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CHRONICLES OF CHAOS e-Zine, December 9, 1999, Issue #44
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@fe.up.pt>
Assistant Copy Editor: John Weathers <mailto:anguish@mindspring.com>
Contributor: Alain M. Gaudrault <mailto:alain@gaudrault.net>
Contributor: Brian Meloon <mailto:bmeloon@math.cornell.edu>
Contributor: Adam Wasylyk <mailto:macabre@interlog.com>
Contributor: Paul Schwarz <mailto:saul@cwcom.net>
Contributor: Aaron McKay <mailto:aaronm@trxinc.com>
Contributor: David Rocher <mailto:el_rojo@dial.oleane.com>
Contributor: Gabriel Sanchez <mailto:sanch1g@mail.cmich.edu>
Contributor: Alex Cantwell <mailto:alex@netmdc.com>
Contributor: Matthias Noll <mailto:matthias.noll@updatemarketing.de>
NOTE: For more Chronicles of Chaos information, check out the
'Details' section at the end of this issue.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>><<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
Issue #44 Contents, 12/9/99
---------------------------
- Editorial
- Loud Letters
- Deadly Dialogues
-- My Dying Bride: The Bride Returns to the Bleak Rainy Moors
-- Satyricon: In a Moment of Clarity, the Rebels Return
-- Mortiis: The Shadow's Soul Between Obscurity and Oblivion
-- Hate Eternal: 'Til Death Do Us Hate -- Eternally
-- The Kovenant: Changing the Face of Metal
-- Vital Remains: A Vital Conversation
-- Overkill: Classic Covers From Overkill
-- The Atomic Bitchwax: Of Electrons and Bikini Lines
-- Various - _21st Century Media Blitz Vol. 2_
-- Amon Amarth - _The Avenger_
-- ...And Oceans - _The Symmetry of I, the Circle of O_
-- Angel Corpse - _The Inexorable_
-- Angel Dust - _Bleed_
-- Bal-Sagoth - _The Power Cosmic_
-- Bewitched - _At the Gates of Hell_
-- Brimstone - _Carving a Crimson Career_
-- Brutal Truth - _Goodbye Cruel World!_
-- Cannibal Corpse - _Bloodthirst_
-- Carcariass - _Sideral Torment_
-- Centurion - _Arise of the Empire_
-- Coalesce - _012: Revolution in Just Listening_
-- Cosmonks - _Out of the Ruins_
-- Damn 13 - _The Dynamite Gospel_
-- Danzig - _6:66 Satan's Child_
-- Deranged - _III_
-- Disarray - _A Lesson in Respect_
-- Engine - _Engine_
-- Entwine - _The Treasure Within Hearts_
-- Fireball Ministry - _Ou Est la Rock?_
-- Fiurach - _Chaospawner_
-- Forest of Impaled - _Demonvoid_
-- Genocide - _Breaking Point_
-- Konkhra - _Come Down Cold_
-- Mammoth Volume - _Mammoth Volume_
-- Mercyful Fate - _9_
-- Various - _Metal From Denmark...
Reversing the Danish Underground 1999_
-- Metanoia - _Time to Die_
-- My Dying Bride - _The Light at the End of the World_
-- Various - _Never Give In: A Tribute to Bad Brains_
-- Nightstick - _Death to Music_
-- Old Grandad - _The Last Upper_
-- Opeth - _Still Life_
-- Overkill - _Coverkill_
-- Rammstein - _Live Aus Berlin_
-- Requiem Mass - _Shattered Destiny_
-- Sigh - _Scenario IV: Dread Dreams_
-- Stretch Arm Strong - _Rituals of Life_
-- Stuck Mojo - _HWY 1_
-- The Ember Tide - _The Ember Tide_
-- The Fallen - _Sector-7G_
-- The Kuntautcult - _From the Pits..._
-- Thunderhead - _Ugly Side_
-- Tiamat - _Skeleton Skeletron_
-- Type O Negative - _World Coming Down_
-- Vesperian Sorrow - _Beyond the Cursed Eclipse_
-- Warlord - _Rock the Foe Hammer_
-- Waste - _Therapy_
-- White Skull - _Tales From the North_
-- Zao - _Liberate Te Ex Inferis_
-- Capharnaum - _Plague of Spirits_
-- Kraken - _Dreams of a Greater Empire_
-- Masque of Innocence - _Take 0_
-- Merde - _Merde_
-- Opera - _Promo 1998_
-- Torak - _I Cracked the World_
-- The Black Metal Opera Arriveth: Mortiis in Toronto
-- Armageddon With la Vierge de Fer: Iron Maiden in France
- What We Have Cranked
- Details
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
_____)
/ /) , , /)
)__ _(/ _/_ _____ _ //
/ (_(__(_(__(_)/ (__(_(_(_(/_
(_____)
by: Gino Filicetti
Hello loyal readers! I'll make this short and sweet, I wouldn't want
to deprive you from this "over-overdue" issue.
I just want to apologize for the delay in getting this issue out.
This was originally supposed to be a November issue, but certain
things stood in the way of me getting it out in November. The long
and short of it is that first semester in fourth year Computer
Engineering isn't the easiest of things to handle. I've been too busy
to even look at this issue until now. I hope you all understand.
Next month, we plan on bringing you what is sure to be the biggest
and best Chronicles of Chaos ever. It will be our first issue of the
new millenium and I promise it will blow your minds away.
So enjoy this issue and prepare yourselves for an even bigger beast
next month.
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
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: Tue, 12 Oct 1999
From: "Wayno -- (LINUX/NT/98)" <wayno@pobox.com>
Subject: Mortification
Mortification - _Hammer of God_ (Metal Blade, August 1999)
by: Paul Schwarz (2 out of 10)
[See CoC #43]
As a Christian, I am always interested in what secular mags have to
say about Christian bands..
I've talked to a lot of kidz about this particular album ( Both
Christian and NON-Christian) and this seems to be a pretty fair
appraisal of this album...Not one of their best...
I think Paul was very fair in his review of this album, and did a
good job reviewing this - please pass that back to him - I did NOT
see an email addy anywhere..
Thanks
Wayno
[All of our staff's email addresses appear in the header at the top
of every issue. Paul's address is: saul@cwcom.net -- Gino]
Date: Wed, 13 Oct 1999
From: Michel Buijsman <coc@blub.selwerd.cx>
Subject: Loud Letter: In Extremo, another review.
In Extremo - _Weckt Die Toten_ (Metal Blade, 1999)
by: Adrian Bromley (0 out of 10)
[See CoC #43]
Wow, what a truly objective piece of writing.
Seriously now. Fuck off, Bromley. If you're going to trash a band, at
least give some solid reasons why, instead of really helpful comments
like "pure crap" and "drunken imbeciles" and other cheap shots that
don't say anything about the band. What was it? Did the bagpipes get
to you?
This band is one of those typical LOVE it or HATE it bands. Either
you like the bagpipes and other folk stuff, or you don't.
I like them. Why? Because they're talented musicians who have better
control of their musical instruments than a lot of other bands I've
seen. Another reason? Because a live show with these guys is fucking
fun! You can say all you want, but it's still one of the better shows
I've seen.
Sure, they're not brilliant. Stuff like this has been done before,
and will be done again. So what? There's hardly any band today who's
really truly original. There are no deep lyrics, as far as I know,
(My German isn't that great) but hey, when has that ever stopped
anyone before?
Short version: Either you like bagpipes/folk stuff, or you don't. If
you like that, there's a good chance you're going to like this. If
you can't stand bagpipes and such, well, see Adrian's bit.
I like it. It's fun. I give them 8 out of 10.
PS. For those of you who want to make up their own minds instead of
blindly trusting either Adrian or me, In Extremo have a homepage
with a realaudio sample. http://www.snafu.de/~tinosowada/ It's in
German. You're looking for the "Auf die Ohren" link.
--
Michel Buijsman "Stop the Earth, I want to get off!"
Date: Wed, 13 Oct 1999
From: Batis <bat_geor@mail.hol.gr>
Subject: About your review to Necrodeath
Necrodeath - _Into the Macabre_ (Scarlet, 1999)
by: Pedro Azevedo (6 out of 10)
[See CoC #43]
I'm afraid that most data about this album in your review is wrong.
For the historical truth (and an expectance to correct your error in
the next issue of Chronicles Of Chaos), I am sending you info about
this band and its releases, as it appears that the reviewer has no
information about the band...
Necrodeath don't play retro-thrash. Necrodeath were created in '84,
and have been one of the most cult bands of Italy. Their music have
influenced many of the modern bands of extreme Metal, including
Cannibal Corpse, Immortal, Dimmu Borgir, At The Gates and many other
bands that lead the extreme Metal scene of today. Due to the year
they were created, they belong in the real Thrash Metal scene of the
'80s and are not a modern Metal band.
Necrodeath are by far original for their time. This album, "Into The
Macabre" was created in '87 (limited LP of 500 copies) and another
one created in '89. Both albums staid in history, and Mayhem were one
of the first bands to recognise the talents of this band. Their
Black/Thrash sound was very original for the year it was originally
released. Though an underground band, it managed to become a legend
of Italy (and influenced the bands mentioned above).
After their second release, they split up (early '90s I think) and
reunited again early this year. Scarlet decided to re-release their
legendary debut (the copy which you reviewed), so as to promote the
band, which will release a new album at the end of this year.
I hope that you either re-publish the review, with corrected
information, or at least post my letter, because I always thought of
Chronicles of Chaos being one of the best e-zines out there and well
informed.
What Pedro Has to Say
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I wrote my review based on a promo CD (nothing else), which I didn't
even receive directly from Scarlet, who have never sent me anything.
It had a 1999 release date and no info about being a re-release. I
had no personal duty or interest whatsoever in reviewing it, but I
did it anyway because it might be of interest for any CoC readers who
might want an opinion from one of us about the quality of the album.
In any case, regardless of whether Necrodeath are considered as metal
gods or a second rate band, my review is based on my opinion of what
the CD is worth -- and not whether they are legends in Italy or
wherever else. Hence, my opinion wouldn't change because of that, and
the fact that the CD was recorded in 1987 doesn't change the fact
that it is being re-released now and right now it sounds outdated and
unoriginal to me -- although competently written and performed --, as
I stated in my review. I wouldn't give it extra marks for having been
recorded a decade ago because it is being re-released now and I'm
reviewing it for today's potential buyers.
Regardless of all this, thank you for correcting me and for showing
interest in CoC.
Pedro Azevedo
Date: Tue, 02 Nov 1999
From: "Cream Of Anarchy Productions" <csarcher@hotmail.com>
Subject: Attention Loud Letters: Cameron Archer Hates MSN Instant
Messenger Guy
All right, let's get on with it:
1. 11777@email.msn.com said:
"I don't know how you select who reviews what albums, but I believe
it should be done randomly, provided you weed out ANY reviewers who
admire the work of Korn, Marylin Manson, Rob Zombie and their ilk."
Okay. I run a website called the ZD PornoWeb, right? I've reviewed
Korn and White Zombie on my site. So, according to this guy, if I
reviewed for CoC, I would be strung by my intestines and hung like
the major-label dickhead I am. Do I really GIVE A FUCK? If I'm not to
review any major-label crap on my website because of the Evil Empire
stigma attached to it, you know what? I'd have to weed out bands like
Entombed (Earache/Columbia), Godflesh (again, Earache/Columbia),
anyone on Roadrunner, _all_ but pre-1986 Slayer, Morbid Angel
(Ear...oh you get the idea), anyone presently on Metal Blade, and, of
course, I'd have to miss out on the Melvins because they had this
album called _Stoner Witch_ on Atlantic a few years ago. Look, buddy,
I don't care if you haven't sold out, but maybe the guys at CoC get
more free albums than you ever will. If _any_ reviewer likes Korn,
who fucking cares? As long as they're not paid to write a review of
Limp Dick-Shit by Fred Durst and his Flip label, CoC can review
anything they damn well want.
2. Thanks for that wonderful piece of shit interview with Cannibal
Corpse. Here's Alex Webster trying to explain "Bloodthirst":
"We want to make a brutal death metal record all the time and we have
done that. It all goes back to a band like Iron Maiden who knew how
to keep a formula going, but change a little bit each time out, yet
still keep the fans interested."
Notice how he says he wants to make a brutal death metal record. If
you REALLY wanted to make a brutal death metal record, maybe you
should stop writing inane lyrics and playing your tiresome
riff-riff-riff-harmonic formula and try to write something new.
Akercocke is brutal, more brutal than you, and THEY dress up in
"Reservoir Dogs" gear. To them, Satan, sex, and blast beats are their
business, to paraphrase Megadeth. (Of course, not that I like
Megadeth, but...) Nile, Cryptopsy, Nasum...the list goes on. I hate
to say it, and fifteen million grind fans will want to kick my ass
for this, but if CC were on a small label like Osmose, instead of
playing with the big boys of Metal Blade, no one would give a shit
about their music, 'cause they'd be too busy trying to get out of the
underground to care about adhering to formula. Oh yeah, Iron Maiden,
if you haven't noticed by now, Alex, has been sucking shit ever since
the mid-80s, when their formula got tired.
"I think a lot of death metal bands play it safe when it comes to
their images, music, lyrics and even band names."
Like Six Feet Under, you one-track minded fuckhead. (There I go
paraphrasing EC8OR.)
3. "This is too cool. With the actual domestic release of this Iced
Earth live release being two CDs worth of live material, I was blown
away by what you got, but what got me really going was the European
import, which was three CDs (!!!) of live material. Wow! So even with
a copy of the new double-disc sent to me, I still opted to buy the
three-CD release."
Gosh, Adrian! I wish _I_ could get that kind of support from Century
Media! Why does he have to brag about this? I solicit reviews from
the same people, and the only people who send me anything are people
not on big labels like Century Media, but still decent enough to give
me some decent music. Oh, and Adrian? Iced Earth blows goat chunks.
4. Neurosis' "Times Of Grace" is a 1998 release, Bromley.
5. Finally, re Matthias Noll's review of Soilent Green's "Sewn Mouth
Secrets": I respect why you couldn't get into this band, but at least
Soilent Green are listenable. I find almost all alt-rock to be a
painful and irritating experience to listen to, but that's probably
just me.
Anyway, I leave you with this thought: If snakes evolved, and became
humanoid creatures who could think and talk and do anything that any
human could do, would that come into conflict with God? Would that
state that the serpents of the world are more Christian than the
people? Or would that mark the turning point in the coming of the
Apocalypse?
Well, you think about that while I go listen to some Slayer.
CAMERON ARCHER
http://www.nettoilet.com/users/theepisodes/
http://www.nettoilet.com/users/theepisodes/enter.html (no frames)
zdpornmail@coolmail.net
PS: If any band or label is reading this right now and is interested
in sending me some shit, you know where to reach me.
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| | | ( | | ( | ( | | | __/\__ \
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THE BRIDE RETURNS TO THE BLEAK RAINY MOORS
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
CoC chats with Andrew Craighan of My Dying Bride
by: Pedro Azevedo
I assume most of you have seen one (or, most likely, several) of
your favourite bands more or less suddenly choosing a different path,
walking away from the elements and characteristics that made them one
of your favourite bands in the first place. Sometimes you can still
relate to the band after those changes and enjoy their music as much
as you did before; some other times you can't. Most of you must have
gone through that before. What you probably have never experienced is
seeing one such band starting to tread such a path away from what
made them special and then coming back, returning to what they used
to be and to what made them great in the first place. That's the case
with My Dying Bride these days. They are returning. MDB have been
plagued by line-up problems ever since drummer Rick Myah was the
first to leave the band, and when keyboardist/violinist Martin Powell
departed many thought MDB would break up shortly after. Well, they
didn't. Despite the personal disappointment that was _34.788%...
Complete_ [CoC #35], I was encouraged by the rumours that _The Light
at the End of the World_ [reviewed in this issue] would be very
different. But temporary drummer Bill Law left the band before the
recording of _TLatEotW_, and so did one of the original guitarists,
Calvin Robertshaw. Under such circumstances was _The Light at the End
of the World_ written and recorded, and, in my opinion, it is MDB's
best album since _The Angel and the Dark River_. The following is an
in-depth interview with guitarist Andrew Craighan; lengthy as it is,
I am nevertheless quite sure it will provide a very satisfying and
rewarding read for those of you who have albums such as _As the
Flower Withers_, _Turn Loose the Swans_ and _The Angel and the Dark
River_ amongst your favourites -- essentially, for those of you who
longed for the return of My Dying Bride.
CoC: So, how has life been going lately?
Andrew Craighan: Strange, to say the least. It's been a difficult
time for MDB, but I think we're coming out of that
and we're moving on. It's been bleak, to say the
least.
CoC: Because of Calvin's departure?
AC: A lot of things, actually. Calvin's departure didn't help,
especially coming so soon after -- I mean, it was a couple of
years after Rick's [departure], but then, with Rick leaving,
initially, and then Martin leaving, and then Calvin as well, it
was like, can this band suffer any more? To be honest, we got
close to sort of calling it a day, but some people around me said
"No, no; keep going", and I think we've gotten over the worst of
it and things are going to be alright again.
CoC: Talking about line-up changes, you have Shaun Steels [who played
on Anathema's _Alternative 4_ after leaving Solstice] as your
new drummer now. Will he be staying on a full-time basis? Are
you happy with his work?
AC: Yes, well, the deal was that he was in a sort of trial basis,
because of the upheavals with Bill and this kind of thing. I
wanted to make sure, before putting My Dying Bride back together,
that the people I was working with were the right people, and
Shaun seems like he is going to be the full-time replacement -- I
have no problems with him whatsoever, his drumming is fantastic
and his spirit and attitude for this kind of music is second to
none; he really understands what we're trying to do. He's perfect
for it as well, because he drums like a My Dying Bride drummer.
Bill, unfortunately, I thought he was too square on the drums, I
would say; brilliant drummer nonetheless, but he wouldn't let
things flow as much as I would like. Shaun is more in line with
what My Dying Bride do, so I would have to say his chances of
being kicked out are very, very slim indeed.
CoC: Of course Calvin's departure must have made quite a difference
within the band...
AC: Instead of a few people -- normally all six of us wrote music,
but still, it meant that I was doing everything by myself,
because the other main songwriters weren't there -- which were
obviously Martin and Calvin. Adrian [Jackson, bassist] gets
involved as well, I suppose, but it was generally those three,
with Martin doing a little bit less. So it was difficult at
first, because to be perfectly honest I was unsure whether I
could do it on my own, being so used to working with another
guitar player. It was a challenge, a challenging time as well,
but I think I've improved myself now, so it's not such a problem.
CoC: What can you tell me about the reasons for Calvin's departure?
AC: It became too difficult for him to continue. If you lose faith in
what you're doing, which I think happened to him, and you see no
point in continuing... He got to a stage in his life where he had
different ideas about his life -- nothing to do with the band, to
be honest --, about what he should be doing, and the band didn't
really make that much sense to him anymore. So he left the band,
and we said to him "OK, you take as much time out as you need" --
we just thought he needed a break, because on _34.788%_ [which
Andrew simply calls "34" --Pedro], he was really put to the wall
on that one, and it was hard work for him, because he did most of
the recording. We wrote the LP together, but when it came to
recording, he really carried the burden there. And I think it
took its toll on him, and after that LP he never really had the
fire to do another LP. It was difficult to convince him that no
matter what's happening in your life, the band is an outlet, an
escape; he couldn't see it. I think the fire just went out,
basically, the passion to do this kind of music left him and
there was nothing we could do. We're still very good friends, in
fact I'm seeing him this evening. We still talk, discuss the
band, I still treat him as the other guitar player in some
respects. A lot of things I'm not in my place to discuss about
his life and there's a lot of things I can't talk about, but from
the band side that was it, really; he lost, not interest as such,
but he had more pressing things to sort out.
CoC: You mentioned you were unsure whether you could handle all the
work on your own; how has the band been working now? How was the
writing process for _TLatEotW_, now that for the first time you
were the only guitarist?
AC: It was strange, because normally you have an idea, get the drums
on it, play around and then the other guitar player would play
the same thing; we would work on a harmony or something along
those lines. I don't like to use the four-track because it makes
the sound stale, so I played it live and then worked out the
harmonies without the other sound there. On some other stuff that
I couldn't do simply on my own, I have a friend who used to be in
a band called Septic Holocaust, a friend of mine called Phil, and
I dragged him in here to do metal -- he doesn't like this kind of
thing, but he did it because he's a good friend of mine. I asked
him if he would play the guitar lines that I had written, and
then I could write the other guitar line at the side of it. So he
came down and helped me on this kind of thing, just playing
things that I had already written so that I could write the other
side of it. For some of it I waited until the studio; I had rough
ideas of what I wanted to do, I sort of had the bones of the
songs, and I waited until we got to the studio, and when I could
hear it properly and think about what I wanted to do I put
harmonies and other guitar lines alongside in the studio. Some of
it was sort of written live in the studio. It's good that way,
MDB have always had that element. I remember on _The Angel and
the Dark River_, "The Cry of Mankind" was not finished until the
studio; I didn't write my guitar line until then.
CoC: I suppose you don't mean the [repetitive] background guitar
line?
AC: No, that was the main guitar, the guitar that starts that song,
the arpeggio that Calvin does -- or used to do. That was what we
had: we had the vocals, we had that guitar line, we had the drums
and the bass. The other guitar line, the heavier guitar line, was
non-existent. I had some ideas, but again we have great faith in
Academy Studio, we know that there's a feeling when we get there
that it's going to be OK, so there was no problem, we got there
and we just wrote it there.
CoC: Academy must be like home for you by now...
AC: <laughs> It is very much so, yeah... Considering the amount of
time we spend there, it's more than my home.
CoC: I heard you already have a new guitar player, who didn't
participate in the recording of _The Light at the End of the
World_.
AC: It's the same kind of deal as with Shaun. His name is Hamish
Glencross. He's a very good guitar player, excellent guitar
player; he's been in a few bands in Bradford, I've known him for
quite some time. The LP is going to be released soon -- November
the eighth, I think --, next year we will be touring this LP --
Europe, mainly --, and he's been drafted in to do the tour. But
we've been writing some new material already, to see how things
go, and it sounds very much like My Dying Bride again, it's like
a rejuvenated band. So the chances of him joining are very high
indeed, but at the moment I want to go on tour with these people
and see how they react on tour before I make any decisions. I
can't afford it to go wrong again, if you know what I mean, so
I'm being extra careful now.
CoC: What kind of contribution, what kind of influence, direction and
style do you think he will bring into the band?
AC: I don't know; if it's different, it'll be good, because I'm not
bothered about difference.
CoC: But is his musical background similar to yours or something
completely different?
AC: No, no, he's from a doom background, predominantly, but he wants
to play more epic-style music. [I didn't know this at the time,
but Hamish was previously a member of Solstice, another British
doom band (of which current MDB drummer Shaun Steels was once
also a member). --Pedro] He's been a fan of the band for some
time and he snapped at the chance of working with us. Like I said
earlier, we started sort of playing around and it sounds very
much like My Dying Bride straight away, because he is very much
in the same frame of mind as us about how My Dying Bride should
sound, so it should be good.
CoC: Looking at _34.788%_ and _TLatEotW_, as far as music, lyrics and
artwork are concerned, all three elements seem to have travelled
in the same direction, back to a doomier style. Do you agree?
What was it that made this happen?
AC: I agree, absolutely. I personally like epic darkness, if that
makes any sense. I like the idea of absolute misery and the idea
of despair in music. I'm in a fortunate position where I can
actually attempt to get these feelings into music, so I try,
basically. I don't think I've quite come up with it yet, but I'm
getting there. So I try to put this into music. With _34.788%_, I
wasn't in complete control of the writing, because there was
other people there, another guitar player, etc., and we were
democratic. With this LP [_TLatEotW_], I was doing just about
everything when it came to the music, and I basically said to the
others "I'm going this way: I want it bleak, I want it dark, I
want misery." I just asked Aaron [Stainthorpe, vocalist] to go
back to the old style, go and look for the mystery that My Dying
Bride once had, because I missed it, to be honest. I think that
if I wasn't in this band, I would like this band a lot, so I just
tried to recreate the ideas that made us put this band together
in the beginning -- to create the most doomy, gloomy, the most
epic misery on record ever, this is what we attempted to do. Now,
through the course of time, record labels always put pressure on
you, any band will tell you this; and we came to the point where
they could not possibly put any more pressure on us, because we
had nothing to lose, the band was either going to work or it
wasn't -- so I just did what I wanted to do, and that was to
write miserable music as best I knew how.
CoC: I think it's very good, the new album, I like it a lot better
than what you were doing, the style and kind of music you were
doing on _34.788%_ -- personally, because I'm really into
doom...
AC: Yeah, this is just what I'm into, and I'm in a position now where
I have a chance to do it and see what it could sound like, and I
just did. So far, a lot of people are glad, in a way, because
people had forgotten about this kind of music, all those bands
that were doing it have moved on, and I decided that progression
is OK, but I'm going to do -this-, fuck it. <laughs>
CoC: Yeah, I mean, you can still definitely progress within that
style, you don't have to become softer or less doomy in order to
progress.
AC: No... it's definitely heavy, I like heavy also.
