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Eighth Anniversary Issue
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
CHRONICLES OF CHAOS e-Zine, Wednesday, September 4, 2003, Issue #65
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
Contributor: Adrian Magers
Contributor: James Montague
Contributor: 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 #65 Contents, 9/4/2003
----------------------------
-- Dimmu Borgir: The Death Cult Beckons
-- Pro-Pain: As Big as the Rolling Stones?
-- Madder Mortem: A Dream Come True
-- Old Man's Child: Striking Out Down the Defiant Path
-- Melechesh: Just to Hear What He Sphynx
-- Arch Enemy - _Anthems of Rebellion_
-- Black Label Society - _The Blessed Hellride_
-- Bloodhammer - _Abbedissan Saatanalliset Houreet_
-- Cenotaph - _Pseudo Verminal Cadaverium_
-- Chains of Flesh - _[Untitled]_
-- Chaosbreed - _Unleashed Carnage_
-- Dew-Scented - _Impact_
-- Dissection - _Live Legacy_
-- Endzweck - _A Farewell to Arms_
-- Exhumed - _Anatomy Is Destiny_
-- Flagellator - _Channeling the Acheron_
-- HavocHate - _This Violent Earth_
-- Houwitser - _Damage Assessment_
-- Impaler - _Old School Ghouls_
-- Inhume - _In for the Kill_
-- Kilfast - _Tragedy Essential_
-- M.O.D. - _The Rebel You Love to Hate_
-- Melechesh - _Sphynx_
-- Misery Index - _Retaliate_
-- Naiad - _Hardcore Emotion_
-- NDE - _End of Trust_
-- Nightfall - _I Am Jesus_
-- Primal Dawn - _The Euthanasia Programme_
-- Pro-Pain - _Run for Cover_
-- Sabbat - _Svart Eld_
-- Sabbat / Gorgon - _Rain of Terror_ / _A Fool in Love_
-- Setherial - _From the Ancient Ruins_
-- Single Bullet Theory - _Route 666_
-- Superjoint Ritual - _A Lethal Dose of American Hatred_
-- Terror Organ - _The Stalag Symphony_
-- Thirtyone Dies - _Filthy Taste_
-- Total Devastation - _Roadmap of Pain_
-- Type O Negative - _Life Is Killing Me_
-- Ulfsdalir - _Grimnir_
-- Various - _Barbaric Onslaught (Australian Metal Attack)_
-- Warblade - _A Crisis in the Grey Space_
-- Cradle to Grave - _Lifespan Sessions 2003_
-- Deforge - _Freedom Release_
-- Helgor - _Untitled Demo_
-- Solemnus - _A Nightshade Symphony_
-- Spazmosity - _Storm Metal_
-- Warblade - _Release the Angel of Death_
-- Coffee, Canadians and Common Ground: Milwaukee MetalFest XVII
-- A Mini Milwaukee: Dying Fetus, Skinless, Divine Empire, Misery
Index and Stavross in Cedar Falls, Iowa
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
In last issue's review of Peaceville's four Darkthrone re-issues, we
mentioned we had found a problem with the remastering of _A Blaze in
the Northern Sky_. Peaceville has since acknowledged that the first
pressing of _A Blaze in the Northern Sky_ does suffer from a
background noise caused by a manufacturing problem. Peaceville asked
us to print a brief note stating that anyone who has purchased a
faulty disc should either exchange it for a good one at the store
where they bought it or, in case that's not possible, get in touch
with them directly -- so here it is, for the benefit of our readers.
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_, _,_ _, ___ _,
/ ` |_| /_\ | (_
\ , | | | | | , )
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
T H E D E A T H C U L T B E C K O N S
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
CoC chats with Erkekjetter Silenoz from Dimmu Borgir
by: Jackie Smit
The uber-posh surroundings of London's Hyde Park is hardly a setting
where you'd expect to find the members of one of Norway's premier
black metal bands hanging out, and I can't help but be somewhat
apprehensive as I step off the Tube dressed in a Dying Fetus T-shirt.
Certainly my clothing draws a fair amount of attention from the
designer-clad trendites that go about their business on the busy high
street -- not least from the doorman of The Royal Lancaster Hotel,
today's designated meeting place, who looks set to either phone the
police or off me himself. However, a brief explanation from the
always affable Nuclear Blast PR guru and I am whisked into the
front of a swanky bar, where I am introduced to Erkekjetter
Silenoz, guitarist extraordinaire and founding member of Dimmu Borgir
-- a band needing no introduction, who stand alone amidst the
phantasmagoria of black metal acts and who are about to unleash
arguably their most accomplished masterpiece on the world.
CoC: Silenoz, first and most obviously: how would you describe the
difference between _Death Cult Armageddon_ and _Puritanical
Euphoric Misanthropia_?
Erkekjetter Silenoz: The production is better -- a lot better,
actually. The arrangements of the songs are a
lot better; at least we think so, anyway. And
overall, it just sounds advanced and as though
everything has really been taken properly to the
next step.
CoC: Would you say that it is at all heavier than _PEM_?
ES: Yeah, it's definitely heavier. There's a lot more groove and even
though there's maybe not as many fast parts, it's a lot more
extreme, I think.
CoC: And how do you feel the contribution of the Prague Philharmonic
Orchestra on this record added to the end result?
ES: It added another dimension in the 'weight' of the band, because
with this orchestra we were able to use a lot more percussion, as
well as a horn section. There were almost fifty people involved
this time, compared to the fourteen we used last time round, but
we still had to recreate some of the orchestral parts with
keyboards because in the end it would sound better that way.
CoC: You again used Frederik Nordstrom for the second time running to
produce the new record. What was the motivation in the decision
to work with him again?
ES: Well, it came out pretty decent last time round, I think. We only
had three or four days to do the final mixing on _Puritanical
Euphoric Misanthropia_, which is actually very crucial in our
music, where so much is happening at one time. So we met up with
Frederik and he agreed that we should give it another go and give
it more time. Also, on the last album we knew what we had done
wrong, as he did as well, and this helped the new record come out
really strong in the end.
CoC: So, would you say that you are 100% satisfied with how _Death
Cult Armageddon_ has ended up sounding?
ES: Well, at least from my point of view, definitely. I don't think
that we could have recorded or mixed the album any differently.
Frederik did a fantastic job in getting everything to flow
together really well and giving every instrument a lot of room to
breathe, which in our music is sometimes very hard. He knew what
to improve this time round, so we are definitely more satisfied,
which I think will come out on the record when people hear it.
CoC: Is there a theme running through _Death Cult Armageddon_?
ES: It's not a concept album, but there's definitely an underlying
theme. I wrote the lyrics from the perspective that mankind is
heading toward its own destruction and we can't blame anyone or
anything but ourselves. I also tried to make the lyrics more open
and tried using a lot of symbolism, while at the same time
attempting to make it more understandable for the younger
generation. I mean, at the end of the day, we can't force or
persuade people to do something, because we just have one
opinion, and it's not our job to tell people what to do. If
people agree with something, then that's cool. We're not here to
preach to anyone, because that's up to the religious people.
CoC: When the new Cradle of Filth record _Damnation and a Day_ came
out, a lot of journalists in the press were acting as though
their use of an orchestra was something groundbreaking or unique
in black metal. Considering that Dimmu Borgir had already done
it on _PEM_, how did you react to this?
ES: No, we don't care really, because we have always been compared to
Cradle of Filth for some reason. I'm sure that they don't know
why they're being compared to us either. We both sell a lot of
records and we've had the same drummer, but other than that
there's nothing I can think of. They have a totally different
visual thing to us and they're totally different to us musically
as well. The media have ripped the Cradle of Filth and Dimmu
Borgir comparisons totally out of context. I think that they're
trying to stir up a rivalry between us for some reason, but it's
not something we are particularly concerned with.
CoC: Still on the topic of Cradle of Filth though -- along with
Satyricon, they are now signed to a major label. Do you see this
as a possibility for Dimmu Borgir in the future?
ES: No, I don't think so. There's no reason for us to do so, since
we are the highest priority on Nuclear Blast. They're more
independent and they have more knowledge of metal in general. And
I'd dare to say that they have a better distribution net than
Sony or Epic as far as extreme music is concerned. We have no
reason to even think about changing labels, because right now our
situation is pretty much perfect.
CoC: Ten years ago it would have been unthinkable for a black metal
band to sign to a major label.
ES: Well, when we were doing the _Spiritual Black Dimensions_ tour in
1999, some representatives from Warner Records met us in Germany.
We shook hands and spoke for a while and they seemed interested
in some sort of deal, but we basically told them that the
situation we had at Nuclear Blast was perfect for us, and there's
no point in changing, and I feel the same way today.
CoC: With all the changes that Dimmu Borgir have gone through from
_For All Tid_ to _Stormblast_ to _Enthrone Darkness Triumphant_
through until _Death Cult Armageddon_, do you feel that Dimmu
Borgir can still be looked upon as a black metal band?
ES: Definitely, and I think so now more than ever -- at least in
musical terms. But it's been ten years since we started and it's
been nine years since we released the first album. I don't like
to have to use the word, but musicians and people 'evolve' in the
time that it takes you to make each album. In that time you hear
a lot of new things and you are influenced by a lot of new
elements. So, every album for us is a natural progression, even
if it doesn't sound that way. We produce the quality of material
which we expect from ourselves and we can not look back on or
look at our music as objectively as other people. We do what we
feel is right at the time and I know a lot of people think that
we should continue in a particular style instead. But it's our
lives and it's our music and we wouldn't do something we aren't
100% happy to do. We never go into the studio unless we feel
ready and we don't give Nuclear Blast a master tape unless we're
completely happy with it. Speaking about the progression again --
when you look at the difference between _Enthrone Darkness
Triumphant_ and _Stormblast_, the main change was in the sound,
because we actually used a lot of material that we had left over.
That's also why I don't understand people criticising certain
things and saying that everything sounds so much different,
because even if the sound has changed over the years, the
material is not all that different.
CoC: Dimmu Borgir has gone through a lot of line-up changes in the
past decade. How do you feel that has affected the band as a
whole and how has it impacted on the music?
ES: I guess it has kept our sound fresh, because in the past we would
always have someone new on every album and that person would put
their influence into the writing process. And that also helps the
music in progressing from album to album. I think that this is
the second time in our history that we have the same line-up from
one album to another, which is good, because it helps you work
well together if you feel like you have a stable line-up.
CoC: So, you feel that the unit you have now is the definitive Dimmu
Borgir line-up?
ES: <laughs> Well, I don't want to say like I have said in the past
that this is the final line-up, but for sure this line-up
works really well in the studio and the writing and the live
environments. I would be pretty upset if it were to change, but
you have no guarantees.
CoC: Dimmu Borgir have always tried to bring a theatrical element
tinto he live shows. As your profile heightens, do you see this
tbeing aken to the next level of production?
ES: Sometimes you feel like less is more, you know? There's just so
much you can do short of shredding your money, but at the same
time you want to give people a reason to spend money and come to
your show and think that it was worthwhile. As long as we can
maintain that feeling, we're satisfied.
CoC: What do you think of the current state of black metal in 2003?
ES: These days the term black metal is so wide, whereas ten years
ago, there were only a handful of bands that you could really
call that. I mean, now if you walk down the street, some people
might tell you that Marilyn Manson is black metal, just because
it has the same rebellious attitude that black metal has always
had. But I think that black metal should be more intellectual and
give people more to think about than Manson does with his music.
CoC: Do you think that black metal, the way it is right now, still
holds true to the ideals of bands like Mayhem and Darkthrone?
ES: I think that's a question for each individual band. We make very
much second-generation black metal, but we keep the traditions
and ideals of first-generation black metal alive in our music.
CoC: But at the same time, you guys were never part of the early '90s
burst of Norwegian black metal -- do you feel as though you're
considered to be outsiders?
ES: Kind of. We have come this far just because of our music, and I
don't think you can say that for other bands. I'm really proud
that we have been able to get where we are using just music as
our weapon.
CoC: Well, thanks for your time, Silenoz. Any parting comments from
your end?
ES: We're going to be touring in Europe as of October -- we'll be in
London on the 5th of October. Come and see us!
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
A S B I G A S T H E R O L L I N G S T O N E S ?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
CoC interviews Tom Klimchuck of Pro-Pain
by: Aaron McKay
You're never too old to learn something. It wasn't long into my
forty- five minute talk with Tom, Pro-Pain's lead guitarist, that I
re- discovered that truth sometimes is a lot stranger than fiction.
Would you believe it if I told you that on the new effort, _Run for
Cover_, these hard-hitting veterans cover a song by a band that draws
a crowd at least equal to that of the Rolling Stones? It's true;
among the Celtic Frost, Agnostic Front, Motorhead and Slayer tracks
redone by Pro-Pain (with their one-of-a-kind sound), Tom, Gary
Meskil, Eric Klinger, and Eric Matthews offer their listeners some
preliminary exposure to a German band called the Bohse Onkelz. You'll
never guess what Tom had to say about their (tons of) fans. Let's get
this thing rolling and I'll let my articulate interviewee fill us all
in...
CoC: I've always considered Pro-Pain to be more of a -live- band
because of the energy rather than having your best stuff done in
the studio...
Tom Klimchuck: Yea, I think you're right. I think it comes mostly
from the environment. Playing shows is just -so- much
more enjoyable than being in the studio. I've been
engineering Pro-Pain's stuff in the studio and Eric
Klinger is getting involved with that too now, so he
and I are a little more comfortable in the studio
than Gary. <laughs> It's such a sterile and uptight
environment in the studio. It's much more fun to tear
it up on stage.
CoC: Is this the first time that you guys went to Pittsburgh to
record in Eric's studio?
TK: Hum, let's see... Yea, I believe it is.
CoC: Was that any different for you guys having things kept so close
in the family right down to the recording of the album?
TK: I think a lot of the appeal of this record is that we did it
really fast. We didn't spend a whole lot of time on it and it was
something that was as close to spontaneous as we get in the
studio. It was something that we took on as more of a fun project
and not get so wrapped up in it. Being as such they are all cover
songs, we should have a chance to enjoy them a little bit. I
think the recording was done in a matter of a couple of weeks. I
think all that captured the amount of fun we had doing this
album.
CoC: Having members in the band involved in the recording, mixing and
engineering, treating the band like a business, do you find that
is another opportunity to keep creative control?
TK: Oh, yea -- totally. The reason we started doing that back in late
1995 was that we released our first two records using a producer
that we were fairly happy with, but, comparatively to other
stuff being released at the same time, it was a little more
punk/hardcore, where we'd have to go a little more metal in the
production aspect of it. Just because there are records like
_Vulgar Display of Power_ coming out at the same time and those
are some pretty heavy, serious productions -- that is what we
were hoping to keep up with. I introduced the idea of taking the
money we would have spent on going with another producer for the
next album and buying some equipment and doing it ourselves. I
had a little bit of experience at engineering at the time, but
really, thinking back, I had a lot of balls to bring that up.
<laughs> Then it got handed to me, so then I thought I should
figure out how to do this... <laughs> I think that we are the
type of people who'd rather just have ourselves to blame if
things don't work out rather than go through the frustration of
having someone else screwing your stuff up.
CoC: Who shoulders the responsibility for keeping the band on track?
TK: As far as the tunes go, the majority is done by Gary; he writes
all the lyrics since he's singing them, but Eric and myself
contribute in terms of music and we do the recording aspect of it
as well. We each count on ourselves for our own instrument. We
all police ourselves and have a checks and balances kind if
system. It's more of a team effort than anything, but the
majority of writing falls to Gary.
