____ _ _ ____ ____ _ _ _ ____ _ ____ ____ ____ ____ | |__| |__/ | | |\ | | | | |___ [__ | | |___ |___ | | | \ |__| | \| | |___ |___ |___ ___] |__| | ____ _ _ ____ ____ ____ | |__| |__| | | [__ |___ | | | | |__| ___] CHRONICLES OF CHAOS e-Zine, November 17, 1997, Issue #26 http://www.interlog.com/~ginof/coc.html Editor-in-Chief: Gino Filicetti Coordinator: Adrian Bromley Contributor: Alain M. Gaudrault Contributor: Brian Meloon Contributor: Steve Hoeltzel Contributor: Adam Wasylyk Contributor: Drew Schinzel Contributor: Andrew Lewandowski Contributor: Pedro Azevedo Contributor: Paul Schwarz Mailing List provided by: The University of Colorado at Boulder NOTE: For more Chronicles of Chaos information, check out the 'Details' section at the end of this issue. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>><<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< Issue #26 Contents, 11/17/97 ---------------------------- * Loud Letters * Deadly Dialogues -- Angel Corpse: Hammer of Metal -- Dark Funeral: The Dark Age Has Arrived -- Skrew: Skrewin' The Dawg -- Algaion: Questions From The Temple of Pain -- Morbid Angel: A Morbid Update -- Six Feet Under: 'Cause I'm a War Machine -- Niden Div. 187: An Officer And A Gentleman * Album Asylum -- Algaion - _General Enmity_ -- Alien Faktor - _Arterial Spray... and Cattle Mutilations_ -- Anorexia Nervosa - _Exile_ -- Bloodthorn - _In the Shadow of Your Black Wings_ -- Cenotaph - _Epic Rites_ -- Centinex - _Reflections_ -- Dissection - _The Past Is Alive (Early Mischief)_ -- Dominus - _Vol.Beat_ -- Various - _Earache Unplugged 2_ -- Edge Of Sanity - _Cryptic_ -- Epoch of Unlight - _Black and Crimson Glory_ -- Forbidden Site - _Sturm und Drang_ -- Frederik Thordendal's Special Defects - _Sol Niger Within_ -- Hazard - _Lech_ -- Hexenhaus - _Dejavoodoo_ -- Horna - _Hiidentorni_ -- Hypocrisy - _The Final Chapter_ -- Insatanity - _Vengeance from Beyond the Grave_ -- Immortal Suffering - _Images of Horror_ -- Malignant Eternal - _Far Beneath the Sun_ -- Mayhem - _Wolf's Lair Abyss_ -- Misanthrope - _Visionnaire_ -- Misery Loves Co. - _Not Like Them_ -- Nattvindens Grat - _Chaos Without Theory_ -- Niden Div. 187 - _Impergium_ -- Obtained Enslavement - _Witchcraft_ -- Orphyx - _Fragmentation_ -- Overkill - _From The Underground And Below_ -- Pathos - _Hoverface_ -- Rotting Christ - _A Dead Poem_ -- Sacramentum - _The Coming Of Chaos_ -- Sadist - _Crust_ -- Scar Tissue - _TMOTD_ -- Shub-Niggurath - _The Kinglike Celebration_ -- Thy Grief - _The Frozen Tomb of Mankind_ -- Transcendence - _Eternal Stream_ -- Turmoil - _Anchor_ -- Vergelmer - _Light the Black Flame_ * New Noise -- Beauty - _Buried With the Sky_ -- Castigate - _Plectrum Loveless Method_ -- Catarrh - _Nightflight_ -- Cephalectomy - _Gateway To The Gods_ -- Click. - _Live At The Thirsty Whale_ * Chaotic Concerts -- Dark Times: Emperor, Therion, Crematory and Lake of Tears in Belgium -- Big Red Deathfest II: Cornell University, New York -- Portuguese Potential: University of Porto Engineering, Portugal * What We Have Cranked =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= 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: Thu, 16 Oct 1997 From: Anand Shah Subject: Re: Chronicles of Chaos #25 (1/3) Hi, I love your e-zine. Its great andI really look forward to it every month..however, I just wanted to know hy you guys ignore reviewing bands liek Godflesh , Faith No More, Techno Animal and other such original extreme metal/industrial/rock/ambient/dub/techno influences. You shoud know how many bands think of Godflesh as their influences and you should know how bands like FF and Sepultura always have words of praise for FNM..yet I didn't see one review for any of their recent releases..Album of the Year for FNM and Love and Hate in Dub by Godflesh. I hope to read more about tehm in future.. thanx! anand [In our defense, I must say that we have covered an ample amount of Godflesh in our pages. In CoC #23 we ran an interview with the band, and in CoC #14 we reviewed the _Love and Hate_ album of which _Love and Hate in Dub_ is an album of remixes. As for Faith No More, the reason that we don't cover them in our pages is mainly because they aren't necessarily an underground band. We'd rather reserve the limited space in CoC for the more obscure bands that really need the exposure. Sorry, but if you really want to read about Faith No More, you can go ahead and pick all sorts of mainstream publications to fulfill your desire. -- Gino] Date: Wed, 22 Oct 1997 From: "Allen Tam" Subject: resources I've been a loyal fan of you zine now since issue #5. I'm just wondering though how does a regular guy like me get my hands on some of the harder to get albums? I live in Toronto. My only source is HMV, but most of the time they are sold out, never had it or are $30+. I was ordering some of my CDs through Sepulture but he took off with some of my money and I haven't heard from him since. Could you recomend a distribution company that deals with death metal. Or another good REALIABLE source. Anyways, thanks in advance and keep up the great work. The Silent Scribe [If anyone else out there has any suggestions for our Silent Scribe over here, please contact him directly at his email address. Thank you. -- Gino] Date: Wed, 5 Nov 1997 From: relapse@webtv.net (Lawrence Reynolds) Subject: the next issue hey gino! i must say coc really kicks ass! the black metal music is not my type of thing though.i only like the blasting black metal(marduk,the abyss,ulver's new one,as wellas a few others)i'm a huge brutal death metal and grindcore fan. i'd like to see more of that in future issues.when will the next issue be out? have you heard the new vader album? is it fucking have a lot of blasting on it? just get back with me.stay true,travis travis reynolds =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= __ \ | | | | _ \ _` | _` | | | | | | __/ ( | ( | | | | ____/ \___|\__,_|\__,_|_|\__, | ____/ __ \ _) | | | | _` | | _ \ _` | | | _ \ __| | | | ( | | ( | ( | | | __/\__ \ ____/ _|\__,_|_|\___/ \__, |\__,_|\___|____/ |___/ H A M M E R O F M E T A L ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ CoC Interviews Gene Palubicki of Angel Corpse by: Adam Wasylyk Impressing those of us from CoC who were in attendance at this year's Michigan Metal Fest with the band's TWO ravenous live sets, Angel Corpse devastate both in the flesh and on disc, as evidenced by their Osmose debut _Hammer of Gods_. Boasting influences such as Possessed, Bathory, and Morbid Angel, a retro feel permeates Angel Corpse's music -- but rather than exploit it, they've built it into their own sound and have created some raging black/death metal that other bands can only dream of comparing to. I had the pleasure of talking at length with guitarist Gene Palubicki about Angel Corpse and all that is metal. What made this chat so enjoyable was not only Gene's honesty but also his evident love for metal. Immerse yourself in the experience that is Angel Corpse. CoC: So Angel Corpse was formed as a result of the demise of Order From Chaos? Gene Palubicki: Myself and the bass player/vocalist from that band [Pete Helmkamp] got together because I had known him for several years prior to their break-up, since about 1991. When he told me that their band was going to be finished, for the longest time I thought it would be great to have him as a vocalist in a band. When the opportunity came up, I started talking to him about it. I moved from Minnesota down to Kansas City, where we started working on some material, and that's how it all started. CoC: Why did Order from Chaos break up, and how do you think both bands compare musically? GP: There were some eternal problems. I guess their guitar player wanted to quit the band and start up a side project he was working on. He wasn't really interested in what Order from Chaos was doing. That's what probably led to the break up: everybody's ideas didn't work together anymore. [As for comparisons,] aside from the fact that it's death metal, I think the actual song structures and writing are almost unrelated. Because for Order from Chaos, most of the music was written by the guitar player, and since that person is not in Angel Corpse, there's really no comparison at all, aside from the fact that it's death metal. [For] anyone who's into Order from Chaos, the only thing they could relate to is that it's the same vocalist. I mean, musically we're far more fast and brutal. CoC: When you formed Angel Corpse, what were the philosophies and expectations behind the band's creation? GP: What we wanted to do is what we've always enjoyed: to create pure metal. In this case, pure death metal, death/thrash, black/death, because that's where we've always come from. We listen to a lot of the older albums -- like, myself, I think [albums] like Possessed's _Seven Churches_ are still some of the most stand-out albums to this day. That stuff was pure metal. It had nothing to do with trends. What we're doing is pure metal as well, and I think what we're creating is just metal for the sake of metal. Pure brutality, craziness, lead guitar solos and stuff. A lot of bands these days almost try to stamp out what metal really started out with, with bands like Judas Priest with the dual lead guitar attack, and they've just tried to turn it into grinding sludge that has nothing to do with what metal really is. And I think that's what we're trying to re-birth with Angel Corpse: the real heavy metal. CoC: Why do you think that bands have moved away from the lead guitar approach to metal? GP: I think that during the late 80s there was a lot of the guitar hero metal that started to come out, bands like Cacophony and others, and after a while the lead guitar got to be seen as cheese. And a lot of bands, like even before the death metal explosion, had already begun to move away from the idea of doing leads or any of that. I don't know, I think with so many people going with the anti-trend to make things more dirty, like back with grind bands like Carcass and early Napalm Death stuff, it was like the really hardcore/punk stuff started to cross over with thrash metal and created this real anti-musical sludge, and the real element of metal began to be lost. As it became more refined, metal basically just lost its sight and became more of a grind thing. CoC: I noticed a strong _Altars of Madness_-era Morbid Angel influence on _Hammer of Gods_. Are they a band that have influenced Angel Corpse? GP: Yeah, I think especially their album _Altars of Madness_. When that album came out it was one of the most stand-out albums during that time, because there weren't really any bands that were mixing blast beats and super-speed with any kind of sensibility at all. Plus, they had the kind of energy of some of the more early Slayer material, or Possessed, for that matter. So that really stood out as a great metal album. And keeping the tradition of dual lead guitar attack and all that, it's perfect. CoC: How did you come to sign to Osmose Productions? GP: We did a four-track demo tape to showcase some of the songs that we had at the time. And we sent a tape to Osmose, just seeing if they would like to do distribution of the demo tape, but when Herve heard the tape he called us up immediately almost, and he wanted to sign the band. We did the demo tape, and two weeks later we were being sent a contract, so we really had no circulation in the underground at the time we were signed. CoC: What are your thoughts on the label's roster of bands? GP: A lot of the newer stuff that's coming out on the label I could disagree with. This whole retro thing I think is kind of becoming a really bad trend. I think some of the bands that I totally distaste are probably Inferno and um.... CoC: Bewitched? GP: Yeah, Bewitched. I mean, anybody who's really into the style that they're trying to portray is going to listen to the originators that do those albums anyway. I mean, why listen to Inferno when you could listen to _Endless Pain_ [by Kreator] or _Inferal Overkill_ by Destruction? Those albums are still alive and well, so we don't need a copy. [Finally someone with the guts to say it like it is. -- Adam] They're not doing any justice to those albums by ripping them off. I mean, unless the bands are doing it as a joke.. And if people are happy with that and they want to make metal a joke, they can have it, but I don't want any part of that. CoC: So you're basically saying it's okay to use influences from the past, but it's wrong to rip them off? GP: An influence means that you understood something that somebody's done and you've incorporated it into what you do, not just ripping it off. It's like you've learned how somebody did something, and you take that knowledge and you apply it to what you know and make your own creation out of it. To just copy what someone else has done, it's missing creation. Which means it's just weak. CoC: What's your view of the opening of Osmose's American office? Do you think it'll help the state of black metal in North America? GP: I think so, since most of the black metal stuff from Europe has only had distribution here through mail order. The fact that you would be able to go to a store and perhaps find a black metal album, I think that's a plus. As far as the American market, the prices would be cheaper, no import prices and no waiting [for shipping, etc.]. It'll take some time for the label to get itself organized over here, but probably within a year's time it should start to rear its head. CoC: So will _Hammer of Gods_ get this domestic treatment? GP: Yeah, there's going to be twelve releases that will be the first batch, and the re-mastered version of _Hammer of Gods_ will be one of them. It's going to have two bonus tracks, a couple of cover songs. It'll have covers of Possessed's "Burning in Hell" and Kreator's "Pleasure to Kill". CoC: I saw you guys at the Michigan Metal Fest, when you played twice to make up for the absence of Absu, and I must say I was very impressed. Describe what an Angel Corpse live set is like. GP: PURE DIABOLIC CHAOS! We try to present something to look at. At that show, for example, there would be like ten bands that would play that you wouldn't really watch but you'd hear. Because if you looked at the stage there was nothing to see. It was just bands going through the motions, nothing exciting. Nothing very metal about the whole thing. The whole thing about metal is it's supposed to grab people's attention. It's not supposed to be something you just stare at and say "whatever" and just wait for the next band to come up afterwards. We try to make something so that there's actually reason to watch what's going on on the stage. It's like with leads -- one guy on one side of the stage breaks off into some total craziness, when all of a sudden the people watching the show can actually look and see what's going on on another part of the stage. Then the other guy goes into some crazy part. It's basically to have action going on while you're playing. And since we play so incredibly fast anyway, there's always going to be some kind of action going on, and we never slow down. That's just not our thing. CoC: What did you think of the Milwaukee Metal Fest? GP: It was a pretty good show, but there was a lot of the same, a lot of bands sounding alike. I think that's where we really stood out at that show. There was no other band at that show that sounded even remotely close to what we were doing. CoC: Of the two festivals, was there one that you enjoyed more, or did they compare pretty closely? GP: Aside from the fact that the Milwaukee deal was a lot bigger and there was a lot more people there, I'd have to say the Milwaukee show was better. There actually seemed to be people at the Milwaukee show who were familiar with us; we got a fair crowd response. But at the Michigan show I don't think anyone knew who the fuck we were! CoC: Something that caught my eye at your Michigan show was your other guitarist Bill [Taylor, ex/Xenomorph]. As I was watching him on stage, I noticed that his arms appeared to be cut up. Does he do that sort of thing? GP: Yeah, he does that. CoC: So he's into self-mutilation? GP: Yeah. CoC: What are your thoughts on that? GP: Well, myself, I don't really practice that kind of thing. But I guess each one of us in this band are into their own individual thing. You can kind of tell -- I mean, aside from the fact that now all three of us actually have shaved heads -- by looking at each of us on stage, we don't have any kind of unified look. Each one of us are in our own little world while we're out there, which I think is cool, instead of looking like robots. CoC: Are you one who subscribes to the belief that keyboards and female vocals don't belong in black metal, or do you think that they can be used efficiently to create atmosphere? GP: The whole thing with keyboards and female vocals seems like more of something that's attributed to gothic style music, as it originally was. With something ambient like Dead Can Dance, music like that looks great with female vocals. But when it's crossed over into metal, that's all it really is -- it's a cross-over. It's not pure. Obviously, in a way I'm wrong by saying that, because a lot of bands that do that, crossing metal with gothic influences and keyboards and female vocals, seem to be doing very successfully. But in my opinion, since I like things to be pure with art, I think it degenerates old genres. Because, I mean, people who are really going to be into the metal stuff aren't really going to like the keyboards and female vocals. But then you got people that are into gothic, romantic, dark ambient music that are going to hear the stuff, and the metal that's going to be in the music they're not going to like. But there's this new fan base that's around nowadays that actually does like that stuff -- but I really, to say the least, don't tolerate it. CoC: _Hammer of Gods_ has been out for quite a while, so I'm sure you guys have a good amount of new material already. GP: Yeah, at the end of October we're going into the studio to record the new album. CoC: Is there a title for it yet? GP: Oh yeah. The new album is called _Exterminate_. CoC: How does it compare to the material off _Hammer of Gods_? GP: It's definitely in the same vein as _Hammer of Gods_, but there's a lot more emphasis on the speed element. This [new] album's got a lot more really brutal double bass and a lot more blasting. It's going to be faster. Other than that, I guess anybody who liked or hated our first album is probably going to have a more extreme reaction to this new album. We're definitely going to have a lot better production on this new album: we're going to Morrisound Studios down in Tampa to record the new one. CoC: Where was _Hammer of Gods_ recorded, by the way? GP: _Hammer of Gods_ was recorded in a local studio here in Kansas City, and in the end we were kind of unhappy with the way it came out. The engineer didn't really know what it was that we wanted, and we weren't very experienced working in a real studio at all ourselves, so the production is really lacking on _Hammer of Gods_ in hindsight. I mean, it's still a very brutal album, and we still like all the songs and we'll play them all live, but I think the first album leaves a lot to be desired as far as the kind of sound that we wanted. This new album is really going to let people know what it is that we're all about. CoC: Finally, what do you think the future holds for Angel Corpse? GP: Ideally, I hope that we can continue to do a lot more albums and get some good tours and stuff so we can get this stuff out. I really want to get people back into the pure metal thing. I want to get this stuff in the limelight. There's going to be a lot of great albums in the near future. I mean, just in the beginning of '98 the new Morbid Angel album is going to be absolutely killer. I just really want people to get back into what is the essence of death metal. The whole gothic and romanticism thing, it has nothing to do with metal. Death metal is supposed to be about violence, brutality and vengeance, and I want to get that spirit back into people's hearts. