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CHRONICLES OF CHAOS e-Zine, Wednesday, October 1, 2003, Issue #66
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 #66 Contents, 10/1/2003
-----------------------------
-- Cryptopsy: Breaking the Barriers of Supremacy
-- Tidfall: Juicy Black Metal, Anyone?
-- Anthrax: We Refuse to Be Denied
-- Golden Dawn: Beyond the Masquerade
-- Ancient Rites - _And the Hordes Stood As One_
-- Bathory - _Nordland II_
-- Black Label Society - _Boozed, Broozed & Broken Boned_
-- Cream Abdul Babar / Teen Cthulu -
_Cream Abdul Babar Vs. Teen Cthulu_
-- Dimmu Borgir - _Death Cult Armageddon_
-- Edge of Sanity - _Crimson II_
-- Ellipsis - _Comastory_
-- Fleshgrind - _Murder Without End_
-- Krisiun - _Works of Carnage_
-- Lacrimosa - _Echoes_
-- Latrodectus - _Altered Flesh_
-- Le'rue Delashay - _Law of 8ve_
-- Mnemic - _Mechanical Spin Phenomena_
-- Moonspell - _The Antidote_
-- Murderous Vision / Kuru - _Blood Brain Barrier_
-- Omnium Gatherum - _Spirits and August Light_
-- Re:Aktor - _Zero Order_
-- Scrog - _Discography_
-- The Black Dahlia Murder - _Unhallowed_
-- The Spawn of Satan / Bloodsick - _Split CD_
-- Tiamat - _Prey_
-- Tidfall - _Nucleus _
-- Ulver - _Lyckantropen Themes_
-- Zyklon - _Aeon_
-- Antipathy - _Removal of the Mind_
-- Benighted - _Helfarjor_
-- Cerebrus / Seethe - _Split EP_
-- Corpsepyre - _The Living We Mourn_
-- Descent Into Madness - _In the Darkest Hours_
-- Exhuman - _Partition of Disorder_
-- Forsaken - _Iconoclast_
-- NDCIT - _Preparing for the Quiet Wars_
-- Shattered Remains - _Black Lotus_
-- Sifr - _Blessings of Madness_
-- Souls Entwined - _Untitled Demo_
-- Under Eden - _Songs From the Savage Circle_
-- Vader Slays as Slayer Fades
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
_, _,_ _, ___ _,
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~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
BREAKING THE BARRIERS OF SUPREMACY
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
CoC chats with Alex Auburn of Cryptopsy
by: Jackie Smit
For the relatively short time that I have been a music scribe, I have
had the privilege of meeting a great many musicians; and while the
majority have thus far been friendly, accommodating and generally just
cool, there have been the odd exceptions where one's perception of an
individual whose personality has more or less been created by the
media that introduced you to the artist in the first place, is dashed
by ill-advised egoism or arrogant nonchalance. Cryptopsy's Alex
Auburn, on the other hand, confounds one's expectations in a decidedly
more positive way. While no member of Canada's premier death metal
band has ever come across as haughty or gruff in the slightest,
Auburn's genuine friendliness and humility is almost unsettling,
considering the musical pedestal upon which so many have placed his
band.
With new vocalist Martin LaCroix joining the Canadians after the their
spectacular _And Then You'll Beg_ and the subsequent departure of Mike
DiSalvo, Cryptopsy certainly have a lot to prove; and as they gear up
to put the finishing touches to their forthcoming opus (due for
release in early 2004), I felt that it was high time that the band's
founder and primary songwriter shed some light on recent goings-on in
Camp Cryptopsy.
CoC: First of all, Alex -- how did Martin LaCroix's joining the band
come about?
Alex Auburn: Well, it all happened really quickly in that I was
actually in California when I found out that Mike had
left, and about three weeks after that we started to
contact some people and started the process of holding
auditions. We got the guys to do three different songs
off three different albums -- and that's basically what
we expected of everyone. Martin didn't actually come in
to audition for us specifically. He tried out for
another band and wasn't what they were looking for and
they then told us that we should give him a try, as they
thought that he had more of a Cryptopsy-type of voice.
He was also a big fan of the band before that, which was
really one of the most important things to us -- and
basically a week and a half after that, we tried him
out, it felt really good and he got the spot.
CoC: How many auditions did you guys do?
AA: Well, we probably did about twelve actual auditions, but we had
applications from all over -- we even had a guy from Lebanon!
<laughs> But just so many e-mails, and tapes -- and in the end it
turned out for the best because Martin comes from the same city
[Montreal] as we do and just suits the band really well.
CoC: It's very rare that a band would introduce a new vocalist
through a live album -- were you guys a bit hesitant to do this
at all, or was it a conscious decision?
AA: At first we didn't think about it too much, because when we
reflected on it initially the album was done because it's been
ten years since we started Cryptopsy and we basically wanted to
capture that era on a live record. It was only when we thought
about it later on that we realized how unusual it was -- in fact,
I don't think that anyone has actually done that before. But as
far as _None So Live_ is concerned, it's a greatest hits in a
way, and it's material that we feel will please the fans until
the next album comes out, and that's the aspect from which we
approached doing the album. Also, we actually based the entire
record on one show in Montreal, which meant that we couldn't make
any mistakes and that we needed to be super-tight all the way
through.
CoC: A lot of people were very skeptical about Cryptopsy's future
after Mike left, and now with Martin in the band, a lot of
people have compared him to Lord Worm. Your opinion?
AA: Yeah, it has happened, and the reaction for Martin has been very
good. In fact, when we did our first tour with him in Europe, the
reaction was probably more positive for Martin than it was for
Mike the first time round, so I don't know -- I like Mike's voice
and I think he's fucking fantastic, but some people seemed to
have a problem with him. I mean, maybe his vocal patterns on _And
Then You'll Beg_ are less aggressive than on _Whisper Supremacy_,
but other than that the guy was faultless. We certainly thought
that people would love Mike, but in the end the opinions were
really split, whereas the reaction to Martin has been much better
so far.
CoC: Do you think that Martin was nervous at all about suddenly
fronting a band of Cryptopsy's stature?
AA: He didn't show it! <laughs> The thing was that we already had a
lot of tours and festivals booked when Mike left, and we couldn't
postpone anything and tell people that we would practice for two
weeks and then do the shows or whatever. So we had a really short
rehearsal time before we went on the road, but Martin got his
shit together and stayed calm and it came out good.
CoC: So what will Martin's contribution be to the new record?
AA: He will do all the lyrics, but as far as musically -- we
basically take care of that. After everything's been written, we
will sit down and mix ideas and change and adjust a song as we go
along. It's pretty open, but he will be mostly involved in just
doing the lyrics.
CoC: And when can we expect the next record?
AA: If everything goes well, we will enter the studio in October. We
want to be in the studio in October and November, and be done in
those two months, so that we can avoid the hardest snow when it
hits in Canada, and the album will hopefully be released by
February or March in 2004.
CoC: So what can we expect from the record on a musical level?
AA: It'll definitely sound closer to _And Then You'll Beg_, as
opposed to _None So Vile_ or _Blasphemy Made Flesh_. But at the
same time, we've added some awesome grooves, and we're taking
longer with them this time round, so that the listener can get
into them before we change to the next part. The album is also
going to be a lot more extreme -- lots more technicality; we've
got a lot of new patterns and riffs and basically just a whole
fucked-up lot of ideas. The songs sound very different from each
other and we're even planning on using samples on a couple of
tracks. There will definitely be a lot of color, that's for sure.
CoC: Does Lord Worm still have anything to do with the band?
AA: He helps polish some of the English that gets written in the
band, and he still contributes to the band in that way. I mean,
we're definitely still good friends with him and we invite him to
parties and to shows -- he's just a crazy fool and he's really
fun to be around. Actually, I don't know if a lot of people know
this, but he's an English teacher over here. He still has long
hair though. <laughs>
CoC: Do his students know that he used to front a death metal band?
AA: Yeah, a couple of them probably do.
CoC: So, do you guys still see Mike at all?
AA: No, we don't, unfortunately. I mean, I don't think he was ever
angry with us at all, but he needed a really big break. I know he
was affected by a lot by people on our website's guestbook
writing negative things about him, and also he has a family who
are very much a priority for him. Also, he wanted to work on a
lot of other things outside of the family that affected the
schedule, and we can not bend for one guy. We have to continue
and if one person can not make it, then that is definitely not
our problem.
CoC: The so-called "math-core" genre has started to gain tremendous
popularity, and considering that Cryptopsy are in many ways the
unsung pioneers in that style, where do you see the band fitting
into the mix in the future?
AA: Opening new barriers. Climbing different musical mountains, but
with a Cryptopsy touch. We're open to a lot of stuff -- not
everything -- we're trying out a lot of new ideas and Flo
[Mounier, drummer] is still working on a lot of new drum
patterns. With the new record we are definitely incorporating a
lot of mathematics in the way that we sequence a lot of the
tempos and beats, and as far as the new album again -- it's a lot
different to what we have done in the past, but I think that
people are really going to like it.
CoC: So, do you see this album possibly appealing to people that
wouldn't have been attracted to Cryptopsy, or indeed, any death
metal act previously?
AA: It's difficult for me to say, because I'm in the band, but
looking at things from the outside -- like I said, we've worked
really hard on this record, and we've revised our ideas and
thrown away a lot of what we felt was not absolutely perfect. So,
all I can say really is that it's sounding pretty cool so far.
CoC: Getting back to Flo -- he was recently asked to take part in a
performance art piece at the Guggenheim museum in New York. How
did that come about?
AA: I think that the producer knows the band and he had an idea to
basically create this 'fountain' of sound, using different
drummers, singers, and so on. What they basically want to do is
to place tourists in the middle of a room and what they'll hear
is every musician playing at the same time from different
positions -- sort of like a human octagon -- and I think that the
purpose is to determine how much the average brain will be able
to take in out of its surroundings and how many sounds, so to
speak, it will accept. And basically, Flo was one of the two guys
that was chosen to play drums, which is really amazing since this
artist is very well known from what I've heard. He went down
there for a week and got an awesome response, and really, all
these experiences outside of playing in a metal band are great,
you know. I mean, if we were asked to write a song for a movie,
we would love it.
CoC: Right now I take it that you all still need day jobs to make ends
meet? What do you get up to when you're not on the road?
AA: I build stages for big shows and bands.
CoC: Do you see Cryptopsy as something that you'd ever be able to or
want to make a living from?
AA: That would be really difficult, because basically the bigger the
band, the bigger the spending, and you would need to make a lot
of money before you could sit on your ass and say "I'm set now".
I mean, the country we live in is really affordable in as far as
things like rent or whatever is concerned, but to make money as a
musician is really hard. Like I said, the bigger you get, the
more you need to spend -- studios, the website. I mean, I'd love
for it to happen to Cryptopsy, but I'm not counting on it
happening anytime soon.
CoC: Thanks for your time, Alex -- any last words?
AA: We'd really like to get over to Europe soon, and we're really
looking forward to seeing England and Ireland again after the new
album is out. Other than that... ummm... drink beer!
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
J U I C Y B L A C K M E T A L , A N Y O N E ?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
CoC chats with Drako Arcane of Tidfall
by: Jackie Smit
Originally brought into existence more than a decade ago, the road to
recognition for Norway's Tidfall has been steep and, more often than
not, winding. After departing from the Nocturnal Arts roster in 2001,
the band could very well have ended up in black metal obscurity, but
for the watchful eyes of Nuclear Blast, who saw potential and snapped
up the band, ultimately giving us the end product that is their
latest record, _Nucleus_. A swirling, futuristic maelstrom of an
album, _Nucleus_ is as intense and invigorating as it is bleak and
aggressive. But, as it turns out, for all their dabbling in the dark
side, Tidfall are also refreshingly self-deprecating, as I discovered
when I hooked up with guitarist Drako Arcane recently for an e-mail
interview.
CoC: If I were forced to describe your current sound, I'd say that it
covers the middle ground between Dimmu Borgir and earlier
Kovenant material -- would you agree?
Drako Arcane: No, that would sound like KovenBorgir? Or
KovenBurger... juicy metal. Yeah, that's us! Juicy
metal with spicy lyrics. Voila! A culinary evening with
Tidfall.
CoC: You started in 1992, but it took until 2000 for you to start
getting recognised and signed to a record label. What would you
say, if anything, was holding you back or were specific
obstacles in your path?
DA: There wasn't anything really holding us back, so to speak. We
just recorded some demos and had fun playing some local gigs. We
were pure underground in the beginning, and we liked it that way.
After we recorded the demo _Black Psychotic Darkness_, we decided
to seriously try to get ourselves a deal, and here we are today.
CoC: What was the reason behind ending your relationship with Samoth
and Nocturnal Arts and moving to Nuclear Blast? Was the split
amicable?
DA: The relationship ended because at the time that we were recording
the _Instinct Gate_ album, Samoth was working really hard with
Zyklon and their first release [_World Ov Worms_]. Things started
to take more time than we could afford, and at the same time we
had some communication with Nuclear Blast and they showed some
interest in our music. So we spoke to Samoth and agreed that an
album like _Instinct Gate_ had the potential to reach out to a
very wide audience, and in order to do so, it needed to be backed
by a very strong distribution network. And that was the end of
that story.
CoC: The new record seems to be very conceptualised and obviously
very futuristic -- how would you describe your vision of the
future, and do you feel that _Nucleus_ does it justice?
DA: There are a million black metal bands out there, and almost all
of them play the same type of "evil" black metal. It really bores
me. I can't remember when I last found a black metal album that
really gave something. Wait -- Emperor did! Getting back to
Tidfall -- we will never stagnate when it comes to style and
music. We don't like to be stigmatised. We just play the kind of
music that works for ourselves. The future brings only more
destruction and death, and we are the soundtrack to it. So to us
-- yes, _Nucleus_ justifies the future, and there is more where
that came from!
CoC: In what ways do you think our current global state of affairs is
sending us toward your envisioned future, and do you think that
there's any way for us to change that?
DA: There is a lot of shit happening around the world today, and we
try our best to reflect on things around us in the lyrics
and music. As I see it, religion will be the fall of man.
Almost everything bad that happens concerns some kind of stupid
religion. People's minds will in the end lose track of time and
place, and I don't think it can be changed. The fanatics will
always be there, with their terror.
CoC: With your use of electronics and the increasing number of black
metal bands utilising electro and/or industrial influences, do
you see this as an evolutionary step in black metal's sound as a
whole?
DA: No, it's too early for that. Some elements within black metal
have obviously changed, but hopefully the brutality will be there
along with the use of new elements in the music.
