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CHRONICLES OF CHAOS e-Zine, Monday, June 3, 2003, Issue #62
http://www.ChroniclesOfChaos.com
Co-Editor / Founder: Gino Filicetti
Co-Editor / Contributor: Pedro Azevedo
Contributor: Adrian Bromley
Contributor: Brian Meloon
Contributor: Paul Schwarz
Contributor: Aaron McKay
Contributor: David Rocher
Contributor: Matthias Noll
Contributor: Alvin Wee
Contributor: Chris Flaaten
Contributor: Quentin Kalis
Contributor: Xander Hoose
Contributor: Adam Lineker
Neophyte: Adrian Magers
Neophyte: James Montague
Neophyte: Jackie Smit
Spiritual Guidance: Alain M. Gaudrault
The individual writers can be reached by e-mail at
firstname.lastname@ChroniclesOfChaos.com.
(e.g. Gino.Filicetti@ChroniclesOfChaos.com).
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>><<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
Issue #62 Contents, 6/3/2003
----------------------------
-- 16 Piece Bucket - _Born to Be..._
-- 3rd - _3rd_
-- Amorphis - _Far From the Sun_
-- Anaal Nathrakh - _When Fire Rains Down From the Sky,
Mankind Will Reap as it Has Sown_
-- Aurora - _Dead Electric Nightmares_
-- Bathory - _Nordland I_
-- Biohazard - _Kill or Be Killed_
-- Bloodshot - _Demons, Addictions & Confidence_
-- Cattle Decapitation - _To Serve Man_
-- Compos Mentis - _Fragments of a Withered Dream_
-- Cryptopsy - _None So Live_
-- Cult of Daath - _The Grand Torturers of Hell_
-- Darzamat - _Oniriad_
-- Dawn of Azazel - _Bloodforged Abdication_
-- Deranged - _Plainfield Cemetery_
-- Destroyer 666 - _Terror Abraxas_
-- Devin Townsend Band - _Accelerated Evolution_
-- Dying Fetus - _Stop at Nothing_
-- Dysrhythmia - _Pretest_
-- Ethereal - _The Dreams of Yearning_
-- Fragile Hollow - _Effete Mind_
-- Genocide Superstars - _III_
-- Godless North - _Summon the Age of Supremacy_
-- Grave - _Back From the Grave_
-- Griffar - _Of Witches and Celts_
-- Hanzel und Gretyl - _Uber Alles_
-- Illnath - _Cast Into Fields of Evil Pleasure_
-- Kaamos - _Kaamos_
-- Mindwild - _Mindwild Spirit_
-- Mr Barleycorn - _The Stendahl Syndrome_
-- Mykorrhiza - _Shattered Dreams_
-- Myrkskog - _Superior Massacre_
-- Naglfar - _Sheol_
-- Nartvind - _Until Their Ruin_
-- Nasum - _Helvete_
-- Opeth - _Deliverance_
-- Scepter - _Fucking Metal Motherfuckers_
-- Septic Flesh - _Sumerian Daemons_
-- Sepultura - _Roorback_
-- Show of Exaggeration - _Show of Exaggeration_
-- Soilwork - _Figure Number Five_
-- Somnus - _Through Creation's End_
-- Soulless - _Agony's Lament_
-- Tenhi - _Vare_
-- The Gathering - _Souvenirs_
-- The Mist and the Morning Dew - _The Mist and the Morning Dew_
-- The Monolith Deathcult - _The Apotheosis_
-- The True Frost - _Open the Portals to Darkness_
-- Tuska / Incriminated - _Ten Hail Marys_
-- Vargsang - _Call of the Nightwolves_
-- Various - _The Obsolete View_
-- Various - _Victory Through Total Domination: Compilation No. III_
-- Vital Remains - _Dechristianize_
-- Wastoid - _Say Your Prayers_
-- Cryonic - _Digital Encryption_
-- Decadence - _Theatre of Eclipse_
-- Feral Horde - _Demo 2002_
-- K-Again - _Ultraviolence_
-- Soultorn - _Masks_
-- The Amenta - _Mictlan_
-- A Kingdom United
-- Goth Club Destroyed by Death Metal Gods
-- Damnation and a Monday Night
-- Generation Armageddon Tour
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
_, _, __, _,_ _, _ _,
/ \ | |_) | | |\/| (_
|~| | , |_) | | | | , )
~ ~ ~~~ ~ `~' ~ ~ ~
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!
16 Piece Bucket - _Born to Be..._ (Devil Saint Productions , 2002)
by: Quentin Kalis (7 out of 10)
A fusion of heavy metal and old school punk reputedly forms the basis
of 16 Piece Bucket's sound. (When I say "punk" I mean punk's second
wave in the early eighties and certainly not contemporary punk, which
is little more then inoffensive, watered down power pop for 15 year
old wannabe rebels.) This is a somewhat optimistic view, as they tend
very heavily towards the punk component of the equation, sounding
little more than a slightly heavier and more aggressive version of
Minor Threat or Black Flag. There are a few nods towards their metal
heritage -- most notably through the inclusion of several guitar
leads -- which are as popular in punk as in black metal. The
production is acceptable though the drums do tend to sound hollow on
occasion and the innate simplicity of punk does occasionally grate.
But their songs do possess an inimitable energy and catchiness that
mitigates their dubious metal heritage -- but are still likely to be
of only limited interest to CoC readers. For those who enjoyed DRI's
seminal debut, this may be of some interest, and if you have to buy
a punk orientated CD, buy this one which at least has some
attitude, unlike the watered down punk beloved by the prepubescent
skateboarding vermin.
Contact: strgworld@aol.com
3rd - _3rd_ (Independent, 2003)
by: Xander Hoose (9.5 out of 10)
The fact that it doesn't take fancy record deals to come up with an
album that sounds tighter than fuck and manages to creep up to the
first place in my playlist is thoroughly proven by 3rd. This Italian
band has more or less managed to impress the hell out of the hardcore
scene with this self-financed and self-titled follow-up to their
debut MCD. In four songs (and a bonus track) they mix together the
best elements of Machine Head and Sepultura with noisecore, yet
way surpassing both mentioned bands in quality and inventiveness.
"Unable", "Nothing Safe", "Mess" and "Something More Than Nothing"
are all variations on alternating aggressive hammer-tight riffs with
more melodic clean parts and different vocal styles. It's good to see
a band that's not trying to walk the easy path and become the
umpteenth 'new metal' band for a change. 3rd has more personality
than most of the bands I've listened to lately, and a technical
surgical precision to express themselves in such a way that they're
bound to become the next big thing.
Contact: http://www.3rdweb.it
Amorphis - _Far From the Sun_ (Virgin, 2003)
by: Pedro Azevedo (5 out of 10)
You may have already noticed that Amorphis' ratings in CoC have been
steadily decreasing with every album: _Elegy_ got a 9, _Tuonela_ an
8, and more recently _Am Universum_ was awarded 7 out of 10. The
first two Amorphis records, _The Karelian Isthmus_ and _Tales From
the Thousand Lakes_, are also a 9 out of 10 in my books, both of
them highly influential albums at the time of their release. The
same can be said about the band's third record _Elegy_, another
musical milestone. All three were excellent desspite the marked
differences between each other. Unfortunately, the second half of
Amorphis' career seems to consist exclusively of mildly pleasant but
ultimately inconsequential albums that fail to leave much of a
mark. While _Tuonela_ still retained some of the more endearing
characteristics of its predecessor and remains a very decent album
in the band's discography, _Am Universum_ received only minimum
required spinning in my CD player for a review. The Finns' new
effort and Virgin Records debut, _Far From the Sun_, is practically
guaranteed to follow the same path towards oblivion upon completion
of this review. Not a trace of metal is left in _FFtS_'s folk rock,
and unfortunately hardly a trace of real emotion can be found
either. Despite all the good musicianship that stops me from
lowering the rating any further, _Far >From the Sun_ simply doesn't
have any soul; it's bland and contrived where this band used
to be brimming with creativity and feeling. There are a few
redeeming bits, such as the second half of "God of Deception",
but they are very sporadic. Even Pasi Koskinen's clean singing
seems to have deteriorated rather than improved over time, as it
remains relatively flat and lacklustre throughout compared to
the band's much livelier past efforts. They got rid of _Am
Universum_'s saxophone, but on the other hand the upbeat folk
melodies occasionally veer dangerously towards the silly side of
things this time around -- not that it never happened before, but
this time it comes across as very annoying. The album as a whole
isn't mind-numbingly bad, in spite of some of its tracks, but it is
depressing to see this once great band 'evolving' step by step into
musical irrelevance. After three classics in a row, I still found
_Tuonela_ perfectly acceptable even by Amorphis' high standards; _Am
Universum_ then left me rather doubtful of the band's future; and
alas, _Far From the Sun_ has just dissipated those doubts.
Contact: http://www.amorphis.net
Anaal Nathrakh - _When Fire Rains Down From the Sky,
Mankind Will Reap as it Has Sown_
by: Pedro Azevedo (8.5 out of 10) (Mordgrimm, 2003)
Anaal Nathrakh say that "humanity is cancer"; well, I'd certainly
like to know what kind of corrosive, toxic fluid runs in these guys'
veins. _When Fire Rains Down From the Sky..._ is the follow-up
EP to the blistering _The Codex Necro_, but even though the
intensity of their spiteful attack remains the same, the approach is
somewhat different in places. Whether all of the changes found on
_WFRDFtS..._ will continue to be a part of the Anaal Nathrakh sound
in the future remains to be seen, though I'd wager most of them
will. The fact is that this EP is more than simply a few
leftovers from the previous album's recording sessions. Atilla
Csihar (ex-Mayhem) contributes some vocals to this recording, though
given the intensity of the vox on previous Anaal Nathrakh records I
didn't see much point in this. The point was made clear on the
final, title track, where Atilla uses his peculiar _De Mysteriis Dom
Sathanas_ intonation. While I wouldn't count on Anaal Nathrakh
insisting on this type of vocal approach in the future, most of the
remaining novelties may well stick around. It's nothing hugely
different apart from the Limbonic Art-ish chanting on the title
track, mind you: just some guitar soloing and electronic noise
touches, as Anaal Nathrakh continue to move away from the necro
sound of old and into an equally raw and merciless, but more
calculated, sonic attack. There's still all the grim insanity one
has come to expect from the band's hyperblast black metal, but some
riffs are worked differently, some extra touches added, the overall
sound tweaked, and the result is a beast that continues to evolve
with every release. Tracks such as "Never Fucking Again" make this
nearly half hour long EP a more than adequate gap-filler until the
next full-length.
Contact: http://www.anaal-nathrakh.tk
Aurora - _Dead Electric Nightmares_ (Intromental, 2002)
by: Pedro Azevedo (9 out of 10)
Ever since this Danish band came from nowhere to blow me away with
their superb _Devotion_, I've been eagerly awaiting a follow-up
album. Unfortunately, Aurora had to face a series of problems with
their label, and only managed to resurface in late 2002. To make
things worse, it wasn't until recently that I finally got _Dead
Electric Nightmares_, but at least their 2001 promo CD helped bridge
that gap. So much so, in fact, that this new full-length includes
all four songs demoed on that promo CD -- and what's more, they
remain my favourite tracks on the album ("Metaphysical Electric",
"Martyr of Life", "Two Dice and a Silent Disguise" and "Chains of
God"), along with "New God Rising" and the doomy "Watching, Falling,
Breathing". That really is the one thing that left me slightly
concerned on _Dead Electric Nightmares_: the new songs, albeit very
good, generally failed to top the older material on the album. In
spite of this, I have no reason to doubt Aurora's future work will
be at least as brilliant as their past achievements, which is saying
a lot. Virtually every song (with the possible exception of "Jack")
deserves its place in _DEN_, and the album remains a consistent
affair throughout.
Having said all this, I still haven't even started to describe what
Aurora sound like; and truth be told, they are a difficult band to
pigeonhole. Their eclectic style is mainly composed of Swedish
melodic death metal with a powerful, modern, discretely technical
sound. This is made all the more unique by the varying moods they
employ (all the way between aggressive and introspective) and
vocals that can range from sung to growled to shrieking. Without
necessarily sounding weird or trying to come across as avant-garde,
Aurora have a very refreshing and to some degree even unique style.
Their riffs, melodies and drum patterns are indeed their own, rather
than a more or less conscious rehash of someone else's -- which is
an easy trap to fall into when you adhere very strictly to a given
genre. Opeth, and Dark Tranquillity's _The Gallery_ are still the
closest references I can come up with, but they're nonetheless
rather distant ones most of the time. Not many people seem to know
about Aurora, and these guys deserve exactly the opposite given
their compositional and technical talent; so do yourself a favour
and make sure you look into this band.
Contact: http://www.aurora.ms
Bathory - _Nordland I_ (Black Mark, 2002)
by: Quentin Kalis (6 out of 10)
Most CoC readers won't have any difficulty in naming at least one of
Bathory's first six releases. But I imagine considerably fewer will
be able to name later Bathory albums -- mainly because they simply
do not compare in terms of both quality and innovation to seminal
albums like _Bathory_ or _Hammerheart_. Sadly, this new album is not
an improvement over more recent Bathory material. _Nordland I_
represents a return to his pioneering epic / Viking metal sound.
This is a more reflective album, more so than his much-vaunted
Viking trilogy, perhaps representing an older, more mature Quorthon.
But it is also a considerably more placid and, let's face it, more
boring album. If _Blood Fire Death_ was the soundtrack to an
impending war, then if they existed, this would be the soundtrack
for a retired, middle-aged Viking warrior. Evaluated without regard
to previous Bathory releases this is acceptable, if incredibly
average Viking metal. But in comparison to previous Bathory albums,
this is an extremely poor release, failing to move me like
_Hammerheart_ or _Blood Fire Death_. Elements and sound effects that
were utilised to great effectiveness in earlier albums now seem
trite and clich�d; no doubt the advent of Viking metal fuelled by
Bathory's past releases have contributed to this sense of d�j� vu.
