____ _ ____ ____ _ _ ____ _ _____ ____ / _\/ \ /|/ __\/ _ \/ \ /|/ \/ _X \ / __// ___\ | / | |_||| \/|| / \|| |\ ||| || / | | | \ | \ | \__| | ||| /| \_/|| | \||| || \_| |_/\| /_ \___ | \____/\_/ \|\_/\_\\____/\_/ \|\_/\____X____/\____\\____/ ____ _____ / _ \/ / | / \|| __\ | \_/|| | \____/\_/ ____ _ ____ ____ ____ / _\/ \ /|/ _ \/ _ \/ ___\ | / | |_||| / \|| / \|| \ | \__| | ||| |-||| \_/|\___ | \____/\_/ \|\_/ \|\____/\____/ CHRONICLES OF CHAOS e-Zine, March 14, 1999, Issue #38 http://www.interlog.com/~ginof/coc.html Editor-in-Chief: Gino Filicetti Coordinator: Adrian Bromley Contributor/Copy Editor: Pedro Azevedo Contributor/Asst. Copy Editor: Paul Schwarz Assistant Copy Editor: John Weathers Contributor: Alain M. Gaudrault Contributor: Brian Meloon Contributor: Adam Wasylyk Contributor: Aaron McKay Contributor: David Rocher Contributor: Gabriel Sanchez Contributor: Alex Cantwell NOTE: For more Chronicles of Chaos information, check out the 'Details' section at the end of this issue. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>><<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< Issue #38 Contents, 3/14/99 --------------------------- * Editorial * Loud Letters * Deadly Dialogues -- Marduk: Far Beyond the Grace of God -- Satyricon: An Extravagant Rebel Conquest -- Exhumed: Madmen of Mutilation -- Overkill: Still Killing -- Orange Goblin: Passing the Bong * Independent Interrogations -- Kekal: Beyond a Glimpse of Borneo -- Necromanicide: Hate Regime Wars * Album Asylum -- Ames Sanglantes / Flutter - _Split_ -- Ancient Ceremony - _Fallen Angel's Symphony_ -- Bethlehem - _Reflektionen auf's Sterben_ -- Various - _Black Mark Tribute II_ -- Bob Marinelli / Outermost - _Split_ -- Broken - _Skytorn_ -- Carnival in Coal - _Vivalavida_ -- Dimmu Borgir - _Spiritual Black Dimensions_ -- Dog Faced Gods - _Random Chaos Theory in Action_ -- Don Caballero - _Singles Breaking Up (Vol. 1)_ -- Even Song - _Path of the Angels_ -- Evoke - _Dreaming the Reality_ -- Feikn - _Helhesten / Aamanden_ -- God - _Sublime_ -- Grip Inc. - _Solidify_ -- Haemorrhage - _Anatomical Inferno_ -- Houwitser - _Death... But Not Buried_ -- Humectant Interruption - _Internal Feedback_ -- Various - _In Conspiracy With Satan_ -- Macbeth - _Romantic Tragedy's Crescendo_ -- Midnight Syndicate - _Born of the Night_ -- Mindset - _A Bullet for Cinderella_ -- Minotaur - _Power of Darkness_ -- Moontower - _Moontower_ -- My Insanity - _Still Dreams in Violent Areas_ -- Necrophagia - _Holocausto de la Morte_ -- Negura Bunget - _Sala Molksa_ -- Nevermore - _Dreaming Neon Black_ -- Nokturnal Mortum - _To the Gates of Blasphemous Fire_ -- Obscurity - _Ovations to the Death_ -- Orange Goblin - _Time Travelling Blues_ -- Overkill - _Necroshine_ -- Peccatum - _Strangling From Within_ -- Postmortem - _Repulsion_ -- Pro-Pain - _Act of God_ -- Sarcastic - _Inside_ -- Serenity - _The Name_ -- Skinlab - _Disembody: The New Flesh_ -- Sorcery - _Bloodchilling Tales_ -- Swordmaster - _Deathraider_ -- Tchort - _The Heavens Are Showing the Glory of..._ -- Terveet Kadet - _The Ultimate Pain_ -- Thirdorgan vs. [ISOFC] - _Neon, Garbage, & Worms_ -- Throneaeon - _With Sardonic Wrath_ -- Various - _WWF - The Music Vol. 3_ * New Noise -- Bongwater - _0000000002_ -- Core Device - _Core Device_ -- Crucified Dawn - _Crucified Dawn_ -- Endymion - _The Aegis of Apollo_ -- Kormoss - _Four_ -- Mindflair - _The Multi-Orgasmic-Man_ -- Mindflair - _Split w/ Belching Beet_ * Chaotic Concerts -- Zeus Himself Would've Been Proud: Bolt Thrower with Crowbar -- Dead by Dawn: Deicide with Rotting Christ, Aeternus, Ancient Rites -- The Fear of Strobelight Moshing: Fear Factory w/ System of a Down * What We Have Cranked * Details =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= M""MMMMMMMM dP M MMMMMMMM 88 M MMMMMMMM .d8888b. dP dP .d888b88 M MMMMMMMM 88' `88 88 88 88' `88 M MMMMMMMM 88. .88 88. .88 88. .88 M M `88888P' `88888P' `88888P8 MMMMMMMMMMM M""MMMMMMMM dP dP M MMMMMMMM 88 88 M MMMMMMMM .d8888b. d8888P d8888P .d8888b. 88d888b. .d8888b. M MMMMMMMM 88ooood8 88 88 88ooood8 88' `88 Y8ooooo. M MMMMMMMM 88. ... 88 88 88. ... 88 88 M M `88888P' dP dP `88888P' dP `88888P' MMMMMMMMMMM This is the column where we print those lovely letters our readers decide so graciously to write us. Whether they be positive, negative, ignorant or just plain spelled wrong, you can rest assured that they'll be here in their original form. If you'd like to see your own letter here, e-mail it to and enter 'Attention Loud Letters' in the subject field. Hopefully all letters received will be featured in upcoming issues of Chronicles of Chaos. Date: Mon, 08 Feb 1999 From: Blackk Soul Subject: 'Attention Loud Letters' A few years back I was heavily into Death Metal music, but a lot of DM bands changed their music for commercial success. Slowly I thought that Black Metal was more extreme, more underground and less commercial than DM. I started listening to BM and I liked the variety and the extremity in this sub-genre. I got heavily into BM too. But nowadays it's very different. BM is not underground anymore. It's a trend. It's too commercial and money-making business. It's has lost its extremity and it's offensiveness. Nowadays every other kid in the street is a Cradle of Filth 'fan'. Every other metal band is a BM band with corpsepaint and Satanic names. Bands like Venom, Celtic Frost and Bathory have suddenly become everybody's inspiration. Although they sold very few records back in the early eighties, even re-releases of their albums are sellouts now. There are a very few people who are truely into this music. All the other hundred-thousands are trend-seekers. BM is a trend now. After a few years some other metal genre (maybe extremely Brutal hyperspeed Death/Grind Metal ha! ha!) will be trendy and these stupid idiots will suddenly become fans of Brutal Death Metal. I have said it once before, and I say it again: Let all the true Black Warriors unite against these trend followers and destroy them, crush their pretty little heads so that they can no more rise again to pollute other sub-genres of Extreme music. Readers, if you agree with me mail me at LETS UNITE. Please check out BM site at members.tripod.com/blackmetal13/index.htm Blacksoul Kathmandu, Nepal =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Date: Tue, 16 Feb 1999 From: vance kotrla Subject: attention loud letters...or not hey. i think you've got a great little zine going here, but i've got one complaint. you see i'm the drummer for black spiral, an unsigned and band who's self-produced debut cd was review in issue number 36. i thought that maybe we'd show up in 'new noise' rather than your 'album asylum' since it is a self-produced cd and all. but there we were, getting what i'd call a less-than-favorable review in 'asylum.' the reviewer (i forget who it was) spent more time dogging the production than discussing the music. first, the production isn't that bad. it's not stellar, and it's not on the same level as most of your big-name metal bands, but it is, after all, a self-produced cd. secondly, the production is a hell of a lot better than most black metal stuff out there. let's try not have a double standard, here. basically, i would just ask that our cd would be taken for what it is. it's not perfect, but it's good music, and we've gotten lots of positive responses to it. we hope that more people will listen and take notice (obviously) but we feel that that's been impared by our mis-categorization. do you think maybe you could give the cd another crack, but under a different section. we would appreciate it. thanks, vk. ps. you can print this or not, it doesn't matter a whole lot to me, but we'd ask you to take the content into consideration. thanks. vance kotrla bimage@wans.net http://web.wt.net/~turk1602/broken.htm 4700 e. riverside dr. #1111 austin, tx 78741 (512) 356-2580 =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= __ \ | | | | _ \ _` | _` | | | | | | __/ ( | ( | | | | ____/ \___|\__,_|\__,_|_|\__, | ____/ __ \ _) | | | | _` | | _ \ _` | | | _ \ __| | | | ( | | ( | ( | | | __/\__ \ ____/ _|\__,_|_|\___/ \__, |\__,_|\___|____/ |___/ F A R B E Y O N D T H E G R A C E O F G O D ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ CoC interviews Marduk by: David Rocher Arguably the most brutal, blasphemous and undisputed icon in the Swedish extreme metal scene, Marduk are currently preparing to unleash the devastating force of their sixth full-length album, the not-very-ambiguously named _Panzer Division Marduk_. As the band's demo recordings are now truly attaining a cult status in the extreme metal scene, it's becoming increasingly clear that Marduk are an unhallowed, blackened force to be reckoned with. In the following interview, Legion, Marduk's uncompromising "mouth of Satan", demonstrates that nothing in the band's seemingly irrepressible ascension is left to fate alone. A cool-headed, sharp-minded, and coldly determined metalhead calmly talks about the unrelenting new onslaught that we frail, unsuspecting mortals are due to fall before. Once again, my thanks to the mighty metalhead Joey Jaffrezic (JJ) of Radio Meduse for his contributions to this journalistic slab of hate. CoC: What's gone since the release of _Nightwing_? Legion: Actually, not as much as we really wanted to do. We were scheduled for a US tour this summer together with Angel Corpse and Cannibal Corpse, but for several reasons, we never got on that tour, so we were stuck at home for a whole Summer, doing nothing. But tonight we're doing the last show on this tour, and then we'll get home, rehearse very intensively, do some Swedish gigs, do some gigs in Florida together with Cannibal Corpse, and then we're going to the studio to record our new album, _Panzer Division Marduk_. CoC: When is _Panzer Division Marduk_ scheduled for release? L: We hope to be able to release it in April or May, because we're going over to the USA after that, and the best time to play in the US, if you cannot do it in Winter, is in July-August, so it's got to be out before that. We're all working very intensively towards the stuff concerning the new recording, so it can be released as soon as possible -- late Spring, something like that. CoC: What can we expect musically from _Panzer Division Marduk_? L: Expect pure fucking Armageddon! We'll release the most intense black metal album ever released; no band in the past will have been able to do what we are about to do -- we'll have no heavy parts, no double-bass drumming, no -nothing- except full fucking breakneck speed all the time! We will release something like eight or ten songs, with full fucking blast beats all the time, very chaotic and hysterical riffing, but always controlled -- you will still hear that it is Marduk -- and very violent lyrics regarding war. Right now, I have completed three new lyrics, which are called "Blodorn", "Baptism by Fire" and "Panzer Division Marduk", which are all very cruel and devastating lyrics. So, prepare for the worst black metal assault so far! JJ: Will it be a concept album? L: Yeah, in a way -- the lyrics will not be connected as in the Vlad story of _Nightwing_, but all the lyrics will be dealing with topics of war and warfare, so in a way it's a concept album, because of the subject we have chosen. CoC: The black metal trend seems to finally be receding; what do you think it will leave in its wake? L: Yeah, I agree, and there'll be the same shit as with the death metal scene -- only a couple of bands survived, those bands who really put something of interest into the scene. For me, right now, there is no black metal scene any more, because it's very much -gothic- music, and the only thing I can say is in Marduk, we prefer to be -goatic- instead. I don't like goth music, I don't find it interesting at all. And I think it makes absolutely no sense