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CHRONICLES OF CHAOS e-Zine, June 7, 2004, Issue #74
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 #74 Contents, 6/7/2004
----------------------------
-- Death Angel: From Death Into New Life
-- Insomnium: Sunday Morning Hangover Blues
-- Heaven Shall Burn: Not a Marduk Cover Band
-- Agathodaimon - _Serpent's Embrace_
-- Dark Lunacy - _Forget-Me-Not_
-- Death Angel - _The Art of Dying_
-- Falkenbach - _Ok Nefna Tysvar Ty_
-- Gnostic - _Evoking the Demon_
-- Golem - _Dreamweaver_
-- Green Carnation - _A Blessing in Disguise_
-- Loits - _Legion Estland_
-- Loits - _Raiugem Ruunideks_
-- Lupercalia - _Florilegium_
-- Malevolent Creation - _Warkult_
-- Metalium - _As One - Chapter Four_
-- Must Missa - _Ma Ei Talu Valgust_
-- Necare - _Ruin_
-- Nortt - _Gudsforladt_
-- Orphaned Land - _Mabool - The Story of the Three Sons of Seven_
-- Psycroptic - _The Scepter of the Ancients_
-- Sabbat - _Sabbatical Holocaust (Five Massacre Demonslaughts)_
-- Skyforger - _Thunderforge (Perkonkalve)_
-- Suffocation - _Souls to Deny_
-- The Eternal - _The Sombre Light of Isolation_
-- The Great Deceiver - _Terra Incognito_
-- Therion - _Lemuria / Sirius B_
-- Ulver - _A Quick Fix of Melancholy_
-- Vehemence - _Helping the World to See_
-- Watch Them Die - _Watch Them Die_
-- Witches Sabbath - _New World Plague_
-- Withering - _Gospel of Madness_
-- Woodtemple - _The Call From the Pagan Woods_
-- Behold the Arctopus - _Arctopocalypse Now... Warmageddon Later_
-- Born of Thorns - _New Horizon_
-- Cerberus - _Untitled Demo_
-- Darcane - _Anamorphica_
-- Gezeiten - _Demo CD 2003_
-- M�l - _Litany Circus_
-- Nocta - _Come Out (Wherever You Are)_
-- Philistine - _Consume and Devour_
-- Scala Mercalli - _My Daemons_
-- Sinn - _The Rune of Odin_
-- All Murder, All Guts, All Fun
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
_, _,_ _, ___ _,
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~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
F R O M D E A T H I N T O N E W L I F E
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
CoC chats to Rob Cavestany of Death Angel
by: Jackie Smit
They say the more things change, the more they stay the same -- a
proverb that's proving to be more applicable than ever in the
noughties. Case in point: when San Francisco's Death Angel released
their last album fourteen years ago, the world watched as George Bush
Sr. waged war in Iraq, while Israel and Palestine were engulfed in
similar conflict. Fast forward to our present point in time and...
well, 'nuff said really. Luckily the proverb doesn't only apply to
headline-grabbing world events though, and while the world remains
(for lack of a better term) fucked, it just so happens that Death
Angel have returned from purgatory to unleash _The Art of Dying_ -- a
record that quite easily tops any of the band's previous three
releases and is most likely going to be in the upper ranks of many a
metalhead's favorite albums of 2004.
A Death Angel reunion wasn't always on the cards though. Indeed, if
it weren't for a certain friend falling on hard times and needing a
favor, another Death Angel record would most likely never have seen
the light of day. Guitarist Rob Cavestany explains his apprehension
at reforming the band:
Rob Cavestany: To me it was just the hugest can of worms to open up
and however the band had ended back in the day, it had
been so long already that by looking back on it we
were just going over things that were really terrible
when they happened, but that we had gotten over
already. Also, everything we had done up until the
time we broke up had been, in our minds and in the
minds of a lot of people, of the highest quality and I
didn't want to ruin that.
CoC: Let's talk first of all about what got the band together. The
Chuck Billy benefit was the first show that you played after the
break-up; what precipitated the band's participation in that
event?
RC: Our band Swarm was together at the time -- a band that consisted
of me, Mark, Andy and a friend of ours named Mike Isaiah on bass
-- and we were touring the States opening for Jerry Cantrell. We
were asked to do the show, and I was not into it -- I was into it
for Chuck, but not into it to reform Death Angel for any reason
whatsoever, and I was just kind of like: "Unfortunately I don't
think we should do it, the band's broken up". Well, Chuck gets me
on the phone himself at this point and I just couldn't say no to
Chuck -- he's an old bro from back in the day, he's got cancer --
and I was just like: "Man, we've got to do this for Chuck then,
but how are we going to do it?" The show was like three days
after we would come home off the tour and we hadn't rehearsed or
played together for thirteen years, so everyone just started
doing their homework. We decided to go for it on this one show,
and have a blast. We picked out the songs that we were going to
do, and then me and A ndy started going through the songs at
sound check before the Cantrell shows. I would sit with my
walkman when I had the chance, playing the songs, trying to
relearn them. We got home, rehearsed two times as a full band and
then did the show, and we were like: "Man, how is this going to
turn out -- we've had no preparation" -- and there you have it.
We did the show, and as soon as we hit the stage, it's like a
dream-state came on and we were transported back in time
and everything just came back all at once and it was just
unbelievable. The show has been filmed, so it's around -- but it
was just unbelievable.
CoC: So one of the main reasons you were afraid to reform the band
was the danger of somehow tainting the Death Angel legacy?
RC: Exactly. You know, most people try to come back and a lot of
people, including myself, always end up thinking: "Why did you
guys do that -- you've just ruined everything." And now it was
thirteen years later, we had grown apart and we were just not in
the same headspace anymore. Plus I knew that it would be a huge
amount of work to get it to the level that it needed to be, and
if we wanted to do this, we would have to 'marry' each other
again and get down to some hard work, with the possibility of no
pay- off. After the band broke up we had definitely grown apart,
but we had all become good friends again and our relationship
wasn't based on Death Angel anymore. So, I just didn't think it
was going to be a good idea. Once we got on that stage though,
and it felt the way it felt and the crowd responded the way they
did, it was just unbelievable and it completely changed the way I
felt. At that point, I guess it felt worth it to take the chance.
CoC: Walk me through your thought-process as you guys started
rehearsing again and as you started playing your first shows
after all those years apart.
RC: It was bizarre. I think we all just sat there cracking up all the
time, because of some weird feeling -- it was like dating someone
you used to go out with in high school all over again. At the
same time, there was this unbelievable chemistry going on again,
and at first I tried to deny it because I didn't want to get too
excited and end up feeling let down if everyone wasn't going to
be into it as much.
CoC: Do you think that everyone in the band shared your feeling in
the beginning? When you played the benefit show for example, did
you all come off stage with the idea that Death Angel had been
reborn?
RC: No, we didn't decide on it that fast. We just all came off-stage
and we were just looking at each other in disbelief and we were
hugging each other and just tripping out -- we definitely all
felt it in the same way. I also think that everyone had it in the
back of their minds that maybe that wasn't going to be the last
time we played. But also that night we were seeing all these
people from the old scene united -- Exodus played with [Paul]
Balloff again -- all these guys were there that night; all the
old-school friends and fans just transported us to how it used to
be back in the day in the Bay Area when things were at their
peak.
CoC: Aside from Mark leaving the band, and Andy's accident -- what
were the key factors that led to Death Angel breaking up the
first time?
RC: Well, after the accident, we heard that Andy was going to be laid
up and that he wasn't going to be able to be back behind the
drums for at least a year, and that obviously put a wrinkle on
things. Our label at the time [Geffen] was heartlessly just
telling us to immediately get another drummer and get right back
on it, and we were just in massive shock. I mean, our brother had
nearly just been killed and was massively injured, so we were
like: "We're not getting another drummer! This is the drummer
that we started the band with -- he's Andy on the drums!" And so
at that, they dropped us from the label. Also, our manager at the
time was trying to manipulate us into getting back into things --
he wasn't as down for the cause as we were, which was causing a
negative situation, and so by that point Mark just said that he
had had enough and he quit the band and he moved to New York.
When that happened, I was just like: "Without Mark, this isn't
Death Angel, so that's it." We weren't going to try to replace
him and with all that stuff happening we were just totally
disgusted at how things had turned out and we felt that this was
a sign that the band was not going to go on.
CoC: Considering how young you all were when this was happening, and
that Death Angel formed part of your adolescence in many ways,
do you think that made the break-up even harder on you?
RC: Oh, yeah... This was not just a band for us. I mean, literally,
we're family -- we're related by blood; we're all cousins and
we've been close since we were little kids, playing at each
other's birthday parties, and so everything was always just so
intense for us. Life for us just revolved around Death Angel. We
missed out on a lot of things that other people did because we
were always on tour and we were always busy, and we started
disconnecting with a lot of our other friends. We weren't really
independent yet, but we were forced to be and leave everybody
behind, which put a lot pressure on us at a very young age. We
were handling it somehow, but in retrospect... You never know
what would have happened, but we're definitely more in control of
ourselves and of our destinies and to know what's happening and
understand the whole big picture of it all. Back when we were
starting out -- all we were concerned about was just jamming
and having fun. And that was a great period of time: all
the innocence and all the naivety, you can never get that
back. We weren't paying attention to what was happening to us
business-wise and we weren't really concerned about our future.
We were just concerned with the day-to-day activities of having
fun and just being fools. When I look at it now and try to put it
into a positive light, I do know that it could not have lasted
the way it was up until now, because something would have changed
-- something would have happened. There's no way that we would be
able to be back together and just so into it the way we are now.
We never stopped playing music; we played in a lot of other bands
and these were all stepping stones to where we are now. I just
try and look at everything as happening for a reason, which makes
me comfortable with how things turned out. I just think that
there's a reason and you don't always know the reason and what
you can learn from the experience you need to use to your benefit
in whatever you'r e doing at the moment.
CoC: Okay, so the Death Angel reunion becomes a permanent
arrangement; why sign to Nuclear Blast?
RC: It was a beautiful pairing with us and Nuclear Blast. They were
there from the start when we started playing again, showing their
support, telling us how into it they were. And we got to know
them and know the label and we saw how totally into it they were,
and how they're fans of the band -- they're fans of music and of
metal. I mean, we've never worked with a label like that; you'd
be hard-pressed to get a phone call or have someone answer your
calls at some labels. But with Nuclear Blast -- they're a big
metal label, they're really into the band and that's huge for us
-- the support they show us really means a lot. I mean, they
signed us without having heard any of the new stuff that we had
done; they were into us from the start and they respected us.
CoC: How many albums have Nuclear Blast signed you for?
RC: Four.
CoC: Given that Death Angel was out of commission for such a long
time, does it sometimes feel to you as though you're in a new
band, or has it always just been a case of 'business as usual'?
RC: A bit of both. At the same time actually, the good aspects of
both is what's happening. The fresh aspects and the 'new' of a
new band is there -- we're not sick of stuff. I mean, after a
while -- I hope that we retain the freshness -- but sure enough,
time passes and when we got to the end of touring for _Act 3_, we
had just been going at it non-stop for so long that we were
sitting on the road just wishing we could be someplace else. But
the experiences and the things that we've gone through, combined
with the break we've had from each other and from the whole scene
-- nowadays we tap into that and we've learned to appreciate
things and to take things as a blessing. We constantly talk to
each other about it and keep each other grounded and just stay
really thankful for the opportunity that we've been given and for
the position that we have been put in. We're just really thankful
that this is happening and we know how rare of a thing this is.
CoC: When you started writing music for _The Art of Dying_, did you
initially find it difficult to come up with material that you
could rightfully call Death Angel songs?
RC: No, it only took a little ice-breaking. It was actually a little
bizarre, because we were all wondering like what the new material
was going to sound like.
CoC: You had been involved in projects like The Organization and
Swarm, which were obviously vastly different from what you were
doing in Death Angel...
RC: Absolutely, and that was done on purpose too. When we did The
Organization and Swarm, we were trying to explore different types
of music; different types of jams that we hadn't done before.
Because we had done this intensely fast and aggressive thrash
metal for so long, we wanted to expand our musical horizons. When
it came down to writing for this album -- I mainly do all the
writing for the band and I realized that I would just have to
start writing riffs, so I kind of started writing a bunch of
riffs and jamming on them with the band, and we sort of let it
just hang loose before we put full songs together. So that went
on for a while -- weeding out different ideas and vibes here and
there, and then we started getting into the groove and we started
writing songs. Some of first songs we wrote were "Prophecy" and
"Five Steps", and so then we had those and we had other parts for
other songs, which we weeded out and jammed on. The bulk of the
writing really came in December , after we had done a tour in
November and went back home and just really got into it. Touring
actually helped a lot, because we played all the live shows,
talked to fans and it really got us into this upbeat mood and all
of a sudden the juices started flowing, and by the end of it,
things just happened really quickly. Now I'm really excited --
I've already started working on the next album, and I want to put
out a lot of music in the next couple of years. I also know that
we're not immortal and I know that we're not going to be as young
as this forever, so I want us to use our time wisely and just
deliver as much music as we can while we're still into it and
while everything's going well. I think we're really in a good
flow right now.