This is intended as the first part of a staggered double CD set;
perhaps the second half will be better. With newer bands such as the
underrated Moonsorrow and even Graveland releasing some good, even
excellent albums, there is no need for sub-average truly epic
Viking metal albums to flood the market, no matter what the past
credentials of the artist may be.
Biohazard - _Kill or Be Killed_ (SPV, 2003)
by: Jackie Smit (5.5 out of 10)
I'll admit that my expectations were perhaps unfairly high after
being thoroughly blown away by the 'Hazard on their Eastpak
resistance tour last year. Even taking this into account however, I
find it hard to ignore the stench of underachievement wafting
from their latest effort. The music may be heavier than 2001's
_Uncivilization_, but the passion and conviction of _State of the
World Address_ is nowhere to be found. Instead Biohazard have
concocted a dull, by-the-numbers record that never seems to quite
find direction. From the tedious doldrums of "Never Forgive, Never
Forget" to the cliched mess that is "Hallowed Ground", _Kill or Be
Killed_ is a massive let-down. Indeed were these the days of _Urban
Discipline_, I doubt that many of the tracks on offer here would have
even made it on to B-sides. Still, in the midst of overwhelming
disappointment a few rays of light shine through -- were the rest of
the album of the quality showcased by "Open Your Eyes" or "Penalty",
that 5.5 you see above this review could easily have been a seven or
an eight. When compared to Hatebreed or Snapcase's latest records
though, _Kill or Be Killed_ is quite laughable.
Bloodshot - _Demons, Addictions & Confidence_ (Independent, 2002)
by: Adrian Magers (4 out of 10)
Bloodshot play a sort of "violent groove" type of metal that
definitely has its moments and shows tons of potential, but mars
too many important elements. The vocals are awful, not due to
poor execution but an annoying voice effect that, either utilized
intentionally or as a result of sub-par mixing and recording, is
featured for the duration of _Demons, Addictions & Confidence_. I
hear elements of Nothingface, second album Machine Head, Overdose,
and late Fear Factory, but unfortunately, Bloodshot doesn't even come
close to living up to any of these bands (that is, if we disqualify
new MH releases). They lack the diversity, the drive, and don't have
a very natural flow to their sound. These flaws work against making
them major contenders in this sub-genre. It's really hard to
pinpoint exactly what this Las Vegas quintet is missing, but it's
easily heard. Another gripe I had with Bloodshot is their shoddy
presentation, complete with laughable artwork, uninspired lyrics, and
dime-a-dozen themes. However, with experience and determination,
Bloodshot could be pioneers in an area that is without major forces
in the metal scene.
Contact: http://www.bloodshotfans.com
Cattle Decapitation - _To Serve Man_ (Metal Blade, 2002)
by: Jackie Smit (6.5 out of 10)
When you dub your band Cattle Decapitation, there tends to be little
debate on your style of music. And so it is with Metal Blade's latest
gore metal signing -- the ugly stepson of Broken Hope, Skinless
et al, clinging with religious fervour to a tried and tested
formula and never veering off its well-trodden path even in the
slightest. There's the song titles (which, I am sure, were just a
matter of time before they were going to be used by another gore
band): "I Eat Your Skin", "Everyone Deserves to Die" and the
brilliantly cheesy "Testicular Manslaughter" -- each track as devoid
of surprise as it is of originality. There's the harmonic-drenched,
technical Carcass-style riffing, and of course there's the thoroughly
unintelligible, but highly entertaining death vocals, which would
undoubtedly do Chris Barnes proud. Yet somehow Cattle Decapitation
manage to (almost) pull it off. Sure, they were never going to be
"the next big thing", but it's hard to resist the many hooks or the
bizarrely catchy beats that are scattered over the course of the
record. The sterling mix and production certainly don't do any harm
either. When all is said and done, Cattle Decapitation unfortunately
aren't much more than a slightly above-average death metal act, but
at least they play the part with enough style to warrant the odd
listen.
Compos Mentis - _Fragments of a Withered Dream_ (Lost Disciple, 2003)
by: Pedro Azevedo (8 out of 10)
Picking up from where they had left with their surprisingly good
independently released debut EP _Quadrology of Sorrow_, Compos
Mentis are unlikely to disappoint anyone who liked that EP with
_Fragments of a Withered Dream_. Now signed to Lost Disciple and
deservedly releasing a full-length album, these Danes have looked to
develop their sound, build upon the foundations they had laid down
with their EP, and come out with something that would begin to
establish their name in the scene. Whether this particular release
will achieve that remains to be seen, but it certainly does have a
good deal of merit and promise for the future. Part Swedish melodic
death, part blackened symphonic metal, Compos Mentis continue to
balance the amount of melody in their sound with the anguished
vocals to good effect. The guitar and keyboard interplay remains
effective, busy enough if not overly complex, with atmospheric
breaks and enough variation in pace and type of riffs to keep things
interesting throughout. Compos Mentis manage to have a rather
accessible sound without coming across as trendy or just ear candy.
Much like Omnium Gatherum (another promising young band), their
music has a good balance of melody and metallic edge, with a healthy
dose of energy and talent on top to ensure a good final result.
_Fragments of a Withered Dream_ is unlikely to be the crowning
achievement of Compos Mentis' career, as they will surely be awarded
plenty of opportunities to continue growing musically in the future;
nevertheless, it is both a promising and worthwhile album in its own
right.
Contact: http://www.composmentis.dk
Cryptopsy - _None So Live_ (Century Media, 2003)
by: Pedro Azevedo (9.5 out of 10)
Back in the mid-'90s, Cryptopsy were one of those very few bands
that managed to maintain the role of innovators in the death metal
scene -- through their 1994 debut _Blasphemy Made Flesh_ and
especially the 1996 follow-up _None So Vile_. The sheer lunacy,
brutality and extreme technicality, almost impossibly coupled with
passages that were actually very catchy, made Cryptopsy really stand
out from the death metal crowd. With Mike DiSalvo replacing Lord
Worm on vocals and some more style changes, _Whisper Supremacy_ and
_And Then You'll Beg_ alienated some old fans, but remain powerful
testaments to the band's skill. _None So Live_ (and what a suitable
title this is) deservedly focuses mostly on the band's _None So
Vile_ era, while still covering their career quite well considering
it only contains ten actual songs. Recorded in Montreal in June
2002, this live performance already features new vocalist Martin
Lacroix. Fans awaiting his studio debut may be pleased to notice
that Lacroix is neither exactly like Lord Worm nor Mike DiSalvo, but
rather somewhere in between. Also worthy of notice is the fact that
this live disc was mixed by Pierre Remillard, producer of every
Cryptopsy album except their debut.
The live set kicks off with the brilliant intro from _None So Vile_,
followed by the same album's excellent opener "Crown of Horns". The
album tour continues as the band visits the other three records in
succession with "White Worms" (_Wisper Supremacy_), "We Bleed" (_And
Then You'll Beg_) and "Open Face Surgery" (_Blasphemy Made Flesh_).
Then it's back to _Whisper Supremacy_ for "Cold Hate, Warm Blood",
followed by my personal favourite, "Phobophile", from _None So
Vile_. Then comes "Shroud" from _And Then You'll Beg_ and "Graves of
the Fathers" from _None So Vile_, which includes a near four
minute drum solo midway through. The disc then finishes with
"Defenestration" from _Blasphemy Made Flesh_ and "Slit Your Guts"
from _None So Vile_. In other words, you get four tracks from _None
So Vile_ and a couple from each of the other three records. There is
very little I can think of to improve this set list other than add a
couple more songs -- which might end up doing more harm than good
anyway, especially if they had to be taken from a different show.
As for the recording itself, the sound quality is good, but not so
good that it sounds like a studio album; and the playing is tight,
but not always so tight that it sounds like some sort of cleaning up
took place. I cannot guess exactly what happened between the
original recording and the finished product, but to me it doesn't
come across as artificially good. The performers, on the other hand,
are of the highest calibre -- above all, unsurprisingly, Cryptopsy's
unbelievable drummer Flo Mounier, quite possibly the best drummer in
the metal world. His drum solo helps cement that claim, but just
hearing his performance throughout the show goes a long way to
proving it. (Never having been to a Cryptopsy show myself, I can
only imagine his arms flying all over the kit.) The other band
members are in top shape as well, with new vocalist Lacroix putting
in a very convincing performance. The guitar work is excellent, even
if occasionally slightly messy. Nothing frequent or jarring enough
to even begin to spoil a Cryptopsy fan's enjoyment of this superb
performance though. Indeed, with such a quality set list, very
adequate sound quality and an excellent display by this highly
talented band, this is just about as good as a live album can get
-- so much so that the only record I can see challenging it
successfully is My Dying Bride's superb _Voice of the Wretched_.
_None So Live_ is a deservedly outstanding live document of an
equally outstanding band.
Contact: http://www.cryptopsy.net
Cult of Daath - _The Grand Torturers of Hell_
by: Matthias Noll (7 out of 10) (War Hammer Records, 2002)
Hell yeah! Some of the most impressive pseudonyms and job titles
of recent months. The leather-mask wearing Wargoat Obscurum
multi-tasking between "Battering Rams, Black Winter Orator and
Bestial Throat" and the equally busy Nocturno Culto look-alike
Culg-gath Immortum delivering "Apocalyptic Hellsaw, Bass Holocaust
and Diabolical Chants"! They proclaim to play "Cruel Barbaric Black
Metal" and yes, I have to agree, worse descriptions have been made.
Stylistically and sound-wise (generally raw 4-track demo quality)
this whole EP is a bit inconsistent, because the seven songs come
from two separate sessions or demos put onto one CD. The more recent
recordings, tracks one to five (including a Beherit cover), sound
like a cross between Destroyer 666 and Clandestine Blaze to my ears.
Cult of Daath are unable to come close to the quality of either
band, but the more I listen to _TGToH_ the more this description
makes sense -- subjective as it may be. The last two songs sound
less black and more in the war metal vein of acts like Blasphemy.
Although _TGToH_ is nowhere near sensational, and my name-dropping
only had the purpose of describing the general stylistic leanings of
this US two-piece rather than say they are as good as the bands I've
compared them to, this is still a very enjoyable EP.
Contact: http://www.geocities.com/warhammerkult/
Darzamat - _Oniriad_ (Avantgarde Music, 2003)
by: Jackie Smit (5 out of 10)
If ever Andrew Lloyd Webber were to orchestrate a gothic metal
opera, then Poland's Darzamat could surely be a likely result.
Indeed, it's easy to imagine the maestro nodding in approval to
tracks like "Into the Abyss of Forgotten Woods", "The Longest
Journey" or the folksy "Elegy". Unfortunately, it's somewhat harder
to see most metalheads walking mother earth in 2003 do the same. And
it's certainly not due to lack of talent, as Darzamat display
a sheen of admirable musical ability throughout the course of
_Oniriad_ that's very hard to fault. The problem is that their brand
of OTT pseudo-goth music seems permanently intent to run along the
very thinnest dividing line between the grandiosely entertaining and
overly bombastic. Which is precisely what ultimately leads to
Darzamat's downfall. Despite being more than capable of producing
fairly enjoyable tunes like "Where the Dreams Died" or "Beauty", the
number of misfires on this album by far outnumber the hits, simply
because the band constantly attempt to incorporate a showiness and
eclecticism that never seems able to do them any favours.
Dawn of Azazel - _Bloodforged Abdication_
by: James Montague (7.5 out of 10) (Hellflame Productions, 2003)
This 7" EP marks my first venture across the pond into the New
Zealand metal scene, and if Dawn of Azazel is any indicator, we face
a stern challenge from our eastern neighbours. The band comes from
the same stock as many of their Aussie brethren, firing out one
impressive death-thrash hymn of their own, and a cover of "Plateau
of Invincibility" by the godfathers of the style, Order of Chaos.
The music is essentially a result of '80s thrash riffs breeding and
evolving with modern death metal to become heavier, more downtuned
and oppressive. The vocals tend towards the strangled, choked and
screamed end of the spectrum, betraying a touch of black metal in
the mix. The recording is pretty clear and heavy, while the graphic
artwork, despite a printing fuckup that saw the lyrics placed on the
inside of the slipcase, is striking. Most of all, this band thrives
courtesy of a strong sense of dynamics, with riffs that beat you
down, down, down, before breaking into some faster, traditional
riffs that get the blood pumping and the head banging. These Kiwi
chaps show ample talent with this brief taster, and are well
recommended to fans of death-thrash icons like Destroyer 666 and
Axis of Advance.
Contact: http://www.dawnofazazel.orcon.net.nz
Deranged - _Plainfield Cemetery_ (Listenable Records, 2002)
by: James Montague (4 out of 10)
This was one of the big disappointments of 2002. Deranged have been
on the scene for a decade now and had impressed me with the tracks
I'd heard from past efforts like _Rated X_ and _III_. The band
has always played in the "gore metal" style, which I generally
couldn't care less about, but they had a unique and twisted sound
that demanded attention and caused a reasonable amount of mental
disturbance. Unfortunately, they must have been too busy reading
medical dictionaries and watching snuff films to worry about
self-promotion, and hence they spent many good years enduring poor
production and distribution.
Well, now they have a top-notch sound and a widely available CD to
promote, but the opportunity has been wasted with some decidedly
mediocre music. Apparently content to do it neanderthal-style,
Deranged has tuned down the guitars and flipped the switch on
their drummer's back to "Jackhammer". The vocalist, who sounds
uncannily like Cannibal Corpse's George Fischer without the range,
and the band, who sound uncannily like Cannibal Corpse, pound
montonously through ten indistinguishable tracks and inevitably lose
my attention after about five minutes.
I can certainly appreciate what the band is striving to achieve --
to wear down the listener with the relentless pummeling of a serial
rapist and murderer. In truth, they do convey aurally the experience
of a murder victim. But wouldn't it be more fun to experience
aurally the hormonal rush of being the killer himself? Hmm, yeah. At
the end of the day though, there's a lot of wasted talent here. On
the rare occasion when the drummer finds his personality reserve and
the group slows down to take a breath, some interesting riffs are
there for the taking. The final minute of "Deathgasm", for example,
is a dizzying climax that suits the title of the piece.
