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THE NEW YEAR'S EVIL EDITION III
CHRONICLES OF CHAOS e-Zine, January 16, 1999, Issue #36
http://www.interlog.com/~ginof/coc.html
Editor-in-Chief: Gino Filicetti <mailto:ginof@interlog.com>
Coordinator: Adrian Bromley <mailto:energizr@interlog.com>
Contributor/Copy Editor: Pedro Azevedo <mailto:ei94048@tom.fe.up.pt>
Contributor/Asst. Copy Editor: Paul Schwarz <mailto:saul@mcmail.com>
Assistant Copy Editor: John Weathers <mailto:grief@bellsouth.net>
Contributor: Alain M. Gaudrault <mailto:alain@gaudrault.net>
Contributor: Brian Meloon <mailto:bmeloon@math.cornell.edu>
Contributor: Adam Wasylyk <mailto:macabre@interlog.com>
Contributor: Aaron McKay <mailto:aaronm@trxinc.com>
Contributor: David Rocher <mailto:drocher@pratique.fr>
Contributor: Gabriel Sanchez <mailto:mwnoise@yahoo.com>
Contributor: Alex Cantwell <mailto:cvantwell@juno.com>
Mailing List provided by: The University of Colorado at Boulder
NOTE: For more Chronicles of Chaos information, check out the
'Details' section at the end of this issue.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>><<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
Issue #36 Contents, 1/16/99
---------------------------
- Editorial
- Loud Letters
- Deadly Dialogues
-- Bolt Thrower: Mercenaries; Battling for Victory
-- Enslaved: A Viking Vengeance, in Blood
-- The Gathering: A Gathering in Perpetual Motion
-- A Canorous Quintet: Liber Legis Metalli
-- Tristania: Flowing Midwintertears
-- Siebenburgen: Swedish Vampire Tales
-- Dying Fetus: Nothing but Absolute Defiance
-- Grip Inc.: Gripping With Style
-- Crack Up: Keeping it Sane
-- Children of Bodom: Wild Child
-- Drown: Misfits of the Mainstream
- Independent Interrogations
-- Abigail: A Different Shade of Sonnet
-- Adramelech - _Seven_
-- Agathodaimon - _Blacken the Angel_
-- Anasarca - _Godmachine_
-- Benumb - _Soul of the Martyr_
-- Bethlehem - _Sardonischer Untergang in Zeichen irreligioser
Darbietung_
-- Black Spiral - _Defeat_
-- Black Sabbath - _Reunion_
-- Borknagar - _The Archaic Course_
-- Bride of the Atom - _Web of Spider_
-- Burn it Down - _Eat Sleep Mate Defend_
-- Carnal Forge - _Who's Gonna Burn_
-- Conquest - _Rage_
-- Daemonarch - _Hermeticum_
-- Dargaard - _Eternity Rites_
-- Devin Townsend - _Infinity_
-- Diabolical Masquerade - _Nightwork_
-- Dio - _Inferno: Last in Live_
-- Dissecting Table - _Life_
-- Driller Killer - _Reality Bites_
-- Drown - _Product of a Two-Faced World_
-- Epoch of Unlight - _What Will Be Has Been_
-- Various - _Feuersturm Vol. II: The Ultimate Storm_
-- Frank's Enemy - _Illumination_
-- Various - _From Kaamos to Midnight Sun_
-- God Dethroned - _The Grand Grimoire_
-- Gore Beyond Necropsy - _Noise-A-Go Go!!!_
-- Gothic - _Prelude to Killing_
-- Grievance - _Grievance_
-- Hate Theory - _Your Dead Reflection_
-- Himminbjorg - _Where Ravens Fly_
-- Humectant Interruption / MO*TE - _Rest Stop Entrapment_
-- Impious - _Evilized_
-- Japanese Torture Comedy Hour / MSBR - _Split_
-- Judas Priest - _'98 Live Meltdown_
-- Jungle Rot - _Slaughter the Weak_
-- Limbonic Art - _Epitome of Illusions_
-- Macronympha - _Then And Now_
-- Magic Wave - _Magic Wave_
-- Master - _Faith Is in Season_
-- Merzbow - _Tauromachine_
-- Meshuggah - _Chaosphere_
-- M-Squad - _M-Squad_
-- Odhinn - _The North Brigade_
-- Ophthalamia - _Dominion_
-- Oxiplegatz - _Sidereal Journey_
-- Plan E - _Songs for a Rainy Day_
-- Riger - _Der Wanderer_
-- Ritual Carnage - _The Highest Law_
-- Various - _Roadkill_
-- Run Devil Run - _The Killing Civilization_
-- Runemagick - _The Supreme Force of Eternity_
-- Scepter - _I'm Going to Hell_
-- Scholomance - _A Treatise on Love_
-- Seth - _Les Blessures de l'Ame_
-- 16 - _Scott Case_
-- Skin Crime - _Collection_
-- Skinlab - _Eyesore_
-- Solstice - _New Dark Age_
-- Soulquake System - _A Firm Statement_
-- Stampin' Ground - _An Expression of Repressed Violence_
-- The Crown - _Hell Is Here_
-- The Gathering - _How to Measure a Planet?_
-- The Great Kat - _Bloody Vivaldi_
-- The Sins of thy Beloved - _Lake of Sorrow_
-- Urgehal - _Massive Terrestrial Strike_
-- Vader - _Live in Japan_
-- Visionaire - _Mystical Dominion_
-- Various - _Wardance_
-- Withered Earth - _Forgotten Sunrise_
-- World Against World - _When the Day Breaks and the Shadows Flee
Away_
-- Yattering - _Human's Pain_
-- Abjathar - _Nothing Undamaged_
-- Brutal Insanity - _Greatest Clubbing Anthems_
-- Detrimental - _Incomplete_
-- Grot - _Sweet Sick-Teen_
-- Infestation - _Curse of Creation_
-- Malintent - _Part 1_
-- Sanctificica - _In the Bleak Midwinter_
-- Undertakers - _Advance Tape 1998_
-- Facing the Slayers, Down in the Grave: Slayer, Sepultura and
System of a Down
-- Dying Under the Hammer: Death and HammerFall
-- The Smell of Napalm in the Dark: Cradle of Filth, Napalm Death and
Borknagar
-- Evil to None: Firstborn Evil and Withering
- What We Have Cranked, Top 10 of 1998
- Details
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
_____)
/ /) , , /)
)__ _(/ _/_ _____ _ //
/ (_(__(_(__(_)/ (__(_(_(_(/_
(_____)
by: Gino Filicetti
Greeting loyal CoC readers. Without further ado I present to you
CoC #36, our third New Year's Evil Edition.
This issue is approximately 16 days late, I apologize for not
being able to get it out on New Year's day as I've done in the past.
As you can imagine, the circumstances were beyond the control of
anyone. I know it's hard having to wait for new issues of CoC when
they do not come out monthly, but I'm sure most of you understand
when I say that we try out best to stick with our deadlines.
Hopefully the sheer size and massiveness of this issue will
offset any jonesing that you're experiencing right now. This mother
lode of an issue is our biggest by far, weighing in at a hefty 294k,
it beats our previous "big boy" (CoC #33) by 32k! We've got 12
interviews, 70 album reviews, 8 demo reviews and 4 concert reviews
that are sure to keep you busy for many weeks to come.
This issue also sees the promotion of four of our part-time CoC
writers to full-time status. You've seen their writing in the past,
and will see their writing for many issues to come; help me as I
welcome Aaron, David, Alex and Gabriel to the CoC fold.
That's about it from me, keep those Loud Letters coming and
enjoy the issue; but do yourself a favour and spread out the reading
over a few sittings, we wouldn't want your ass to get cramped! ;-)
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Correction
~~~~~~~~~~
Last issue, in my Malevolent Creation story, I said System Shock was
a division of Koch International; it is actually a division of Impact
Records. Koch International in fact do distro for Impact.
-- Paul Schwarz
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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 <mailto: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: Sun, 18 Oct 1998 05:03:35 PDT
From: marius Frunza <m_frunza@hotmail.com>
Subject: i'm a black metal fan
Hi there I'm one of your readers and I belive that you are doing a
fucking good work specially in black 'nd death metal parts. My
personal opinion is that the black metal scene is poluted by some
bands of arse holes which play something like a deeper kind of shit.
Their music is no sense 'cause there is no ideea, no philosophy only
pure fucking noise (which sometimes is good). For example the Swedish
bands like Marduk or Dark Funeral are the abhorence of stupidity.
Marduk is the name of an ancient oriental god who represents the
order in the univers and does not have any connection with satanism
or the anti-christian war( see their first album "Fuck me Jesus").
Many titles of the tracks are in roumanian (same case for Dark
Funeral) and this is a profanation for this language. In fact the
Marduk lyrics are about Vlad Dracul and represents another aberation
of those imbecils. There are other bands like Dimmu Borgir, Covenant
or Cradle of Filfth which are playing an imitation of black metal and
it doesn't sound like it should . This is black metal made for
selling albums and doesn't represent the true spirit of this style.
If you listen the first Dimmu Borgir releases and their last albums
you will see a great difference; now their sound is more comercial,
more shit like. The ideea of black metal played by Burzum, Darkthrone
or Mayhem is dead. Contact me at m_frunza@hotmail.com
Date: Tue, 15 Dec 1998 00:23:53 PST
From: marius Frunza <m_frunza@hotmail.com>
Subject: Attention loud letter!
Hi, I'm one of the Coc readers and I'm very impressed by this paper.
I listen a lot of black metal and I belive that the Coc team make a
good propaganda for this kind of music. Thanks guys for writing good
things about God, Interitus Dei, Gothic and other roumanian bands but
I think you don't estimate very well that Ghotic stuff. If you will
listen more carefully you'll give them 9 in stead of 6.
Happy new year Coc!
Date: Sun, 25 Oct 1998 11:31:09 -0800
From: Tate Bengtson <tbengtso@junction.net>
Subject: Attention Loud Letters
Hello
CoC#34 was your best yet - Death, Sepultura, Bruce Dickinson - I read
it from start to finish in one sitting. I especially like CoC's
willingness to ignore genre boundaries and cover albums like Lycia's
Estrella, which falls outside of the realm of metal, but is still a
great release. While the focus still is (and always should be) metal,
covering bands and albums from outside of that particular genre gives
CoC a unique perspective that I very much enjoy.
Anyways, I just wanted to let your readers know that I have created
an ezine list for my zine, Chaotic Critiques. All of the text from
the printed version of Chaotic Critiques will be released via email,
beginning with the just-released tenth issue. The tenth issue
features interviews with Suffocation, Index, Luxt, Kismet, label
features on The End Records and Slipdisc Records, a black metal
column, a prog rock / metal column, fanzine reviews, a label
directory, an industrial / gothic feature, and tons of album reviews.
To subscribe to the Chaotic Critiques ezine, go to:
http://www.onelist.com/subscribe.cgi/ChaoticCritiques
Thanks!!!
Tate Bengtson, editor
Chaotic Critiques zine (printed, www, ezine)
http://www.geocities.com/SunsetStrip/Palms/6031/index.html
Date: Fri, 30 Oct 1998 17:01:29 -0800
From: Darrin McDonel <dethmtld@rosenet.net>
Subject: Kataklysm
Gino,
First of all, I would like to compliment you on the tremendous job
you do with Chronicles Of Chaos. My only complaint with the last
issue concerns the Kataklysm review. The reviewer, Paul Schwartz, is
an admitted non-fan of the group, and therefore, should not have been
given this task. I eagerly awaited this review to see whether or not
I should purchase their latest effort, only to be denied the crucial
information I needed. Schwartz inexplicably failed to mention the
change of vocalists within the group. To me, the band revolved around
the talents of Sylvain Houde and his unique lyrics and vocals. I
don't know if you are in the habit of answering your readers personal
inquiries, but if you would do me the favor of explaining how
Maurizio's vocals fit in with the overall Kataklysm sound, I would
very much appreciate it. Also, can you please tell me if Sylvain
Houde has joined another group or if he has left the music scene
entirely. Thank you for your time.
Darrin McDonel
dethmtld@rosenet.net
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M E R C E N A R I E S ; B A T T L I N G F O R V I C T O R Y
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
CoC chats with Gavin Ward of Bolt Thrower
by: Paul Schwarz
Bolt Thrower can be compared to a tank both musically and in the
way they approach their longterm career. The band roll straight over
anything which might try to stand in their way or change them, be it
labels, trends or line-up difficulties. They also launch high
explosive shells at the ears of listeners worldwide in the form of
their always bludgeoning albums. I have to be honest, their latest
strike, and first in four years, in the form of _Mercenary_ (on Metal
Blade) did not blow me away the way _Realm of Chaos_ or _... For
Victory_ did, but it is still unmistakably Bolt Thrower and should
certainly silence those who considered the band a confirmed kill. I
dredged up the past, discussed the present and contemplated the
future with guitarist Gavin Ward. Enter the realm of chaos, survey
the conversational carnage that transpired.
CoC: Do you see _Mercenary_ as the pinnacle of your career or as one
more step on the ladder?
Gavin Ward: One more step on the ladder. Pinnacle? Who knows? You
could say _Warmaster_ was. Probably a lot of people have
<laughs>. I obviously do like it, but it is a new album
and the material is newer to us, whereas some of the old
songs we may have played six or seven hundred times. I
don't really see it album to album, I see it in songs.
CoC: I'd say there isn't a huge progression of Bolt Thrower...
GW: Thank you. We take that as a complement.
CoC: We (the fans) think of a new Bolt Thrower album coming out,
nobody's gonna think the album will be the innovation of the
year, but it could be a really great album. You've certainly
changed your style to some degree since _Realm of Chaos_,
though. The way you tune your strings and the manner in which
you play. I'd say the approach on _Warmaster_ and _Mercenary_
particularly is slightly less fast, it's got a lot less blast
beats, especially on this new album.
GW: Yup yup.
CoC: A lot more double bass drums. I am wondering whether that was
intentional or just chance?
GW: Just chance. There's no set format, and looking for it is stupid.
We just go along with what sounds good to us. But we are also a
live band. So it's the culmination of all the songs from the
different albums. Some _Mercenary_ will be played with _... For
Victory_, _The Fourth Crusade_ and everything else.
CoC: An example though, if you take "Eternal War" from _Realms of
Chaos_, you've got a lot more blastbeats and a lot more of the
grindcore rhythm. _Warmaster_ onwards has far more normal song
structures. Not that they're necessarily less extreme, but I
think _RoC_ has a much more "grindcore" feel to it. I wonder
whether you tried to move away from the "grindcore" tag?
GW: We've had a lot of tags. "War metal", "death metal", "grindcore",
"hardcore". From the start, it's been about heavy music. The
label really didn't matter. Some label's going to push you down
some track; Earache, for instance, as death metal 'cause that's
the way they think we're coming in, with Morbid Angel and
everything else. It's just a sort of product placement.
CoC: You also used to have your "working relationship" with the Games
Workshop (makers of tabletop battle games)?
GW: We did, 'cause we used the artwork on the _RoC_ cover.
CoC: There was this sort of massive association, though. 'Cause back
in 1990/91, I was into miniature gaming, I wasn't even into
metal, but your name (Bolt Thrower) kept coming up.
GW: I think Games Workshop did a survey on who bought their products
and it worked out as metal kids, 14 to 17 year olds. Originally
they approached us to record and do everything. GW were going to
start their own label, they wanted ours as the first album, they
were going to do the artwork and everything. Then Earache
approached them. So we got the combination and we thought we'd
use all the imagery and graphics from GW, but obviously Earache
as a record label. I'm sure Games Workshop, going in for the
first time, would have gone under doing that.
CoC: Would you go into a cooperative deal like that again?
GW: No, people like that want a lot more control. If you look at them
against Earache, Earache were a small label, GW were a
multi-million dollar company. There was too much restriction on
the artwork. You're paying every time for a license -- it cost us
fuckin' shitloads, the _RoC_ cover, about seven grand in the end.
I was happy to pay it 'cause I liked it, but it's still fuckin'
seven grand.
CoC: Your artwork's altered a bit. The first three covers are
cartoonistic, battlehardened war pictures. Whereas on _The
Fourth Crusade_ you used....
GW: A Delacroix painting.
CoC: The entry of the Turks into Constantinople [fall of the Holy
Roman empire, end of the Roman army]. Then _...FV_, has a
photograph and now _Mercenary_ has a picture, though of a
different sort. Why did you chose this cover for _Mercenary_
and, in general, do you have a particular idea for your artwork?
GW: We've got a particular idea but it would be too expected to do
_RoC_ again. Everyone sees that as the best cover that we ever
had. So it would have been easy to have your gatefold, Games
Workshop style and stuff like that. So on _...FV_ we made sure
there was nothing like that.
CoC: I personally like that cover, in some ways it is better to me
because it is more reflective -- more clever.
GW: <Laughs> True, true enough. For us it was sort of "art war", nice
sunsets, it's something you wouldn't have as a cover. A lot of
people didn't like it, but that doesn't really concern us. At the
end of the day, when it goes in your CD player, the cover is a
piece of paper. Looking for something is the killer. We
commissioned four artists for the _Mercenary_ cover. One was a
_RoC_ special <we both laugh>. The next one, the artist was going
down some path on his own. We gave him a load of ideas and he
just changed 'em around, so we thought "fuck that". Then
eventually we approached this artist who is an actual war artist.
He'd done work for the military. The _Mercenary_ picture is
what's called a photolithograph, it's like a painted photo. I
quite liked the idea -- it's fuckin' rough, it's rough and bleak,
and I like that.
CoC: The cover and title of the album reflects the lyrics, it's a
"Mercenary; Behind Enemy Lines" (both songs on _Mercenary_).
Have you done any sort of concept on mercenaries with
_Mercenary_?
GW: Some bits are probably sort of linked together, but not all of
it, they never usually are. Not full concept albums. You could
say _RoC_ was meant to be, but it wasn't. We sort of gave GW
lyrics that we were happy with, not that they wanted
particularly. Games Workshop actually wrote some for us. We
didn't use any of 'em, 'cause they were fuckin' totally
ridiculous.
CoC: The Carcass of war lyrics?
GW: Exactly, exactly.
CoC: Loads of crazy long words?
GW: Exactly, that is spot on!
CoC: Well yeah, 'cause that's exactly what the Games Workshop are
like, if you read their rulebooks.
GW: It was just like that, they were actually embarrassingly funny --
they rhymed.
CoC: Oh wow. All poetry has to rhyme, of course. [Sarcasm.]
GW: And in that sort of sense, I think they were going a bit past the
line, they'd stepped over it a bit too much themselves.
CoC: What is the song "Powder Burns" (on _Mercenary_) about?
GW: Drug enhancement. It came from a story of the Congo, obviously
the mercenaries out there were fighting against tribespeople
called the Simbas. Well, they were still very tribal with
witchdoctors and stuff. There was strain of Shiva they used to
take, which means you can carry on killing even after you've been
killed, for about two or three minutes. The story sort of came
around that for "Powder Burns".
CoC: The band's line-up changed over the last couple of years, which
ended up with Karl Willets [long-time BT singer] back, and now
he's left again.
GW: Well, we brought Karl in to do the album, we talked about touring
-- for us, what we've been looking to do for so many years, is to
seal a line-up. We tried it with Martin [Van Drunen, ex-Asphyx
vocalist] and it didn't work out. What we've been trying to do is
stay as one line-up, but we just don't get the dedication out of
the new players. They haven't done enough for Bolt Thrower and if
they're a bit half arsed, you're lookin' at them like, "you cunt,
I'm livin' for this and you're half arsed." It gets embarrassing
when your fans are more dedicated than your band. That's an
embarrassing situation to be in, so we usually have to purge. We
don't really like the idea, 'cause we're not arseholes who do
that kinda shit, but if someone is slackin', they're slackin'. It
is important to stay pure and the people you get in probably
aren't massive Bolt Thrower fans.
CoC: But Karl, of course, has been in the band quite a while.
GW: Yeah, and it wasn't forced, either. It was totally natural 'cause
it just felt like old times. We had a good time in there, easy.
CoC: Is your replacement Dave Ingram from Benediction?
GW: Yes, of course.
CoC: Is Dave staying with the band?
GW: He's joined.
CoC: Do you think Karl will go to Benediction and we'll have a Napalm
Death / ENT for 1998?
GW: No, I don't think so. Who knows, though?
CoC: So, why Dave?
GW: Well, we played a gig with Dave after we kicked Martin out and
Dave fitted like a glove, personality-wise and on stage. He just
seemed like he'd been in BT for years. It wasn't forced, that's
what I liked about it, it was quite natural and he's obviously
really up for it. We also rate his vocal style. We wanted to keep
it, sort of extreme vocals, that's originally why we got Martin
in. It would have been so simple for the band, after Karl left
[originally], to put a singer in. Make no mistake, that would
have been the obvious thing: put a singer in, still quite heavy
music, try and go more commercial; but it is something we just
didn't want.
CoC: _Mercenary_ has a different producer [Ewan Davies]; Colin
Richardson produced _Warmaster_, _... For Victory_...
GW: And _The Fourth Crusade_ and _Realm of Chaos_.
CoC: So, did you move away from him 'cause you weren't happy with his
previous work or was the change for variety's sake?
GW: We actually asked him, and I don't think he wanted to do it.
Plus, then we heard what the price was gonna be, and he was
fuckin' dreaming.
CoC: 'Cause he's done all the Fear Factory, etc. albums now.
GW: Unfortunately that's what he was looking for, he's got his own
agent who was taking a percentage and his wife was managing him
and he was looking for the high life. On _...FV_, though, we
almost recorded without him. Basically, when we did _...FV_, at
the end of the session I looked over to see his face and he was
fuckin' relieved. Not happy, he was fuckin' relieved. In the
past, even though he's produced, we count him as an adviser. He
don't get no say, 'cause the band are sitting in there going
"fuckin' no way". On _FC_ we tried him, we actually were
interested in how he would produce us if we left him to do it. We
left him with one song and when we came back we were fuckin'
crying with laughter at how shit it was. This one, it worked out.
He wanted 10,000 pounds (US$ 16,000). He ain't that good.
CoC: I have no idea of production costs...
GW: No, nor have I, but he ain't that good! <We both laugh> He might
be five thousand, he might be six, but he certainly is not ten.
With this studio we went in, Lincoln, Ewan works with him. So we
had an idea of what he did. But really, _Mercenary_, Bolt Thrower
produced with Ewan advising and engineering. It is something we
wanted to get more hands on.
CoC: So in the future would you like to found your own studio and
produce your albums yourself?
GW: Nah, we have thought about it in the past just like we thought
about our own record label, but because we do the merchandising,
the tours and the management, just trying to join more in is
going to turn it into a fuckin' nightmare and I think you're not
gonna concentrate on the band as much because you're gonna be
more a business part of it, and I don't like that idea. You still
wanna be a band and play music, but unfortunately some of the
other stuff just comes with it.
CoC: What are your plans for touring?
GW: January will be Europe, then probably America. We also wanna do
some countries we haven't done before.
CoC: When are you touring in the UK?
GW: We're not.
CoC: You're not?
GW: Nah.
CoC: Not again.
GW: Yup.
CoC: It's been a while...
GW: About five and a half years.
CoC: How come, is Metal Blade unhappy to put up the money?
GW: No, and England isn't either. It's just we've played England and
had really good gigs and we've played and not had really good
gigs. It is weird, but what we usually do is use a UK gig as a
warm-up show. It's shitter not playing at all. But you go where
you're wanted, pretty simply.
CoC: It's a pity for the fans, but if you can't get the numbers...
GW: Well, it is not just the fans over here, the album, the
distribution is so bad over in England. You can't even see it in
the shops. There's more of that _Who Dares Wins_ [Earache
"rarities" compilation from which Bolt Thrower get nothing].
Nothing to do with the band, you can bet on it, 'cause we don't
like shit like that. Earache are just trying to make some cash.
We thought it was going to be a greatest hits. You know you're
finished then, you know it is over.
CoC: You've never done a big light and pyrotechnics show live. With
your war image, that surprises me. To have a band who are so
into war, but live, don't have that effect. Except musically.
GW: Yeah, it's true. We've never really had that, but we have had
pretty decent light shows. We just use a lot of backdrops.
CoC: Will you pretty much be staying the same from here onwards?
GW: We think so. We look for perfection. That's what we're searching
for. If we ever think that we can't release an album as good as
the last one, we won't. Releasing a crap or watered down album
means that it's gone for us, 'cause the music is gone.
CoC: Would you say any of your albums inspired you to write a better
album by being bad?
GW: It is hard to say about disappointment, 'cause for us it is the
memory of the time when it was done, so though it might not sound
as good to you now, you just remember that time. So it is still
positive.
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A V I K I N G V E N G E A N C E , I N B L O O D
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Chronicles of Chaos chats with Grutle Kjellson of Enslaved
by: Paul Schwarz
After the death of the physically extreme Norwegian black metal
scene of the early '90s (the days of the church burnings, the Inner
Circle and, later, the murders), the bands who were part of the
musical scene were forced, or given the chance, to stand solely on
their own musical merits. Today, black metal bands are judged
similarly to other bands: primarily on their music and public image.
One could argue that the events of the early '90s were about image,
but I believe real violence is beyond mere commercial image, or
should be. Though some believe that the musically extreme scene died
along with the physical extremity, I would disagree. Admittedly, the
shift towards gothed-out commercial black metal, with such albums as
_Dusk... and Her Embrace_ and _Enthrone Darkness Triumphant_, is a
step away from the harsh, dark sounds which the scene originally
emitted, but Cradle of Filth and Dimmu Borgir are not the last word
on where black metal is today. This is where Enslaved come in. They
were never part of the violence, but they have been part of the music
since, more or less, the beginning. They have shared split EPs with
scene greats like Emperor and Satyricon and produced such noted
albums as _Frost_ and, in more recent times, _Eld_. Now they return
to the fray once again with _Blodhemn_ (translated as "A Vengeance in
Blood"), a record on which they move away from the epic direction of
_Eld_ and, to some degree, sway more towards the sound of 1994's
_Frost_. Speaking to Grutle Kjellson, it became evident that his
concern was his music and his band and not with fitting into any kind
of scene, now or in times gone by.
CoC: So, how are you doin'?
Grutle Kjellson: Uhhm, a little bit of a hangover, but otherwise okay.
CoC: <Laughs> How are things in the band?
GK: Oh, things in the band are very good right now. Everything worked
out perfect.
CoC: How are plans for touring going?
GK: We have some plans for doing a small promotion tour in the US and
Mexico next year.
CoC: Would that be your first trip out there?
GK: On this album, yes. We've been in the States before, three years
ago, but that was on the _Frost_ album.
CoC: What do you think are the differences between _Blodhemn_ and
_Eld_?
GK: The differences are huge, actually, very much because we have two
new members [guitarist Richard Kronheim and drummer Dirge Rep]
and both of them are taking part in the songwriting, both lyrics
and music. The drummer is very different from the one on the
_Eld_ album.
CoC: In style or the amount of skill?
GK: The style, mostly the style, because the drummer on _Eld_, Horgh
[Harald Helgeson, now with Immortal], is also very good. But it
didn't fit that much into our music, so on this album we tried to
get hold of a perfect drummer. Dirge Rep fits perfect into the
band and the drumming has a lot to say in the music, it is very
important. So that's very different, his playing is totally
different from Horgh's. Also, our new guitarist used to be a rock
'n' roll guitarist and he took a lot of ideas from styles of
music that we had never been into before. It's a more complete
album than our other releases.
CoC: So, apart from the addition of new members, do you think the
change of studio and producer, moving from Pytten and
Grieghallen, has made a big difference?
GK: Oh yeah, a very big difference, because we have worked with
Pytten in Grieghallen for three records and it is not very
exciting anymore.
CoC: You need a bit of variety?
GK: Oh yeah, nothing wrong about Pytten, but we needed some change,
some new challenges, new people to work with and the Abyss
studio, the area around the studio was very nice and everything
worked out perfect.
CoC: Did Peter Tagtgren make any suggestions or say anything which
changed your music, or did you just basically record with him?
GK: He had some ideas, but basically he just recorded. He actually
did some backing vocals on one track. He had some ideas here and
there, just like a producer should have, without actually taking
part in the making of an album. Many producers have a tendency to
try to run the band. Tagtgren is a perfect producer to work with.
CoC: On this album there are some techniques you haven't used before.
Some songs have weird electronic parts in them and at the end of
the album, after the outro is finished, there is a weird
grinding sound, like grinding in a tunnel. Who were these
introduced by and are any of them particularly significant?
GK: The outro was something that just came up, I really don't want to
tell what it is, because that should be a secret. But the other
sounds were done by Ivar [Bjornson, guitars and electronics), he
has always done the keyboard stuff and that was his idea from the
very beginning when he made the songs. That's supposed to be
there. But the outro was just a crazy idea we had.
CoC: A private band thing?
GK: Yeah, that's a private band thing.
CoC: Okay, fair enough. So long as I don't read it anywhere else
<laughs>.
GK: <Laughs> I don't think so, not from me anyway.
CoC: Your previous album title, _Eld_, translated into English, meant
"Fire". Now you have "Vengeance in Blood". What is the
significance of this particular title? It has a much more
violent feel to it...
GK: Yeah.
CoC: ... And it kind of fits with the faster, more violent musical
path you've taken. I was wondering whether there is any
connection between the title of the new album and its style?
GK: Yeah, the title track has lyrics I wrote in quite an insane mood
or whatever you want to say, quite angry, and I think the record
is pretty much angry, aggressive and I think the title fits
perfectly well. There are some kind of, not soft, but beautiful
parts.
CoC: But unlike on _Eld_, where there were bits of it peppered around
the album, on this the most "beautiful" bits are at the
beginning and the end; in between there is a huge wall of really
brutal sound. It sounds good but it is a change, you don't have
the thirteen minute epic that began _Eld_.
GK: I see what you mean.
CoC: Why do you chose to sing in Old Norse as opposed to English or
Norwegian?
GK: This is actually in Norwegian. We have two languages in Norway.
