band
members) adds to this plethora of similarities, and makes this demo
more diverse. In general, their ideas are good and their compositions
are involved, yet have reasonably good song flow; but a few of the
transitions sound forced, and some of the riffs are so dated that
they sound out of place. In addition, the production is a little
faded, which adds to the dated feel. The playing is generally good,
but they aren't as tight as they could be. The guitar solos are my
biggest complaint, as they aren't very interesting, and generally
sound thin and cheap. My favorite parts are the clean (almost jazzy)
sections, such as the one which saves "Holywar". Judging from the
growth demonstrated from the earlier songs on the tape to the later
ones, these guys appear to be on the right path, but just need a
little time.
Contact: Abel & Cain, c/o Davide Arico
Via V. Brancati 38, 95030 Gravina di Catania, Sicilia, ITALIA
mailto:davidea@lineup.it
Ember - _Within the Realm of the Snowqueen_ (3-track demo)
by: Steve Hoeltzel (*****)
No lie: these guys have packed more pure, grim power into this
nine-minute, three-track demo than many better-known bands can manage
to put on a full length CD. Hailing from Illinois, Ember play
no-frills, mean black metal, and their style of delivery is so
impressively ferocious that their music comes across with real
blistering intensity. Mourngrym's guitar tone is thick, loud, and
distorted, much heavier than the standard black metal string sound.
And the vocals! Peter's vox are in the upper mid-range, transforming
the typical black metal rasping into an agonized yell that just
seethes with rage. The band has a totally solid, dynamic rhythm
section, too. (Bassist Allen and drummer Abbas have since taken over
for Chris and James, who perform on this recording.) The songs -
"Dance of the Ancients", "Forever Beautiful", and "The Serpent
Fallen" - are brief but action-packed, containing well-timed changes
and numerous cool riffs, some in the die-hard, black metal vein,
others with more of an old school feel. Great stuff. I believe this
demo is becoming fairly scarce, but I'd say it's definitely worth the
effort to track it down if you're interested. The band has been
featured on a couple of compilations since this first started making
the rounds, and apparently they currently have a 7-inch EP in the
works, which I can't wait to hear. Watch for that, and in the
meantime, check out their well-done web site at the URL listed below.
Contact: EMBER, P.O. Box 2177, Darien, IL, 60561, USA
mailto:pmlot@orion.it.luc.edu
http://www.xnet.com/~odin/ember.html
Hematovore - _Ways of the 8-Footed_ (8-track demo)
by: Adrian Bromley (***--)
Odd. Weird. Choice words to describe the music of all-instrumental
outfit Hematovore. And because of that odd and weird feeling
pulsating from the band's 8-song release, I found it very hard to
actually get into the music. Not to mention the fact that a lot of
the songs are very long-winded and derivative too. Musically, the
band moves from an aggressive guitar riff style (very metallic at
times) onto a more laid-back stance when creating the long song
structures. I hear a lot of old thrash/death metal influences
(Carcass/Death/Overkill) in the material on _Wot8F_ and a lot of
creative ideas are brought into the album, much like how any
progressive metal band would bring intricate guitar solos and
alternate song structures into a recorded piece. Add some samples and
you pretty much got it. While not the best demo I have heard,
Hematovore's release is interesting.