CoC: I can actually see elements of every previous album of yours on
_TLatEotW_, except basically _34.788%_ -- I mean, there's even
some stuff that reminds me of your earliest music sometimes, and
of course elements from your other albums abound, but
_TLatEotW_, in my opinion, ends up reinforcing the idea that
_34.788%_ was a bit of a one-off, almost non-MDB, kind of album;
what are your thoughts on that?
AC: In a sense... I can understand what you're saying, but _34.788%_
had to be done, and it had to be done in that way, because that's
how the band was at that time. That's how the band sounded at
that time, with Bill, the drummer, who, as I said earlier,
squared everything off, and Calvin, the way he was mentally and
physically, this kind of thing. The band was going through a
really tough time as well; we were having trouble with the record
label -- which all the bands go through, it's just something you
have to live with -- and that reflected in the band, so morale
was very low. You can see the transformation simply because on
this LP all those people that needed to go went, and the people
that were left were the people who wanted to play this kind of
music -- basically it was me, Adrian and Aaron, reinforced by
Shaun. And Shaun was a great help, simply on an enthusiasm level,
because he understood what we were trying to do, and he
understood that we were looking for bleak and... it's not
something you can put into words, to be honest, it's an image in
your mind, almost like the moors, the wind and the rain. [I
entirely agree. Definitely. --Pedro] This imagery -- when I say
this is what I want the band to look like, this is what I want
the sounds to feel like, let's fucking do it, why not? It felt
right again, so we went away and looked for this. I honestly
think we've come pretty close; I know it's not 100% [It's
certainly a -lot- more than 34.788% in my opinion, though.
--Pedro], and I hope I'll never find it, because this way I can
keep looking.
CoC: When I talked to Aaron about a year ago [CoC #35], I asked him
about something which I believe you mentioned a while ago, which
is the essence of My Dying Bride, My Dying Bride as an entity,
and I felt that with _34.788%_ you left that a bit behind... I
mean, besides the music, even the artwork and lyrics...
AC: Yeah... I know why I did the LP, I can understand why we did it,
but I also understand entirely what you're saying, because that's
what I think now, and we won't do that again, simply because it's
not really true My Dying Bride. I mean, within My Dying Bride,
the actual personnel can change, but the name and the imagery
will always be the same, and the people who'll work under that
umbrella should always strive for this. I think we got a little
bit lost there, things became a little bit wayward; we couldn't
really concentrate on what we were doing, to be honest, and it
was a really difficult time -- I can't even go into what was
happening behind the scenes, but it was a difficult time. The
fact that we managed to make an LP at all stands testament to the
strength of the people at that time, it really does. The people
just see the LP, look at the album, hear the songs and think
that's not fucking My Dying Bride, but if they could truly
understand what was happening at the time, they might still not
like the record -- that's fair enough --, but they would at least
say that considering all that, it's not so bad. But now we can
concentrate again on what My Dying Bride should be, and the
result is vastly different, as you can hear.
CoC: As you were saying, many fans frowned at the direction you were
taking with _34.788%_. How much of an impact did that have
within the band?
AC: These are the people that make it worthwhile -- when you play the
songs, if someone comes up to you and says "I think this LP is
fucking brilliant", it's made all the hard work worthwhile. So to
hear people say "I don't like this, I think it's shit, I don't
like the style, I'm not going to bother with them if this is how
they are", it doesn't hurt as much, but it's sad to hear. But
again, I'm not stupid enough to think "Ah, fuck 'em", you know, I
can understand perfectly why they may have disliked this LP, but
they don't fully understand how it was made, why it was made. In
all honesty, I think if that LP hadn't been done, there would be
no My Dying Bride now. So for those who think that it's not so
good, at least that LP formed the nucleus and gave us enough time
and strength to carry on, because it was a really tough time, I
can assure you. Well, they don't see everything, which is fair
enough, because they shouldn't see everything. But the fact that
we came through it and are carrying on in a more traditional and
more positive way is a testament to this band.
CoC: The lyrics have also changed, pretty much like the music itself
did; I was wondering if you noticed whether Aaron had any
trouble finding inspiration for the new album's lyrics, since he
is known to have occasionally had such trouble in past albums.
AC: I think that because we had the same goals with this LP, and
because this is familiar ground for us, this kind of sound --
well, not necessarily the sound, I think the sound is better
again, you know, the shape of the songs --, so it's not so
difficult for him. I know he has struggled in the past, but this
time we all had a set goal, we had an idea, the imagery; I sowed
the seed of what My Dying Bride should be like, what we should be
attempting to do. I said "Just step back, we don't need to keep
pushing forward and trying new things, we've done that for years;
it's OK, but let's just sit back and do what we know best, which
is this kind of music. We don't do anything else as good as this,
so why bother?" So I thought we should go back to the old style,
not necessarily back into Latin and the straightforward
Shakespearean sort of style -- as much as I do like it, it can be
a little bit confusing for the reader, I mean something in there
and thereabout. As far as I know, he had no trouble falling back
into that mould, and once he got going, things really did flow.
The lyrics, to be perfectly honest, were overwhelming, because he
had so much that we had to chop most of them out. He was writing
and writing... I think we found the vein again and he was really
going for it. So it wasn't difficult at all this time, there is
some very good stuff in there. I am, strangely enough, not a very
big fan of Aaron's lyrics <laughs>, but these do inspire me quite
a bit.
CoC: I was wondering about the concept of _TLatEotW_; I think that's
quite a thought-provoking title. What does it mean to you?
AC: That's a fucking good question. <we both laugh> No, it's a love
song, basically. How a man would condemn himself to internal
loneliness for one more night with his lover. It's basically
around that. It's a sad song, a very sad song about a man who is
very much in love and his girl is away, but he's willing to risk
everything for her.
CoC: Something that really surprised me when I looked at the album
cover was that you used your old logo again, something you
hadn't done ever since _Turn Loose the Swans_. I can understand
the decision, considering the way your music changed, but you
really wanted to make a statement with that, didn't you?
AC: Yeah, definitely. It was one of the first things -- when it came
to be that I was going to be writing the music, I thought that I
like old MDB, I like the way it looked, and the first thing was
that the old logo would come back. Everybody said yes. I think
people forgot about the band, to be honest, about this logo, and
that logo -is- My Dying Bride to me, it's always been the logo,
even though we've very rarely used it. And it is a statement to
say that we're back, really, that we're back on track.
CoC: Another thing that I found especially remarkable was the fact
that you decided to do a third version of "Sear Me" <Andrew
chuckles>, which, in my opinion, turned out brilliant, and I had
already been blown away by the second version when I first
listened to _Turn Loose the Swans_...
AC: We intend to have a full LP of "Sear Me"s in the future. <we both
laugh out loud> Well, if we carry on, I'm sure it's a
possibility... <we laugh again>
CoC: Well, but seriously, what made you think of going back to such
an old track and make a third version of it?
AC: Again, it's a statement, because "Sear Me" is one of our
favourite songs, still now. [The original "Sear Me" that Andrew
is referring to is part of MDB's 1992 debut full-length _As the
Flower Withers_. --Pedro] That song and "Turn Loose the Swans",
that particular song [not _TLtS_, the album], those two, really,
for most of this band, epitomise what My Dying Bride can do. When
we do connect properly with what we're attempting to do, that's
what we get. We've always toyed with the idea -- "Sear Me" is one
of those songs which we may not do on the next LP, but we'll have
a thought about it on the one after, etc. -- and I thought it's
time. It's been out a long time... I basically just wanted to
bring back My Dying Bride, the old My Dying Bride, because I like
it. And "Sear Me" was part of that, so to do another one was a
daunting prospect. We did actually toy with the idea, at one
point, of doing a brand new "Forever People" [also from _As the
Flower Withers_], but the LP was becoming so long that it wasn't
working, so we had to leave that out. [_The Light at the End of
the World_ is 71 minutes long, with basically no atmospheric
interludes or anything of that ilk. --Pedro]
CoC: Still, "The Fever Sea" [_TLatEotW_'s fifth track] reminded me of
"The Forever People"...
AC: It is, it's a modern day "Forever People". This was again
deliberate. The song wrote itself, if that makes any sense. We
were just jamming one night, Adrian came with this riff and then
the guitar came in and we just blasted through it and thought
"Well, that's very short and very fast -- we'll keep that!" <we
both laugh> The song came from nowhere and we decided to work on
it and make it workable. Again, it's very much like old MDB, when
we had the epic doom songs and then a quick burst of energy just
to break things up, and then back on. And on "Sear Me III",
incidentally -- this should be mentioned --, the left hand guitar
is played by Calvin. The right hand side guitar is played by me,
but Calvin Robertshaw came in, I asked him especially to come in,
and played the left hand guitar. It's not been widely publicised,
not for any real reason, but I'm sure it needs mentioning, just
for the old fans, that Calvin is on this LP.
CoC: Changing the subject now, what bands or musical styles have you
been enjoying the most lately?
AC: Opeth. <chuckles> My girlfriend's a big fan of theirs and she got
me into them, and I think they're great, I have to admit. I've
been listening to a bit of Paradise Lost as well, recently, which
is something I thought I'd dig up and have a listen to, and they
still sound great. What else? Bal Sagoth, their new one's fucking
brilliant. I got a promo recently, and that is fucking insane,
it's brilliant music. And Emperor, I'm a big fan of Emperor.
_Panzer Division Marduk_ is fucking brilliant music as well, it's
insane... <laughs> It's just fucking mental, and the music is so
well played it's got to be taken seriously, it's brilliant.
CoC: What are your thoughts on the current state of the doom metal
scene and the metal scene in general?
AC: Well, I'm not sure if there is a doom metal scene as such, I
think the only people into it are in bands...
CoC: Not quite, I'm not in a band, so...
AC: <laughs> To be perfectly honest, the scene is saturated with a
lot of crap bands now. I'm not trying to have a go at anybody --
I'm not having a go at anybody, in fact --, but it's difficult
now, because there's so many bands, all with names that you
cannot pronounce and you cannot read... It's good, in a way,
because it means there's a lot of people there, but the scene
itself is a little bit stagnated, and something new should
happen. It's time for change again, I think. Death metal came and
went, that was a fantastic time. Black metal is still very much
here, but I think it's running its course, as all things do. The
skin on our particular sort of metal needs to be shed again and
something new needs to come from it.
CoC: What do you think that might be?
AC: If I could predict that, I'd be doing it now. <laughs> I don't
know, I'm not really bothered as long as it's played by people
who are actually playing the music. It's impossible to predict,
but I do feel that something's changing, and that's a good thing,
because it's time again.
CoC: Going back several months to the departure of Martin Powell, do
you think that his violin and keyboard work might have been
useful in this doomier _TLatEotW_?
AC: No, I deliberately did not put any violin on this LP, and there
was obviously none on the last LP, because he'd just left and we
thought it was time for change. The violin, honestly, became more
of a shackle, rather than a tool for expression. It was good that
we left it, because at the end of the day it's just a sound, it's
just a tool to create an emotion, and we can do that on the
keyboards; we're not afraid to do that on the keyboards. I know a
violin player who's ready to do it, but I think it's time for
change; I'm not prepared to take violins on tour, it's something
we can do without. Johnny Maudling from Bal Sagoth will be doing
keyboards, because he played keyboards on _TLatEotW_, and he's
more than willing to tour with us, so we don't need it anymore.
It was good when we had it, but it's not something I'm going to
repeat.
CoC: Why have My Dying Bride never used a cello in their music? I
think that could sound great.
AC: I think we did use a cello on the first LP, on "The Return of the
Beautiful".
CoC: So why don't you use one now?
AC: <laughs> Well, while we were in the studio, Shaun was going
"Cellos, cellos, let's have cellos", because they are, when
played correctly, -misery-. Don't think we're not trying to use
cellos, because we are. We did try, and they'd get lost,
literally, because the sound is so thick on the guitars, it just
sounds like a very bad cello. We'd take everything else out and
just leave the cello -- which is a full, rich instrument --, but
it unfortunately just doesn't work with the guitars that we want,
because I like heaviness, a big sound, crunchy, and when you put
a cello on top... We could do it, but it just didn't sound right,
and if something's not 100% on straight away... We tried it,
because we wanted them and Shaun was very much into having a
cello on the LP -- as we were, but Shaun in particular --, but it
just didn't sound right, it wasn't worth risking.
CoC: Changing subject again, and although I know that this doesn't
directly concern you, I'd like to know what you think of the
latest developments in Anathema's career and especially their
signing for Music For Nations, leaving Peaceville behind, as
Anathema and MDB used to be really close to each other from the
fans' point of view, even though that might not be the case in
reality <Andrew laughs loudly>, because that's what I've been
told by both bands, and now you're quite far apart musically and
not even on the same label anymore.
AC: We are friends, though, I can categorically say this. In fact,
today I was talking to Vinny [Cavanagh, Anathema vocalist and
guitarist] in a place in Bradford, so it's not like cats and
dogs. It's a bit of fun, to be honest, we just like to have a go
at each other. But it doesn't really affect me at all, what they
have done. It makes no difference whatsoever to us at all. They
obviously have their reasons for doing this; I'm not entirely
sure what they are. But it's got to be good for them, and at the
end of the day Music For Nations are officially the mother label
[of Peaceville], so it's up to them. I wish them well, but it's
not something we'll be doing in the near future.
CoC: Did you like their latest album [_Judgement_]?
AC: I don't listen to Anathema, they're not heavy enough for me
anymore.
CoC: Emotionally, their music is still pretty heavy...
AC: Yeah, I saw them live in Bradford, and to be honest I did think
they were excellent live, executed brilliantly. And it was good,
I have to admit, I was quite surprised at what they were doing.
But for me, I just like a little bit of punch. But the people
that were there obviously didn't feel my sentiments, because they
were well into it.
CoC: Well, you already talked about Opeth, but I was going to ask you
your opinion about Opeth and Katatonia, since they are the two
newcomers to the Peaceville roster...
AC: It's good; it's good for me on a financial level, because I can
get their LPs for free now. <we both laugh> So that's fantastic.
Katatonia, I've always kept in touch with them. I remember when
they were really doomy and they sounded more like Paradise Lost
and MDB than Paradise Lost and MDB did, _Dance of December Souls_
and this kind of thing. [Andrew must be mistaken here, I think,
since _Dance of December Souls_ really sounds nothing like
Paradise Lost or MDB, in my opinion. --Pedro] I was quite
surprised to hear _Brave Murder Day_, which was the real changing
point. It was good, I enjoyed it very much, and right up until
the latest one. To be honest with you, I've had so much new music
I haven't listened to _Tonight's Decision_ [Katatonia's latest
album, reviewed in CoC #42] all that much, but I'm sure that I'll
like it. I have paid a little bit more attention to the Opeth
one, though; of the two, they're my favourites.
CoC: Do you think there is any chance you might tour with either of
them, now that you're on the same label?
AC: You never say no, but at the moment the person at the touring
company that puts our gigs together is looking for the best deals
he can get for My Dying Bride at this time. He doesn't really
know Opeth any differently, doesn't know Katatonia, but I did
mention to him that if he can put something together with Opeth
and My Dying Bride, I would personally like that very much,
because I like this band a lot. I think it would be a good
package, but at the end of the day I would be thinking with my
heart -- "I like this band, let's go with them" --, while he
thinks from a more financial point of view, a little bit more
business-like. Well, no, a -lot- more business-like.
CoC: Well, My Dying Bride with Opeth would be a great concert for
me...
AC: You're not the only person who has said that. As it happens, I
like the band anyway, but everybody seems to think it would be a
winner. I've not given up and I'm still putting in a good word in
there for them. But I don't know, we may even end up supporting
ourselves, depending on how things go. You can never tell.
Touring really is the strangest part of being in a band, because
one minute everything is confirmed and the next nothing is
happening after all. So it's an impossible beast to predict, it
really is -- it's a nightmare. The gigs, as far as I'm concerned,
aren't official until we finish them.
CoC: I suppose you can't really answer me yet, but I still have to
ask if there's any chance you'll be playing in Portugal anytime
soon.
AC: There is a big chance. In Europe, the metal scene was dominated
by Germany for many years, and that's simply not the case now.
It's spread out to places like Italy, Spain and Portugal, where,
to be honest, bands like us a couple of years ago wouldn't
normally go and now are more than happy to go, because the gigs
are going to be worth playing, there's going to be quite a few
people there and that's why we do it -- to go and play to people
who want to see us. We played Portugal with Iron Maiden [back in
the _The Angel and the Dark River_ days], but I don't think
anyone was paying attention to us. I remember Portugal very well,
it was a very good show and we liked the whole feel we got from
it, so if Portugal is mentioned nobody will say "No, let's not go
there", they'll say "Yes, that was a good show, let's get back
there as soon as possible."
CoC: And what about touring the USA? There's always a lot of talk
about whether European bands will tour the USA or not; will you
be doing that this time?
AC: Probably not. The chances are very slim. This LP is not going to
be released over there; there's no license out there at the
moment, so this is part of the problem we're having. There's very
little point and very little chance of doing it, because
obviously the money has to come from somewhere and it's highly
unlikely that the record label will want to pay for six to eight
people to fly to America and tour it when the LP is not going to
be released there.
CoC: I didn't know that. Still, what can be expected of your next
live shows as far as the selection of songs is concerned? Any
idea yet?
AC: Yes, I've got the vast majority of them decided. It's a lot of
older stuff, just one song from _34.788%_ -- "Under Your Wings
and Into Your Arms", the last one, the quick one, I like that
song a lot and it sounds pretty good as well. We're doing a good
selection of _The Light at the End of the World_, because we like
this LP a lot. We're going to be doing off that "She Is the
Dark", "The Light at the End of the World", "The Fever Sea",
"Christliar" and "Sear Me III". "Christliar" is a particular
favourite of mine, I think that's a fucking brilliant song.
We're definitely doing "Turn Loose the Swans", we're definitely
doing "The Cry of Mankind" [from _The Angel and the Dark River_],
we're definitely doing "The Forever People" [from _As the Flower
Withers_]... what else...
CoC: Will you be using "The Forever People" as concert finisher?
AC: It's still in the air, that one; it's near the end, but "The
Fever Sea" is in there now, so we don't know yet. We've got
plenty of time to pick and choose; I'm not entirely sure of the
order just yet. There's a couple more that we're thinking of
bringing back, possibly "The Snow in My Hand" [from _Turn Loose
the Swans_], we haven't done that one in a long time.
CoC: Excellent song.
AC: Yeah, we've been rehearsing that one, and it sounds good. It's
amazing, I forgot how good these songs were to play.
CoC: I never saw you live, but I have the _For Darkest Eyes_ video
tape with the Polish concert and it was a great concert -- the
audience was really involved, I think you played brilliantly and
the song selection was great for me.
AC: Thanks a lot...
CoC: Finally, I would just like to know some more details about your
plans for the future of My Dying Bride. Do you think you can
still evolve within this style, towards even darker, more
miserable music?
AC: Yes, there is space there to do it. We've been playing with some
new ideas just a couple of nights ago and there -is- room; it's
going to be darker, the next one.
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
IN A MOMENT OF CLARITY, THE REBELS RETURN
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
CoC talks to Satyr of Satyricon (again)
by: Paul Schwarz
Some of you may recall CoC featuring Satyricon back in #38.
Then, _Rebel Extravaganza_ was but a speck on the musical horizon
scheduled for completion and subsequent release when the heat of
Summer would be fading into memory and the cold of Autumn
approaching. It is somehow appropriate that _Rebel Extravaganza_ was
unleashed as one season was at the point of turning into another, for
it marks not only a new direction for the band but, I would certainly
argue, a new era in black metal. A bold statement? Maybe, but
certainly if such statements can ever be justified, then they can be
justified in the case of Satyricon. You can decide for yourself
whether you agree with me about _Rebel Extravaganza_, and in the
meantime, if you are interested in the ideas behind it or just the
life that the members of Satyricon lead, you can check out this
interview. I hope it answers your questions, or at least questions
your preconceived answers.
CoC: How are you doing?
Satyr: Well, it could have been better, because there has been a lot
of stress. In order to save money, Nuclear Blast has sent us
around Europe with some sort of travel agency, so we had to
get up at five o'clock this morning to catch the plane, and
everything was extremely delayed. And on top of that, they
didn't manage to get Frost's luggage on the aircraft, so we
don't know where that's at, and then we came here and it's an
extremely nice office they've got. They showed us their new
band room and that's really cool and then they put up the
phones to do the interviews and just said, "You can't smoke
here". And I said, "Are you serious this is a heavy metal
label? And this is the band room and you can't smoke
cigarettes in here?" And they said no. And I said I would
anyway, but they said they were serious, so, it seems, I
can't.
CoC: When we talked before you mentioned that for _Rebel
Extravaganza_ you'd be using a lot of other players for the
album -- different contributors. I was wondering how well that
worked out in the end in terms of the results.
S: I was very happy with it. I mean, what I've always said about the
contributions those people made is that none of them really did
that much because they really just did the odd riff here and
there, but the small things they did were very important for the
totality of the album. I mean, Fenris only played tambourine on
one riff, and we had SW from Thorns just doing some extra guitar
in the odd place here and there, but it's often like that; all
those small things. So I was really happy with that.
CoC: The hidden "intro" at the beginning of the album, is that what
Grotsky [Apotygma Bezerk (thanks again, Josh) --Paul]
contributed?
S: No. That's not really a hidden intro; what it is, is the song
"Down South, Up North". The thing is when we did "Down South, Up
North" -- which is like the ninth track on the album --, when I
started listening to the songs and picking the order and all that,
I just thought to myself that there was a sort of, how should I
put it?, destruction.
CoC: You mean by having "Down South, Up North" as the ninth track?
S: Yeah. It was something that broke the continuous feeling that I
wanted. And at the same time I didn't want to just put it away,
because I was happy with the way it turned out; it just didn't fit
in with my idea of the continuous feeling of the album. So what we
did was just take that little part and make it some sort of, how
do you call it?, interlude, or something like that, and we just
put the song in front instead of after the songs, because putting
it after the songs is so dull.
CoC: So the ninth track is now a different intro?
S: No, track number nine is just an excerpt from "DS,UN". It has just
been taken out of the song, really, cut out and pasted into a new
place. So it is exactly the same.
CoC: Personally, I felt that there's quite an interesting raw and
bare approach to _Rebel Extravaganza_. It is almost an
industrial approach, I'd say, in terms of the structure of the
album...
S: Very primal.
CoC: Yeah, but it is played in what I'd call a black metal style. I
was wondering if this was a feel you were -intending- to get?
S: Yeah. I mean, the fans and the press have been saying that we're
becoming an industrial band. We always felt like we were a
progressive black metal band and that part of being progressive is
adding new elements to the music. This time around I felt that the
next step should be something a bit more fresh and modern and one
of the things we did was that we basically stopped using the
old-fashioned keyboards and started working on this whole analogue
sense instead. In the past, we usually, if we felt something was
missing -- something which we couldn't put our finger on or
something else --, we would try with a synthesiser, and this time
we tried either with adding more guitar -- or with weird effects
on the guitars and stuff like that -- or we tried working with
samples or sound effects, whatever. Just another way of
approaching things. So, to me, this is very, very black metal, but
it's got that fresh and modern spice to it. And that was the
intention from the start. It is also obviously very important to
us to do something which is challenging for ourselves. It is
really boring to do the same thing all over again.
CoC: Unfortunately I only have a promo with no lyrics sheet, so could
you tell me about the kind of lyrics you've written for the
album, the themes you've concentrated on? Because one of the
things I've noticed, and a couple of people I know have
mentioned, is that you actually have swearing on _RE_, which you
seem to have used pretty effectively, but that is a slight
difference and I think the lyrical themes are a little bit more
modern and maybe even slightly urban, though I'm not sure about
that.
S: The English have been saying that, actually. It's only English
people who've mentioned both the swearing and the urban themes.
There might be some truth to that; if you listen to Cypress Hill
there's really no effect, because they're just saying
"motherfucker" this and that all the time. So the swearing becomes
desensitised. So the thing was basically about just like
underlining the statement with swearing as you would do in normal
life. That's a bit different from country to country. I know the
Swedes, they just keep on going like, "Hello, Satyr, fucking good
seeing you again". That's how they are, but that's not the thing
in Norway: you use your swearing when you're pissed off -- you
want to underline something, and you swear. That is what I did,
and it felt natural, really. I've been trying to use quite direct
language, as I felt that the music is quite direct and the same
goes for vocal production. I tried to take off the reverb on
vocals in order to get the vocals more up-front and closer [to the
listener]. That's very important. If you have a lot of this chorus
and reverb, the vocals get really distant, and for me it is not
about level, having it loud enough, it's just like having it
up-front, so then you need to go easy on the reverb. With the
lyrics as well, it was all part of the process of being direct and
the lyrics are very direct in the sense that there's no
sophisticated language at all. I guess in a way you could call it
some kind of futuristic street language or something. <chuckles>
CoC: I completely agree that it is not as complex, but from the
actual song titles I imagine the lyrics behind them seem to be a
lot more metaphorical and a lot less literal on _RE_. _Dark
Medieval Times_, _The Shadowthrone_ and _Nemesis Divina_ were a
little more like storytelling, whereas this is more like you're
expressing your feelings through some kind of metaphor, like
"Havoc Vulture" and "Supersonic Journey".
