___ _                     _      _                    __ 
       / __\ |__  _ __ ___  _ __ (_) ___| | ___  ___    ___  / _|
      / /  | '_ \| '__/ _ \| '_ \| |/ __| |/ _ \/ __|  / _ \| |_ 
     / /___| | | | | | (_) | | | | | (__| |  __/\__ \ | (_) |  _|
     \____/|_| |_|_|  \___/|_| |_|_|\___|_|\___||___/  \___/|_|  
                                                                 
                       ___ _                     
                      / __\ |__   __ _  ___  ___ 
                     / /  | '_ \ / _` |/ _ \/ __|
                    / /___| | | | (_| | (_) \__ \
                    \____/|_| |_|\__,_|\___/|___/


         CHRONICLES OF CHAOS E-Zine, March 14, 1996, Issue #8

Co-Editor: Gino Filicetti <ginof@io.org> <_DeaTH_ on #metal>
Co-Editor: Adrian Bromley <bw823@torfree.net>
Assistant Editor: Alain M. Gaudrault <alain@mks.com>
Web Page Manager: Brian Meloon <bmeloon@math.cornell.edu>
Mailing List provided by: The University of Colorado at Boulder

--> Interested in being reviewed? Send us your demo and a bio to:
 -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
                         CHRONICLES OF CHAOS
                           57 Lexfield Ave
                            Downsview Ont.
                           M3M-1M6, Canada
             Fax: (416) 693-5240   Voice: (416) 693-9517
                         e-mail: ginof@io.org
 -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

DESCRIPTION
~~~~~~~~~~~
Chronicles of Chaos is a monthly magazine electronically  distributed
worldwide via the Internet. Chronicles of Chaos focuses on all  forms
of brutal music; from thrash to death to black metal, we have it all.
Each issue will feature interviews with your favorite  bands, written
from the  perspective of a true  fan.  Each  issue  will also include
record reviews and previews, concert  reviews and tour dates, as well
as various  happenings  in  the metal  scene  worldwide.  We here  at
Chronicles  of  Chaos  also believe  in reader  participation,  so we
encourage  you to submit any  material you may have to Gino Filicetti
<ginof@io.org>.

HOW TO SUBSCRIBE
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
You may subscribe to Chronicles of Chaos at any  time  by  sending  a
message with "SUBSCRIBE coc-ezine <your-name-here>" in  the  BODY  of
your message to  the  list  handler  at  listproc@lists.colorado.edu.
Please note that this command must NOT be sent to  the  list  address
<coc-ezine@lists.colorado.edu>, but to the mail server which  handles
this mailing list.

WORLD WIDE WEB SITE
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
We are currently  in  the  process  of  constructing  a  website  for
Chronicles of Chaos. You can  check  it  out  by  pointing  your  web
browser  to  http://www.io.org/~ginof/coc.html.  If  you   have   any
comments    or    suggestions,    please    e-mail    Brian    Meloon
<bmeloon@math.cornell.edu>.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>><<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

Issue #8 Contents, 3/14/96
--------------------------
* Editorial
* Loud Letters
* Ferocious Features
-- Maintaining The Madness
-- Hanging With The Hypocrites
-- Dying With Pride
-- Surviving The Crisis
* Chaotic Chat Sessions
-- Keeping The Irons Up
     -- Classic Cut Review - _Piece of Mind_
-- Mechanic Mayhem
-- Gut-Sonic's Gutwrenching Grooves
* Independant Interrogations
-- Lords of Lethargy
* Record Revelations
-- Skrew - _Shadow of Doubt_
-- My Dying Bride - _The Angel And The Dark River_  
-- EYEHATEGOD - _Dopesick_
-- Cemetary - _Sundown_
-- Cannibal Corpse - _Vile_
-- Primordial - _Imrama_
-- Comecon - _Fable Frolic_
-- Crown of Thornz - _Train Yard Blues_
-- In Flames - _Subterranean_ MCD
-- Deadguy - _Fixation On A Coworker_
-- One Life Crew - _Crime Ridden Society_
-- Abigor - _Verwustung/Invoke The Dark Age_
-- Various - _Identity II_
-- Ritual - _Hate_
-- 13MG - _Trust And Obey_
-- Dawn - _Naer Solen Gar Niber For Evogher_
-- Various - _With Us Or Against Us_
* New Noise
-- Agonizing Terror - _Disharmony in God's Creation_
-- Childman - _Childman_
-- Cryptic Fate - _Ends Are Forever_
-- End of One - _No Souls Saved_
-- Inner Misery - _Perpetual Sadness_
* Chaotic Concerts
-- Never A Mundane Moment
-- A New Maiden In A New Era
* What We Have Cranked
* The Final Word

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

                          E D I T O R I A L 
                          ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
                          by: Gino Filicetti

     Here we are again, back with Chronicles  of  Chaos  #8.  Wow,  I
can't believe that it's actually been 8 months since our measly first
issue. It still blows my mind to think of how much we've done in  the
past while. Everyone we've encountered has been absolutely supportive
and very encouraging since day one. This issue is an astounding  120+
kilobytes, (I hope  that  doesn't  get  anyone  in  shit  with  their
postmaster!) far bigger than I ever thought CoC could get.  I'd  just
like to take this oppurtunity to say thanks to everyone who's  helped
us out along the way and to all our 600+ readers  without  whom  this
magazine would be worth shit.
     I have some good news for everyone this month. It has to do with
an expansion of our writer base. In the beginning, we  had  basically
ONE writer, and that was Adrian. I was still a newbie, and  I  wasn't
ready to plunge into journalism full throttle. Then we got Alain  and
Brian to contribute their always welcome stories and reviews,  and  I
am pleased to announce the addition of three more writers to the  CoC
fold. These people are Sally Sanchez aka ABSU, Nick Bassett aka  Lord
Kittenslayer and Steve Hoeltzel aka Steve Hoeltzel. I  am  sure  with
the addition of these three individuals, our magazine will  become  a
more well-rounded and diverse effort. One good thing  about  our  new
arrivals is their familiarity with the black metal scene. I've  heard
many complaints that CoC doesn't live up  to  our  description  of  a
'Death/Thrash/Black Metal Magazine.' But now it's time to change  all
that.
     Speaking of things such as pigeonholing and  categorizations,  I
want to make it clear to everyone, if you haven't  figured  this  out
for yourselves already, that CoC has  always  been  about  diversity.
What that means is that  we  don't  deny  music  because  it  doesn't
conform to certain guidelines, what we include within  our  pages  is
what we feel in our hearts deserves to be here. Many of you  may  not
agree with our choices, but then again,  that's  what  our  table  of
contents is for: to inform you of what lies ahead. Anything  that  is
experimental, extreme or both deserves a spot in the lime  light  and
that's what Chronicles of Chaos is here for.
     The Loud Letters we received this  month  were  tremendous.  I'd
like to thank each and every one of these people for taking the  time
out and letting us know what they think about the way we run  things.
I hope this month you guys don't get lazy, I still want to hear  what
you have to say; be it negative or positive, I could care less. Also,
Loud Letters isn't only about praising CoC or telling us how shit  we
are. We want you to write about anything,  it  could  be  a  specific
question on a certain band that was featured or a  correction  if  we
fucked up somewhere or other (not that we ever do.... :)  So  now  is
the time to see if we can keep the Loud Letters  section  alive,  get
those fingers moving!
     Ok, I've already written too much, now we'll probably be  pushed
PAST 130k, but who cares, I doubt  any  of  you  will  shoot  me  for
speaking my mind. Enjoy this issue, and we'll  see  each  other  next
month.

Also, here's something that might interest all of you.....

From: Jordi-Joan Bellaubi-Vea <billu@hnet.es>

UNDERGROUND OBSESSION  email  'zine  has  changed  its  name  to  THE
BALDRICK'S HELL KITCHEN. Due to some problems with our  mail  server,
it's possible that some messages/subscriptions got lost or sent  back
to you, so if you emailed us  and  never  got  a  reply,  just  email
<billu@hnet.es>  but  NOT  <billu@bbs.hnet.es>.  BTW,  issue  one  is
already out and you can get it by subscribing to TBHsK. To  subscribe
just send an email with the subject: "SUBSCRIPTION" along  with  your
name/country. Subscription is of course FREE.

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

                 M""MMMMMMMM                         dP 
                 M  MMMMMMMM                         88 
                 M  MMMMMMMM .d8888b. dP    dP .d888b88 
                 M  MMMMMMMM 88'  `88 88    88 88'  `88 
                 M  MMMMMMMM 88.  .88 88.  .88 88.  .88 
                 M         M `88888P' `88888P' `88888P8 
                 MMMMMMMMMMM                            
                                                        
     M""MMMMMMMM            dP     dP                              
     M  MMMMMMMM            88     88                              
     M  MMMMMMMM .d8888b. d8888P d8888P .d8888b. 88d888b. .d8888b. 
     M  MMMMMMMM 88ooood8   88     88   88ooood8 88'  `88 Y8ooooo. 
     M  MMMMMMMM 88.  ...   88     88   88.  ... 88             88 
     M         M `88888P'   dP     dP   `88888P' dP       `88888P' 
     MMMMMMMMMMM                                                   

This is the column where we print those lovely  letters  our  readers
decide so graciously to write us. Whether they be positive, negative,
ignorant or just plain spelled  wrong,  you  can  rest  assured  that
they'll be here in their original form. If you'd like to see your own
letter here, e-mail it to <ginof@io.org> and  enter  'Attention  Loud
Letters' in the subject field. Hopefully all letters received will be
featured in upcoming issues of Chronicles of Chaos.


Date: Fri, 9 Feb 1996
From: Nick Bassett <nbassett@hmc.edu>

I bet you weren't expecting any replies this early...

In general, I'd like to see newer and more extreme stuff, rather than
somewhat old bands like Sacred Reich and Sepultura - not to say  that
those bands are not important (heavens, no!), just telling  you  what
>>I<< personally would like to  see.  I  wouldn't  mind  seeing  some
pictures either, but I guess those would have to be  on  the  website
only.

I  also  have  a  couple  of  questions  about  the  review  of  Dark
Tranquillity's new album:

1. Are they (or any Osmose bands) really licensed  to  CARGO  RECORDS
for distribution in America?? (please answer this one!)
2. (to Adrian): Have you heard the previous CDs from  this  band?  No
matter what you  think  of  them,  they  definitely  do  not  support
classification of D.T. as a "clone" band,  and  considering  previous
work might have added some depth to your review.

Overall, I'm very happy to get a respectable e-zine like  this  on  a
regular basis. Don't take my criticisms too hard (ha ha), keep up the
good work, and please answer my question about Cargo Records!!

Answering the demand for enlightened correspondence,
Nick (Lord Kittenslayer)

[We are pleased to announce that Nick Bassett has graciously  decided
to help us out and become a regular writer for Chronicles  of  Chaos.
Check out Nick's reviews later in this issue and in future issues. --
Gino]


Date: Fri, 9 Feb 1996
From: ryan mininger <rmining@bgnet.bgsu.edu>

Hi there, after reading my first issue of CoC, I liked what I've seen
so far...perhaps in the future, bands like Edge  Of  Sanity,  Samael,
Abigor, Varathron,  Bolt  Thrower,  Burzum,  Tiamat,  etc...could  be
interviewed...an interview with  Edge  Of  Sanity  would  me  killer!
Anyway, keep up the cool zine and brutally mutilate things...later

Thor


Date: Sat, 10 Feb 1996
From: Phillip McGee <phillip@morpheus.mdn.com>

Just got done reading my first issue, and it  kicks  ass.  How  about
some news on some of my old faves: Candlemass=>Memento Mori; Faith or
Fear(one  band);   Sanctuary=>Nevermore;   Death   Angel;   Believer;
Exhorder. Keep up the work.

Phillip


Date: Sat, 10 Feb 1996
From: Quentin Fai <qfai@lis.ab.ca>

Good morning. I just thought I'd mention how much your magazine KICKS
ASS. But there is one thing I've noticed about heavy metal. That  is,
what one person may love another person may absolutely hate. I  guess
that's true in all genres, but I seem to notice it  more  with  heavy
metal. However, I think that if you think that a band, CD or whatever
is good, don't change your attitude towards  it  just  because  other
people think it sucks. I mean, just look at all the people who  think
that heavy metal as a whole is nothing but  mindless  growling  about
gore and death! Ok... that's enough mindless ranting for now. Have  a
nice day.

Quentin M. Fai (qfai@lis.ab.ca)


Date: Sun, 11 Feb 1996
From: GOTHICSLAM@aol.com

Well well well i finally copied all of the zines onto  paper.  All  i
have to say is that you fucking rock. Your zine was such a breath  of
fresh air because the metal scene is  dying  a  quick  death.  I  was
impressed with the interviews and your record  reviewing  had  to  be
some tof the most intelligent ones i have read. You guys have a great
attitude. I will bring my copies to n.y.  next  week  and  show  them
around to some underground  shops.  If  they  like  it  we  can  hook
something up where i can give them monthly issues. ALSO i would  like
to get involved with your zine if thats at all  possible.  I  have  a
great intrest in the undergrouns scene and i dont belong to any scene
so i have a clear mind. I would like to distribute the zine down here
in vermont through local shops and get people on  the  mailing  list.
Let me know what you think and how can i get a copy of rotting,  they
sound awsome.

GOTHICSLAM
CRYPT KEEPER OF DEATH


Date: Mon, 12 Feb 1996
From: Steve Miller <smiller@farad.elee.calpoly.edu>

Hi Gino, #7 was another nice issue with great articles  on  Sepultura
and Immolation. I have a new  section  on  my  Web  page  that  would
complement your 'New Noise' section: The ULTIMATE  Underground  Death
Metal Band List. Right  now  I  have  200  bands  listed  with  their
addresses just  waiting  to  be  contacted.I  do  have  some  of  the
tapes/Cds of the bands listed so if any of your readers want to  know
more about a particular band they can mail me from my  mail  form  on
the Web site. Keep up the good work!