Such moments of quality are deeply buried though, beneath a ton of
tedium. If you get a rush from hanging out at construction sites,
then you may enjoy the mind-numbing thumpfest. Personally though,
when in the mood for brutality I'd take the mindfuck of Axis of
Advance over the physical drain of _Plainfield Cemetery_ any day.
Contact: http://mitglied.lycos.de/deranged/
Destroyer 666 - _Terror Abraxas_ (Iron Pegasus, 2003)
by: Matthias Noll (8.5 out of 10)
Judging by _Terror Abraxas_, Destroyer 666 have not yet peaked with
2002's excellent _Cold Steel... for an Iron Age_. A band that is
able to release such a killer EP in between albums surely must have
another couple of aces up their sleeves. Stylistically _Terror
Abraxas_ continues in the vein of _CSfaIA_ and offers 22 minutes of
the same brand of raw, sometimes thrashing and raging, sometimes
anthemic leather, chains and spikes METAL. Razor, old Judas Priest,
old Slayer, the Brazilian old-school and many others provide
the anvil on which Destroyer 666 forge their steel. Clearly in
possession of a style of their own, KK Warslut and Shrapnel have
further refined their attack while also honing their songwriting
skills -- all without compromising one inch or showing signs of
stagnation. I can't really name another band that manages to fill
the gap between the harsher side of things and the positive aspects
of traditional metal as successfully as Destroyer 666 does. "Fist
Banging Mania" by SOD was meant to be a joke about typical metalhead
behaviour; yet there's nothing funny about a fist banging mania when
listening to a track like "Terror" -- in fact, there's absolutely no
other behaviour imaginable.
Devin Townsend Band - _Accelerated Evolution_
by: Xander Hoose (8.5 out of 10) (Spitfire Records, 2003)
On almost the same date as his Strapping Young Lad album, Canadian
musician Devin Townsend released a follow-up to his personal project
-- already the fifth in line (after _Ocean Machine_, _Infinity_,
_The Physicist_ and _Terria_). Now operating under the moniker Devin
Townsend Band, Devin has attracted four band members to create a
new musical chapter in his life: _Accelerated Evolution_. Most
surprising is the absence of Gene Hoglan from the line-up; drums are
handled by Ryan van Poederooven instead, bass and keyboards by the
Young brothers and guitars by Brian Waddell -- all newly recruited.
The result is a fresh sounding album that is more melodic and
heavy metal / rock-influenced than _S.Y.L._ or _The Physicist_,
yet more song-oriented than _Terria_. Some of the songs on the
album, like "Storm", "Suicide" and "Sunday", have a lot in common
with his earlier _Infinity_ work, but the songs do sound less
frantic and more mature. In some ways, Devin performs a lot
better with _Deaccelerated Evolution_ than his latest Strapping
Young Lad album: there is more variation, and the songs are
more memorable and layered than their one-dimensional _S.Y.L._
counterparts. _Accelerated Evolution_ will appeal to a somewhat
different (if not older) part of the metal scene than Strapping
Young Lad, but it would be stupid not to give this album a try just
on that basis. For those who thought _Terria_ was going too much in
the wrong direction, _Accelerated Evolution_ will probably come as a
relief.
Contact: http://www.hevydevy.com
Dying Fetus - _Stop at Nothing_ (Relapse Records, 2003)
by: Jackie Smit (7.5 out of 10)
While Dying Fetus have never built their admirable reputation on the
basis of constant innovation, it may raise an eyebrow or two to
learn that their latest album bears more stylistic relation to their
debut than it does either of their two previous records. Whether
or not this was a conscious decision by John Gallagher (the
sole remaining member of the line-up circa 1998's _Killing on
Adrenaline_) remains to be seen, but unfortunately it results in the
end product sounding strangely dated and very much like a band
taking quite a few steps backward. A further shortcoming of _Stop at
Nothing_ is the work of new vocalist Vince Matthews, who despite
having the obvious ability to mince it up with the best of
them is neither as convincing, aggressive or as unique as the
departed Jason Netherton. Similarly, Netherton's politically-aware
and thought-provoking lyrics, which have developed into a veritable
Dying Fetus trademark over the years, are sorely missing from this
package. Despite these drawbacks however, _Stop at Nothing_ is
nonetheless pretty enjoyable. Technically faultless and helped in no
small part by a top-notch production job, it seamlessly blends its
death metal brutality with a hardcore groove that proves to be as
crushingly effective as anything the Fetus have added their name to.
Indeed, were it not for the fact that it is so outclassed by its
predecessors, _Stop at Nothing_ would probably have scored much
higher. Unfortunately though, Dying Fetus have proven in the past
that they are capable of much more and this time around they have
failed to reach the bar, which by the looks of it may well have been
raised to unattainable heights.
Dysrhythmia - _Pretest_ (Relapse Records, 2003)
by: Jackie Smit (7 out of 10)
The pointless guitar masturbation of virtuosos like Steve Vai
and Marty Friedman has until now made me shudder at the very
mention of the phrase "instrumental album". Despite always being
technically sound, the majority of these records have failed across
the board to compensate for their flashy antics with even the
slightest redeeming flicker of entertainment. I therefore approached
Dysrhythmia's Relapse debut with a predictable amount of prejudice
and indeed kept a copy of the new Immolation close at hand to
replace it on the sound system at a moment's notice. A strange
thing happened, however: unlike the futile fretboard noodling I
had been expecting, nay dreading, an infectious, exciting and
hypnotizing lick wafted from the speakers after I had pushed the
play button. While the track did retain some of the tiresome
technical tomfoolery that plagues all instrumental albums, it also
bore with it a strand of undeniable charm -- a melody that
was at once refreshing and mesmerizing. I placed the jet-black
Immolation disc inside its jewel case and waited for more. "My
Relationship" followed -- a speedy, metallic jazz number I would
almost expect to hear on a racing videogame. On the third track
though, Dysrhythmia came into their own and suddenly the album had
my full attention. You see, despite its lack of vocals and its
sometimes overdone freeform approach, _Pretest_ actually contains
many a moment of sheer breathtaking musical brilliance. While I'd
happily pass on tracks like "Heat Sink", the ingenuity of a
song like "Annihilation 2" is breathtaking. Taking the listener
from a subtle, atmospheric soundscape to a full-on Dillinger
Escape Plan-esque frenzy, Dysrhythmia's keen sense of dynamics and
composition is the glue that binds every worthwhile second on this
effort together, and inevitably makes it a surprisingly satisfying
experience for those who see it through to the end. Dysrhythmia will
probably never ascend above much more than a largely eccentric niche
fanbase, but I doubt that they're all too concerned with this.
_Pretest_ is about passion and belief in one's work. And if they can
manage to convince a cynical fool like me, then who knows what they
could do for you.
Ethereal - _The Dreams of Yearning_ (Recital, 2003)
by: Pedro Azevedo (8 out of 10)
_The Dreams of Yearning_ is the sort of album that starts quietly,
slowly weaves its web, and ensnares you in a way that after a few
listens you will be left wondering how exactly you came to enjoy
this disc so much. You see, Ethereal's main strength lies not in
crushing brutality or breakneck speed (neither of which they have),
nor in mind-blowing symphonies or jaw-dropping technicality (both of
which they hint at without making it obvious). Instead, Ethereal
seem focused on creating quality music above anything else; music
that demands attention and rewards the listener with each successive
listen. _The Dreams of Yearning_ comes across, at least so some
degree, as a bit of a concept album: songs flow into each
other seamlessly, offering different moods and patterns, and this
hour-long album ultimately seems to last less than that. Ethereal
play a form of melodic, atmospheric, mostly melancholic metal that
remains quite difficult to compare to any specific band. Comparisons
can nonetheless be made in certain areas to a few bands. Vocalist
Hugo Soares tends to remind me mostly of Nevermore's Warrel Dane;
there are a few more similarities to be found between the two bands,
but they are far from dominant in Ethereal's sound. These Portuguese
newcomers can just as easily remind me of In the Woods..., with
their occasional quietly symphonic synth touches (e.g. "A Lonely
Dancer") and especially the emotional duelling vocals on "The Moon
Blesses Our Sins". You may even be able to distinguish some vague
traces of Queensryche's _Operation: Mindcrime_ if you pay attention.
Regardless of that, Ethereal constantly come up with fine melodies
and arrangements of their very own, and have been able to make a
very good album out of them. For my taste a couple of passages would
have benefited from a slightly higher aggression level, and it might
have been possible to trim a few minutes off the album without
sacrificing the overall result. Ultimately, however, these are minor
complaints. Ethereal have succeeded in crafting an album that exudes
dedication, talent and personality, which leads me to vividly
recommend it.
Contact: http://etherealwebrealm.tripod.com
Fragile Hollow - _Effete Mind_ (Avantgarde Music, 2003)
by: Jackie Smit (4 out of 10)
"Imagine a wonderful mixture between Him and Katatonia/Anathema",
reads the Fragile Hollow bio. If "wonderful" is defined as virtually
every single irritating, cliched and annoying element to be found in
the aforementioned bands (all of whom I actually enjoy), then
I'd say that the description is rather accurate. Fragile Hollow
certainly do remind one of bands like Sentenced and Anathema, albeit
with a serious throwback to the big-hair glam-metal days of the
'80s, but at the same time they don't seem able to conjure
up a single strand of originality for the entire duration of
_Effete Mind_. Instead they give us songs like "Disgusting", "I
Don't Believe in Love" and "Confusion"; each sounding as tired
and overplayed as the next. Combined with an, at times, almost
amateurish performance, the record's only saving grace is "Come
Undone" -- a song of such higher comparative quality that it sounds
positively out of place on this collection.
Genocide Superstars - _III_ (Relapse Records, 2003)
by: Jackie Smit (7.5 out of 10)
Regardless of anyone's opinion on the matter, it is seriously
doubtful that when Iggy Pop, The Sex Pistols, Dead Kennedys and
Black Flag recorded the tunes that would form and reinforce the
foundations of punk, they ever thought that popular opinion and the
mainstream media would affiliate tepid, manufactured bile like Good
Charlotte and Sum 41 with the genre they pioneered. Sadly the year
2003 sees this as being very much the case, and while it is probably
somewhat foolish to expect this sorry state of affairs to change in
the foreseeable future, it is good to know that in some quarters the
mohawk-sporting, spit-drenched monster that is true punk is alive
and well. This of course brings me to Genocide Superstars, whose
latest opus comes as somewhat of a surprise particularly as Relapse
Records are not especially well-known for releasing material of such
a comparatively subdued nature. Which is not to say that the
Superstars are by any means "soft". Indeed, _III_ is one of the
nastiest, most relentless and pissed off punk records to hit the
shelves in some time. With a sound smacking of Exploited, Rancid and
Discharge, Genocide Superstars plough through the fourteen tracks on
their third effort with remarkable prowess and confidence. Perhaps
at their most effective when they hit the accelerator pedal, "The
Hateball Is Rolling", "Moron" and the Nasum-esque "Danger Danger"
are the highlights of the album. Unfortunately though, Genocide
Superstars do at times wear their influences on their sleeves
somewhat too noticeably, but this is a minor flaw and soon made up
for by the band's willingness to experiment and add variety on songs
like "War Child". _III_ certainly doesn't add anything new to the
punk genre, but then again how many recent releases have? The bottom
line is that it's a commendable effort and one which ought to appeal
to fans of anything from Rancid to Nasum to The Hellacopters.
Godless North - _Summon the Age of Supremacy_
by: Matthias Noll (6 out of 10) (Breath of Night Records, 2002)
Like the majority of today's black metal hordes, Godless North from
Canada do not really explore the genre beyond the limits that the
second wave reached almost ten years ago. At least the arsenal of
stage names and type of weaponry still seems to know no limits,
and so we are introduced to Othalaz von Armageddos providing
"Ancient Archetypal Summonings and guitars" and Oblak Ilking manning
the "Berserkerish Warhammers". Excellent, even though the "...and
guitars" bit already seems to show a certain lack of imagination and
determination. Once summoned, 90% of the Age of Supremacy turns out
to be another one of the forgotten brethren of _Transylvanian
Hunger_. There's a little bit of early Gorgoroth shining through
during "The Winter of Cleansing" and a few painfully uneventful,
slower paced Burzum-ish parts here and there. Sound-wise things
are trebly and raw, but a bit too distant and powerless. The
main problem I have with _Summon the Age of Supremacy_ is that
Godless North do not seem to be aware of when to pull the plug.
The _Transylvanian Hunger_ school depends on very repetitive and
minimalist ingredients, which when done right transport the listener
to cold and ugly otherworldly places. Godless North got the
repetitive and minimalistic part of the formula right, but they fail
because their songs end up in the six to seven minute range. Usually
about four minutes into the song, the well-achieved trance turns
into much too comfortable sleep. When reaching the five and a half
minute mark, the desire to shout "shut up and stop playing,
that's enough already" sometimes becomes as "berserkerish" as Oblak
Ilking's merciless treatment of the snare. There's just not enough
substance behind these Canadians' material to pull such long songs
off successfully. I believe it was Michael Blenkarn from Esoterica
magazine who called Godless North anaemic, an adjective which hits
the nail on the head so perfectly that I want to use it here as
well. A thirty-five minute version of this fifty-two minute album
could have been well worth 7 out of 10 for me.