CoC: What motivated or influenced Tidfall to implement these elements
in their music?
DA: It came to us naturally, and after we had made some line-up
changes it was easier to try out newer things on the rehearsals.
We tried out some elements on the _Instinct Gate_ album, which we
felt worked perfectly, so basically, here we are now.
CoC: Why do you think that these musical styles blend so well with
black metal?
DA: I don't think it blends well if you don't use it right, you need
to have the right sound at the studio to really make it good. You
can give the riffs more feeling with the electronica, which we
think is important.
CoC: What were your musical influences when you started Tidfall and
what are you currently listening to at the moment?
DA: The influences must have been from the really early days when I
discovered Slayer, Death and so on. And then the Swedish death
metal band Morbid with Death on vocals, and then Mayhem, Burzum.
At the moment I am listening to Turbonegro's _Scandinavian
Leather_. Wow, they are genuine!
CoC: What are your plans for the future of Tidfall?
DA: Now the plans are to play live, go touring. And of course drinking
Ringnes [Norwegian beer] and making some more futuristic music.
CoC: Any last words?
DA: Check out our latest website -- www.tidfall.net -- and join us
there on a digital metalparty!
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
W E R E F U S E T O B E D E N I E D
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
CoC chats with John Bush of Anthrax
by: Jackie Smit
It's approximately four hours until the doors to the London Astoria
open to welcome punters in for the evening's festivities, and already
the queue of Anthrax fans, eagerly anticipating their heroes' third
appearance of the year in the capital, is stretching well into the
adjacent main road -- much to the amusement of the slightly befuddled
passers-by. Later this evening, the 3000-strong will lay waste to the
famous venue's dank interior with the type of ferocity you'd expect
from naught but the most rabid fan. Rewind two years and matters were
distinctly different however.
Dropped from Elektra Records due to poor sales, insulted in the press
by previous band members and considered past their sell-by-date by all
but a less-than-vocal minority, Anthrax were a prime example of
a once-great band being chewed up and spit out by a ruthless
all-consuming corporate music culture. Indeed, suggesting that Anthrax
were on the verge of calling it quits would likely not have been
contested, particularly after the veritable media witch-hunt that
erupted after the band were labelled insensitive antagonists in the
aftermath of the attack on the World Trade Center. Standing at the
crossroads of their two decade plus career, the Anthrax collective
could very well have decided that enough was enough; but lest we
forget, we're not dealing with your average two-bit metal band here.
In a display of almost warrior-like indomitability, John Bush, Scott
Ian, Charlie Benante, Frank Bello and Rob Caggiano regrouped and
unleashed _We Have Come For You All_ -- arguably their most vibrant,
aggressive and confident album since 1994's _Sound of White Noise_
opus.
Now, signed to Nuclear Blast and seemingly hungrier than ever, the
'Thrax look set to ascend to the top of the mountain once more. When I
am introduced to John Bush backstage at the Astoria, he is in good
spirits, albeit still a tad hung over from a night-best-forgotten
in Manchester two days earlier. The newly-shorn frontman is an
invigorating person to talk to: ultra-confident, very friendly and
surprisingly inquisitive. We spend the first quarter of an hour
shooting the breeze on topics ranging from South Africa's metal scene
to Relapse Record's superstars-in-making Mastodon before finally
getting down to the business at hand.
CoC: _We've Come For You All_ has generally been hailed as a comeback
record for Anthrax. Considering that this implies that Anthrax
were regarded as being 'on the way down', how do you respond to
that point of view?
John Bush: Well, in all honesty we were on our way down. I don't know
about musically -- I mean, I'm the last guy who wants to
say that, because I joined three records ago. <laughs> I
do believe that we made some really good records in the
last couple of years, but there were a lot of factors
outside of the band's control that lowered the awareness
of those albums, and because of that there was a decline,
which caused us to not be in the public eye as much as we
used to be and probably should have been. In terms of this
album maybe having much more of an 'awareness', I think
that's a perfectly valid point, and I certainly don't
think that the last two records weren't any good; I just
think that the new album is a very ferocious sounding
record and it does sound like it's grabbing people by the
neck and making a statement.
CoC: Well, one of the big factors in bringing Anthrax back into the
public eye, albeit in a negative way, was the furore surrounding
your name around the time of 9/11. Did this influence your
approach to the new album in any way?
JB: No, at the most it probably influenced one song, "Refuse to Be
Denied"; but other than that we were actually in the middle of
writing already when the whole September 11 thing happened. We
were actually about to start a tour with Judas Priest when it
happened; we were in Nebraska and we were supposed to play, and
then we woke up to that and the tour was cancelled. So, about a
month after that, we got together and decided to get back to
writing. The comment I've always made is that we're not going to
write the soundtrack to 9/11 -- that will never be the basis for
an Anthrax record. Sure, it affected us personally; we're a New
York-based band, but again, we're not going to have ten songs
about 9/11, because I have other things I want to talk about. And
I know that Scott and the other guys feel the same way.
CoC: You had to have been surprised to see your band being dragged
into the media frenzy though.
JB: Oh yeah -- things happened so quickly, from the first person who
died to when all of a sudden the media decided that they weren't
going to concentrate on it anymore and started going after every
scapegoat they could think of. Then of course, here's this band
called Anthrax and we started getting calls from Wall Street
Journal, Fortune Magazine -- we were happy to talk to anybody
associated with music, but we caught on pretty early that they
weren't about to say anything nice about us, so we created a
press release [the infamous "Basketful of Puppies" name-change
saga] as a joke. And then CNN took the whole thing out of
proportion and ran it as a serious story, which made us go:
"Whoa, this is your fucking journalism?" The whole thing was
meant as a joke -- we wrote on the website that it was a joke! It
made me have a lot less respect for CNN, that's for sure. But
eventually it went away. There were people that told us that it
was a sensitive issue, but we basically said "Look, assholes
-- we've been around for twenty years!" And at the end of
everything, I think it probably made us feel quite a bit more
resilient.
CoC: So, when you left Elektra, did you feel that you were caught at a
crossroads, so to speak?
JB: Absolutely. I mean, there were times when we were all wondering
whether it was over. I certainly never doubted the ability for
the guys to get together and make good music, but there was so
much legal business with the record company that it ended up
being like five albatrosses around our neck. And there would be
times where we would play together and come up with something
great, only to get a phone call from some lawyer or someone from
the label. But we hung in there, which I think is a testament to
our endurance, and we're here now because it's our choice.
CoC: Now that you're signed to Nuclear Blast, do you feel that the
whole business process has been simplified?
JB: Well, here in Europe they have done an amazing job exposing us to
potential as well as old Anthrax fans -- telling them that the
record is out. I mean we sold about 500 000 copies of _Sound of
White Noise_ and at the end of the day about 150 000 of _Stomp
442_ and _Volume 8_, purely because Elektra never even did much
to let the existing fans know that there was a new Anthrax album
out. I've always said that I'd rather someone come up to me and
say that my record sucks than tell me that they didn't know we
had a new record out. That just means that the record company
aren't doing their job, because there's only so much that we can
do ourselves. But like I said, so far Nuclear Blast have done a
hell of a job. Now we have to concentrate on Sanctuary in America
-- they haven't really been as active as we would have hoped.
CoC: So how did the Nuclear Blast deal come about?
JB: Well, it had a lot to do with Charlie and Scott having a good
thing going on with them with SOD, plus they wanted Anthrax, and
I mean they're actually so big now that they're like a major
label anyway. Also they know what they're selling, they love
metal and they've really done an excellent job.
CoC: There were rumours that you guys were going to do a "reunion"
tour with you and Joey [Belladona, ex-Anthrax vocalist] sharing
the mic duties. Has there been any talk of this taking place
recently?
JB: No, I haven't thought about it. We were going to do it in
conjunction with our greatest hits compilation [_Return of the
Killer A's_] and I thought that it was a cool idea. But he had a
lot of demands -- primarily financial -- where he wanted certain
amounts of money and wanted to play at certain size venues and we
were like "Dude, let's do some math here -- this is what you want
and this is what we're getting". But he wouldn't budge, so we
called the promoters and they said that we needn't worry -- that
basically we'd draw people because we're Anthrax -- so we just
did a tour anyway. And it was a blown opportunity for him.
CoC: It's been a big year for metal thus far with a lot of veteran
acts like Sepultura and Metallica releasing new albums. What do
you think of all the older bands making a return to the fold?
JB: Well, it challenges newer groups to come up with something
better, which is really good for the scene. And it's great to see
that guys like Slayer and Sepultura are still doing it and are
still doing it well. I mean, a lot of bands bring out one amazing
album and the rest is shit. As far as Metallica -- I've only
heard the new album from top to bottom once and I do believe that
the production of the record hinders my enjoyment of the record.
<laughs> I suppose that they were going for that kind of sound,
but for me as a consumer, I don't like it because I don't think
that it embellishes the songs or does the songs justice in any
way. I saw them live recently in Germany though and they were
amazing, so...
CoC: Anthrax have been around more than two decades now -- do you see
yourself still doing this maybe ten or fifteen years from now?
JB: No, I don't think I will. I can only speak on behalf of myself,
but quite honestly I am not even really thinking past tonight. I
might wake up tomorrow morning and feel completely different, and
that's the way I live my life. I'm generally pretty scared of the
future. But I don't know -- I think that it really comes down to
whether we can collectively still like each other in twenty years
from now, and still make quality music and still feel like we're
doing something great. That's definitely the most important
thing. There's bands that have been around a long time that I
wish would just quit -- it's like they've picked a name and
they're milking it for all it's worth and taking all the
integrity out of it. Especially bands that are fucking loaded.
<laughs> On the other hand, if they really love doing it and
that's the driving force, then that's cool. If it's money and the
quality of what they're putting out is crap, then fuck them. Or
if it's not quality and they're just trying to make a living,
then that's okay. <laughs>
CoC: So when Anthrax decides to call it quits one day, who would you
say will pick up the torch out of the current crop of bands?
JB: Well, it's difficult to say, especially because it's so different
in Europe to America, where everyone is just so trendy. In Europe
and Britain they seem to be much more accepting and embracing of
older bands, whereas in America if you've been out for three
years, you're old, and I think that attitude stinks. We're lucky
that way in Europe, because here they still embrace bands like
Anthrax, where in the States it's a lot harder for us. I mean,
there they're calling bands like Korn old now -- fuck, that makes
me prehistoric! But metal will always be changing -- nowadays
everyone says that nu metal is dead, but four years ago, every
magazine were up those band's asses. As far as new bands that are
really good -- I really love Queens of the Stone Age, I think
that The Datsuns are really great. And System of a Down are a
fucking amazing band, who will be around for a long time, I
think.
CoC: When Anthrax was on Elektra, was there ever any pressure put on
the band to change your image and your make your music more
"trendy"?
JB: No one ever really specifically came to us and said anything,
because we're fully aware of what's going on around us. We're not
living in some time chamber and thinking it's 1985. So, no one
suggested doing anything differently. And for us the most
important will always be to make records that sound like Anthrax,
but that still progresses and sounds fresh. We don't want to make
another _Among the Living_, but at the same time _We Have Come
For You All_ sounds to me like _Among the Living_ if it were to
have come out in 2003.
CoC: Well, thanks for your time, John!
JB: Thank you and thanks to all the fans -- we hope we'll see you on
the road.
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B E Y O N D T H E M A S Q U E R A D E
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
CoC chats with Stefan Traunmuller of Golden Dawn
by: Quentin Kalis
If there was justice in the world, Golden Dawn would have achieved
the same level of fame and notoriety within the underground as
countrymates Abigor and Summoning. Some of the blame must be laid on
the Metallica-esque gap between their two full-lengths -- their debut
album _The Art of Dreaming_ came out in 1996, but their sophomore
effort _Masquerade_ was released only in early 2003. Musically
speaking, the gap between the two albums is astounding. _TAoD_ was a
black metal CD, yet went beyond the limiting confines of the genre
both musically and lyrically, without losing the essence of what
constitutes black metal. The follow-up _Masquerade_ was a completely
different and more complex affair that combined the best elements of
prog, black, gothic and heavy metal. I was sufficiently impressed with
both albums that I just had to know more about the band responsible.
The result is the introductory interview, conducted via e-mail with
Stefan Traunmuller; hopefully more metalheads will become aware of
this enigmatic band.
CoC: For those who are unfamiliar with Golden Dawn, could you explain,
briefly, in your own words, the formation of Golden Dawn?
Stefan Traunmuller: I began to make music in 1992 and started
Golden Dawn as a one-man project. The first
demos suffered from the bad sound and a lack
of technical abilities but already showed some
experimental keyboards and progressive edges. The
first serious publishing was the third demo _Way
of the Sorcerer_ and the two tracks on the
compilation _A.B.M.S. - Norici Obscura Pars_. The
collaboration with Dark Matter Records continued
with the first album _The Art of Dreaming_ and
ended during the production of the second album
_Sublimity_ when they went bankrupt. Then in
2001 I started to work together with Karim and
Sebastian on the new album _Masquerade_ for
Ars Metalli. But they ripped me off again and
therefore I am very glad to be with Napalm
Records now.
CoC: The Golden Dawn website lists only two albums for Golden Dawn,
released some years apart. What happened?
ST: As stated before, the second album should have been a record
called _Sublimity_. It was recorded between 1997 and 1999, but
Dark Matter Records had less and less time and more and more
financial problems. We worked very hard on this album and just
before the final mastering could have been done, the label
stopped its existence. I was very disappointed and did not want
to record and release everything all over again; therefore I
spent some years at home composing and recording just for myself.
CoC: Was any material released during this period?
ST: Yes, there are the two albums _Sublimity_ and _A Solemn Day_, but
they were just demo recordings for myself.
CoC: Were you -- or any other current members -- involved in any side
projects?
ST: Yes, Karim, Moritz and me play in Sternenstaub as well.
Sternenstaub is symphonic black metal, more straightforward than
Golden Dawn. We have already recorded our debut album and are
looking for a label at the moment.
CoC: _Masquerade_ is vastly different in style to _The Art of
Dreaming_. What prompted such a drastic change in style?
ST: Time, experience and personal development. If you knew the
in-between albums and songs, you would not find the change so
drastic. But _Masquerade_ also reflects the influence of two
other musicians for the first time, another thing that changed
the direction a bit. But I think that there is some kind of
characteristic style in my music; on the first album it was
presented in a very intuitive way and now in a more sophisticated
way.
CoC: I can hear a wide range of influences in _Masquerade_. Which
bands have influenced Golden Dawn?