that the guys stating to be the cruellest beings on earth sound like a fucking pop orchestra, with female vocals, synthesisers and all that shit, and sorry lyrics about how fucking sad they are when they're out in the forest -- I agree with Gene Simmons of Kiss, he said like "all them sorry bands, give them a hug and a trip to Disneyland" --, because that is actually NOT what black metal is all about. Our lyrics will always be in the same vein, it's what we feel is the right thing to do regarding black metal, just very dark and malignant lyrics, which are really like a fist in the face of God. That is what we'll always be about, and for us, it's about the only thing you can do if you are stating to be a black metal band. CoC: You were talking about synthesisers and female vocals in black metal -- do you completely disagree with this, don't you stand for bands like Emperor? L: Emperor can do whatever they want, I'm not their fucking father, so I don't tell them what to do! But, bottom line, Marduk will always be Marduk, and that's what counts to us, the rest of the scene can do what they want, we don't care, and we don't backstab other bands because they are not like us. My main priority, twenty six hours a day maybe, is Marduk, and that is all I count on. Of course I enjoy other bands, but it's their decision how they want to sound -- I don't judge anyone, they can do whatever they want, but for us, it's a totally wrong way of doing it! CoC: Black metal has moved away from what it was meant to be, something really primitive and raw, so I guess _Panzer Division Marduk_ will be a back-to-the-roots sort of trip, that sticks to the stricter meaning of black metal? L: Yeah, the riffing will be very primitive and very basic, I guess you can say so. But the first generations, the really early black metal bands, they don't have anything together with today's scene; what's in the past was in the past, and I don't really fancy those new bands trying to sound exactly like old-school, because a copy can never get better than the original. So, instead listening of ten new bands trying to sound like _Infernal Overkill_ of Destruction, I'd rather listen to that actual recording. JJ: Don't you think that calling your new album _Panzer Division Marduk_ will get you trouble from the same people who criticised the cover of your _Live in Germania_? L: Yeah, it will, for sure! It's the fucking witch-hunter spirit of the inquisition which [tries to] abolish free will and stop people from thinking, but nobody should tell us what to do, because it's not very difficult for us to fuck those guys! We can be in lots of other magazines, we can play at different locations in Germany, and they are the guys who'll be biting the grass. That _Live in Germania_ thing was really fucking stupid from them, because we recorded eighteen shows on the _Heaven Shall Burn..._ tour, and when we got home, we found that the four shows, all of which we played in Germany, were the absolute best -- superior sound, the songs we did were perfect, and everything was great, so we said "hey, let's do a celebration to Germany, because we've got a very good crowd there!" So we did, and of course we got shitloads of problems, all for nothing -- it's actually the same eagle which is featured on the one Deutsche Mark coins, so what do the Germans do in the stores? Are they like... [Hides is eyes with his hand and pretends to be disgusted by the coin he's placing on the counter.] It's so stupid, should you be a Nazi if you pay with one Deutsche Mark coins? It's rather ridiculous, but Herve [the Osmose boss -- David] solved that very elegantly -- he changed some coins and sent them to the journalists, and they went "hey, it's alright". So, for sure, it will really be a punch in the eye for some guys, I know that, but I don't care, because we do whatever we want to do, and -no- fucking journalist is gonna tell us what is right or wrong, because that is up to US to decide! And also, people who read the lyrics will understand that the _Panzer Division Marduk_ album will -not- be a political album in any way, we are doing the same shit as always, only that this album will focus on war in a pretty modern kind of way, rather than in a medieval, occult evil way -- so, it's looking at the same thing, but from a different point of view. CoC: Marduk are renowned for extreme Satanic lyrics; are the lyrics on _Panzer Division Marduk_ going to be in the same vein as on _Heaven Shall Burn..._ and your latest releases? L: Yeah, they will, for sure. If the only supernatural Evil that ever existed on Earth was in the dark ages, in 1300 or something, then why would we be around doing what we do, if we didn't believe that thing still exists? We're looking at it from a different point of view, in a different century, but the lyrics regarding Marduk will always have a Satanic base, because that is what this band is really all about. It will be the same lyrics as always, but with a different touch, you could say. CoC: Nowadays, science is able to explain a lot of what was considered as miracles and supernatural happenings, so how do you represent Satan to yourselves, now? L: Just because you don't believe that the trolls are running around in the forest anymore doesn't really mean to me that there is no higher power. I believe in an [incomprehensible] divinity, a force so great our brains cannot get the whole picture, we can only see fractions of it. And it's so powerful, you are -nothing-, you're like a tiny little shit compared to that power, and that is what we believe in. That is our aim, with our lyrics, to hammer the last nail in the coffin of Christianity, and give praise to something which we feel is better. Regarding science, science is like a mumbo-jumbo occult thing in itself, people rely too much on it; it's like "take this pill, and you'll be like that", "use this machine, and you'll be like that" -- people rely too much on that shit, instead of thinking for themselves. JJ: The next Marduk is announced as being the most violent black metal album ever created; is this the end of a cycle for Marduk? L: Most likely, it'll be a peak of aggressiveness, I don't think we'll ever do such an extreme album again. But you never know, it's better to aim for one album which will be really devastating, rather than doing two or three small fires in a row. The album which will come out after _Panzer Division Marduk_ will be very varied, with lots of heavy parts and mid-paced stuff, like we did on _Nightwing_, but even more varied. And also, immediately after _Panzer Division Marduk_, we will record a mini-CD entitled _Face the Master_, which will be a double-bass drumming song, mid-paced, with lyrics based on the "Salem's Lot" story by Stephen King. And that mini-CD will most likely feature some cover versions as well, maybe from Exodus, Possessed or something like that -- we haven't decided yet. CoC: I guess classical music isn't going to be as much of an inspiration for you as it has been so far? L: For _Panzer Division Marduk_, it will very much be basic stuff, we just want to create the feeling of seventy tons of steel rolling across the battlefield. We'll never use classical music so that you can hear we're doing classical stuff, but since we listen to it very much at home, and some of the riffing in the metal scene in general and the violin in classical music are kind of related, I guess you can find some shit like that in Marduk's music, but _Panzer Division Marduk_ will aim at recreating the feeling of a battle -- that's what the album is all about! JJ: Who influenced Marduk more, Bathory or Wagner? L: Well, both, I guess! I really love the works of Wagner and I really love the first three Bathory albums as well, and some of the later albums are okay, like _Blood Fire Death_, _Twilight of the Gods_ and _Hammerheart_ -- they're okay, but not really good. CoC: Would you ever consider, on works after _Panzer Division Marduk_, doing what you did with the track "Glorification of the Black God" -- taking a classical music theme and developing it into a metal symphony? L: Yeah, we have already thought of that, and planned several pieces like that, but if it's going to be something in reality -- well, nothing's planned right now, so maybe, maybe not. JJ: Some of you are implied in projects other than Marduk, such as Allegiance; is managing time and energy not too difficult in this case? Does Marduk remain your priority? L: Well, the two guys who are in Allegiance don't do that much for Marduk -- Fredrik is our drummer, but he doesn't write any lyrics, I do all the lyrics, and Morgan [Hakansson, guitars] does most of the music; I'll maybe write one or two riffs for each album, and B War [bass] will write a couple, so Allegiance may be their priority regarding their creativity, but Marduk is our main priority: all four of us in the band are going for Marduk. We've already had to sacrifice a lot to keep this band going, and we'll sacrifice even more if we have to. CoC: Do you still do some vocals on Ophthalamia's last album? L: No, I quit Ophthalamia late '94, maybe early '95, and I met those guys maybe two or three times after that -- if I meet them, I still say hi and speak with them, but I've never done anything more with them. CoC: What do you think of their last work, _Dominion_? L: Actually, not too much, since I only heard it two times immediately after the studio. I think it sounds too much [like] Dissection and too mainstream, actually. It's not the same thing as it was -- which is pretty natural because you move on -- and you can really tell that the music is made this time by the younger brother Nodtveidt and Ole from Dissection. But I haven't listened to it that much, so I'm not the guy to review it, really. CoC: Talking about Jon Nodtveidt and Dissection, how do you look upon what happened? I think he's has been sentenced to eight years in jail... L: That's wrong, he's been sentenced to ten years. CoC: I thought it was Vlad who got ten years... L: Yeah, and Jon -- they both got ten years, because Jon moved forward to another court, thinking they would reduce his punishment. But they didn't, they gave him two more years. And, I mean, they can do whatever they want. I haven't really spoken to Jon since '95, when we were back at his place -- it was Jon, Vlad, some other guys from Gothenburg, me and Morgan, It and some other guys as well -- then we lost contact. If they want to shoot some people, if they think that is good, well, go ahead, I don't care, but I wouldn't do such a thing to spoil my entire career. Dissection could have gotten really big and now they will not, but... he has made his choice. CoC: Do you think the purpose of these kind of actions was trying to draw the lights to the scene? L: No, I don't know if that was their aim -- I don't think it was, but if it was, it's just rather meaningless, because releasing a good album is far better. And people won't take it seriously anyway, because it's just like some bad kind of promotion -- it's like the Norse church fires; if the guys were into burning those churches, why did they contact all the magazines afterwards? It's stupid. JJ: Many bands have surfed on the black metal trend's success in order to get signed on larger labels -- did you receive any such offers? And are you satisfied with Osmose's work? L: Yeah, we are very satisfied with Osmose. I think it's really the best label for Marduk, since they are professional; we can always rely on Herve, and they have got the power to distribute their albums correctly. But the most important thing to us is that we have total artistic freedom. Nuclear Blast would never have released the lyrics sheet for _Slay the Nazarene_, never; they would never have released the _Fuck Me Jesus_ CD; they would never have released the "Christraping Black Metal" t-shirt, nor