Grave - _Back From the Grave_ (Century Media, 2002)
by: Matthias Noll (7 out of 10)
_Back From the Grave_, the title of Grave's reunion album, is a bit
misleading because the Swedes do not re-appear with the pure Swedish
'90s death metal of their debut _Into the Grave_. Maybe _Soulful_
would have been a better indicator how the reborn Grave sound,
because this new album is a continuation of 1994's _Soulless_. This
means that _BFtG_ is grooving and pulverizing slow-to-mid-tempo
death metal which has a lot more to do with Bolt Thrower or
_Heartwork_-era Carcass than early Entombed. The death metal tag is
even a bit shaky because Ola Lindgren's vocals are rather distorted
shouts than textbook death metal grunts. Although Grave haven been
successful with their attempt to write some totally heavy and mighty
riffs, this album could definitely need some more variation and more
stand-out tracks. Three or four songs into the album the impact of
_BFtG_ wears off every time I listen to it. The material and pace
is just too similar. The slightly more up-tempo "Resurrection"
manages to re-establish a certain momentum and could easily be the
best track on _BFtG_ if not for some blatant borrowing from
Carcass' "Buried Dreams", the incredibly heavy opening track from
_Heartwork_. The Skogsberg-production of _BFtG_ sounds up-to-date
and is the heaviest work I've heard coming out of Sunlight Studio
for quite some time, and I'm sure everybody who loves _Soulless_ is
going to be happy with this new Grave album. But although Grave are
a million times better and heavier than bands like the equally
groovy but utterly crappy Six Feet Under, their career went down the
drain despite or maybe because of albums like _Soulless_, and I can
see Grave fizzle out and disappear once again soon. What finally
makes this album a worthy purchase is the fact that it comes as a
double CD edition with Grave's three important 1988/1989 demos in
all their splendour. The rest is unfortunately just a 7 in my book.
Griffar - _Of Witches and Celts_ (ISO666, 2002)
by: Matthias Noll (7 out of 10)
Griffar is yet another entry in the ever-growing list of French
black metal bands. For a change this is a black metal record which
does not contain the slightest trace of Darkthrone, Mayhem, Burzum
or any other influential black metal outfit you can think of.
Musically Griffar are heavily influenced by early Iron Maiden and
other traditional metal, spiced up with breakneck speed, raspy but
unspectacular black metal vocals, a production that none of the
Black Legions bands would have considered too commercial, and three
out of four songs clocking in at around 13 minutes each. Even
assuming that the production job was meant to be this way, this is
still a pretty odd combination that gets delivered without any keys,
female vocals or guitar solos. To my ears, especially the Murray /
Smith signature in many of Griffar's riffs and melodies is even more
prominent than on a record like, for example, Naglfar's _Vittra_ or
certain very Maiden-esque parts on Cradle of Filth's _Dusk and Her
Embrace_. I have no real clue as to how such material in combination
with a garage-like production might appeal to someone who digs this
type of music, which is usually delivered with the much more
polished approach and superior musicianship of various, mainly
Swedish outfits that add a good deal of death metal to the formula.
Also, I have no idea how many closet-Maiden fans can be found among
those who consider anything better than 4-track recordings to be a
complete sellout and enjoy dwelling in misanthropic agony muttering
"grim", "true" and "frostbitten" as many times a day as possible.
What speaks for _Of Witches and Celts_ is that the four songs flow
surprisingly well throughout their incredible length and never get
boring or cease to make sense. In addition, most of the melodies and
ideas Griffar use are of at least decent quality. Furthermore, some
work has also gone into a two-pronged concept with lyrics that tell
a continuous story, rather than having been tailored to suit and
accompany the songs. So, despite somehow sitting in between chairs,
_OWaC_ as a whole is a really enjoyable album which might appeal to
those who like their traditional metal delivered the black and
underproduced way -- but allow me to doubt that Griffar will sound
the same next time around.
Hanzel und Gretyl - _Uber Alles_ (Metropolis Records, 2003)
by: Aaron McKay (8 out of 10)
This is some of this band's most powerfully complicated and heavy
work to date. While the _Ausgeflipt_ album was an extremely killer
effort, I am a -big- supporter of this German outfit's duo trade-off
vocal approach on _Uber Alles_, where they volley on and off like a
pair of simultaneous bowling pin jugglers at an illusionist's
show. What's more is I am committed to this newest effort's
blend of diversity, both musically and vocally. Singing largely
in their native tongue, Hanzel und Gretyl enhance their overtly
techno-infused-metal mystique on _Uber Alles_ well more than tenfold.
Hard-hitting licks and disrupted lyrics go a long way to making _Uber
Alles_ nearly as significant as _Transmissions From Uranus_, but with
an edge that the latter effort couldn't hope to attain on Earth or
-anywhere- else, for that matter. More choppy and industrially
metal, _Uber Alles_ kicks down the door between the potential of
their creation and the explicitly inhuman nature of the beast on
this newest manifestation. While still not without samples and an
industrial feel, this album has its fair share of mood-inducing
moments too, like on the last cut from the CD, "Aufweidersehen" (and
-damn-, some of those German words are HUGE!). Admittedly, this
release is not for the closed-minded, but Hanzel und Gretyl -do- put
out some widely acknowledged material -- known for its techno slam
aspects, as well as its unique metal prowess -- on the market today.
What's more is that this album seems to be driven to the edge of
nearly an addictive attraction; like something out of a Mad Max
movie, I'd say. Give these two a spin, chances are you'll like more
than just the raw power of these Germanic industrial revolutionaries.
Contact: http://www.metropolis-records.com
Illnath - _Cast Into Fields of Evil Pleasure_
by: Pedro Azevedo (5 out of 10) (Worldchaos Production, 2003)
Danes Illnath return after their _Angelic Voices Calling_ EP, which
impressed me to some degree with the quality it managed to offer in
spite of being an independent release. Worldchaos from Japan have
picked them up, and this is the band's first commercial full-length.
Allow me to emphasize that the word "commercial" can be used in more
than one sense here: much like their EP, this is very sweetened,
commercial blackened metal. According to the label, "their killer
sounds style are like Cradle of Filth and more melodic and beautiful
world"; furthermore, "their sounds is catchy riff with glowing voice
and melodic guitar & keyboard battle". Confused yet? Well, at least
the music isn't as goofy as the album title, _Cast Into Fields of
Evil Pleasure_, might suggest. Much like they proved with the EP,
Illnath are well capable of crafting very decent melodic blackened
metal. There seems to be even more keyboards than before, and even
though they are well employed, they keep bringing to my mind the
elf-like girl on the front cover -- which should give you a
reasonable idea of how sinister they sound. This isn't any worse
than their EP, but Illnath clearly overlooked any reviews that, like
mine, strongly suggested they needed to find a less derivative
sound; instead, they have managed to sound even more like Cradle of
Filth on this full-length -- think CoF in a lighter mood with more
keyboard sugar on top. This causes the drop in my rating, and I
don't know how low it will go next time if things don't improve in
this area. For instance, the start of fourth track "Temporary
Borders" goes too far into the CoF world, as Illnath struggle to
avoid sounding like a CoF cover band. This probably goes without
saying, but anyone who is easily vexed by "sweet black metal" should
stay the hell away from this release -- seriously. Those who feel
just the opposite way and still haven't got enough Cradle of Filth
in their lives will find in Illnath a highly competent albeit
sweeter clone. Illnath would be well advised to explore their
potential in more interesting ways than this in the future.
Contact: http://www.world-chaos.com
Kaamos - _Kaamos_ (Candlelight, 2002)
by: Matthias Noll (8 out of 10)
Many months before the universally acclaimed Bloodbath album
_Resurrection Through Carnage_ suddenly brought early '90s Swedish
death metal back to public attention, Kaamos released their
self-titled debut, and it certainly does not deserve to go unnoticed.
Whereas _RTC_ brought back an even more caustic version of the
Skogsberg sound, the production of the Kaamos debut rather resembles
the somewhat underproduced approach of the first two Unleashed
albums. Musically, Kaamos' material is also roughly comparable to the
fastest tracks of early Unleashed, although they sound much more
aggressive and tend to rush through their songs as if chased by the
hounds of hell. Serving their death metal relatively simple but
totally relentless, these four Swedes have the gift many others lack:
they have an ability to write real songs and not just brutal riffs.
The catchiness is what makes this album extremely enjoyable and songs
like "The Storm of Coming" provide the perfect soundtrack for some
late night beer-drinking, thrashing and headbanging sessions. There's
something incredibly intense, sincere and youthful about Kaamos'
music, a rare spiritual vibe which wasn't lost during the recording
process, and they manage to sound authentic, old-fashioned and
up-to-date all at the same time. Support this band and their
no-frills death metal, I'm sure they deserve it more than many
others!
Contact: http://www.kaamos.nu
Mindwild - _Mindwild Spirit_ (Independent, 2002)
by: Quentin Kalis (6.5 out of 10)
The first five songs on this album are a fusion of thrash metal and
hardcore, much like a thrashier S.O.D.. The vocals tend to be sung in
a hardcore style, occasionally becoming a bit too monotonous. The
fusion of styles is a successful one, though it does seem somewhat
listless. The energy jumps up several rungs on the sixth and final
track, which features a considerably poorer and more primitive
production and was in all likelihood lifted off an earlier demo.
Although it does break up the flow of the album somewhat, it is
easily the best song on this CD. The rawness of the production
suggests that Mindwild started life as an in-your-face hardcore band,
before evolving into their current incarnation as a hardcore/thrash
crossover band. Several other songs, which sound as if they were
recorded at the same time, are incorporated as hidden tracks. While
I'm not overly impressed with the majority of the contents of
_Mindwild Spirit_, they have demonstrated that Mindwild do have the
potential to go further.
Mr Barleycorn - _The Stendahl Syndrome_ (Alter Ego, 2003)
by: Jackie Smit (8.5 out of 10)
It's hard to believe that the arid climate of South Africa could
produce so cold and dark a gothic beast as Mr Barleycorn -- least of
all because up until now the country has hardly produced anything
worthy of more than five minutes' listening time. Even harder to
comprehend, is the fact that _The Stendahl Syndrome_ is their second
full-length -- the follow up to 1998's _Blood & Romance_ -- and that
up until now this highly talented five-piece have somehow slipped
underneath the radar of the goth metal fraternity. Mixing equal parts
of Depeche Mode, Type O Negative, Sisters of Mercy and Radiohead into
their rather bleak alchemy, _The Stendahl Syndrome_ sees them
successfully manage to stamp down their own identity on every track
on the album, whilst at the same time cleverly avoiding most of, if
not all, of the clich�s that the genre is so loathed for. Of special
mention in this case is the performance of vocalist Luigi, whose
exceptional voice sounds at once intense, desperate, angry and
vulnerable and contributes virtually an entire added dimension of
emotion to the record. Granted every song on the disc doesn't match
the quality of _Run With Scissors_, _All You Ever Wanted_ or _Plastic
Bag Sky_, and the production, while adequate, could have used some
work in the guitar department, but overall _The Stendahl Syndrome_ is
miles ahead of anything that Silke Bischoff, Christian Death or even
Moonspell have managed in years. Overall this album holds its own as
an impressive testament to the group's tremendous potential, and to
say that Mr Barleycorn are currently somewhat underrated is a triumph
of understatement. The chances are very good though, that with
records like these this may very soon change.
Contact: http://www.mrbarleycorn.com
Mykorrhiza - _Shattered Dreams_ (Konqueror Records, 2002)
by: Pedro Azevedo (7 out of 10)
Having been left unimpressed by Mykorrhiza's self-titled EP, my
expectations for this full-length were, of course, low. Much like
high expectations can be a recipe for disaster, the opposite can
pave the way for pleasant surprises -- which turned out to be the
case here. _Shattered Dreams_ is unlikely to set anyone's world
alight, but it's a damn sight better than the EP and quite enjoyable
in its own right. The production is far superior, and right from the
start Mykorrhiza's aggressive yet melodic death metal promises to
entertain. For the first few tracks, they fulfill that promise.
There's a bit of black, a bit of thrash and a bit of old-school
Swedish death in the mix too (no wonder considering they're from
Sweden). The pace is a lot more varied, while the riffs and guitar
leads are vastly superior and more memorable. Of course all this
praise must be taken in the context of their mediocre EP, compared
to which this record is a massive improvement. Occasional clean
vocals still show up once in a while: on "Sadist", "Surgery" and
"With Pleasure They Ride" (where they get on my nerves) and on a
couple of spoken parts. The second half of the album (which includes
the aforementioned tracks) fails to maintain the same quality level,
but it's not a dramatic lunge, and _Shattered Dreams_ remains a
competent album that contains several enjoyable tracks.
Contact: konqueror_records@hotmail.com
Myrkskog - _Superior Massacre_ (Candlelight Records, 2002)
by: Jackie Smit (9 out of 10)
In a move that is becoming seemingly more and more popular
among certain black metal bands, _Superior Massacre_ sees Norway's
Myrkskog shed a hefty amount of the electronic and blackened
elements which comprised a part of their previous _Deathmachine_
offering. While some might view this as a regression of sorts,
Myrkskog make their more basic death metal-influenced approach work
beautifully in their favour, with the result being a record that
sounds akin to a guns-blazing, mid-battle steel battalion. Those
looking for diversity and rapid tempo changes should seek elsewhere
as Myrkskog unleash blast after relentless blast of spite-filled
hatred -- the musical equivalent of Armageddon and, at least in my
opinion, a notch above the efforts of the highly acclaimed Anaal
Nathrakh. Particularly impressive is Myrkskog's ability to avoid
sounding repetitive despite the constant lightning speed rhythm that
defines literally every track on this record. "Domain of the
Superior", "Indisposable Deaths" and "Bleeding Wrist" are the
album's definite standouts, but ultimately there's precious few weak
moments to be found on the disc. Clocking in at just over a half
hour, _Superior Massacre_ is one of the most beautifully merciless
efforts to carpet-bomb my eardrums in quite some time.
Naglfar - _Sheol_ (Century Media, 2003)
by: Pedro Azevedo (9 out of 10)
Naglfar have harvested influences from Dark Funeral and Dissection,
filtered them through they own style, and come out with a damn
enjoyable album that still manages to be just about distinctive
enough to scrape through the minimum required originality barrier.