CoC: Like the music you create, you guys must be tight personally,
too, I'd think...
TK: Yea, Gary and I have been doing this for closing in on a dozen
years now and with the kind of schedule that we've kept you can't
help but really know each other -- weather that's for the good or
for the bad. <laughs> We're still together and we seem to be
getting the hand of this. I think we're working better together
these days than we have in the past and long the way you can't
help but become close with one another.
CoC: A lot of bands don't enjoy the longevity that you guys have.
Having a rigorous touring schedule, do you guys have a favorite
venue? Fan base somewhere?
TK: Wherever we play, we must attract a certain type of person, so
that the people that do come to our shows are Pro-Pain fans.
We've never been the flavor of the week; the people coming to our
shows have our records and they are familiar with us. All around
the world, I see more similarities than differences -- from the
Germans to the people in the Czech Republic to places like
Croatia. All over the place they seem to be there because they
have a similar feel they get from the music. They seem to come as
many times as we play, they'll show up! I can't say that we've
had a gigantic amount of success, but we've certainly kept it
respectable, especially for an independent band these days.
CoC: I remember a show I caught Pro-Pain at Jaxx in Alexandria,
Virginia with Sacred Reich...
TK: I remember that show!
CoC: It seems like the crowd, weather they were there for Sacred
Reich or not, got caught up in Pro-Pain's energy.
TK: It's funny, in that particular venue, we consistently played in
front of the same 150 to 200 people every time we played there --
we got to feeling like they had 'em stored in the freezer in the
back or something and brought them out for the show. <laughs>
CoC: Taking into mind who I am interviewing here, when I first
encountered Pro-Pain way back on _Foul Taste of Freedom_, I
guess what drew me in was the Crumbsuckers connection...
TK: Right. Oh, yea... As a matter of fact, the first thing that
piqued my interest in Pro-Pain, as far as auditioning for the
guitar part, - was- I was such a fan of the Crumbsuckers. I heard
the similarities right off the bat, although it is quite a leap
-- I could still recognize the style of some of the riffs
[between the two bands]. There are at least some imbedded
characteristics. From the first time I heard it, I was a fan of
Pro-Pain.
CoC: Getting to the new album, on _Run for Cover_, did you guys have
a list of songs you wanted to do? Were there songs that you had
that didn't make it on that you wished would have?
TK: Yea, actually there was a -huge- list -- probably, all said and
done, there was like fifty songs. We all compiled a list of songs
that we'd like to do. We would have liked nothing more than to do
a Ramones cover, 'cause we're huge Ramones fans, but for Gary to
sing the Ramones, it's just not going to sound right. We'd never
wanna take something on and not do it justice. The list got
narrowed down and hammered down more and more and more. There was
a lot of oddball songs floating around -- AC/DC songs, we were
talking about doing an Eagles song. There were a lot of different
influences that we could have brought to the table, but we just
didn't want to sound foolish and we didn't want it to seem like a
joke; although people don't realize that our influences may be
different than what they may have expected.
CoC: Eric Klinger did some vocals on the new one, too, right?
TK: We refer to him as the "multi-talented Eric Klinger". <laughs>
Every e-mail I send him, that's how it is addressed. He's a
really talented guy. "The Crowd" by Operation Ivy -- to be honest
-- I was never much of a fan of that band; I'm not much for the
West coast "happy-core" type of music. When I heard his vocals it
really came together for me because he really just tore it up on
the vocals on that track.
CoC: "Terpentin"?
TK: Yea, it is a song by a -huge- German band called the Bohse Onkelz.
CoC: My first exposure to these guys...
TK: Let me clue you into this band. Nobody outside of Germany really
knows these guys. -In- Germany, they are the biggest rock band
out there. As a matter of fact, they have the opening slot for
the Rolling Stones tour.
CoC: Damn!
TK: Check this out, this is how popular this band is: the Rolling
Stones were booked in probably 65,000 to 80,000 seat venues and
they were doing only about 20,000 tickets per show. They looked
around for support acts and the Bohse Onkelz came up because
these guys have a die-hard group of fans, and within about four
or five days of them being up on the bill, the ticket sales
doubled! They are probably responsible for more tickets than the
Stones. This is a band that we went on tour with as special
guests on their tour in 1998. It was quite an experience. It
would be like what you'd think of touring with Aerosmith -- just
the biggest of the big production and everything else. The Bohse
Onkelz were nothing but gracious and generous and very kind. I
think that we've managed to earn their respect and they have
certainly earned ours! When I think of the following these guys
have, I've never seen anything like it; not even in movies. Their
fans are - the- most fiercely loyal fans than I have ever seen in
my life. They know every single word to the two hour and forty
five minute set that they play; these people know every word and
are singing them at the top of their lungs -- in an outdoor
amphitheater, you can barely hear the band. It is really
something to see!
CoC: Thank you for all your time during this interview, Tom! Please
allow me to offer you the last words.
TK: A -huge- "thank you" for all the years of support from everyone
out there. Rest assured we will be coming back with new material
and doing some shows for everyone and we'll see everyone out
there!
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
A D R E A M C O M E T R U E
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
CoC chats with Agnette Kirkevaag of Madder Mortem
by: Aaron McKay and Pedro Azevedo
Intro by: Pedro Azevedo
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Having recently completed the Madder Mortem experience by watching
them live (supporting Opeth), I can now safely state that these
Norwegians should be firmly ranked amongst the best bands in their
country -- and indeed the metal world. Their music screams the
band's inspiration and self-belief at the listener while dwelling
in melancholy and brooding anger; its level of uniqueness is
considerable, and its execution remarkable. After three full-length
albums, Madder Mortem have already unleashed an enviable collection
of superb cuts, yet still seem to remain poised for their true
masterpiece -- though only time will tell whether they can ever
exceed their last couple of efforts. The following is a well deserved
interview with the band's vocalist, the talented Agnette Kirkevaag,
whose passion for the band's music remains obvious throughout.
Interview by: Aaron McKay
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
CoC: To begin with, I noticed "Necropol Lit", _Deadlands_'s first
full cut, seems to be particularly unique to the rest of the
album -- more power and heavily driven, if you will. Can you
elaborate a bit on that?
Agnette Kirkevaag: It's a very band-and-groove based song. It was the
first track we wrote after the release of _All
Flesh Is Grass_, and large parts of the song were
jammed into being in the rehearsal room. Playing
really groovy and extremely heavy stuff is great
fun, so it was a very natural foundation to start
building both the song and the album on. From the
moment we finished it, it was clear that it would
open the album -- it has the slightly arrogant
attitude and the driven feeling that we wanted
to set the record straight from the beginning.
<laughs> The main riff is much more about brutish
power than any kind of finesse, and it's a very,
very cool live song as well.
CoC: Along those lines, what would you say the opening track,
"Enter", accomplishes as the initial sounds the listener is
exposed to on _Deadlands_? Is that song a subtle gateway to the
intrinsic mood of what Madder has to offer on this release?
AK: Eh, yes... You didn't leave much room for an explanation there,
hehe. It's meant to make the listener start focussing, and to
direct the general mood in the right direction for the rest of
the album, sort of a boundary between reality and the deadlands.
It also establishes a kind of connection between _Deadlands_ and
_All Flesh Is Grass_, since the very first words spoken are a
quote from "Breaker of Worlds" from _AFIG_.
CoC: Madder Mortem seems to have a tight kinship between its members.
If that is indeed so, how does it affect the music the band
creates?
AK: Yes, that's correct. I've always found it very important to play
with friends, and to make the internal ties in the band as strong
as possible. I'd rather play with the right person who's not
perfect technically, than play with a brilliant musician who
personality-wise is the wrong guy. It shines through in the
music, but it's difficult to explain or pinpoint. Much of the
intensity comes from a whole band diving into the same feeling
and going for a common goal. There's also more consideration for
the total song than for each instrument on its own. Most
important of all, though, is the fact that playing in a band
should be fulfilling and fun, and I find it difficult to get to
the level of musical ecstasy I prefer without being close to the
people I'm working with. And playing and writing your own music
and lyrics is pretty intimate and revealing -- I wouldn't let
just anybody in on that.
CoC: Do you find it more difficult to create the kind of doomy, but
unclassifiable symphonic tapestry Madder Mortem weaves than,
say, less melodic-laden material sometimes done by other bands?
In other words, does this type of music come easy to Madder
Mortem, or is it more deliberate than it comes across?
AK: This is what we make when we make what is natural to us. I think
it would be much harder for us to put any constraint on what
we're doing. This far, we've made music purely to satisfy our own
tastes, and I believe that's how it's going to be in the future
as well. It - is- deliberate, but not in the sense you're
thinking. There are hours and hours of work on each little piece,
but the goal we're working towards is making it 'right', not
forcing the ideas into some preconceived shape.
CoC: How would you compare _Deadlands_ to _All Flesh Is Grass_? To
1997's _Misty Sleep_?
AK: Hmmm... Where _All Flesh Is Grass_ is head-on aggression
and snarling impatience, _Deadlands_ is a deeper and more
introspective anger, with an undertow of hopelessness. _AFIG_ is
lashing out, it's very impulsive and restless. _Deadlands_ is
controlled, patiently building towards a release that never quite
comes. _Misty Sleep_ is a decent demo, but it's hard to make up
an unbiased opinion about it now. I very much like some of the
ideas and songs, though the musicianship is hardly perfect. Three
of the songs ("Under Another Moon", "He Who Longed for the Stars"
and "Misty Sleep") were re- recorded on our debut full-length
_Mercury_, so I'd definitely recommend that version.
CoC: Personally, I find Madder Mortem's songs very clean, but very
provoking at the same time. Where does the band pull its
inspiration form?
AK: From ourselves; our personalities and experience and
likes/dislikes, and from everything that happens to us. Boring
hours in traffic, great parties, interesting and/or annoying
people, beautiful summer days, freezing cold winters, good books,
soppy romance novels, miserable action movies and the classics,
good food and tour food... Everything that happens to you is a
part of who you are, and that's my main aspiration in writing
music: to put all that I am into it, without reserve. Not
everything is concretely useful, but it's a part of what makes
you like the tones and words you pick out for your song. And for
me, the highest possible level of personal input is essential.
Every song needs to be given birth to by an honest heart. (Phew,
this got very philosophical, but it's a very central and
important theme to me. This is what keeps me awake and running.)
CoC: Lyrically, the songs on _Deadlands_ seem unrefined and
uninhibited. Are they derived from personal experience or
something else altogether?
AK: They're very, very personal, but in a very metaphorical style. I
think you'd have difficulties connecting the lyrics to plausible
happenings in my life, unless, of course, you knew me very well.
I take the feeling behind and some of the motivation from an
aspect of myself I don't share with anybody else, and then work
on the phrasing and wording. I read quite a lot, so I try to get
my words to have some literary qualities as well, not just
emotional ravings.
CoC: How important is artistic freedom (label or otherwise) to the
Madder Mortem sound? Is it an imperative?
AK: Yes, it's imperative. Our main motto has always been "music
without boundaries". Naturally, that should also go for
production, lyrics, artwork, etc. One has to accept financial
limits, but apart from that: no, no, no.
CoC: Vocally, are you classically trained?
AK: I've had a couple of classical lessons, but the way my voice
sounds can be blamed on singing in a band -- a -lot-.
CoC: As a listener, I have to say, I find the lyrics to be as
significant as the music itself. I mean, what is communicated
appears to be as much a part of Madder Mortem as the guitars,
drums and bass. Would you agree? If so, why?
AK: It is a very important part, especially for me, but the music is
the essential part. As I see it, lyrics are there to emphasize
the feelings in the music or the ideas behind it, or to add
another aspect to the total picture. Still, the lyrics are a big
part of Madder Mortem. Once again, it has something to do with
group mentality: a good lyric, one that I find is true and a
correct interpretation of the song, will lend quite a lot of
extra strength to the vocals, which will be more inspiring for
the rest of the band. It can also help suggest expressions for
the other members; some words will perhaps want to be underlined
by a small drum fill.
CoC: Building on that point, it seems like the title track,
"Deadlands", comes across as a voyage of self-realization. Is
that the case or are the band's songs purposefully left open for
interpretation?
AK: I mostly leave as much as possible open, both to activate the
listener, but also because some of the subject matters are far
too private for discussion. Regarding the song "Deadlands", it is
more of a story of blind, chaotic destruction and mindless
vengeance (since there's absolutely nothing left to lose), and of
sorrow and betrayal that is too fundamental to accept and
contain.
CoC: Changing subject, I understand your tour to Mexico was the first
ever outside of Europe. How did the band enjoy that? Were the
crowds open to Madder Mortem's style?
AK: Well, apart from the fact that due to unlucky circumstances we
arrived without any gear or baggage at all approximately two
hours before we were due on stage, Mexico was really good. The
festival was well organized, and we were treated well. The gig
could have been quite a bit better with our own seven-strings
instead of borrowed six- strings, but all in all, pretty good.
Since it was only one gig, under very strange circumstances, I
don't really know, but the Mexicans seemed to be interested. I
hope we'll have the possibility to go back there for a longer
time and some more gigs.
CoC: Speaking of tours, you are on tour with Type O Negative
currently, right?
AK: Eh, no... we're not, and have never been on tour with Type O. It
would probably be fun, but... This misunderstanding may come from
the fact that we thought we were going to do a local support gig
for them in Oslo, but it got cancelled, since their support band
brought their own backline, hehe.
CoC: How did it come to be that you found yourselves on tour with
Opeth, then? I would think that kind of exposure for Madder
Mortem would be second to none!
AK: Mikael [Akerfeldt, Opeth vocalist/guitarist] really likes our
records, that's the main reason. We got some support from our
label, but we put in about 70% of the budget ourselves. It was
hard for us financially, but a dream in every other way. If I
could have picked freely amongst all bands whom to tour with at
that time, I would have wanted to go with Opeth -- so it was very
much a dream come true. On top of that, they are very nice and
entertaining guys, the conditions of the tour were generally
good, and we got to play to a huge amount of people who had
probably never heard of us before. Opeth aren't quite as huge in
Europe as they are in the US, but I believe it was a good crowd
for us to play for. At least Opeth fans won't get scared away if
you play a song that's longer than five minutes... <laughs>
CoC: "Resonatine", the last cut of the CD, happens to be my personal
favorite. Could you give me some insight into the background of
that song? It comes across so powerful, yet desperate in some
way...
AK: It is very desperate, and I really think we got the point through
on that one. Let's say it's about clinging on to hope so long
that it becomes a prison. On the musical side, "Resonatine"
started off as a whimsical reconstruction of a song from _Misty
Sleep_, but quickly grew into a very important step for Madder
Mortem.
CoC: The cover art for _Deadlands_ is extremely understated in its
intensity and vivid nature. A former Madder Mortem band member
is responsible for doing that, yes?
AK: Yes, that's the guitarist from _Misty Sleep_ and _Mercury_. His
name is Christian Ruud, and he's a close friend of ours. Right
now he's taking graphic design education, and he does want to do
more cover work, so spread the word... Actually, we try to "keep
it in the family" as much as possible. For instance, our
webmaster is the guitarist from our first demo; one of the models
for the _Deadlands_ cover is my former roommate; and my dad did
the band photo inside the _All Flesh Is Grass_ cover. Working
with friends is more fun, and they care about how they perform
and deliver in a way no 'professional' would. In addition, we
have very talented friends! (I'm awfully proud of 'em...)