ST: In the early nineties I listened to many of the well-known black
metal bands, but I also admired classical and electronic music.
With the passing of time I turned away from black metal and
nowadays I listen to a lot of prog rock. Of course I am
influenced by all the music I hear, as well as by all things I
experience in my life; I think that this is natural. But I will
never try to copy anything or focus on a certain style.
CoC: I must say that I like the design of the Golden Dawn website! It
seems to tie in with the _Masquerade_ cover; is there any
meaning to it or does it simply suit the music and atmosphere?
ST: The latter... I had an idea of a very complex cover with
philosophical background, but nobody was able to make this real;
therefore, we decided to take a kind of gothic styled cover.
There are also some modern elements in it, just like in the music
of the album.
CoC: What are the future plans for Golden Dawn?
ST: To compose the next album, which should become a concept album
with strong classical and progressive influences.
CoC: We've come to the end. The floor is yours! Is there anything you
would like to say to our readers?
ST: Thanks for all your support, keep up your individualism and be at
one with yourselves.
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
_, _, __, _,_ _, _ _,
/ \ | |_) | | |\/| (_
|~| | , |_) | | | | , )
~ ~ ~~~ ~ `~' ~ ~ ~
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!
Ancient Rites - _And the Hordes Stood As One_
by: Quentin Kalis (8 out of 10) (Hammerheart Records, 2003)
Presumably this live album is intended as filler between studio
albums; while premature, it is not an unwelcome addition to their
discography, given the calibre of their back-catalogue. Despite the
fact that there are sixteen tracks lasting over 78 minutes, there will
be the inevitable complaints that a particular favourite isn't
included -- I personally would have loved a live version of "Rise and
Fall (Anno Satana)". Still, there could have been less of a bias
towards their last studio effort, _Dim Carcosa_ (which is represented
by no less than eight tracks) with the remainder more or less evenly
split between the preceding three albums. Even _Fatherland_, widely
and justifiably regarded as their finest moment, is represented by a
mere three songs. I certainly don't expect every single album in a
band's catalogue to be represented on a live album in equal portions,
and a bias towards the latest is to be expected, but nor do I expect
such an overwhelming bias towards a single album -- I want to hear a
live Ancient Rites album, not a live version of _Dim Carcosa_.
Set list aside, this is an impressive live album, and while it is
impossible to accurately recreate the mood and atmosphere of a live
gig, this is as close as it can possibly get. As expected, the sound
is rawer and more organic than on the studio albums and the earlier
material has an enhanced melodic edge. Calls of "Me-tawl!" and the
like do not seem at all cheesy, but are apt and enhance rather than
detract from the atmosphere. There is a clear sense that the band are
enjoying themselves, enhancing the quality. For those who absolutely
loved _DC_, add an extra point to the rating above.
Bathory - _Nordland II_ (Black Mark Records, 2003)
by: Quentin Kalis (5 out of 10)
_Nordland II_ is the follow-up to _Nordland I_ and forms the second
part of a staggered double CD release. An ambitious project, which
can only be pulled off by those with the requisite skill and
sufficient vision. Sadly, neither quality is exhibited. Bathory was
once a pioneer of extreme metal; albums such as _The Return..._ and
_Hammerheart_ are massively influential classics. But now, after some
two decades in the business, the extremity and innovative spirit that
was the driving force behind the aforementioned classics has deserted
Quorthon. Although _Nordland II_ is hardly the worst Viking metal
album ever released, it must surely rank as one of the most soulless;
Bathory is seemingly now content to simply go through the motions in
creating music. The songs feature many of the trademarks and features
of this subgenre -- indeed many were pioneered by Quorthon -- yet on
_Nordland II_ they sound tired and clich�-ridden. This is not such an
average that it inspires the desire to hear it again nor is it so bad
that the listener is driven to switch the CD player; the average
listener will lose interest and it will simply fade into the
background. A further indicator of how the mighty have fallen is
provided by the intro, "Fanfare", which paradoxically sounds like a
rip-off of a Graveland intro -- even though Bathory could probably sue
Graveland for practically plagiarising _Hammerheart_ on their later
albums! This album cannot be awarded more then a five -- a mediocre
rating for a truly mediocre album. Bathory is fast becoming another
Black Sabbath: after releasing a slew of seminal, original releases
which are destined to remain classics, both descended into repetitious
mediocrity and self-parody, marching on long after when they should
have given up.
Black Label Society - _Boozed, Broozed & Broken Boned_
by: Jackie Smit (9 out of 10) (Eagle Vision Entertainment, 2003)
It seems as though just about every band and their brother is trying
to cash in on the latest corporate trend of music DVDs these days --
slapping a shoddily recorded concert onto a disc and touting it as the
next step in the evolution of musical home entertainment seems to be
one of the easiest ways in the world to make a quick buck. Truth be
told, I was almost expecting the same out of the new Black Label
Society DVD, particularly given the recent penchant for higher profile
bands to put together half-hearted attempts at home video; but for
once it seems that someone has actually paid attention to the cries of
the consumer and released a package that does its heritage proud.
Aside from the main event, so to speak, on this DVD, the list of bonus
features reads like a Black Label Society fan's veritable wet dream.
For your hard-earned dosh, you get extensive interview footage, home
video footage from Zakk Wylde's private collection that includes a
hilarious clip of himself and his two year-old daughter Rae Rae
performing a duet of sorts. Then there's additional life footage
captured in 2003 in Tokyo, Zakk playing the American National Anthem
at an LA Kings hockey game, as well as music videos and a guitar
lesson.
The gig recorded at Harpo's in Detroit forms the meat of this release
though, and what I found instantly appealing is the more live feel of
the recording style, eschewing the annoying trend of slick production
and film-school editing that in my opinion ruins both the atmosphere
and purpose of such a DVD as this. And boy, can Zakk & Co put on a
show -- "Bleed for Me", "Graveyard Disciples" and "Genocide Junkies"
are blistering, proving that the live environment is perhaps the best
way to savour the heartfelt delights that Wylde has to offer. With
a rallying cry of "Limp Bizkit sucks cock", the aptly titled
"Superterrorizer" is perhaps the highlight on an outstanding offering,
and truly, even if your interest in the man isn't uber-fanatical,
_Boozed, Broozed & Broken Boned_ is well worth a look.
Contact: http://www.blacklabelsociety.net
Cream Abdul Babar / Teen Cthulu - _Cream Abdul Babar Vs. Teen Cthulu_
by: Adrian Magers (7 out of 10) (Hyper Realist, 2003)
Cream Abdul Babar put to use a somewhat strange style of music (as one
would guess by the name). Imagine Dog Fashion Disco minus some of the
Patton influences with a more metalcore base, a more serious attitude
and an occasional slight industrial tinge, and you're only starting to
pinpoint what it is exactly that this band does. The music is fairly
entertaining, but occasionally the vocal parts sound somewhat monotone
(partly due to use of distortion on a somewhat hardcore style voice).
The second track is an interesting change of pace, but the synth loop
that repeats the entire song becomes boring long before the end of the
track. Since the band only have one full-blown song on their half of
the album, it's hard to get a good impression of the all the nuances
of their sound, but I found them to be a good band, though nothing
overtly impressive.
Teen Cthulu was quite a different band, playing a raw yet catchy form
of black metal that looks both to modern symphonic forms of the
sub-genre as well as the ice-cold bombasts of the Norwegian legends of
the first wave. The production is fuzzy, but it somewhat lends itself
to the music, as is often the case with this form of music, creating
an interesting atmosphere. Some of the vocals completely clash with
the music, but it doesn't detract from the well-used keyboards and
excellent songwriting craftmanship. My sole complaint is that the
songs are too short and seem to cut off before reaching the epic
height that most good black metal does. Overall though, Teen Cthulu's
involvement with this split has definitely piqued my interest in the
band.
Contact: http://www.hyperrealist.com
Dimmu Borgir - _Death Cult Armageddon_ (Nuclear Blast, 2003)
by: Jackie Smit (8.5 out of 10)
Whether your opinion of Norway's premier second generation black metal
band is that of unbridled adoration or you happen to be one of those
individuals who have posted snide remarks about them being a black
metal boy band on various message boards across the Internet, one
should at the very least give them credit for gaining success on their
own terms. While some saw 1997's breakthrough effort _Enthrone
Darkness Triumphant_ as an attempt to copy Cradle of Filth, Dimmu
Borgir were the first of the two to begin experimenting with a
full-blown orchestra -- used to great effect on 2001's stunning
_Puritanical Euphoric Misanthropia_ -- and where the aforementioned
Brits' music has been progressively watered down to the point
where Marilyn Manson arguably sounds more menacing, Dimmu Borgir
have steadily been polishing their songwriting skills and technical
proficiency to the point where one would not have expected any less
than what they have offered us with their latest effort.
Disappointingly _Death Cult Armageddon_ does not offer the same
progression and depth as its predecessor, rather a slicker and more
tightly assembled version thereof. Sure, the orchestral element has
been taken to a new level, but the daring and challenging approach
that made even their detractors sit up and take notice is relatively
absent. Which is not to say that _Death Cult Armageddon_ is not
a satisfying album in its own right. Opening track "Allegiance"
is absolutely stunning, with more than a slight nod to rawer
early-nineties black metal acts, which no doubt rank high on
the Borgir list of influences. The full majestic impact of the
Prague Philharmonic Orchestra is prevalent in all its epic glory
on "Progenies of the Great Apocalypse", while the record's dark,
apocalyptic atmosphere is vividly brought to life by the intelligent
use of samples and enhanced by the mechanistic, uber-tight drumming of
Nick Barker, most clearly defined by the album's ultimate highlight,
"Unorthodox Manifesto". The record even sees the band returning
to their native language on "Vredesbyrd" and the breathtaking
"Allehelgens Dod I Helveds Rike".
Yet, for all their songwriting finesse and ample technical skill,
_Death Cult Armageddon_ does not have the same immediate impact as
_Puritanical Euphoric Misanthropia_, nor does it have the same
chilling atmosphere as _Enthrone Darkness Triumphant_. And ultimately
one can not help but draw the conclusion that more will be expected
from the Norwegians next time round.
Contact: http://www.dimmu-borgir.com
Edge of Sanity - _Crimson II_ (Black Mark, 2003)
by: Chris Flaaten (9 out of 10)
The Evil Queen is back from her Crimson Sleep. This of course means
that the Swedish King has finally risen from his slumber. Reviving the
defunct Edge of Sanity single-handedly, Dan Swan� makes a triumphant
return to the world of extreme metal... by making a follow-up to one
of my all time favorites, no less. As rumours about this album have
run rampant, I'll lay the most important one to rest before we go on.
Swan� has not forgotten how to growl! He is still by far the best
death metal vocalist on the planet -- and his clean vocals are better
than ever. There are also some guest vocalists though, who -- just
like on _Crimson_ -- handle the more high-pitched brutal vocals.
Because Swan� is working almost solo on this release, it has a
more epic and less brutal edge than its predecessor. This is,
according to the man himself, closer to how he originally wanted the
first _Crimson_, before caving in to his bandmates' requests. With
less generic death metal and more melodic solos, guitar harmonies
and synth, _Crimson II_ thus lands somewhere between the original
_Crimson_ and Swan�'s solo album, _Moontower_. The production is as
grandiose as the music, but perhaps a bit too heavy on the echo/reverb
fuzziness.
Lyrically, I am a bit disappointed though. The story takes place an
unknown number of years after _Crimson_ "ended", but the scope is much
more narrow this time. While you could envision the struggle of an
entire world on the first album, this time the story revolves around
only a handful of characters. Still, there are multiples of mothers,
queens and children in this story, so you have to pay close attention
to sort out what's really going on -- and to whom things are
happening. But I am willing to forgive this, as Dan's vocal execution
can fill even the most lifeless of stories with an abundance of
vitality.
Musically, this is a joyride all the forty-three minutes from
beginning to the end. Only a few times can you hear musical nods to
the original; just enough to establish a link, but well beneath the
threshold of repetition. Brimming with fantastic transitions and epic
passages, some comparisons can actually be drawn to Diabolical
Masquerade's _Death's Design_ as well as, of course, the original
_Crimson_ -- in terms of quality, the follow-up races head to head
with both.
Contact: http://w1.191.telia.com/~u19115213/ds/news.htm
Ellipsis - _Comastory_ (Adipocere, 2003)
by: Pedro Azevedo (4 out of 10)
I had to stifle many a yawn during Ellipsis' seemingly never ending
sixty five minute album before I could review it -- not because I
needed caffeine, but simply because _Comastory_ is so damn dull.
Ellipsis aren't actually bad as a band; there's some nifty musical
touches, and they clearly have plenty of ideas. The clean singing
that is utilized throughout (except for the very sporadic grunts)
sometimes borders on cringeworthy, but generally remains acceptable;
it is in the songwriting and guitar riff department that Ellipsis are
found wanting. The hollow, uneventful sound is not helped by the
relatively lacklustre drumming either. The material on _Comastory_
comes across as so bland that it lulls the listener into some
unintended form of (ahem) coma where you are neither repelled
nor attracted by the music. Having recently heard a much more
accomplished album in this kind of somewhat progressive, melodic
metal in the form of Ethereal's _Dreams of Yearning_, I can
only recommend that Ellipsis focus on upping the intensity level
considerably before they come back with a new offering; they have
some qualities, but right now they are being wasted for the most
part.
Contact: http://www.adipocere.fr
Fleshgrind - _Murder Without End_ (Olympic / Century Media, 2003)
by: Aaron McKay (10 out of 10)
I haven't been this excited about a CD since the epic 1999 immortal
classic by Viking Crown, _Unorthodox Steps of Ritual_ (or the
follow-up, _Innocence From Hell_, for that matter). Chicagolands's
Fleshgrind has obviously found their proper stride with this, their
newest effort, _Murder Without End_. Everything clicks on this
ten track "wildman" like a precision-tuned Swiss watch. _MWE_ is
-certainly- a violent standout in its own right, but as the metal
scene exists today, this release is like throwing bleach into a septic
tank; these are the albums we music critics salivate and drool
at the mere thought of having a crack at reviewing. Fleshgrind
is no amateur to the metal scene; 2003 marking their ten year
anniversary, Fleshgrind has blazoned a path few dare to (or can)
follow. Thick-ass chops and powerful guitar enriched riffs litter this
album front-to-back like all the cigarette butts on any given New York
freeway. Songs like "Enslaved to My Wrath", "In Sickness Intertwined"
and, of course, "Holy Pedophile" renew and refresh one's faith in
the perpetuation of metal. You've heard Immolation's _Close to a
World Below_ and Forest of Impaled's _Demonvoid_ -- now hear the
world's best combination of both with an unmistakable and undeniable
Fleshgrind appeal. Be sure of this point beyond anything else, kiddies
-- brutality runs unchecked here, so you've been warned.