our new shirt for the track "Slay the Nazarene" -- this will be the _Nightwing_ demon standing in a pentagram with Jesus' body, decapitated, on a cross on fire, and the demon's raising the head [at arm's length]. What other label this big would release such a shirt? Nobody that I can think of... so we are very, very satisfied with Osmose, they're doing a very good job for us. JJ: So you'll stay on Osmose? L: Yeah, yeah, yeah! We have one more album on our contract, which will be _Panzer Division Marduk_, and then we'll negotiate again, and see what they have to offer -- but we are satisfied! CoC: Mentioning artwork, do you know why the artwork for _Fuck me Jesus_ was changed? The photos are completely different and the artwork was changed, too... L: Yeah, it's a completely different [layout]. On the demo, it's a girl lying on a table and lots of demons circling around her, like they're ripping her. Actually, it was Herve who came up with the really splendid cover for the CD, and said "hey, let's do this!" And of course, we couldn't do anything but agree, because it's a fucking great cover! CoC: What do you think of Osmose's roster of bands? L: Well, I really like Immortal and Angel Corpse, they are fucking great bands, but the other Osmose bands, I haven't listened to a lot -- I don't listen to many of the bands in the metal scene today, so I'm not the guy to review them. It's not very interesting, for me anyway. CoC: Do any other forms of art influence your music? L: I guess I'm not really inspired by art, really, but of course you can get some cool ideas by studying art done by others. I'm very much into drawing myself, and I will begin as a tattoo artist as soon as we get home -- and that will be it for me, when I'm older and when I'm through with Marduk. JJ: Metal has always become more extreme, do you think it is possible to create music more violent than black metal by Marduk or Immortal? L: I don't really know... I wonder how that would sound. But roughly, music has always gone in circles -- just look at the "ordinary" metal scene: it's not a coincidence that for instance Ratt have reformed and signed a big, big record deal in the USA; it's that this pussy wimp "up-metal" shit is coming back. There have [recently] been some retro thrash [acts] as well, and I guess death metal will get really big again -- it's always going in circles; it's like a new thing when it's returned, but you can still feel the roots. I don't know if bands will get more brutal, we'll see in future! CoC: As a Swedish band, you claim to play "Swedish Black Metal" -- in your opinion, what are the main differences between Swedish and Norwegian black metal? L: Erm... I don't know. I think the Norwegians go more for the moods, while we go for the brutality, I guess, but it's the only thing I can think of -- if you're not counting Darkthrone or Mayhem, which are really the most important bands over there, together with Emperor. But I don't really know -- we released the "Swedish Black Metal" shirt just to make clear that we are Swedish, because before, we'd got a lot of shit like "you guys cannot be real black metal [musicians], you're not from Norway!" If people really knew the Norwegian people, they wouldn't run around with Norwegian flags on their t-shirts, because the Norwegian people are very happy people who wear cardigans, sing songs, scratch themselves under the arms, and stuff like that -- and they're pretty Christian too! It's NOT what people think over there, I can assure you. We only did the "Swedish Black Metal" t-shirt because we -are- a black metal band, and we -are- from Sweden -- bottom line! JJ: Do you get decent support from the Swedish audiences? L: Actually, Marduk hasn't played live in Sweden for four and a half years. There are no metal clubs in Sweden, there are hardly ever any concerts, there's -not- a scene in Sweden -- it's just like many bands, because the only way you can exist in that scene, if you have to call it like that, is by having a band. But Swedish crowds are not good, and the Norwegians are even worse, because everybody's got bands, and everybody's cocky and real big-headed, "I'm better than you, I cannot thrash around at your concerts", so it's mostly like this: [crosses his arms, and takes a proud stance with his nose turned up.] So who the hell wants to play there? We feel much more comfortable down here in Europe where there's actually a good metal scene. We will do some Swedish gigs later just to do them, but we don't like playing back home. JJ: Do you think corpsepaint is a part of black metal? What do you think of black metal bands who have given it up? L: Well, I can only speak for Marduk, and we use corpsepaint because we want the whole concert to be the same: the lyrics, the music and the approach should be as brutal as possible, so we can really make clear to people what we are all about. In some ways, honestly, I wouldn't mind dropping it, because when you're out on tour, it's fucking hell getting that on and off every night, but it's a big part of our concept, and we won't drop it, we won't be unmasked. But regarding some of the new bands who use corpsepaint, it looks maybe a little bit funny when the music is soft and tender and the guys look like fucking demons! But for Marduk, we really use it to illustrate what we are singing about. CoC: When you joined Marduk, did you ever think this band would ever be one of the most renowned "true" black metal bands around? L: Well, I never looked upon it like that, all we wanted to do was play black metal, and do it the way we thought it should be done, like really die-hard -- either you do the whole package, or you don't and stay off it! There are hardly any black metal bands, everybody has started to work towards goth music, or some other strange kind of shit. But anyway, I don't know if we're a band doing it the right way or whatever, all we ever wanted to do was good black metal, and I guess we have succeeded so far, and we will not fail in the future either, we will not wimp out -- we'd rather quit than wimp out, because that is for suckers! JJ: Now, you're answering our interview, you earn your living with your music, but as a child, did you ever think that one day, you'd be living like this? L: Well, I've always been into metal -- I first discovered metal with Manowar, Dio and Iron Maiden and shit like that at the age of six, when the first hard-rock wave came to Sweden and it passed on TV and on the radio, and I was like, "wow!" So I always wanted this life, going around on tours and making albums, I really love it, I love every minute of the life I'm living right now, but of course, as a child, it was pretty hard to imagine. But one thing led to another, and now -- here I am! JJ: Don't you think that the black metal trend is running out, and that this is good as only the best bands will remain? L: Yeah, it will be like a funnel for the bands who didn't make it this time, they'll have to either wait until the next time when there is a market for new black metal bands, or they'll have to change style, which will be the same thing as the death metal scene experienced in the early nineties: from those old bands, it's almost like only Deicide, Morbid Angel, Cannibal Corpse [and] Immolation are still around. I guess it'll be very much the same for us; right now, we have such a strong position, so we won't be affected if the trend runs out, because we have very devoted fans, and we will still be able to tour and create new albums. In a way, it will be good, because all these new bands who are playing "arrogant artistic force nymphomaniac blah blah" won't be around, but since I've really stopped caring about the scene, I don't mind them at all! Trends come and go, and from each wave of new music, there will only be a few guys left, that's always the case. CoC: Sweden is mainly renowned for death metal bands; how do you appreciate present-day Swedish death metal bands? L: Well, the death metal bands of Sweden I loved were the early Entombed, which was very, very good, and Dismember; they were extremely great -- the first Dismember album and the early demos were totally amazing, but for the Swedish death metal scene of today, I don't give that much actually. I think all those bands like Grotesque, which were actually more black metal, were really good, but since then, I've not discovered so much interesting stuff. If I go for death metal, I'd rather choose the US style of doing it, because I think it's better. CoC: If Marduk were to write the music to a film, what would this film be? L: Erm... Some very bizarre and brutal horror movie, something maybe as shocking today as the first "Evil Dead" movie when it came out -- I remember seeing that uncut for the first time when I was a kid, and I almost shit in my pants! So something like that would be really, really cool to do -- if we're asked by some guys, we'll do it for sure. Or something more like the weird, low-budget stuff. Yeah, why not -- I like many old second-grade horror movies. Some are very, very cool! JJ: Last words for Marduk fans? L: Yeah -- if you're not a metalhead, you might as well be dead! =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= A N E X T R A V A G A N T R E B E L C O N Q U E S T ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ CoC talks to Satyr of Satyricon by: Paul Schwarz Satyricon are one of the finest black metal bands in the world today. Yet, as seems to be the case with many of black metal's legendary names, Satyricon are not as well known, popular or, on a mass level, highly regarded as newer acts such as Cradle of Filth and Dimmu Borgir are. Satyricon do not headline main stages at festivals who have Sepultura lined-up as the next day's headliners (which is the case with Dimmu Borgir at this year's March Metal Meltdown). Some claim, and it is not an entirely unfounded claim, that Satyricon choose to stay "under ground". There is some truth to this claim, but the realities of the scene mean that it is not a simple -choice- of being popular or not being popular, especially on your own terms. Satyricon have never compromised their vision of what black metal is about. They have never bowed to commercial pressure or the pressure of some of their more conservative peers. Their first two albums (_Dark Medieval Times_ and _The Shadowthrone_) were well noted by those in the black metal scene and did more than simply follow what others were doing at the time. After the mid-nineties' deluge, Satyricon emerged again triumphant with _Nemesis Divina_, their third full length offering. Adopting a slightly different, faster style than their earlier material, Satyricon nonetheless gave us a very mature, complex and exceptionally well produced album which still stands as one of my favorite black metal albums. Now, after experimenting with the _Megiddo_ EP, Satyricon are ready to return with a new full length. Set for an August release, the title of this as-yet-unrecorded album is _Rebel Extravaganza_. I had the privilege of talking to Satyr, one half of the band's nucleus, of which drummer Frost is the other, about the upcoming album and his attitudes to and views on the black metal scene. I hope his answers are as enlightening and interesting to you as some of them were to me. Thanks to Mat McNerny for his help brainstorming the questions for this interview. CoC: The new album is called _Rebel Extravaganza_. Why did you choose this title? To me it doesn't sound like a "traditional" black metal album title. Satyr: To be honest, I don't know, really, 'cause it is the same thing that happened with the last album, _Nemesis Divina_, the same thing that happened with _The Shadowthrone_ and _Dark Medieval Times_ as well. [It] just fell in my head and it felt totally natural, you know, it's kind of representative of my way of thinking when it