CoC: Finally, if you would, please finish this interview with
anything you might like to say to the Chronicles of Chaos
readers, Agnette. Thank you, too, for all your time in answering
these questions for the magazine!
AK: Well, I have to say is I hope we'll be able to meet any and all
of you on tour some time! I'd also like to encourage everyone who
has any kind of opinion on what we do to post a comment in our
website guestbook at www.maddermortem.com. We follow it very
closely, and it's always very interesting to see what you think.
And enjoy music for music's sake!
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S T R I K I N G O U T D O W N T H E D E F I A N T P A T H
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
CoC talks to Galder of Old Man's Child
by: Aaron McKay
Anyone will tell you, life is a cruel teacher. Why? For starters, it
ultimately kills all its pupils. On the other hand, with experience
comes wisdom and, as Ralph Waldo Emerson said, "the wise through
excess of wisdom is made a fool." Too much of any one thing may be
bad, but Old Man's Child seems to have struck the perfect balance.
_In Defiance of Existence_ is the sixth effort by founder, vocalist,
guitarist, producer and all-around creative influence behind Old
Man's Child, Galder. Pulling from extensive understanding of the
metal scene, Galder fashions a powerfully dynamic experiment in
extreme metal with this album. Furthermore, drawing from his unique
insight and talent, _In Defiance of Existence_ caters to even the
most discerning black/death metal fan. It is enough to say that there
is something to be found on this release for everyone.
Now, with a ferocious independence, Old Man's Child again walks a
path few dare to venture. First things first, let's take a look at
the past that made this band what they are today.
"When I was making _The Pagan Prosperity_", Galder begins, "I knew
that this form of black metal was completely new and I was a bit
concerned how people would react to it just because of that. People
certainly had mixed feelings about it; [the album] seemed to be more
appreciated in the states, for instance, than in Europe since, at
that time, most people were still hanging on to that old school black
metal thing. These days everybody seems to be mixing different styles
into the music -- heavy, thrash, death, etc. That was exactly what
OMC was all about since the beginning."
Presently, _In Defiance of Existence_ picks up on the band's whole
technique by starting off with such ferocious potency ("Felonies of
the Christian Art"). Why did Galder select that song as the opener to
the new release?
"This is the album where I had the most problems when deciding which
songs to put where", comes the metal veteran's reply. "So I suppose
that it was more of a coincidence than on purpose, but I also like to
start off the albums of with a heavy song."
Is there a connection between _In Defiance of Existence_ and _The
Pagan Prosperity_, whereas _Ill Natured Spiritual Invasion_ and
_Revelation 666 - The Curse of Damnation_ seem to be more intimately
related? Galder replies, "Actually, I think that all my albums can be
connected in one way or another, but you're right about one thing --
there are many ideas on this album dating back to _The Pagan
Prosperity_ days, especially with the acoustic guitars."
"The Underworld Domains", track eight from _In Defiance of
Existence_, very well could have been taken from _The Pagan
Prosperity_. But is that kind of correlation intentional? "Yeah!
You're right", Galder jumps in. "That song might as well be on _TPP_,
but mainly because it's one of the least black metal songs on the
album and has the same direction as many of the songs on _TPP_. I
don't think it's done intentionally, though."
When it comes to the band, is it totally a group effort? "Everything
in OMC goes through me in one way or another", confesses Galder. "I'm
very open-minded, so if the other guys have some cool ideas, then, of
course, I'm always willing to listen to them. 99% of everything
involving the band is done by me, however. This is not something I
want it to be like, it's just the way it's been over the years."
"Black Seeds on Virgin Soil" uses some rather provocative vocal
effects as well as some refreshing, straightforward black metal beats
and riffs. ""Black Seeds..." is a song that I would describe
personally as 'musically correct'", Galder explains. "With that I
mean every riff floats together and there's no misplaced riffs
anywhere. That doesn't always mean that it is a good song, but it is
something that I try to do in my music."
Have the line-up changes strengthened OMC as a whole? "I don't think
they have hurt the music in any way, since I'm always looking for the
right musicians for each album", he offers, "but, of course, having
line-up changes also has its downsides sometimes. Generally it is a
good thing for us since it gives the music a fresh input."
"Sacrifice of Vengeance" opens in a way unique to an OMC song. It has
restrained emphasis in the beginning then opens up into a full-on
guitar assault. But is it an entirely fresh approach for OMC? "Hmm,
hard to say", Galder reflects. "I wouldn't say so, I guess. If I
start a song slow, I feel it is necessary to blast it up a bit so it
doesn't lose its aggression -- which is of course the whole idea with
this type of music."
It seems a certain amount of intrigue lies in Old Man's Child's
ability to combine the harsh style of black metal with keyboards and
atmospheric nuances, yielding a singular darkness to the band's
sound. "I agree", consents OMC's frontman. "I just think it's a
combination of the different styles I grew up listening to when I was
younger. I have never really stuck in one direction and that is very
easy to hear in OMC."
Other than the vocals, the drumming seems to be a vital aspect to the
band. I ask Galder to elaborate on that, paying particular attention
to the involvement of Gene Hoglan, Grimar, Tjodalv and Nick Barker.
Galder rings in, "OMC would never work without a high class drummer.
I have tried out many different, very good drummers, but not with a
very good result. I really don't know why that is, but there must be
something in the music that, for some reason, many drummers find hard
to play or something... Being a good metal drummer is more than just
the ability to play fast on bass drums -- you also need the 'grove',
which many drummers lack. And that is definitely a quality that Gene
[Hoglan] and Nick [Barker] possess."
"In Quest of Enigmatic Dreams" invokes images of Morbid Angel
("Desolate Ways"). What was the idea behind this track? "That was
just some ideas I've had in my head for ages, since I was seventeen
or something", Galder clarifies. "We have never had the guts to
record it since it wasn't "dark" enough, really, so [now] we just
decided to record it and see how it sounded. Also we needed one more
song to make the album a bit longer, so there you go..."
Galder is going into the studio with Dimmu Borgir again soon. What
exactly is Galder's participation in that band? How did it come about
and what is his unique view of that unmistakable outfit? It might
appear that the two bands have enjoyed quite a history together
(_Devil's Path_ / _In the Shades of Life_).
"Yeah", comes the reply. "We will soon be finished with the album,
actually. I have done a lot on the album, but that's the good thing
with Dimmu -- everyone has ideas, so making music in this band is far
easier than anything I have done in the past." Galder continues, "We
did have a strong bond even before I joined the band, growing up
together and listening to the same music, etc."
Going back a bit, what are Galder's thoughts on Hot Records, around
1994, picking up on and running with the sound that became known as
Old Man's Child?
"I really don't have much to say about Hot Records", the founder of
Old Man's Child explains, "other than that the 'label' was nothing
more than a joke! We released two CDs there and even to this point in
time, we have not yet seen one penny from those releases. The owner
is nowhere to be found, which is probably the best thing for him
right now."
_In Defiance of Existence_ ends with a great cut, "Life Deprived".
Why did the new effort close with that song in particular?
"I wanted the album to open hard and close really hard", Galder
confesses. "That's the main reason for that choice. I also think that
song was the one that separated itself the most from the other songs
on _In Defiance of Existence_. I really didn't know where to put it.
Those songs always end up last for some reason."
Galder's final words for the interview: "Well, first of all thanks
tfor he interview; we hope to come over there in the near future to
torment your country for a few weeks."
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J U S T T O H E A R W H A T H E S P H Y N X
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
CoC interviews Moloch of Melechesh
by: Aaron McKay
If you've never heard the new effort from Melechesh, entitled
_Sphynx_, this interview was conducted give you reason to remedy that
-- not that you should need it. This effort -smokes- and has
everything your enraptured heart could desire. From start to finish,
Melechesh makes giant steps forward on this disc to push the envelope
of metal as we now know it. Cop a squat and absorb the insight
presented here about one of the genre's best kept secrets.
CoC: To begin, Moloch, congratulations on _Sphynx_! It is a killer
release, for certain. How would you compare it to your other
releases? Say, _Djinn_ and possibly the 7" limited release, _The
Siege of Lachish_?
Moloch: Thanks for everything. To answer your question, _The Siege of
Lachish_ started it all in 1996, when we used, for the first
time, Middle Eastern rhythmic patterns and melodies with
extreme metal on the title track. So everything started there
and continued on _As Jerusalem Burns... Al'Intisar_ and then
_Djinn_. Compared to the latest, _Sphynx_ is a more in-your-
face album, it's heavier and thrashier. All albums are
Melechesh albums, and all have the same trademark, the same
Mesopotamian metal sound (except for _AJB_ which is more
traditional black metal). It's important for us to have our
own sound, but at the same time not sound exactly the same
twice. That why _Sphynx_ explores other dimensions that were
left untouched when we wrote _Djinn_ or earlier material.
CoC: Labels like Mesopotamian black metal seem to mean precious
little when describing all that is involved with the complicated
sound of this band, though; does that label restrict Melechesh,
do you think?
M: I don't know. We forged the label of Mesopotamian metal to find
words to describe our music, but I don't really believe in labels.
You can manipulate words as much as you want; the music doesn't
necessarily follow. But in the case of Melechesh it does, that's
the reason why we stick with the label of Mesopotamian metal,
without sticking to the whole labeling thing in general. But you
can call it what you want, it's still Melechesh! I believe that
with _Sphynx_ we have reached a point where Melechesh has its own
sound and trademark, and that's what really matters. The label
doesn't restrict Melechesh because both are coextensive: Melechesh
is Mesopotamian metal and vice versa; if one changes so does the
other. It just represents the whole world the Melechesh spirit
dwells in, and there are still many aspects that we need to
discover.
CoC: Most people already understand the impressive background and
origins of Melechesh, so I won't waste your time rehashing it
here. That said, the band has come a -long- way since the
underground scene in 1993 -- what would you attribute this to?
M: I think the fact that this band was built on a will of creating
its own sound made us go through these ten years. When you have
things to discover and to create you don't get discouraged. On a
musical level, you're pushed to continue because you feel that
you're getting somewhere, and on a personal level, the music you
do is a kind of spiritual fulfillment. Besides all this, it's also
the discipline, will and respect that we have as band members
towards each other and towards what we do in Melechesh.
CoC: As a key member of Melechesh, you seem to contribute a great
deal to the band's overall. How does the membership dynamic work
within Melechesh?
M: Yes, I've been there since the beginning with Ashmedi, and so far
everything has gone through the two of us before happening. But it
is actually Ashmedi who is the key member of Melechesh, because he
came up with the whole idea and he has always been the main
composer. He's also managing the whole thing (even if it's
something he doesn't particularly appreciate!). But Al'Hazred
(bass) and I co-composed some tracks and Proscriptor (from Absu)
wrote half of the lyrics on _Sphynx_. We all contribute, because
each of us can bring different aspects to the band that can only
make it more interesting -- be it musically, lyrically, visually,
etc. But, of course, there is always a limit, because a band
cannot have its own sound and trademark if it's only a free
expression zone for all its members.
CoC: Specifically, about the three minute mark on the new release,
track three, "Annunaki's Golden Thrones", is a personal favorite
on the album. Would you elaborate a bit on that song and the
heaviness of that cut found on the track, please?
M: That track is the fastest song on the album. We're more of a mid-
tempo band, no need to go two thousand miles an hour to be heavy,
but in some cases it helps -- and that's when "Annunaki's Golden
Thrones" comes in. Conceptually, the song deals with a visual
hallucination of the planet Nebiru, where the Annunaki Giants were
supposed to come from in Mesopotamian mythology. The planet
appears as a cosmic desert, with too much gravity -- a sort of
black hole, but made of sand.
CoC: Hands down, the -thick- feel of "Apkallu Counsel" is my choice
for another of the premier cuts off _Sphynx_! It changes
texture, from start to finish, with ease, but never leaves the
listener questioning the ultimate direction of the track. What
are your thoughts on this song, and do you attribute that to
Melechesh's 'no bullshit' approach to metal?
M: "Apkallu Counsel" is one of those tracks that was written by us
all; it's not your typical song with rock 'n' roll structure, and
instead has a very complex progression of riffs and beats. It's
like a story -- you pass from one world to another with riffs
intertwining with other riffs, lots of breaks and rhythmic
changes. All mid-tempo and fucking heavy! Like you say, it's
complex, but it keeps your head banging. Lyrically, it deals with
the myth of the Seven Sages (called the Apkallu Sages) who were
wise men sent by the god Ea to bring seven arts and crafts to
mankind.
CoC: In my opinion, the band has an incredibly fresh appeal, not only
on this album, but your entire back catalog as well. Is this due
to the unique composition of the band members, your topics of
interest, both, or something else entirely?
M: It was the will of the band to create its own sound, find
different rhythms, different ways of riffing, etc. Now on some
albums you can really hear it, like _Djinn_ and _Sphynx_, and on
[other] albums a bit less; that's the case of _As Jerusalem
Burns... Al'Intisar_. Because first Breath of Nights Records
wanted to re-release our demo, then we decided to re-record the
demo and add some other material (everything which was straight to
the point black metal with some oriental touches).
CoC: Just for a minute, I'd like to explore the lyrics behind
_Sphynx_; obviously these are well-researched and in-depth. How
would you say they differ from albums past, and what all goes
into communicating what exactly Melechesh gets across to the
listener?
M: Lyrically, we have always dealt with two main subjects:
Mesopotamian culture (mythology, history, mysticism...) and the
occult. The originality of _Sphynx_ is that all the lyrics are
related conceptually. They all deal with the time in Mesopotamian
mythology before humanity when the gods created men and brought
them civilisation. That's the role of the Annunaki, or the Seven
Sages, who it is believed came from another planet and from the
sea (which was believed to surround earth) to bring civilization
to men. Also there's the "Tablets of Fate", which were believed to
contain the destiny of everything that lives -- the whole idea of
Destiny introduces the notion of history and the withdrawal of
humanity in time.
CoC: The two instrumentals on _Sphynx_ happen late on the CD. Some
bands use tracks like this to develop an atmosphere, but it
doesn't seem to me that is the case on the most recent Melechesh
offering. Are they indeed there to create a mood on the album,
or is there a more of a grand scheme to their inclusion on the
disc?
M: They are there to create atmosphere and to plunge the listener
deeper into our world. Also it's the space for us to use
traditional oriental instruments that we play -- just another way
to build the whole Mesopotamian ambiance.
CoC: From the onset, Melechesh seems to have a calculated edge to the
band's sound that totally enraptures the listener, I believe. Do
you think this is accurate, and how does Melechesh seem
to consistently 'develop' without losing their core defining
approach to metal?
M: It's hard, but the whole thing with Melechesh is to keep the
extreme metal core. The main guitars will always remain heavy
guitars, pounding drums and warm bass supporting everything. But
our personal contribution is to bring the "Mesopotamian sounds" in
these instruments by introducing new rhythms on drums inspired by
Middle Eastern rhythmic patterns, and also on the guitars by
finding different ways of riffing, scales, bridges, etc. We're
ready to do almost anything in order to recreate the Mesopotamian
feeling in our sound, except for one thing: losing the extreme
metal core that is the basis of our music.
CoC: It seems the cover art on _Sphynx_ (by Mr. Woodall) is indeed a
dramatic reflection on the material presented on the enclosed
CD. Could you express some of your thoughts on how that came
about and its connection to the tracks it represents?
