________ _ __ ____ / ____/ /_ _________ ____ (_)____/ /__ _____ ____ / __/ / / / __ \/ ___/ __ \/ __ \/ / ___/ / _ \/ ___/ / __ \/ /_ / /___/ / / / / / /_/ / / / / / /__/ / __(__ ) / /_/ / __/ \____/_/ /_/_/ \____/_/ /_/_/\___/_/\___/____/ \____/_/ ________ / ____/ /_ ____ _____ _____ / / / __ \/ __ `/ __ \/ ___/ / /___/ / / / /_/ / /_/ (__ ) \____/_/ /_/\__,_/\____/____/ ** The New Year's Evil Edition ** CHRONICLES OF CHAOS E-Zine, January 2, 1997, Issue #16 Editor-in-Chief: Gino Filicetti <_DeaTH_ on #metal> Coordinator: Adrian Bromley Assistant Editor: Alain M. Gaudrault Contributor: Brian Meloon Contributor: Steve Hoeltzel Contributor: Adam Wasylyk Contributor: Drew Schinzel Contributor: Andrew Lewandowski Mailing List provided by: The University of Colorado at Boulder --> Interested in being reviewed? Send us your demo and 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 . HOW TO SUBSCRIBE ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ You may subscribe to Chronicles of Chaos at any time by sending a message with "coc subscribe " in the SUBJECT of your message to . Please note that this command must NOT be sent to the list address . 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 . FTP ARCHIVE ~~~~~~~~~~~ All of our back issues and various other Chronicles of Chaos related files are stored in the e-zine archive at ftp.etext.org. Connect to this site using your favorite FTP program and chdir to /pub/Zines/ChroniclesOfChaos. For a description of each file in the archive, check out the README file. You can also reach this site through a web browser by pointing it at: ftp://ftp.etext.org/pub/Zines/ChroniclesOfChaos. AUTOMATIC FILESERVER ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ All back issues and various other CoC related files are available for automatic retrieval through our e-mail fileserver. All you have to do is send a message to us at . The 'Subject:' field of your message must read: "send file X" where 'X' is the name of the requested file. Back issues are named 'coc-n', where 'n' is the issue number. For a description of all files available through this fileserver, request 'list'. Remember to use lowercase letters for all file names. If you experience any problems or are having difficulty, feel free to e-mail us the usual way at . >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>><<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< Issue #16 Contents, 1/2/97 -------------------------- * Editorial * Loud Letters * Ferocious Features -- Abigor: Crimson Questions and Ashen Replies -- Danzig Does Dance -- Inner Thought: Perspectives Played Out -- Nevermore: Seattle's Sinister Sages * Chaotic Chat Sessions -- Korn: Kareless and Krazy -- Diaboli: Diabolic Dialogue -- Manowar: Metal's Masters -- Gomorrah: Caressing Heaviness -- Meliah Rage: The Rage Returns * Record Revelations -- The Abyss - _Summon the Beast_ -- Allegiance - _Hymn Till Hangagud_ -- Ancient Wisdom - _For Snow Covered the Northland_ -- Avzhia - _Dark Emperors_ -- Behemoth - _Grom_ -- Dearly Beheaded - _Temptation_ -- The Black - _Black Blood_ -- Catasexual Urge Motivation - _The Encyclopedia of Serial Killers_ -- Cathedral - _Supernatural Birth Machine_ -- Chemlab - _East Side Militia_ -- Cradle of Filth - _Dusk and Her Embrace_ -- Danzig - _blackacidevil_ -- Dark Tranquillity - _Enter Suicidal Angels_ -- Dawnbringer - _Sacrament_ -- Deathwitch - _Triumphant Devastation_ -- Decameron - _My Shadow..._ -- Earth Crisis - _Gamorrah's Season Ends_ -- Einherjer - _Dragons of the North _ -- Endura - _Liber Leviathan_ -- Excelsis - _A Dark Noel_ -- Faction Zero - _Liberation_ / Maximum Penalty - _Independent_ -- Floodgate - _Penalty_ -- Helheim - _Fenris_ -- Ildjarn - _Forest Poetry_ -- Karma to Burn - _Karma to Burn_ -- Kampfar - _Kampfar_ -- Laibach - _Jesus Christ Superstar_ -- Mastiphal - _For a Glory of All Evil Spirits, Rise for Victory_ -- Morgana Lefay - _Maleficium_ -- Necromicon - _Realm of Silence_ -- Niden Div. 187 - _Towards Judgement_ -- Pike - _Lack of Judgement_ -- Pist*On - _Number One_ -- Poison - _Poison's Greatest Hits 1986-1996_ -- Various - _Beneath the Icy Floe: A Projekt Sampler V.4_ -- Summoning - _Dol Guldur_ -- Swans - _Soundtracks for the Blind_ -- Thy Serpent - _Forests of Witchery_ -- Unpure - _Coldland_ -- Vision of Disorder - _Vision of Disorder_ -- December Moon - _Source of Origin_ -- December Wolves - _Til Ten Years_ * New Noise -- Agony - _Apocalyptic Dawning_ -- Ataxia - _The Forgotten_ -- Carnal Sickness - _Blood Disrepulsion_ -- Curb - _Curb_ -- De Ros - _Ad Dei Gloriam_ -- Eve of Mourning - _A Dark Serenade_ -- Martyr - _Ostrogoth_ -- Murder 1 - _Murder 1_ -- NDE - _Falling_ -- Neuropath - _Desert of Excruciation_ -- Pleasure Void - _Demo 1996_ * Classic Carnage -- Bathory - _The Return..._ -- Destruction - _Infernal Overkill_ -- Dio - _Holy Diver_ -- Entombed - _Left Hand Path_ -- Iron Maiden - _Somewhere in Time_ -- Megadeth - _Rust in Peace_ -- Overkill - _The Years of Decay_ -- Sodom - _Obsessed by Cruelty_ -- Candlemass - _Epicus Doomicus Metallicus_ -- Slayer - _Hell Awaits_ -- Rotting Christ - _Passage to Arcturo_ -- Venom - _Welcome to Hell_ * Chaotic Concerts -- A Fearful Freak-Fest: Fear Factory with Kilgore Smudge -- The Day of Death: New York City's Deathstock -- To Heaven And Back: Heavenwood Live In Portugal * Writer's Wrath -- Extremity, Conformity, Integrity - by: Steve Hoeltzel * What We Have Cranked * The Final Word =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= E D I T O R I A L ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ by: Gino Filicetti Here we are people, the second day of 1997. And what can I say, 1996 has been a great year for us, to say the least. In the past year, we've released 11 issues including this one right here. And our readership has more than doubled, bringing the number of people on our mailing list to 909. I just want to extend one final thank you to all our staff, all the industry people who've supported us, and especially to you, our loyal readers for making Chronicles of Chaos what it is today. Very shortly, a small survey will be on its way to all of you. We ask that you take a few minutes out of your busy schedules to answer the questions contained therein. We thought that it was high time we sent out a questionnaire to see what our readers think about certain things concerning both CoC and the music scene in general. We will give you a few months to complete the survey and send it back to us before we tabulate all the answers and release the results in one of our forthcoming issues. I'm sure you will be as interested in the results as we are, and we hope that all of our readers participate. As promised, this issue includes a "classic" reviews section we've entitled Classic Carnage. This section has a few of our favorite picks reviewed for your entertainment. Some can be considered real classics, while others you may not have heard of until now. Regardless, we hope that this section will open a few more ears to the jewels of the past. Well people, hope you enjoy this issue, and look forward to many more issues of CoC in the new year. Let's make 1997 one to remember. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= 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 and enter 'Attention Loud Letters' in the subject field. Hopefully all letters received will be featured in upcoming issues of Chronicles of Chaos. Date: Mon, 18 Nov 1996 From: goden Subject: ...thergothon... Andrew's Top 5 5. Thergothon - _Stream From The Heavens_ ...this speaks volumes for you guys...thergothon rules... ______________________________________________________ ...so beautiful is your naivete...angelic...pathetic...i'll break your fucking wings...--avernus... ______________________________________________________ ...http: //www.geocities.com/SunsetStrip/Alley/5647/forge.html... ______________________________________________________ Date: Tue, 19 Nov 1996 From: Jesper Nilsson <86jeni@knuthahn.ronneby.se> Subject: Attention Loud Letters I read that you are going to review some old records and I think that's a GREAT idea! I would also like you to review the latest RAGE album "End of all days". Because it's very good. If you're interested, you should visit the Rage Page at http://www.aracnet.com/~rage/ Thanks for a great magazine! [Remember guys, we'll review any album sent to us, so if you want your demo or album reviewed, simply mail it to our postal address which is in our header -- Gino] Date: Tue, 19 Nov 1996 From: Steve Cox Subject: Attention: Loud letters Yo! People. CoC has to be the best produced and largest E-Zine I get my hands on. Good job guys we really appreciate the work that goes into it!! Right to buisness. First a put down. I cannot stand Korn's new album _Life Is Peachy_ Compared to their debut it's a weak album and how it could be rated 8-10 is beyond me, I'm not having a go at you, everyone has their own oppinion but that's mine. It's just so weak. Anyone see the MTV european music awards? What a sham! Metallica took the piss though! They played _Last Caress_ and _So What_ (Yes including all the lovely swearing) instead of _King Nothing_ then James thumped the Mic and Lars threw the drumkit down. Hopefully this will signify the start of Metallica getting pissed off at people (read that trendy fucks) and going 'heavy' once again. Respect. Stevie C [Stevie, I seriously doubt that Metallica is 'making a come back.' They are just too far gone into the mainstream for any chance of them coming back to the fold, but then again, that's my humble opinion -- Gino] Date: Thu, 21 Nov 1996 From: Rodukov Alexander Subject: We need some help Hi Gino. I've just subscribed to CoC e'zine and was very impressed. You works hard to make this zine good. You know, in my native Belarus there are some underground publishings and I'm working in one of them (if you heared "Brr.Legion"). We are enough young but very energetic (I hope ;-). You know, we need some help. If it possible, can you share with us some e-mail contact adresses of Metal bands. We really need it. If you want we can give you a lot of information about Belorussian Metal bands. I'm sure that some of them are really great and they are playing very professional music. I'm waiting for your unswer and opened to all of your questions. Sincerly yours... +-----------------------------+ | Alexander (Shurick) Rodukov | +-----------------------------+ [shurick@nsys.minsk.by] =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= ___________ .__ \_ _____/__________ ____ ____ |__| ____ __ __ ______ | __)/ __ \_ __ \/ _ \_/ ___\| |/ _ \| | \/ ___/ | \\ ___/| | \( <_> ) \___| ( <_> ) | /\___ \ \___ / \___ >__| \____/ \___ >__|\____/|____//____ > \/ \/ \/ \/ ___________ __ \_ _____/___ _____ _/ |_ __ _________ ____ ______ | __)/ __ \\__ \\ __\ | \_ __ \_/ __ \ / ___/ | \\ ___/ / __ \| | | | /| | \/\ ___/ \___ \ \___ / \___ >____ /__| |____/ |__| \___ >____ > \/ \/ \/ \/ \/ 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. C R I M S O N Q U E S T I O N S A N D A S H E N R E P L I E S ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ An interview with P.K. of Abigor by: Steve Hoeltzel "Abigor creates music which is not from and for this planet called Earth as it is today..." So proclaim the liner notes to the incredible _Opus IV_, an album which proves once again that Abigor are one of the black metal scene's most extreme and original bands. I recently wrote to guitarist, lyricist, and layout designer P.K. to ask for his thoughts on extremity and originality - and on a number of other topics as well. First, though, I asked him what pushed the band to become even more unpredictable and intense on _Opus IV_, the most strange and savage-sounding Abigor recording yet. "I think that's difficult to say," he wrote back. "I think as we develop as individuals, our art through Abigor develops - that's the progress which keeps Abigor alive. Furthermore, we take influences from lots of other things. I mean, the whole of existence influences us. Also, dreams and visions which haunt us at night inspire us to put those experiences into our art. Plus, we're good musicians and we know how to play our instruments, so we have no problems at all putting our ideas into music." This immediately raises the question whether any ideas have been translated into new music since _Opus IV_ was released earlier this year. The answer is affirmative: work on the next release, _Apokalypse_, is underway. "We're still working on new material," Peter reports. "At the moment, we have six songs completely finished, and all the lyrics, as well as some ideas for the layout." And how will the new material compare to this year's release? "Of course, the songs are in the typical Abigor style. Nevertheless, it'll be different from _Opus IV_. It'll be extreme black metal without any compromises, but still in the vein of Abigor." Of course, the phrase "extreme black metal" suggests more than just a certain sound. To many people, P.K. included, this phrase stands for an entire system of beliefs. "In my opinion," he states, "the lyrics of black metal bands shall deal with the worshipping of Satan, darkness, death, and evilness. Therefore, the lyrics of Abigor deal with such topics. Maybe it seems that they do not, because we use more paraphrases and because our lyrics are more personal. To sum it up, one can say that our lyrics are visions of [fellow guitarist and lyricist] T.T. and myself, and each lyric has a personal value for us." But are these -just- lyrics, or do they really reflect the actions and beliefs of Abigor's members? According to P.K., it's the latter: "I practice ritual magic and ceremonial devil worship, but I am not willing to make more statements concerning this theme. I mean, it's too personal; nor do I have the need. Furthermore, I don't think it necessary to make extreme statements in 'zines concerning my beliefs. I know who I am, and I know what I represent. I worship Satan, and I take it as a personal offense if someone criticizes my beliefs." Clearly, like many people involved with this music, P.K. takes black metal extremely seriously. "For me, it's a main part of my existence," he says. "But I see it more as a kind of self-realization, because the expression of thoughts and moods through my music is important for me." Still, black metal's great surge in popularity has attracted the attention of many individuals who are less interested in serious self-realization than in posing as "true" black metal fanatics simply because it's the trendy thing to do. P.K.'s opinion of this bunch? "If you've been involved in the 'scene' for a longer time, as we have, you know that all those 'evil' black metallers and 'circles' are just -talking- about black metal, and I am not willing to waste my time with such things. Nowadays, I know how those people play their game. It's just an image, not a religion, and to the so-called scene belong too many people who don't practice what they preach." So you don't think that black metal's massive popularity is a good thing? "It's definitely bad!" he plainly states. "But don't get me wrong - at the moment it's good for us because we sell our CDs well, but the time will come when it'll be drowned in the mass-consumer society. At the moment, the labels smell the money which they can earn through the black metal boom, but with this boom the whole genre will be watered down. I mean, more outside influences will be involved in black metal, and more and more the nice CD layout and such unworthy things will be considered important, and the true spirit of black metal will get lost, if you understand what I mean." I do, totally. Personally, I am not really a "true believer" in the religious aspect of black metal (though I respect individuals like P.K., who are sincere in their beliefs) - but one thing I have always especially liked about the best, most original black metal bands [...] (Abigor included) is their obvious disgust with modern consumer society and their interest in forms of social organization which are much more deeply rooted in respect for nature. So it's depressing to see the crazed and untamed musical style which these great bands pioneered being turned into a money-making device for people who want to cash in on the trend. Is commercialization bound to stomp out the real spirit of black metal? P.K. is not completely pessimistic. "Maybe a few bands will survive, and then exist in a kind of underground - maybe in this 'underground' which individuals mostly talk about nowadays, but which doesn't exist at all today." Wondering if P.K. himself ever feels any yearning to inhabit a world other than our own, I asked him which period of history he would choose to live in, were he given the choice. "I would choose the period of the migration of nations," he said, "because in my opinion, this was a great time in my area. Lots of tribes have lived here, and lots of pagan and mystic influences and beliefs were alive at this time." On a more image-oriented note, I asked whether there was any significance to the fact that Abigor are pictured without corpse paint in the _Opus IV_ booklet. Does this reflect a change of perspective regarding the device? "There's no change," P.K. replies. "Nor was there any special reason why we didn't use corpse paint in the photos for _Horns Lurk_ [the first of _Opus IV_'s two four-song movements]. We'll still use it again in all other new photos." Finally, what about the band's decision never to play live? Why not? Obviously, I was hardly the first person to write the band asking this question... "Sorry, but I am really tired of explaining why we'll not play live - accept it!" was P.K.'s retort. "As long as Abigor exists, we'll NEVER play live!" As you have noticed, P.K. does not mince words. His parting statement for all you readers and fans out there? "When your reality crashes into the void, we'll sit beside Satan and watch you die, and beside our lord we'll remember 'til the end of time." [My sincere thanks to the man for a very interesting interview. -- Steve] =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= D A N Z I G D O E S D A N C E ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ by: Adrian Bromley The sounds and images of Glenn Danzig's music has always been within the realms of darkness, lost love, and references to the devil. His music has molded itself into kind of like an institution of sorts, with him being seen as the leader of the "Dark Side." Parents hate him and fans adore him and his rise to success over the last four records (_Danzig_, _Danzig II - Lucifuge _, _Danzig III - How the Gods Kill_ and 1994's _Danzig 4_) has become almost a cult-like following. People worship this guy. How things have changed for Danzig in the last few years. With the loss of former drummer Chuck Biscuits to Social Distortion and guitarist John Christ and bassist Eerie Von leaving, Danzig has had to pick up the pieces and carry on, recruiting guitarist (ex-Prong singer) Tommy Victor, drummer Randy Castillo and bassist John Lazie to complete the band, as well as he left his old American Records for Hollywood Records. Keep in mind though, regardless of line-up or label shift, it has always been a solo effort anyway, with Danzig leading the ideals and direction of the band. And how the direction of the band has changed too. The latest offering, _blackacidevil_ is drenched in both industrial and techno-tinged numbers that seem to take Danzig's visions of music one step further. Some fans may grasp it, some may not. Danzig knows this. He explains. "The change in the band has been a gradual thing for us," Danzig starts from his home in Los Angeles, "We are moving in the same direction, kind of like the stuff I played in Samhain. I started incorporating a lot of that experimental stuff into our music, most notably on the last Danzig record on songs like "Cantspeak" and "Sadistika". This was just the direction I was moving in anyway." Seeing that Danzig has kind of altered his sound with _blackacidevil_, what kind of reactions has he gotten from the release? "The fans and critics really like it. It was definitely a shock but not a bad shock. They like it a lot. I wanted to make an extreme record and I wanted to get a reaction." Danzig says he expected to get a reaction like this from doing the record. He feels that artists need to experiment and try new things, to change their styles. "When you do a record and you sit back and listen to it you say, 'Aw... I wish I could have done that,' but you let it go 'cause the record is out and there is nothing that can be done. This record, I don't have that reaction. All the songs are pretty much the way I wanted them to turn out. Some are even better. I am really happy." So does that mean as we head into the year 2000 we will see more of Danzig records surfacing like this opposed to the old Danzig sound? "I still think this record sounds like Danzig, it is just Danzig in the year 