Contact: http://www.fleshgrind.com
Krisiun - _Works of Carnage_ (Century Media, 2003)
by: Jackie Smit (9 out of 10)
Dammit, just when it seemed as though the Great Death Metal Blitz of
2003 could seemingly grow no more intense, the Brazilian answer to
sonic Armageddon return with their fifth and undoubtedly finest
offering. Of course, Krisiun, perhaps moreso than most, needed to
deliver the goods this time round. After the excellent _Black Force
Domain_ and _Apocalyptic Revelation_ records, their Century Media
debut _Conquerors of Armageddon_ already started sporting cracks in
their critically acclaimed veneer. By the time they released the
soulless, Eric Rutan-produced dirge that was _Ageless Venomous_, it
appeared that the brothers Kolesne had lost their touch. Thankfully
however, it seems that such was never the case.
To call _Works of Carnage_ a raging beast of an album would belittle
its impact. Produced by Pierre Remillard (Cryptopsy, Gorguts, Anvil,
etc.), the record instantly sounds simultaneously brutal and fresh.
Like a wounded mythological behemoth determined to protect its turf,
opening tracks "Thorns of Heaven" and "Murderer" seethe with an
intensity that few manage to surpass, and introduce melodic textures
and a level of rhythmic dynamics that one would never have expected to
hear on a Krisiun record. Which is not to say that the band have
departed from their trademark hyperspeed assault, however -- there are
indeed precious few moments of comparative sloth to be found on the
album. This time round though, Max Kolesne has diversified and
expanded his drumming approach, which immeasurably improves upon the
traditional Krisiun blueprint. By the same token, Alex Camargo's voice
is superbly blistering as he rages through highlights like "Sentinel
of the Fallen Earth" and "Ethereal World".
While the album's closing cover of Venom's "In League With Satan" is
perhaps somewhat ill-advised in that it sounds rather like a parody
that unwittingly derides the album's claustrophobic ferocity to a
certain extent, _Works of Carnage_ is undoubtedly a worthy contender
in a year that has already witnessed some outstanding releases, as
well as a fantastic return to form for the Brazilian kings of death
metal. Long may they reign.
Lacrimosa - _Echoes_ (Nuclear Blast, 2003)
by: Quentin Kalis (8.5 out of 10)
For those who may be tempted to dismiss Lacrimosa as a "mere goth
band" and therefore of no interest, pause and consider why a "mere
goth band" has attracted the attention of a traditionally metal label.
Numerous reasons can be given, but one simple listen will be enough
to dismiss practically all conceivable reasons as inconsequential:
Lacrimosa is a damn good band. Period. Goth is not an entirely
accurate description, especially given the traditional stereotype of
woe-is-me odes delivered in an Eldritch-esque baritone, to the
accompaniment of cheesy synths and an overly repetitive drum machine.
While Lacrimosa does contain typically gothic male vocals, there is a
certain indescribable quality to his voice elevating it above and
beyond the goth generic. _Echoes_ bravely (if not stupidly!) opens
with a thirteen minute classically inspired number that has a darkly
ethereal beauty all of its own. This is not the simplistic keyboard
tinkling of early Mortiis -- like ambience, but a genuine attempt at
recreating classical music. A similar track acts as the album's
closer. Book ended in-between are six more traditionally minded songs,
yet still maintaining the same darkly beautiful atmosphere. In the
hands of a lesser band this could degenerate into something simplistic
and cheesy (see Inkubus Sukkubus), but the Lacrimosa duo clearly
possess the requisite skill to pull it off -- clearly Therion and
Dimmu Borgir are not the only bands deserving of a backing symphony
orchestra!
Latrodectus - _Altered Flesh_ (Adipocere, 2003)
by: Pedro Azevedo (4 out of 10)
_Altered Flesh_ is proof (if ever proof was needed) that a strong,
well-suited production job does not a good album make. Latrodectus
got Anorexia Nervosa's keyboard player to recreate some of the sound
their countrymates had for their bombastic _New Obscurantis Order_,
but apart from the decent sound _Altered Flesh_ lacks most of
everything else. The vocals in particular are an atrocious variation
on Immortal's Abbath; the guitars play generic blackened metal riffs,
while the keyboards add the obligatory pinch of pseudo-goth. Much
like their labelmates Destinity, Latrodectus go through every motion
of mediocre, clich� imagery and deeply unoriginal musical style; they
are not entirely bad though, and you never know whether they might
come back with something more interesting next time.
Contact: http://www.adipocere.fr
Le'rue Delashay - _Law of 8ve_ (Root of All Evil, 2003)
by: Adrian Magers (8 out of 10)
Personally, I find dark ambient music to be quite enjoyable if done
right. Oftentimes it can drone on and become boring, self-indulgent
and pretentious. Le'rue Delashay, a one-man project on its third
release, avoids this pitfall by keeping the tone to that of an intense
psychological thriller, and the movement of each piece not unlike that
of classical music. The instrumentation is aggressive, and abundant
changes and adjustments are made to the texture of the music so as to
keep even someone used to the continuous onslaught of heavy metal
interested. The songs are generally kept somewhat short and to the
point, not wasting time to create a dark, disturbing atmosphere --
although for a metalhead this is generally what I would consider 'mood
music': something you would only listen to at dusk or beyond, feeling
somewhat melancholy. I strongly recommend this to fans of 'gothic'
music in the truest sense. In other words, Le'rue Delashay doesn't use
dance beats or droning synth loops, rather he uses harsh piano tones,
abrasive string sounds and other effects to create something that is
somehow beautiful and crazed at the same time.
Contact: http://www.theatrikil.com
Mnemic - _Mechanical Spin Phenomena_ (Nuclear Blast, 2003)
by: Jackie Smit (7 out of 10)
The surprise split of electro-metal pioneers Fear Factory was greeted
with shock and a fair amount of dismay by many a metalhead, and while
they have subsequently reformed (sans Dino Cazares), it will still be
quite some time before we're likely to see a new Fear Factory record
hit the shelves. In the meantime, Denmark's Mnemic may well hold
over any fan desperate to satiate their craving for some heavily
industrial-tinged metal, but while the Fear Factory comparisons are
more than justified, Mnemic also recall strains of Meshuggah on
"Tattoos" and the relentless hammering of Strapping Young Lad on "The
Naked & the Dead". Critically they also inject their music with
enough character to ensure its ascent above a mere Xerox of their
influences, and with the aid of a fantastic sound courtesy of Antfarm
Studios and producer Tue Madsen (The Haunted, Konkhra), _Mechanical
Spin Phenomena_ turns out to be surprisingly good. All is not
perfect however, and Mnemic's nu metal inclinations sour proceedings
dramatically on tracks like "Closed Eyes" and "Ghost". So while they
fail to, as they so boldly state in their bio, "kick every fuckin' ass
around", Mnemic have at least delivered a debut that is worth checking
out if the any of the previously mentioned bands hold any interest for
you at all.
Moonspell - _The Antidote_ (Century Media, 2003)
by: Jackie Smit (9 out of 10)
It's hard to believe that seven albums into their illustrious career,
there are still those that bemoan the Portuguese's departure from the
gothic black metal of _Under the Moonspell_ and _Wolfheart_ and
subsequent ascent into the more accessible sounds showcased on 1998's
_Sin/Pecado_ and 2001's _Darkness & Hope_. The fact that in retrospect
said departure was already ushered in on the unanimously acclaimed
_Irreligious_ effort -- their second full-length -- is perhaps proof
enough that much of the criticism Moonspell have had to endure borders
on the ignorant. Certainly from a personal standpoint, I have found
the progression on every successive release to be quite refreshing and
with the exception of the dogged experimentation of 1999's _The
Butterfly Effect_ I have yet to hear a Moonspell record that did not
appeal to me on some level.
Those expecting a return to the old with Moonspell's latest effort
might as well therefore skip to the next review, because there clearly
is no chance of this happening anytime soon. What is irrefutable
though is that once again, Fernando Ribeiro and Co have succeeded in
creating an exciting and perhaps their most challenging record to
date.
Starting off with the surprisingly heavy "In and Above Men", Moonspell
are in top form from the start, and the welcome return of Waldemar
Sorytcha to the producer's chair clearly pays immediate dividends, as
a lone Mediterranean-like drum pattern leads into a the superb "From
Lowering Skies". Musically, while still deeply rooted in dark, gothic
aesthetics, the first half of _The Antidote_ is perhaps the most
brutal work to be found on any Moonspell record, and indeed for the
first three songs Ribeiro all but completely forsakes his baritone
croon in favour of his trademark guttural roar. The title track ushers
in the second, and clearly more subdued half of the record with a
simple acoustic sequence that, again, is unlike anything Moonspell
have offered before, while the subtlety of "Lunar Still" showcases the
band at arguably their most haunting and effective. And where the
first single of the record, "Everything Invaded", may be somewhat
unconvincing, _The Antidote_ chooses to save best for last with the
up-tempo swirl of "Crystal Gazing" and the moody "As We Eternally
Sleep on It".
While I can unfortunately not comment on the input of renowned author
Jos� Luis Peixoto into the grand concept that supposedly threads
through the record due to the lack of a lyric sheet accompanying my
promo, from a musical standpoint _The Antidote_ is superb -- and
though it is certain to draw its own share of detractors, it stamps
down with some authority that Moonspell are well ahead of anyone in
their genre.
Contact: http://www.moonspell.com
Murderous Vision / Kuru - _Blood Brain Barrier_
by: Alvin Wee (8 out of 10) (Somnambulant Corpse, 2003)
The innocuous exterior of this classy, DVD-sized package belies the
restrained fury lurking within this split release. Murderous Vision
rumbles in with snippets of distorted dialogue and vague metallic
scrapings in the background, gradually layering on an unnerving,
tribal-mechanical beating as portentous waves move in and out of
consciousness. Things heat up with the second track breaking into a
vicious vocal attack and modulated feedback, accompanied by a subtle,
yet threatening backdrop of hard-edged analogue drones and a pulsating
rumble. It's clear within the first few tracks how adept MV is at
creating an atmosphere of unease and tension, with even the highly
descriptive track titles (e.g. "Stumble Upon the Scene", "Crushed,
Then Removed") fitting the disturbing music uncannily. Excellent
stuff, with apparent references to both the atmospheric German scene
as well as brilliant moments of American-style aggression, that takes
a while to fully work its eldritch magic on the listener.
Kuru (brainchild of the Somnambulant Corpse label-boss) blazes in with
a barrage of high-end squiggles and wails (not quite as deafening as
Sutcliffe Jugend), a nice follow-up to MV's brutal closing piece.
Ferocious, yet surprisingly atmospheric, as a near-overwhelming rumble
is broken up by short blasts of delicious feedback. More restrained
and ambient than MV, Kuru's material prefers to sneak in under the
skin with varied passages of bristling, low-end guitar-distortion and
eerie drones, occasionally breaking into more intense bursts of noise.
Lovers of the traditional German style should find no problems
with this second half, which plays excellent counterpoint to the
harsher opening minutes of the disc. Highly recommended (despite the
intentionally abrupt ending) to even the most jaded p.e. freaks; and
with the effort this label puts into selecting and packaging their
releases, I'm hoping to hear more from them in future.
Contact: http://www.somnambulantcorpse.com
Omnium Gatherum - _Spirits and August Light_ (Rage of Achilles, 2003)
by: Pedro Azevedo (8 out of 10)
When you have released a damn good debut EP and are about to record
your first full-length, what should you do? Concentrate on writing
enough new material for the album, or write just over half an hour of
new music and re-record a couple of nifty tracks from the EP? I find
it penalizing for both the fans who had purchased the original EP and
the sales of said debut disc (which might have otherwise been boosted
by people enjoying the full-length and going back to buy the EP as
well). Either way, Omnium Gatherum (or their label) have decided
to capitalize on a couple of very good tracks from the highly
commendable _Steal the Light_ EP -- though I wonder why they left out
"Candles for Giordano Bruno" while they were at it. The new Omnium
Gatherum material is somewhat punchier, though it remains firmly
rooted in melodic death metal. The Finns employ some relatively
subtle synth higlights and remain catchy as ever, though not by using
repetitive clean vocal choruses a la Soilwork. The fact that the new
material all but ends after track six (which is followed by the two
re-recordings and one last track that seems to have been mixed at a
slightly lower volume) subtracts from the album's value for the money
if you already have the EP. However, it remains very difficult to
deny the appeal of OG's highly energetic, memorable and invigorating
metal. A proper full-length where they can consistently reproduce the
best of the form they've shown so far should be awaited with bated
breath.
Contact: http://omniumgatherum.cjb.net
Re:Aktor - _Zero Order_ (Nuclear Blast, 2003)
by: Jackie Smit (5 out of 10)
A curious move on the part of Nuclear Blast this is, signing an
increasing amount of "futuristic" metal bands. First there was
Raunchy, followed by fellow Danish electronic terrorists Mnemic, and
now from Portugal, there's Re:Aktor. More curious even is the amount
of label backing that has been afforded this band, with a high profile
producer (New York based George Marino, best known for his work on
Nickelback and Metallica records) being roped in to oversee the final
mixing for what essentially is not much more than <gasp> just another
nu metal band. That's right folks -- where Mnemic could still
reasonably be described as futuristic, Re:Aktor dabble in all things
nu, right down to the Dez Faferra-style vocals employed on such tracks
as "My Own Fear" and "Damage Zone". To be fair, it's not all bad and
particularly towards the end of the record, Re:Aktor seem to hook up
their influences to more interesting, not to mention heavier effect --
particularly on "Impact" or "Datascape Assembler". Even so, these
songs fail to offer us anything that Fear Factory didn't do with
greater skill on _Demanufacture_ almost a decade ago. The most
commendable aspect of this album is its production: crystal clear and
razor-sharp, it nearly manages to save the album from generic
obscurity. Nearly.
Scrog - _Discography_ (New Granada, 2003)
by: Adrian Magers (6 out of 10)
When a band's bio claims that their music is "one part brutal punch to
the face, two parts Joy Division, and three parts Melvins", one's
interest is genuinely piqued. Thus is the recipe of Scrog, a disbanded
Floridian act that predated emocore's eventual trendiness and has now
been subject to a compiling of all their material onto one CD,
courtesy of Granada Records. Since many of the tracks were only
originally released on 7", this should come as a nice 78 minute
surprise to fans, and a much easier to collect version of the band's
entire catalogue. As stated before, this is somewhat akin to emocore,
but still maintains a rough edge to it (unlike most of the sub-genre's
current bands) that lives up to both the metal and hardcore influences
they've drawn into their formula. Occasionally some of the vocals can
become whiny, but for the most part this act displays more guts than
any emo, screamo, whatever act that's around these days.