M: We contacted Ron Woodall because we wanted someone that could
easily express visually what we easily express musically and
lyrically. Ron Woodall is a graphic designer in George Lucas'
Industrial Light and Magic. He worked in movies such as The Mummy,
Star Wars, Jurassic Park; it's his job to create visually what a
director sees in his head. So we contacted him, gave him the
visions we had of the _Sphynx_, the whole conceptual background,
and he delivered the result as you see it on the cover. To cut the
whole story short, you see a Mesopotamian sphynx in a cosmic
desert atmosphere, with light coming unto him from the sky. This
light represents the civilization the gods were supposed to have
brought to mankind. So basically, the sphynx is the guardian and
symbol of this knowledge brought by the new race of gods that
dethroned to old order (the one of the primordial gods: Tiamat,
Apsu, Anshar, Kishar, Mummu, etc.).
CoC: I understand Ashmedi has an endorsement deal with Vigier
Guitars. Can you tell us about that a little bit, please?
M: Ashmedi got in touch with Vigier Guitars because he had heard
a lot about them. He sent them a promo package, they were
interested, and they signed an endorsement deal. Ashmedi uses the
Marilyn Guitar. It's a fucking great guitar, extremely light,
every note sounds crystal clear.
CoC: Please end this with any parting words you might have for the
Chronicles of Chaos readers...
M: Thanks a lot for the interview! For more information about
_Sphynx_, you can check the enhanced CD-ROM section of the CD. For
more info about the band, you can check out our site at
www.melechesh.com.
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_, _, __, _,_ _, _ _,
/ \ | |_) | | |\/| (_
|~| | , |_) | | | | , )
~ ~ ~~~ ~ `~' ~ ~ ~
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!
Arch Enemy - _Anthems of Rebellion_ (Century Media, 2003)
by: Jackie Smit (8.5 out of 10)
Not to sound mean-spirited, but up to and including 2002's massively
acclaimed _Wages of Sin_ effort, Arch Enemy's take on melodic Swedish
death metal was one which held very little interest for me. Like many
of their contemporaries, I found their style tired and overdone to
the point of being redundant; and to be honest, the release of
_Anthems of Rebellion_ might well have passed me by had it not
been for a surprise package in my mailbox one fateful Tuesday
afternoon. Thank goodness for that then, because unlike the stale In
Flames-derived licks of yore, this seemingly hastily released record
showcases a far more aggressive, vitriolic side to the band from the
off. As opening behemoth "Silent Wars" so clearly demonstrates, Arch
Enemy have chosen this time round to steer clear of the tired
trappings of the past and instead have adopted an approach more
deeply rooted in the old-school traditions of Carcass and others of
their early nineties ilk. And, with the help of a tremendous
instrumental effort and the greatly improved vocals of one Angela
Gossow, they manage to pull it off beautifully. Indeed, Angela's
rasping snarl sounds more menacing than ever before and, with her now
clearly being more confident in her central role in the band, her
talent has literarily rocketed from adequate to hugely impressive.
Similarly, _Anthems of Rebellion_ also sees Arch Enemy successfully
experimenting more than ever with clean vocals and well-implemented,
sparse keyboard lines, which add a welcome dash of variety to the
proceedings. Unfortunately not all is perfect, and no doubt in an
attempt to appeal to younger fans, the lyrics on _Anthems of
Rebellion_ seem dumbed down to almost pre- pubescent levels --
witness the ultra-cheese of "Instinct" as a sterling example. This
aside though, Arch Enemy have produced perhaps their best record to
date, which if anything is sure to proselytise a fair amount of their
detractors, while keeping older fans clammering for more.
Black Label Society - _The Blessed Hellride_
by: Jackie Smit (7 out of 10) (Spitfire / Eagle Rock, 2003)
Whether your opinion of the man and his many painstakingly documented
booze-fuelled antics is that of unreserved adulation or nonchalant
disdain, let it at least be said of Zakk Wylde that apart from the
odd guest-appearance, he has thus far relatively avoided using his
day-job as six-stringer for that Osbourne guy to peddle Black Label
Society to the masses. Then again, BLS was never meant for the
mainstream. As appealing as its southern fried boogie metal could
potentially be to the less-enlightened listener, it is a labour of
love that was written by Wylde for Wylde -- if you want to join the
party, feel free; if not, fuck off. Unsurprisingly then, _The Blessed
Hellride_ provides little in the way of intellectual food for
thought, and certainly tracks like opener "Stoned & Drunk" aren't
meant to provoke any semblance of furious political debate. Even
so, there's an undeniable charm to Zakk Wylde and his drunken
Hallford-esque rants. Perhaps it's the organic crunch of a track like
"Suffering Overdue" -- sounding almost as though Wylde simply picked
up his guitar and let the music flow in any direction it chose -- or
the soulful acoustic nod to New Orleans sludgers Down of the title
track; but in a world of manufactured styles, conveyor belt music and
base-level reality TV, there's few things the world needs more than
the unapologetic honesty of a band like Black Label Society. Which
isn't to say that this is a masterpiece -- far from it: it's often
let down by a very lean production, and there are times when at the
very least, it sounds as though Zakk is seriously treading water
musically. But then again, one is doubtful that perfection was ever
the point of this exercise.
Bloodhammer - _Abbedissan Saatanalliset Houreet_
by: Matthias Noll (7 out of 10) (Northern Heritage, 2003)
I'm not really sure what to make of the "nun fondling some naked
man's erected penis" cover of this release but I think it's not
substantially inferior to another bunch of corpse painted bad-asses
re-enacting the artwork of _Under a Funeral Moon_ or _A Blaze in the
Northern Sky_. Musically these Finns have created a ripping album in
a style which is not too far away from bands you'd usually find on
the Barbarian Wrath label. Bloodhammer are simple and old-school to
the core while coming across as genuine; not like yet another bunch
of poseurs trying to fight for a seat in the last wagon of the retro
train. Imagine a bastard son of early Venom and German speed metal
with a grim production and shrieking black metal vocals on top of it
and you get the picture. Simplicity is the key to Bloodhammer's music
and these guys surely understand that there's an audience which
appreciates bands who simply let it rip the old-fashioned way without
a care in the world for anything that happened after 1986. While in
an overall sense the same could be said about the more thrashy and
far less black metallic Flagellator album, Bloodhammer have the
advantage of being able to unleash more aggression and simply rock
harder, better and in a much more energetic fashion. There's
certainly some room for improvements as far as the songwriting goes
and the whole album could sound more powerful if the bass was more
prominent in the mix, however, despite being unspectacular this is a
highly enjoyable, raw slab of metal!
Contact: http://www.cfprod.com/nh/
Cenotaph - _Pseudo Verminal Cadaverium_
by: Xander Hoose (4.5 out of 10) (United Guttural Records, 2003)
Not to be confused with the Brazilian Cenotaph, this four-piece hails
from Turkey, where the death and black scenes seem to be on the rise.
With _Pseudo Verminal Cadaverium_ being their third album already, I
find it hard to grasp why there is still a demand for it.
Cenotaph's style of gore-death is not just uncompromising in its
brutality, but unfortunately also in its lack of originality. Though
heavily borrowing from early Carcass material and with some slight
references to Fleshgrind, there is nothing wrong with _PVC_'s
technical capabilities. The vocals are a whole different deal,
however: it's not just that they sound uninspiring, at times they
sound so horrible it feels like Cenotaph is a parody of other gore
bands. I'd rather listen to Carcass or pop my Sickening Gore album in
the player than listen to this one again.
Contact: http://www.cenotaph.cjb.net
Chains of Flesh - _[Untitled]_ (Independent, 2003)
by: Xander Hoose (7 out of 10)
This US three-piece has been around for a few years, but this
still untitled record is their first official album, consisting of
six songs and clocking over 24 minutes. Musically, they play a
unsurprising yet solid form of mid-tempo death that has a nice flow
to it; the incidental use of dual vocals as well as clean vocals
create just that little bit extra that this band needs to get
noticed. Production is slightly disappointing, as the instruments
tend to sound a bit fuzzy -- a clearer sound wouldn't have hurt the
music. Not a groundbreaking album, but definitely worth the listen.
Contact: http://www.chainsofflesh.com
Chaosbreed - _Unleashed Carnage_ (Rising Realm Records, 2003)
by: Xander Hoose (6 out of 10)
Newcomer Chaosbreed isn't exactly 'new'. On vocals you'll find Taneli
Jarva (ex-Sentenced), on guitars Esa Holopainen (Amorphis) and Marko
Tarvonen (Moonsorrow, The Wicked). Bass duties are handled by Oppu
Laine (ex-Amorphis) and behind the drum-kit you'll find Nalle
�sterman (ex-Gandalf). An all-star Finnish line-up, leading you to
think that nothing could possibly go wrong. Well, not quite.
Chaosbreed's _Unleashed Carnage_ is a homage to the Swedish death
metal of the late eighties and early nineties when bands like
Entombed and Dismember ruled the scene. So we're treated to the
Swedish trademark whirring guitars, haunting bass loops, high-pitched
solos and growling vocals. Unfortunately, both vocals and production
are not up to modern day standards. Dismember, Entombed, Grave -- all
these bands have evolved, adapting their music and production to the
sign of times and show what a modern studio is capable of doing to
their music. With fans of those bands treated to these vast
improvements, I can't see there being a big fanbase for Chaosbreed
with their outdated sound -- myself, I'd rather play _Left Hand Path_
to get in the mood. Chaosbreed does have a big potential and their
members act as solid 'selling points', so hopefully they will be
picked up by a label that can provide them with adequate funds for a
good studio and producer. By the time that happens, I'd be more than
willing to give them another shot.
Contact: http://www.chaosbreed.net
Dew-Scented - _Impact_ (Nuclear Blast, 2003)
by: Jackie Smit (7.5 out of 10)
With thrash looking set to inhale its second wind, there are arguably
few acts that are more deserving of some belated kudos than Germany's
Dew-Scented, if only for persistently sticking to their formula of
triplet-led terror like stubborn mules through many a changing
musical trend. With the aptly titled "Acts of Rage" spearheading
proceedings, this follow-up to 2001's _Inwards_ effort immediately
showcases a distinct improvement in several key areas, not least the
razor-sharp precision with which the record's eleven tracks are
performed. There is also a clear progression in terms of sheer
brutality: the dynamic rhythmic attack of "New Found Pain" is
devastating, while the almost Anthrax-esque mid-tempo thud of "Soul
Poison" is not only impressive, but serves as a slight, though very
welcome change from the band's mostly full-speed ahead approach. As
much as Dew-Scented try and spice things up however, there are times
where listening to _Impact_ tends to become very much like watching a
great boxer throwing nothing but straight jabs for an entire match --
very one-dimensional, and on tracks like "Flesh Reborn" unfortunately
rather tedious. As such, Dew- Scented still trail behind superior
acts like The Haunted, but where the latter have often been referred
to as "the new Slayer", _Impact_ at the very least provides a strong
case for the Germans to be hailed "the new Testament".
Dissection - _Live Legacy_ (Nuclear Blast, 2003)
by: Quentin Kalis (8 out of 10)
_Live Legacy_ is a legitimate and re-mastered version of the _Frozen
in Wacken_ bootleg, recorded at the Wacken festival way back in
1997. It is no coincidence that _LL_ is released shortly before
vocalist and guitarist Jon Nodtveidt's release from prison, where he
is serving time for murder. A resurrection of the long-dormant
Dissection is planned, and this album is clearly intended to stir up
interest in Dissection -- who, unlike Burzum, has remained inactive
during Nodtveidt's incarceration. For those few who are perhaps new
initiates to metal and are unfamiliar with this once promising band,
Dissection perform a unique strain of melodic metal -- not quite
black, not quite Gothenburg death, but lying somewhere between the
two. The seven tracks are taken largely from _Storm of the Light's
Bane_, with a couple from _The Somberlain_ thrown in. Notable by its
absence is the classic "Night's Blood", which was apparently played
but there were some problems during its performance which excluded
its inclusion. A pity, as _LL_ feels incomplete without their
signature song. The live sound is amazing; apparently the bootleg has
predictably bad sound, but the sound here is clear. Nothing more
needs to be said; you either like Dissection or you don't. If you do,
then this album is an obligatory buy, even if you already have
_Frozen in Wacken_. If you never liked Dissection, this won't change
your mind.
Endzweck - _A Farewell to Arms_ (Out ta Bomb, 2003)
by: Xander Hoose (7 out of 10)
Japanese hardcore outfit Endzweck has just released _A Farewell to
Arms_, its second mini-album. In six songs and a mere sixteen
minutes, they prove themselves to be a talented outfit that is
skilled in creating very melodic and catchy hardcore songs. Playing
mostly with countrymates Envy and San Francisco based Under a Dying
Sun, fans of these two bands can blindly buy _AFtA_. Personally, I
wouldn't have minded a somewhat fuller production, but I'm absolutely
interested in hearing more of their recent material considering that
the material on this mini was recorded back in 2001.
Contact: http://www.endzweck.jp
Exhumed - _Anatomy Is Destiny_ (Relapse Records, 2003)
by: Jackie Smit (7.5 out of 10)
There are very few bands who can lay claim to influencing a genre as
much as English gore-grind grandfathers Carcass. With a seemingly
never-ending stream of acts either shamelessly emulating or borrowing
heavily from their sound, the many attempts at capturing their
essence has continually done little more than confirm their timeless
genius. Of course, for every three substandard Carcass imitators,
there have at least been some noteworthy and enjoyable efforts
-- a fine recent example being Aborted's latest _Goremageddon_
record. Exhumed's latest platter for Relapse Records easily stands
shoulder to shoulder with the aforementioned album in providing the
listener with an enjoyable reminder that _Necroticism: Descanting the
Insalubrious_ was, and forever will be, one of the most important
death metal records of all time. With Neil Kernon (evidently on his
way to becoming the next Scott Burns of extreme music) at the helm,
the Stateside quartet plough through eleven slabs of uncompromisingly
brutal and relentless extremity with the dexterity and skill you'd
expect from a band more than a decade into their career. "The Matter
of Splatter" is absolutely scorching, and its Dying Fetus-type dual
vocal attack raises the aggression levels to heights attained by a
very select few. "In the Name of Gore" is made conspicuous by its
more contemporary feel and outstanding soloing, though at no point is
it ever any less vicious than any preceding numbers. Unfortunately,
bar these commendable numbers, one would be hard-pressed to recall
any other specific highlights or outstanding moments. As good as the
album is overall, it bludgeons the listener without leaving much in
the way of a lasting or permanent impression.
Flagellator - _Channeling the Acheron_ (No Colours Records, 2003)
by: Matthias Noll (5.5 out of 10)
Featuring the usual black and white artwork with gothic letters,
_Channeling the Acheron_ is one of the more recent No Colours
releases. While Flagellator do not separate themselves from the black
metal pack via their artwork they do so with their music and play a
vicious brand of not overly fast to mid-tempo '80s style thrash with
an underground attitude and gruff vocals. I can hear some Destruction
among the riffing which usually is in the style of the early German
scene. Only the raw approach and the very genuine underground feeling
they manage to convey marginally sets them apart from the majority of
retro acts. There are a couple of killer moments on this album but
generally the songwriting is on the weak side, the music sounds a bit
too restrained instead of going for all-out violence and destruction
and the production is too dry for its own good. This can be fun to
listen to if you are in the mood for uncommercial, unpolished,
no- frills music. The impact of _Channelling the Archeron_ might
radically improve with a higher dose of alcohol in your blood, but
sadly the overall value of this release is only average. I bet
Flagellator will probably go as much unnoticed in 2003 as it would
have rightfully been ignored fifteen years ago.