*steve
smiller@farad.elee.calpoly.edu
http://www.elee.calpoly.edu/~smiller


Date: Fri, 09 Feb 1996
From: Morbid Wizard of Hate <sven@loop.com>

gino,

chronicles of chaos is consistently a welcome source  of  breadth  of
information  as  well  as  a  reference  material  for  its  involved
explications. you've brought me useful information for  seven  issues
and i dig it.

my only request would be that your interviews get more into the music
and focus less on production and marketing  aspects.  when  you  guys
describe what's actually going on it's great, but when  you  go  into
the effects and impressions of the music it loses the  high-intensity
information appeal it has held up to that point.

can you throw in a mention of the altar (understanding it's  entirely
fine to ignore this)? <http://www.paranoia.com/~goat/altar/>?


Date: Tue, 27 Feb 1996
From: macabre@interlog.com

Hi there. I wanted to say that I enjoy  reading  your  Chronicles  of
Chaos e-zine. Your coverage on death and black metal is well done and
very sourceful, I especially enjoy your **lengthy**  interviews  with
bands  like  Exit-13/Bill  Yurkiewicz  and  with  Danny  Lilker  from
Malformed  Earthborn/Brutal  Truth.  I  read   that   you   encourage
submissions by readers. Well, during the summer I try  to  catch  all
the death metal acts (eg. the Toronto Deathfest last summer)  so  I'd
like to summit reviews for concerts this coming  summer  in  Toronto.
One more thing, I have a suggestion for your e-zine.  Why  don't  you
publish show listings? I learned from a guy  named  Keith  (he's  the
drummer of the band ROTTING, who I think you interviewed if  I'm  not
mistaken) that Vader, Dismember and Suffocation played  a  couple  of
years ago at the Opera House. I didn't  know  this!!!???!!!.  I  also
noticed very little advertising for the Morbid Angel/Grip  Inc.  tour
that came last summer. I'd like to see concert listings for  Toronto,
as well as for Canada (and I guess the world, since  your  e-zine  is
international). Well, keep up the good work and  looking  forward  to
the next issue!!......

Adam Wasylyk
   
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
    ___________                        .__                     
    \_   _____/__________  ____   ____ |__| ____  __ __  ______
     |    __)/ __ \_  __ \/  _ \_/ ___\|  |/  _ \|  |  \/  ___/
     |     \\  ___/|  | \(  <_> )  \___|  (  <_> )  |  /\___ \ 
     \___  / \___  >__|   \____/ \___  >__|\____/|____//____  >
         \/      \/                  \/                     \/ 
      ___________            __                               
      \_   _____/___ _____ _/  |_ __ _________   ____   ______
       |    __)/ __ \\__  \\   __\  |  \_  __ \_/ __ \ /  ___/
       |     \\  ___/ / __ \|  | |  |  /|  | \/\  ___/ \___ \ 
       \___  / \___  >____  /__| |____/ |__|    \___  >____  >
           \/      \/     \/                        \/     \/ 

The meat of the matter lies here. Read on for the juiciest morsels on 
bands ranging from the reknowned to the obscure. No fat, no gristle, 
just blood-soaked slabs served hot and ready. Dig in, readers.


            M A I N T A I N I N G   T H E   M A D N E S S 
            ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
                     An interview with Motorhead
                          by: Gino Filicetti

"Fuck man, I can't even change strings on a guitar. I've been playing
26 years, and I can not even change strings  on  a  guitar.  I  can't
change an electric plug at home, I can't do nothing at all.  I  don't
want to be bothered with outside things like that."
     -- Phil Campbell (guitarist)

     What exactly comes to mind when someone mentions  Motorhead?  To
some, they are one of the noisiest, ugliest,  most  disgusting  bands
ever to rear its repulsive face; but to the multitudes of  fans  that
worship Motorhead worldwide, they are seen as the  immortal  gods  of
the heavy metal universe. Not only have Motorhead been around for the
past 20 years, but they have consistently delivered the goods  during
their entire career, and still have many years left in them.
     Chronicles of Chaos caught up with guitarist Phil Campbell  (now
the band's sole axeman since the departure of former  lead  guitarist
Wurzel) during the Toronto leg of  their  last  tour  in  support  of
_Sacrifice_, their debut album for CMC International. Phil  had  this
to say when asked what keeps Motorhead going; "Speed. It's just  that
none of us can do anything else. We're all totally  fucking  useless.
What would we do if we weren't doing this? Work in a bank and  go  to
work every day at nine o'clock and clock out at five? We  play  music
that we're proud of. At the time, we make the fucking best  music  we
can and we're proud of that. I'm so fucking proud  of  it,  I  got  a
tattoo here. <lifting his sleeve> It'd be nice to  get  a  couple  of
hits, and a bit more respect. But we have respect from the people who
know us, our fans. I guess the media doesn't know what  the  fuck  to
make of us."
     It's a well known fact that Motorhead have  gotten  the  respect
they deserve, but then again, they have never cried about it, or been
bitter. Phil couldn't care less what the  'outsiders'  think  of  his
band, "I got a fucking big house and a fucking yacht, it doesn't mean
a fuck to me. It would be nice, I  mean,  we've  done  the  Letterman
show, we done the Tonight Show as the first rock band to ever appear.
Me and Lem did the Letterman  show  with  Elle  MacPherson  and  Dana
Carvey. We've done all sorts, and we just ain't  gonna  give  up.  We
enjoy boogie-ing down and touring. It's great."
     Perhaps one of the biggest shocks  in  Motorhead's  career  came
when they were nominated for a Grammy in  1991  for  _1916_.  Despite
this fact, the band's record label at the time,  Sony,  decided  that
Motorhead just wasn't right for them. "We did  _1916_  and  that  did
really good but I don't know how many we sold. Then we did _March  or
Die_. We had Slash on it, and Ozzy, and to give  you  an  example  of
what they were like [the label], when we wanted to  do  a  video  for
"Ain't No Nice Guy", which featured Ozzy and Slash, they wouldn't pay
for the video. Two of the major fucking rock stars in the  world  and
they would not pay for a video. So we paid for it  ourselves  and  we
thought, fucking hell, what's going on here? What are they trying  to
do? So it got to a point, and I still don't know, to this day  if  we
were a tax loss to them or not."
     Corruption in the music business is definitely not a new  thing,
especially when  it  comes  to  major  labels.  In  the  real  world,
everything is viewed in dollars and cents, and unfortunately a lot of
music gets caught up in the  wave  of  the  current  trend  and  then
bottoms out and is never heard from again. Phil gives us  an  example
of the bullshit that goes on at these so called 'record labels';  "Oh
man, half these record company people, they don't know nothing  about
records. Somebody at Sony that I met, he had a fairly top  job,  like
half way up in Sony, and three weeks before  that  he  was  a  carpet
salesman!! He'd never been in the music business in  his  life!  It's
all got to do with cocksucking and bribery and shit like that."
     Being in a rock n' roll band has  probably  been  the  dream  of
every kid in the world since the very beginnings of the  genre.  Phil
Campbell knows the feeling. "It was my dream too! I asked  Lemmy  for
his autograph when I was twelve. He came to my town when  he  was  in
Hawkwind. It was at a big theatre like the Odeon and he was the  only
one that came out to the foyer to meet  the  kids.  He  was  probably
looking for women, you know. And I still got  the  program  at  home,
it's signed and it says, 'Arrrrrgggghhhhhhh' all  the  way  down  the
middle and 'Lemmy' at the bottom. If someone said to  me  that  night
that you're gonna be in a fucking band with this fucking guy and tour
around the world for  years,  I  would've  said,  'Fuck  Off!  You're
dreaming!' But that's the truth. I tell people that story  because  I
think it may give people inspiration never to give up." He continues,
talking about what he  wants  people  to  get  out  of  their  music,
"There's no great message with our music, we want people to come  in,
forget their problems, and just basically  feel  better  leaving  the
show than they did coming in. And just have a  good  time,  and  come
back the next time and see us. Just forget it all for two hours.
     Even though it hasn't even been a year since the release of  the
band's latest album, _Sacrifice_, Phil is  already  raring  to  start
work on their next opus, which would bring the Motorhead album  count
up to an astonishing 19. "After this tour finishes in March I'm going
to Mikkey's house. He just bought a new house in  Gothamburg  and  he
just had a studio put in, so I'm going there with him.  Basically  we
hope to have a new album out by early summer." But why does the  band
insist on releasing album so close to each other, the new album would
be the fifth album in five years; "We do one sort of  every  year,  I
don't know, because we like spending the money they give us. What are
you going to do when they give you loads of  money?  'Yeah  we'll  do
another one!'" About the next album, Phil comments, "It's going to be
different on the next album. It'll be the first one we've  done  with
only the three piece. It's going to be so fucking....  I  don't  know
how to describe it, it's going to be  BIG  TIME.  It's  going  to  be
something the world's never heard before."
     Since the departure of  Wurzel  just  after  the  completion  of
_Sacrifice_, Motorhead has been a power trio. It has all come back to
the basics of Lemmy's original vision of a band consisting  of  three
men who ate, slept and shit rock n' roll. Phil  doesn't  really  mind
the change. "It's better for me.  Wurzel  basically  only  duplicated
what I did, he didn't do any extra. See, it was powerful before,  but
now it's sort of clear, controlled power with the  three  piece.  You
got three instruments there in your face. It's a lot better  I  think
and a lot of the people I've spoke to think it's much better.  But  I
can't speak for the entire world, a lot of  people  might  think  I'm
fucking crap, but I don't give a shit. They  are  entitled  to  their
opinion, right?"
     Mentioning the name Motorhead will always bring to  mind  images
of Lemmy, huge in his stance, with  his  mole-encrusted  face  turned
skyward to his microphone, but rarely does anyone consider that there
are two other people in this band that are just as much a part of the
whole as the Lemster himself. Phil has this to say about being in the
shadow of Lemmy; "Well, Lem is the essence of  Motorhead.  He  formed
the band, but no, he never tries to cast a shadow. Like  when  people
call for interviews and ask to speak to Lem, that's fair enough,  but
over the years, people have gotten to know me, and Mikkey and  Wurzel
and whoever. We just want what's right for the band. Lem's never once
said anything like you have to play this part, you have to play  like
this and that. It's a very democratic thing,  he's  never  controlled
us. If me and Mikkey vote not to do something, he'll  go  along  with
that." He continues, "I got to give a lot of credit to Lem for  that,
he's good as gold man, he's fucking brilliant. He's a lot happier now
that he moved to Los Angeles in 1990. Lem is  so  content  now,  he's
happy with his band, he's happy with his life, and we all  are.  It's
just a pleasure to play, and we write the best fucking songs we  can.
We know we're fucking good, and we're proud of our  achievements  and
hopefully people will like what we do, and  if  not,  they  go  away.
Sorry, but that's tough shit."
     A salute to Motorhead, the grand-daddies of heavy metal,  and  a
band without whom the world would be a much more boring place.

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        H A N G I N G   W I T H   T H E   H Y P O C R I T E S 
        ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
                     An interview with Hypocrisy
                          by: Gino Filicetti
                          
"Music is everything for me. I work in the studio ten  hours  a  day,
seven days a week with bands and plus Hypocrisy it's just  music  all
day long, 24 hours a day."
     -- Peter Tagtgren (vocalist, guitarist, keyboardist)
     
     Our world, and death metal along with it, has come  a  long  way
since Peter Tagtgren first visited Florida way back in 1990. It was a
time when everyone was talking about Tampa Bay  and  how  thrash  was
dead forever; it was a time when bands like Obituary, Cannibal Corpse
and Deicide were state of the art,  revolutionaries,  trudging  throw
unknown musical waters, and leaving  their  tracks  on  the  rest  of
mankind.
     But those times have gone the way of the dodo, my friends. It is
now 1996, and survival in the death metal world of today is only  for
the fittest. Enter Hypocrisy,  a  band  that  was  started  by  Peter
Tagtgren to prove to Malevolent Creation's Phil Fasciana that if they
could do it, so could he. The band began as a one man outfit, and has
gone through many lineup changes going anywhere from one to  five  to
four and finally to a stable power trio. The band consists  of  Peter
himself who handles vocals, guitars and keyboards, Mikael Hedlund  on
bass and Lars Szoke on the skins.
     Hypocrisy's latest release, _Abducted_, is an album that  proves
to the world that death metal need not be as one-dimensional as  most
people like to think, the album combines many elements to  produce  a
sound that is not only fresh and innovative, but sticks to the  roots
of this music's heaviness.
     Releasing an album  in  this  genre  nowadays  can  prove  quite
harrowing to many bands trying to make it to the top. For  Hypocrisy,
it seems the tide is finally turning in  their  favour;  "The  record
company is putting in more effort  and  money  into  advertising  and
stuff like that. Every album is picking up more and  more  so  that's
pretty cool. It's not going downhill and that's a good  thing.  Every
album has sold more than the previous one, so that's really cool." He
continues about the  response  to  the  album  so  far,  "I  did  the
interviews and it's looking really killer. But it's easier  when  you
know the album's been out for awhile, because then you actually  hear
stuff from fans and the reviews  are  coming  back.  In  Europe,  the
reviews have been giving us 80% and better so that's great.  All  the
people I've talked to in America and Canada like it a lot  you  know,
but it's coming out Feburary 14th, so we'll see what the reaction  is
going to be with the fans, but so far so good."