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= T H E D A R K A G E H A S A R R I V E D ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ CoC Interviews Lord Ahriman of Dark Funeral by: Adam Wasylyk One of many black metal bands to embrace aggression and harshness, Dark Funeral are one of Sweden's bigger bands, and rightfully so, judging from their well-received debut, 1996's _The Secrets of the Black Arts_. A cold exercise in outright brutality, the aforementioned record has just been given the domestic treatment by Metal Blade (Attic here in Canada), meaning more black metal fans in this part of the world will be treated to a record well worth its weight in blasphemy. A failed phone interview transmogrified into an e-mail interview with co-founding member Lord Ahriman, who was cool enough to answer some questions about their upcoming US tour, their upcoming record, and various other matters. CoC: Even though this album has been out for quite a while, why don't you tell me about _The Secrets of the Black Arts_, for those who haven't had the pleasure of hearing it. Lord Ahriman: _The Secrets of The Black Arts_ was recorded during two weeks in the Abyss Studio in July '95. Musically, it can be described as pure Satanic mayhem. It includes 11 tracks with a combination of ultra brutal riffs and pure blood-freezing melodies with eerie classical themes in a furious speed. CoC: So since the recording of this album in the summer of 1995, three of the four band members have left, leaving you to pick up the pieces. Please update us on your present-day line up. LA: Besides me on guitar, the current line-up consists of Typhos (guitar), Emperor Magus Caligula (bass & vocals) and Alzazmon (drums). CoC: Due to these line-up changes, has Dark Funeral's sound changed? More melodic/atmospheric? More aggressive? LA: Even if I'm the only original member left, you shouldn't expect any sudden changes. But I am sure that people will notice that we have changed a few members. Partly, we are more tight as a unit than we were with any previous line-up. Our new material is like a natural improvement on our previous album _The Secrets of The Black Arts_. The main difference is that we have now included more rhythms as well as increased the speed. The new songs are also far darker, more technical, and much more varied than on our last release. This makes each track genuine in its own way. We have improved the previous style, but also continued in a more genuine and professional way. CoC: What is your view on being picked up by Metal Blade for US distribution? Was it something that was a complete surprise to you, or was this a deal long in the making? LA: Yeah, when I first heard about it, it was definitely a big surprise to me. Although from the day we received the offer, it took about 6 months before the deal was set, and a few more months before the album finally was released in the States. CoC: Have you been looked down upon by other black metal bands for making what they may see as a "commercial" or "mainstream" move by having Metal Blade involved in your distribution? LA: No. So far I haven't noticed, or heard any negative words towards us about being licensed to Metal Blade, even though I'm sure there must be some envious motherfuckers who believe that we have turned into a more commercial act because of this. But I can assure you that we will forever be true to the underground!!! CoC: What is the present relationship between you and No Fashion? What are your thoughts on its band roster? LA: It's very satisfying. No Fashion are doing an excellent job for us, although it can never be too good, if you know what I mean. There are a few acts on the label that I really like, and respect for what they are doing. There are also a few bands I consider to be purely shit, but enough of that. CoC: Describe a Dark Funeral live show. LA: Our hellish live performance is like a black mass. It's probably one of the most extreme and intense live performances you could ever behold. The introduction of the show, consisting of a destruction ritual, is performed live by the four of us. We are painted like demons, wearing spikes and rivets, and of course covered with pure animal blood. We also carry ancient weapons. The show includes fire-breathing as well as our typical stage show, in which we have pig heads impaled on two huge inverted crosses placed in the front of the stage. Unfortunately, due to hygienic causes, most of the venues, at least during our last European tour, refuse to let us perform with the pig heads. However, when the pig heads are included in the show, Emperor Magus Caligula and I end the show by slashing them into pieces. CoC: Some have said that this use of the pig heads in your live show is a rip-off of Mayhem's. What's your response to this? LA: Ha, before someone should say anything stupid like that, I would suggest that he or she check out our hellish live performance. It's not even close to the Mayhem show, as Mayhem did only one single show with pig heads. We have done over 40. CoC: I heard that Emperor Magus Caligula recently injured himself on stage at a show you played in Finland. What happened? LA: It wasn't in Finland. It happened during our last tour throughout Europe on the opening show in Geeleen (NL). At the end of that show, while Emperor Magus Caligula and I slashed the pig heads into pieces, Caligula happened to hit himself on the leg with a big butcher's knife. Even if the blood was pounding out from his veins, he was still able to continue the show without any interference. CoC: So you are presently recording at the Abyss Studio. Please give us a studio update and describe how the material is coming out. LA: Yeah, we have recently completed a three week recording session in the Abyss Studio (Sept. 1- Sept. 21), which means that a new Satanic symphony of Dark Funeral finally is completed and put on tape. During the three weeks we spent in the Abyss Studio, we recorded 8 tracks, which in total have a running time on 35 minutes. A few of the new titles are: "Slava Satan", "Ravenna Strigoi Mortii", "Ineffable King of Darkness", and "Enriched By Evil". In my opinion, this is the most superior recording we have done to date. It's also the fastest and most aggressive, yet it holds a very melodic and hellish atmosphere. The album will carry the title _VOBISCUM SATANAS_, and the release is scheduled in February '98. Stay tuned for a new christ-raping piece of wrath!! CoC: Since _The Secrets..._ was released, Blackmoon has left the band. What were the reasons for his departure? And with him being one of the creators of Dark Funeral, was the band's future ever in doubt? LA: Hell no, the future of the band was never in doubt. We had and still have everything under total control. Due to several reasons, we came to a point where the cooperation between Blackmoon and us, the rest of the band, couldn't continue. The new and present lineup is the best we have had so far. And I would say that we have finally found a stable, well working, and highly professional lineup. CoC: Blackmoon was very outspoken about his views of Christianity. What are your views concerning religion and Christianity? LA: I'm an elitist and a diehard Satanist, so I guess my opinions about religions and Christian people are quite obvious. CoC: What's the relationship between Swedish black metal bands? Is it on the friendship side, or on the more competitive side? LA: Well, there is this kind of silly backstabbing and threats between almost each and every band. There are only a few bands that I find worth in socializing with. I have, as you might understand, stopped caring about all this childishness going on within the scene. I just ignore these kind of low life attitudes. All this shit is just a matter of jealousy, so why fucking bother? CoC: How did it come about for Dark Funeral to play its first gig in North America? A tour is planned -- which bands are on it, and what are the dates/venue's planned? LA: It's a long story, but I will make it short. A couple of months ago, I made like a business call for House of Kicks/No Fashion Records to Shane Bugbee. I did not present myself as being Lord Ahriman of Dark Funeral. I went under another alias. After a while, he mentioned that he was planning to put up a huge festival, Expo of the Extreme. Since I was doing this phone call for H.o.K., I couldn't resist asking him if he would be interested in bringing over a band from No Fashion. After going through all the bands, he said "I want Dark Funeral to play the festival." I guess Shane was pretty surprised when I finally told him that I was Lord Ahriman, guitarist of Dark Funeral. Later the tour plans came up. We were asked to headline the tour. And of course we were [willing]. At first it was only planned to be a mini-tour, but as time has passed it is now a full scheduled U.S. tour. We will start the tour in Chicago at the Expo of the Extreme Oct. 31st and do, as far as I'm informed, the last show in Oregon Nov. 29th. Besides Dark Funeral, the tour will include Acheron, Destroyer 666, and Usurper. CoC: Any message/warning to your fans here in North America before your arrival on these shores? LA: Join us in Chicago at the Expo of the Extreme and during our "American Satanic Crusade Tour". And together, let's summon the demon god and invoke the new dark age!!! =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= S K R E W I N ' T H E D A W G ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ CoC Interviews Skrew by: Adrian Bromley Skrew singer/guitarist/writer Adam Grossman is a workhorse; he has always given 100% of his energy to the industrial/metal outfit. He takes his music very seriously -- and it shows in the band's material. Since the band's 1992 Metal Blade debut, _Burning in Water, Drowning In Flames_, Skrew has evolved due to the ingestion of multiple styles and ideas. Over the years, Skrew has chipped away at the frame of the band's music in an attempt to perfect their sound. Fans of the band have witnessed the band's growth through numerous releases: 1994's brilliant _Dusted_, 1995's _Shadow of Doubt_, and _Angel Seed XIII_, their latest effort. Grossman starts talking about the new record and the direction of Skrew in 1997: "I don't know where to really begin about this record. What is a record other than where you are at that time? Talking about the last record, _SoD_, I was involved in a major car accident while making the record and the record was pushed back. That was a great record, but I don't really remember making it 'cause I was under some really heavy narcotics and medication. I still love that record. It's funny when I hear it now, it just has this seething, burning down inside the pit of your stomach feel to it, whereas _ASXIII_ is more in your face and immediate. This record is like a punch in the mouth." "I think the record is like that for several reasons," adds Grossman, "one of the reasons being that we had five weeks to do this record, which is like the shortest amount of time we have ever had to work on a record. We crammed it in. We went in and pumped it out. I would have liked a little bit more time, but y'know what? It worked out fine." He continues, "I think this record shows off the sickness of life to some degree. I don't write pretty songs. That is not what motivates me to write. My musical education comes from the old Blues -- 1930s and 40s material -- and so I think that works into my songwriting. Not pretty stuff. When I was a kid growing up I was all into bands like Bauhaus or The Birthday Party, and all that stuff was dark and showed a vile side of life. I just take my musical inspiration and writing styles from all that, writing darkened tales of life and what we go through. It's all there in my music." From where does Grossman derive the song ideas? Are they always present? "Yeah, I am always writing. We already have four or five songs ready to play live or put down on record. I think it is more like, do I have time to be creative? I am always creating. If it isn't something music related then it is something visual. I do a lot of artwork, and that keeps me busy too. I don't know, ideas are always there; it is just getting the time to work on them that is the obstacle." Grossman has helped produce both this record and a few other bands (Atlanta band Big Twin Din and German industrial/rock act Testify) over the course of a year. He is constantly learning and acknowledges that he has far more to learn. "I don't even consider myself a 'producer', but I sure am doing something right, as I keep getting offers to do this. I worked on three records, including my own, in the last year, so I am happy to be doing this. I would do it again if I was asked to." Skrew has been Grossman's baby since its inception in 1992. He has been at the helm for the last five years as many musicians playing in Skrew have come and gone. Despite the frequent changes, Grossman still stays focused and adamant about keeping the sound of Skrew flourishing and vibrant no matter who is in the band. The quintet is currently rounded out by programmer/keyboardist Jim Vollantine, guitarists Jason L. and Doug C., bassist Frapp, and drummer Chris I. _ASXIII_ is unlike any other Skrew record, since it caters not to what Skrew has been or should be about (an industrial/metal feel) but more to what feels natural in the state of progression for the band. Grossman agrees. His focus was more on feelings than sticking to a certain style or niche. "I agree... this record definitely has that feel. When we were working on the _SoD_ album with producer Neil Kernon, it was such a fucking intense learning experience for us. This motherfucker has been around, and we learned a lot of shit with him. We really did. But you know what? He really had this set idea of what the Skrew record should sound like. He told me before going into the studio this was what we were gonna do, and I was into that. This record, we wanted to have more of a free flow of ideas going around. I think we captured that. All the elements of Skrew are there, but they aren't set to sound like this or sound like that. It just molds itself." Once asked about the significance of the album title, Grossman replies, "The title is just words that we came up with in order to best represent the material on the record. Let's get into the name first: _Angel Seed_. Okay... what is a seed? A seed is where human life, plant life, or any type of life starts with a seed. With angel, it kind of represents this mythological figure you might see. When you die and go to heaven you might see one. Or even when you die you might become a good or bad angel. The title is all-encompassing. And the XIII is actually a number that stands for unbalance of things. Y'know... not in order. So the name of the record signifies an unbalance of life. We really didn't put much thought into it, but it seems like we did." =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Q U E S T I O N S F R O M T H E T E M P L E O F P A I N ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ CoC Interviews Algaion by: Drew Schinzel When the name Algaion comes up, it's usually associated with high-velocity excursions into melodic black metal -- but no longer. With _General Enmity_, Algaion have separated themselves from that genre, veering much more towards melodic power metal, with various other influences. What brought about these changes? What's the lyrical philosophy of Algaion? What are the band's feelings towards the music world? Read on as Marten and Mathias of Algaion answer these questions and more... CoC: "General Enmity" is quite a change from your earlier material. What caused the transformation? Hardly any of the old style is there anymore. Marten: We were completely silent for two years, no rehearsals or anything. Also, if one person writes all the music, it is easier for a band to change radically. Personally, I like the new style better. CoC: Now, with the new sound, what's your opinion of the older albums? Marten: I think that they are among the best of their kind and that they are under-promoted. Both our older albums kill. CoC: The tone of the album seems fairly misanthropic. What's your view of humanity in general? Marten: I think that humanity in general is totally useless. I have no illusions about man's character or capacity but see man as one of many biological processes. Even with this starting point, I get constantly disappointed. CoC: What would you say were your biggest influences for the new album? Marten: My finding out about Sigvard Nilsson-Thurneman and F.T. Marinetti. Sigvard Thurneman was in 1936 declared the most dangerous man in Europe. He was the leader of a secret organization called DMC. They developed a "dehumanization program" that would rid themselves of the human nature they detested. Their goal was the total loss of compassion that comes with realizing you are no longer part of mankind. Thurneman was arrested in 1936 for a series of murders, arsons, and robberies and was locked up for a long time. (He got out in 1969 -- yes, the Swedish legal system is nice.) F.T. Marinetti published his "Futurist Manifesto" in a French newspaper in 1909. He was the founder of what is called the Futurist Movement. The futurists were the furious enemies of all romanticism of the past and of lame art and symbolism. Instead, they proclaimed the glorification of new technology and violence: anything that shaped the world according to the