HavocHate - _This Violent Earth_ (Root of All Evil, 2003)
by: Adrian Magers (7.5 out of 10)
It is indeed a violent earth, and HavocHate seem to take pride in
helping keep the world's music that way. New England seems to be the
epicenter to the American revitalization of thrash. Early attendees
of any of the dates of the recently concluded Motorhead/Anthrax tour
were treated to a live set from this up and coming act. The band
takes on a sound that draws influence from the likes of Testament,
Overkill, Slayer, etc. and makes the thrashy bits collide head-on
with groove that Pantera, Pro-Pain, and the like would surely approve
of. Speaking of Testament, guitar-god James Murphy lends his hand in
producing (and guest guitar), and his stamp of approval is reason
enough for metal enthusiasts to stand up and take notice. HavocHate
also has a killer guitar tone, a knack for throwing sonic curveballs,
well-executed vocals (which take on a semi-traditional speed metal
sound; not unlike Overkill, but more mid-ranged and slightly more
aggressive) and a good amount of individual talents to help them
stand out in the northeast corner of the United States, and the rest
of the world.
Contact: http://www.havovhate.com
Houwitser - _Damage Assessment_ (Osmose Productions, 2003)
by: Xander Hoose (7.5 out of 10)
Just like Inhume, Houwitser is yet another Dutch band signed to
Osmose and releasing their new album just in time for the Christmas
season (expected release date is November 2003). Whereas Inhume is
more focused on grind, Houwitser can definitely be classified
as honest brutal death. The most obvious sign of this is the
guitar playing, which is very technical and skilled -- not strange
if you consider guitarists Michiel and Alex have had plenty of
experience with their previous band Sinister. Vocals are above
average considering the competition; the grunts are all pretty
intelligible, which is a big plus to me. Unfortunately, even though
_Damage Assessment_ is a much better album than its predecessor, it
still seems to lack something elemental. Considering it is a very
solid album from beginning to end, it just doesn't impress me as much
as it should given the premises. Check it out for yourselves -- it
surely won't cause you any damage.
Contact: http://www.houwitser.com
Impaler - _Old School Ghouls_ (Root of All Evil, 2003)
by: Adrian Magers (6 out of 10)
Two decades of shock rock punk / metal and Satan only knows how many
gallons of fake blood, and Impaler give birth to their newest
release, squirming and covered in bodily fluids. The band has a lot
of history, and witnessed their best publicity coming from Tipper
Gore back in the PMRC days. Impaler's sound has a punk backbone, but
the vocals, guitar leads and other elements reveal a more metallic
sound. There's a raw quality, though the new Impaler (the version
that lead vocalist Bill Lindsey compiled back in '96) has benefited
from slightly better production values than the original lineup. And
besides, this band would sound plain wrong with a slick, glossy
studio sound. Overall, Impaler kind of sounds like what GWAR should
have early on. However, there's more to them than that. If you like
death rock, early thrash crossover, or have a tendency to like bands
featuring those who resemble the undead.
Contact: http://www.impalershockrock.com
Inhume - _In for the Kill_ (Osmose Productions, 2003)
by: Xander Hoose (8.5 out of 10)
Dutch death-grinders Inhume have found a new home at Osmose and
celebrate it by treating us to their brand new album _In for the
Kill_, a sixteen song journey into the depths of torture, mania and
mayhem. Those familiar with their previous albums don't need any
further introduction and only need to be assured that the songs are
even more violent and the production has turned up a notch.
Those not familiar with the band should feel very ashamed of
themselves, and then be on their way to the record store. Why? Tight
drumming, a dense bass-guitar layer, and excellent grunting --
guttural, yet reaching highs and lows in frequency. Inhume is still
top-notch entertainment for those who've become bored with Cannibal
Corpse's umpteenth album yet refuse to sacrifice listening to quality
material.
Contact: http://www.inhume.nl
Kilfast - _Tragedy Essential_ (Epoxy and Duct Tape, 2003)
by: Adrian Magers (7 out of 10)
"Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls... Dying time is here." So
begins a sample that leads into Kilfast's opening track "Temptation
of Fate". Their chosen moniker is definitely indicative to their
apparent disdain for subtlety. The band play a mix of death metal and
heavy groove metalcore with lyrics ranging from seething hatred of
religion to seething hatred of individuals. Definitely good for
banging the ol' head, and probably even better for shoving around
like-minded others in a live setting. The music is a good balance,
taking the low palm- muted ways of bands of hardcore-inspired music,
the fury of old-school American death, and the tenacity of thrash
metal, and forging the elements into something violent, nasty, and
somehow rather catchy. The highlight of this CD is probably "Helpless
in Heaven", which follows a total musical curveball in the form of a
beautiful piano-based instrumental. The contrast is amazing, and the
band should be commended for such a feat. These two tracks alone are
worth the price of admission. If you're looking for a band that has a
range touching both Deicide and Diecast, or just some kick-ass
groove-ridden heavy heavy metal, then Kilfast is for you.
Contact: http://www.kilfast.com
M.O.D. - _The Rebel You Love to Hate_ (Nuclear Blast, 2003)
by: Xander Hoose (4 out of 10)
More than six years after M.O.D.'s excellent _Dictated Aggression_,
Billy Milano has teamed up with guitar player Joe Affe and drummer
Danny Burkhardt to record his new assault _The Rebel You Love to
Hate_. The first surprise comes from the tracklist: _TRYLtH_ features
thirteen songs, but two of them are two unnecessary remixes and three
of them are "radio edits" which are no different from their
originals. A letdown, which leaves only eight songs. Those eight
songs are lyrically quite tongue-in-cheek, more so than M.O.D.'s
latests albums; "Wigga" against white rappers, "De Men of Stein"
against Rammstein, and then there's "Rage Against the Mac Machine"
and "Ass-Ghanistan". Unfortunately, Milano's sarcasm seems to have
declined to mere childish levels -- reading the lyric sheet is an
almost embarassing experience. Which leaves the music. _TRYLtH_ is
a solid, simple and unsurprising thrash/hardcore album, making
especially "Wigga" and "The Rebel You Love to Hate" an enjoyable
listen. However, the quality of the album gets progressively worse
with each song: "Get Ready" and "Ass-Ghanistan" are absolute lows.
_TRYLtH_, even though released seven years later, is much like a
leftovers session from _Dictated Aggression_. Don't spend your money
on this album unless you're into infantile lyrics, and mister Milano,
I hope your next effort will prove you still have the touch.
Someone who's managed to write killer albums as _Rhythm of Fear_,
_Devolution_ and _Dictated Aggression_ must be able to do better than
this.
Contact: http://www.nuclearblast.de
Melechesh - _Sphynx_ (Osmose, 2003)
by: Matthias Noll (8.5 out of 10)
Finally, here is another record that incorporates a massive dose of
exotic influences as well as a solid a foundation within harsher
styles, but which ultimately and refreshingly is the kind of METAL
that defies all genre assignations and simply kicks some major ass.
Despite the Middle Eastern flair and imagery, this is not about
gimmicks and short-lived selling points. Underneath its unique style
based on oriental scales, melodies and rhythm patterns, _Sphynx_
carries the torch for the power and the glory of metallic riffing and
excellent songwriting skills. These Israelites have certainly come a
long way since their very black metallish debut _As Jerusalem Burns_:
on _Sphynx_, most traces of black metal have finally disappeared and
the raspy vocals provide almost the only evidence of the band's
stylistic roots. With the exception of the blistering "Annunaki's
Golden Thrones", Melechesh have said farewell to breakneck speed --
and in their case it turns out to be a well chosen change of
priorities, because the band's strength and heaviness lies so much
more in their ability to create wicked mid-tempo grooves and well-
crafted breaks than in all-out blasting Marduk-style. Melechesh have
the skill to write riffs and song structures that remain complex
without ever becoming technical enough to make you stop headbanging,
and this time their material also carries an arcane, early Mercyful
Fate quality and feel to it.
Both guitarists have tracked down greatly improved guitar work
compared to past efforts, with some cool string-bending and
unexpected variations adding more tension and variety to otherwise
linear and deliberately repetitive passages. Maybe Andy LaRoque (in
whose Los Angered studio _Sphynx_ was recorded) has shown Ashmedi
and Moloch a musical trick or two. Drummer Proscriptor does not
disappoint either, and adds an excellent performance different from
the hyper-active style displayed on Absu's _Tara_. His playing is
almost restrained here in comparison, but together with bass player
Al'Hazred he forms a rock-solid rhythm section -- one where the whole
team's joint effort is in the spotlight, rather than just his own
amazing technical proficiency. LaRoque's production is professionally
clear, loud and heavy, but while it's certainly well done, it still
sounds a tiny little bit too compressed in places.
I have the strong feeling that even though this is an excellent
record, the highlight of Melechesh's career is still to come;
therefore, my rating remains a bit on the conservative side of
things. For now this is certainly one of the very best metal records
we'll get to hear in 2003, and the absolutely stunning artwork on the
digipak release is also more than noteworthy. The fact that _Sphynx_
still manages to surprise me after many listening sessions only
enhances the impression that this album has massive staying power.
Misery Index - _Retaliate_ (Nuclear Blast, 2003)
by: Jackie Smit (10 out of 10)
However you care to look at it, 2003 has been a dream year for death
metal. Not only have we, the rabid fans, been treated to two near-
classics in the form of Vital Remains' ferocious _Dechristianize_ and
Septic Flesh's esoteric overture _Sumerian Daemons_, but with new
releases by Morbid Angel, Zyklon, Deicide and Six Feet Under waiting
in the wings, it would appear that the party has just begun. What
irony then that amidst all this name-checking and nostalgia-induced
expectation, the (possibly) most outstanding death metal record of
2003 would turn out to be the one that has been treated with
relatively minimal pre-release hoopla by both the media and industry
alike. Of course, if you haven't guessed it by now, the band in
question is Misery Index and the album, nay masterpiece, their
Nuclear Blast debut _Retaliate_.
For those out of the loop, Misery Index is the conception of one
Jason Netherton, better known until 2001 as the bassist and one half
of the Dying Fetus creative wrecking ball. Starting off as a studio
project, their self-released _Overthrow_ effort was nothing short of
spectacular: a rapturously received, finely calculated death/thrash
blast that left many a satisfied, not to mention deafened, ear in its
wake. However, as great as it was, it still hinted all too
often at Netherton's alma mater -- understandable considering the
contributions of fellow ex-Fetus friends Mike Harrison and Kevin
Talley.
_Retaliate_ sees Netherton join forces with ex-Severed Head drummer
Matt Bayles and former Dying Fetus, M.O.D. and Fear of God guitarist
Sparky Voyles, and the result is a giant leap forward -- not only in
terms of songwriting, but also in overall impact and brutality.
Opting to further eschew the shadow of his past efforts, the new
Misery Index material draws from a wide base of grind, hardcore,
death metal and a fair amount of punk. Prevalent as well is a keener
sense of melody and dynamics than could reasonably have been
expected: the intricate structures are sped up or slowed down only
when their effects are certain to be embellished, and never, as is
the case with several current extreme acts, will a blast beat of
groove pattern be utilised extraneously.
That said though, the level of aggression on _Retaliate_ is nothing
if not intimidating. When Netherton snarls his way through the
intelligent and well thought out diatribes of "Demand the Impossible"
and "Angst Isst Die Seele", you just know that he means every
vitriol- drenched word. The relatively young Bayles in the meantime
excels in his role as the band's sticksman, delivering a performance
that is easily worthy of a Pete Sandoval or a Gene Hoglan. Quite
frankly, there is not a single moment of weakness to be found on this
record. It is simply a breathtaking masterclass in extreme music.
While I would be the first one to frown at the many tiresome and
unfounded comparisons to the mighty _Reign in Blood_ that are
haphazardly thrown around these days, _Retaliate_ provides a thirty
minute explosion of awe-inspiring viciousness that at the very least
equals the impact of the much revered Slayer classic. This is truly a
landmark album that will conceivably be discussed, studied and
inevitably imitated for years to come. The gauntlet, my friends, has
well and truly been thrown down.
[Pedro Azevedo: "In _Retaliate_, Misery Index have created one of the
most impressive death metal records of recent years. Succinct
and coated with a potent production, this half-hour outburst of
aggression rarely lets down. At its best, during outstanding
tracks such as "Retaliate", "Angst Isst Die Seele" and "Demand
the Impossible", _Retaliate_'s faster, vaguely melodic riffs flow
amazingly well. While those riffs score higher with me than the
slightly slower, chunky ones, the album remains highly enjoyable and
technically impressive throughout. _Retaliate_ should be a feast of
truly unusual proportions for virtually any death metal fan."]
Contact: http://www.misery-index.com
Naiad - _Hardcore Emotion_ (Good Life Recordings, 2003)
by: Xander Hoose (9 out of 10)
It's stunning to realize we're dealing with a Japanese band here.
Kyoto's Naiad makes a very American-ized form of hardcore that easily
outranks most of its competitors in originality, musicianship and
production. Compared mostly to legendary Shai Hulud, the five songs
on this MCD are a prime example of how high the standard is nowadays
for bands in this genre. Having to mix a straightforward way of
expressing your message with effective style breaks in-between as
well as during the songs themselves is a hard task; one in which many
bands fail miserably. Naiad proves to have the immaculate timing to
give it a natural flow, alternating harsh aggression with melodic
instrumental relief. I can't wait to see a full-length release of
these guys; _Hardcore Emotion_ is an MCD you shouldn't skip this
year.
Contact: http://naiad01.tripod.co.jp
NDE - _End of Trust_ (Crash Music, 2003)
by: Jackie Smit (6 out of 10)
In light of the massive acclaim that was showered on the last
Killswitch Engage effort, it shouldn't surprise the seasoned
metalhead to see a veritable plethora of post-hardcore/thrash
releases bombard the shelves of their local record store. NDE are
perhaps among the better bands to adopt this rather fashionable
sound as their own. All the ingredients are present in guises of
varying adequacy on _End of Trust_: the dense, pummeling attack
of opening track "This World", the surgically precise drumming
of "Everybody Dies", the metalcore beat down of "Clonedhead".
Yet, as satisfying and impressive as these tracks are, overall
one can't escape the creeping feeling of boredom that rears its
unrepentant head with increasing regularity as you venture further
into proceedings. Perhaps it's due to the distinct lack of diversity
with which NDE approach the songwriting process, or possibly a
result of their tendency to let every song follow the formulaic
mid-tempo-to-slow-chug routine, but in a world where it is becoming
increasingly difficult for bands to stand out, NDE certainly have no
unique defining qualities that say "look at us". Still, there are far
worse ways to kill 40 minutes' silence.
Nightfall - _I Am Jesus_ (Black Lotus, 2003)
by: Pedro Azevedo (6 out of 10)
Back in 1995 I discovered Nightfall's _Athenian Echoes_, at the
time a reasonably innovative blackened metal album with symphonic
leanings. Not having followed the band's outings closely ever since,
I was curious to find out what these Greeks were up to after such a
long gap. These days Nightfall play what some might call dark metal
-- in the sense that the music remains mostly melodic, chorus based,
mid- paced and atmospheric. The album sometimes fleetingly evokes the
spirit of such diverse bands as Samael, Tiamat, Rotting Christ and,
of course, Nightfall as they all were back in the mid-nineties. _I Am
Jesus_ simultaneously tries to sound up to date, though; the
Tico-Tico production goes a long way to achieving this, as the
Finnish studio provides Nightfall with a clear and strong -- albeit
generic -- sound that suits their style very well. Considering that
they managed to impress me somewhat back in 1995 they are now a band
with a ten year career. I expected Nightfall to be able to provide
at least some decent metallic entertainment anno 2003 -- unless
something had gone seriously wrong along the way. Ultimately however,
_I Am Jesus_ is neither here nor there; it's not some pathetic
display of decadence from a band that once showed promise, but it's
not the grand realization of some vast potential they might have
either. The doomier tracks tend to work better, but the more upbeat
ones are a very mixed bag. _I Am Jesus_ remains a competent, albeit
rather tame and inoffensive album that brings back some memories of
the good old days but never threatens to overshadow them with its own
quality.