comes to the new songs and the lyrics as well. I wouldn't say that the word "rebel" is unconventional in black metal, but "extravaganza" is very much about what we've done, for several years now. Satyricon is definitely an extravagant band, so as I said, I have [an] equally hard time to explain _Nemesis Divina_, really. I could try to come up with different theories, but it just fell in my head. CoC: How do you think the sound [of the new songs] differs, how has it moved on from _Nemesis Divina_? If people were to have heard the last album, and they pick up this new one, what do you think they'd find different from what they might expect, maybe? S: Well, Samoth from Emperor was here listening to the rehearsal with all the new songs, and he said that he thought it was very much us, but it was harder, and it's probably true, but there's more than that. You can hear the trademark of the band in the songs, even though it's a vast progression from _Nemesis Divina_. _Nemesis Divina_ is like three years old now, so there would have to be something very wrong with the whole thing if nothing had happened since then, obviously. So, probably a bit harder, probably less medieval and Nordic, but [still] very much us. CoC: How do you see the scene today, do you think that it compares to the old one, or do you think that there are a lot of differences now, in the bands that appear or the music they play? S: Umm... CoC: Do you think that black metal has evolved or that it's stayed similar? S: Oh, it has definitely evolved a lot, but I would say that in '92/'93 black metal gave me much more of a kick than it does today. Let's say if... I haven't heard the new Emperor album yet, but I guess I'll like it and I guess I'll think it's good, but I am also pretty sure that it won't give me this big kick, the same kick _A Blaze in the Northern Sky_ [Darkthrone -- Paul] gave me the first time I heard it. So the magic is gone really, but there is still quality around and I'm happy to see that at least the best bands, apart from Dissection, are still going. CoC: Do you think that by remaining in the scene, Satyricon are producing something new while still providing a link to the previous scene, because you've been around throughout the various different developments? S: What I try to do is also to send a message through the music. A message about how black metal should be done, at least in the way I like it, because I think when you write music you often tend to try to make the kinds of things that you want to hear yourself. The way I think of this kind of music is the way I do it, in my own band. And what I hope is that we can try to influence the third wave of black metal bands to think more in the way of the first and the second wave. There's definitely a need for new thinking and progression, but there are some things, like the extended use of female vocals and this kind of gothic romance, which I find totally unsuitable for at least my way of thinking about black metal. CoC: Leading on from that, [with] bands like [the typical bands to mention] Dimmu Borgir and Cradle of Filth, do you think that by using keyboards or female vocals, by making the style more popular, they, in some way, help it, by getting more people exposed to the more underground stuff, because, in interviews or whatever, they'll mention the older bands? S: Well, they help it and destroy it at the same time, you know. They help get more people into listening to more extreme music, and they help, obviously, other black metal bands who have, well at least in my view, a more interesting message than they have, to come through. But in a way they destroy it as well, because, you know, they're so big, so they set a lot of standards for how things are meant to be done and that will influence some bands too -- as someone here in Norway said, I would rather breed the black metal kids on Darkthrone than Cradle of Filth, you know. Without that meaning that there is something wrong with Cradle of Filth, I just think there is more -edge- to bands like Darkthrone. CoC: Do you think that, by the character of the scene changing so much from how it was five or six years ago, by bands being, this is one way of putting it, less "drawn" to a certain way of being, of playing black metal, do you think it allows bands, now, to be more creative, by there not being such a strict "way to play", maybe? S: Yes, I do. CoC: So you think that allows you, Satyricon, to be more creative than you could've been? S: I don't think -- actually, I think my answer is yes, but I think we are an exception, because the way I understand your question you are probably referring to, what shall I say, the power of people like Euronymous, for example [I acknowledge this -- Paul] and the kind of influence they had, and in some ways that was positive, because some people have shown their real faces after his death and I would actually have preferred them to stay with their fake faces because I dislike their real faces so much. But in our case, I never cared about his rules or anything like that, actually, I had a bit of a conflict going with him and I think that was due to the fact that he couldn't accept that I was a youngster coming from nowhere, more or less not giving a shit about his ideas. And I told him that as well, and he definitely disliked that, but yes, I think it is positive that there has to be some quality acts to set a standard for the rest, but there shouldn't be rules about what you should do and what you can't do. CoC: Would you say there is music or things in the world which specifically do influence you? Do you think that you could identify certain influences which either influenced you to start the band in the first place, or to still create music or to create [specific] past works? S: Well, I think the drive behind the beginning was, apart from the whole thing with Darkthrone and all that, then the second wave of black metal, it was also me, and the others who were with me then, our huge fascination for the old acts, such as Celtic Frost, Bathory and Venom, all that. And today I don't think I am so inspired by music, I don't listen much to music, I listen to music in the car, but I usually get enough because we rehearse and I play guitar at home and I write lyrics, and I get enough music in my life. I work in the music business as well, so I don't need to use my spare time to listen to music, but in the car I listen to some music. Some electronic and industrial acts have given me impulses and I think it's a very positive thing to listen to lots of different kinds of genres, to get impulses and to make yourself richer musically. Because if you don't know what's going on you have no chance to develop. How can I, for example, develop my way of singing if the only way I know is to scream? But fortunately I listen to lots of other music and get impulses, rather than inspiration. CoC: Regarding the use of the media to expose your music more, do you think doing things in the past like the very well produced "Mother North" video -- do you think that you will continue to use media to bring attention to your music more... S: In terms of advertising? CoC: In terms of advertising and also the presentation, do you think that that matters as much in black metal as it does in other styles of music? Because I think that sometimes, with some bands, there is a tendency to want to remain limited to a certain number of people, to not attempt to draw other people in, to allow them to come in themselves, as it were. Not that I'm criticising that. S: Yeah, yeah, I understand, but that is not the way I am thinking. I fully respect that way of thinking, but I don't think any band should be forced to expose themselves or to limit themselves, it should be a freedom of choice, you know, where you want your band to go and I definitely find the video media very interesting and I know that we will do a video for the album. I don't know what it is going to be like, I just know we are going to do a video and I'll have to think about it. It'll probably happen during Summer or something, 'cause the MCD is going to be out in April or May and the album in August. I think, actually, the record company are going to do some short clips or something for TV advertising in Germany, which is pretty new, and, to be honest, I actually don't like TV advertising with music -- just five seconds and it's all over, and next up is, uh, a commercial for diapers or something --, so I think it is totally unsuitable, but, in a way, you know, it is obviously very good for the band, lots of people that wouldn't have heard about the album otherwise might find it interesting and go to the record store and check it out -- you know, listen to the album and make a decision whether to buy it or not. So, I guess... CoC: It might be the lesser of two evils, maybe? S: I guess so. I think it is also just a natural development of the whole thing, you know, we have the internet replacing the old correspondence of underground with regular slow mail, and now you have the internet replacing that whole underground, and, I think, in the coming years, TV advertising and such will, not replace, but I think more and more it will go over to that instead of advertising in magazines, because the rates for advertising in magazines are sick, you know, you have to sell so many extra albums to make it worth it. I think it is probably easier to reach out through television. I think radio would've been definitely the best thing, but the problem is that there are not many radio stations who allow metal programs, and if they have metal programs it's probably in the middle of the night on a Wednesday or something. CoC: And it is only a small audience who might know about it. S: Yeah, it's like twenty people who are regulars and there's probably one or two more dropping by just by coincidence. CoC: You have a new member on this album, apparently? S: No new members. CoC: No? S: We are working with lots of different people, but we found out that there's too many problems with all the other guys and... basically we've done it ourselves all the time, we've brought some other people in on all the albums, but, you know, when it all comes down it's just like, as you Englishmen say, "at the end of the day", there has only been me and Frost, you know. CoC: So Daemon [ex-Dismember], would no longer be in the band? S: No, you know, if you want to you can -- I'll be happy to see if you could -- set up a "wanted" poster, because he's been gone for six months; that's what I've said to every journalist. He was supposed to go to Sweden for one week and that's like, seven or eight months ago or something, and we haven't heard anything ever since. So I don't know what he's up to, but that's the kind of things that usually happen. Strange things, people disappearing or people lacking the interest to work as hard as we want to, or maybe they think it is too much of a hassle, so we're just gonna keep on going with just the two of us, as a band. But we have our own live line-up; basically the same line-up as we had at Dynamo, and, on the album, we're gonna bring in Fenriz, doing some percussion, we're gonna bring in Mikael, from Thorns, to do some guest guitar things, and Sanrabb from Gehenna is gonna do some guitars on the MCD. We'll also bring in another guitarist, in addition to myself, on the album, and bass on the album and MCD will be handled by -- well, they broke up now but, you know, Conception, it's a power metal band on Noise Records. CoC: Oh, no, I don't know them. S: It's horrible [I laugh -- Paul] but, I don't know, real technical people and all that and this guy, the bassist, he has a project, called Crest of Darkness, and... he's very good, so he's doing the bass. So we're bringing in lots of different people, I mean, we're even bringing in this guy who plays