will of the mangod. DMC does not exist anymore, and the futurists have been low on followers after the fall in 1945 of their political comrades. Algaion is the last defender of these great ideas. It would be against my ideal to romanticize these persons in their entirety just because they happened to live before us. The way I see it, they provided the form that we fill with contemporary contents. Mathias: Well, lyrically anyway. Musically, I get inspired by whatever it is that I'm listening to, be it Mayhem, Helloween, Hypocrisy, Meshuggah, Brutality, Malevolent Creation, King Diamond, or whatever. I think one can tell I get inspiration from many different bands. CoC: Do you think that with the first two releases the band was holding back some of the elements found on _General Enmity_? Or was there just a sudden shift of musical inspiration, nothing more? Marten: I think that the last track on the MCD we recorded in 1995 bears certain elements that are found on our new material. We have always been very melodic, so once the pace was held back it was not any big step for us. Mathias: Yeah, I think it also was a case of us no longer giving a damn about what others might think of the music. I think I was a bit too concerned with what people would think before. Now that we realized that 80% of all into this genre are morons anyway, we just thought we'd do what -we- thought sounded good. So, this CD is for me and Marten, but if others happen to like it too, that's just a bonus. CoC: What brought the new members into the band? Marten: We have no new members; we just got help from more musicians. Algaion is and will be me and Mathias. Mathias: Yeah, we prefer the term 'sidekicks'. Just like Batman had Robin, Algaion have Erik and Tobias. But just like there could only be one Batman, there can only be one Algaion. Me and Marten. CoC: The vocals on _GE_ are still basically in the old style. Why didn't you change these also? Marten: I think there is quite a difference. I think that vocals the old high pitched way would not have fit the new music. One of the things that I dislike the most about many bands is the tendency to have the music on the one hand and then the vocals that sound like they have no relation to the rest of the music -- as if the vocalist was in another room imitating a duck as much as he can, with no relation to the music -- and then this misery is mixed so high it easily weighs up ten tracks of music. This is the reason the vocals are mixed so low on all our material . CoC: Did you ever consider singing cleanly? Marten: I think that would have been a blatant sell-out, and that was not the idea with this album. CoC: Is there anything you're unsatisfied with about the album? Marten: No. It rules. CoC: Now that you have a full line-up, is there any possibility of live shows in the future? Marten: Actually we have played live already, one month ago, with Voivod and Dismember here in Sweden. We have several new shows coming up. The closest in time is in November with our good friends Sorhin. Their new CD is out, and their label arranged something that we will take part in. CoC: Was _GE_ a difficult album to write? How long did it take? Marten: Once we got started rehearsing, it took maybe two months. This is a -lot- longer than it took to write our previous albums. I do not understand bands that ask us this question and then tell us they have been playing for years and years but that they still only have one or two songs. (Of course, the usual explanation is that they have been playing together not for years and years but rather days and days.) Provided that you are not a nitwit, it does not take too long to write good music. CoC: How has the reaction to the album been thus far? Marten: Great. The people whose opinion we care about have thought it excellent. Our label, magazines, and major distributors believe in this new CD completely. Some forestkids are bound to dislike it, but we knew that from the start; it is part of their adolescent rebellion. CoC: Why did your final choice for a label fall on Wounded Love? Considering negotiations took place with Nuclear Blast, etc. Marten: Wounded Love is great label that lets us do what we want. We have nothing against Nuclear Blast, except the fact that they have quite a lot of bands that are total crap and have names that rhyme with words that end with "...orgir". CoC: Do you think the band will continue in this direction for the next album? Marten: The new material will be (well, is) in the line of the track "Mangod Hold the Sceptre" on the new CD, but with more power metal influences and more melodies. It is also faster than most of what is on General Enmity. CoC: So what's next for the band? Marten: We have been offered to tour Europe early next year. There will probably be a new CD recorded next summer, I think. CoC: What do you like least about being in the music business? Marten: The "music business attitude". We do not care about being cool, getting girls and unlimited amounts of alcohol. We would never dress up in gay clothes and sing about "gothic romances" just to impress girls, just as little as we would ever join a movement like "Headbangers Against Disco". Algaion is Algaion, and our ideals do not agree with any musical subculture. The music, of course, has similarities with existing kinds of music, but this is a natural result of the limited amount of possible chords. Ideologically, our influences are over sixty years back in time and have no relation to music or coolness or what we would do with a million dollars. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= A M O R B I D U P D A T E ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ CoC Interviews Trey Azagthoth of Morbid Angel by: Adam Wasylyk Morbid Angel is arguably one of the best death metal bands to come out of North America to "Dominate" the four corners of the Earth -- a band that has changed the face of modern death metal. The world will soon be graced by the band's sixth album, to be titled _Formulas Fatal to the Flesh_, which will mark the absense of second guitarist Erik Rutan and long time bassist/vocalist Dave Vincent. Chronicles of Chaos was selected to do one of a limited amount of interviews with guitar genius Trey Azagthoth before the record's release. Even though this turned out to be a shorter chat than expected (and a bad connection made transcription of this interview pure hell, no pun intended), it should help update fans on their upcoming record and other events concerning this most unholy group. CoC: I'm sure all of your fans know by now that Dave has left the band. Just to recap, what were the reasons for his departure? Trey Azagthoth: I would say it was a change in interest. He was with us for ten years, and now I guess, like what he's doing now with the Genitorturers is quite different than what he did with us. A lot of it was when _Domination_ came out, I wasn't really happy with the lyrical content as much. [The lyrics were written by Dave.] I didn't feel it really tapped into the true purpose of the band. I felt that he was moving away from that purpose, which is a spiritual thing and giving praise to the Ancient Ones. He was moving on to different subject matter. And I told him that for the next album that we were going to do, I wanted to start writing the lyrics again and get things back on track with the true purpose. And I guess he didn't feel so good about that; he wanted to continue in a different vein. And we parted on good terms. CoC: You've replaced him with the relatively unknown Steve Tucker. How did you find him, and what was it about him that made you want him to join Morbid Angel? TA: He's from a Cincinnati band called Ceremony. He has a very deep type of growling vocals, and he's also part Indian -- so he's a very spiritual person, and that's what I really want in the band: very spiritual type people. He's 23 years old, and he's a talented bass player. This time I wrote all the music and lyrics and worked with him real close on the phrasing of the words, and he was great at that. He didn't come at me with some attitude like he wanted to write the lyrics or whatever. He's the perfect person. CoC: How does Steve compare to Dave in respects like vocals and bass style? Or are they both completely different? TA: As far as his vocal style, I would say that his natural range is really close to David when he was singing the more deep-toned, growling type of vocals. You know, Dave did different kinds of things on different albums, but when he sounded on _Covenant_ or material like that, I thought that was the better range that he used. He [Steve] is very comparable to that. And then also there's parts of new songs where the vocals are sung very quick, and that's something I've been wanting to do for a long time. So everything is more fast: vocals, bass, guitars, and drums, everything rough and powerful. He does a few things like harmonizing, doing a low vocal part and a higher, screechy vocal part together in one section. That was also something I had wanted to do for a long time, but David wasn't really too open to that idea; he didn't like the idea of using a harmonizer on anything. I personally think that it adds some dimension to the band, because the voice isn't supposed to sound like a person; it's supposed to sound like a great being. And sometimes [we used] several voices that would make up this great being. But definitely, it's the roar that I was looking for. I didn't want someone to come in and cup the mike and sing like . I want to hear the words, and I want to hear the articulation of the syllables as much as possible, and that was something Dave could do as well. He was very articulate in what he was saying; most of the stuff you could understand the words, and plus it was powerful. Steve does a really good job at that. CoC: About your upcoming record _Formulas Fatal to the Flesh_: how much has been recorded, and how does the material compare to that on _Domination_? TA: Well, at this stage we've done the vocals, the drums, the rhythms, and the bass. I'm going to do my solos at home, and we're going to do the mix at the end of this month. As far as how they [the albums] compare, a lot of it returns to the roots of the band in purpose and in style. The past couple of albums we've used a metronome, which has its benefits, but it can also sort of sterilize the feeling. The benefits would be timing and keeping it "correct". But later I realized the live feel of playing the songs would circle a bit -- a bit faster or slower, that's a live feeling. And I realized that with a metronome it would sterilize things a bit. Look at _Domination_: there was too much digital type stuff as well. So this is very analog, very lively. The guitars are also maybe a bit more raw. As far as the style or the music, most of it is fast and furious, and there's a few tracks that are some of the older feel, heavy type of riffing like "Abominations", "Ancient Ones", or "Angel of Disease" -- that kind of feeling from the earlier stuff. Then there's a song, another down-tuned, seven-string sludge song called "Nothing is Not" [this title may be wrong due to our bad phone connection -- Adam] that has a slow groove and slow, heavy type feel to it. There's quite a few polyrhythms that I'm using on different parts and variations. I would say that most of it's fast and some slow stuff, very furious, very sick, and very ugly. CoC: Were you happy with how _Entangled In Chaos_ came out? TA: Yeah, I think for a live album it came out great. I was also the one who produced it. It's very lively. With all the crazy things that happened: tuning, mistakes, cymbals falling down... With all that stuff happening and with the speed at which we're playing, I think things turned out great. CoC: Will it see a domestic release? (The album is currently only available in Europe.) TA: I don't believe so; I think it'll be strictly for import. CoC: Eric Rutan left the band a while ago as well. Why did he leave? TA: I guess I wanted to get the band back into the way that I created it to begin with. I was the one who created this band back in 1984, before I had met any of the people in the band right now. I wanted to get it back on the right track, lyrically and musically. Basically, I wanted to be the sole creator of everything on this album, except for a couple of segues. There's one segue where Pete [Sandoval, drums] created the underlying melodies and I enhanced it with the performance of a keyboard on it. And there's going to be a drum solo, like a tribal drum thing that was created by him. But as far as the actual tracks, they're all my thing. Erik is now working on a couple of projects himself. CoC: So for tour purposes a second guitarist will be added, right? TA: Well, actually we're working on getting Richard Brunelle back. [Brunelle's guitar work appeared on _Altars of Madness_ and _Blessed are the Sick_. -- Adam] Because all I want is backing guitar now in a live situation. CoC: Pete and Erik have been involved in side projects in the past. Do you have such a project? TA: I've been messing around with the idea of a guitar album that I was going to do with Mike [last name is unintelligible on my tape -- Adam] from Nocturnus. I've been really busy doing other things, and Morbid Angel is my principal priority. Maybe something will come from this project; it's called Chewing Inc. It's going to be just a bunch of guitar stuff and instrumentals. It was fun, and hopefully something will come out from it. CoC: Has Earache expressed interest in releasing it, or do you think it would be on another label? TA: I don't know, it would probably be on Earache. CoC: When will _Formulas Fatal to the Flesh_ be released? TA: I think in January. CoC: And a tour will follow? TA: Yeah, probably in February we'll start doing some touring. CoC: Finally, what do you say to people who think that with Dave's departure Morbid Angel's glory days are gone? TA: That seems like a statement which has a lot of limitation written into it. I can't really say it affects my being. I guess it goes with the old saying, "You can please some of the people some of the time, but you can't please all the people all the time." You see, the thing is that with this album that I'm creating, it's about the triumvirate and the Ancient Ones; that's who [the album] is built for. For them, first. So they will love it, period. Because it's their manifestation. If the other people don't like it, then whatever. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= 'C A U S E I ' M A W A R M A C H I N E ! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ CoC Interview's Six Feet Under's Chris Barnes by: Adrian Bromley While there may not be anything original about the sound emanating from the new Six Feet Under record _Warpath_, it is the deliverance and groove blaring from the 12-song LP that sparks life into the project led by ex-Cannibal Corpse growler Chris Barnes. The band's two previous releases (1995's _Haunted_ LP and last year's EP _Alive And Dead_) were mediocre, generic death metal records -- something that would not have been expected, seeing that Barnes was collaborating with Obituary guitar slinger Allen West in what many were calling a "super-group". (SFU is rounded out by drummer Greg Gall and bassist Terry Butler.) The band took some negative shots and criticism over the debut album and kept going, later putting out the live EP. It now appears that a few years of touring and taking time off to regroup and write new material have paid off for Barnes and company, as _Warpath_ flies off the handle with its pure brutality and no-holds-barred deliverance of intensity. Barnes talks to Chronicles of Chaos from his home in Florida about the making of the record, working with Scott Burns, and smoking pot. Be a trooper and read on. CoC: Both previous albums received mediocre reviews. There were some bad reviews about the _Haunted_ LP and that must have affected you. Did it? If so, how did it affect the type of record you were going to write with _Warpath_? Chris Barnes: It's funny. All of the bad press and whatnot had no real influence on the way this record was done or recorded. People have been saying what they wanted to for years about me and the bands I have been involved in. I can take the criticism, just not the tabloid journalism. I think there are ways to review someone's stuff in a professional manner, and then there is a way that almost demeans the reader to pick it up 'cause this writer who is 'oh so important' put it down so bad. Stuff like that might have inspired me in a way, because everything you see, feel and hear becomes part of you and comes out of you in some form or another. Music and writing is my outlet, so it came out that way. I think a lot of that kind of stuff went into the songwriting that I did with _Warpath_ -- songs that deal with everyday life and how I feel we have lost our personal freedoms and human rights. We have given up our rights for modern day convenience. CoC: How do you feel about handling press duties in the band? I would assume that after a while of working on the record and finally putting it out and doing press for it, you really don't want to deal with the record anymore, let alone talk about it. Is that true? CB: That is totally true. It does shift. I would say two or three months after a record comes out, it all starts to change. I like to talk to people and all, don't get me wrong, but after that time frame you just don't want to deal with people and press and stuff. It has all been said. Same goes for touring. After like six weeks on the road with twelve guys in a crammed bus, you do think about going home and relaxing. CoC: Since leaving Cannibal Corpse and starting up and continuing on with Six Feet Under, how have you changed as a person? CB: You know, I haven't changed much at all. I am the same person I was years ago. I'm a little more open to my writing now, because I have been given the opportunity to do so with this band. I am able to explore my own thoughts a little deeper and not be boxed into what four other people want. Not that I wasn't writing what I wanted to in Cannibal Corpse; it's just that if I wanted to write a song like "A Journey Into Darkness" [off of _Warpath_], they wouldn't have wanted it on the record. I guess the way I see it is, as time goes by you experience different things, and for the most part I am still the same person, sitting back, smoking some herb, and still writing some kick-ass music. CoC: Looking back at it now, has leaving Cannibal Corpse affected you? CB: Leaving Cannibal Corpse never really affected me. I was just happy that at that time I had SFU to work with when I did get out of Cannibal Corpse, and that I have been able to continue on with this record and the SFU project. Leaving Cannibal