S: Yeah. Absolutely correct. I mean, the thing is I like working with
metaphors a lot, you know, and it's always... I like, in a way,
the middle way -- sometimes a tree is a tree, you know, and it
shouldn't be called anything more than a tree. But, you know,
other times you could go a little bit further and... there is an
expression in Norwegian called <goruns greten>, which means adding
all that unnecessary stuff in order to make it sound bigger and
more poetic and all that. Then like working a little bit
in-between in that grey sound you have there, and that's maybe
where those metaphors come in. The new lyrics are basically very
much a reflection of whatever is going on in my mind at the time.
I mean, there's a lot of people -- you haven't read all the
lyrics, have you?
CoC: I haven't been able to read any of them, I haven't got a lyrics
sheet.
S: OK. No, because there is a line which is not being sung, but in
the lyrics of "Tied in Bronze Chains", it says: "Where have all
the flowers gone in October 1997", and I don't sing "...in October
1997", but it says that in the booklet. [In fact, what is written
in the booklet is actually "(So) where do all the flowers come
from (in October 1997)", and that is what he sings (without the
October part). --Pedro] The reason for that was that I was using a
metaphor of a certain feeling that I had -in- October 1997. So,
the reason for me saying that is just to make it even more clear
that it's a reflection of whatever is going on in my mind at the
time. As we were using a metaphor in that lyric about something
very specific right then, you know. It was not a general state of
mind. It was a state of mind in October 1997.
CoC: Moving on to the choice of title. I think in some ways you've
rebelled with this album, against certain trends in black metal,
or just certain tendencies black metal bands have these days:
you've gone less symphonic when it is becoming more popular to
be more symphonic. So, does the title reflect that, that you're
trying to -rebel- against that?
S: It is, a bit. The title is reflecting a bit of the lyrical and the
musical content of the album, and also the attitude behind the
album. It also reflects a little bit what Satyricon is about,
because Satyricon is a little bit extravagant and a little bit
controversial. That's it, really.
CoC: I was going to focus quickly on your use of the word
"extravaganza". I pedantically looked it up in the dictionary
and it was listed as being any "lavish or fanciful display in
composition" [Collins English Dictionary --Paul]. I was curious,
because I would say that, if anything, this album is less
"lavish and fanciful" than any of your previous albums. I was
wondering if you had a different understanding of the word or
whether you disagreed that it's not "lavish and fanciful", or
whether it is used ironically?
S: No. Really, directly translated into Norwegian it means -- I'm
trying to find the English word for it now -- it's called <'o'ther
d'o'de> in Norwegian, which means like... I'll ask Frost. <speaks
to Frost in Norwegian briefly> He's thinking now. <pause> "With
great splendor", maybe?
CoC: Ah, yeah, I can see what you're saying there. Okay.
S: That's quite close, at least.
CoC: You're saying it is more "monumental", maybe?
S: Yeah, yeah. It's like taking it just one step further than
anything else. Even though those photos and the -- dammit, there's
some stupid kids in the warehouse staring at us all the time.
CoC: <I laugh> What, across the street or something?
S: No, there's a window between us so they're sitting there with the
new Nuclear Blast catalogue and they're pointing at the front
cover, which has a picture of us. <I laugh again> Stupid. I think
they even work here, that's the worst thing. But anyway, where
were we?
CoC: You were beginning to talk about the photos...
S: Yeah, I was going to say -- even though the photos are in a way
filthy and they've got this dirty feeling to them and all that,
and the music is all very direct, in your face -- you have the
extravagant feeling to it with this... do you only have a promo
CD?
CoC: I only have a card promo.
S: Well, the presentation, the booklet, is monumental. With this
extremely thick glossy paper, which is like twenty pages, and it
is just like an orgy in extravagant photos and artwork. Also, the
way the album opens, with this extremely heavy theme -- which
starts "Tied in Bronze Chains" -- and then followed up by this
total rape part which comes afterward [with "Filthgrinder"]. It
reflects a little bit of everything with the use of the word
extravagant.
CoC: You've always done very good presentation, with _Nemesis Divina_
and _The Shadowthrone_.
S: That's also just a reflection of what we're interested in, let's
say in private life. You know, art and a general interest in
aesthetics.
CoC: Do you think the material on _RE_ will work better live because
it relies less on the keyboards and the subtler melodic
elements, because it is a little more "in your face"?
S: Yeah, it could be both things, really. I think that's obviously a
point, that it's more direct and that it's more aggressive and
down-to-earth. It's more live in that way. Also to me it was very
important to make it sound live on the album, in the way that I
don't want something overproduced and I think it adds some primal
raw feeling to it, and that's going to reflect in a good way live.
The problem with it that I see is that there are a lot of
extremely fast parts on the album and I always find -- whether
it's us or it's Emperor or Morbid Angel, whatever --, I just find
fast parts not to work live.
CoC: Yeah, especially if the sound system isn't really up to it.
S: Yeah. I have experience at gigs with those parts working as well,
but usually it's the opposite, so I always have been wondering how
Marduk is doing live. <laughs>
Well, that's it. I have every hope that Satyricon make it to a town
near you, and especially near me, soon, and that they sound as good
as Marduk -- as anyone who has seen them live will testify -- in fact
do in the flesh.
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
THE SHADOW'S SOUL BETWEEN OBSCURITY AND OBLIVION
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
CoC interviews Mortiis
by: Aaron McKay
Even if I live to be as old as the soul that Mortiis is
portraying on stage, I will not understand why I am so enthralled
with the music this enigmatic individual lavishes on his audience.
Some say that Mortiis has a "cult" following, but this, I believe, is
insufficient to describe Mortiis' fan base. An eclectic following of
devotees might be closer to the truth. Mortiis' work passes
unmolested through standard musical classifications and appeals to
the most cerebral denominator among the metal citizenry. I was
extremely taken with Mortiis' personality and demeanor. He shocked me
with some responses and drove insight into the heart of my questions
with others. I hope you will be pleased with the interview to follow,
as I completely enjoyed capering through the mind of one of metal's
most mystically cryptic talents.
CoC: How is the tour progressing? Are you able to reach some fans
that you might not be able to reach otherwise by touring the
U.S. and Canada?
Mortiis: Yeah, sure, technically -- it's been good, but the promotion
is shit. I don't quite know who to blame yet. I think that
basically no one is doing the job that they could have done
or should have done.
CoC: How many people are attending the shows?
M: Man, like a hundred people. It is not like it is a lot of people,
but the ones who do show up really seem to like it.
CoC: Excellent!
M: It's good. The thing is we are not actually headlining. We are
actually supporting Christian Death.
CoC: <shocked> You are -supporting- Christian Death?!
M: Yeah, we are. The thing is you pretty much never see our posters
up on the wall and we have done close to twenty five shows so far.
I think that I have seen a poster up some five times.
CoC: <still shocked> Oh, my God, Mortiis!
M: Yeah -- so the promotion is a joke.
CoC: Well, I can't tell you -- that is kind of a blow. I actually, to
be honest with you, thought you would be headlining.
M: Well, I'm not.
CoC: How much time are they giving you on stage?
M: Originally, we got forty five minutes, which was good, I don't
want more than that, but we decided to cut it down to about thirty
six and still keep all the show. It makes it more intense and
makes it all set off better. I'm pretty happy with the way that it
is. That is about the amount of time that I prefer to be on stage
right now anyway. It is like it is: short, but intense.
CoC: Absolutely. Is everything working out as far as touring with
Christian Death? I mean, do you appreciate being able to tour
with them?
M: Maybe... I guess. It works out. They are the headlining band and
they make full use of that power they have. Some things aren't
good and other things are okay. I'm not going to backstab them or
anything.
CoC: Do they [Christian Death] appear to be fans of yours?
M: No. I wouldn't say that. I've got some compliments and I've given
them compliments. They are all like, "I used to be into your
music" and blah, blah, blah, blah, blah... It might be a bit
superficial, but at least we are smiling at each other. <laughs>
CoC: I know that an intricate theatrical presence is important to you
to complement your music. How is this tour living up to your
standards and expectations?
M: Most of the stages are really small, so we always compromise. We
never have a full show. There is also the backline. Christian
Death is backlined, which, a lot of times, takes up half the
stage. We don't have a lot of leeway on stage, we basically can't
run around and fuck around. But we still manage to pull it off
pretty good.
CoC: That's incredible. I'll just tell you straight off, _The
Stargate_ is an incredible album and absolutely intense. I
wouldn't hesitate to call it a masterpiece.
M: Thanks a lot.
CoC: No, seriously, I mean that. I understand that _The Stargate_ has
a special meaning, kind of a link between this reality and your
world. Would you say that there has been a lot of "gates" to
your music as far as Mortiis coming off another label, the
different song lengths that you have [on _The Stargate_, as
compared to previous material like _Fodt till a Herske_], and
more of a collaborative effort on this album than what you have
done in recent past?
M: You mean like things changed now?
CoC: Yeah, exactly.
M: Yeah, obviously it has. I'm working with more people now. We never
did that before and I've changed labels -- for good and bad.
CoC: How does it feel to be on Earache?
M: I don't know... it's good. I know that it is good because they are
bigger than Cold Meat. There are always things you don't like with
all labels. That is never going to change. Like I feel they could
have done more promotion for this tour.
CoC: They [Earache] could have done a lot more for you?
M: I think so. For this tour, they could have. That is not even "off
the record". I totally feel they could have done better promotion
for this tour. I mean the posters that they made came in about two
days before we went on the tour. How are they supposed to get them
out to the promoters on time?
CoC: How are the venues supposed to get them [the posters] up in
time?...
M: But later on the tour I see them up more frequently, so I guess
they [the venues] have had time now. Some places didn't even
bother to put them up. You know, that is the business you're in.
CoC: Kind of "the nature of the beast", I suppose.
M: Kind of the nature of the business, actually. <we both laugh>
CoC: Right! I understand Vond and Fata Morgana are no longer. Is this
true?
M: That's true. I decided to shut them down so that I could spend
more time with this.
CoC: So that you could concentrate more on Mortiis?
M: Yeah. It was the best thing to do.
CoC: Is it something that you are comfortable with?
M: Yeah. Feels good.
CoC: Will Dark Dungeon Music still continue?
M: No. I did the same thing with them. I found myself working on it
some eight hours a day and then some of the music just
deteriorated, basically, and with all the shit, I just decided to
put an end to that too.
CoC: Sure. I noticed in the CD inlay booklet that some of the lyrics
for "Child of Curiosity & the Old Man of Knowledge", "World
Essence" and "Towards the Gate of Stars" are in quotation marks
and some of the other lyrics are not. Are there special meanings
for those [in quotation marks]?
M: Right. Because it is more like dialog things... it was something
that was originally supposed to be spoken by an old man in the
song. For some reason that didn't really happen -- it just fell
through, but the lyrics still belong to the song. It was supposed
to be spoken words on the song; it didn't happen, but it still
belongs to the song. That is why they have the quotation marks.
CoC: Oh, I see. That makes sense.
M: It does, doesn't it? <we both laugh>
CoC: Absolutely. It gives a little bit of insight into what you were
actually going for with those songs.
M: I don't expect people to really understand it. It is the first
question I get is about the quotation marks and so forth, so...
CoC: _The Stargate_ is truly wonderful right down to the lyrics
complementing the music and how it comes across to the audience.
It all just fits together perfectly. It really does.
M: That's good, 'cause I had a really hard time putting the whole
thing together. It was a pretty confusing job for a while... I
couldn't find the right pieces for a long time.
CoC: I'll tell you, it didn't come across that way to the listener at
all. It just feels like it flows from beginning to end. It's
truly wonderful.
M: Oh, thanks.
CoC: Did you ever consider taking a lead vocal role in one of your
pieces?
M: I -may- try that out in the next album, but I don't know yet. If I
try rehearsing and it sounds okay or it sounds like something that
could be happening, I'll definitely look into it. If it sounds
god-awful right away, it's like, okay, let's not do this. <we both
laugh>
CoC: That makes sense -too-! You have a four album deal with Earache?
M: Yeah, I guess technically it is, but they are re-issuing... The
first one is _The Stargate_, the second one will be a re-issue of
_Crypt of the Wizard_.
CoC: <thrilled> Oh, really?!
M: Then two new ones after that. It's not like I'm going to make four
brand new albums for them. They get three new ones, then an old
one. They wanted four in the beginning, but I said "No, I don't
want to give you that. If I totally love the deal that you are
giving me and it is really dandy in a couple of years after the
last record, we'll do a new deal." And I didn't want to set myself
up for too much.
CoC: No, I certainly understand. You don't want to pigeonhole
yourself into something you might want out of later.
M: Exactly, then I'm totally stuck for some five years. I don't want
that.
CoC: I can't say that I blame you. Is there some place that you are
looking at taking Mortiis with the next album? Something that
you are striving to achieve with the next couple of releases?
M: As far as possible, musically, sales-wise and everything. Up the
ladder as far as I can take it. This is what I want to do with my
life, so why not try and become as appreciated as possible?
CoC: Well, you're off to a great start. You have a -great- track
record and this new album can do nothing but help you.
M: I hope so.
CoC: It is really, like I said before, a masterpiece.
M: I wouldn't say that myself, but it is a good compliment.
CoC: Kind of finishing up here, Mortiis, is there any interesting
tour related stories that you have? Anything that has happened
that you want to share, good or bad?
M: Well, in Kansas we got paid in counterfeit money. <laughs>
CoC: <amusingly surprised> Really?!
M: It was an accident. I mean, that whole place is very dodge-y, so
we had to go to someone else just to get the money. Basically the
person that -he- got the money from was a drug dealer or something
like that...
CoC: Oh, no...
M: He gave them counterfeit money and he didn't know it, and he gave
it to us. We didn't realize that until we pulled up at a gas
station a couple of miles down the road and they saw that it was
counterfeit money and we were like, "OOPS". That was in a really
bad area, so we didn't want to call the cops. They didn't want the
cops around there anyway. If that would have been down the highway
at a 7-11 or whatever, we would have been in deep shit! So we just
went back and got the real money at the end of the day, but you
know... I just know, there is this one drug dealer in Kansas City
that I wouldn't want to be right now. That guy was an ex-hitman.
CoC: <still rather stunned> That is some bad stuff when stuff like
that happens. I have to tell you, it was quite an honor for me
to interview you, Mortiis. Could you wind-up the interview
anyway you see fit?
M: I don't know, check out the record... <chuckles>
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
' T I L D E A T H D O U S H A T E -- E T E R N A L L Y
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
CoC chats with Eric Rutan of Hate Eternal
by: Paul Schwarz
Most people are content to make their fortune (or not) and
express their creative interests through one full-time band. Many
take on other "projects", but the tendency is for these "projects" to
remain very much part-time, and sometimes as an offshoot rather
half-hearted, and if they do go on to become more prominent it is
usually accompanied by a decline in interest, input and effort in
their original full-time band. Not so for our case in point, because
though Eric Rutan puts a lot of his time and effort into playing as
live guitarist for Morbid Angel and into creating the music for his
currently demo-stage Alas endeavour, he also devotes effort, time and
all the other pre-requisites required to make great music when talent
is at your disposal, to Hate Eternal. For Hate Eternal's first
full-length recording, Eric was assisted not only by the able talents
of Jared Anderson and Tim Yeung (on bass and drums respectively), but
also the gut-wrenching guitar grinding of Doug Cerrito (formerly of
Suffocation, as you all should be aware). The result was _Conquering
the Throne_, a brutal, speed and adrenaline driven death metal
massacre which was released by Earache last month. Here's the
low-down on its creation and the trials and tribulations of being, as
Eric puts it, a maniac.
CoC: How are you?
Eric Rutan: Good, man, just keepin' busy bein' a maniac. Lots of
interviews -- you know, I play with three bands now and
I'm opening a studio, so it's pretty heavy. I definitely
have a lot of stuff.
CoC: But it's all going pretty well?
ER: Oh yeah. The Hate Eternal press already has been incredible. It
is so much more than I even envisioned. I got four out of five in
Kerrang!, Terrorizer loved the record, I just did Hard 'n' Heavy
out of France and they gave me five out of five. Metal Maniacs,
they thought it was the most anticipated death metal record of
the year. So, so far it's just been unbelievable, even beyond
what I had expected, but so was the record. The way that the
record came out was so much more than I even expected, so it's
all been constant and it's been a lot of work, believe me. It
took a lot of work to do the record.
CoC: What impact do you think all the bands you've played for had on
the writing of this record?
ER: It definitely had a big impact on the writing. Ripping Corpse and
Morbid Angel -- which are the two bands I've each spent the
largest amounts of time, about six years each, with -- made an
impact, but at the same time the songs I wrote with Hate Eternal
is stuff that I would never have done in Ripping Corpse or Morbid
Angel. Morbid Angel has a different approach sonically, but I
added elements of what I wrote for Morbid Angel and elements of
what I wrote for Ripping Corpse, but made it in a very, very
extreme path, a very aggressive path, very straightforward but at
the same time very advanced. My influences, well, I started
playing guitar thirteen years ago and I heard [Morbid Angel's]
_Thy Kingdom Come_ demo and that made a big impact. That goes
without saying, Morbid Angel have made a major impact on my
playing and that's how I ended up in the band. I loved Morbid
Angel, so when I had the opportunity to join it was an honour for
me.
CoC: That's the best thing, obviously: to be able to join a band you
love.
ER: Ah yeah, they were my favourite band. It was just unbelievable.
But the Hate Eternal stuff was stuff that I needed to incorporate
in my own thing. The stuff I wrote for Morbid Angel during
_Domination_ was stuff I wrote specifically to sound like Morbid
Angel. Even though it was quite different from what had been done
before, it was still Morbid Angel. With this stuff [HE], it isn't
stuff which is Trey's vision [that's Trey Azagthoth, Morbid Angel
guitarist, songwriter and lyric writer], it's a different vision
and that's why I incorporated it into Hate Eternal.
CoC: Also, how much influence was there from the other members, like
Doug Cerrito [ex-Suffocation], Jared Anderson and Tim Yeung?
ER: Well, he's an incredible drummer. As it says in the bio, he
sounds like an eight-armed demon. Just his playing alone helped
me incorporate all the rhythms I wanted to do, and the vision of
this record. Jared came in very close to the record, actually,
him and Doug. Doug came in and I literally dropped a couple of
songs specifically so Doug could write on the record. There are
eleven songs; I wrote eight songs, music and lyrics, and he wrote
three, music and lyrics.
CoC: Yeah, because I noticed some elements of his playing style.
ER: Definitely! His style really creeps through. The two of us have
been friends since even before they [Suffocation] put out
_Effigy..._, their first record. When I heard Suffocation broke
up, I had just signed the deal with Earache and I said, "Listen,
man, I got a deal, I got a band going, I want you to be part of
it, man. You're my friend." I've always held him in high regard
as a guitarist. I got him in, made some space so that he could
write some songs and Jared did a lot of the back-up vocals on the
record, on top of playing bass he does back-ups, and on the next
record he's going to write some music also. So, this record, the
majority of it was definitely my vision, but on future records
there's going to be more of a collaboration.
CoC: Would you say then that Hate Eternal is your full-time project
as it goes, in terms of fitting it in with all the other stuff
you're doing?
ER: It's definitely... I don't like that word "project", because it's
a -band-. Same with Morbid Angel; anything I do is a band, it's
not like a bunch of guys who just get together to do a record and
don't care. I mean, I take Hate Eternal very personally and it's
something I'm going to tour with, and I'm already working on the
next record. So it's definitely something where I'm going to
release a record a year, that's my goal and it's the same with
Alas. I mean, I've been playing with Alas for quite some years,
and it's a band. Even though I'm doing three things, they're all
bands to me, they're not projects.
CoC: And of course you're not writing for Morbid Angel at the moment.
ER: No.
CoC: So that's a little less heavy?
ER: Yeah.
CoC: But don't you think it will be hard for touring, though, with
Morbid Angel's touring schedule?
ER: Well yeah, but the thing is that I'm a maniac, you know. I live
music. So, some how, some way. I don't know how, but like I just
did all this touring for _Formulas..._ [Morbid Angel's most
recent 1998 release] and still I was able to do an Alas demo and
I also recorded the Hate Eternal album... which I actually
engineered on, mixed and produced.
CoC: Where was the record done?
ER: Greenhouse Effects. It's a small studio down here. We did it on a
one-inch [wide recording] tape. It wasn't a pro-studio, but I
knew a friend of mine who worked at the studio, and I went to
engineering school and I really wanted to do most of the
engineering and I wanted to mix it myself. So he allowed me to do
that. It was a tough record. I had to do it in-between the Morbid
Angel tours, we were just over there [in Europe] in April. I
started the record in March, so I had to go on tour, come back,
do it, then do another tour, come back, and finish it. So, even
though we spent about two weeks to do the record, it seemed like
months, because I was busy touring with Morbid Angel. It was the
hardest record of my career. I sang on the Hate Eternal, I played
guitar, I wrote most of it and I also engineered and produced it.
I think it shows, the hard work, in the record. I mean, the
majority of those who've listened to it have realised, holy shit,
the amount of effort it took -- one, to make it that tight, and
two, just to incorporate it into a good production; it was a lot
of work.
CoC: Well, whatever anyone says about it otherwise, it's definitely
one of the tightest records I've heard in a while.
ER: Thanks, man!
CoC: It's on par, for me, with stuff like Angel Corpse and things,
that amount of total... tightness and cohesion.
ER: Thanks. We didn't do it at Morrisound, either. We did it at a
small studio and I specifically wanted to do a record that was
done in another studio and make it sound... I wanted it to be
very underground and I wanted it to be clear, but I also wanted
it to be just very menacing sounding; it definitely has a dark
overtone to the whole production, and it was done specifically
that way. The whole record itself is very dark. I'm very proud of
it and to me it's the best thing I've ever done and I'm so happy
with the vocals. The fact that I was able to do vocals and for it
to come out like that, to me was just amazing in itself. Because
it took a lot of hard work for me to sing and, on top of singing,
just singing and playing guitar. If I couldn't do it live, then
what's the point? So it took me a lot of work to be able to play
these rhythms and sing at the same time.
CoC: Do you want to continue doing vocals?
ER: Definitely, that was definitely the vision. When I started Hate
Eternal I knew that I was going to sing, in the beginning that
was part of the vision. Man, I always wanted to sing and there's
not many guitarists who sing and play this kind of music. To play
these rhythms and sing is a fuckin' challenge, man. It's taken me
a lot of time and believe me, I practice all the time. It's taken
a lot of time but it is definitely something I'm going to
continue doing no matter what.
CoC: You were talking a bit about how you feel _Conquering..._ is
dark and suchlike; what ideas are reflected lyrically on this
record?
ER: Lyrically, my influences consist of different books that I read,
different spiritual backgrounds that I've always been into. I've
read a lot on faithism, on the Ancient Ones. I've read a lot
about the Egyptians, the Aztecs and their ritualistic beliefs and
visions. I read up on a lot of different things and a lot of my
own visions I've incorporated into Hate Eternal as far as
futuristic visions, personal visions of my life. I keep all the
lyrics true to my visions, my thoughts, my feelings, just like I
do with the music. It's very diverse, I keep my lyrical ideas on
basically what I'm interested in, what I believe in, stuff like
that.
CoC: I noticed that it doesn't really reflect the sort of stuff that
Trey would write [for Morbid Angel].
ER: No, no. It certainly doesn't have that approach. I wanted to
expand in a different direction, obviously, because I love Trey's
lyrics, definitely, but I didn't want to incorporate just a
Morbid Angel clone. For me the majority of the stuff on Hate
Eternal is stuff I would never have written for Morbid Angel
because it's a different approach, and it's the same lyrically. I
wanted anyone who liked what I did with Morbid Angel to buy Hate
Eternal and say "Holy shit, that's awesome", but at the same time
I wanted to make it, lyrically and sonically, musically,
different from Morbid Angel. Because there's no point in trying
to clone anything, but obviously the influence shows -- I have
been part of Morbid Angel for half my career. Trey is one of my
biggest inspirations, rhythmically.
CoC: What made you choose Earache for the release of the full-length?
Do you think you'll stay with them for future releases?
ER: Definitely, yeah, we're going to stay with them for all the
releases, I'm sure, just because they're like family. I've known
them for a good many years, I've known Dig, Dan and all those
guys there from Morbid Angel and it just made sense. Those guys,
they stepped up to the plate, they heard the demo, they wanted to
make it happen. Some other labels were interested, but Earache
went the extra mile to make Hate Eternal special. We worked on
the packaging together and it looks great. They're doing half
page advertisements. I'm doing six interviews today, they're
bustin' their ass for this record and it just made sense to keep
with them, because we already have a great working relationship
with them. My management, Gunter Ford, has a great working
relationship with them because he manages Morbid Angel. He also
manages Hate Eternal. It just made sense, it was the right thing
to do and I'm very happy with everything. The way it's been going
is just incredible.
CoC: So what would you say, possibly, to bands like, well, definitely
Napalm Death, Carcass and Entombed, and I think possibly even
Morbid Angel, who have complained about Earache in terms of
promotion or just general problems? [I recall "getting paid" to
be a common one with, I think, Entombed. Anyone back me up here?