CoC: With Death Angel being back together now, I take it that the
side-projects have been laid to rest for the time being?
RC: Yeah, there's just no room for them anymore.
CoC: You wouldn't even consider resurrecting them once you've eased
into a pattern with Death Angel?
RC: Well, I'd say that the fact that Death Angel is back together now
proves the theory that anything can happen, because this is the
last band I ever thought would get back together. It's not the
plan right now -- we're totally focused on Death Angel -- but
there's no reason why we can't do it in the future. Personally I
would love to do another Organization show; I loved doing it, I
love singing and I was very proud of those two albums. But right
now, there's just no time for any of that. There's also stuff
beyond those albums -- beyond Death Angel, Swarm and Organization
-- a bunch of stuff; about thirty songs or so that are basically
like acoustic kind of stuff that's a whole different vibe. If
there was time in the future, I would love to be able to put that
out and express that. Right now though, we're all just focusing
on this band, but as time permits we'll look into stuff outside
of Death Angel. I'd say there's other things to come, for sure.
CoC: There have been a lot of changes in the metal genre since Death
Angel bowed out. What's your take on bands like Lamb of God,
Chimaira and other bands that are regarded right now as being
the future of this style of music?
RC: Well, quite honestly, I don't really listen to much of it at all,
so I couldn't really give you an honest interpretation of it. Now
that we're coming back to the scene, and especially now that I'll
probably be getting a lot of free music <laughs>, I'll be
checking out a lot of the stuff, but ever since we broke up the
whole thing just left a bitter taste in my mouth and I just kind
of went into different types of music that satisfied me from that
time on. Usually the metal I listen to is older stuff -- my old
favorites that really meant something to me. I'm not trying to
say that one shouldn't be into the new stuff; it just so happened
that I didn't really keep a pulse on the scene. And what I did
hear, quite honestly, I wasn't very impressed by -- I found it to
be not very original, and it just didn't hit me the way the old
stuff did. But I really couldn't give you an honest opinion on
those bands and that music.
CoC: In the same sense, what is your opinion on bands like Metallica
and Anthrax who were your peers in this business when you were
starting out?
RC: I'm stoked that these bands are still bringing out albums. A lot
of those guys are old friends of ours who we played with back in
the day, and I'm pretty sure that in the coming months we'll be
playing a lot of shows with guys like Testament, Exodus and
Anthrax -- and hopefully all of them will continue to put out
some good quality stuff that the newer bands can be inspired by.
As far as the last Metallica album, it's kind of hard for me to
comprehend, in a way. The production sounds odd to me, the choice
that they made to have no guitar solos is odd to me -- especially
since I love Kirk's lead playing and since he was a big
inspiration to me.
CoC: Kirk did your first demo, if I remember correctly; are you still
in touch with him?
RC: Yeah. The last time I saw him, I didn't really feel like asking
him why he didn't do any solos on the album. I don't know -- I
figure they have their reasons for doing what they did. In their
level of the game and in what they're doing, I don't really want
to pass judgment on them. They're our friends and I really have
nothing but the utmost respect for them. Being in the band, I
know how hard it is to maintain and stay in a band for all that
time, and the fact that those guys are still making music --
sure, their new album is not _Master of Puppets_ or _Ride the
Lightning_ by any means, but it's heavy music and these guys
still play it and I respect them for being around as long as they
have been. In this business, there's pressure to live up to and
outdo yourself and do better than you did on the last album, and
there's a lot of different factors that add to that. Besides
that, they have a different kind of pressure on them when it
comes to making music, which we don't have. We're kind of more
free in our music and in what we can do, whereas with Metallica
there's just so many people involved in the machine it's quite
frightening.
CoC: Say for example then that _The Art of Dying_ were to take off
and Death Angel were to find themselves in a similar sort of
situation. Is that environment something you'd feel comfortable
or even able to work in?
RC: Their level is pretty heavy, man -- their level is pretty wild. I
don't even set my sights on something like that, because they are
just mega... mega... ultra-mega <laughs>. But I do hope that we
will be able to elevate ourselves to the point where we will be
able to make our living off of music, so that we can focus on and
continue to deliver good music and good shows and be a driving
force in music. That's just my main goal. Seeing Metallica --
that's just something that I manage to not even think about. I'll
deal with it if we ever got to that point, but I kind of like
playing small places and I think that when you get that big, it
kind of gets weird -- something gets lost. I guess if we ever got
that big, we'd just progress with it. But as for them, I guess
they're just their own guys and I respect them for still being
together and for still playing and touring heavy music. Their new
album is not my favorite Metallica album, but there you have it.
CoC: Particularly when one sees you guys on stage, a lot of your more
eclectic musical influences come to the fore: jazz, blues etc..
Where does that all come from?
RC: It has a lot to do with all the different types of music
that everyone in this band listens to. We all listen to an
unbelievable spectrum of music and naturally it incorporates into
what we play. We don't even plan it that way -- it just works out
naturally. In fact, we have to try to keep it from not going too
far out, because if you let it run free all those different
styles just end up sounding crazy.
CoC: So once again for the record, Rob -- are Death Angel back for
good?
RC: Absolutely, as long as we can carry on and not sound ridiculous.
But our long term goals definitely include trying to keep it up
for as long as we can. So far it's been great; this is not a one-
off. We want to progress this thing and see how far we can take
it.
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
S U N D A Y M O R N I N G H A N G O V E R B L U E S
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
CoC chats with Niilo Sev�nen of Insomnium
by: Jackie Smit
Niilo Sev�nen is admittedly not a man of many words, and with the
effects of a particularly heavy Saturday night still weighing heavily
on his ability to communicate, he politely apologises at the start of
our discussion for sounding out of sorts. Where this scenario would
normally be a colossal pain in the arse for an interviewer, in
Niilo's case, Insomnium's latest effort has pretty much said all that
can be said already. _Since the Day It All Came Down_ is the latest
release by this Finnish quartet, and to claim that it will blow your
hair back is one of the understatements of the century. A dazzling
and emotional journey through several spectrums of music, it is one
of those rare recordings that make you thankful you're able to hear.
Yet, as effortlessly as scythes its way through your consciousness,
it's an album that apparently very nearly didn't get made...
Niilo Sev�nen: A lot of unexpected things happened while we were in
the studio. First the computers didn't work, then for
some reason a lot of the recording equipment stopped
functioning properly. After that had been sorted out,
our guitars were going strangely out of tune on a sort
of sporadic random basis -- I don't know what we did,
but that was certainly a problem. All sorts of
little things which were really frustrating just kept
mounting up and hampering the recording of the album,
which eventually ended up taking several weeks over
what we had planned. There were some points where it
looked like the album would be delayed or even
scrapped or like we'd have to move to another studio.
But in the end, we're really happy with the result.
Now that I think of it, even the mastering had to be
done twice!
CoC: How close did you come to scrapping the work that you had done?
NS: Very nearly, but we pushed through. For a while though none of us
could listen to any of the songs we had recorded because whenever
we did we would be reminded of all the hassles. It definitely
took some time before we could listen to the album at all.
CoC: Did you ever get an explanation as to the cause of the problem,
or does it remain a mysterious set of unfortunate coincidences?
NS: There must have been some poltergeist loose in the place.
<laughs> All I know is that there was supposed to be a lot of
cool new equipment to help us record the album and none of it
worked properly.
CoC: The new album is much heavier than your last _In the Halls of
Waiting_ effort. Do you think that perhaps these problems and
frustrations that you were experiencing during the recording
process added to the album's eventual energy?
NS: I'm not sure -- it might be, but we also tried this time to
create a heavier sound and to make the album much heavier.
CoC: Aside from the increased heaviness, it is also by your own
admission much darker and more sombre. What was the reason for a
move in this direction?
NS: I don't know what the exact reason was. These kinds of songs just
sort of come to us, and now we're happy with the direction that
we're moving in. Some of the songs on the first album were maybe
a bit too happy sounding for me and that's why we deliberately
tried to find a darker way of expressing ourselves. But as to the
overall feel of the album, I'm still not sure why it ended up
sounding the way it did.
CoC: What were your influences and inspirations in coming up with the
songs?
NS: Myself and both our guitarists wrote the lyrics and we came up
with the concept. What is the concept of the album? I don't
really want to reveal that right now, because I want listeners to
hear for themselves and make their own interpretations. It's a
very tragic story and it deals with issues like coping with loss
and losing loved ones. As to the details of the story, we'll
leave that to the listeners to figure out for themselves.
CoC: Is it based on anything stemming from a personal frame of
reference?
NS: No, not really. The story was thought up by me and [guitarist]
Ville V�nni, and we basically cut up the story into pieces to fit
every song. It was kind of like putting together a picture, in a
way. As far as being based on a true story -- no, it's not.
CoC: Looking toward your musical background -- Insomnium have a lot
of very diverse influences in their songs. Where do these all
come from?
NS: As a teenager, I was listening to bands like Metallica, Slayer
and Sepultura. Then I found bands like Opeth, Dark Tranquillity,
Amorphis and At the Gates. As time passes by and you get older,
obviously you start to listen to many other styles of music, but
at its core I think that Insomnium is rooted in the Swedish and
European style of melodic death metal.
CoC: Considering how technical some of your work is, did anyone in
the band ever have any formal musical training?
NS: Our drummer, Marcus, has trained at a music school and our
guitarist Ville played violin as a child. So both of them have a
strong sense of theory and of musical history and things like
that. As for myself and our other guitarist, we taught ourselves
to play our instruments.
CoC: How did it happen that you decided to take up the bass?
NS: It was really a case of all the other instruments being taken.
The first band that I joined already had two guitarists and a
drummer, so all that was left was the bass and I was the lucky
one who ended up playing it.
CoC: Your native country has played host to a big burst in activity
as far as metal records are concerned, and when you look at the
Finnish music charts, it's not uncommon to see a metal band in
the top ten. Why do you think that Finland differs so much from
most other countries?
NS: I suppose you could say that it's dark here all the time and all
the people are really depressed. <laughs> Rock music in general
is really popular here and playing in a band is generally
considered to be "cool", so you have a lot of young kids who want
to play in a band, which is where a lot of stuff gets started.
CoC: Any up and coming bands that we'll be hearing from soon?
NS: I think most people will have heard Swallow the Sun by now --
they're our friends and they're probably one of the best bands in
Finland right now. There's also a band called The Arrival who did
an album for a small Norweigian label. Other than that it's
pretty boring, really. You have a lot of Spinefarm bands who in
my opinion just all sound exactly the same. They're all power
metal bands and I can't stand that stuff. We definitely have some
interesting bands though, but out of everything I'd say that
Swallow the Sun is the best thing going right now.
CoC: How about your own musical aspirations -- do you have any side-
projects or anything like that going?
NS: Myself and Ville V�nni play in a band called Watch Me Fall and
Ville actually played in that band before he came to Insomnium.
Now I do the singing in the band. We have done one album for a
small Finnish label, but it hasn't come out yet and I don't know
what will happen. Maybe in the future we will do something else
and try to get a proper deal for it, but I'm not sure yet.
CoC: So what are the plans for Insomnium over the course of the next
few years?
NS: In the spring, we'll be touring all over Finland -- we'll do
about twelve shows in total and play some summer festivals as
well. But after that, I'm not sure. Candlelight Records has
promised that they will try and arrange something for the autumn.
It would be very nice to visit England, Germany and the States,
but I can't say for sure whether that will happen or not. As far
as music is concerned -- just basically experimenting, pushing
the band in different directions and making the best music we
can, really.
CoC: Any last words, Niilo?
NS: To all readers of Chronicles of Chaos: if you're into melodic and
fierce music, check out our albums and visit our website.
Contact: http://www.insomnium.net
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N O T A M A R D U K C O V E R B A N D
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
CoC chats with Maik Weichert of Heaven Shall Burn
by: Jackie Smit
The Associated Press recently ran an article detailing a study on the
lyrics in modern metal, name-checking among others rising stars like
Lamb of God, Chimaira, God Forbid and Soilwork. The writer in
question determined that many of heavy music's current crop had
departed from the self-indulgent wallowing of nu-metal and had
instead adopted an overwhelmingly positive and life-affirming core
message. Of course, black and death metal did not form a part of this
investigation, but in reading the article one is struck by the fact
that in slightly less extreme quarters, metal may well be on the
verge of growing up. Certainly in this sense, there are few bands
more effective in carrying over as strong and empowering a message as
Germany's Heaven Shall Burn -- a band whose latest effort hits mighty
hard in terms of both thought-provoking diatribes and sheer musical
brutality. I recently caught up with guitarist Maik Weichert, who
shed some light on veganism, politics and why he dis likes Formula 1.