_Sheol_ is an extremely energetic, dynamic -- and have I already
mentioned enjoyable? -- album that sets quite a few standards in its
genre (e.g. "Of Gorgons Spawned Through Witchcraft", to name just
one track). It contains some amazing high-speed serpentine guitar
work a la Dark Funeral, soaring leads, catchy riffs and vocal
patterns, a punishing rhythm section, and a relentlessness that just
won't let go -- a lot like its predecessor _Diabolical_, only much
increased. _Sheol_'s success also lies in the fact that when it does
remind you of some other band, it almost always reminds you of that
band at its best. The resulting concoction, after being given the
Naglfar treatment, is delivered in such excellent form that one
would really have to make an effort for something like lack of
originality to disturb his appreciation of this devil of an album.
_Sheol_ spent quite a few years in the making (its full-length
predecessor came out in 1998, with only an EP in between), and the
maturity of the songs on offer is apparent throughout. This is by no
means some quick rehash of the band's previous album -- contrary to,
say, Soilwork's latest --, and the track list is free of any weak
links. Anyone who seeks well written, explosively delivered, highly
energetic melodic black metal should derive massive enjoyment from
_Sheol_ -- as long as originality isn't a major concern.
Contact: http://www.naglfar.tk
Nartvind - _Until Their Ruin_ (Painkiller, 2003)
by: Alvin Wee (8 out of 10)
Comfortably lodged in the putrefying bowels of early '90s Norway,
this Belgian combo belches forth a surprisingly fetid gust of
pestilence, as if to teach the new horde of Burzum worshipping clones
a lesson in raw, filthy black metal. This album recalls the halcyon
days of bands like Demonic and Countess, a feeling only the most
elite of cults today have approximated (read: Mutiilation, early
Judas Iscariot). Vaguely reminiscent of the dark rehearsal ambience
conjured up by the long-forgotten Raven (Norway), Nartvind manage to
stave off sloppiness with their decisive melody and tightness,
yet remaining curiously unpolished at the same time. Simplistic,
hate-filled dirges owing much to the early underground Norse scene
draw up suffocating atmospheres of primal evil, nevertheless brimming
with semi-epic melodies, as the soot-choked vocals rasp out ancient
maledictions of woe. Too many albums of late have been described as
"old-school Darkthrone worship"; reviewers and bands alike should
listen to this shockingly ancient sounding piece before passing
judgement. Old warriors missing their stacks of demo tapes and
bootleg copies will no doubt greet this newfound act with open arms,
as should anyone else who finds beauty in Ulver's _Nattens Madrigal_.
Contact: http://www.painkiller-records.com
Nasum - _Helvete_ (Relapse Records, 2003)
by: Jackie Smit (9 out of 10)
Consider just about every hype-affirming tagline in existence and
chances are that it has already been used to describe Sweden's Nasum
at some stage prior to you reading this review. Indeed with a massive
underground following, as well as accolades heaped upon them from
sources as seemingly outlandish as Amen's Casey Chaos, it is
somewhat surprising that their third full-length album is released to
relatively little pre-emptive exposure. However, as the first riff of
opening track "Violation" literarily scythes through the air, it is
pretty much a given that their record label are confident enough in
the band's obvious ability to sell themselves based on sheer
blunt-force ferocity and talent. This, of course, they succeed in
doing with tremendous aplomb. Although sounding slightly slicker and
just a tad catchier than either _Inhale/Exhale_ or _Human 2.0_,
_Helvete_ is by no means the sound of a band losing steam. In fact,
it would be fairly safe to say that their Molotov cocktail of punk,
grind and death metal has never sounded angrier or more crushing. The
lads even manage to throw in a few surprises along the course of the
twenty-two musical beatdowns that comprise the disc's entirety --
witness the ingenious melodic break that drives "Living Next Door to
Malice" or the raised-fist anthem that forms the foundation of "I
Hate People" for proof. What ultimately makes _Helvete_ such a
roaring triumph is that Nasum have managed to avoid the dreaded third
album syndrome, which by all accounts would have been very easy for
them to fall into, seeing as how their last two albums are widely
regarded as classics. There may be a lot of talented bands in the
grind scene right now, but this record confirms without a doubt that
they are merely the _Pleasure to Kill_ to Nasum's _Reign in Blood_.
Opeth - _Deliverance_ (Music for Nations, 2002)
by: Quentin Kalis (10 out of 10)
The best sign that Opeth is a unique entity is the fact that anyone
who appreciates their music will cite a different CD as their
favourite. Fans of say, Emperor or My Dying Bride usually near
unanimously claim that _Anthems to the Welkin at Dusk_ or _Turn Loose
the Swans_ as their finest moment - sometimes with a dissenting few
claiming that another album, such _In the Nightside Eclipse_ as their
best work. A few special bands such as Darkthrone might even have
three albums competing for the title of their best work. But there is
no consensus on what constitutes Opeth's finest work and for me, that
is the most telling indication of the unique nature and consistently
high quality of Opeth's music. All the familiar Opethian elements
such as the complex progressive rock melodies and the sublime
interplay between mellow and heavy sections are present. As they have
done with their later releases, some sections are repeated, though
this hardly detracts from their uniqueness and the songs have yet to
follow conventional song writing structures. The album is split
halfway through by an amazing instrumental, showcasing an awesome
progressive melody; it seems a shame to waste this on what is really
little more than an intermezzo. The delivery of the vocals at the
beginning of the final tracks sound as if they would be better suited
to some lame Cradle of Filth black metal band, rather than a band of
Opeth's calibre. But I'm grasping at straws here; this is actually
such a minor quibble it is barely worth mentioning. _Deliverance_ is
an undisputedly excellent album and an improvement upon _Blackwater
Park_, which can hardly be considered a shabby album. If this album
is not deserving of 10 out of 10 then no album is.
[Pedro Azevedo: "_Deliverance_ shows a more death metal oriented
Opeth than its more atmospheric predecessor, the excellent
_Blackwater Park_. Overall slightly less accomplished as an album,
_Deliverance_ nonetheless presents the listener with another fine
collection of songs, and includes several superb moments as one
would expect from this band. As part of Opeth's daring double
release plan -- one metal, one acoustic --, _Deliverance_ provides a
good metallic half, though overall it is not Opeth's best album to
date."]
Scepter - _Fucking Metal Motherfuckers_ (Merciless Records, 2003)
by: Aaron McKay (3 out of 10)
Using "fuck" as nearly every word in an album title doesn't make you
any more or less "metal". Furthermore, these three guys seem obsessed
with defining that term, too -- what's "metal" and what isn't and "no
one is more 'metal' than Scepter", or so the propaganda goes. Overly
stripped-down and basic, this band, despite a couple of previous
efforts under their leather vests, seems wildly unpolished. In all
fairness, that very well may be this outfit's bailiwick -- who
knows... Getting into Scepter's shtick a bit deeper (as far as the
depth of the puddle will allow), even their lyrics find themselves
challenged at a primitive level. Grunting out this and that about
statutory rape, abortion, and how "metal" they are (like an arrogant
rapper might do -- only Scepter does it with long hair and an ability
to play their instruments), this Chicago three-piece breaks no
new ground here nor do they begin to challenge the listener in
any way on any of the twelve cuts that comprise _Fucking Metal
Motherfuckers_. About as involved as a restaurant dinner receipt,
the last layer of this band available for examination is their
instrumentation. Sounding like Black Sabbath on steroids occasionally
(that's obviously a good thing), Scepter is entirely too predictable:
guitar riffs fall exactly where you would expect them to and the
"boom-boom, beat-bash; boom-boom, beat-bash" of the drums seem to be
more to keep time than add anything to the music. Finally, this band
has clear and understandable vocals -- another mark in the plus
column. However, with the baseless subject matter barfed forth on
_FMM_, this is, at best, a mixed bag. I suppose this type of music
has its place, but kinda like Pearl Jam -- just not in my collection.
Contact: http://www.merciless-records.de
Septic Flesh - _Sumerian Daemons_ (Hammerheart, 2003)
by: Jackie Smit (9.5 out of 10)
One can only speculate as to the reasons why Septic Flesh chose to
tarnish an otherwise sparkling discography with a left-turn bowel
movement of an album like _Revolution DNA_. At the same time, one
would also wonder whether it was the realization of said album's many
flaws that fuelled the creative fires that would eventually conjure
up the frankly stunning _Sumerian Daemons_. You see, Septic Flesh
have made good with an album that is as surprisingly fresh-sounding
as it is a work of sheer musical genius. While the slow doom-dirge of
_Mystical Places of Dawn_ has been rendered exclusively to the past,
_Sumerian Daemons_ sees the welcome reinstatement of the deep
guttural vocals which once formed part of the band's trademark. At
the same time, there is also a marked increase in speed, brutality
and the kind of dense, layered synths which would be at home on
anything Devin Townsend has put his name to. The classical / Greek
influence which used to form the basis for most, if not all of Septic
Flesh's melodies is still very prevalent, only this time round it's
been awarded a more sinister dark tone. Indeed the opening riff to
"Red Code Cult" would almost easily suit an Immortal song. Likewise,
the bleak, futuristic atmosphere conjured up by "When All Is None"
makes the melodies sound even more immense and majestic. Truly there
is very little that one could reasonably fault on this record, save
for the odd occasion where a blast beat is almost lazily tacked on to
a song. _Sumerian Daemons_ is without a doubt Septic Flesh's finest
offering to date and one which blows craters of mythological
proportions into a big majority of recent death metal releases.
Sepultura - _Roorback_ (SPV, 2003)
by: Jackie Smit (8.5 out of 10)
With nu-metal on the fast decline, it should probably come as
no surprise that the mainstream metal media -- once the main
protagonists in the deluge of scorn heaped upon a post-Max Sepultura
-- have suddenly transformed into a bootlicking collective all
touting the return of Brazil's finest. The irony in this is that
_Roorback_ does not differ all that much from either of its two
predecessors, albeit for a marginal increase in heaviness. Truth be
told, just about any track on the band's latest effort would rest
quite comfortably among anything found on _Nation_. This observation
aside, _Roorback_ is undoubtedly a fine record, and one which easily
takes a lengthy piss on anything Soulfly has ever had their logo
slapped on. "Come Back Alive" opens the album with a decidedly
hardcore slant, while the thick, chugging grooves of "Godless" prove
beyond a shadow of a doubt that Igor Cavalera remains one of the
finest and most inventive drummers in modern-day metal. "Apes of God"
is Derrick Green's finest moment vocally, while "Urge" sounds like
the precursor to a full-scale riot. "Bottomed Out" on the other hand,
clearly hurts the disc's intense momentum and at times almost sounds
like a bluesed-out joke, before leading into the vicious "Activist"
-- a track you know will lead to no small amount of venue destruction
when the Seps hit the road this year. After three albums with the new
line-up, it's clear that Sepultura will never again be the band who
recorded _Arise_ or _Beneath the Remains_, but even so, _Roorback_ is
a largely entertaining effort, and definitely one of the best
straight metal releases of 2003 so far.
Show of Exaggeration - _Show of Exaggeration_ (The Rectrix, 2003)
by: Alvin Wee (8.5 out of 10)
One would expect no less than the best in dark electronics from
Philipp M�nch (of Ars Moriendi, Templegarden's and Synapscape
fame), teaming up here with fellow German Bernhard W�stheinrich of
Centrozoon, a name I'm not familiar with. The colossal opener "Death
Arch" rumbles and spews volcanic chunks as statically charged hums
and crackles signal the passing of a monstrous automaton. Skies clear
as deliciously fried electronics mark the transition into "Passing
Gods", a similarly ominous soundscape of tattered battle-flags
fluttering dismally in a blackened breeze as an alien twanging framed
by majestic drones dissolves pathetically into insectile clicking and
a supersonic whine. The following tracks showcase the project's more
rhythmic side, with futuristic phaser-shots and robotic screeches
juxtaposed delectably beside crisp analog-sounding crackling. The
title track(s) form an impressive closing trilogy, with "The Master"
recalling the post-apocalyptic, sci-fi aspect of the previous two
tracks with high-pitched hums and feedback enveloped by sweeping
waves of static and distorted lo-fi electronics. "Subjects With
Cameras" ups the ante with ear-piercing whines doing battle with
a rising tide of textured, tonal static. A bass-heavy, muted
Merzbow-esque fluttering takes over towards the end of the track,
de-fusing the tension for the uneasily psychedelic textures of the
finale to develop. Great stuff, and hopefully not the last we'll be
seeing from this incredible duo.
Contact: http://www.therectrix.com
Soilwork - _Figure Number Five_ (Nuclear Blast, 2003)
by: Pedro Azevedo (5.5 out of 10)
Soilwork must have been a bit intoxicated by the reactions to their
previous album _Natural Born Chaos_, and seem to have decided to
release a rushed _Reload_-of-sorts one year later: _Figure Number
Five_. Ironically, I actually like this new album marginally better
than _Natural Born Chaos_, an album that greatly disappointed me --
although it is true that this one didn't have the same expectations
to live up to. _Figure Number Five_ doesn't add any significant new
attributes to the mix, except perhaps a bit more electronics; it
simply comes across as slightly more inspired overall than its
predecessor, or at least it doesn't have as many seriously grating
moments (although there's always the terrible solo vocals on "The
Mindwalker"). Still, I could swear a couple of these tracks (and
especially some of the omnipresent choruses) are near direct
adaptations of material from past albums, most notably _Natural Born
Chaos_ -- and they still sound a lot like In Flames at times, which
is hardly a compliment these days. Both bands seem to have become a
caricature of themselves, losing the vast majority of their appeal
in the process. _Figure Number Five_ is a decent album, and of
course a technically competent one, but also extremely formulaic and
still quite uninspired compared to what Soilwork have the potential
to do.
Contact: http://www.soilworkers.com
Somnus - _Through Creation's End_ (Root Of All Evil, 2002)
by: Adrian Magers (8.5 out of 10)
This second (and sadly, final) album from Somnus was released last
year, several months before the band's subsequent break-up; a slight
improvement over 2000's _Awakening the Crown_, and probably the
pinnacle of European-style melodic black metal in the United States.