1996. As for the future? I don't know what is will be but that is what is exciting about the future. I am excited to get started on the next record already. I am already starting on the EP which will come out next summer. Some of stuff is a bit different and we will see where stuff ends up when I record the next record." Danzig feels that his songwriting over the years has been something that he has had a lot of luck with. His music and ideas are very easily brought to life. "I work really easily with people. Especially the new guys. It is easy to work with them. And I just added Tommy Victor to the band. He is working on this new EP with me and he is just great to work with." While this record may be the most commercial one to date for Danzig, his views on being successful only lies within releasing a record and reaching fans with his music. He has quite the unique outlook on the music industry. "I am not really involved with how we are to market the band, what video to release or what single to put on radio. The label decides what single to release. They come up to me and say, 'We want to release "Sacrifice" as a single' and I say, 'Okay. Or well I don't think it is really a single but it is up to you.' To me it is more about doing the record and going out and playing live 'cause the music industry part of it really sucks. It is a pain in the ass. I find it to be a bunch of bullshit and I stay away from it as much as possible, but of course you can't because you definitely want to be involved with your band and how people present it. I give them my two cents and if I am really opposed to something I stand up and say, 'No!'" He adds, "What I do is make the best album I can and I make sure before it comes out that I am happy with it and want to release it. If I am not happy with a record I won't release it." Few bands have been able to withstand the turmoil and drastic changes the industry has taken over the years, yet still Danzig is around. What keeps the Danzig sound alive and well in the music industry? "Danzig is not based on any fads or trends. More based on musical integrity and we go out and give people a great show. No flash pots. You know what I mean? We may have a backdrop or something but there is nothing silly like pyrotechnics. We come out on stage and play really loud, obnoxious music." He continues on about growing within the music industry: "I am not so quick to respond to outside stimuli. I will sit and think for a second before I react. That has helped me a lot. I dunno. There's of course a sense of maturity that comes along with doing what you do for a long time. You become more confident on how you do stuff and what you do. I can tell right away when I am creating music if it is a good song or bad song. If it ain't good it goes into the bin. I have too much respect for my fans to release stuff like that, and in return they have a lot of respect for me, and I appreciate that, and I wouldn't sell them out like that by releasing an album with crummy songs." Besides music, Danzig is heavily involved (he is CEO) with his adult comic book company, Verotic Comics, a business which is doing quite well. "I started this company because I felt there was a need for the kind of stuff that we were publishing. And I knew there was a need when we started this but until we got all the letters we have been getting and the responses, I really didn't realize there was such a need for it. It was like this: Imagine if you were only allowed to hear Top 40 music and all of a sudden someone dropped down on your desk a hundred records, none of which are Top 40 stuff. All of a sudden you have a selection to choose from. We have scared the whole comic industry. We have Marvel, DC, and Image shitting in their pants." A quick note about Verotic, he says, "We have lots of artist working for us. Lots of new titles and no spandex superheroes. We have some really good talent within the company. It is done on a more mature level than most comics and we have little kids trying to buy books and having their parents or friends buy comics for them. They are standing outside stores saying, 'Mister. Can you please buy me this comic?'" Danzig is happy to be doing both, saying that while on the road he makes all the decisions for Verotic "by Fed-Ex and phone." "It is not as hard as it sounds, but finding the time to do it is hard. What I have told people in the past few weeks is that Verotic is not my priority. Music is and always will be." He finishes, "I always make sure I never lose sight of what made me get involved in this in the first place and why I do what I do." =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= P E R S P E C T I V E S P L A Y E D O U T ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ An interview with Toronto's Inner Thought by: Adrian Bromley Canada's Inner Thought, an industrial-tinged/death metal outfit that relies heavily on experimentation, is the mastermind of one man: Bobby Sadzak. A one-time member of Canada's legendary death metal outfit Slaughter, its successor Strappado, and Lethal Presence, Sadzak has finally found a home for his ideas with Inner Thought. The band's debut album, _Wordly Separation_ (originally on WitchHunt Records, now distributed through Dwell Records in California), was a mix of doom/death metal, industrial, samples, and realism brought out in the music. The album brought on worldwide attention and as two years have passed, the band returns with an equally, if not more powerful assault on our senses with _Perspectives_, an album brewing with creativity, genre bending ideas and fierce momentum. Sadzak begins, "Some of the things that contributed to the difference of the second album was me getting more familiar with working with MIDI and the drum machine. For the first album I was a bit more limited because I had just first started working with drum machines. I mean you can imagine a guitarist playing with drum machines, eh? It just doesn't seem like a natural thing to do but as I worked with it more and more, I became more familiar. It wasn't as scary as it seemed it would be. I can now apply more of my writing skills to help create better drum patterns." Unlike the original three-piece lineup that made _WS_, this time around the band's lineup has once again been altered and that in turn has changed somewhat the style of Inner Thought's music. "It changed not the direction of the band, but gave a bit more inspiration for the band. When you work alone you tend to get a little bit of blind vision with one direction and don't think of anything else except your own opinion. It is nice to have someone from the outside to steer you away and help produce ideas." So who is in the band at this point in time? "Currently, the band is myself and singer Dennis Balesdent, who is still in the band even though he has moved away from Toronto back to Nova Scotia. We have talked with each other and when the third album is ready to go, he is gonna come down here for a month and we will be ready to go. We are gonna do that." He adds, "As well, I have been thinking about the idea of hooking up with the old drummer of Lethal Presence (Rick Nemith) to play drums on the third album. So... I may be veering away from the drum machines and go back to the basics and try a live drummer again." And is that something he would want to see brought into the fold of Inner Thought? "I have always played with a real drummer, ever since I picked up a guitar. The reason I went with drum machines was that when Slaughter and Strappado broke up, where was I to go? I was too old to start a new band and I just still wanted to write. So I got a drum machine and took it from there. I assembled an 8-track recording system and brought in a really good MIDI keyboard recording system. That is what I started with." Unlike the views and visions of the atrocities of war shown through the images within the album's artwork or the lyrics on the album, the growth of the band has been altered as well within the lyrics found on _Perspectives_. Sadzak accounts for the changes. "I thought I said what I had to say with the first album and I didn't want to bore people to death with the [issues] I was dealing with. I didn't want to desensitize them to it so on the second album I moved away from that and filled the topics with very personal ideas and a bit of that racial tension that has been going on in the world in the last five years or so. I also dealt with the desensitization of television where people go to work, come home and watch TV. How the TV rules us and tells us what to do. Those were some of the topics that I covered on the new album as well as the relationship between man and woman. How when a relationship goes wrong you go crazy for a while. Not that I wrote ballads or anything, but just how far people tend to go when things don't go right." The thing that does set the band apart is the use of female vocals, samples, and the drum machine. The uniqueness of the band is evident and with each and every track on both LPs. "I have always had these ideas from years ago to do something like this. When I was in Slaughter, I had ideas to incorporate keyboards. I don't know if you were around back in the 1980s when Slaughter was around, but keyboards in music was sort of this taboo thing. No one did those ideas because it wasn't really accepted, and whenever I brought in those ideas to the band they were shot down anyway. That is the problem with being in a band. There is a lot of good but a lot of bad too. If not all the band members don't see eye to eye on a direction then it doesn't happen. I was usually held back with my ideas and what I wanted to bring to the band. "This project was an outpouring of what I wanted to do for years and years," explains Sadzak, "to get down to write lyrics that meant something. Lyrics that meant something to me and when I read them, not necessarily everyone will feel this, but for me to get something out of reading the lyrics in the pamphlet. Back in that Slaughter and Strappado era, you had to sing about the devil, you know, and all that stuff. Destruction was the main focus without any meaning sometimes, and I wanted to be in a situation where I could channel more ideas that were more personal." And as happy as Inner Thought's lead man is with his music and the direction it continues to head towards, so is the fan base of the band. What does Sadzak believe to be the winning trait of the band? "People have always seemed to use the term "original," says Sadzak with pride. "People say that I have something more to offer and that songs seem to vary on each album, making it an enjoyable listen. I like to hear that." One thing that Sadzak has going for him is determination to further the sound of the band. Having time to do work (Sadzak has a full-time job and then spends rest of his time on Inner Thought) on Inner Thought in his home studio has allowed him to have already the blueprints for the next release. "The problem that I have had in the last few years is that I have worked so far ahead than what my labels were doing that the album would just be released and I would have the next one written, recorded and ready to go and it seems like every time I record it takes a year or two before the album is released in Europe or the United States. At that point I get bored of my material and when it comes time to hype the album like I am doing now I am sort of lacking the intensity that I had coming out of studio and waiting to see the reviews. This album was recorded two years ago, just look at the booklet of the album. It has worn off a bit - the feeling of being excited by my work." And how do you combat that then? "Now what I have done is every time I go down into the studio and hammering the material out right away I pace myself. The album has been out in Europe for a year now and just came out in U.S. and Canada so I figure in about six months I will go into studio and start up with the next release. I already have ideas flowing around in my head and I can take it a bit easier now." About the evolution and recordings of the band he continues, "The problem with Inner Thought is that I want the band to be constantly evolving and I don't want to turn out an album that sounds like what I did before and that is my problem right now. Trying to get the creative juices going to create something with a new twist. It is always a challenge to create music and that is what I enjoy doing. It would be very easy for me to copy what I did with _WS_ and just change it a bit and put different songs on the album but what is hard is to expand on what I did. That challenge is always there." =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= S E A T T L E ' S S I N I S T E R S A G E S ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ CoC interviews Nevermore by: Adrian Bromley Seattle progressive metal quintet Nevermore's self-titled debut album, released in 1995 on Century Media records, won metal fans over world-wide with singer Warrel Dane's explosive vocals and the superb brilliance that circulated within each track. Whether it was the dynamic assembly of such songs as "The Sanity Assassin", "What Tomorrow Knows", or the thought provoking lyrics of "The Hurling Words", Nevermore's debut was a true testimonial that there indeed was something powerful breathing within the depths of creativity that Nevermore had inside them. The band spawned from the ashes of Seattle power metal band Sanctuary, with Dane and bassist Jim Sheppard recruiting guitarist Jeff Loomis to form Nevermore. The band developed a demo and soon was signed to Century Media. Following a successful tour of the U.S. and Europe in 1995/96 in support of their debut, the band (rounded out by other guitarist Pat O' Brien and drummer Van Williams) came off the road to record their follow-up, _The Politics of Ecstasy_. Prior to the release of _PoE_, the band released a limited edition EP titled _In Memory_ which allowed fans of the band to be content with some newer material prior to the sophomore release. A year later since the release of their debut, Dane and the boys of Nevermore have returned with _PoE_, a blistering and powerful assortment of mighty guitar riffs, harrowing vocals, and truly dominating progressive metal. Heaviness lurks throughout. "The last year or so has been really good for the band in regards to creativity," begins Dane over the phone from Seattle. "We have done a lot of stuff in between recording an EP and an album. We got to do the summer's Metal Meetings Tour in Europe as well as a co-headlining tour in Europe with Iced Earth. We have been pretty fuckin' busy." Listening to the debut album and _PoE_ back to back, they are quite similar, yet _PoE_ wins out due to its massive counter attack of emotions and visions running rampant (i.e. "Seven Tongues of God", "Next In Line", and the title track). "This album's material is an expression of what we were feeling at the time. For me I can only say lyrically where all that came from. I read a lot and am a big horror fan, but I don't think that comes out in the lyrics lots. I write from a lot of my own experiences and from watching CNN. I don't watch much TV," assures Dane, "but I have to watch CNN just to remind myself of how fucked up everything is. So... the music and ideas is an amalgamation of all that. I think all of that stuff filters into the songs. We're just really happy the way the record turned out." And his take on describing _PoE_? "I don't think we are trying to break away from being a certain type of band or trying to be a certain type of band. I have heard people say that this record is extremely aggressive and others say something else. I am confused myself to what to call this music," he says as he laughs. When asked again to describe the album he says, "This is the musical equivalent of a full-blown acid trip!" "Songwriting comes a lot easier nowadays," mentions Dane in referral to the early days of Sanctuary and songwriting. "Without a doubt, it is a lot easier now. Now more than ever we can work as a unit, more so than our last band. With this record, we have fallen into our stride as songwriters and I think we have matured just as much." About the work going into _PoE_, he offers, "We began writing for this record as soon as the first one came out. A lot of songs were written from January 1995 (when debut came out) till when we went into the studio in September of 1996. And a lot of our better songs came out just before we went into record _PoE_. We looked hard to find out what we wanted to with this record and I believe we found the right songs. Also, when we made the first record, we financed it ourselves and went in and recorded it as quick as we could. The new record is a record which I consider to be our first real record, because we had the time to sit down and figure out what we wanted to do, to experiment with different ideas and the recording. I can see the difference in both records and I think we have matured and changed for the best." The topic slowly shifts towards the state of metal in today's music. Dane is aware that metal has been pushed aside but still believes metal has life left in it. His main goal right now is to tour with the latest effort, seeing touring as an important element to any metal band in 1996. "For us it is the most important thing to do. To get out and tour. I think it is important for bands to get out, especially metal bands right now, to get out in the public eye. That'll let people know that metal is here, it hasn't gone away and that it won't go away. I know there is still an audience and people want this and it is just a matter of time before this all turns around. It has to because I am so sick of seeing short-haired geeks on MTV. I know a lot of people feel this way." He adds, "The alternative scene has become so stagnant that the winds of change are coming. No one knows what is coming but I know that there are a shitload of metal bands waiting to be appreciated finally." =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= _______ __ _ _______ __ / ___/ / ___ ____ / /_(_)___ / ___/ / ___ _/ /_ / /__/ _ \/ _ `/ _ \/ __/ / __/ / /__/ _ \/ _ `/ __/ \___/_//_/\_,_/\___/\__/_/\__/ \___/_//_/\_,_/\__/ ____ _ / __/__ ___ ___ (_)__ ___ ___ _\ \/ -_|_-<(_- ... and broke the sound record and I don't think anyone is crazy enough to do that again. CoC: What exactly was the decibel count? EA: I think Joey (DiMaio; bass) was playing at 129 DB... and that was just Joey, too. It was a pretty powerful sound. I mean, we didn't want to hurt our fans or make them go deaf so we toned down a little bit. Not only, when you come to a Manowar show, do you get a show, but you feel it too. CoC: So seeing that we have been talking about being loud, the question again is, what was the inspiration for material and sound going into _LTH_? EA: We just wrote what we felt at the time. You can't just say you are gonna write a song right now and go and do it. We were riding on the Harleys one day and Joe came up with the idea of "Return of the Warlord", and with Scott (Columbus; drums) in the band again, it was just a cool idea to have. When an idea for a song happens, it fuckin' happens. If it is good enough to be on the album, then it goes on. Fuck, "Brothers of Metal" took fifty-seven versions before we finally put that one on. CoC: When you are creating music, are you intentionally trying to create and use visions of a "barbarian-like" era? EA: We don't try to go back in any era. We have always felt that everyone has always needed a hero in their life. That hero could be you in the mirror. That is why the album cover has this warrior/hero-like image with no face. Because it could be anyone. We have always believed that heavy metal was about power and might and steel and just a strong feel to a song. That is why we have always had that in our songs. You can't get any more powerful than steel. It goes well with the heavy metal genre. CoC: You guys are different to a lot of bands nowadays, especially with some of the bands in the metal genre. A lot of bands have fallen to the side but you guys continue to go on. Like any form of music, there is a need for certain types of music and they are in demand. Your type of music is a good example of that. How do you feel about Manowar being different from all the other types of music in the metal genre? EA: I think it is good. I think it is great that we are in a field by ourselves because people are pussies and they want to get out of the metal scene because they don't want to play from the heart anymore. They want to play from the wallet. These bands just want to sell songs that'll do well on the radio. Those bands are pussies as far as I am concerned and they don't belong in the metal scene. They should then just get the fuck out of the way. We are not like that. We believe in what we do. We listen to our fans. Our fans tell us "never change, never change," and we are not