CoC: Your previous record (_Whatever It May Take_) was very
aggressive, but on your latest record you seem to have reached
new peaks in terms of blatant heaviness. Considering the
political and reality-based approach of your lyrics, would you
cite recent world events as a principal cause for this?
Maik Weichert: Yes, of course -- there's been a lot of rage flowing
into our music that was caused by things happening in
the world right now. But at the same time, it
wasn't actually motivated by any specific political
developments. It's more like a feeling that we're a
part of the system and that we can't do anything about
it. If there's a war in Africa or in Arabia for
example, we can go out into the streets and we can
protest against it; we can get together in vast masses
of people and shout against these things, but at the
end of the day the reason they happen is to protect
our wealth. If you wake up in the morning and turn on
the light switch, then you're a part of that game; and
even though you may be against it, you're still
benefiting from it. It's something that we can't do
anything about, because it's not a viable alternative
to go out and live in the mountains of Afghanistan, so
in a way this is almost like aggression toward
ourselves, and also to our leaders and to the people
that tell us every day what we shall do and what we
shall think.
CoC: [Referring to the article I spoke of in the preface to this
interview] With more and more legitimate metal acts preaching
positivity and self-empowerment, would you say that this new-
found attitude detracts from the danger and excitement of the
genre in any way?
MW: I don't think so. With Heaven Shall Burn we have always had that
approach, but I also love bands like Cannibal Corpse and I really
hope that nobody takes their lyrics seriously! However, I do hope
that people think about our lyrics and the ideas that we project.
We don't see ourselves as artists -- we're not as skilled on our
instruments as Cannibal Corpse, but we deliver social and
political commentary and we as a group try to initiate thought in
our listeners, which in turn could hopefully generate change --
and in that sense our lyrics and our message is equally as
important as our music. I always say that our music is like our
missile and our lyrics are the warhead. We aren't like an
ordinary metal band -- I think that we have more in common with
bands like Napalm Death and Kreator, who always had that
political theme running through their songs.
CoC: With Heaven Shall Burn being classed as a metalcore band in many
quarters, and you all being straight-edge and vegan, I was
interested to know what your take was on why hardcore seems to
attract such a variety of extreme schools of thought --
everything from Christianity to Nazism to Veganism appears to
have its own niche in the hardcore scene.
MW: Hardcore and punk has always been the most political part of the
extreme music spectrum, and this is where bands like that gather.
Take again a band like Napalm Death -- they could very easily be
a band with gore lyrics, but because of their message and the
topics that they deal with you have kids in the hardcore and punk
scenes listening to them. I don't think that you can define
hardcore purely by music -- it also has a lot to do with the
attitude and the lyrics. I mean, if for example we play in front
of a metal crowd, nobody will be overwhelmed by our hardcore
influences and vice versa. With us the hardcore aspect is defined
by our lyrics, and I think that most socially conscious bands --
whether they write about animal cruelty or social ills -- can be
defined as hardcore.
CoC: Sticking to the topic of extreme schools of thought, what
attracted you to veganism and being straight-edge?
MW: Well, it didn't really have anything to do with the music; it was
just the right choice for me. I mean, so many people who are
straight- edge look down on people because they smoke or because
they drink, and I would not do that. For me it would be stupid to
drink or do stuff like that, but for others -- that's their
decision. There are many assholes who are straight-edge and many
cool people who drink. As far as veganism, it's really about
an awareness of the problems in nature. We have all been
vegetarians for about ten years already, and being vegan is just
a consequence of that. It was a very easy step for us to take. We
know that it's not the solution to all the problems in the world,
but it's the right thing to do. And if we reach someone with our
lyrics to the extent that someone goes to McDonald's one less
time, or takes a bicycle to the pub and not the car, then we have
already achieved something.
CoC: I'm interested to know why you decided to change your name from
Consense to Heaven Shall Burn, which carries with it the obvious
connection to black metal -- something that you are quite
obviously very far removed from.
MW: That's true; we've always had the problem that people think that
we're a black metal band or a Marduk cover band or something, but
we wanted to make a statement with the band's name, and to us
that means that people should open their eyes and not follow the
wrong ideals or false dreams. It has nothing to do with Satanism,
just that people should live in reality and not follow illusions.
Actually I think a name like Poison the Well is far meaner.
CoC: What was the reason for the name change?
MW: We had a line-up change and the guy that left had also been
writing a lot of the music, so the style changed a bit. I think
that Consense was more of a "real" metal band in a way. We had
our political ideas, but the approach to the hardcore scene came
after the line-up change when we weren't really the same band
anymore.
CoC: Going back to the diverse audience that is attracted to hardcore
-- has the band ever had any problems with white power skinheads
or neo-Nazis at your shows?
MW: Yes, we have. I mean, we are from East Germany and neo-Nazis are
a big problem here, so sometimes they come to our shows and they
try to start trouble, but we are lucky that we also a attract a
lot of cool people who share our views and support us. So from
time to time, we have some assholes turn up at our shows wearing
Blue Eyed Devil shirts or something like that. But we don't tell
the audience: "Hey, beat these motherfuckers up!" Instead we just
tell the audience to turn around and laugh at them, which I think
is way worse for them than getting beat up. But of course here in
East Germany... it's a very weak part of Germany: there are a lot
of problems, like unemployment, and it's very easy for these
radical groups to influence young minds. We really try to show
people something different. More often than not, these troubled
kids are just looking for someone to identify with.
CoC: Do you think that living in a country with the history of East
Germany played a role in inspiring a lot of the aggression in
your music?
MW: Well, it's the thing that where we come from we grew up always
questioning things and always questioning authority. Take my dad,
for example: he woke up one day and everything that he believed
in for forty years was gone, and as I child I was taught those
same things, only to have it all switch back from communism to
capitalism. I don't think that anyone can understand that if they
didn't live it.
CoC: Rammstein come from the same area as you do, and looking to
their success and considering their background, do you think
that they played a role in inspiring other bands from East
Germany to start working more pro-actively and to be more
focused?
MW: Oh yeah, totally -- they definitely inspired us; perhaps not
musically, but we were still very inspired by what they were able
to achieve. Some of their first shows were actually in our town,
and I remember being at their shows where they were playing to
about 80 people in shitty clubs and they were using homemade
pyros. They had all actually been in punk bands before and had
been part of the scene for a long time, so a lot of people looked
up to them as role-models, and to look at them now -- I'm very
glad that they have achieved all their success, because they
really deserve it.
CoC: Considering how popular some of the subgenres in metal
(particularly metalcore) is becoming, would say that reaching
the heights that Rammstein has done is something that Heaven
Shall Burn is aiming for in the future?
MW: Not really, because we don't have the same kind of commercial
appeal. Also, Rammstein created a very unique type of music, and
I don't think that we are that original. I mean, right now I make
enough money from the band that I can concentrate only on playing
shows, writing music and my studies, and that is an advantage
that I would not have had without Heaven Shall Burn, so I am very
lucky.
CoC: What do you study?
MW: Law... I'm a fucking lawyer! <laughs>
CoC: What about the other members of the band: are they students as
well?
MW: Yeah, we're all students. Our singer did environmental science
and finished that, and now he is studying medicine or something.
Our bass player works with disabled people, our drummer studies
economy and our other guitarist is studying something to do with
electronics -- it won't surprise me if he becomes a famous
professor one day.
CoC: What takes top priority for you, the band or your studies?
MW: Well, right now I'd say the band, but we are lucky because when
we are touring there is so much time to study in between
soundchecks or when you're on the bus or something. Heaven Shall
Burn has a goal to instigate change in the world, and if we are
able to do it in our jobs one day, then we shall be achieving the
same thing that we want to do with our music. We don't want to be
rock stars, we just want to make music and promote our message.
If I can do that one day as a lawyer or as a judge and I realise
that I can do more in my profession to achieve that goal, then I
will choose that. I can always play music for fun.
CoC: What's the touring schedule like for Heaven Shall Burn in 2004?
MW: I think we'll be covering Europe in weekend shows, because I
think that gives you enough time to rest so that when the next
show comes up you can give it your all and not be tired like if
you were playing forty shows or something. Hopefully those shows
will include the UK, Scandinavia and places like that. We'll also
play some shows in the US and later this year we will also be
going to South America and Chile, which is going to be great for
us because some of our songs are based on incidents that happened
there.
CoC: Any other plans for the near future?
MW: Well, there's the touring, like I said, and then we'll be writing
exams, and after that's over there will probably be another new
CD. We're also busy doing a video for the song "The Weapon They
Fear" that will hopefully be on MTV.
CoC: One final question -- I read this on the website and I was very
distraught when I saw it: why do you hate Formula 1?
MW: For me it's not a sport, really. I have deep respect for the
drivers -- they are very talented and they do a great job, but
the rest is just a technical battle based around money. It's the
same with tennis and golf and soccer: it has nothing to do with
sport anymore. Look at Beckham: he's a pop star, not a football
player. He isn't there because he wants to beat the opposing
team; he's just there for the money. I'd rather just see some
kids in a bicycle race than watch Formula 1. Same with football:
I'd rather watch some third division games than anything in the
big leagues; at least the players fight more.
CoC: But surely you have to feel some pride in seeing your
countryman, Michael Schumacher, lay waste to everyone in F1?
MW: No -- Schumacher is so ugly that I could never support him!
<laughs>
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_, _, __, _,_ _, _ _,
/ \ | |_) | | |\/| (_
|~| | , |_) | | | | , )
~ ~ ~~~ ~ `~' ~ ~ ~
Scoring: 10 out of 10 -- A masterpiece indeed
9 out of 10 -- Highly recommended
7 out of 10 -- Has some redeeming qualities
5 out of 10 -- You are treading in dangerous waters
3 out of 10 -- Nothing here worth looking into
0 out of 10 -- An atrocious album, avoid at all costs!
Agathodaimon - _Serpent's Embrace_ (Nuclear Blast, 2004)
by: Jackie Smit (6.5 out of 10)
It would probably have been handy to have had Agathodaimon's previous
records handy to act as a reference for _Serpent's Embrace_, seeing
as how the last time I stumbled across the band was around the
release of their debut in 1998. Some may recall that during that
period nary an item of Nuclear Blast literature could be found that
was not buckling beneath the excessive touting of the band as "the
next big thing". Of course, shortly thereafter Dimmu Borgir made
their indelible mark on the symphonic black metal scene, leaving
lesser acts like Agathodaimon to become just another indistinct blip
on the extreme music radar. What I find most interesting about
_Serpent's Embrace_ from a critical point of view, is that the band
still appear to be suffering from the same musical Achilles heel that
they did four albums ago. You see, for however many times they manage
to blow your hair back with songs like "Cellos for the Insatiable" or
"Light Reborn", they seem intent to persistently counter these
momentary strokes of genius with the sort of Cradle of Filth-lite
drivel that in my humble opinion barely qualifies as metal -- let
alone -black- metal. And so, while _Serpent's Embrace_ is well
produced and flawlessly performed, it is often a decidedly hit or
miss affair and chances are that in order to truly enjoy it, you
might need to rely on your CD player's "skip" button on a few
occasions.
Contact: http://www.agathodaimon.de
Dark Lunacy - _Forget-Me-Not_ (Independent, 2003)
by: Brian Meloon (9 out of 10)
Dark Lunacy is an Italian band, and this is their second independent
full-length release. They describe themselves as "Dramatic Death
Metal", and that seems fitting, though I recognize some elements of
black metal in their music as well. Now before a lot of you
stop reading, it's important to distinguish between "dramatic" and
"theatrical" -- such as Cradle of Filth. The "drama" in Dark
Lunacy's music comes not from cheesy shock tactics such as moaning
"virgins" or "blasphemous" lyrics, but from their heavy use of
violins to create a morose atmosphere. It is these violins that
elevate Dark Lunacy from a very good melodic death metal band to
something special. Brutal but beautiful, melodic and melancholic,
this album captures the sad/angry mood better than any album I've
ever heard. It's the same atmosphere that Mundanus Imperium and Sear
Bliss were going after on their best efforts (their mCD and
demo, respectively), but Dark Lunacy are even a step beyond those
two bands. Their riffs are generally syncopated, thrashy melodic
death riffs with shouted/screamed vocals and the aforementioned
violins. They also add plenty of other elements, including black
metal-inspired tremolo-picked guitar lines, acoustic guitar, piano
and other keyboards, some whispered sections, and female vocals. All
of the instruments are very well played and very appropriate to the
music. There's nary a flashy or distracting moment to be found. If I
have a complaint about this album, it's that the second half slows
down somewhat. While it's still well-done, I much prefer the
faster-tempo sections. I also wish they would expand upon their more
black metal-ish style, as this seems a more conducive vehicle for the
violins to play against. But these are relatively minor complaints;
this album really blew me away, and I can't wait for their next
release. Fans of melodic black or death metal should search this out.