Contact: http://www.newgranada.com
The Black Dahlia Murder - _Unhallowed_ (Metal Blade, 2003)
by: Pedro Azevedo (7 out of 10)
If you have already read my latest Omnium Gatherum review, then you
can pretty much apply the first few sentences to The Black Dahlia
Murder: they too have decided to capitalize on their debut EP
by re-recording a couple of tracks for their first full-length.
Furthermore, these tracks shine through as some of the best material
on the full-length, which doesn't bode particularly well for
_Unhallowed_. _A Cold-Blooded Epitaph_ was a brief outburst of Swedish
metal (made in the US), and as an EP it worked well; _Unhallowed_,
however, seems somewhat repetitive and the material often borders on
generic. The music is kept on a high intensity level throughout, but
when you go for a style that's been perfected years ago (more
specifically in At the Gates' _Slaughter of the Soul_), then you
better excel at it or have something new to add. The Black Dahlia
Murder are very proficient, though not excellent, and add only a
few personal touches to the style. Ultimately, _Unhallowed_ is an
enjoyable album, but it pales in comparison to contemporaries such as
Corporation 187's excellent _Perfection in Pain_. Still a young band,
The Black Dahlia Murder show plenty of potential and will no doubt
come back with a renewed attack before too long.
The Spawn of Satan / Bloodsick - _Split CD_
by: Adrian Magers (8 out of 10) (Hell's Headbangers, 2002)
Here we have ten tracks of unbridled blasphemy, divided in half
between the two bands featured. The first portion is performed by
Spawn of Satan, a veteran band that employs a style somewhere between
late thrash and early death with an emphasis on very groove-based,
oddly catchy slabs of guitar. With guttural barks performed by one Jim
Satanic (guitarist of Nunslaughter, where he's known as Jim Sadist)
and lyrics on all manner of death, evil, Satan and other fun topics,
the general experience is a headbang-inducing plummet into the depths
of Hades, with abundant tempo changes and brain-melting soloing for
all. Track six marks Bloodshot's section of the CD, where they churn
out riffs a bit heavier, with a more modern emphasis featuring some
blastbeats and less mid-tempo thrash breakdowns. Although both bands
have their own characteristics, it'd be hard to imagine a metal fan
who liked one and not the other.
Overall I was fairly impressed with both bands, and they complemented
each other well on this CD. Both acts dig into the past for a familiar
style that they assign their own respective individual characteristics
to, and both are in some way related to Cleveland's up and coming
death gods Soulless. So if you're into the northern Ohio death metal
scene, or if you just like something that's heavy, evil and great to
headbang to with total recklass abandon, lend a listen to Spawn of
Satan and Bloodsick.
Contact: http://www.hellsheadbangers.com
Tiamat - _Prey_ (Century Media, 2003)
by: Jackie Smit (8 out of 10)
It's been a long and often winding road for Johan Edlund since Tiamat
released _Sumerian Cry_ and _The Astral Sleep_ over a decade ago.
Celebrated and renowned for his eagerness to experiment -- and ability
to pull it off virtually every time -- Edlund created what was
arguably his coup de grace with 1994's _Wildhoney_, and while 1997's
_A Deeper Kind of Slumber_ came close to realising its ancestor's
potential, neither the following _Skeleton Skeletron_ nor _Judas
Christ_ efforts were even close to making good on the promise of
earlier material. _Prey_ is an immediately different proposition
however: more melancholic and pensive than _Judas Christ_, it opens up
superbly with "Cain" and "Wings of Heaven" -- two songs which bear
a passing resemblance to recent Green Carnation or even Type O
Negative numbers. Unfortunately it is soon after this that things go
slightly pear-shaped, as "Love in Chains" and "Divided" are almost
uncharacteristically unambitious and predictable. The hypnotic strains
of "Light in Extension" very quickly put things back on track again
however, and from there on out, Edlund peels out what could only be
described as some of his most awe-inspiring work to date, culminating
in the swirling jazz-groove of "The Pentagram". Perhaps more so than
ever, _Prey_ is a many layered affair, and one that increasingly
rewards the listener with each repeated airing. It's most definitely
not of the same calibre as the flawless elegance of _Wildhoney_, but
it nonetheless remains a mesmerising album that will most certainly
draw one to it again and again.
Contact: http://www.churchoftiamat.com
Tidfall - _Nucleus _ (Nuclear Blast, 2003)
by: Jackie Smit (8 out of 10)
Black metal circa 2003 is a many splintered and far removed genre from
the headline-grabbing assault on mainstream society it so proudly was
a decade ago. Many of the scene's defining acts have progressed and
evolved to the point where they could hardly be called black metal
anymore, while several newcomers have begun exploring with greater
vigour the intricacies of electronics and the frostbitten bleakness
of industrial as a means of bolstering the raw impact of their
music. It is in the perennial middle ground between these two
polarised approaches that you'll find Tidfall -- a band who combine
industrial/electro influences, not out of place on an Aborym record,
with the sleek production and intricate songwriting of acts like Dimmu
Borgir and Satyricon.
Despite getting off to a fairly uninspired start with "Future Doom"
and "Nucleus", their first record for the Nuclear Blast label soon
peels out the good stuff thick and fast -- running through a veritable
gamut of their strengths from razor-sharp guitar work to tight, almost
machine-like drumming and vocals that easily stand shoulder to
shoulder with the likes of Shagrath and Satyr Wongraven. While this is
less likely to appeal to those who prefer their black metal of a more
necro persuasion, _Nucleus_ is still a very enjoyable piece of work.
The highlights are many: the catchy mid-section hook of "Neo-Torment",
the trance-like psychosis of "Mercury Mesh" and the killer lead-riff
in "Zounds"; it's almost over too soon, particularly considering the
poor quality of its opening songs. Ultimately though, Tidfall have
assembled a satisfying and very entertaining (if not wholly perfect)
record that most certainly bodes well for their future.
Ulver - _Lyckantropen Themes_ (Jester Records, 2002)
by: Alvin Wee (9 out of 10)
While Ulver have shown hints of their latest direction on their recent
EPs, _Lyckantropen Themes_ showcases the project's fullblown cinematic
sound. Relying less on individually structured tracks and experimental
sonic exploration, this actual soundtrack capitalizes on the movie's
dynamic to create a flowing thirty minute tapestry of subdued melodic
ambience. Making use of distinct, repeated motifs and more traditional
sounding -- though still electronic -- instrumentation like piano and
strings, Ulver come across as unquestionably more conventional than on
their previous work, while retaining an edgy keenness that keeps them
from being compared with commercial counterparts like Vangelis or
Tangerine Dream.
Ardent fans may notice the project's penchant for keeping a
distinctly analog warmth and fuzziness about their recent material, a
characteristic that's retained throughout this disc, and which lends
the soundtrack an air of nostalgia and thoughtfulness that brings to
mind old, familiar vinyl records and treasured relationships past.
Which, judging from the artwork alone, seems to reflect the mood of
the film itself, although an actual copy of the latter seems rather
elusive at this point. A triumph for Garm and Co. no doubt, and
certainly up there with Lustmord's remarkable "Zoetrope" soundtrack
this year.
[Quentin Kalis: "Ulver take yet another left turn on _Lyckantropen
Themes_, this time exploring ambient soundscapes to a far
greater extent than on their _Perdition City_ sessions. Despite
protestations to the contrary, Ulver's conversion to electronica did
not result in them losing the darkness of their earlier albums; it
is still present, albeit in a far more subtle manner than on albums
such as _Nattens Madrigal_. The songs segue seamlessly into one
another, providing a sense of continuity and should ideally be
listened to from beginning to end without interruption. Amazing,
enchanting stuff."]
Contact: http://www.jester-records.com
Zyklon - _Aeon_ (Candlelight Records, 2003)
by: Jackie Smit (9 out of 10)
Whether or not you thought that Zyklon's debut effort _World Ov Worms_
was overrated becomes a fairly moot point in light of how much impact
this relatively young band has had on the extreme music scene thus
far. While thanks should go in no small part to certain founding
members' Emperial roots, it's hard to think of another band on only
their second full length who, specifically in this genre, has received
quite so much attention from both mainstream and underground media
sources alike. Thankfully though, Zamoth, Trym, Destructhor and the
newly recruited Secthdamon seem to comprehend clearly enough that hype
will only get you so far, and as such have come up with a wholly
satisfying, if not surprisingly straightforward death metal album.
The first noticeable change on _Aeon_ with regards to its predecessor
is the extent to which the band have shed much of their black
metal-type melodies and electronics, in favour of a more technical,
organic and ultimately brutal approach. New vocalist Secthdamon
immediately makes his presence felt, and while some may prefer the
more unique style of previous growler Daemon, the man some might know
as the drummer for Myrkskog does a fantastic job. With a far greater
range in his arsenal than his predecessor, it is particularly on
slower numbers like "Core Solution" and "Two Thousand Years" that his
voice is at its most venomously effective. Likewise, the instrumental
aspect of this record is sheer class, and while Zamoth may not be in
the league of Trey Azagthoth when it comes to soul-shredding solos,
his dense, blistering riffage on songs like "Subtle Manipulation" and
"Specimen Eruption" is a thing of pure, chaotic beauty.
Although occasionally lacking depth, overall _Aeon_ is undoubtedly a
great record and one of the few death metal albums released in recent
times to sound immediately recognisable and distinct. While the almost
trendy buzz surrounding this band may turn off the more sceptical, I
can only urge you to brush aside any preconceptions you may hold for
this band, who have created yet another death metal highlight of 2003.
Contact: http://www.zyklontribe.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
Antipathy - _Removal of the Mind_
by: Adrian Magers (4 out of 5)
The first thing I noticed about this CD was the cover artwork.
Generally bands at a demo stage either don't include artwork, or
utilize an illustration that may or may not do justice to the music
contained within. Although good CD artwork isn't a necessity, it's
nice to see that the band went out of their way to make this four-song
trip through raging catharsis a well-rounded product. Regarding the
music, the guitars, bass and drums culminate into something that
sounds like a chunk of Napalm Death laced with small amounts of
Cannibal Corpse, Morbid Angel, Pantera and first-album Killswitch
Engage. All this is topped by mostly mid-ranged grunts and guttural
screams. Overall their approach to groove-based death metal is a very
professional one, and is likely to impress fans of Internal Bleeding
and Scar Culture. At the moment Antipathy is on the verge to becoming
a signed national band, something which they undoubtedly deserve for
the effort and emotion poured into this four-song EP.
Contact: http://www.antipathyny.com
Benighted - _Helfarjor_
by: Jackie Smit (5 out of 5)
Many fans and veteran acts alike have recently been lamenting the fact
that the art of early nineties Scandinavian black metal appears to
have been lost forever. While I would tend to agree with that
statement, Sweden's Benighted are clearly intent on breathing new life
into its flagging corpse -- and judging by their efforts here are more
than capable of tackling their chosen task with hefty aplomb.
_Heljarfor_ is the duo of vocalist / guitarist / bassist Aho and
drummer Salle's first recorded effort, and is instantly impressive on
the opening title track. With a lead-riff very similar to vintage
Enslaved and more recent efforts by the likes of Hate Forest, this is
as bleak, cold and merciless as any fan would wish their black metal
to sound. The raw but clear production suits tracks like "Dying Age"
perfectly, while Benighted's focus on all four the tracks they offer
us never once even slightly hints at faltering. Performed at mostly
breakneck speeds, the closing acoustic instrumental "The Tide",
replete with the sound of waves crashing in the background, is a
beautiful and chilling close to a perfect collection of misanthropic
hymns. Clearly true black metal may potentially have their new
champions in the form of this highly talented collective.
Contact: http://www.nervgas.com/benighted/
Cerebrus / Seethe - _Split EP_
by: Jackie Smit (Cerebrus: 4 out of 5 / Seethe: 2.5 out of 5)
While it has always been a very popular modus operandi for young bands
on a tight budget eager to get themselves heard outside the rehearsal
room, split EPs carry with them the distinct problem that either act
is in danger of outshining the other. Although Seethe are not the
world's worst band, when compared to fellow Milton Keynes-based
quartet Cerberus, they are deftly blown out of the water. Playing a
fairly tepid brand of melodic death metal, Seethe occasional manage to
ascend past the mediocre, particularly on "Darkness Falls"; but while
it is most certainly noteworthy that such a youthful band (all members
are aged 16-18) could put together something as technically proficient
as this to begin with, Seethe lack the personality and character to be
anything other than a run-of-the-mill metal band. Cerberus, on the
other hand, share Seethe's teenage exuberance, but play like a band
twice their age. An unhinged, angry affair, the three songs which they
contribute can best be compared to acts like Crowbar, Eyehategod and
Mastodon. Chris Milliken's voice spits pure venom and the duelling
guitars of Simon Lubbock and Adam Hefferon outshines a fair amount of
what passes for signed artists these days. With the right producer and
right level of backing, these youngsters could very easily become a
pretty hefty force to be reckoned with, and I shall certainly be
looking forward to whatever they have to offer next.
Contact: Cerebrus: http://www.cerebus.2ya.com
Seethe: http://www.seethe.tk
Corpsepyre - _The Living We Mourn_
by: Adrian Magers (1.5 out of 5)
It's nearly impossible for me to criticize or praise Corpsepyre. The
music is recorded in such a sloppy, under-produced manner that
transitions and tempo changes are totally lost. The vocals seem to be
constantly peaking, and end up sounding like a malfunctioning fan
pointed too close at the microphone. Obviously, it's unfair to
discredit a band based solely on their production (or lack thereof),
but when the music crashes through with no regard for its listener,
it's hard to scrape out any semblance of the songwriting and technical
talent I'm sure is there. One possible reason is the lack of resources
in the band's native Pakistan. Putting this into consideration one can
somewhat overlook the shrill, gutless guitar and notice a handful of
really cool riffs. With human drums providing a more fluid structure,
and a recording quality that does not leave the listener in pain,
Corpsepyre could really stand out. But on _The Living We Mourn_, it's
hard to tell.