in [couldn't quite hear what he said, it sounded like "Uperting My Berserk" -- Paul], who played in a black metal band called Mock, which was a crappy band, but this guy has turned into becoming interested only in industrial and electronic music and he's a wizard when it comes to sampling, making special effects, electronic loops, those kind of things, and he's very good at it. So he's going to be part of the mix or something. So, we'd rather work with ourselves [motioning to himself and Frost] as the platform of the band and bring in people with special skills to make the album become better. Contact: WWW: http://www.union.no/moonfog =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= M A D M E N O F M U T I L A T I O N ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ CoC interviews Exhumed by: Adrian Bromley There are a lot of sick people in this world we live in. People that do awful things to children. People that don't have a care in the world or any regard for anyone but themselves. People who live on this planet just to fuck things up and have a jolly time doing it. Then there is Exhumed. Judging by the cover of Exhumed's latest grindcore/metal masterpiece _Gore Metal_, a horribly rude and disgustingly squeamish cover of bodies mutilated beyond recognition throughout a kitchen, it seems as though the four crazy fucks (let's see, there is Matt Harvey, Col Jones, Ross Sewage and Mike Beams) in the band would fit nicely into the characterisation of my first paragraph. They'd love it. That's just them, you see... Exhumed are Exhumed. What you should know and just imbed into your forehead is that Exhumed play their music the way that they want to, with little concern for how others feel, and they could give two fucks about record sales. They mean nothing. In general, I don't usually take time to really wonder about people and their actions, but as I sit here and write about Exhumed, I wonder just what it's all about for them. Do they have a mission? What's with all of the grotesque take on things? Is it necessary? Of course it is. They are making a point. It's all about playing loud, aggressive music and having a shit-kickin' time doing it. Who cares how ya do it, just as long as you are doing it. Right? You bet. As the interview begins, I actually take time to comment about the violent images pasted all over the album cover. It's sick and brutally rude. I ask guitarist/interviewee Matt Harvey "Whose sick idea was it to use those photos?" He laughs and says: "It was all our idea. We just wanted to fuck shit up." No shit. Good job, Holmes. He continues: "It's Ross [Sewage, drummer] who took all the photos. That is actually my kitchen. We just went in there and messed stuff up. It was great fun. We all had an input in what you see within the artwork." In regards to many other genres (primarily black metal) boasting a certain image to uphold, Harvey comments, "I know what you're talking about. Let's just say you'll never see a forestry image on an Exhumed record. We just want to make the biggest fucking shit possible and this is it." I tell Harvey about myself opening the CD sleeve on the subway and having people stare with a disgusted look, with me eventually putting away the CD slightly embarrassed. "Oh man. That's great", he says with a sense of accomplishment. "That is the way it should be. If people feel that way towards what they see or hear with our record, then we have done our job. We're not trying to upset a certain type or person or specific people in general, we're just trying to be ourselves. That's all we do. We play what we play and we do what we do. That's how it is with Exhumed. We've never really had a direction. We just go with the flow." About the direction of their material with _Gore Metal_, he says in detail: "There are certain things on this record that could have been a lot better for us, but things could have been shittier. The record worked out for us. Some of the stuff here is real old, but I personally think this is the best thing that we have ever released. Everything worked out in the end." "The reason that I am so happy and saying that this is our best release is the fact that you can tell we took the time to work on this in the studio. I mean, we used a proper studio this time and worked with a good producer. James Murphy [renowned guitar player and Testament member] was a great help for us. For once, there was at least one person who knew what he was doing, which is more than usual. I just think the songs really take shape into songs, rather than just all these noisy barrages of material. We have some good ideas here." On the role of studio work, he comments: "It's such a pain in the ass. It's very tedious for the most part, but something you gotta do if you want to get a record out. It's so bad to be in there doing the guitar chords over and over like a thousand times. I really feel sorry for our drummer, though. Playing the same drum beat like five thousand times in a studio for five hours... I mean, being alone in a room with James Murphy while working on material is tough enough , but five hours?! It's crazy, shit like that that really gets you, but I'll tell you it's a reward to get it out there and be happy with the product." On the overall take of Exhumed and what they have done, Harvey tries to sum up Exhumed's role in helping shape metal music. "When we started up six or seven years ago, we were all part of what was going on. We were a typical band doing what everyone else was doing. But I look around nowadays and see all of the stuff out there and realize that we are all alone. We're still playing grinding death metal, singing about sick shit and all that 'cause we want to." The topic of their label Relapse Records surfaces into the conversation. About their work with the label, Harvey juts in: "They are a great label to be working with. They are the only label that I want to be working with. Really. I look at all the other labels out there, like Century Media and Nuclear Blast, and they are some of the biggest fags out there. They jump on all of these trends and it makes me sick. Relapse has been going strong for the last few years, and I don't like everything they put out, but at least they don't jump on trends." On band motivation and handling material and music, Harvey notes: "We really work hard to keep our writing going. We have done a few 7" splits this year and have been on a compilation or two. We just keep things going. It's great to be doing this. Sure, people might say that we put out shit, but at least we put out a lot of shit. Maybe it's not quality, but at least we have quantity on our side. I think it's really lame for bands to sit around and wait two years to put something out. It shouldn't be that way. It should be push, push, push with bands and their material. We need to keep the momentum going for the band. It's been great to do this and the underground support has really been a blessing for us. If we were to sit around and not tour or put out records or 7" or what have you, then it would be the dumbest thing to do." "We have always had the same work ethics. We do very little mail outs and we're not too big in our scene here, but people seem to know about us. We went to Europe at the end of 1997 and people were coming up to us knowing all of our stuff. It blew me away, man. It was a new thing for us to experience. Our thoughts on the whole thing is if they know us it's great, and if they don't they will soon enough. " You've all been warned. Exhumed are currently on tour. Contact: Exhumed, c/o Pearly Penile Papules, P.O. Box. 53432, San Jose, CA, USA, 95153 =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= S T I L L K I L L I N G ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ CoC chats with Bobby Blitz of Overkill by: Jody Webb Never one to throw in the towel, Bobby Blitz and the Overkill crew have been churning out riffs and records for over a decade now, never wavering far from their classic '80s sound. In February the band releases _Necroshine_, the latest instalment in the Overkill saga. Read on as we get the low down on the new disc, the story behind the cancellation of the last tour and Bobby's state of the scene address. CoC: Give us a little insight into what _Necroshine_ is about. Bobby Blitz: To just generalize it, you get a real good view of where we are, in our lives personally, and as a band. I had quite an exhausting year as far as my health went, and this was something that came out of it. This was kind of a cleansing for me, to expel any demons I had sort of running around in my head. Because, I mean, it was a coin flip at a certain time in the situation I had, which was cancer, and there was a time when they thought it was going to go after my brain. I was like, where is it? This record has given me an opportunity to be very strong and give you a lyrical perspective of where I stand as a person. As far as the musical aspect of the record goes, I think we've evolved another step. I think a great thing about this band is it never looses its roots, yet at the same time it doesn't sound like 1985 on this record. It has a very marketable contemporary value to it, as well as a standard, 1985 deep rooted metal feel to it. So I think the beauty is being able to balance the two. CoC: A lot of people were disappointed when you cancelled your show at the club here in town, back in the spring of '97, on the tour for _From the Underground and Below_. I think you sold all 950 tickets to the joint and there was a mad scramble for the tickets I gave away on my radio show. What happened? BB: Because of the cancer, half of my face was gone! If you saw the rescheduled show you might say "Jeez, that guy looks a little different." I learned I wasn't vain! CoC: Who is the primary writer? BB: I write with my partner DD Vernon. DD gets things going in the musical end of things, then he lets me hear the demos and keeps me abreast of what's going on. We are familiar with each other's styles and that doesn't stop the evolution of the band. CoC: Any other kinds of music that the Overkill crew listens to, that influences the writing? BB: I'm kind of eclectic, I listen to anything from Harry Connick Jr, to your Johnny Cash album, to Slayer, to Machine Head, to Napalm Death. Anything Colin Richardson does I like. CoC: Who's that? BB: He's a producer. He has worked with bands like Fear Factory, Machine Head, Napalm Death; he did our last album. His stuff we really really like. We watched him closely when we co-produced _From the Underground and Below_ with him. We stole some of his tricks and produced this latest one ourselves! We worked with Terry Date on numerous things. I love these producers. If you put on something done by Terry, I can almost guarantee that I'll like it. CoC: What does Overkill do when it's tired of working in the studio? BB: We keep going, overkill! This is our full time job. We have to make our own decisions and this is a business. It's a business we love, so it doesn't seem like business to us; you could say we are protecting our interests. CoC: Has the current craze in wrestling claimed any members of Overkill? BB: Back in '96 Tim Mallory played on one of those WWF metal albums with Scott Ian and one of the guys from Savatage. I don't think he's a wrestling fan, though he looks like he could be a wrestler. But not me. I suppose hobbies for me could include... I'm a two wheel junkie, I love riding bikes and I always will. Music, bikes, and my family. Not necessarily in that order. CoC: Do you have any tattoos to declare? BB: No, no I don't. One of the reasons I don't is because it's become a craze. I always find myself close to getting one, but then I think that tattoos have been overexposed, excuse the pun. When every metal band went tattooed on arms and bellies and backs, we like to keep