The western part is a kind of language called, I suppose, new
Norwegian. The Norwegian they speak in the Eastern part is very
much like Danish. Very influenced by Danish writing, because
Norway was in union with Denmark. The language _Blodhemn_ is
written in is the language we speak and write in the western part
of Norway. This is new Norwegian and that is something that came
up from old dialects. There was an author called Ivan Allson who
collected a lot of dialects throughout the western part of
Norway. He made this new Norwegian writing language from the
older dialects that had kind of survived from Old Norse.
CoC: I am curious about the album cover. The last album was a photo.
This time you've got a picture, and quite a simple picture. What
is the significance of the shield, the mace and the battle-axe?
GK: You are thinking of the promo cover. That's just a cover to get
the promo CD out.
CoC: What does the real cover look like?
GK: It's a picture of us on a stony "beach", the sea and a Viking
ship, swords and all.
CoC: I'm a little confused; the reason I thought mine was the real
cover is that it was in the Nuclear Blast catalog and all the
adverts.
GK: That was a mistake. I think the promotion cover looks like Donald
Duck.
CoC: <Laughs> I wasn't too big on it, that's why I was asking.
GK: <Laughs> It wasn't supposed to be released that way at all,
that's just the promotion cover, the actual cover is totally
different.
CoC: Musically, you basically fit into the black metal genre, to an
extent...
GK: Concerning the music, yes. I think the music is metal. The
category all depends on the lyrics, from my point of view. As
long as it is not dealing with satanism or such things. The
lyrics describe the music, the music is metal, but our Viking
lyrics can explain how we're not black metal, so we use the term
"Viking metal". It is not really a category, the category is
metal and the Viking stuff is just something with which we've put
a label on the music many years ago. That has kind of become a
category now. That's not our fault.
CoC: A few bands from Norway choose not to play live, or don't do it
very often. Burzum, Varg refused to play live...
GK: Because it was a one man thing, pretty strange.
CoC: Don't Darkthrone play live anymore?
GK: Darkthrone is put on ice for many years.
CoC: But you guys do go in for live playing and you seem to take it
as quite a priority. When I saw you in London you dressed in
stage garments and played with a lot of energy. I was wondering
how important live performances are to you?
GK: Live performance is of course very important for every band, I
think. You have to prove that you can play live; everyone can do
a record in the studio, but I don't look upon that as a band. To
be a band, it means that you perform in front of some sort of
audience. That's my definition of a band. Otherwise it is just a
studio project. Don't you agree?
CoC: I know what you mean, but it's something some bands don't agree
with.
GK: They, of course, have different points of view and I respect them
for that, but this is my definition and our definition.
CoC: What are your touring plans for Europe and when are we likely to
see you?
GK: We have been negotiating with the promotion agency. We haven't
come up with anything yet, but we will definitely do a tour in
Europe, probably March and April or something, 'cause we are
going to the States at the end of February.
CoC: Anything more you wish to say?
GK: Most people who haven't recognized us yet, and if they are
reading this interview, I'd like to say to them: come to our
concerts and we will prove that we are one of the best metal
bands of the ages. Come check us out.
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A G A T H E R I N G I N P E R P E T U A L M O T I O N
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
CoC chats with Hans Rutten of The Gathering
by: David Rocher
With a musical career spanning over nearly a decade, The
Gathering may definitely be granted the right to evolve in their
craft. Starting out with what can be described as a "symphonic" doom
album, _Always_, the band developed a strong underground following,
so atmospheric, meaningful and very nearly mystical was their art,
that was only to be tarnished by their rather unpopular second
output, _Almost a Dance_. However, with the arrival of the
enrapturing Anneke van Giersbergen on vocals, the band developed a
new sensitivity on _Mandylion_, which rapidly grew to be predominant
in their music, and explains the immense distance between the
brooding melancholy of _Always_ and the psychedelic, dreamy, somewhat
non-metallic feel of their latest work, _How to Measure a Planet?_.
Justice must be done to The Gathering for firmly taking the perilous
decision to evolve, rather than opting for the cheap behavior that
may best be called "the Metallica syndrome". In the following
interview, drummer Hans Rutten displays great conviction when talking
about The Gathering's new offering; a talkative, sincere, and gentle
musician, who shows no shame in tending to leave the metal world, and
displays great pride in having left a timeless milestone in it.
CoC: Firstly, what's gone on in the band since the recording of
_Nighttime Birds_?
Hans Rutten: Jelmer [Wiersma, guitars] parted ways with us, because
he didn't feel like playing guitar anymore. It's very
simple, he was fed up playing guitar, he couldn't write
any songs anymore, so we talked to him -- and we're
still very good friends. He wanted to do something else,
he wanted to do more "electronic" music, and now he's
working as an engineer, mixing bands in a venue, so he's
happy, and we're happy. We didn't feel like searching
for another guitar player, because Anneke [van
Giersbergen, vocals] can play a little guitar, and one
guitar is enough for us now. I guess you can hear it in
the songs, [they're] less bombastic... We had a lot of
possibilities all of a sudden, and I guess we used them.
So, after _Nighttime Birds_, we toured a lot, especially
with Lacuna Coil, and we came to write a lot of
material. So, we recorded a double album this summer, in
Amsterdam, because we were a bit fed up with recording
in Germany, for many reasons. I personally think too
many bands record at the Woodhouse studios nowadays,
they all have the same sound, everybody's complaining
about it at Century Media -- well, not at Century Media,
but the bands are complaining; for Century Media of
course, it's very easy [convenient?] to have a home
studio. So we decided to do it in Amsterdam, with Attie
Bauw as a producer, and it was very long, because it was
a double album -- we spent two months in the studio, but
this is it: it's finished, we've mastered it, and now,
we're doing interviews for it!
CoC: You were talking about the electronic music Jelmer is now into;
what do you think of the way more and more metal bands are
integrating electronic sounds and influences in their music?
HR: I think it's good to develop, not to be conservative and always
play the same kind of music. You can say if you like it, and
that's a matter of tastes, but I think it's good; experimental
music is always good, otherwise it's no music for me -- music has
to be something exciting and something new, and I'm really fed up
with bands who make the same record every time, with the same
producer, and so on... So I think it's good, I like it.
CoC: The way you're using keyboards in The Gathering is over time
becoming less atmospheric and more experimental, and kind of
psychedelic as well...
HR: Correct.
CoC: What's this due to?
HR: Well, we already did this on _Mandylion_ and _Nighttime Birds_.
Frank [Boeijen, keyboards] and our producer Attie had a lot of
ideas to experiment, and we did it a lot... I think the keyboards
are very atmospheric, but in another way; this album is different
from _Nighttime Birds_, so we did something else.
CoC: I guess the whole of your music is becoming more psychedelic,
from what I've heard of _How to Measure a Planet?_... Somehow
moving away from metal, towards a form of psychedelic... rock,
maybe?
HR: Yeah, maybe a sort of doomy, gloomy rock, yes, correct. I think
it's very diverse; we have songs like "Liberty Bell" and "Rescue
Me", which are typical [The] Gathering songs to me, and on the
second CD [_How to Measure a Planet?_ has been released in a
limited 2CD edition -- David], you've got songs like "Probably
Built in the Fifties", which is very heavy, or "Illuminating",
which is another typical [The] Gathering song; but the title song
"How to Measure a Planet?" is also on CD #2, but that lasts for
28 minutes, it's a very long, epic soundscape, a kind of
psychedelic trip. There's a lot of diversity on this album, I
think you cannot say it's only psychedelic; some songs are very
short, and, for example, "Frail", the opening song, is very
"relaxed" -- we wanted to open this CD in a very relaxed way,
because we've always opened in a very heavy way, and I guess
we're a little fed up with only playing heavy guitars; for us,
it's not exciting anymore -- yeah, that's why we made this
diverse album, I guess.
CoC: Do you still believe The Gathering rate as a metal band, or...?
HR: I don't know... I still love metal, progressive metal acts like
Prong, Voivod, bands who develop, which is in my opinion very,
very good. But it's music, so it's only... categorizing, as
always, I hate it! Some songs on _HtMaP?_ are metal, some songs
are psychedelic, some songs are really melodic...
CoC: I noticed you pay great attention to the visual appearance of
your albums. When you look at your new release, are you
satisfied with the layout and the cover?
HR: Yeah, it turned out quite well, I guess we're very happy with it;
especially the CD booklet itself, it's very nice. We've always
had and still have discussions with record companies -- Century
Media didn't think [the cover] was "fairytale" enough, but this
album is not "fairytale". We already wrote two "fairytale"
albums, and this is something else, which they didn't like that
much, but hey, it's their problem, because I'm playing in the
band, it's our thing. It's a very creative kind of layout, maybe
a bit more modern, also.
CoC: On the whole, are you satisfied with the way things are going
with Century Media?
HR: What do you want, the honest answer or...? <laughs>
CoC: Go ahead, give me the honest answer!
HR: Of course, yeah! Century Media is only doing -metal-, and in
quite a good way, I guess, but they're only pushing bands in a
metal direction, and I really think Century Media have no -metal-
acts anymore. I don't consider a team-up as a real metal band, or
Moonspell, Samael or Lacuna Coil as metal acts -- I think Lacuna
Coil are a pop-rock act, and I like them very much, but they're
not really -metal- anymore, though they're more or less stuck in
the "metal" field.
CoC: There are still bands like Old Man's Child, Twin Obscenity...
HR: They're black metal, and they don't sell that much, they're not
the biggest acts. Of course, there's black metal, Century Media
want to jump onto the bandwagon, it's stupid... Real black metal
acts come from small labels, I guess -- it's underground music,
but it's been booming, a lot of people have bought it, and
Century Media wanted to make some money...
CoC: It's dying out pretty fast now, actually.
HR: It is going down now, and right now, it's something else -- heavy
metal is coming back, acts like HammerFall... and Century Media
have -no- acts like HammerFall [Nocturnal Rites? -- David];
Nuclear Blast have bands like HammerFall, they also have Manowar,
and they're worth a lot of money. Nuclear Blast is a metal label,
and they've signed metal acts, they have real heavy metal acts; I
think Century Media have to make the crossover to another
audience; metal is important, but [so are] the independent
magazines and press, they need it... otherwise they'll drown.
CoC: Considering the Dutch metal scene... Holland is known for The
Gathering, but also more brutal acts such as Consolation, Altar,
Gorefest... What do you think of these?
HR: I only know a band like Gorefest. We're in the same business,
we're colleagues, so we talk a lot, if we see each other, which
is very difficult because they're touring, we do our own stuff,
but it's always nice talks with Gorefest, and also with Within
Temptation and Orphanage... We're not friends, but colleagues, we
appreciate each other. But I don't think Holland has some -very-
good acts. I think Scandinavia is quite good, but Holland... no.
I don't think there's anything really good at the moment right
now. It's a bit of a pity.
CoC: _Always_ is considered as a cult album in the underground metal
world... how do you feel about this?
HR: Great! I have a new story about it: the record company Foundation
2000 are bankrupt, they're totally gone, and we have the rights
back for our first two CDs; that means _Almost a Dance_, but
especially _Always_. I know _Always_ is an underground classic,
and I'm very, very proud of it, because it still has a very good
atmosphere. Of course I'm doing something totally different right
now, but I don't neglect it, it was a period with which I had a
lot of fun, and you can hear it on the album. It was recorded in
five days, and there are a lot of good songs on it, it's very
atmospheric... We've started a little label to release it, and
I'm also going to release the first two demos, which are very
hard to get, especially with good quality -- I know the quality
sucks anyway because they were recorded in a very poor situation,
but a lot of people still ask for them. I'm very happy we've got
the rights back, so I can do something big for the old fans; I
know there are a lot of fans who don't like The Gathering
anymore, but who still like _Always_, and I want to do something
for them as well. I'm also very busy doing it on vinyl, [there
will be] a very limited vinyl version.
CoC: Looking back upon your previous albums, before _Mandylion_,
would you ever consider re-recording them with your current
style, with Anneke on vocals?
HR: No, no, we did them at that time, it would be very stupid. We may
do some live songs from that period with Anneke...
CoC: As a band, you've been going for ten years, of which about four
years with Anneke. What changes do you feel she's brought to the
band?
HR: She didn't change the music, I guess, because we all write the
music; Anneke also wrote some music for the last album... She
brought the band a beautiful voice, which fits in perfectly with
our musical ideas, and of course we became a bigger act thanks to
Anneke.
CoC: The approach to your music seems different now; when you look
back on the philosophies and expectations in The Gathering when
you started out and what they are now, what has changed?
HR: What can I say? We walk our own way, and I know we've got a lot
of success, but we're not making music because of the success,
otherwise we would never have made a double album: commercially,
it's almost suicide. We love music, that's why we made this
album, our heart lies in making music...
CoC: What are the lyrical guidelines to _HtMaP?_? Anneke seems to
have made the band move away from the sort of mysticism there
was in the beginning towards a more dreamy, sensual approach...
HR: Yeah, of course, she's a female, and females always sing about
love, though there's not that much of that on this album anymore;
there's a little kind of concept behind this album -- as a band
we travel a lot, we see a lot of things, we get a lot of
impressions which we turn into music, and that's closer to what
this album is about. For example, the song "How to Measure a
Planet?" is inspired by the movie "2001" -- the song could even
be the soundtrack to the movie, it's so long... Some songs are
more about a kind of inside traveling, for example, a song like
"Liberty Bell" is about the excitement of going into a space
shuttle or a rocket, and there's a lot of excitement in the song,
musically. The song is really about an astronaut sitting in his
chair, who feels the excitement!
CoC: Did you ever consider that you had written sad songs on _Always_?
HR: Yeah, but Bart [the band's first singer -- I think I got this
right... -- David] was into a totally different kind of poetics;
Anneke's style is more, in a way, girls' writing, very poetic and
very "hidden". I guess Anneke is more direct in her writing,
there are a lot of differences between them.
CoC: Talking about Anneke's writing, what inspired the track "Fear
the Sea"?
HR: The song is about water in all its aspects, and water is the
bringer and the giver of life -- when you're an embryo, you're in
water --, life came out of water, and that's a little bit what
the song is about. We don't understand the power of it, it's so
common, people don't think about it anymore -- that's the sort of
hidden message behind it.
CoC: As a band, you seem to get a lot of inspiration from the majesty
of nature and the elements...
HR: Especially on _Nighttime Birds_.
CoC: ... Can this be considered as a form of paganism?
HR: Yes, we have a lot of admiration for nature. I think it's
beautiful, I love to watch it on Discovery Channel -- see
something, and think "that's the place where I want to go"... and
you get back to the traveling aspect of this album, as we all
like to travel and see things. There's not that much nature on
_How to Measure a Planet?_. This is more the traveling aspect, to
go into space but also into yourself, with or without drugs...
It's a very introspective album, it's very introvert, it's not
party music like Pantera -- put it on, drink beer, and have a
party --; no, this is more difficult, something to put on before
you go to sleep, to float away...
CoC: Okay, the last words are yours, anything to add?
HR: Yeah, it's a difficult album, it's not "poppy" as some people
say, it's not cheap. You have to listen to it more carefully,
there's still a lot of guitars -- some people disagree with me,
but I still think there are a lot of heavy songs and heaviness,
and intense songs don't have to be necessarily guitar-oriented
for us, so you have to give it more time...
CoC: Metal audiences are kind of narrow-minded...
HR: It's a pity, there are a lot more flavors in the musical world
than metal. I'm a metalhead, I always was a metalhead; as a kid,
I'd always go see Iron Maiden, but when I see what Iron Maiden
are becoming now... They don't have the guts to change, and I
think that's the most stupid thing you can do -- you have to
change, and this album is a big change, there's more space, more
experimenting, but yeah, give it a chance.
CoC: Thanks for your time, it was really nice talking to you...
HR: Yeah, me too, thank you for the show, good interview!
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L I B E R L E G I S M E T A L L I
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CoC interviews Marten Hansen of A Canorous Quintet
by: David Rocher
A Canorous Quintet, though they are one of No Fashion's finest
acts, are suffering from a totally unjustified lack of recognition
that is not wholly dissimilar to the story of Swiss thrashers Coroner
-- everybody digs, no-one buys. After two very melodic and emotional
outputs, namely _As Tears_ and _Silence of the World Beyond_, the
canorous gang have, anno 1998, released a mean, raging, brutal little
swine, which drops the former brooding quietness and melody of ACQ in
favor of a violent, battering, thrashing death metal assault, that is
very relevant of their state of mind. Frontman and pure breed
metalhead Marten Hansen eagerly responded to my e-mailed questions,
and his outspoken answers more than speak for themselves...
CoC: Please tell me about the band's history to this day, and what
you are up to now.
Marten Hansen: Well, the idea of ACQ took place in early 1991, when
we formed a band called A Canorous Quartet. As things
evolved, we changed members several times and in the
end, parts of the band split up, to form ACQ in early
1993. Six months later we recorded our first demo,
_The Time of Autumn_. It was only released in 100
copies, and isn't something that we think represents
ourselves well, since there was a lot of drinking and
unseriousness involved. Later on, we recorded a promo
tape that we sent to a few labels; it didn't result in
a record deal but at least we let the record companies
know that we existed. In Autumn 1994 we entered the
famous Unisound studio to record our second demo, _As
Tears_; it was never released as a demo since No
Fashion and Chaos Records wanted us on their label.
_As Tears_ became available as an MCD in late 1995. A
couple of months after this release, we entered the
Abyss studio to record our first full length album,
_Silence of the World Beyond_. In november 1997 we
entered Sunlight and recorded our most brutal effort
to date, _The Only Pure Hate_, and that's were we are
right now. During all of these years we have done
several live gigs and played with bands such as
Katatonia, Dissection, Edge of Sanity and Hypocrisy,
among others.
CoC: For those who have not yet heard your new release, what
evolution does _The Only Pure Hate_ feature when compared to
_Silence of the World Beyond_? Musically speaking, _TOPH_ is
definitely more intense, violent and thrashing than _SotWB_,
what inspired this evolution ?
MH: The greatest change from _SotWB_ is that the aggression always
has been there, but this time we have let it flow free, no holds
barred, if you know what I mean. This is how we feel about our
music today, it's a statement of what we feel the world deserves
and needs. We've been through a lot of shit lately, and that's
also the reason for this evolution in musical terms. We also
wanted a more "back to the roots" feel with this album, and we
feel that it was a long time since an album like _TOPH_ was
released.
CoC: Compared to your somewhat "poetic" approach in titles such as
_As Tears_ or _SotWB_, how did you come to the very warlike
title _The Only Pure Hate_? Your lyrics have evolved the same
way, I guess... What are your inspirations, at the time of _As
Tears_ as well as today, in terms of lyric-writing?
MH: The reason for this title is, as you say, an evolution along with
our lyrics. With this album, we wanted more of an "in your face"
attitude. At the time of _As Tears_, our inspirations were mainly
the same as today: good music and the feelings we shared at that
time; our music and lyrics are very emotional [personal?] to us.
My main source of inspiration for lyrics, however, strongly
depends on the mood I'm in, and I don't write lyrics when I'm in
a good mood. It's all about letting the steam out, so there's a
lot of aggression and frustration involved.
CoC: You refer very little to religious matters, such as satanism or
paganism, which have become but mere bandwagons. So what are the
philosophies and expectations behind ACQ ?
MH: As I formerly mentioned, it's all about emotions and how we think
about many things. We want a more reality-based experience when
you're listening to us, we want people to recognize some of their
emotions in our lyrics, and through them, get a greater
understanding of our musical concepts. There are a few exceptions
from this philosophy, and that's in the three ending songs of
_TOPH_. These are parts one to three of a story I wrote in '94,
about magic and mysteries in a world of fantasy.
CoC: What do you think of the way the metal scene is evolving
nowadays, with all these wannabe evil bands playing the same
music with keyboards, female vocals, etc.? Will A Canorous
Quintet ever use such elements? Does the current wave of black
metal bands hold any interest for you ?
MH: I don't mind [the fact] that bands are using these elements, as
long as [their use] doesn't become a purpose in itself. Many
bands I've heard seem to use keyboards just for the sake of using
them, and that sucks. We have also used keyboards on our earlier
efforts, but that was just to enhance the effect of what we
wanted to achieve. On _TOPH_, we haven't used any keyboards at
all since we felt that the material already was so strong that we
wouldn't improve it by using keyboards. Concerning the black
metal wave, I consider it to already have gone out of hand; the
labels seem to be signing anything as long as it's black metal,
that really ruins the scene. But of course there are a few bands
that still hold my interest.
CoC: Your influences seem to be essentially heavy metal and thrash
bands of the '80s, plus maybe a few death metal bands from the
'90s... Which bands have been an influence for you? Have you
noticed any really interesting bands lately?
MH: As you say, it's mainly '80s bands and a couple of '90s bands
that have inspired us. To mention a few, we have Slayer, At The
Gates, Judas Priest, Iron Maiden, Kreator, Deicide. But then,
overall, anything that sounds great and arouses emotions can be
an inspiration. Lately there haven't been many interesting bands
coming up, but The Haunted is really cool!
CoC: What does the cover of _TOPH_ depict? _SotWB_ had a picture of a
dead girl in a bodybag -- was this a -real- corpse? Do you
believe there is beauty to be found in death ?
MH: The cover of _TOPH_ is a picture of what lies beyond the silence
of the world beyond, everyone is dead and many are [being]
tortured; if there is an afterlife, this is not where you'd wanna
be. The painting shows the essence and the result of the only
pure hate, it's death and mayhem that is left and creatures that
will eat up your remains. In the end there will be nothing left
behind. The dead girl on _SotWB_ is a mystery, no-one really
knows, but we certainly hope that they revived that little
beauty. I do think you can find beauty in death, where else will
you find true peace? However, I don't think you'll find this
peace if you aren't meant to go, if you aren't ready!
CoC: You have tested three recording studios in the space of three
releases. Are you satisfied with the way each recording session
went? Are you going to try recording your future material in
another studio, such as Studio Mega or Fredman? Any particular
likes or dislikes among these studios, so far?
MH: At the time of each recording we have always been fairly
satisfied with the result, but there are always things to
improve, it's only the lack of time that limits us. As things
have turned out, we have had more and more time for each
recording, and have become more and more satisfied with each
recording, but I don't think we have found the perfect studio
yet, [though] Sunlight is fairly close [to that]. We really don't
know which studio we will record further material in -- it might
be Sunlight again, as well as any other studio. The only dislikes
we've had with the studios we tried concern the distance from
where we are living and the circumstances we've been forced to
live through during the recordings. Sunlight's positioning is
perfect for us, since it is located in Stockholm, where we live.
CoC: Whereas black metal is literally becoming an industry, death
metal has yet again gone underground, thus confining A Canorous
Quintet (and most other death metal bands) mainly to the
underground scene. How do you mind this prospect?
MH: I don't mind us being in the underground, but on the other hand
we have never been anything but an underground band. The only
thing that's sad about this prospect is how many listeners will
never get a chance to hear us; we wouldn't mind selling a few
more albums.
CoC: I am sadly led to believe that A Canorous Quintet are a grossly
underestimated band -- I don't see many interviews or reviews of
your work in zines or elsewhere. Am I wrong? How are things
going for you?
MH: No, sadly enough you are not wrong, I also consider ACQ to be
greatly underestimated; here in Sweden we are considered to be a
good band with good live performances, but, in other parts of the
world, we practically don't exist. We hope that this will change
in the future, because we are confident that we deserve better.
CoC: How are the opportunities for touring and promotion going for
the band? Are No Fashion taking care of you as they should? And
what do you think of their roster of bands?
MH: We have been offered tours, but No Fashion has declined them
since they would cost them money. The promotion part hardly seems
to exist, we've been [included] on two compilations as far as I
know, and that's since '95, when we signed to them. It really
bothers me that you practically haven't seen any reviews, because
No Fashion claims to have sent out over 200 promotional copies of
the album (not that it is that many, but it should result in 100
reviews at least). So, answering your second question, no, I
really don't think No Fashion are taking care of us as they
should, but be warned, we're not the only ones who are
complaining. Concerning the current No Fashion roster, it doesn't
impress me very much, but earlier on they had many of the best
bands of the Swedish scene, like Dissection, Unanimated and
Marduk. Nowadays I mainly appreciate The Moaning and Ablaze My
Sorrow, but it seems like both these bands have more or less
resigned from the scene; [as to] if it's No Fashions fault,
you'll have to ask them personally.
CoC: Are any members of A Canorous Quintet involved in other
projects? Is the band currently working hard on new material?
MH: Three of the members are involved in a project entitled Guidance
of Sin, and it seems like two of our members will leave us to
concentrate fully on this project, so I guess we'll have to find
two new members, if that's the case. Due to this problem we
haven't been writing much new material, but, as always, time
shall tell.
CoC: Tell me what film you would like your music to be the soundtrack
to.
MH: I think our music would fit as a soundtrack to the ultra-brutal
psycho heavy movie "A Clockwork Orange". I can't answer for my
other brothers in metal, but I think this movie best describes
the essence of _TOPH_.
CoC: Okay, Marten, that's it. The last words are yours, please
conclude as you wish.
MH: Thank you very much for your true dedication to A Canorous
Quintet, and for the interview. And to you people out there,
check out our albums and tell us what you think of them, and send
a whole lotta mail to No Fashion inspiring them to promote us
better and send us out on a tour, so that we can meet you all and
show the world what Swedish death metal is all about! And always
remember that metal is the law, stay true to metal.
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F L O W I N G M I D W I N T E R T E A R S
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
CoC interviews Anders Hidle of Tristania
by: Pedro Azevedo
Norway may be the land of black metal, but it's also the land of
female vocals in metal, or at least the country that produces the
most bands in the genre. Tristania are one of those, but the
symphonic metal with death growls and female vocals found on their
1997 self-titled debut MCD [CoC #27] and especially 1998's _Widow's
Weeds_ [CoC #30] indicates that Tristania are not an average band.
What follows is my e-mail interview with guitarist Anders Hidle
regarding what Tristania have been doing and what they plan to do in
the future.
CoC: In the past few years, several bands have decided to add female
vocals and symphonic arrangements to metal, like you have. How
do Tristania intend to stand out from the rest? What would you
say that you have which makes you special?
Anders Hidle: The basic idea behind adding female vocals and
symphonic arrangements to the traditional death metal
is to create "brutal music" with melody. The thing that
attracts me to these elements is the contrast that you
get between the heavy/brutal ingredients and the
calm/melodic parts. When a beautiful melancholic melody
line is being set up in anticipation of a heavy part,
this melody line becomes even more beautiful. It is
also important for Tristania to be a metal band -- now
and in the future. Morten [Veland]'s death vocals will
always be the most important vocal parts in our music.
When we recorded _Widow's Weeds_, it was very important
for us to make a record which wasn't a
"one-of-a-million" gothic album. We wanted our own
special sound, and I think we managed to achieve it.
One of the things that are special for Tristania's
sound, compared to the bands you mentioned, is the
violinist we used on the album. His name is Pete
Johansen, and he plays in an Irish folk band [from
Norway]. We are very satisfied with what he did on
_WW_. One thing that Irish folk music and gothic music
have in common is the gloomy and melancholic sound.
This guy gets his own sound on the violin, and you can
actually hear the Celtic sound on all the melodies he
performs on this CD.
CoC: From Norwegian bands such as Theatre of Tragedy and The 3rd and
the Mortal to Dutch acts such as The Gathering and Within
Temptation, how do you view the current scene of which you are
now part?
AH: I enjoy listening to all the bands you mentioned, especially
Theatre of Tragedy, of whom I am a big fan. As I said in my first
answer, Tristania want their own sound. Our band has often been
compared to ToT, and probably not without reason -- of course
these two bands have much in common, but the differences are also
quite obvious, in my opinion. ToT has much more doom influences
in their guitars. The vocals are also different: Liv Kristine
from ToT and Vibeke [Stene] have very different ways of singing.
Liv Kristine uses mainly a calm way of singing. Vibeke uses many
different ways of singing, especially powerful opera vocals,
which suit our music very well, I think. Besides, on Theatre of
Tragedy's latest recording there are no growled male vocals.
Raymond only uses the "clean vocals" now. So I guess the
similarities are no longer so obvious.
CoC: Your band name, Tristania, brings to mind sadness and doomy
music; however, you aren't an extremely doomy band, or at least
that doesn't seem to be your main concern. So how did that name
come up?
AH: It's true that the name "Tristania" refers to melancholy and
sadness. It's not a real word in any language (as far as I know),
but it is a result of the Norwegian word for sad (trist) and our
own fantasy. We sort of added an ending to that word. We liked
the sound of it, and there's also something that's very
important: it's a bandname that has never been used before. I
agree with you that we are not an extremely doomy band. But
making our music as doomy/sad as possible has never been our goal
(and never will be). Tristania's music has a melancholic and
gloomy mood, but that is because we like to express this kind of
mood in our songs. I think the music would have sounded quite
stupid if we said to ourselves that it had to be sad and dark and
all that when we were composing. I think it's very important that
the music's mood is something natural. So we don't try to make
the music as sad as possible, although we like a melancholic mood
and feeling in the music.
CoC: How was the passage from your self-titled EP to _Widow's Weeds_?
Did everything always go well with Napalm?
AH: Tristania has existed for over five years with different musical
styles, line-ups, and different band names. Today's line-up came
together as a band in the middle of 1996, and we work very well
together. In May 1997 we recorded our four-song demo, which we
titled _Tristania_. This was a self-financed album, and we aimed
mainly at getting a record contract. But it was also released for
sale, and 500 copies were printed. A couple of months later,
Napalm Records contacted us and wanted to sign us. We made a
deal, and we signed a contract for three full-length albums and a
re-released version of the MCD. It was re-released with a new mix
and a new cover. In December 1997 we recorded _Widow's Weeds_,
and it was released in early 1998. Our cooperation with Max and
Napalm has been great and we haven't had any problems. We are
also quite satisfied with their promotional work. We have already
been on one European tour with Haggard and Solefald, and also a
couple of festivals and stuff. So we are very pleased with Napalm.
CoC: Having re-recorded "Midwintertears" and "Pale Enchantress" from
your self-titled EP for _Widow's Weeds_, why did you leave out
"Cease to Exist"?