Contact: http://www.darklunacy.com
Death Angel - _The Art of Dying_ (Nuclear Blast, 2004)
by: Jackie Smit (8.5 out of 10)
Of all the comebacks that 2004 has played host to thus far, a Death
Angel reunion was undoubtedly the one that very few of us could have
foreseen. A classic example, if any was needed, of a major label
taking advantage of young artists, the furor surrounding the band's
acrimonious split from Geffen Records in 1992, and their subsequent
decision to part ways, just about sealed the deal on any hope of a
follow-up to the critically lauded _Act 3_. But, as if to prove that
great things can be born (or reborn in this case) from tragedy, a
favor to an old friend by the name of Chuck Billy saw the seminal Bay
Area quintet back together once more. As the story goes, a one-off
soon evolved into something more substantial, which in turn brings us
now, after a fourteen year absence, to the next studio installment in
the Death Angel saga.
Considering that it's been nearly a decade and a half since the last
time Mark Osegueda, Rob Cavestany, Dennis Pepa and Andy Galeon
were in the studio together as Death Angel, it's remarkable how
comparatively natural _The Art of Dying_ has ended up sounding. Laced
with the band's trademark inventiveness and flair for punked-up
experimentation, openers "Thrown to the Wolves" and "5 Steps to
Freedom" are pure old school thrash metal gold. Mark Osegueda's voice
cuts an imposing figure and has never sounded more arresting, while
the guitar synergy between Rob Cavestany and newcomer Ted Aguilar is
as effective as anything you will find on the band's early efforts. A
surprise ballad in the shape of "Words to the Wise" also rears its
head, nodding knowingly in the direction of Cavestany and Pepa's
post- Death Angel outfit, The Organization.
Unfortunately, taking into account the unashamedly early classic
flavor of this record, it's to be expected that there are going to be
some that will sneer at Death Angel's vintage approach. For the rest
of us however, _The Art Dying_ is well produced, neck-snapping
rollick, and quite possibly one of the finest old-school thrash
albums since _Rust in Peace_.
Contact: http://www.deathangel.com
Falkenbach - _Ok Nefna Tysvar Ty_ (Napalm, 2003)
by: Quentin Kalis (8 out of 10)
Falkenbach's last album was in 1998, and I had taken their silence as
an indication that it (as it is essentially a solo project) was no
longer active -- so it was quite a surprise (though not an unpleasant
one) to discover that one of Viking metal's most important acts had
returned. This lengthy break -- which is apparently due to an
automobile accident -- has not seemingly impacted on his music, as
this album compares favourably to his previous work. He is clearly
still performing _Hammerheart_-inspired Viking metal and can be
justifiably regarded as one of the masters of the style. However, he
has calmed down considerably: the music is less heavy, proceeding at
a comparatively more sedate pace. The black metal style vox have been
virtually abandoned in favour of clean vocals and the omnipresent
folk tendencies have become even stronger. In addition, Vratyas
Vakyas has enlisted the help of several musicians, and this has aided
the music considerably -- most notably with the drumming, as the drum
machine is discarded in favour of an actual person. "...Into the
Ardent Awaited Land", which initially appeared on debut album _...En
Their Medh Riki Fara..._ has been re-recorded, and in a rare
instance, it sounds better then the original. It demonstrates
perfectly the changes in style as the status of the electric
guitar is downgraded in favour of an acoustic guitar and a more
contemplative sound is adopted. A welcome return by one of the
masters of the genre.
Gnostic - _Evoking the Demon_ (Ordealis Records, 2003)
by: Quentin Kalis (7.5 out of 10)
This album gets off to a bad start by using a sample from "Gladiator"
-- which would not be a problem were it not the very same sample
which was used by Satyricon to open _Volcano_! Plus "Infernal Crypts
of Martyrdom" sounds suspiciously like a reject from _Morbid Tales_
era Celtic Frost, further suggesting a lack of original ideas.
However, the rest of the album proved to be, for the most part, an
entertaining and dynamic listen that turned out to be considerably
less generic than my first impression. Gnostic consider themselves to
be war metallers, and if the aim was to create a frenzied sounding
recording that reflected the chaos of war, then they have succeeded
-- perhaps more so than most others of their ilk. A good production
is clearly not a high priority for this band: the guitars possess a
fuzzy, droning quality, while the drums tend to dissolve into an
undifferentiated sludge. On occasion, its sounds as if the CD were
being played through a cheap radio with the vol ume turned too high.
In short, this album has a strong rehearsal sound and one could
easily believe that this was recorded in one of the members'
basement! A live concert has been included as a PC bonus.
Golem - _Dreamweaver_ (Nuclear Blast, 2004)
by: Jackie Smit (8 out of 10)
With a bio describing their brand of extremity as a fusion of classic
Morbid Angel and Carcass -- subsequently lumping them alongside the
vast majority of death metal acts these days -- I'll admit to being
less than enthused at the prospect of listening to this German
quartet's fourth effort. In reflection, my lack of curiosity may also
have had something to do with the fact that I've never really paid
much attention to the band at any point during their fifteen year
existence -- a factor that ultimately turned out to be a blessing,
because upon further investigation _Dreamweaver_ actually turned out
to be a huge step up from all its predecessors.
While the allusions to Carcass and Morbid Angel do ring true on the
majority of _Dreamweaver_'s 60-odd minute duration, it is the manner
in which this blueprint has been incorporated that makes Golem an
alluring and wholly interesting prospect. Think Trey Azagthoth and
Bill Steer trading guitar riffs while sharing the world's worst acid
trip and you start to get the picture. It isn't simply a case of
skewed influences however, as songs like "The Tower", "Diaspora" and
"Rose" toy with ideas centred around everything from black metal to
neo-classical film soundtracks to progressive jazz.
Of course, as would most likely always have been the case, some of
these ideas prove to be a little too avant-garde for their own good,
and particularly the spaced-out guitar wankery of "Le Sacre du
Printemps" ends up sounding more trying than entertaining. Kudos to
Golem however for returning to the fray after five years with an
album that shows off not only some damn good tunes, but the sort of
daring songwriting that will sustain the death metal genre for years
to come.
Contact: http://www.golem-metal.de
Green Carnation - _A Blessing in Disguise_ (Season of Mist, 2003)
by: Brian Meloon (2 out of 10)
Green Carnation's third effort is the aptly-named _A Blessing in
Disguise_. Why is this album a blessing in disguise, you ask? Well,
first we have my misfortune of purchasing and listening to this
horribly vapid album. And from that misfortune comes the blessing
that I'll be more careful in the future not to purchase another album
based upon the strength of a band or label's back catalogue. Oh, who
am I kidding? There's simply no silver lining to my purchase of this
insipid waste of time.
I can only imagine what the band were thinking when they wrote and
recorded this album. To me, it sounds like they were just sitting
down to start writing a new album, but decided that putting together
another epic atmospheric doom metal album like _Light of Day, Day of
Darkness_ [CoC #57] was too much effort. Instead, they opted for the
simpler task of writing a '70s rock album. So they took the few
pieces of music that they'd already written, hastily wrote some
generic filler and some lyrics, threw in some cheesy Moog synths for
a real "vintage" sound, and called it good. The end result is the
type of non-threatening, middle-of-the-road, radio-friendly fare that
I'd more expect from the likes of the Little River Band than from
former members of In the Woods. This is a decidedly half-assed
offering that taints their good names with the stench of banality.
Contact: http://www.green-carnation.tk
Loits - _Legion Estland_ (Ledo Takas Records, 2003)
by: Pedro Azevedo (6 out of 10)
From the band's official website: "Loits is a wakening for Iron
Youth, Loits is call to join the ranks of Legionaires, Loits
is everything what judeo-christianian democracy is not. Loits is
Estonian National Pride." In addition to this, the decorations
on the band's logo leave little to the imagination about their
political inclinations. Whether or not you give a damn about the
above statements, be prepared for the fact that there is a clear
militaristic, nationalistic feel pervading much of _Legion Estland_
(a look at the album title should indicate both aspects quite
clearly).
However, those who are simply interested in some rocking black metal
fun need not worry about any of the above: this 7" EP provides just
that, tweaked in Loits' own style, and the band's political views
don't really get in the way of the music itself (so long as you skip
the redundant second track, "Terasvanne"). Loits infuse many of their
black metal riffs with touches of folky synth and an infectious rock
'n' roll vibe, resulting in songs that remain enjoyable without ever
trying to achieve a remarkable level of aggression, intensity or
atmosphere. It's not that the music comes across as relaxed; it's
just that with all the unholier-than-thou black metal bands out there
competing for the ultimate in the genre's extremity, Loits take a
rather different approach: their mid-paced riffs are pronounced
rather than rushed, and the songs are well defined. The fact this is
only a brief EP also helps keep each song relevant, but on the other
hand only the first and third track really have anything worthwhile
to offer (in addition to what I wrote above about the second track,
closer "Demon's Night" is only passable). While the music on _Legion
Estland_ won't exactly floor you, it is unlikely it will bore you
either; could be worth a punt if you're a fan of the genre and don't
mind the political crap.
Contact: http://www.loits.org
Loits - _Raiugem Ruunideks_ (Schwarze MaSSenvernichtung, 2004)
by: Pedro Azevedo (5 out of 10)
Packaged together on the same CD-R as the band's older _Legion
Estland_ effort, I received another 7" EP from Estonian national
pride promoters Loits, this one titled _Raiugem Ruunideks_. Released
by a different label (Schwarze MaSSenvernichtung, which can be
translated into a pretty unambiguous "Black MaSSeradication"), this
new EP features only two tracks. The title track is a bit folkier
than the material on _Legion Estland_; the production is slightly
inferior and the song drags a bit. The second track, "Tuleristsed",
sheds the folk influence and boasts some improved song structuring,
saving the EP from a negative rating. On the whole, however, there
isn't much on offer in terms of quantity, nor does the average
quality of the two tracks suggest you'll be spinning this EP over and
over again. Decent material, but far from being a remarkable release
even if you have no qualms about the label's more than questionable
choice of name.
Contact: http://www.loits.org
Lupercalia - _Florilegium_ (Equilibrium Music, 2004)
by: Pedro Azevedo (8 out of 10)
Mixing neo-classical music with medieval influences, Italians
Lupercalia are now on their second full-length album, following the
_Les Nuits des Samain_ EP and the entirely instrumental full-length
_Soehrimnir_ (neither of which I've had the chance to hear before
delving into _Florilegium_). With soprano singer Claudia Florio
joining classical guitarist Riccardo Prencipe, the duo then enlisted
the help of solo violinist Gianluca Uccio and a string quartet to
create the lush medieval ambience of _Florilegium_, now released
through Portuguese label Equilibrium Music.
The songs on _Florilegium_ tend toward the tranquil side of things,
though some more stirring passages are also mustered (during
"Personent Hodie", for instance), as well as some more festive ones.
From Eastern influences to Latin lyrics, there is a lot of uniqueness
to be found behind the skilled musicianship. The vocals are very well
performed, adventurous and well suited to the music, combining with
the violin, guitar and background strings and synths for flowing,
involved compositions.
While very pleasant and musically interesting, _Florilegium_
sometimes lacks more memorable passages (the aforementioned
"Personent Hodie" comes to mind as a good example), and a somewhat
darker atmosphere would have been a definite bonus for me.
Furthermore, at over one hour in length, some arrangements become
slightly repetitive, and some tracks therefore come across as less
relevant; but the medieval atmosphere is convincingly achieved and
well kept throughout, which goes a long way to keeping things
together as an album. In spite of minor problems, _Florilegium_
remains a very good album, with a vast amount of musical merit and
an accomplished medieval atmosphere to ensure its relevance. An
intriguing and enjoyable listen that should prove very rewarding for
those with an inclination for all things medieval.
Contact: http://www.equilibriummusic.com
Malevolent Creation - _Warkult_ (Nuclear Blast, 2004)
by: Jackie Smit (7.5 out of 10)
With song titles like "Preemptive Strike" and "Shock & Awe" adorning
the tracklisting down the back sleeve of Malevolent Creation's
eleventh full-length effort, one suspects that everyone's favourite
second-tier death metallers have decided to get political on us.