our individuality from the pack. CoC: Do you have any comments about the state of the scene? BB: At this point I think it's getting stronger, and I think it's getting stronger because there was a great house cleaning; in the early '90s a great chopping block came in the major labels and off with their heads. "This band's not making enough money, drop 'em." This gave us the opportunity to flex our muscles, stretch. It gave the true fans a chance to really support us, because casual listeners were not there being fed by the labels. The field is not saturated with two thousand metal bands and labels shoving songs down your throat. So it may seem like the scene is weaker because there are less bands, but the bands who made it through are the strongest ones. CoC: I always felt like it was a good thing to have a large number of bands, because that shows a lot of interest, and it expands the talent pool, the group of people from which we can find stars. Yes, there will be a lot of bad bands, but as long as a lot of people try to make metal, we will be more likely to tap into some genius. Today, I feel, primarily because of Korn, that people are back into making heavy music again. As a DJ, I do see a new saturation starting to occur. BB: You know who's guilty of making this happen, it's the major labels. Major labels are based on dollars and cents. The people involved in evaluating a band are accountants, and these are number people, these have nothing to do with people developing a band. After you sink a million bucks into a band and they're returning $500k, it's a simple math problem. The point is, this has always been, even in recent history, it's evident. Think back to Seattle. Everybody owned flannel, I mean, I couldn't believe it. Every band had a specific type of tattoo based on the popularity of Alice in Chains and Pearl Jam and a few solid bands that came out of that scene. All of a sudden, you get to the second wave and POW, it's bad imitators. Now if I want to hear something with a stamp of Seattle, I'll go to the creators. I'm gonna go to the Nirvana, and maybe the bands before them, like Mother Love Bone. Today, with the popularity of Korn and Deftones, new young bands will get a shot to be looked at, and labels will sign them because they are trendy, not based on longevity, which a band like Korn will probably have. CoC: How do people react when you tell them you are in a metal band? How are you treated? Do you use the word "metal"? BB: Absolutely, in fact you used the term "heavy music" and I almost stopped you and said "No, it's metal!" CoC: There have been instances where I've used the word and people have said things I didn't expect. Once I was down in Charlotte and I was talking with the guy driving a limo I was riding in. He said "Oh, don't tell anybody, but I still love Winger." I also heard things like "That died so long ago." I'm apprehensive to use the word. BB: Metal got a bad rap a few years ago and I think we were the only metal band left. It was never an issue with us when it was unpopular to be in a metal band. To deny what we are denies that the bands exists, and it makes the music worthless from a listening standpoint. There was a great confusion in the late '80s and early '90s. You had pop bands with ripped jeans and hairspray and they were ruling the charts and making money for the big boys. They were considered metal by the public, by the way [they] were marketed, and I think it confused us with Winger, it confused Slayer with Poison! Metal has a purer sense about it than commercialism. CoC: Have you approached the Ozzfest people? BB: Oh, absolutely. Every year. They just tell us "We'll get back to you." Why, you know anybody? =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= P A S S I N G T H E B O N G ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ CoC interviews Orange Goblin by: Adrian Bromley If there is any band out there nowadays that deserves to be labelled "stoner rock", it has to be England's Orange Goblin. So thick are the grooves and the feedback, that smoking a bong of marijuana and kicking back and enjoying the jam session unfolding seems like the only proper thing to do. Anyone who has heard the band's latest disc _Time Travelling Blues_ (TMC / Rise Above Records) will certainly smile with a huge grin, uttering the words "Yeah man! I'm down with it." Orange Goblin singer Ben Ward seems to be down with it as well. "I'm just glad to be able to do this and make great music", he says over the phone from England, as a delay within the phone conversation gives us slight feedback. "It's great to be able to create music and be happy with it. I think we definitely did that with this record and it feels even better that people who have heard this record really like it. And people also seem to like the fact that we don't stay with one sound or style within what we do. This record is different from the first disc [1997's _Frequencies From Planet Ten_]. I think this record has a definite Lynard Skynard feel to it, while the new material we are working on is going back a bit to the days of Sleep and St. Vitus. It shows that we are not afraid to mix it up." "There has a been a definite natural progression for the band [comprised of guitarists Joe Hoare and Pete O' Malley, drummer Chris Turner and bassist Martyn Millard] over the years. The four musicians in the band have gone far with their playing, not only showing growth and depth but successfully playing as a unit and sounding great. This record has such a great heavy groove to it. The sound of this record was captured very well, I think. See... no matter where we go with our music, the heaviness and the groove always stays intact. Those two elements have always played a key role in our songwriting." Orange Goblin are definite slaves of their work. They live and breathe music. Their love for what they do shines like there is no tomorrow throughout _TTB_. "We work on a lot of material for each record. To be able to pick out what tracks work is quite easy, I'd say," notes Ward; "When you are in the studio working on a record, you just get this buzz from certain songs. You'll play a riff and it'll sound just right. We'll start with a riff, then Chris will add drums, Martyn will touch it up with bass and then a few vocals and it's done. Songs come together quite easily for us, as long as we get a good vibe from the ideas. It also helps that the songs go over well live. There's nothing like a good crowd reaction." About younger bands coming into the scene and the music industry in general, Ward comments: "I don't know how people should react to it. We really don't. We just walked right into the music scene wanting to play our music and I guess we've just had to deal with things as they came along. We have other people to deal with the business side of the music industry. We're here to enjoy ourselves and nothing else. We plug in and play. That's it." "We've had a good time doing this," explains Ward. "This business has been good to us so far. There have been a lot of milestones. Our first tour of the U.K. with Cathedral, releasing our first 7"... It all adds up to a good time for Orange Goblin. We love the way all of this has turned out, 'cause we were the last to ever expect to be on a record label and putting our material out and touring. It feels really good to go into a record store and see your music on the shelves. It really gives you a great feeling and that feeling is why we do what we do. There have been some great milestones so far and I hope there will be many more." Seeing that it has been a long haul to get where the band is, has Ward grown tired of doing the "music thing" yet? "No. I don't get tired of doing this. We have a lot planned and I can't give up now. We are doing a seven week tour of Europe with Cathedral and hopefully some other tours, maybe in the United States or Japan. We just want to play to as many people as possible. We are writing material too, but most likely won't record anything this year. It would be too soon." "I'm not tired of doing this," he finishes, "I got tired of working my crappy job driving a forklift at a warehouse working nine to five. But how can you get tired of doing this? I don't see how anyone could get sick of making music. It's such a great experience." =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= _____ _ _ _ | |___ _| |___ ___ ___ ___ _| |___ ___| |_ |- -| | . | -_| . | -_| | . | -_| | _| |_____|_|_|___|___| _|___|_|_|___|___|_|_|_| |_| _____ _ _ _ | |___| |_ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___| |_|_|___ ___ ___ |- -| | _| -_| _| _| . | . | .'| _| | . | |_ -| |_____|_|_|_| |___|_| |_| |___|_ |__,|_| |_|___|_|_|___| |___| B E Y O N D A G L I M P S E O F B O R N E O ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ An interview with Kekal by: Alex Cantwell To the best of my knowledge, Kekal is the first Indonesian black metal band to gain international acclaim. The band is made up of four individuals: Jeff on guitar and vocals, Harry on vocals, Leo on guitar and Azhar on bass. They are certainly due some recognition for their recent release _Beyond the Glimpse of Dreams_, which combines raw emotion with speedy drums and lethal riffage. I recently conversed with Jeff via e-mail. Enter the world of Kekal. "We started out in 1995. At first, there was no intention to become a serious band, just a one-time session band by two long-time friends. We wrote and recorded four songs at that time. But on June 1996, we got a strong vision that we have to try again with more serious work. Then we decided to continue. The first official demo tape (_Contra Spiritualia Nequitiae_), which contained four new tracks and four tracks from a '95 session, was released in August '96. The responses were very positive and many say that the musical structure is influential." A line-up change occurred after the recording of the demo, and since then, they no longer thought of themselves as just a session band. In addition to Kekal, some of the band members are involved in other projects as well. "Some of the members are involved in various projects like Worldhate, Excision and Mournphagy. Worldhate's music is mostly noise-industrial and they will release a full-length CD on March through a Canadian label [called] Northern Assembly. Excision is my solo project and the style is more into the technical death metal kind of thing. Mournphagy is a grind/noisecore band that plays music as brutal as possible. Each of us has different musical interests, but we still love playing in Kekal very much, so we think that doing side-projects is the best way. Despite those projects, we are agreed that this band is the main priority." CoC: How have sales been for _Beyond the Glimpse of Dreams_ since the CD pressing? I finally saw the CD version. Why a different cover? Jeff: So far, more than 2000 copies have been sold in both the CD and cassette version, mostly in Indonesia and Malaysia. The first release of that album was a tape version only. It was released by THT Productions, a small Indonesian label. Then a label from Singapore [called] Candlelight Productions re-pressed that album and released their own version on both CD and tape formats. They didn't like the earlier cover, so they changed it. CoC: Who do you have distribution through in Europe and America? Jeff: The label said that they haven't got a major distribution deal yet for Europe and America, but it is available through some underground mail-order distros. The label is currently settling a deal for major distribution in the US. Since Kekal are a pure black metal entity, I was surprised at Jeff's reply when asked who had influenced them. "Our influences are mainly '80s bands, which we grew up listening to. Bands like Iron Maiden, Bathory, Trouble, Helloween, Celtic Frost, Sodom, and Death to