AH: Personally, I think that both "Midwintertears" and "Pale
Enchantress" are very good songs, and very typical Tristania
songs. "Cease to Exist" is also a good song, but this was more
like an experiment. "Cease to Exist" can be compared with
"Angellore" on our new album. These are not typical Tristania
songs, but music that we like very much. Personally, I enjoy many
gothic bands which don't have anything to do with metal. I am
sure, though, that Tristania will compose other songs of this
kind in the future, but the main thing will always be the
metal-related stuff. Besides, we were very disappointed with the
sound quality on the two songs, and we thought that they deserved
to be released with a better sound. I think that "Midwintertears"
and "Pale Enchantress" are like two brand new songs on _Widow's
Weeds_, compared to the MCD.
CoC: In your opinion, what are the main improvements shown on
_Widow's Weeds_?
AH: The main improvement is, as I said, the sound quality. We were
not comfortable with the sound we had on the MCD. On the new CD,
the whole recording process was totally different. We went to a
studio with much better equipment, and we had much more time (the
MCD was recorded in three days, and we used over a month to make
_WW_). Terje Refsnes at Sound Suite Studio is a great producer
and he is quite experienced in this kind of music. He has worked
with many Norwegian metal bands, such as Gehenna, Dismal Euphony,
Twin Obscenity, Malignant Eternal and Carpathian Forest. I think
he is one of the best [producers] in Norway in this kind of
music. We were very satisfied with the sound quality on _WW_. We
got what we wanted: a symphonic sound with punch and power.
Another difference on _Widow's Weeds_ is the variety in the
songs. The album contains all music from straight goth-rock,
represented with "Angellore", to melodic black metal, in
"Wasteland's Caress". This musical plurality is very important
for us, and something which we will hold on to in the future.
CoC: Having had a guest vocalist (for clean vocals), a guest
violinist and a choir available for the recording of _Widow's
Weeds_, did you have all the conditions you needed?
AH: We were very lucky with the recording of _WW_, because we know
many good musicians, and especially good singers. Osten, who
performs clean vocals on "Angellore", is a good friend of ours.
He has a magnificent voice which suits our dark-romantic music
perfectly. He is the singer in a very good goth band, by the way.
They're called Morendo, and come from the same part of Norway as
ourselves. The band is unsigned, by the way, so here's a good
advice for any label who wants to sign interesting goth rock
bands: sign them! Besides Osten, myself, Kenneth [Olsson,
drummer], Morten and Vibeke from the band, the choir consisted of
three more girls. These are friends of Vibeke's from the school
where she takes her musical education, and they are all really
good. Pete Johansen also did a great job with the violin, as I
mentioned earlier. We got many of the ingredients we wanted for
this album, but if I am to mention some other things that we
would like to add to Tristania's sound, it must be more strings
and classical instruments. Both cello and flute are great
instruments which we want to use on our next record.
CoC: I know you've been doing some concerts lately, namely with
Hagaard and Solefald. How has it been going?
AH: Yes, we went on a sixteen days long European tour with Solefald
and Haggard, and it was really cool. Great experience. We got a
very good response from the audience, and it was nice for us to
play for the people in Southern Europe. After all, it's them who
appreciate our work and buy our records. Our sales in Norway are
almost nothing compared to those in Germany, Austria and so on.
So we had a hell of a great time! One of the gigs in Austria was
filmed, and within a few months a live Tristania video will be
released. Another good thing about the tour was that the people
in Solefald and Haggard are great! We are already looking forward
to the next tour.
CoC: I heard that you are supposed to record a new album in February.
What can you tell us about that?
AH: Yes, we are working hard with the new material, and we will hit
the studios in the first week of February. We have planned to use
the same producer that we used for _Widow's Weeds_, and the
recordings are planned to take six weeks. Most of the material is
already finished, but we have a lot of work left, arranging and
stuff. It looks like the next album will be killer! We are very
positive... I think it won't disappoint those who liked _Widow's
Weeds_, but the music has also developed since the last album. I
think we have taken everything a step further. The musical
plurality will be even more important in the future. I think the
songs will be more different from each other than on _WW_, though
they will still belong together in a way. It will still be sort
of a gothic metal album, but, at the same time, so much more. We
will use even more session musicians, especially classical
instruments. So, everybody, keep your eyes open!
CoC: Any final words for this interview?
AH: Greetings to all the readers of the Chronicles of Chaos internet
zine. A big hello and thanks to everybody that went to our shows
on the European tour! We are looking forward to meet you again on
the next tour. Prepare yourself for the next Tristania album. I
promise we will not bore you!
Contact: mailto:anhidle@online.no
WWW: http://www.tristania.com
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S W E D I S H V A M P I R E T A L E S
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
CoC interviews Marcus Ehlin of Siebenburgen
by: Pedro Azevedo
_Loreia_ [CoC #22] was one of 1997's most surprising albums for
some people, mainly because of the female vocals and folk influences
included in Siebenburgen's mid-paced black metal. However, as you
shall see in this e-mail interview, Siebenburgen's own Marcus Ehlin
(vocals/guitar) doesn't find those components very important in their
music, which may explain why they weren't really developed in their
second album, and follow-up to _Loreia_, 1998's _Grimjaur_ [CoC #31].
Below lie some details about what Siebenburgen is about, their
current situation and future plans.
CoC: I know that Siebenburgen is supposed to be the ancient name of
Transylvania, while several of your song titles relate to
vampyrism. What is your connection to that subject and how
important is it for your music?
Marcus Ehlin: Yes, that's correct; Siebenburgen is the old European
name for Transylvania. And yes, most of our lyrics deal
with vampires and vampyrism. I am very interested in
both vampires and vampyrism, and that's why most of our
songs are related to this subject.
CoC: What exactly is the story behind _Loreia_ and _Grimjaur_? I
heard they are supposed to be based upon Swedish folklore, but
what stories do they tell?
ME: They are not based on Swedish folklore; most of them are about
legends and myths from a fantasy world called Grimjaur, which my
ex-girlfriend Mara has created. Until now, Mara has written
almost all of our lyrics, but after our split I will take care of
the lyrics. _Loreia_ is the name of a vampire queen in the land
of Grimjaur, and the translation of Grimjaur is midnight.
CoC: Why did the band choose to sing in Swedish? Will you continue to
do so in future albums? I noticed that some of the new song
titles are in English...
ME: We started to sing in Swedish, and it just went along in that
direction. After _Grimjaur_ I wrote some lyrics in English and I
thought that they were too good to just throw away. Therefore, we
decided to include them on our upcoming third album.
CoC: How did the inclusion of vocalist/violinist Louisa Hallstedt in
Siebenburgen happen? Was she part of the plan to create this
precise kind of sound with Siebenburgen, or did things just
happen by accident? Did you always intend to have a sort of
black/folk sound?
ME: Since the start of the band I had ideas about mixing female
vocals with our music. When I met Louisa, she seemed to be the
right person for this, but after a while the two of us didn't get
along like we did in the beginning. Therefore I decided to end my
work with her, and start searching for a new girl. We haven't
found a replacement for her yet, but I have contact with some
people that are interesting, whom I will meet very soon.
Siebenburgen isn't a "black/folk" band. We play metal, that's it.
CoC: How important would you say she, or any female vocalist in
general, is for the band?
ME: Not very important; it's not like we are building the music
around female vocals, it's the other way around.
CoC: I noticed that Louisa's participation in _Grimjaur_ wasn't as
important, in a way, as in _Loreia_. I mean, she only
participates in a few tracks, and, except for the last song, her
participation isn't quite as striking as in _Loreia_. Do you
agree? Why did this happen?
ME: Yes, I agree. Louisa's parts on _Grimjaur_ are quite bad. That's
one thing that made me end our work with her. She had lost her
interest and she was only into making money.
CoC: What are your main concerns as you plan another album? What
would you like to see changed relative to your first two albums?
ME: We don't "plan" songwriting or albums. When I write music, I
never know what the final result is going to sound like.
Everything changes all the time. The only thing we "plan" is the
recording. So what I would like to see as a change from _Loreia_
and _Grimjaur_ is, first of all, a much better sound quality. And
that will happen with the next album, since the guy we will work
with is very professional and has bought tons of new equipment.
But, of course, some problems will always occur.
CoC: How have things been going in live concerts? Any plans?
ME: We haven't played many live shows yet -- about sixteen. But I am
pleased with them. We will go on tour again in May, but right now
I don't know where or with whom we are going to play with.
CoC: Napalm has a considerable number of black metal bands in their
roster. How do you view that? Are you happy with Napalm?
ME: Napalm Records is a very good label, they have always treated us
very well and always supported us. And I don't think that Napalm
has so many black metal bands under their wings. They had more a
couple of years ago. Right now, they only have about four or
something.
CoC: How involved in the black metal genre would you say you are?
Considering that you don't quite fit in "normal" black metal due
to your folk influences, do you consider yourselves to be
outside the black metal genre?
ME: I am not involved in today's black metal scene -- if there is any
scene left to talk about. There are hardly any great bands left,
I think. And what goes for Siebenburgen is that I have never said
that we are a black metal band. We play metal. I can't label
Siebenburgen.
CoC: What are your main wishes for the future of Siebenburgen?
ME: That this time the recording of the new album will go on without
any major problems. We usually have this "studio curse" that
follows us... <laughs>
CoC: That's it. Any final comments you'd like to add?
ME: Thank you for the interview, and STAY METAL!!!!
Contact: mailto:marcus.ehlin@mbox301.swipnet.se
WWW: http://welcome.to/grimjaur
WWW: http://home6.swipnet.se/~w-68002
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N O T H I N G B U T A B S O L U T E D E F I A N C E
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Chronicles of Chaos chats with Jason Netherton of Dying Fetus
by: Paul Schwarz
Crushing, violent, unrelenting -- brilliant. All terms very much
appropriate to Dying Fetus' most recent unleashing of sonic
brutality, _Killing on Adrenaline_, which was released at the close
of Summer this year by the band and Morbid Records, in the US and
Europe respectively. The band followed up with a run of touring
throughout the US and even some European dates. Additionally, they
caused both musical and actual havoc at the Milwaukee Metalfest, a
spectacle which I unfortunately missed. Dying Fetus have been a
growing concern on the underground since they unleashed their first
release, 1995's _Infatuation With Malevolence_ which collected two
earlier demos onto a single compact disc. _Purification Through
Violence_ followed and rose the band profile further, permitting them
to tour the States more extensively. Now, with the strength of
_Killing on Adrenaline_ behind them, Dying Fetus are in a position to
move to a new level of recognition and popularity. At present, they
are back in the grind of normal life for a while, recuperating from
touring and dealing with other concerns. This interview was one of
those concerns.
CoC: _Killing on Adrenaline_ is basically your third album, you've
been around for a little while now and you have an underground
following. What is the significance of this record, compared to
your others? Do you think it is significantly better, reaches a
wider audience, etc.?
Jason Netherton: It's definitely our best one, the best songwriting,
the best production and all that stuff. So it is
definitely a step forward for the band and as far as
a wider audience goes, the record label, Morbid
Records, helped that. They've taken care of a lot of
the promotion and distribution; we did a lot of that
ourselves in the past. Especially in Europe, they've
done a lot more for us there. We still do a lot of
the American work ourselves, we print the CDs
ourselves here.
CoC: In terms of press recognition, you guys got a recent write up
and picture of the album cover in Metal Maniacs, you got quite a
bit of notice for Milwaukee, the stage invasion. I hadn't caught
on to you guys until just recently.
JN: Yeah, a lot of people haven't.
CoC: So do you think, with all that taken into account, you could go
further with this record, that it will take you up to a new
level?
JN: Yeah, we definitely think the new album will take us to a new
level. The tours help and we set up our longest tours in the
States, 25 shows this time around. We book that all ourselves;
the Milwaukee Metalfest we set up at the last minute. The
European tour was set up by Morbid, they took care of all that.
On the tour we met a lot of people and got the chance to hang out
with a lot of people, too.
CoC: _Killing on Adrenaline_ is pretty fuckin' brutal musically and
you have quite an extreme, hard edged political stance too, with
stuff like "Absolute Defiance". Is that the way you guys like to
make music, with brutality in the music -and- the lyrics?
JN: The lyrics are my department, whereas the music's mainly John's
department, with the guitars, etc. I wrote one song on the album
["We Are Your Enemy"], he wrote the rest of them. We've always
wanted to play this kind of music. We don't concentrate on
writing brutal songs, we write songs which are catchy. We like
it, that heavy soynd, and we're glad it comes out that way. As
far as the lyrics go, I like to keep them interesting, too. Half
of them are more kind of traditional death metal lyrics, I guess,
along the lines of anger, frustration, pain. The other half are
more politically oriented, that's because that's what I study at
university, the international global economy. I like to take that
kind of stuff and put it into lyrics and make it more accessible
to play to a wider audience. To make them take the lyrics and
bring them down to a more personal level, I guess.
CoC: It kinda steps up the intelligence factor, stuff like "We Are
Your Enemy": "No one left in peace, a policy of mandatory
greed..."
JN: That's something I feel very strongly about.
CoC: The technical stuff is one of the things you are noted for.
You've got the groove and the catchy riffs, but you've also got
quite a lot of technicality in there, the twinges in it, the
higher bits. Do you think that has become part of your
"trademark" now, do you think you've developed more of your own
style?
JN: I think we always had that to a certain extent, and now as a band
we've grown a little more and become even more critical with our
songwriting. We always like to make sure that songs flow
naturally, all the riffs go together, everything is in key,
nothing is off with the time changes. We concentrate on that a
lot. That includes keeping it interesting, to have technical
parts, groove parts and maybe even like a hardcore style, we just
wanna keep things interesting. We're lucky enough to have John,
who's really talented and can do a lot of the more technical
stuff. We've always had a little bit of technicality in there;
not really as technical as it sounds, though. It sounds that way,
but a lot of it is pretty basic. We've been playing for about ten
years and John's been playing guitar for about fifteen and that
is about where I guess a musician should be. We're not really
that exceptional. The drummer is pretty good; I consider myself a
pretty average bass player, 'cause I just follow a lot of the
guitar stuff. I can handle all the bass, no problem, but as far
as doing funk or slap I'm not what you'd call traditional.
CoC: As a band, do you think you'd ever go one step further than
catchy riffs and use keyboards or different vocals, or do you
think you are going to just stick with these basic elements and
twist them around a bit?
JN: If we ever release an album by Dying Fetus, it will always be in
this style; if it changes it all, it would have to be under
another name.
CoC: Like a side-project?
JN: Well John has a side-project and he is doing that right now, full
time as a matter of fact. We're not going to be writing new stuff
'till next year.
CoC: What was the reason for doing the Integrity cover "Judgement
Day"?
JN: John listens to a lot of hardcore. He liked the song a lot and he
thought if it was done again -- it was written around '91 and the
guitar sound is a bit thin [on the original]. We thought if it
was done in a heavier, death metal style it would come across a
lot more powerful. Plus, we had seven songs and we decided to do
another one and have an eight song album.
CoC: It's interesting, 'cause a lot of death metal bands would do a
thrash or death metal cover but not a hardcore or punk cover. I
think a lot of people will be surprised to find out that the
track is by Integrity.
JN: That's 'cause John is a lot more into hardcore these days. He
listens to more hardcore and goes to hardcore shows. He loves to
play death metal, but he's not really getting satisfied with what
is out there, so he's turned to hardcore.
CoC: You've toured, you've put out the album; in terms of the band,
how do you guys work, do you like to put out albums or do you
like to go on tour?
JN: We definitely love to tour, but we are really constrained by
other priorities. Of the other guys in the band, John and Brian
both play full time, they're in their late twenties now and they
can't really afford to take off and travel around the world every
Summer. We've been lucky enough in that we've managed to tour. We
did a tour in 1996, three weeks in North America, and this Summer
we were lucky 'cause we managed to put together back-to-back
European and US tours. Right now, it is looking like we won't be
able to tour until maybe 2000 and something. Certainly not for
more than four or five weeks.
CoC: So if you got offered, say, part of the Morbid Angel tour, you'd
think about it?
JN: Yeah, we couldn't do it now because we just did it. Maybe next
Summer, we're thinking about going out on the west coast.
CoC: The problem with playing a style of music which isn't so well
sold is that you still have to work.
JN: You do it for fun.
CoC: It's almost not even a "professional" career.
JN: It's a hobby for us.
CoC: OK, say this album gave you quite a bit of popularity; if it got
you a bit further, would you change your style a bit, make life
easier, do you think that would be an option?
JN: I don't think that, for us, a change in style would necessarily
improve our sales. People like us for what we are, if we changed
it all, it would have to be another band or something. We've
always been this way, since 1992.
CoC: There is a small following of bands trying to get death metal
back now.
JN: I'm really not too impressed with a lot of bands now.
CoC: Any bands in particular which you do or don't like?
JN: I like a lot of stuff, I like the new Cryptopsy a lot, we've
always been friends with them. A lot of bands, I can't really
think of any off the top of my head.
CoC: What kind of stuff influenced you to do Dying Fetus originally,
what did you listen to when you were growing up?
JN: Well, we grew up in the '80s and we listened to a lot of metal.
We were into Iron Maiden and stuff, Alice Cooper, and we just
kept getting into heavier and heavier stuff. We had a thrash band
in the late '80s early '90s and we left that to form Dying Fetus.
Along the lines of Death, Dark Angel, Deicide, Terrorizer, we'd
just heard Suffocation then.
CoC: So do you hope that you inspire a whole new generation of bands?
JN: Well, I think it's great [if we do that]. Definitely. We spend a
lot of our free time putting energy into this music and when we
do find out that people are really getting into it and really
giving us respect for it, that's really special. We don't see it
every day, we only hear it every now and then.
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
G R I P P I N G W I T H S T Y L E
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
CoC interviews Grip Inc.
by: David Rocher
It seems that three full years after the release of _Power of
Inner Strength_, Grip Inc. are finally earning the recognition they
so strongly deserve as a competent, determined four-piece band, and
no longer as "Slayer's ex-drummer Dave Lombardo plus three
unimportant guys who also play in this project of Slayer's ex-drummer
Dave Lombardo". After _Nemesis_ managed to put great distance between
Grip Inc. and the all-too-large ghost of Slayer's style, _Solidify_
ventures further into the orientation that _Nemesis_ announced,
comforting the band's very personal touch. The following interview is
composed of two parts. Firstly, a greatly talkative, very outspoken
(and rather jolly) Gus Chambers answered my many interrogations
relative to the band and their excellent latest output; then, the
more introvert axeman Waldemar Sorychta -- who, if you recall,
started out in the thrash metal outfit named Despair, alongside
Century Media boss Rob Kampf -- phoned back to answer some questions
relative to his very personal playing style and his career as a
musician in Grip Inc., but also as the renowned sound engineer of the
Woodhouse studio.
CoC: How's the tour going?
Gus Chambers: Very hectic. We've had like three days of heavy
schedule, getting to bed at two or three and getting up
at five, but that's okay -- we can do that. But a sad
thing is that every time I come to Paris, I'm either
very tired or very hung-over, and I can't enjoy it so
much! <laughs> I wish I could come here and relax for a
couple of days, and have a good time, but ah -- you
know, I'm sure I will one day...
CoC: Hopefully! So, basically, what's gone on since the release of
_Nemesis_?
GC: Well, we toured for about six months on _Nemesis_. We wanted to
tour more, but the business is what it is, and we were supposed
to go on a big tour -- I don't want to say who it was, but we
didn't get the tour. We were waiting and waiting to do Europe
again, and it didn't come through, and then we were supposed to
go to Australia, and that fell through too. So, at the end of
'97, we said "forget it, we're gonna start working on the new
album", and well, we started working on that in January, I think.
We recorded it and it was all complete in September this year,
and now we're ready to go out and kick some ass! <laughs>
CoC: Where and how did the recording of _Solidify_ take place?
GC: Well, we recorded it in Hagen, Germany, again. You know, we've
done our last three albums there, and we're quite happy with this
place. Sometimes it's a lot to do with the budget too, and it
makes good business sense to go there on the budget we get to
record an album, and we get a good product from there, too -- we
would go somewhere else if we had a bit more money, I think, but
we like the Woodhouse, and the end result is good, and Waldemar
works there a lot too, so he knows the board and he knows all the
equipment, so we don't waste a lot of time.
CoC: The Woodhouse are the home recording studios for Century Media...
GC: Yeah, I think they go there a lot! <laughs>
CoC: You said you wanted to go and record somewhere else -- what
studios were you thinking of?
GC: Well, I was thinking about going to Miami, maybe -- I can't
remember their names, but we looked into them... Sometimes,
recording in the same studio, you fall into the trap of sounding
a bit the same, but hopefully we haven't done that, because we
worked hard on the sound and stuff like that. I think next time
we will go somewhere maybe like Toronto, where Fear Factory did
their last album -- somewhere out the way, though, because I know
if we go to a place like L.A., we'll get interrupted a lot, we'll
have people coming and "hey, let's have a beer!" and stuff, and
we like to really get down to business when we're in there, so we
sort of go off to where no-one knows us that well! <laughs> But
as far as the names of the studios are concerned, I really don't
know any, I can't remember! <laughs again!>
CoC: What do the lyrics on the various songs of _Solidify_ deal with?
GC: Well, they're a very personal side of me, I always write about
stuff that happens to me personally, or something that makes me
angry and I feel like I should approach it in a creative way, or
something that pisses me off. I usually sing about the darker and
more depressive side of life, but I find that in a way good for
me as a singer, to express myself, a good therapy to get it away
from me. And I think a lot of bands don't go that deep sometimes,
and I'm not the type of singer to sing about cars and dragons and
whatever, all the shallow things, I like to really get into the
song, and that means I have to sort of relate to the lyrical
content, so I get quite personal with it. And it's from a wide
spectrum of life, a lot of experiences that are basically from
life.
CoC: You were talking about the darker side of things -- what do you
think of all these bands that claim to be dark?
GC: I don't find that dark, actually, I find that quite silly!
<laughs> I can't relate to that stuff, I'm not into that -- it's
something I can't get into. I'm not dragging them down or
slagging them off, or anything like that -- I mean, good luck to
them --, but personally, I just don't understand that stuff.
CoC: On _Nemesis_, the song "Scream at the Sky" was about UFO
sightings and the way they're denied. Are you into this?
GC: Yeah, I am, actually. When I went to America, I actually tried to
get to Area 51, and I was turned away -- well, if there's nothing
there, why the hell are [they] not letting people go there? That
song really is more [about] frustration of certain governments or
certain agencies that are obviously hiding something; obviously
something's going on, but we don't know what it is, and for them
to cover up something like that, then obviously something's
there. But who knows what it is?
CoC: The titles of your various albums seem interesting; the first
one, _Power of Inner Strength_ is fairly straightforward, but
_Nemesis_ is a word for "revenge" -- what was the idea behind
this?
GC: Well, that was a kind of stab at the sceptics, because there were
always a lot of rumors about Grip Inc.; first of all, it's like
"we're trying to be Slayer, we're trying to copy;" there was
basically a lot of negativity directed towards us in certain
areas, so with _Nemesis_ we wanted to show we didn't rely on just
one formula, a thrash formula, and so we started going a bit more
melodic, we started using a lot of ambient sounds and stuff like
this to get more depth. Really, _Nemesis_ was like a "this is
your Nemesis, eat it all, leave us alone." And _Solidify_, well,
people say "did you call it _Solidify_ to show that the band is
one unit and everybody's solid?", and this kind of stuff, but
that's actually not what I was trying to get at. We all come from
different backgrounds, different cultures, different countries,
different musical backgrounds, different musical tastes, and what
we do, as musicians, when we work together, is draw from each
background a piece of us, what we get influenced by. And then, we
put it together and solidify it, basically, to make the good
sound. So, hopefully, it sounds a bit unique, in a way, because
when we do our songs, we don't want to sound like a "the flavor
of the month" type of thing, we don't want to jump on any trend
or any bandwagon -- we basically do what we feel and what's
coming from inside of us, instead of being trendy.
CoC: It seems that since _Nemesis_ you've really found your own
style, -the- Grip Inc. style, with which you're very
comfortable; how would you define this style?
GC: It was a natural progression, actually, it wasn't forced; over
the years, you either sort of fall to pieces, and it doesn't
work, or you actually draw tighter as musicians, and learn how
each of them is going to play, and how he can approach a type of
thing; because no-one in this band actually wags a finger and
says "right, this is the way we're gonna do it, and if you don't
like it..."; there's none of that. It's just four creative guys
and everybody has ideas, everybody has the chance to do what [he
feels], and if it sounds good and everybody's into it, then we
use it. As I said before, we don't like to use the same formulas
of music; on this one, we wanted Dave to play different beats and
different tempos and stuff like this, actually for him to
challenge himself too, because Dave's well known for his thrash
style, you know, "the double-bass guy". We just wanted to make it
more challenging and interesting, and hopefully people will like
it! <laughs>
CoC: Well -- I think _Solidify_ is good, I'm actually really into it.
GC: Okay, thank you very much, that's good news! <laughs again>
CoC: What is the cover going to be -- is it the photo of you there is
on the cardboard promo?
GC: Yeah, it's going to be that, but it's going to be a digipak. We
wanted to keep it kind of simple, we wanted to make it more
organic and with a less computerized, cold feel; we did that on
the _Nemesis_ album with the statues and stuff, and we wanted to
make it more simple -- we've never been into it, but a lot of
bands are into monsters and whatever... We wanted to keep it
really simple, basic, and let the music do the talking. Someone
said to me yesterday: "Hey, have you seen the new Metallica? It's
near enough the same format!" -- it's got _Garage, Inc._ on top,
with a picture! What a coincidence! I hope people don't think
that we're trying to do what they did! <laughs>
CoC: What exactly was the meaning of the _Nemesis_ cover?
GC: It's very deep, I think it went over a lot of people's heads.
There are three statues that represent certain Greek gods, and I
don't want to get too deep into it, but... erm, hmm <definitely
hesitant> -- I dunno, you'll have to ask the artist -- how about
that?! I completely forgot! <laughs>
CoC: It seems Grip Inc. are now finally earning recognition as a
band, and no longer as "Dave Lombardo plus three musicians". How
do you feel about this?
GC: You know, there are always a lot of rumors going around about
Grip Inc., "Dave's doing this, Dave's doing that, [Grip Inc.] is
a project"... but it's not! Me and Waldemar are basically the
main songwriters, and always have been; Dave does contribute to
the songwriting process with his drumming style, of course, but
well -- Dave's had a lot more success and a lot more notoriety
than us, and of course people will hook into him before us, but
hopefully the band does merit a little bit of [recognition? -- I
absolutely can't make out what Gus said here... -- David] --
there isn't just one guy drumming, I think the music speaks for
itself, now.
CoC: Sure. How is recognition globally going for the band?
GC: Ah... Tough. Japan -- good! America -- forget it; it's such a
hard scene, there... England, FORGET IT! Oh man, they hate us,
because we're not a part of whatever's going on -- you know, it's
all fashion over there. Heavy music, or real music as I call it,
is sort of cast aside for trendy bands, whatever's "in" at the
time... I'm an Englishman, but I don't really have that much to
do with these guys -- I'm really disgusted with the music scene
now, I think it's terrible; there are some great musicians who
are not being given the chance to do anything, it's horrible.
CoC: And in the rest of Europe?
GC: In Europe actually, France, for some reason I don't know, is
great, they really like Grip Inc.. It's a big territory for us,
every time we play we have a great time, the fans are real,
they're there for the right reason. Germany also, but I think
France is the main place in Europe for us -- I love it!
CoC: Last question: if you had the chance to write the soundtrack to
a film, what film would you choose?
GC: Oh God... <laughs> That's a hard one, because I haven't been to
the pictures for ages! Erm... well... I'll tell you what it would
be -- you know the Tellytubbies from England?
CoC: Erm... yeah?
GC: If they made a film, I think we'd do the soundtrack for that, how
about that?! <laughs>
CoC: <bewildered> Tellytubbies? <dubious> Right...
GC: Nah, I hate them! <laughs> No, actually, I think it would be a
horror film like "Hellraiser" or something like that, or
something with a lot of suspense in it, maybe... Yeah, something
like that -- I don't really know! That's a good question, because
I've never been asked that before! I know Waldemar is really into
soundtracks and making music like that -- I'm going to tell him
to call you back!
CoC: Last words?
GC: To everybody that did buy the album, I just want to say thank
you. We will be here, in some way, shape or form, and we really
do appreciate the fans and we'll see you in the new year. Thank
you very much! Keep rocking!
[Shortly after, Waldemar Sorychta calls back.]
CoC: So, you and Gus are the main songwriters in Grip Inc....
Waldemar Sorychta: Yeah, Gus writes all the lyrics...
CoC: ... And you deal with the music, so what are your musical
influences?
WS: Actually from everywhere, I listen to a lot of different styles,
and it is not just one style which gives me ideas; but I'm not a
person who is picking from [music] -- if there's something I
like, I absolutely don't try to do it the same way; it just gives
me some impressions. I'll just tell you, for example, about the
guitar style; I'm a guitar player who is known for playing this
hard kind of music, but my biggest influences are actually in
Spanish flamenco guitars, they are my biggest actual influences
for guitar, because I think that flamenco guitar is the most
aggressive and emotional, and also rhythmical guitar style of all
different styles when you take rock, or blues, or jazz. Flamenco
is the most aggressive and living guitar, I'm really into it; I
don't have idols like other guitar players have in Ritchie
Blackmoore or whoever in metal or hardrock guitar players. I like
to listen to a lot of different things, but they don't actually
give me that thing that flamenco guitar does. It's the same with
songwriting -- it's not like "I listen to different styles, they
influence me and I sit down to do the same thing"; it's just that
everyday I go through different moods, everyday you're at least
one day older, and you're constantly moving forward, at least
that is the supposed to be the way you are, as a human being,
moving forward, and not back -- and that gives me enough
influences for my songs. When I'm really pissed off about
something, I come with ideas that are very aggressive; when I'm
sad about something, then songs like _Human?_ come out.
CoC: When you play a solo, you're not backed up by a rhythm guitar,
which I guess is the way you sound live. Have you ever
considered having a second/rhythm guitar?