Contact: http://www.nightfallstar.com
Primal Dawn - _The Euthanasia Programme_ (Independent, 2003)
by: Pedro Azevedo (4 out of 10)
This apparently self-released MCD from Ireland's Primal Dawn shows a
band still struggling to convey their musical intents in a way that
can impress the listener. The lengthy song structures need some
trimming, as the riffs are generally not strong enough to carry a
track for so long (seven to eight minutes each). This is not to say
the music is bad or the riffs wholly uninspired; Primal Dawn do come
up with some decent material throughout the disc, only it is never
remarkable enough to justify the ambitious track length. Growls and
screams are used as the music shifts from death to blackened metal,
the sound remaining relatively harsh (though the mediocre production
may have something to do with that). The way the lyrics are phrased
also needs some work, and overall the band does not come across as a
sufficiently tight unit yet. _The Euthanasia Programme_ contains
enough decent ideas (mostly on "The Cull") to avoid Primal Dawn being
discarded just yet, but it is just another passable demo-like disc
thrown amidst countless others while they hone their skills.
Contact: http://www.primaldawn.net
Pro-Pain - _Run for Cover_ (Spitfire / Eagle Rock, 2003)
by: Jackie Smit (5 out of 10)
With the veritable shitload of unnecessary and disposable cover
albums currently littering record store shelves across the world, the
thinking behind metallic hardcore veterans Pro-Pain's decision to
throw their take on various classic bands into the fray is definitely
something of a head-scratcher. More tangible even, the urge to burst
out laughing at the accompanying press kit flyer stating that the
record has a "penchant for the unpredictable". What, Slayer and
Sepultura never unknowingly loaned these guys a riff or three in the
past? And Black Flag and Agnostic Front -- surely they never
had much of an influence on the Pro-Pain sound? _Leaders Not
Followers_ this most definitely is not then. At the same time
though, there's no denying the infectious fist-in-the-air stomp of
"Nothing" -- originally a tune by Negative Approach -- or the classy
interpretation of the Celtic Frost classic "Circle of the Tyrants",
which goes some way toward making up for the near-blasphemous
butchery of "South of Heaven". Ultimately, the purpose of this record
more than anything is to remind the listener of just how great the
originals are, and if it can motivate a few people to look out for a
Discharge or Operation Ivy CD the next time they hit their local
record store, then I suppose that Pro-Pain deserve at least half a
thumbs-up.
Sabbat - _Svart Eld_ (Monster Nation Records, 2003)
by: James Montague (6 out of 10)
Those wacky chaps from Japan's Sabbat are not averse to a gimmick or
two -- and _Svart Eld_ may be their dorkiest stunt ever, as they take
one of their early songs, "Black Fire" (1984), and sing it in
Swedish. Personally I think this is a rubbish idea, as part of
Sabbat's appeal is Gezol's, um, unique take on the English language.
I expect I am in no small majority when I say I wouldn't know poetic
Swedish from hilariously mispronounced Japanese-Swedish, and thus the
whole concept is lost on me.
Anyway, what you get is a gritty blackened thrash song, not
dissimilar to what Slayer was doing around the same time. Gezol's
vocals (whose moods must be dictated by Swedish weather patterns,
because you never know what you're going to get) are distinctly
gruffer and lower in pitch than usual. They're not really up to his
usual standard, and I do miss those deranged kamikaze yelps. However,
the riffs are classic thrash at its finest, albeit with a slightly
flat production.
On the B-side, the boys remind us once again that you can't have too
many Bathory tributes, as they pay homage to Sweden's finest son with
yet another rendition of "Sacrifice". It's not a bad one, but does
anyone still care? The sound quality is again quite poor, although
unlike the original it at least has an audible bassline.
Although _Svart Eld_ is a fairly enjoyable little taster, it's far
from the band's best work, and is completely inessential for all but
the most rabid of vinyl junkies.
Contact: Monster Nation Records, c/o Thomas Hedlund,
Fj�rdngsstigen 20.s 302 51 Halmstad, Sweden
Sabbat / Gorgon - _Rain of Terror_ / _A Fool in Love_
(View Beyond Records, 2003)
by: James Montague (4.5 out of 10 (8.5 for Sabbat, 0.5 for Gorgon))
Hard and fast riffs, superbly constructed guitar leads, great Engrish
(sic) lyrics spat out in a growl and a warped, throaty singing voice,
and terrific arrangement. Sabbat definitely came up trumps on this
EP, showing that there is still plenty of quality to be found in
their neverending barrage of seven-inch vinyl releases. _Rain of
Terror_ is a perfect example of what the band dubs "blacking metal"
-- classic '80s thrash sounds with just a touch of black metal
modernism to keep it relevant to today's metal scene. It's not quite
as old-school as their _Satanasword_ LP, probably more comparable to
their early '90s material like _Envenom_.
Sadly, the rewards for those Sabbat collectors who seek out their
little gem are somewhat undone by the blokes on the B-side. I hate to
rubbish Gorgon because they have a wonderful, DIY attitude that does
them proud, but boy are they ever terrible! Their music is very tame,
sappy NWOBHM that is far too nice for the metal scene, but the vocals
are what really takes this into the stratosphere of suckiness. I'm
not sure how to define these -- off-key warbling, badly processed
Britpop mumbling or dreadful Japanese karaoke would all be fitting
descriptions -- but the important thing is that they are intolerable.
Only "A Fool in Love" with NWOBHM could fail to recognise the
complete lack of musical merit in this song.
Sabbat fans should still hunt this EP down, but don't get your hopes
up for the Gorgon lads.
Contact: vbeyond@atlas.cz
Setherial - _From the Ancient Ruins_ (Napalm Records, 2003)
by: Quentin Kalis (7 out of 10)
Technically, this is not a new Setherial album; it is comprised of a
couple of songs from the _Hell Eternal_ recording session plus their
demo _A Hail to the Faceless Angels_. These reject songs from _HE_
may have been something special when _HE_ was released back in 1998
-- but that is unlikely; even then there were far too many bands
peddling substandard and derivative black metal with the rough edges
smoothed out for this to attract anything more then the most cursory
interest. The demo tracks are a better prospect, dating from
the mid-nineties, and featuring the raw guitars and misanthropic
atmosphere characteristic of that era. Even so, they remain demo
tracks and nothing more than a promise of greater things to come.
Single Bullet Theory - _Route 666_ (Crash Music, 2003)
by: Jackie Smit (6.5 out of 10)
Continuing the seemingly irrefragable revival of post-hardcore/thrash
that looks set to saturate the metallic marketplace in coming months,
Single Bullet Theory follow in the footsteps of labelmates NDE in
releasing a mildly enjoyable, though often severely flawed record.
Whereas Single Bullet Theory can out-riff NDE with their eyes closed,
and _Route 666_'s production far outweighs that of the latter's last
release, the trouble comes into paradise when Matt DiFabio switches
from his menacing roar to the sort of cringe-inducing power metal-
tinged vocals that quite frankly would not sound out of place in a
spoof-band. Like a turd on the Mona Lisa, these falsetto meanderings
serve to cripple the intensity of every track they appear in (which
constitutes about 95% of the record's material) and makes the often
very juvenile lyrics sound even more laughably ridiculous -- "Spit"
being the most notable example. However, when a band sports the
talents of ex-Pissing Razors and Seven Witches collaborators, it's
fair to assume that a certain level of excellence is evident at least
some of the time. The nastiness of "Imperfect Fit" and old-school
groove of "Revamp/Rebuild" are just some of the record's better
moments. If aggressive hardcore/trash is what you're after however,
you'd be advised to take a look at Lamb of God's _As the Palaces
Burn_ long before you give Single Bullet Theory anything more than a
passing thought.
Superjoint Ritual - _A Lethal Dose of American Hatred_
by: Jackie Smit (6.5 out of 10) (Sanctuary, 2003)
In touting Superjoint Ritual -- if rumour is to be believed, his sole
current musical priority -- as "the most dangerous band on the
planet", Phil Anselmo is obviously setting his sights on ascending to
some fairly dizzying and intimidating heights. After all, this is a
man who provided the pitbull-on-speed snarl to possibly two of the
greatest straight-ahead metal albums of all time in the shape of
Pantera's _Far Beyond Driven_ and _Vulgar Display of Power_ records.
It is perhaps rather odd then, to hear Superjoint Ritual veer even
further off the traditional metallic path on their second effort;
opting instead to become musical bedfellows with the likes of Amen et
al. Not that this is necessarily a bad thing, mind you -- when Phil &
Co. manage to make this approach work, it yields some very impressive
and enjoyable, if not particularly threatening, results. The big
problem is that for every "Dress Like a Target" or "Waiting for the
Turning Point" there's a disjointed mess like "Symbol of Nevermore".
So, while Superjoint Ritual are obviously capable of hardcore punking
it with the best of them, they never seem to reach a satisfying
level of consistency in this respect, nor do their attempts at
experimentation achieve much more than lowering the intensity levels
which the band are seemingly striving so diligently to maintain. Add
to this that Phil's vocals at times sound noticeably strained, and
for lack of a better term, ageing, and _A Lethal Dose of American
Hatred_ unfortunately never quite manages to live up to its tagline.
With Pantera now apparently confined to the pages of history, let us
hope that Mr. Anselmo has the good sense to keep Pepper Keenan's
telephone number handy.
Terror Organ - _The Stalag Symphony_
by: Xander Hoose (8 out of 10) (Dragon Flight Recordings, 2003)
If _The Stalag Symphony_ is being marketed as "a brand new style of
music", don't let it fool you! I recall the glorious days when I
annoyed roommates and neighbors with MZ.412's sonic assault, only to
find my interest in the black-industrial-ambient style of music fade
away over the years. Terror Organ, consisting of ex-Angelcorpse Peter
Helmkamp, has rekindled my lust for this music a bit. _The Stalag
Symphony_ comes close to actually being described as 'music' because
of the bass-riffs interwoven with the electronics, but it is
unconventional enough to create a unique atmosphere. Using a rich
texture of spoken samples from various sources, as in "Mindlock
(Septic Utopia)" and "Nihil Transmission", or using actual vocals
("Strength Is Beauty") only make the individual songs stronger and
create a much-needed diversity, keeping the album as a whole
interesting. While I doubt this album will find its way to the
masses, fans of the harsher Cold Meat Industries bands should make
sure to give this one a spin.
Contact: http://www.dragonflightrec.org
Thirtyone Dies - _Filthy Taste_ (Independent, 2003)
by: Pedro Azevedo (3.5 out of 10)
This disc spent longer than usual languishing in my review pile, and
here's why: Thirtyone Dies have created a record that is neither
terribly bad nor in any way terribly exciting. _Filthy Taste_ is one
of those albums that can neither be totally shred to pieces nor
reviewed with much enthusiasm; it is competently played, but deeply
uninspired -- especially if you take into account the competition in
today's extreme metal market. These Germans accurately describe
their music as death/thrash with a hardcore influence, and the
vocals alternate between a death metal growl and a screaming mode,
accordingly. Unfortunately, while the hardcore influence is just
annoying, none of this really gels into any worthwhile riffs or
memorable hooks, and the whole thing would fail to impress me even as
a demo given its lack of flair and inspiration.
Contact: http://www.31dies.de
Total Devastation - _Roadmap of Pain_ (Firebox, 2003)
by: Pedro Azevedo (8 out of 10)
Quote from the promo sheet: "Intense, aggressive and modern death
metal from Finland". True, but somewhat misleading (much like the
band name), for Total Devastation possess a few distinguishing
attributes that mean they will appeal less to pure death metal
fanatics and more to some other types. More specifically, the
choruses and rhythms remain far from your typical brutal death metal
most of the time, and electronic elements are often used in the
songs. The band (which apparently features five brothers from
two families among its seven members) succeeds at boosting the
listenability of _Roadmap of Pain_ through variety. For example, "I
Am God" and "Left Hand of the Devil" are catchy and full of
electronic elements, "Struggling From Chokehold" and "Fleshing" are
much faster, and "Fragments" very Blood Red Throne-ish (give or take
a technoid interlude). Nevertheless, the real highlights are the
doomy, atmospheric, almost Dolorian-like "Production Peak" midway
through the disc, and the catchy "Prepare to Die", which features a
violin. All in all, the album remains enjoyable not only because the
band can come up with plenty of good hooks, but also because they
sound somewhat different from the norm, and above all keep things
varied throughout without ending up with a disjointed album. _Roadmap
of Pain_ is a very good debut from Total Devastation, the kind of
disc that doesn't impress much at first but tends to win you over
after a few spins.
Contact: http://www.totaldevastation.org
Type O Negative - _Life Is Killing Me_ (Roadrunner, 2003)
by: Quentin Kalis (8 out of 10)
After the disappointment that was _World Coming Down_ and a money-
grabbing "greatest hits" compilation, it seemed that Type O Negative
were a band that had reached and surpassed its peak. But fears of
their impending demise were premature; _LIKM_ proves that they show
no signs of descending into creative paralysis anytime soon. Any fan
will agree that their unique brand of self-deprecating humour is an
integral part of the Type O experience, and _LIKM_ practically
overflows with their black humour (just listen to "I Like Goils") --
a welcome antidote to the overblown grandiosity and posturing that
characterizes way too many bands across the metal spectrum. Nor are
the mournful dirges missing -- Steele still sounds as suicidal as
ever. The trademark downtuned, fuzzy guitars are more aggressive than
on their last two albums; however the aggression is melded better
into the songs and does not feel like the pastiche of hardcore and
goth that defined _Bloody Kisses_. A sitar provides an Eastern feel
on several songs and is another nod to one of the band's influences:
The Beatles. "Angry Inch" is the obligatory cover -- if you have seen
"Hedwig and the Angry Inch" you will know what this song is about!
Essentially, this is an album that has taken the best aspects of past
Type O Negative releases and builds upon them to create Type O's
finest moment since _October Rust_.
Ulfsdalir - _Grimnir_ (Christhunt Productions, 2003)
by: Matthias Noll (8 out of 10)
With Ulfsdalir another German one-man black metal project rears its
misanthropic head. Featuring four tracks and an intro, _Grimnir_
could be considered an EP if it wasn't for its length of about 33
minutes. My overall rating, while being good, still is a bit
misleading, because half of the material on Grimnir is excellent and
easily among the very best black metal I've heard this year,
while the other half is decent but fails to impress me as much.
The two tracks which fall into the latter category are mainly
characterized by a very straightforward, monotonous and only slightly
melodic approach which is convincingly grim and aggressive but
fails to reach the same level of excellence as the even better
material on _Grimnir_. The two remaining long tracks, "Grimnir" and
"Inwaldis Soehne", feature more breaks and tempo changes and serve
to summon a hair-raising, dirge- like atmosphere of sadness and
bitterness which roughly makes a band like Clandestine Blaze minus
the Darkthrone influence or the rather epic _Black Katharsis_ EP by
Satanic Warmaster come to mind. Excellent melodies, riffs and --
unsurprisingly -- a very raw production which balances grimness and
power quite nicely makes this record one of the biggest and most
positive underground black metal surprises in 2003 so far. Limited to
666 copies, so you better act quick!