gonna fuckin' change. There is no need for us to change. I saw Metallica said that they aren't metal anymore. Well what the fuck? They have "metal" in their name for fuck's sake. They have been metal all this time. The metal crowd are the ones that bought them their cars and homes and now they are gonna fuck them and say, "We are not metal anymore?" That is bullshit. We would never let our fans down. We are proud to wave the metal flag. CoC: Because you have stayed with the same sound and images, and are one of the only bands like Manowar now, do you get criticism for what you are doing? EA: I get criticism from journalists. Not you, because you are a fan, but mainly from journalists. You know what metal is about, not these guys. Fuck... I just got off the phone with a journalist in Greece who quite frankly was a prick. He said, "This sounds like old metal. Don't you think you should change with the times?" And I said, "Fuck you!" That is what I said, "Fuck you! You don't buy the records. Our fans buy the records and they tell us what the fuck what they want to hear. They tell us 'don't change' or 'stay the same' and we do that. We won't change." I explained to this guy, we believe what we do. He then says, "Well, I see these pictures of you guys riding motorbikes." And I said, "Yeah? So? What is wrong with that?" That whole thing goes with the metal scene. We have ridden bikes for years and it's something that the fans may have not seen till now. We are not ashamed of metal. CoC: The way I describe your music is to go as far as to say that it reminds me of a barbarian, "we want to be strong" angle. You won't wimp out on a record. I mean, you do ballads on the record that are soft, but there is still the intensity there and the motivation of what you want to do. EA: You are exactly right. You got it right. The slow tracks on the album are there because I feel like singing and not just screaming. It still has that "believe in yourself attitude." Don't be a follower. Be a leader. That is how we feel. The slow songs still have that same feel or ideas. CoC: From your perspective, how has the band's take on songwriting changed over the years? EA: I guess it depends who is in the band at that time. Our guitar player Karl Logan is really into theory and guitar work. He is brilliant. It has brought the band up to a level now where we can do anything and are not afraid to do it. We can do fast songs, slow songs, um...symphonic metal and take less time doing it. We have a guy now who can help us do what we want to do with our material. CoC: For you, what do you get out of performing or the whole vision of being a pure mighty machine? What do you get out of this? Is it like taking on a role? EA: I get the chicks. I am the singer and I get the chicks. Joey and I get all the chicks. No...I just get a good feel up there...and the chicks. I get a really good feeling on stage, but not only on-stage. After the show on the bus when we are meeting some fans to sign autographs it just gives me a good feeling. CoC: What are your favorite tracks on _LTH_? I like "Return Of The Warlord." EA: My favorite track that we have ever recorded is on this album. The song "King." Yeah.... "Return Of The Warlord" is cool. You know what is so cool about that song is that is the first track of the album. It just tells everyone that we are back together again with Scott in the band. It just makes sense to come out with something like that. CoC: There are a lot of people that you thank on this record, people that have kept the vision of Manowar alive. What has been the hardest thing you have had to deal with over the years? EA: Oh...wow...that is a good question. That is a first. No one has ever asked me that before. I think the hardest thing I have ever had to deal with is speaking from my heart to journalists like yourself and then reading the article and they pissed on the band. That is the hardest thing I have had to face I think. If they get assigned the job and not really give a fuck about metal and they usually right about alternative music then we get fucked by that. It is people like that in the music industry that fuck the bands over the years and unfortunately they not only fuck the bands but the fans too. CoC: Another focus that the band seems very detailed about is the inclusion of lyrics. How important are lyrics to you? EA: Lyrics are real important. Not only do they have to fit the songs and I have to be in character... I mean if I did "Courage" with a raunchy voice it wouldn't be the same as when I do it with a clean voice. You know what I am saying? I have to get into character with each song. The lyrics are important and if it is a powerful track and you want people to get the message the emotion has to be there. Lyrics are important, especially for metal. CoC: What kind of stuff do you want to do with Manowar in the future? This record is out now, will it be sometime before Manowar is back in the studio? EA: I wanna get back out on the fuckin' road man. I have been in the studio for years now. It is time to hit the road. We would like to be out on the road as long as we can with this record. Until it is done. It could be a year... who knows? After that we will take a month off, take our vacations or whatever we do, and then go back into the studio. We'll clean our heads and then go back into the studio to create. CoC: I have told you how I felt about the record or how I would describe it. You being the lead singer and leader of the band, how would you describe it? How would you describe it to someone who may not have heard Manowar before? EA: I would tell them to strap their nuts to their legs because they are gonna blow right off. They'll blow right off. The title _Louder Than Hell_ speaks for itself brother. It is loud and it is powerful. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= C A R E S S I N G H E A V I N E S S ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ An interview with Gomorrah by: Adrian Bromley Much like the ways of life where growth is a much needed necessity, England quintet Gomorrah felt it was necessary to grow in many ways with their music: as musicians and as a band. The band's latest LP _Caress the Grotesque_, the follow-up to 1994's debut album _Reflections of Inanimate Matter_, has the definite qualities of a band that has seen change. The riffs are heavier at times on _CtG_ but now the band concentrates on making their music more stable and moodier instead of just reckless hatred and anger being spewed outward. Having been together since just before the release of 1991's well-received demo _Embryonic Stages_ , the band has managed to keep the same line-up and the same objectives: to create music they feel best represents the band. Chronicles of Chaos recently had the opportunity to talk to guitarist Jose Griffin about the band, their five years together, and the state of metal. The band is rounded out by singer Sven Olafson, guitarist Mike Prior, drummer Fran Robinson, and bassist John Clark. CoC: How have things being going for the band this time around as opposed to the last release? Jose Griffin: Things have been going really well. Black Mark have done a lot better job with this one than the last record in terms of setting stuff up like interviews and all. CoC: How do you think _CtG_ differs from what you had done with the last release? JG: I think we have progressed on this one which I suppose every band should do with every release. I think we are a lot more focused this time. Every band's first record is everything they have written from day one. It is like the "Best of... my first years" where the second album material is written for the record. We locked ourselves up in our own studio, which is a luxury, and we became more focused and worked a lot harder on it. I think the difference is that we have opened ourselves to a lot more avenues, which I think is very obvious. I think we worked hard on vocals and that shows and I think basically is that we have opened ourselves up to a lot more. We discovered more avenues to experiment with. CoC: Did you just want to do different things with this record? JG: I think it is something that may have happened a bit more freely on the first one had we been more wiser to it. It has been natural for us to do this and something we have mucked around with, but I think early on we might have shied away from it. We might have come up with riffs and decided it didn't work for what we wanted to do. But now we say "Fuck it!" - If we like it we record it. It has always been a challenge for us to throw in a riff that we might not have normally done. As I see it is a matter of us opening up our mind and what we want to do and just do it more freely as opposed to throwing away stuff. We just look at what we create and see if we can work with it. If we enjoy it, that is all that matters. CoC: A lot of bands in the last few years have shifted their sound slightly to either appeal to certain fans or to just go with the times or to just even be seen as unique. Gomorrah hasn't done that. What do you think sets Gomorrah apart from other bands? JG: I don't know if we offer anything unique or original. That is very hard to do these days and be original. I think what we do is that we offer quite a range of metal. Three fifths of the band has been listening to metal since the early 80s and I think we have influences in our music from 1980 right up to the present day. We have sixteen years of great music and a great stew of all these great bands within our music. I don't think you can nail us down and say we sound like so and so. I think maybe you could have done that with _RoIM_ because we were so unfairly pigeonholed as a death metal band. I think we offered some great twin guitar riffs but maybe Sven's vocals kept us in that mode. I think this album offers quite a good variety of stuff now and Sven's vocals have changed too which has helped us. CoC: How have you changed over the last few years as a musician? JG: A lot like the records we do. A lot more focused and I think we are happy to be doing what we are doing. I think we are happy being where we have been able to get with our music. It is hard to describe. As a unit we have had a unique experience of having the same members five years down the road. We have become tighter too as a band. We have the same goals as a unit. I think the whole growth for us all has been as a band and not as individuals. Our lives have all blended into the band now. CoC: With the music on _CtG_, has songwriting been easier? JG: I think it has. Like the first record being a "Best of...," this time we worked hard as a unit and we took the time to create all this music. The bulk of this material, as opposed to what we had done earlier on, was all written as a unit. All five of us working on the lyrics, the songs, the music, and it allowed all the five minds to come together and create what we wanted to make our music take shape into. I think it was easier this time because the ideas had all these walls to bounce off right away as opposed to sitting in your bedroom writing music by yourself. CoC: Most artists have a hard time coming up with a description of their release. Do you? How would you describe this record in regards to sound or style? JG: It depends if it is someone who knows the band or not. I would have to say that it is definitely a metal record. I think it expands all types of music from 1980-1996. I think we offer variety and I think you will experience the different moods of the record from listening to it and reading the lyrics. I think it is a worth a listen from track one to track ten. This is a metal record with lots of sounds. I would tell anyone to just check it out. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= T H E R A G E R E T U R N S ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ An interview with Meliah Rage by: Adrian Bromley Five years. That is a long time for a band to put their music on hold but Boston thrashers Meliah Rage did just that after just two releases. The time frame has been long enough and now Meliah Rage singer Mike Munro (whose band's second album _Solitary Solitude_ surfaced in 1990; debut _Kill To Survive_ in 1989) thinks it is time that his band find it's way back into somewhat smaller, less-focused on metal music scene with their stunning third effort _Death Valley Dream_. With a new line-up, keeping original guitarists Anthony Nichols and Jim Koury, the band assembled the 1996 version of Meliah Rage with drummer Dave Barcos and ex-Wargasm bassist Bob Mayo and recorded their third opus. Munro is pumped and excited about the record and possibly touring, but as most metallers know nowadays it's a tough scene in music. He explains to Chronicles of Chaos the ups and downs of being a metal band and resurrecting Meliah Rage. Here is how it went: CoC: What was the feeling like for the band to, after years of putting the music of Meliah Rage aside, to start it up once again? Mike Munro: I was busy doing some stuff. I was in three other bands when I wasn't doing Rage. I was in a King's X style band, a blues band and a hard rock band. I tried to use my voice lots when I wasn't playing with Meliah Rage. Getting back into was definitely kind of strange. It was hard to write again. I mean when I wrote the other records I had a lot of aggression in me and that was my outlet back then. And now I didn't have that built up aggression that I did. It was a different thing but I did miss it. You get a little older and you get away from things but it was fun to do this again. CoC: Has you outlook on the metal industry changed? MM: It definitely has. I am not as in touch as I should be with what is going on. I am still following metal to what I can but I am more into the Alice In Chains and Soundgarden metal and I am not really keen on the death metal stuff. For me personally I don't get into it. Also because I like singing and that is not singing that I enjoy in death metal. It is a type of singing but nothing I enjoy. CoC: Do you feel that _Death Valley Dream_ is sort of a concept record or a record that is concentrating on one set of emotions rather than a assortment of scattered ideas and themes? Or maybe it is a collection of ideas... MM: This record is a lot of ideas thrown together because Bob Mayo did half of the writing of the lyrics which was good because I was having a hard time coming up with stuff. I said, 'Hey Bob! Help me out here' and he came in and helped put a different twist into things. He came up with certain things melody wise that I couldn't come up with and/or something I wouldn't have thought of. I was so used to writing my way and singing it my way but with this record I had to adjust to his writing and his way of how it was supposed to be sung. I still made the music my way but with his ideas/ I liked it that way because I got a different aspect of writing in general. CoC: Musically _DVD_ seems to be catering to that 80s/late-80s kind of thrash-riff metal but with a 90s sound. You seem to be sticking with that 80s thrash sound. Do you think you will ever try to lose that style of sound in Meliah Rage's music? MM: This record is us. I can honestly say this that this is the same record we would have released if we had stayed with Epic Records (the band is now with indie label Backstreet records) back in 1992. This is the way we are. I couldn't see us coming out and sounding like Green Day . Some of the feedback we have been getting is, 'This is what we have been waiting for. We thought we might get it from Metallica but...' We wrote what we wrote at the time and this is what came out. The whole process of being a musician or writer is getting it all out and writing what ya feel at the time and your influences at that time. We also stayed with our influences being in the 1980s. I don't know where (James) Hetfield or Lars (Ulrich) got their ideas? Obviously they are into other stuff and it comes out another way. CoC: With hooking up with Backstreet and putting out _DVD_, was that a make or break thing if you couldn't find a label to put out a record that would be in for Meliah Rage? MM: We have been shopping the tapes of our music for the last little while, ever since we got off Epic. We have been pushing three demos but ever since we left Epic metal music has been on a decline and trying to find a deal was hard. It was aggravating but we kept at it. But in the meantime everybody kept at it doing their own thing. It wasn't like we were Meliah Rage for the past six years. We were doing different things which every musician does and that adds flavor to your life. CoC: A lot bands from the era of metal that you surfaced in have either given up or have tried really hard to be accepted. Or bands like you will sit around and wait for the proper time to strike. How was it for you guys? MM: I think we were lucky. I think people miss the metal scene and it can do well again, especially the music we play or bands like us. The problem is that there are not enough fans embracing bands like us right now. That is the problem we have now. I am doing all these interviews and people are asking me, 'When are you touring?' or 'When are you gonna be in Texas?' and I say, 'If I could be in Texas I would be there tomorrow.' But it takes money to get there. If you don't have the money and clubs don't pay you lots of money then it is hard to make it to Rhode Island, let alone Texas. We want to get out and tour, maybe even hook up onto a good tour but a lot of venues aren't taking the shows. It is tough but I can see it happening. It is now like 1981 or 1982 where things are in the small clubs again where bands are playing there and are now, like back then, breaking out into the scene. CoC: I think people are just wanting something different again, don't you? MM: I see what you are saying. I know a lot of people are sick of this whole alternative thing. I listen to the radio and I hear all that stuff on the radio and I wonder why anybody would by that crap. But if that is what they dig then cool for them. I just don't get it. CoC: With the metal scene maybe on a course back into the spotlight, what do you hope will happen to the metal music this time around that may not have happened last time out? MM: I hope that the labels recognize it more. I think they should recognize the talent more than just a pretty face. Glam Metal was a type of metal that sold records and got the teen-boppers. I think that the big factor was that the talent was lost. I don't think the labels gave credit where credit was due. That always aggravated me. I hope this time around if it gets bigger again that labels take focus in bands more. CoC: In your eyes, how do you see this record? MM: I see this record as us being us. Us being us in 1996. I think we have changed a bit. The songs are a little shorter, more to the point and with a little punch in them. I just really dig it. I have always considered us power metal. I always thought that and I still think we are that. I have always been happy playing this kind of metal and I happy to be doing this again. I think this is the best record we have ever done. I'm happy but at the same time a slight bit aggravated that we might not be able to get put an tour and play shows at this point. I wanna play for people who want to see us and hear what we do. That bums me out that people want to see us play the kind of metal we play and they won't be able to see us. Hopefully touring will be in our cards this year. We'll see. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= ______ __ | __ \.-----.----.-----.----.--| | | <| -__| __| _ | _| _ | |___|__||_____|____|_____|__| |_____| ______ __ __ __ | __ \.-----.--.--.-----.| |.---.-.| |_|__|.-----.-----.