Contact: HEMATOVORE, c/o Inbred Produktions
1022 McKinley Ave., Auburn, AL, 36830, USA
mailto:ratanda@eng.auburn.edu
mailto:uertzjl@mail.auburn.edu
Moozzhead/Family Harsh Noise Experimentation (split demo)
-- _Perversioita Z-Mollissa_ (1-track/7-tracks)
by: Adrian Bromley (****-/***--)
A double dose of demo material (a split demo) here from two very
different solo projects from two opposite parts of the world: FHNE
from California (USA) and Moozzhead from Finland. From Finland comes
the ambient/noise project of Moozzhead, a masterful one-song
performance called "Ad Nauseam" - a song that plays out long
ear-bleeding noise distortions for roughly half an hour. During that
half hour display comes multiple spurts of intensity and passion, as
well as lulls in the noise, and as its ambient/noise moves and
scratches its way, it reaches ear-popping capability. My ears popped
- I swear! Noise enthusiasts be on the lookout. This is intense. Onto
side two and we are faced with multiple styles of sound offered by
FHNE. Notable sound styles used within the seven tracks include death
metal riffs and growls, gothic sounds, ambient and noise creations. I
found it hard to actually get into the groove FHNE provided us with
as some of the songs (maybe the styles?) don't seem to match or gel
together quite well. The noise/ambient stuff manages to sound the
best offered to us, but still there are a few notable picks from the
lot i.e. "Cacophony/Tantrum", "Sickness", and "Shredded Flesh". A
great split demo to check out if you really are looking for obscure
creations in the noise/ambient music genre.
Contact: Moozzhead, c/o Oskari Mertalo
Uusitie 4, 01300 Vantaa, Finland
Family Harsh Noise Experimentation, c/o Bill Sannwald
3538 Paseo Salamoner, La Mesa, California, USA
NDE - _Falling_ (11-track demo)
by: Adam Wasylyk (***--)
Ohio's NDE (which stands for Near Death Experience) on their
self-produced CD play heavily Pantera-influenced metal with heavy
riffs and the occasional thrash beat. Their guitar sound very much
reminded me of Righteous Pigs in terms of their production sound,
while the actual riffing reminded me of Pantera (the opening riff of
"Angry Song" reeks of them!). The vocals of Bob Reinard sound like a
harsher Phil Anselmo, which are accompanied by the rare death growl.
The songs "Stench" and "No Tomorrow" were my favorites while most of
the other tracks sounded too much like someone else other than NDE.
The CD layout is one of the more professional ones I've seen, done as
well as some major labels. Having played with bands like Crisis,
Incantation, Stuck Mojo, and Cannibal Corpse, it shows that the band
have worked on getting their name out to metal fans in their area.
Now it's time that NDE work on writing more original material, as
what is evidenced on "Falling" sounds too close to a thrash metal
version of Pantera.
Contact: NDE, P.O. Box 2297, Streetsboro, OH, 44241, USA
Rotting - _demo_ (6-track demo)
by: Adrian Bromley (****-)
Following up the band's well-received first demo _Drown in Rotting
Flesh_ (1995), Newmarket, Ontario death metallers Rotting return with
one hell of a wallop. Packaged tightly into this six-song demo is an
abrasive and collective force of metallic mayhem. Spewed forth upon
us by opener "Sexually Tortured", the band's latest release edges
more towards a brutal take on death metal than their last offering.
Singer Korey Arnold's vocals have become more strengthened over time
and the riffs and pummeling rhythm section seem to be on full
throttle. The band still maintains their Cannibal Corpse/Carcass-like
sound, thanks to Arnold's guttural spats and guitarist Jeff White's
forceful riffs. The thing that makes this demo work for the band is
the fact that nothing of Rotting's fast-riffed music style and sound
was lost with the recording, and while the beats may be delivered at
breakneck speed, they are clear and cohesive - a sign of good
production. Another thing that makes this release is the congruency
and flow that the songs have with one another. Also proving to have
not lost any ideas over the time between recordings, Rotting delivers
solid efforts like "Christian Castration" and "Unholy Penetration"
with this demo. While Ontario, Canada may be behind in the metal
department, at least there are bands like Rotting and Solus (Toronto)
making every move to keeping a style of music alive and well. Like
Solus' _Slave of Mind_ release, this demo is also worthy of getting a
hold of.