WS: Actually, when the band started to exist, we had another guitar
player, Bobby Gustafsson, who was an ex-Overkill [member]. I've
all my life been used to play with two guitar players, and after
the split with him, we started practicing with just three people,
and I started getting used to it, it gives me a kind of freedom.
Everyone is individual -- guitar, bass, drums, vocals -- and
everyone is doing this very well, 100%. Sometimes, with two
guitar players, you may have kind of conflicts in your band,
about who is better, who writes better songs and stuff like that.
So, that gives us freedom to do what we want, as a band -- we've
got used to it, and it actually feels very good.
CoC: Gus told me you're pretty much into soundtracks...
WS: Yeah, I listen to soundtracks, and I'm a guy who is constantly
making music; I've been playing the accordion and the piano since
I was six years old, so it depends on the mood which I'm in, I
don't come home and tell myself "OK, now I'll do a song for Grip
Inc., which will be fast and aggressive." That way, it won't
work; I come home, and get influence from what happened to me,
and put my emotions into music. Depending on the day, I'll sit
down and write a piano song or a song which is actually meant for
an orchestra -- but I don't have an orchestra at home, so I get
close to that by just using keyboard sounds. Sometimes, I'll just
write a rock song using a clean acoustic guitar, and sometimes
I'll be in the mood to grab my electric guitar and play some
aggressive songs.
CoC: You're as renowned for your participation in Grip Inc. as for
your work in the Woodhouse studios; do you and Gus share the
same opinion on the black metal question? On the whole, what do
you think of the bands you produce?
WS: The black metal acts I've produced so far are Samael and Alastis.
I see big potential behind those people, although in the
beginning, I didn't agree with this image they were giving
themselves; but then I met them, and saw that they're very nice
people -- because your personality is the most important point. I
don't care what you believe in, as long as you don't hurt other
people with your beliefs and respect others', so I don't care
about what they believe in -- Satan, God, or whatever. The worst
belief is what all the western countries are getting into, that's
believing only in money, that's the worst belief you can have.
CoC: That's all from me; the last words are yours...
WS: Thank you very much!
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
K E E P I N G I T S A N E
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
CoC talks to Crack Up
by: Adrian Bromley
Most bands nowadays feel the need to go with the flow, follow
trends, and/or make music that'll sell records. Bands gear themselves
towards making music that is far from original. Their intent? To put
money in their pockets, in the process ripping off the music buyer by
giving them merely re-hashed or uninspired material. Those bands are
very common in this industry, but there are many out there that do
this "music thing" for the sheer love of it. Germany's Crack Up is a
prime example of this. This band couldn't care less about making the
big bucks; rather, they are into making music that'll keep them
fascinated with creating music.
Now, onto their third record, _Heads Will Roll_, (their second
for Nuclear Blast and follow-up to 1997's ultra-cool _From the
Ground_), Crack Up continue on with their death n' roll groove, but
with a dash of detonating death metal tendencies. It's rough, it's
ugly, but oh-so appealing to the ear. Your ears will bleed blood red
as _Heads Will Roll_ keeps kicking you with its attitude in the shape
of a thick-laced boot of metal.
"This was a lot of fun to make," says bassist/singer/songwriter
Tim about the truly fun, grooving vibe of _HWR_. "This record just
seems to radiate our feelings and ideas that we brought into it. This
is truly us. The songs fit more to our characters now and that allows
us to really let things go with the music."
And as for having a fresh sound as a relatively young, unknown
band? Must be hard, right? "It is very difficult, especially in
Germany and Europe. It's hard for other types of metal to exist
anymore when all there is right now is heavy metal [i.e., retro] and
black metal. It's a lot harder for a band like us to get anywhere
'cause of the music we play. We could easily do well, but that would
mean we would have to jump on a trend, and we don't need to do that.
Enough bands have done that already. We have chosen the way to do
things and it is the -only- way we will do things. We try to showcase
in our music and our attitudes that what we do is the best thing for
us. No need to bend any certain way; Crack Up is Crack Up."
"It's a lot of work and fun for us to make music. We try to
really do things our way rather than take ideas from other bands and
reproduce them within what we do. Why would we bring some other genre
band's style into our music? It just doesn't seem right. A majority
of the material you hear here came from us just jamming in our
studio."
And the cover songs that seem to come with every Crack Up
release? The band had a killer cover of L.A. punk band Fang's classic
"Money Will Roll Right In". The new LP features a cover of Viking's
"Next Big Thing" and Turbonegro's "Bad Mongo". Why those songs?
"'Cause they rule!!", says Tim enthusiastically. "Those two songs
were chosen because: a) we like them; and b) we find covering songs
helps in the development of our music. It moves [us] to make music as
good as the songs we cover. It's funny 'cause "Bad Mongo" sounds like
a Crack Up song, like something we would write. It fits right in.
Crack Up enjoys doing cover songs, and who knows? Maybe there'll be
an EP [of ours] with just cover songs on it. We'd like to do an Iggy
Pop song. I hope we can do that."
One thing that seems to run deep within the music of Crack Up is
the band's lack of technicality. That's not a bad thing, either. The
band has just decided to keep things on a simpler level for us metal
fans to digest. Call it sloppy, call it rough death rock, but one
thing is for sure: these guys like to keep things moving. No fluffy
guitar solos here, kiddies. "I appreciate a lot of what these
technical bands are doing nowadays, I just am not into it. I used to
be really into bands like Cynic, and some Death, of course, but as
the years go on and I am getting more into this business, and making
music, I find that you can express a lot more within your music when
it is simpler. It's also much more enjoyable for me to create and
play this music. I couldn't imagine myself playing music on a very
technical level. When Nirvana came out, they kind of changed things
and showed bands that a little went a long way. They had songs with
one riff and it worked. Many bands are out there playing simpler
music and we're one of them. We enjoy our music to be played this
way."
As for his take on today's music scene, he comments: "I dunno. I
am not too into what kind of music is surfacing nowadays. I hate all
of the heavy metal crap that is coming out right now and being very
popular. I like to listen to death metal, old death metal like
Obituary, Malevolent Creation and Vader. I don't think there are many
good death metal albums out right now, so I'm finding myself looking
elsewhere, too. I like old Soundgarden and am really into newer
hardcore bands like Hatebreed."
The topic turns to the label, Nuclear Blast, and touring. About
label support, Tim answers, "We are very satisfied with their work
and it's amazing how successful they are becoming over there in
Europe, seeing that they are a metal label. But being on a label like
Nuclear Blast is hard, 'cause as they grow, their expectations of
their bands do too. They look to keep bands that sell on their label,
like Dimmu Borgir, HammerFall and Manowar, and that is hard to deal
with at times. But on the other hand, we are grateful that they have
given us the chance to be able to put out our records. They don't
pressure us to be a certain way or anything. It's all us, and we
appreciate it. We have full control. Every band wants the best from a
label, but there are things that come along with this business and
you have to wallow [through] them and move on."
1998 was a busy year for the band. With recording a priority for
the band, they still found time to tour with a lot of respectable
partners: Unleashed, Hypocrisy and Benediction. "It was a great
experience for us," says Tim. "It was great to have a good tour with
Unleashed when the last record came out. It opened us up to a lot of
new fans. Other tours came and it was great. While _HWR_ is coming
out soon over there [slated for January 1999], we have already done
some tour dates with Dismember and Children of Bodom since the record
came out in October. We also did some touring with Death here, too.
We've been lucky. We are dying to come over to North America and
play. If there is any chance, we will do so. We are ready to go."
In closing, I ask Tim if it has all been worth it up to this
point. He answers: "Yeah. I look back at the development of the band
over the last few years, and I am proud of what we went through as a
band to mold us into what we are currently. We're a bit bigger now
than when we started off, but [we] still have some ideas to bring to
the band in the future."
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W I L D C H I L D
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
CoC chats with Alexi Laiho of Children of Bodom
by: Aaron McKay
More than a month ago, I had the distinct pleasure of speaking
with one of the two founding members of Finland's Children of Bodom,
Alexi Laiho. An accomplished, dedicated, and appreciative Alexi
answered question after question as I riddled him, one after another,
in an attempt to surface the undercurrent of greatness-tinged
mysticism that pervades Children of Bodom and their music. The band
has a unique symphonic metal torrent, present alongside a
neo-classical acuity [see CoC #32]. It is now my understanding that
the forthcoming effort by the group is presently being recorded and
has been promised a release date toward the end of February in
Finland with Europe soon to follow. Please allow yourself the
opportunity to experience Children of Bodom's splendor, if you have
yet to do so, but preface it with Alexi's following thoughts to whet
your appetite.
CoC: Children of Bodom have hit #1 in Finnish sales. What a terrific
accomplishment for the band.
Alexi Laiho: Yes, that's true. It's pretty cool. Especially in
Finland, we are becoming pretty popular. When we did the
album, and after we finished, I was convinced that no
one was going to buy this shitty album and no one was
going to like it, because I thought it was too black
metal for heavy metal fans and maybe too heavy metal for
black metal fans. So we didn't expect something like
this would happen. So, in Finland it is selling pretty
well. We released the single ["Children of Bodom"] a
couple of months ago and it went to number one in the
single charts for two months.
CoC: In a perfect world, would you have -picked- "Children of Bodom"
to be the song that the band is known for?
AL: I don't know. I think the best... Well, to be honest, I am pretty
sick of the whole album. If I had to choose, it would be the
first song, "Deadnight Warrior".
CoC: That's a great song.
AL: Thank you. It's always a compliment to hear stuff like that.
CoC: I wanted to ask about the intricacies of the band's music. It is
very heavy and extremely melodic. How do you work these two
styles together so well?
AL: I think that it is the musical influences. Maybe three or four
years ago, I was a die-hard black metal and death metal fan. At
that time, I liked only totally aggressive death and black metal
material, but nowadays I am more into older heavy metal, like
Manowar, Judas Priest and stuff like that. I don't listen to much
black metal anymore, but it is kinda my roots, so that is why our
music is still aggressive, but influenced with classical music,
too. I listen to a lot of classical.
CoC: I think that I read once that the name of the band and the song,
Children of Bodom, isn't necessarily about the history of the
murders at Lake Bodom (in Finland), but more like fantasy
combined with the history.
AL: Exactly.
CoC: Would you say that CoB's music is in a fantasy vein?
AL: No! Definitely not. Only one or two songs actually [are like
that]. When it comes to lyrics, and, I think, when it comes to
the music itself, I try to describe my own emotions at times.
Feelings like, sometimes, hatred and depression -- stuff like
that. There are many inspirations for me as far as the lyrics and
the music are concerned as well. Sometimes I like to do this
fantasy kinda thing, which is, obviously, like [Lake] Bodom and
the Children of Bodom. I think it would be pretty boring if i
would just scream my head off...
CoC: I think that the vocal style came across very well.
AL: Yeah, if we would say that we were a black metal band, then I
guess people would [ask] why the hell we sing like that. I think
that it's cool to do different kinds of vocals depending on what
part of the song is going on. Like if it is some melodic death
metal [part of the song], then I just do it.
CoC: I think that the way CoB laced the lyrics in made the songs
powerful and loaded with emotion. Is that how the band intended
the album to come across?
AL: Yeah, that's true. If I had all the lyrics for like [the song,
"Children of] Bodom", or some fantasy thing, I don't think that
it would sound so aggressive, like what you were saying about
what [one] thinks or what is going on in [one's] head. [That]
makes the vocals sound more powerful and aggressive, I think...
CoC: ... And "real". It makes the vocals sound "real".
AL: YEAH.
CoC: You and Jaska [Raatikainen -- drums] are original members of the
band. Would you mind giving the Chronicles of Chaos readers a
bit of the band's history?
AL: We started the band in 1993. In 1995, kicked out the second
guitar player because he was more into drinking than rehearsing.
Then the guy playing now, Henkka [Blacksmith -- guitar], turned
out to be a pretty cool guy; pretty good guitarist. Then I just
asked him if he wanted to joint the band. The other guy is a
keyboard player [Janne Wirman]. We started without one. We took a
keyboard player in '95, which is actually the same guy that used
to play guitar, which is pretty fucked up <laughs>. He played for
a couple of years, from 1995 to 1997. He was good and rehearsed
with us a lot. In 1997, [the band] became frustrated. We were
rehearsing like hell, but didn't get a record deal or anything
like that. Then he would mess around and not come to rehearsals
-- I don't know what the fuck he was doing...
CoC: Was the group becoming discouraged that it was not being noticed
by any big labels?
AL: Yeah. I totally understand that. I was quitting the band twenty
times all the time. I don't know, something just kept me going. I
didn't ever believe that anything would ever happen.
CoC: Now it has.
AL: I'm happy that it has.
CoC: Did you find it challenging to split your time between Children
of Bodom and Thy Serpent?
AL: Yeah! It was actually -too- challenging. So I don't play in Thy
Serpent anymore. I was supposed to be a steady member in the
band, but it just didn't work. I just didn't have time to play in
two bands which I like. Thy Serpent is a three-piece, I think,
right now, and they are going to play some gigs, I don't know
where, but I think I am going to play the gig [with them] too.
I'm not going to play on the album or anything like that. It was
actually total hell, for me, to play in two bands.
CoC: I can see that. You just decided to dedicate most of your time
to Children of Bodom, huh?
AL: Yeah. Now I play in a Swedish band called Synergy. There is
Jesper [Stromblad] from In Flames, Sharlee D'Angelo from Mercyful
Fate, and Kimberly Gross from Dimmu Borgir / Therion / Ancient.
CoC: Quite a line-up!
AL: It's pretty cool. I was in Gothenburg one month ago and we
rehearsed; got the whole album ready. It will be released next
March or something like that. I think [Synergy] are going to be
pretty cool. Definitely not black or death metal; it is like pure
heavy metal. I'm just doing the album. I'm not going to be a
steady member or anything like that.
CoC: I noticed that you got picked up by Spinefarm, was it three
years ago?
AL: Just a year ago, actually. We signed with Spinefarm and have a
license deal with Nuclear Blast. Even before we released this
album, we played a gig supporting Dimmu Borgir in Finland; there
was one guy from Nuclear Blast, just watching the gig. He saw our
gig first and said to [our] label manager that [Nuclear Blast]
wanted to sign us on a licensing deal or something like that.
It's working pretty well. I think it's pretty good for us to be
at this point. Spinefarm is a small label, but it's big enough to
do the promotion in Finland and Scandinavia. It's kind of like
they are a small label and we are kind of a big band for them.
They treat us pretty well and take care of us. If we were just
[on] Nuclear Blast, then I think that we would be just another
Nuclear Blast band. They have a lot of bands. They are really
good [with] promotion when it comes to Dimmu Borgir, HammerFall
or bands like that, but there are too many bands that Nuclear
Blast doesn't do anything for. But they have done pretty good
promotion for us.
CoC: I think that they've done a good job with promotion for you
also, especially since I owe them a great deal of credit for
this interview. It certainly appears that they are pretty well
behind Children of Bodom.
AL: Yeah.
CoC: Do you have any sense of how it is going with promotion over
here in the States?
AL: I don't know. I don't have a clue. It is impossible to think of
what is happening [in the U.S.]. It feels just like another world
to me. At this point, I am interested in how it will be, in
Europe, like in Germany. The response from Germany has been
really cool. I think [the album] will sell well enough. I don't
know about the States. It seems like these Florida bands are
popular there, like Death or something.
CoC: Death has -always- been big over here. I think that the States,
in a lot of respects, tend to follow what the European trend is,
especially for the type of genre that you guys are in. With any
luck, we will follow suit and we will get to see you guys over
here.
AL: I hope so.
CoC: I hope so, too. Spinefarm put CoB on a sampler with Cryhavoc and
Wizzard. Do you have any feel on how that sampler is doing, for
Children of Bodom in particular?
AL: That is the single, "Children of Bodom". The single is doing
well, being at #1 on the single chart in Finland, so it is doing
well.
CoC: Do you have any opinion of the other bands that you are on the
sampler with?
AL: Yes. Cryhavoc -- I like it. When they had their old singer -- I
like it. I think it is cool. The other band, Wizzard, to be
honest, I don't really like that <laughs>. Yeah, I think Cryhavoc
is cool.
CoC: Any tour plans, particularly in the United States?
AL: Actually, we are going to do an European tour with Dismember,
Gorgoroth, and a Swedish band called Raise Hell, that got signed
to Nuclear Blast. We are going to play Germany, Austria, etc..
CoC: Is the tour a couple of weeks long?
AL: It should be three weeks.
CoC: That tour should help get Children of Bodom's name out there.
AL: I hope so.
CoC: If you could pick any band that you could hit the road with, do
you have any idea who that would be?
AL: That's a hard one. I think that it would be pretty cool to tour
with Hypocrisy again. We toured with them before. Maybe some big
band, Manowar. That would be cool. Is black metal popular [in the
U.S.] right now?
CoC: I think so. Black metal is finding its own niche here, like
Absu, from Texas, are as big as black metal gets in the States.
I think that a helluva package tour could be put together to go
through the States. Does Children of Bodom draw a lot of
influence from Manowar?
AL: Yeah! I'm a die-hard Manowar fan and I guess that almost
everybody in our band is... We have influences from them.
CoC: Is there anything you would like to say to the readers of
Chronicles of Chaos?
AL: All I have to say right now is just check out our album. I think
that it is really weird to think that it could do well in the
States, but I hope it will.
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M I S F I T S O F T H E M A I N S T R E A M
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
CoC interviews California's Drown
by: Adrian Bromley
If Drown lead singer Lauren had any control over things, every
corporate whore and reject in this music business would have their
throat checked and their head crushed beneath his boots. The music
industry hasn't been fair to California act Drown over the past few
years and I'm pretty sure Lauren would love to vent some frustration
on some unexpecting label hussy.
Instead, despite band turmoil and label jumps, and with true
dedication, the band releases to the world their long-awaited
sophomore effort _Product of a Two-Faced World_, proving to all that
Drown had not gone away -- they just regrouped and organized and a
better battle plan.
Singer Lauren starts over the phone from a truck stop somewhere
in Nevada: "This record is two years in the making. It was a strained
birth if you will, but we are glad just to see it get the light of
day. It was a whole mess for us over the last little while [in short:
leaving Elektra after their debut disc and onto nonexistent label
support from Geffen, which lead them to hook up with Slip Disc
Records / Mercury]. It's surprising for us after all the bullshit to
have this out and [be] touring the material."
"We have an urge to go back into the studio and work on
something new," says Lauren. "This record was a lot of work. We
recorded thirty two songs for it and only thirteen made the record.
There are several songs we are working with for the new LP, like six
or seven new songs, so it shouldn't be that hard to get something
going. Writing music is something we don't lag on. My music is a
soundtrack for my emotions. It comes out the way I'm feeling. I'm
happy to be making music for people to understand and enjoy."
With other members (bassist Sean E. Demott, guitarist Patrick
Sprawl and drummer Marco Forcone), Drown is gearing up to face the
evolving industry with a fist of fury. No more bullshit. They stand
firm and will not be broken like many other bands who litter the
wayside of this business. "It's a curse to be still doing this,"
laughs Lauren. "No, really... growing up, music was the only thing
that ever really got me out of bed and going. I dunno, it just moved
me and it still does. For me, this is a part of what I am and what I
do. It's strange to imagine doing this for as long as we have [the
band began in 1989], but it's been a learning experience."
About being in limbo with this record, he says, "It's been an
interesting few years with this record and its material. Every time
we had something going [i.e., Geffen] the timing or something did not
work out. We thought about scrapping this material and putting out an
EP, but felt strong with what we had. This whole label thing
irritates me. For as much as I am concerned, Geffen has their heads
up their ass, as do many other major labels nowadays."
As for signing with SlipDisc, "It was the right choice. They are
an independent label and let us do our thing and be in control of how
things happen. It's great to be in control and we really are control
freaks. We like to know just what the hell is going on with our band.
It's great and all how things worked out, I just can't really say how
I feel about this industry anymore. It's just a mess."
For those of you not in the know, the music of Drown is a
concoction of severe grooves, monstrous guitar riffs and a real knack
for delving deep into a truly powerful noise arsenal. Potent, yet in
control. "It's hard to really pinpoint where Drown fits in," explains
Lauren. "I have been doing this whole thing since 1987 and I have
never given in to the trends. A lot of new bands that come out
nowadays only have influences that are a few years old. All of the
music they are creating is coming from music only a few years old,
thus making it fall into the same category as it sounds the exact
same. It's scary, but bands nowadays have no real style or ideas
going into their music. Influences are great to understand the art of
making music, rather than copying it. I can hear the influences of
most new bands out there in the first two tracks and that's scary."
He continues: "Take a band like the Deftones, for example. They
have been gigging for almost ten years and all of a sudden they are
big and all these kids start creating new bands that sound exactly
like the Deftones. Why? Why copy something that is already out in the
market place? And the sad thing is, labels sign them up because they
can. Record labels are brain-dead machines that have no idea about
what is going on anymore. Labels are jumping on way too late
sometimes, 'cause that wave they have jumped on has already made its
way to shore. Labels are just waiting for bands to get popular so
they can sign a band, just like that."
More in-depth about label control and aggravation, Lauren
comments: "When we were shopping material for our first album, labels
were telling me to write a song like Filter's "Hey Man, Nice Shot" or
White Zombie's "More Human Than Human". They wanted to put a tag on
what I did. Why would I want to do what those bands are doing when
they are already doing it? The way this business is built is
pathetic. Most people are idiots and looking for trends to follow.
Bands need to be innovative and get out there and do something
different. The problem is, labels are afraid to sign bands that are
doing something different. They want a sound that's already doing
something [sales-wise] out there. They never learn. See what we've
had to put up with?" He laughs.
As I end my conversation with Lauren, seeing that the band needs
to get to their gig after a short 20 minute break, he says with
sincerity: "I hate being in a situation where I can't do things my
way. It's been that way for the last little while. Enough of that, I
just want to play and make music."
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_____ _ _ _
| |___ _| |___ ___ ___ ___ _| |___ ___| |_
|- -| | . | -_| . | -_| | . | -_| | _|
|_____|_|_|___|___| _|___|_|_|___|___|_|_|_|
|_|
_____ _ _ _
| |___| |_ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___| |_|_|___ ___ ___
|- -| | _| -_| _| _| . | . | .'| _| | . | |_ -|
|_____|_|_|_| |___|_| |_| |___|_ |__,|_| |_|___|_|_|___|
|___|
A D I F F E R E N T S H A D E O F S O N N E T
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
CoC chats with Abigail
by: Alex Cantwell
Abigail are carving a niche for themselves in the vast global
marketplace of metal. They play a style which few attempt, relying on
atmosphere and melody as much as crushing heaviness, in evidence on
their debut, _Sonnets_ [CoC #33]. It is a cassette only release, but
that is its only limitation, because once the play button is pushed,
sonic brilliance ensues. CoC recently asked a few questions to lead
guitarist / vocalist Razvan Alexandru.
CoC: How long has the band Abigail been around?
RA: Abigail was born in the Winter of 1994.
CoC: I hear an obvious Paradise Lost influence in your music. What
other bands have influenced Abigail?
RA: Well, these bands are well known in the world: Anathema, My Dying
Bride, Depeche Mode, Cathedral, Sentenced, Amorphis, old
Metallica, etc.
CoC: I was impressed with both the sound quality and the playing on
_Sonnets_. How does being from Romania affect the band
financially, as far as access to good equipment and studios?
RA: This one is a serious question. If you don't have a job it might
not be possible to afford a good instrument or a rehearsal space.
We don't have good drums, but for rehearsals the set that we have
will do. Thanks to God, from our salaries we were able to get
good guitars and effects, as well as keyboards. The cost for an
hour in any of the good studios is basically low, around 14 US$.
But I'm working as a computer animator and I have the custody of
a medium recording studio that we use now.
CoC: So does Bestial Records have a corner on the market as far as
metal bands from Romania are concerned? Tell me about your
contract with them -- are you pleased with them?
RA: Our contract with Bestial Records is not a restrictive one.
Knowing the economic situation of Romania, they did not want to
constrain us. The contract is only a moral one. We have to give
them the recorded material and they have to release it. If there
are any profits (which there aren't), they are split between us.
Simple, huh? Rights? What rights? We produced this EP ourselves,
therefore we own the rights.
CoC: What is the metal scene like in Romania?
RA: Well, the metal scene in Romania doesn't exist for underground
bands like us. There are only a few old bands that are playing
all the concerts. I imagine that the only concerts we go to are
our own. We only see about three concerts per year.
CoC: What bands have you played shows with, and where?
RA: They were only Romanian bands from the underground, so that's not
very important.
CoC: Your lyrics seem to be interwoven with spiritual themes. Can you
tell me about that, and perhaps how the personal beliefs of the
band members affect the lyrics?
RA: The lyrics are written mainly by me and the only thing I can tell
you is that they come from my experiences. They seem sad but I
like to say that I'm an optimistic person.
CoC: Do you have any other releases besides _Sonnets_? Will _Sonnets_
be available on CD?
RA: CDs? Here? No way. If you want to lose some money, make some CDs
here. If you want some CDs, no problem, I will make a few for you
on my computer. We have three demos, but we are preparing that
material for the album, which will appear maybe in the Spring.
Anyway, Romania is not a good market for us, for our kind of
metal, only for black metal. So it is not hard for us to
understand why we have lower sales compared to any other band on
Bestial Records. At the moment, we wonder for whom we play. Can
you tell me?
CoC: What was the first metal band that you ever heard?
RA: Oh, it was a Romanian one in 1986. Some glammy guys.
Raz concludes with this: "Thanks for being interested in us, this was
a nice thing to happen to us. Stay interested and we promise we will
keep up the good work."
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_____ .__ ___.
/ _ \ | |\_ |__ __ __ _____
/ /_\ \| | | __ \| | \/ \
/ | \ |_| \_\ \ | / Y Y \
\____|__ /____/___ /____/|__|_| /
\/ \/ \/
_____ .__
/ _ \ _________.__.| | __ __ _____
/ /_\ \ / ___< | || | | | \/ \
/ | \\___ \ \___ || |_| | / Y Y \
\____|__ /____ >/ ____||____/____/|__|_| /
\/ \/ \/ \/
Scoring: 10 out of 10 -- A masterpiece indeed
9 out of 10 -- Highly recommended
7 out of 10 -- Has some redeeming qualities
5 out of 10 -- You are treading in dangerous waters
3 out of 10 -- Nothing here worth looking into
0 out of 10 -- An atrocious album, avoid at all costs!
Adramelech - _Seven_ (Repulse, July 1998)
by: Paul Schwarz (5 out of 10)
This release is my first experience of Adramelech's music. This is a
five track EP which is broken down thus: two new, one redone, two
live (from their last album _Psychostasia_, recorded on the Repulsive
Tour '97). The first three were obviously recorded together and
showcase a well produced and played, but ultimately rather stagnant,
brand of death metal. I am reminded of Broken Hope with yet more
inconsequential vocals. The music is never hyper-speed, involves lots
of double bass, non blast-snare blast beats and lots of low,
repetitive chord progressions with the rather insignificant vocals
adding nothing to the result. Leads tend to be rather uninspired and
overall the music has a dirge-like quality which doesn't inspire me,
and reminds me of the way Broken Hope's _Loathing_ failed to do the
same. The live tracks only offer differently arranged elements: the
style is quite the same, though the production is rather good for a
live recording, with slightly trebled drums but overall clarity. To
paraphrase "The Man of Steel", Adramelech are five to ten years
behind the developed death metal world; they need to catch it up in
(less than) one.
Agathodaimon - _Blacken the Angel_ (Nuclear Blast, 1998)
by: Pedro Azevedo (7 out of 10)
As a "soft" black metal album, _Blacken the Angel_ is just average;
but as a black/doom album, it can get very good. In the second half
of "Ribbons/Requiem", several parts of the fifteen minute long "Near
Dark" and most of the superb "Tristetea Vehementa", Agathodaimon
showcase high quality black/doom. The rest of the album, however, is
made of mostly rather unremarkable blackened metal. Not that there
aren't several good parts in these other tracks, but they're
generally neither harsh, extreme or simply good enough to match the
quality of the black/doom sections of _Blacken the Angel_. Therefore,
there are several tracks in this hour long album that should have
been merged into some sort of medley. The fact that keyboards (which
are so important in the three songs above) are less used in these
tracks doesn't help, either. Apart from that, the three black/doom
songs that I mentioned before fortunately total about half an hour,
which puts _Blacken the Angel_, overall, a bit above average --
mainly thanks to "Tristetea Vehementa". It could have been much
better, though.
Anasarca - _Godmachine_ (Repulse, July 1998)
by: Paul Schwarz (7 out of 10)
Anasarca have here a solid, listenable debut album which seems to me
to be the cream of Repulse's current crop. The label's description of
them as "a mixture of the grinding US and "melodical" European style"
of death metal is pretty accurate, and over _Godmachine_'s 40 odd
minute expanse one is treated to doses of each. Low-powerchord,
bass-heavy chuggings and their double bass backing in the Cannibal
Corpse-style is melded with, for example, Centinex-esque melodic
manipulations. The result, which is peppered with blast sections,
holds few more surprises, but is good within these boundaries. "Like
Thorns in My Head" and "Scorn" particularly, have riffs which stick
in the head and occasionally throughout the album there are parts
where all the right factors combine to evoke the kind of dark and
powerful feelings that death metal of this sort ultimately aims to
achieve. Though I am curious about what "pretentious and brutal
death/grind" (apparently the style of their earlier demo) is, I think
that Anasarca have probably moved forward to better things with
_Godmachine_. However, they are not, as is claimed, "The best German
death metal band", an accolade which I bestow on Impending Doom [CoC
#34].