-----. | <| -__| | | -__|| || _ || _| || _ | |__ --| |___|__||_____|\___/|_____||__||___._||____|__||_____|__|__|_____| 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! The Abyss - _Summon the Beast_ (Nuclear Blast, November 1996) by: Adam Wasylyk (6 out of 10) _Summon The Beast_ is The Abyss' second album and is very easy to categorize: no frills, straight-forward black metal. The side-project of Peter Tagtgren (of Hypocrisy, but you already knew that, didn't you?), the eight songs on this are played at hyper speed nearly all the time stopping only long enough to spill forth a fast melodic riff or two. My problem (which is a big one) is that nearly every song starts out with blast beating and during most of the song it's that same speed, so after the album's done it's nearly impossible to tell which song was which. Songs like "Satan's Majestic Empire", "Damned", "Cursed", "Feasting the Remains of Heaven", and "The Arrival" all sound the same, each having drums and guitars set on kill, with nothing much else. No keyboards are present which is too bad because that would have made this record less bland and given it more variety. The vocals (done by Mikael Hedlund, Tagtgren did the drums/bass) are pretty good and don't get irritating like some black metal vocalists I've heard. Clocking in at just under 30 minutes, I liked _Summon the Beast_ for its uncompromising speed but I disliked it for its lack of variety and all-the-same-ness. Allegiance - _Hymn Till Hangagud_ (No Fashion, August 1996) by: Drew Schinzel (7 out of 10) After receiving Allegiance's debut album, _Hymn Till Hangagud_, I was overcome with a feeling of total... (get ready) non-feeling. This viking black metal (at least so says their image: Swedish flag, hammers and axes, members posing on mountains with swords held high; I think you get the picture) release inspires absolutely nothing in me. Nothing extraordinarily good or bad, just plain, ordinary mid-paced to fast black/death metal, played with some skill and perhaps numbed by rather boring songwriting. The vocals are a throaty rasp, and similar to Old Man's Child in that respect. Guitars are decent, well played, but with riffs that are pretty unoriginal and definitely not groundbreaking. Drums, well, you guessed it: typically played, nothing outstanding here. This CD has been highly recommended by a few people I've talked to, but for the life of me I can't really see why, there are just so many more worthy titles out there in this vein which dominate all over this. After the searing first track, I expected more from this one. Certainly not -bad-, just don't expect something to blow you away. Ancient Wisdom - _For Snow Covered the Northland_ by: Steve Hoeltzel (7 out of 10) (Avantgarde Music, 1996) I'm not sure why these guys chose to open their album with the piano-and-black-metal-vocal-only "Hymn to the Northern Empire." Perhaps it's because they don't know how sick the rest of us are of all this hot air coming from The North. Anyway, this is some very cool doom metal, pairing up black metal inspired vocal technique with riffs that totally recall the killer dual guitar stylings of Tipton and Downing on the first (best!) Judas Priest records. (I'm talking of monsters like _Sad Wings of Destiny_ here, not the cheesier fist-banging stuff like _British Steel_.) On "No Tears at His Funeral", this approach sounds just great - slow, melodic lead riffing ringing out clearly on top of chiming metallic chords and good, laid-back double bass drumming. Songs like this one sound incredible live, I bet, and they definitely sound pretty good on this CD, given that the guitar sound is thick and reasonably clear. No keyboards get in the way of the echoing strings, which take a fuzzier, Iommi-style turn on two unnamed bonus tracks, only to rip abruptly into 80s-style chainsaw riffing. The early Priest style definitely dominates, though, which I think is a very cool thing. Heavy stuff. Avzhia - _Dark Emperors_ (Storm Productions, 1996) by: Steve Hoeltzel (8 out of 10) If I had to pick an album for "Best Really Obscure Release of the Year," this Mexican band's debut would be the one, hands down. _Dark Emperors_ is seven tracks of great black metal which totally captures the killer vibe of seminal "second wave" releases like the split from Emperor and Enslaved, while managing not to come across as generic or imitative. The vibe in question is grim, cold, and epic - qualities which can't be faked, and which Avzhia's music possesses in abundance. (Of course, the vibe also depends to a certain extent upon low-budget production, and you get that here, too, but the sound is definitely fuller and clearer than on many of the early Norse releases.) The riffing style often reminds me of the earlier Emperor stuff, yet Avzhia's overall sound is less messy and not so keyboard-heavy. Some of the more propulsive, impassioned riffs bring Enthroned or Satyricon to mind. Songs are in the nine- to ten-minute range, and always feature a variety of paces and dark moods. They don't reach the upper limits of speed set by, say, Marduk, but the fast material definitely plows forward with conviction, as on "Shadows of the Forest". And the slow material is great, exuding a genuinely doomy feel on tracks like "Immortal Spirit". Plus, the vocals are wacked! They're the most throat-lacerating black metal rasps I've ever heard. The album's final two tracks are live-in-the-studio, and although their production is fairly rough, they prove that this band can definitely tear it up and sound just wicked in the process. A very cool release. Behemoth - _Grom_ (Solstitium Records, 1996) by: Steve Hoeltzel (10 out of 10) Whatever "Grom" actually means, it might as well stand for dynamic force, radiating might and emotion, poised to crush all in its path. That's what Behemoth's breed of black metal has evolved to become - a relentless, whirling blizzard of sound, second to none in intensity and possessing a metallic signature all its own. One thing I love about this band is their highly developed sense of dynamics: this is rooted in the fast black metal style, yeah, but it's fast black metal -plus- insane riffs, cool vocal phrasings and variations in singing style, frequent and fluid changes in pace (some hair-raising, some orgasmic, some both), loud and crusty bass, awesome guitar breaks with rhythmic power-chording, well done solos (guitar -and- bass), cool female vocals, and on and on. Keyboards are used very little; acoustic guitars, a lot. Nergal vocalizes with tons of feeling, alternating between blackened snarl, sinister semi-spoken narration, and almost-clean singing that sounds very cool. (The operatic vocals on the title track aren't so hot, though.) I have a hard time imagining any open-minded fan of extreme metal not really getting into this release. Highlights abound; favorites include the power-mad opening of "The Dark Forest", the bad-ass backbeats in "Dragon's Lair", and the Motorhead-on-speed, Slayer-on-acid riffs of the awesome "Spellcraft and Heathendom". And that's the just the first three songs; I could go on. Great production, too: Nergal's guitar and Les' bass sound splendidly raw, but come through clear, sharp, and loud in a very organic-sounding mix. Same for the amazing drumming of Baal Ravenlock. Totally seething with energy, demonstrating a huge progression from this band's more primitive early sound, _Grom_ is easily one of the best metal releases, in any style, of the past several years. Highest recommendation. Dearly Beheaded - _Temptation_ (Fierce Recordings, October 1996) by: Adrian Bromley (5 out of 10) England quintet Dearly Beheaded deliver some really aggressive and Pantera-esque guitar riffs throughout _Temptation_, and that is a bonus. I like that sound. You know? Thick riffs accompanied by harsh vocals and a steady rhythm section make DB's release a good listen at high volumes. But all good things must come to an end. With a Pantera meets thrash metal mentality circulating throughout the releases, _Temptation's_ deliverance and objectives get old fast. Repetitive music styles are everywhere and I found that the band didn't really opt to try to allow singer Alex Creamer any room to alter his vocal styles much. Standouts include the title track, "Fuel My Hatred" and "Break the Restraint". It's a good record for loud, crunching guitar riffs but might not keep all metal fans' attention span. The Black - _Black Blood_ (Necropolis Records, October 1996) by: Drew Schinzel (6 out of 10) If you've already heard The Black's debut album, _The Priest of Satan_, then there's not much new to tell you about this MCD. It's their demo pressed on CD, and suffice it to say, it sounds -just- like _TPoS_. If, on the other hand, you haven't heard The Black before, this is fairly old school straightforward black metal with ear lacerating production. Most of the time, this stuff is not exactly something to write home about, and with the production as annoying as it is (-extremely- raw sounding), the slower parts are definitely welcome, and without question the best part. A great brooding, menacing sound is evident in these sections, with occasionally some keyboards backing for atmosphere (something which definitely does not decrease the brutality one bit). If you're looking for progressive, melodic, orchestral metal, don't even think about it, and even those who look more toward the old school sound might not want to check this out. But those who already know The Black's sound and don't mind it won't be disappointed. Catasexual Urge Motivation - _The Encyclopedia of Serial Killers_ by: Adam Wasylyk (4 out of 10) (Deliria Prod., September 1996) Japanese gore/grind band Catasexual Urge Motivation (initials are C.U.M, get it?) have released an album's worth (22 songs clocking in at around an hour) of boring, sloppy music with bad production and leaves the listener bored out of their wits! The lyrics deal with the band's interest in serial killers and mass murder as well as torture, cannibalism, mutilation, and sadism. Songs like "Supraliminal Psychosadistic Motivation", "Philosophical Diary of a Habitual Murderer", "Multiple Parasexuality Disorder", "Declaration of a Serial Killer... Mental Terrorism" and "Campaign to Legalize Murder" prove just this. The music is grinding death with bad production leaving the guitars sounding like mud. The vocals sound like a mix between Suffocation, Demilich and perhaps early Carcass. There are no fresh or new ideas being injected into the music, it's very straight-forward (and very boring). Buy Blood Duster instead. Contact: Deliria Productions, c/o Frank Riesinger P.O. Box 2914, 74029, Heilbronn, GERMANY email: f4033684@ca.aif.or.jp Cathedral - _Supernatural Birth Machine_ (Earache, November 1996) by: Adrian Bromley (7 out of 10) Fourth album and probably the most versatile offering to date for the powerful sludge/doom metal band, _SBM_ is a cosmic and rewarding trip into the visions of lead singer/bassist Lee Dorrian, a world created around imagination and lust for emotional upheaval and domination. Much like their other works, 1995's _The Carnival Bizarre_ and 1991's thought-bending _Forest of Equilibrium_, _SBM_ rides the waves of classic doom metal pretty firmly, and the crunch of fuzzy guitar riffs meeting Dorrian's stale but raspy vocals still has an effect on the listener. Though not as heavily geared as previous works, _SBM_ does have its heavy moments, but primarily it goes for that more "laid-back" cruise mode (i.e., Fu Manchu and Kyuss). My problems with the record have to do primarily with the marketing of the band by the label, making them seem to be a "stoner band" instead of the doom metal band that they are. Look at the cover of the album (a somewhat hazy pic of the band) and tell me, does it not place an uncharacteristic portrait of the band? I think it does to some extent. The original cover artwork by brilliant artist Dave Patchett is on the inside of the album sleeve for those that want to see the original cover. A little less Cathedral-like but still flowing like a raging river when need be. Choice cuts: "Cyclops Revolution", "Fireball Demon", and "Urko's Conquest". Chemlab - _East Side Militia_ (Fifth Column Records, October 1996) by: Adrian Bromley (3 out of 10) Techno metallers Chemlab's _East Side Militia_ release is a boring assortment of samples, drum machines, and bland vocals. I was not at once interested in anything I heard on this release. While the band may be seen as innovative, original or even ground breaking in many people's eyes (who are these people?), I'm left with a bad taste in my mouth after hearing _ESM_. I do like a lot of techno-driven metal music (13mg., God Lives Underwater, Chemical Brothers, Ultra-Violence), as does Gino, but I'm turning my back on this one. The only cool track is the distorted/vocal style of "Electric Molecule". Did I say boring already? Cradle of Filth - _Dusk and Her Embrace_ (Music For Nations, 1996) by: Brian Meloon (8 out of 10) I guess there isn't really too much to say about this other than: if you liked _Vempire..._ (see review in CoC #11), you'll like this, and if you didn't, this probably won't change your mind. The similarities to _Vempire..._ are numerous; the production is nearly identical, the vocal styles (male and female spoken parts, growls, and screams) are similar, and the gothic influence is just as heavy. There are a few differences though, the most important being the more prominent guitar work. There are a few leads (which remind me of Dark Tranquillity or Iron Maiden), and even a solo. Unfortunately, the guitars have never been CoF's strong point, and some of the parts sound a little sloppy. The keyboard tones are similar, but there are a few new ones, and a (much appreciated by this reviewer) reappearance of the pipe organ tone from _TPoEMF_. The non-digipack version contains 7 real songs, and two short instrumentals, and the digipack version contains "Nocturnal Supremacy '96", a remake of the (weakest) song from _Vempire..._. The artwork is less overtly sexual (no naked chicks this time), but similar in flavor to the previous artwork. (BTW, check out Nicholas in the band pictures, he alternately looks like Uncle Fester and Rob Halford) Although there aren't any obvious flaws, overall I find this a little bit of a letdown. It just doesn't seem very striking. It's good, but nothing really stands out to me, the songs just seem to pass by without really making a statement. Perhaps a few more listens will reveal some intricacies that I'm missing, but for now, I'm a little disappointed. Danzig - _blackacidevil_ (Hollywood Records, October 1996) by: Adrian Bromley (4 put of 10) Has anyone seen Danzig? Anyone? I can't seem to find him on this, his supposed fifth release, _blackacidevil_. I am looking for the stout and short lead singer/crooner who sings about devils, darkness, and has a cute "cuddly-wuddly" wolf tattooed on his arm. Anyone? Hmm... Okay, the joke is getting old now. YES! this is Danzig's latest release, a record chock-full of techno-driven, industrial-edged tunes that'll make ya want to dance more than raise your fist and hail Satan. This record surprised me a lot, but as our beloved copy-editor Alain Gaudrault mentioned to me, it might have been the only option or route for Glenn Danzig to go seeing that his band dissolved, leaving him to fend on his own. I can't think of anything more shocking to happen to an American icon since Pee Wee Herman got caught choking his chicken at a porno theater in Florida. At that point, his whole identity was torn apart and to this day Pee Wee Herman is still the butt of jokes. Danzig may soon see this happen. I'm not sure how REAL die-hard Danzig fans feel about this record on a whole, but from what I've heard from some people, they hate it. Bad career move? Maybe. The band does have some good moments with opener "7th House" and "Hint of Her Blood". I think first single "Sacrifice" is horrible and was a bad choice. Will the real Danzig show up come album #6? Hope so. Wouldn't want him needing to get a part-time job at this point in his career. Dark Tranquillity - _Enter Suicidal Angels_ EP by: Adam Wasylyk (8 out of 10) (Osmose, November 1996) My first record by DT is _The Gallery_ which I really liked for its speedy-yet-melodic guitaring and Mikael Stanne's vocal style. On this 4-song EP, the music is an extension of what can be found on _The Gallery_ but catchier and in my opinion more melodic. Tracks "Zodijakyl Light", "Razorfever", and "Shadowlit Facade" continue in DT's fine tradition and are instantly likable on the first listen. The big surprise on _Enter..._ is track four entitled "Archetype". It's best described as a techno song with black metal vocals. Experimental material can usually be found on band's EPs so that is exactly what this is and is definitely not indicative of what future material will sound like. I must say, judging "Archetype" as a song, it is different but I do like it very much. If you're a fan of Dark Tranquillity or fast, melodic music than this EP must not be passed up!!! Dawnbringer - _Sacrament_ (Twilight, 1996) by: Brian Meloon (7 out of 10) An American band (I believe) that are playing a strange hybrid of a lot of styles. The vocals are what really stand out about this on first listen. They're both distorted and processed, and they sound like they're being sung from far away. They're a little hard to get used to at first, and aren't at all what you'd expect from hearing the music, but I actually like them. The music ranges from folksy acoustic to black metal to melodic death metal to straightforward rock. At times, they almost have a pop feel, with the lead guitar on the title track sounding like "Reptile" by the Church. Musically, they're not doing anything too new, as they don't mix the styles too much, instead opting for a more standard approach, but the arrangements of the parts are novel. For example, during the title track, while playing a black metal style, they stop, strum an acoustic guitar four times with long pauses in between, then kick right back into the mid- to fast-paced black metal style. It's strange, but I like it: it keeps the music from getting monotonous, the way a lot of (black metal) bands tend to do. The musicianship is somewhat inconsistent; most of the black metal sections sound good, but the bluesy guitar solos sound very cheap. It's only an EP, clocking it at around twenty minutes long, but it's a nice effort, and I'm curious to hear their next offering. Deathwitch - _Triumphant Devastation_ (Necropolis, October 1996) by: Drew Schinzel (8 out of 10) In all the promos and talk about this CD that I've seen, they've been described as being very "old-school" in their approach. Well, if this is indeed old school, then I'm sorry I missed the days of early 80s metal! Replete with cheesy lyrics, screamed vocals, great song titles ("Infernal Gates of Evil", anyone?), and surprisingly good music, this release reeks of attitude and metal machismo. How can you listen to lyrics like "Under the flag of black death, we shall rule the world!" without a smile of knowing satisfaction crossing your face? Just about every one of the twelve songs presented here contains some kind of not-so-subtle evil imagery, and although the actual compositions might not be the most complex to ever grace your ears, they still are enjoyable, if only because they will make you laugh. If Deathwitch intended this to be a serious release, then I guess I'll be expecting some of Satan's minions to come devour my soul any day now. However, if it was only intended as an original tribute to early 80s metal, then mission accomplished. Decameron - _My Shadow..._ (No Fashion Records, August 1996) by: Drew Schinzel (7 out of 10) It seems that nowadays, almost any extreme metal band coming out of a Scandinavian country feels obligated to incorporate -some- kind of strong black metal influence. You've seen it for yourself, release after release being described (not without good reason) as "death/black," or "black death metal" or something similar. Not that I mind; on the contrary the majority (I stress majority) have been very worthy albums. However, it's still nice to see a band emerge from Sweden without a hint of much black metal connection. Decameron is one such band, and they play distinctly Swedish death metal which reminds me a lot of Merciless (_Unbound_) with perhaps a little more melodic DM influence from the likes of Dark Tranquillity. On the whole, the music is pretty enjoyable. Tempo changes and melody are abundant, yet the sound retains relative brutality and aggression. As mentioned, there are a lot of similarities to (the now disbanded) Merciless, with kind of a death/thrash sound at times and vocals that are neither death nor black, but instead more of a controlled scream. As a side note, this album weighs in at a lengthy 62 minutes, almost twice the length of your average Swedish release. This album has its highs, especially the second and last tracks, as well as many parts in the other songs, and the solos are very well played and wonderful sounding. On the other hand, the low moments are few and far between, and I can't see any real reason -not- to recommend this CD. Earth Crisis - _Gamorrah's Season Ends_ (Victory, November 1996) by: Adrian Bromley (2 out of 10) Can someone please get me a dictionary or a translator? What the fuck is up with this? I am totally baffled and not impressed with Earth Crisis' latest effort, _Gamorrah's Season Ends_. Drenched in loud and stomp-like hardcore riffs and grooves comes an over abundance of incoherent lyrics about society and the band's "straight-edge" beliefs. Nothing makes sense as it is one big long mumble and screams. Nothing against the band's beliefs but guys... the music? What is up with this? I have heard that a lot of other people and fans of the band are not happy with this release. I am one of them. What went wrong? I dunno. I mean the band has had a following since their debut album, _All Out War_ (1992 on Conviction Records) and onto signing with Victory Records (_Firestorm_, 1993 and 1995's _Destroy the Machines_) where they continued to gain lots of press and