Whether or not they intend for _Warkult_ to be a deft musical kick up
the arse for the Bushes and Rumsfelds of this world becomes a moot
point however after "Dead March" kicks into its introductory rumble
and the message hits home that this is going to be a seriously nasty
piece of work. As with the band's last studio outing, _The Will to
Kill_, _Warkult_ finds the malevolent ones in top technical form with
the vocals of one-time Hateplow growler, Kyle Simmons, sounding as
ferocious as ever against the backdrop of Phil Fasciana and Rob
Barret's grinding guitars. The return of Dave Culross to the drum
stool proves a further boon for the band, and quite predictably many
of the songs seem almost purpose-written to take advantage of his
talent for blasting at nigh on insane speeds. Yet overall _Warkult_
fails to impress to quite the same consistent extent as its
predecessor, which is largely due to the band slowing things down
halfway through proceedings and inexplicably trading their signature
riffing for the kind of tepid, generic melodies that were last
being bandied around Sweden in the mid-nineties. Astonishingly this
unnecessary lull lasts for a good three to four songs, breaking up
the record's atmosphere to the point where you might think you're
listening to a different record. One could of course argue the merits
of the adventurous intentions behind this attempt at diversity, but
ultimately there are far more effective ways of adding variety to an
album, and unfortunately in this case fifteen years' worth of
experience has apparently not proven enough to enable the band to do
so. And in this lies the album's biggest let-down, because songs like
"Tyranic Opression" and "Murder Reig ns" probably rank amongst some
of the best material in the Malevolent Creation discography.
Contact: http://malevolentcreation.cjb.net
Metalium - _As One - Chapter Four_ (Century Media, 2004)
by: Aaron McKay (5 out of 10)
In the political press it has been said that you aren't a "real
journalist" until you've truly pissed off an elected official with a
published piece. That leads me to believe the author of the article
in question here can distance themselves enough to write exactly what
he or she sees the facts of the story to be. That's kind of how I
feel when I find myself faced with the task of drafting something up
for Metalium. Never having been a fan of the whole "power/triumph
metal" as a genre per se, Metalium presents me with somewhat of a
dilemma. On one hand I can see their appeal and hear their mastery
over their chosen instruments -- skillfully executed solos and catchy
riffs, for example. On the other hand Metalium forever seems to
launch them headlong into well-traversed musical territory.
All things being equal, as an aside, this new offering was very well-
received in Japan. Admittedly, the concept that this four-piece
German power outfit surround themselves with is completely lost on me
-- kind of like exploring the intellectual prowess of Mad Magazine in
your graduate level literature course. Warriors, Medusa, Heathens and
a storyline that unites the Metalian hero with a female counterpart,
Metaliana -- Metalium tread too close to the whole Dungeons and
Dragons meets Battletech arena for me (and not in a Manowar kind of
way either).
That hubbub aside, musically, as I said before, Metalium are
competent and obviously practiced musicians. Mostly with an
aggressive fast paced edge, this band blazes out a fiery album here
with _As One - Chapter Four_; no disputing that. Also a step in the
right direction away from 2000's _State of Triumph - Chapter Two_, I
might add. Let me put it this way: if you thrive on this kind of
thing, Metalium is solid gruel, but don't look for any dessert.
Contact: http://www.metalium.de
Must Missa - _Ma Ei Talu Valgust_ (Death to Mankind Records, 2004)
by: Pedro Azevedo (5 out of 10)
Estonians Must Missa have surely been living on a diet of classic
Darkthrone, Gorgoroth and such acts for quite some time now, judging
by this _Ma Ei Talu Valgust_ EP. There is a distinct feeling of old
school black metal grimness running through each song, and while time
seems to have stopped in the early '90s for the band, at least they
can still come up with some decent examples of the genre. Decently
playing what others invented before them isn't a huge accomplishment
however, and the somewhat pedestrian compositions Must Missa present
us only just manage to escape a negative rating. They really need to
either excel at their chosen style or successfully add more of their
own personality to their music in the future.
Contact: http://www.metal.ee/must_missa/
Necare - _Ruin_ (Firebox, 2004)
by: Pedro Azevedo (8 out of 10)
Playing the music you like, and sparing nary a thought for whether it
is particularly fashionable or innovative at any given point in time,
must be a great feeling for a musician. Necare are almost certainly
one such band: harvesting influence from early '90s British doom,
this American duo indulge in a form of doom/death metal that may not
be exactly groundbreaking, but nonetheless remains welcome when done
properly -- and for the most part, _Ruin_ is done properly. Indeed,
the first three tracks after the intro -- all of which tend to scream
_Serenades_ era Anathema -- rank among the most accomplished doom
I've heard in a long while. But while originality doesn't run high
and the music is kept fairly simple throughout, the fact is
_Ruin_ remains an unpretentiously enjoyable disc for those who like
the doom/death genre. The Anathema connection tends to fade away
during the second half of the album, which is also slightly less
captivating, but not to the point of making this album significantly
less worthy of purchase for lovelorn doom/death fans.
Contact: http://www.firebox.fi
Nortt - _Gudsforladt_ (Diehard Bloodline, 2004)
by: Pedro Azevedo (9 out of 10)
Browsing Nortt's website and looking at the collection of demo tapes
reaching back to 1997, it becomes clear that there has been a
consistent aesthetic and musical theme since the beginning. Pondering
on death as a welcome release from the torments of life, the grave as
a darkened womb to return to, Danish one-man project Nortt combines
black metal sonic elements with a doom metal state of mind; the self-
inflicted label of "pure depressive black funeral doom metal", wordy
as it may be, is an apt description -- even the "pure" bit makes some
degree of sense, since Nortt never seem like they would compromise
the bleakness and moroseness of the music on _Gudsforladt_ for all
the gold in this world.
Nortt have taken a sound reminiscent of early Burzum and twisted it
to the point of seeming as slow for black metal as Skepticism are for
doom. Mournful keyboards (mostly church organs and slow piano) very
adequately complement the music, which is driven by rumbling guitar
chords, slow pounding drums and the wails and laments of some
tortured spirit (though not quite in Deinonychus' downright weeping
style). The music has a droning, simplistic feel most of the time,
but that suits the unrelenting oppression created by this album.
There is no actual singing (even by black metal standards), no upbeat
passages, no effort to make the album easier to accept by listeners
(except perhaps if you point out the occasional piano melodies, but
that would seem unfair since their delicate despondency and cobwebbed
beauty only adds to the atmosphere). The tracks aren't very long, so
you need not expect the same riff getting repeated for ten minutes;
it is the album as a whole that works in the way I described above.
This is the kind of album most worth playing when you are not simply
alone but also lonely, or at least considerably melancholic or
sorrowful for some reason. It simply won't work on a sunny day when
you're feeling good and your life's alright -- so be warned that this
album may not be for you. Otherwise you really need _Gudsforladt_
in your collection. _Gudsforladt_ comes presented in a hardcover
digibook (limited to 1000 hand-numbered copies), which at the time of
writing is being sold by the label for a very steep 190 DK
(equivalent to about 25.50 Euro as of May 2004). Considering the
quality of this release, however, I doubt even at this exaggerated
price Diehard will have much trouble dispatching all the copies.
Contact: http://www.nortt.dk
Orphaned Land - _Mabool - The Story of the Three Sons of Seven_
by: Aaron McKay (8.5 out of 10) (Century Media, 2004)
Here is about the best way to describe this disc: a metal menagerie.
This six piece Israeli outfit maximizes all sixty-eight minutes on
this effort to stir in as much creativity, theology and conceptuality
as humanly possible. To call this band experimental is like saying
gravity has a purpose -- a statement of the absolute obvious. While
this is my first exposure to Orphaned Land, the previous two efforts
stretching their career back to 1991, complete with the a demo in
1993 entitled _The Beloved's Cry_, must have been an adventurous path
of wonderment to culminate in such a rich and well-crafted album as
_Mabool_. This offering is the third for the band after a seven year
hiatus to concentrate on severe developments in their homeland.
While this comparison will fail to deliver a true sampling of
Orphaned Land's sophistication, try imagine everything a Mid-Eastern
version of Agalloch meets a Borknagar (of sorts) crammed into a
less-than- suitable, and mostly restrictive, metal labeling could
possibly offer; Orphaned Land is far too fluid to be pigeonholed in
such a manner. Barbarous rhythms and tranquil interludes flow
effortlessly all- throughout this concept album. Interlacing a
biblical tale of three sons uniting in an attempt to restrain God's
fury, _Mabool_, or The Flood, eventually overtakes the Orphaned Land
wrought with fanciful indulgences and debauchery.
Not content to lay open this story solely with typical
instrumentation, Orphaned Land utilize violins, classical acoustic
guitars, cello and piano side-by-side with instruments of oriental
origin. Orphaned Land complete their developed presentation
with clean and harsh vocals that continue their sophisticated
experimentation and further stave off any notion of labeling style or
concept not expressly exhibited by the band itself.
Obviously a deeply powerful album, but a minor point worth surfacing
is that for full effect _Mabool_ is most balanced when listening from
start to finish uninterrupted; for those of us mostly musical
attention deficit individuals, over an hour at one sitting is asking
a fair amount. From time to time, however, pull _Mabool_ out to
remember while there are only so many stings on a guitar and a finite
number of ways to play them, creativity will not be stifled.
Contact: http://www.orphaned-land.com
Psycroptic - _The Scepter of the Ancients_ (Unique Leader, 2003)
by: Brian Meloon (10 out of 10)
I was almost sure that Spawn of Possession's _Cabinet_ [CoC #67]
would be my favorite disc of 2003, but Psycroptic's second release is
perhaps even better. Australia's Psycroptic play fast, technical
death metal featuring a constantly-changing barrage of riffs. They
keep the tempo fast enough and the riffs changing frequently enough
that it's hard to classify them as "brutal", though their music is
certainly very aggressive. Their music is highly syncopative, but
they add some melodic elements and even a few guitar leads to avoid
sounding too one-dimensional. The riffs themselves, while generally
above-average, aren't overly original, but it's their execution that
is so impressive. In particular, two things really strike me about
this release. The first is the agility of some of the riffs: they're
able to switch tempos, feels, and/or time signatures on a dime, which
is very difficult to do in the middle of a blast beat. The second is
their tightness: several sections simply wouldn't have been as
effective without the band being as tight as they are. Needless to
say, the drums, guitars, and bass are all exceptionally well played.
The vocals are also very impressive, as their vocalist has a lot of
versatility. His main vocals are a mix of shouting, screaming, and
growling, but he also incorporates a guttural style, a few Cradle of
Filth-style screams, a slightly distorted style that reminds me of
early-'90s Pantera, and several others. Most of these styles are very
effective and fit the music very well.
If there's a problem with this release, it's that they often resort
to simply average riffs, especially at the beginnings of songs. Their
best songs don't really have an intro that reaches out and grabs you,
and their best moments are often buried in the middle of songs. In
addition, they sometimes follow up an excellent section that they've
been building for a while with a distinctly average one, breaking the
momentum that they had built. Nevertheless, they are usually able to
recover this momentum within a few measures. The production is very
good; it's clear enough that all of the instruments are clearly
audible, and it fits the music well enough. I can't imagine a fan of
technical death metal not liking this release. On the other hand, it
probably won't appeal to those who like to groove to their music or
demand catchy hooks or melodies. Since I'm firmly in the former camp,
I'm eagerly awaiting their next release and hunting down their debut
album, _The Isle of Disenchantment_ [CoC #53].
Contact: http://www.psycroptic.com
Sabbat - _Sabbatical Holocaust (Five Massacre Demonslaughts)_
by: James Montague (7.5 out of 10) (Time Before Time Records, 2004)
"Five Massacre Demonslaughts" -- translated for the sane, this means
"five Sabbat 7" EPs pressed onto CD". These are the first five of the
band's career, released in the days before they adopted the curiously
Japanese habit of putting out fifty limited vinyl pressings a year,
so in fact this compilation spans a staggering five year period
(1985-1990).
"Five" is clearly an important number when discussing this release,
along with the ubiquitous "666", but that goes without saying. Does
it deserve a five-star rating? Very nearly. This is a classic hit of
old- school black/thrash metal from a band that cut its teeth at the
same time as Bathory were making a bigger name for themselves over in
Europe. The Sabbat of the late '80s played in a similar vein to the
first few Bathory, Sodom and Hellhammer / Celtic Frost EPs/LPs, but
with arguably better songwriting and certainly better musicianship.
Fast, slow, melodic, gritty and ugly: they do it all with aplomb.
There is a slight undercurrent of evil running through the music (in
fact the band were originally called Evil), but all in a cartoonish
Grim Reaper kind of way. The true strength of the band is in its
mastery of thrash riffology -- this is neckbreaking thrash for drunk,
long-haired louts. And it's not in the least bit ridiculous. Sabbat
may not take themselves too seriously , but they do take metal
seriously, and you can't help but admire the spirit of these heavy
metal samurai.