Benumb - _Soul of the Martyr_ (Relapse, July 1998)
by: Paul Schwarz (8 out of 10)
Benumb produced mixed feelings in me. On the positive side, they do
not evoke memories of the stagnant "precise death/grind" or the
incomprehensible boredom of "white-noise grindcore". I think what
they are doing with the style is commendable. The band's approach
seems primarily to be the original spirit of grindcore -- play fast
and insanely -- mixed with some of the trademarks of hardcore, as
opposed to sticking to the punk which grind was founded on. They draw
vague comparisons to Brutal Truth (sadly now departed), though only
in style and not in excellence, as far as I am concerned. Benumb's
efforts to mix things up are successful and the multitude of sudden
stops, starts and unpredictable blasts is assailing and technically
impressive. The band have also bestowed the buyer with thirteen bonus
tracks. Twelve are taken from various 7"s, and one is an eight song
live performance. Though a minority of you may have most of these,
they are still easily accessible and double the CD's length while
only repeating a few songs live and none recorded. The result of all
this is a CD with very good value for tracks and a pretty
uncomfortable little journey into Benumb's world of blasting hardcore
grind. Whether I want to go there again, though, only time will tell.
Bethlehem - _Sardonischer Untergang in Zeichen irreligioser
Darbietung_ (Red Stream, 1998)
by: David Rocher (7 out of 10)
The third chapter in this German bands' career, _SUiZiD_ twists the
knife in the mean wound opened by the enigmatic _Dictius te Necare_.
_SUiZiD_ is a threnody of frightful sadness, that is borne by
haunting guitar riffs and bass lines, muscular drumming and the
terribly tormented, hateful, psychotic laments of vocalists Marco
Kehran and Cathrin Campen. Bethlehem don't use the presence of a
female vocalist as an excuse to massively indulge in sickly-sweet
vocal melodies, since Cathrin's chants are far closer to what you'd
expect to hear in the psychiatric aisle of a hospital than to what
you'll endure on a Theatre of Tragedy album... Voluntarily rare
despairingly melancholic interludes are inserted as purveyors of
illusive serenity, their sole purpose seeming to be to trap the
listener in the neurotic blackness of this unearthly moment of
"musical" perversion. _SUiZiD_ is furthermore graced with an ample
and powerful sound, and can very simply be defined as a strongly
addictive lethal poison.
Black Spiral - _Defeat_ (Broken Image, November 1998)
by: Adrian Bromley (6 out of 10)
First off, the sound of this nine-song CD is pretty bad, thus making
it hard to enjoy this band's music to the fullest. I still carried
on, numerous listens I did indulge in, and after that I actually
became quite interested in some of the work here. It sounds better
after a few spins, my friends. Anyway, through muffled production and
some less-than-perfect knob twirling, this three-piece manage to
salvage some moments while they play some really crusty thrash/death
metal that is a throwback to '80s thrash metal gurus Testament and
Sacred Reich. Overall, the guitar work is pretty good and the vocals
and drumming sound about average. Not a lot going for them in the
long run to break away from other metal bands in terms of
originality, but a good record to bang head to every once in a while.
Contact: 1143 Flagmore Dr. Katy, Texas 77450
WWW: http://web.wt.net/~turk1602/broken.htm
Black Sabbath - _Reunion_ (Sony/Epic, October 1998)
by: Paul Schwarz (8 out of 10)
Before I list the pros and cons of this record, I want to point this
out: a Black Sabbath live record featuring one entire show, with the
original line-up, reunited in 1997, in their hometown, should be
worthy of a 10 out of 10 from a Sabbath fan such as myself. I was at
this show (December 5th, 1997) and it was a momentous experience, but
I had problems with the set list and performance offered at the time,
and thus I have problems with _Reunion_. There are sixteen live
tracks on offer here. Twelve come from the first three Sabbath
records, only three come from albums four to six and there is "Dirty
Women" from _Technical Ecstasy_. I don't really like "Dirty Women",
so to me this is somewhat a waste of six odd minutes of valuable set
time, and I feel that albums four to six are unfairly
under-represented. Classics like "Supernaut" and "Wheels of
Confusion" from _Vol.4_ are missed and nothing from _Sabotage_ is
even played. There are two tracks ("Sabbath Bloody Sabbath" and
"Spiral Architect") from _Sabbath Bloody Sabbath_ (my favorite album)
and, though there are plenty more off this album I wish they had also
played, my main point of contention with these two tracks is the
performance given of them. Ozzy can no longer reach the high pitched
lines like "[...] the truth I want to know" in "Sabbath Bloody
Sabbath", and instead goes down an octave to sing them -- it is
disappointing and in some ways makes me wish they had just not played
these songs. Of course, from the twelve songs off the first three
albums I can't say any shouldn't have been included on a Sabbath live
album, it's just that I feel the band could have been more balanced
in their set list allocations. There are times when small mistakes
are made or Ozzy's voice cracks, but this is all part of the live
feel and doesn't dent the record's near unshaking musical excellence.
The crowd sound great and are amazingly loud (talk about patting
yourself on the back...) and Ozzy's comments and exchanges are funny,
giving _Reunion_ further live character. The two new studio tracks
are decent, though nothing to write home about, and I would suggest
listening to them in a separate sitting, as they otherwise totally
screw with the whole "live performance" feeling. Overall, despite my
gripes, this is a great live record documenting the show near
flawlessly and making you feel like you're there (again). It's also
quite a good record to play to those who haven't heard the band and
don't understand "what all the fuss is about". Even though I think
albums four to six are under/mis-represented here, this is still an
essential for any fan of classic Black Sabbath.
Borknagar - _The Archaic Course_ (Century Media, October 1998)
by: Pedro Azevedo (8 out of 10)
After the majestic and uplifting _The Olden Domain_, Borknagar return
with _The Archaic Course_. Garm has left the band; the new vocalist
is Simen Hestnaes, who performed lead vocals on Arcturus' "The Chaos
Path" and some backing vox on a couple other tracks on that same
album, _La Masquerade Infernale_. I'd say that Hestnaes is
technically superior to Garm, but he can't match Garm's emotional
vocals. Nevertheless, Borknagar still have a very talented vocalist
capable of doing a fine job with both clean and black vocals (which
aren't used as often as in _The Olden Domain_). The music is a bit
less harsh and emotional than before, but equally majestic (except
for the fact that Garm doesn't participate in the album) and perhaps
slightly more dynamic at times. It also contains a few more technical
details, a bit like what happens with the vocals. Borknagar show
their talent again, especially in songs like "Universal", "Witching
Hour" and "The Black Token", with melodies as remarkably catchy and
unusual as those found in _The Olden Domain_. The total length of the
album is a bit disappointing (less than 38 minutes), and the other
songs are, although still very good, slightly inferior to these three
-- otherwise, a 9 out of 10 would certainly have been given. Overall,
I still like _The Olden Domain_ a bit better, but _The Archaic
Course_ also has a good number of truly excellent moments.
Bride of the Atom - _Web of Spider_ (Broken Image, November 1998)
by: Adrian Bromley (7 out of 10)
This is quite the listen. Quite a unique ensemble of characters and
idea makers form the abstract sounds of Australia's Bride of the
Atom. Think ambient noise a la Skinny Puppy and the weird ways of,
say, Soma or Tribes of Neurot, add a really bizarre vocal style and
you've got a good idea of what BotA are all about. Hard to grip at
times, BotA is actually quite the listening experience if you can
handle the task at getting into it. In steps of moving things forward
at a smooth pace, BotA make sure their music grows as we go deeper
into the bowels of the record's creativity. Hard to believe the
momentum this band attains through softened vocal style and odd
timing of their musical instruments. Fourteen tracks shape this disc
into a wild journey for us all to take if we're up to it. Not for
everyone, but guaranteed satisfaction for those that actually want to
put things aside and let the mind wander off a bit.
Contact: P.O. Box 37, Armadale North, 3143 Victoria, Australia
Burn it Down - _Eat Sleep Mate Defend_ (Broken Image, November 1998)
by: Adrian Bromley (8.5 out of 10)
From the opening number "Kill Their Idols", noisecore / abrasive
hardcore outfit Burn it Down has you by the throat. Take deep breaths
people, 'cause the choke hold doesn't end 'till the seven-song outing
comes to a close. Ball-busting vocals take charge as the speeding
train bearing the name Burn it Down comes at us at high velocity,
roughing us up and knocking all weak things to the side. Does it get
any heavier than this? Just listen to "Slave Identity" or "Bed of
Nails". I think not. Why can some bands just reach a total state of
violent anarchy and vicious overtones, yet sound so cool and tight in
their groove? I'm baffled. Few bands manage to capture the
essentially visible, powerful traits that Burn it Down bestow upon
their music. Marked by sincerity in life and positive messages within
their music (unlike what Run Devil Run attempted to do), Burn it Down
paint the picture loud and clear and it's up to us to decide just how
we are going to take in their knowledge. A record with real edge and
real promise. Scout this one out, people.
Carnal Forge - _Who's Gonna Burn_ (WAR Music, September 1998)
by: David Rocher (7 out of 10)
Talk about vicious... Love it, hate it, or just ignore it, _Who's
Gonna Burn_ is one of 1998's most viciously mean, blatantly
aggressive musical bastards, an ultraviolent fusion of hardcore and
rabid Swedish death metal -- note that the shouter here is Jens Nyren
of In thy Dreams / Armageddon (RIP). Burnt deep onto this
testosterone-sweating CD are 29 minutes of raw, uncompromising
aggressivity, somewhere between At the Gates and Agnostic Front.
However, Carnal Forge, though convincing on the whole, seem to be
suffering from some kind of musical tachycardia, and _WGB_ shows
desperate signs of not really knowing how to ease off when it should;
besides, a weird mix makes the snare drum stand out a lot more than
it should, and when the music speeds up (i.e., most of the time), all
that can be heard is the irritating, continuous "whack-whack-whack"
of the snare over a muffled wall of undertuned guitars and bass.
Despite being the work of the very talented Jens Nyren, the vocals
unfailingly get in my face, as Jens sounds like he's struggling hard
with an overwhelming temptation to leap around like a very virile
uneducated primate (Phil Anselmo?) yelling "down in da pit!" and
other mosh-pit classics. Nonetheless, in spite of these very
blackened edges, don't underestimate this raw offering of
nearly-musical brutality; if you're the kind of person who sneers at
melody and finesse in music and enjoys tearing the heads off jelly
bears (oooh!), _WGB_ is the smack in the jaw you've been waiting for.
Decent material, but kind of unimaginative, and clearly below WAR
music's usually high standards.
Conquest - _Rage_ (Scream Productions, 1998)
by: Alex Cantwell (3 out of 10)
Have you ever heard Cerebral Fix's _Tower of Spite_? Remember how the
only good song on it was "Unity for Who?" and it was about two
minutes long? Apparently, Conquest have been listening to that
solitary album for the past five years, and have tried their best to
make "Tower of Spite Volume 2". Okay, so that's not entirely fair,
and I can't end the review like that. They also borrow the most basic
elements from Testament, in a stripped down, generic, garage band
kind of way, and vocalist Derrick Brumley often sounds like Ron
Reinhart (ex-Dark Angel, Oil). That's it. Somewhere, some guys are
sitting around drinking Keystone and saying "dude, this rocks".
Contact: Scream Productions, 6054 Odell St., St. Louis, Mo 63139, USA
mailto:questone@earthlink.net
Daemonarch - _Hermeticum_ (Century Media, September 1998)
by: Pedro Azevedo (8 out of 10)
"Well, well. So this is Moonspell's black metal side project, huh?"
Similar thoughts must have crossed the minds of many who used to like
Moonspell's music as they prepared to listen to _Hermeticum_ for the
first time. Having only really liked _Wolfheart_ and some of
_Irreligious_, and having disliked _Sin_, I wasn't exactly anxious to
hear this, either; but, noting that this is by no means Scandinavian
black metal, _Hermeticum_ is actually a good album. _Hermeticum_
basically sounds somewhat similar to Samael, but it's faster, less
technical and has less keyboard work. The fact that a drum machine is
also used here adds to the list of similarities, even though it
doesn't sound much like the one used on _Passage_ (mainly because its
output is much less complex). This is all very different from
Moonspell, except for some occasional parts (especially in "The
Seventh Daemonarch" and "Hymn to Lucifer"), although it's quite
obvious that it's Fernando Ribeiro who's doing the vocals -- which,
by the way, consist of relatively few clean parts and a lot of well
performed screaming. In fact, although the music isn't generally soft
or very melodic, it's the harshness of most of the vocals that stands
out. Overall, however, it's not as harsh as I heard it would be. The
quality level is reasonably constant, although "Of a Thousand Young",
"Corpus Hermeticum" and "The Seventh Daemonarch" stand out. Not an
amazing album at any level, but definitely far more enjoyable for me
than most of what Moonspell have been doing since _Wolfheart_.
Dargaard - _Eternity Rites_ (Draenor Prod. / Napalm, October 1998)
by: Pedro Azevedo (8 out of 10)
There are certainly plenty of ingredients here that are bound to
please many listeners who enjoy certain gothic elements in metal,
even though _Eternity Rites_ presents a lot of darkwave and no metal
whatsoever. The music produced by this duo is often beautiful,
although generally attempting to remain dark, and usually has a
somewhat medieval feel. Dargaard show how good _Eternity Rites_ can
really get when the crystalline female vocals entwine with a well
woven musical background, creating a beautiful and, in a way,
majestic result in tracks such as "Demon Eyes", "Down to the Halls of
the Blind" and "... Of Broken Stones". Things get really moody and
very well done in these and other songs, achieving quite an
impressive result. Nevertheless, despite the eerie intro (which
includes most of the album's few black snarls), the rest of _Eternity
Rites_ isn't remarkably dark -- there's just a somewhat dark
atmosphere surrounding most of the music. What's not so great about
all this is that the medieval touches occasionally get a bit too
folky ("Fuer Grissa Est Dranka", for example), and while this doesn't
necessarily ruin the songs, it does subtract from the overall
atmosphere -- what's worse is that some songs become a bit
repetitive. Still, this is a very good album that has the potential
to attract many metal fans.
Devin Townsend - _Infinity_ (USG/EastWest, November 1998)
by: Paul Schwarz (6 out of 10)
I, like a legion of Japanese devotees, very much enjoyed Devin
Townsend's last two offerings in the form of _City_, the second
Strapping Young Lad album, and Ocean Machine's _Biomech_ debut. He
masterminded both earlier projects, and _Infinity_, the first to be
cataloged as a "solo" album, is the third in this "trilogy" of sorts.
The story I got was that _City_ was the "bad" (the heavy aggressive
side) and _Biomech_ was the "good" (the melodic calm side), but what
_Infinity_ was intended to be was not clear to me. Unfortunately, I
feel that it is the "ugly" of this allusion. _Infinity_ sees Devin
manipulate melody in a way similar to the tactics of _Biomech_, but
the songs aren't as strong or effective, making the melody feel
almost token-like. I can only describe a lot of what I hear on
_Infinity_ as "weird". This is narrow-minded, I admit, but on songs
like "Bad Devil" and "War", things spiral in strange directions which
seem overindulgent and just don't excite me. Devin seems to
concentrating a lot on experimenting, at least with music that is
away from metal's mainstream, but he continually comes back to
catchy, somewhat poppy, choruses ("Christeen", "Wild Colonial Boy")
which somehow let things down. On _Biomech_, the melody really worked
for him; here, it doesn't. Overall, I am not a great fan of
_Infinity_, though the production is crystal clear and the songs are
worthwhile. My displeasure reminds me of my experience with Fear
Factory's _Obsolete_. An overuse, in unconvincing ways, of melody and
the incorporation of uncommon instruments for their own sake plagues
both releases. Ultimately, my problem is that I don't appreciate
Devin's chosen direction. I think he did the best he could in this
area with _Biomech_ and I would rather hear a new SYL album, or at
least music in that vein, which was more consistent and longer than
_City_ was. If Devin could write an entire album where all the songs
were up to the standards of "Detox" and "All Hail the New Flesh", he
would rule my world. _Infinity_ is as insignificant to me in the
scheme of things as the butterfly which adorns the back cover. Its
qualities of "beauty", at least in the common, conventional, popular
sense, are also comparable.
Diabolical Masquerade - _Nightwork_ (Avantgarde, 1998)
by: Aaron McKay (8 out of 10)
Most of the CoC readers will know Blackheim from his days with
Katatonia. While I confess that I am -not- the world's biggest fan of
Katatonia, Diabolical Masquerade is the true essence of why I enjoy
side-projects so much. Blackheim lets his Swedish black metal musical
expertise run absolutely -wild- on _Nightwork_. This release is mood
invoking yet calming, as the music devastates your unconscious self.
Listen after listen, _Nightwork_ consistently reminds me of a ransom
note. Pieced together haphazardly, yet devastatingly effective with
its message. Along with Dan Swano (drums / keyboards / FX / backing
vocals) at The Sanctuary, Blackheim pasted this musical ransom note
together as a horrific work of art. I will let Diabolical
Masquerade's music speak for itself, but if you are up to the
challenge of Blackeim's most intricate work yet, pay special
attention to track number six, "The Eerie Obzidian Circuz", for some
of the most killer black metal riffing and mind-numbing incantations
ever laid to music.
Dio - _Inferno: Last in Live_ (Mayhem 1998)
by: Aaron McKay (8 out of 10)
I can't help but like this guy. Fans of Henry Rollins' spoken word
albums will remember Hank's diatribe on Dio. "Black, black, LOOKOUT",
exclaims Mr. Rollins regarding Dio's favorite sayings. Henry
continues: "You know that the guy has been hammered -flat- by chicks
'cause he is like this little, evil gnome... There is one, usually
three, "evil woman, LOOKOUT" songs." That whole Rollins bit cracks me
up, but enough of that. This double live disc pretty much could be
summarized as a quintessential rock 'n' roll or metal album,
depending on your point of reference. Dio has released a very well
balanced package here. A couple of Black Sabbath pieces are present,
"Heaven and Hell" and "The Mob Rules", right along side my two
favorite new tunes from _Angry Machines_, "Double Monday" and the
incomparable "Hunter of the Heart" (the latter, arguably one of Dio's
finest). Of course the ol' standbys are here: "The Last in Line,"
"Rainbow in the Dark" and "We Rock". _Inferno_ showcases some
impeccable guitar work by Tracy G. and demonstrates a near perfect
recording and a very well laid out live disc. I will now take my
leave because "... the exit is that way; evil lurks. Evil lurks in
twilight; dances in the dark." If you are a Dio supporter or
contemplating your first Dio purchase, give _Inferno: Last in Live_ a
shot. There's a little something here for everybody.
Dissecting Table - _Life_ (Release, 1998)
by: Gabriel Sanchez (9 out of 10)
Once again, if there is any one word to describe Ichiro Tsuji and his
industrial/ambient/noise/etc. project Dissecting Table, "masterful"
would be the one that most quickly comes to mind. This is his second
output on the Relapse experimental sub-label Release and once again
listeners are treated to four new Dissecting Table tracks, clocking
in at just over 45 minutes. Much like his previous output on the
label, _Human Breeding_, the production value on this disc is much
higher than earlier recordings and therefore allows for a much more
dynamic and powerful Dissecting Table to come ripping through one's
speaker system. Featured on this disc are all of the Dissecting Table
standards: analog drum machine, electronic organs, synthesizers,
animal sounds, and some of the most inhuman, deranged and at times
hilarious growls and screams, all wonderfully mixed together to give
an actual sense of cohesiveness to the chaotic sounds used. While
some may choose to complain that Dissecting Table releases tend to
run together or sound overly similar, I personally find no reason for
such observations to be anything short of compliments. If more
so-called industrial or "experimental electronic" acts chose to use
even a portion of the chaotic and ingenious formula which Dissecting
Table uses so well, the genre itself would be all the better for it.
The bottom line is this is purely one of the essential releases of
1998, whether you are a fan of industrial or not. For the noise and
experimental fan, there is more than enough in both areas to satisfy
even the "hardcores" of the genre. This is easily my pick for the
best album of 1998, as it touches on and equally excels in every
extreme music genre out there. Highly recommended.
Contact: Relapse/Release, PO Box 251
Millersville, PA, 17551, USA
mailto:release@relapse.com
Driller Killer - _Reality Bites_ (Osmose, October 1998)
by: Paul Schwarz (8 out of 10)
Those crust merchants whose debut album was unsubtlely, but
appropriately, titled _Fuck the World_, return with this 40 minute
ordeal of aural battery. The album does not strike me as being
original, but, on the other hand, punk, and even pure thrash, I
suppose, is not about musicianship and innovation -- it's about
nailing a groove, turning up and rocking the fuck out. Driller Killer
have no problems as far as this goes. "Scream Suffer Die" is a great
opener and "God Forgives", "The Scum That Rules" and "Where the Sun
Never Shines" also stand out as particular highlights of what is a
pretty consistent album. The band utilize some nice solos and bit of
harmony and melody, but for the most part it's the simple, thrashing
punk riffs that dominate. Occasional blast beats show themselves, but
this band's attitude and feel is firmly rooted in punk before it goes
nuts and becomes grind. Add an uncredited fifteenth track which
comprises a half hour live performance and you not only have quality
but also quantity on offer. That, to me, seems like a pretty damn
enticing combination.
Drown - _Product of a Two-Faced World_ (SlipDisc, November 1998)
by: Adrian Bromley (7 out of 10)
It's been a while since I last heard anything about Los Angeles
outfit Drown -- I thought they'd disappeared. Guess not. Lunging back
into the noise/groovecore element of metal music, Drown has sized up
their talent and shaped it into an interesting array of song ideas
that not only are modern sounding, but a cut above the rest at times.
Led by screamer/innovator Lauren, Drown bashes its way through some
killer numbers (such as "The Day I Walked Away" and ""My Private
War"), rarely slowing down and losing the listener. What also makes
this a pleasant spin is the fact that not everything flows in sync.
It's a little messed up in places, making it a listen that takes some
getting used to. On the downside, I hear shades of Korn on this disc;
not a lot, but enough to see that the band needs to find new ideas to
spark life into this project. Granted, this record has material
that's two years old and a bastard child of label jumps -- I still
have faith in the future of this worthy quartet.
Epoch of Unlight - _What Will Be Has Been_ (The End, Oct, 1998)
by: Brian Meloon (8 out of 10)
Epoch of Unlight are from Tennessee and play an impressive variety of
blackened death metal. The description "an evil In Flames" would be
appropriate, although a little misleading. Their basic style is
melodic death metal, but with a black metal feel. Part of this black
metal feel comes from the chaotic and disjointed way that the music
is played. The drums are very busy, throwing in fills constantly, and
changing patterns (including some blast beats) very quickly and
often. There is often a strong decoupling of the guitars and the
drums, with polymetrics used frequently. In some places, the two
guitars, the vocals and the drums are all playing independent lines.
This gives the music a slightly sloppy sound, which, along with the
raspy vocals, yields the black metal comparisons. The production is
good, but it could use a little more power: the guitars sound a
little weak (adding to the black metal feel), and a thicker, denser
sound would've made the music more effective. Despite the album's
black metal sound, the guitar parts are mostly death metal. They are
moderately melodic, but not as hook heavy as bands like In Flames. In
contrast with the drums, the guitar parts aren't overly complex,
though they are inventive and interesting at times. Overall, I find
this a very good offering. At times it's a demanding listen, and at
others I find it a little lacking. Still, they're one band I'll be
looking forward to hearing more of in the future.
Various - _Feuersturm Vol. II: The Ultimate Storm_
by: Paul Schwarz (7 out of 10) (Century Media, December 1998)
Whether you can call this compilation "good" depends on how you
define "good" in the context of a 2CD sampler. It is a given that
this provides you with 27 tracks of metal; it is a bonus that a large
majority of these tracks are from bands I enjoy or whose music is
worth knowing about, like it or not. Though a Century Media sampler,
this features tracks from many labels -- Necropolis and Nuclear Blast
in particular seem to have had a substantial stake in it. All
positive so far; here are some of the snags. Virtually none of these
tracks are from albums not already out and none are unreleased. As a
consequence, there is no incentive to buy this as anything but a
sampler. This claims to be a definitive black metal compilation -- it
is not advertised or intended as simply a metal compilation. Quite
honestly, this seems to me false advertising. Cryptopsy, Hypocrisy,
Witchery -- these are not black metal bands. They may be good and I
definitely think they are more than worthy of a place on a sampler,
but to call them black metal is like calling Morbid Angel "The
Godfathers of Black Metal": it's a way to falsely make them trendy,
it's a tactic intended only to shift units. Since the task of
constructing a definitive black metal compilation is near impossible,
with all the different labels the various bands are on, I am not
really criticizing Century Media et al. for failing, but for trying
and presuming they had succeeded. Overall, this is a metal
compilation and it is a good one. It pits newer bands, many of whom I
was pleased to have the chance to sample, against more established
acts (some in a category I would term "essential") very well and thus
is a wide reaching sampler which will probably lead to some good
money spent and saved. Bands featured include: Cryptopsy, Dawn,
Gorgoroth, Cradle of Filth, War, Ancient Rites, Mork Gryning and
Limbonic Art, among nineteen others.
Frank's Enemy - _Illumination_ (Cling, 1998)
by: Alex Cantwell (7 out of 10)
I was really hoping that I could give this a higher rating, as my
expectancy level was high for this release after thoroughly enjoying
1997's _Neoblasphemies_. The production holds this release back quite
a bit, with songs mastered at different volumes, and some of the
guitar tones sounding like they were recorded inside a tunnel. The
all-out grind songs are just killer, played with an aggressiveness
and level of obscurity that only Julio Rey (guitar/vocals) could
create. Unfortunately, there are too many filler tracks which are not
grind, including the grind-infused punk songs that bassist Marc
shouts over. Overall, _Illumination_ does provide a fun listen. You
know you're in for a good time when the first track "Codebasher"
starts off with a samba beat and horns, only to be interrupted by a
full-on grind assault -- bbbbllllaaaaaaaaaeeeeeeeeeeehhhhhhh!!!
Contact: Frank's Enemy, P.O. Box 523899, Miami, FL 33152-3899, USA
mailto:silenot@safari.net
Various - _From Kaamos to Midnight Sun -- Finnish Metal Compilation_
by: Alex Cantwell (8 out of 10) (Little Rose, November 1998)
This is a compilation featuring all the bands that make up the lineup
of the fledgling label Little Rose. Immortal Souls kick things off,
and man, have they improved since their _Reflections of Doom_ demo
[CoC #33]. Some of the characteristics that gave them an original
touch, such as acoustic guitar playing along with most of the guitar
lines, are not present in these songs, however, and there is much
less doom and more of a lethal death/black attack. Manefestium bring
forth two new tracks, and both are along the same lines,
production-wise and music-wise, as their last demo _Dawn of
Domination_ [CoC #33]. These guys are making some good music, and if
you can believe it, are actually playing a style that I would call
Finnish metal; although I know it's not really correct to assign that
tag to Finnish bands, because there really is no factor that
determines what "Finnish metal" is, in comparison to "Norwegian black
metal", "Swedish death metal", or "the Gothenburg sound". Anyway, it
sounds freakin' Finnish, OK? Two tracks from Deuteronomium's _Street
Corner Queen_ [CoC #34] are included, and are probably the best
tracks from that CD -- the black metal tracks. The one track from
newcomers Mordecai is surprisingly good. A bit similar to Mythotin in
style, Mordecai play atmospheric black metal which also employs the
use of clean vocals. Two "hard rock" bands are featured as well,
Scream and Hallowed, and neither is too great, so on to Cruciferae,
who finish this platter. They too have improved greatly since their
demo, playing solid, atmospheric death/black metal with cool guitar
melodies, keyboards, and hooks that draw you into the experience.
Cruciferae also have benefited from using clean vocals, and overall
have come a long way from the weak death/thrash material on their
demo. This is a good showcase of what this new label and the
underground in Finland have to contribute to the global metal scene.
Contact: Little Rose Productions Ky, PO Box 533
FIN -40101, Jyvaskyla, Finland
mailto:lrose@sci.fi
God Dethroned - _The Grand Grimoire_ (Metal Blade, 1997)
by: Aaron McKay (6.5 out of 10)
Let me begin this review by saying that the score that God Dethroned
has now is a helluva lot higher than what I had them tallied at my
first few times through _The Grand Grimoire_. GD utilizes relatively
forgettable vocals and a more-or-less tired musical style. Believe
me, you -have- heard this effort before in different ways on other
discs. I will say this for GD, these Dutchmen can play a mean guitar.
This fact alone -almost- single handedly saves _TGG_, but the band's
flair for injecting much more articulate, melodic parts into weak
songs is a gift as great as their guitar prowess, and man, can they
solo. With the benefit of possessing GD's first effort, 1992's _The
Christhunt_ to listen to in its entirety, I have to say that _TGG_ is
a full step backward for the band. Maybe blame partially falls on
Metal Blade's shoulders for throwing what looks to be a hefty budget
at them, judging from the almost Top 40 packaging of their new
release, but I kinda doubt it. The reason for the long gap between
_The Christhunt_ and _TGG_ is the existence of GD's pointman Henri
Sattler's side project, Ministry of Terror. While on tour with MoT, I
understand that Henri was repeatedly asked about GD. So, in lieu of
this, he reformed GD to bring about the second coming of the group.
God Dethroned's show opening resume includes Cradle of Filth and Six
Feet Under, two bands that I happen to enjoy for different reasons;
so I am, for once, glad I missed both tours. You could do a lot worse
in buying this release, but when you could fill your GD void with a
superior effort, embodied in their _The Christhunt_ release, why buy
damaged goods?
Gore Beyond Necropsy - _Noise-A-Go Go!!!_ (Relapse, September 1998)
by: Paul Schwarz (1 out of 10)
Well, that was short. I can think of little else "positive" to say
about this MCD. Gore Beyond Necropsy fall into a category I regard as
"white-noise grindcore". They use basic three chord structures and,
through the use of a drum machine, quickly make the jump to
hyperspeed and incomprehensibility in every one of their
compositions. GBN paint their album a slightly less dull shade of
grey by peppering various samples throughout the album's course,
which are somewhat more captivating than the "music" itself. Apart
from the dull music, the reason I dislike this disc, and it scores
-so- low, is that it is only 24 minutes long. When the inlay shows 59
tracks, a buyer might expect even an EP to be longer than this is and
buy it with this in mind. I once jammed with two of my friends
(drummer and bassist/vocalist); we had virtually no experience,
questionable talent and little time, but I can honestly say we made
music of about this standard, and we didn't even cheat and use a drum
machine.