     As most bands progress in age,  they  start  setting  goals  for
themselves and try to push the envelope just that much more with each
release. Hypocrisy, however, doesn't like  wasting  their  time  with
such trivialities; "Well, we just wrote the songs  and  didn't  worry
about how they're going to end up you know? We started recording  the
album in March and we listened to it, and  after  a  week  or  so  we
decided to throw away half of the songs  because  they  weren't  good
enough and then we started all  over  again.  We  went  through  this
process like four times until we had  all  the  songs."  As  for  the
lyrical content, Peter relates his restlessness and  constant  effort
to change; "Well, the subject I wanted to take up  this  time  was  a
little bit different. I wanted to deal with UFOs and stuff like that.
I'm a restless person, I can't do the same thing twice and  the  same
goes for my music, that's why two albums never sound the same."
     Hypocrisy's past lineup change could make one wonder  about  the
stability of the band in its present form. Peter is quick to reassure
me that for once, he thinks this lineup could go a long way seeing as
everyone has the right mindset to get things done. But  the  question
comes to mind, is three people enough to pull off the  complexity  of
Hypocrisy's music? "Yeah, but only when it comes to the  studio.  For
our live performances we have a stand in guitarist. He also does some
keyboard parts as well as the guitars.  You  need  that  to  get  the
thickness and to sound the same as the album."
     Also included on _Abducted_ are three tracks that don't seem  to
fit with the rest of the album. One is  an  ambient  soundscape,  the
other two being acoustical jaunts. Where did these come from?  "Well,
that was really just a side project for me that I did two years  ago.
I wanted to prove to myself that I could  do  other  kinds  of  music
besides just metal. The other guys listened to it and they wanted  to
put it on the album, but I really wasn't into that. However, a lot of
death metal fans we knew thought that it was really  cool  music  and
that we should put it on an album so we sat and discussed it and came
up with a decision that there shouldn't be any rules about  what  can
go on an album. So we said, 'Let go for it, and we'll worry about  it
later.'"
     As for touring, Hypocrisy is heading out on a European  tour  in
two weeks with Amorphis,  but  plans  for  North  America  are  still
shrouded in haze; "I have no idea what's going on  with  America  and
Canada yet, but we are trying to get something together. One  of  the
guys from Kataklysm is trying to fix up a tour with us."
     As the interview drew to a close, I asked Peter what he  thought
about the scene nowadays. Is it any  different  than  when  he  first
started? "No, I think it was the same thing  except  that  we  played
what we listened to. But to me, I think it's important to be true  to
yourself, and stick to whatever you believe in. One day the style  of
music you play will be hip, but as long as you  believe  in  yourself
and you're not a sell out it doesn't matter what kind of music is the
trend at the time."
     Truer words have  never  been  spoken.  Be  sure  to  check  out
Hypocrisy in your neck of the woods, hopefully sometime soon.

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                  D Y I N G    W I T H    P R I D E
                  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
                   An interview with My Dying Bride
                          by: Adrian Bromley

     For vocalist Aaron of North Yorkshire's  gothic/death/doom  band
My Dying Bride, nothing  would  be  more  satisfactory  to  him  than
bringing the band to tour the U.S. in support of their latest effort,
_The  Angel  And  The  Dark  River_  (Peaceville  Records/Music   For
Nations). But getting here over to North America is not as easy as it
seems. "We don't know when we are gonna play  over  here,"  begins  a
relaxed Aaron from Fierce Recording's New York office, "but we should
be in over here in the summertime where hopefully we can do  a  small
two-week tour," he says with some certainty.
     As for the obstacles he says, "It is a major dissapointment  and
obstacle to not be able to play here in the U.S. We  nearly  came  on
the last tour (1994's  _Turn  Loose  The  Swans_  tour)  when  things
started to happens. We were three weeks away from  coming  over  here
and things started to happen for us in a  negative  fashion.  Nothing
eventually happened and we never made it. I think because  we  are  a
six-piece, it is hard to get us over here and  on  the  road.  Record
sales have not been brilliant so to do  a  tour  it  will  be  hugely
expensive. But we have to tour and it is important that we come over.
Now that we are with Music For Nations, and  they  have  a  bit  more
money than Peaceville Records (their original debut album label  whom
they still work with), they want us to come over. Futurist does also,
as does everyone else. So it is entirely  up  to  whoever  holds  the
purse strings." 
     Aaron reveals that it has always  been  a  dream  for  the  band
(rounded out by guitarists Andy and  Calvin,  bassist  Ade,  Rick  on
drums and Martin on violins/piano) to be able to tour within the U.S.
"When we first formed it was like, 'Cool we'll play a gig.' And  then
it was like, 'Cool if we could get to Europe and play.' We  did,  and
after we played Europe we said, 'We gotta go play in  America.'  That
would be a dream come true." Snickering and with some  British  humor
intact he blurts out, "We've conquered England  and  Europe  and  now
there is one left. So watch out here we come!"
     Their latest album had been out in Europe since May states Aaron
(the album is released in North America in the coming weeks),  saying
that the band has already done an  extensive  amount  of  touring  in
Europe. They plan to  continue  touring  for  another  two  weeks  in
Poland, and then take some time off. Aaron adds that  once  the  band
has toured the U.S. (if it happens), the band  will  then  head  back
into the studio to begin work on a follow up LP to _TAatDR_.
     About the success of the album so far in Europe Aaron discloses,
"It has been fantastic for us with all  the  success.  We  have  been
hugely successful on mainland Europe but not  too  well  in  England.
They don't like us much over there," chuckles Aaron. "It is  a  shame
that we aren't popular in our home country, but  it  is  common  with
England because they don't generally like English  bands.  They  like
all the foreign bands. But mainland Europe accepts us with open arms."
     Since forming in 1990,  the  band  has  released  many  EPs  and
numerous LPs, allowing them to become of the premiere bands to  watch
out for. And quite frankly one of the best gothic  death/gloom  bands
on the circuit right now. After surfacing with a very successful demo
in 1990, the band quickly focused their ability and musicianship, and
after signing with Peaceville Records, issued their first EP in 1992,
_Symphonaire Infernus Et Spera Empyrium_. The EP  sparked  a  lot  of
interest and soon after the band released their first full-length LP,
1992's _As the Flower Withers_. Years of work, touring and  recording
also produced other works such as two other EPs _The  Thrash  of  the
Naked Limbs_ (1993) and _I Am The Bloody  Earth_  (1994),  and  their
sophomore effort, _Turn Loose The Swans_ in 1993.  After  signing  to
Fierce Recordings for U.S. licensing and distribution  in  1994,  the
band released a collaboration of all EPs entitled _Trinity_ in  1995,
which now leads us up to 1996 and the release of  the  band's  latest
effort through joint work of both Peaceville Records  and  Music  For
Nations.
     While  talking  about  the  record  and  the  general  mood  and
direction, Aaron explains that like most My Dying Bride LPs,  nothing
was planned. "We weren't trying to build any type of mood.  We  don't
plan our records. I don't think this album is much different from the
first one in regards to songwriting or construction of the songs  and
lyrics or atmopshere. We don't sit down  and  say  it  has  to  be  a
certain way to be the doomiest record ever." He says, "We  just  work
the songs in our heads, go down and practice them and record them and
put them together and then, and only then, do we feel or see the mood
that we have created while recording them."
     With the songs on _TAatDR_, the music seems to have become  more
open, thus revealing to us the emotions brewing within the  band  and
its members. Listening to such tracks as "The Cry Of  Mankind",  "Two
Winters Only" or the heartfelt rampage of moodiness provided by "Dark
Voyage", the depth of the band's songwriting has also been noticeably
enhanced, taking them from what would have been seen  as  a  standard
outing to a  much  more  complex  revelation  of  music,  sound,  and
intellectual growth. 
     Does the band feel, seeing that the songs  are  of  epic  length
(nine-minute range), that the inclusion of lyrics helps the  listener
experience the music more vividly? "I think the lyrics,  coming  from
the person that wrote them, are very important. I have never  written
standard death metal lyrics. I'll leave that to bands  that  like  to
write about slaughtering people and drinking their blood. Stuff  like
that has never really interested me. I have always been  into  poetry
and reading it. I want my lyrics to be like small poems, but I am not
quite sure why they all turned out so miserable." He laughs and adds,
"The lyrics work. Everything works with  the  band:  the  music,  the
image, the photographs, the name of the band,  the  imagery  and  the
song titles. It all fits together. It  is  like  a  well-made  jigsaw
puzzle and I don't think anything is out of place. And the lyrics are
an important part of what we are about."
     Trying to capture a mood or just the creative flow of  the  band
is what seems to be a difficult thing while in the studio. When asked
about the difficulties of recording  MDB  material,  Aaron  responds,
"The initial part of the recording is excitng. We have  the  gear  in
and play as a band. The real pain in the studio is towards  the  end.
The recording is the entertaining  part,  while  the  mixing  is  the
difficult part because you have to hear the songs ten times a day for
three or four weeks. When you have been playing  the  songs  for  six
months, it turns your brain into mush. But if you want to make a good
album you got to put yourself through it."
     When asked why a majority of the songs that MDB produce  are  so
long, and if they have ever considered shorter songs, he says, "There
are two reasons why the songs are so long. One is because we like  to
create songs with a strong creative atmosphere, and you can't do that
in three and a half minutes. You need to settle the audience down and
really get their brains thinking,  and  you  can't  do  that  with  a
two-minute wonder. The other reason is that we are a  six-piece  band
and we are very democratic when it comes to songwriting  which  means
we all contribute to every single song. And in order  to  match  that
creativity you can't have a  three-minute  songs.  It  is  more  like
thirteen minutes. We don't just have an idea each, there are  umpteen
ideas floating around when we write. Some of  the  songs  could  have
been twenty minutes long but we had to draw the line somewhere."
     And the notion of ever relying on or adding technology (samples,
soundbites) to their dark orchestral-like soliloques? "We are  always
open to ideas," he says mentioning that the British house/dance  band
Drug Free America had reworked a song on the B-side of the "I Am  The
Bloody Earth" single with a very dance-ish rave feel to it,  "but  it
is not something we'd go out and try to work with." About the need to
use technology in music to help guide it  he  remarks,  "I  guess  we
should just keep it [technology] all for the computer games  that  we
all continue to play."
     While influenced by such metal heavyweights as  Coroner,  Celtic
Frost or Candlemass, MDB's singer explains that his taste in music is
shifting. Why, I ask? "I am into bands  like  Dead  Can  Dance,  Nick
Cave, the Swans and Tori Amos. Amos hasn't influenced me much  but  I
enjoy listening to her. I like Enya because she is weird and strange.
I am not into a lot of metal these days  but  when  I  like  to  hear
metal, I stick on my old Sodom records or  other  material  from  the
mid-80's. I don't listen to the new metal stuff nowadays." Again  the
question is asked: Why? "I live the business now. I have metal in  my
face all day and every day and this is my job. So when I get home,  I
don't listen to metal, and put something else on. It is like  someone
who works in an office and goes home: he or she doesn't  want  to  go
home and file right?"
     "It is not a hard business from a band  point  of  view,"  notes
Aaron. "You get to do what you want to do. It really is the best  job
in the world. I used to have the worst job in the world working in  a
factory and I gave up that job for the band. I mean how  many  people
can say that they enjoy their jobs and what they do?"

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               S U R V I V I N G   T H E   C R I S I S 
               ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
                       An interview with Crisis
                          by: Adrian Bromley

     For almost three years the extreme/death sounds  of  New  York's
Crisis has lashed out fits of rage, anarchy, and chaos throughout the
city's clubs and onto its patrons. Crisis has established  themselves
as the innovators of an extreme brand of death music that is quite  a
challenge to classify. 
     Since the band's early days of  forming  and  jamming  together,
they have released their debut album on Too Much Hype Records  called
_8 Convulsions_, and their latest concoction of bizarre mayhem  found
within  _Deathshead  Extermination_.  From  Metal  Blade's  New  York
office, guitarist/producer Afzaal Nasiruddeen goes into detail  about
the production and reasoning behind the complexity of their debut for
Metal Blade; "We wanted a definite approach and  some  form  of  mood
with the album. We  were  looking  to  achieve  a  very  organic  yet
abrasive sound to the record, and where it goes  from  that  abrasive
sound onto the melody and where the melody sticks out. I  was  trying
to capture extremes of that contrast, but at the same time  having  a
real warmth to the sound. We are really into  low-end  and  boom  and
bass sound. I like my guitar to sound real  dark  and  that  was  one
thing. The other thing of course was  to  get  the  most  smooth-vibe
record that we could ever record. In other words, we had  spent  five
weeks in the studio and we had the facilities to do the record  well,
and we spent time to put the record out."
     "We worked really hard on performance and once we got that down,
the production was a lot easier. When you have a record  that  is  as
slammin'  as  far  as  grooves  goes,  then  sometimes  things   work
themselves  out  and  makes  the  recording   process   easy,"   says
Nasiruddeen. "We worked hard in order to get the live feel, though it
isn't a live record, rather a well thought out record. We  wanted  to
capture that live intensity by having all the dips and swoobs and the
dynamics that we have on the record." Describing the  new  album,  he
responds, "Soulwrenching. Sometimes I don't have objectivity  on  the
record. You have to gain a certain distance from your record. It is a
very emotional record and that is what we attempted to do and I think
we succeeded."
     The rest of Crisis consists of singer/growler Karyn Crisis, Fred
Waring on drums and bassist Gia  Chuan  Wang  -  a  unique  group  of
individuals who in their own  little  way  by  creed,  background  or
beliefs add a unique perspective to the band and its direction. Karyn
Crisis is a performance artist  and  classically  trained  violinist;
Nasiruddeen is a native of Pakistan who has lived in both England and
the U.S.; Waring is a jazz student, and bassist Wang is  from  Taiwan
and an accomplished trombonist. "I think the reason we are unique  is
because we accepted the diversity and differences and worked with it.