exposure. I guess times change and bands lose their creativity or something. Who knows? All I know is that _GSE_ will not be played on my CD player again anytime soon. Einherjer - _Dragons of the North _ (Napalm Records, November 1996) by: Steve Hoeltzel (8 out of 10) Okay, all ye lovers of good, stout Viking metal, it's time to raise your ale-horns and drink to the release of Einherjer's full-length debut. (But take care, lest ye get mead in your mighty beard!) I must confess that I've never been real big on the whole Viking thing - but I must also report that this CD contains some really great, original-sounding metal music. Einherjer deals mostly in folk-inspired stop-start guitar riffs played on top of a hard-driving, mid-paced rhythmic foundation and embellished with the occasional melodious bass line or tasteful keyboard jingle. On songs like the title track and the excellent "Slaget Ved Hartsfjord", the results are memorable and impressive - cool lead riffing weaving in and out of a thick fabric of hard beats, crunchy rhythm guitar, and growling bass. "Slaget..." is devilishly, elegantly catchy, yet possesses a very sharp sonic edge. The same can be said for many other tracks on the disk, especially "Forever Empire" and the entrancing "Dreamstorm" (a song sure to mightily please anyone who really likes Enslaved's less furious stuff). Cool riffs abound. Vocals are raspy but generally clear. The production is clear and fairly punchy, with all instruments showing up nicely in the mix. All in all, a great release by a very talented band, playing a potent, decidedly non-trendy style of metal. Endura - _Liber Leviathan_ (Aesthetic Death Records, 1996) by: Andrew Lewandowski (8 out of 10) Despite popping into the "dark ambient" scene only a short while ago, Endura have released 3 works in a year's time, and 3 of the more mature and interesting ambient albums to date, no less. _Liber Leviathan_ replaces the more gothic stylings and semi-conventional song structures of its 2 predecessors (most notably _Black Eden_, released on the amazing Red Stream label) for a sparser sound. At times, _LL_ borders on new age - somewhat in the vein of Tangerine Dream - yet retains the decrepit ambiance and occult underpinnings shared by the previous material. A more ethnic sound can be detected throughout, as Endura have also stopped their reliance on symphonic keyboards, in favor of more diverse instrumentation. The keyboards take on a more swirling and whimsical feel than before. The "leviathan" influence manifests itself through the distinctively oceanic feelings that each song invokes - particularly the final track, "Ctulhu Fhtagn", which manipulates sonar waves taken from the US Navy Oceanographic Research Survey. This results in Endura's most soothing and meditative work to date; truly a fine album to play before falling into a state of slumber. Excelsis - _A Dark Noel_ (Projekt Records, November 1996) by: Adrian Bromley (6 out of 10) Christmas time is here and the folks at Projekt Records have decided to make it darker and more tranquil for us with this 15-song compilation CD. _Excelsis: A Dark Noel_ is a collection of tracks from various artists who work with the Projekt label: Black Tape for a Blue Girl, Love Spirals Downwards, Thanatos, and many more. While the album seems to radiate an intense ethereal feeling and focuses steadily on a gothic angle to such Christmas classics as "The First Noel" (by Thanatos), "O Holy Night" (by Eva O), "The Little Drummer Boy" (by Sorrow) and "Jingle Bells" (by Loveliescrushing), there also seems to be an eerie dark feeling surfacing here too. An amalgamation of both beauty and darkness that'll keep you at bay till the bitter end, but at the same time leave you wondering what is waiting for you there. Not for every metaller but something that could be seen as almost therapeutic, to calm the soul, while we wait for the heavier records to surface in early 1997. Faction Zero - _Liberation_ AND Maximum Penalty - _Independent_ (IJT (idjit) Records, November 1996) (6 out of 10) by: Adrian Bromley This is the first time I have ever done this in a review: talking about two CDs in the same review. Why? I felt that both these hardcore-based bands (who are on the same label) are very much similar to one another. While Faction Zero's _Liberation_ may take on a stronger hardcore element than Maximum Penalty's _Independent_, they both seem to flow within the boundaries of being more than just adequate songwriters and HC bands in general. Both bands sound good and rely heavily on melody to take the reigns of the hard grooves they dwell into with both release. Faction Zero delivers strongly with "Come Full Circle", "Choices" and "The Next War", while Maximum Penalty shows off their wares with the hard-hitting "Justice Paid", "Face Value", and "... So God Help Me" - plus the band's debut album has six live songs recorded at New York club landmark CBGB's. Another thing that I like about these two hardcore bands is that they manage to keep the energy going, no real drop-off points on either album. While these bands may be in their early, developing stages of growing, I am pretty sure that both of these bands will be more successful in the HC scene. It is just a matter of time... they have the goods though. Floodgate - _Penalty_ (Roadrunner Records, October 1996) by: Adrian Bromley (7 out of 10) I really wanted to write this off as a Corrosion of Conformity rip-off band. I almost did... almost. Floodgate's debut _Penalty_ (much like CoC or even Fu Manchu) is deep in its Black Sabbath roots and coated with that clear and crisp Southern guitar playing style. _Penalty_ has a lot to offer with singer/guitarist Kyle Thomas' ability to lead the band through multiple song styles and the actual sound of _Penalty_ is in its own right amazing. Clear and slick production work makes it an even more enjoyable listen each time out. Also, there is nothing cooler to hear than a band with a real strong and potent groove. Floodgate finds that groove at multiple intervals throughout the release (i.e. "Through My Days Into My Nights" and "Whole"). The rumor has it also that Thomas was indeed the man to take over the reigns when singer Karl Agell was booted from CoC (before Pepper Keenan took over) - I can see that. So as much as this record sounds like CoC at times, this New Orleans group has got something special in their music and sound that sets them apart. Check out tracks: "Shivering", "Imitation Salvation", and "Black With Sin." Helheim - _Fenris_ MCD (Necropolis Records, October 1996) by: Drew Schinzel (8 out of 10) Helheim are black metal with hints at industrial, from Norway. That said, this MCD is quality musical enjoyment with a lot of high points to it. Kicking in with a menacing (albeit not entirely original) guitar riff, the first thing you'll probably notice about Helheim are the vocals. Far from your typical black metal vocals, these are kind of a shrieking shout for the most part. When I first heard them, I immediately thought back to Edge of Sanity's _The Spectral Sorrows_ on the track "Feeding the Charlatan" where Dread does the vocals. If you've heard that (and if you haven't, go and buy it now) then you'll know what to expect. As for the rest of the music, it's fast-paced (for the most part) black metal with, like I said, some industrial parts. Don't get me wrong, it's nowhere near as industrial or programmed as the latest, for example, Samael CD, just that there are a few parts where there's a definite influence from the industrial spectrum of things, especially in the strange drum/synth interludes in the first track, "Syndens Makt", and the mechanical grind of a lot of the fourth song, "Fimbulvinter". As mentioned, there is use of keys, though not in the usual majestic, Arcturus-style sound; it's more of a deep, billowing effect, put to best use, again, in the fourth track. Helheim managed to put out something fairly original in the convoluted BM scene, which is itself to be commended, but they also put out something original and -good-, which doubles the value. Ildjarn - _Forest Poetry_ (Napalm Records/Norse League, 1996) by: Steve Hoeltzel (7 out of 10) Wow. This stuff is so unbelievably primitive, raw, and malicious, that it makes Darkthrone sound like the Sisters of Mercy! If some anti-social, prehistoric shaman bought a cheap electric guitar and played -very- loud black metal while pissed off and wigging on psychoactive drugs, the result would probably sound a lot like _Forest Poetry_. But you know what? I actually mean that as a compliment, because I actually think this is pretty damn cool. I mean, this stuff is just -so- antithetical to accepted ideas of what counts as "good music," and it takes primal energy and crudity to -such- an extreme, that it makes for fascinating listening. The product of one man alone (Ildjarn himself), it's 22 short tracks of twisted, simplistic power in which weirdly distorted chainsaw riffing, booming bass, rudimentary drum-bashing, and vicious scowling vocals come together for an all-out assault on cleanliness and quiet. As with other projects of this type, the result can make for very interesting listening, once you get used to the totally wacked out sound. (Great packaging, too.) Other black metal bands are big on mood, right? Well, check out Ildjarn, and hear the atmosphere that an unrelenting maelstrom of primitivity can summon up. Karma to Burn - _Karma to Burn_ (Roadrunner, January 1996) by: Adrian Bromley (5 out of 10) Much like the Pist*On record (see review below), four-piece Karma to Burn are easily more comfortable with sticking to a rough & raw approach when it comes to material. The music is heavy and there is melody, but there really is no set pattern for the band to follow. With an aggressive guitar-oriented sound and an approach of weirdness and creativity a la Tool, Karma to Burn's debut album on Roadrunner has both positive and negative aspects flowing from it. The positive points are that the music is rather cool and trippy at times, and is accompanied by a strong kick of intensity, but the negative aspect is that the band seems to lose the listener most of the record with their weird musical interludes and song structures. While there are strong songs like "(Waltz of the) Playboy Pallbearers", "Mt. Penetrator", and a cool Joy Division cover, "Twenty Four Hours", on the debut album, it isn't a bad release, but nothing that would be on the top of my list to recommend to someone. Kampfar - _Kampfar_ (Season of Mist, October 1996) by: Drew Schinzel (8 out of 10) This self-titled MCD is Kampfar's first release, and shows a lot of promise for the future of this Norwegian viking black metal band. Not particularly "black" so to speak, Kampfar have an extremely majestic, cold, atmospheric sound (though without the heavy use of keyboards and overt atmospheric sections like countrymates Arcturus and Gehenna). The lyrics are, unfortunately, not included in the sparse packaging, but the drawing of a viking and terrific photographs of (presumably) Norwegian landscapes of vast forests and freezing white icebergs which adorn the sleeve are enough to tip one off to Kampfar's lyrical content and ideas. In addition, the song titles are all in Norwegian so the lyrics would figure to follow suit. The album has a grand, full production, especially in the drum department. During the mid-paced parts (the majority of the CD), the drums have a huge, echoing sound which overtakes the rest of the music. Throughout the rest of the three-track opus, clean, "Storm"-like vocals, acoustics, small use of keyboards (except for the keyboard and bass-only third track), typical black metal vocals (similar to Garm's), and the occasional fast section prevail. Overall, for a debut MCD, Kampfar have pulled off quite an album, and I'm looking forward with anticipation to their followup. Laibach - _Jesus Christ Superstar_ (Mute Records, 1996) by: Andrew Lewandowski (8 out of 10) Throughout the past 15 years, Laibach have proven to be one of the most experimental industrial band in a genre possessing countless risk takers. Thus, _JCS_ is quite a massive surprise, despite coming from a band that consistently releases surprising albums. While each album has gotten progressively more accessible over the past 15 years, no Laibach fan could truly expect this: an industrial metal album!?! Yep, Laibach have made a passe jump onto the overcrowded industrial metal band wagon, resulting in their most mainstream effort to date. Luckily, this is also one of their best. For _JCS_, Laibach have adopted stereotypically thrashy, although refreshingly grating, guitars and a conventional verse-chorus-verse lyrical pattern. The lyrics themselves are a stereotype of the sub-genre; all are religious oriented, and range from satirical (or should that be self-contradictory? With Laibach, you never can tell) to mindless blasphemies. The two cover songs, "The Cross" and "Jesus Christ Superstar" continue with these religious themes; both are fairly conservative efforts, especially in comparison to previous covers. As with all Laibach albums, _JCS_ is a step above all others in whatever sub-genre they decide to dabble in; the patented Laibachian choirs and overblown symphonic elements are all here, adding a melodic, and quite mystical, dimension that no other industrial metal band can match. Fans of this style will be well advised to pick this one up; if Laibach fans look at it with an open eye, they should eventually be pleased - although I hope that Laibach don't delve any farther into this direction. Mastiphal - _For a Glory of All Evil Spirits, Rise for Victory_ by: Brian Meloon (7 out of 10) (Baron, 1996) Mastiphal hail from Poland, and play a black metal style that sounds kind of like a mix of Arcturus (see CoC #12) and Accursed (see CoC #11). The approach is similar to both bands, but perhaps less synth-dominated. Unfortunately, it's not as diverse, interesting, or well-played as Arcturus, but at least it beats Accursed on all counts. The production is decent, but sounds a little faded due to the overly trebly drums. Vocals are standard fare raspy black metal style, and the guitar work is usually pretty straightforward. The keyboard parts are usually minimalist, preferring to just emphasize parts of the riff structures, or play simple single-note melodies. Occasionally though, they are rather involved, especially the piano parts. Due to a lack of diversity and an unfortunate sparsity of different riffs, the songs tend to drag a bit too, but not to the point of being completely boring. I guess I'd hesitantly recommend this to fans of Arcturus, but don't expect it to be great. Morgana Lefay - _Maleficium_ (Black Mark, November 1996) by: Adrian Bromley (6 out of 10) Right out of the books next to the band name Savatage and their opus _Streets: A Rock Opera_ comes Swedish progressive/power metallers Morgana Lefay and their fourth release, _Maleficium_. The music, the sound, the vocals and even the musical arrangements are very Savatage-ish. But, once we get past that, this is Morgana Lefay's release and it actual is quite good. Not being a big fan of the band in the past, I felt something click here with _Maleficium_, whether it be the well thought out musical arrangements of any of the 14 tracks or just the sheer musical experience and know-how that went into carving each tune. There seems to be a sense of concentration that went into creating _Maleficium's_ music, and that makes the material worth listening too. Most of the songs are lengthy ones, five minutes plus, but the length of the songs are a needed element of Morgana Lefay to capture the ideals and concepts, even the themes running throughout the record. Standouts: "The Source of Pain", title track, "Witches Garden", and "Where Fallen Angels Rule". Alert! Anyone into really dramatic, progressive metal like Savatage or Iced Earth, check this out. Necromicon - _Realm of Silence_ (Impure Creations Records, 1996) by: Steve Hoeltzel (7 out of 10) If fast black metal is what you crave, then look no further than this speedy sextet's well-produced debut. _RoS_ features some ferocious music, played with uncommon skill and blessed with a great mix and clear, sharp production. Style-wise, Necromicon is especially comparable to Swordmaster, in that they write four- to five-minute songs built around cool, razor-sharp riffs underpinned by thundering, whirlwind percussion (with plenty of double bass drumming in parts). Lead vocals are done in the standard black metal style, with the occasional blood-curdling shriek (and I mean -shriek-) thrown in for good measure. Keyboards are used more or less sparingly. "Gates of Grief" and "The Hated One" blast, stomp, and gallop madly along and sound just killer - especially in the latter song's totally unpredictable leap from crazed black metal surf riffing to blazing soloing over choppy rhythm guitars and rocking backbeat! (Gosh, I sure hope this is not too upsetting to the more "true" among us...) But despite moments like these, the album as a whole has a certain by-the-numbers feel to it. The great playing and production make for quite enjoyable listening, but most of the songs are long on style and short on memorable musical substance. It's cool-sounding stuff, for sure, but it really isn't very original at all, so it lacks the artistic impact of the genre's more imaginative acts. Niden Div. 187 - _Towards Judgement_ (Necropolis, October 1996) by: Drew Schinzel (8 out of 10) No atmospheric synth intro. No folk-influenced acoustic breaks. No majestic female vocals. Just straight, brutal, lightning-speed black death metal from Sweden. According to the Necropolis web page, "The release is a complete FUCK OFF to the politically correct system that enslaves society and the metal scene." And it's difficult to deny them. Niden Div. 187 is just no-nonsense, no frills, aggressive metal played at breakneck speeds. This stuff can virtually cause brain damage if played too loudly for too long. Vocalist Henke Forss takes a break from his main commitment, Dawn, long enough to perform the vocals on this short MCD, and they are his characteristic tortured but subdued scream. The guitars aren't anything spectacular but they get the job done, with the usual Swedish sound to them, a bit similar to Marduk in that respect. The drums are the best part of this album, as they are extremely fast and extremely -tight-, and placed perfectly in the mix. If you woke up this morning with a yearning for something that totally scorned all of today's trends, -and- will bust your speakers, this is your ticket. Pike - _Lack of Judgement_ (Black Mark, November 1996) by: Adrian Bromley (2 out of 10) Not too keen on this release after multiple listens. I can't get past the screaming grunts and I find the crossover sound the band delivers of hardcore meets funk and punk rather lame. The band attempts to be hard and "on the edge" throughout, and in reality it seems a bit too planned for me. I like bands that experiment with different sounds, but I think Pike may have tried too hard to be different. Sometimes being too different or creative has its drawbacks. Someone needs better blueprints next time. Pist*On - _Number One_ (Fierce Records, November 1996) by: Adrian Bromley (8 out of 10) New York's Pist*On's debut album (produced by Type O Negative keyboardist, Josh Silver) is a hard-edged collection of soothing melodies and turbulent guitar riffs. From the opener of "Parole" through potent songs as "Grey Flap", "Eight Sides", and "Electra Complex", the band seems to create an honest and raw take on keeping a consistent groove on _Number One_. Much like the rough and raw guitar styles of Corrosion of Conformity or Only Living Witness, the band's material seems to stay clear (as much as possible) from a slick production and focus more on delivering a solid blow rather than a comfortable guitar riff. Singer Henry Font has quite a versatile voice and with the help of Josh Silver (who produced the last two Type O efforts) guiding him and the band, the band was able to produce a debut album worth listening too. For those that enjoy music with melody, yet ample on might and integrity with each song, you'll dig this one. Poison - _Poison's Greatest Hits 1986-1996_ (Capitol, 1996) by: Brian Meloon (0 out of 10) You didn't seriously expect this to get anything above a zero did you? (You probably didn't expect it to even be here, but...) Anyway, this is the same Poison that gave us such crap in the 80s as "Fallen Angel", "I Want Action", "Nothing but a Good Time", and "Unskinny Bop". There are songs from all five of their albums (only one from _Native Tongue_) and two featuring Blues Saraceno on guitar, both of which were previously unreleased. Unfortunately, none of the songs are even in the slightest bit listenable. Avoid this like the plague (as if you didn't already know that). Various - _Beneath the Icy Floe: A Projekt Sampler V.4_ by: Adam