was more like a release for me. Someone told me once a long time ago, "After your first love breaks your heart, your heart can't be broken again," and that really stuck with me with the move to SFU. CoC: How long did it take to work and finish up the new record? Did you take your time this time out? I heard you had to wait for Allen to finish his duties with Obituary (the _Back From The Dead_ LP) before you could work on this LP. CB: It was a very relaxed environment for us. Before we recorded, I had taken two months off from singing. I have never done that. We just came into the studio with a totally new outlook on things. CoC: Why did SFU not work with Scott Burns this time out? Was it a different experience for you to not work with him? CB: It was like a breath of fresh air. His production...oh man. When he mixed _Butchered At Birth_, it just didn't sound right. By that time, we [Cannibal Corpse] had a better understanding of the studio. I noticed the rough tape sounded good, and then after working with him it didn't sound right. I wanted someone else, but it never happened. Scott was always a good guy, don't get me wrong, but that last thing with Cannibal [leading up to Barnes' departure from the band] rubbed me the wrong way. I still think he was out to ruin me. We just didn't see eye to eye. _Haunted_ had been done six months before we went in to work on Cannibal Corpse, then I was fired halfway through the new LP. The rough mixes of the newer material of Cannibal sounded good, but things just changed. He got this major attitude.. I will never work with him again. This time in we recorded here at home with Brain Slagel, and it was a bit more comfortable. We had our own time and our own schedule. It worked out for the better. CoC: Explain to me the difference between _Warpath_ and the two other releases of SFU. CB: In an overall sense, _Haunted_ had a lot more fiction. I am speaking in a lyrical sense between both LPs. A couple of songs like "Beneath The Black Sky" and "Human Target" were about life and about prophecy. There was a sprinkle of that reality in the songwriting on the first record, whereas on this record things are reversed. That type of stuff and songs about rights, freedom of choice, and other reality-based themes make up this record with a sprinkle of fiction. From my point of view, that is what I like singing and writing about now. Of course, the music has changed, as have the vocals. It's all different this time out. CoC: Is your approach to making music changed? Does it all have to be growls and speed anymore? CB: The music is still heavy as fuck, and as far as vocals go, I sing however I think it best accommodates the music. I thought of working the music more this record. I was thinking about how we were going to do things, 'cause I never follow trends or other types of music. I never do. CoC: You have obviously altered your song writing style, seeing that now you are tackling real life issues within your music. Is it a big change for you? CB: You can only get inspired by a blast beat so many times. That is just a one-sided tempo, and that is how Cannibal was. Not to say I wasn't experimenting here and there, but I can sure as hell do a lot more of it here now. Maybe my songwriting has shifted and altered a bit because I am more comfortable? Who knows? It's weird how my writing changes, and sometimes I don't even understand. It is largely affected by meditation and spiritual use of cannabis. I think the use of cannabis and this meditation process opens up another part of your brain that is only accessible this way. I follow this state of daydreaming, and it just comes out of me. I can't explain it. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= A N O F F I C E R A N D A G E N T L E M A N ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ An Interview with Niden Div. 187 by: Drew Schinzel A hyperspeed sonic assault of pummeling drums, explosive guitars, and tortured vocals, Niden Div. 187 is one of the most violent and hatefully aggressive bands ever to emerge from Sweden -- or anywhere else in the world, for that matter. Their debut full-length album _Impergium_, unleashed in September, is 26 minutes of total adrenaline-pumping mayhem. Here are some of vocalist Henke's thoughts. CoC: What exactly is the name "Niden Div. 187" symbolic of? Is there any specific meaning? Henke: Well, it's like "187" is the American police term for murder, and that's a lot of what we write about. We write about murder, homicide, genocide, and suicides....whatever. The band name is like a big reflection of our lyrics and the way we think. CoC: Yeah, but what about the Niden part? Henke: No, that's just a name, like my name or your name. So that part is going to be like erased from the name. Yeah, we're going to take that out. CoC: What made you guys bring Jonas Albrekston [bass player, also in Thy Primordial] into the band? Henke: We needed a bass player and a songwriter. We were a couple of songs short for the _Impergium_ album, so we decided to take Jonas in. Also, he's a great friend and a great bass player. CoC: Besides ND187, what's been keeping you busy lately? I know there's a new Dawn album coming out fairly soon. Henke: Yeah, that's basically it. We don't do much. We don't rehearse much with Dawn, because our drummer is working in Sunlight Studio now, and one of the guitarists moved to Stockholm as well...so we're kind of shattered right now. So I'm not doing that much right now. I'm working, going to the gym and stuff like that, working out. CoC: The band is portrayed as so anti-political, anti-social, anti-moral... I'm wondering, what personal values do you hold? What things do you believe in, as far as morals are concerned? Henke: Well, hmm...that's a hard question. Like you said, Niden is not a political band at all. We loathe all kinds of politics and morals, law, and such. Of course, we have to obey them so we won't end up in jail. We get by everyday; we're really sick of morals, laws, stuff like that. Sweden is a country where you can live, but you can't really grow as a person. CoC: What about society -don't- you mind? Do you see any positive things about our world? Henke: What's good about society? Ummm... well, uhh... society, like, to fit into society, you have to be a normal person. People into black metal and death ain't that normal. Yeah, we appear like normal people [no comment -- Drew], but we have lots of views and opinions that don't fit in. So, I don't think the world, and Sweden, and Swedish society, and stuff like that -- it ain't too good. I wouldn't mind if it all blew away. CoC: What other bands do you see as having the same outlook as Niden? I mean, besides Zyklon-B... Henke: Well, I don't know -- there aren't too many bands [like Niden]. There's a Swedish band called In Battle; they're really good. They have like lyrics and stuff that go in the same vein as Niden. But they also have lyrics about Scandinavian gods like Odin and stuff like that, and I don't approve of that. I can't really say that In Battle is a band like Niden and Zyklon-B. I don't think that lyrics about Odin and stuff, they don't fit it. CoC: What do you look for in music? Is it purely musical to you, or do you care about ideology, if a band is, for example, Christian, or maybe really pop sounding? Henke: Yeah it's all music to me. That's why I don't -- I've always had a problem writing lyrics in the past, because I'm oriented towards the music. I always thought that lyrics came in second place. That's why it always took so long for me to write lyrics. My lyrics aren't just put together, if you know what I mean. They all mean something to me. They all were special when I wrote them, so that they aren't just some piece of trash. CoC: Niden's songs are so short and seemingly unstructured. How long does it take the band to write the songs? Henke: We took two weeks to write and record the _Impergium_ album. We're going to record a new album in December I think. It's going to be kind of hard when the drummer is up at Sunlight Studio. We have to fix it somehow. CoC: Will it be in the same general style as _Impergium_? Henke: Yeah, more harsh...faster. CoC: It would be kind of hard to be any faster than _Impergium_, wouldn't you say? Without using a drum machine, that is. Henke: Oh, it can -sound- faster; it doesn't have to be faster. We had a lot of problems when we mixed the album, because it doesn't sound as fast as it is. It could sound a lot faster though if it weren't. CoC: Is Necropolis a good label for you? Don't you think they have too many bands? Henke: Yeah, they have a bit too many bands. But since Niden is only a side-project band, we think Necropolis is a really good label for that type of band. [Dawn is on Necropolis too -- Drew.] They do a lot of promotion and stuff like that, so that's good. We don't care about money and stuff like that, because if we did, we wouldn't be on Necropolis. No offense to Necropolis, but you don't see a lot of money, which we don't care about anyway. You know, we could make like a big legal thing out of all this, and get a lot of money, but who cares? CoC: Do you really care if anyone likes the album, or is it strictly personal to you? Is it just an outlet? Henke: We like the music we make, since we always do black metal, and we think "Why should we be the only ones liking this music?" And we probably aren't [definitely aren't -- Drew]. We hope that other people like it. It's cool, you know, hearing people talk about us and stuff like that. That's a great response. CoC: How have the responses to _Impergium_ been so far? Henke: I haven't seen that much, except for when we released _Towards Judgment_. Terrorizer thought it was really good. I don't know, we don't get a lot of those reviews sent to us, unfortunately. I think Necropolis is working on that as well. CoC: So what bands are you currently into? Henke: I don't know, In Battle is a great band. I don't listen much to black metal anymore. I've grown sick of it. I listen to a lot of alternative music like Tool, bands that can express a lot of anger, even though they don't play angry music. I don't like bands like Biohazard who are really angry; that's not cool at all. They express it so graphically. They're just trying to be hard, like big and muscular. But a band like Tool, they hide their anger in their lyrics, makes you figure out what they want. And they seem kind of hateful to me. CoC: What do you think of all the trends going on? First it was just black metal, now there are trends popping up within the genre itself. What's your take on this? Henke: Like, what kind of bands would want to play music that was popular like ten years ago? I don't understand that, bands playing like Venom and stuff like that. Of course, there are bands that are kind of cool, like Gehennah, but playing music that was made in the early 80s? That's not cool. Not for me. CoC: Yep, I thought one of the goals of music was to progress and move forward, not to go back and rehash the same old thing. Henke: Exactly. CoC: What do you think of bands that just totally switch gears and change styles ? For example, Entombed. Henke: I hate Entombed, actually. I can't stand their kind of rock'n'roll attitude. They went from like really hard death metal guys, really cool music, and they released the _Clandestine_ album, and from there it went downhill. _Clandestine_ sucked. The the following album [_Wolverine Blues_] sucked. I saw them this summer at a festival in Denmark, and it sucked. CoC: How about bands like Emperor, who start off very obscure and "true", and now they're making videos and are on labels like Century Media, are breaking the top 10 in certain countries, etc. Is that a -good- thing in your view? Henke: Yeah, that's a good thing. They can't really help it: they're great, excellent musicians. The new album really kills. Actually, I think they progressed in the wrong type of way from the _In the Nightside Eclipse_ album. _ItNE_ was really Emperor -- lots of double bass, the vocals were more tormented -- and now it's more grind, there's more screams and stuff like that. I think Emperor is a great band, but they progressed kind of wrong. CoC: I think that's about it. Was there anything else you wanted to talk about or mention at all? Henke: I think it's been a great interview. It's not often you get interviews that are really thought through. Most of the time you get interviews that really suck. Great interviews are really rare, so that's cool. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= _____ .__ ___. / _ \ | |\_ |__ __ __ _____ / /_\ \| | | __ \| | \/ \ / | \ |_| \_\ \ | / Y Y \ \____|__ /____/___ /____/|__|_| / \/ \/ \/ _____ .__ / _ \ _________.__.| | __ __ _____ / /_\ \ / ___< | || | | | \/ \ / | \\___ \ \___ || |_| | / Y Y \ \____|__ /____ >/ ____||____/____/|__|_| / \/ \/ \/ \/ Scoring: 10 out of 10 -- A masterpiece indeed 9 out of 10 -- Highly recommended 7 out of 10 -- Has some redeeming qualities 5 out of 10 -- You are treading in dangerous waters 3 out of 10 -- Nothing here worth looking into 0 out of 10 -- An atrocious album, avoid at all costs! Algaion - _General Enmity_ (Wounded Love, 1997) by: Drew Schinzel (6 out of 10) Wow... what a total change. Gone are the days of the Algaion we once knew, the one that put together high-speed forays into melodic yet still somewhat atypical black metal. Instead, on _General Enmity_, the band, led by Marten Bjorkman and Mathias Kamijo, take a turn towards power metal, with a lot of doomy influences, and some plain metal parts. _GE_ is the definition of a hit and miss album. Melodic, energetic tracks like "No Will Without Fire", "Indifference Beyond Misanthropy", and "The Angel of Decease" are excellent, and show the developments towards power metal that Algaion has taken. But other songs such as "Mangod Hold the Sceptre" and the title track really don't do much except hang around, seemingly without direction and purpose. One of the main caveats of the album are the vocals: to be blunt, they -suck-. Totally emotionless, hollow screaming / talking / shouting (it sounds like there's some overdubbing), the vocal work is monotone and just sounds detached and uninterested. Another drawback has to be the riffing. At times slicing away through quick riffs with ease and vigor, they all too often fall into generic crunch-riffing and, I suppose, "doom influenced" riffs; you know, the ones where they hit a note and let the distortion go for a few seconds, play a nother note, on and on, etc. Boring. Whatever you do, don't get _General Enmity _ expecting to hear a melodic black metal tour-de-force, as there is little to no black metal to be found on this disc. While I guess it's honorable that Algaion took a leap outside the norm and did their own thing, it would've been a lot more enjoyable to listen to if it had been more concentrated and better developed. Alien Faktor - _Arterial Spray... and Cattle Mutilations_ by: Andrew Lewandowski (7 out of 10) (Decibel, 1997) Although Alien Faktor expose the listener to a harshly disturbing jaunt through the abysses which separate one synapse from another in a mind tormented by neurosis and psychosis, they lack the essential ability to differentiate innovations from passe notions. Each aspect of _Arterial Spray..._ which develops the band's somewhat unique vision (actually, the uninitiated observer can deem this a mere hybrid of GGFH's sociopathic dementia and the frenzied hallucinations of a Skinny Puppy, but that's neither here nor there...) is partially negated by the three most repugnant, and all too obtrusive, stereotypes of the "electronic body music" (aka "industrial dance") sub-genre. Can't they alter the distortion effect on the vocals so that they don't sound like Phil Anselmo? Also, has a sample which contains either "motherfucker" or references to the occult ever actually offended anyone? Personally, the frequent samples only distracted me, especially during the more sedate tracks which might otherwise invoke a trance state. And finally: why oh why must they use guitars? Granted, they create a bludgeoning effect, yet they also consume the complexities and dark ambience which are Alien Faktor's main selling points. Their prosaic cover of "Love Under Will" provides a palpable manifestation of the half-assed nature of this entire album: if you plan on covering a song by one of the more revolutionary of rock bands (the Fields of the Nephilim), why not strive for an equally imaginative cover? If you're going to compose horrifying music, why add superfluities which only confound this emotional state? Anorexia Nervosa - _Exile_ (Season of Mist, September 1997) by: Steve Hoeltzel (9 out of 10) Distressing amnios, discordant effects of suicides, some miracles of entrails... This is one interesting and punishing recording. Its 51 lightless minutes comprise 13 tracks; each track belongs to one of three "cycles"; plus, each track is internally divided into both "sequence" (grim, metal-industrial battery) and "action" (subtle ambient psywarfare). The music allies metal's destructive gunnery with industrial's tactical agility, yet without succumbing to either genre's cliches. (No riff-mongering; no inarticulate grunting or over-processed vox; no tiresome sampling; no rhythmic monotony.) Especially noteworthy are the highly expressive and imaginative vocals, which ceaselessly vacillate between utter dejection and ironfisted aggression. The songs themselves waver likewise, lashing out murderously one second and begging for mercy the next, never gaining balance long enough to become predictable, expiring unexpectedly and leaving only insidious ambient traces behind. The ambient passages are nicely done -- never grandiose, always subtly creepy, and the more so the more closely you listen. Highly uncanny structures, unrelentingly dark tones, anguished vocalizations, weird repetitions... Everything reinforces the impression of a psyche in thrall to its own inescapable degradation and fragmentation. Potent, unsettling stuff. Accessible? Not especially. Excellent? Yes. Bloodthorn - _In the Shadow of Your Black Wings_ by: Steve Hoeltzel (7 out of 10) (Season of Mist, September 1997) When you put this CD into your player, the display will read "66 60.13". Ah, the many uses of technology. The disk contains seven lengthy songs of fairly laid-back, doomy metal performed in a very blackened-sounding way. I must admit, I prefer the sounds of explicit outrage and defiance to these doomier tones of dejection and resignation. Still, there's some well done material here. In particular, "Breeding the Evil Inside" is an excellent song, thanks mainly to its compelling and unpredictable shifts: from Gehenna-like, mid-paced toe-tapper, to icy Burzum-esque drones of melody, to gorgeous piano and female vocals, to majestic