I think most problems occur when you are not honest  with  yourselves
and  your  art  and  it  shows  through.  That  is  why  we  are  not
artsy-fartsy (in refernce to art style bands from NY) because we  are
honest about our music," he notes. "The thing about  us  is  we  feel
that  if  I  am  different  from  you  then  let's  try  to  make   a
complementary relationship where you can get something  good  out  of
this regardless of appearance or culture. It is like  the  fusion  of
different spiritual influences."
     Onto the topic of being seen as an "art" band from New  York  or
the scene in general, what is his take on it? He  begins,  "We  don't
see ourselves as experimental and that is why we set ourselves  apart
from bands like Sonic Youth and Boss Hog. I personally know all those
poeple and it is unfortunate  but  those  are  the  people  that  are
ignoring us. Jon Spencer (Jon Spencer Blues Explosion/Boss  Hog)  and
all those people in those bands (art bands) are so much into the Rock
N' Roll star thing that they wouldn't even  think  about  checking  a
band like us out. I have been around the scene for a long time and  I
can honestly say they haven't done a fuckin' thing  for  us."  So  in
other words, the band tries to disassociate with that type  of  music
crowd in New York right? "Yes we do," clarifies Nasiruddeen, "because
the media here has a habit of slagging the heavier  bands  and  those
bands go along with it."
     While recording the album, despite the pressures or problems the
band went through while making a name for themsleves,  what  was  the
focus of the band? Did they find themselves hard at work  to  try  to
find a specific sound for the band to carry on with? He says, "We had
to work our butts off to get this sound. We are  not  into  having  a
signature sound running throughout the record. We are into plurality.
We look at every song as a work of art with every song being a  piece
of work. When we look at the album we can come to a realization  that
it is possible that there is a  single  thread  running  through  the
album in a very disjointed way. And that is what brings  the  concept
together. That is why the first CD was called _8 Convulsions_ because
each song was a different convulsion. _Deathshead  Extermination_  is
capturing many different moods under the umbrellas  of  _DHE_."  "The
name comes from a caption carried from a comic book, rather a graphic
novel, that Karyn is working on," he explains. "It is a  concept  she
has taken from one of her characters that is based on a serial rapist
or killer."
     And as he has pointed out, the music of the band  has  become  a
personal issue. "It has become so important that  our  lives  are  on
hold, basically. We don't have lives other than the band. That is all
we do. I am an architect by profession and I have given up my  career
for this band. If it hadn't changed us in some way  I  wouldn't  have
been doing this for so many years. When we first started  I  was  the
main songwriter but that has all changed. Now the whole band thing is
happening. We get together, rehearse and fuck around and throw  songs
out until we find we have come up with something totally inspiring to
us. So we jam and that is  where  the  dynamics  come  from.  Karyn's
vocals and her range is what dictated us and put us in that direction
to open our music up and let it breathe."
     He concludes, "We haven't done  our  _Master  OF  Puppets_,  our
legendary record yet. We are still on our way but I will know when we
do our classic."

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        / ___/ /  ___ ____  / /_(_)___  / ___/ /  ___ _/ /_
       / /__/ _ \/ _ `/ _ \/ __/ / __/ / /__/ _ \/ _ `/ __/
       \___/_//_/\_,_/\___/\__/_/\__/  \___/_//_/\_,_/\__/
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                  / __/__ ___ ___ (_)__  ___  ___
                 _\ \/ -_|_-<(_-</ / _ \/ _ \(_-<
                /___/\__/___/___/_/\___/_//_/___/


This is the column where CoC sits down to have a  face  to  face,  no
holds barred conversation with  your  favorite  bands,  and  get  the
inside scoop into what's happening in their lives.


               K E E P I N G   T H E   I R O N S   U P 
               ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
      Chronicles of Chaos chat's with Iron Maiden's Dave Murray
                          by: Adrian Bromley

     It was almost three weeks before Iron Maiden was to step foot on
North American soil for the first time  since  1993's  _Fear  Of  The
Dark_ tour. The 42-city tour started February  8th  in  Quebec  City,
Quebec, Canada, with noteworthy openers Fear  Factory.  Talking  with
founding guitarist Dave Murray (DM), he indicates he  can't  wait  to
play here. "I am so excited to get back over to play  North  America.
We love to tour there," remarks Murray  over  the  phone  from  Lyon,
Paris, literally moments before going on stage. So with a few moments
to spare before hitting the stage with a newly revamped  Iron  Maiden
(including new vocalist Blaze Bayley) armed with a  new  album,  _The
X-Factor_, Murray spoke  openly  about  Blaze  Bayley,  touring,  and
surviving sixteen years in this industry.
     Also in keeping up the faith and legacy of  the  band  after  16
years and 12 albums, Castle Records has gone  forward  and  re-issued
all 12 Maiden classics, each with an additional CD  of  rare  B-sides
from the era of the album's release (with the exception  of  _A  Real
Live One_ and _A Real Dead One_ which are just being  distributed  as
is.) The B-sides include outtakes from albums and several covers.  Be
sure to check out the full listing of rare B-sides following the chat.

CoC: Has it been tough to get back on the road with such a long  time
     off, time that was spent searching for a new  vocalist,  resting
     and recording _The X-Factor_?

DM: It has been a few years but we are glad to be back out. It took a
    while for us to get things squared away but we accomplished  what
    we wanted with this album and by finding Blaze. We have  been  on
    the road for about four months now. We started this tour a couple
    of months back in Jerusalem,  playing  to  a  lot  of  places  we
    haven't played before and to get it all together and out  on  the
    road, it was like starting out in the black really. It took a few
    shows and we got straight back into it and now we are all steamed
    and ready to go.

CoC: How  has  the  response  been  towards  Blaze  replacing  former
     vocalist Bruce Dickinson?

DM: The responses have been been good because we are doing a  lot  of
    old Maiden stuff and a bunch of the new tracks, but the  approach
    to the  songs  are  a  bit  different  than  Bruce's  [Dickinson]
    approach to them. He [Bayley] sings in a lower register  but  the
    melodies are still there. When you change a lead singer, it is  a
    difficult thing because that is what you hear first, but we found
    from reactions people have liked it. When you go through a change
    like that, that big, it is difficult but we have yet to encounter
    any problems.

CoC: You had over a thousand singers audition for the band.  How  did
     you settle on Blaze Bayley [ex-Wolfsbane]? 

DM: He was always at the top of the list. He came in and fit in  very
    well. There was chemistry and he gave it his all when  he  played
    with us which is what we wanted and liked. It  was  gut  reaction
    that he was to be the singer for us. We wanted a singer that  was
    part of the band right away and we felt that we  made  the  right
    decision with Blaze. It was tough when Bruce left because we  all
    wanted to carry on but we had to be sure we had the right guy and
    we did. We got the right man."

CoC: You mentioned that you play an assortment of old and new numbers
     in your live show - why the variety and not just newer material?

DM: We try to add a lot of variety and provide a mood. We are  pacing
    the set so we don't rush right through it. We want people  to  go
    crazy with the tunes and also be able to  stand  back  and  enjoy
    them as well.

CoC: Like most Iron Maiden records, this album has a  different  mood
     and feeling to it unlike any other record you  have  done.  What
     were the intentioms or ideas going into the writing  of  _The  X
     Factor_?

DM: Martin Birch [long time producer] retired, so we needed to find a
    new producer that would be able to find us a sound, a new  sound.
    A very modern sounding album. And we found Nigel Green who we had
    worked with before. We spent about a year  on  the  album  and  a
    large portion of that was writing and trying to  find  a  groove.
    While we were in the studio we would play back the tracks and try
    to see if it had that 'X-Factor magic,' that there was a vibe  we
    were creating with the music. The main focus  of  _The  X-Factor_
    album was to show that we had put a  lot  of  thought  into  what
    would become of this album and its direction.  We  felt  that  we
    wanted to move forward with this record rather than  go  back  or
    stay where we were. Plus, with the addition of a new  singer,  we
    didn't want to rush this album. We just felt this album, with all
    the changes, was a very important album and with the next one, it
    won't take so long. Rather, it will be more of a  live  recording
    album next time.

CoC: You said that a lot of effort went  into  the  writing  of  _The
     X-Factor_. Does this album in  any  way  deal  with  issues  and
     topics of the 90s or is it  a  standard  Maiden  album  full  of
     creativity and fiction?

DM: About four of the songs are about war but with what is  going  on
    around you, you can't help but be affected. But the rest  of  the
    album is just broad-based material. "Lord of the Flies" is  about
    the book, etc...

CoC: What is your response to the fact that  much  of  Iron  Maiden's
     material is seen as a "history book" of sorts?

DM: It is great because kids can read the lyrics and get into it.  We
    can write  a  story  and  then  put  music  around  it.  We  even
    experience stuff like that in far away  countries  where  English
    isn't even a first language but they are still singing the lyrics
    to the songs.

CoC:  Iron  Maiden  has  always  done  these  huge   tours,   playing
     everywhere. Is that the plan with _The X-Factor_?  And  why  did
     the tour start in Jerusalem not England?

DM: We went to these places where there wouldn't be a lot of pressure
    on Blaze. We didn't want to throw him right into the  media  pit.
    It was great to start there because  we  always  wanted  to  play
    there and then there was also the factor that  we  wouldn't  have
    the pressure of starting off in England.

CoC: What keeps the band going after all  these  years?  Is  there  a
     secret? 

DM: Every gig is different. We never sound check, we just turn up. We
    just go out and every night is different. You get to  travel  and
    play places and experience new cultures.  Playing  music  is  the
    best job in the world. Actually it isn't a job, rather  a  hobby,
    and a hobby that I enjoy doing quite a bit. <laughs>

CoC: Does a band like Iron Maiden ever get tired of the  industry  or
     putting out albums on quite a regular schedule?

DM: In a way it is great to come  out  of  being  off  the  road  and
    recording the album because you are fresh and eager to get out on
    the road. Sometimes the travelling can get a bit crazy but it  is
    one of those things where you just go on with it,  and  once  you
    get on stage you forget about it. It is  still,  and  always  has
    been, about having a good time on tour.

CoC: Iron Maiden has always  been  able  to  go  out  and  tour  with
     numerous types of acts [so far the band has played with My Dying
     Bride, The Almighty, and Dirty Deeds]. Now that you  are  taking
     out an up and coming younger act,  Fear  Factory,  what  do  you
     believe are the benefits of taking on newer support acts?

DM: It is great to have a newer band on tour with you because  people
    know them and their fans come out and experience  both  acts  ...
    and get into them both. That is why we are taking out bands  like
    Fear Factory and My Dying Bride. I have  been  noticing  on  this
    tour fans come to the show and they are young  and  they  are  up
    front and all the Maiden fans from ten years ago are at the back.
    <laughs>

CoC: After sixteen years of touring and playing, any songs or  albums
     that stand out?

DM: Early stuff like "Phantom of the  Opera"  and  "Hallowed  Be  Thy
    Name" are close to my heart. There are quite a few. After touring
    for so many years, all the songs become a part of what you  were,
    and what we try to do live is play those songs that  sound  great
    live and bring out the classic Maiden in our set. Each  album  is
    different and it is like writing a diary. It takes a lot to write
    an album and the work that goes into it is the stuff that you  go
    all out to do. It is important every time out."

CoC: What is your take on the struggling metal industry? 

DM: Fortunately we have been touring 16 years, since  1980,  and  you
    have to think the lifespan of the average band is 3  or  4  years
    and I think we have been lucky because the fans have been  coming
    back. Some have gone away but  we  have  also  gained  some  too.
    Realistically, metal music isn't as big as in  the  mid-80s,  but
    that is just the sign of the times. The main  thing  is  that  we
    have always been a touring band, whether  we  play  in  stadiums,
    theatres or clubs. We just go for it. The fans have always  stuck
    by Maiden and that is always an incentive to go out and tour.  We
    have probably toured more than any other band - ten world  tours.
    What can we say? We like to play and write music and tour!

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
     
As mentioned above, Castle Records  has  re-issued  all  of  Maiden's
classics - with a twist. All of  the  albums  feature  rare  B-sides,
covers and picture discs. Here is a list of  what  can  be  found  on
these limited CDs:

IRON MAIDEN (1981)                 LIVE AFTER DEATH (1985)
Burning Ambition                   Losfer Words (Live)
Drifter (Live)                     Sanctuary (Live)
I've Got Fire (Live)               Murders In The Rue Morgue (Live)

KILLERS (1981)                     SOMEHWERE IN TIME (1986)
Women In Uniform                   Reach Out
Invasion                           Juanita
Phantom Of The Opera (Live)        Sheriff Of Huddersfield
Wraithchild (Live)                 That Girl                
Remember Tomorrow (Live)           
Killers (Live)                     SEVENTH SON OF A SEVENTH SON (1988)
Innocent Exile (Live)              Black Bart Blues                   
Running Free (Live)                Massacre                           
                                   Prowler '88                        
THE NUMBER OF THE BEAST (1982)     Charlotte The Harlot '88           
Total Eclipse                      Infinite Dreams (Live)             
Remember Tomorrow (Live)           Clairovoyant (Live)                
                                   Killers (Live)                     
PIECE OF MIND (1983)               The Prisoner (Live)                
I've Got The Fire                  Still Life (Live)                  
Cross Eyed Mary                                                       
                                   NO PRAYER FOR THE DYING (1991)     
POWERSLAVE (1984)                  All In Your Mind                   
Rainbow's Gold                     Kill Me Ce Soir                    
Mission From Harry                 I'm A Mover                        
King Of Twilight                   Communication Breakdown            
Number Of The Beast (Live)         Roll Over Vic Vella                                                   
                                                                      
LIVE AFTER DEATH (1985)                                               
Losfer Words (Live)                                                   
Sanctuary (Live)                                                      
Murders In The Rue Morgue (Live)                                      
                                                                      
FEAR OF THE DARK (1992)                                               
Nodding Donkey Blues                                                  
Space Station No.5                                                    
I Can't See My Feelings                                               
No Prayer For The Dying (Live)                                        
Public Enema Number One (Live)                                        
Hooks In You (Live)                                                   
                                                                      
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
                                                                      
                 C L A S S I C   C U T   R E V I E W 
                 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Iron Maiden - _Piece Of Mind_ (Capitol/EMI, 1983)
by: Adrian Bromley  (10 out of 10)

Have to admit to you all, this is *the* record that got me into heavy
metal: Period! From the opening chords of "Where Eagles Dare" to  the
dying guitar chords of "To Tame A Land",  this  powerfully  explosive
Maiden classic is sheer brilliance. Outing number two for lead singer
Bruce Dickinson (after his Samson days), and it seems  that  all  has
fallen into place. Bassist/lyricist Steve Harris is  in  top  writing
form with such classic songs as "Die With Your  Boots  On"  and  "The
Trooper". Dickinson's talents shine with the  stunning  "Revelations"
and the fabled fantasy tale of "Flight  Of  Icarus".  In  1983,  Iron
Maiden were the heroes of the metal community,  and  this  album  set
that in stone. There has never been an album  of  this  magnitude  or
intensity, and few believe there ever  will  be  another  like  this.