Wasylyk (9 out of 10) (September 1996, Projekt Records) Listening to the 13 bands/16 tracks on this compilation, I learned that I had been missing some truly great gothic music. The compilation being put out as a sampling of the first decade of Projekt music, it also showcases the numerous talented bands that are on the label. Graceful and soulful keyboards are on a lot of these tracks, with great female vocals and enchanting acoustic guitar passages. Bands like Arcanta, Thanatos, Bleak and Black Tape for a Blue Girl are great, while Love Spirals Downwards and especially Lydia are simply wondrous!! Very rarely was there a track not worth hearing, every track seem to compliment the others. With more than 70 minutes of quality and dark music, if your just getting into gothic music and don't know where to start I heavily suggest you start here. Summoning - _Dol Guldur_ (Napalm Records, December 1996) by: Steve Hoeltzel (10 out of 10) I have basically worshipped this band since last year's amazing _Minas Morgul_, in which Protector and Silenius (who is also in Abigor) abandoned the raw black metal of their debut and pioneered a unique, mesmerizing style of epic-ambient, blackened-medieval-metallic music. These guys weave together sonic tapestries in which it's impossible to tell where the gripping song leaves off and the enthralling soundscape begins. As on _Minas Morgul_, the writings of Tolkien provide the imaginative backdrop to the music, which is dominated by multiple layers of synthesizers and hard, mid-paced beats. Beefy and distorted guitar tones also take up a chunk of the mix, as do expressive and eerie black metal vocals. Like guitar and voice, the synths are quite organic in tone, usually approximating the sounds of distant, echoing horns or strings, yet with an unmistakably unearthly vibe. Carefully layered and beautifully produced, guitar, synth, and voice are anchored by programmed percussion that doesn't really sound canned, especially thanks to the frequent use of beats suggesting tribal ceremonies and military marches. On songs like the awesome "Khazad Dum", Summoning build layer upon layer in consecutive steps, so that what begins as a simple series of notes is embellished, bit by bit, with distinct series of cool, imaginative tones, until there are five, six, seven separate layers to the sound, all woven splendidly together. The music tends to be slow, with no fast parts at all, but the sound is so textured and rich that listening remains action-packed - especially if you let your imagination just go with the sonic flow. Check out the haunting melody line of "Kor", the chilling bells of "Wyrmvater Glaurung", the stirring "Nightshade Forests", and look for an eight-minute animated (!) video from the band soon. Highest recommendation. Swans - _Soundtracks for the Blind_ (Young God Records, 1996) by: Andrew Lewandowski (8 out of 10) My readers, please do not view this as a plea simply intended to arouse sympathy, but how can I attempt to properly review this album, particularly considering CoC's admittedly minute spatial constraints? _Soundtracks for the Blind_ is no mere album; this is a two-disc, two and a half hour monster. Departing from their recent hybrid of folk and "experimental" rock, the Swans have rebounded from several utterly mediocre albums to create this, their most diverse effort to date. Each song is vastly different from the previous track. Despite the apparent diversity and juxtaposition of live and studio tracks, the songs retain a similar mood and sound, evading incoherence. Hints of guitars, both acoustic and electric, are sprinkled throughout, but _Soundtracks..._ relies on a suffocating, keyboard-driven ambiance and various collected sounds to create a horrifying vision, suffused with anger and melancholy. The vocals of band mastermind Michael Gira are, as always, the perfect match for the music, even if they are used a bit too sparingly; his emotional wails and gothic vocals can send shivers down the listener's spine. As always, his lyrics are mocking, and representative of the darkest side of human existence; the various forms of submissiveness are his popular theme throughout _Soundtracks_ (BTW, his book, entitled _The Consumer_, is worth a read). Unfortunately, Gira's female counterpart, Jarboe, once again rears her obtrusive head. Her three compositions all sound undeniably out of place, particularly "Volcano", which is destroyed by a cheesy hip-hop beat in the background. Also, the more restrained studio version of "YRP", the highlight of _Die Tur Ist Zu_, an album released earlier this year in preparation for _Soundtracks_, lacks the haunting cries that Jarboe wailed on its predecessor, and thus falls somewhat flat. Still, these are only 4 out of 26 tracks; not much irreparable harm is done. My only other complaint is a most lamentable one; this is the Swans final studio album. A shame, as this is their best album since 1986's _Greed_, and showcases the musical direction that the band should have followed after the aforementioned album. Thy Serpent - _Forests of Witchery_ (Spinefarm Records, 1996) by: Steve Hoeltzel (5 out of 10) This is being marketed as black metal, which is about as accurate as calling Anthrax a death metal band. The front cover features the typical "northern forest" photo, and the back showcases yet another corpse-painted, pencil-necked geek posing with a snake - but the music is awful easy on the ears. Come on, guys: quit sucking up to the trend and just be honest, okay? You're a metal band. Though containing gothic atmosphere, needlessly long songs, and raspy vocals, this is still heavy metal all the way - slap-happy rock beats and "hot licks" included. Actually, it's not quite -that- bad, but it's a far cry from metallic extremity. Anyway, let's give credit where credit is due: opener "Flowers of Witchery Abloom" is a real cool song, clean guitars and stirring keys combining to generate strong feeling and tangible momentum. "Traveler of Unknown Plains" and "Like a Funeral Veil of Melancholy" have their moments too, but most of the music on this very well-produced release is just sort of... there. If you like metal that has just a -little- bit of power and just a -little- bit of edge, then Thy Serpent are definitely your thing. Unpure - _Coldland_ (Napalm Records, November 1996) by: Steve Hoeltzel (8 out of 10) All right! Kolgrim and Hrasvelg are back, and this time they're less pure than ever! Celestial Pain guitarists John and Vic have teamed up with Sweden's premier purveyors of moonlit goat-lust for ten more tracks of catchy, simplistic, and very chilly nocturnal metal. In addition to being less pure than before (which the hilarious "Horny Goats" amply demonstrates), they also claim to be "Blacker than Ever" on one track - and they have definitely become catchier and even much thrashier at times. The thing that makes Unpure so cool is their unswerving allegiance to stone simplicity in riffing. There's no "epic" black metal emoting, no sappy melody, no death metal technicality - just cold, crude, infectious riffs that stomp out of your speakers looking to kick your ass. The way-fun "Count Dracula" and "Frozen" are prime examples, but the album is chock full of them. There are a number of old school styles on display this time, with a couple of thrash and heavy metal pounders written by Hrasvelg nicely complementing Kolgrim's more blackened contributions. (The guys swap vocal duties as well, which adds further variety to their basic sound.) Usually fun, always frosty, and even funny from time to time, _Coldland_ is a very cool revival of the old and unrefined ways of true underground metal. Vision of Disorder - _Vision of Disorder_ (Roadrunner, November 1996) by: Adrian Bromley (9 out of 10) Just the sheer intensity of the opening track's music ("Element") or singer/growler Tom William's first screams sets the tone for this loud and truly stunning debut by this Long Island quintet. Vision of Disorder's debut is all about power within their music and the ability to be able to channel emotions into one powerful punch - something they have done with this release. Several times... over and over. The mixing of hardcore and death metal really set them apart from most young bands nowadays and William's lyrics are so real and honest that this record's material not only serves as a deliverance of intensity but allows William's words on life and society to take the spotlight too. A vigorous collection of material captivates this record, most notably "Through My Eyes", "Ways To Destroy One's Ambition", and "Zone Zero". I basically was blown away by the band's three-song sampler last issue and this full-length record just has me floored too. "Powerful" is the best word used to describe this record. December Moon - _Source of Origin_ (Spinefarm Records, 1996) by: Steve Hoeltzel (7 out of 10) Despite what you would naturally expect, given the name of this two-man band and its members' previous connection with Cradle of Filth, this is not really black metal. There's a definite hint of blackness to the sound at times, and the vocals are for the most part high-pitched and raspy, but musically, this duo bows to no trend. Instead, they pay homage to the old gods, composing enjoyable, fairly traditional metal which defies easy labeling but respects foreboding atmospheres, power, and weight. (Still, this is not merely another of those tributes to 80s bands that have become quite the trend of late.) Instrumental "Exaltation of Power" begins the album like a somber roll of thunder. "You Can't Bless the Damned" continues, and sets the standard for the rest of the CD: songs which favor mid-paced galloping over the occasional fast charge, and nicely arrange numerous riffs, verse patterns, and moody synthesizer washes. On this track and "The Apparition of Mother Earth", they weld cool riff to cool riff and make some powerful and captivating music. (On the latter song, vocalist Rob unexpectedly lets loose the way-high notes and gives King Diamond a run for his money.) Still, the keyboard-based "Winter Sunset" and "Black Millennium" put a real damper on things, and the songs I haven't mentioned generally prove less interesting than their counterparts. Also, I think the band would sound -much- heavier if the vocals didn't dominate the mix so much. This CD contains some cool songs, and I think Rob and Was demonstrate the potential to do something killer, but this isn't quite it. December Wolves - _Til Ten Years_ (Hammerheart Prod., August 1996) by: Drew Schinzel (8 out of 10) Okay, when most of us think of a bastion of fast melodic black metal, Massachusetts isn't exactly the first place that pops into our minds. It's not exactly the cold, desolate frostland which usually spawns such acts. However, once you take a listen to _Til Ten Years_, the location of the band will be the furthest thing from your mind (except for maybe wondering how something this good emerged from the same place as "Cheers"). December Wolves play a style of melodic black metal with keyboards and occasional female vocals, along with a couple of acoustic flourishes here and there, which makes for not only very consistent but also extremely interesting listening. You won't get bored while enjoying this disc. The vein in which they play is reminiscent of the Norwegian style in its speed and majesty, but there's some intangible element that identifies them as American, on which I can't quite put my finger. The vocals are typically black metal, and the drums aren't anything extraordinary (though still proficient), but it's the guitar work that stands out most here. Sometimes backed by a simple keyboard melody, the guitars are definitely the dominating instrument in the mix and create some awesome melodies, the best ones usually coming during the mid-paced sections of the songs. December Wolves might not be able to stand next to the best Scandinavian acts, but as far as American BM is concerned, they are without equal. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= __ __ _ /\ \ \_____ __ /\ \ \___ (_)___ ___ / \/ / _ \ \ /\ / / / \/ / _ \| / __|/ _ \ / /\ / __/\ V V / / /\ / (_) | \__ \ __/ \_\ \/ \___| \_/\_/ \_\ \/ \___/|_|___/\___| Your best source of information on the newest of the new, and the deepest 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. Scoring: ***** -- I see a record deal in the future **** -- Great piece of work *** -- Good effort ** -- A major overhaul is in order * -- A career change is advisable Agony - _Apocalyptic Dawning_ (12-track demo) by: Adam Wasylyk (****-) Montreal's Agony on this album-length demo play some better than average death metal which is full of blast beats and chugging guitars, and along with that showcase a slower/more technical side to their music. The vocals are your standard high and low/growl vocals, while the guitars occasionally exhibit a more technical side (particularly in the soloing) but on average are played fast and heavy. Songs like "Cyberpsychosis", "Orbital Hide-Out", "After Death/Eviscerated Pig", and the title track are played convincingly but at different times during the demo, things started to sound the same. There are a few cool moments on _Apocalyptic Dawning_ but what I thought was especially cool is the song "Outro" which is a cover of "Toccata and Fugue" by classical music composer J.-S Bach. It's most likely that you've heard this song, as it's in almost every Dracula movie ever made. After hearing it, I immediately thought that this could very well have been played by the talented band The Great Kat. Good production and layout (with lyrics), there is some quality death metal here and is recommended. Contact: E.S.T Management, 755 Muir, Suite #205 Saint-Laurent, Que., H4L-5G9, CANADA Ataxia - _The Forgotten_ (6-track demo) by: Brian Meloon (***--) These guys from VA say they're trying to fill a void in the music scene of "intelligent melodic thrash written to be both brutally heavy and musically complex." The music is 90s-style chunky metal, but I wouldn't really call it either brutally heavy nor musically complex. I also don't think the tag "melodic" is deserved, at least not with the same connotation that it carries for the melodic death metal bands. Some of the vocals (lead and backing) are melodic, but the music doesn't emphasize melody. The "thrash" label does fit though, at least in the 90s sense of the term. It's well done, but doesn't really stand out in any (positive) aspect, ending up pretty average. The singer is what I really don't like about this demo. His voice is melodic at times, and sort of gruff and less melodic at others. I can't really figure out what I don't like about him, but he just sort of irritates me. I think it's a combination of his voice and the vocal melodies that he chooses. Making matters worse is that fact that he sings with a lot of conviction, which comes off sounding corny when he says things like "I know I'll never be free, my prison has no key." Musically, it's good though, with some nice drumming, and some tight playing. Overall, I'd say it's a good demo, professional enough in its approach, but not really doing enough to stand out from the pack. Contact: ATAXIA, c/o Scott Andrews 247-21 Colonnade Dr., Charlottesville, VA, 22903, USA email: sha3u@virginia.edu WWW: http://maven.ee.virginia.edu/ataxia.html Carnal Sickness - _Blood Disrepulsion_ (6-track demo) by: Adam Wasylyk (***--) Death/grind enthusiasts Carnal Sickness from Woodbridge, Ontario play early Carcass-influenced music that is actually mildly entertaining to listen to. Songs like the gurgling intro "Manifestation of Corporeal Putriscine", "Necrophilic Incest in B flat", and "Buckets of Festering Foetal Abortions" have the low/high vocals, the occasional grinding bass, the fast snare blasts and speedy double bass. It's basically what you've come to expect from any death/grind band. The production here isn't as terrible as I had originally thought, as it never gets too muddy but there is a lot of room for improvement. The band should also experiment more to come up with their own sound as they after awhile sound like any of the countless bands you or I have heard. If you're into Blood Duster/early Carcass, then Carnal Sickness you will surely like. Contact: CARNAL SICKNESS, c/o Fabio Chirco 138 Bourbon St, Woodbridge, Ont., L4L-6Y9, CANADA Curb - _Curb_ (7-track demo) by: Adam Wasylyk (***--) Just by checking out the cover art, song titles, and of course the band's name, I concluded that this was just another hardcore/punk band. Putting it on, I was astonished to find it's actually death/black metal! Vocals influenced by Carcass and any black metal vocalist, they at times shifted in sound which kept things interesting. The music for the most part is mid-to-slow-paced with the majority having little speed. There are some blast beat parts but the guitars had precedence in the final mix which left them sounding weak. Production isn't very good and needs improvement. I give credit to Curb for not trying to cash in on the death/black metal imagery and trying to survive on the music alone (this is proved by having song titles like "Mend", "37th Triangle", "Blanket", and "Out"). They have my eternal respect. Contact: CURB, P.O. Box 16452, Indianapolis, IN, 46216, USA email: curb@iquest.net De Ros - _Ad Dei Gloriam_ (14-track demo) by: Adrian Bromley (***--) Hailing from Brazil, this trio, led by guitarist Marco DeRos, is a rather gifted bunch of musicians who rely a lot on crafty guitar work and strong and creative song structures in their music. Just listen to any of the fourteen songs found on the band's debut album, _Ad Dei Gloriam_, and you will see the ingenuity and craftsmanship that goes into each song, i.e. "La Leyenda Del Brujo", "Taste of Poison", "Swing From Hell", and "Naturally Petrified". The music mainly falls into the hard rock/progressive musical category and that is where I think a lot of the band's fans would generate from. Fans that enjoy work from Queensryche, Yngwie Malmsteem, and maybe even Savatage would get into this music. Note: there are no lyrics here, just music. While just under 40 minutes, _ADG_ is quite a good listen if you feel like letting the band take you away into their imaginative world for a little while. Contact: Marco De Ros, Rua Coronel Flores 507 - Apt. 14 Caxias do Sul RS, BRAZIL 95034-060 email: deros@visao.com.br Eve of Mourning - _A Dark Serenade_ (3-track demo) by: Adrian Bromley (***--) This four-piece gothic/doom metal band hails from Staten Island, New York. The band's three-song demo is well-produced, flowing with angel-like violins and haunting guitar styles that help showcase atmospheric realms of creativity that shout out comparisons to My Dying Bride or maybe Anathema, but still manage to incorporate a doom metal sound with the growling vocals and thick guitar tones. There is also a gothic element to the band's sound as well. The thing I enjoyed most about this demo was that Eve of Mourning seemed to have worked real hard to produce a very vision-like sound and image with their music. The music releases many emotions and that caters to one's imagination when hearing it. The downside of this demo tape is that while the three songs included ("Drown Me To Infinity", "You Know Nothing", and my fave, "Numb") are well executed, it seems that we, the listener, are really not being given an honest look (or in this case, listen) to what the band really can do. The numbers are lengthy and the sounds are very similar and I felt that the lack of versatility of material on the demo tape seemed to keep the band in one frame of sound. I'm eager to hear what the band can do with a lengthier demo tape, but besides my quirks, I feel that Eve of Mourning have got an interesting sound worth looking out for. Contact: EVE OF MOURNING, c/o Mike Montalbano "Attn: Eve of Mourning" 76 Kingdom Ave., Staten Island, NY, 10312, USA email: bounty34@aol.com Martyr - _Ostrogoth_ (3-track demo) by: Adam Wasylyk (****-) ANOTHER band from Montreal, Martyr's demo _Ostrogoth_ is more on the technical side of death metal rather than focusing on blinding speed and blazing guitars. The band also featuring clean male vocals (which aren't that impressive), the bulk of the music on the three tracks ("Prototype", "Ars Nova" and the title track) is slow-paced with intricate guitaring and drums. It also sounds like there's an 80s metal influence in some of the songs (particularly in the first track "Prototype"). The vocal style is rough/gruff but not as low as your standard death metal outfit which I felt is a good decision to accompany this sort of music. Releasing an independent album early next year, I look forward to hearing their future work (to be hopefully reviewed in a future issue). Contact: MARTYR, 459 Julien Cap-de-la-Madeleine, Que., G8T-6X2, Canada Murder 1 - _Murder 1_ (7-track demo) by: Adam Wasylyk (*----) One of my pet peeves in reviewing demos is if the inside of the tape insert is