crunching riffs. Opener "Embodied Core of Darkness" is catchy and melodically memorable, and track 66, "With a Bloodstained Axe", increases the level of violence a bit, quaking with bilious angst and going out in a blast of speed. Were the entire album as strong as these three songs, I'd surely have rated it a bit higher. As it is, though, the record is burdened by an excess of comparatively flat material: slow to mid-paced songs which definitely contain some nice moments, but little interesting development and few strong melodic hooks. Not that this is bad by any means. All in all, it's a solid debut effort, with a refreshingly non-trendy, honest metallic feel. Cenotaph - _Epic Rites_ (Oz Productions, May 1996) by: Paul Schwarz (9 out of 10) This band truly amazes me. This was one of last year's best albums. _Epic Rites_ has an excellent, crunchy production and songs similar, in type and quality, to the Gothenburg greats (you know them by now). Cenotaph, however, have a lot more to offer than just rip-offs of their favourite bands. It's hard for me to break down what I like about the music on this album (and believe me I've tried), but the central brilliance is the honesty with which it is played: here you have a band who really LOVE their music, and their passion gives the songs incredible depth and resonance. If pushed, I would say three distinct things stand out of Cenotaph's musical arrangements: 1) The catchy yet heavy choruses and repeated song sections, 2) the double bass drumming which is used sparingly but to great effect, 3) the dynamic changes within songs. This last factor will make you grin and play air guitar during nearly every song: you'll be listening to a quiet brooding arpeggio, something will be spoken softly, and suddenly you are greeted with a full on sound and an incredible riff. This happens on "Crying Frost", and the effect is mirrored on various songs on the album. This album proves that you don't have to be from Sweden to play this music and play it masterfully. Contact: X-Rated Records, c/o Mathias Kietzmann Apdo. Postal 1-2023, Cuernavaca, Mor., C.P.62001, Mexico Voice/Fax: +52-73-17 44 68 mailto:xrr@mpsnet.com.mx WWW: http://members.tripod.com/~xrr/index.html Send $14+$2, for P+P, for a copy of this album Centinex - _Reflections_ (Diehard, February 1997) by: Paul Schwarz (7 out of 10) I find albums like this very hard to review. In general, a band sticking to their "roots" is a good and commendable thing. Centinex, however, seem unable to modify this to a degree where it sounds fresh. Dismember have proved only recently that you -can- play old death metal and have it sound fresh. Centinex, on the other hand, are still essentially playing the music of four years ago. _Reflections_ is not a bad little album, though. Centinex do have an amazing drummer, and some of the double bass rhythms and breaks are spine-tinglingly well played. The guitars can be tedious and play too many high note chords, only rarely (such as on "The Dimension Beyond") playing on the deeper power chords. They do, however, write good leads, which adds a fuller feel to their songs. If there is a central problem, it is the forced, mechanical feel; the band are almost -too- tight. However, if tightness is what you need to pull off drum breaks like the one on "In Pain", then it can certainly be tolerated. If they loosen up in the future, Centinex could, I think, write some excellent music. Dissection - _The Past Is Alive (Early Mischief)_ by: Drew Schinzel (6.5 out of 10) (Necropolis, Oct. 1997) Knowing that most re-released "demos on CD" albums are nothing too special, I received _The Past is Alive_ with restrained enthusiasm. Sure, it's the "new" Dissection, but how much listening value do all of these official demo releases really have? The answer is not a whole hell of a lot. Although the material on _TPIA _ has marginally better production than other demos (though still nothing great), the fact remains that you've heard practically all of this material before, and in the way the band meant for you to hear it. Why listen to a demo version of the awesome "In the Cold Winds of Nowhere" from 1992 with tinny production and rough playing, when you can hear the spectacular version on the timeless _The Somberlain_ in all of its glory? Probably the only material on _TPIA_ that no one's ever heard before are the two songs courtesy of the pre-Dissection band so cleverly named Satanized, but the sound on these tracks is just absolutely pathetic, rendering them virtually unlistenable anyway. Of course, that's not to say that the album is particularly -bad-. The majority of the material -is- of pretty good quality, but, once again, when you've got the option of throwing on two such epic discs as _The Somberlain_ and _Storm of the Light's Bane_, _The Past Is Alive_ just doesn't cut it. Nostalgia trip or not, I'll take final, polished versions of songs I already know any day. Dominus - _Vol.Beat_ (Diehard, October 1997) by: Paul Schwarz (9 out of 10) Dominus have braved the great and treacherous rapid of musical change and have emerged not only unscathed but also clutching the beast from the deep which is their third album _Vol.Beat_. Although ultimately an excellent slab of metal, Dominus are skirting very close to the edge of sounding too light; still, as they say, nothing ventured nothing gained. _Vol.Beat_ is basically heavy, distorted rock n' roll with various 50's samples of middle Americans talking about rock n' roll as "rhythm, a feeling" and "a feeling that emanates from the pit of hell", backing up its rock'n'roll aspects. Take Entombed's classic _Wolverine Blues_, which dazed and confused everyone four years ago, take away more of the death and add even more of the roll and you have Dominus' '97 take on the now sub-genre of death n' roll. Dominus have gone further down that road, which Grope only recently got run over on, of trying to add "groove" to their sound, and they have done pretty well, striking the right balance between the death and the roll, especially with respect to the vocals. Apart from rock'n'roll's own Jabba the Hutt, Dominus have also paid homage to a more traditional metal influence in the shape of the suspiciously _Seventh Son..._ sounding riffs on "Swine For A While, Pigs For A Week". _Vol.Beat_ is coming your way, and as Vasquez (Aliens) would say: "LET'S ROCK!!!!!". Various - _Earache Unplugged 2_ (Earache, October 1997) by: Adrian Bromley (8 out of 10) I see no reason to say anything other than that this is a great compilation assembled by Earache. The title says this CD is where the "New School meets The Old School," and it does. This 15-track CD contains material from older Earache acts like At The Gates, Entombed, Napalm Death, and Pitchshifter, along with newer label acts like The Haunted (ex-At The Gates and Seance members), Iron Monkey, and Misery Loves Co. While the material from the 'old school' bands is somewhat newer (e.g., Napalm Death contributes "Breed To Breathe" off of the last LP, _Inside The Torn Apart_, and Pitchshifter includes "Underachiever" off of 1996's _Infotainment?_), it is the 'new school' songs that peak one's interest. If you want to hear some good stuff, witness the intensity and Slayer-like feel of The Haunted's track "Undead", the absurdly weird techno contribution by Ultraviolence, and the interesting song "Hippy Fascist" by Pulkas. If you like or have liked Earache (before they got rid of most of their metal acts) and want to sample some of their newly signed acts, scoop this up. And to boot, the CD is selling for the price of a CD single. Wow! Now that's a deal. Edge Of Sanity - _Cryptic_ (Black Mark, November 1997) by: Adrian Bromley (8 out of 10) Woah!! Holy shit! I thought Edge of Sanity was doomed when mastermind Dan Swano left the band to pursue his solo career, but I was wrong. _Cryptic_, which features the debut appearance of new singer Robert Karlsson , is one hell of a record. Built on speed, anger, and pure unadulterated brutality, _Cryptic_ kicks it into gear from the blistering opener "Hell Written" and rarely loosens its grip on the listener's throat. The eight new songs deliver some extremely powerful music, and I'm very happy that this ain't a dud. So how has the band changed following the departure of Swano? Well, the music has lost much of its melody (as Swano fancied that sound) and is now a frenzied assault of riffs and growls reminiscent of older EoS material such as _The Spectral Sorrows_ or _Purgatory Afterglow_. Maybe a change was needed for EoS to get back into a heavier groove; Swano openly stated in many interviews that he was losing interest in EoS and wanted out. I'm giving "props" to both the new singer, Robert Karlsson, for doing a killer job on vocals and to the rest of EoS for continuing the life of a band whom many regard as innovators of both metal and extreme metal music. I'm pretty sure fans of older EoS will easily latch onto this; _Cryptic_ is a little bit simpler than past EoS works, but twice as heavy. Note: Watch for a possible first time ever U.S. tour for EoS in early 1998. Epoch of Unlight - _Black and Crimson Glory_ (Y.F.L.H.D., 1997) by: Steve Hoeltzel (8.5 out of 10) Three tracks of unrelenting excellence from a band with a razor-sharp, energetic, and distinctive sound. Labels like "black death" come to mind here, but such grab-all terms definitely don't do justice to the originality and musicality which abound on this MCD. Early Morbid Angel provides a good point of reference -- not because Epoch of Unlight sound especially Angelic, but because they demonstrate the same winning combination of intelligence, technical prowess, and crafty creativity. The riffs are not bludgeons but scalpels: blackish, perhaps, but with sharper edges and more melodic definition. (Check out the great riffs in the brilliant "Silver Mistress", and you'll see what I mean.) The memorable songs all have lively structures with plenty of engaging changes and bouts of blasting speed -- top notch drumming, too. Vocals are done in a blackened style, frequently shifting from snarls to more anguished barks as wild barbarian yarns are spun atop the serpentine strings. The production is great as well. More importantly, though, the band's overall sound is very much their own: cutting, barbed, swift METAL, bristling with electrified spikes. Killer work, highly recommended. Contact: EPOCH OF UNLIGHT, 3125 South Mendenhall Memphis, TN, 38115-2808, USA mailto:tlosicco@cc.memphis.edu WWW: http://www.people.memphis.edu/~tlosicco/EOU.htm Forbidden Site - _Sturm und Drang_ (Solistitium, 1997) by: Andrew Lewandowski (7 out of 10) This band is just in it for the chicks. In fact, Forbidden Site is France's equivalent of Cradle of Filth, but these Frenchmen delve far deeper into erotic realms than those stodgy Brits ever could. Love and anguish combat in Forbidden Site's utterly melodramatic version of black metal; introspective moments of tranquillity, sensuously prolonged riffs, and operatic wails (a hybrid of Tom G. Warrior on "Mesmerized" and Pavarotti on an aphrodisiac) are subverted by descents into the depravity of breakneck, yet never diverging from the romantic melodies of the doomier moments, black metal. Lead singer Romarik d'Arvycendres even totes out his acoustic guitar on "Evanescensce" and piano on "Renaissance Noire" to support his gothic crooning without the cumbersome aid of guitars or drums. Actually, "Renaissance Noire" is the best forum for Forbidden Site's aesthetic, and when a black metal disc's best moment arrives in the form of an instrumental, you can rest assured that this is no great metal album. While the combination of beautiful females whispering in French and prolonged foreplay which attains a violent climax may equal good sex, it only produces repulsively pretentious music: a horribly conceived, yet, nevertheless, surprisingly well executed album -- but not well enough. Frederik Thordendal's Special Defects - _Sol Niger Within_ by: Brian Meloon (9 out of 10) (UAE, 1997) This was about what I was hoping it would be: a very unique, heavy, technical, and strange disc. For those of you who don't know, Thordendal is the lead guitarist from Meshuggah. He wrote, produced, engineered, played bass, guitar, synths, and sang on this album. The remainder of the instruments were played by guest musicians, including Mats Oberg (synth, church organ) and Morgan Agren (drums). Most of the vocals are shouted and distorted, sounding very industrial, but there are some spoken and screamed parts as well. The music is a mix of industrial, Meshuggah-like metal, and jazz fusion, and it changes frequently. As usual, Thordendal comes up with some nice polyrhythmic ideas, but he beats them to death at times, making it a little tedious. The disc contains only one forty-three minute song, which is indexed into 29 pieces so that you can skip ahead in the track (if your CD player has that feature). The first half of the album flows very well, with virtually no real breaks in the music, but the second half seems to lose focus and direction, and seems almost thrown together at times. In particular, the two church organ pieces, the 4+ minute "Cosmic Vagina Dentata Organ" and "Magickal Theatre .33." (which reminds me of the guy from Cradle of Filth playing with winter gloves on) seem out of place and unnecessary. Another unfortunate thing about this disc is that while the style is original in a metal format, Thordendal's guitar solos at times (e.g. "Z1-Reticuli") sound way too much like Allan Holdsworth. In all, I think this is an excellent album, breaking new ground in the metal genre, and highly recommended to those with an adventurous spirit. An edited version of this album, featuring the most metallic parts and lasting for about six minutes, is scheduled for release on Nuclear Blast. Hazard - _Lech_ (Malignant Records, 1997) by: Andrew Lewandowski (8 out of 10) Benny Nilsen has departed from the ambient industrial sound which he cultivated under the Morthound (one of the early Cold Meat Industry bands) moniker and begun exploring more hallucinatory and stark terrain under the title of Hazard. On _Lech_, Nilsen distances himself from the homogenized mass of "isolationist ambient" purveyors by augmenting the typical menagerie of morose drones and waves with more tangible sounds, such as vocal fragments, organ notes, and even a pseudo-Egyptian melody on one track. _Lech_ is also structurally dynamic, although this sometimes results in an awkward segue from one sonic pattern to the next and a few superfluous and anomalous sounds. Despite a few incongruous or bland moments -- as should be expected from an album of this minimal nature -- Nilsen has created a soundscape which contains more than enough variety and forward movement to enthrall the listener. Hexenhaus - _Dejavoodoo_ (Black Mark, 1997) by: Brian Meloon (8 out of 10) Hexenhaus return with a new offering, picking up pretty much right where they left off with their _Awakening_ release (1991). For those who aren't familiar with them, Hexenhaus play a pretty technical brand of standard progmetal, with the usual melodic vocal stylings and punchy guitars. They've updated their style somewhat, but there are still a lot of similarities with their late-80s incarnation. Their music is heavier than most "progressive metal" these days, as well as being more technical (in the acrobatic sense). They have some nice rhythmic ideas including some off-time parts, as well as some Cacophony-like lead guitar dueling and harmonizing. The playing is good, with an especially impressive performance by guitarist Mike Wead (Abstrakt Algebra, Memento Mori), and solid, precise drumming. There are seven songs, of which only "From the Cradle to the Grave" (a slow, spooky sounding piece) drags. It's one of the few pieces which use keyboards, as they typically go for a more stripped-down, simpler approach. The production is clean and appropriate for their style. Overall, this is a pretty solid offering, and should appeal to those searching for something more aggressive than the usual wimpy stuff that's passed off as "progressive" these days. Horna - _Hiidentorni_ (Solistitium, 1997) by: Andrew Lewandowski (3 out of 10) What have we got here? Whoa Satan, it's a mediocre black metal disc! After listening to the whole album, I wanted more and I couldn't get enough! I wanted more riffs repeated over and over and over again until they lost all of their meaning! That "variety" concept has been beaten to death, why not completely avoid the trend? Anyway, isn't the whole point of black metal to invoke suicidal thoughts, and doesn't mindless repetition accomplish this better than anything else? And dude, listen to those vocals! Damn, those are grim, barely perceptible, and damned annoying all at the same time! I'd like to see a "good" band succeed at that mix! And don't fucking rap and techno bands try to suck a good drum sound from their production? Fuck black music! Hell, why not provide the antithesis: a tin can collision? In summation: this is avoidable. Hypocrisy - _The Final Chapter_ (Nuclear Blast, October 1997) by: Pedro Azevedo (9 out of 10) Will this be Hypocrisy's final chapter? The information about the end of Hypocrisy has been contradictory, and I remain unsure whether Hypocrisy's mastermind, Peter Tagtgren, will indeed dedicate his time to other projects, thus leaving Hypocrisy, or not. Anyway, for the time being, at least Hypocrisy have released another great album, good enough to rival the ground-shaking _Abducted_. _The Final Chapter_ shows a lot of diversity: Tagtgren's voice changes from track to track, ranging from deep death vox to _Abducted_-like screams to some clean vocals, and the pace changes accordingly. Some tracks remind me of _Abducted_ (as one would expect), while some others subtly bring new elements to their sound, such as an increase of doom influences. (And Hypocrisy seem to know that doom influences go -far- beyond the mediocrity of simply slowing down the riffs, as some careful listeners may notice.) The assortment of styles in _TFC_ just won't let you get bored for an instant in this nearly 55 minute long work. While none of the tracks stand out as being as great as my favourite from _Abducted_, the ripping "Killing Art", most of _TFC_ is at least as good as their previous album, and often even better -- only a couple of tracks aren't so brilliant (especially "Evil Invaders", which wasn't written by Hypocrisy). Featuring another absolutely polished and powerful production by Tagtgren, _The Final Chapter_ is, in almost every way, the kind of follow-up to _Abducted_ I wanted it to be. Split CD: Insatanity - _Vengeance from Beyond the Grave_ (8 out of 10) Immortal Suffering - _Images of Horror_ (6 out of 10) by: Steve Hoeltzel (Mortal Coil Records, 1997) INSATANITY: Solid, Suffocation-styled death metal with emphasis on dark, twisting structures and twitch-of-the-death-nerve rhythms. These six tracks have definitely prompted to me to look upon the band's debut release (_Divine Decomposition_) with renewed respect. I think the new material is a bit let down by slightly watery production, but it's no big calamity -- the sound could be stronger, but it still comes across well. Anyway, the songs are damn heavy and boast challenging structures: in order to grasp the threads that bind together the countless stomping, charging, flailing sections, you have to really pay attention. The hooks are buried deep -- but bite down hard, oh subterranean swimmer, and you shall taste many a razor-sharp steel barb. And dig the surprise bursts of ripping black metal! Great stuff. IMMORTAL SUFFERING: These guys also play songs containing tons of different parts and frequent shifts in speed. They're heavy, and of course they occasionally sound quite "sick", but their songs often seem like essentially random collections of parts: clomp, blast, thud, clomp, ding... next song, blast, clomp, ding, thud, thud... and so on. Not that these guys suck; they're just not bringing much musical flair to the style -- yet. The last two songs definitely demonstrate some real rip-it-up potential, so hopefully they'll keep getting stronger. NOTE: All the graphics for this CD were put together on a Mac. Total trueness! Malignant Eternal - _Far Beneath the Sun_ by: Steve Hoeltzel (8 out of 10) (Napalm Records, October 1997) Part of me would really like to heap scorn all over this record, since it's yet another milestone in the inevitable but heart-breaking de-clawing of black metal. Another polished, easy-access slab of slick, smooth metal, cloaked in prudently laundered black raiment: a gorgeous robe, crafted of the pelts of wolves -- but beneath it is no emperor, and wolves had to die in its making. Honestly: I think this "light" style of black metal is utterly weak when compared to the (ahem) true purveyors of the style: Abigor, Behemoth, Darkthrone, ULVER, Morgul, Mayhem, Isvind, Diaboli... But I'm not sure Malignant Eternal ever asked to be compared to those bands, and on a strictly musical level, this is a very strong release. Perhaps it will not be very pleasing to other crusty SOBs like me, who like their metal best when it's fresh from the teats of the goat. But if you enjoy the likes of Old Man's Child or the newer Dimmu Borgir, this band may well blow you away. The riff blast that opens "Daemon Song"... damn... much as I'd like to slag it -- turned up loud, it's very powerful stuff. (Why they chose the corny "The Reaper" to open the album instead of this song, I have no idea.) Malignant Eternal have more musical substance than more "pop"-structured stuff like the new Dimmu Borgir: most songs incorporate interesting breaks into unexpected passages, sharp shifts in timing, etc. The title track features cool sudden stops, especially toward the finish, where the song halts, cracks up, then crystallizes: torrent, trickle, icicle. And the final song, "Glory", is done with real musical flair. There's some imaginative, spacey synth work, too. I could go on saying nice things, but the point is that of the "light" black metal releases I've heard, this is probably the best in terms of overall musicality and quality production. At any rate, it ranks up there with the first Old Man's Child record, an articulate and atmospheric METAL album which preceded the current trend. This, too, is articulate and atmospheric, with great performances and a gleaming, multi-layered sound. It's not the most "Malignant" thing I've ever heard, by far, but this has quality that can't be denied. Mayhem - _Wolf's Lair Abyss_ (Misanthropy, Halloween 1997) by: Andrew Lewandowski (10 out of 10) At first glance, this new incarnation of Mayhem appears to be a completely new beast, yet the remaining members of Mayhem have discarded none of the metaphysical qualities which abounded from their music before the death of Euronymous. The Mayhem aesthetic has diverged from the internalized sorrow and loathing manifested in the searing repetition and stark melodies of _De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas_; on _Wolf's Lair Abyss_, this misanthropy has reverted back into the primal rage of _Deathcrush_ or _Pure Fucking Armageddon_. Unholy violence once again seeps from the music, for Mayhem not only perpetuates the intensity of, for example, "Buried By Time and Dust" through an entire mini-CD, but also has adopted a wall of sound approach. Thus, each track now mercilessly bludgeons the listener as an interminable procession of morose, yet brutal, riffs and Hellhammer's demonic percussion lacerate the feeble soul. Also, Euronymous' replacement, Blasphemer, arguably exceeds the compositional skill of his predecessor: Blashphemer effectively invokes an equally wide range of moods in each track as Euronymous did on an entire album. No black metal band (with the possible exception of Burzum) ever captured the tormented melancholy of Mayhem's previous material, thus the return of Mayhem to its most infernal form should be exalted (so much so, in fact, that I will neglect to mention the album's foibles, such as the sometimes ludicrous, sometimes haunting vocalizations of Maniac and the rushed production which causes distortion in Hellhammer's cymbal work). Misanthrope - _Visionnaire_ (Holy Records, September 1997) by: Pedro Azevedo (8 out of 10) Since it is produced by Fredrik Nordstrom at the Fredman Studio in Gothenburg, Sweden, and features guest work from vocalist Anders Friden and guitarist Jesper Stromblad (both from In Flames) on two tracks, _Visionnaire_ does have a Gothenburg feel to it despite the fact that Misanthrope is French. _Visionnaire_ is also somewhat similar to Dark Tranquillity, but, ultimately, it's the mix of all these Swedish influences with Misanthrope's very own sound that makes this album what it is -- out of the ordinary, and with a lot of creativity and musical flair. Weighing in at nearly 64 minutes, _Visionnaire_ seems to make a point out of surprising the listener every once in a while, through sudden (and extreme) changes of pace or style. I like this album best during the fastest parts -- blast beat double-bass drumming and extremely fast, wild, yet melodic keyboards while the guitars and bass hold on very well. But then Misanthrope will go back to a slower melodic passage, chorus, doomy sequence, instrumental part, or whatever might be next... _Visionnaire_ never ceases to surprise you, and seldom does any of this seem out of place. The vocals are similar to the Swedish metal bands mentioned above; however, while half the tracks are sung in French, the vocals sung in English sound like French as well... _Visionnaire_ seems to break with at least some of Misanthrope's past (of which I know little), and everything seems to have been well planned and executed. Misery Loves Co. - _Not Like Them_ (Earache, October 1997) by: Adrian Bromley (6 out of 10) Like many of the releases I have reviewed in this issue, change is apparent on the second effort from Swedish industrial metal purveyors Misery Loves Co. While the band's self-titled debut was a detonating blast of complex industrial tunes meshed with sinister riffs and distorted vocals, _Not Like Them_ breaks away from the anger and frustration of their debut; _NLT_ caters more to experimentation, unique sounds, and melody. I've got mixed feelings about the second effort. While, at times, I do miss the heaviness of the band's music, -- though heaviness can be found on _NLT_ -- I must admit that singer/programmer/guitarist Patrick Wiren's talent at sculpting songs around melody and riffs is quite impressive. Even the use of acoustic guitars on numerous tracks raised my brow. I do not hate this record, though I do feel the band may have wanted me to believe that I would be pummeled with heaviness on album number two, but the band lost me once they shed their industrial/sample feel and went for a more guitar-oriented sound. It's also a little soft at times. I'll be okay, even though I am feeling a little cheated. Nattvindens Grat - _Chaos Without Theory_ (Solistitium, 1997) by: Andrew Lewandowski (6 out of 10) I always do my best to avoid even looking at, let alone analyzing, album and song titles, but Nattvindens Grat has committed consumer fraud by entitling their album _Chaos Without Theory_. Although I didn't frivolously consume any seconds of thought by deciphering a theory within this foray into paganized NWOBHM, the album completely lacks any semblance of "chaos". Actually, this is the least chaotic metal album that I've heard in quite a while. (You might then ask yourself, "Well, why is this being reviewed in _Chronicles of Chaos_?" Damned if I know...) Since this fact needs a reiteration or two: every aspect of this album, from the start and stop riffing patterns to the verse-chorus-verse-chorus-guitar solo-chorus structure, is perfectly linear. Isn't NG a group of deceptive little bastards? Now that we all agree upon that fact, NG has produced a competent simulacra of Paradise Lost's recent synthesis of pseudo-goth and power metal. Although memorable melodies appear throughout, the album eventually falters due to the overly buoyant mood and limited vocal range of the singer. Personally, they also need to inject some chaos into their music. Niden Div. 187 - _Impergium_ (Necropolis, September 1997) by: Drew Schinzel (9 out of 10) Once again, the musical embodiment of total violence and aggression returns, in the form of Niden Div. 187. After proving with last year's MCD _Towards Judgment_ that they were among the fiercest bands on the planet, ND187 further entrench themselves with _Impergium_, a 26 minute bludgeoning of total fucking speed, hate, and yes, great music. Usually we connect the description "hyperspeed nihilistic black metal" with the phrase "unskilled, unstructured piece of shit for music." Not so with ND187: with members of Dawn, A Canorous Quintet, and Thy Primordial handling the reigns, this quartet certainly is lacking neither in playing nor composing ability. Indeed, what we get are ten tracks of some of the most extreme, anti-trend, conflagrational whirlwinds of musical chaos that anyone has ever heard. Niden Div. 187 is not music for meek ears; if you thought that the riffing on the latest Dream Theater album was just too harsh for your tastes, ND187 probably won't be up your alley. The machine-gun sound of the drums, courtesy of our friend Morth, combined with the razor-edged riffing of Leo Pignon and horribly tortured vocals by Henke Forss, constitute an unyielding wall of sound that begs for your attention. Unfortunately, as a result of the similar structure of every song (read: total blast almost entire album), things predictably get a little samey, though never boring. However, this is never really a problem, considering the songs are all in the one to four minute range. Besides which, the incisive, scythe-like riffing and haunting samples (check out track eight, "Hate") more than over shadow this slight detractor. Basically, if crushing, ultra-fast blackened death metal is what you're after, the vitriolic compositions of Niden Div. 187 should more than suffice. Obtained Enslavement - _Witchcraft_ (Wounded Love, 1997) by: Drew Schinzel (10 out of 10) Before I get on to the meat of this review, let me just say that if I sound a little -too- enthusiastic about this album, excuse me, but I am still under the spell of Obtained Enslavement, as I have been ever since the joyous day that this little disc of musical magnificence appeared miraculously in my mailbox. The words to describe _Witchcraft_ come one after another: atmospheric, grandiose, orchestral, melodic, superb, devastating, symphonic... all of these and more fit nicely in this situation, but mere words alone cannot truly describe the complete near-perfection recorded therein. Obtained Enslavement have created a fifty-one minute opus of totally fantastic, atmospheric, layered black metal so lush with instrumentation, melody, and orchestration as to almost leap beyond the simple, constricting boundaries of "black metal" into a whole new realm of musical experience. As with most similar bands, keyboards play a huge part here, but as opposed to many bands of their ilk, Obtained Enslavement never rely on a single type of sound from the keyboard; instead, the sounds range from your typical black metal whispy keys, to near full orchestra simulation, to piano, to baroque harpsichord, to -- well, you get the picture. Speaking of piano, that brings to mind the two keyboard instrumentals on _Witchcraft_, the intro and outro. These go far beyond typical intros and outros, however, and into complex works with personalities all their own, as the intro is three and a half minutes, and the outro is five minutes in duration. Showing OE's obvious musical training, the final piece is reminiscent of Chopin's piano prelude works, though a bit longer. Since OE are basically unknown even in black metal circles (even though this is their second album), some comparison to other bands may be helpful in this case, and I can't avoid comparing them to a cohesive mixture of Arcturus, Dismal Euphony, Dimmu Borgir, Emperor, Ulver, Limbonic Art and Satyricon, except _Witchcraft_ contains elements far above and beyond even those eminent bands. Blazingly fast drumming (though never too fast for its own good), melodic, wandering guitars, perfect synth, excellent composition -- what the hell else is needed? Though there have been a bunch of great ones this year, I have to say that _Witchcraft_ gets my vote for black metal album of the year, hands down. Orphyx - _Fragmentation_ (Malignant Records, 1996) by: Andrew Lewandowski (5.5 out of 10) Upon reaching a fork in the road of industrial music, Orphyx has decided to follow the non-option by meandering in between both pathways. Yet the industrial gods have set a trap within this non-path; thus Orphyx, who apparently wandered directly into this discreet hazard, is now left dangling between two polar universes: the hyper-realistic discordant clangs, rebellious shrieks, and annihilated drones of Brighter Death Now (circa _The Slaughterhouse_) and the "minimalist" (Lull, Inanna, etc.) attempt to lacerate reality via poisoned air and shocking twists. In other words, this is a menagerie of incongruities. Orphyx evade coherence by juxtaposing the breakneck percussion of "Tanha" (the worst song on the album: the percussion moves at such a quick pace that the beats congeal into a singular mass of puerile popping sounds); the pulsating, rumbling light noise of "Pathogenesis"; and the surprisingly dynamic minimal ambiance of "Words Once Spoken", before a cataclysmic blast of noise, akin to a sedated Masonna, inverts the previous foray into pure ambiance. Orphyx strive toward coagulating such antagonistic particles through the twelve tracks of _Fragmentation_, which creates a fragmented vision and negates the possibility of sustaining any emotional content throughout an entire track. The album is neither here nor there, violent nor passive, dark nor light. Overkill - _From The Underground And Below_ (CMC/BMG, 1997) by: Adrian Bromley (8 out of 10) While I have been a fan of this veteran thrash metal outfit since the early days (during _The Years Of Decay_ era), I will honestly admit to not being fond of Overkill's newer material, with the possible exception of 1993's cool _I Hear Black_ LP. That is why I was surprised at how much I liked the band's latest record, _FtUaB_. This record seems to have once again ignited the spark of this quintet by adding a bit of life to a musical style which seemed to be growing stale. While the music found here may not break entirely away from the thrash sound which Overkill has given us over the years, the music definitely has a 90s metallic influence (i.e. Machine Head, Fear Factory) within the album, which has helped make this a more pleasurable listen. New guitarists Sebastian Marino and Joe Comeau help keep things fresh and singer Bobby "Blitz" Ellsworth has never sounded so angry and frayed. Overkill are still pumping it out and improving as we head into the year 2000. Pathos - _Hoverface_ (Black Mark, October 1997) by: Adrian Bromley (7 out of 10) Fans of progressive metal acts like Nevermore, Iced Earth, or Savatage will most likely be fascinated by the sounds and style of Swedish metallers Pathos. The debut album by this quintet is full of great riffs and a lot of creative songwriting. From start to finish, _Hoverface_ glides with the greatest of ease and lets loose some nifty guitar playing and strong vocal harmonies. Reminiscent of the first Nevermore record and the heaviness of vintage Savatage, _Hoverface_ explores a realm of music that so few can create while sounding fresh and innovative. As those who follow this genre know, many who attempt this style sound as though they are cloning the genre's stereotypes -- this band does not. The key to the success of this outing is singer Stephan Carlsson's great voice, which compliments the music quite well. Also, I would be a fool to not mention the exquisite guitar duties provided by both Lennart Specht and Daniel Antonsson. What a great duo! A strong debut effort where everything seems to click properly together. Rotting Christ - _A Dead Poem_ (Century Media, October 1997) by: Adrian Bromley (8 out of 10) I guess times and styles do change, for Rotting Christ sure have changed; I never expected to hear catchy riffs and memorable melodies coming from any Rotting Christ LP. Fans of the band who have been following them from their brutally raw and dark debut full-length LP, _Thy Mighty Contract_ (released in 1993 on Osmose) [or, for that matter, _Passage to Arcturo_, which was released before _TMC_ -- ed.], know that Rotting Christ has always been about power, strength, and an almost invincible quality which augments their music and momentum. Even though the band's style (a blend of black, death, and doom metal) has evolved over the years (as was fully chronicled on 1996's powerful _Triarchy Of Lost Lovers_ ), they still kept the raw and masterful approach to their music intact. But all has changed now. The band's latest LP, _A Dead Poem_, overflows with catchy parts which inject a slight commercial feel into the album and, in the end, cause it to lose a bit of that true underground feel that they always radiated. While many may see these changes as a bad thing, it has allowed the band to break away from the typical black/death metal sound they have been seen as and become more of an intriguing listen. The music here is well orchestrated and masterfully crafted into a strong package of material. Standout tracks include "Among Two Storms", "Full