Gothic - _Prelude to Killing_ (<Independent>, September 1997)
by: David Rocher (8.5 out of 10)
With a notoriously renowned MCD (_Brutal Conditions for Extreme
Alchemy_, 1996) already on their bio, these Parisian deathsters
obviously aren't your usual newcomers... Where _BCfEA_ only
efficiently demonstrated an unhealthy interest for musical brutality,
_PtK_ kicks in hard with coldly calculated violence, delivering music
that indulges in melody but never looses its brutal edge; Gothic's
music is varied, well thought out, and features very heavy, catchy
hooks and frequently shifting vocals and riffing styles. Despite an
obviously limited recording budget, _PtK_ sounds loud, clear and
boasts a nice, thick, crunchy guitar sound. What's more, few metal
acts this rough may claim to have a female guitar player in their
ranks, which is but another kick in the balls to all the brainless
machos who claim girls have no place in true extreme metal... _PtK_
is the kind of insanely intense MCD that leaves you craving for more.
Highly recommendable, definitely non-mainstream death metal, which is
furthermore available for a measly US$ 8 from the address below.
Contact: GOTHIC, P.O. Box 60, 9 Rue A. Lahaye,
93 170 Bagnolet, France
Grievance - _Grievance_ (Head Not Found, 1998)
by: Aaron McKay (9.5 out of 10)
Maybe it is petty on my part, but the -only- reason why this MCD is
not getting a 10 out of 10 is because it is only, -really- only three
songs long. The opening track, "Enterance", is an instrumental,
followed by three spectacular pieces, ranging in duration from four
to six minutes, comprising a blissful near nineteen minute MCD. You
might be thinking to yourself: "ASSHOLE! Don't your realize that MCDs
are, by definition, supposed to be short?" Of this I am painfully
aware, I assure you. I guess what chaps my hide is that if this
astonishing release by Grievance was an -hour- and nineteen minutes
long, I'm positive that I would still be salivating for yet another
couple of song-morsels to devour. To say that this release is genius
might be selling it short for the lack of better terminology. The
presence of the music is ALL and NOTHING, simultaneously! It washes
images of so many black metal acts over the listener, yet, by the
same token, reminds you of no one in particular.
Hate Theory - _Your Dead Reflection_ (Dimm Records, November 1998)
by: Adrian Bromley (8.5 out of 10)
Some really solid ideas flowing from the pores of Hate Theory --
detonating guitar riffs, matched by superb drumming and maniacal
vocals to deliver the final blow to your head. Imagine violent-bred
hardcore, mixed with vicious grindcore/noisecore tendencies. One
fucked up freak session, eh? You got that right, buckos! _Your Dead
Reflection_ is a promising record that breaks away from standard
practices of many hardcore bands adding variety to their sound -- and
in their own stage of creativity, the band opts to use a truly
sinister circle of aggression to cast weight and intensity into their
music, while at the same time blasting us with bombardments that only
few mosh-heads would be able to take in all at once. Brutal? Yes. Out
of control? Definitely. I am hoping to catch this band live, as I
know they will truly maim me for no reason at all. Scary shit, folks,
and that's a good thing.
Contact: Dimm Records P.O. Box 7605 Akron, Ohio 44306
WWW: http://www.akron.infi.net/~hat3/dimmrecords.html
Himminbjorg - _Where Ravens Fly_ (Red Stream, 1998)
by: Alex Cantwell (8 out of 10)
These French guys have it together. They have succeeded in putting
together an album that I enjoy and will listen to on occasion; cool
packaging and cool music. As Red Stream is great at finding talent
and then packaging it properly, Himminbjorg serves as a testament to
their cause. _Where Ravens Fly_ features well put together riffs and
song structures, playing warring metal in the black metal vein.
Although this CD is comprised of only six songs, it is indeed a full
length. Celestial atmospheres are created by wise use of keyboards
and make for great segueways between tracks. A good, solid effort
from a band that was until now unknown to me always makes for a good
surprise. So dress for battle, sharpen thy ax and sword, mount thy
steed, go forth unto thy sofa and take a good listen to Himminbjorg.
Contact: Mathrien D., c/o Ludivic Tournier, "Sous La Vellaz", 01510
Artemare, France
Humectant Interruption / MO*TE - _Rest Stop Entrapment_
by: Gabriel Sanchez (7.5 out of 10) (Uncut, 1998)
Once again I find myself listening to another recording from one of
Japan's more unsung noise artists MO*TE and now-fellow Michigander
noisehead Joel St. German's project Hemectant Interruption. What is
offered on this split release is both artists using source sounds
provided by the other in order to produce two separate and lengthy
pieces of sound that fluctuate from ear piercingly harsh to surreal
moments of sub-bass ambiance. HI's side is a mixture of both these
techniques, letting out a quick assault of sound mixed in with a
constant "buzzing" effect. This track slides in and out of the realm
of being harsh, and while it brings nothing amazing to the table, it
certainly leaves no room for complaints. MO*TE's side is a tad bit
more assaulting on the senses and focuses less on any attempts to add
major dynamic sounds, but instead keeps the listener entranced with a
mix of rhythmic pulsations and swirling attacks of sound. Once again,
MO*TE's side offers nothing in the realm of being particularly
amazing, but placing it up with the usual output of this artist, it
certainly is on the good standard that all of his work lives up to.
If anything, this release offers the more ambitious noise fan a
chance to check out two very unsung artists in the field today, both
from Japan and the United States, and unlike so much noise being
produced today, holds very little to complain about or grow bored
with. Recommended.
Contact: Uncut, 56 Takahisa Yoshikawa-shi, Saitama 342-0035, Japan
mailto:uncut@mb.infoweb.ne.jp
Impious - _Evilized_ (Black Sun Records, September 1998)
by: David Rocher (10 out of 10)
So, -another- Swedish death metal band, this one cunningly blending
US-death metal elements in with Swedish death metal elements, both
modern (i.e., what is now referred to as "Gothenburg death metal")
and traditional (early Entombed, Grave and so forth). But what, in
guise of a mild lack of originality, often constitutes the main
weakness of a band, becomes, when placed in this quartet's hands, a
devastating, murderous weapon. Gifted with what many bands lack, that
is astounding technical abilities, Impious' members have the
creativity to match; thus their music opens fire with ultra-brutal
low-case riffing backed up by a hysterical blast beat assault, then
instantly switches to melodic riffing a la Gothenburg, before
suddenly calming down to a quiet, acoustic passage similar to those
that were early In Flames' trademark. Half a second, and another
grinding riff kicks in, hammered home by heroic drumming antics,
granting clearance for an awesomely heavy and fast guitar lead,
definitely branding _Evilized_ as one of 1998's heaviest albums.
Alternating vocal styles (ultra-profound death metal grunts switching
to aggressive, guttural screams, similar to those of Johan Lindstrand
of The Crown) are used to great effect, as are the rare samples and
eerie female vox. Rarely has the first onslaught of a band been this
convincing, and this outrageously violent display of brutality
comfortably notches itself among this year's top ten albums. The
extremely raw Sunlight sound is somewhat disconcerting, but not
unpleasant, and reinforces the utterly crushing heaviness of this
masterpiece. Enough said.
Japanese Torture Comedy Hour / MSBR - _Split_ (Extraction, 1998)
by: Gabriel Sanchez (8.5 out of 10)
It can pretty much be said that a constant in many of my noise
reviews is my praise of the unsung artists out there in the extreme
"music" field. This is not just some attempt at trying to be more
"obscure" or "underground" than others by praising such artists, but
simply because more times than not, it seems it is the lesser known
and praised artists who strive to produce the best works. The split
between American grindcore sensation Scott Hull's (Agoraphobic
Nosebleed) Japanese Torture Comedy Hour and Japan's MSBR is an
excellent example of two lesser praised artists producing
extraordinary works. JTCH's side kicks off with a mind grinding live
track entitled "Man Tar", which envelopes the listener in an endless
sea of low-end distortion and rippling waves of feedback. The other
two tracks bring about a mixture of JTCH's usual "in your face"
low-end assault and moments of more surreal, almost industrial-esque
soundscapes that serve as a break from the usual one dimensional
attack and provide an extra level of depth to the compositions. MSBR
in turn produce more beautiful harsh ambient sound structures which
freely flow from moments of aural chaos to audio surrealism with no
noticeable break in the overall structure of the piece. Perhaps it is
a testament to MSBR's genius that he can so stretch and contort the
thin line between barbaric harshness and dark ambiance that by the
time one comes to the end of an MSBR piece, it seems there was never
a line to be drawn in the first place. Like all MSBR compositions,
this is another in a long line of noise scapes which can be
experienced over and over again and never once could a listener even
hope to track down and contain every sound exploration. Easily
another in a growing line of split releases from more obscure noise
artists which demands attention from even the most casual listener of
the noise genre.
Contact: Extraction, PO Box 1213, Quogue, NH 11959, USA
mailto:irzine@aol.com
Judas Priest - _'98 Live Meltdown_ (BMG/RCA, September 1998)
by: Paul Schwarz (9 out of 10)
Kicking off with the melodic brilliance of "The Hellion" and flowing
effortlessly into the classic "Electric Eye", Judas Priest deliver an
opening salvo which sets the precedent of quality and sheer
hardrockin' brilliance which this live album rarely lets up on.
Firstly and foremostly, the Priest's live sound has been reproduced
with clarity and power. Couple with this the -superb- musical
performances, which put some of the original recorded performances to
shame, and you have the perfect conditions to deal out an incredible
live collection. One final element is needed: a good set of songs.
_'98 Live Meltdown_ features the set which the Priest have been
touring the world with recently and it is, overall, excellent. The
band's most essential songs are, of course, played: "Living After
Midnight", "Breaking the Law", "Victim of Changes", etc., but, as is
often the case with live records, the set list is the place where I
start having doubts. Some classics, e.g. "Exiter", are left out, but,
more prominently, the band's last two albums are overly focused on.
Nine of these 24 songs are either from _Jugulator_ or _Painkiller_
and, as far as the _Jugulator_ material goes, I am baffled as to why
the band didn't include "Jugulator" or play "Cathedral Spires". For
me, this ranks among my favorite live documents -- it's up there with
Slayer's _Decade of Aggression_, and beats out the Black Sabbath in
solid, unwavering quality, if not in its uniqueness as a reunion
record. Priest's songs are superb and their legacy undeniable. They
are still more than worthy of every metaller's attention, respect and
neck injuries.
Jungle Rot - _Slaughter the Weak_ (Pavement, 1998)
by: Aaron McKay (9 out of 10)
No shittin', I'm becoming an increasingly bigger fan of Pavement
music. This label, as most of you are already aware, boasts some of
the undisputed best in metal, like Malevolent Creation, Vader (hell,
yea!) and Forbidden. Well, sons of bitches, add Jungle Rot to that
list of bands extraordinaire. I -had- given JR an 8.5 out of 10, but
fuck that! These guys are intense! Their music leaves little doubt of
the firm grasp that the band holds on what their fans are looking for
and certainly what it takes to acquire new ones. Dave Matrise, JR's
menacing lead singer / guitarist, has a succinct death rasp vocal
style that adds a dimension to the delivery of each song's
free-flowing carnage. Rob Panoola (drums), Jim Bell (guitar / backing
vocals), and Mike Legros (bass) finalize the line-up to move this
fervent force forward. Not a lot of exhibition or showcasing of
individual members here that often pervades groups of this genre,
just chunky, killer riffing death metal. JR is dictionary indicative
of the word "heavy" with all the musical precision of the atomic
clock. Pavement has Jungle Rot as the probable opening act for
Malevolent Creation on an upcoming tour beginning early February.
Snow or no snow, this writer is at -any- show in the Midwest
anywhere. Period.
Limbonic Art - _Epitome of Illusions_ (Nocturnal Art, October 1998)
by: Pedro Azevedo (8 out of 10)
This is -not- new material from Limbonic Art -- unfortunately, but
not too surprisingly, considering that their latest full-length _In
Abhorrence Dementia_ came out just over a year ago. Nevertheless,
this time gap may already be long enough to lead some people into
thinking that _Epitome of Illusions_ contains new material, when what
it does contain is in fact 45 minutes of re-recorded demo material.
The sound quality is therefore good, since this wasn't directly taken
from some demo tape, and it generally avoids sounding much like demo
material. Nevertheless, knowing what Limbonic Art have done since
then, most of the music here is inferior to both of their brilliant
albums. This doesn't mean that _Epitome of Illusions_ isn't worth
purchasing for someone who likes Limbonic Art, just that the keyboard
work isn't as amazing and multi-layered as in their other two albums
and the drum machine is used in a much more linear way, for example.
What could have been really interesting here, since it was unlikely
that the music itself would be as good as their full-length releases,
was that it might have been even darker than the -very- dark _Moon in
the Scorpio_, my favorite Limbonic Art album; but unfortunately the
music here turns out to be less extreme in every way than both _Moon
in the Scorpio_ and _In Abhorrence Dementia_. Still, like I mentioned
before, these two albums are so brilliant that these statements don't
necessarily spell doom upon _Epitome of Illusions_, which is still
very enjoyable; furthermore, as far as demo re-releases go, this is
the best I can recall hearing.
Macronympha - _Then and Now_ (Extraction, 1998)
by: Gabriel Sanchez (8.5 out of 10)
I have heard the comparison that Joe Roemer's Macronympha is
America's answer to Merzbow. While this may be true in terms of
influence on the noise scene and the volume of noise each artist has
released, considering some of the more recent attempts at noise by
Masami Akita, I would have to say such a remark is nothing short of
an insult. Macronympha is once again out to impress new noiseheads
and keep old ones begging for more with a furious and unrelenting
attack on ones speakers, ear drums, and any fragile objects within a
50 ft. radius of your stereo. Once again featuring Stimbox mastermind
Tim Oliveira, this release never makes any attempt to become
atmospheric or ambient. It simply is noise and offers nothing more,
and certainly nothing less. If one could imagine the sound of three
atomic bombs detonating at strategic points with you in the middle
while, at the same time, listening to every household appliance you
can imagine short-out at once, you may have a slight grasp at the
sounds Macronympha produces on this release. While some may choose to
argue about the anti-dynamic nature of Macronympha, I cannot help but
ignore such squabble as I have found too much of a perverse pleasure
in being barreled over with Mr. Roemer's lovely compositions. Once
again, another essential release that every noisehead should have
sitting in his/her collection and a great (though possibly
overwhelming) place for the uninitiated to begin.
Contact: Extraction, PO Box 1213, Quogue, NH 11959
mailto:irzine@aol.com
Magic Wave - _Magic Wave_ (<Independent>, November 1998)
by: Adrian Bromley (7.5 out of 10)
Radiating ultra-Monster Magnet vibes and a good solid psychedelic
doom feel, Finnish moody metallers Magic Wave play their hearts out
here on this rather impressive debut disc. Throw in comparisons to
early Black Sabbath at times (it's in the vocals) and the real crunch
of the simpleton-like guitar work a la AC/DC and this really flows
deep and hard as a stoner disc to take part in and just light up and
rock out to. While at times the music looses itself in somewhat
stalling jam sessions, for the most part Magic Wave kicks it in
motion. I'm totally impressed by the band's true professional manner
on disc, playing as well as any signed band out there. Worth looking
into, people, as Magic Wave keeps the ball rolling and will keep the
rolling papers rolling just as much. Choice cuts: "Get Down",
"Trapped" and opener "Dead & Gone". I still can't believe they're
from Finland!
Contact: Kristofer Becker, Kyrkoesplanaden 6 C 15
FIN-65100, Vasa, Finland
Master - _Faith Is in Season_ (Pavement Europe, September 1998)
by: David Rocher (2 out of 10)
Behold the awaited return of Paul Speckmann and his minions... To put
it quite bluntly, only some listeners won't be disappointed after
enduring this feeble metal drag -- namely those who have already
pulled the chain on Master. I've personally never deemed this band to
be much of a revelation, and it is extremely unlikely the lame
collection of "musical" porridge named _Faith Is in Season_ will do
anything to change this. Fifteen short tracks tediously display their
writers' fine sense for uninspired riffing, blunt melodies, poor
guitar solos and uneventful, boring drum work. _FIiS_ is nothing more
than a very monotonous, unconvinced snoozefest of weak deathrash,
which could even succeed in making Grave sound extremely technical...
The album cover also happens to be one of the ugliest, most
meaningless displays of chocky pixels I've witnessed in a lifetime
(they could even have called on Jean-Claude van Damme for greater
chances of a meaningful result), but I must admit -- it does reflect
the contents of the CD with great precision.
Merzbow - _Tauromachine_ (Release, 1998)
by: Gabriel Sanchez (6 out of 10)
When one thinks of the amount of volume that Masami Akita's noise
project Merzbow releases within the span of a year, it is not hard to
understand why his releases can tend to veer towards being very hit
and miss. Merzbow's fifth output on Release (two splits, three full
lengths) seems to be less of an actual harsh noise assault and more
of an exhibition of industrial sounds mixed in with Pain Jerk-esque
editing techniques. While this album has been billed by
Relapse/Release as being harsher than the previous Merzbow full
length _Pulse Demon_, I found it to be anything but. While _Pulse
Demon_ had a mild psychedelic influence on it, _Tauromachine_ hardly
delivers any sort of brutal sound assault that would humble it.
Perhaps I am being unfair to this disc in the sense that, by what
Relapse/Release was promoting, I had anticipated another masterpiece
such as _Venerology_ but instead I was left with an output that,
while being above and beyond many noise acts, falls very short by
Merzbow standards. This is more than likely worth looking into if you
are ambitious (read: stupid) enough to try and find every Merzbow
release, but there is a plethora of other offerings from this
Japanese noise master that are easy 9s or 10s on the rating scale,
and much more worthy of attention.
Contact: Relapse/Release, PO Box 251, Millersville, PA, 17551, USA
mailto:release@relapse.com
Meshuggah - _Chaosphere_ (Nuclear Blast, November 1998)
by: Adrian Bromley (9.5 out of 10)
If there was any band out there that had a new record on my most
eagerly anticipated releases list, it had to be Sweden's
industrial/metal-fusion monsters Meshuggah. Their last full-length,
1995's _Destroy Erase Improve_, was the record that put them in check
with metal fans worldwide, a release so intense and pleasurable that
new fans were craving older material, while fans of the band's old
stuff (like myself) were pleased with the consistent evolution of the
band. It was a milestone for metal music in my mind, a record that
defined where a band could go with fusioned metal sounds, and a
stepping stone for many bands to follow. To this day I still stand
behind it. _DEI_ is truly that good. Following a rather neat EP,
1997's _The True Human Design_ (a bit of a teaser of things to come
plus remixes of classic cut _Future Breed Machine_), the band
regrouped their sound and style and got heavier and more compact. The
latest offering by Meshuggah finds the band pedal to the metal with
some of the most abrasive and truly downright barbs of anger this
year. Sure it's chock-full of repetition -- what Meshuggah LP isn't?
-- but it's the work around the repetitive guitar work and choruses
that builds this metal machine into a roaring beast. It claws, kicks
and grinds into our psyche an abominable force of metal mayhem that
only we can digest with the utmost concentration. Not gonna happen.
This is too heavy to understand and, like other Meshuggah LPs, there
is a lot going on. Don't fight this, just crank it. Lots of goodies
here, primarily in tracks like "Corridor of Chameleons", "Sane" and
"Neurotica". It doesn't get better than this.
M-Squad - _M-Squad_ (Primate, June 1998)
by: Paul Schwarz (8 out of 10)
The band name imbued me with an image of a militant, socio-political
hardcore band, with the name containing some kind of Orwellian tie-in
(e.g. Memory-Squad = Thought Police). As I quickly learned that the
"M" in fact stood for "mush" and, when expanded, "mushroom", the
picture of a drugged out stoner-rock band became much more prominent
in my mind and provided a much closer approximation of the truth.
M-Squad's closest musical cousins are somewhat legendary stoners
Kyuss, but the band, which features three former members of the
death/doom band Bloodfarmers, have a lot more to offer than just
sound-a-like music. They have the definite advantage over many other
bands of being able to pen some pretty killer riffs (see "Tractor"
and "Meant for Dying" for prime examples) and well constructed songs
and have a reasonable amount to offer in originality of their own
too. For me, on this offering, the main source of originality stems
from the track "Hoedown Blues", which is, as the band chuckle just
before they play it, "a regular hoedown". Parallels can be drawn to
offerings of other bands, but the particular choice and purity of the
jam gives it its own edge, whether you like hoedown or not.
Definitely an impressive offering among this year's bunch in this
genre and, overall, an album which shows considerable ability and a
fair amount of talent, along with the possible effects various
hallucinogens and intoxicants can have.
Contact: Primate/M-Squad, 241-12th Street
Brooklyn, New York, 11215-3919, USA
mailto:mushsquad@aol.com
WWW: http://members.tripod.com/~Msquad/index.html
Odhinn - _The North Brigade_ (Napalm Records, November 1998)
by: Pedro Azevedo (5 out of 10)
I finished my review of Odhinn's debut MCD in CoC #35 stating that,
in my opinion, "considering the first two tracks, a properly produced
full-length could be interesting." Well, it -could- be. The
production here isn't terrible, but it's no more than average -- it
may well be exactly the production that John Ostlund, sole member of
Odhinn, wanted, I don't know. The first couple of tracks are quite
good, however (especially the first), and basically sound like a much
less technical version of the superior In Battle. Fast and raw, with
a certain In Battle feel in the background, these two tracks display
qualities that are seldom repeated throughout the rest of _The North
Brigade_. A lot of variety is then added throughout the album: some
keyboard lines, a few "Viking" vocals and plenty of experimentation.
Noises abound, sometimes similar to some of the sound effects on
Abigor's _Supreme Immortal Art_, although Abigor's results are better
(and the music itself on _SIA_ is a -lot- better). There's even some
polished film-like music (some of which is well done), together with
war sounds and speech sequences. But even with all this sideshow and
experimentation, _The North Brigade_ is overall below average; if it
was all more like the first couple of tracks...
Ophthalamia - _Dominion_ (No Fashion Records, September 1998)
by: David Rocher (9 out of 10)
Still bearing in mind the very lame _Via Dolorosa_, which stood out
as one of the feeblest albums to plague the year 1995, I welcomed
_Dominion_ with a knowledgeable, not-very-lenient grin, and sharpened
my keyboard as I got ready to carve this sucker into strips. In fact,
the grin instantly faded as the beautiful guitar lead of "Elishias
Mistresses Gather" kicked in; slow, beautiful, heavy Swedish dark
metal is truly what _Dominion_ has on offer. Fantastic, lyrical, dark
melodies (that succeed, despite their sweetness, in never giving in
to vomitory goo a la Theatre of Tragedy) combine with a very heavy
rhythmic section to create a mysterious, epic work of Swedish dark
metal that occasionally indulges in a bit of rock'n'roll guitar
work... Sparingly used synthetics back up the beautiful, freezing
cold guitar lines on _Dominion_ and succeed in finely carving a
deadly, calculated yet emotive masterpiece. It seems that Ophthalamia
have finally found a stable line-up in the presence of It, Mist, All,
Bone and Night -- this man being no less than Jon Notveidt's brother,
his presence may explain the sometimes striking musical similarities
of present-day Ophthalamia with a slower, more lyrical interpretation
of the mighty Dissection. [Since All is not in the scene anymore (he
fled to Finland after Jon Notveidt threatened to kill him) the
line-up again lacks stability -- Paul]
Oxiplegatz - _Sidereal Journey_ (Season of Mist, 1998)
by: Pedro Azevedo (6 out of 10)
Alf Svensson, former member of the legendary At the Gates, presents
us with another epic opera of sci-fi metal. As if this description
wasn't strange enough, Svensson uses a very synthetic sounding drum
machine and an unusual (and rather weak) guitar sound, together with
plenty of strange rhythms, sounds and sequences. By the way, this
whole album is just one song, over 40 minutes long and divided into
33 tracks that only seem to be there to allow the listener to browse
through the album more easily than, for example, on Edge of Sanity's
classic _Crimson_. The metallic components of _Sidereal Journey_, if
regarded as such, are below average, despite the musical qualities
often displayed throughout the album. It sounds too synthetic and
bland for my taste, which strongly subtracts from those particular
musical qualities; the appearance of plenty of less than interesting
sections doesn't help, either. A pleasant sequence of tracks is often
followed by an annoying one, and the fluctuation of the quality level
is therefore quite high. Programming out some tracks obviously
doesn't work well in this particular album. Sara Svensson's varied
and well performed vocals are what I find most interesting here, and
she fortunately appears in just over half the tracks. (You may
remember her name from Dark Tranquillity's superb _The Mind's I_.)
Overall, the album isn't bad, but it does have a considerable amount
of annoying characteristics that overshadow many of its qualities.
Plan E - _Songs for a Rainy Day_ (Solardisk, November 1998)
by: Adrian Bromley (7 out of 10)
Ah, yes... another release from Finland outfit Plan E. We have always
featured the music of Plan E in Chronicles of Chaos and rightfully
so: they are good. Seems as though every year or so we see a new
release or two from them, constantly picking up where they left off
with their unique, yet delicate soundscape/ambient sounds meshed with
stellar rhythm and impressive emotionally-charged vocals. The latest,
_Songs for a Rainy Day_, is probably the best of the lot, driven
primarily by strong keyboards and singer Jani Lehtosaari's vocal
deliverance, though the rhythm section superbly keeps things going.
Fans of odd timing of instruments and keyboard work might fancy the
work of Plan E. As was the case with Bride of the Atom, Plan E is
something few will really learn to appreciate, while others might be
turned off by the band's choice of ideas. I'm digging it, as I had
expected.
Contact: P.O. Box 50, 90251 Oulu, Finland
WWW: http://www.solardisk.com
Riger - _Der Wanderer_ (CCP Records, October 1998)
by: David Rocher (9 out of 10)
Hailing from Germany, Riger (one of Odin's many nicknames, if I'm not
mistaken) appear to be one of 1998's most talented newcomers.
Cleverly mixing death, black and doom metal styles with fantastic
medieval and epic atmospheres, this six-member act have created an
impressive opus of grim, majestic metal that clocks in at a proud
playing time of 55 minutes (for nine tracks plus outro). Fronted by a
very impressive vocalist whose aptitude to switch vocal registries is
very convincing, the band don't simply rely on only one instrument to
carve this masterpiece into shape; thus does _Der Wanderer_ feature
intricate synth work, clever guitar melodies and very nicely thought
out arrangements. Speed is on the whole kept at a medium pace, even
if a few passages brutally lash out with cavalcading double-bass
rhythms and/or rapid / blast beat drumming. Even if _Der Wanderer_
can't always match the majestic atmospheres masters like Satyricon
may achieve, some tracks, such as "Baum" or "Autodafe", stand out as
a display of genuine musical genius. The lyrics, sung in German,
grant Riger a strong personality in a sadly increasingly anonymous
scene, and demonstrate that some truly talented new bands may yet
have an identity of their own. By all standards, considering _Der
Wanderer_ is Riger's first output, the quality of their music is
unusually high. A very recommendable and personal album.
Ritual Carnage - _The Highest Law_ (Osmose, September 1998)
by: Paul Schwarz (3 out of 10)
As one scene fades, over the course of time, into another, an
attentive observer can examine and assess the influence which the
previous "generation" exerts over the one following it. Sometimes
newer bands impress us with their originality or ability to develop
and build upon a previous style. Sometimes new bands sound derivative
of their "elders" and the only words to say before throwing the
source of irritation from your stereo is "rip-off" (though
occasionally a band -will- get away with lack of originality through
sheer good songwriting). Ritual Carnage were cast from my sight with
the words "rip-off" on my lips. They appear to love Kreator and
they'd probably be excellent, enthusiastic and able candidates for a
Kreator cover-band. However, it is painfully obvious that when
attempting to construct a whole album of "original" material they
forgot one vital ingredient: originality itself. With the cover of
Onslaught's "Death Metal", which features Erik Rutan and George
Corpsegrinder and has led to some rather deceiving advertising (for
which Osmose have officially apologized), this clocks in at 31 odd
minutes; I was thankful it at least didn't take me too long to listen
to this enough to complete my review of it. I do suggest Osmose sign
a few less of these retro-thrash bands; the "joke" is wearing as thin
as the knees on their jeans.
Various - _Roadkill_ (System Shock / Pavement, December 1998)
by: Paul Schwarz (5 out of 10)
In some ways celebrating the cooperative deal between the US'
Pavement music (Hateplow, Malevolent Creation) and Europe's System
Shock (Vader, Evoke), _Roadkill_ showcases bands from both labels'
death metal (ahem) heavy rosters. This is purely a sampler and
features nothing unreleased. The material chosen is on the whole
recent, which is good. "Kingdom" from Vader's EP of the same name and
the title track of Malevolent Creation's new album are happily
present (although what "No Salvation" from 1995's _Eternal_ is doing
here is a good question), as are a number of tracks from bands I had
heretofore not heard. With a few exceptions (Solitude Aeturnus,
Darkside), _Roadkill_ illustrates Pavement / System Shock's faith in
death metal, though not their selectivity. Though Evoke prompt fond
reminiscence to the glory days of Carcass and Entombed, and Internal
Bleeding show vague potential, the majority of these bands are
sub-standard and sound like each other (Demented Ted = Malevolent
Creation). Vader, Malevolent Creation and Hateplow aside, if I was
depressed about the state of our current scene I would not put on
_Roadkill_ to give me hope for the future.
Run Devil Run - _The Killing Civilization_
by: Adrian Bromley (4 out of 10) (<Independent>, November 1998)
At best, this is mediocre hardcore with a truly powerful message
about life, love and understanding. The band's total stance on their
issues is quite evident from lyrics, liner notes and cover artwork --
that I can tolerate; it's just the lean and lackluster work within
the band's sound that really fails to impress and keep me going. I
don't know about many of you out there who delve into hardcore all of
the time or sometimes, but it's supposed to have a real flair of
intensity somewhere within the music. This does not. Seems as though
the messages within their music trampled any direct sound and
attitude they were trying to reveal within the music on _The Killing
Civilization_. Boring.