Contact: http://www.corpsepyre.cjb.net
Descent Into Madness - _In the Darkest Hours_
by: Adrian Magers (4 out of 5)
Descent Into Madness bear a deceiving moniker. While someone might
expect a form of violent, hateful metal from such an act, the truth is
that DIM are a very melodic act -- but they still manage to hold on to
an aggressive sound, combining elements of Sentenced, Tristania,
and Maiden's more progressive efforts. The songs are catchy and
chorus-based, but avoid falling into boring patterns or strum-fests
devoid of any real riffs. There's a definite bite to the songs, which
courses through the duration of the demo. The vocals are predominantly
clean, with occasional female backup chiming in. Guitars are well
played and offer a good variety, and also provide top-notch interplay
with the vocal lines. The rhythm section performs in a very basic
fashion, but none of this negatively affects the music. A crisper,
cleaner production would be beneficial to the band, but what they've
accomplished here does the music justice. A few faults exist though,
mainly being in that band seem to have trouble ending a song as easily
as it starts. Most of the tracks seem to sag a little bit towards
their respective conclusions. Other than a few minor improvements,
this band is well on its way to possibly becoming a power player in
their field.
Contact: http://www.descentintomadness.com
Exhuman - _Partition of Disorder_
by: Jackie Smit (3.5 out of 5)
Considering that these Italians recorded this six-song demo in their
rehearsal room, the eventual product is quite impressive. While far
from perfect, its sound is of a markedly higher quality than a great
many of the studio-spawned demos that pass through my mailbox every
month. That Exhuman are clearly very gifted musicians makes their
dedication and effort within their clearly limited framework all the
more commendable. Of particular note on this demo are the dynamic,
progressive death metal strains of "Chaos Fragments" and the curiously
named "Tasted by Welfare", with its distinctly Morbid Angel-esque
opening riff. Although there is still quite a lot of work for these
guys to do -- The Holy's vocals are particularly uninspiring for the
greater part of this demo -- one would expect some modicum of success
to befall Exhuman sooner rather than later.
Contact: http://www.exhuman.net
Forsaken - _Iconoclast_
by: Jackie Smit (4.5 out of 5)
That a record label has thus far failed to scoop these guys up, is
testament not only to the commendable willingness of more obscure
companies to take a chance on acts from such far-flung regions as
Malta, but also to the ignorance that often pervades the metal genre
when it comes to signing new acts. Certainly Forsaken are one of the
most promising new bands to tease my ears since Polish black metallers
Strommoussheld. Unique in every sense of the word, the quality of
their take on doom metal far exceeds the efforts of the legions of My
Dying Bride clones currently in existence. Consisting of four songs
which all eclipse the seven minute mark, _Iconoclast_ is at once
progressive and dynamic, combining effortless tempo changes and riff
sequences with the excellent vocals of Leo Stivala and the sparse
keyboards of Mario Ellul into a brand of doom that, while often rather
fast, is by no means ever less emotional than anything their peers and
influences have ever offered. It would be almost unfair to point out a
particular highlight on this offering, but the haunting synth hook of
"Wither the Hour" just about clinches it as the perfect closing moment
to a very impressive effort. While there are times when Forsaken do
reveal the flaws of a band still in development, these instances are
few and far between. Ultimately, while _Iconoclast_ does only consist
of a mere four songs, they effortlessly provide ample evidence to make
a great many sit up and pay attention.
Contact: http://www.forsaken_malta.tripod.com
NDCIT - _Preparing for the Quiet Wars_
by: Adrian Magers (2.5 out of 5)
NDCIT (None Dare Call It Treason) are teeming with potential, but
I have a lot of minor qualms with this demo. First off, the
production detracts some of the fury that was probably intended to be
communicated through the music. However, being a demo, awful tone and
badly recorded drumming can be forgiven. The element that suffers most
is that of lead vocals: the shout/yell being pushed from Adel Souto's
throat doesn't mesh well with the rest of the band's sound. The lower
vocals seem to fit more, but once again, the production values of the
higher-end voice may have been the cause to an overall bad sound.
There are many pluses to this mini-CD, though: the more groove-based
riffs are generally very well-executed, and personally I'd like to see
the band do something more akin to downthesun, for instance (sans the
electronics and with a more traditional hardcore base), but in their
own style. More of an emphasis on the moshy riffs could lead to
an improvement in the overall flow of the songs. Some of the
thrash-tempoed bits come off as jarring and sloppy -- once again,
production may be to blame. Aside from a poor impression of the vocals
and a few iffy spots in song structure, NDCIT has a lot to offer and
I'm definitely looking forward to seeing this band hopefully come into
its own more in the near future.
Contact: http://www.feastofhateandfear.com/NDCIT.html
Shattered Remains - _Black Lotus_
by: Adrian Magers (3 out of 5)
A solo project from a Cleveland, Ohio axegrinder by the name of Gary
Scott, Shattered Remains is a somewhat of an unpolished gem. There's a
good deal of great work on this four song demo (which is comprised
of material written over a decade ago). Setting aside production
issues, one is treated to lethal dose of mid-tempo thrash fury. The
vocals are seething and fit the music, but could definitely be
improved. Guitar tone is another large complaint, but the riffs
themselves shine through just the same. Although this isn't anything
groundbreaking, and one could protest that there's a certain lack of
any sense of pioneering on their part, considering the time period and
other factors this is quite an admirable piece of work. There are
plenty of surprises and shifts in the songs that keep the listener
entertained throughout the disc's short duration. With a slightly
crisper production and work on general areas of the band, the music
featured could definitely be something that most metal labels would
give a considerate listen to. Because this demo is quite dated, I'm
definitely interested in hearing what Shattered Remains mainman Gary
Scott has come up with since.
Contact: visiongtr@cox.net
Sifr - _Blessings of Madness_
by: Adrian Magers (1.5 out of 5)
Sifr is Saquib Malik's baby; a spitting, screaming, head-spinning one.
A possible beacon of light in a nearly non-existent scene (that of the
country of Pakistan), Sifr could possibly be leaders of a Middle
Eastern metal movement and show the world that music's most aggressive
form has found its way into the hearts and minds of people where most
of us would least expect. There are some piercing guitar riffs to be
heard, but many of the other elements of the band are muddled
sounding. There's a total lack of bass, vocals that sound like
different degrees of tape hiss, and what sounds like a badly recorded
drum machine. Looking past crippling production issues, there's
definitely technical skill and songwriting prowess. If the band were
to refine their sound, add a fuller tone and do their own music
justice, they could definitely be a force to contend with.
Contact: http://www.sifr.cjb.net
Souls Entwined - _Untitled Demo_
by: Jackie Smit (1.5 out of 5)
Described as emotional metal by main man and sole member Roy Jacob, it
turns out that Souls Entwined offer nary an emotion other than the
urge to snap the CD in two. With a production that is sub-par even by
demo standards, the most instantly annoying thing about this record
are Jacob's vocals, which at best can be described as an ill-advised
amalgamation of sighing and groaning, and even when a song like
"Demon Within" looks set to become comparatively interesting, Jacob's
laborious moans soon crush any potential it may have held. Performed
at a speed that would make even vintage My Dying Bride sound like
speed metal, the most (and indeed, only) commendable aspect of this
effort is that Jacob recorded it by himself. Other than that, there's
very little about Souls Entwined that warrants any form of praise.
Contact: souls_win@yahoo.com
Under Eden - _Songs From the Savage Circle_
by: Adrian Magers (4.5 out of 5)
_Songs From the Savage Circle_ is one of the best demos I've heard in
a while. It's definitely something I'll be listening to long after
this review is published and read by the Chronicles of Chaos
readers. The music shifts from majestic leads and soaring transitions
to downtrodden crunch and ultra-thick jagged grooves. The vocals
generally keep with these transitions (though the band have since
chosen a full-time vocalist to reinterpret lead guitarist Ryan
McAtee's voice on this CD), led by impressive six-string work, and
complemented by the cascading drums that hold each song together. The
overall tone makes one think of Darkest Hour slammed into classic In
Flames, and this formula roughly describes what Under Eden is up to on
this album. With such diversity and masterful songwriting, it's a
surprise that these are the band's first four songs. If this is only
the beginning, then those who keep up with this band are most likely
going to be in for some very pleasant surprises.
Contact: http://www.under-eden.net
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_, _ _, _,
/ _ | / _ (_
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~ ~ ~ ~
V A D E R S L A Y S A S S L A Y E R F A D E S
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Wacken Open Air 2003
by: Paul Schwarz / Matthias Noll
The Spirit of Wacken
I can think of no other event better suited to describe the incredibly
positive and unique atmosphere at the Wacken Open Air than what we saw
when we finally reached the little village of the same name in
northern Germany: as always the local inhabitants had set up chairs in
their little gardens facing the streets to watch the incoming
metalheads. Standing in the car queue which had built up at the
camping ground entrance, we watched a strange pair chatting: an old
lady in front of her house was having a visibly friendly conversation
with a guy who was only wearing shorts; a bullet belt held not only
his trousers in place, but also a real axe; and on his bare back a
giant inverted cross was painted in a blood-red colour. Before my
first Wacken experience in 2001 I would have never imagined that such
a massive event could possibly take place without the slightest amount
of trouble or negativity. [MN]
The Festival
As in previous years, the "gigs" took place on four stages. Two big
ones side by side, where the main bands were playing alternately on
the Black and True Metal stage, always with just a fifteen minute
break in-between. In addition there was also a smaller stage,
approximately 200 meters away, called the Party stage, and a fourth
stage in a tent close to the entrance. The tent stayed open all night;
it was the place for the metal disco as well as the (as far as I've
been told, totally hilarious) Metal Karaoke.
The overall setup of the festival area was slightly different this
year because most of the booths selling food and drink had been
relocated to the borders of the festival area. In the vicinity of the
entrance but outside the festival area, a beer garden from a German
brewery had been set up. Several additional booths selling food, CDs,
merchandise and other metal-related stuff were located outside as
well. The metal market resided in another giant tent, for which an
additional entrance fee was charged. The metal market featured
strip-tease shows this year, and most of the times I was in the
vicinity I saw a long queue of people waiting to get in. Due to the
incredibly hot weather I couldn't be bothered to check out what was
going on inside.
The shower facilities were more numerous than on previous occasions,
and as far as I can judge there were also more portable toilets
available. Most of the shortcomings that had been massively criticised
after last year's edition were improved this year. Another new feature
was a huge video screen set between the two main stages, which
displayed live footage from the bands playing at the time as well as
up-to-date information about changes concerning the running order.
Here are some prices as an example: grilled sausages, ?3; 0.4l beer ?3
and non-alcoholic drinks ?2.50 each, plus ?1 deposit for the cup; a
piece of pizza, ?3; french fries, ?2.50; etc. [MN]
Thursday
Circle II Circle
This year we had started early enough to arrive at the parking area at
approximately six in the afternoon. After setting up the tents, taking
a ten minute walk to the festival area and exchanging our tickets for
wristbands, we immediately entered and wandered around to check out
the area. No one could be bothered to see Circle II Circle, featuring
ex-Savatage singer Zakk Stevens. From afar they didn't sound too
different from recent Savatage material; they also played "The Edge of
Thorns" and, surprisingly, a cover of Metallica's "Welcome Home
(Sanitarium)". [MN]
Annihilator
The second band of the festival was Annihilator. Once again Jeff
Waters has brought in a new singer, who turned out to be a young
fellow that wouldn't have looked out of place in an outfit like
Linkin' Park. He had a decent voice and was able to deliver a
convincing performance on tracks spanning the whole Annihilator
career. However, as with most Annihilator singers so far, I felt his
voice lacked identity. Annihilator have a very dedicated following in
Europe and went down very well, playing songs like "Phantasmagoria",
"WTYD", "Set the World on Fire", "King of the Kill" and so on. [MN]
Victory
Victory were next and delivered a set that should have pleased most
connoisseurs of German melodic metal; but there was hardly any crowd
reaction to be seen. For me their performance was quite tolerable,
thanks to the absence of power metal stereotypes and their focus on
playing their music instead of playing games with the crowd or
engaging in boring stage banter. [MN]
Saxon
Now it was time for a surprise, because out of nowhere Saxon appeared
on stage. The band only played three songs, but this year I found them
to be incredibly enjoyable, while their headlining gig two years ago
had sent me running for cover. The band played "Motorcycle Man",
"Princess of the Night" and "Denim and Leather". Surprisingly, Biff's
voice sounded as good as it did back in the '80s, and overall the
brevity of the gig and the focus on real classics made it a really
worthwhile event which found me and my friends singing "Denim and
Leather, keeps us all together" as if time had stood still in 1981.
[MN]
Running Wild
Thursday's headliners Running Wild had attracted a very special breed
of fans: numerous individuals and whole groups of people had dressed
up as pirates. Most noteworthy of all was a guy with a paper parrot on
his shoulder, while one of his mates was appropriately wearing water
wings. Running Wild opened with "Genghis Khan", and although I own
their first two records, this and fourth track "Riding the Storm" were
enough to drive me away. My friends Daniel and the aptly named
Hell-Hans, as well as CoC metal brother Paul Schwarz (whom we had met
in the meantime) felt the same way, and therefore we spent the rest of
the Running Wild gig in the beer garden until they ended their set
with the hilarious "Chains and Leather (and Rivets)". By all rights,
Running Wild's ilk of power metal should've died many years ago, but I
assume the fact that they sound so terribly German to my ears is
precisely the key to their appeal. [MN]
The real disappointment for me regarding Running Wild's performance
was that they regretted to dress up as pirates, as per their _...Jolly
Roger_ album. Casually sporting unbuttoned Napoleonic military garb,
Running Wild were not helped by the predictable weakness of their
o-so-German power metal fare; but to be honest, if they'd been dressed
up as pirates -- with perhaps some rigging and a walkable plank as
scenery -- I probably would have enjoyed it regardless... at least for
a while. [PS]
Friday
Dew-Scented
We got up early to see Dew-Scented, who were the first band to play
and briefly soundchecked with a cover of Slayer's "War Ensemble".