While many see the band's  _Powerslave_  (1984)  or  _Number  Of  The
Beast_ (1982) albums as the definitive Maiden sound, I beg to  differ
with them. _Piece OF Mind_ is  an  extremely  dominating  catalog  of
metal riffs and vocals that'll never be duplicated. Vigorous metallic
songs of beauty and creativity, and in 1996 the  album  still  sounds
fresh.

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

                    M E C H A N I C   M A Y H E M 
                    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
               An Interview with Death and Horror Inc.
                          by: Adrian Bromley

     Managing to fuse together the driving beat  of  dance  with  the
doom and gloom of  gothic  and  industrial  music,  Toronto's  D.H.I.
(Death And Horror Inc.) have been hard at work since 1987 to  promote
their own brand of aural innovation. Their quest continues. 
     The  band,  comprised  of   singer/sampler/guitarist/keyboardist
Vicar,  samples/violinist  Nocturne,  guitarist/bassist   Speed   and
sampler Graf, are afficionados when it comes to their work. Listening
to the band's most recent work, _Pressures  Collide_  (1994),  it  is
quite evident that music is something dear to their hearts.  Previous
D.H.I work on Fringe includes two EPs,  _Chemical  Land_  (1991)  and
_Bitter Alloys_ (1993), and a full-length debut album, _Machine Altar
Transmission_ (1992). The band has  sinced  signed  with  Kk  Records
(Belgium)    and    Van    Richter    Records    (California)     for
distribution/licensing of the _Pressures Collide_ CD,  thus  allowing
the band to enter both the U.S. and European markets simultaneously.
     Both Vicar (VC) and Speed (SP) took a few brief moments before a
local show to talk to CoC about their music, touring and future plans.

CoC: How did the band form? Give us a brief account  of  how  it  all
     came together.

VC: We have been around for a couple of years now. I got working with
    Graf in the summer of 1987 and from there we  had  added  another
    member, Max, who handled sampler/synths.  We  put  together  some
    demos and shopped them around Toronto and they did  really  well.
    Fringe Product heard how well the tapes were selling and we later
    hooked up with Fringe after putting together a deal. In 1991,  we
    released an EP called _Chemical Land_ and by then  Max  had  left
    the band and Nocturne stepped in and that was a  big  improvement
    for us. We then released _Machine Altar Transmission_, another EP
    _Bitter Alloys_ and then onto _Pressures Collide_.  Speed  joined
    us following the release of the _Pressures Collide_ CD and toured
    in support of that and other previous releases.

CoC: How difficult is it for bands,  especially  ones  not  on  major
     labels, to tour Canada?

VC: Canada isn't ready for this type of music. They are not ready for
    this music. Canada is a huge country and the population is really
    small so it doesn't make any sense to go out and tour.  Even  the
    States is more worthwhile. With this kind  of  music,  we  aren't
    expecting a lot from this country which is why we  have  to  look
    elsewhere.

SP: The problem with touring in Canada is that  you  can't  afford  a
    loss on tours. And that usually  happens  here  with  playing  in
    small places after travelling so far to get there.

CoC: And how has signing to Van Richter Records and Kk Records helped
     the band?

SP: Those labels have good bands on their label.  The  key  thing  is
    that they came to us and wanted a license deal with us.  The  key
    aspect of licensing your material is getting it  to  mass  people
    and somebody was gonna pay us for that material and help us reach
    those people. We still owed money to Fringe for recording and any
    money to help pay those bills is good for us.

VC: Both of those labels are  good  for  us  because  they  advertise
    extensively, with Kk in  Europe  and  Van  Richter,  well,  their
    coverage seems good within the States.

CoC: So in order to get the word out about D.H.I. with  support  from
     both labels, what form of commercial  medium  are  they  looking
     into? 

VC: We want to focus on both radio and video play in the  States  and
    Europe.

SP: The album has already  been  out  two  years  here  [Canada]  but
    hopefully we will get some play in the U.S. The problem  is  that
    college radio is very commercial right now. So it  is  hard  when
    college radio stations are subsidized by record labels.

VC: Even before we signed to Van Richter, we were receiving  lots  of
    mail and feedback from fans. And hopefully with Van Richter, that
    will go one step forward.

CoC: And the influences that helped create D.H.I.?

SP: Everyone nowadays is influenced by a lot of things.  Our  musical
    tastes are very broad. It is not just industrial music.

CoC: The band has been known to have quite  a  live  performance.  Is
     there a reason for this or is this live performance  brought  on
     by the intensity of the industrial flavored sounds of the band?

VR: There is no point going onstage if there is no visual. There  are
    enough bands being like statues and performing the way bands were
    20 years ago.

SP: I mean we aren't  gonna  have  Eddy  [reference  to  Iron  Maiden
    mascot] pop up over our shoulders or  anything  like  that.  Even
    when we rehearse, we have fun and jump around. I don't want to go
    see a band stand around 'cause I can then just hear the record at
    home. Our live show is a performance ... it is entertaining music
    as well as a show rolled into one. When I perform, I think of  it
    as a show that I would want to go see.

CoC: Future plans for D.H.I.?

VC: There will be a new release this fall.  We  are  writing  for  it
    right now and we are happy with the mew material and things  seem
    to be falling right into place. We aren't planning our direction.
    We are going with the groove.

SP: D.H.I.'s music has always had music that is hard-edged  but  when
    you listen to the album, it is not just  one-dimensional.  It  is
    not teen boy angst music. We plan to go on  our  merry  way  with
    what we have been doing and hopefully there will be  an  audience
    for the music that we are creating.

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

   G U T - S O N I C ' S   G U T W R E N C H I N G   G R O O V E S
   ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
                A Chat with Andrew Sanger of gut-sonic
                          by: Gino Filicetti

     Although gut-sonic has been around the Toronto  area  scene  for
over four years, not until recently has the  band  begun  to  realize
their potential both as musicians and as artists.  It  has  been  two
years since the band has become a stable unit  consisting  of  Andrew
Sanger (vocals), Rick Tyrrell and Jim Sproule (guitars), Mike Gregory
(bass), and Stuart Platt (drums).
     Andrew took some time out of a busy schedule  preparing  for  an
upcoming CD release party to talk to Chronicles of  Chaos  and  share
his views on music and the world.


CoC: Give us some history on the band; when did the original  members
     start?

Andrew Sanger: Well, gut-sonic was a band  before  myself,  Mike  the
               bass player and Stu the drummer joined.  They  were  a
               three piece at that time and I think Rick and Jim both
               sang lead, they just switched off, but I  think  there
               was a lack of focus both visually and musically in the
               band. Stu, Mike and I all joined at the same time, and
               that was almost two years ago now.

CoC: Even though you didn't play with the original band, what  is  it
     like going from a three piece to a five piece band?
     
AS: I played in a four piece before, never an actual three piece, but
    I think there is more energy, if it works, if you  can  get  five
    people in a band that are all there  for  the  right  reasons.  I
    think that the energy comes from the strength in numbers. Like  I
    said, if you can get that amount of people together that are  all
    focused, you'll have that  much  more  power  and  leverage.  The
    number five is a very powerful number, not to get  too  isoteric,
    but numerology is the whole thing with the  title  of  our  album
    _Impetus 23_.

CoC: Where does that title originate from? What is the meaning behind 
     it?

AS: Well, between Rick, Jim and myself, we all  started  reading  the
    same author, Robert  Anton  Wilson,  and  all  his  writings  and
    findings. He is sort of like a cutting edge, human evolution type
    forward thinker. He doesn't think in the norms at all,  and  he's
    way ahead of his time. But the number of coincidences  that  have
    happened around this number are staggering and most people aren't
    aware of it. Basically the number 23 has a  lot  of  meaning  and
    power. It's all written in the liner notes of  the  CD.  Some  of
    those are just for fun, but there are a lot of coincidences  that
    you just have to look at and go, "Hmm, that's weird." But back to
    what you were saying, I  think  there  are  certain  powers  that
    circle around people, and if you are all focused on one thing,  a
    lot of things can happen.

CoC: Where do you get your vocal inspiration? Why do you sing the way
     you do when most bands go  for  the  added  heaviness  in  their
     vocals?

AS: Just for that reason alone. If everyone's going one way, I'd like
    to go the other way. If there is a big line-up for  something,  I
    won't go to that line-up, you know? I'm not  into  following  the
    masses too much, I don't think any of us are, or else we wouldn't
    be doing the stuff that we're doing. We've all  been  doing  this
    for quite awhile, ten, fifteen  years  depending  on  who  you're
    talking too; but if we didn't like music, and the art of it, then
    we wouldn't be  doing  this  now,  we  would  probably  be  doing
    something else that is more monetarily rewarding.  When  I'm  not
    singing with gut-sonic, I try and pull  from  other  areas  so  I
    listen to a lot of female vocalists and I  listen  to  a  lot  of
    classical and jazz. I like all sorts  of  stuff,  but  I'll  also
    throw in Mr. Bungle, I love them. I like good singers, so I  like
    Kate Bush, and Tori Amos for their vocal ability, and I like Tony
    Bennett, and I like Frank  Sinatra  <laughs>,  and  I  like  Mike
    Patton. I think he is one of the best character voices  there  is
    right now in music period. I don't think anybody can do what he's
    done. In Faith No More, he's sort of "mainstreamed" himself,  but
    as far as Mr. Bungle goes, with the first album  and  the  second
    one,  he's  just  fucking  doing  everything.  His  voice  is  an
    instrument. And that blows my mind, like the stuff that  he  does
    and how he can actually change his voice.

CoC: How is it being a band in a city like Toronto? Do  you  consider
     the scene here healthy?

AS: No, not at all. Not after we got  out  and  saw  how  people  are
    outside of Toronto musically, and as far as  just  being  people.
    We're really kind of disappointed  with  Toronto  in  retrospect.
    Looking back, it's funny what you get used to, the  attitude  and
    stuff. We went out, and we met some really amazing  people,  they
    were really friendly and there's no hidden agenda.

CoC: What do you think about the bands that never make it in Toronto.
     Who's fault is it?

AS: Well, it's a tough thing. If you stay in Toronto  too  long,  and
    play around too much without expanding your fanbase,  whether  it
    be radio, or tapping into the industry, you are going to die. All
    the clubs talk, they speak to  each  other.  I  know  that  Craig
    [owner of Lee's Palace, a Toronto area club] talks to Enzo [owner
    of The Opera House, another local club]. Everyone talks, so if  a
    band has a bad night one night for a reason, the other clubs find
    out about it and before you know it, you're not  really  accepted
    in the clubs. So I think, unless you can step above that and play
    outside of Toronto, or if you can increase your fan base  through
    radio or video or  expand  your  horizons  through  the  industry
    itself, but if you're just going to play  in  Toronto,  it's  not
    going to last that long.

CoC: Does your music reflect your personality? Do you consider it  an
     artform?

AS: Oh absolutely, yeah. We don't write any songs  to  fit  into  any
    sort of genre. I guess a lot of bands have said this but we  just
    write, we all piece things together. We have another whole  album
    of music ready to go. We have 14 songs on this one, and  we  have
    another 12 to 16 tracks ready to go on a CD right  now.  We  play
    songs live that are ready to  go,  that  aren't  on  this  album,
    because we like them so much. We are not into doing routine sets.
    We change the set every night. I know some bands that just go out
    there and do the same thing every  night  but  we  don't  because
    we're just not into that kind of thing.  We  play  old  gut-sonic
    songs, and we play new stuff that no one's  heard,  and  we  even
    play stuff that we haven't even finished, we just  trash  it  out
    live to try them out.

CoC: What do you try and achieve with your music?

AS: I think basically, we are just trying to express  ourselves,  and
    not really be concerned about what the industry  wants,  or  what
    people are into at one particular moment. We just play to try and
    please ourselves. We like to draw on all the genres, and all  the
    music that the entire band listens to. We  don't  really  have  a
    game plan, we are just sort of living in the moment  as  much  as
    possible I think.

Contact: gut-sonic, 599B Yonge Street, Suite #125
         Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M4Y-1Z4
         e-mail: 76702.2073@compuserve.com 
    
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       ::::::|:|:| :::| :::, :::/ :::, :|:| :::| `::| :|:|  :|
                             :|
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   ::|  :::\ :::| :~~/ :::| :::| ,::\ .::\ /::| :::| :| ,::\ :::\ <::<
 ::::::|:|:|  :|  :::, :|   :|   `::/ `::| \::|  :|  :| `::/ :|:| >::>
                                     ,.:/

Here is where CoC gets the inside story on up-and-coming bands. Check
out this column for a variety of fresh, brutal groups.  Should you be
an aspiring band on your way to super-stardom,  send us your demo and
bio; our address is included in the zine's header.