--Paul]
ER: Well, for me, everything with Hate Eternal has been going the
best that I could have possibly imagined. Those guys have put in
a lot of work into the Hate Eternal. Hate Eternal is actually the
first death metal band that they've signed in quite a long time,
if you think about it.
CoC: It's definitely a step in the right direction.
ER: I think so. And that's how they're looking at it. They're taking
out half page advertisements, and they're doing the right thing
for this record. I think that this record is going to help bring
back Earache to the new fans. A majority of death metal and black
metal fans now are people that -- ninety percent of them weren't
even there when I was starting, and it's a new crowd. So, I think
Hate Eternal is going to open up, to the new audience, what
Earache's about, and I'm glad to be the record that they're
really focusing on; they're very happy with the record, and I
don't have any complaints. I'm very proud of what everyone's
doing at Earache right now. They're doing so much more than I
could've possibly imagined for the record, and I'm super-happy.
I'm happiest with everything about this record. It's the happiest
I've been as far as a record's concerned. Everything from the
packaging, to the record itself, to the label and my manager.
We're all working very hard to make this record have an impact.
It's coming out over there [England] on October fourth, so I'm
just anxiously anticipating what people will think. So far, all
the magazines that have reviewed it, all thought it was one of
the best death metal records that has ever been released, and
that goes a real far way with me. I worked so hard on this record
and I'm glad that people have been able to look into it and say
"Man, you put in a lot of work", and I did. This was a make me or
break me kind of record. It took a lot of proving to myself to be
able to sing, and the guitars on the record itself were just
challenging. I constantly challenge myself so that I can
constantly get better. My playing is consistently getting better
and it is going to keep continuing to get better, because I'm
always constantly challenging myself, and challenging everyone
involved.
CoC: Does the title indicate that you have quite a high achievement
goal, like the "throne of death metal"?
ER: Definitely. Yeah. The whole purpose of Hate Eternal was to really
make an all-out death metal record. Just a very promising, very
dominating type of record. I purposely didn't put a bunch of
intros or anything like that: I kept it very straightforward and
very direct. I wanted to make something that was fresh and I do
have high prospects for the record: I want to tour, and I wanted
to do something that anyone that's into true death metal, the way
that I see it, will like. I don't know how it's going to do, but
I have great faith in it. Already for me it's a success because
I've been able just to record it. The fact that I'm looking at
the CD right now and that I've listened to it and I think, "My
God". It's a success for me no matter what it does, because the
fact that I've even accomplished it is an amazing feat in my
life. It's definitely put me, as how I feel about myself and my
musical career, on another level. The accomplishment has been
very big for me.
CoC: So you feel it challenges all the other death metal that's out
there on the same level. What's is your opinion on most American
death metal these days?
ER: Oh, I love Diabolic and Angel Corpse. I'm actually recording
Diabolic. I have a studio called Dimensional Sound and I'm
recording their next record October seventh and Steve Tucker is
assisting me; we've both got a studio together. I went to school
for audio engineering, so this'll be the second record I've
engineered and I'm very excited about that. I like Krisiun a lot,
but they're not American -- but they're awesome! Definitely, the
Hate Eternal is different from all those bands, but it's very
similar as far as the direction. We're all friends, I know all
the guys. I'd love to do a tour with all those bands, Diabolic,
Krisiun and Angel Corpse. That would just be the bands of the new
millennium, pretty much. These are all very new bands and they're
all very promising. The Angel Corpse record is fucking great, so
is the Diabolic and Krisiun. So I'm glad to be amongst those
ranks, you know.
CoC: If there are any last words you have for our readers, go for it
now.
ER: Well, I just want to say thanks for the interview, first of all,
and I want to definitely thank all the fans that are reading
this, that are interested in my playing, that have been following
me for all these years -- this record is definitely dedicated to
them. I hope that they can see the vision and the hard work that
I've put into this record. I think the effort shows and I can't
wait to get out on tour. Everybody that's heard it, it's made and
impact on them. Everyone that's reviewed it has just been
devastated by it. That's what I wanted to do: I wanted to make
something that was totally devastating and I wanted them to want
more, and it's done that. I am just so happy that all the people
who've reviewed it so far have given me incredible reviews. This
guy for Hard 'n' Heavy, he'd only given one other record in his
whole career a five out of five. And that's a huge French
magazine, it's like the biggest French magazine there is. I was
just happy that people have seen the work I put into it.
[Eric and I talk at length about what I did and didn't like about
_CtT_, then Eric makes this point about taking journalistic criticism
in your stride, with which I will close this interview. --Paul]
ER: It took years for me to be able to take criticism: it's very
difficult. I started Hate Eternal after a -decade- of playing
death metal. So it's very personal to me, because I engineered, I
mixed it, I sang, I played guitar: it's my baby. So of course
it's very important that people like it, but at the same time I
don't want people to tell me it's great and then not feel that
way. I like to hear people's true opinions. I hate when people
say something [and don't feel that way]. I want to hear the
truth. If I wasn't ready to handle [someone's opinion], I
wouldn't have asked.
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C H A N G I N G T H E F A C E O F M E T A L
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
CoC interviews Lex Icon of The Kovenant
by: Adrian Bromley
Brace yourselves, metal fans; the band formerly known as
Covenant, now called The Kovenant, is going through a little bit of a
transition period. Call it reinvention, if you will. Call it out of
this world. Call it just plain -weird-.
Guitarist Lex Icon (formerly known as Nagash) explains the
transitional mode that the Norwegian outfit -- which once had a
prestigious line-up that included individual members of Dimmu Borgir,
Cradle of Filth, Mayhem and Arcturus -- went through to get to their
third disc, _Animatronic_.
He begins: "I think getting where we are right now with the
band, in terms of what our music sounds like on _Animatronic_, was an
easy change for us. We have always been that way before, we like to
do different things within the music of The Kovenant. If 10000 people
say yes to a sound or style, we say no."
"We also wanted to just make things happen for us", Lex Icon
continues. "In a way, it is kind of a brand new start for us with
what we have now. [The band is now a trio, rounded out by
bassist/vocalist Psy Coma (formerly Blackheart) and Von Blomberg
(formerly Hellhammer) on drums. --Adrian] We wanted to put back some
magic into the extreme metal music scene because we feel that a lot
of that has been lost within the scene, at least over here in
Europe."
With _Animatronic_, out goes guitarist Astennu and keyboardist
Sverd (both from Dimmu Borgir) and in comes a wide range of variety
and song styles, an abrasive slew of musical creations that brought
about definite change. _Animatronic_ is far from the black metal
roots of its two predecessors (1997's _In Times Before the Light_ and
last year's _Nexus Polaris_), but still rampant in style and emotion.
Be a little skeptical if you will of these changes (which also
include a name change, as they were forced to change the spelling of
their name due to the Swedish outfit of the same moniker), but take
note: Lex Icon felt that they were necessary to help strengthen and
shape The Kovenant's sonic attack.
"All of these changes through the years are important for us,
but playing what we play now is very important. We have molded our
music. When we started off we were very young; we played black metal
and we thought it was so cool. It was. The second record came along
and we got signed on that particular sound from _In Times Before the
Light_ and it was very difficult. We felt restrained a bit and not
able to really take the music where we wanted to. We couldn't freak
out in any way with the music because we felt pressure from the
listeners and the label. But on this record we felt we had to show
off a bit and that is exactly what we did. We are showing the metal
community that we are supplying an edge to their music."
And how have changes within the band affected things? There has
been a good and bad point to all of this, right? "Yeah, things have
happened. We fired all of the other members who weren't into the
band, or who weren't dedicated enough or just didn't submit material
to the band. With them gone it wasn't really like we lost anything
important to what we were doing. The band has always been myself, Psy
Coma and Von Blomberg. It was interesting to work on the music as a
trio. I mean, Psy Coma and I have always written all the music, it
just seemed a little strange this time out that it was just the three
of us working hard to make this record come together."
Within a listen or two, fans of the band will no doubt notice
how much the music of The Kovenant has shifted. A lot more keyboards,
samples and abstract industrial ideas wedge themselves between the
veteran black metal ideas of the band. It's basically a new
appearance, with almost the same kind of sound. Sort of. With songs
like "New World Order", "Prophecies of Fire" and "Spaceman", you
pretty much get the gist of what you're getting yourself into.
Is Lex Icon proud of how the record turned out? "The record
didn't really turn out as experimental as we wanted it to be", points
out Lex Icon. "It turned out to be more metal in the end. Next time
out we'll pretty much follow the same style of music, but the psycho
parts will be more psycho and the metal parts more metal. With the
other albums we felt we had to create a certain music style, but with
the new one and our future work we are going to do what we want to
do, rather than what people want or expect us to do. We have taken a
lot of ideas from the odd stuff that we listen to, like Jamiroquai,
jazz and fusion, except we've just dressed it up in metal music."
I admit to Lex Icon that after a few listens I was a little
uncertain of just what the band wanted to achieve with _Animatronic_,
but within a week or so of it blasting from my stereo, the sounds and
ideas of the new release have come into focus. This is shaping up to
be one of the surprise albums released in 1999 in my books. It's
brilliant; I've read people writing this and I'll say it too: you'll
either get it or you won't. There is no in-between with
_Animatronic_. Lex Icon agrees, too. "We've had a lot of flack from a
lot of bands in Norway, Sweden and Germany because they want to pull
us into what they are doing and we don't want to go that way. A lot
of people are not really understanding us, I think. We may be going
off course in terms of the music we used to play and what we play
now, but we have always known and had a true grasp of what we do as a
band. We don't do anything stupid and add something for the hell of
it. Rather, we are very confident about what we do, and when we set
out to do something or make a change to something in our music, we go
full speed and don't look back." In more depth about the making of
_Animatronic_, he says: "If you listen very carefully, you'll notice
that this record isn't about being technical. It's more about things
with power. The direction of what we do has always been clear."
And his thoughts on the black metal and metal scene in general
over the years? "I'm not very much into it right now. I'm not
impressed with what bands are doing. I spit on the whole metal scene
right now. The whole black and death metal scene, and even the
extreme metal scene, have mutated into this Frankenstein monster;
it's totally out of control and I don't think people really know just
what is going on anymore. So we sort of wanted to get away from it
all and start fresh. I think this new album is a whole new type of
metal for a whole new generation. At least that's what I'm hoping.
We're just playing "millennium metal" and having fun doing so."
In closing, I ask him his thoughts on the recent suicide of
Grimm (Borknagar/Immortal). He says: "I think people just saw it as a
suicide, like "Oh, he's dead", and moved on. I really didn't get
affected by his death, to tell you the truth. I met him a few times,
but there are a lot of people who die from suicides all the time.
People seem to get caught up in what they do, as was the case with
Grimm, I think, and we don't want that to happen to us. We don't want
to have the Frankenstein monster turn on us. That's why we ventured
out and tried to do something different this time out."
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A V I T A L C O N V E R S A T I O N
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
CoC chats with Joe Lewis of Vital Remains
by: Aaron McKay
This month provided a bona fide treat for me. Through the course
of e-mail and "snail mail", I was able to converse with a truly
accomplished individual, Joe Lewis of the mighty Vital Remains.
Having met Tony Lazaro, Vital Remains' guitarist, at this last year's
Milwaukee Metalfest, the course of our discussion there yielded the
conceptualization for the following interview, laid out for you
below. I welcome you to continue on as I attempt to pry inside the
mind of one of death metal's brutal taskmasters.
CoC: I'm thrilled to have this opportunity to interview you, Joe,
especially surrounding the circumstance of _Dawn of the
Apocalypse_'s much anticipated release! First off, most people
assume that Vital Remains is a somewhat newer band, but actually
VR has been around for a long time. Could you recount some of
the band's beginnings for the CoC readers, please?
Joe Lewis: The band was formed in 1989, with the success of promoting
two self-financed demos and one 7" vinyl. We quickly
landed a record contract with Peaceville Records and
released two full length CDs with them. We then signed
with Osmose Productions in 1996 for two albums; the first
was released in May 1997, _Forever Underground_, and the
second will be released on October 25th, 1999, titled
_Dawn of the Apocalypse_.
CoC: I understand that Cryonics Records, from Holland, will be
releasing Vital Remains' 1989 demo _Reduced to Ashes_ on disc.
Is this a fact?
JL: Yes, it's true, and it already has been released. Only 500 copies
are available, so it will be a collector's item! It has some old
photos enclosed in the CD booklet! Get it while you can. We
thought it would be a cool idea to release it. Not too many Vital
Remains fans ever heard this demo.
CoC: On the topic of touring, my inaugural exposure to Vital Remains
was in the pages of CoC in 1997 when you were in Chicago with
Vader, Malevolent Creation, and Ember (I believe). In the fall
of that same year VR was given the chance to tour overseas with
Infernal Majesty. What was your take on that year on the road
and your impressions of VR fans outside of the U.S.?
JL: Yeah, we got to tour Europe in the fall of 1997 with Vader,
Malevolent Creation and Infernal Majesty. The tour was absolutely
fantastic! We visited 29 cities through 15 different countries
overseas. The fans in Europe are great! They are for sure
die-hard metal fans there! We're looking forward to once again
touring Europe soon after the release of our new CD, _Dawn of the
Apocalypse_, on October 25th (Europe) and October 30th (USA).
CoC: In regards to _Forever Underground_ (a -killer- release, I might
add), would you say that this 1997 release was a catalyst for VR
-- making the band more or less a household name among the metal
community?
JL: Thanks. We just write our songs the way we feel we should. We
definitely progressed over the years and we only get better as
time goes on. We hope that everyone likes our music. If not,
everyone is entitled to their own opinion and that's okay with
me. We want to create the best possible death metal and top each
album with the next!
CoC: As far as the song "I Am God" is concerned, what a masterpiece!
Coupled with the mighty "Battle Ground", did you, personally,
find that these two tracks distinguished Vital Remains more from
the horde of metal musicians, or did they draw more comparisons
for VR to bands like Morbid Angel and their ilk?
JL: Thanks again! Those are two great songs. Uh... I really don't
hear any comparison between our music and anyone else's. We don't
try and copy anyone's style. We started back in 1988 as a brutal
death metal band with the intention of creating the most extreme
music we possibly could, and, as I said, each release has been
better than the previous. But if these songs are to be compared
to Morbid Angel, I'll take that as a compliment! Morbid Angel is
one of my favorite death metal bands.
CoC: I am in awe of track four on _Forever Underground_, "Farewell to
the Messiah". What was the inspiration for going a completely
different direction with this brief minute and twenty nine
second song?
JL: "Farewell to the Messiah" was something Tony made up in the
studio for extra space on one of the tape reels. I really don't
have a clue what his inspiration was for including this piece,
but it's there! You either like it or you don't like it!
CoC: How did covering "The Trooper" for the first Iron Maiden tribute
(and the best one of the two, in my opinion) come about?
JL: At the time, this guy Raul was running Dwell Records and a friend
of mine informed me that he was doing a tribute to Iron Maiden.
So, immediately I contacted him and made a deal with him. He then
sent me a contract and a budget to record the song. We had a very
small budget to record "The Trooper". It could have been much
better if we had more money to record with, but overall we're
happy with what it came out to be considering how much money we
had to work with.
CoC: Osmose will, I think I remember reading, also be putting out a
disc of Vital Remains covers, called _Horrors of Hell_, about
the same time _Dawn of the Apocalypse_ hits the streets in
October, featuring some very cool VR interpretations of bands
like Mercyful Fate and Judas Priest. Is this right, Joe?
JL: We plan on releasing _Horrors of Hell_ as a self-financed release
after the millennium. Osmose will not release this. Osmose will
help distribute the CD, but we will have all the rights to its
release. We decided it would be a great idea to compile all the
cover songs we've recorded throughout the years and put them on
one CD. It will be something for our fans to enjoy as another
addition to their Vital Remains collection!
CoC: Please give some detail to the CoC readers concerning the new
album, _Dawn of the Apocalypse_.
JL: _Dawn of the Apocalypse_ is the best Vital Remains work to date.
It tops _Forever Underground_. It's fast, it's brutal, it's
definitely going to separate us from the trendy metal being
released today. I really can't say too much yet. You'll just have
to wait until it's released on October 30th in the USA and buy
it! You won't be disappointed, I promise!
CoC: Anything special on the horizon for touring _Dawn of the
Apocalypse_? What's the situation concerning the tour with
Krisiun and Usurper?
JL: Tour plans are now under way. I can't really disclose any
information at this time, but I assure you, we will tour very
soon. The Krisiun/Usurper tour fell through the cracks. It was
supposed to happen, but, unfortunately, there were too many
problems involved and we decided not to go through with the tour.
CoC: Speaking of the touring topic again, if it were solely up to
you, who would you pick to go on the road with, either
supporting or headlining?
JL: I always wanted to tour as support for Morbid Angel. I think the
best tour package would be Morbid Angel, Vital Remains, Krisiun
and Angel Corpse. That would be the best fucking tour!
CoC: Can you give me a couple of new "up-and-comers" in the industry
that you are currently impressed by? Any black metal that has
your ear?
JL: The only band that I'm really impressed by nowadays is Krisiun.
These guys are fucking brutal. I hope that I can tour with them
soon. I really haven't discovered anything interesting lately. I
really like the newest Immortal CD, though. There's also a band
called Burning Inside from Florida. Look out for their new CD,
coming out soon! It kills!
CoC: Once again, I thank you very much for this interview and I would
invite you to end this Q&A in any fashion you see fit. Thanks
for your time, Joe.
JL: Thank you very much for your interest and look out for our new CD
out on October 30th, 1999: _Dawn of the Apocalypse_!
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C L A S S I C C O V E R S F R O M O V E R K I L L
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
CoC interviews Bobby Ellsworth of Overkill
by: Adrian Bromley
Few bands have lasted in this crazy business that some of us
refer to as the music industry. Many bands, over the years, have been
exhausted, beaten to a pulp and left for dead. There are a few that
have survived the wicked ways of the business, but few ever really
recover from what they have been through.
Then there is Overkill.
Like a diamond in the rough, Overkill is a gem of a band.
Honest, passionate, and, above all, sincere. They play metal music as
it is meant to be played: hard, fast and without consideration for
anyone. It's their music and no one can dictate otherwise. Fans love
it. And most importantly, Overkill does too.
Overkill has played their brand of speed/thrash metal for more
than fifteen years. Lots of blood, sweat and tears have gone into
this. And so has inspiration. With that in mind, Overkill has
assembled an album of metal classics covered by them. Titled
_Coverkill_, the twelve-track album contains numerous classics from
hard rock / metal, including songs from greats like Motorhead
("Overkill"), Black Sabbath ("Cornucopia", "Never Say Die") and Judas
Priest ("Tyrant").
So why the album? Why these particular classics? Singer Bobby
"Blitz" Ellsworth starts: "A lot of these songs were just laying
around already done. Many of them had been done during several album
recording sessions. We chose these songs because we wanted people to
have a rounded feel of what we were doing. We did a lot of these
songs when we were a cover band, when we started out. As we recorded
Japanese B-sides and some tribute records, we started realising we
just had these songs laying around. When we went into recording
_Necroshine_ [their 1999 release] we realised that there were just a
few songs to add to several cover tunes we had already recorded."
"I think the music on this cover record is a good representation
of where we were at the time of the recording with the band. We could
have chosen the standard metal tunes. We could have done "Symptom of
the Universe" by Black Sabbath, but we chose "Never Say Die" instead.
I like what we did here and I think it is pretty obvious that it is
Overkill playing these songs."
Seeing that the band has had a long career, it must make them
feel good about being able to put something out like _Coverkill_
without any worries. How has CMC (the label) been about the idea?
"The longevity of the band hasn't jaded us, rather it has allowed us
to do more and more of what we like to do. It is a great feeling.
It's great when you can follow your own road map. [CMC] were very
open to what we wanted to do. That label is built on bands with
longevity or bands that have history. We presented cover songs that
are historical from our historical perspective. This is history times
history, which equals Tom Lipsky [Head of CMC] saying "Okay, we'll
release this." He sees value in this and in Overkill. He knows we can
follow our own road map and we never have him saying he wants a more
radio friendly song like "Stone Cold Jesus". His approach is very
simple and we both have been happy with the way it has turned out."
Listening to such classic cuts as Jethro Tull's "Hymn 43" or The
Ramones' "I'm Against It", the magic becomes apparent from the music
of yesteryear. It shows that there was something special about the
creativity of music back then, opposed to the commercially-driven
music scene of today. His comments on that? "I think bands nowadays
have lost the ability to write the riff. One thing that was
concentrated on in the old days was the riff. That was the hook to
bring you into the song. It was very important. In today's scene, the
riff has been forgone for movement. In Overkill's situation, I think
the evolution of the band has shown a sign of movement that many of
today's bands seek out, but we have still maintained the ability to
write the riff. I think it is very important for us to do this record
because we have not forgotten where we have come from, but at the
same time we have progressed." When bands that have shown their
longevity in the scene put out a "Best Of..." record, a cover record
or even a tribute, it is usually a sign that the band is coming to a
slow halt. This is not the case with Overkill, whose past two records
-- _From the Underground and Below_ and _Necroshine_ -- have been
some of their best work this decade, maybe even in their entire
career.
"Someone told me -- I think it was Johhny Z from Megaforce --
that they were going to put out a "Best Of..." for us. I said, "Over
my dead fucking body!" Talk about the kiss of death. I said to him,
"There is no "Best Of..." with Overkill. It's just one long, ten-hour
song. It just changes as we go along.""
What keeps them going? "I think the proof is in the pudding.
Whether you like or you hate this band, we still have value based on
our own original releases. We didn't put out this cover record
because our own material doesn't have value anymore. This is recorded
material that is historical itself, because not only is Overkill
covering the classics, but these are also different eras of Overkill
recordings. I think that's kind of cool, to be able to hear the
evolution of the band throughout the various recordings here."
He finishes: "There are different guitar and drum sounds
throughout those records. Even my vocals have changed. Hell, it
sounds like I went through puberty. <laughs> This record is very
valuable to us. We're not trying to be the flavour of the day; we
never have been. If people say we put this out to be trendy or
whatever, I just have to say that they are reading too deep into
this. I think they are taking their opinion way too seriously. We
have never given a shit to begin with. It's quite obvious that if you
don't give a shit you can't get hurt."
"Our estimation is that somebody wants it out there, including
the record company, so let's throw our hat into the ring one more
time."
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
O F E L E C T R O N S A N D B I K I N I L I N E S
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
CoC interviews Ed Mundell of The Atomic Bitchwax
by: Aaron McKay
Six o'clock central time rolls around on a rather crisp Thursday
evening and the phone rings to present the very amiable and jovial
guitarist Ed Mundell on the other end. "Oh, hey, Aaron? This is Ed
Mundell from The Atomic Bitchwax. I think that I am supposed to call
you, I think, now..." I knew instantly I liked this guy, personally,
as much as I had come to appreciate and relish The Atomic Bitchwax's
music. Fresh off a Monster Magnet (Ed's other band) show at a local
New Jersey bar, Mr. Mundell explains that he has only been up for
about an hour. I hope I sound as involved and competent as Ed does
having been awake for less than sixty minutes! Involve yourself with
this interview to follow; I severely doubt you will be disappointed
for doing so...
CoC: Let's start off by saying that I know that The Atomic Bitchwax
has some huge support among the contributors of Chronicles of
Chaos. I'll just let you know that I'm a fan, too!
Ed Mundell: Really? Seriously? That's cool! Right on! Yeah, I've been
playing this kind of stuff for years and years and years
and now there is this kind of market for it, or people
who actually like it. I remember playing these same songs
in front of like -five- people, you know? Now, all of a
sudden, we have packed houses and stuff. It's pretty
weird.
CoC: Have you noticed that with bands like Cathedral, Mindfunk and
Sleep -- do you think that helped you guys at all to break into
this style of music? Kind of paved the way, if you will?
EM: You know, I never listen to any of those bands -- I listen to
Sleep, but I don't know Mindfunk at all and I met Lee Dorrian
once, but I never actually heard Cathedral.
CoC: It seems like there is a bit of a niche, even though you guys
are completely distinctive...
EM: Oh, you mean the "stoner rock" thing.
CoC: Yeah, a little bit, but Bitchwax has a different way of
approaching it. At least that is the way I look at it.
EM: You can still play heavy rock and not take every move from
Sabbath. I listen to fuckin' Deep Purple, I listen to Zeppelin, I
listen to Sabbath, I listen to Kyuss, I listen to everything, but
there is no rule where you can't, say, throw a little Stones
groove in there. You can be heavy rock and not be exactly like
Sabbath. There is a -lot- of great musicians in old bands, bands
like Free or Captain Beyond, who were totally great. They all
have really great things about them and they are still heavy
rock. Even King Crimson -- you can throw it all into the same
kind of category.
CoC: That is completely true, but you guys have done an incredible
job of staying autonomous and found your own sound.
EM: Thanks! We could have taken the easy way out and started writing
songs that sounded like Monster Magnet. If anyone was going to
make an album that sounded like Monster Magnet, I could have
gotten away with it. I could have just whipped out something, but
that is not what I play when I am not with Monster Magnet. We
[The Atomic Bitchwax] write all the songs together. You know,
Keith and Chris started out listening to Metallica [The old
stuff, of course, not the new -shit-! --Aaron], whereas I started
out listening to, like, Ted Nugent. Very different approaches.