The compilation loses points for what is essentially an "official
bootleg" presentation; the liner notes proudly proclaim that the
tracks were recorded directly from the vinyl, but it hardly takes a
sound engineering genius to work that out, given that the snap-
crackle-pop of 14-to-19 year old vinyl discs is clearly evident. Not
a lick of remastering on this CD -- would it really have been so hard
to tidy things up a bit without eliminating the feel of the music? I
think not. The CD is also rounded off with three live tracks from
1986, containing impeccable performance but a weak sound; certainly
there are many live recordings by the band that blow this one away.
It's hard to complain about 76 of minutes of killer blackened thrash,
but keep in mind that Nuclear War Now! put out a stunning reissue of
three Sabbat EPs in a 6" boxset in 2004; its name is _Sabbatical
Satanichrist Slaughter_, and I'd recommend you put that ahead of Time
Before Time's lazy effort on your shopping list. Still, the rule of
thumb with Sabbat is to take what you can get, whenever you can get
it, because it's a right pain in the arse to get hold of their
quality recordings.
Contact: http://welcome.to/sabbat/
Skyforger - _Thunderforge (Perkonkalve)_ (Folter Records, 2003)
by: James Montague (9 out of 10)
One of the most refreshing bands to hit the metal scene in the past
decade, Skyforger have been flying the flag of Latvian metal since
1995. They have also seemingly taken on the burden of educating the
world in the ancient pagan ways of their homeland, with an official
website bursting at the seams with notes on symbology, folklore and
customs; and music that incorporates several traditional arrangements
into a modern metal form, plus a wide variety of traditional folk
instruments adding to the authenticity.
There's a shameless celebratory aspect to _Thunderforge_ -- for
instance, the instrumental "Long Dance" is an adaptation of an old
wedding dance tune, and "Oh Fog, Oh Dew" is also nuptial-based, in
this case telling the story of the Moon's union with the Sun's
daughter. Very few bands in the extreme metal field would dare to
allow such positivity to creep into their songwriting, but Skyforger
are a determined bunch, and this ambitious venture succeeds in every
regard. From the immense power-chord marches of "When Usins Rides"
and "Through the Gates of the World Beyond" to the more black-metal
tremolo stylings of "Warlord of the Night Sky" (a tribute to that
great black metal icon, the Moon) and the joyous folk melodies, the
album flows together like the cycle of life in the world of Mother
Nature that Skyforger hold so dear. I can almost feel the crackle of
flames from the campfire as I sit with my pagan brothers, drink to
the gods above and reflect upon the many wonders of t he world around
me. Of course, I can't sit for long, when such kickarse metal riffs
are bursting out of the soil. And so we have "pagan metal".
The most evil or ferocious record of 2003? Certainly not. But
_Thunderforge_ is an album of such impeccable craftmanship and
uplifting energy; the kind of record that will always stir me out of
my melancholic haze and get me bouncing off the walls again. Being
Latvian hasn't helped Skyforger gain a massive worldwide following,
but it has inspired them to produce some truly outstanding music.
Contact: http://www.skyforger.lv
Suffocation - _Souls to Deny_ (Relapse Records, 2004)
by: Jackie Smit (9 out of 10)
Whether it is down to simple coincidence or not, it nonetheless
remains interesting to note that the last time death and thrash metal
enjoyed the prominence that it does now, the world was engulfed by
similar ominous threats of nuclear devastation and war. One might
even argue that world events spanning the last four years have on a
subconscious level been the motivation for many of the genre's
erstwhile prophets of doom to fire up their instruments in retort
once again.
Whatever the reasons, there are very few acts who have proven
themselves capable of capturing the zeitgeist with the same sort of
bone-jarring clarity as Suffocation; and on their comeback effort,
they certainly don't disappoint. Of course, evolving from a pedigree
that boasts such seminal efforts as _ Effigy of the Forgotten _ and _
Pierced From Within _ was only ever going to send expectations
crashing through the roof, but despite being out of the game for a
good six years, the New Yorkers don't appear to have lost a single
step in their brutal danse macabre.
Indeed, any doubts as to whether Suffocation still possess the fire
needed to create music that can stand up to what they've offered in
the past are quickly laid to rest as the album fades into the opening
rapid-fire attack of "Deceit". Where dark melodies played a limited
role in much of Suffocation's latter-day output, _ Souls to Deny _
sees it introduced to a far greater extent -- evoking an almost black
metal-like atmosphere on some songs. But rather than dampen the
impact of their �ber-heavy assault, it adds a sense of even greater
dynamics to the blueprint left behind on _ Despise the Sun _. The
band's primary focus is still squarely on skull-crushing brutality
however, and with the help of Joe Cincotta in the engineer's booth, _
Souls to Deny _ is about as aggressive and crushing a record as
anything one could have reasonably expected Suffocation to deliver
this point. In fact, judging by the dizzying technicality and
superior songwriting on tracks like "To Weep Once M ore" and "Surgery
of Impalement", I'd be willing to bet that their second coming could
well prove to be their most devastating.
Contact: http://www.suffocation.us
The Eternal - _The Sombre Light of Isolation_ (Firebox, 2004)
by: Pedro Azevedo (7 out of 10)
This debut album from Melbourne's The Eternal arrives in the wake of
three full length albums and two EPs released by pretty much the same
people under the guise of Cryptal Darkness -- a name which they
apparently abandoned due to line-up and label problems. Indeed,
the music created by this Australian quintet for their debut as
The Eternal betrays a good amount of past experience, with its
considerably high level of composition, arrangements and execution.
The music on _The Sombre Light of Isolation_ tends to come across as
quite mature, but on the other hand it suffers from trying to
integrate more elements than might have been advisable, and also
possibly trying to please too wide a spectrum of listeners. As a
result, while most of the album will appeal to those into melodic
doom, they will also find a considerable component of Nevermore-like
heavy metal and even plenty of what is pretty much gothic rock thrown
into the mixture at times. This results in more variety than usual
for a doom album, but also in some clash of styles and consequently
the loss of some of the all-important atmosphere every doom album
should possess.
_The Sombre Light of Isolation_ is still an accomplished album in
spite of a few lengthy lukewarm passages, though with all that's been
thrown into it and clocking in at over an hour, it may be a lot to
digest. One remains with several memorable moments sprinkled around
the album and a generally agreeable listen, but not really a disc
that most people will enjoy from start to finish and keep going back
to. If you happen to like all the sub-genres mentioned in the review,
however, The Eternal seem quite apt at all of them and there should
be nothing to stop _The Sombre Light of Isolation_ from becoming a
worthwhile addition to your collection.
Contact: http://www.firebox.fi
The Great Deceiver - _Terra Incognito_ (Peaceville, 2004)
by: Pedro Azevedo (7 out of 10)
The extent to which The Great Deceiver's _A Venom Well Designed_
impressed me meant its successor would be welcomed with open arms --
but also that it would have a hard time proving its worth. _Terra
Incognito_ is, first and foremost, an album that picks up where its
predecessor left off, but also one that doesn't seem to care where it
goes from there. The Great Deceiver have veered into a more
pummeling hardcore-based approach, and as a result much of the more
introspective guitar work that really made some of _AVWD_'s tracks
shine has been forsaken this time around. The final result is a
different balance of the elements that make up The Great Deceiver's
sound, but despite a promising opener in "Today" it is also somewhat
disappointing.
_Terra Incognito_ is a mildly enjoyable album: Lindberg's usual
screams occasionally go into lower registers than usual, and there's
a definitely impressive sound emanating from the pounding riffs and
rhythm work -- often quite straightforward, but very pronounced and
commited. A hard album to judge, _Terra Incognito_ is neither a
headbang-inducing riff-fest nor a considerably doom-infused album;
it's less doomy and more pounding than its predecessor, but it's
clear that The Great Deceiver are still very much doing their own
thing rather than trying to create easy music for a given target
audience. For my taste _A Venom Well Designed_ is much more
enjoyable, but _Terra Incognito_ is still a good album that might
even turn out to be more attractive for other listeners.
Contact: http://www.peaceville.com
Therion - _Lemuria / Sirius B_ (Nuclear Blast, 2004)
by: Jackie Smit (10 out of 10)
It's been nearly ten years since the first issue of Chronicles of
Chaos swept across the pornography emporium that is cyberspace, and
while we have never claimed to be the world's harshest critics, there
have been comparatively few bands who in the time since then have
managed to achieve a perfect score. Even rarer still have been
instances of a band being awarded this elusive honour for more than
one album. Therion are an exception however, boasting not one, not
two, but three flawless records, underlining the fact that here at
CoC Central, there clearly exists a consensus view that in his
fifteen year career as the band's leader and main songwriter,
Christofer Johnsson has been doing something right.
Still, in measuring the quality of Therion's tenth effort one must
look to the evolution of the band's discography and the gradual
decline in quality displayed on the likes of _Deggial_ and _Secret of
the Runes_. While these releases weren't nearly the overblown, self-
indulgent puff-pieces their detractors made them out to be, they did
fail in many respects to live up to the daunting standards etched out
by their predecessors, in particular those achieved on the band's
breakthrough opus, _Theli_. Taking this into account, one might
therefore almost have considered the possibility that once seemingly
bottomless pool of Johnsson's creativity was about to run dry. Of
course, seeing as how _Lemuria / Sirius B_ is about to achieve a
record-setting fourth perfect ten, you'd have been wrong.
Nine months in the making and featuring the contribution of some 171
musicians (yes, that's right), the _Lemuria / Sirius B_ double album
is admittedly a band effort. Johnsson, along with Kristian and Johan
Nieman and producer Lars Nissen have created a double-headed beast
that quite frankly renders this review redundant after the first ten
minutes of play. It takes ideas that were hinted at on _Theli_,
_Vovin_ et al and elevates them to the nth degree, but such is the
scale of this opus that these form only a part of its dense sonic
tapestry. To aptly describe its sound would see one combing virtually
the entire musical spectrum. Woven into the rich soundscapes that
form the album are elements of opera, classical and neo-classical,
progressive rock, folk, and jazz, all augmented to levels unheard of
anywhere else. Similarly _Lemuria / Sirius B_ is a markedly heavier
record. Where more recent efforts may have forsaken the harsher side
of music, _Lemuria / Sirius B_ restores i t to its former glory, and
in this instance, Johnsson has stepped up to the plate and pushed
himself to extremes that were last seen on the band's earliest demos
-- even bringing back the odd death metal vocal.
In further listing its strengths, I could probably spend several more
paragraphs analysing this album and honestly, if I were to do that,
I'd more than likely find fitting superlatives in short supply. At
the same time, it is very hard, if not impossible to find a flaw on
this record. Every song is virtually note-perfect from start to
finish, and in this sense, it is an effort that is able to not only
equal its ambition, but one that ultimately ends up transcending mere
musical expression, to become pure art.
Contact: http://www.megatherion.com
Ulver - _A Quick Fix of Melancholy_ (Jester Records, 2003)
by: Quentin Kalis (10 out of 10)
The tone of the album is accurately -- and predictably -- described
in the title. But exploring the darker aspects of humanity is hardly
new territory for Ulver, as virtually all of their releases explore
bleak themes. What does change is the manner in which those themes
are explored, as Ulver are seemingly content to switch genres from
one release to the other. Apart from the thematic material, the only
other constants during their ten years of existence have been the use
of distinctively Ulverian melodies and the presence of Kristoffer
(Garm) Rygg -- who is now Ulver's sole member. But even against this
background, _AQFoM_ stands out as being particularly creepy and
perhaps more avant-garde then any other Ulver release.
Paradoxically layered and minimalist, easy categorisation beyond
vague and unhelpful terms such as "electronica" is near impossible
and not worth attempting. Stirring neoclassical strings dominate
alongside Garm's potent vocals, which continue to improve with
each successive release. On "Vowels" he attempts some sort of
pseudo-operatic style, with the passion and strength black metal
bands can only dream about. Electronic beats -- which I usually
despise with a passion -- succeed as they tend to be evocative rather
than danceable. A remix of "Nattleite" off _Kveldssanger_ ends
the album, and for the first time they have attempted a rework
of material from their black metal period. Ironically, it is
considerably harsher then the original. Try as I might, I could not
find any flaws -- at best it could be said to be too short.
If _Nattens Madrigal_ was the ugly face of Ulver, then this is its
very antithesis; an ethereal and eerie album absolutely beautiful in
its stark simplicity. Easily Ulver's finest since the excellent
_Perdition City_.