Having added a second guitarist to the line-up, the band was tight and
performed professionally on the big stage. Most of the songs were
taken from their excellent _Inwards_, but they also played two
promising new tracks, which seemed to be a bit more varied than their
previous material. Unfortunately the guitar sound was not sharp or
loud enough for their riff-driven style, and so the dynamics of
excellent material like "Bitter Conflict" and "Unconditional" were
sadly amiss -- one could have the impression that they played the same
song over and over again. Although I'm totally sure that this band
crushes with a better sound and in a smaller environment, it was just
an okay performance by the German thrashers. [MN]
Dew-Scented certainly do crush with a better sound and in a smaller
environment: in Glasgow with Vader last year they slayed, despite
trying circumstances. [PS]
Extreme Noise Terror
Extreme Noise Terror were up next and I really hadn't expected much
from them, which is always the perfect condition for a pleasant
surprise. Although the band seemed burdened by a night of heavy
drinking or the abuse of certain substances, their mad twin-vocal
assault in combination with some simple but devastating crust/grind
and a good deal of chunky mid-tempo riffs proved to be the right
medicine to get the adrenaline flowing. While initially only a rather
meagre audience -- a lot smaller than Dew-Scented's -- had gathered in
front of the stage, whoever was in the line-up for this gig did manage
to attract quite some people by the end of their 45 minutes. Not
really an essential set, but ENT were powerful enough to give
everybody in attendance the impression that things were finally
starting to get serious. [MN]
The Crown
When it comes to vocalists re-joining their original bands, it wasn't
Halford and Priest getting back together that made my day in the last
year or so: it was Johan Lindstrand being back in The Crown. There may
be death metal vocalists who can sound deeper, but in my opinion
there's no one out there who can match the incredibly dirty yet
inhumanly powerful roar Lindstrand is capable of without using any
artificial help. With their Wolverine look-alike frontman, there was
no way to stop the Swedes from dealing out the first serious blow of
the festival. Starting with _Crowned in Terror _'s vicious title
track, it was immediately clear that the band was there to deliver a
totally shredding performance. I had the impression that there was
some less-than-perfectly-timed drumming early on in the set by
the otherwise totally amazing Janne Saarenp��, and Lindstrand had
occasional problems remembering lyrics from _CiT_ songs; but apart
from these minor gripes, The Crown ruled. The highlights of the gig
were the monstrous "Total Satan", "Blitzkrieg Witchcraft" and "Under
the Whip", while the slower "World Below" seemed to drag on a bit too
long while remaining somewhat unspectacular. The huge and extremely
active audience loved every minute of it. The Swedes also took the
chance to perform a new scorcher called "Face of Destruction / Deep
Hit of Death" from their upcoming album, and the band still came back
to play "Executioner - Slayer of the Light" as an encore. The Crown's
set was certainly one of the highlights of the festival. [MN]
I haven't much to add, except to endorse Matthias' sentiments almost
unanimously, and simply say that The Crown have -- primarily by virtue
of my witnessing this one performance -- become one of the most
favoured and most treasured Swedish death metal bands in my music
collection. I think many of us at CoC are awaiting the return of
Lindstrand on record ('probably in October,' we were told at Wacken)
with bated breath. [PS]
Diamond Head
I avoided Diamond Head, who were not the real thing but a combination
of Tygers of Pan Tang and Diamond Head, and only heard bits of the
unavoidable "Am I Evil" from afar. [MN]
Dismember
Did we mention how hot it was at Wacken? I know it's not necessarily
strictly relevant to our general review of the music, but in the case
of Dismember's performance it was a striking factor. The heat was
incredible; it was just around midday when the Swedish five-piece
took up residence on the Black Stage. As Matti Karki remarked in
conversation afterwards, it was a very good thing that the sun was
behind the band. But that put it shining slap-bang into -our-
eyes -- which made it all the more pleasing to see the size
of crowd Dismember had attracted. Clearly the lengthy wait for
_Where the Iron Crosses Grow_ has not put off their sizeable
hardcore following, of which myself and Matthias were certainly a
part. Though opening with "Of Fire", Dismember focused squarely on
their early years, digging up almost all their 'cult classics':
"Override the Overture", "Dismembered", "In Death's Sleep", "Skin Her
Alive" ("...for the ladies"); they were all there. All in all,
Dismember delivered a punishing set. It was a good mixture; somewhat
surprisingly neglecting _Hate Campaign_, but playing nicely to a
festival crowd. However the sound was what really mattered: in the
live environment, as on record, 'the sound' can make or break an old
style Swedish death metal prospect like Dismember... with devastating
ease. That Skogsbergs-associated, Repulsion-spawned guitar sound --
bassy, overdriven, but with an edge like a chainsaw going at full
whack -- is hard to recreate effectively in the live environment
without drowning the discernibility of the resulting mix. Thankfully,
Dismember have one particularly talented individual -- who was also
working with a few other bands at this year's Wacken, including
Thyrfing -- doing their sound. Getting as near perfect a sonic balance
as you could ever wish for -- at any Dismember show, let alone an
open-air one -- he supplies Dismember with all the 'ammunition' they
need to truly devastate. Whether it be the rumbling, hammer-blow crush
of "Casket Garden", the high-velocity death-maul of "Soon to Be Dead"
or the punishing "Misanthropic", Dismember hit you square in the gut,
creating a warm, energising feeling which provokes handbanging, roars
of approval and overall satisfaction. But unfortunately, it's not the
perfect performance; while the band as a whole -- including a newly
recruited rhythm guitarist whose name escapes me and session bassist
Johan Bergeb�ck (borrowed from Necrophobic, for whom he plays rhythm
guitar) -- perform very well, David Blomqvist let the side down, just
a little. At the time I was torn over whether a lack of practice or
the effect of the midday heat on his guitar strings was to blame; but
what was undeniable was that the trademark melodies (worked into riffs
and distinctive in his leads), which are his most major contribution
to Dismember's music, were not well represented. The melody line of
"Of Fire" sounded flat; the intro section of "Dismembered" retained
little of its recorded charm; and in the opening section of "Override
the Overture", Blomqvist wasn't even keeping up! When I put it to
Matti later that perhaps David needed a little more practice, he said,
noncommittally, "Well, you know: some days he gets it, some days he
doesn't." If there was a specific reason, then, it's not clear what it
was. No matter: Dismember still slayed. A new track from the upcoming
_Where the Iron Crosses Grow_ (out in December if everything goes
right, or February if everything goes wrong, according to Matti)
sounded pretty cool: though clearly not representative of a revolution
to come, it suggested that Dismember's sixth album should be a
more-than-worthy follow-up to _Hate Campaign_. When it came time for
classic set closer "Dreaming in Red" (the only track from _Indecent
and Obscene_ aired) Dismember succeeded in delivering the goods;
Blomqvist may have sold the leaderwork a little short -- the dark,
hallowed feel of the recorded version was not perfectly reproduced --
but that didn't stop "Dreaming in Red" coming across as a classic: a
death metal anthem. Dismember proved that the old school can still
kick ass, live -and- in the open air. Right on. [PS]
Primal Fear
There isn't much I can say about Primal Fear, even though I watched
most of their set. Like almost every other falsetto vocalist I had to
endure during the two days, Ralf Scheepers either wasn't wearing tight
enough underwear or requires studio technology when it comes to
hitting certain notes. His Halford-style posing looked embarrassing as
always, and I don't remember much about their music other than the
so-so Judas Priest cover "Metal Gods". [MN]
Though I (thankfully) didn't actually witness Primal Fear's set, I was
told about one thing they did that was uncharacteristic for German
bands (especially of the power metal persuasion) at this year's
Wacken: they persisted, throughout their set, in speaking to the crowd
in English. This is no crime, of course -- but when you're a German
band who sell most of their albums in Germany; and you're at a German
festival where well over fifty percent of the metalheads are German;
and many of them (I would judge from extrapolations based on my
own experiences) are not great speakers of English; why, in that
situation, would you choose to talk to the crowd in -English-? Perhaps
it was because old Ralph knew no one was really listening to what he
said in-between songs. More likely, it was intended to give the
band more "international credibility". However you slice it, it
demonstrated poor communication skills. [PS]
Testament
While the audience was totally into Testament and it was certainly
good to see the giant Chuck Billy back on stage, the Testament set did
nothing for me. Starting with a seemingly endless series of mid-tempo
tracks from which the worst were from their 'let's sound like
Metallica and get rich' period, I started to wonder why Testament were
ever labeled thrash metal. Steve Di Giorgio's stage moves had a
certain Janick Gers quality and were totally terrible to look at, and
Chuck Billy's vocals only sounded powerful to my ears when he did one
of his lower roars. Fortunately the band did play some thrash metal
later on; "The Haunting", "Alone in the Dark", etc. sounded cool, but
-- maybe due to the fact that The Crown as well as Dismember had been
able to prescribe a much heavier dose of metal earlier on -- the gig
left me unimpressed until the end. [MN]
Though I can very much understand Matthias' experience of Testament's
set, I was, curiously enough, among those members of the audience who
were totally into Testament's set -- well, not all of it, but more
than I would have expected. When I saw Testament in London back in
April, the ilk of "True Believer" provided dreary listening. But --
though I'd still prefer Testament to play -more- from _The Legacy_ and
_The New Order_ than hear the tracks in question -- at Wacken I
enjoyed them, albeit a fraction as much as I enjoyed "The Haunting",
"Burnt Offerings" or the band's magic "Disciples of the Watch" closer.
Some of the later Testament material plays well to a festival -- as
I discovered, it's infectiously sing-a-longable. What really made
Testament's set such a joy for me was the fervour of the fans: they
sang an astounding proportion of the lyrics, in astounding numbers.
The "magic moment" came at the end of "Alone in the Dark", when the
crowd carried on sounding the main melody line like a football chant.
Testament were "forced" to go straight into the next song: the crowd
(myself included) had no intention of stopping. It's certainly fair to
say that Testament could have been better, but that's not to say they
weren't a fist pumping, head-banging joy to behold. As long as they
keep pumping out a fair whack of _The Legacy_ and _The New Order_ at
each gig, I can't see my overall reactions turning negative. [PS]
Gamma Ray
Out of curiosity and masochism I went for another dose of German
power metal. Watching Gamma Ray from afar, I was shocked by the
absolutely terrible vocal performance from Kai Hansen. The guy
could hardly hit a note properly, and seems to have lost his
higher range completely. His out-of-tune squeaking on the encore
(the Helloween track "Victims of Fate") could have soured milk.
Technically speaking, Gamma Ray were really good; but I'm totally at
a loss as to why Hansen thinks he is capable of handling the vocal
duties on his own. [MN]
Assassin
Germany's Assassin got this year's traditional thrash metal reunion
slot. The German five-piece recorded two albums during the '80s --
1987's _The Upcoming Terror_ and 1988's _Interstellar Experience_ --,
both of which pretty much failed to make a considerable splash in the
scene back then. In 2003, nostalgia and permanent name-dropping from
message board nerds trying to outdo each other when it comes to
praising only the most obscure outfits seems to have given the band a
status it never had during its rather short-lived career. However,
Assassin, strengthened by the addition of ex-Violent Force / Living
Death / Sodom drummer Atomic Steif, did at least partially manage to
send most of those who decided they'd rather see a third-tier band
from fifteen years ago than "N'Flaimz" through the time tunnel.
Starting with "Abstract War" and timing problems that would've put
even Capricornus and Witchhunter to shame, the band at least had a
decent sound -- which was dominated by chainsaw-like guitars, ripping
and tearing along in the old-fashioned German speed metal way. During
later tracks like "Baka", "Junk Food", "Assassin" or the closing
"Bullets", they managed to tighten their act -- and despite some
verbal diarrhoea and awkward stage acting by vocalist Robert Gonella,
Assassin managed to do justice to the recorded versions of their
material. The gig would have been an okay, and at least a fairly
satisfying, one-time trip down memory lane if it hadn't been for the
two horrible new songs aired, which were atrocious enough to make me
fear a new Assassin album more than the black plague. [MN]
In Flames
>From my perspective, seeing In Flames live these days is always a
hollow experience, when all is said and done: it is -always-
disappointing because -- just like Entombed in the late '90s -- In
Flames have basically opted to confine their second release to the
history books. _Subterranean_ tempered the unbridled eclecticism of
_Lunar Strain_ into some of the most majestic pieces of Swedish
melodic death metal created in the '90s. I mean, just -imagine- if In
Flames opened up with "Stand Ablaze". Now imagine if Henke (vocalist
on _Subterranean_) was guesting on vocals... Now try to understand why
I find Anders Friden and crew 'coming out to party' disappointing --
even though, as an experience in 'extreme stadium metal', In Flames
hit the nail just about square on the head. That's right: they are
great -- in their own way. The crowd is a huge seething mass. The
setlist a popular-favourite-after-popular-favourite run-down. "Pinball
Map", "Only for the Weak", "Episode 666", even "Moonshield" are
received like classics of the metal canon. It's a nice thing to be
part of; but "Jotun" never comes out to play, and the closest thing we
get to hearing something from _Subterranean_ is when the obligatory
"old song" -- "Behind Space" from 1994's _Lunar Strain_, re-recorded
on 1999's _Colony_ -- is dusted off, as-per-formulaic usual. It's
frustrating rather than pleasing to hear "Behind Space" done as a
straight, brutalising death metal song -- a novelty, essentially --
stripped of its acoustic outro though more recent In Flames albums
supply material for the same set which is as mellow and more so. The
mercy is that exceptionally little from _Reroute to Remain_ was
played. The pleasure was being part of something so thoroughly huge,
powerful, and yet -extreme-. In Flames may neglect their finest work,
but they at least open many people up to discovering it, and the great
music which surrounds it in ever-increasing circles of obscurity. [PS]
Twisted Sister
These days Twisted Sister could be considered as much of an oddity as
Assassin, but at least they can look back at an original concept and a
tremendously successful career -- with an arsenal of songs that no-one
who is into any kind of rock is unfamiliar with. The band went on
stage to the sound of the traditional intro tape "It's a Long Way to
the Top If You Wanna Rock 'n' Roll" by AC/DC -- which already made
people in the back sing and dance along. With the exception of bass
player Mark "The Animal" Mendoza, who had gained quite some weight and
probably didn't fit into his costume anymore, the band looked exactly
like they did in the '80s, including make-up and sunglasses. Equally
unsurprising was their opening track, the always excellent "What You
Don't Know", which sounded much heavier than I remembered Twisted
Sister to be. That's what happens if totally dumb material like "I
Wanna Rock" or "We're Not Gonna Take It" starts to overshadow the
-metal- Twisted Sister most definitely played on their debut. Other
tracks such as "Like a Knife in the Back", "The Kids Are Back", "Live
to Ride", "Under the Blade", "Shoot 'Em Down" and especially the
punishing "Destroyer" easily managed to come across as surprisingly
up-to-date and totally entertaining. Dee Snider hasn't lost any of his
capabilities to be an outstanding rock frontman who is able to deliver
the most ridiculous stage banter and ass-kissing in a fashion that's
entertaining and not embarrassing at all. After the obligatory drum
solo, the band went on to play the hits of their later career,
including the aforementioned "I Wanna Rock" and "We're Not Gonna Take
It"; and even if these anthems of stupidity give me a sick feeling in
the region of my stomach, it was most amusing to see people wearing
Gorgoroth and other grim black metal shirts sing along to them.