Contact: http://www.christhuntproductions.de
Various - _Barbaric Onslaught (Australian Metal Attack)_
by: James Montague (8 out of 10) (Decius Productions, 2003)
Given the absence of scene legends such as Destr�yer 666, Gospel of
the Horns and Nazxul, Decius Productions' LP-only presentation isn't
exactly what I'd call the perfect introduction to Australian extreme
metal. However, for those already familiar with the big names, this
compilation does feature some of the up-and-coming bands in the
country and would be ideal for those who want to dig deeper. Most
importantly, the material is of a consistently high quality. Here's a
brief look at each band:
= Destruktor - "Unholy Victory Massacre"
Probably the ideal choice for an opener, Destruktor absolutely
typifies the Australian "war metal" style. Equal parts black, death
and thrash metal, this relentless, militaristic onslaught is enough
to beat even the most determined listener into the ground. An
enjoyable band, in limited doses. (7/10)
= Martire - "Puritans"
This band had impressed me with their _Lucifer_ 7" EP, and they crank
out another devastating piece of suffocating death metal. The song is
fast, complicated and mayhemic -- recommended to those who find
Morbid Angel too clinical. (8/10)
= Portal - "Tempus Fugit"
This song has a more muffled sound than the surrounding tracks,
causing it to slip by unnoticed when I play the record. However,
there is enough here to indicate that their upcoming _Seepia_ LP
(also on Decius) will be worth the wait -- especially with a
consistent production that the ears can adapt to over the course of
an album. These West Australians play blasting death metal passages
that are bound together by some atonal guitar leads, creating quite
the menacing atmosphere. (7/10)
= Atomizer - "When I Die, I Wanna Die Violently"
The black-rockin' sons of bitches from Melbourne provide a change of
pace after the frenetic opening. Starting off with a very laid back
riff and spoken vocals, the intensity gradually builds up as Jason
applies his unique rasp to the casually suicidal lyrics. A superb
song by a unique band. (9/10)
= Urgrund - "On Stones Marked Black"
The Queensland black/thrash trio recently put out their first full-
length album, and the track contained here indicates that they're
going for a less caustic approach nowadays. The riffs are quite rock-
oriented, and the rolling bass drums contribute to the catchy feel.
In fact, this is not far different from what Atomizer has to offer.
If you mourn Carpathian Forest's recent movement towards typical
symphonic blandness, this band may satisfy your black 'n' roll needs.
(8/10)
= Carbon - "Battle at San Gerbir"
While the other bands on this compilation do a lot of crossing over
between the extreme metal subgenres, Carbon presents a slab of
pure black metal. Noisy guitars, distant screams and primitivity
abound. While far from groundbreaking, this song does have a strong
atmosphere and Carbon will be welcomed by those who yearn for the
early days of Darkthrone. (7/10)
= Grenade - "Hellsong"
The title says it all, really -- this black/thrash is direct and to
the point. Low on complexity, high on catchiness and spirit, this
can't help but get heads bobbing and feet stamping. Play it loud, and
enjoy! (8/10)
= Oni - "Incantation Superstition"
Brutal death/grind metal to the core -- they even kept alive the
habit of using as many words ending in -tion as they could. All the
prerequisites are there: strong drumming, loads of technical riff
changes and primate grunts with the odd porcine shriek. It's all good
fun, but a whole album in this style would get tiresome. (6/10)
= Stargazer - "Magikkan"
Now this is more my kind of death metal. Stargazer have a somewhat
exotic, mid-eastern feel to their music (though not conveyed through
sampling like Nile and their copycat brigade). The sound is a bit
looser and more open-ended than that of their contemporaries,
allowing the listener to totally immerse themselves in the bizarre
melodies and punishing beat. Another fine recording by a criminally
underrated band. (9/10)
= Anarazel - "The Red Rite"
I hated the _Devil Hymns_ EP from these guys, so I was expecting a
throwaway track. However, this Melbourne-based black metal band
really seems to have gotten their act together. The noisy riffs are
imperious, and the drumming is deadly. Finally, Anarazel look ready
to produce albums of note. (7/10)
= Misery's Omen - "To Worship Stone Gods"
If you've read my review of the 7" EP whence this track originated,
you'll know how much I love this band. Playing bizarre, convoluted
and creepy progressive black metal, somewhat comparable to Mortuary
Drape or Bethlehem, this South Australian trio demands worldwide
attention. (9/10)
As you can see, this compilation has the rare distinction of having
no weak links -- certainly the first V/A album in my collection to be
worthy of such a boast. Eleven bands, eleven songs, all worthy of
attention, pressed onto a thick, heavy piece of black vinyl and
lovingly presented in a sleeve adorned with wicked, violent artwork.
Compilations really don't get any better than this one, so check it
out.
Contact: http://www.deciusproductions.com
Warblade - _A Crisis in the Grey Space_ (Oak Knoll, 2003)
by: Adrian Magers (8.5 out of 10)
Warblade fucking rules. Obviously there's more to be said about this
absolutely stellar melodic death metal act, and personally I could go
blue in the face praising them and the raging slab of music featured
on their first full-length release _A Crisis in the Grey Space_. But
let's face it: that's the bottom line. Roughly they sound similar to
a combination of Shadows Fall and At the Gates, but there are a lot
of other influences mixed in there as well, and it'd be unfair to try
to pigeonhole the band by comparing them to a meeting between any two
bands. In their bio Warblade list Iron Maiden, Dark Tranquillity,
Vesperian Sorrow, Old Man's Child, Dimmu Borgir, and Children of
Bodom as influences. If this sounds even remotely interesting,
then do yourself the service of checking this band out. Warblade
unquestionably have the potential to take a seat as top players in
the U.S. metal scene and I'm ecstatic that I received the honor of
hearing these guys on their last demo (_Release the Angel of Death_).
So go check them out now, so you can say you were there from the very
beginning. You can thank me later.
Contact: http://warblade.oak-knoll.com
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
__, __, _, _ _, _,
| \ |_ |\/| / \ (_
|_/ | | | \ / , )
~ ~~~ ~ ~ ~ ~
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
Cradle to Grave - _Lifespan Sessions 2003_
by: Pedro Azevedo (1.5 out of 5)
I am not about to start demanding professional sound quality from
demo recordings, but Cradle to Grave's demo sounds like a bunch of
very low quality MP3s thrown onto a CD-R. Add to this some mediocre
musicianship, and the result comes across as a band jamming rather
than recording a demo -- and much as that may have been the purpose
of this recording, a good demo this does not make. The music is
simultaneously aggressive and rocking, with some angry vocals on top.
Through the sloppy sound the music seems loose, but not entirely void
of spirit. If the likes of Pantera happen to be your cup of whiskey,
you may want to keep an eye out for Cradle to Grave, in case one of
these days they put out a stronger effort; otherwise, don't bother.
Contact: http://www.cradletograve.ca
Deforge - _Freedom Release_
by: Jackie Smit (3.5 out of 5)
Deforge hail from Italy and play fairly straightforward, old-school
death metal with a strong throwback to late eighties / early nineties
releases -- particularly those by the likes of Death, Malevolent
Creation and to a lesser extent, Swedish acts like Dismember. If
anything has to be said of these guys, it would be that they
certainly display a standard of musicianship far surpassing most of
the demos that usually land in up at Chronicles of Chaos HQ. However
-- and I would hate for this to become a recurring criticism in my
demo reviews -- for all their musical talents, Gaetano Ettorre's
vocals aren't so much deplorable, as that they don't even remotely
suit the band's style. A high-pitched, quasi-black metal shriek,
utterly devoid of any power or impact that ends up taking the
proverbial piss and vinegar out of tracks like "Vicious Circle" and
"Mindless State", and which leads one to believe that were Deforge to
consider recruiting a more capable larynx-abuser, they may well hear
a corporate knock at the door before long.
Contact: http://www.deforgeband.com
Helgor - _Untitled Demo_
by: Jackie Smit (1.5 out of 5)
Extreme music circa 2003 is a genre splintered into so many numerous
sub-strains that to the ignorant outsider it must conceivably look
more confusing than ever before. Death, black, thrash, grindcore,
doom -- the list goes on and chances are very good that if you're
reading this you probably enjoy a varied number of these styles. This
in turn leads one to draw the obvious conclusion that people
embarking on their own musical forays will inevitably (as has been
happening for many years now) combine a wide range of these
influences into their work. Trouble is that as much as these schools
have in common, they are not necessarily particularly comfortable
bedfellows, and unfortunately Holland's Helgor appear unable to bring
them into some sort of cohesive structure. The result is a messy and
confused recording that will no doubt end up on the large pile
of CD-R's I have labeled "Frisbees". While I could certainly
overlook the fact this demo sounds as though it were recorded
using a low-price dictaphone, for the most part the riffs on
offer switch between black, death and grind sequences without
seemingly having anything in common. And where Lord Capibara's vocal
style is suitably generic death metal, Lord Ibex's "pig suffering
from foot and mouth disease" screams are pretty horrendous. The
only track remotely approaching anything with potential is the
ludicrously titled "Enslaving the Human Goulash", but otherwise this
just lives up to the name of the band's previous web address:
helgor.virtualdogshit.com.
Contact: http://www.helgor.com
Solemnus - _A Nightshade Symphony_
by: Adrian Magers (4 out of 5)
Solemnus are a musical hodge-podge of various forms of grace
and grit in the metal realm. A splendid blend of epic/gothic
metal is employed on the group's four song demo, _A Nightshade
Symphony_. The disc is twenty-odd minutes of tragic music that
manages to be simultaneously atmospheric and catchy. The songs are
generally very keyboard-oriented without losing a heavy edge from the
guitars. The keys tend to recall a similar style to Dimmu Borgir's,
particularly on the Norwegian sextet's early albums. The vocals
are most comparable to Theatre of Tragedy, but the melodic male
vocals seem inspired by early goth. The highlight of the CD is
definitely the two guitar/piano melodies in the middle and end of
the title track. Solemnus direct the listener through different
moods, communicated by a precise blend of dark melodic metal: from
triumphant to sorrowful, everything is full of passion and drama.
Owners of _Enthrone Darkness Triumphant_, _Wolfheart_ or _Velvet
Darkness They Fear_ should take notice of Solemnus.
Contact: http://www.oak-knoll.com
Spazmosity - _Storm Metal_
by: Adrian Magers (3 out of 5)
The immediate rush of distortion and blast-beating drums that pounces
on the listener after Spazmosity's short instrumental seems like a
good parallel to the feeling of one's skull being pried opened,
lifted, set open and ready for total invasion. Said invasion appears
to be heavily influenced by keyboardless melodic black (such as
Dissection and the many bands which followed in their icy footsteps)
and is full of mid-paced death grooves. The band definitely lean more
towards the black side of the two extremities they embrace. One
complaint I could throw Spazmosity's way is their tendency to do a
lot of predictable tempo changes; however, there are also a lot of
pleasant surprises, and the fact they succeed in making their songs
flow, rather than sound like patchwork, is admirable. This, the
band's third demo of original material, raises wonders of a possible
full- length or EP. With a few more techniques and influences thrown
in to make the act sound a bit more well-rounded, these guys
could possibly push through to the forefront of the Scandinavian
black/death scene.
Contact: http://www.spazmosity.com
Warblade - _Release the Angel of Death_
by: Adrian Magers (4.5 out of 5)
The first riff of Warblade's second demo _Relase the Angel of Death_
is a real headbanger. Emerging from a somber and relatively quiet
section, the band's dual guitars create a beast made from parts of At
the Gates, Megadeth, Dissection, Iron Maiden, and other influential
metal acts. One might be quick to label this band as a third-wave
Gothenburg death band; though Warblade do draw some obvious influence
from their Swedish brethren, there are many other elements that
surface on the three songs featured on this release. Blackened
thrash, heavy grooves and more than one nod to classic metal are all
thrown in the mix to keep the listener on his or her toes. This
formula, fuelled by a ton of energy and a burning passion for metal,
is quite successful due to the collective power and individual
talents of the five men of Warblade. A full length is in the works,
and will feature a recently recruited keyboardist / clean vocalist.
The metal world should do itself a favor and keep an eye on Warblade.
Contact: http://warblade.metalpatrol.com
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C O F F E E , C A N A D I A N S A N D C O M M O N G R O U N D
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CoC attends the 2003 Milwaukee MetalFest
by: Aaron McKay
In my humble opinion there is nothing common about Canadians or
coffee -- both are extraordinary for any number of reasons. One might
even argue that large amounts of one needs to be consumed by the
other to make the twelve hour trip to Milwaukee from Toronto like
some of my brethren. For me, I've always felt the cornerstone of any
decent diet -is- a large amount of the "everlasting insomnia in a
cup". (Is that safe to give to energizer bunnies?) Water filtered
through ground coffee beans sounds simple, but I ask you, is it not a
tried and true aid in jump-starting one's day to order make your way
to Milwaukee, be it from Iowa or Canada? Maybe that's just my view
after taking in way too much of the "nap suppressant" I drink daily.
But I digress...
Milwaukee -- the city is known for its fests: Italian, German and, of
course, Metal. Brandishing proudly my full thermos of Colombian
Supreme, Adam, my brother, and I trekked six hours to see my fifth
consecutive Milwaukee MetalFest. While this makes me somewhat of a
veteran MMF goer, this was Adam's first. What made this year a treat
for everyone was the arrival again of the Canadian horde the Friday
morning before the long metal fueled weekend. Be this your first,
fifth or fifteenth metalfest, American or Canadian -- Milwaukee's
annual metalfest provides a damn fine common ground for all fans of
metal.
Unlike past articles I've read on occasion, you'll note here my
refusal to slight the MMF in this piece. The reason for that is
simple: where I live in the midwest, there are far too few concerts
that frequent the state. For whatever reason, shows avoid Iowa like
the Bubonic Plague. The Milwaukee MetalFest brings a vast assortment
of metal as close to my home as one can reasonably expect. No useless
slack-jawed fodder from me this year; besides the line-up wasn't
nearly as bad as I've seen.
Again held at the U.S. Cellular Center in downtown Milwaukee, the MMF
kicked off Friday July 25th. Having a new-comer to the show in my
company this year, my brother and I began with a slow pace and
arrived at 6:00 that evening after having done the much talked about
Miller brewery tour earlier that day. Of the two nights, Friday was
the more relaxed as far as bands I wanted to see. Noting Enslaved
again on this year's schedule for Friday, there wasn't much of a
chance that I was going to just make an appearance on Saturday and
miss seeing these wicked Viking metalers.
Biding time to see bands like Enslaved can be difficult, but catching
up with old friends not seen since the 2002 MMF and doing some
shopping at the increasingly sparse vendors' tables makes it easy to
loose track of when and where you are supposed to catch the next band
on stage.
For at least the second year in a row that I can remember, Jack
Koshick, the force behind the fest, decided to go with listing bands
and their scheduled times posted strategically around the venue
instead of individual paper handouts for the concert goers' quick
reference. This is just two ways of going about the same thing,
obviously, but for this reviewer, the paper-in-hand method is
preferable. Inevitably, people crowded the doorways to scribble down
the "when and where" of their favorite bands all the while others
trying to squeeze past to move from one room to the next. It's a
tight schedule at the MMF -- sometimes a few minutes here and there
mean a world of difference.