Then we might be on a ZZ Top kick, so then someone might bring in
a ZZ Top kind of part. Something like that. Depends on what
you're listening to.
CoC: I know that you guys have been around since 1992. Was this just
the right year for you to put out the album?
EM: Between touring -- I was touring a lot with Magnet --, we would
always play shows in between tours. Between _Dopes to Infinity_
[-Great- release! --Aaron] and touring for that record and
actually making the _Powertrip_ record, there was about a year
and a few months off for me. So I had to get the painting houses
jobs and stuff. We just really had time to develop this band and
to play more shows, not just one show here or there, two shows
here, five shows next month, or something like that. We could
play three or four shows a week and we played a lot just to keep
busy and to keep playing. I don't want to sit around. When I'm
not on tour, I get bored and get into trouble <laughs> -- start
drinking too much and the whole thing... I just want to keep
playing all the time. Those guys are the same way. We had a lot
of time to develop it. I had made _Powertrip_, then there was
another eight months in between making it and leaving to go on
tour, due to various problems with getting that record out. So we
had a lot of time, and you know what, this guy at TeePee wants to
pay for us to go into the studio -we- wanted to go into, which
was Tracks East. That's where Keith can get his best drum sound.
We want to go here and record and if we can do that, we'll do it.
We did do it and we worked with the people we wanted. We actually
did the record in about three days...
CoC: You're kidding!
EM: Nope! We played a Nebula show, then I played a Magnet show, then
I split for a tour, so they [Bitchwax] mixed the record while I
was gone last Summer. The Bitchwax record was finished during the
last week of May 1998 and it didn't come out until June of 1999,
because we couldn't get the album cover together and stupid stuff
like that.
CoC: Yeah, yeah. Well, the album cover is incredible. It has a unique
slant to it, providing, artistically, exactly what you guys are
trying to convey musically. It comes across really well.
EM: That guy's artwork -- his name is Orion Landau --, for the lack
of a better term he's like a Frank Kozik kind of guy, he does
rock posters. Orion does really, really good quality work. I met
him in San Francisco and told him some ideas and he was up for
it. Orion was actually designing a Monster Magnet shirt that
never came out, I don't know why. He did this really cool
"sacred-heart bull-god" shit for us and I said, "Orion, I have
this other band, we have an album done, but we don't have any
artwork." He just said, "Wait a second!" He had the _Meteor City_
album, a compilation album which we did a song on, and he had a
couple of live tapes of ours in his studio that he listened to
and he didn't know it was -my- band. He would listen to this
stuff while he was painting. He was like, "Man! I'd love to do an
album for you!" So he did all the artwork and we had a photo
taken and he touched that up.
CoC: Kind of a small world, isn't it?
EM: Yeah! And it's becoming even smaller, too. It's totally strange.
CoC: The Atomic Bitchwax has a "supergroup" thing going on among the
members. How did the three of you meet?
EM: Years ago, I lived with a couple of friends in a house in Long
Branch, New Jersey, and Keith and Chris lived around the corner.
Keith was going out with this girl who was my sister's best
friend. He would come over to the house with this girl, Erin, and
I'd be hangin' out, smokin' pot and listening to music. He was
like, "I smoke pot and listen to music and I play drums!" I had a
basement and it turned out that he lived around the corner from
me. I asked him, "Why don't you bring your drums and leave them
in the basement?" We all smoked pot all the time and worked
nights. They did sound at the local bars and I worked at a
supermarket at night, so none of us went to work until 10 or 11
o'clock at night. We had all day to do nothing, so we would just
jam all day. This was before I was in Monster Magnet and before
Chris was in Godspeed. Then the music thing began taking off for
me, and Chris and Keith got in some bands, but [the three of us]
kept playing in between tours and finally threw a name on it. We
were starting to write songs, so we might as well have a name --
so we came up with a name. We actually played our first show as
Helium Head. Helium Head was my suggestion, because we couldn't
come up with a name. Then I got overthrown, overruled...
CoC: Out-voted!
EM: Yeah. After the first show, they were like, "Helium Head is gay!"
<we both laugh> "What are you talkin' about? It's -great-!"
CoC: As a three piece unit, how does the Atomic Bitchwax accomplish
that "full" sound? It doesn't sound like there is a damn thing
lacking in the songs. How do you pull that off?
EM: Well, you know, Keith is like a spaz on drums. Other than maybe
"Shitkicker", he never plays just a straight beat -- he's all
over the place. That really fills it up. If you notice, whenever
there is a guitar lead, there is usually a bass lead underneath
as well, so we are pretty much just going for it all the time.
When we actually started writing songs, everyone in our area was
trying to sound like Pearl Jam. Stone Temple Pilots had just come
out, Pearl Jam were huge and everybody was starting to sound like
that. Dudes that we used to know for years that used to play in
Sabbath cover bands were all selling their souls to sound like
Pearl Jam so they could "make it". So, you know what, we were
like, "That sucks! Why are you doin' that?" We wanted to play
heavy rock, but completely different, with the rule that we
weren't going to sound like anybody else, and if there was a
guitar lead, there was going to be a bass lead at the same time.
Just go for it all the time and don't sound like anyone else.
CoC: Well, you guys pulled it off. Tell me a little bit about your
relationship with MIA. It seems extremely solid and mutually
beneficial, from what I am able to tell.
EM: Actually, we are with TeePee and TeePee is with MIA. With Tony at
TeePee it is pretty cool. We don't have a manager, so between me
and Tony we get it all taken care of. We have this tour coming up
with Core and Nebula and he is pretty much doing the role of
manager. Tony is just into music and [TeePee] is just really into
music. A lot of their bands don't sell a lot of records, so it is
hard to make ends meet sometimes, but it is kind of cool that
they just want to have good music out there. Have you heard the
Core record yet?
CoC: No, not yet.
EM: Man! Wait 'till you hear that! It is -awesome-. I can't describe
it. It is like equal parts Hendrix, Blue Cheer and Miles Davis.
CoC: I'm told by TeePee that they are "an original groove
explosion"...
EM: They range from pretty trippy/psychedelic to super fuzzy Blue
Cheer heavy. A really, -really- good band. It is hard to describe
them, but you can tell their influences when you hear it. Really
good.
CoC: On The Atomic Bitchwax's self-titled release, I noticed a stark
lack of lyrics. Was that a bold stroke to emphasize the uncommon
sound you guys possess?
EM: Kind of. We write a lot of instrumentals and live, you can tell
we kind of expand on them and tone things down things down for
the record. We can take the songs to other places live.
Basically, Chris writes all the lyrics and if he comes up with
some, that's fine; if he doesn't, that's fine too. I mean, I
listen to instrumental music -- that is why I am surprised a lot
of times that people like this record. They come up to me and
say, "I have that record -- holy shit, man!" I say, "There is a
lot of instrumentals on there. You like instrumental rock?"
Apparently there are people who do! I thought I was the only
one... I almost feel like I've done something wrong because I
wanted to do something that we liked and we knew that everyone
else didn't like, but we -loved- this stuff and everyone hated
it. It is almost like we failed, because everyone seems to like
it now. <laughs>
CoC: To Hell with 'em! You guys were on the front end of that curve.
That's the way I look at it. I mean, you guys beat everyone to
the punch and came straight off sounding like an original band.
Now it can be other bands turning to copy Bitchwax. <laughs>
EM: Oh, wow! Thanks! There was a big move a few years ago, everyone
was copying Fu Manchu -- the whole thing, the way Scott [Hill,
guitar/vocals] sings and all that. Now there is a whole Kyuss
revolution -- two years too late. <we both laugh>
CoC: Took bands -that- long to get the Kyuss sound copying off the
ground! How does it affect you coming right off a Monster Magnet
tour and being ushered right on to an Atomic Bitchwax one?
EM: I've had about five weeks off and [Monster Magnet] are playing
these two shows. I took two weeks off and didn't do anything --
didn't even look at a guitar. Magnet was on tour for the better
part of fifteen months straight and that was long. We ended it
all with shows in Japan and Australia. Coming home there were 25
hours worth of airplane flights and airports. So I didn't do
anything for two weeks -- I had to learn to sleep again. I work
it to where I keep [the two bands] completely separate. If I
don't, I'll fry my head. I can't really overlap them. Right now
they are kind of overlapping where I am doing Bitchwax rehearsals
and Magnet rehearsals. It is a bit tiresome sometimes, so I try
to work it out when I know there is going to be time off; I get
the Bitchwax thing rolling again and practice, because we need a
couple of days to get used to playing with each other again. The
last three Fridays, we have played warm-up shows for this tour
and we are going to rehearse all this weekend. We leave Tuesday
for Cleveland, Ohio.
CoC: Almost a complete reversal coming off one tour right on to
another...
EM: It is a completely different mind set. It is just something where
I have to rearrange my brain a little bit. In Bitchwax, live, I
can do anything I want. If I want to hold a note for twenty
minutes, and just let it feedback for twenty minutes, I can.
Those guys know when I am going to come back into the next part
or that I will give them a cue that my lead is done or whatever.
Or the next night, I could just, you know, go a different way and
play four notes really fast. That's it. That's my lead. I can do
whatever I want. Those guys can, too! Within the arrangements,
there is a lot of room for us to move around so we don't get
bored playing the same exact thing, playing the same exact way,
every night. We used to do "Hope You Die" and throw "Hey Joe" at
the end or start it with "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida" into "Hope You Die"
ending with "Hey Joe", depending on what we were listening to. If
we were on a big Zeppelin kick, we'd go into some "When the Levy
Breaks" part in the middle of a tune. It is pretty much open to
whatever we want. We just started covering "Dirty Deeds" by AC/DC
and an Atomic Rooster song; we cover them, too. We've been
writing some weird shit.
CoC: How do you think The Atomic Bitchwax fits into this whole music
scene now, other than being a real breath of fresh air?
EM: I don't know. We are not played on the radio, which is probably
good. I never really thought about it. If people like it --
that's cool. I hope they come to the shows. I mean, the record is
one thing, but the shows are kind of a different animal. We are
still heavy rock, but it is just a different brand of heavy rock.
CoC: Different flavor...
EM: Yeah.
CoC: Anyone that you are listening to these days? Anyone impressing
you?
EM: I still like Clutch a lot and I like this band Fireball Ministry
[www.fireballministry.com --Aaron]. I don't know if you've heard
them...
CoC: No...
EM: They are on Bongload. I actually just arranged for them to play
on the five California dates, because I like their band. I saw
them play at the Continental in New York three weeks ago. I
thought they were great! It is a different kind of heavy. They do
weird, almost like Skynard guitar, but in a weird Black Sabbath
kind of context. And live -- the record I like, but live, I
thought they were -awesome-, so I arranged for them to play five
shows on this tour. They are from L.A., so...
CoC: Are you responsible for setting these openers up?
EM: We wanted to tour with Core and Nebula, and I got that all
together, and in different places -- I mean, we have a booking
agent and everything, but I think we are headlining most of these
places. I really don't want to. I want to play, then go down,
have a beer and watch Nebula play. We are pretty much headlining,
so... In Cleveland we are playing with Red Giant, who are a
really good band. We just request bands that we want to play
with. Nebula had been playing forever, and with the Monster
Magnet name recognition we don't really need a local opener, so
we can bring along other bands to open for us and that totally
rules.
CoC: Wouldn't you say that The Atomic Bitchwax is more of the crowd
draw, though?
EM: We really haven't played other than in Baltimore, Philly, West
Virginia and Boston -- we really haven't done a tour yet, so
we'll find out. I hope people come and check it out and I hope
they don't scream out Monster Magnet songs, because we aren't
going to play them! This isn't Monster Magnet. It is heavy rock,
but like you said, it is a different flavor of heavy rock.
CoC: If it were solely up to -you-, and no one else had to be
consulted, who would you put The Atomic Bitchwax on tour with?
EM: Oh my goodness, I don't know... <laughs> I'd want to tour with
Aerosmith again because I did that with Magnet and it was so much
fun... I'd watch them every night. I'd tour with them again so
that I could watch them every night and watch the crowd as we
played a twenty minute Hendrix instrumental or something... <I
laugh> I can't really answer that -- it's an odd question. I do
think it is all about the music and not about any type of
competition or weirdness. I'd like to be in a position where I
could bring bands on tour that I like, which is kind of what we
are doing now. Core are awesome and they wouldn't have a chance
to go on the road with anyone else, I think. They are still
heavy, but they are kind of weird at times. But the people who go
to these shows will get it, you know. I think that the right
people will be at these shows and go "Wow, man -- I just got
turned on to a new band! This is awesome!" Because I love to be
turned on to stuff that I like, so if we can turn others on to a
different band... Like having Fireball [Ministry] around at these
shows, people will be like, "Holy shit, where did -this- come
from?" That is a great feeling, to go out and get a record and
turned on to something new. It opens your mind up to different
things.
CoC: Pretty much what it is all about, isn't it? I don't want to take
up any more of your time, but I -do- want to wish you the utmost
success with The Atomic Bitchwax and the tour; I appreciate all
your valuable time, Ed. Thank you!
EM: Are you coming to any shows?
CoC: I'm sure as hell going to try! Due to the market where I live
[Iowa], most bands don't play here, so Chicago is as close to me
as you come, I believe.
EM: That's next Friday, I think... My favorite guitar player is from
Sioux City: Tommy Bolin. We cover "Crazed Fandango" on the
record. His brother actually still lives there and plays drums.
Tommy died in 1976 and Johnny plays drums in Black Oak, AK, and
he is coming to our Minneapolis show and maybe, I think, the
Denver show. So that'll be cool!
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
_____ .__ ___.
/ _ \ | |\_ |__ __ __ _____
/ /_\ \| | | __ \| | \/ \
/ | \ |_| \_\ \ | / 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!
Various - _21st Century Media Blitz Vol. 2_
by: Paul Schwarz (8 out of 10) (Century Media, September 1999)
As compilations go, in terms of value and overall quality, it doesn't
come much better than _21st Century Media Blitz_. Sure, it's not
perfect, but to expect compilations, by their very definition a
collection of various bands, to perfectly represent your own
-personal- taste in music, is both unreasonable and misses the point.
Compilations are not made to suit one person, they are made to give a
random listener a variety of bands to check out and the opportunity
to find something, or hopefully many things, that they like and were
never previously exposed to. This two-disc set, which I believe is
being marketed at a very reasonable mid-price, is cleverly split into
two distinct sections. The first disc is a twenty track pick of the
prime meat off Century Media's current bone, while the second is a
twenty track pick of some of the finest of new UK talent from other
labels and the realms of the unsigned. The first disc has personal
favourites of mine like Arch Enemy and Cryptopsy along with the
talented likes of Samael, Rotting Christ, Acrimony, Stampin' Ground,
Turmoil and Iced Earth, among many others, of course. It certainly
exemplifies why Century Media has respect amongst both the
underground and the more popular oriented metalheads and provides a
good range to sample, along with a few tracks which, at the time of
release, have not had their respective long-players unleashed into
the wide world. The second disc is a good part of the reason why this
gets a good mark and respect from me, as it features the likes of
Akercocke, Kill II This, Earthton9, Orange Goblin, Raging Speedhorn,
Solstice (who are however represented by a track rather
unrepresentative of their typical style, so to speak) and Medulla
Nocte, who are all UK bands deserving the chance to be exposed to a
wider audience. Despite a lack of unreleased material, and thus
little incentive to pick this up for any but sampling purposes,
_21stCMBV2_ is still a very worthy and highly listenable compilation
which should offer the best value for money of any compilation out
there right now.
Amon Amarth - _The Avenger_ (Metal Blade, September 1999)
by: Paul Schwarz (8 out of 10)
_Once Sent From the Golden Hall_, Amon Amarth's last album, lacked
definition and variation. It failed to hold my attention for its
forty five minute duration. As all bands with potential and talent
do, Amon Amarth have not rested on their laurels and the effort they
have thus put into their music has paid off, resulting in the
powerful creation of brutal melodic Swedish death metal that is _The
Avenger_. Though forged of their trademark style, _The Avenger_ is
less riff-cluttered and is further enhanced by an emphatic and
sharply defined production (from Peter Tagtgren and his Abyss
studio). Melody is threaded well into the heavy and percussive guitar
and drum attack and the vocals have a gripping roar to them. The
result is an album with character and punch which provides a
rock-solid platform from which Amon Amarth can take their craft to
the next, more difficult level of musical achievement.
...And Oceans - _The Symmetry of I, the Circle of O_
by: Aaron McKay (8 out of 10) (Season of Mist, 1999)
I believe I love -everything- about this band from Finland, right
down to the band's name. Bringing an unique black metal thrust to
bear upon the listener's senses, ...And Oceans invokes mental imagery
of greats like Summoning and Arcturus -- again, a couple of mammoth
pluses in my book! Cerebral song titles emphasize intelligent music
and complicated passages throughout the sum of _The Symmetry of I,
the Circle of O_. I am, surprisingly, able to follow the
transition/progression from ...And Oceans' first release, _The
Dynamic Gallery of Thoughts_ (1997), to this new effort, but now I am
more curious than ever to hear their split with Norway's Bloodthorn
entitled _War Volume 1_ (1998). If it is anything remotely as grand
as _The Symmetry of I, the Circle of O_, I'm impressed already.
Angel Corpse - _The Inexorable_ (Osmose, September 1999)
by: Pedro Azevedo (8 out of 10)
Having recently had the chance of seeing Angel Corpse live [in a
concert to be reviewed in CoC #45] makes me appreciate something
about _The Inexorable_: it works really well live. Either storming
out of digital media or delivering music of similar calibre live,
Angel Corpse are one intensely aggressive band who are able to create
a very strong sound and make something good with it. Angel Corpse
don't sound like your typical American death metal band (even the
vocals are more snarled than grunted), reminding me only of some of
Morbid Angel's peculiar characteristics with a great deal of speed
and brutality on top. During tracks such as "Stormgods Unbound" and
"Begotten (Through Blood and Flame)", the band manages to reach
remarkable intensity and fury while keeping the songs memorable.
However, my main problem with _The Inexorable_ is that several other
tracks have trouble standing out and actively adding something more
to the record. Still, though not every song is remarkably memorable,
quality is generally at least quite good and _The Inexorable_ is
definitely very consistent and solid in its ruthless and
well-delivered aggression.
Angel Dust - _Bleed_ (Century Media, October 1999)
by: Adrian Bromley (9 out of 10)
With a definite nod to the music of such greats as Savatage, Dream
Theater and Ronnie James Dio, German power metal act Angel Dust go
the extra mile here will a truly stunning masterpiece. Bright,
powerful wails of metal flow out of _Bleed_ and consume the listener.
I'm just incredibly fascinated by the musicianship that Angel Dust
have mastered on _Bleed_, having not really been a devout follower of
the band since their early days. Listening to the record numerous
times, it just goes to show that lots of hard time and hard work does
pay off in the end -- and _Bleed_ is proof of that. Most metal bands
from the '80s have managed to stay pretty dated with what they do,
but Angel Dust have managed to avoid the cliche sounds plaguing other
older acts. The key to their success with _Bleed_? Intricate guitar
riffs, truly amazing melodic vocals and great atmosphere. Those three
elements bring Angel Dust above the rest as we close out 1999, though
the new Dream Theater (_Scenes From a Memory_) is excellent as well.
What can I say? I'm smitten with their metal sound. Fans wishing to
hear classic '80s metal rejuvenated for consumption (in the best way
possible, of course) look no further, as Angel Dust is your best
choice. Stunning.
Bal-Sagoth - _The Power Cosmic_ (Nuclear Blast, October 1999)
by: Paul Schwarz (6 out of 10)
Hammy lyrics accompanied by pompous musical themes can only be
tolerated to a certain extent before they become stupid, amusing and,
at the least, mildly irritating. Bal-Sagoth have, debatably, always
been either right on the line or merrily dancing on the wrong side of
it -- that is if you, like me, don't listen to extreme metal to laugh
-at- it. Now, if this was the end of the story, if Bal-Sagoth were
merely one more musically unaccomplished symphonic, percussive and
melodic black metal band, then it would be very easy to dismiss them
as one more unappealing and perfectly ignorable prospect in a sea of
many. However, Bal-Sagoth are far from talentless. Many of the riffs
and keyboard segues which are present on _TPC_, though not stretching
into the realms of brilliance or originality, are well-written and
combined into a solid, consistent and cohesive whole. True, the major
key progressions they are prone to using resonate no feeling of
darkness or chilling mystery (their overall effect being closer to
the emotion and atmosphere invoked by the credits to "Star-Trek"),
but this should not to be a failure from the perspective that this
seems not to have been Bal-Sagoth's aim. Ultimately, though, the
pomposity present primarily in the lyrics and keyboards makes _TPC_
unappealing to my tastes. I find it impossible not to laugh at the
tales of cosmic conquest expounded throughout the album, which from
what I can garner hardly reach even the most amateur level of
sci-fi/fantasy storytelling, and specific passages where the vocalist
makes proclamatory statements like "From a time beyond time, we come.
We, who once crested the waves, of the great astral sea. And who now,
must strive again, for the domination, of the stars" are just
cringeworthy and cheesy to an extent where what comes after it is
dented by my resulting inability to take it seriously. Musically,
Bal-Sagoth have created something which is consistent and worthy, but
it neither gives me enjoyment to listen to on the same level as other
black metal -- for its viciousness backed by a cold atmosphere -- or
traditional, macho heavy metal (i.e., Manowar), for its brash lyrical
invigorations and the accompanying listenable but muscular catchiness
of the music behind it. Lyrically I prefer Rush, and musically I
prefer Immortal or Emperor: Bal-Sagoth are an in-between point I find
both unnecessary and unenjoyable, though if the style was my thing,
I'd choose Bal-Sagoth to play it over certain others.
Bewitched - _At the Gates of Hell_ (Osmose, September 1999)
by: Paul Schwarz (6 out of 10)
Bewitched are mildly difficult to judge. They -are- almost entirely
unoriginal in their retro-melodic-thrash tirades and possess no godly
songwriting talents. However, were one deprived of the likes of
Venom, Slayer, Possessed, Manowar, Iron Maiden, Judas Priest and "the
rest", Bewitched -would- be a listenable and enjoyable reflection of
these bands' talents, and they also do an amusing cover of Thor's
"Let the Blood Run Red", with Thor himself on vocals. However, when
all is said and done, Bewitched do their thing quite well, but plenty
of other, better artists did it all long before, and many with
considerably more style. Personally, I'd recommend listening to, or
buying, if you haven't yet purchased them, "the classics" before
giving up your cash for unoriginal contemporary attempts at playing
long-existent styles of music.
Brimstone - _Carving a Crimson Career_ (Nuclear Blast, October 1999)
by: Paul Schwarz (6.5 out of 10)
With their strongly melodic musical core which leans towards death
and black metal (especially by virtue of its rasping vocals) but
utilises heavily the conventions of traditional heavy metal,
Brimstone have created a reasonably varied and nicely constructed
debut in _Carving a Crimson Career_. Comparisons to Children of Bodom
are easy to make and reasonably justifiable, although Brimstone don't
concentrate on being quite so over the top with solos and melodic
manipulation, and thus tap a different vein of enjoyment to that of
CoB. Brimstone begin with the continually flowing attack of "Breaking
the Waves" and mirror this approach on such songs as "Autumn", but
thankfully alter tempo and structure to give us the likes of "Pagan
Sons", which riff with the much more pronounced on/off character of
vintage Celtic Frost. Brimstone do not sell themselves short by using
melody only to place a simple, catchy and easily graspable theme
throughout each song. They layer fills and keyboard parts effectively
over each other to achieve a deeper musical scope and thus not fall
into the trap of tedium that many of their retro generation do.
_CaCC_ is a good crack at making melodic, catchy and enjoyable heavy
metal which also combines the more harshly aggressive elements of
recent death and black metal genres (the vocals are the most
significant facet of this) and though Brimstone do embarrass
themselves with the chunky but messy riff-o-rama of "Heavy Metal
Kid", overall they do more on their debut than many, and as much as
some of the better of the new crop.
Brutal Truth - _Goodbye Cruel World!_ (Relapse, October 1999)
by: Adam Wasylyk (8 out of 10)
Death/grindcore legends Brutal Truth have called it a day. It's
indeed a sad time for fans of the band and the genre alike. One of my
first metal albums was _Extreme Conditions..._ so I especially found
these news disheartening, as I had always associated the band with my
first couple of years as a metal fan. At that time, blasting "Walking
Corpse" or "Ill Neglect" was the perfect solution to any problem I
had. Fortunately, Brutal Truth don't believe in anything
half-hearted, including breaking up. What we have here is _Goodbye
Cruel World!_, a double album containing a BT fan's dream of live
recordings, rare/unreleased stuff and covers the band have played
over the years. Each album being reflected on, amongst the 56 tracks
one can find a huge variety of Brutal Truth favourites ("Choice of a
New Generation", "Walking Corpse", "Ill Neglect", "Godplayer",
"Denial of Existence", "Black Door Mine"), quite a few newer tracks
(all but five tracks off _Sounds of the Animal Kingdom_) and plenty
of covers as well (Celtic Frost's "Dethroned Emperor", Black
Sabbath's "Cornucopia", The Melvins' "Zodiac"). A lot of time and
care was put into the selection of tracks and the overall flow of
each CD, and this shines through in spades. Brutal Truth will never
be forgotten, and _Goodbye Cruel World!_ will serve as a testimony to
the viciousness and savagery this band's music held and stood for.