For those unfamiliar with the sound of Somnus, they utilize a heavy
blend of gothic/fantasy keyboards, thrash interludes, ethereal leads,
pained vocals, and occasional spoken word parts. The differences
between this album and Somnus' first aren't shocking, but are
definitely noticeable. The album sounds even darker, a bit more
aggressive in all facets, a more professional approach, and a ton of
variation on their sound. Probably the most remarkable thing about
Somnus is that in a genre where many bands (sometimes unfairly) are
dubbed "Cradle imitators" they manage to define their own sound, but
definitely have the appeal to attract any admirer of symphonic black
metal, and maybe even some open-minded death or thrash fanatics. The
CD also includes a live rendition of "Unfulfilled Prophecy" (from
their debut album) and the video for "Warlock's Feast".
Contact: http://www.somnusmusic.com
Soulless - _Agony's Lament_ (Worldchaos Production, 2003)
by: Pedro Azevedo (6 out of 10)
Thrash metal to the bone, Soulless inject a lot of Swedish
influences into their sound to produce an album that is American but
doesn't sound American. Soulless are the kind of band that doesn't
waste time with preludes, interludes or any such things; five
seconds into the album, they've already said a lot about what's to
come. All tracks hover around three to four minutes in length and
share the same style: fast and furious, the rabid vocal performance
matched by the busy Swedish riffing and drumming. All very metallic
and energetic, but lacking individuality and real stand-out tracks.
Indeed, Soulless are a very competent band in their genre, but still
no match for the powerful death/thrash of bands like The Forsaken or
Corporation 187. As such, _Agony's Lament_ remains an honest effort
and certainly an enjoyable album in spite of the bland production,
but one that offers little that's different from or better than a
large number of other releases out there.
Contact: http://www.world-chaos.com
Tenhi - _Vare_ (Prophecy Productions, 2002)
by: Pedro Azevedo (8 out of 10)
Tenhi's debut full-length _Kauan_, _Vare_'s predecessor, is filled
with truly exquisite dark beauty and melancholy; an album with
introspective, atmospheric qualities that I have found difficult to
match, and one I would award a 9 out of 10. Though mostly based on
dark folk, these Finns crafted a sound all their own on _Kauan_,
with acoustics and sombre vocals as well as sullen piano passages.
This new album, _Vare_, therefore comes in the wake of the extremely
high expectations created by their masterful debut (with the
_Airut:Ciwi_ EP having served as an appropriate interlude). Even
though the music on _Vare_ can still be generally referred to as
dark folk, it is more folk and less dark than _Kauan_. More
specifically, there are three tracks on the album that I find very
annoying with their upbeat folk style: "Jaljen", "Kevain" and
"Katve". Fortunately the album is lengthy enough for the absence of
these tracks to go nearly unnoticed, otherwise they could seriously
disrupt the atmosphere created by the other songs. _Vare_ is full
of rich yet often subtle arrangements -- even moreso than its
predecessor -- and apart from the aforementioned trio, the songs
flow very nicely. The album reaches its peak midway through with the
heartbreaking "Suortuva", a remarkable track that is almost worth
the money on its own. Overall, much as it is very pleasant, soothing
and atmospheric, _Vare_ is not quite as remarkably inspired as its
predecessor. If you already have _Kauan_, then _Vare_ should also
prove a worthy addition to your collection; otherwise, I would
recommend seeking _Kauan_ first.
Contact: http://www.tenhi.com
The Gathering - _Souvenirs_ (Psychonaut, 2003)
by: Pedro Azevedo (8 out of 10)
First and foremost, _Souvenirs_ proves that The Gathering anno 2003
is increasingly Anneke van Giersbergen's band. I don't mean this in
a negative way, as if the band's talented vocalist was forcefully
dominating the other band members -- I've no idea what happens
in their rehearsal room. What I mean is that the music seems
increasingly written around her vocals, concerned with suiting her
voice and giving it a leading role. While I do miss the heavier
_Mandylion_ days, this is not necessarily a bad decision by the
band. I'll have to use the old cliche "this is not a metal album"
here, as this is in fact a much more atmospheric, electronic affair
than its entertaining predecessor _if_then_else_. _Souvenirs_ tends
to have a pleasantly sombre mood, and opens particularly well in
that respect with "These Good People". "Golden Grounds", "Jelena"
and the first half of "Monsters" provide some more good examples of
the same kind of atmosphere. A few other tracks are more upbeat,
however, and in the (excessively) sweet "You Learn About It" The
Gathering have a potential chartbreaker -- or at least a very
radio-friendly song that could see a lot of mainstream airplay if
certain people happen to notice it. There is also an Ulver
connection in _Souvenirs_, brought about by Anneke's duet with
Trickster G (a.k.a. Garm) near the end of the album on "A Life
All Mine" -- an interesting prospect for many music fans out
there, surely, and a worthy result. The unobtrusive beats, subtle
electronic elements and pleasant melodies are kept at a high quality
level throughout by this experienced band, although the result is
not always overly interesting. Nevertheless, _Souvenirs_ remains a
very playable album with a few really good tracks and several nice
if mostly indifferent ones.
Contact: http://www.gathering.nl
The Mist and the Morning Dew - _The Mist and the Morning Dew_
by: Pedro Azevedo (7.5 out of 10) (Independent, 2003)
This self-released debut EP by The Mist and the Morning Dew boasts
some interesting connections in the Finnish doom metal scene by
featuring ex-Unholy vocalist Veera Muhli and Shape of Despair
guitarist Jarno Salomaa, as well as Finntroll bassist Sami Uusitalo.
In addition to the similarities with Shape of Despair in the guitar
department and Unholy in the vocals, this female-sung doom affair
also brings a more metallic version of The 3rd and the Mortal to my
mind quite a bit. Ultimately TMatMD are heavier than T3atM but
nowhere near as heavy as Shape of Despair, of whom they inherit only
some of the guitar style -- bearing in mind that Shape of Despair's
other guitarist, Rapture's Tommi Ullgren, is not part of TMatMD.
Overall, the band is still able to claim an identity of their own in
spite of the similarities with the aforementioned bands. On the
downside, the somewhat withdrawn vocal style may require some
getting used to, while the production could use some improvement.
Some violin is also used, but fails to make much of an impression.
On the other hand, the melancholic guitar leads and forlorn female
vocals get along very well, and the music is very pleasant
throughout. Anyone into Shape of Despair, Rapture and female-led
doom bands should check out this band.
Contact: http://www.themist.xrs.net
The Monolith Deathcult - _The Apotheosis_
by: Quentin Kalis (7 out of 10) (Cold Blood Industries, 2003)
The Monolith Deathcult are a Dutch band specialising in performing
violent and brutally intense death metal. Although they have been
compared with Nile, the music only bears a superficial similarity to
them, whose song writing skills and musicianship are several notches
above those of The Monolith Deathcult. (Actually, Nile is several
notches above virtually the entire death metal milieu.) This in no
ways implies that they are sloppy or untalented; on the contrary,
they are a tight and fairly technical outfit, often throwing in a few
Slayer-esque solos. They are similar to Nile with regards to other
aspects: they too possess an astounding three vocalists, and they
also draw upon blood-drenched historical events such as Attila the
Hun and the Roman Gladiators for lyrical inspiration. On the
downside, they are content for the most part to simply blast their
way through the songs. This is hardly likely to be a problem for the
average death metal fanatic, but a more discerning listener might be
put off by the relentlessness of their music.
Contact: http://www.coldbloodindustries.com
The True Frost - _Open the Portals to Darkness_
by: Matthias Noll (3 out of 10) (Millenium Metal Music, 2002)
Dear Mum,
I'm doing fine, but please send more money -- I went to the metal
market in Frankfurt and spent everything I had on CDs. I know I
shouldn't do this, but I got in a shopping frenzy. Unfortunately, I
bought a CD by a band called The True Frost. I know you told me many
times, a name like The True Frost is almost as good as a sticker on
the case saying "avoid like the black plague" -- because how could
anyone with even the smallest amount of trueness ever call his band
"the true <whatever>"? But somehow I couldn't control myself.
Quite often they sound like a talentless former punk or oi band who
got a Hellhammer and a Darkthrone record and thought it would be much
cooler to play underground black metal. And when I'm completely
honest I believe I have found more atmosphere and grimness in the
trunk of my car than behind the portals to darkness.
I promise I'll be more careful in the future. Maybe I can sell it to
an idiot like myself on eBay, but please Mum, send the money soon so
that I can buy something decent like the new Satanic Warmaster.
Necro-Hailz from your son, Matthias.
Tuska / Incriminated - _Ten Hail Marys_ (Bestial Burst, 2003)
by: Matthias Noll (1 out of 10)
This split CD is another crap release I've spent 11 Euro on during my
latest shopping frenzy. "Necro black core vs. old skool death doom"
and comparisons made somewhere on the web between Beherit and Tuska
were all I needed to place an order. Tuska is neither necro, black,
nor core. It's utterly shitty garage-grind/hardcore which someone is
being clever enough to sell via a completely made-up connection to
black metal. On to Incriminated. I considered them to be one of the
better Hellhammer / Celtic Frost worshippers around, and I found the
split CD with Bloodhammer on Northern Heritage to be truly enjoyable.
What goes on here is puzzling, to say the least. It appears to me as
if they have a new singer who's ruining most songs with the use of a
totally ridiculous and irritating clean wail that is probably meant
to sound psychotic and insane. He manages to come across a bit like
Tom Warrior on some better left forgotten passages from _Into the
Pandemonium_, but so much worse and annoying it's unbearable.
Musically the five Incriminated tracks are also forgettable, third
rate doom/death with a strong Celtic Frost vibe and a garage
production. Limited to 666 copies. Part-time alchemists take note:
this is how you turn shit into money. Having listened to this debacle
one more time, I even had to generously give The True Frost three
instead of two points.
Vargsang - _Call of the Nightwolves_ (Undercover Records, 2003)
by: Matthias Noll (8 out of 10)
For those familiar with German underground black metallers Graven,
the description of _Call of the Nightwolves_ doesn't require much
more elaboration than saying that it sounds exactly like Graven with
a rawer sound and slightly better songs. Looking at the line-up this
is hardly surprising, because Vargsang (the band) is the one man show
of Graven's former main songwriter Vargsang. Musically this is pure,
keyboardless, mostly Norwegian-sounding black metal, delivered with a
very Teutonic sense of order and structure when it comes to
breaks and tempo changes. Unsurprisingly one finds that monotony is
consciously used to achieve hypnotic effects, but Vargsang prescribe
small doses of that, slowing down or speeding up at the right point
in time. They fortunately avoid making the same mistake as, for
example, Godless North, who allow their _Transylvanian Hunger_
worship to turn into boredom quite frequently. There is little if any
originality at all to be found on _Call of the Nightwolves_; what
makes me recommend this album and even give it an 8 out of 10 is the
high quality level which is kept throughout the 37 minutes, as well
as the fact that -- even though I hear a little Euronymous here and a
bit of Darkthrone there -- this doesn't sound like a rip-off. Perhaps
I am in a somewhat conservative mindset right now that leads me to
prefer a fine execution of a tried and tested formula rather than the
abysmal travesties that an unstoppable desire to be original and
groundbreaking can produce. But in times when former black metal
icons like Satyricon recycle bridge sections Voivod might have used
on a bad day in 87/88 and repeat them over and over again until
another seven minute borefest is complete and gets a song title, I
enjoy bands like Vargsang more than ever!
Contact: http://www.undercover-records.de
Various - _The Obsolete View_ (The Rectrix, 2003)
by: Alvin Wee (7 out of 10)
Another in the line of solid releases from this quality-conscious
label, this disc collects the works of three stylistically different
experimental-ambient artists, and manages to sound strikingly
coherent given their considerably different approaches.
Hollowing kick things off with waves of highly processed metallic
scrapings / clangings and a barely intelligible looped voice sample,
creating a vacuous, warehouse ambience not unlike the darkest Nurse
With Wound material. Things take a more sombre turn with the subdued
dronings and organic beating of the "Yadu'a", only to veer into
relatively upbeat territory on the short, almost martial third track.
Not quite as stimulating as the original Organum / NWW / glitch
tradition they appear to be building upon, Hollowing nonetheless
excel in the darker, electronic aspects of their music.
Aere Aeturnus opt for a less eclectic approach with their drawn-out
cinematic textures; distant cosmic piping frames a backdrop of muted
tribal beats and softly processed guitar drones on the aptly titled
"of suicide, pain and old age", creeping dreadfully into the
rocky subterranean rumblings and uncanny metallic creaking of the
compilation's title track. Infinitely depressing stuff on all four of
Aere Aeturnus' offerings, with their pervasive sense of otherworldly
eeriness not helping things much. Great material nonetheless, and
a worthy precursor to Metanemfrost who manage to maintain the
atmosphere of desolation with the inexorable scraping and plodding of
"Chthonian".
Distinctly scabrous and unhealthy, Metanemfrost's five tracks form a
horrid soundtrack to H. P. Lovecraft's monstrous nightmares of
antediluvian Gods and shambling beasts. Not quite matching Inade or
Lustmord in scope or immensity, the restrained rumblings of "Empire
Ablaze" still evoke a sense of cosmic foreboding which eventually
coalesce into the arcane ritualism of "Ancient Blood Scriptures",
before finishing the disc off with the monotonous thrumming of "The
Black Vortex". All in all a highly engaging and varied listen with
solid performances throughout, just falling short of being essential
listening due to the lack of any immense, genre-defining achievements
on the disc.
Contact: http://www.therectrix.com
Various - _Victory Through Total Domination: Compilation No. III_
by: Quentin Kalis (7.5 out of 10) (No Colours Records, 2002)
_VTTD_ is a collection from grim black metal label No Colours
Records. As can be gathered from the above rating, the compilation as
a whole is above average, though the quality of individual songs
varies widely. It is not necessary -- and beyond the scope of this
review -- to comment on every song in detail, but it is worthwhile
to mention several of the highlights and lowlights. The album's
undisputed strong points are Satanic Warmaster's as yet unreleased
(why?) "Distant Blazing Eve" showcasing an incredibly depressive
and melancholic atmosphere unheard in black metal since Dimmu
Borgir's _For All Tid_ and Gaahlskagg's explosive "P.T.R.", which is
essentially a punk song cloaked in black metal trappings. (Be warned:
some of these songs are quite old -- "P.T.R." is taken from _Erotic
Funeral_, which was released several years ago.) The weak points
include Wigrid's track -- apart from being too long, the hoarse
vocals sound like those of a certain Varg Vikernes -- and Judas
Iscariot's contribution, while not particularly bad, is not nearly as
good as some of his previous material. For those for who consider
necessary ingredients in an album inferior and trebly production,
inhuman screams and grating guitars, yet are not familiar with the No
Colours roster, then this compilation comes highly recommended. For
those who are not familiar with contemporary raw black metal, this
compilation will also serve as a useful introduction.