                  L O R D S   O F   L E T H A R G Y 
                  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
         Chronicles of Chaos interrogates Lords of the Stone
                          by: Gino Filicetti

     More and more these days, bands seem to be turning towards a new
form of metal. This is especially true in The Netherlands, where doom
metal appears to be booming, and looks to become the next big  trend.
Lords of the Stone are a Dutch doom metal band that have been part of
the underground for over 3 years. Formed in 1992, by  vocalist  Andre
Dijkstra, the  band  included  guitarists  Roel  Dijkstra  and  Henri
Sattler, as well as bassist Evert Jepma, drummer  Ard  de  Weerd  and
background vocalist Inge de Haas. Over the next three years, the band
recorded 3 demos (the latest, _In An Eyelid's Fall_, was reviewed  in
the New Noise section of CoC  #5).  The  Lords  have  also  undergone
personnel changes to add a keyboardist in place  of  Henri  Sattler's
guitars, and replacing their bass player  with  Arjan  Van  de  Logt.
Also, the band added a female vocalist, Martine van Loon (ex  of  The
Gathering) to complete the new and revamped Lords of the Stone.
     My first exposure to the Lords' music was through  their  latest
demo.  It  was  sent  to  me  by  the  current  bassist  Arjan  after
corresponding with him many times on IRC  and  through  e-mail.  This
interview was conducted via e-mail, and was answered  by  both  Andre
and Arjan.
     The home of doom metal nowadays would seem  to  be  in  Northern
Europe. Bands like Tiamat, Paradise Lost, The Gathering etc. have all
seem to come at a time when metal is at a crossroads. The Netherlands
is undoubtedly one of the current  hotbeds  for  melodic  metal.  Was
their any pressure  to  continue  this  trend  when  the  Lords  were
started? Andre answers, "No we don't follow trends,  we  do  what  WE
like!" Arjan adds, "I think you can hear in our music that  we  don't
follow trends. Many people think that we  have  have  a  lot  of  old
fashioned metal influences. The changes on the last demo  had  to  do
with some new faces in the band who brought their influences. Besides
that, we now use keyboards instead of two guitars, which changes  the
sound of the band a lot."
     In a scene with such fierce competition, it is  commonplace  for
many bands to take a cutthroat attitude towards their peers. For many
of these musicians, all that is important is their  conquest  of  the
world. Is the Dutch doom scene like this as  well?  "There  are  some
bands who act like friends to everyone. Often a few bands  find  each
other and work together or just stay friends. But I could  also  name
some bands which have an attitude like 'We are the best.'  Of  course
there's a lot of competition, but I think that's good for the scene,"
replies Arjan.
     The popularity of doom metal has risen tremendously in the  past
few years, especially in Europe. Crowds of people are flocking to see
these bands on tour and buying CDs like they're going out  of  style.
What could possibly be the reason for this surge in popularity? Arjan
replies, "I think that now, some death bands are moving more and more
towards Hardcore that some fans who don't like  hardcore  'join'  the
doom bands. Besides that, some doom bands play more  melodically  and
symphonically, which attracts some of the less metal minded fans too."
     Currently, the band just closed a deal  with  Massacre  Records,
and their current goal is to record their first studio album in April
of this year. The band hopes to have a product on the shelves by  the
middle of May, and are very excited at  finally  getting  a  shot  at
recording in a real studio. Waldemar Sorychta  (Despair,  Grip  Inc.,
Samael, Tiamat, Unleashed) will be assisting the band in the  studio,
and Danny A. Serveas will play the keyboard parts because the  band's
old keyboardist, Henk-Jan, has decided that his  life  was  just  too
busy to keep up with The Lords.
     For the most current information on the band, check out the  Web
page below, or contact Arjan himself.

Contact: Arjan van de Logt, Wilhelminalaan 44, 8262 DG Kampen
         Voice: 05202-18442, Email: lords@worldaccess.nl
         Web Page: http://www.worldaccess.nl/~lords

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                |      <|  -__|  __|  _  |   _|  _  |
                |___|__||_____|____|_____|__| |_____|
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  |   __ \.-----.--.--.-----.|  |.---.-.|  |_|__|.-----.-----.-----.
  |      <|  -__|  |  |  -__||  ||  _  ||   _|  ||  _  |     |__ --|
  |___|__||_____|\___/|_____||__||___._||____|__||_____|__|__|_____|

This is where we rant, rave, and rip apart albums. Check  this  column
every month for the scoop on the latest in heavy hand-outs.

Scoring:  10 out of 10 -- If there was ever a perfect CD, this is it!
           8 out of 10 -- A great piece of metallic mayhem
           6 out of 10 -- Not too bad of an album
           4 out of 10 -- You are treading in dangerous waters
           2 out of 10 -- If you like this, you are fucked!
           0 out of 10 -- My shit can put out better music than this!


Skrew - _Shadow of Doubt_  (Metalblade, April 1996)
by: Gino Filicetti  (8 out of 10)

This is album number  three  for  Adam  Grossman's  industrial  metal
machine, Skrew. This album tears through 55 minutes of pure,  intense
mayhem, combining the grinding assault of  triple  guitars  with  the
heart stopping power of a REAL drum kit (as opposed to the electronic
kind). To tell the truth, I haven't  really  heard  an  entire  Skrew
album before, and from what I did hear, I was never really impressed.
Suffice it to say that my mind has been changed  after  listening  to
_Shadow of Doubt_. The power of this album is evident from the  first
thirty seconds of the lead track, right down to  the  last  outro  on
track number  eleven.  The  vocals  here  are,  believe  it  or  not,
undistorted; something I believe gives  this  band  more  credibility
than most industrial metal outfits jumping the bandwagon. Some of  my
favorite tunes include "Sam I  Am",  which  begins  with  an  intense
punch,  and  grooves  right  up  to  the  end.  Another  standout  is
"Generator", which once again catches the listener right off the bat.
Give this CD a good listen, and I'm sure  you'll  find  something  to
your liking. Also look out for the hidden verse at  the  end  of  the
last track, "Crawl". It's a  hilarious  little  "hilly  billy  ditty"
using some of the lyrics from the song.


My Dying Bride - _The Angel and the Dark River_  
by: Adrian Bromley (8 out of 10) (Fierce/Futurist, March 1996)

With just seven songs averaging nine  minutes  in  length  each,  the
overall effect of this North  Yorkshire  sextet's  third  full-length
release, _The Angel And the  Dark  River_,  is  once  again  of  epic
proportions. From the captivating piano work and vocals of  "The  Cry
Of Mankind", to the dark and tranquil "Black Voyage" and "Two Winters
Only", there is no doubt that this band puts  their  souls  into  the
music. We can feel their pain, suffering, and we become part  of  the
music. While known to many as one of the true gloom/gothic metal acts
around, My Dying Bride is on the verge of breaking  out  to  a  major
market  with  this  release  because  the  response  in  Europe  (via
media/press)  has  been  overwhelming,  and  that  is  carrying  over
Stateside. The prime effect bestowed by  this  band  is  through  its
haunting music and serene vocals, and that is key to  their  rise  in
success. No one is doing this type of  music  at  this  calibre.  For
those unaware of this band's existence, may I recommend a trip to the
record store sometime in the future?


EYEHATEGOD - _Dopesick_  (Century Media, March 1996)
by: Gino Filicetti  (7 out of 10)

Louisana's  most  hate-filled,   puss-ridden   purveyors   of   dark,
disgusting dirge are back, and they just  don't  give  a  fuck  (once
again). EYEHATEGOD's new  album,  _Dopesick_,  continues  the  band's
trend of rage, raunchiness, and uncontrolled hate. Produced by  Billy
Anderson   (Melvins,   Neurosis,   Mr.   Bungle)   and   C.O.C.   (!)
guitarist/vocalist Pepper Keenan, this album is not something for the
weak of heart, or the easily intimidated. The music here is the super
slow, back home southern "metal" type that could make you fall asleep
if it wasn't for the incessant grind of  it  all.  Micheal  Williams'
vocals are the utmost sickening, puke-ridden  audio  atrocities  that
could actually prove deadly if taken in large doses.  Songs  such  as
"Dogs Holy Life", "Zero Nowhere",  "Methamphetamine",  and  "Lack  of
Almost Everything", by their titles alone, show that this band  isn't
joking around when it comes to their depression. Haters of life, love
and God, these New Orleans dirt packers are back and just waiting  to
be excreted on March 26. So lock  up  the  women  and  children,  and
subject yourself to 39 minutes of uncontrolled agony.


Cemetary - _Sundown_  (Black Mark, February 1996)
by: Gino Filicetti  (6 out of 10)

This album marks Cemetary's fourth plunge into the minds and souls of
its fans worldwide. Still following  the  trend  set  on  their  last
release, _Black Vanity_, Cemetary have evolved their music  more  and
more towards the melodic range of the musical spectrum. Where have we
heard this before? Hmm ... I don't know, but it seems to  me  that  a
lot of European bands are starting to forget where it  is  they  came
from. The music on this album it very well executed and certainly not
without an element of talent, but it is almost TOO reminiscent of the
80s hard rock sound. There is a lot of emotion on this album, and  it
does prove very beautiful in certain parts, but to me, I'm not  happy
with the change  Cemetary  has  made.  They  have  taken  the  gothic
elements that have been a part of  their  music  since  their  second
album, and changed them almost to the point of  becoming  pop.  Leads
abound on this album, as do powerchords and other tools of the guitar
trade in the 1980s. Although this album isn't terrible, it's just not
something I wanted to see from Cemetary; to me  it  seems  that  they
have chosen the wrong fork in the road.


Cannibal Corpse - _Vile_  (Metal Blade, May 1996)
by: Gino Filicetti  (7 out of 10)

They're back! The undisputed kings of blood, guts and gore are  back,
and this time they have something to prove.  That  something  is  the
fact that the infamous Chris Barnes wasn't  all  there  was  to  this
band, that in fact, they could carry on without Barnes at  the  helm.
With the departure of Barnes to his now full-time  side  project  Six
Feet  Under,  Cannibal   Corpse   enlisted   the   help   of   George
"Corpsegrinder" Fisher (ex-Monstrosity) to take up the vocal  chores.
The change in vocal approach is evident, but  not  as  drastic  as  I
thought they would be. Fisher maintains the  brutally  guttural  roar
that was the mainstay of  this  band,  but  in  my  opinion,  greatly
outshines his predecessor. The music on  this  album,  although  very
tight and well produced, doesn't turn  any  new  corners  whatsoever.
Blast beats still abound, but they are toned down a notch. Leads  run
rampant throughout this  effort  and  are  executed  quite  well.  As
always, this release was recorded with the help  of  Scott  Burns  at
Morrisound Studios in Tampa Bay. This album marks the first time that
any remaining member of Cannibal Corpse has had to pick up the  lyric
pen and inscribe  the  horrifyingly  vicious  songs  that  appear  on
_Vile_. I can safely say that they did a fine job in keeping up  with
Cannibal Corpse's legacy of brutality. One track that stands out from
the  rest  on  this  release  is  "Relentless  Beating",  a  2-minute
instrumental piece that gives an otherwise repetitive album a  slight
twist of unexpectedness. In closing, I'm sure you are  ALL  wondering
how I would compare this CD to Six Feet Under's debut _Haunted_.  I'd
be an asshole to make you have to wait until May 21st to find out, so
I'll tell you this: Barnes' wasn't the be all and end all of Cannibal
Corpse. This band, as far as I'm concerned, has proven that they  can
still kick ass without the help of one Chris Barnes.  Just  you  wait
and see.


Primordial - _Imrama_  (Cacophonous, December 1995)
by: Nick Bassett  (8 out of 10)

I'd call this Celtic black metal, characterized in part by a  droning
guitar sound different from the standard Norwegian brand. Traditional
Celtic music is also on the plate, blending suprisingly well into the
overall sound. There are many highlights, including "Here I Am King",
"To the Ends of the Earth", and "Let the Sun Set  On  Life  Forever".
The whole concept here seems to be the worship of pagan idols, so the
intentions  of  the  album's  last  line  seem  to  me  a  source  of
stupefaction:  "Lucifer,  what  tidings  doth  thou  bring?"...  very
strange, indeed! This would have received a perfect  score,  were  it
not for that peculiarity, and for the presence of the misguided  love
song "The Darkest Flame". Still highly recommended for anyone looking
for new and different variations on the black metal sound.  Available
from Red Stream.


Comecon - _Fable Frolic_  (Century Media, 1995)
by: Alain M. Gaudrault  (9 out of 10)

I think it's time fans of technical death metal  discovered  Comecon.
The band is comprised of core members Pelle Strom  and  Rasmus  Ekman
(both performing guitar, bass, and keys), drummer Jonas  Fredriksson,
and guest vocalist Marc Grewe of  Morgoth  fame.  Comecon  previously
released two albums which didn't garner much attention,  despite  the
presence of vocalists L.G. Petrov (Entombed) and  Martin  Van  Drunen
(Pestilence, Asphyx).  _Fable  Frolic_  far  surpasses  both  albums,
showcasing the band's talents beautifully. Admittedly, I didn't think
much of it  upon  first  listen,  but  I  mustn't  have  been  paying
attention, as this is a monstrous release. Don't let some of the song
titles throw you off (eg. "Soft, Creamy Lather", "The Family  Album",
"Bovine Inspiration") as you'd be missing out on an  excellent  album
with a myriad of textures, sometimes  trippy,  sometimes  aggressive,
always heavy, always impressive. I must add that Jonas'  drumming  is
top notch, complementing the complex rhythms perfectly. A masterpiece
in my eyes (and ears), well worth the purchase price.