Woe is me.
Check out the bonus track "Let's Go to War" only available at:
http://www.brutaltruth.com/brutal_truth/letsgotowar.wav
Cannibal Corpse - _Bloodthirst_ (Metal Blade, October 1999)
by: Adrian Bromley (7.5 out of 10)
I have come to the conclusion that this is one of the few veteran
metal acts out there who get a very odd reaction from metal fans.
Sure, in their beginning they were the shit, but now, almost ten
years later and three records down with new singer George
"Corpsegrinder" Fisher leading the bloodthirsty drive, fans either
love 'em or hate 'em. No real in-between. I don't know; I liked their
last record, _Gallery of Suicide_, and I'm pretty impressed with what
we've got here on _Bloodthirst_, especially songs like "The Spine
Splitter" and "Coffin Feeder". Sans the cheesy artwork (what gives
guys?), the music on _Bloodthirst_ is a lot grittier and the most
violently-charged material the band has done since "Corpsegrinder"
took over vocal duties. Things seem to be pretty solid for this
veteran death metal outfit and _Bloodthirst_ is a worthy trophy to
showcase. Sure it's easy to say that this isn't classic material like
what you'd find on _Tomb of the Mutilated_ or _Butchered at Birth_,
but it's still solid and in fine form for the most part and that's
good enough for me.
Carcariass - _Sideral Torment_ (Impacts Records, 1999)
by: Adrian Bromley (6 out of 10)
With enough speed and death metal anger to keep things interesting
for the most part, French act Carcariass aim to please with their
technical angle on metal music. Slick guitar work helps muster their
generic, yet brutal death metal sound. Along the lines of a more
rhythmic Cannibal Corpse or Internal Bleeding, Carcariass need a bit
more work before their metal approach is well rewarded. Points go out
to the truly sincere technical approach of guitarist Pascal
Lanquetin. We're talking John Petrucci (Dream Theater) playing death
metal here. Certain songs work, allowing for a pleasurable listen,
but in the end a bit more consistency is needed to make this band
stand out above the rest of today's growing metal scene. Salut,
Carcariass! Welcome to the metal ranks.
Contact: 41 E Chemin De Valentin, 25000 Bescancon, France
http://www.loria.fr/~couturie/carcariass
Centurion - _Arise of the Empire_ (Scarlet, 1999)
by: Aaron McKay (2 out of 10)
The Italian metal crusaders Centurion thrust themselves upon the
scene with this _Arise of the Empire_, their debut release. I say,
some things are better left undone, kind of like this album. Have you
listened to Judas Priest? Helloween, maybe? Well, now imagine Rob
Halford or Michael Kiske crooning, in the finest testosterone-laden
fashion, about the atmosphere surrounding the rise of the Roman
Empire. Well, imagine that! You now have an -excellent- working
knowledge of what Centurion is all about without having to endure
this nine track, almost fifty-one minute, rehashing of Flotsam and
Jetsam's _Doomsday for the Deceiver_ or Metal Church's _The Dark_.
Look to the past for the originals, people, not this, albeit
well-done, knock-off of much more enthralling groups of yesteryear!
Coalesce - _012: Revolution in Just Listening_
by: Adrian Bromley (8 out of 10) (Relapse, October 1999)
There seems to be a growing need for intense music to develop a new
persona as it progresses. I'm talking about shape shifting sounds and
ideas, adding a solid one-two punch of creativity and really going
out on a limb with what you're going to give to the listeners. Seems
as though hardcore/noisecore heavies Coalesce have been dabbling too
much into the creative cookie-jar this time out as their new disc is
a whopping smack to the head. It's like a demolition crew of sorts;
who with solid grooves, heavy-as-fuck vocals and a chaotic frenzy
fuelling the fire, might just bring your house down. One might
wonder, "Who can handle all of this in one sitting?" I'm a survivor,
folks, and let me tell you, the interesting trip through Coalesce's
emotional roller coaster is an experience. A little out there at
times, but on a whole, Coalesce's ambient-like hardcore/noisecore
offering still does the damage. You'll leave this battered and
bruised. Old metal fans with pacemakers and bad backs, stay at home.
Cosmonks - _Out of the Ruins_ (Lucky Seven / Diehard, September 1999)
by: Paul Schwarz (5 out of 10)
Blending a vaguely punk (the term used here rather broadly) direction
with catchy melodic hook lines and horn parts hardly makes Cosmonks
original: this catchy, bounce laden style has been done far better by
NOFX over their numerous albums. In comparison, _Out of the Ruins_ is
more than a bit too sugar coated and contrived. Nonetheless, catchy
it is and you will probably find yourself foot-tapping through it the
first or second time through. However, upon repeated listens, it not
only seems to become more and more annoyingly adolescent, but also
starts to grate for the simple fact that its structures are gnawingly
repetitive and that it's so long. The more ballady "Cradle Bomb" is a
short respite, but there are few such blessings on this forty eight
minute, twelve track, stagnant, though very professionally executed,
catchy melodic "punk" album.
Damn 13 - _The Dynamite Gospel_ (Sweettooth Recordings, October 1999)
by: Adrian Bromley (8.5 out of 10)
With ex-Monster Voodoo Machine frontman Adam Sewell at the helm,
there was no need to worry about what was in store with the first few
listens. No doubt it was going to be good. Having been an avid fan of
MVM in the mid-'90s, I was stoked to hear new material. Their demise
a few years back led to several spin-off bands and side projects. The
music and ideas were there, but something was lacking. With Damn 13,
all the right buttons are pushed. Damn 13 are set from the get go to
make sure they come out on top no matter what, and if that means
bashing our heads in with infectious grooves, then so be it. With the
vibrant opener "Destroy a-Go-Go" and on through powerhouse track
"Righteous Dynamite", Damn 13 showcase a solid hard rock vibe that'll
rattle your head and leave you thirsty for more. Too bad it's only a
four-song EP (13 minutes), because Damn 13 are great. Watch out for
these guys.
Danzig - _6:66 Satan's Child_ (E-Magine Records, November 1999)
by: Adrian Bromley (8.5 out of 10)
After a rather lacklustre dabble into industrial music the last time
out with _blackacidevil_ (maybe he was brainwashed? Whatever...), the
Prince of Darkness once again gathers up a slew of cronies to help
him do his dirty work. And the work at hand? Not bad, not bad at all.
With a definite experimental feel filling Danzig's darkened assault,
it's still apparent that he still has enough know-how and aggression
in him to fuel such strong numbers like "Unspeakable" and "Cult W/Out
a Name". I was beginning to worry? Had the man behind such bands as
Samhain and The Misfits, not to mention the legendary work of early
Danzig, gone stale? What would his fans do had this been crap? Let's
not think about that and just breathe a sigh of relief that this disc
is rockin'. A much needed return when it seemed everyone was ready to
pounce on him -- myself included -- and rip his new disc to shreds.
Deranged - _III_ (Listenable Records, November 1999)
by: David Rocher (8 out of 10)
Powerful, murderously groovy, of mangling intensity and devastating
violence: within a few seconds into "Ripped Raped Randomized", the
Swedish goremasters' third killing spree will have overwhelmed
listeners falling vanquished to their knees before its gut-churning,
grinding riffing, blasting, unrelenting skin-pounding and
throat-mangling grunts. With nearly 45 minutes of ruthlessly fast
musical extremity mercilessly welding itself into your flesh with
insane breakneck velocity and a hefty dose of distressing aggression,
the most striking feature of _III_ is the literally beastly, mean
death metal deity it embodies. However, far from the rather confused
chaotic dirges of _Rated X_, this grating bastard doesn't even suffer
from the lack of pinpoint precision that so many high-speed death
metal releases display -- Deranged's musicianship is razor-sharp, and
the thirteen furious metal blast sessions composing _III_ (minus the
wittingly tasteless sample-ridden industrial interlude title track)
click into place with, I assume, the same apparent neat cracking feel
produced by snapping cervical vertebrae. The massive production fits
this brute better than a pair of tailored baby-skin slippers would --
from the roaring rhythmic department to the hideously
organic-sounding vocal grunts, right across to the amazing,
bludgeoning metronome drum work and guttural guitars, all instruments
are clearly audible, yet merge together to create a circumstantially
suitably malformed monstrosity of sound that is guaranteed to leave
your ears bleeding by the time the closing track "Razor (rection)"
fades back into nothingness. Call yourself hard? _III_ will take
sadistic pleasure in proving you just how wrong you are!
Disarray - _A Lesson in Respect_ (Eclipse, July 1999)
by: Brian Meloon (5 out of 10)
Disarray's promo material boasts "On July 27, 1999, the underground
will rear its ugly head... and the music industry will fall into
complete Disarray". Aside from the fact that July 27th has come and
gone with no ill effects on the music industry (except maybe that
Hall & Oates re-release), this album never really had a chance of
affecting even the underground music industry. Quite frankly, this
record is just another "death metal meets hardcore" album; nothing
more, nothing less. Its most unique feature is the band's interesting
take on Lynyrd Skynyrd's "Freebird". Aside from that, this is your
standard, sludgy mix of death metal and hardcore. The guitar work,
guitar solos and drumming are competent but not challenging, the
vocals are standard hardcore-style shouting, the production is decent
(though the drums sound a little bit hollow), and the songs are
boring. It's not that they're bad, but they're nothing you haven't
heard before. They usually plow along at a slow-to-mid tempo,
pummelling the listener into aural submission but providing few
surprises. To Disarray's credit, I get the impression from their CD
that they'd be a better live band than this album reflects. Perhaps
they can build a following by playing live, but otherwise, they're
going to have to do something to make their original music stand out
from the myriad of bands out there doing the same style.
Engine - _Engine_ (Metal Blade, 1999)
by: Aaron McKay (4 out of 10)
Here's a piece that I could have done without hearing. Ray Alder, of
Fates Warning fame, along with Joey Vera (Armored Saint) on bass,
combined their abilities with hardcore punk drummer Pete Parada and
Bernie Versailles (ex-Agent Steel) to issue forth a self-titled CD
that, quite frankly, is a watered-down version of the aforementioned
bands. Yes, even less edgy than Fates Warning. Nothing against FW, I
happen to be absolutely taken with _Spectre Within_ (1985), _Awaken
the Guardian_ (1986) and even _Parallels_ (1998) had some great
points, but I am suffering under the impression that Adler and Vera
missed what they were toiling to achieve with Engine. Semi-chunky
cuts with a near perfect riff here and there, this direct and pointed
"heavy rock" approach has little hope of gathering much acclaim. The
opening track, "Monster", comes at you with the type of force that I
would be proud to see the rest of the disc maintain and improve upon,
but instead "I Don't Need" and "You're Awake" are singular saving
graces on this nine tack, forty-three minute let down. As a side
note, Joey Vera produced this album and did an impressive job. Now if
we could get him to offer up another song like "Havin' a Bad Day", I
could be a bit more of a happy camper. Why are Engine on Metal Blade,
anyway? They might be better off represented by Roadrunner. Poor
expenditure of funds here, people.
Entwine - _The Treasure Within Hearts_ (Spinefarm Records, 1999)
by: Adrian Bromley (6.5 out of 10)
With all too familiar sounds of passion, the gentle sprinkling of
ivory keys and emotional vocal stylings flowing throughout the disc,
I felt as if I was being subjected to a pretty bland attempt at
trying to make music come across as special and unique. It fails.
Instead, I was subjected to a pretty generic clone copy of such
greats as My Dying Bride, Opeth and The Gathering. While not all that
bad, the use of keyboards and female vocals does get a bit
obnoxiously overdone and that paints a black spot on the rest of
Entwine's material, although a good portion of the record is actually
worth listening. Sparks of brilliance arise on tracks like "In the
Frame of Wilderness" and "Enjoy the Silence", but it's not enough to
save the record, I'm afraid. Be cautious of this release.
Fireball Ministry - _Ou Est la Rock?_ (Bong Load, 1999)
by: Aaron McKay (7.5 out of 10)
Straightforward rock is exactly what Fireball Ministry serves up as
their main entree to you, the CoC discriminating diner. As a matter
of fact, readers, add a full point to my score if you find yourself
massively beguiled with bands of this nature, keeping in mind this
release is one of the delectable morsels on Ed Mundell's (of Monster
Magnet / The Atomic Bitchwax [see the interview in this issue])
plate. Fireball Ministry combines a pure balls-to-the-wall rock segue
into near-stoner indulgence. Clean vocals, pure guitar rhythms and a
sweet pounding beat cook up easy groove material for audiences of
this genre. Tom Rothrock and Rob Schinapf of Foo Fighters / Toadies /
Fu Manchu fame lend their acumen to _Ou Est la Rock?_ along with Nick
Menza (Megadeth) and Guy Pinhas (Obsessed). Eight songs totalling
just over a half hour of pure groovin' satisfaction await you in
Fireball Ministry's serving line. Grab a tray, scoop on the rock 'n'
roll, and enjoy. Fireball Ministry certainly cooks up a wicked
portion for your consumption!
Fiurach - _Chaospawner_ (Scarlet, 1999)
by: Brian Meloon (9 out of 10)
Fiurach are an Italian band formerly known as Agarthi. While their EP
_At the Burning Horizon_ (Red Stream, 1997) wasn't great, it had some
interesting ideas. This album is a great improvement in just about
all areas. The closest comparison I can make would be to an updated
and expanded version of Sadist's _Into the Light_. They use keyboards
and arrangements in the same general style, though Fiurach's
compositions are much more advanced and varied. They also include
elements of symphonic, power and progressive metal, with some
sections reminding me of Helstar, Nocturnus, and even Malmsteen. They
meld a variety of styles into a cohesive and natural sounding whole
(somewhat like Extol do), and do so with a high degree of technical
precision. The parts aren't overly technical, but the performances
are solid and occasionally flashy. Generally, the keyboards are used
for accompaniment and stay in the background. However, they
occasionally take a more prominent role, taking the lead, and often
have the sci-fi feel of Nocturnus. The vocals are rasped/shouted,
similar to Sadist, but there are some "Viking metal" vocal parts as
well. The production is a little faded, but acceptable. Overall, this
is an excellent and unique album. It should appeal to all fans
looking for new and original metal.
Forest of Impaled - _Demonvoid_ (Red Stream, 1999)
by: Aaron McKay (10 out of 10)
I wish that I could simply state "OWN THIS" and all of you would know
what exactly I meant and why I said it about this band. This method,
however, would not allow me to communicate any of Forest of Impaled's
brilliance to you, the CoC reader! Not a new band by any stretch of
the imagination -- this Chicago band was established in the fall of
1992 in the essence of European metal. After three well received
underground demos, Forest of Impaled released _Demonvoid_, which
masterfully reticulated past musical growth from their demo material
and expressed a commanding knowledge of dark times where mortal
virtues were governed by the sword-blade. Fantastically articulated
in carnal black metal fashion, FoI never, not for a minute, failed to
impress me. I found them to incorporate only the vital essence of
black metal into their, guess what?, -unique- sound. Yes! I said it,
-unique-! Listen to _Demonvoid_, in particular "Metamorphosis (Birth
of the Seventh)" about the fifty second mark -- riffing like I have
longed to hear on an album such as this for quite some time. FoI
bombards the listener with brutish metal onslaughts and then, all of
a sudden, the band breaks into a slicing riff, as to make your skin
crawl, while the rest of the band, it seems, -regroups- to attack
from yet a third direction. Astounding! At just over half an hour in
length, this nine-track work of art will spend a great deal of time
spinning in my JVC player. Did you ever have one of those months
where there was -too much- enticing metal to choose from? I'm having
one, but for -you-, complicate your future personal CD choice with
the addition of Forest of Impaled to your collection. I think you
will thank me...
Genocide - _Breaking Point_ (Musica Alternativa, 1999)
by: Pedro Azevedo (7 out of 10)
Intensive touring within Portugal, two demo tape releases (that I
know of) and a 1994 self-titled debut album explain why Genocide are
so well known in the Portuguese metal scene. Now, nine years after
being formed, Genocide strike back with _Breaking Point_ -- and they
haven't given up on their death/grind. Well played and produced,
_Breaking Point_ is certainly quite a landmark in Genocide's long
career, and the music it contains comes from a band who certainly
seem to know what they're doing. On _Breaking Point_, Genocide
actively seek to add elements that may be able to increase their
music's variety, and they do achieve that to a certain degree,
despite the relatively frequent Brutal Truth-isms. The fact is that
at least most of the music here must have been waiting to be put on
CD for a long time and Genocide's delivery is intense and ready to be
unleashed live, something they do quite well. _Breaking Point_, while
not exactly innovative, isn't a redundant album, either, featuring
some rather interesting material and certainly sounding like it was
carefully planned and executed.
Contact: Musica Alternativa, Rua da Republica da Bolivia 75-B,
1500 Lisboa, Portugal
mailto:malternativa@ip.pt
http://www.malternativa.pt
Konkhra - _Come Down Cold_ (Diehard, August 1999)
by: Paul Schwarz (5 out of 10)
Konkhra have become a toned down rock structured groove metal band.
In simple terms, that's exactly what _Come Down Cold_ signifies and I
will be the first to say that it is a sad loss for the death/thrash
community to lose the band who brought us the storming powerhouse of
_Spit or Swallow_ not five years ago to what one might call the
"Metallica" bandwagon. Konkhra have gone in a direction which is hard
to defend as natural. The meshing of groovy, horrifically unpunchily
produced guitars and bass, with stifled vocals and flat drums is
almost as disappointing as the lacklustre solos James Murphy has
turned in. _Come Down Cold_ sounds uneasy, lacking in cohesion, and
ultimately unconvincing. However, much as knowing and liking
Konkhra's past I find _Come Down Cold_ unappealing and unconvincing,
it must be said that for what it is -- a groove oriented metal album
lodged somewhere between the fuzz of Corrosion of Conformity and
Kyuss and the commercially oriented dirge Metallica currently brings
us by the plateful --, _Come Down Cold_ is far from awful.
Mammoth Volume - _Mammoth Volume_ (The Music Cartel, 1999)
by: Aaron McKay (2 out of 10)
Sleep. Electric Wizard. Orange Goblin. Have you heard of them? Well,
so has Mammoth Volume, obviously. Unlike Engine, who -don't- really
appear to be associated with the "right" label, Mammoth Volume
-does-. All stoner, all the time! A lot can be said for maintaining
some consistency, but more could be said for being divergent and
unique. The latter, this Swedish '70s retro experimental group isn't.
If you are going to share a common sound with a relatively crowded
genre, change it up a little bit. I was even -that- smart in college
when I "referenced" other people's work. Dirty, murky and sludgy best
represent MV's sound. Can you hear a Kyuss influence on this release?
Yes, but why would you want to demean John, Josh, Scott, and Alfredo?
Anyway, with The Atomic Bitchwax available for your listening
pleasure, why go with Mammoth Volume?
Mercyful Fate - _9_ (Metal Blade, June 1999)
by: Paul Schwarz (7.5 out of 10)
There has been a lot said about _9_ and views of it have to a
reasonable extent been quite highly polarised, with long-time fans
both liking and hating it in varying quantities. I myself don't feel
overwhelmingly positive or negative about Mercyful Fate's most recent
full-length. Admittedly, it is far more in their classic vein, and
thus for me more enjoyable, than the recent likes of _Dead Again_ and
_Into the Unknown_, but it is still nothing to match the likes of
_Don't Break the Oath_ or _Melissa_, as some seem to have suggested.
The speed-driven guitar wreckage of "Last Rites", "House on the Hill"
or "Insane" prove that Sherman and Diamond still have more than
enough left in them to write powerful thrash songs with Mercyful
Fate's distinctive signature, and when Diamond's vocals are
dynamically highlighted by soft acoustic or melodic guitar on such
tracks as "Church of Saint Anne" or "Buried Alive", it is also
evident that this aspect of Mercyful Fate's distinctive style, which
infused the likes of "Come to the Sabbath" with such power, has
neither lost its importance nor effect. However, tracks like "Sold My
Soul" or "The Grave" are nothing above lacklustre when compared to
classic Mercyful Fate and, as with the closing title track, show
their weakness through their repetitive and predictable structures.
What it comes down to is that _9_ is but a pale reflection of classic
Mercyful Fate, but a pale reflection of classic Mercyful Fate still
makes for a listenable and varied album. For Mercyful Fate fans who
crave more quantity, even if the quality is not up to previous
standards.
Various - _Metal From Denmark...
Reversing the Danish Underground 1999_
by: Paul Schwarz (5 out of 10) (Sono Press / Diehard, 1999)
Made to expose more of the talent Denmark has to offer metal-wise,
this compilation is a good attempt at doing just that, but
unfortunately it is considerably far from perfect. Firstly, it misses
some of the best bands (such as the rockingly catchy Dominus) and
includes a number of rather unexciting artists. Secondly, there are
no unreleased tracks here and thus no reason for purchase other than
for sampling purposes. However, there is a lot on offer to sample
(nineteen bands is good for one CD in my books), and a decent number
of quality artists, some known to me (Konkhra, Daemon) and some not
(Saturnus, Withering Surface, Aurora), which means that _MFD_ is far
from a waste of time, if also far from a brilliant example of how to
make a compilation.
Metanoia - _Time to Die_ (Diamante, 1999)
by: Alex Cantwell (6.5 out of 10)
_Time to Die_ is Metanoia's third full length, and let me state right
away that it is a vast improvement over their previous effort, _Don't
Walk Dead_. Vocalist Yowie is a supremely powerful growler, but the
addition of black metal vocals to his repertoire, while trendy, makes
Metanoia a better band with better songs. I felt that with their
previous effort _DWD_ this band was just going too far to be heavy
solely for the sake of being heavy, but with this new batch of songs
I don't believe that to be the case, as there is a healthy amount of
variety here. It seems that the songs on _TtD_ had more thought put
into them, and after four listens I have begun to catch what Metanoia
are doing, to understand them, and yes, to like them -- but it took
repeated listens to reach that point, because on the surface this is
just basic death metal. Lisa's bass lines are much more prominent and
important to the songs than in past recordings, and her and drummer
Ian work well together throughout the fourteen songs, but as was true
with all past Metanoia music, these songs are built upon guitarist
Steve's crushingly heavy riffs, and rightfully so. Hopefully this
band will someday venture out of Australia and tour so that they may
pound the willing masses into dust with their 10000 pounds of fury.
My Dying Bride - _The Light at the End of the World_
by: Pedro Azevedo (9 out of 10) (Peaceville, November 1999)
Although I had already heard rumours concerning what _The Light at
the End of the World_ might be all about, I only started to really
believe them when I saw _TLatEotW_'s suitably gloomy front cover --
more specifically, when I saw that the old MDB logo had been
reinstated. I hadn't slept for about 36 hours or so when the CD
arrived and I looked at its front cover, and I almost thought I was
dreaming... but I wasn't. The heavy and slow guitar sound, Aaron's
lyrics, the 71 minutes running time with practically no atmospheric
interludes, the death grunts and _The Angel and the Dark River_-like
anguished vocals, even the presence of a "The Forever People"-type
track and "Sear Me III" -- I seemed to have already been
subconsciously warned of all that by that little logo. You may be
wondering what the hell is it that I find so special about that logo
-- well, there's nothing special about the logo itself, visually, but
any real fan of MDB will know what I mean when I say that it brings
back a lot of feelings. Original guitarist Calvin Robertshaw and
temporary drummer Bill Law have been replaced by Hamish Glencross
(ex-Solstice, who didn't play on _TLatEotW_) and Shaun Steels (who
had a brief stay with Anathema after leaving Solstice), respectively.
So the three founding members that remained in MDB (guitarist Andrew,
vocalist Aaron and bassist Adrian) decided it was time to go back to
MDB's roots and try to perfect the style they're so good at, the
style they helped to develop so much. Some may criticize them and say
they chose the easy path; I disagree. I feel it takes a lot of
courage to abandon the path they were treading with their previous
album, in a way admitting it was not taking them where they wanted to
go, return to what they -like- and try to perfect that style. They
basically went back to playing doom metal, with death grunts and
everything, while most other bands keep getting softer. How well are
MDB doing it? Very well. _TLatEotW_ may not surpass _Turn Loose the
Swans_, but it's a great album, sombre, bleak and very much My Dying
Bride, with plenty to remind you of each of MDB's first three
full-length albums. Practically every track is at least quite
noteworthy (so it's hardly of any interest to highlight any of them),
except perhaps the somewhat less inspired "The Night He Died" and
some of "Edenbeast". Closing the album, "Sear Me III". As if the
superb "Sear Me MCMXCIII" from _Turn Loose the Swans_ hadn't been
enough, MDB have gone back to the original "Sear Me" (from their
debut full-length _As the Flower Withers_) after all these years
again, took a little bit of it and used it to make one of their best
songs to date. MDB have recovered their ability to create both slow
melancholic passages and harsher outbursts with Aaron's
characteristic death vox, and use the contrast provided by the two.
It may be that this still lacks a violin to really be MDB like it was
before, but I don't find myself thinking about that very often when
listening to the album, which is a good sign. Rather, my basic
complaint about _TLatEotW_ concerns the fact that I feel that a few
songs are actually longer than they should have been and tend to
sound slightly more formulaic overall than, for example, _Turn Loose
the Swans_ (which, in my opinion, remains as their finest hour).