Vehemence - _Helping the World to See_ (Metal Blade, 2004)
by: Brian Meloon (7 out of 10)
Arizona's Vehemence have returned with the follow-up to their
excellent 2002 release _God Was Created_. Unfortunately, this release
fails to connect with me the way that album did. I was somewhat
surprised by this, as the two albums share many of the same
characteristics. Both are melodic death metal with brutal and precise
guitar riffs, growled/screamed vocals, and a tight rhythm section,
all played with considerable aplomb. Their riffs are generally
melodic without being hook-based and are often harmonized. They seem
to be fond of individual note lines -- especially arpeggiated ones --
but they do use chord-based riffs from time to time to add some
diversity. And although none of these elements is particularly
original, they've managed to define their own unique sound. Yet there
are three elements that make this album less appealing to me than its
predecessor. The first is that many of the riffs are too similar to
those on their previous album. Thus, while they might have been novel
before, this time they've lost some of their impact. The second is
that the music is less diverse and more repetitive. The songs have a
more internally consistent feel, which might also be because each of
the songs is credited to a single band member, as opposed to their
last album, which had several tracks that were collaboratively
written. The last is the production, which certainly isn't bad by any
means, but gives the music a sterile feeling. That's not to say that
this isn't an extreme album, because it definitely is. However, the
production makes the music sound compressed or constrained, and that
limits its effectiveness. Overall, I think this is a pretty good
release. I certainly got my money's worth from it, and I wouldn't
expect that too many death metal fans would be disappointed by it;
yet it doesn't really show much progression over their previous
release, and thus I don't expect much from their next release.
Contact: http://www.vehemence.com
Watch Them Die - _Watch Them Die_ (Century Media, 2004)
by: Jackie Smit (8.5 out of 10)
It is interesting to note upon closer analysis of the current thrash
boom, that the majority of bands leading the charge of the next
generation have -- on a musical level at least -- followed the
schematics etched out on early Slayer records virtually to the very
last note. Not that there's anything wrong with that, mind you, as
bands like The Haunted and Carnal Forge have proven, almost as a
testament to Slayer's enduring legacy, that the formula can still
produce songs of amazing impact given a slap of contemporary veneer.
It is nevertheless refreshing to hear a new band explore roads less
travelled -- in Watch Them Die's case, the venomous riffing of
classics like _Bonded by Blood_ and _Among the Living_. In addition,
this Bay Area outfit have also added a generous dose of progressive
hardcore to the mix, referencing bands like Mastodon and Uphill
Battle on more than on occasion. It's an approach that hits hard and
aggressively, particularly on tracks like "To See You Blee d" and the
haunting "Resurrection". Given that the somewhat flat production does
let the potential effectiveness of the songs down from time to time,
this is a remarkably mature debut effort -- one which may not quite
be _Reign in Blood_, but that's definitely one of the best examples
of the new generation of thrash you'd find right now. The soundtrack
of violence indeed...
Contact: http://www.watchthemdie.com
Witches Sabbath - _New World Plague_ (Necromance Records, 2004)
by: Jackie Smit (6.5 out of 10)
Witches Sabbath's debut reminds me a lot of a low budget, independent
film -- a director's first unfettered foray into showcasing his
craft. Sensing the amount of passion and effort that has been
ploughed into the work, you desperately want it to blow you away, but
there's just one too many loose end, and one too many rookie blunder
left for you to overlook to truly appreciate the end result. So it is
with _New World Plague_. It is undoubtedly a truly commendable effort
from a band who would most likely have produced this record on
the thinnest of shoestring budgets, and still managed to deliver
something so technically competent. Certainly, when their Myrkskog /
Zyklon-style blackened death metal works, it can cut it with some of
the best in the genre. Then come the cringingly ill-fitting clean
vocals on "False Truth Falls", the monotonous tedium of "Silent Path
to Die" and the hollow droning of "Legions of Death", and one is
instantly reminded that this is the band's first effort and that
Witches Sabbath still have a long way to go before they have truly
tapped their impressive potential. To their credit however, despite
its flaws this record is promising enough to convince anyone that
when such a time comes, the Spanish underground scene may well be in
for a boost of Polish proportions.
Contact: http://www.necromancemag.com
Withering - _Gospel of Madness_ (Warhorse / Firebox, 2004)
by: Pedro Azevedo (7.5 out of 10)
Sometimes one establishes a mental connection between two rather
different bands, not because they sound similar or share the same
kind of imagery, but rather because there is something about their
attitude that they have in common. Case in point, Withering and the
legendary Carcass. Truth be told, Withering play in a very different
league from Carcass -- a doomy sort of death metal, and not on a
similar level of virtuosity. But different as their style may be, I
am still reminded of _Heartwork_ when listening to _Gospel of
Madness_: there is the same underlying -metal- feel to it, a
stripping down of superfluous elements that gives way to a definite
focus on each riff and each hook. Everything is very pronounced,
rather than hurriedly played amidst a flurry of blastbeats or a thick
layer of keyboards. The production is strong but simple, and there is
a feeling of conviction that imbues every riff and every lead. This
wouldn't amount to much if said music was mediocre, but Withering are
actually capable of keeping a very decent level throughout and even
achieving a few particularly remarkable passages. There is a little
bit of early Amorphis in these Finns, but the delivery is quite
different and ultimately Withering seem more concerned with playing
the music they believe in than trying to stand out at any cost or
market their work as the ultimate in whatever way possible. This is
simply a very solid, enjoyable semi- doomy death metal album, with
meaty riffs and catchy leads, competent gruff vocals and drumming --
the sort of release that may not get into many album of the year
charts, but will likely provide more actual enjoyment to reviewers
and listeners in general than some of those that will.
Contact: http://www.firebox.fi
Woodtemple - _The Call From the Pagan Woods_
by: Aaron McKay (5.5 out of 10) (No Colours Records, 2004)
Arguably one of No Colours' stronger acts, Woodtemple is a solid
manifestation of black metal hedonism. Calling themselves Pagan
metal, this one man outfit has achieved his goal, if that aspiration
is dim anonymity. Aramath (where do they come up with these names?!)
trumps forth a steady, mid-paced march on this, his second full
length offering. Drawing roots back to 1999 with the _Swords of Hate_
demo, _The Call From the Pagan Woods_ attempts to push forward
efforts begun on _Feel the Anger of the Wind_ in 2002 with
little to no development lyrically or musically. Despite the new
disc's blatantly obvious title, _TCFtPW_ delivers three intentionally
elongated tracks book- ended appropriately by intro and outro segues.
Complete with all the necessary elements one would come to expect
from a black metal release, Woodtemple creates a conceptually
bleak aura throughout _TCFtPW_'s nearly forty-six minutes. Highly
repetitive in nature, the balance is struck on this album by the
lull ing effect Aramath concedes with the raw guitar work and
uncomplicated atmospheric keyboards. Of course the harshly executed
vocals are typical yet reassuring, in the same way that you know
Slayer will never stray too far from their bread 'n' butter stylistic
formula. If you can fight through the surface monotony, occasionally
the mostly repetitious songs found on _The Call From the Pagan Woods_
aren't as much of a yawner as they might seem.
Contact: http://www.no-colours-records.de
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Scoring: 5 out of 5 -- A flawless demo
4 out of 5 -- Great piece of work
3 out of 5 -- Good effort
2 out of 5 -- A major overhaul is in order
1 out of 5 -- A career change is advisable
Behold the Arctopus - _Arctopocalypse Now... Warmageddon Later_
by: Brian Meloon (4.5 out of 5)
This NYC three-piece (formerly known as "We Need a Drummer" on
mp3.com) play an innovative brand of jazzy metal/rock. You should
have some idea of what to expect just from looking at the instruments
they play: "lead drums", "lead guitar", and "12-string super guitar"
(which I suppose is something similar to a Warr Guitar or Chapman
Stick). It's hard to pin down exactly who they sound like, but their
sound is syncopative, technical, and completely instrumental. They
blend elements of jazz and fusion with metal, while incorporating
influences from guitar spankoff, progrock, and probably other genres
that I'm not so familiar with. I noticed some elements of Voivod,
Primus, Richie Kotzen, Greg Howe, Spastic Ink, and a few others
represented in their music. But these influences are the minority of
their sound, as their style seems mostly original.
They seem to prefer individual-note guitar lines (using both
dissonant and consonant harmonies), but they use a fair amount of
(dissonant and power) chords as well. Much of the variety in their
music stems from their use of different rhythms and tempos, which
change quite rapidly at times. Yet the band doesn't change things too
quickly; they usually take the time to develop each section a little
before moving on to the next one. Still, the longer of the two songs
here, "You Will Be Reincarnated as an Imperial Attack Spaceturtle
(Part 1)", clocks in at over eight minutes, and does seem to lose a
little bit of focus at times. As you would expect, there are a lot of
solos and other show- off sections sprinkled through their songs.
These are generally well done, and the playing is excellent from all
of the members. Their tightness is especially impressive given the
technicality of the material. The production is a little noisy, but
doesn't really detract from the music; in fact, it gives them a more
raw and chaotic feel. Ultimately, this is a promising demo from a
very talented and original band. It should be enjoyed by fans of
technical metal and math-rock as well as fans of the more avantgarde.
Contact: http://www.beholdthearctopus.com
Born of Thorns - _New Horizon_
by: Adrian Magers (5 out of 5)
On their last release _The Encounter of Light and Dark_ Born
of Thorns had pushed themselves out of obscurity and into a
position as one of Finland's premier underground acts. In a review
of _The Encounter..._ I dubbed the music that BoT presented as
"beautiful, melodic, dramatic [and] grandiose." After listening to
their follow-up, entitled _New Horizon_, I'd like to expand on my
previous description, but I'm at a loss for words. This newest
trinity of superbly-crafted melodic neo- black songs is absolutely
shockingly good. The guitar riffs are better, the keyboards are
doubly haunting, and the interplay between the two instruments is
sharper and more complex than before. Credit must also be given
to the other aspects of the band: the vocals (particularly the
clean ones) are stronger, and the drumming has intensified. Great
production, arrangement, technical playing... everything about this
demo (it's almost unfair to call this work of art a demo) is an
improvement from the l ast. At this point I'm drooling for an LP.
The sound is slightly more progressive, and less "Filth-y" than
previous works. Imagine Borknagar painted much darker with some of
the post-thrash fury initiated on Susperia's debut and keyboards
befitting of an orchestra. I also hear a little bit of their
countrymates Children of Bodom's influence in certain parts. Probably
the best independent CD I'll receive this year -- that is unless an
LP is coming along from this amazingly talented young act.
Contact: http://www.bornofthorns.com
Cerberus - _Untitled Demo_
by: Jackie Smit (5 out of 5)
This is what I like to hear! After a very impressive debut on
last year's split EP with Seethe, Milton Keynes' most promising
metallic exports have kept the momentum going and are back with
three new tracks that don't merely improve on past efforts, but
completely blow them away in every respect. While the diverse
influences of bands like Mastodon and Entombed are still prevalent in
their sound to a certain extent, the band has made several grand
strides toward becoming an entity all on their own in the nine
months following their last outing. Chris Milliken's vocals are
sounding more aggressive than ever, at times hinting toward The
Haunted's Peter Dolving, while the instrumental work shows a greater
depth and maturity than ever before -- particularly so on the
potentially riot-inducing "Mind Control", where Cerberus blend groove
and technicality with a flair that could only come from a band who
are headed toward bigger things. Judging by the quality of this demo,
that seems bound to happen sooner rather than later.
Contact: http://www.cerberus.2ya.com
Darcane - _Anamorphica_
by: Pedro Azevedo (3.5 out of 5)
Darcane are Finnish and play melodic heavy metal -- let's get that
clear from the beginning to avoid any confusion with the Swedish
Darkane. The music is based on heavy metal riffing, topped by a
vocalist who has the sort of half-gruff singing characteristic of
James Hetfield (which isn't quite the only Metallica connection that
comes to mind over the course of this demo). Singer and band
mastermind Tommy Dee keeps things a bit more melodic than Hetfield
though, and his somewhat odd singing style can actually become pretty
catchy if you get into it. The band (who have changed their name from
a lousy Holochaust to an unoriginal Darcane) continue to produce
unassuming, enjoyable songs that stick to the ear pretty well,
and still come across as influenced by bands like Metallica and
Sentenced. This demo is a bit better than the two Holochaust demos I
reviewed, but despite the name change it's now the third release in a
row where I've mentioned the same influences and the same problems
with their sound: it's not very original, and while the songs are
catchy they also go away pretty fast. The first time I heard these
guys they were showing potential, but after hearing three demos, all
I can say is that they are in fact improving, but they're just not
going anywhere very remarkable with their music.
Contact: http://www.darcane.com
Gezeiten - _Demo CD 2003_
by: Pedro Azevedo (1.5 out of 5)
Somewhere in the realm of gothic metal wanders a German band called
Gezeiten in search of a record label that will sign them. What
arguments do they present to justify getting signed? Well, some would
argue their melodic, keyboard-driven, very slightly heavy approach is
pretty marketable these days. Add German lyrics, gothic clean vocals
and techno-ish elements to the mix -- hey, now we're getting higher
in the marketing scale, this could even sound a bit like Rammstein!