Crown of Thornz - _Train Yard Blues_  (Equal Vision, Winter 1995)
by: Gino Filicetti  (4 out of 10)

Sometimes I wonder how a ride on the bandwagon feels  like?  I  mean,
any smart person knows that the ride is going to end sooner or later,
so what's the point getting on in the first  place?  The  thing  most
bands fail to realize is that after the trip is over,  you'll  always
end up farther from the top than when you started. Ok, now that  I've
had my chance to philosophize, it's time to review this CD. Not to be
confused with the European band which appears on the  Slayer  tribute
album: _Slaytanic Slaughter Vol. I_, Crown of Thornz are a New  York,
skinhead, wannabe Life of Agony hardcore  band.  The  music  here  is
typical, sub-standard New York hardcore punk.  Nothing  new,  nothing
particularily catchy. The vocals here  aren't  as  annoying  as  most
frantically screaming hardcore bands, but again, they fail to achieve
any significance in my mind. The best  song  here  is  the  groovable
"Crown of Thorns" which at least  contains  semi-intelligent  lyrics.
Overall, this 20-minute EP isn't even worth a  listen  as  the  first
five minutes pretty much spell out the rest of the album. Sorry guys,
but the ride stops here.


In Flames - _Subterranean_ MCD  (Wrong Again Records, December 1995)
by: Nick Bassett  (9 out of 10)

This particular mini-CD is well conceived, well excecuted,  and  well
produced - perhaps the crown jewel from what has come to be known  as
the "Gothenburg Scene" (At the Gates, Dark Tranquility, et  al).  The
proceedings seem strongly inspired by the traditional metal sound, in
particular the 80s work of bands like Iron Maiden  and  perhaps  even
Helloween. The cover artwork and layout are somewhat minimal, but how
important is that? The  abundance  of  great  melodies  and  flawless
guitar work, coupled with a  somewhat-refreshing  absence  of  violin
fiddlings and bad female vocals (which characterized  their  earlier,
somewhat dubious "Lunar Strain" effort) make this all  but  essential
for fans of the aforementioned genre. Available from Dark Symphonies.


Deadguy - _Fixation On A Coworker_  (Victory/Cargo, February 1996)
by: Adrian Bromley  (6 out of 10)

Not sure where this album is headed or what we are  supposed  to  get
out of this, but tell ya one thing: I have  got  a  serious  headache
after listening to Deadguy's latest offering. Blending the crunch  of
metallic riffs and the sheer "rip n' tear" thoughts of  the  ultimate
hardcore outfit, New Jersey's Deadguy  are  a  prime  example  of  an
experiment gone wrong ... in a good  way.  Pantera-style  vocals  are
everywhere. Everywhere. Even a similar (less death-ish) screamage  to
that of Obituary's John Tardy is  present.  And  with  not  the  most
impressive  guitarwork  or  assembling  of  music,  _Fixation  On   A
Coworker_ appears to be nothing more than a way to release anger  and
tension. While most of the material is loud and heavy (a good thing),
a lot of the numbers sound very similar to each other -  not  a  good
thing. Standouts include "Pins And Needles", "The Extremist" and "Die
With Your Mask On". Every time I hear this  record  I  get  different
feelings about it, and not all of them are too good.


One Life Crew - _Crime Ridden Society_  (Victory/Cargo, February 1996)
by: Adrian Bromley  (4 out of 10)

If you listened to one hardcore record as of late, you've heard  them
all. Listening to One Life Crew, it all seems  to  be  just  rehashed
hardcore shit from other bands' releases from  the  last  few  years.
This band is following in the footsteps of bands like Sick Of It  All
and Snapcase, maybe a bit more metallic (Pantera-ish)  at  times  but
still delivering hard messages and riffs.  With  eight  songs  and  a
cover song (Confront's "Our Fight") just coming in at 15-minutes, One
Life Crew hit hard, fast and with multiple messages about our  "crime
ridden society." But haven't we heard this all before?


Abigor - _Verwustung/Invoke The Dark Age_
by: Gino Filicetti (7 out of 10) (Napalm/Sepulture Prod, 1994)

Just recently  picked  up  by  Canadian  distro  newcomers  Sepulture
Productions, this is the first Napalm release  to  "hit  the  market"
here in Canada. This album is Abigor's first full-length release  and
since then, they have recorded two more  albums.  Upon  first  listen
this album begins as a typical,  run-of-the-mill  black  metal  album
with the cliched screeching vox and the "guitars on speed" riffs, but
upon closer inspection certain nuances unfold bringing the music to a
higher level of being: above the masses of black sheep  now  crowding
the countryside. One of my favorite songs is "Kingdom  of  Darkness",
which begins with an intense Viking chant booming over the  noise  of
an invasion in progress (the  screams  and  cries  of  women  in  the
background make this evident). At over seven minutes of  music,  this
track is definitely an epic. There are two pieces  included  on  this
album which differ greatly from the  rest  of  the  tracks  appearing
herein. "Beneath A Steel Sky" and  "A  Spell  of  Dark  &  Evil"  are
written and performed by Rune. They are basically ambient pieces with
a piano solo played on top, but the effect is stunning. They  provide
a welcome break from the black metal norm which abounds on  this  CD.
This album definitely garners attention by any fan of the  genre,  so
go to your local 'Hell' and find yourself a copy.


Various - _Identity II_  (Century Media, February 1996)
by: Adrian Bromley  (7 out of 10)

In one tremendous attempt to push all of their diverse bands on their
label at one time, Century Media's latest compilation is  kind  of  a
"hit and miss" outing - though more  hit  than  miss.  With  quite  a
roster consisting of hardcore, metal,  and  hard  rock  outfits,  the
assortment of musical styles seem to clash at some parts on  the  CD,
but overall the music of many of  the  bands  work  off  each  other.
Highlights  you  ask?  Only  Living   Witness'   "Knew   Her   Gone",
Eyehategod's  verbal  assault  "Serving  Time  In  The  Middle",  The
Gathering with "Leaves" and stunning work of Chum and their  offering
"Greetings". Ones we could  have  done  without  were  the  Fight-ish
Trouble track "Plastic Green Head", Merauder's "Master  Killer"  (two
winners back to back eh?) and  an  odd  selection  off  Stuck  Mojo's
debut, "2 Minutes Of Death"? Should have  chosen  metalic  crunch  of
"Not Promised Tomorrow" but .. oh well. With many of their finer acts
like Samael, Sentenced, and Moonspell (found within) putting together
new material for release this year, should be a  good  year  for  the
label.


Ritual - _Hate_  (Vespa Music Group, February 1996)
by: Adrian Bromley  (7 out of 10)

A strong follow-up to the band's last EP _I Give_, _Hate_ is truly  a
building block for the band and its music. Modern sounding, fueled by
adrenalin and delivering a definite stomp, Cornwall, Ontario's Ritual
are going in the right direction with their metallic grooves, a  form
of music long discarded as not being cool anymore. With the  help  of
producer Harry Hess (Harem Scarem singer/songwriter) Ritual's  _Hate_
LP allows itself to come across not only as a slick recording, but as
an album that manages to stand firm as a strong source of  music  and
lyrical content. Such numbers as the title track, "Acid Machine", and
"Tables Turned" create an aura within the  album  thus  allowing  the
album to grow in various  directions  rather  than  focusing  on  one
metallic style. Thumbs up to a more  modern  metal  sound  for  these
unsung heroes of Canadian heaviness.

Contact: RITUAL, 427 Water West, Cornwall, Ont., K6J-1A6, Canada
         email: ritual@cnwl.igs.net
         WWW: http://cnwl.igs.net/~ritual/ritual.htm


13Mg - _Trust And Obey_  (Slipdisc, February 1996)
by: Adrian Bromley  (8 out of 10)

From the depths of Chicago's music scene emerges one  of  the  better
industrial releases in some time. Not exactly as heavy or chaotic  as
Ministry or as experimental as NIN, but 13Mg  is  a  truely  valuable
asset to the industrial music community. With its addictive melodies,
multiple samples and drowned out guitar chords dispersed throughout -
and of course industrial-tinged numbers  -  the  heaviness  of  their
debut album release _Trust And Obey_ is quite visible.  The  creation
of Howard Beno  (producer/mixer  for  such  acts  as  Monster  Voodoo
Machine, Skrew, and Jesus And Mary Chain), 13Mg has  been  a  project
that has been a haven for musicians to come and go since  1993  until
most recently where the  line-up  was  permanently  established.  The
music of 13Mg shifts from goth/industrial styles of  songs  to  dance
inspired metal numbers. Varied music here. Superior  doses  of  hefty
slabs of mayhem include "Uppercut", first single "Sinister", "Lie  In
State", and "Too Freaky". Even  Filter's  programmer  Brian  Liesgang
adds his touch with the album finale  "Math".  Inventive  music  that
keeps us alert and wanting more from start to finish. Strong debut.


Dawn - _Naer Solen Gar Niber For Evogher_  (Necropolis, December 1995)
by: Brian Meloon  (8 out of 10)

On the surface, this would seem to be a  disc  that  I  would  really
like. The music is a  fusion  of  most  of  the  standard  styles  of
northern black metal, reminding me at times of  Emperor,  Dissection,
and The Abyss, but it displays the precision usually only  associated
with death metal, and they avoid the cheesy corpsepaint  and  satanic
imagery. Actually, they don't look at all like  a  black  metal  band
from their pictures. The music doesn't heavily rely on keyboards, but
is still very melodic, using single-note guitar lines  to  carry  the
music most of the time. The  production  is  great:  maintaining  the
heavy guitar distortion, but with a clarity that  makes  it  easy  to
hear exactly what they are playing ... and the bass is even  audible.
For some reason, though, I just  can't  seem  to  get  into  it.  The
playing is very precise; solid but not flashy. The single-note melody
lines are often either harmonized or have countermelodies under them,
which keeps the music interesting most of  the  time.  Unfortunately,
they never really put things together to make a great song.  Most  of
the songs end up somewhere above average.  Also,  I  can't  tell  the
songs apart. This is in part due to the generally high quality of the
songs, plus the fact that most of the songs are  medium  length,  and
usually contain a lot of sections per song, although they do tend  to
repeat sections in them a little too often. The album as a whole also
lacks the variety necessary to  differentiate  the  songs  from  each
other. Still, this makes for a nice listen, and  for  a  debut,  it's
very impressive. 


Various - _With Us Or Against Us_  (Napalm Records, December 1995)
by: Nick Bassett  (8 out of 10)

A seven song compilation from  Austria's  Napalm  Records,  featuring
unreleased tracks from each of their seven bands.  While  "unreleased
tracks"  might  normally  mean  "leftovers,"  the   songs   on   this
compilation are, for the better part at least, representative of  the
bands' better material:

UNPURE - "Lust of Darkness" - Off to a roaring start with some brutal
mid-tempo black metal. This is a fine  little  ditty  which  I  think
transcends the material on the band's own self-titled debut.

ABIGOR - "Shadowlord" - Another great track, melodic black metal  not
far removed in style from the band's recent  _Nachthymnen_  CD.  This
one contains some great melodies and  tasteful  chorus  vocals.  Good
stuff!

NASTROND - "From a Black Funeral Coffin" - A piece  of  grim  Swedish
black metal, but with what I find to be a distinct  Norwegian  sound.
This is nothing groundbreaking, but a well-executed piece that  holds
substantial enjoyment for the blackened masses.

KOROVA - "Trip to the Bleeding Planets (Unto the  Light)"  -  Another
great piece from the people who brought you "A Kiss  in  the  Charnel
Fields". This Austrian quartet play a style of  music  that  is  very
dark, yet technical and somewhat quirky. An interesting  listen,  but
definitely NOT black metal.

SUMMONING - untitled - This is typical Summoning, complete  with  raw
guitars and a cheesy drum machine beat. This being  a  "home-recorded
track," the sound quality is worse than ever.

SETHERIAL - "My Veins Are Open" -  More  Swedish  black  metal,  like
Nastrond in some aspects, but with more keyboards  and  "atmosphere."
Not bad.

BELMEZ - "Hildebrandt" - A one-man project  originating  in  Germany,
producing slow, tortured music for a decidedly limited audience.  Not
for everyone!

-- 43 minutes is indeed short by compilation standards, but  I  think
the quality of these tracks easily  makes  up  for  the  quantitative
shortcomings. Highly  recommended  for  fans  of  any  of  the  bands
mentioned, and for anyone wanting to sample the efforts of the entire
Napalm roster. Available from Napalm Records America. 

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              /\ \ \_____      __   /\ \ \___ (_)___  ___
             /  \/ / _ \ \ /\ / /  /  \/ / _ \| / __|/ _ \
            / /\  /  __/\ V  V /  / /\  / (_) | \__ \  __/
            \_\ \/ \___| \_/\_/   \_\ \/ \___/|_|___/\___|

Your best source of information on the newest of the  new,   and  the
lowest of the underground, New Noise is  the place to  read about all
the coolest  shit you never  thought existed! And if you have a band,
don't  forget to  send us your  demo  with a  bio if you  want  to be
reviewed; our address is included in the zine's header.


Agonizing Terror - _Disharmony in God's Creation_  (5 track demo)
by: Alain M. Gaudrault

I have a love/hate thing going on with this demo. On  the  one  hand,
the musicianship is poor, the playing sloppy, but on the other  hand,
it's excellently written death/grind, reminiscent of Bolt Thrower  in
many ways. The vocals are  well  recorded,  featuring  death  growls,
classic Carcass-like gurgles, and the occasional dual vocal track and
echo for effect. There are interesting ideas here, and while none  of
them are terribly original or groundbreaking,  the  songs  are  still
great to listen to. Portugal seems to be waking up to  metal  in  the
last while, and these guys will hopefully up  their  playing  skills,
develop a sound they  can  more  easily  call  their  own,  and  take
advantage of the rising scene in their country. In any case, this  is
recommended for grind fans, particularly those into Bolt Thrower.