blank, that the band fails to include a bio. Not only does this leave me in the dark about the band's history/location, etc, but it also reflects onto the band negatively. I mean, even if it's hand-written, that's at least something! Well, to be frank I didn't really care in the case of Murder 1, as they play sloppy metal/punk with cliche lyrics (those that I could decipher, of course). Songs like "Homicide", "Born to Lose", and "Fuck Conformity" are laughable, especially the choruses. The vocals rarely had any viciousness to them, for the most part sounded whiney. Of the seven tracks on this, two are played live. "Your the One", the first live track is the best song on the demo. I enjoyed a full 10 seconds of it as there is a great distorted/grinding bass solo which accounts for almost all of the "*" rating. Murder 1, as evidenced by that track sound so much better live than they do in the studio. If they could somehow harness their energy from their concerts for the recording studio then this band may be salvageable yet. Contact: These boneheads don't have an address on the tape insert (as I said, it's blank). Good work guys. You could call a hotline for the band, the phone number is (201) 751-2113. Don't worry, you shouldn't have any problem getting through. NDE - _Falling_ (11-track demo) by: Adam Wasylyk (***--) Ohio's NDE (which stands for Near Death Experience) on their self-produced CD play heavily Pantera-influenced metal with heavy riffs and the occasional thrash beat. Their guitar sound very much reminded me of Righteous Pigs' in terms of their production sound, while the actual riffing reminded me of Pantera (the opening riff of "Angry Song" reeks of them!). The vocals by Bob Reinard sound like a harsher Phil Anselmo which are accompanied by the very rare death growl. The songs "Stench" and "No Tomorrow" were my favorites while most of the other tracks sounded too much like someone else other than NDE. The CD layout is very professional, done as well as any indie label could do. Having played with bands like Crisis, Incantation, Stuck Mojo and Cannibal Corpse, it shows that the band have worked on getting their name out to metal fans in their area. Now it's time that NDE work on writing more original material, as what is evidenced on _Falling_ sounds too close to a thrash metal version of Pantera. Contact: NDE, P.O. Box 2297, Streetsboro, OH, 44241, USA Neuropath - _Desert of Excruciation_ (3-track demo) by: Adam Wasylyk (***--) I have been hearing some great music out of Australia as of late. The Psychorockmenstrualgrindporn of Blood Duster (see review in #13 and my interview in #14) and a band called Sulkus (demo review in #13; the band have recently signed to Zandrah Records and will have a CD out early next year) come to mind. However, Neuropath don't have the same power as the aforementioned bands do. The 5-piece play death/grind with no real inventiveness or creativity, it's more straight-ahead blasting and heavy Suffocation-like riffing and lower-range vocals. The music on _DoE_ isn't bad, but after you've heard it a thousand times, it becomes nothing special. There are some better moments but they are far and few between. Production is quite good and some money was put into the layout for the demo (glossy, band photo, lyrics). A low three rating on my part, but some death/grind fans could get some enjoyable moments out of this. For a copy of this demo, send $5US to the contact address below. Contact: NEUROPATH, c/o Daniel Stubbs 1 Beaumont Cres., Bayview, NSW-2104, AUSTRALIA Pleasure Void - _Demo 1996_ (3-track demo) by: Brian Meloon (**---) This isn't really a metal demo, it's more of a hard rock thing, with a retro-70s influence, and some similarities to Marble, due mostly to the lead (female) singer's voice. It's also pretty strange, with some free-form sounding structures in places, and a general weirdness/goofiness that permeates it. That's a good thing, but doesn't really help this enough to impress me. The playing isn't very tight at times, sounds cheap at others, and it seems to be mixed too loud, so it distorts in places. There's also too much of a 70s influence for my taste, especially when ripping off the main riff from that stupid "Low Rider" song in "Perfect Mess". On the positive side, it is a competent offering from a band with a good vision of their own unique style. It's just too bad that their vision doesn't coincide with mine. Contact: PLEASURE VOID, P.O. Box 40133 Rochester, NY, 14604, USA =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= ________ _ / ____/ /___ ___________(_)____ / / / / __ `/ ___/ ___/ / ___/ / /___/ / /_/ (__ |__ ) / /__ \____/_/\__,_/____/____/_/\___/ ______ / ____/___ __________ ____ _____ ____ / / / __ `/ ___/ __ \/ __ `/ __ `/ _ \ / /___/ /_/ / / / / / / /_/ / /_/ / __/ \____/\__,_/_/ /_/ /_/\__,_/\__, /\___/ /____/ You've asked for it, and now you've got it. Classic Carnage is the one and only place to find all your favorite albums of yesteryear reviewed from today's point of view. This section will be appearing sporadically in Chronicles of Chaos, gracing our special editions exclusively. Bathory - _The Return..._ (Combat Records, 1985) by: Steve Hoeltzel When this mighty slab of darkness and ill will was first unleashed, my 16-year-old self borrowed Mom's car and drove it to a shop 50 miles away, just to score a copy. Back then, Bathory was shrouded in almost total mystery (no names, no photos, no interviews) and rumored to be the sickest, heaviest band on the planet. _The Return..._ earned that description in '85, and it's still right up there with the best black metal around today. With the exception of an amazing intro and one song about sex (the quaintly titled "Bestial Lust"), it's full-throttle Satanic mayhem all the way, with great, sick vocals, a tangible feel of wildness and primitivity, and a guitar sound as thick and vile as the stench of decay. The bass is booming and WAY low in tone, and the drumming is adequate, though not quite up to today's blast-fest standards. All in all, the sound is just killer for black metal: raw and distorted, but with a serious bottom end that most recent releases sadly lack. "Revelation of Doom" begins the album like a slowly opening sonic portal to Hell. Then "Total Destruction" stomps in - mean, simplistic riffing leading up to the greatest metal chorus ever: "Woe to you... Earth and Sea... TOTAL DESTRUCTION!" Too cool! "Born for Burning" features a rocking metallic riff and pulses forward with pounding beats, while "Wind of Mayhem" picks up the pace and deepens the darkness of the sound. Other great tracks include "Son of the Damned", the brutal "Sadist", "Reap of Evil", and more. This smokes everything else Bathory has done, and it leaves a lot of newer black metal in the dust as well. Destruction - _Infernal Overkill_ (Steam Hammer, 1985) by: Steve Hoeltzel This is probably the most wicked, blackened speed metal album ever to be released (with _Torment in Fire_ by Sacrifice running a close second), and back when it came out, I would've been tempted to give it a ten. I liked it better than Slayer back then, and with the possible exception of _Haunting the Chapel_, I still do. For insanely complicated speed riffing and that crucial evil vibe, this stuff just can't be beat. Yeah, Kreator kicked serious ass on _Pleasure to Kill_, and Deathrow just ripped it up on _Raging Steel_, but on this release, Destruction destroyed them all. "Bestial Invasion" features the craziest, fastest riffs that the 80s ever produced, and "Invincible Force" and "Death Trap" take 80s-style chainsaw guitar to a whole new level. It's definitely Mike's mad mastery of the fretboard that makes this an incredible album: the riffs just saw their way right into your brain. Schmier's sneers at the mike are cool, too, if occasionally a bit squeaky, but his bass playing doesn't really stand out. Tommy gives his kit a real good beating, and the overall production is solid by underground metal standards. I like all eight songs, though some are definitely better than others. And for what it's worth, I think that this platter stands head and shoulders above all the other releases by the band. Great stuff, and very enjoyable still. Dio - _Holy Diver_ (Warner Brothers, 1983) by: Adrian Bromley Powerful. Awesome. Breathtaking. 1983's _Holy Diver_ was the debut album for Ronnie James Dio (Black Sabbath/Rainbow/Elf) as a solo artist, and quite the impressive one at that. Overflowing with monstrous guitar riffs (thanks to Vivian Campbell) and truly mindblowing vocals by Dio himself, _HD_ was laced with some of the most classic musical arrangements that we have seen in years. Still, after more than a decade since its release, the music still stands tall and firm. The thing that helped market Dio at that time, a year in which both Michael Jackson's _Thriller_ and Def Leppard's _Pyromania_ were breaking big (oddly, Campbell is now in Def Leppard), was his use of satanic images and his fantasy-esque lyrics and visions. His album arrived at a time when metal was about speed and big productions and he (like Iron Maiden) took the music to another realm in which the listener could not only be in awe of the music but learn from the tales that they would tell or write about. Though his solo career has been long and lasting through seven releases (his latest release being _Angry Machines_, on Mayhem Records), sadly he has not been able to meet the same momentum and stride with his music that he did with _HD_. Choice cuts: "Holy Diver", "Don't Talk to Strangers", "Straight Through the Heart" and the gripping "Rainbow in the Dark". Every metaller should at least have THIS album in their collection. Entombed - _Left Hand Path_ (Earache Records, 1989) by: Drew Schinzel Before Entombed arrived on the scene, the Swedish death metal scene as we know it today was not much to talk about. Sure, there were bands here and there (perhaps most notably was Nihilist, the predecessor of Entombed), but Entombed, and their debut _Left Hand Path_ broke things wide open. Gaining worldwide recognition for their low-tuned guitars, thick production, and guttural vocals, nothing new in their own respects, but taken to a form never before reached, Entombed quickly became huge in the death scene and influenced an entire generation of bands. One of the first albums to feature the trademark "Sunlight Studio" sound (produced by Tomas Skogsberg), _LHP_ remains one of the most brutal, yet still well-arranged and listenable albums of all time. The production helps to make this one shine, with the aforementioned "fuzzy" guitar tone of Sunlight Studio, but in addition to resonation of the vocals and drums, the growls and tortured screams of L.G. Petrov simply rule. When compared to the rest of Entombed's catalog, the only one that even comes close is _Clandestine_, a classic in its own right. After hearing the change in _Wolverine Blues_, and the band's evident direction towards a more mainstream rock sound, you'd better savor _Left Hand Path_ all you can, because there's virtually no chance that Entombed will return to the days of old. Iron Maiden - _Somewhere in Time_ (EMI, 1985) by: Adrian Bromley Whether _Somewhere in Time_ is the most popular (or one of the most popular) Iron Maiden releases has never really been decided by fans, but the truth is _SIT_ probably has one of the most recognizable Maiden songs to date: "Wasted Years". Much like a concept record, _SIT_'s main focus is on the role of the traveler, the wanderer or the gypsy. Ideals that we can somehow find in all of us. Aided by the most detailed Iron Maiden cover ever (Derek Riggs' masterpiece) _SIT_ explores the melodic, dramatic, and story-telling abilities of the band i.e. "Heaven Can Wait", "Stranger in a Strange Land", and "Alexander the Great". The thing that stands out most with _SIT_ is the creativity and thought that went into the album. There seems to have been a strong emphasis on detail as both music and songwriting are expertly assembled, with Harris providing some memorable lyrics and the dual axemanship of Adrian Smith and Dave Murray on guitars wailing away. Not a classic record, in the sense of superbness, as either _Piece of Mind_ (1983) or 1981's _Killers_ are, but definitely one of the most imaginative eras of Maiden and their music. Megadeth - _Rust in Peace_ (Capitol Records, 1990) by: Drew Schinzel A perfect 10 out of 10 may, in some people's minds, be a little bit too high a score to bestow upon this landmark in metal history. But, after further review (and countless hours of listening), I've decided that _Rust in Peace_ is worthy, without question. Not only because of its musical significance, but also because it marked a turning point in my personal musical taste. Before I picked up _RiP_ on impulse from someone's suggestion, I had no musical identity. Sure, I'd buy a CD every now and then, but I never really stayed close to any particular genre. But, after hearing it for the first time in 1994 (!), there was no looking back. _Rust in Peace_, with its jaw-dropping leads from guitar virtuoso Marty Friedman, angry, often political, lyrics from Dave Mustaine, and overall feeling of aggression, may never be matched by any other release in its genre. Although not particularly fast (a main facet of thrash), _RiP_ maintains its aggression instead through the vicious riffing evident throughout and snarling vocals ripping through each line: one thing _RiP_ is definitely not lacking is passion and sincerity. How does it hold up to Megadeth's current releases? There's no question in my mind that _Rust in Peace_ is not only their best album to that point, but also will never be surpassed by anything they will ever unleash again. Overkill - _The Years of Decay_ (Megaforce/Atlantic, 1989) by: Adrian Bromley New York thrash/metal band Overkill may be one of the most popular thrash bands to surface in metal, and have had a long and durable career so far, having celebrated their tenth anniversary in 1995. The combined grind & groove of the band, lightning fast drum beats and singer Bobby "Blitz" Ellsworth's high pitched screams/vocals helped separate the band from the rest of the pack, allowing them to break away from coming off as a "clone" thrash/metal band of the mid-80s. From the opening chords of "Time to Kill" through "I Hate", onto the eerie "Who Tends the Fire" and title track, Overkill's combined thrust of speed and machine-gun guitar riffs tears at us like a rabid dog. Lashing out with powerful jolts of adrenaline, _TYoD_ helped put the band in the spotlight with such hits as "Elimination" and "Playing With Spiders/Skullcrusher". This album radiates speed, wild mood swings and strength - all wrapped into one ball of energy. For fans of 90s thrash metal like Machine Head (_Burn My Eyes_), Hostility (_Brick_) or Meliah Rage's newest _Death Valley Dream_ (though they surfaced in 1989 during Overkill's domination), this album or even 1991's brilliant _Horrorscope_ is worth checking out. Sorry to say, but it wasn't just fellow New Yorkers Anthrax who helped mold and expand thrash metal into the mainstream. Overkill was there too. Blitz's vocals on "Who Tends the Fire" or "Elimination" would be a selling point for me. Hard-hitting to say the least. Bring body protection. Sodom - _Obsessed by Cruelty_ (Steam Hammer, 1986) by: Steve Hoeltzel If you'd like to see where Euronymous got the name for his record label, listen to this album's first track. (And if you want to know where he got his nickname, read some Hellhammer lyrics.) This release is not in quite the same musical league as the other titans of the 80s speed/thrash scene in Europe, although Sodom did eventually progress to the level of -great- thrash on their subsequent _Expurse of Sodomy_ EP and _Persecution Mania_ long-player. _Obsessed..._ is basically crude proto-black metal, though, and it's just not as heavy as the Bathory and Celtic Frost stuff that was out at the same time. And Possessed, who released their debut in '85, make these guys sound like total amateurs. Still, I do really like several songs on the album, especially the weird, speedy "Proselytism Real" and the gloomy title track. "Equinox" and opener "Deathlike Silence" are also quite enjoyable. The album is slightly marred by a thin guitar tone; still, the weird string sound does add a certain air of creepiness to the material. Angel Ripper's vocals are biting, upper-mid range snarls, and the drumming of Witchhunter gives real backbone to the songs. I definitely think this record is cool, because it's undeniably eerie and energetic, and there isn't anything else that sounds quite like it. There is a lot of stuff that sounds better, though. Candlemass - _Epicus Doomicus Metallicus_ by: Andrew Lewandowski (Black Dragon/Leviathan Records, 1986) When doom metal is successfully pulled off, it usually is my favorite form of metal. Unfortunately, good doom metal can be hard to come by. Possibly the sub-genre's shining moment occurred 10 years ago, with the release of _Epicus Doomicus Metallicus_ by Candlemass. This contains the two elements needed to create an excellent doom metal album: heavy riffs that never cease to be memorable, and sorrowful vocals. Both elements can be found in surplus in this album; each minute is amazingly depressing, yet never sacrifices musicianship in sake of melancholy. Johan Lanquist has one of the better voices to ever grace a metal album; he possesses a powerful vocal range akin to traditional NWOBHM vocalists, yet sounds as if each word was his last before dying. Unfortunately, this was to be his only album with the band. Following his departure, Candlemass' quality proportionately degenerated. Their later material was all above average, yet far from the status of "classic" attained with this album. No matter, as _EDM_ proved to be the definitive doom metal album, and one in which the title is certainly indicative of the musical quality. Slayer - _Hell Awaits_ (Metal Blade, 1985) by: Gino Filicetti This was the absolute last Slayer album I bought to complete my collection of all the works of my favorite band. Up until I bought it, I had heard nothing about this release other than it existed. However, after I obtained it, I couldn't believe this album could become as overshadowed as it is. This album is probably Slayer's most violent album ever. Forget the speed factor of _Reign in Blood_, _Hell Awaits_ has the most brutal lyrics ever to grace a Slayer release. The title track, with its slow and brooding beginning, has constantly been used as the opening song on many a Slayer tour. Other killer songs here include "At Dawn They Sleep", "Kill Again", and "Hardening of the Arteries". If this is missing from your Slayer collection, I urge you to do yourself a favor and GET IT! Rotting Christ - _Passage to Arcturo_ (Unisound Records, 1991) by: Andrew Lewandowski As with most musical sub-genres, modern black metal's early pioneers set a lofty precedent, which most of the newer bands have been too uncreative or consumed with evil imagery to match. Rotting Christ are one of these pioneers, as their _Passage to Arcturo_ album remains the best example of a synthesis between elements of traditional - ie, doomy - and mid-paced death metal. Despite an uninspiring production - a mediocrity which is heartfelt, as opposed to the contrived attempts at evilness spewed forth by their Scandinavian contemporaries - _PtA_ is still their strongest overall effort to date, and lay the foundation for what became the productive Greek black metal scene. The unique riffing patterns, melancholic acoustic guitar, and mystical keyboard passages - the latter was laid down by Morbid, later known as M.D. Daoloth, of Necromantia fame - influenced numerous followers. Not even their most ambitious moment could be kept sacred: on _Athenian Echoes_, Nightfall adds a similar tribal percussion break as to the one that Rotting Christ manipulates to culminate "Forest of N'Gai". Even if you were dismayed by the tamer, albeit far easier to locate, _Triarchy of the Lost Lovers_, _PtA_ should be on the shopping list of any fan of black, doom, or death metal; especially the Unisound reissue, which features two live bonus tracks, both displaying the band's more aggressive tendencies. Venom - _Welcome to Hell_ (Neat Records, 1981) by: Gino Filicetti Nothing gets more classic than this, the first Venom album to be unleashed upon the unsuspecting hordes of heavy metal fans. Forget the NWOBHM, these brits blow the entire movement out of the water with their satanic lyrics, and cutthroat musical style. Just imagine the kind of reaction that an album which depicts a pentagram with the image of the goat's head inscribed in it would cause in 1981. These guys are truly the fathers of all black metal, having even coined the term with their second release entitled _Black Metal_. Instant classics are tunes like "Welcome to Hell", "Witching Hour", "Angel Dust", and "One Thousand Days in Sodom". If you've never heard of the name Venom, then you are truly missing out on some of the best classic metal around. Although the production is raw, that's the way the band wanted it, to showcase their true energy and vigor. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= ____ __ __ /\ _`\ /\ \ /\ \__ __ \ \ \/\_\\ \ \___ __ ___\ \ ,_\/\_\ ___ \ \ \/_/_\ \ _ `\ /'__`\ / __`\ \ \/\/\ \ /'___\ \ \ \L\ \\ \ \ \ \/\ \L\.\_/\ \L\ \ \ \_\ \ \/\ \__/ \ \____/ \ \_\ \_\ \__/.\_\ \____/\ \__\\ \_\ \____\ \/___/ \/_/\/_/\/__/\/_/\/___/ \/__/ \/_/\/____/ ____ __ /\ _`\ /\ \__ \ \ \/\_\ ___ ___ ___ __ _ __\ \ ,_\ ____ \ \ \/_/_ / __`\ /' _ `\ /'___\ /'__`\/\`'__\ \ \/ /',__\ \ \ \L\ \/\ \L\ \/\ \/\ \/\ \__//\ __/\ \ \/ \ \ \_/\__, `\ \ \____/\ \____/\ \_\ \_\ \____\ \____\\ \_\ \ \__\/\____/ \/___/ \/___/ \/_/\/_/\/____/\/____/ \/_/ \/__/\/___/ Here is where Chronicles of Chaos gives you the lowdown on the latest shows coming your way. Check out Chaotic Concerts every month for the scoop on the bands brutalizing the masses with their own form of terror. A F E A R F U L F R E A K - F E S T ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Fear Factory with Kilgore Smudge and Carped Tunnel November 25, 1996 at Tramps in New York City, NY by: Adrian Bromley After a whirlwind three-day visit to the "Big Apple" - not to mention a grueling 15-band, 12-hour Deathstock III show the day before - Chronicles of Chaos contributor/writer Adam Wasylyk and I finished off our trip to NYC in pure loud fashion by seeing Los Angeles metallers Fear Factory play a sold-out show at local bar Tramps. Tramps was packed and the crowd was waiting in anticipation for the arrival of the Los Angeles death metal quintet. Following the hilarious cover/rip-off of the Los Del Rio hit song "Macarena" (an unknown band came over the loudspeaker sounding a lot like Brujeria doing "Marijuana"), FF took the stage and for almost 75 minutes held the crowd by their balls. Rippin' through loud and abrasive versions of songs off 1995's _Demanufacture_ LP, most notably the title track, "New Breed", "Self Bias Resistor", and "Pisschrist", and singer Burton C. Bell fueled the mosh pit with every growl. It was intensity at LEVEL 10. I must say, I have seen FF five times to date and this was one of their best shows I have seen. Period. The band also played the cool Agnostic Front cover of "Your Mistake" (found on the _Demanufacture_ Digi-Pak) and ended the show with a blistering and explosive three-song encore of "Replica", "Martyr", and the ever-popular "Scapegoat". Impressive, to say the least. Opening the show was a promising hardcore/metal outfit from Providence, Rhode Island called Kilgore Smudge. Mixing hard driving beats and a serious metallic edge, the band won over many of the fans. I personally dug the Mike Patton (Faith No More) meets Burton C. Bell vocals of the singer. Throw in hardcore elements and you got a solid opening act. Oh yeah... a crappy blues/hardcore/rock band called Carped Tunnel opened. Hehehehe... they should be grateful I even mentioned their name. I didn't find one thing about the band likeable. Oh well... Anyway, it was a blast to see FF play one of their last shows before they head into the studios to finish up work on the re-mixed version of _Demanufacture_ songs called _Remanufacture_ (much like what they did with _Fear Is the Mindkiller_) and to start on their third effort due out in the summer time. The wait is gonna kill me. To end: A big THANKS has to go out to both Adam and my IRC (#metal) buddies Pook and Knitten for hooking up with us at the FF show and for taking us to the bus station (to catch our bus home) after the show. Thanks... even though it was the wrong station you dropped us off at. What do we know? We live in the small and safe Toronto. But the bottom line is: New York rocks and we shall return. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= T H E D A Y O F D E A T H ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ CoC Visits the NYC Deathstock at The Wetlands by: Adam Wasylyk Ironically, Adrian Bromley and I experienced death before arriving at the Wetlands for this year's Deathstock. Taking a greyhound from Toronto to NYC, during the 10-hour voyage, I couldn't find ONE comfortable position to sleep or rest in. We experienced death yet again when we arrived at around 6 AM to a large, unfamiliar town carrying our luggage around for the entire day. With all of that out of the way, we were then ready to experience true death: metal that is, at the third annual Deathstock. With 12 bands on the bill for this year's show, it was to be a true endurance test. The band list wasn't completely known to me until the day of the show, which I found out who was playing by reading a posted ad. Some scheduled bands to play but were to later cancel were Samael (to be part of the headlining Cannibal Corpse/Immolation tour), Incantation, Acheron, and Ancient (who I was told were busted at the border for drug possession). Beforehand Adrian and I met some people whom we had first met on the IRC (Internet Relay Chat) on the #metal channel. After a large lunch and shortly after 2 PM, we entered the Wetlands to see Connecticut's Curse already well into their set. Having seen the band during the summer (at the Milwaukee Metal Fest), their set consisted of corpse-painted black metal which fell on the mediocre set. Being the first band on the day, the crowd was thin, as the majority of the later 400+ crowd wouldn't arrive for some time to come. To follow was Evoken who played a rather boring set of doom/death. The drumming was slow and hardly ever reached a mid-paced speed, which in a concert setting doesn't work for me. The keyboardist onstage unfortunately couldn't help as the band was "doomed" from the start. Cheap jokes aside, Evoken were a disappointment. New Jersey's Mortal Decay woke me up with their death/grind set, which I would experience yet again later in the show. Never letting up, they exemplified pure aggression and speed. Looking back, Mortal Decay played one of the best sets of the night, Adrian firmly agreeing with me. Next up were Unisound recording artists Insatanity, who put on a good set of fairly brutal death metal. Yet another band I had seen at the Milwaukee Metal Fest, they were as good as I remembered them, of course here the sound was much better. New York's Asphyxiation followed and played a set of average death metal that couldn't take my attention away from the many vendors on-hand selling their wares. They came across as dull, but they did have their moments. Hellbound were next and to be honest I don't remember a whole lot about them. I remember that Sepultura's "Troops of Doom" was their last song and was covered well, but their original material wasn't very interesting to me. I was at this point truly hoping for better things to come. Events quickly turned around when Dying Fetus took the stage. The Pulverizer Records act played a great set of death/grind which held my interest throughout the nine or so songs they played. The drumming was insane, while the bass and guitar vocalists were great. One of them took care of the mid-range vocals while the other sang the very low growly vocals, the two complimented each other very well. Playing songs off their CD _Purification through Violence_, Dying Fetus could not be denied on this night. Formed in late 1995 after the break-up of Order from Chaos (who also played a past Deathstock), Angel Corpse played a good set of Bathory/Possessed-influenced death metal, as evidenced on their recently released debut CD for Osmose Productions called _Hammer of Gods_. Decked up in studs and bullet belts, the drumming rarely let up from its mid-paced speed during the band's 45-minute set. At the end of their last song, bassist/vocalist Pete Helmkamp, reminiscent of his OfC days, did some fire-breathing and then threw the lit baton into the crowd. A good visual set with good music to go along with it. Norwegian black metal alert! I had originally heard that Mysticum had canceled weeks prior to the show but that morning I learned that they indeed would be playing. After about a 20-minute wait with repeated calls from the DJ for the band to take the stage, the Norwegian boys entered upon the stage and set up their gear. For those who don't know, the band use a drum machine in concert, which noticeably had some onlookers confused. Technical problems delayed things further but eventually the band did start into their set. With the guitars completely off-time with the drums, the sound coming from the three-piece was horrible. It sounded like a jam session rather than actual music. After the first song the guitarist left the stage, to presumably help the sound guy with the drum machine as it ended up that the band couldn't hear it. The band started up again, with the drums loud and blazing while the singer looked truly possessed/crazy shrieking into the microphone. I recognized the song "Kingdom Comes" by the keyboards as they, along with the drums, were being piped through the speakers. After only six or seven songs, Mysticum left the stage, despite the crowd's cries for more. I could tell they wanted to play longer too, after traveling such a long distance to play. Mysticum, for those interested, have a full-length CD on Full Moon Productions called _In the Streams of Inferno_, which should be out now. Immolation, the first band on the headlining tour, graced the stage to the applause of the audience. Playing a moderately charged set of death metal while playing a good variety of material from their records, Adrian thought they played a good set but I felt they had more bark than bite. Unfortunately, at around 11:45 that night, during newly-signed-to-Relapse-Records Brutal Truth's set, Adrian and I had to leave, to catch our ride back to Long Island where we were staying. All I saw was Kevin Sharp in his cowboy hat from outside the venue and all I heard was the band playing material off their _Kill Trend Suicide_ EP. Looking back on this year, I was very fortunate to have gone to some great shows. The Toronto Death Fest had some great Canadian talent, the Milwaukee Metal Fest had some great American and international talent and the NY Deathstock had some great NY and surrounding area talent. Having met some cool people and hearing some great music, I may just make NYC part of my itinerary for next year. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= T O H E A V E N A N D B A C K ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Heavenwood live in Porto, Portugal by: Pedro Azevedo Portugal is finally gaining some respect in the metal scene. After the well-known Moonspell from Lisbon, here are Heavenwood, coming from the great city of Porto. In fact, despite Moonspell's first full-length, _Wolfheart_, being one of my favourite albums of all time, Heavenwood's debut, _Diva_, clearly beats Moonspell's latest, _Irreligious_. And watching Heavenwood live makes this much clearer. So who the hell are Heavenwood? Well, they're a six-piece band from Portugal's second biggest city, Porto. They released an excellent demo tape which got them signed by Massacre, in which they set their style, combining some mid-paced doom, some melodic death, some (little) goth, but always dynamic and melodic. Their debut, _Diva_, turned out to have a slightly softer, almost Crematory-like sound than before. Still damn good, though. All the excellent demo tape songs were included. This concert was a warm-up show for their upcoming European tour with Atrocity and excellent Swedish band In Flames. Therefore, this was a small venue, not much publicity. Only about a hundred metal maniacs gathered up to watch the show. The room was full, though. Heavenwood were going to play with no support band, so everyone expected them to play for about an hour... and they did. The place had some good atmosphere, dim lights with some torches up front, and then the band showed up. After an atmospheric keyboard intro, they teared into the excellent opening riff of "Frozen Images", a song which kind of reminds me of Paradise Lost. First, the sound. Very loud drums, good. And the surprise... you could actually hear both guitars just perfect! The vocals also sounded very good, so did the keyboards. Overall, the sound was excellent, much, much better than I ever thought it would be. Well, after playing their opening song, and a very good one too, they linked it to "Emotional Wound" (as in the CD), fading from one into the other and actually blending the two. This being one of my favourite songs, it rocked. Well, so did all the others. Then, to my great surprise, they linked again to the third song. I mean, I was just blown away by these, three in a row! And what really blew me away was that they played these three without one single mistake... they played PERFECTLY!! Even the most difficult guitar and keyboard parts came out great, just perfect. The live vocals sounded very good, and the new drummer was remarkably well blended in the band, and only made one small mistake. After this epic start, they paused for a little while and proceeded with the show, highlights everywhere, and they kept on playing perfect. One of my other favourite songs, the My Dying Bride-influenced "Since the First Smile", came out melodically perfect, and with that extra live power. The mosh pit started hard, though not constant. They played the rest of the album, though I think they played "Judith Heavenwood", an absolute fan-favourite, for a second time in the end, leaving one of the other songs out. Nonetheless, it was just brilliant. They just sound so much more powerful live. And the remarkable thing is, they sound so powerful and yet keep all the melody CD-like! With this concert, Heavenwood have proven themselves as good as, or even better, than Moonspell, especially live. The message here is, go watch them if you can, 'cause they're great and so are In Flames. And give their CD, _Diva_, a listen if you can, too. They delivered 55 minutes of pure live metallic excellence. I expect a very good future for this band. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= @@@ @@@ @@@ @@@@@@@ @@@ @@@@@@@ @@@@@@@@ @@@@@@@ @@ @@@@@@ @@! @@! @@! @@! @@@ @@! @@! @@! @@! @@@ !@ !@@ @!! !!@ @!@ @!@!!@! !!@ @!! @!!!:! @!@!!@! !@@!! !: !!: !! !!: :!! !!: !!: !!: !!: :!! !:! ::.: ::: : : : : : : :: ::: : : : ::.: : @@@ @@@ @@@ @@@@@@@ @@@@@@ @@@@@@@ @@@ @@@ @@! @@! @@! @@! @@@ @@! @@@ @@! @@! @@@ @!! !!@ @!@ @!@!!@! @!@!@!@! @!! @!@!@!@! !: !!: !! !!: :!! !!: !!! !!: !!: !!! ::.: ::: : : : : : : : : : : Here is where things get ugly. Writer's Wrath gives our writers a chance to voice their own opinions about certain hot topics in the scene today. Check out this semi-monthly column for the most obscene and controversial ramblings this side of the National Enquirer. E X T R E M I T Y , C O N F O R M I T Y , I N T E G R I T Y ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ by: Steve Hoeltzel As you know if you read CoC, a lot of powerful and original music is coming out of today's extreme metal scene. But that's not what I want to talk about right now. No, right now I want to rag on a couple of ways in which the scene just seems to be getting lamer all the time. The first and biggest problem is a major lack of originality on the part of the vast majority of bands. As we all know, a lot of bands who write absolutely great metallic music are just completely unoriginal when it comes to image, lyrics, and so on. The result is that way too much vital and energetic music gets bogged down in cliches - worn-out ideas that lessen the music's overall impact by giving rise to that stale, "same-old-same-old" feel. Extreme metal is supposed to be rebellious in spirit, right? Well, what's so rebellious about conforming to the same set of conventions as everybody else? Same vocal style, same guitar sound, same bloody cover artists, same damn symmetrical logos. And where's the fucking integrity in clinging to some tired and over-used image based on medieval religion and teenage horror movies, instead of being true to your own experience and your own creativity? Which path is -really- for those who are "true" - the well-worn and comfortable path of conformity, or the more difficult one of being original and true to yourself? Of course, we're getting into some thorny territory here, because so many bands have decided to make the extreme metal stage into a platform for certain religious views. Still, it seems safe to say that most bands who sing the praises of you-know-who would -not- be doing that today if earlier, more original bands hadn't made this the hip, and sometimes profitable, thing to do. Nevertheless, if the members of some band really -are- sincere in their sonic worship of some supernatural being, then they do not deserve to be labeled unoriginal or conformist, since they are being true to what they believe. (Personally, though, I'm not interested in bowing down before entities whose existence I have no proof of - including you-know-who.) Anyway, I think we all know that most bands who sing about how excellent it would be to be in Hell, or who purchase magazine ads to inform us as to just how incredibly evil they really are, are probably not into the unholiness business with 100% conviction. Those who are faking it, instead of making art that's true to what they really believe, are the bands who deserve to be ragged on. This brings me to my second big gripe. I am sick and tired of seeing bands try to cash in on the black metal trend. There is something very, very cool about the very best black metal - something which stands to be totally ruined by the attempts of these pathetic posers to gain some quick fame and fortune by copying the bands who originated the style. It's not all the "Hail Satan" stuff that I find so cool. There's some great (but over-used) imagery bound up with all that, and I do respect those who are sincere in their religious beliefs, but personally I'm just not a "Hail Satan" kind of guy. (I also think that this idea of a black metal "war against Christianity" is really rather deluded, but that's a topic for another time.) Besides being wild and incredible music, the best black metal expresses a deep respect for nature and envisions ways of living which are much more spiritual, much more natural, and much less fixated upon money than our own. (Of course, in the minds of certain individuals, this basic idea has become confused with support for some incredibly stupid political positions - but that too is another subject.) For this reason, it is nauseating in the extreme to see all these bands who are simply adopting the black metal image - totally faking a genuine spiritual outlook - in order to get more widely known and to make more extreme metal bucks. That kind of fakery and profiteering is completely and utterly false to the true black metal spirit, and bands who engage in it are self-serving trendies who the scene would be better off without. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= W H A T W E H A V E C R A N K E D ! ! ! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Gino's Top 5 1. Chemical Brothers - _Exit Planet Dust_ 2. The Nefilim - _Zoon_ 3. Korn - _Life Is Peachy_ 4. Monster Magnet - _Spine of God_ 5. Carcass - _Wake Up and Smell the Carcass_ Adrian's Top 5 1. Soma - _The Inner Cinema_ 2. Tchort - _Nightside Of Eden_ 3. Pist On - _Number One_ 4. Thug - _Monochrome_ 5. Megadeth - _Rust In Peace_ Brian's Top 5 1. Cradle of Filth - _Dusk and Her Embrace_ 2. Dawnbringer - _Sacrament_ 3. Shinjuku Thief - _The Witch Hunter_ 4. Mastiphal - _For a Glory of All Evil Spirits, Rise for Victory_ 5. Mercury Rising - _Upon Deaf Ears_ Alain's Top 5 1. Quo Vadis - _Forever..._ 2. Stuck Mojo - _Pigwalk_ 3. Monstrosity - _Millennium_ 4. Unanimated - _In the Forest of the Dreaming Dead_ 5. Moonspell - _Irreligious_ Steve's Top 5 1. Summoning - _Dol Guldur_ 2. Behemoth - _Grom_ 3. Einherjer - _Dragons of the North_ 4. Angel Corpse - _Hammer of Gods_ 5. Old Man's Child - _Born of the Flickering_ Adam's Top 5 1. Therion - _Theli_ 2. Dark Tranquillity - _Enter Suicidal Angels_ 3. Quo Vadis - _Forever..._ 4. Murder Corporation - _Blood Revolution 2050_ 5. Molested - _Stormvold_ Drew's Top 5 1. Altar - _Ego Art_ 2. Carcass - _Swan Song_ 3. Edge of Sanity - _Purgatory Afterglow_ 4. Mork Gryning - _Tusen Ar Har Gatt_ 5. Satyricon - _Nemesis Divina: The Conquering_ =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= T H E F I N A L W O R D ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Well, here we are people, the end of another issue of Chronicles of Chaos, and the beginning of a brand new year. I want to extend a hearty 'Cheers' to all our subscribers for sticking with us through the past year, and to a great and prosperous 1997. Let's make it a year to remember, stay hard and never fold. -- Gino Filicetti =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= End Chronicles of Chaos, Issue #16