Nevertheless, if MDB continue to -progress- within this style that is
truly their own for the next album -- as I hope they will --, I can
only expect it to be an absolute classic, if the band is given more
time and stability than they had for _TLatEotW_. Rejoice, sorrowful
hearts. My Dying Bride is returning.
Various - _Never Give In: A Tribute to Bad Brains_
by: Adrian Bromley (8.5 out of 10) (Century Media, October 1999)
Finally a worthwhile tribute, with a kickass roster of bands paying
tribute to the artist. A much needed tribute to Bad Brains, a band
that no doubt influenced a slew of artists over the past two decades
(many of them surfacing here). From the detonating ways of Vision of
Disorder doing "Soulcraft" to the stompin' grooves bestowed on "Right
Brigade" (done by 16) onto the stunning cover of "I Luv I Jah" by
hardcore heavies Cave-In, this tribute reads like a fabulous book.
Even Moby's dream-like state tribute opener of "Sailin' On" shows
true respect for one of the most creative bands ever. Show respect
and get this tribute, folks.
Nightstick - _Death to Music_ (Relapse, October 1999)
by: Adrian Bromley (8 out of 10)
What is it about this band? Nothing seems to work, yet it does? Does
that make sense? Am I coocoo for Cocoa Puffs? I don't know, man,
there is just something so vivid and mind-bending about the music of
offbeat, noise junkies Nightstick... With enough sadistic vocals,
uneven drums and guitar riffs that fade in an out more than a coked
up air traffic controller, _Death to Music_ is the perfect symbol of
an all night bender gone way out of control. Think "rockbottom, lying
in an alley way" kind of feeling and you get the feelings you end up
with after a few listens. Rocking enough to draw you in, yet
unpleasant enough to make you want to turn away, Nightstick somehow
keep it busy -- and that is a good thing. Music intended for those
who walk the earth fucked up 24 hours a day.
Old Grandad - _The Last Upper_ (MIA Records, October 1999)
by: Adrian Bromley (7 out of 10)
The last I had heard of these Black Sabbath-esque, drug influenced
madmen was on their wild indie disc titled _Vol. 666_ [back a few
years in CoC, issue #28]. It was odd, abrasive, but it rocked. Same
goes for their debut for MIA Records, a solid slab of
death/thrash/stoner rockin' that'll leave you smiling more as you
inhale the green goods. And while not much has changed since their
indie days, you'll be hard to press any kind of negative reaction
from me over that decision from the band to still be playing the same
style. It just seems to have suited them. With a definitely stronger
production, the oddball ideas and song structures seem to have more
substance, as if they're spawning these wicked tentacles to grab hold
of you until you turn blue. Weird is as weird does and Old Grandad do
it oh so well. Choice cut, and a classic title if I might say so:
"Your Guts on Rye". Why couldn't Cannibal Corpse think of that one?
Opeth - _Still Life_ (Peaceville, November 1999)
by: Pedro Azevedo (9 out of 10)
Despite giving it a 9 out of 10, I have no qualms about saying that
_Still Life_ isn't every bit as great as I hoped it would be. The
fact is that its predecessor _My Arms, Your Hearse_ [CoC #32] set
such high standards that it would be extremely difficult to reach
such heights again -- difficult, yet not impossible, and I hoped
Opeth would be able to do so with _Still Life_. Having said this, I
nevertheless do consider _Still Life_ an excellent album -- hence my
rating. The best way to explain my feelings about this album appears
to be the following: I could replace any average song from _MA,YH_
with any song from _Still Life_ and I'd still give _MA,YH_ a 10 out
of 10; but on the other hand, those same individual songs all put
together, thus forming _Still Life_, just don't make it past a 9 out
of 10. It is hard, however, to pinpoint exactly why this happens, as
there is basically nothing wrong with _Still Life_ -- it is an
excellent album, as I mentioned before. It may be overall somewhat
less aggressive and more melancholic than _MA,YH_, but that's not
necessarily the problem, since the more mellow sections and clean
vocals that show up more often than before are as good as ever and
the quality level is kept high. Perhaps the only problem here is
simply that this is _MA,YH_'s successor. Regardless of that, the
music is still great (especially opener "The Moor") and Mikael
Akerfeldt's vocals and guitar playing are as superb as ever before.
There are some differences in the musical style besides the fact that
overall _Still Life_ isn't as aggressive as its predecessor, though:
for example, while the songs on this hour-long album are still quite
long and structurally challenging, Opeth have for the first time
began to repeat certain passages within songs, although this seldom
happens. The riffing style is often a bit different as well, but
there haven't been any -major- changes in Opeth's sound. In fact, one
of the great Opeth trademarks still remains: the album starts
triumphantly, with Mikael's powerful vocals erupting from amidst
another very well built crescendo. _Still Life_, great album that it
is, just isn't as -special- as _MA,YH_. Nevertheless, I would rate
every album Opeth released so far either 9 or 10 out of 10, and
_Still Life_, their fourth album and first for Peaceville, is no
exception. Despite the great difficulty of topping albums like
_Orchid_, _Morningrise_ or _MA,YH_, the fact that _Still Life_ is no
exception to the rule I just mentioned confirms once again the
absolutely remarkable band that Opeth, in my opinion, has always
been, thanks to Akerfeldt.
Overkill - _Coverkill_ (CMC, October 1999)
by: Adrian Bromley (6 out of 10)
Most bands choose their covers wisely -- not to say Blitz and the
boys didn't, but it just seems like a fair amount of "tough" songs to
handle, especially with Overkill's very straightforward style of
speed/thrash metal. While this disc has some good songs (Kiss'
"Deuce", Black Sabbath's "Cornucopia" and Jethro Tull's "Hymn 43")
and some bad songs (Manowar's "Death Tone" and a mediocre Motorhead
number, "Overkill"), the overall feel of the record seems bloated
with the band trying to show another side to their music abilities,
when we, Overkill fans, know all along just what type of music they
were meant to play. I'm disappointed.
Rammstein - _Live Aus Berlin_ (Motor/Mercury, September 1999)
by: Adam Wasylyk (10 out of 10)
Having picked up their last album _Sehnsucht_ and seen them in
concert on their Toronto stop last June, I've been on a Rammstein
high these last few months. These industrial metallers can't do
wrong; their wondrous live set combined with a lethal array of tracks
make this band a must see. Capitalizing on their new-found popularity
after supporting Korn and afterwards doing their own headlining tour,
the band have released a live album that nearly solidifies the
kinetic energy and passion they have on stage. Performing their best
tracks ("Spiel Mit Mir", "Bestrafe Mich", "Sehnsuct," "Asche Zu
Asche", "Du Hast", "Engel", "Bueck Dich"... there's so many!), only
the visuals of a Rammstein set (bright lights, lasers, water-jet
penises, etc.) prevent this album from being the perfect example of a
Rammstein live show. Hearing the crowd sing with the band and cheer
them on sends chills through the spine, you feel like you're right in
the centre of it all. The sound is amazing (besides a couple of
moments here and there), the selection of tunes is absolutely
perfect... there's nothing of real substance to criticize. I'm in
awe, which is a rarity these days. It's the best live album I've ever
heard.
Requiem Mass - _Shattered Destiny_ (<Independent>, 1999)
by: Alex Cantwell (8 out of 10)
Well honk my hooter if this doesn't sound a lot like Sacrifice's
_Soldier of Misfortune_, which, if you don't remember, was an early
'90s thrash masterpiece. This debut full length from Requiem Mass
brings back those same feelings I got when I first heard _SoM_, and
it is really a treat to the ears. _Shattered Destiny_ is comprised of
aggressive and somewhat technical thrash that is catchy and flows
very well. These guys have even succeeded in making their album flow
together well, as far as song sequence goes, which is something that
Metallica, Anthrax and Overkill used to be good at, but has since
become a forgotten art -- extra points for that alone. Intertwining
mosh parts with sleek guitar lines and excellent lead work, and all
held together by precise drumming, Requiem Mass have impressed me
very much. What a surprise to discover a kick-butt thrash CD by a
young band in 1999! They seem to be playing from the heart, and with
conviction for their craft, but assuredly they will never get the
credit they deserve because they are playing metal that is out of
fashion.
Contact: Requiem Mass, 14400 Oakwood PL, Albuquerque, NM 87123, USA
Sigh - _Scenario IV: Dread Dreams_ (Cacophonous, September 1999)
by: Paul Schwarz (9 out of 10)
Cacophonous' past history of signing the likes of Cradle of Filth and
Dimmu Borgir before promptly losing them, and watching them become
black metal superstars soon afterwards, would suggest that Sigh's
best move, commercially speaking, would be to leave the label.
However, Sigh are not only the exception by virtue of their long
tenure with Cacophonous; they are also far more innovative than
either of the more successful aforementioned bands -- and the vast
majority of black metal bands, for that matter. Sigh take big
helpings of Celtic Frost and stir in first the melodic leanings of
traditional heavy metal, then the sweeping orchestration of
soundtrack-styled classical compositions, and finally fleeting
borrowings from unexpected genres like funk-styled jazz and twangy
country and western. Sigh create a truly confusing mix which they
somehow mould into a solid and convincing musical whole. The amount
of courage, conviction and success Sigh have with innovation pushes
them to the forefront of the black metal scene alongside the likes of
Emperor and Satyricon. Let's hope that more people start taking note
of the brave steps this band is taking.
Stretch Arm Strong - _Rituals of Life_ (Independent, 1999)
by: Alex Cantwell (8.5 out of 10)
Despite their name (remember that toy?), Stretch Arm Strong are a
"serious" hardcore band who have not abandoned the influence that
punk had on hardcore, because the songs on _Rituals of Life_ are
lively and bouncy, not dark like most modern hardcore bands. Due to
this fact, the listener cannot help but to be drawn into these songs,
and I am willing to bet that these guys are a very exciting live
band. As I stated above, these songs are not dark or menacing, but
that is not to say that they are lacking in rage, as heard in
vocalist Chris McLane's ranting and yelling. The use of acoustic
guitar, piano and clean vocals adds something special to _RoL_, and
also showcases the talent of this band. This is the best hardcore
band that I have ever heard of, and I will actively pursue all of
their previous releases.
Stuck Mojo - _HWY 1_ (Century Media, October 1999)
by: Adrian Bromley (8 out of 10)
First off, get some props out to singer Bonz and light up a fat
joint. Get it? Got it? Good! Okay, now onto the recording. With a
slew of other great bands putting out live records nowadays (Iced
Earth, Brutal Truth, etc.), I was excited to hear that Atlanta's
finest rap/metal act Stuck Mojo were putting one out too. I have seen
this band live before and let me tell you something, metalheads:
there is -nothing- like it. Intense with a capital "I". The band just
takes the crowd on a roaring wave of sound and excitement, thrusting
fast 'n' heavy riffs meshed with some of the most violent rap chants
into our faces. Ouch! These guys don't fuck around. With seventeen
tracks, an accumulation of tracks over three releases and two new
studio tracks (the mediocre "Reborn" and supa-dupa, groove-heavy "My
Will"), Stuck Mojo hit us hard 'n' heavy with some blistering guitar
solos and total, out of control "Mojo groove". If you like the band,
then this may be a welcome addition to your collection.
The Ember Tide - _The Ember Tide_ (Warhead Records, 1999)
by: Adrian Bromley (9 out of 10)
With four songs, all under ten minutes, one might wonder just what
the fuss is all about. Don't fret, metalheads, as all of these
numbers fucking crush. With a real knack for writing short, well
structured blasts of intensity, The Ember Tide are a dazzling work of
art to just listen to. And even while the production isn't top notch,
their wonderful styling of harsh speed metal (pumped up with a solid
set of blackened, aggressive vocals and some groove) hits home in a
big way. This all goes by too fast and that is a shame. I don't know
what else to say, except check these sick metal fuckers out. They'll
knock you to the ground. The intro film snippet from Rambo is
awesome.
Contact: 1B Smith St. Parammatta NSW 2150
mailto:warhead@ausmetal.net
http://www.ausmetal.net/warhead
The Fallen - _Sector-7G_ (<Independent>, 1999)
by: Adrian Bromley (4 out of 10)
The Fallen's three-song disc is pretty much straightforward death
metal, with a little twist here and there thrown in for variety.
While rarely breaking away from their death metal meets Machine
Head-like vocals, The Fallen seem content at just ripping deep and
hard into us with their choppy riffs and brutal rhythmic assault.
I'll admit I liked what I heard, but I was far from blown away. I
don't know, the three songs here have power, just not enough variety
to get them signed (or, in this case, noticed). And the production?
Blah! Don't get me started. The best advice for this quartet is to
take some time, focus on where they want to take their sound and go
for it. Have some balls, boys! Maybe then the reaction next time
might be a bit more positive.
Contact: 26701 Quail Creek #190 Laguna Hills, CA 92656, USA
http://thefallen.iuma.com
The Kuntautcult - _From the Pits..._ (Displeased, 1999)
by: Aaron McKay (8.5 out of 10)
Originally operating under the epithet Bodybag, the membership of the
Kuntautcult is still unchanged to this day. With the addition and
subtraction of the very same member, bassist Vincent Schutter, this
three-piece band from Holland are honestly intense and brutal,
creating a mid to fast-paced death metal oasis in a sea of
mediocrity. Initially, Kuntautcult was to put forth an MCD to be
released by Displeased. Instead, two songs, "Use Your Dagger" and
"Venus", were added and so _From the Pits..._ came into being. On
this release, track four, "Use Your Dagger", although semi-trite in
name, provides as heavy a musical creation as I have heard since
Mortician's somewhat downsized song efforts on _Hacked Up for
Barbecue_. Powerful and crushing, "From the Pits of Hell" is damn
near guaranteed to please fans from a cross-section of metal genres,
this fact harboring little doubt in my mind. Mixed in the melee,
"Galaxy Legends" drives home the point of the next track, "120 Bar of
Pressure Up Your Appendix". Metal acoustic parts run rampant and wild
amongst both songs, creating a strange, but -highly- palatable, work
of metal inventiveness. A very interesting work of sharpened and
delineated death metal is in store for you if you are up to the
challenge The Kuntautcult is issuing forth triumphantly with -your-
name on it.
Thunderhead - _Ugly Side_ (SPV/Steamhammer, November 1999)
by: Paul Schwarz (5.5 out of 10)
Thunderhead have definitely got a handle on the task of creating
listenable, foot-tapping hard-rock/metal. There are distinct echoes
of Judas Priest and Iron Maiden, but the thrashier feel, with the
aggression more squarely originating from the crotch, which pervades
_Ugly Side_ makes comparisons to these classic purveyors of melodic
metal seem a little inaccurate. If Thunderhead were aiming to create
a solid, unoriginal commercial hard-rock/metal record in an age when
most bands shouldn't still be trying to repeat the past in such an
unnecessary manner, then they have succeeded, and have done so more
successfully than many of the new "reborn in true, heavy, metal" crop
have. However, if Thunderhead were trying to give the metal/hard-rock
listener of 1999 something he/she hadn't heard before and something
he/she couldn't get with more quality from another band, then they
have failed. Add the fact that the cover artwork is distinctly
unimpressive and that some of the lyrics are rather bad and macho in
the most ridiculous way (from the title track, "Yeah, so I'm walkin'
down the street / Without a fuckin' care in the world / When this cop
pulls up and says "Yoo boy, / What's that blood doin' on your hands?"
/ Yeah, Mr. Big Balls gotta question me / On a beautiful day about
some blood on my hands / So of course my mouth says "Bring on the
shit!"") and you're left with a rather unnecessary, though not awful,
final product.
Tiamat - _Skeleton Skeletron_ (Century Media, September 1999)
by: Adrian Bromley (8.5 out of 10)
I was a little skeptical as to where Tiamat would take their
ethereal-like metal attack after the bizarre, yet somewhat stunning
_A Deeper Kind of Slumber_ (1997), but after just a few listens, my
concerns were put to rest. This is the strongest Tiamat to date, I
believe, a beehive of activity as the band paints brilliant canvases
of dream-like sequences that shine like a rising sun. With a mediocre
cover of the Stones' classic "Sympathy For the Devil" planted in for
simplicity, it's the drive of numbers like "Dust in Our Fare", "As
Long as You Are Mine" and the cool Sisters of Mercy-like strike
"Brighter Than the Sun" that truly make this album. I'm shocked at
the depth and passion that riddles this latest release. Tiamat have
sharpened their attack and opened a lot more doors with _Skeleton
Skeletron_. Worth investigating, metal fans.
Type O Negative - _World Coming Down_ (Roadrunner, October 1999)
by: Adam Wasylyk (10 out of 10)
Where _October Rust_ was overly commercial and left a sour taste in
my mouth, _World Coming Down_ is nearly the bipolar opposite of its
predecessor. It's vastly uncommercial, crushingly heavy and totally
negative. It's almost as if the band have taken on a whole new
meaning -- less woman/sex-oriented, more mournful and depression
saturated. Tracks like "Everyone I Love Is Dead", "Who Will Save the
Sane", "World Coming Down" and "Everything Dies" demonstrate that
Type O haven't gone soft on us, providing us with plenty of brooding
atmospheres and agonizingly painful moments to behold. Pete Steele's
vocals are still among the best I've ever heard -- painful, soulful,
depressive. Josh Silver's keyboards give the album nearly all of its
emotional impact, whose multi-layered characteristic allows for a
listener to take away different sounds from a song with each passing
listen. _World Coming Down_ flows effortlessly, moving from track to
track like a story that must be told, no matter what the outcome may
be. Also included is "Day Tripper", a Beatles medley done in the ol'
Type O tradition -- giving it a heavier edge and making it their own.
An album that won't be ignored, it's my favourite album of 1999.
Hands down.
Vesperian Sorrow - _Beyond the Cursed Eclipse_ (Displeased, 1999)
By: Aaron McKay (9 out of 10)
Somewhat lead down the garden path by Vesperian Sorrow's track on
_Smells Like Team Spirit III_ [CoC #40], _Beyond the Cursed Eclipse_
is still completely worthy of notable aggrandizement. Irreproachable
black metal supervenes from VS's unblemished sound. Emanating from
Absu's mastery of the dark art, Vesperian Sorrow materialized on the
scene in 1998 with supremely orchestrated, bloodlusting atmosphere.
Working through the secret, unobserved power witnessed unto VP alone,
_BtCE_ penetrates deep within the listener's psyche to fan the black
metal hunger inside, I believe, every one of us. This five-piece unit
unleashes tight devilish intricacies from Texas that harbor a passion
to succeed like -very- few bands before them. For each moment of
_BtCE_'s fifty seven minutes, I found myself tied inexorably to the
music brought forth on this magnificent release. Tracks like
"Twilight of Azrael" and "Calgdon" shout the praises of Vesperian
Sorrow from every level of subterranean Hell! My personal treasured
pick manifests itself in the form of "Saga of the Second Sign", track
eight. Pure ferocity! With open arms, Vesperian Sorrow pulls you
tight to its ever blackened heart of depravity. Let yourself be taken
in!
Warlord - _Rock the Foe Hammer_ (SolidState, 1999)
by: Alex Cantwell (7.5 out of 10)
Warlord, a Canadian trio, went public with their debut self-titled EP
two years back, and finally they have released their first
full-length effort, strangely titled _Rock the Foe Hammer_. After
digesting the EP, which in a nutshell was doom-influenced hardcore, I
expected the same musical direction on any future albums, but my
expectations were not proven to be correct. Warlord are still rooted
in somewhat of a hardcore vein, but seem to have taken on a sort of
freeform avantgardeness akin to their labelmates Roadside Monument
and, to an extent, Frodus -- and while that -is- interesting, I was
disappointed that they did not run with the doom meets hardcore
thing, because I thoroughly enjoyed it and thought it to be original.
_RtFH_ was produced by the increasingly popular Steve Austin (Today
Is the Day), and he did a great job of bringing all of the nuances of
Warlord's twiddling and "jamming" into the forefront of the mix. Yes,
I said it -- they are "jamming" on many songs on the album, but they
are a tight enough unit to hold it together and make it work.
Although this band bears the heavy moniker of Warlord, they should
appeal to not only fans of metal, but to those who appreciate indie
rock and heavy alternative bar band music as well.
Waste - _Therapy_ (<Independent>, 1999)
by: Adrian Bromley (7 out of 10)
This Italian three-piece play solid Sacred Reich meets Prong metal.
Very straightforward, fast at times, and definitely technical. As the
six songs on the release play out, I can't help but wonder just how
much work and effort the band has invested into their sound. Tight as
a newly made bed at Motel 6, I tell you. While a tad repetitive at
times, the grooves emitted from the music help spice things up. I
also wish that with such tight musicianship the band would have aimed
for a much better recording. That said, what you get here is some
really cool music that'll easily entrance you and keep you coming
back for more. Choice cuts: "Last Day of Pain" and "Waiting". The
band's sincere metal approach is worthy of a listen.
Contact: Waste, c/o Patrizio Pappalardo, C.P. 71,
95021 Acicastello (CT), Italy
White Skull - _Tales From the North_ (Nuclear Blast, 1999)
by: Aaron McKay (3 out of 10)
I like Helloween. This is the reason for the majority of White
Skull's three points given on this review. I suppose the remainder
could be attributed to the cover art for _Tales From the North_ and,
to a much lesser degree, for Nuclear Blast being their label. Very
guitar-oriented and "true" metal muscle plowing WS's enterprise
forward. Twelve tracks in all on _TFtN_, totalling about fifty-eight
minutes of power in, as I mentioned, good ol' Helloween fashion.
Minus WS's vocals, one can almost hear influences from old Iron
Maiden, a la _Piece of Mind_, maybe. War, oceanic conquest and battle
consume nearly all of White Skull's topical escapades. Nice
transitions within certain songs are well utilized. For instance,
"Gods of the Sea", track four, maintains a complicated musical
progression while it seems to "pull back" and center around beautiful
guitar work toward the conclusion of the song. The same is almost
true with the very next piece, "Viking Tomb", at its beginning. The
mighty, addictive and riffy "Kriemhild Story" and "The Killing Queen"
provide this release's high-points for me. I can visualize a
respected future for White Skull, but until that point, I'd hold off
on _Tales From the North_.
Zao - _Liberate Te Ex Inferis_ (SolidState, 1999)
by: Alex Cantwell (9 out of 10)
Drummer Jesse Smith and an everchanging line-up have concocted a
swirling, chaotic bludgeoning of the senses with _Liberate Te Ex
Inferis_, the fifth release from the entity called Zao. There is
quite a bit going on, musically and lyrically, on this release, and I
will attempt to elaborate upon it. Firstly, _LTEI_ is seemingly built
upon a Dante's "Inferno" theme, at least according to the back cover
and the layout inside the booklet. However, neither the song titles
nor the lyrics reflect that theme, unless I am just too dumb to
realize the correlation of the lyrics to that theme. In fact, I am at
a total loss regarding the meaning of the lyrics, because they are of
the poetic/abstract/artsy variety. The only song that even makes any
sense at all is "Desire the End", which reads: "I desire the end, the
touch of armageddon, this world encased in flames, bodies lie beneath
fallen kingdoms... I desire the new beginning." It also happens to be
one of the album's best tracks. On to the music... Zao seems to
evolve greatly with each new release. Their debut album _All Else
Failed_ was very militant and rigid hardcore. The follow-up, _The
Splinter Shards the Birth of Separation_, saw them venture into the
death metal realm a bit, while retaining traditional hardcore
shouting for vocals. With their third release, _When Blood and Fire
Bring Rest_ [CoC #34], they abandoned the hardcore vocals for those
of the black metal variety, being the first hardcore band to do this
(to the best extent of my knowledge), and the music went up several
notches in creativity and intensity. Zao have achieved similar
results with their latest release, and the listening experience makes
me manic and jubilant at the same time. In the January 1999 issue of
Metal Maniacs, Candiria bassist Micheal Macivor was quoted as
stating: "I think nowadays the fusion between metal and hardcore has
become so intertwined that there's really not that much definition
anymore between the two, from a musical perspective", and I couldn't
agree more, with bands like Zao, Training for Utopia, Coalesce and
many more laying waste to any barriers that other hardcore bands had
pressed up against. _LTEI_ is a piece of the present and the future
at once -- a glorious achievement of modern metal extremity and a
look into the future of what many young bands with a hardcore ethic
and a thirst for brutality may try to attain.
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/ \/ / _ \ \ /\ / / / \/ / _ \| / __|/ _ \
/ /\ / __/\ V V / / /\ / (_) | \__ \ __/
\_\ \/ \___| \_/\_/ \_\ \/ \___/|_|___/\___|
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
Capharnaum - _Plague of Spirits_ (4-track demo)
by: Brian Meloon (****-)
Capharnaum return with a new demo, a more potent sound and some new
ideas. There are four tracks, two new songs: "Icon of Malice" (my
personal favorite) and "Become the Enemy", a reworking of "Sightless"
from their previous album, and a rough, unvocalized mix of "Plague of
Spirits". My main complaint with _Reality Only Fantasized_ [CoC #31]
was the organization of the riffs. I felt that the songs could have
been arranged better, as there were a number of development sections
which abruptly changed into seemingly unrelated riffs. This release
fixes that problem for the most part. These songs flow a lot better,
with the segues between parts sounding a lot more natural. Their
sound has changed a little bit, moving more in the direction of the
ultra-brutality of Suffocation (especially the guitar tone) and
moving away from the sharper distorted guitar lines of their past.