In addition, the demo is decently produced and adequately played,
which is also quite useful. In all seriousness however, I don't think
I can find a single good riff or interesting original passage in this
demo. The act of putting together a few elements that seem likely to
sell doesn't spontaneously create good music, and this demo is a fine
example of that rule. Some of the material is downright atrocious,
while most of it just wallows in mediocrity; only a small minority
can be rated as average. Not that any of the above necessarily means
Gezeiten won't eventually end up with a label deal...
Contact: http://www.gezeiten.com
M�l - _Litany Circus_
by: James Montague (4 out of 5)
As Charles Montgomery Burns might say, I don't know much about doom,
but I know what I hate -- and I don't hate this. This doom project,
though currently confined to small, select circles and word of mouth,
compares favourably to the big hitters of the genre. The brainchild
of one man in Bergen, Norway, M�l has put out five ambitious demos,
and _Litany Circus_ is their daddy. As in the other demos, disparate
elements are bounced about on the traditional death/doom canvas, but
on _Litany Circus_ they rarely seem surplus to requirements.
The opening number "Litanus" is a right cracker. Torturously slow
riffs are tinged with what feels like Middle Eastern melody,
creating visions of bleak desert landscapes in the night; an
uncomfortable passage of clean vocals feels appropriate to a passage
of uncomfortable, drifting guitar noise; then a stomping death riff
rises out of the morass to smack you across the skull. Wonderful.
A little acoustic guitar piece offers some respite before "Dreaming
of the Black Tomorrow" torments the listener for another ten minutes.
Immense, sluggish riffs groan along, while melancholic lead guitar,
siren wails and other haunting effects are draped over the top. Pure
bliss for the true doom fanatic -- horrible, wilting pain for anyone
else. The final track, "Tsakel", has a little more impetus behind it,
and features some achingly beautiful guitar work -- listening to it
as I write the review, I feel my opinion of the demo rising sharply
-- leading into a lengthy outro of folky ambience and sinister piano
work. It feels rather like a collaboration between Raison d'Etre and
Profanum, and while not terribly coherent, the constituent parts work
a treat for this reviewer.
I really was surprised by how damn fine this independent release was,
though you'd think that after more than ten years in extreme metal
I'd know that being signed to a label and having loads of drooling
fans means sweet fuck-all. This is definitely a band for the doom
fiends -- Esoteric fans in particular -- to sink their teeth into.
Heads down and thumbs up to a quite excellent piece of work.
(N.B. All M�l's demos are available for free download at the URL
provided.)
Contact: http://vindice.cjb.net
Nocta - _Come Out (Wherever You Are)_
by: James Montague (2.5 out of 5)
From reading their biography, it seems Athenian quintet Nocta are a
band that struggled to find their true identity in the early days, a
desire for recognition and popularity conflicting with a rejection of
pop music's flippancy. Not surprisingly, their music doesn't wander
anywhere near the extreme fringes of metal, where people like us have
made our home. _Come Out (Wherever You Are)_ is essentially a
blend of '70s heavy metal and modern rock. The first four Black
Sabbath albums are an obvious point of comparison, and this demo's
opening track, "Wicked Woman", certainly elicits memories of a
similarly-named Sabbath track.
Although the demo is a little tame for my tastes, the nostalgia does
compensate, and the songwriting is certainly accomplished. The
vocalist gave up a career with a popular Greek rock band to lend his
excellent singing voice to Nocta, and the lead guitarist displays
good technique and melodic sensibility. The overall package is
polished yet tasteful, with just the occasional dose of grit. I can't
really pick any weakness in the band -- it's just not really my cup
of tea. Nocta is certainly a name to look out for if you're after a
mellow dose of old-school hard rock.
Contact: nocta@freemail.gr
Philistine - _Consume and Devour_
by: Aaron McKay (3 out of 5)
Heavily rooted in the Godflesh sound, this northeast two piece
low-end industrial outfit formed in the fall of 2003. Filled from
stem to stern with a wash of samples and synth, Philistine builds a
sound of slow, low and heavy. Strong is the undercurrent of simple
aural assailments as well as a dependence on their influences. While
Philistine cites Grief, Halo and Khanate, Godflesh's 1998 self-titled
release is laid out unapologetically on the inside cover of _Consume
and Devour_. Furthermore, song titles on this, their initial demo,
smile shamelessly upon Philistine's influences. Just over forty-three
minutes in length, Natas Corpsegrinder (the last name is not to be
confused with the Massacre song of the same name) and Slave
Voltage together combine their abilities in an attempt to shape an
exploration in dejection and desolation. Throughout the eight tracks
comprising _Consume and Devour_, Philistine does little to emblazon
their own approach, but their sound and aptitude i s admirably
executed. The production on this demo is equally impressive. After
cutting their teeth for awhile on the scene, Philistine will no doubt
find a stride more their own. Until that day comes, _Consume and
Devour_ is a creditable gesture toward a promising calling for this
duo.
Contact: Space Ghost Records, 206 Jarvis Gore Drive, Eddington,
ME 04428 USA
Scala Mercalli - _My Daemons_
by: Jackie Smit (4 out of 5)
Aaaah, the early days of discovering met-aaaaaal... If you got into
heavy music at an early age and were anything like me, chances are
that you will recall several hormone-driven afternoons spent in the
confines of your room, blasting the Iron Maiden, WASP, Dio and Judas
Priest C-90 copies at ear-splitting volume, belting out odes to death
and destruction into anything resembling a microphone like you were
Bruce Dickinson in his last ever stage performance. Hearing Scala
Mercalli's version of "Be Quick or Be Dead" on their second official
demo, I am reminded of good days gone by, and only adds to my
impression that this Italian five-piece are a fairly accurate
incarnation of the band that every young male metalhead in his
formative years wished he could start. As such, this is hardly the
most inventive stuff you're likely to hear anytime soon; it is
unashamed in its love of metal's earliest traditions to the point of
being derivative. However, with just enough technical profi ciency to
make songs like "Day of Fighter" and "Banshee's Whisper" rock like
the hard-nosed sons of bitches they are, there's something undeniably
special about this band. In a world of several hundred shitty power
metal bands, Scala Mercalli can rest easy in the knowledge that they
most definitely are not one of them.
Contact: http://www.scalamercalli.com
Sinn - _The Rune of Odin_
by: Aaron McKay (3 out of 5)
No longer content with the pace or substance of his former Oregon
based outfit, Vido Sinn parted company with Jesters Moon to develop
his own unique brand of vileness. The menacing menagerie culminated
with the 2004 _The Rune of Odin_ release. Leaving no possible
room for comparison, Vido mutated Sinn away from the hard-hitting
straightforwardness of Jesters Moon into a wicked variety of anti-
religious sentiment and darkened disgust. Adding to the faithless
frivolity, Tyran (drums/percussion) and Johann (bass) complete Sinn's
line-up of seamy sorts. Lyrically, the message comes across loud and
clear in a highly unsurprising way - "sodomy on Earth", "breed death
and pain", "rot and plague" and the like. On the other hand, Sinn's
strengths include a penchant for mood, largely through synth and
vocal range changes from the comprehendible rasp to the spoken word.
All this communicates the band's tone in an effective and efficient
manner. No doubt due to circumstance, _The Rune of Odin_ suffers
somewhat from underproduction -- the guitars betraying this truth in
the most noticeable fashion. Nowhere, however, does this effort leave
the listener's attention to wonder. Vido enhances Sinn's ambience
with a truly succinct and fitful song structure throughout the nearly
thirty-nine minutes on _TRoO_. It could be said that Vido Sinn "stuck
the landing" with his vault from Jesters Moon, but better production
and more attention paid to the lackluster lyrical content would go a
long way to securing a perfect score from the American judge in the
metal mastery competition.
Contact: isisvolgaard@hotmail.com
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A L L M U R D E R , A L L G U T S , A L L F U N
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Cannibal Corpse, Kataklysm and Gorerotted
@ The Electric Ballroom, London, UK, on April 13, 2003
by: Jackie Smit
The workmanlike attitude that Cannibal Corpse has always displayed
toward recording and touring makes it almost a case of mathematical
theorem that anyone living within the outskirts of their well-trodden
path will be given the opportunity to witness them in action at least
once every two years. Indeed, their last visit to the capital was
just a hair under two years ago, and if anything has changed from
their previous bi-annual sojourn it would be the attendance, which in
keeping with the current inexplicable burst of interest in all things
heavy, has more than doubled.
Before the Cannibals can get down to the making of the metal though,
we have to contend with local blood-and-guts merchants Gorerotted for
a half hour. This is a band whose appeal continues to elude me --
their farcical brand of deathgrind just barely manages to saunter
beyond mediocre, and their live shows are among some of the most
boring that you are likely to witness anywhere in the underground
scene. Unsurprisingly, tonight is no exception, as the band make nary
an effort to even seem in the slight bit interested in what they're
doing. Stage activity is virtually non-existent and aside from the
odd amusing nugget ("Hawksaw" being one such rare morsel), it quite a
relief to see them head backstage.
Not so with Kataklysm. Where the self-proclaimed Canadian
hypergrinders' last few studio outings have failed to impress as far
as I'm concerned, their stage performance is a whole different kettle
of fish. Barreling through a selection of songs culled mostly from
their recent _Serenity in Fire_ opus, even the fairly generic
"Ambassador of Pain" ends up sounding utterly blistering. It is when
Max Duhamel launches into a drum solo that clocks in the other side
of warp 10 however, that Kataklysm's set is elevated from merely good
to completely mind-blowing. And just when you thought that the
envelope couldn't be pushed any further in terms of sheer blasting
speed, they follow it up with a rendition of "Blood on Swans" that is
so insanely brutal it threatens to rip apart the fabric of the
space-time continuum.
Despite Kataklysm's best efforts, the heroes welcome that greets
Cannibal Corpse's arrival on stage makes it eminently clear who the
majority of punters have come to see. Rather than launch into a
selection of material off _ The Wretched Spawn _ though, tonight's
set list draws quite heavily from the band's first four records.
"Stripped, Raped & Strangled", "Vomit the Soul", "Fucked With a
Knife", "Staring Through the Eyes of the Dead", "The Cryptic Stench",
"Gutted" and "Skull Full of Maggots" all get suitably riotous
airings. Thankfully (for people like myself) fans of the band's later
work aren't forgotten, as we also get to hear "Devoured by Vermin",
"Pit of Zombies", "Dormant Bodies Bursting", "Pounded Into Dust",
"The Wretched Spawn" and "Unleashing the Bloodthirsty". Bowing out
with the obligatory "Hammer Smashed Face", there's quite frankly not
all that much to set this show aside from any of Cannibal's countless
other performances. That said, anyone who has seen the Buffalo
quintet in action will testify that when they are on form they can
kick up a racket with the best of them, and tonight they just make it
look all too easy.
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W H A T W E H A V E C R A N K E D ! ! !
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Pedro's Top 5
1. Insomnium - _Since the Day It All Came Down_
2. Nortt - _Gudsforladt_
3. Mastodon - _Remission_
4. Necare - _Ruin_
5. Hypocrisy - _The Arrival_
Brian's Top 5
1. Descend into Nothingness - _Darkened Reality_
2. Divinity Destroyed - _Eden in Ashes_
3. Vehemence - _Helping the World to See_
4. Eyes of Fire - _Ashes to Embers_
5. Pathos - _Perdition Splits the Skies_
Aaron's Top 5
1. Jungle Rot - _Fueled by Hate_
2. Finntroll - _Nattfodd_
3. The Forsaken - _Traces of the Past_
4. Celestial Season - _Solar Lovers_
5. Peccatum - _Lost in Reverie_
James' Top 5
1. Suffocation - _Souls to Deny_
2. Root - _Zjeven�_
3. Faith No More - _The Real Thing_
4. Skyforger - _Thunderforge_
5. Nazxul - _Totem_
Jackie's Top 5
1. Therion - _Lemuria / Sirius B_
2. Malevolent Creation - _Warkult_
3. Suffocation - _Pierced From Within_
4. Amen - _Death Before Musick_
5. Demonoid - _Riders of the Apocalypse_
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Chronicles of Chaos is a FREE monthly magazine electronically
distributed worldwide via the Internet. Seemingly endless interviews,
album reviews and concert reviews encompass the pages of Chronicles
of Chaos. Chronicles of Chaos stringently emphasizes all varieties of
chaotic music ranging from black and death metal to electronic/noise
to dark, doom and ambient forms. Chronicles of Chaos is dedicated
to the underground and as such we feature demo reviews from all indie
bands who send us material, as well as interviews with a select
number of independent acts.
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End Chronicles of Chaos, Issue #74
All contents copyright (c) 1995-2003 by individual creators of
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