Contact: ROTTING, c/o Korey Arnold
58 Roxborough Rd., Newmarket Ont., L3Y 3K9, Canada
voice: (905) 830-4016
Soriben - _Senor de Luz_ (7-track demo)
by: Pedro Azevedo (****-)
Soriben are a very young band from Seville, Spain, their ages varying
from 17 to 19, plus a 14(!)-year old (talented) keyboardist. There's
two things I really like about this 6-piece band: their choice of
style being melodic doom/death, and the fact that they are
self-confident and have enough skill to back it up. Their opening
track sets the mood for this 29-minute long demo tape, serving as a
good example of the band's music. They work a lot around good
keyboard/guitar melodies, while joining some funeral dirge guitars at
times, all with very good drumming and bass playing, and some very
interesting vocals. It's all sung in Spanish, using death vox, but
it's like he speaks out poetry instead of just grunting... good. The
second track shows some faster parts, in which the band seems to stay
together remarkably well, making those parts sound pretty good. The
third track is softer, mostly melodic and sung in clean vox,
featuring some good melodic ideas. Fourth track is an instrumental
mix of an excellent drum/bass solo (both performed brilliantly) and a
very well-played keyboard piece of Bach(!). Track five reminded me of
early Anathema, with some strong rhythms, and track six is possibly
the best, featuring some superb melodies which really get into you.
Great stuff. Finally, track seven is a keyboard instrumental which is
based around a requiem sound, using funereal organs to create a very
depressive, yet highly interesting, finish for the demo tape. By now
you're probably asking why I haven't rated them 5/5 instead... well,
this is their first demo tape and shows a lot of promise, but their
next demo tape (coming up) must still show some improvement, namely
slightly better songwriting (longer, more involved song structures),
and they must become a little bit more... professional, I think. They
have some excellent ideas, good taste in music, and are all good
players (although some of the high-pitched guitar parts still need a
bit more work). This is definitely a band to watch for, as I believe
they will get a record deal if they keep working like this and
showing so much skill. Great effort. Keep it up, guys!!
Contact: SORIBEN, c/o Manuel Ponce de Leon,
Urb. Jardin Atalaya, Bl. 2, 6 A.
41900 Camas, Sevilla, SPAIN
mailto:manuel.ponce-de-leon@cs.us.es
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\ \ \L\ \/\ \L\ \/\ \/\ \/\ \__//\ __/\ \ \/ \ \ \_/\__, `\
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Here is where Chronicles of Chaos gives you the lowdown on the latest
shows coming your way. Check out Chaotic Concerts every month for the
scoop on the bands brutalizing the masses with their own form of
terror.
T H E P R I N C I P L E O F E V I L I N E N G L A N D
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Cradle of Filth at the London Astoria 2
December 13, 1996 with Dominion and 13 Candles
by: Ali Jaffary <mailto:odin@xnet.com, http://www.xnet.com/~odin>
The Queen of England, Stonehenge, Madame Tussads, Cradle of
Filth, what do all these have in common? I think you've guessed it by
now. Perhaps England's most controversial group, Cradle of Filth were
headlining at the London Astoria 2 on this Saturday night. Having
arrived from Chicago around 7:00 at London Heathrow Airport the same
day, I was informed that this show was the following Monday. However,
that was not the case and further, Opeth had been the supporting act
for CoF on a recent tour but unfortunately weren't on the bill.
Despite that, it did not stop us from seeing this 6-piece actually
play live.
After getting by a hard struggle for a ride, I managed to appear
at the Astoria by 20:00. The opening band had already passed so all
that was left to see was the middle of Dominion's set and CoF. For
all those not familiar with Dominion, they are a local 5-piece from
the U.K. area with a female singer handling most of the vocals
trading off with the frontman guitarist. Musically, they are a mix of
_The Gathering_ with a _Pantera_ feel. There seemed to be a nice
response to their efforts from the crowd although most were hungry
for the main act. At times, I noticed the female singer to be a bit
off with the high notes of the guitar which did crack me up a bit,
but I had to clap for the humour of it. Personally, I don't think
this band would manage to draw a large crowd and certainly would not
fit to support for a huge act.