While most of the music is very brutal, the band does mix it up a
little bit with some melodic and/or slower passages. The guitar solos
also feature a good dose of melody and show a good sense of how
melody can enhance an otherwise brutal song. There isn't much that's
wrong with this demo. Capharnaum have nailed all of the technical
elements of the music. Now the problem that faces them is standing
out above the crowd of death metal bands that sound like them. Given
time -- especially considering their ages -- they should find their
own voice, and appear to have a bright future ahead of them.
Contact: Capharnaum, c/o Tony Espinoza, 1204 Trout Brook Dr.,
West Hartford, CT 06119, USA
mailto:Malice667@aol.com
http://www.mp3.com/capharnaum/
Kraken - _Dreams of a Greater Empire_ (3-track promo)
by: Paul Schwarz (****-)
It is a pity when one hears very accomplished musical composition be
stifled by a production which doesn't fully do it justice and which
stems, in all likelihood, from a lack of resources on the part of the
artist. That said, _Dreams of a Greater Empire_ is still very
impressive for a demo-stage recording. Kraken, for at present the man
-is- the band, has created an intoxicating mix of full-bodied,
pounding black metal riffage (infused at points with the calculated
beat of doom), classical stylings and melodic involvement. The
mixture is as close to seamless as most artists ever get, sometimes
building and sweeping to tug at the emotions while at others playing
the dynamics of keyboards, guitars, vocals and drums off each other
with gripping effect. The professionalism of composition on display
is as admirable to contemplate as it is a joy to listen to, and with
better production I think there is no doubt that Kraken could outdo
many of the signed black/death/doom bands out there in the world
today. I await his next move, whether accompanied by others or not.
Contact: 115 Richmond Rd, Kingston, Surrey, KT2 5BX, UK
mailto:Kraken@ukgateway.net
Masque of Innocence - _Take 0_ (5-track demo)
by: Pedro Azevedo (***--)
Listening to this demo tape took me back a few years, back to the
time when I listened to demo tapes from bands such as Heavenwood and
Lacrima -- both of which Masque of Innocence tend to remind me of in
some ways. Their slightly doomy music is made of competent slow to
mid-paced guitar work, atmospheric keyboards and an average rhythmic
section -- all generally laid back and not very complicated, with a
few nice melodies here and there. The death vox are quite good and
the occasional female vocals are also competent, but the _Shades of
God_ era Paradise Lost kind of vocals that show up a couple of times
are rather poor. Still, even though Masque of Innocence tend to be
unable to really captivate the listener for now, quality is
nevertheless quite acceptable throughout this decently produced demo,
which flows rather well and does provide a pleasant listen.
Contact: Apartado 6004, 2701-801 Amadora, Portugal
mailto:a15862@iscte.pt
Merde - _Merde_ (6-track demo)
by: Paul Schwarz (*****)
It is strangely ironic that much of the best death metal lives in the
same place that much death does: underground. Our positively
glistening example for this month is Merde, one of the best rising
prospects from the death metal scene that I have heard this year. It
is, however, perhaps unfair of me to give Merde the blanket
classification of "death metal", since one of Merde's great merits is
that they embrace no one style of metal so fixedly that their
identity is instantly and correctly identifiable. Much as "Orgy at
the Goatroast" comes thundering in from the hilariously effective
sampled intro reeking of the involved fretboard antics of Gorgut's
most recent and confusing outpouring, _Obscura_, the death metal
leanings of this initial outburst are not followed by mere
repetitions on one theme. The vocals -- though generally strangled in
a similar way to Luke Lemay's (Gorguts) -- push themselves through
differing expressions of aggression and levels of melody with
precision. Guitar and bass work likewise move constantly through
near-unfollowable patterns, playing off each other at random, while
the drums provide a titanium skeleton of pulsing double bass,
smashing cymbals and snares of constantly changing, often strangely
synched, rhythms for the aforementioned flesh to mould itself to.
Fourth song, "Shadow Under the Web", entangles its listener in a
complex web of intertwining guitars which are at central points
brought together into a single, memorable, creepy and dream-like
acoustic theme, strongly reminiscent of Usurper's "Dead of Winter"
and certain examples of the work of Autopsy. As this demo regularly
indicates, Merde also combine elements of angst and groove originated
by the apocalyptic likes of Neurosis and Today Is the Day. The
catalogue of abilities is considerable, but it is the whole demo that
Merde have created which impresses most, and bodes very well for
their future. Pick up this twenty-eight minute demo and sample the
work of this fine band, who, if there is any justice in the music
business, will have a full-length out very soon, and be in the pages
of many a 'zine soon.
Contact: Avitchi Records, PO Box 8734, Portland OR 97207-8734, USA
phone: 503 331 1879
Opera - _Promo 1998_
by: Brian Meloon (***--)
Opera are an Italian progressive metal band, playing a style
comparable to Dream Theater's _Images and Words_ sound, but a little
heavier and not as cheesy. The music is generally good: it's usually
pretty straightforward fare, but there are flashes of instrumental
prowess and some nice changes here and there. All of the standard
progmetal elements are right where you'd expect them to be. However,
I find the songs a little too focused on standard-type structures,
relying too much on repetition and catchiness and not enough on
thematic development. In short, they're playing a predictable style,
but doing a good job of it. The playing is generally good on all
counts. The guitars are competent and do a very tasteful job of
solos. I especially like the harmonized guitar-keyboard solo in "Life
of Agony". The keyboards don't dominate the music, but are certainly
not in the background. The drumming and bass work are unspectacular
but solid. The production is okay: it certainly could be better, but
all of the instruments are clearly audible. Unfortunately, the band's
vocalist is their weak link. His vocals are consistently flat and
weak. He reminds me of the vocalist from Black Jester in that
respect, and he single-handedly ruins some sections of the music. As
a demo, this offering performs its function. It's not a great piece
of work, but the band has potential and will hopefully improve with
their next offering.
Contact: Opera Management, P.O. Box 33, 61015 Novafeltria, Italy
mailto:ciccio@nf.infotel.it or mailto:ciccio33@hotmail.com
http://www.geocities.com/Broadway/Wing/4006/
Torak - _I Cracked the World_ (3-track demo)
by: Paul Schwarz (***--)
Torak centrally make it their aim to produce pummelling death laden
thrash metal with incomprehensible vocalisations, but ones which
nonetheless have character and definition. Though basic black metal
guitar work occasionally plays a part, as do minor key melodic vocals
and melancholic guitar atmospheres, _ICtW_ is for the most part a
product of the death metal scene. There are considerable stylistic
comparisons between the work of Konkhra, up 'till recently, and what
Torak create, while sound-wise Entombed and Dismember's early
outpourings play their part, though it is not an overwhelming one.
Overall, _ICtW_ is a good slab of metallic devastation with a
convincing interplay of guitars and drums which avoids both stagnancy
and originality by relatively wide margins. With better production
and time there is no reason why Torak couldn't produce something of
note.
Contact: Black Crusade, 115 Richmond Rd,
Kingston, Surrey, KT2 5BX, UK
mailto:blackcrusade@lycosmail.com
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\ \ \/_/_\ \ _ `\ /'__`\ / __`\ \ \/\/\ \ /'___\
\ \ \L\ \\ \ \ \ \/\ \L\.\_/\ \L\ \ \ \_\ \ \/\ \__/
\ \____/ \ \_\ \_\ \__/.\_\ \____/\ \__\\ \_\ \____\
\/___/ \/_/\/_/\/__/\/_/\/___/ \/__/ \/_/\/____/
____ __
/\ _`\ /\ \__
\ \ \/\_\ ___ ___ ___ __ _ __\ \ ,_\ ____
\ \ \/_/_ / __`\ /' _ `\ /'___\ /'__`\/\`'__\ \ \/ /',__\
\ \ \L\ \/\ \L\ \/\ \/\ \/\ \__//\ __/\ \ \/ \ \ \_/\__, `\
\ \____/\ \____/\ \_\ \_\ \____\ \____\\ \_\ \ \__\/\____/
\/___/ \/___/ \/_/\/_/\/____/\/____/ \/_/ \/__/\/___/
T H E B L A C K M E T A L O P E R A A R R I V E T H
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Mortiis with Christian Death, Godhead and Diet of Worms
at the Reverb in Toronto on October 19, 1999
by: Gino Filicetii
I can't express how excited I was when I first got wind of the
news. Could it be that Mortiis had actually secured a North American
tour and would be playing in Toronto? Well, that seemed to be the
case, but I didn't hold my breath. I fully expected something to
prevent the master from gracing our little village of two million.
Needless to say, the show was a go, or be here I would not. So, come,
my little droogs, and let me tell you the tale of Mortiis' visit.
The line up this night was strange, to say the least. Anyone
would've thought that Mortiis would have teamed up with some of his
fellow countrymen playing the blackest of metal. However, that was
not the case. Mortiis was instead playing in support of Christian
Death, an industrial band with somewhat of a cult following, even
here in Toronto. A major consequence of this fact was that Mortiis
barely got a quarter of the already tiny stage. But as we'll see,
this wouldn't deter him from serving up quite a show.
The first band to perform were Diet of Worms. This band reminded
me a lot of Marilyn Manson in the early days. Four guys,
unforgettably dressed and made up, playing a brand of industrial rock
that could get you snapping your fingers if you didn't watch out. The
venue was almost empty for their entire set and I thought to myself,
hmmm... I've never seen the floor of the Reverb before... how
interesting.
Next was Godhead, an industrial band from The Windy City. I'll
admit, I thought it was a bonus when I heard Godhead would be
performing with Mortiis. I had heard two of their albums and was
quite impressed with their music. The singer was tall and bulky and
without a stitch of hair on his head. He looked a lot like Billy
Corgan from the Smashing Pumpkins, or, more accurately, like Billy
Corgan in his coffin after having snuffed it. Godhead played a few
tunes I recognized, and managed to get a few people out of their
seats and onto the floor. Their sound was tight and the light show
left me epileptic, so I can't really complain. They closed the night
off with their cover of The Beatles' "Eleanor Rigby", one of my
favorite Beatles songs, and an excellent cover to boot. Although I
enjoyed Godhead, I couldn't wait for Mortiis to make his entrance.
After all this time, the moment was at hand.
I had brought a friend to this show, although he was a complete
stranger to the black metal scene and had never heard of Mortiis
before. But the hype and expectation was so high that even he felt
the anticipation waiting for Mortiis' set to start. Watching the
roadies set up the stage for Mortiis was a show unto itself. The
props on stage were psychotic concoctions of art and the macabre.
There was a cross made out of bones and vertebrae with a skull to top
it off. The bones even had a yellowish brown tinge, perhaps they were
-real- human bones? There was a sadist's rack of torturing weapons: a
battle axe, a leather submission strap and a baby doll hung up by a
chain on one leg and covered in blood. There was also a wooden "X"
set up which had leather straps attached to it. It was some kind of
crucifix; I was very interested to see how it'd be used. The
instruments set up were only three percussion stations having a
mixture of real and electronic drums. I was shocked to see no
synthesizer in sight. What came next was more of a shock to me.
Mortiis' "band" appeared: two guys took up their places at the
percussion stations, and an extremely fat blonde chick, showing way
too much cleavage, took her spot at a microphone. But what was all
this about a band?? I guess my information was a little out dated,
but last I'd heard, Mortiis' shows in Europe involved only him and
his props, none of this conventional, rock show stuff. But these
thoughts quickly left my mind as the music started and everyone
turned their heads towards the back of the venue....
And there he was, Mortiis -- in all his glory -- leading a
small, subdued, female "gimp" by a chain shackled around her neck. As
he walked through the crowd and passed me I couldn't help wondering,
wow, Mortiis isn't very tall! As they took the stage, Mortiis tied
the gimp's chain to his "rack o' sadism" and took his spot front
stage center. The songs they played were very heavily influenced by
percussive sounds. There was some recorded synthesizer played as
well, but a lot of it was drowned out by the incessant drumming. It
sounded very gloomy and dungeon-like, but the Mortiis I remember had
a lot more synth, and sadly, it was missing from this night's show.
The second song they played had the opera singer providing some
vocals. They were quite impressive, I must admit, but then again, she
definitely had the lungs for it.
After the first two songs, the band paused while Mortiis
performed the preparation of his "virgin". He squeezed the baby doll,
which spat blood all over the frightened girl, anointing her in
blood, as it were. Next was one of Mortiis' epic songs which always
seem to last an eternity whilst keeping you enthralled with fear and
delight. After this, there was another pause while Mortiis untied the
virgin and lead her to the crucifix. Here, he tied her up and held a
huge bucket up to her. Into this bucket he dipped his fingers and
smeared the blood contained within onto the virgin's neck and face.
Then, holding the bucket up to the heavens, Mortiis emptied its
contents -- about five gallons of blood -- onto his head!!
Believe me people, to behold Mortiis in his make up is
definitely a sight to see; but to see him drenched from head to toe
in red gore was completely unreal. After this spectacle, another
couple of songs were played. This time, Mortiis joined his vocals to
those of his hefty friend. Then came another pause in the music, time
for more hyjinx I thought. This time, Mortiis went off to the side of
the stage and grabbed a bottle made out of horse's hoof. From this,
he took a swig of the contents and was handed a flaming torch. He
brought this torch to the center of the stage and start twirling it
around, bringing it close to his virgin; this time anointing her in
fire. After that he blew fire out into the crowd, it being kerosene
that he drank from the horse's foot. And with the flame started the
next song. It was full of intense drumming and high pitched singing,
truly one of the best songs played that night. Then, my friends,
after one more song came the grand finale. From his rack, Mortiis
retrieved a pair of what can only be described as "medieval garden
shears". He brought these over to the virgin affixed to the crucifix
and began the final anointment: the anointment of the blade. Starting
at her midsection, Mortiis cut into his sacrifice with the shears.
Blood poured out of her torso in great gushes and dripped from her
mouth as first she wreathed and then fell limp. At this point,
Mortiis unties her from the crucifix and slings her over his
shoulder. He jumps into the shocked crowd and carries his victim to
the back of the venue from whence he came. As he leaves sight, the
band starts another song without Mortiis. This song continues for
awhile, but the entire crowd is staring at the back of the venue away
from the stage, just waiting for Mortiis to return. And return he
does after the song was over. He calmly resumes his spot and the band
performs its last song of the night.
Needless to say, I was impressed by the show put on by Mortiis.
I've always been a fan of bands who can put on a good stage show, so
I thought the night's festivities were great. There were some who
thought it was all a load of cheese, and there were others still --
the uninitiated masses of industrial fans -- who were shocked by the
proceedings.
And that was all she wrote for me, my friends. Realizing that
anything that came after Mortiis would be anticlimatic, I left
without seeing Christian Death, knowing that I would have to come out
of retirement to tell my readers about this one.
A R M A G E D D O N W I T H L A V I E R G E D E F E R
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
CoC attends Megadeth and Iron Maiden
at the Palais Omnisports de Paris Bercy, France,
Thursday 9th September, 1999
by: David Rocher
This major event, in the guise of a heavy metal concert, did
seem like a nice way to spend my last evening on earth -- I was at
last going to witness what I beheld as the ultimate Iron Maiden
line-up live, and on the very day of the Apocalypse (9-9-99) too.
After having twice faced the vocal (terrible) uncertainty of Blaze
Bailey live, the prospect of this reformation with Bruce Dickinson
and riffmaster supreme Adrian Smith was more than mouth-watering --
as hairy pilgrims gathered in their thousands on the steps leading to
the temple of Paris Bercy, this outing literally had the somewhat
ethereal taste of a religious celebration to honour the gods of
Metal.
Before the much-anticipated event of Iron Maiden appearing on
stage, though, I gritted my teeth as I psychologically readied myself
for an onslaught of some of the most tedious "musical" lameness I
could possibly be served that night, and namely Megadeth.
Justifiably, I was this anxious, as the four-hour drive to Paris had
provided me with the opportunity to hear their infamous last output
-- very fittingly named _Risk_ --, which rang to my ears like nothing
more than sub-standard, laughably sell-out AOR rock. And this bitter
foretaste indeed proved to be more than premonitory...
The lights went out, the 17000 people or so gathered in the POPB
roared, and Minideth straight away caught their feet in the rug by
dishing out rather unappetising starters in the form of a grey
tedious mass of ruminant-friendly sonic sludge, pompously named
"Prince of Darkness". With my coldest fears of having to put up with
_Risk_ material twice in the same day all coming true, I nevertheless
stood my ground, and was soon to be comforted, as the last notes of
"Prince of Darkness" faded into nothingness, to be replaced by the
biting riffage of Megadeth's high-speed classic "Holy Wars", which
they interpreted flawlessly. Mustaine's gang even actually succeeded
in having me on my toes as they then carried on with a great
rendition of "In My Darkest Hour" -- damn, that felt -good- if
anything ever did. And it also quite simply proved that if people
remember this great song some thirteen years after it was written,
the chances that mere mortals will have fond memories of tracks from
_Youthanasia_, _Cryptic Writings_ or _Risk_ in the year 2014 or so
are far slighter.
Sadly enough, though, I don't quite recall what happened for the
twenty or so minutes after "In My Darkest Hour", as Dave & co.
mercilessly and methodically proceeded to bore me out of my failing
mind with various "hits" from their last three full-length albums,
with a peak of absolute feebleness being reached on a track called
"Crush 'Em" -- wow, I hadn't heard anything this gay since The
Village People's "San Francisco". To make matters worse, anyway, just
as I finally sleepwalked through the thick crowd out towards the
merchandising stand, Megaydeth were suddenly submerged by the
recollection that they indeed -had- released albums before 1994, and
launched themselves into the killer hymn "Peace Sells", which they
followed up with the closing "Symphony of Destruction". This all
seemed like a lukewarm attempt to get older fans to forgive them, and
after this, they saluted and finally cleared off... aaaah, relief.
Well, at least sort of. The tension that was rapidly building up
in the air as the numerous roadies prepared the stage for Iron Maiden
was incredible, pretty much like a massive thunderstorm builds up on
a hot night -- the air was -literally- electric, something I had
never witnessed before at any concert, and which definitely didn't
occur when "la vierge de fer" were to appear on scene fronted by
Blaze Bailey. As a matter of a fact, the atmosphere just got that
little bit too electric. I hadn't either ever witnessed such a
violent, brainless audience as I beheld at that gig -- the people
gathered in the pit started (and for no reason I can possibly fathom)
shoving into each other in ways typical of a horde of distressed
spongiform bovines a whole fifteen minutes before the lights even
went out -- great fun, lads. Anyway, Bercy was suddenly plunged into
blackness as a video was played on three large screens, with the aim
successfully demonstrating just how (totally un-)interesting the
official Iron Maiden game "Ed Hunter" looked and played; it rapidly
mutated into a cover version of "Churchill's Speech" spoken by mascot
Eddie, as images of Spitfires and Messerschmidts in tight aerial
battle on a background of blackened clouds filled the screen. Bang!
-- the stage lights went on as the mighty Britons instantly kicked
into a very fast interpretation of their 1983 vintage classic "Aces
High".
The whole of Iron Maiden's set then unfolded, as I had
anticipated, in totally elating ways, although Steve and Bruce
definitely fooled no-one about their obviously antagonistic,
rancour-ridden relationship. They nevertheless ensured a flawless
show that night, as they soared through a selection of fine hymns
such as "Wrathchild", "The Trooper" and "2 Minutes to Midnight".
Dickinson's incredible vocal exactness rapidly became as incredibly
apparent as Bailey's lack of precision was, as he faithfully rendered
the decent _X Factor_ opener "Man on the Edge", or as he literally
transcended the tribute paid to the legendary figure William Wallace,
namely "The Clansman"; graced with Bruce's incredible singing, this
was altogether a different track than the one featured on _Virtual
XI_, and as Monsieur Dickinson solemnly announced (in French) that
Iron Maiden were preparing to record an album next year with their
current line-up, I couldn't help but spontaneously salivating all
over myself -- definitely a highlight of the forthcoming millennium!
The sextet then pursued their set with "Wasted Years" -- which
was sadly the only track off _Somewhere in Time_ that night --,
"Powerslave", "Killers", "Fear of the Dark" -- whose intro was
chorused by 17000 people, creating one of these awesome
spine-tingling moments of atmosphere that metal can craft so well --,
before treating the marvelled crowds to the legendary "Phantom of the
Opera", followed by "Iron Maiden". All this time, Bruce
mathematically proved that, regardless of what talented replacement
Iron Maiden could have produced after his solo escapade, walking in
his footsteps as a singer and frontman is a task as near to
impossible as it gets. In addition to his incredible vocal
performance, he continually ran back and forth across the large
stage, demonstrating the impressive control he exerted over 17000
fans at the same time -- he merely needed to raise his arms and say
the mythical words "Scream for me, Paris!" for the whole room to
raise their arms in return and indeed scream for him all they
could... this, people, is -power-. Iron Maiden then saluted briefly,
and left the stage as the now rather worn-out "encore" gimmick was
faithfully played by the attendance... Very unsurprisingly, the six
lads reappeared after the crowd had duly chanted their name for
two-three minutes or so, and played the inevitable classic "The
Number of the Beast", followed by the awesome seven-minute hymn
"Hallowed Be thy Name"; they then definitely concluded the show with
"Run to the Hills" before leaving the stage. All in all, with the
great musicianship (-very- professionally practised by some legendary
figures I had long hoped to see), capped off by the supreme sound
quality and cool visual paraphernalia articulated around the various
songs, Iron Maiden's very mercantile "no, we're not reforming, no
way" appearance in Paris was more than simply good.
And in passing, I really had a thought that night for US
death-metallers Immolation (despite the fact that I am a proven
non-fan of theirs, as Paul Schwarz will willingly testify to!), who
were also scheduled to play in Paris that night, and whose
attendance, from what I heard, was so low that the gig was called
off. Mortals are no competition for gods, I'm afraid...
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
W H A T W E H A V E C R A N K E D ! ! !
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Gino's Top 5
1. Doors - _The Best of the Doors_
2. Mortiis - _Crypt of the Wizard_
3. Bob Marley - _Legend_
4. Absu - _The Third Storm of Cythraul_
5. Metallica - _Master of Puppets_
Adrian's Top 5
1. The Kovenant - _Animatronic_
2. Angel Dust - _Bleed_
3. Dillinger Escape Plan - _Calculating Infinity_
4. Will Haven - _WHVN_
5. Vision of Disorder - _For the Bleeders_
Brian's Top 5
1. Ron Jarzombek - _Phhhp!_
2. ...And Oceans - _The Dynamic Gallery of Thoughts_
3. Monstrosity - _Millennium_
4. Thorns Vs. Emperor
5. Zero Hour - _Zero Hour_
Adam's Top 5
1. Type O Negative - _World Coming Down_
2. Darkthrone - _Ravishing Grimness_
3. Satyricon - _Rebel Extravaganza_
4. Setherial - _Hell Eternal_
5. Sigh - _Scenario IV: Dread Dreams_
Pedro's Top 5
1. My Dying Bride - _The Light at the End of the World_
2. Opeth - _Still Life_
3. Opeth - _Morningrise_
4. Malevolent Creation - _The Fine Art of Murder_
5. Angel Corpse - _The Inexorable_
Paul's Top 5
1. Vital Remains - _Dawn of the Apocalypse_
2. Today Is the Day - _In the Eyes of God_
3. Celtic Frost - _Vanity/Nemesis_
4. Death - _Leprosy_
5. Merde - _Merde_ (demo)
Aaron's Top 5
1. Mortiis - _The Stargate_
2. Forest of Impaled - _Demonvoid_
3. Nocturnus - _Ethereal Tomb_ (THANKS, Paul!)
4. Testament - _Demonic_
5. Dawn - _Slaughtersun (Crown of the Triarchy)_ (THANKS again,
Paul!)
David's Top 5
1. Darkane - _Rusted Angel_
2. Theory in Practice - _The Armageddon Theories_
3. Morbid Angel - _Covenant_
4. Amorbital - _Invidia_
5. Soilwork - _The Chainheart Machine_
Alex's Top 5
1. Zao - _Liberate Te Ex Inferis_
2. Amorphis - _Tuonela_
3. Warlord - _Rock the Foe Hammer_
4. Stretch Arm Strong - _Rituals of Life_
5. Type O Negative - _October Rust_
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Homepage: http://www.interlog.com/~ginof/coc.html
FTP Archive: ftp://ftp.etext.org/pub/Zines/ChroniclesOfChaos
--> Interested in being reviewed? Send us your demo and bio to:
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CHRONICLES OF CHAOS
57 Lexfield Ave
Downsview Ont.
M3M-1M6, Canada
Fax: (416) 693-5240 Voice: (416) 693-9517
e-mail: ginof@interlog.com
----
Our European Office can be reached at:
CHRONICLES OF CHAOS (Europe)
Urb. Souto n.20 Anta
4500 Espinho, PORTUGAL
e-mail: ei94048@fe.up.pt
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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.
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End Chronicles of Chaos, Issue #44
All contents copyright 1999 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.