mention some." CoC: Have you played shows? Where and with whom? Jeff: We haven't been able to play live because we haven't got a permanent drummer that suits our music and the band's direction. We don't want to use a session drummer or a drum machine for live performances. But after all, we love playing gigs because we came from live bands before finally joining Kekal. CoC: Have people in the black metal scene, or metal scene in general, been receptive to you in Indonesia? Jeff: Yes, most of them have been receptive to us. The scene in Indonesia is now more focused on the music and not the religions, ideologies, political stances or whatever that might contradict each other. There's no need to call the scene "the metal scene" anymore if it's actually based on personal beliefs. As long as we play metal music, respect one another and not hate others because of their differences, there is no reason to be rejected in the metal scene. Of course there are individuals who hate bands with different beliefs, other than theirs, but it seems so childish. CoC: When will there be new music available from Kekal, and do you have a title for a new CD? What about your other bands? Jeff: We plan to record new material for the next album sometime this year. Some new songs are ready, but we haven't set the title for the album yet. My project Excision just has a cassette EP out. It's called _The Quality of Mankind_. It is available through THT Productions. CoC: How does a Satanic band or a Christian band become popular in Asia, since the common Asian mindset regarding evil is different from that of the Western mindset? Jeff: I don't think the people's mindset of what you call "evil" is different in Asia and Western countries. I think it's all the same. Evil is perceived as something that is outside the borders of universal moral order and is harmful to the individual and social life. So, acts like killing the fellow men, or torturing someone physically or mentally, are evil. But you know, teenagers like to do something shocking to their environment, and the content of evil itself has a strong tendency to shock people. Metal fans are mostly teenagers or in [their] early twenties. That's why many of them are excited with anything that has an evil image. Thus, the bands that wear that image have been welcomed and [have] become popular. Is it basically the same? The difference is, regarding your question, the people's views on Christianity. Christians are a minority here, and the condition of being a Christian in Indonesia is different from that in Western countries. In Europe or America, Christianity has taken a role in the political area. It can possibly be corrupted by those in the authorities by using power to oppress their people. But here, Christians, as a minority, are being oppressed by the regulations from the authorities. I can see that in the Western countries the antipathy towards Christianity is parallel with the antipathy towards governmental authorities. It doesn't happen here. Indonesia is known as a country that has many different religions and spirituality among the people, and each of them has a supernatural side. You can find Moslems, Christians, Hindus, Buddhists, and countless people involved with the occult religions here. Modernism has little effect, so the ideology of atheism is not too widespread. People believe in the supernatural entities and that's why they are more spiritually oriented [here]. I myself have experienced, seen and heard various supernatural happenings, like demonic exorcism and so on. This is one example of why I believe there are demons, angels, Satan and God, and [why I] believe which one is in charge. CoC: Any final comments for the readers of CoC? Jeff: Thanks for the interview. Please check out our homepage and if you are interested in our music, be sure you have a copy of our CD. You can e-mail for more info on how to obtain it. Keep supporting the underground! =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= H A T E R E G I M E W A R S ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ CoC interviews Necromanicide by: Alex Cantwell Necromanicide is a modern metal band, for lack of a better term, from Malaysia, of all places. Their debut release, _Hate Regime_ [CoC #34] is an interesting mixture of death, industrial, groove, thrash, and hardcore. I recently asked Simon See some questions regarding all things Necromanicide. CoC: When did the band form? Simon See: About late 1995. CoC: Were any of you in bands before? SS: No, this was the first band for most of us. CoC: What is the metal scene like in Malaysia, and what has the response been to Necromanicide? SS: The scene here is pretty happening. Most of our supporters are Malaysian Chinese and Indians. However, the people who actually purchase our material from retail stores are Malays. Most of the scene revolves around black metal and groove metal. The '80s metal thing is pretty dead here. CoC: Have you played shows? Where and with whom? SS: We have played in huge commercial shows before. Some were organized by a cigarette company, [some by] our record company, which is Pony Canyon, and sometimes churches!! We play with a few up and coming prominent bands like Wired, Infectious Maggots and Soul Mason, and sometimes we play alone. CoC: How have sales been for _Hate Regime_ worldwide? Please tell me about Pony Canyon. Who else is on that label? SS: _Hate Regime_? Well, I'm not to sure of the counts, but we are overjoyed that we're on the same label as Yngwie Malmsteen. Narnia was nearly with Pony Canyon, but then Nuclear Blast took over. Pony Canyon [Malaysia], as far as I know, is in charge of all Asian countries except Japan. So there are two main offices, one here and the other in Japan. I think the Japan [office] deals with non-Asian countries. CoC: My opinion is that your music is influenced by everything from thrash to stuff like Mortal. Being from Malaysia, how and when were you exposed to metal and who are your influences? SS: Most of the stuff that has influenced us comes from overseas. Some of the inspiration comes from the States, like Strongarm and Crucified. From Australia [there] is Metanoia and Horde. From Europe [there] is Deuteronomium, and [there's also] Kekal from Indonesia. Oh yes, I think the industrial bit was influenced by Klank and Brainchild. CoC: Why do you use so many vocal styles? SS: [To] spice things up. [They are] performed by two individuals. That's what you'll sound like after you eat Malaysian curry. CoC: Is the line-up for Necromanicide solid? SS: Adrian has left the band to form Soul Mason. The rest of the line-up remains the same. So we only have one vocalist [now], Andre. Thus, we are not too spicy now. CoC: I am aware that your country has a significant amount of witchcraft going on there. SS: Our drummer, J. Christopher, was an active occult member. He saw a few evil miracles performed by the spiritual realm. It was scary and the temporary power was released for his usage. But Christopher knew it was costing him his life and soul. He ran to God, and God delivered him and restored him. CoC: When can we expect some new music from you, what will it sound like, and do you have a title for a new CD? SS: We usually have the title last. For now, I think the music will be less spicy. [It will] probably dwell upon black to hardcore industrial. CoC: Final comments for the readers of CoC? SS: Check out our website for more Necromanicide info at: http://members.tripod.com/necromanicide =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= _____ .__ ___. / _ \ | |\_ |__ __ __ _____ / /_\ \| | | __ \| | \/ \ / | \ |_| \_\ \ | / 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! Ames Sanglantes / Flutter - _Split_ (Xerxes, 1999) by: Gabriel Sanchez (6 out of 10) Though in the past I have taken great lengths to praise numerous split releases from some of the lesser known composers of the noise genre, this particular output has me literally torn inside. On one hand you have Ames Sanglantes who came off as being less of a harsh noise extraordinaire and more of a Dissecting Table wannabe. On the other you have Flutter; a noise act which has improved leaps and bounds with every release to the point their work (which is still relatively unknown compared to other artists in the field) is humbling the outputs of some artists in the field whom many feel the need to jack themselves off to everytime they plop a new tape of boring, repetitious shit onto the market. Keeping this mind, I will skip slamming Ames Sanglantes' punishingly annoying output of utter electronic crap and skip ahead to Flutter, who really impressed me (nothing new) this time around. Flutter's solitary, lengthy track takes the artist into every region of the noise genre at one point by delivering a healthy dose of multi-layered feedback/distortion effects while augmenting the composition with some more dark and droning bits and even a bluesy harmonica opener to the entire deal. The entire Flutter experience reminds me of Pain Jerk on acid with a little _Pulse Demon_ era Merzbow tossed on top for good measure. The Flutter alone deserves a healthy 8.5 rating, but in the name of being fair, I can't overlook the terrible idea of combining an artist with so much promise and ability with one that is nothing more than a waste of tape. Buy this for the Flutter, and wisely use the other side to dub your friend's Best of New Order CD, as I assure you, even if you hate poppy electronic '80s music... it kicks the hell out of Sanglantes's shit. Contact: Xerxes, 203 Fujimori-kata, 1-4-5 Wakabayashi, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo, 154-0023 Japan Fax: **81-(0) 3-3487-3758 Ancient Ceremony - _Fallen Angel's Symphony_ by: Pedro Azevedo (8 out of 10) (Cacophonous, February 1998) After going through some considerable line-up changes (bassist and both guitarists were all replaced and there are two new female vocalists instead of the original singer), Ancient Ceremony return with _Fallen Angel's Symphony_. This new album is essentially based upon the same elements as their debut _Under Moonlight We Kiss_ [CoC #30], but with all the line-up changes and surely also because the band's experience has increased since their debut, _Fallen Angel's Symphony_ is clearly superior to _Under Moonlight We Kiss_ in practically every way. The female vocals are better, as one would expect since there are now two female vocalists, and the guitar work is more interesting than before -- it was perhaps their debut's main weakness. The music here is just better overall, and still mainly driven by the keyboard, which also produces better results this time. The male vocals still fit the rest of the music quite well, while the drumming is still less than interesting. More aggressiveness would have been very welcome here, but as far as mid-paced dark gothic metal goes, Ancient Ceremony have produced a fine album, in which the rather raw potential they had shown with their debut has been given a good treatment. Contact: mailto:ANDE4201@uni-trier.de WWW: http://www.iki.fi/mega/AncientCeremony/ Bethlehem - _Reflektionen auf's Sterben_ (Red Stream, 1998) by: Aaron McKay (9.5 out of 10) I am of the opinion that the longer I operate in the field of music the more (exquisitely) maddening it is. Look at how long a band like Bethlehem has been around -- almost a decade -- and I am only -now- discovering them! For shit's sake! I feel no need to waste a lot of time dissecting all six mostly superior songs on this emotionally powerful MCD. I -do- feel, however, that I would be remiss if I didn't mention a couple of things. For instance, "Yesterday I Still Had a Beer Today", or "Gestern Starb Ich Schon Heute" (from the previous _Sardonischer Untergang im Zeichen Irreligioser Darbietung_ (_SUiZID_) album); the latter, about two minutes in, exhibits