Vital Remains - _Dechristianize_ (Century Media, 2003)
by: Jackie Smit (9 out of 10)
Maybe it's just me, but I'm starting to grow a tad weary of the whole
Satanic thing in extreme music. I mean, let's be honest -- there's
only so many ways in which you can chant the praises of the
hooved one before the theme grows stale. This gripe aside though,
Vital Remains are one of the better bands to needlessly shove
their religious views down the listener's throat. Either way,
_Dechristianize_ is a very important album for the band, thanks in no
small part to the attention awarded them by the presence of Deicide's
Glenn Benton. Certainly, the probability of their (arguably somewhat
overdue) promotion to the upper tier of death metal rests very
squarely on its ability to deliver the goods. And to this extent, it
does so beautifully. Many may mistakenly regard this record as a
stop-gap while we await Deicide's next (and equally important)
offering. The truth is though that in virtually every aspect
_Dechristianize_ is a far cry from any of the sub-par meanderings
which Deicide have soiled their latter-day career with. With a level
of brutality and technicality that could easily go toe to toe with a
band like Hate Eternal, Vital Remains plough through some of the most
vicious, and uncharacteristically lengthy, extremity they have ever
come up with. To the credit of the group's core members, they also
never allow Benton's appearance to overshadow their commendable
abilities. Where many death metal bands would fail dismally to record
a track exceeding five minutes without sounding monotonous, Vital
Remains equate them of their task with admirable aplomb -- indeed it
takes only one listen to the title track or "Infidel" to realise that
Deicide wish they could be this good.
Wastoid - _Say Your Prayers_ (Independent, 2002)
by: Quentin Kalis (7.5 out of 10)
Wastoid are one of those bands that are least likely to have terms
such as "original", or "groundbreaking" headed in their general
direction anytime in the near future. Normally this would be a huge
negative as I value originality and innovation quite highly in
the music I choose to listen to, but in some exceptional cases
originality can and does take a backseat to music that is simply
unpretentiously good. Wastoid are one such band: they were not formed
with the intention of forging a new path for metal, nor do they lay
claim to such lofty aspirations; their sole function is to play the
unashamedly retro classic metal that they are no doubt huge fans of.
It is uncertain whether today's metal fan(atic) will wish to hear old
school metal performed by anyone other then the masters. But this
will not concern Wastoid, as they will in all likelihood go on
playing the music they love whether they sell 100 or 100 000 CDs.
Contact: http://www.wastoid.net
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~ ~~~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Scoring: 5 out of 5 -- A flawless demo
4 out of 5 -- Great piece of work
3 out of 5 -- Good effort
2 out of 5 -- A major overhaul is in order
1 out of 5 -- A career change is advisable
Cryonic - _Digital Encryption_
by: David Rocher (4 out of 5)
Considering this is Cryonic's first self-released recording, I am
truly impressed by the professional quality of the material on
_Digital Encryption_. Reveling in cold, industrial-tinged metal,
Sweden's Cryonic create a cybernetic canvas of low-case riffs
borne on simple and hypnotic electronic drum patterns, crafting
three tracks of chilling, dehumanised soundscapes. The cold,
inhuman feeling irradiated by _Digital Encryption_ is completed by
Cryonic's use of distorted melodic vocals, somewhat reminiscent of
Sisters of Mercy's early days, and the effective insertion of
keyboards throughout their material. Comprising three full-fledged
electro-metal tracks delineated by disquietingly placid, truly
effective synthetic interludes, _Digital Encryption_ is a cohesive,
powerful and compelling effort that clearly denotes the immense
musical potential lurking within Cryonic's ranks. Followers of the
electronic/industrial metal genre would be well advised to reach
for these Swedes' first effort, which delivers the quality of a
professional release. And although I am in truth no dedicated
follower of this musical style, I definitely look forward to hearing
more from Cryonic.
Contact: cryonicworld@hotmail.com
Decadence - _Theatre of Eclipse_
by: David Rocher (3 out of 5)
A rather self-satisfied Italian quintet dedicated to "Obscure Metal",
Decadence have released a suitably impressive and professional
nine-track, 30-minute demo. What Decadence refer to as "Obscure
Metal" in fact embodies a form of symphonic, tentatively
"neo-classical" blackened metal, which often reminds me of Forlorn's
_Opus III: Ad Celestis Res_. Technically proficient and musically
well inspired, but plagued by a weird, wildly unbalanced sound,
_Theatre of Eclipse_ is finely crafted, and reveals that Decadence
indeed possess potential. However, despite the honourable amounts
of musical skill and theoretical research displayed by this
self-released MCD, _Theatre of Eclipse_ fails to display the
consistent musical brilliance that Decadence strive to attain; and
although _Theatre of Eclipse_ does display some truly grandiose
keyboard arrangements, Decadence tend to rely too much on these
to enhance their otherwise effective, yet rather conventional
"progressive" black metal. In fine, although Decadence will need to
hone the musical consistency and focus of their material to rise
above their peers, _Theatre of Eclipse_ remains a commendable effort
for symphonic black metal fans to check out.
Contact: http://www.obscuremetal.com
Feral Horde - _Demo 2002_
by: Alvin Wee (3 out of 5)
While three points might seem a tad generous given the mediocrity of
the three tracks on offer, these Canadians must be credited with
pulling off a fair number of stunts while never quite crystallizing
their vision. Opener "Holy Vermin" initially comes across as a
mish-mash of incoherent riff- and tempo-switches, only to break into
more structured segments which hint at the band's hidden knack for
crafting uniquely explosive passages. A somewhat mixed bag of ideas,
some of which fortunately jump out as being highly promising. The
second track takes down the speed a notch, cleaning the sound up for
a much more focussed excursion in mid-'90s melodic Swedish riffery.
While arguably more conventional than the first track, "Tool of
Damnation" nevertheless stands the band in much better stead in terms
of maturity and cohesiveness, remaining well-structured and developed
throughout. The final live track showcases the band as a particularly
convincing live act, blazing ahead with bold conviction and fierce
melody, if one were to overlook the lapses into unmoderated chaos in
the middle of the track (an unfortunate quirk of the band, it seems).
Still, I wouldn't write off these boys entirely; a few solid months
of writing and rehearsal should see Feral Horde developing the
flashes of brilliance here into a full blown assault.
Contact: feralhorde@hotmail.com
K-Again - _Ultraviolence_
by: Jackie Smit (2.5 out of 5)
For a band who confidently title their demo _Ultraviolence_,
K-Again's brand of nu-metal is surprisingly tame, and very rarely
does it exceed the level of violence that would deem it fit for the
adjective "ultra". Thankfully though, it is not a product of the same
swill that produced Papa Roach and Linkin Park -- in fact, K-Again at
times showcases a commendable amount of potential. Blending elements
of Slipknot, Chimaira and Mudvayne into their music, they struggle,
but almost manage to sound unique on "My Own Freedom" and "U".
Unfortunately though, these moments are all too rare and generally
K-Again just comes across as... well, just another nu-metal band --
which even in the eyes of the mainstream right now isn't a good
thing. The production on this effort is acceptable and far beyond
what you'd expect from a band of their profile, but the group need to
concentrate on improving their song writing to the point where they
can lay claim to their own identity. Similarly, vocalist Pigo is
clearly not pushing his voice as much as he can, which doesn't do
the music any favours. With Logan Madder (Machine Head, Soulfly,
Medication) set to produce their next effort, I'm sure that big
things may yet await K-Again though.
Contact: http://www.2kkrecords.com
Soultorn - _Masks_
by: David Rocher (2 out of 5)
I had great expectations for Soultorn's newest MCD, which _Masks_
sadly fails to live up to. Boasting Niklas Sundin artwork and a
finale in the guise of a cover of Dark Tranquillity's "With the
Flaming Shades of Fall", _Masks_ scarcely seeks to conceal its
dominant musical influence, but suffers from some significant flaws
that finally overcome its professional aspirations. Indeed, whereas a
track such as "Legacy" proudly displays excellent, melodic riffing
and cool arrangements, most of Soultorn's material simply sounds
too derivative to prove effective; in addition, _Masks_ at times
showcases unpleasant atonal qualities, particularly with regard to
the sometimes toneless-sounding guitars and the clear vocals, which
sound like a strange, unconvincing blend of gothic laments and
punkoid tone-deafness -- considering how effective Ryan Montigny's
screamed vocals are, I wonder why Soultorn resort to these at all.
There is potential and will lurking within Soultorn, as _Mask_'s
clean production and professional approach testify to, but these
young Americans definitely need to fine-tune -- both literally and
properly -- their sound and strip their songwriting of some whimsical
components if they seek to break through the ranks of today's
saturated melodic death metal scene.
Contact: http://www.soultorn.tk
The Amenta - _Mictlan_
by: David Rocher (5 out of 5)
Stating that Australia's The Amenta are professional musical killers
would be euphemistic. From the glorious packaging right down the
most sombre, unnoticeable details of the blasting, syncopated and
experimental death metal it delivers, _Mictlan_ oozes with flawless
power, sadistic refinement and rapturous brutality. Fusing blasting,
aggressive death metal with synthetic atmospheres usually endemic to
the black metal genre, The Amenta sound like a strange, yet utterly
lethal hybrid of Myrkskog, Cryptopsy and Nile. Loaded to the brim
with unrelenting, punishing blast beats, razor-sharp time changes,
insane start/stop onslaughts and an atmosphere of suffering and decay
bordering on the tangible, _Mictlan_ is graced with a colossal and
abrasive production, that testifies to these Australians' dedication
to musical perfection. Truth be told, _Mictlan_'s only failure is its
brevity; at 11 minutes (including a dispensable two-minute industrial
outro), this murderous surge of energy seems to ebb just too fast for
its own good, and is guaranteed to leave death metal addicts craving
for more. The Amenta are beyond all doubt an immense musical force to
be reckoned with, and are currently looking for a label to release
their forthcoming full-length debut, _Ennea_ -- I can therefore only
hope that they will not be unjustly ignored by labels as the
excellent Aphotic have been.
Contact: http://www.theamenta.com
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A K I N G D O M U N I T E D
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Immolation, Malevolent Creation, Aborted and Noctiferia
at Electrowerkz, London, May 13, 2003
by: Jackie Smit
Many a reviewer has in the past called London's Mean Fiddler venue a
"cold soulless dump", while several others have leveled similar
accusations at the equally dingy Camden Underworld. I seriously doubt
however that any of these scribes have ever had the displeasure of
visiting Electrowerkz -- hardly the venue of choice, one would
assume, for bands of the stature of Immolation and Malevolent
Creation. With its post-war Baghdad decorum and acrid stench, it's no
wonder that the turnout is so surprisingly sparse.
Fortunately the evening gets off to a promising start with Slovenia's
Noctiferia. Not being familiar with any of their work myself, I am
very impressed with their blend of melodic and brutal death metal.
Sure, they have the genetic fingerprints of Aeturnus and Nile stamped
all over their songs, but they clearly have the talent and the tunes
to become a big name in the not-too-distant future.
Belgium's answer to Carcass, Aborted, take to the stage next, and
while their recorded efforts have yet to impress me, they succeed in
delivering a very classy performance as they tear through several
numbers off their latest _Goremageddon_ disc. Although they do veer
dangerously toward outright monotony in the latter half of their 30
minute set, at the very least they leave me wanting to give their
records another listen.
Despite an enjoyable start to the evening, the show is clearly all
about the two headliners, and as Malevolent Creation check their
instruments (bizarrely there's not a roadie in sight for the entire
evening) and the punters swarm to the claustrophobically small stage,
it's very clear that all hell is about to break loose. Starting off
with "They Die" from the _Eternal_ album, new front man Kyle Symons
immediately takes centre stage with one of the most aggressive and
manic performances I have ever seen come from a death metal band.
Truly, if there was a vocalist lottery of some kind, Malevolent
Creation have hit the jackpot with Symons, who not only infuses old
favourites like "Multiple Stabwounds", "Premature Burial" and "Living
in Fear" with a fresh shot of adrenaline, but also takes the
aggression of new material such as "The Will to Kill" and "Rebirth of
Terror" to virtually unparalleled heights. After being around for
nearly fifteen years, and spending quite a bit of that time
languishing in mediocrity, it looks as though Malevolent's time has
finally come -- and not a moment too soon.
Most bands would be seriously daunted at the prospect of having to
follow Malevolent Creation's blistering set, but Immolation are
clearly up to the task as they fire off the twin salvos of
"Of Martyrs and Men" and "Sinful Nature". Their performance is
note-perfect -- albeit slightly faster than on record -- and
frantically energetic. For the remaining forty-five minutes of
tonight's show, they seem incapable of putting even the slightest
wrongdoing. Treating fans to old material like "Under the Supreme"
and "Those Left Behind", it is the material off their latest album,
_Unholy Cult_, that prove to be the most devastating weapons in their
arsenal. The audience certainly seem to agree, and when the record's
title track and "A Kingdom Divided" are aired, the pit extends across
the floor until there isn't a single safe spot left inside the venue.
Immolation have been somewhat unfairly relegated to the second tier
of death metal for the better part of their decade-odd career,
despite having quietly and consistently released some of the best
efforts to grace death metal in aeons. When they close with "Bring
Them Down", there's almost a feeling of sadness among the crowd at
the prospect of seeing them go, but one fact has been hammered into
the collective conscience of each one present tonight: like most
musical geniuses throughout the ages, Immolation are criminally
underrated -- and light-years ahead of virtually all the competition.