Contact: 3906 Stoner Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44109, USA
Runemagick - _The Supreme Force of Eternity_
by: David Rocher (5.5 out of 10) (Century Media, October 1998)
Featuring in its line-up Peter Palmdahl of Dissection and Nicky
Terror of Swordmaster (very cunningly appearing under his real name
Nicklas Rudolfsson, probably in order to disconcert metal audiences),
this project is what you could describe as "old school" Swedish dark
metal, i.e., no frills, in-your-face low-case riffs and battering
drums, simplistic song structures, no wimpish keys or sissy female
vocals, just four hairy people indulging in a tense, electrified wall
of sound and hateful songs whose simplicity is clearly voluntary.
Recorded in the much-acclaimed Fredman studios, this opus has the
sound to match its heavy claims; this is for the good news. The
not-so-good news is that simplicity seems to be an excuse for often
not very inspired songwriting and bass/guitar work, and even though
Runemagick have their high times, on the whole, this baby grunts and
saws its 40 minute long way through the listener's ears in an
irksome, annoyingly minimalistic way, and... that's about all _TSFoE_
is about. Add to this the outrageously feeble, cliche, meaningless
lyrics ("Memories of twisted faces / Morbid voices in a race / They
fade away as I travel away / ... away"), and you haul sixteen tons of
a globally monotonous metal lump that, despite featuring some
enjoyable material, definitely does nothing to live up to the
expectances the names Peter Palmdahl and Nicklas Rudolfsson may
awaken.
Scepter - _I'm Going to Hell_ (Merciless, 1998)
by: Alex Cantwell (1 out of 10)
I refuse to take on the opinion of society which says that people who
listen to metal are stupid. I hold down two jobs, am married, with
one child, and I am responsible. I pay my bills and rent on time when
possible, and don't waste my income on habits. Therefore, I cannot
relate to Scepter. These guys are freakin' idiots and in my mind are
not representative of what metal is all about. In order to pen such
songs as "I'm Going to Hell" and "Ready to Rape", one must live in a
world totally opposite to that in which I reside. Their lyrics have
absolutely nothing to do with metal; they have to do with personality
disorders. The music is admittedly great, being a throwback to early
Celtic Frost, but sadly it is a soundtrack to lyrics like "I
sodomized an angel of the Lord, I dragged his mangled corpse back to
my horde, and together on it we spilled our seed". Well, that's
great. To all metalheads everywhere: you MUST draw the line
somewhere! At some point you must say "No! This is wrong. This is
stupid." I guess I'll be over here trying to improve my life, trying
to be realistic and humble, and listening to intelligent bands like
Fates Warning and Paramaecium.
Contact: Scepter, PO Box 388068, Chicago, IL 60638-8068, USA
Scholomance - _A Treatise on Love_ (The End, October 1998)
by: Brian Meloon (9 out of 10)
Scholomance were the band that impressed me the most on The End
Records' _Until the End of Time_ compilation [CoC #31], and this
album, while it didn't quite live up to my expectations, is
excellent. The album has a sound comparable to bands like Emperor,
Cradle of Filth, and Arcturus, but this is not black metal;
Scholomance are really a prog metal band at heart. Their music
features the winding song structures, long instrumental sections,
complexity, and (a few sections of) over-indulgent musical
showmanship that is more common of bands like Dream Theater than
Emperor. The tempos and styles that they use are varied and the songs
generally flow very well. They even throw in the occasional sample
here and there. They make good use of melody (including some eastern
melodies), harmony, and dissonance, avoiding using any of the three
in a predictable or formulaic way. The playing is very good on all
counts. Keyboards are used liberally, both as atmosphere and as an
equal to the guitars, taking a few solos and leading a few sections
all by themselves. The playing is excellent; not virtuoso level, but
dense and complex. The vocals are rasped like black metal, but don't
sound out of place with the more progressive music. Although the
drums are handled by a drum machine, the programming is excellent.
It's clear that a lot of work went into programming them, as they
utilize a lot of different sounds, and there are a variety of
different fills thrown in throughout the album. Quite frankly, the
drum programming is more interesting than most human drummers I've
heard. The rhythm guitar work is very good, but the leads are the
weak part of the album for me. Compared to the rest of the music,
they sound cheap and generally inappropriate. I find the phrasing
awkward and they seem to meander without a sense of direction. The
production is very good: clear and powerful. The band has a unique
sound, and it takes some getting used to at first, but every time
I've listened to this, I've picked up something new; there really is
a lot going on. This is highly recommended for fans of the more "high
brow" side of black metal or the heavier side of prog metal.
Seth - _Les Blessures de l'Ame_ (Season of Mist, October 1998)
by: David Rocher (8 out of 10)
France has, over the years, very justly become notoriously famed for
the plethoric amount of "uber-black metal" bands it has bestowed upon
the extreme scene, such as Mutiilation, Belketre, Osculum Infame and
many others. It seems though the tides are finally turning under the
influence of bands such as Anaon and now Seth, who have chosen to
replace the very common "untrendier-than-thou" attitude by musical
proficiency and inspiration. The twin guitar attack on _LBdl'A_ is
varied, very melodic, yet eerie and mean, and is backed up by
efficient, inspired drumming; the vocals are grating, harsh screams
that are often layered to great effect, and mixed well enough to
sound aggressive whilst not being overtly brutal or excessively
baleful, a la Marduk. Unusually, they are sung in French, which,
considering the uninteresting phonetics of this language, turns out
very convincing. Finely-woven keyboards add the finishing touches to
this very convincing symphony, which literally oozes with enrapturing
blackness; strangely, though, the sweet keyboard melodies sadly
sometimes do collide with Seth's evil atmospheres. This said,
_LBdl'A_ is one of the most convincing French black metal albums to
have been released this year, and possibly even the best black metal
album ever to have graced the shores of France.
16 - _Scott Case_ (Pessimiser Records, November 1998)
by: Adrian Bromley (9 out of 10)
Nothing like getting your hands on one of your fave band's early out
of print material, right? Totally underrated, California
sludge/noisecore outfit 16 have worked hard over the years to dish
out some of the most bastard noise concoctions that has surfaced. It
was dirty, ruthless and sometimes unbearable to listen to. But it was
great. Fucked up and doped out to the max, 16 has managed to assemble
a truly killer group of old numbers that really define the band's
evolution over the years. From jagged numbers like "Attention Span"
onto "Loafer" and "Texas Tunnel", this California outfit dig their
dirty fangs into us, spreading their fiendishly grotesque moments of
creativity onto us in a rough fashion, similar to the way a school
yard bully would rough you up for your lunch money. I hope this don't
signify the end of 16, as I'm always up for new material from one of
the best bands out there. Music fans interested in hearing some good
recent 16 material, be sure to check out 1996's _Drop Out_ on
Theologian Records.
Skin Crime - _Collection_ (<Independent>, 1998)
by: Gabriel Sanchez (9 out of 10)
There is that elite circle of Americanoise artists whose outputs can
continually rival and even surpass those of their Japanese
counterparts, and Skin Crime has proven time after time that they are
one of them. This six CD collection brings together Skin Crime's
early tape releases on Self Abuse Records along with classic
recordings such as _Genital Modification_ and _Whorebutcher_. If that
was not enough, also included on this collection are various
compilation tracks, the B-Side to their RRR recycled tape, and a new
track of Skin Crime recorded live in 1996. The noise Skin Crime
produces shifts from atmospheric and structured at points to no holds
barred low-end kick backs of pure aural energy. I gave up after
listening to the collection straight through twice to find any sort
of progression or pattern in the sounds of Skin Crime, for there are
none. Skin Crime manages to hit on every area of noise at one time or
another during the course of this collection, and truly leave no
stone unturned when producing noise that is so compelling that it
becomes challenging for other artists in the field to come close to
matching it. For those who are willing to drop the $50 on this
collection, it is more than well worth the investment in money for
the sheer amount of noise one gets back (nearly seven hours worth)
and that much of the material on this collection is out of print or
extremely obscure. Easily the single best collection of noise in one
place put out by any artist in the field today.
Contact: SAR, 26 S. Main St. #277, Concord, NH 03301, USA
mailto:selfabuse@selfabuse.mv.com
Skinlab - _Eyesore_ (Century Media, November 1998)
by: Adrian Bromley (8 out of 10)
All I have to say is that Skinlab has balls for covering Brujeria's
killer "Raza Odiada (Pito Wilson)". It sounds good and heavy (phew!)
and acts as one of the stronger angles of the band's limited EP
_Eyesore_. Much in the vein of the band's 1997 release _Bound, Gagged
and Blindfolded_, the new material here ("So Far From the Truth" and
"Noah") continues on where these Bay Area thrashers left off: heavy.
Rich in solid guitar work and a real awesome thrash metal groove,
Skinlab feeds us with intense doses of metal for us to digest 'till
their next full-length surfaces. The live version track of "Paleface"
doesn't sound too good, as the vocals are severely muffled, but not a
concern as it gets overshadowed by much better material anyway. Good
five-song EP.
Solstice - _New Dark Age_ (Misanthropy Records, December 1998)
by: Pedro Azevedo (7 out of 10)
Solstice build their doom metal with plenty of guitar work, a heavy
guitar sound and rather unusual clean vocals. It is the combination
of these three aspects of their music that will most likely decide
whether the listener enjoys it or not. If he does, then _New Dark
Age_ provides him with over an hour of music and several songs around
the ten minute mark. Although I usually like long songs with
interesting complex structures, most of Solstice's song structures
aren't very interesting (they're definitely not Opeth), and therefore
some of the songs are a bit too long for their own good; however,
this doesn't tend to become too much of a problem, either, just a
relatively minor fault. Their sound, like I mentioned above, is based
upon heavy guitars and a lot of more technical work as well (no
keyboards are ever used), the result depending a lot on the specific
song. The guitar work can get really good (in "Alchemiculte", for
example), but then it can also enter some unremarkable sections
during these long songs. The clean vocals definitely aren't for
everyone's taste, and, although they generally seem technically
correct, they could have suited the music better. In fact, there are
several acoustic and/or folk-inspired songs in the album; two of
these have vocals, and they suit these songs better than they suit
the "normal" ones. Nevertheless, this is still a reasonably good
album, especially for those who tend to enjoy most kinds of clean
vocals.
Soulquake System - _A Firm Statement_ (Black Mark / St. Clair, 1998)
by: Adrian Bromley (8 out of 10)
Soulquake System returns to the music scene with a thunderous wallop.
While their debut disc, _Angry by Nature, Ugly by Choice_, was
Pantera-esque rage rolled into a slight hardcore momentum, things
have changed here. New singer Danile Engman gets the troops going
with the raw death/rock/groove of their music. Sounding as if you
blended Entombed, Meshuggah and Transport League, Soulquake System
aren't afraid to let things get out of hand, showcasing loose guitar
riffs, raging vocals and a pounding rhythm section that could crush
one's skull. This band is one of the few Black Mark signees over the
last few years I've been into, Auberon being the other, and I'm happy
to see that the band has been given another record on Black Mark to
show their quality. If ya like your metal music a little "off the
handle", then this baby's for ya. Choice cuts: opener "Illegal Love",
"Equal Treatment" and "Corrupdead".
Stampin' Ground - _An Expression of Repressed Violence_
by: Paul Schwarz (8 out of 10) (Century Media, October 1998)
Stampin' Ground, though signed to Century Media's hardcore subsidiary
Kingfisher, owe as much to Slayer or Exodus as they do to Minor
Threat or Agnostic Front. It is funny how musical leanings seem to go
round in ever-decreasing circles. To create thrash, pioneers like
Slayer combined the speed and intensity of hardcore with the
technicality and crunch of metal. Now, SG and their ilk have
plundered the metallic crunch of Slayer's style of thrash and twinned
it with hardcore's direct approach, especially to lyric writing.
Scene speculating aside, in _AEoRV_ Stampin' Ground have produced a
very confident second album. With solid, though standard, songwriting
and Andy Sneap's crisp production, _AEoRV_ proves to be a bulldozer
of a record. From beginning to end, it is bludgeoning without mercy.
One of its assets is the technical ability shown by SG's drummer. In
songs like "My Will Be Done" and "The Death You Deserve", he busts
the kit with precision, variation and technicality. If SG keep
improving at the rate they have been, then the future bodes well for
them.
The Crown - _Hell Is Here_ (Metal Blade, November 1998)
by: David Rocher (9 out of 10)
New label, new name (due to legal threats from the feeble Christian
US glam-rock outfit fronted by Jean Beauvoir) for the high-speed,
brutally heavy Swedes previously known as Crown of Thorns. What
springs to mind within 30 seconds of the opener "The Poison" is the
amazing technical control that The Crown exert upon the brutality
that _HIH_ exudes; this bitter-sweet feeling of restraint remains
very tangible and clear throughout the whole album, and although
_HIH_ undoubtedly rates as a -very- wild Scandinavian death metal
offering, the overtly clean melodies, arrangements and sound awaken
some kind of nostalgia for the harsh, violent and raw assaults of The
Crown's previous work, _Eternal Death_. However, The Crown's newborn
spawn delivers more than its fair share of adrenaline and
viciousness, and is by no means tame or weak -- in a way, one could
define The Crown's evolution between _ED_ and _HIH_ as being somewhat
similar to that of Morbid Angel between _Altars of Madness_ and
_Blessed Are the Sick_, although these band's respective styles
obviously don't have much in common. As always in The Crown's
history, the musical skill demonstrated on _HIH_ attains extremely
high standards; the rhythm and lead guitars are more intricate than
they ever were, and Janne Saarenpaa's drumming reaches a new summit
in terms of velocity and technicality. As always, Johan Lindstrand's
vocal performances are awesomely rabid and hateful. In fact, the sole
drawback of this album, if this may be called a drawback, is its
squeaky clean sound, that somewhat deprives The Crown of the
monolithic power they really deserve and don't fail to deliver.
The Gathering - _How to Measure a Planet?_
by: Pedro Azevedo (7 out of 10) (Century Media, November 1998)
What usually happens whenever a band establishes a considerable fan
base through a certain musical style (_Mandylion_ and _Nighttime
Birds_) and then ventures into unpredictable realms of
experimentation is that some fans will be terribly disappointed and
some others amazed at how the band managed to conquer the borders of
their previous style. And then, of course, a few will consider that
these new realms also contain musical quality, but simultaneously ask
if it was really necessary to go this far and lose so much in the
process -- wasn't there a better level of equilibrium between what's
gained through experimentation and the loss of old characteristics? A
lot of electronic sounds have been thrown into _How to Measure a
Planet?_, together with experiments using several different
instruments. Most of the music is also much softer than before,
giving Anneke's voice more room -- which is by no means surprising.
Speaking of Anneke van Giersbergen, The Gathering's highly gifted
singer hasn't lost any of her qualities, as one would expect, and her
voice is by far what I find most interesting in this album. The rest
of the music doesn't do much to become the center of the listener's
attention most of the time, although there are a few exceptions; The
Gathering have overall disappointed me in the heavier sections
("Rescue Me", for example, has some very good softer components, but
the heavier instrumental part towards the end of the song is
mediocre) and the new electronic sounds are usually very superfluous.
But what is truly annoying is finding those parts of the album that
show just how great it all could have been, in "Red Is a Slow
Colour", "Travel" and a few others, because most other songs aren't
really very remarkable, except for Anneke's vocals. The double CD
edition of the album totals over 100 minutes, almost half of which is
on the bonus CD (which includes a nearly half hour long ambient
track). For those of you who are into ambient experimentation, this
could be a jewel; but for me, some important ingredients are missing,
although I'd settle for an album that would just have much more of
the kind of passages that I mentioned above.
The Great Kat - _Bloody Vivaldi_ (The Great Kat, October 1998)
by: Brian Meloon (5 out of 10)
Once again, The Great Kat has released an EP, and this one is even
shorter than her last effort [CoC #18]. It clocks in at less than
seven and a half minutes. She says she releases short EPs because
people can't handle any more of her music. I think she has a point.
Anyway, starting off the EP is a relatively straightforward cover of
Summer (Presto movement) from Vivaldi's "The Four Seasons", arranged
for guitars, violins, bass, and drums. It's very impressive, with
fast violin work and almost equally fast guitar work. Her violin work
is clearly superior to her guitar work, as the guitars aren't quite
able to keep up in some parts, and she takes some liberties with the
violin sections transcribed to guitar. To her credit though, her
version is noticeably faster than the orchestral version I have. This
is clearly the best song here, as the frenetic pace of the song
translates well to a metal format. If all of the songs were this
good, it'd be great. Unfortunately, the next song is "Torture
Chamber", which basically consists of a bunch of screaming (by Kat
and some guy she's supposedly torturing) over sloppy, chaotic speed
metal. Next is the half-minute long "Blood", which reminds me of Kat
covering AC. It even has some growled vocals in the background, in
addition to Kat's screaming in the foreground. Last up is Sarasate's
"Carmen Fantasy", again arranged for guitar, bass, violin and drums.
While this piece misses the all-out fury and dynamics that the
Vivaldi had, it is still pretty good, and a huge improvement over the
middle two songs. In general, the arrangements for the classical
pieces are well done, keeping a good balance between violin parts and
guitar parts. The drumming seems a little too straightforward to me,
but I realize it's difficult to add a drum part to a classical piece.
Overall, this release does nothing except cement the view that I had
before I heard it: if The Great Kat would focus on arranging
classical pieces in a metal format, lose the dominatrix schtick, and
put out a full-length album, she'd be very good. As it is, there are
a little over four minutes of good material here, and three minutes
of utter crap.
The Sins of thy Beloved - _Lake of Sorrow_
by: Pedro Azevedo (9 out of 10) (Napalm Records, November 1998)
_Lake of Sorrow_, the debut from this seven-piece band, sounds rather
close to Tristania's, especially the guitars; the presence of death
and female vox and plenty of keyboard arrangements are other
similarities between the two bands, and both use a violin (played by
Pete Johansen in both cases, actually) -- but the violin is much more
important for The Sins of thy Beloved. While TSotB present a less
bombastic sound than Tristania, the two bands become more similar in
the softer parts; and while Tristania are generally better at
creating catchy melodic lines, TSotB are a bit doomier. TSotB's
female vocalist reminds me of Theatre of Tragedy's Liv Kristine
Espenaes, at least in the softness of her voice and the soothing way
she sings, even though she doesn't seem to be as technically good as
Liv and doesn't really try anything remarkably difficult with her
voice. Nevertheless, her performance is very good and suits the music
perfectly well. While the keyboards are handled well enough,
especially the piano parts, the violin sections are clearly
responsible for making _Lake of Sorrow_ really interesting, and these
appear very frequently. Sometimes replacing or following the guitar
lines, other times together with the piano or even solo, the violin
is the highlight of the album -- although the female vocals should
not be forgotten, either. The rest of the music is usually also very
good, and, overall, despite a clear lack of originality, this is a
highly impressive debut.
Urgehal - _Massive Terrestrial Strike_ (No Colours, October 1998)
by: Alvin Wee (8.5 out of 10)
No Colours Records has long since established themselves as purveyors
of absolutely obscure material of the highest quality, and the latest
cut on their chopping block proves worthy to join the ranks of this
truly underground label. Many thanks to Kay from NCR for braving the
horrifying postage costs and sending me this jewel. Touted as raw
black metal mixed with thrash/speed, _MTS_, Urgehal's second offering
with this label, doesn't leave a reviewer very much more to add.
Opening festivities in a truly retro vein is "The Sodomizer",
instantly bringing black leather jackets and gleaming spikes to this
listener's mind. Rather than resolving themselves into yet another
Destruction/Kreator rip-off a la Inferno, this terrifying threesome
pummel out riffs that manage to be so primitive, yet fiercely
original, that it's hard to believe there isn't some diabolic force
behind them. Just as I thought truly grim and primitive black metal
had left its heyday back in 1993, tracks like "Supreme Evil" and
"Flames of Black Candles" bring back to mind the good old days of
Darkthrone vinyl without resorting to '80s thrash rip-offs. The fact
that they manage to do all this while maintaining a highly
respectable technical level (unlike, say, Von) should be more than
enough to indicate the quality of this release. Black metal neophytes
still suckling their Covenant albums should think thrice about this
(or any No Colours release for that matter), but if memories of
xeroxed covers and blood-smeared letters still make your blood boil,
then don't hesitate to drop a line (and $22) to Kay at the contact
address below.
Contact: No Colours Records, Postfach 32, 04541 Borna, Germany
Vader - _Live in Japan_ (System Shock / Pavement, December 1998)
by: Paul Schwarz (9 out of 10)
Well, it finally came: a live album from Vader which showcases
material from all three of their albums. I imagine that many will
complain that _Live in Japan_ was released at all. From 1996 'till
now, Europe has seen the release of two full-length albums, two live
albums, one compilation of covers, one compilation of old demos and
an EP from Vader (disregarding _An Act of Darkness / I Feel You_).
Myself being a Vader fanatic, I have snapped up all of these products
and enjoy them all to varying degrees. Vader have got a lot of money
out of myself and others and many resent that. I don't. If I didn't
like any of Vader's releases, I would get rid of them. I wouldn't
have bought them in the first place if I wasn't interested in them.
Vader have made a lot of stuff available but none of it is, of
necessity, at an extortionate price and different versions or
overlapping tracks are hardly an issue. They have offered their fans
a wide range of releases and if people are too weak minded not to buy
things they don't want that is their trouble, not the band's.
Digression aside, _LiJ_ is an accurate sonic rendition of Vader live.
Having seen them twice, I can say with all confidence that the build
up of the intro into opener "Sothis" is well reproduced.
Unfortunately, part of the brilliance is the dark, visual effect and
the anticipation of the unknown set ahead. Also, you only get the
anticipation once on the live album and the whole set list is on the
back cover. _LiJ_ features a well chosen set. "Sothis", "Silent
Empire", "Carnal", "Dark Age" and "Reborn in Flames" all make an
appearance. Some of my favorites are missing ("Revolt", "Vicious
Circle", "An Act of Darkness") and I feel the new album _Black to the
Blind_ is a tad over-represented (six out of ten songs). But no live
album has a perfect set list for everybody and this one is pretty
good for me. The sound is amazing and makes me wonder how "live" this
record really is. Though I don't think the band would "fake" the live
recording, nor would they need to, judging by the gigs I have been
to, I still find it has that "too good to be true" feel to it, along
with quite an honor roll of mixers and digital editors. Ultimately,
though, this is a great live album if you go in for them and also a
very good pick of Vader's material if you have never heard the band
before. It also includes cool covers of "Black Sabbath" and "Raining
Blood" to boot, so, if you want it, get it; if you don't, don't.
Visionaire - _Mystical Dominion_ (Millenial Sun, 1998)
by: Alex Cantwell (7 out of 10)
This is a high quality release, both in layout design and music, all
written and performed by one James Allin, who seems to like to take
glamour shots with candles. Jokes aside, this is extremely impressive
at first glance and also first listen, but a deeper look reveals some
weak lyric writing and some subject matter that is quite bizarre
("Mystical Dominion", "Icarian"). Those who listen to music only (or
so they say), who don't give a rip about lyrical content, will be
able to overlook this to a degree. However, most of the lyrics are in
fact understandable, which of course is rare in the genre, and adds
uniqueness to this release. This is because James often utilizes a
combination of a low, monotone singing voice. The music is melodic
death with doom influences, built with riffs that flow in and out of
each other fluidly, often with keyboards adding to the structure, and
in fact for many songs building the structure. These well written,
well placed riffs formulate songs that use a verse/bridge/chorus
approach that is a breath of fresh air. Impressive debut, for sure.
Contact: Visionaire, c/o James Allin, 4138 19th St #237
Lynden, WA 98264
Various - _Wardance_ (WAR, August 1998)
by: Paul Schwarz (8 out 10)
I am not the greatest fan of compilations; however, I realize that it
is sensible to hear a band before committing to buying their album.
Compilations can also help one to discover bands you had no previous
knowledge of. However, compilations themselves cost money and I
always find it hard to give the price of a CD to get a compilation; I
feel like I am wasting money on a means, not an end. Two things
alleviate this problem: cut price samplers (e.g. _Earplugged_), of
which this is not one, and presence of unreleased or rare tracks,
which _Wardance_ has, in abundance. Basically, this hour-long
fourteen tracker has something from most of the bands on WAR music or
the (now deceased) Wrong Again label. Therefore, we get tracks from
both of Naglfar's albums and even "Slit Your Guts" from Cryptopsy's
_None So Vile_. These are not the tracks that allow this to score
high, however. It is stuff like "Losing Faith" from the Japanese
_Black Earth_, "Biosphere" from In Flames' _Subterranean_ or the
unreleased Armageddon track which make this compilation worthy of
consideration. I accept re-releasing rare tracks may be a slap in the
face for those who paid, for example, $40 for a Japanese edition of
an album but, quite honestly, I'm glad the track is available in some
affordable format. This compilation is a very good show of the talent
WAR have (or Wrong Again had) on offer, and, despite imperfections,
it is one of the more worthwhile compilations out there, in my
opinion.
Withered Earth - _Forgotten Sunrise_ (Cryptic Soul, December 1997)
by: Paul Schwarz (8.5 out of 10)
I really hadn't a clue what _Forgotten Sunrise_ was going to bring
forth. When a creepy intro, reminiscent of those found on early
Hypocrisy albums, came to occupy the first minute and a half of the
album, I did still wonder what would follow it. A good intro, as this
was, can often expose a mediocre band. Withered Earth are, however,
in no danger here. They have musical ability, creativity and the
skill to intelligently combine the two. The core of their sound is
undoubtedly what I call death metal. The sound of each element
reminds me favorably but distinctly of Incantation. However, they are
not even close to an Incantation clone. The band incorporate quite a
lot of doom and liken themselves only towards the slower, sludgier
sections of Incantation at the most. The band kick off with an almost
groove-styled riff and return to the theme of catchy guitar a number
of times in the album. Yet what they never do is let the groove take
them away from the evil, dark feel of their core sound. They further
enhance the experience of _Forgotten Sunrise_ by the interweaving of
acoustics, playing the distorted and undistorted off against each
other, sometimes with augmentation by keyboards, to astounding
effect. The slight similarities of each song's main focus, on heavy
distorted riffing, doesn't let this down much and Withered Earth
generally make more of an effort to be varied, and are more
successful, than the majority of bands. This is most impressive for a
debut full length.
Contact: Withered Earth, 5 Beekwood Dr. Rochester, NY 14606, USA
Cryptic Soul, Via Fundania, 31, 02100 Rieti, Italy
Voice/Fax: 0039 746 271732
World Against World - _When the Day Breaks and the Shadows Flee Away_
by: Alex Cantwell (8 out of 10) (Bulletproof, 1998)
There once was a band called Spudgun who played simple, old-school
hardcore punk, and in 1997 put out a self-titled album that no one
really liked. Enter 1998, and two of the young men who were in
Spudgun get inspired with fresh vision and inspiration, employ the
drummer from Canadian hardcore monsters Warlord and record a somewhat
incredible (and bound to be overlooked) avantgarde hardcore album
infused with doom. What a shocker. While _WtDBatSFA_ is not something
I would want to listen to everyday, put in proper perspective, it is
an incredible album. I think that their music would still be
considered hardcore of sorts, but there is a lot of doom, and some
progressive work here as well. The lyrics are very in-depth, and
strikingly positive, and are all part of an intellectual feast. With
song titles such as "We Dance With the Moment on the 2nd Story of
Finality, Unaware of the Flames Slowly Spreading Up the Stairs", with
distorted bass as your guide, you know you're in for something --
what that might be I don't know, but you're definitely in for
something.
Yattering - _Human's Pain_ (Moonlight, June 1998)
by: Paul Schwarz (8.5 out of 10)
I found this a pretty astounding debut album. Though the
Benscoter-esque artwork and studio/producer led me to believe this
was a Vader rip-off band, my assumptions were wrong. The band mirror
Vader in only one significant way: they are a great, brutal, death
metal band from Poland with a distinct spark of individuality.
Yattering's approach is more in the Cryptopsy/Suffocation vein than
Vader's Slayer / Morbid Angel take on the style and Yattering are,
technically, the more "brutal" of the two. What initially struck me
(square in the face), once the band's lengthy intro had finished and
"The Feeling" got in motion, was the band's incredible and precise
technicality, which, armed with Adrezj/Andy Bomba's clear and violent
production, crafts gnarly and twisted riffs, cunningly spontaneous
drums and harsh vocals into a solid brutal whole which nails some
great grooves and often has the ability to really impress me. Two
problems dog the band, however. The first is minor: the band's
English is bad, a fact evident from the title, which I am sure should
be "Humanity's Pain", and their lyrics contain numerous grammar
mistakes. This makes them a little open to criticism, but really it
is a minor problem and, since the band's music is -so- well in order,
easily excusable. The more affecting problem is the band's decision
to include, spliced in, two tracks from their earlier promo on the
album. These songs are of inferior production standards and are
significantly less vibrant than the majority of the material on here
and they break up the album's flow badly. I recommend tracking them
out on a CD copy -- at present this is only available on tape, but a
CD version is (apparently) coming soon. Small flaws aside, this is
definitely one of the most promising debuts I have heard this year
and I hope to see the band grow in greatness and popularity in years
to come.
Contact: Yattering, PO Box 666, 80-958 Gdansk 50, Poland
Moonlight, PO Box 22, 78-400 Szczecinek 1, Poland
mailto:deceased@polbox.com
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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: ***** -- A flawless demo
**** -- Great piece of work
*** -- Good effort
** -- A major overhaul is in order
* -- A career change is advisable
Abjathar - _Nothing Undamaged_ (6-track demo)
by: Alex Cantwell (***--)
A somewhat impressive effort from this Belgian quartet. In short, it
is well-executed death metal built upon simple song structures and
using very basic riffs, but since it is so well played and put
together, it proves to be a solid foundation from which they can
build. Lyrically, five of the six songs are instances of woe, ending
with a final line of redemption, but hilariously juvenile in places
("I'm wearing black clothes all day, my back is full of
inflammations") from "Confession of Guilt", and especially the
closing track "Beware of the Black", which keeps referring to a party
known only as "they", whose identity remains undisclosed. Who is it?