Colour Is The Night", and "Out Of Spirits." If you are into this band and can accept change, then pick this up. It's great. Sacramentum - _The Coming Of Chaos_ (Century Media, September 1997) by: Paul Schwarz, 8 tracks = (6 out of 10); 9th track = (4 out of 10) This album's greatest achievement is its production: it remains clear while retaining the brutality of the music. The production is the only part, however, which is top class. The most accurate way to describe the music would be: black metal with melody (e.g. Old Man's Child) mixed with retro death/thrash (e.g. Swordmaster). This is not one of those albums you can just classify, throw on a pile and leave, though; Sacramentum have dug deeper into their musical soul than that. Their combining of many different styles and sounds into a single song is commendable and highlights their proficiency as musicians. Though technically impressive, this fruit salad of riffs doesn't lead to very good songs. The lack of variation in the vocals, which change only to deliver brief speeches, doesn't compliment the music at all. On the whole: some songs are good and some are boring; none are awful, but similarly none are brilliant. A truly average album then? It would be, but there is a twist to this tale. 9 tracks / 50 minutes, 8 tracks / 37 minutes. The last track is 13 minutes of reverberated sound and "atmosphere", the result of severe keyboard/sampler overindulgence. If you play this as an 8 track 37 minute album, it isn't half bad; if you have the stamina to listen to all of it... then you get bored a lot less easily than I do. Sadist - _Crust_ (Displeased, October 1997) by: Paul Schwarz (2 out of 10) I originally thought _Crust_ was "new and innovative" and that if I expanded my mind I'd understand it. I realised that, in fact, it is just crap. Sadist have "daringly" tried to mix the downtuned riffs of the likes of Korn and Coal Chamber with gothic/darkwave keyboard parts; an interesting idea, but a horrible reality. Like other bands' new albums (Christ Agony, Sacramentum, Grope), _Crust_ also suffers from appalling raspy vocals which are neither extreme nor good. Tribal drumming on "Instinct" and slap bass work on "Fools and Dolts" are the only standouts on what is basically a confused, incoherent and plain idiotic sounding album. The band's claims of "sickness" are not possible to verify without a lyric sheet, and besides, judging by the made-to-offend song titles ("Perversion Lust Orgasm" and "I Rape You"), they're only saying it for the publicity. Ignore Sadist. The only sick thing here is that people wasted time and money recording this. Scar Tissue - _TMOTD_ (21st Circuitry Records, 1997) by: Andrew Lewandowski (8 out of 10) By ever so slightly expanding the established parameters of archaic industrial music, Scar Tissue has created an occasionally pummeling album. While _TMOTD_ stands in the same evolutionary position as the ten to fifteen year old material of the likes of Memorandum or SPK, the desolation of this album transcends the ferocity and emotional depth of the ambiance generated by most of Scar Tissue's forefathers. Beneath the traditionally monolithic and demonic rhythms lurk subtle dissonance, deep drones, and fragmented voice samples which reiterate the antagonism between human will and its subjugating forces of a mechanistic persuasion. Unfortunately, the percussion on the first three tracks veers into the realm of techno vapidity, and Scar Tissue doesn't establish an equilibrium between techno and ambient until a third of the way into the album. The tempo and tone of the percussion rarely alter, thus an exorbitant amount of background sounds are needed to imbue the music with its depth. After these first three tracks, Scar Tissue catapult the industrialized techno genre into an ambient realm of enigma and vitality populated only by Autechre. Shub-Niggurath - _The Kinglike Celebration_ by: Paul Schwarz (5 out of 10) (Oz Productions, July 1997) The first thing that needs to be said is that despite their name and (slightly tacky) album title, Shub-Niggurath are not a "we recorded it in our wardrobe" black metal band; there is more to their music than just the "blasphemy" which they and their press release go on about. This is not to say that Shub-Niggurath are lacking in the blast beats and inaudible vocals department, but their delivery is more calculated than a lot of the terrible bands who inhabit this genre without any talent and a lot of old Bathory and Venom albums. Tracks such as "Abomination of Ancient Gods" show that this band know how to construct songs and not simply bore the listener with their "extremity". Although all this puts Shub-Niggurath safely above the bottom of the barrel, it still doesn't make them anything special. There is nothing on _A Kinglike Celebration_ which is new and, unless you have listened to extremely little good black/death metal, nothing which will really impress you: there are a LOT of bands who play this kind of music better, but as far as playing this kind of music goes Shub-Niggurath don't do a terrible job. Contact: X-Rated Records, c/o Mathias Kietzmann Apdo. Postal 1-2023, Cuernavaca, Mor., C.P.62001, Mexico Voice/Fax: +52-73-17 44 68 mailto:xrr@mpsnet.com.mx WWW: http://members.tripod.com/~xrr/index.html Send $14+$2, for P+P, for a copy of this album Thy Grief - _The Frozen Tomb of Mankind_ (Solistitium, 1997) by: Andrew Lewandowski (9 out of 10) With each tormented melody and scream, Thy Grief evokes the entire emotional spectrum of despair. No stone, oscillating from crippling loneliness to pugnacious anger, is left untouched. Thy Grief also uses every form of black metal as they reap the optimum amount of emotion from each second: most of the songs are mid-paced and emphasize technical skill (although they never ostentatiously flaunt it) and blackened melodies, yet they also skillfully alternate between arcane dirges and brutal frenzies. Thy Grief has also discerned the equilibrium separating abuse and transience of each riff and keyboard passage, a rarity for a novice band. Granted, they have a few discernible similarities to their peers (for example, the ending of "Da Morket Omfavnet Meg" sounds as if Thy Grief usurped it from "I Am the Black Wizards"), and no track equals the grandiose, Wagnerian fury of the opener, but this Norwegian quartet has the potential to become one of the scene's best bands. Transcendence - _Eternal Stream_ (Gaia Disk, January 1997) by: Paul Schwarz (8 out of 10) For me this is an unusual occurrence. Usually I don't like albums with "nice" voices, not on principle, just by chance and personal taste. In this respect, _Eternal Stream_, the first in an epic trilogy, is special. To explain this band's musical direction, however, is not as hard as the press release would suggest. They are following similar lines to what music I have heard of other projects also involving female vocalists (e.g. The 3rd and the Mortal, Storm and The Gathering). There is a lot of very talented singing from Sebrina Lipari, and also from male vocalist Philippe Coupal, and like the above mentioned bands the singing meshes with the music and doesn't sound forced. What is more surprising than the mixture of keyboards, acoustics and female vocals is how "metal" Transcendence are. On much of the album the guitars and drums contain themselves, but then they burst out from the background to prove that Transcendence can handle dynamics. "Pawn of Prophecy"'s solo sounds like Iron Maiden, and the use of double bass drumming, which punctuates many parts of the album, is both appropriate and diversifying. This band push the tired gothic/folk metal sound just that bit further, and the result is truly refreshing. Turmoil - _Anchor_ (Century Media, October 1997) by: Adrian Bromley (6 out of 10) While I was ambivalent about the band's 1996 debut LP, _From Bleeding Hands_, because of its monotonous hardcore meets metal sound, _Anchor_ has aroused my interest. Sounding a lot heavier and more in control of the music's groove and flow than its predecessor, _Anchor_ -- thanks in part to singer John Gula's more intense death/hardcore vocals -- this Pennsylvania quintet kicks into gear from the opening assault of "Staring Back". Striking blows come courtesy of Turmoil as the band delivers fourteen rough 'n' raw numbers for us to mosh to. But like their previous record -- and most other hardcore/metal LPs -- it gets old after a while, and the listener loses interest as the record carries on. I do not know why that is, but it always seems to happen for me. Nonetheless, _Anchor_ is a good LP; not a CD I would put on daily, but something I might crank to release some frustration every once in a while. Vergelmer - _Light the Black Flame_ (Cacophonous, 1997) by: Drew Schinzel (8 out of 10) Now that retro metal is and has been in full swing for some time, it's nice to see a band that is following an -old- trend, for once. No, Vergelmer don't deserve such sarcasm, because, although fitting quite nicely into the melodic black metal mold, they do it -extremely- well. If you've ever heard anything of this kind (Dissection, some older Marduk, Naglfar, The Darksend, etc.), then you know exactly what to expect. Mostly fast songs (although Vergelmer have a few longer mid-paced sections as well) with predominantly high-pitched, melodic guitars and throatily rasped vocals dominate the material here, with some acoustic parts thrown in for good measure. Myself being a huge fan of this style (an understatement), I have a hard time finding much wrong with _Light the Black Flame_; there're no real serious detractors that ruin the pure listening enjoyment. However, there are a couple of things that do dampen the experience a bit: for one, sometimes the songs are just too damned long and repetitive. What starts off as a kick-ass track quickly turns tedious when the same section is repeated over and over, especially annoying with the mid-paced songs. Also, just as mentioned before, _LtBF_ is completely and totally derivative of all preceding it, there's not an original concept to be found here. No surprises, no experimentation. Vergelmer give you what you expect, and don't go much further. That said, if sharply produced, well-played, melodic black metal is your craving, Verlgelmer is where it's at. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= __ __ _ /\ \ \_____ __ /\ \ \___ (_)___ ___ / \/ / _ \ \ /\ / / / \/ / _ \| / __|/ _ \ / /\ / __/\ V V / / /\ / (_) | \__ \ __/ \_\ \/ \___| \_/\_/ \_\ \/ \___/|_|___/\___| 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: ***** -- A flawless demo **** -- Great piece of work *** -- Good effort ** -- A major overhaul is in order * -- A career change is advisable Beauty - _Buried With the Sky_ (3-track demo) by: Brian Meloon (****-) Beauty's latest demo includes three more songs from the _Automatic Killfest_ sessions, including two of my favorites, "Fragment" and "Mute". As with their self-titled demo (see CoC #14), the music is heavy industrial metal, with distorted, shouted vocals, plenty of samples, and a dense, layered sound. These three tracks are a little more straightforward than the three on their previous demo, although the inclusion of female soprano vocals in "Fragment" is especially unique and interesting, especially when contrasted with the blasting industrial metal underneath. The drum programming is very good, avoiding the simplistic, repetitive use of patterns that typifies industrial. The song structures are a combination of radical shifts in tempo and style (soft/loud, slow/fast, etc) and smooth development sections, leaving you guessing as to what will come next. The playing is good, though not flashy, and the production is excellent, though everything is covered by a thick layer of (intentional) distortion. This is another strong demo, and hopefully will attract serious label attention. Contact: BEAUTY, P.O. Box 316, Oakton, VA, 22124 mailto:beauty@his.com WWW: http://www.his.com/beauty Castigate - _Plectrum Loveless Method_ (5-track demo) by: Paul Schwarz (***--) Castigate have potential, and that potential can be heard lurking on this demo, but it is only potential as yet. Castigate have tapped a good sound and haven't made the mistake of limiting themselves. They have incorporated acoustic instruments, female vocals, sound effects, and a cacophony of bells. This is all well and good, but Castigate's problem seems to be getting the songs structured right: the first song sounds pasted together, and none of the elements really mix satisfactorily. "Where's the potential, then?" you may ask. The potential is on songs like "Sleepless Channels", where they get it right, and in the choice of an outro: the strange sound of a laughing baby. Contact: Fadzil, Lot 243, KG.Kangkar Tebrau, 8110, Johor Bahru, Johor, Malaysia Send: $5 for a copy of this demo Catarrh - _Nightflight_ (4-track demo) by: Paul Schwarz (****_) Catarrh create a dark, brooding mix of death, raw black, thrash and doom, but also add in their own idiosyncratic twist in the form of a strange sound which appears a number of times and in a number of different forms. It sounds like feedback, panpipes, and screaming mixed into one. Although sometimes hard on the ears, it works well in setting Catarrh apart from the pack. The overall production and especially the vocal production need work; both are a bit muddy and take some potential impact from the music. With their production straightened out, Catarrh could certainly be on the way to making a name for themselves. Contact: Fadzil, Lot 243, KG.Kangkar Tebrau, 8110, Johor Bahru, Johor, Malaysia Send: $5 for a copy of this demo Cephalectomy - _Gateway To The Gods_ (3-track demo) by: Adrian Bromley (***--) I'm pleasantly surprised by this material from the young Nova Scotia death metal/grind trio Cephalectomy. While the production on this demo (their first one -- let's give them a break, eh?) is not really that good, the three songs on the demo really do sound solid. This well-written material flows with intensity and anger. Cephalectomy keep things pretty straightforward and brutal, lashing out with a multitude of styles and influences to be found (Brutal Truth, Internal Bleeding, and Kataklysm, to name a few). The vocals are vicious throughout, and guitarist Corey Andrews shreds some heavy riffs. It's too bad the demo only has three songs, as they really do show a lot of talent and are keeping me interested in what is to come. I'm glad Cephalectomy submitted a demo to us here at CoC, 'cause it keeps me believing that metal does exist and is thriving in Canada. Contact: CEPHALECTOMY, mailto:cephalectomy@hotmail.com Click. - _Live At The Thirsty Whale_ (20 tracks 'studio & live') by: Adrian Bromley (*----) Man... I knew this wasn't gonna be good when I heard the opening words on this live demo: "Okay folks, we have a unique musical presentation for you." Let's just say I wasn't looking forward to what was around the bend. With a mixed bag of original and cover songs, a really bad live recording and horrible editing, four-piece rock'n'roll/metal outfit click. plow through their material with a very lackluster performance. Most of the time, the vocals are off-key, and the music is just plain mediocre. Nothing really stands out. And I hate -- *HATE* -- when bands cover songs I like and butcher them. Case in point: Alice In Chains' "We Die Young". They even manage to throw in a few more covers: Jimi Hendrix's "Foxy Lady" and is that a Ratt cover (the song "Breaking Point")? This demo bites big time, and that is sad, 'cause I really like live recordings/bootlegs. Contact: Abyss Records, c/o Anand Bhatt, 2 E. 8th St. #1903 Chicago, IL, USA, 60612 mailto:aabhatt@hotmail.com or mailto:schroda@aol.com =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= ____ __ __ /\ _`\ /\ \ /\ \__ __ \ \ \/\_\\ \ \___ __ ___\ \ ,_\/\_\ ___ \ \ \/_/_\ \ _ `\ /'__`\ / __`\ \ \/\/\ \ /'___\ \ \ \L\ \\ \ \ \ \/\ \L\.\_/\ \L\ \ \ \_\ \ \/\ \__/ \ \____/ \ \_\ \_\ \__/.\_\ \____/\ \__\\ \_\ \____\ \/___/ \/_/\/_/\/__/\/_/\/___/ \/__/ \/_/\/____/ ____ __ /\ _`\ /\ \__ \ \ \/\_\ ___ ___ ___ __ _ __\ \ ,_\ ____ \ \ \/_/_ / __`\ /' _ `\ /'___\ /'__`\/\`'__\ \ \/ /',__\ \ \ \L\ \/\ \L\ \/\ \/\ \/\ \__//\ __/\ \ \/ \ \ \_/\__, `\ \ \____/\ \____/\ \_\ \_\ \____\ \____\\ \_\ \ \__\/\____/ \/___/ \/___/ \/_/\/_/\/____/\/____/ \/_/ \/__/\/___/ D A R K T I M E S , P A R T 1 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Therion, Crematory, Lake of Tears and Dark CC Racing, Gavere, Belgium, October 3, 1997 by: Kurt Demeulemeester A mixture of metal and gothic fans joined in Gavere for what was expected to be one of the most important shows in this genre. Obviously nobody wanted to miss any of the bands, because when Dark kicked off the hall was already filled with 'dressed-in-black' people. This was my first acquaintance with Dark's music, and the band was a pleasant surprise: an excellent vocalist, sinister atmosphere, and nice light show -- what else does a doom/goth crowd need? We've seen worse opening acts before! The only drawback about Dark is that the songs are all a bit similar; some more variation would be more than welcome. Nevertheless, the band certainly deserves its place in the scene. After Dark's intensity, the live performance of Lake of Tears was like a cold shower. As opposed to their decent album sound, the band played a completely uninspired and pretty boring set without any volume or enthusiasm. Some people might like their seventies look and style, but for me it was a big disappointment. Better luck next time... To everyone's surprise, Crematory, and not Therion, hit the stage as the night's third band. Crematory wants to expand their immense popularity in Germany to the rest of the world, and they surely did a good job here in Belgium. Their stage sound was perfect: a heavy guitar sound carried by Katrin's atmospheric, impressive keyboards mixed with Gerhard's deep grunts. It was a delight to see how a band with such a history was still very down-to-earth. They clearly enjoyed themselves on stage, and this enthusiasm was reflected upon the audience. Most of the songs came from _Awake_, their newest CD, which included the excellent Sisters of Mercy classic "Temple of Love", but nothing will ever beat the two tracks from their awesome first CD _Transmigration_. A great show for sure! When Therion played in Belgium last year in support of Amorphis, there were seven people on stage, including a tenor and a soprano, and all orchestral arrangements were performed live as well as possible. The choirs weren't always perfect, but the band kicked ass -- it was an excellent night. Probably in order to cut down expenses, front man and mastermind Christofer Johnson replaced the orchestra with a DAT-tape, like many bands tend to do. As the band kicked off with their traditional opener, "To Mega Therion", many people immediately felt that something had changed dramatically: the band members overacted like rock stars, and the sound was too perfect to be real. We saw the audience split itself in two groups: the ones who really enjoyed the show (an excellent light show and perfect sound) and the ones who hated the fake rock star bullshit... Check them out and choose for yourselves which camp you are in. Anyway, Crematory deserved the status of headliner. D A R K T I M E S , P A R T 2 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Emperor, Bal-Sagoth, Nocturnal Breed and more Jachthoorn, Outer, Belgium, October 4, 1997 by: Kurt Demeulemeester At yesterday's Crematory show I ran into an old friend and got a bit carried away, drank too much beer and suffered from a terrible headache the day after... Thus I decided to skip the first three bands on this black metal mini-festival (remorse always comes after the sin). Nocturnal Breed was nothing more than a mundane black metal band as they screeched their guts out and spat blood; not bad, but nothing special either. The crowd stood and watched. But when Bal-Sagoth hit the stage, the black hordes, fed by Byron Roberts' exciting stage persona, started to show some enthusiasm. Most songs, especially during the fast technical parts, drowned in an incredible swamp of noise (it was too loud to be clear), but, luckily, the band is talented enough to overcome this. The climax of the show was definitely the excellent "A Black Moon Broods Over Lemuria". What could I say about Emperor that hasn't been said before? The band deserves the black metal throne without question as all songs were performed perfectly despite their hyperblast speed. The sound was perfect and the crowd went nuts while the band enjoyed this and didn't need gimmicks like corpsepaint, blood, or between song preaching. Emperor let their music speak for itself and showed us how professional and concentrated they are on stage. This is what metal (whatever flavor you like) is all about, and if you haven't seen this awesome band before, go check 'em out. This was definitely one of the best gigs of 1997. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= B I G R E D D E A T H F E S T I I ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Nothing Lasts Forever, Funnel, Deuterenema, Inner Shadows, The Urination, and Bloodshed At the JAM Community Room Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, Oct. 25, 1997 by: Brian Meloon As the name implies, this was the second deathfest to be held on the campus of Cornell University in the past couple of years. This one was held in the JAM (Just About Music) Program House community room, which is a single room smaller than most bars, with no stage and no special lighting, located on the ground floor of a dorm. Admission was free, and the crowd was the usual mix of punks, hardcore-types, metalheads, and people who looked strangely yuppieish. The show started around 7:30pm and ran smoothly until about midnight. The band changes were very quick (around five minutes each) due to equipment sharing, and the sets were also short (around half an hour each). During Deuterenema's set, the crowd was at its peak with around 100 people in attendance, but that number had dwindled to about 30 by the time the show was over. Nothing Lasts Forever started things off with an energetic performance. They played a short set of hardcore-influenced metal. Although the crowd was composed of only 60 people, the band frequently made forays out into the crowd in an attempt to get them to do more than stand around. Unfortunately, it didn't work. Still, it was a good performance. Funnel was up next, and I knew this would be a bad set when they started with Metallica's "Seek and Destroy". Next up was KISS's "God of Thunder" (with a drum solo during which the drummer lost his stick), followed by two late 80s cliche-filled originals and closing with Iron Maiden's "The Trooper". Their performance was decent, though not impressive by any standards, and the singer's voice was not appropriate for any of the cover songs. He offered neither range nor aggression. Their mid-tempo songs did little to excite the crowd. Deuterenema followed, and although their dyed-green hair and falling-down pants indicated hardcore, these guys were actually pretty metallic. They covered Slayer's "Seasons in the Abyss" and played four or five originals. Unfortunately, their (apparently new) singer had a tough time as he not only needed to bring lyric sheets up with him (not that we could make out any of the lyrics), but also his non-grunted vocal parts were inaudible. Either he hasn't learned to keep his voice at a consistent level when changing styles or there was a problem with his mic. Either way, the absence of vocals where there should have been some was distracting. Other than that, it was a good set, though not particularly memorable. The best set of the evening was turned in by Inner Shadows, a.k.a. Ryan McCracken. Ryan went up on stage backed by only his drum machine. He played five songs: four originals and Fear Factory's "Martyr", which invoked the first real moshpit of the evening. The originals were very impressive (despite a few screw-ups), quite technical, and moderately complex death metal with some originality. In addition, the sound was mixed at a pleasant listening level. Since I didn't have high expectations, I was pleasantly surprised and quite impressed. I hope Ryan can find a backing band and continue to make progress. The Urination played next. They set up with their drummer's back to the audience and the guitarist and bassist facing him (and us). These guys are very similar to A.C. (with songs titled "Song #1", "Song #2", etc.) and, thankfully, played only six songs. Hence, their set lasted only six minutes, which included the banter between songs. Luckily, that was just about the right length of time; any longer and the joke would have gotten old. The most accomplished band there, Bloodshed, ended the show. They brought out their own drumset and amps, so there was a significant delay between their set and the previous one. These guys played moderately technical, but uneventful, death metal with original songs such as "Masticated Body Parts" and "Shed Blood". The drumming was good, but he would only occasionally do something that would catch my attention. I can't say too much bad about them, since they seemed to be competent, but I thought something was missing from their performance. Perhaps the audience was too tired to really get into the music. While there was a decent moshpit at the beginning of their set, by the middle, people had left along with most of the enthusiasm. In any case, they played a relatively short (eight song?) set, and the show was over. All in all, it was an enjoyable evening with some surprises and a good deal of variety. With any luck, the Big Red Deathfest will become a fall tradition as I think this one was a definite success. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= P O R T U G U E S E P O T E N T I A L , P A R T 1 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Obscenus, Vertebra and Nympha University of Porto (Engineering), Portugal, September 27, 1997 by: Pedro Azevedo Watching a good underground metal concert (or any metal concert for that matter) at the very same University you attend every day is something that just doesn't happen too often. In fact, it never happened to me before. Yet life is full of surprises, and a few of them are actually good ones -- so, after a two hour delay, three young and promising unsigned Portuguese bands took over the improvised stage. The first band, Nympha (whose rehearsal tape I reviewed in CoC #20), deserved better luck. The sound problems that caused the keyboards and vocals to sometimes disappear really weren't their fault, but even that failed to ruin their performance. The small audience realized that and reacted accordingly at the end of each song. Nympha singer Liliana Barros was the last member of the band to enter the stage; she used a torch to light some other torches scattered around the stage while dancing to a keyboard intro. Later, she also played with some flowers that were laying around the stage (she had flowers drawn up her neck and arms as well), which ended up causing a rather funny scene I'll mention later. Initially, she got all of the spotlight since she also bears a curious resemblance to Anneke Van Giersbergen of The Gathering, a resemblance that goes beyond the vocals -- her hair color is similar, and they definitely have something in common about the way they move, dance, and sing with a peculiar smile. But enough of that. The fact is that she's a really good singer, and her live performance didn't disappoint me at all. The drumming was remarkable as well, with very frequent breaks and double-bass -- and dynamic, skilled drummers are something I find highly valuable to any band, especially a slow doom band (not that Nympha can really be rated as slow, but they're still slower than the average non-doom band). The rest of the band did their job very well too, and I felt their set was too short. I really like this band and believe they may have a good future ahead. The next band was Vertebra. I had never listened to them before; all I knew was that they're a death metal band. I was surprised to see the great show they put on -- very tight and powerful playing, good rhythmic work, very deep vocals, and outstanding drumming. Clearly a more seasoned band than the others, they were very confident and everything seemed to come out really well. At one time, the vocalist jumped behind the drums and teamed up with the drummer -- while some bands seem to have four-armed drummers, this was literally four-armed drumming... The funny scene I mentioned before, about the flowers, happened in the end of one song: the drummer got up, picked up a flower left behind by Nympha, and daintily threw it at the vocalist (remember he's a grunter), causing major laughs in the audience. As their set ended, I was again left wanting more. Finally, Obscenus. They are a (read this carefully) eight-piece (!) band: vocals, two guitars, bass, drums, keyboard, violin and backing female vocals, although these last two only show up occasionally. They had trouble putting it all together, as the violinist and female vocalist missed their first appearances, but they eventually managed to create quite a varied and interesting sound which ranged from death to black metal to some slower spoken passages. Again, the drummer was very good (all three of them were very good, in fact), and this band really seems to know exactly what they want and how to get it -- I most certainly don't doubt that they'll get signed very soon (they probably already have been by the time you're reading this). Towards the end of their set, everything was in place, including the violins and femme vox, and it all was very enjoyable and varied. Considering the relatively short sets played by Nympha and Vertebra, I expected Obscenus to play for a long while; however, while they did play longer than the other bands, it still was a bit short. No matter what, this turned out to be quite a memorable night for me. P O R T U G U E S E P O T E N T I A L , P A R T 2 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Morbid Death, Nocturnal Symphony, In Velvet Clouds and 2 Kill Assembleia de Campanha, Porto, Portugal, October 4, 1997 by: Pedro Azevedo Precisely one week after the Obscenus / Vertebra / Nympha concert, I found another promising concert nearby. But just when you think good things are going your way, reality tends to strike. And, in fact, that's precisely what happened here -- compared to the previous concert, this one was a major disappointment. Just to start things off perfectly, I spent an hour and a half waiting for the show to start. The show did eventually start with a band called 2 Kill, who clearly must have walked through the wrong door on their way, because they definitely landed in the wrong show. Playing some sort of hardcore / hip-hop thing and mixing in a plethora of influences from several well-known American bands, their originality was below zero, and even though I can't say they couldn't play their instruments, they added almost nothing to that major lack of originality. The result was that no one in the audience really moved, most people actually remained seated on the ground, and very few bothered to even nod their heads to the music. After a long wait and such a bland start, I was looking forward to something more aggressive, such as In Velvet Clouds, whom I had seen live once before (see CoC #21). Featuring two vocalists (one for grunting and one for screaming), the vocals needed to sound good in the overall mix; however, as opposed to the previous In Velvet Clouds concert, the vox just didn't come out as impressively. Besides that, things went reasonably well for In Velvet Clouds, but they never quite reached the performance level I expected this time. The set was also a bit short, but their best tracks still managed to get the audience moving. The next band, Nocturnal Symphony, were unknown to me, even though they're a local band. In the end, they turned out to be a very pleasant surprise and, in my opinion, the best band of the day. Setting their sound upon some clear Theatre of Tragedy influences, Nocturnal Symphony still manages to have a sound of their own. The most obvious similarity to ToT is their usage of both a grunter and a female vocalist, sometimes simultaneously. Even though Raymond and Liv Kristine from ToT are something else, these two still did quite a good job despite the fact that the female singer had a more secondary role than Liv has in ToT as she mostly sang choirs. Her voice is good, but unfortunately her performance wasn't too varied -- yet still nice to hear and watch. The biggest difference between the two bands is the (perhaps surprising) fact that Nocturnal Symphony don't use any keyboards, causing them to sound more like a death band. Overall, they showed some good ideas and played a very entertaining and enjoyable set. The headliners, Morbid Death, who traveled a long way to be here, ended up playing for 30 or 40 people. The reason is simple: almost everyone went away before or during their performance. Not that they're bad; in fact they're a more experienced band than the others (they already have a CD out) and did a good job, but all the waiting and the fact that the two local bands (In Velvet Clouds and Nocturnal Symphony) had already played caused the room to be almost empty by then. Adding to all this, Morbid Death are a rather conventional metal band, and they suffered from being the "headliners" in a concert where most people went to see other bands. In the end, I must say this should be regarded as an example of what can happen when a concert is inexplicably delayed. Wrapping it all up, Nympha, Vertebra, and Obscenus show a lot of potential, while Nocturnal Symphony and In Velvet Clouds might also have a good future ahead. As for Morbid Death, they seem to be doing quite well in what concerns selling their CD, but that's about it. 2 Kill, however, should try to find a friendlier environment in the future. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= W H A T W E H A V E C R A N K E D ! ! ! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Gino's Top 5 1. Mundane - _Feeding On A Lower Spine_ 2. Life of Agony - _River Runs Red_ 3. Monster Voodoo Machine - _State Voodoo/State Control_ 4. Pitchshifter - _Infotainment?_ 5. Mortiis - _Crypt Of The Wizard_ Adrian's Top 5 1. Overkill - _From The Underground And Below_ 2. Overkill - _Horrorscope_ 3. Pathos - _Hoverface_ 4. Edge Of Sanity - _Cryptic_ 5. Blackstar - _Barbed Wire Soul_ Brian's Top 5 1. Frederik Thordendal's Special Defects - _Sol Niger Within_ 2. Emperor - _Anthems to the Welkin at Dusk_ 3. Beauty - _Automatic Killfest_ 4. Aurora Borealis - _Mansions of Eternity_ 5. Hexenhaus - _Dejavoodoo_ Alain's Top 5 1. Deicide - _Serpents of the Light_ 2. Brutal Truth - _Sounds of the Animal Kingdom_ 3. Dimmu Borgir - _Enthrone Darkness Triumphant_ 4. Judas Priest - _Jugulator_ 5. Morgion - _Among Majestic Ruin_ Steve's Top 5 1. Ulver - _Bergtatt: Et Eeventyr i 5 Capitler_ 2. Samhain - _November-Coming-Fire_ 3. Sodom - _Persecution Mania / Expurse of Sodomy_ 4. Misfits - _Earth AD / Wolf's Blood_ 5. Anorexia Nervosa - _Exile_ Adam's Top 5 1. Thy Grief - _The Frozen Tomb of Mankind_ 2. Napalm Death - _The Peel Sessions_ (TRUE grind!) 3. In Battle - _In Battle_ 4. Unlord - _Schwarswald_ 5. Raism - _The Very Best of Pain_ Drew's Top 5 1. Ulver - _The Madrigal of the Night_ 2. Rush - _Hemispheres_ 3. Obtained Enslavement - _Witchcraft_ 4. The Gathering - _Nighttime Birds_ 5. Edge of Sanity - _Purgatory Afterglow_ Andrew's Top 5 1. Mayhem - _Wolf's Lair Abyss_ 2. Scar Tissue - _TMOTD_ 3. In Slaughter Natives - _Enter Now the World_ 4. Thy Grief - _The Frozen Tomb of Mankind_ 5. Kluster - _Zwei-Osterei_ Pedro's Top 5 1. Hypocrisy - _The Final Chapter_ 2. Misanthrope - _Visionnaire_ 3. Dismember - _Death Metal_ 4. In the Woods... - _Omnio_ 5. Opeth - _Orchid_ Paul's Top 5 1. Cryptopsy - _None So Vile_ 2. Pyrexia - _System Of The Animal_ 3. Old Man's Child - _The Pagan Prosperity_ 4. Niden Div.187 - _Impergium_ 5. Infernal Torment - _Birthrate Zero_ =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= _____ __ __ __ | \.-----.| |_.---.-.|__| |.-----. | -- | -__|| _| _ || | ||__ --| |_____/|_____||____|___._||__|__||_____| Homepage: http://www.interlog.com/~ginof/coc.html FTP Archive: ftp://ftp.etext.org/pub/Zines/ChroniclesOfChaos --> 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@interlog.com -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= DESCRIPTION ~~~~~~~~~~~ Chronicles of Chaos is a monthly magazine electronically distributed worldwide via the Internet. Chronicles of Chaos focuses on all forms of chaotic music including black, death and doom metal, dark/ambient, industrial and electronic/noise as well as classic and progressive metal. Each issue will feature a plethora of album reviews from a wide range of bands, as well as interviews with some of the underground's best acts. Also included in each issue are demo reviews and indie band interviews. 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 . 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 (do not include the quotes). 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. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= End Chronicles of Chaos, Issue #26 All contents copyright 1997 by individual creators of included work. All opinions expressed herein are those of the individuals expressing them, and do not necessarily reflect the views of anyone else.