Macabre had a set to die for (pun intended)! It was cut shorter than
lead singer/guitarist Corporate Death may have liked, but they did
manage one song sung entirely in German (new, I believe) and lots and
lots of old favorites including "Zodiac", "Dog Guts", "Vampire of
Dusseldorf" and "Albert Was Worse Than Any Fish in The Sea". A tried
and true faithful regular at the MMF, Macabre had a crowd present
that was nearly second to none. This is a band that's -always- well
worth the price of admission; those hanging out at McDahmers or ones
coming (thru) Chicago to the Milwaukee MetalFest can't even deny
that. If you can't wash the Macabre smell off of ya -- scub a dub
dub...
Norway's Enslaved again braved the perils of travel that day to grace
us with their presence. Their set was to be admired, and (if you
are looking for some superior influence) even imitated! Enslaved
as always enjoyed a penchant for harmonic resolution in their
song-structure, but their presence on stage in the main hall made
their (definitive) recordings sound like CDs played on a phonograph.
Body Count, Ice-T's foray into metal music, headlined Friday night's
events. For more than an hour previous, the rapper turned actor
diligently signed autographs with the rest of BC, as they like to be
called. I was impressed with Ice-T's attention to his fans, even
pausing an extra moment here and there to take a picture if asked by
the autograph seeker as he or she passed through the monstrously long
line. Body Count, in true metalfest style, went on very late. About
1:00am Saturday morning -- all of us were hungry and tired. The band
sounded great, as if the best was saved for last. Lots of antics,
complete with hockey masks, swearing enough to make a sailor blush,
and thick ass riffs -- Body Count style. Adam and I stayed a few
songs longer than the Canadians -- enough to hear Ice-T proclaim,
"When they asked me to do the Milwaukee MetalFest, I looked at a map
and said to myself, 'Milwaukee. That looks like a good place to meet
a KKK Bitch!'" After that, it was back to the hotel. Saturday's
agenda promised to be more than twice as full.
Saturday saw our arrival back at the venue at 4:30. I came to find
out then that one of my all-time favorite bands, the newly revamped
Epoch of Unlight, was given (or forced to take) a shitty timeslot
much earlier that day. In talking with the band later, I came
to learn that while the crowd wasn't nearly as populated as
it could have been later in the day, EoU had a pretty good
response, all things considered. Also, as an aside, Tino LoSicco, the
group's fantastically talented drummer, just hours before leaving
for Milwaukee successfully defended and completed his doctoral
dissertation -- so it is -Dr.- LoSicco now. Congratulations, Tino!
Fleshgrind was set to play in roughly 45 minutes. The schedule had
Illinois' favorite sons pigeonholed in a corner on the smaller, less
visible of the two stages in the smaller area just outside of the
twin stages in the vastly superior main hall. The fans there to see
these guys could have cared less, though. The room was packed
full with people and despite being plagued by some technical
difficulties and Steve Murray's having to borrow a guitar from
Skinless, Fleshgrind powered through their set with all the elegance
of a dump truck in a nitro plant.
All of us stayed put there in the room for NY's Skinless that was set
to follow. The room was still packed wall-to-wall to see these guys
who are currently one quarter of the Dying Fetus / Skinless /
Divine Empire / Index Case tour that made the MMF this year a
scheduled stop. Not to be at all confined, the energetic Skinless
guys (especially vocalist Sherwood Webber) wildly scampered across
the majority of both stages even as Dying Fetus was setting up
their equipment. The crowd was obviously into this synchronized
mass-assault of all these bands, including Skinless, dominating the
smaller stages for more than an hour.
Dying Fetus has the ability, I believe, to make even the most
atrocious acoustic accommodations sound like their own recording
studio. These guys have a brand new album out -- hence the tour they
now find themselves a part of, but proper consideration was given
during their allotted time for fans of the "weathered variety", like
myself. Not a disappointed or overly bored face in the audience could
be found during any of Dying Fetus's (all-too-short) set. I can't
wait to find out what awaits the attendees on one of their normal
tour stops -- I intend to do so on August 9th.
Having caught a little of the mace presumably used on the crowd
toward the front during DF and knowing I'd see Divine Empire in a
couple weeks, our group decided it might be time for some liquid
refreshment -- in Milwaukee, that means "Miller Time".
Awhile later, I strolled by myself back to the smaller stage area to
catch some of Benumb. Pete has one of the most fitting voices for
Benumb's style that I've ever heard. In addition to being one helluva
nice guy, the show's energy was off the fuckin' charts thanks to
Pete!
Billy Milano was dancin' around the metalfest for the better part of
two days. Believe me when I tell you, there is a candid shot out
there of Adrian "The Energizer" Bromley and Billy where they look
like identical twin brothers separated at birth. MOD experienced some
time slot bouncing typical of the two-day festival, but their
performance in the main hall, complete with oodles of pro-American,
or at least anti-Afghanistani, rants made us all proud. The mighty
Danny Lilker, an MMF icon, joined MOD on stage with much praise from
Mr. Milano at the end of their set for a wildly enjoyable rendition
of "United Forces". MOD proved Saturday night that they are the
Rebel(s) You Love to Hate!
Having the opportunity to relive my largely misspent youth through
the eyes I remember as a teenager -- seeing Nuclear Assault on stage
was a huge draw for me this year. Danny's bass playing was in rare
form and John Connelly's voice and guitar abilities tickled the fancy
of perfection like I've never heard before. The song selections,
mostly from _Survive_ and _Handle With Care_, namely the title track
to the first and "Trail of Tears", were done phenomenally, though I
might have concentrated on forcing out more _Survive_ songs with a
few from _Game Over_ for good measure. That said, here's wishing in a
big way I could have heard "You Figure it Out".
Having gone far too long without the aid of my caffeinated friend,
the last band I witnessed at this year's Milwaukee MetalFest was
Vital Remains, but at least it was in the company of friends.
Suffocation was scheduled to play next, but our motley group
grew modestly weary. Glenn Benton of Deicide fame vocalized the
desecration of Vital Remains' (new(er)) sound and ruled the stage
like the promise of Revelation. Glenn called this Vital Remains set a
"giant rehearsal" for the band. While that may have been the case, VR
never sounded better and Tony Lazaro's playing was spectacular as I
can unequivocally testify to. They certainly unleashed hell for the
final notes of the 2003 Milwaukee MetalFest.
As I sit here typing these words and reflecting with a cup o' java, I
am convinced more than ever that the Milwaukee MetalFests have been
as much about camaraderie as about the music itself. Good times,
great folk, metal mayhem and all thanks to our hosts!
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A M I N I M I L W A U K E E
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Dying Fetus, Skinless, Divine Empire, Misery Index and Stavross
at the Reverb, Cedar Falls, Iowa on August 9th 2003
by: Aaron McKay
With a good deal of confidence I'd wager to say few communities in
Iowa have ever seen the unabashed onslaught of extreme music like
Cedar Falls, Iowa has, held at a venue called the Reverb on August
9th. Truthfully, most concerts generally skip Iowa altogether, so
when I came to know this tour was scheduled in such close proximity
to me on a weekend, there was absolutely no question where I would be
spending my Saturday night.
Having been served an appetizer from (most of) these bands at
Milwaukee just last month, I was hungry for a larger helping of stage
time than what these guys were allotted at the MetalFest. The Reverb
is an upstairs bar area with an accommodating stage and plenty of
room for the fan-base this tour would draw. People slowly poured
through the door during the set by Stavross, the opening act.
Stavross kicked things off about 8:25pm with a fairly concentrated
set -- due to scheduling concerns, I'd imagine. Noticeably, this band
suffered from a generally weaker instrumentation that seemed nearly
superseded by the vocals most of the time. In addition, the guitar
solos were difficult to segregate from the rest of Stavross's sound.
"The Wasteland" and "Last Rites" were a couple of higher points in
their set even with the aforementioned issue(s), but "Botchulism",
the band's last song for the night, was a real feather in the
Stavross cap. Vocals on that song were supplied, at least in part, by
the bassist, who also added a tight, heavy-ass bass chop at the onset
and conclusion of the song.
Misery Index took the stage about 9:20. Most will remember
bassist/vocalist Jason Netherton from his former band and current
tour mates, Dying Fetus. Humorously, the beginning of the third song,
the new title track "Retaliate", was met with a really deep, throaty
cry by someone in the audience to the band on stage exclaiming
"IOWA!" to the enjoyment of the whole crowd; this happened several
times throughout the night, never really losing its comedic appeal.
At any rate, Misery Index surprised me by pulling out "My Untold
Apocalypse" from their split about a year ago with Commit Suicide on
Willow Tip Records; it was a nice touch by the group, who knows how
to keep the crowd's interest piqued. They unleashed "Servants of
Progress" and "Demand the Impossible", but finished up with a
flawless "Manufacturing Greed" from the _Overthrow_ EP.
Divine Empire was certainly the 'most improved' sounding band
that played that Saturday night over their time at the Milwaukee
MetalFest. The stage, time and crowd at the MMF wasn't up to the task
of supporting a band like Divine Empire with all that this group
might deserve. Being the third on the bill, Divine Empire found a
welcoming crowd already in their full concert mindset, and they
took total advantage of that stroke of luck! They ripped through
monstrous offerings like "Induced Expulsion" and "Out for Blood" from
_Redemption_, while working in new tracks like "Aggravated Battery"
was almost as enjoyable as reliving classics like "War Torn"
(dedicated to Saddam's two dead sons) and "Repulsive" (dedicated to
Iowa's corn-fed women) from the 2000 album _Doomed to Inherit_. "The
Pain Remains", from the new album, utilizes a clip taken from the
movie "The Fifth Element" -- while this was just spoken in concert
and not played to the crowd as a sample, it was still every bit as
effective and the fans responded accordingly with floor-shaking
intensity at the power of the song's delivery. Divine Empire
dedicated the new release's title track "Nostradamus" to Vinny
from Dying Fetus, as Saturday August 9th was his birthday. Jason
Blachowicz, Derik Roddy and J.P. Soars took their leave about 10:30
that night after a truly spectacular set.
If you weren't tired yet, Skinless was up next to wear you down in
proper style -- and wear us down they did! Pushing 11:00, the theme
to '80s hit show "Nightrider" announced the coming of Skinless. A
couple of weeks isn't all that long, but it is amazing what
you get a hankerin' to hear again; so when "From Sacrifice to
Survival", from the album of the same name, was one of the
first I heard these New Yorkers play, I feared things might be
anticlimactic. Boy, was I wrong! We in the audience were treated to
"Tampon Lollipop", "Miscreant" and "Enslavement", among others.
During "Tampon Lollipop", some eyeglasses came up missing off the
face of a pit dweller -- Sherwood Webber, in the middle of the song
and without so much as missing a word of the lyrics, instructs the
crowd to help the guy look for his specs; that's fan-oriented metal
right there, kiddies. Moving on, whoever heard of a band hitting the
stage without proper refreshment in hand? Not me, and apparently not
Sherwood either: after a couple of polite but unanswered calls out
for a beer to be brought to him on stage (mid-song and still growling
out the lyrics the whole time), Sherwood made his way to the bar for
his own beverage. On the way back up front to the stage once again,
we are all reminded to tip our hardworking bartenders. Nice shameless
plug there, but hey, I guess Sherwood figured whatever works... Few
bands engage the crowd as aggressively as Skinless and the entire
Cedar Falls fans responded like a bunch of horned-up high schoolers
after prom especially after tunes like "Escalate Discord"!
Near the strike of midnight, Dying Fetus took the stage to close the
show. At this point, it had been a powerfully loud and hot evening
already, but I felt my second wind creep over me especially about the
time "Intentional Manslaughter" screamed forth. I counted my lucky
stars that I was fortunate enough to hear "Grotesque Impalement" and
"Killing on Adrenaline". Much like when Skinless did "From Sacrifice
to Survival", I thought Dying Fetus's set had climaxed; I should have
known better. Vinny was feeling pretty good on his birthday night,
even if he was on the road like the tour dogs Dying Fetus have always
been. Something that I guess I've never noticed before was John
Gallagher's awesome red Hammer guitar; the Cedar Falls venue,
however, allowed for a clear, unobstructed view of the band and their
gear providing a wicked sound in the room(s) to boot. Dying Fetus
maximized every plus available to them and ultimately put on a great
show. As seemed to be the theme that evening, Dying Fetus dedicated
"Skullfucked" to the women of Iowa. Whatever happened to having a
song like "Abandon All Hope" dedicated to the guys? Equal opportunity
offenders, Dying Fetus is -not-, I guess! "Institutions of Deceit"
and "Pissing in the Mainstream" wrapped up the nearly phenomenal
sixty minute set.
While Wisconsin has just a little less than double the population of
the Hawkeye State, Iowa turned out an energetic and enthusiastic
crowd for this tour. Obviously Cedar Falls is no Milwaukee and the
Reverb isn't the U.S. Cellular Center, but Iowans are nonetheless
passionate about their metal. My gratitude and appreciation goes out
to Dying Fetus, Skinless, Divine Empire and Misery Index for making
Iowa a part of the tour in August!
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W H A T W E H A V E C R A N K E D ! ! !
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Gino's Top 5
1. Ulver - _Bergtatt_
2. Burzum - _Det Som Engang Var_
3. Bloodbath - _Resurrection Through Carnage_
4. Graveland - _Carpathian Wolves_
5. Ulfsdalir - _Grimnir_
Pedro's Top 5
1. Misery Index - _Retaliate_
2. Aurora - _Dead Electric Nightmares_
3. Cryptopsy - _None So Live_
4. The Haunted - _One Kill Wonder_
5. Intestine Baalism - _Banquet in the Darkness_
Paul's Top 5
1. Suffocation - _Effigy of the Forgotten_
2. The Crown - _Deathrace King_
3. Equinox - _Journey Into Oblivion_
4. Nevermore - _Enemies of Reality_
5. Repulsion - _Horrified_
Aaron's Top 5
1. Morbid Angel - _Heretic_
2. Callenish Circle - _My Passion // Your Pain_
3. Divine Empire - _Nostradamus_
4. Pro-Pain - _Run for Cover_
5. Trouble - _Trouble_
Matthias' Top 5
1. Ulfsdalir - _Grimnir_
2. Clandestine Blaze / Deathspell Omega - _Split_
3. Behemoth - _Historica_
4. Nehemah - _Shadows From the Past_
5. Melechesh - _Sphynx_
James' Top 5
1. Beherit - _The Oath of Black Blood_
2. Beherit - _Drawing Down the Moon_
3. Beherit - _Beast of Beherit: Complete Worxxx_
4. Leviathan - _Verr�ter_
5. Elend - _The Umbersun_
Jackie's Top 5
1. Morbid Angel - _Heretic_
2. Immortal - _Damned in Black_
3. Emperor - _Emperial Live Ceremony_
4. Cephalic Carnage - _Exploiting Dysfunction_
5. Disfear - _Misanthropic Generation_
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Chronicles of Chaos is a FREE monthly magazine electronically
distributed worldwide via the Internet. Seemingly endless interviews,
album reviews and concert reviews encompass the pages of Chronicles
of Chaos. Chronicles of Chaos stringently emphasizes all varieties of
chaotic music ranging from black and death metal to electronic/noise
to dark, doom and ambient forms. Chronicles of Chaos is dedicated
to the underground and as such we feature demo reviews from all indie
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End Chronicles of Chaos, Issue #65
All contents copyright (c) 1995-2003 by individual creators of
included work. All rights reserved.
All opinions expressed herein are those of the individuals
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else.