Overall Twisted Sister turned out to be a worthy headliner, which
despite their faded metal credibility managed to unite fans of the
most different of styles. There's no way Cradle of Filth -- who had
decided to play Ozzfest instead -- would have been able to be as
entertaining and worthwhile as Friday's headliner. [MN]
Saturday
Graveworm
Rumour was spreading that Sinister had split up during the drive to
Wacken and Holy Moses had replaced them on very short notice. The
extremely inhuman but totally ludicrous roar that Sabrina Claassen
delivered during the sound check immediately convinced me to go see
Graveworm instead. The band attracted quite a following in front of
the Party stage, but their music is a completely unimaginative
assembly of Dimmu Borgir's most keyboard-laden moments and a brand of
death metal that never gets as ferocious and heavy as real death metal
should sound. The professional delivery did not really help to
overcome the serious issues I have with Graveworm's music, and I
didn't get much more excitement than I would have if we had decided to
rest on the camping ground for another hour. [MN]
Thyrfing
Swedish Viking metallers Thyrfing certainly had a good sound: same
sound guy as Dismember, Matti Karki tells me. So what was there to
enjoy -was- Thyrfing, untarnished by any sound problems -- even wind.
But when it came down to it: for me, that just wasn't enough.
Festival-friendly much of Thyrfing's broadly 'epic'-style material
certainly is, but engrossing it ain't -- at least to my ears. Good but
not great, and very dependent on taste: I certainly felt out-voted by
the audience, who formed what was, for the early afternoon, a sizeable
crowd around the True Metal stage, and clearly enjoyed themselves --
some even sported plastic Viking helmets. [PS]
Twisted Tower Dire
Though it was disappointing that when Twisted Tower Dire emerged onto
the Party Stage, the American five-piece ('Priest / 'Maiden set-up)
wore none of the spikes and other 'metal gear' that characterises
their promotion, it would be more sensible to blame airport carriage
restrictions than the band themselves; and in any case, it's the
-music- that matters: TTD are all about -that-. Showing up just about
every other 'power metal' band in attendance -- particularly Primal
Fear, Metallium and Running Wild -- TTD let loose with such style that
-not- head- and fist-banging would have taken a physical effort. Their
singer was ecstatic. "I'm so glad to see all of you here", he beams.
"'Cause it was either here or Disneyland." He explains. "I asked my
kids, 'Do you wanna go to Disneyland or do you wanna go to Wacken with
your daddy?' And they said, 'We wanna go to Wacken with you, daddy!'
And I'm so glad all of you are here, 'cause if there'd been, like,
twenty people, Mickey Mouse would be looking pretty good right now!" A
cover of "The Trooper" closed things off in fittingly anthemic style.
The crowd (very much including myself) sing and shout along not only
to probably half the lyrics, but also about an equal share of the
classic melody lines the song contains. There was no "true metal" band
worth comparing with TTD at Wacken this year: they slaughtered their
genre-specific competition. [PS]
Malevolent Creation
Not really getting Twisted Tower Dire's point during the first five
minutes of their set, I went over to the Black Stage to check out
Malevolent Creation instead. Although I was in the mood for some death
metal, their performance left me more or less unimpressed. The band
lacked the charisma and vibe of an outfit that enters the stage to
viciously lash out and lay everything to ruin in the manner that songs
like "Kill Zone" suggest. New frontman Kyle Symons tried hard to
balance the extremely static stage-acting from the other band members,
but despite his efforts what was going on up there wasn't all that
exciting. "The Slaughter of Innocence" and the closing "The Will to
Kill" were my personal highlights of the set. Malevolent Creation were
not bad, but their performance made it extremely obvious for me why
they have never achieved and never will obtain the status and on-stage
qualities of bands like Cannibal Corpse, who have been in the business
for a comparable period of time. [And are also from Buffalo! -- PS]
[MN]
Carpathian Forest
I had serious doubts over whether Carpathian Forest would even work at
Wacken. With the genre somewhat stereotyped as tight-lipped and
overserious, how would a 'real' BM band -- i.e. sans synths,
traditionally metal or distinctly proggy melody patterns -and- clean
vocal sections (male -or- female) -- be able to successfully win over
a festival crowd; and in the midday sun, no less? Well, the first
thing to do in a situation like this is to break the ice -- and just
after CF take the stage (in fact, -immediately- after Matthias and I
have sniggered quietly about their bassist's girth) the band's singer
does just that... perfectly: "Hello Wacken! We are fat fuckers from
Norway!" Combined with the band's almost defiantly bold corpsepaint
and hell-bent-for-leather sound and delivery, it made CF a viable
festival act. Of course the increasingly Motorhead-and-Venom inspired,
black 'n' rolling steps the band have made in recent years gave them a
setlist that would work; but the full 'spiked penguin' presentation
and punchingly primitive sonic treatment has a habit of dying on its
arse when it leaves the cozy confines of a club -- if not a recording
studio: I would never have expected it to work on one of the -big-
stages at Wacken. CF got things grooving, got us laughing, and did
Norway proud as the country's only(!) representatives at this year's
Wacken. Satan rules supreme, as the legendary Geordies once said! [PS]
Kataklysm
Despite clearly playing their guts out -- and making a crowded
mosh/bang "pit", extending impressively far out from the Party Stage,
rather happy -- Kataklysm didn't really seem to have an edge, at least
as far as I could discern. Definitely not bad, but a little
underwhelming. [PS]
Stratovarius
While trying to pay as little attention as possible to Stratovarius --
they were far from the worst power metal act of the festival (that
dubious honour I bestow upon Metallium) but that still didn't make
them a -positive- addition to the line-up -- by standing near the
Party stage after Kataklysm, I was given some unlooked-for aid. As the
Finnish six-piece were waiting for their T2-theme intro to complete
its cycle, a metalhead revealed that he had a light, inflatable
football... by kicking it high into the air. As it came down, bounced,
and then flew off again as another foot connected with it, a
kick-about was initiated. As more and more metalheads with no
discernible personal relationship to each other joined in, one decided
it would be fun to grasp the ball in his hands, and run. If you've
ever seen video footage of the annual "Running of the Bulls" in Santa
Fe -- and you can image similarly adrenalised men and women, adorned
in various "metal" garbs, darting between clusters of people in their
efforts to catch a single individual -- then you can picture what
ensued: thirty-odd minutes of free-form rugby. It was like, in this
small patch of Schlewsig Holstein, we had traveled back in time a few
hundred years. Any notion of rules went out the window. It was great.
And yet, in the spirit of all things Wacken, things don't go bad.
They certainly get violent: every time a "player" is downed a
scrimmage ensues, as almost every pursuer leaps on the ball-carrier,
or scrambles to the ground to try to pull the ball from their
firmly locked arms. After the entertainment is over, one unharried
participant stands nearby with an open tear on the bridge of his nose.
I missed what he said, as he was speaking in German; but by the look
on his face alone you could tell that he hadn't regretted his decision
to join in the fun. Unfortunately, after all that excitement,
Stratovarius' overwrought melodicism was even less appealing. We
waited it out begrudgingly, lining up a good position from which to
see Nile on the Black stage. [PS]
Nile
It had been hours since anything seriously killer had transpired;
Kataklysm were adequate and Carpathian Forest were good, but only
Twisted Tower Dire had really got me rockin'. Now, the first bona fide
highlight of the day had arrived: they bettered all who had gone
before. A near-crystal clear, loud and crunchy sound brought out the
fluid, note- and beat-perfect playing beautifully. The set... well,
it slaughtered, quite frankly. A perfect mix of speed-drenched
death metal dervishes ("Chapter for Transforming Into a Snake"
as an opener; both Toller-Wade typhoons from _In Their Darkened
Shrines_, "Execration Text" and "Wind of Horus", aired; "Khefti Asar
Butchiu" -and- "The Blessed Dead") and pyramid-weight stompers like
"Sarcophagus", "The Black Flame" and "Stones of Sorrow", Nile's set
was satisfying for a fanatic while being appropriately weighted for a
festival appearance. Rarely is a band so enthralling, and I've never
seen Nile be better in four years of having seen them perform.
The material is partly responsible: _...Shrines_ is Nile's most
accomplished -album- thus far by a clear margin, and features many of
their best songs. But it's the group involved -- their abilities,
their charisma, their -presence- -- which makes seeing Nile today such
a -total- pleasure. Mid-way through their set, Karl Sanders takes the
opportunity to make an announcement, in a short break between songs.
"I've got something to say", he begins, preparing the floor. "Ich bin
ein Wackener!" If Nile hadn't already achieved iconic status back when
Chief Spires was still around, there is no doubt that they have now.
The "new" line-up -- already into its third year as Sanders /
Toller-Wade / Laureano / Vesano -- not only slays, but already reads
like a "classic" roll call; the way, say, Azagthoth / Sandoval /
Vincent / Rutan did. It's very simple, people: Nile are the new Morbid
Angel. They are reaping the harvest of the black seeds they sowed in
the late '90s. The kings are dead: long live the pharaohs. [PS]
Slayer
Well, it had to happen one day. Having undisputedly built up the
reputation of being the best live band in metal for almost two decades
and still not suffered any backlash (at least not when it comes to the
turn-out at their shows) -- and that despite a whole sequence of
superfluous records -- Slayer needed only 70 minutes to efficiently
[or effectively, I wonder... -- PS] ruin their god-like status. Coming
after approximately 55 bands who had all managed to keep the tight
schedule, Araya and company entered the stage almost twenty minutes
late, didn't care to say a word to the audience (who after more than
two full days at the festival had already become upset) and started
with a disappointing volley of four new tracks. As someone who is not
familiar with _God Hates Us All_ I have to say I expected nothing, but
I was nevertheless surprised by the weakness and tedious grooves of
the material from this record. Even worse, just 100 meters from the
stage, the sound -- which I had expected to totally crush -- stayed at
a volume level which allowed conversations about the disappointing
nature of what was going on to continue without even needing to raise
one's voice. Countless people started to yell "louder, louder" in
between songs; not in the humorous way which has become a fashion at
Motorhead shows, but in all seriousness. After four or five tracks the
sound got slightly louder and "Antichrist" appeased some in the
audience, but still everybody was hoping that at some point during the
gig things would reach a level worthy of a Slayer show. Not even the
following "Mandatory Suicide" had much of an impact. Things were
seriously worsened by a band performance which gave the impression of
three people who have absolutely no interest left in what they are
doing, other than to fulfill contractual obligations. Tom Araya
especially came across like someone who was either completely stoned
or close to falling asleep. Dave Lombardo, on the other hand, seemed
to be highly motivated and his performance was flawless, even
introducing a couple of new twists and turns to the classics being
played. "Hell Awaits" was aired and sounded decent -- but still not
loud enough -- before the band played the first half of the immortal
_Reign in Blood_ -with no breaks-. The overall mood of the audience
was lightening up a bit and many were visibly impressed by the fact
that Slayer were doing stuff like "Necrophobic" and "Piece by Piece"
-- which they hardly, if ever, have played. The complete _Reign in
Blood_ treatment was divided by "Dead Skin Mask" before Slayer
continued to present the -whole- of the second side of the album, and
thus finished their set with one of metal's finest moments, "Raining
Blood". During the whole gig the band never managed to unleash more
than an absolute minimum of energy; the volume remained at 5 out of
11; Hannemann's guitar tone was weird and powerless; and the audience
ran more and more out of steam despite a setlist which by the strength
of the songs alone should have stunned and annihilated everybody in
attendance. Straight after "Raining Blood" the band flipped a couple
of plectrums and drumsticks into the crowd, left the stage... and the
gig was over. No encore, nothing. It only strengthened a large part of
the audience's impression of having seen a show by some arrogant
has-been band who couldn't care less about its performance and its
audience. A disaster of unthinkable proportions for a band like Slayer
in front of what must have been a crowd as dedicated to them and metal
as one can only imagine. [MN]
Vader
There's hardly any time of the year when Vader seem to not be touring.
They have to be one of the hardest working bands in the whole metal
genre; but from my point of view this has turned into a disadvantage.
There seems to be hardly anyone, at least in Europe, who hasn't seen
Vader two or three times already. When I did my initial planning of
whom to see in Wacken, I wasn't really sure that I'd be interested in
checking out the Poles at 1am -- after Slayer and more then two full
days of exposure to metal. At one point during the second day I
finally made up my mind and decided that Vader would surely have a
hard time attracting a good and big enough audience during their most
unfortunate slot, and that I owed such a dedicated band to be at their
gig come hell or high water. Although I did make statements like "If
Vader and Slayer played the same evening I'd go and see Vader" in
previous CoC contributions, I knew that Slayer would play all of
_Reign in Blood_ -- and frankly I didn't believe that Vader would be
able to leave much of an impression afterwards. Peter seemed to share
my view when he approached the crowd with the words "Well, it's always
hard to play after a band like Slayer, but we'll try." Of course they
tried, but I don't think anyone would have expected that Vader would
totally and completely annihilate Slayer that night. Blessed with an
ultra-loud, crisp, crunchy -- in short THE perfect sound, Vader
delivered a set which may well have been the best of their career.
Starting with the ultimately powerful "Epitaph" and the shredding
"Cold Demons", Vader struck with such unearthly power and metallic
beauty that all I could do in between some frantic headbanging was to
groan and scream in pleasure while covering my eyes with both hands
and shaking my head in disbelief. People who had obviously started to
walk away after or during the Slayer disaster came back to the stage,
some of them running, and soon a considerable crowd had gathered.
A certain MonTankA describes the situation appropriately in the
guestbook of Vader's official site: '"Okay, everybody else is saying
this... I just went away from the Slayer show to go and kill myself
after their performance when I heard something blow me away!! Well
that was Vader Fuckin' Vader!"' The god-like "Xeper" and the Stalin
organ type barrage of "Carnal" followed with unbelievable power and
precision. Drummer Doc left the impression that he could wipe the
floor with Lombardo -- be it speed, fills or breaks. The band
delivered their usual aggressive stage acting and new bass player Novy
(ex-Behemoth) seemed to be more than well integrated and headbanged
like a maniac. The show continued with songs like the fantastic
"Silent Empire", "Black to the Blind", "The Nomad", "Wings" and a
handful of others, until the band left the stage for a few seconds
before returning once more to ultimately finish the audience with
"Sothis". These days Vader are everything Slayer once were! I can't
say anything more positive about a band. [MN]
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Chronicles of Chaos is a FREE monthly magazine electronically
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