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GOTH CLUB DESTROYED BY DEATH METAL GODS
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Immolation, Malevolent Creation, Aborted and Noctiferia
at Electrowerkz, London, May 13, 2003
by: James Montague
A relocation from the excellent Underworld Club in Camden to the
repulsive gothic club Elektrowerkz in the Angel, Islington, would
have been enough to put me off attending most gigs. But this was a
chance to see one of my first extreme metal bands (Malevolent
Creation) and a late-but-great discovery (Immolation), live in the
flesh. This is a dual opportunity that will probably never present
itself to me in Australia, so attendance was mandatory.
The venue was every bit as bad as I'd expected: a dingy, rat-infested
passage with a filthy enclave where one could deposit a coat for the
ludicrous fee of �1.50 (more than the VIP lounges of the classiest
clubs in London). Upstairs, the cramped stage opened out onto a large
room -- unfortunately, a pile of crap had been plonked smack bang in
the middle of the room, upon which the sound engineers had set up
base. That meant a huge area had a partial or zero view of the stage.
Fan-fucking-tastic. Naturally I was determined to see the bands and
cramped myself into the front section of the club for the night.
Thankfully, once things got rolling the sound was good enough to
cancel out my initial revulsion. London seems to be quite good at
getting the live sound right -- something we could do with in
Australia. Not a technical glitch all night!
In the publications I'd read, the gig had been advertised as an
Immolation + Malevolent double bill, so I had no idea who was going
to take the stage first. After being blown away by a magnificent
doom-layered exotic death metal opener, I was keen to know who these
chaps were. They were Noctiferia (http://www.noctiferia.com) from
Slovenia, a name I won't be forgetting in a hurry. With some
extensively and tastefully employed lead guitar work and majestic
sound sampling, the band reminded me strongly of Nile or Morbid
Angel (leads clearly inspired by Trey Azagthoth), but without the
blast-beat prevalence of either band. This is my kind of death metal,
and I will be looking out for their _Per Astra_ album on future
shopping trips -- highly recommended to you folks too. The band fell
for the usual openers' trap of concentrating too hard on their
instruments, but their undeniable quality drew roars of approval from
an unsuspecting audience.
Belgium's Aborted came on next and gave a fiery performance. The
vocalist moaned about the mixing between songs, but I had no problem
hearing anything. Gore-grind death metal isn't my thing, but it is
great fun in a live setting when done well. And these guys were very
good, blasting and banging away, the vocalist switching from guttural
belch to asphyxiated screech as easily as a baby shits its nappies.
Aborted seems to have some pretty nifty songwriting tricks, and threw
in some catchy thrash riffs amongst the gory carnage. Much enjoyment
was had by all.
I ventured up to the stage to witness the band that kicked my arse
with _Retribution_ many moons ago. After chatting amicably with the
bemused security fellow by the stage, I then proceeded to confirm his
most dreaded stereotype by hurling my head up, down and around in
manic fashion. There's not much else one can do when a band comes on
stage to the sound of machine gun fire and belts out "Alliance or
War". A frenzied set included many newer tracks with which I was
unfamiliar, but they did play "Eve of the Apocalypse" from the
_Retribution_ album, to the approval of a rapturous audience. Some
observers were put off by the vocalist's appearance -- red t-shirt,
short hair and gold chain -- hardcore all the way, but he did attack
the songs with the required fury and made himself the centre of
attention. The drummer (is it still Derek Roddy?) pumped out some of
the fastest blast beats this side of Flo Mounier. For me, Malevolent
was the star of the show, and three days of whiplash were testament
to the fact.
I was exhausted by the time Immolation came home, and since I was
still only familiar with _Close to a World Below_ (having bought
_Unholy Cult_ earlier in the evening and held it in my pocket all
night, cursing myself for not familiarising myself with it earlier) I
decided to sit back for this one. If I were a long-time Immolation
fan, they'd have been the show-stopper for me, no doubt. Bald
guitarist Robert Vigna led the fray, enthusiastically sweeping and
plucking away at his axe in true showman fashion, grinning and
clearly loving the metal life. Bassist/vocalist Ross roared away with
diabolical passion, while Alex laid waste to the drumkit in style.
The memorable main riff of "Father, You're Not a Father" brought me
back into the headbanging hotspot, and the hysteria amongst the small
crowd built as the set went on. At the end of the performance a
wasted crowd couldn't be arsed shouting the band's name, so we just
shouted "More". We got more -- a round of greetings from Vigna
preceded a couple of closing tracks, naturally ending with "Bring
Them Down". A quality performance all around by a band whose gigs
should be made compulsory for all metal enthusiasts.
Riding the tube home, I noticed my trousers covered with dirt and
axel grease, confirming the decrepitude of the shitty Elektrowerkz.
Those stains eventually washed away, but the memories of this night
will not fade so easily. Possibly my best gig of all time, right up
there with Nazxul's first few shows and the Morbid Angel / Damaged
tour of 1995.
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D A M N A T I O N A N D A M O N D A Y N I G H T
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Cradle of Filth and Akercocke at the London Astoria, April 16, 2003
by: Jackie Smit
With Cradle of Filth touring hot on the heels of their highly touted
and self proclaimed coup de grace, I must admit to being a tad
shocked upon my arrival at the Astoria some two hours before the
doors are set to open: there was already a queue well out-stretching
what even Slayer could manage here little less than a year ago.
Indeed, if you were to ask virtually anyone among the black-clad mass
waiting to enter the venue who the better of the two are, they'd
probably not hesitate to shriek "Cradle" at the top of their
pubescent lungs. Kids these days.
Unfortunately, the evening kicks off with the monumentally
disappointing news that Immolation -- who were previously scheduled
to provide support -- will not be performing, as they apparently
"have the evening off". Even more disappointingly this gives South
Yorkshire's ambassadors of Beelzebub, Akercocke, even more time to
peddle their brand of unimaginative black/death metal. Now, I have to
be honest here -- I have never liked these guys. In my opinion they
are pretentious and unoriginal in the extreme and it is only rarely
during the course of their half an hour plus set that they manage to
even slightly challenge my perception. In all fairness though, this
could also be due to the sound gremlins which do hamper their set
quite badly, as well as showing no favours to the headliners later
on. After running through a set list that comprises material from
both their forthcoming and previous records, the true highlight of
Akercocke's performance remains their vocalist's cringingly cheesy
(yet funny in a Tankard-sort of way) pre-song rant: "We hear you
London and when we hear you <pointing down> HE hears you!". I'm sure
that this isn't exactly what they're aiming for, but the last time I
laughed so hard was when Seinfeld was still a regular on terrestrial
television.
By their own admission, it is amazing to think just how far Cradle of
Filth have come. From being the little-known Suffolk contribution to
pseudo Satanic black metal and clearing out many a small-town make-up
supply store of its black eyeliner and white face powder, to the
Sony-powered fashion accessory they are now -- hell, even one of the
simpletons from Good Charlotte was sporting a CoF shirt in a magazine
not so long ago. Their shock ascension is hit home especially hard by
the very impressive stage rig that glares at the audience (think
Rammstein on a -much- smaller scale) and the dual flanking video
screens that show scenes from the much maligned movie "Cradle of
Fear", while roadies frantically ready the band's equipment. Of
course when the black-clad sextet slither their way on to the stage,
the audience's response is unsurprisingly rapturous, but from the
outset something feels wrong. It may be that the video screens
are now displaying the album covers from whence each currently
performed song is pulled, coming across in many ways as black metal
infomercial. Or it may be Dani's incessant macho posturing -- not a
convincing sight when you're five foot nothing and thin as a rake.
The real problem though is the sloppiness of the band's performance.
While material from their latest _Damnation and a Day_ is tightly
played and sounds acceptable, albeit coming off an album which was
underwhelming to say the least, anything predating this comes across
as being performed by a mediocre cover band at best. Even during
straightforward songs like "From the Cradle to Enslave" the band
members -- especially the drummer -- drop out of sync and on more
than one occasion during "The Forest Whispers My Name" can a rather
heavy hint of bewilderment be detected on the faces of the two
guitarists.
Closing off with "Queen of Winter, Throned", Cradle of Filth leave
the Astoria with an air of disappointment. This is hardly the return
to the battlefield everyone was hoping for, and in as many ways as
Dani Filth's antics reminded me of Axl Rose during the course of the
evening, I can't help but thinking that perhaps I have just witnessed
the birth of black metal's answer to Guns 'n' Roses. And I'd hate to
sound negative, but I can't see them easily proving me wrong.
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G E N E R A T I O N A R M A G E D D O N T O U R
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ancient Rites, Thyrfing, Blood Red Throne and Skyfire
in London, UK, April 30, 2003
by: James Montague
One might expect Europe's most populous city to be a haven for
extreme metal concerts, but alas London, as with Britain in general,
has all but forsaken metal for the past decade or more. Admittedly,
Immortal and Hypocrisy drew a decent audience at a sizeable venue
last year, but on the flip side, Enslaved had to cancel their gig on
April 23rd because of poor ticket pre-sales (reportedly, only nine
tickets were sold). So the scene is definitely an endangered species
over here.
Thankfully, the Underworld Club in Camden persists in hosting extreme
metal bands despite the lack of commercial benefit they reap.
Considering that only about 50 or 60 people bothered to show up, the
set-up was quite impressive, with excellent sound, a good bar and -
not surprisingly given the "crowd" -- plenty of freedom to move about
and test different vantage points.
The gig was due to start at 5pm, but ended up being delayed for two
hours due to uncertainty about who would show up (an all too familiar
story). Primordial, the main band I'd come to see, had to pull out
because their drummer had been barred from entering the UK. At least
the other four band members showed up, and vocalist A. A. Nemtheanga
took the stage to apologise and explain the situation. Unfortunately,
he ignored the crowd's exhortation for the band to play without a
drummer (or with a hired hand). The other no-show was the Greek band
Septic Flesh, for whom no explanation was offered. So I sat around
for a while drinking beer and observing the eclectic crowd: on my
right side, an Asian girl in gothic garb reading a "Digital Signal
Processing" textbook (just like me, five years ago!); on my left
side, an Englishman and a Danishman discussing life in their
respective countries. You have to love these extreme metal crowds --
and your mother would love them too if only she dared see what the
scene's really like. We really aren't such a scary lot.
7pm eventually rocked around, and first on the bill were Skyfire, a
band I'd never heard of before. Judging by their accents I'd say
they're Danish or Swedish; judging by their music I'd say they're a
power metal band with a touch of black/death metal brutality, making
them quite an apt opener for an Ancient Rites / Thyrfing gig. As
well-written and as catchy as their material was, their lack of stage
presence was inescapable. A pile of rotting haggis would've had more
personality. Guys, seriously, you may not be happy about being the
opening act in a gig played before virtually nobody, but the test of
a great live band is whether you can fire up a disinterested
audience. On this count, you did not succeed at all!
Norway's Blood Red Throne, who took the slot mysteriously vacated by
the Dissection rip-off band Soulreaper, showed how an opening act
should behave. I was actually dreading watching this band, as I'd
thought they were Norway's answer to Cradle of Filth (evidently I had
them confused with Blood Stained Dusk). Instead I observed brutal
death metal, played fast and tight, and with healthy doses of long
blonde hair being swirled around in circles by the three stringsmen
and the big fat vocalist. Yes, that's more like it -- metal! The band
were only given about twenty minutes to play despite all the
cancellations, and the crowd were sorry to see them ago, unlike
Skyfire.
The next band to come out had black war paint on their faces and
launched into a ferocious attack with growled vocals. I thought this
must have been Septic Flesh (whose status was still uncertain at this
time), so it was quite a surprise when after the opening song the
vocalist screamed "We are Thyrfing from Sweden!". Thyrfing is a band
I am quite familiar with, having _Valdr Galga_ (1998) in my
collection. On CD, the band is something of a guilty pleasure -- led
by the keyboards a la Dimmu Borgir, but set in a Viking metal
context, a la Amon Amarth. Their music is upbeat and catchy and often
very cheesy, but enjoyable. On stage they seem to focus more on sonic
violence, and the keyboards tended to fade into the background while
the vocalist seemed more brutal. For the first time in the evening I
actually recognised a few songs: "Firever", "Storms of Asgard" and
possibly "The Deceitful", from their 1998 release. They put on a good
performance, though towards the end I was counting the seconds until
Ancient Rites would take their place.
The Belgian headliners strolled out to the opening refrain of their
_Dim Carcosa_ album, Gunther Theys looking every bit the 40-year-old
frontman with his impressive girth and purposeful glare. The band
continued the track listing from their latest album by thumping out
"Les Litanies de Satan" and "Victory or Valhalla" in impressive
fashion, the drummer blasting out the black/death fury while the
guitarists indulged in their power metal-tinged solo flairs. Over the
course of a long set, the band played the first six songs from _Dim
Carcosa_, several tracks from the early albums _Blasphemia Eternal_
and _Diabolical Serenades_ (most welcome because they were sans
blastbeats, which had tended to drown out the band at times) and some
from their exalted _Fatherland_ album. It was almost inevitable that
the set would end with the songs "Ode to Ancient Europa" and "Mother
Europe" played back-to-back. The crowd was really getting into it by
this stage, with the dozen or so diehards who had banged all night
being gradually joined by the recalcitrant arm-crossers. Old Man
Gunther had a good rapport with audience, seeming unfazed by their
small numbers and praising their metal spirit. Satan bless that man!
The pitiful crowd was rewarded for their commitment with a lengthy
encore that Ancient Rites would have been forgiven for not performing
out of disappointment in the London scene. But like the crowd, they
are committed to metal regardless of its pauper status, and came out
to thrash out loads of epic _Fatherland_ tracks. This allowed the
crowd to overcome the disappointment of missing Primordial and Septic
Flesh, and sent me home with some faith in London metal's ability to
ride out the current dearth of interest.
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Chronicles of Chaos is a FREE monthly magazine electronically
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