After a few walks around the club and a 30-minute wait, all the
600+ fans and I had awaited for the moment of the night. Like all
other shows, the lights were turned off and out came a nice keyboard
piece for an intro. The stage presence was great - a nice CoF banner
held atop for everyone to stare at and of course, who can forget the
corpsepaint? The bassist even had a nice robe to show himself off. I
cannot recall their set off hand, but I do remember them covering
most of the songs off their new album _Dusk... and Her Embrace_.
Also, most of the songs from "Vempire" were played along with the
classics from _TPOEMF_ such as "To Eve the Art of Witchcraft" (the
closing song) and the title track (funny thing about this is they
started with Slayer's "Hell Awaits" for about 2 minutes then broke
off into their song). And finally to end this set was a nice guitar
bashing from Stuart which gave the crowd and nice roar. Overall, this
show was impressive. The sound, lighting, props, etc... was of the
best I've seen in '96. My eyes and ears were glued to the stage
pretty much the whole show and I'm sure every person at the show had
the same view. Be sure to check this band out if they are in your
area. Two thumbs up!!
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W H A T W E H A V E C R A N K E D ! ! !
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Gino's Top 5
1. Korn - _Life Is Peachy_
2. Pitch Shifter - _Infotainment?_
3. Mundane - _Seed_
4. The Chemical Brothers - _Exit Planet Dust_
5. Cradle of Filth - _The Principle of Evil Made Flesh_
Adrian's Top 5
1. D.O.A. - _New York City Speedcore_
2. Acid Bath - _Paegan Terrorism Tactics_
3. Mortician - _Hacked Up For Barbecue_
4. Ozzy Ozbourne - _Bark At The Moon_
5. My Dying Bride - _Like Gods Of The Sun_
Brian's Top 5
1. Altura - _Mercy_
2. Cadaver - _In Pains_
3. Naked City - _Torture Garden_
4. Cradle of Filth - _Dusk and Her Embrace_
5. Meshuggah - _Destroy, Erase, Improve_
Alain's Top 5
1. Cryptopsy - _None So Vile_
2. Dark Funeral - _The Secrets of the Black Arts_
3. Quo Vadis - _Forever..._
4. Vader - _De Profundis_
5. Summertime Daisies - _The Clarity of Impurity_ <indy release>
Steve's Top 5
1. Summoning - _Dol Guldur_
2. Behemoth - _Grom_
3. Ember - _Within the Realm of the Snowqueen_ <demo>
4. Various - _A Storm of Drones_ <killer ambient comp>
5. Sinister - _Bastard Saints_
Adam's Top 5
1. The Dreamside - _Nuda Veritas_
2. My Dying Bride - _Like Gods of the Sun_
3. Proscriptor - _The Venus Bellona_
4. Cradle of Filth - Dusk...and her Embrace
5. Vader - _De Profundis_
Drew's Top 5
1. Dark Tranquillity - _Enter Suicidal Angels_
2. Lord Belial - _Enter the Moonlight Gate_
3. Cradle of Filth - _Dusk and Her Embrace_
4. Deceased - _Fearless Undead Machines_
5. In Flames - _Lunar Strain_
Andrew's Top 5
1. Dissecting Table - _Zigoku_
2. Tormentor - _Anno Domini_
3. Necromass - _Abyss Calls Life_
4. Laibach - _Jesus Christ Superstar_
5. My Dying Bride - _Like Gods Of The Sun
Pedro's Top 5
1. Katatonia - _Dance of December Souls_
2. The Blood Divine - _Awaken_
3. My Dying Bride - _Like Gods of the Sun_
4. Lux Occulta - _Forever Alone. Immortal._
5. Cradle of Filth - _Dusk... and Her Embrace_
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T H E F I N A L W O R D
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Until next time my friends, keep it loud, keep it heavy, don't give
in and most of all, have a fucking good time! Catch you all next
month -- Gino Filicetti
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End Chronicles of Chaos, Issue #17
All contents copyright 1997 by individual creators of included work.
All opinions expressed herein are those of the individuals expressing
them, and do not necessarily reflect the views of anyone else.