Evildoers? The big black dogs next door? Come on, let's not be vague
and generic, guys.
Contact: Abjathar, Achaje Huysmans, Owenslei 37, 2400 Mol, Belgium
Brutal Insanity - _Greatest Clubbing Anthems_ (6-track demo)
by: Paul Schwarz (***--)
The last time I encountered this band, via their _Sick Perversions_
cassette, they received a 3 out of 5; note the same mark is present
here. Brutal Insanity have actually produced a better demo than last
time with this, which is not a collection of bizarre house covers,
and I can even hear hints of progression. However, the Cannibal
Corpse-isms are still prominent, though lessened somewhat by the
overall focus on serious speed, and basically the band have moved on,
but only as much as I would expect any band to within the course of a
year. _GCA_ has better songwriting, it is technically better, it is
better produced; but it still isn't music to write home about, though.
Contact: J. Rushforth, Killingwold Cottage, Beverley Road
Bishop Burton, East Yorkshire, HU17 8QY, England
mailto:Jon@brutal.karoo.co.uk
Cost: $3 / 1.50 pounds or a blank tape.
Detrimental - _Incomplete_ (1-track promo)
by: Paul Schwarz (****-)
Detrimental have one component of a good death metal band down pat:
good technical ability. In the one track on offer here, for free
apparently, they showcase little which could fairly be called
original. However, the demo's production is very professional and
imbues their somewhat derivative music with the power, energy and
dark feeling which death metal is grounded on. All elements, from
vocals to drums and guitars, are spot on technically and sound
stellar. If the band can work on their songs to filter out some of
the overbearing influences of Deicide and Cannibal Corpse, I feel a
debut album from them could be something impressive.
Contact: 2510 E. Arkansas Lane, #110-116, Arlington, TX 76014
mailto:maggutts@hotmail.com
mailto:maggutts@flash.net
WWW: http://www.detrimental.com
Grot - _Sweet Sick-Teen_ (16-track demo)
by: Paul Schwarz (****-)
Grot's latest offering is a short collection of pure, fast and brutal
grindcore numbers. However, a surprisingly clear production gives
this tape an edge, especially over many other demos, with which to
kick ass. There are also attempts, some of them successful, to show a
new side to this sort of grindcore, something that is too rarely
attempted, let alone achieved. Thus black metal tinged riffs
sometimes take command, mid-paced groove occasionally plays its part
and various other small touches prevent _Sweet Sick-Teen_ from
sinking slowly into the already overflowing mire of stagnation. Add a
decent sense of humor, covers of Anal Cunt, Sarcophagus and Fallen
Christ and a cool outro, and you're left with a very pleasing attempt
to do something at least a little individual with the standard grind
template.
Contact: J. Rushforth, Killingwold Cottage, Beverley Road
Bishop Burton, East Yorkshire, HU17 8QY, England
mailto:Jon@brutal.karoo.co.uk
Cost: $3 / 1.50 pounds or a blank tape.
Infestation - _Curse of Creation_ (4-track demo)
by: Paul Schwarz (*****)
Before anyone gets the wrong idea, this is Infestation from the UK
and, to my knowledge, have no connection to Mike DiSalvo's (currently
of Cryptopsy) old band. With formalities aside, I can say with
conviction that this is the single most promising death metal demo I
have heard this year. I don't know where this band have been hiding,
but it is time for them to come out into the cold light of day and
show the world what they can do. Bits of Cryptopsy, old Hypocrisy and
various other bands show up within the songs which make up _Curse of
Creation_'s eighteen odd minutes, but without due or undue plagiarism
of style or content. A visceral but adequately clear production gives
the band the finely sharpened knife edge they need to work their
brutal, vicious magic on their unsuspecting listener. I don't hear
the next Cynic or Nocturnus emerging yet, but I do hear a brutal and
creative band capable of great progression and ascension within a
scene where even survival is tough. Infestation deserve your
attention and you'd be a fool to pass up a release as worthy as
_Curse of Creation_ for your first taste of their music.
Contact: Infestation, 22, SM6 9DN, England
Malintent - _Part 1_ (Eternity Records / Abyss Records)
by: Adrian Bromley (***--)
Straight outta the Megadeth school of metal music, with a twist of
Overkill thrash metal tendencies mixed in (singer Jamie Vandelly is a
ringer for Overkill frontman 'Blitz at times), Virginia's Malintent
get things going strong from the opening number "Slayground". Good
production and really slick musicianship is abundant here as the band
rips through a rather impressive array of material. Strong guitar
playing shines from this release as Malintent weave their music into
a frenzied assault that'll have you singing the choruses by the third
or fourth track. If you're missing what Megadeth should have
continued doing after _Rust In Peace_, then this just may be your
choice. Strong release.
Contact: Abyss Records, P.O. Box 732, Centreville, VA 20120, USA
WWW: http://ww.ABYSS-RECORDS.com/Malintent.htm
Sanctificica - _In the Bleak Midwinter_ (7-track demo)
by: Alex Cantwell (****-)
Sanctifica hail from Sweden, and pronounce their place within the
metal kingdom with this, their first demo. They play a very good,
although somewhat basic, brand of atmospheric black metal. The
production is quite good, and they even do leads, which is refreshing
to hear in black metal. Sanctifica utilize keyboards to create
menacing atmospheres, and employ both shrill and clean vocals. It
seems to me that they listen to Enslaved quite a bit, which is a good
thing. Of course, with demos there's always room for improvement, and
I think that attention would need to be directed simply to the
overall songsmithing itself. A very good demo on all counts.
Contact: Sanctifica, c/o Jonathan, Mog. 3, S-565 33 Mullsjo, Sweden
mailto:sanctifica@earthling.net
Undertakers - _Advance Tape 1998_ (3-track promo)
by: Paul Schwarz (****-)
These three tracks are intended for the new _Vision, Distortion,
Perversion_ CD, planned to appear sometime in 1999, in versions
recorded on an eight track recorder (without a professional sound
recording). I have to admit, though their _Suffering Within_ CD
showed some potential, Undertakers have pushed themselves somewhat
with these new songs. There is less of the Deicide-isms I noticed
before, they have begun to utilize atonal chord flourishes and have
imbued themselves with considerable groove with it. The recording
sounds good, a little rough, but it works for the music. If their new
release keeps up the pace and keeps things a little varied, I feel it
could be something worthwhile.
Contact: Enrico Giannone, Via San Rocco 31
80016 Marano, Napoli, Italy
Voice/Fax: +39 81 7424110
mailto:engiann@tin.it
WWW: http://www.geocities.com/SunsetStrip/Frontrow/6895
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\ \ \L\ \\ \ \ \ \/\ \L\.\_/\ \L\ \ \ \_\ \ \/\ \__/
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\ \ \/_/_ / __`\ /' _ `\ /'___\ /'__`\/\`'__\ \ \/ /',__\
\ \ \L\ \/\ \L\ \/\ \/\ \/\ \__//\ __/\ \ \/ \ \ \_/\__, `\
\ \____/\ \____/\ \_\ \_\ \____\ \____\\ \_\ \ \__\/\____/
\/___/ \/___/ \/_/\/_/\/____/\/____/ \/_/ \/__/\/___/
FACING THE SLAYERS, DOWN IN THE GRAVE
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Slayer, Sepultura and System of a Down
Joint review by: Matthias Noll and Paul Schwarz
Stadthalle, Offenbach, Germany, November 20, 1998
by: Matthias Noll
The vast majority of German Slayer fans seem to rest in some
kind of timeless tomb when their favorite band is not touring. As
soon as the four-piece sets its feet on German ground, their fanbase
emerges from their resting places in large numbers, seemingly
unchanged in outfit and attitude since Slayer's first European visit
in 1985. About 3000 of these rather conservative lunatics gathered
and where definitely not amused to see the billing's first band,
System of a Down, on stage. Even if I don't even know the exact
location of the timeless tomb mentioned above, I wasn't in the right
mood to see yet another bunch of neo-metallers (or whatever you might
call the style System of a Down is playing), either. The reaction
from the crowd was close to zero, the only noise coming from some
guys yelling for Slayer between songs. The performance, as well as
the music, was less than noteworthy, with some typical "bring your
nose as close to the stage as possible while playing" poses from the
guitar and bass players. The good thing about the set was that it
lasted for only 30 minutes.
Sepultura came next and I was more than curious. I consider
myself a fan since I had the luck to see them for the first time back
in 1990, but _Against_ does plain nothing for me. Having forced
myself to listen to the album numerous times, I still have the
feeling that this patchwork of songs should have been worked upon for
another year or so until it was ready for release. The small amount
of Sepultura shirts in the audience seemed to indicate that I'm not
alone in that judgement. The band started with the album's opener
"Against", and from the first song some things became obvious
(believe me, I try hard to be objective). First of all, new singer
Derrick is far from being a frontman. The guy has some stage
experience from the previous parts of the tour; still, he seems to be
unable to do anything on stage but put his foot on a monitor box and
wave his right arm in sync with the lyrics. Even worse, the lack of a
second guitar and extensive use of effects by Andreas Kisser leaves
Sepultura with only half of their former power. Fortunately, drummer
Igor still plays in the premier league of metal drummers, maybe even
better than before. Four of the first five songs were new material
and audience and band seemed trapped in an emotionless stasis until
Sepultura skipped the new material and played the classics.
"Refuse/Resist", "Territory", "Dead Embryonic Cells", "Inner Self",
"Arise", "Beneath the Remains", "Troops of Doom" and "Roots" woke
everybody up and finally a part of the old spirit was back. Igor
going for the limits of high-speed drumming, driving the rest of the
band onwards at breakneck speed, while the whole unit still delivers
precision, aggression and brutality. That was, and to a lesser extent
still is, one of Sepultura's major qualities. The set was quite long,
and in the end most of the audience, as well as the band, definitely
was content and satisfied. Nevertheless, risking to come across as
someone who's only here to complain: if I had to choose between
Soulfly and Sepultura, I would vote for the former. If I could have a
wish come true, I would make the original line up come together again.
A short while later, Slayer entered the stage and "Bitter Peace"
had been picked as the opening track. The last time I saw Slayer, it
was on the _Divine Intervention_ tour in exactly the same location,
and back then they delivered a mind shattering show. My expectations
were nothing far from that. Unfortunately, the soundman fucked up big
time and what came from the PA was a bass laden chaos with no crunch,
no power and no precision. Vocals were hardly heard at all. This mess
was so bad it even ruined classics like "Hell Awaits", "Reign in
Blood" and "South of Heaven". The band seemed more static and less
enthusiastic than ever and rather routinely presented a greatest hits
collection. Besides the inclusion of "Evil Has No Boundaries", the
set list was similar to that of _Decade of Agression_, with some new
songs replacing _Seasons in the Abyss_ stuff. Halfway through the
gig, the sound finally got better, but remained far from being
impressive or doing justice to the natural heaviness of Slayer's
material. In the past, I always shook my head at Motorhead gigs when
some lunatics yelled "louder" even if half the audience's ears were
already bleeding, but this time I would have payed some extra bucks
for more volume. Even if you would have seen me frantically banging
my head to "Chemical Warfare", I have to say that, by Slayer
standards, this performance was quite mediocre. Still, they have
proven themselves countless times before and I'll be back next time
(hopefully in less time than another four years).
London Astoria, London, England, November 26, 1998
by: Paul Schwarz
This gig had been a long time coming. By the time myself and Mr.
Bromley, who braved airplane food and the bizarre rituals of British
customs to witness these live performances, were in the Astoria and
readying ourselves for first act System of a Down, expectations, for
me at least, were running high. Would System of a Down cut it live?
Would Derrick do the Sepultura legend justice? Would Slayer rule? My
questions were soon to be answered.
System of a Down have impressed many with their self-titled
debut disc. I was not altogether convinced by the time said disc had
left my player and tonight did not convert me to their cause. Though
System of a Down musically surpass the LA-groove-core tag, their live
performance reeks of the scenes cliches. They get a pit going, they
bounce around on stage, and end up looking like Coal Chamber with
better songs. Some songs of theirs, particularly "Suite-Pee", came
across excellently live and had me singing and tapping along, but
overall I still feel this band are overrated.
A time of judgement was now upon me. As Sepultura took the
stage, I felt a surge of real anticipation. How would Derrick fare?
Well, the band's three long-time members played exceptionally well
and musically were equal to, or better than, their final show with
Max nearly two years ago in this fair city. Derrick proved that there
were -very- good reasons why he was chosen for this job. Not only did
he reproduce the vitriol and menace of his performances on record,
but he reproduced the older Sepultura material with skill and
conviction sufficient to silence any detractors. As the likes of
"Slave New World", "Troops of Doom", "Territory" and "Refuse/Resist"
flew by, one could not help but marvel at what a great repertoire
Sepultura have. A pity it is then that the band continue to medley
songs from _Arise_ and _Beneath the Remains_, and of course don't
play the likes of "Slaves of Pain" and "Lobotomy". Thus we weren't
treated to full versions of some of my favorite Sepultura songs, but
what's new there? A good selection of material from _Against_ was
aired and I can happily say that their new material comes across
excellently live. None other than Slayer's Kerry King joined the band
on stage to play "Propaganda". This was a pleasingly public
indication that the band's press feud of four or five years ago is
now properly in the past. Overall, the band need time with Derrick to
make their physical appearance on stage more impressive. They exude
the tentative feel of the new band, which, in terms of how long this
line-up has been together, they are. I feel that in a year Derrick
will be wooing the crowd with his stage performance and the rest of
the band will feel more comfortable interacting live with him.
Despite my own personal set list disagreements, Sepultura more than
adequately showed that the departure of a founding member will not
stop them from giving their fans what they crave, good on them.
Slayer reigned in blood, crowned supreme on their metal throne.
I have witnessed their live assault at least once a year since they
first pounded me to submission at Donnington 1995 and I don't want to
give up this habit, if at all possible. I expected devastation, I
expected brilliance, and I got it, in spades. Using new track "Bitter
Peace" as an opener was amazing, especially because this is a new
track I have been dying to hear them play live. From there on, it was
Slayer being Slayer all the way -- few words, tons of brilliant,
heavy music. All in all, the band played a healthy four tracks from
their newest release _Diabolus in Musica_ and made up the rest of
their set out of various songs from nearly all periods of their
existence. Hence "Die by the Sword", "War Ensemble", "Hell Awaits",
"Raining Blood", "Captor of Sin" and "South of Heaven" (though
disappointingly using an intro tape for the initial riff) are all
featured songs, along with others. However, strangely enough, Slayer
chose to play nothing from _Divine Intervention_. I was a little
miffed at this, as some of this album's songs are damn good. However,
ultimately it is my least favorite Slayer album, and I can't choose
any songs from the set they played which I would sooner substitute
for songs off _DI_. Slayer, unlike Sepultura, played everything in
full, and I think with Slayer I can safely say we will not be getting
the "Show No Mercy medley" on their next tour. The lightshow was also
very impressive, cleverly augmenting the band's already considerable
live presence, and a huge backdrop of "Slayer" emblazoned burial
crosses completed the image. Tom Araya took a moment just before the
band did their final three songs ("Mandatory Suicide", "Angel of
Death" and "Chemical Warfare") to say to the invigorated London crowd
"Thank you for making us Slayer". No, guys; thank -you- for being
Slayer.
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D Y I N G U N D E R T H E H A M M E R
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Death and HammerFall
at the Launchpad in Albuquerque, New Mexico, on December 8, 1998
by: Alex Cantwell
I counted it a privilege to actually see in person Sweden's
HammerFall play on my home soil. They played to a few hundred people
as they would to thousands, putting on a killer show and drawing in
the barely receptive crowd as much as possible. Basically, only a few
people in the whole place even knew who they were, let alone the
words to the songs, so the sing-along parts that vocalist Joacim Cans
tried to get the crowd to participate in didn't achieve the desired
affect. It was amazing how many people left the room when they
discovered, 30 seconds into their set, that Joacim doesn't growl. A
typical, stupid, fickle Albuquerque crowd, for sure. The sound was
good, and it was rad to hear them nail those killer leads. HammerFall
are definitely leaders in the metal revival, and their set was
complete with a bit of "metal choreography", and ended with "Breaking
the Law", for which they all traded instruments.
Death, on the other hand, successfully engaged the entire crowd
with their incredibly technical catalog of material. Seeing Chuck
Schuldiner and the boys up close and live is amazing, especially when
they play so flawlessly. "The Philosopher" started things out, and
their masterful set included much new material alongside highpoints
such as "Suicide Machine" and "Flattening of Emotions" from the
speedy _Human_ album, as well as "Crystal Mountain", from _Symbolic_.
I would imagine that there has never been a crowd that would let
Death, in all of their many incarnations, get off the stage without
playing "Zombie Ritual", and indeed they fulfilled that duty. Sadly,
they played -nothing- from _Spiritual Healing_, despite me yelling
for "Genetic Reconstruction" after every song. I was also very
disappointed that they left out "Lack of Comprehension", since it is
such a killer song and is so interesting musically. Are Death at the
musical highpoint of their existence? It's debatable, but one thing
is for sure -- the brilliant music that they continue to churn out is
sure to inspire many, myself included, and they simply must be one of
the best live bands ever.
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T H E S M E L L O F N A P A L M I N T H E D A R K
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Cradle of Filth, Napalm Death and Borknagar
at the Paradise Garage, Lisbon, Portugal
November 18, 1998
by: Pedro Azevedo
After spending the whole afternoon traveling on the highway that
connects Porto to Lisbon, and having had dinner, there was still more
waiting to be endured before the concert started. Visiting Lisbon's
Paradise Garage for the first time, I was ready to compare it to
Porto's (or should I say Gaia's) Hard Club; however, there really is
nothing to be compared, as the Hard Club is superior in every way
that I can think of. Initially, I couldn't see much of the stage in
the crowded room, but it was clear that Borknagar's vocalist was also
taking care of bass duties; I also heard that it wasn't Borknagar's
drummer who was playing. Since I enjoyed their _The Olden Domain_ and
_The Archaic Course_ a lot, Borknagar were by far the number one
reason why I traveled all the way to Lisbon in order to watch this
concert. Nevertheless, I was prepared for some disappointment, as I
expected that Borknagar would have trouble reproducing all the
technical details that make their CDs so good. And that's precisely
what happened: they just played the basics of each song. The new
vocalist did his job, although I doubt that his bass playing was
anywhere near perfect. If I remember their set list correctly,
Borknagar opened their 30 minutes long performance with "Universal"
and "Oceans Rise" from their new album _The Archaic Course_, then
played a track from their first, self-titled album, followed by "A
Tale of Pagan Tongue" and "The Dawn of the End" from _The Olden
Domain_ and finally a keyboard-less "Ad Noctum", again from _TAC_.
The set list choices weren't, in my opinion, the best possible, but
they were acceptable, and the sound quality was average. Quite a
shame that they were very far from perfect, instrumentally.
Napalm Death followed, opening with "Unchallenged Hate", from
their second album _From Enslavement to Obliteration_, followed by "I
Abstain" (_Utopia Banished_) and my favorite of their set, "Greed
Killing" (_Diatribes_). They also played "Suffer the Children"
(_Harmony Corruption_), "Breed to Breathe" (_Inside the Torn Apart_),
"Next of Kin to Chaos", "The Infiltraitor" and "Cleanse Impure" (from
their new album _Words From the Exit Wound_) and also "Control" and
"Scum" (from their debut _Scum_). In the middle of "Scum", there was
a complete blackout, which lasted for about 50 minutes -- not an
incredibly fun hour spent in the heat and obscurity. When the lights
and sound returned, ND played "Scum" from the beginning and finished
what ended up being a 40 minute set with their Dead Kennedys cover
"Nazi Punks Fuck Off". Most likely due to the blackout, they didn't
play anything from _Fear, Emptiness, Despair_ and only one song from
_Diatribes_. The sound was good, Napalm Death performed very well, as
one would expect from them, and they had plenty of crowd support.
Overall, they turned out to be the best band of the night, although
their studio sound is much easier to reproduce live than Borknagar's
or CoF's. [Many thanks to Nuno Almeida for the Napalm Death set list.]
As for Cradle of Filth, who definitely didn't have sound quality
on their side, their major fault was the same as Borknagar's: lack of
technical detail, especially in the keyboards and guitars, and not
even the two girls they brought for their performance managed to hide
it. Their set lasted for about one hour and 35 minutes and, besides
practically all the songs one would expect from all their albums
(which I see no need to name one by one here), included "A Gothic
Romance (Red Roses for the Devil's Whore)" from _Dusk... and Her
Embrace_ and "Queen of Winter, Throned" from _Vempire_, which were
two nice surprises for me. The best songs in this live environment
turned out to be "The Twisted Nails of Faith" (_Cruelty and the
Beast_) and the always emotional "The Black Goddess Rises" (from
their debut _The Principle of Evil Made Flesh_), which must have
caused some tears to be shed in the audience, as usual. I expected a
better performance from Cradle of Filth, although, as I mentioned
before, the sound quality definitely didn't help them. Not a complete
loss, but not the concert it could have been, either.
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E V I L T O N O N E
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Firstborn Evil and Withering
at the Hard Club, Gaia, Portugal
December 3, 1998
by: Nuno Almeida <messiah@pulhas.org>
It was a truly chilling December night, as I walked along the
empty, silent streets leading to the Hard Club. A thin fog emerged
from the river beside me. You could say it was almost the perfect
scenario to see a black metal act such as Firstborn Evil -- you'd
probably be right. About the Hard Club: it's a really good place for
shows (see Pedro Azevedo's reviews of Entwined / Vader / Morbid Angel
and Darkside / Therion / Moonspell), located near the river, facing
the city of Porto. The view from its windows is always magnificent,
but that night, the proximity of the river only increased the
chilling cold.
When I entered, Withering were already playing. What really
surprised me was the lack of attendants -- only around fifteen
persons. (Remember this place can hold up to 750.) Obviously, I
feared for the night's success. Being the first time they played
here, I expected a more welcoming reception to this band from Seixal
(near Lisbon). Oh well... I sat upstairs to see the end of
Withering's set and, thank goodness, they only played two more songs.
Not that they are terrible; they're a local band playing classic
thrash metal, and they play it well. The problem concerned the sound:
way too loud for that empty room.
They left and I prepared to see Firstborn Evil. They appeared
wearing full corpse-paint. Drummer, bassist, two guitarists, keyboard
player and vocalist. After a short intro, they started their show.
Fortunately, the sound quality changed a lot: now that it wasn't so
loud, all the instruments could be heard perfectly. The vocals were
pretty good, ranging from death growls to high-pitched screams and
"clean" vocal parts. Most of the time, the music is mid-paced black
metal, with an epic/battle edge, but they speed it up once in a
while. There's a lot happening all the time. Like the vocals, the
rhythm often changes as well, and they have slow, melodic parts where
they drop a guitar solo once in a while. The keyboards add a more
epic and very melodic touch to the music. The playing is always very
good, with the fast parts delivered perfectly, thanks to their
excellent drummer and the competent guitarists. They played mostly
songs from their demo, _The Awakening of Evil_, and from their
recently released debut CD _Rebirth of Evil_. Near the end of the
show, they played a Manowar cover, "Blood of My Enemies" -- well
executed, like all the rest. After approximately 50 minutes of
performance, they ended the show with "A Quest for Vengeance", which
is also the last song of their debut. Despite the somewhat "evil"
look, they chose a lighter attitude, with the vocalist joking about
the "crowd" attending the show, about Porto wine (he opened a bottle
in the beginning of the show, which himself and the other members
drank during the performance) and even about the titles of their
songs.
Musically speaking, it was a good show; shame about the lack of
attendance. I'll be looking forward to seeing them in better (and
crowded) conditions.
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W H A T W E H A V E C R A N K E D ! ! !
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
CoC Writers Choose their Top 10 albums of 1998
Gino's Top 10
1. Absu - _In the Eyes of Ioldanach_
2. Monster Magnet - _Powertrip_
3. Pitchshifter - _www.pitchshifter.com_
4. Marilyn Manson - _Mechanical Animals_
5. Bolt Thrower - _Mercenary_
6. Dawn - _Slaughtersun (Crown of the Triarchy)_
7. Zaraza - _Slavic Blasphemy_
8. Sleep - _Jerusalem_
9. Isis - _The Mosquito Control EP_
10. Slayer - _Diabolus In Musica_
Adrian's Top 10
1. Pitchshifter - _www.pitchshifter.com_
2. Vision of Disorder - _Imprint_
3. Monster Magnet - _Powertrip_
4. Bruce Dickinson - _The Chemical Wedding_
5. Sepultura - _Against_
6. Strapping Young Lad - _No Sleep 'Till Bedtime_
7. In Ruins - _Four Seasons of Grey_
8. Slayer - _Diabolus In Musica_
9. Cave-In - _Until Your Heart Stops_
10. Queens Of The Stone Age - _Queens Of The Stone Age_
Alain's Top 10
1. Suffocation - _Despise the Sun_
2. Genitorturers - _Sin City_
3. A Canorous Quintet - _The Only Pure Hate_
4. Gorguts - _Obscura_
5. Nile - _Amongst the Catacombs of Nephren-Ka_
6. Dying Fetus - _Killing on Adrenaline_
7. Bolt Thrower - _Mercenary_
8. Abuse - _A Sunday Morning Killing Spree_
9. Cryptopsy - _Whisper Supremacy_
10. Dark Funeral - _Vobiscum Satanas_
Adam's Top 10
1. Morbid Angel - _Formulas Fatal to the Flesh_
2. Katatonia - _Discouraged Ones_
3. Pungent Stench - _Praise the Names of the Musical Assassins_
4. Marduk - _Nightwing_
5. Nile - _Amongst the Catacombs of Nephren-Ka_
6. Incantation - _Diabolical Conquest_
7. Fear Factory - _Obsolete_
8. Malevolent Creation - _The Fine Art of Murder_
9. Daemonarch - _Hermeticum_
10. Sepultura - _Against_
Pedro's Top 10
1. Opeth - _My Arms, Your Hearse_
2. Dawn - _Slaughtersun (Crown of the Triarchy)_
3. Therion - _Vovin_
4. Anathema - _Alternative 4_
5. Enslaved - _Blodhemn_
6. Katatonia - _Discouraged Ones_
7. Primordial - _A Journey's End_
8. Elend - _The Umbersun_
9. In Ruins - _Four Seasons of Grey_
10. Aeternus - _... And So the Night Became_
Paul's Top 10
1. Morbid Angel - _Formulas Fatal to the Flesh_
2. Cryptopsy - _Whisper Supremacy_
3. Dawn - _Slaughtersun (Crown of the Triarchy)_
4. Nile - _Amongst the Catacombs of Nephren-Ka_
5. Gorguts - _Obscura_
6. Vision of Disorder - _Imprint_
7. Incantation - _Diabolical Conquest_
8. Angel Corpse - _Exterminate_
9. Opeth - _My Arms, Your Hearse_
10. A Canorous Quintet - _The Only Pure Hate_
Aaron's Top 10
1. Death - _The Sound of Perseverance_
2. Gorgoroth - _Destroyer_
3. Sculptured - _The Spear of the Lily is Aureoled_
4. Stuck Mojo - _Rising_
5. Bruce Dickinson - _The Chemical Wedding_
6. Malevolent Creation - _The Fine Art of Murder_
7. Nokturnal Mortum - _Goat Horns_
8. Old Man's Child - _Ill Natured Spiritual Invasion_
9. Nile - _Amongst the Catacombs of Nephren-Ka_
10. Dying Fetus - _Killing on Adrenaline_
David's Top 10
1. A Canorous Quintet - _The Only Pure Hate_
2. Aeternus - _...And So The Night Became_
3. Arch Enemy - _Stigmata_
4. Dawn - _Slaughtersun (Crown of the Triarchy)_
5. Gehenna - _Adimiron Black_
6. Impious - _Evilized_
7. Meshuggah - _Chaosphere_
8. Naglfar - _Diabolical_
9. Therion - _Vovin_
10. Thy Serpent - _Christcrusher_
Gabriel's Top 10
1. Dissecting Table - _Life_
2. Masonna - _Frequency LSD_
3. Soulfly - _Soulfly_
4. Shellac - _Terraform_
5. Tribes of Neurot + Walking Time Bombs - _Static
Migration_
6. Aube - _Pages From The Book_
7. Skincrime - _Collection_
8. Agoraphobic Nosebleed - _Honky Reduction_
9. Facialmess - _The Madcap Barely Smiles_
10. Rush - _Different Stages_
Alex's Top 10
1. Extol - _Burial_
2. Zao - _When Blood and Fire Bring Rest_
3. Ultimatum - _Puppet of Destruction_
4. Embodiment - _Embrace the Eternal_
5. Death - _The Sound of Perseverance_
6. Manegarm - _Nordstjarnans Tidsalder_
7. From Kaamos to Midnight Sun - _Finnish Metal Compilation_
8. Zao/Training For Utopia - Split EP
9. Death List - _Severed_
10. Hammerfall - _Legacy of Kings_
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Homepage: http://www.interlog.com/~ginof/coc.html
FTP Archive: ftp://ftp.etext.org/pub/Zines/ChroniclesOfChaos
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CHRONICLES OF CHAOS
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M3M-1M6, Canada
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e-mail: ginof@interlog.com
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DESCRIPTION
~~~~~~~~~~~
Chronicles of Chaos is a monthly magazine electronically distributed
worldwide via the Internet. Chronicles of Chaos focuses on all forms
of chaotic music including black, death and doom metal, dark/ambient,
industrial and electronic/noise as well as classic and progressive
metal. Each issue will feature a plethora of album reviews from a
wide range of bands, as well as interviews with some of the
underground's best acts. Also included in each issue are demo reviews
and indie band interviews.
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 <mailto:ginof@interlog.com>. Please note that this command
must NOT be sent to the list address <coc-ezine@lists.colorado.edu>.
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 <mailto:ginof@interlog.com>. The
'Subject:' field of your message must read: "send file X" where 'X'
is the name of the requested file (do not include the quotes). 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.
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
End Chronicles of Chaos, Issue #36
All contents copyright 1998 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.