Contact: Agonizing Terror, Rua Joao de Deus no. 24
         3830 Ilhavo, Portugal
         Voice: 351-34-322562
         send $6US for a copy of the demo


Childman - _Childman_  (4 track demo)
by: Alain M. Gaudrault

Once in a while, I'll get a demo that's actually tough  to  classify.
Many bands like to  feel  that  they  defy  classification,  Childman
succeeds. While the vocals are sometimes akin  to  a  less  distorted
Alain Jourgensen  (of  Ministry  fame),  and  samples  are  sprinkled
throughout, the music itself is sort of a metal/hardcore/punk hybrid.
I found it odd how the guitars sound mechanical  in  their  approach,
and yet  sound  distinctly  analog.  The  last  of  the  four  songs,
"Screaming", differs from the others in  that  the  vocals  are  more
sung, a la very early Soundgarden. In fact, the whole  song  reminded
me of old Soundgarden. Don't get me  wrong,  Childman  can  still  be
considered metal, just not your run of the mill metal outfit. It took
me awhile to get into this, but it was well worth the  effort.  Check
this out if you're in the mood for  something  eclectic,  mechanical,
and heavy.

Contact: Voice: 713-271-9862 (Larry), 713-524-8829 (Keo)
         Email: speyek@es.rice.edu
         WWW: http://es.rice.edu/~speyek/SPIKE.HTML


Cryptic Fate - _Ends Are Forever_  (9 track demo)
by: Alain M. Gaudrault

These guys are apparently the  first  Bangladeshi  heavy  metal  band
ever. Not only are they  playing  English-sung  metal  in  a  country
generally unresponsive to the genre, but they're all quite young, the
eldest members being only 20 years of age. What they've  released  is
more than a demo, and is actually a full-length album which is  being
promoted mainly through indirect channels. _Ends Are Forevr_ is by no
means a "brutal" offering  in  any  way.  Cryptic  Fate's  influences
include Iron Maiden,  Alice  In  Chains,  old  Metallica,  and  Dream
Theater, among others, and this comes out  in  their  song  stylings,
although oftentimes on a song by song basis. That is to say, one song
will have major AiC  overtones,  another  will  feature  Iron  Maiden
influences, and so on. Don't get me wrong,  though,  as  this  is  an
excellent recording from a band with loads of  potential.  What  they
need is to bridge the various  styles  and  influences  into  a  more
unified sound, something I  feel  they  can  achieve  with  time  and
effort. The guitar sound is unfortunately quite muddy  and  undefined
(read: shitty), and the rhythms are occasionally a tad simplistic and
in need of an additional creative spark,  although  the  leadwork  is
memorable  and  impressive.  The   vocals   are   well-recorded   and
reminiscent of Death Angel's Mark Osegueda in  certain  ways,  making
for  a  decent  overall  sound.  Recommended  for  fans   of   DA/The
Organization and the above-mentioned influences.

Contact: Farshed Mahmud, P.O. Box 726, Amherst College
         Amherst, MA, 01002, USA
         Email: fmahmud@unix.amherst.edu
         WWW: http://www.amherst.edu/~fmahmud/fate.html
         For a copy of this album, send $5US (postage included).


End of One - _No Souls Saved_  (6 track demo)
by: Alain M. Gaudrault

I got this demo pretty much hot off the press, if I'm to believe  the
liner notes which indicate the demo being recorded  in  late  January
1996. Well executed and  reasonably  well  put  together,  _No  Souls
Saved_ features six tracks of solid death metal with  the  occasional
speed metal break  interspersed.  The  vocals  are  nothing  special,
sticking to death growls throughout, but I  found  the  guitar  sound
kept me listening. In fact, the clean, crisp distortion  gives  it  a
more European flavour, even though  the  band  hails  from  New  York
State. The odd low tempo grooves, the occasional blasts of speed, and
the consistently churning riffs make this a  cool  listen.  It  seems
generic the first few times you listen to it, but I suspect that both
the production and the unspectacular death vocals can be blamed.  I'd
be curious to check out future material of theirs. Death  metal  fans
will surely find something of interest in End of One.

Contact: END OF ONE, 3 Malmros Terrace
         Poughkeepsie, NY, 12601, USA
         Voice: (914) 297-2351, email: jessesuth@aol.com


Inner Misery - _Perpetual Sadness_  (4 track demo)
by: Alain M. Gaudrault

This professionally packaged demo features  three  originals,  and  a
cover of  Black  Sabbath's  "Electric  Funeral".  Formerly  known  as
Misery, the band plays a style of  metal  which  incorporates  speed,
power, and death metal. I've read a  handful  of  articles  on  these
guys, all praising their approach and style. Unfortunately,  I  can't
really do that as well. Granted, after a number of  listens,  it  got
better,  but  I  just  found  the  music  too  dry  and  the  musical
proficiency  too  low.  They  aren't  bad  musicians,  in  fact  they
introduce a variety of time changes and elements that could  possibly
be deemed as being "technical",  but  I  found  no  cohesion  in  the
various riffs, and little musically that keeps me  coming  back.  The
near-death-yet-understandable vocals weren't to my  liking,  although
the vocalist on this recording is no longer in the band, which  means
that aspect may improve in future recordings. A sore point for me  is
the Sabbath cover, seeing as I'm such a huge Black Sabbath fan. Their
rendition adds nothing new, and sounds  rather  empty,  although  the
last point may simply be a matter of low production quality. This may
be of interest to fans of Deceased, another band who plays a form  of
death-influenced speed metal, which just doesn't turn me on.

Contact: INNER MISERY, 160 George Street #1414
         Sarnia, Ont., Canada, N7T-7V4

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     \ \ \/_/_  / __`\ /' _ `\  /'___\ /'__`\/\`'__\ \ \/  /',__\
      \ \ \L\ \/\ \L\ \/\ \/\ \/\ \__//\  __/\ \ \/ \ \ \_/\__, `\
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        \/___/  \/___/  \/_/\/_/\/____/\/____/ \/_/   \/__/\/___/


Here is where Chronicles of Chaos gives  you  the  low  down  on  the
latest shows to come to town. Check out Chaotic Concerts every  month
for the scoop on which bands are brutalizing the  masses  with  their
own form of terror.


             N E V E R   A   M U N D A N E   M O M E N T 
             ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
       DHI at The Rivoli in Toronto, Ontario, January 27, 1996
                        with Mundane and Ichor
                          by: Gino Filicetti
                          
     Once again, it was time to pay homage to the gods of the Toronto
brutal musick scene, our very own Mundane. This being something  like
the tenth time that I would see these maniacs live, let me assure you
that my excitement was present, and in full force.
     As with all shows at the Rivoli, no matter how many people  turn
out, the venue seems packed to the teeth, my best guess would put the
amount of people present at a maximum of two hundred; scarce no doubt
to European standards, but for a Toronto show, it's  about  180  more
people than you'd expect to show up.
     The first band to take the stage was Ichor, a  band  clouded  in
mystery of whom I had yet to hear a sampling of music. All I knew was
that they were an industrial/ambient hybrid.  As  the  band  unfolded
their first song, all that was present on  stage  was  one  man,  two
floor toms and a mic which was not used excessively. Then after about
two minutes of background ambience and tribal beatings, a second  man
emerged to take hold of another  set  of  two  mid-toms.  The  tribal
beating now doubled in intensity, but nothing else changed except the
occasional highly distorted mumbling into the microphone. After about
two songs, a third man took the stage,  and  began  beating  on  what
seemed to me at first as a pair of stage lights. They  were  in  fact
some kind of metal drum set that gave off  a  very  annoying,  shrill
metallic sound. This man seemed to be the jack of all trades  in  the
band, for as the beating of the drums continued endlessly,  this  man
played the metal drums, took up bass guitar, tried his  hand  at  the
keys and even put his lips to a trumpet! Ichor's set was  interesting
to say the least, but I could not see them ever headlining a show and
playing for more than thirty minutes.
     Next to assault the masses was Mundane. As per usual I  took  up
my spot of choice, front row centre, and  got  ready  to  receive  an
injection of pure insanity. The band started their set  with  a  song
taken from their stash of  new  material  (which  has  not  yet  been
released, goddamnit!) and I could safely say gave the crowd, composed
mainly of industrial and gothic types, a shock and a half. Next  came
an old classic from their debut album, _Seed_, entitled "Killing  for
Forgiveness". Their set continued for  approximately  half  an  hour,
with the  energy  level  only  becoming  stronger  and  stronger.  My
particular favorites this time around were the classic "What's Left?"
and their newest 'hit,' "Drowning  In  The  Mainstream".  Sound-wise,
this was probably the best I've seen Mundane, although  according  to
drummer Scott, "This was our lazy show." One peeve  I  had  was  with
Vitor's (vocals/percussion) decision to keep the lights on him  at  a
minimum, denying people  in  the  far  recesses  of  the  venue  from
witnessing his unique stage presence.
     Finally the time came for the  band  that  most  of  the  venue,
excluding myself, came to see: DHI (ie: Death and  Horror  Inc.)  For
me, the jewel of the night had come and gone, but nevertheless,  I've
been interested in  catching  DHI  live  since  hearing  their  album
_Pressures Collide_. Before the set, the stage was jacked up  to  the
max. A plethora of lights were installed, smoke machines readied  and
finally, the time came for the  band  to  take  its  place.  Although
Adrian complained about DHI's similarities to NIN, I  being  the  NIN
ignorant person that I am,  thought  their  sound  was  particularily
heavy and experimental in the same breath. The  one  aspect  of  this
band that I thoroughly enjoyed was their use of an  electric  violin,
played by a stunning female goth. The violin created the most amazing
atmosphere that is impossible to relate in words; suffice it  to  say
that the sounds evoked from the violin gave  me  chills  that  echoed
right to the soul.
     Although circumstances prevented my staying for the  entire  DHI
set, I would definitely see them again. In fact, this  show  probably
ranks up there as one of my favorite small venue concerts in  a  long
time.

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          A   N E W   M A I D E N   I N   A   N E W   E R A
          ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
           Iron Maiden at RPM in Toronto, February 11, 1996
                          with Fear Factory
                        by: Alain M. Gaudrault

     These war horses refuse to  surrender.  After  twenty  years  in
existence, metal veterans Iron  Maiden  are  still  recording,  still
touring, still marching on despite lineup changes and shifting trends
in musical taste  from  a  fickle  public.  This  latest  tour  is  a
milestone as it is the first one featuring new vocalist Blaze Bayley.
Paired up with relative newcomers Fear Factory, the show attracted  a
wide variety of fans.
     Fear Factory's set was decent, but  personally,  their  mediocre
sophomore  (and  latest)  album   release   has   led   to   mediocre
performances. The crowd was visibly and audibly enthralled  when  the
band played  selection  from  their  debut  album,  _Soul  of  a  New
Machine_. The newer material from _Demanufacture_,  particularly  the
Head of David cover "Dog Day Sunrise", wasn't nearly  as  impressive,
and didn't translate very well in a live setting. A good,  solid  set
nonetheless with few surprises.
     Ten o'clock rolled around and the main attraction rolled out  to
be greeted by enthousiastic fans, excited about the show, wary of the
new frontman's capabilities  in  a  live  setting.  Not  having  been
impressed with the vocals on the band's latest opus, _The X  Factor_,
I didn't expect much but was relieved to find that  Bayley  seems  to
fit in just fine with Maiden, and did excellent  renditions  of  such
Maiden  classics  as  "Wrathchild",  "Hallowed  Be  Thy  Name",  "The
Trooper", and "2 Minutes to Midnight", as well as more recent  Maiden
offerings. Bayley shined on the group's latest songs, of course,  and
even gave them an edge I found was lacking on the recording.  I  came
away from their set wanting more, and  even  considering  picking  up
their latest slab to give it another  chance.  And  isn't  that  what
touring's all about?

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            W H A T   W E   H A V E   C R A N K E D ! ! !
            ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Gino's Top 5

1. Exit-13 - _Ethos Musick_
2. Slayer - _Hell Awaits_
3. Skrew - _Shadow of Doubt_
4. Carcass - _Necroticism - Descanting the Insalubrious_
5. Type O Negative - _Bloody Kisses_

Adrian's Top 5

1. Sepultura - _Roots_ (advance)
2. Skrew - _Shadow of Doubt_
3. Neurosis - _Through Silver In Blood_
4. 13MG - _Trust And Obey_
5. Only Living Witness - _Innocents_

Brian's Top 5

1. Spastic Ink - _Ink Complete_ (advance)
2. Dark Tranquility - _Of Chaos and Eternal Night_
3. Dawn - _Naer Solen Gar Niber For Evogher_
4. In Flames - _Lunar Strain_
5. Eucharist - _A Velvet Creation_

Alain's Top 5

1. Kreator - _Cause for Conflict_
2. Obliveon - _Cybervoid_ (advance)
3. Dissection - _Storm of the Light's Bane_
4. Comecon - _Fable Frolic_
5. Hypocrisy - _Abducted_

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                     T H E   F I N A L   W O R D
                     ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

.... And that concludes another exciting chapter in the ongoing  saga
of Chronicles of Chaos. Tune in next month for another  healthy  dose
of brutality and barbarism,  of  chaos  and  carnage,  of  death  and
destruction, same CoC-time, same CoC-channel. Ciao!
     -- Gino Filicetti

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End Chronicles of Chaos, Issue #8