some of the most crafted, hauntingly melodic guitar work I've ever heard. The music and lyrics of the song pull the listener from one end of utter uncompromising darkness to another without ever leaving the abandoned emptiness of Bethlehem's own particular breed of sickeningly black confusion. Since I mentioned lyrics, even though they are in German, the translation to English is worth your time. The "poems", as the band states, that accompany the music are horribly enthralling. To a somewhat lesser degree, the poems/lyrics Bethlehem invoke are mindful of early Dark Angel proliferations, a la master wordsmith, Gene "Drum God" Hoglan, only in Bethlehem's case, in German. The instrumental song, "Angst Atmet Mord" (English: "Fear Breathes Murder"), on _RaS_, just by itself, makes having this release completely worth it. Dark, bizarre, powerful and experimental. If any of these words tweak your interest and curiosity, definitely check out Bethlehem. Various - _Black Mark Tribute II_ (Black Mark, February 1999) by: Adrian Bromley (7 out of 10) Looking at the line-up of cover material on this record -- such as ABBA, Depeche Mode and Cream -- I was a little reluctant to give this a thorough spin. But I did, and much like with the previous instalment of this tribute series [CoC #22], I found myself digging some of the songs the various Black Mark artists opted to cover. While opener band Purity ruin the Police song "It's Alright For You", Quorthon gets absurdly folkie with The Beatles' "I'm Only Sleeping" and Hexenhaus do a passable cover of Cream's classic "Sunshine of Your Love", there are some notable winners here. Necrophobic do a violently killer version of Iron Maiden's "Moonchild", Edge of Sanity beef up Danzig's "Mother" and metal masters Bathory do a cover of the ultimate kind, by covering Black Sabbath's "War Pigs". A little lukewarm at times, but for the most part a good compilation. I still can't get Quorthon doing The Beatles out of my head. Bob Marinelli / Outermost - _Split_ (Distorted Vision Records, 1998) by: Gabriel Sanchez (8 out of 10) This release completes my little "Bob Marinelli" trilogy that I have been running in the last few issues. This time Bob Marinelli splits up with another of the lesser known Japanese artists, Outermost. Marinelli's side features more quickly diced and sliced wails of ear piercing electronic madness with some rather offbeat moments of bassy rumbles dropped in at intricate moments. There is also some experimentation with volume fluctuation on this track, which really works to emphasize a lot of the more powerful and completely maddening portions of the composition. Nice. The Outermost side features choppy and wild Japanoise the way I like it: with new sounds and a flair for keeping it harsh without falling into boring repetition. While there isn't a great mix of sounds all at once, Outermost makes good with the one or two he is playing with at that particular time through subtle drops in tone of the noise before throwing the listener off guard with the introduction of a new electronically charged sound theme. Even if Outermost isn't the most punishingly brutal Japanoise artist out there, he is certainly one of the most promising if he continues to produce and expand upon work such as that featured on here. As always, buy the Bob Marinelli for the Bob Marinelli. There is no way you can go wrong, in my humble opinion. But at the same time, be aware of the artists on the split side of Bob's many releases who do an excellent job of keeping the chaotic harshness going in their own unique ways. Excellent stuff, as always. Contact: Distorted Vision Records, 200 W. Fourth St., Mt. Carmel, PA 17851, USA mailto:tgbob@sunlink.net Broken - _Skytorn_ (Sterilized Decay, 1997) by: Aaron McKay (9 out of 10) Being the cranky ol' s.o.b. that I am, I -cannot- believe how fortunate I have been. Release after tumultuous release, I have found the plethora of artists to which I have recently been exposed to be rich in talent, deep in meaning, and skilled in music. Enter the band Broken at this point. Ever heard of them? -Not- Broken Hope (fuck yeah, brother!), but simply Broken. Me neither, but my good fortune continues and I am here to tell you I was blown away by this group. Broken has more "change-ups" in their songs than any -two- tracks on Dying Fetus' _Killing on Adrenaline_. What does that amount to -- half, or three quarter of a million?! Seriously though, with the same amount of effortless skill possessed by Dying Fetus, Broken execute brutal style change after brutal style change on _Skytorn_. Did you think Corrosion of Conformity's _Wiseblood_ was "riff-tastic?" You haven't heard Broken yet. They are described as "groovin' brutality". I cannot find two better words thrown together to more accurately communicate Boken's style. The way I see it, this English five-piece unit combines perfectly the essence of musical integrity and beat structured cadence originality. Here and there, a strategically placed mid-paced passage followed by a death growl blazes the way for a choppy, harsh musical force to follow. Track seven of nine on this disc is entitled "Emphasis". This particular song is so fuckin' thick the only description available to use here would be the musical equivalent of trying to pour molasses on an Iowa eve in January (know what I mean, Steve?!). If the fact that _Skytorn_ was recorded at Academy Studios (My Dying Bride, Anathema, Paradise Lost, Cradle of Filth) by Mags pushes any of your buttons, then add that to the list of many reasons why you should own this disc. Did you hear that double bass drum work on the swampy Louisiana-esque tune "Twisted Fate"? If you couldn't hear it blasting from my JVC wherever you are -- get your own copy! Contact: Sterilized Decay Productions, 62 Shearwater Crescent, Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria, LA14 3JP, England Carnival in Coal - _Vivalavida_ (War on Majors, 1998) by: David Rocher (7 out of 10) Spin the intriguing album _Vivalavida_ once, and four bands spring to mind -- Cannibal Corpse, Bal-Sagoth, Faith No More, and Boney M. Spin it again, and the ghosts of a whole load of bands will be summoned, such as Emperor, Gorguts, Waltari, Napalm Death, and many more... It seems to me this unearthly blend of influences is precisely what will draw Carnival in Coal as many roses as thorns, since their music is as amusing as it is infuriating -- and I -do- admit having to fight with my temper when I'm granted the right to sit through a two-minute bouncy, loathsomely happy disco session that suddenly mutates into a low-case grinding US death-metal riff a la Suffocation, with all the finesse this implies. Justice must be done to this band, though, for their impressive knowledge and savoir-faire when it comes to fusing the most eclectic influences, and whisking them up into a senseless display of creativity. Not all tracks are precisely amazing, and some even tend to be on the more uninteresting side of things, but Carnival in Coal undoubtedly demonstrate great talent when it comes to crafting the theoretically uncraftable. If you can put up with the very disconcerting absence of a serious, profound guideline throughout the whole of an album -- although Carnival in Coal's music is definitely -not- incoherent -- and are looking for something that will successively make you feel like doing the splits in white, tight-at-the-crotch, bell-bottomed trousers, then pulling a pair of leather chaps on and wrecking your neck intensively before considering fixing a pressure-sensitive light-show disco paving in your lounge, and all this in the time of one single track... then _Vivalavida_ is your beast. Dimmu Borgir - _Spiritual Black Dimensions_ by: Paul Schwarz (8 out of 10) (Nuclear Blast, March 1999) With _Spiritual Black Dimensions_ Dimmu Borgir have triumphed, in the sense that they have created a very worthy album, an album which is not only musically relevant today, but also quite enjoyable. _SBD_ is not by any means a total change in style for the band, and those of you familiar with _Enthrone Darkness Triumphant_ and even its predecessors would, I think, very quickly recognise _SBD_ as being a Dimmu Borgir album, but there are marked differences between this and previous releases. The key difference is an increase in speed and brutality: though keyboards and melody still play a very substantial part, the guitars are stronger on _SBD_ than they have ever been before. Many of the riffs are similar in that the guitars thrash while the keyboards play the melody line, but this isn't where the band stop, as they had a tendency to do on some songs on _EDT_ and last year's _Godless Savage Garden_ MCD; the guitars also spiral through some interesting melody lines themselves (including an almost melancholic lead on "The Insight and the Catharsis") and the keyboards run a more complex and mature course. Utilising Simen Hestnaes on a number of tracks was an interesting choice. His strange semi-choral vocals do give Dimmu Borgir a new angle, though in some ways the sections where he sings just end up sounding like Borknagar or Arcturus (his other bands). The main thing about _SBD_ is that it is better than its predecessor. The guitars churn out nastier riffs, the drums blast harder, the keyboard lines are more interesting and (the most important factor) the arrangements are -much- better. The build-ups can be fantastic and the explosions into fast and brutal playing after a more subdued section are often very effective. _SBD_ is a good album, but it is not even close to being a great black metal album. To me, great black metal albums need that raw, cold, bone-chilling feel which is key to the great and influential nature of early albums by Celtic Frost, Bathory et al. I don't mean just the sound of the second wave's early '90s classics, like _Pure Holocaust_, I mean albums like Satyricon's _Nemesis Divina_, which is far more comparable to our case in point than _PH_ is. Despite a very clear production and quite a substantial amount of multi-tracking, _Nemesis Divina_ still has that harsh feel, it still taps that vein of what black metal is about. _SBD_ fails in this respect; it doesn't sound sugar coated by any means, and there is a lot on offer here to enjoy, but not all the ingredients of a great -black- metal album are present. If Dimmu Borgir were hoping to make one of the greatest black metal albums of all time, then I think they have fallen far short of the mark. However,if their aim was to make a complex, mature, but also quite heavy record, then they have succeeded, and in an area where many bands fail miserably. Dog Faced Gods - _Random Chaos Theory in Action_ by: Jody Webb (8.5 out of 10) (Gothenburg NoiseWorks, December 1999) A sonic assault in the vein of Machine Head, Meshuggah, and Fear Factory, with just a hint of In Flames for the melody fan in you. These boys have got the guitars and double kick locked in and locked in tight, and at points I found myself wondering if Dog Faced Gods were going to out-Fear Factory Fear Factory, if you can follow that one. Not since Slayer's _Seasons in the Abyss_ have I heard such first rate thrashing as "Dirge", but on the downside this outfit loses points for blatant riff shoplifting on "Blindfolded", where they gank a Dino Cazares special. Despite this slip, ax slinger Conny Jonsson slaps some truly original effects on his tasteful solos, amounting to what I believe is a sweeping filter running through a flange. The result can be breathtaking, as on "Fractured Image", and is probably the only truly original idea on the disc -- but that's saying something, because few bands do anything original. I could go for a different throat, or better, no voice at all. This is thrash done so well, why muddle it with trite lyrics of remarkable mediocrity? A solid debut. Don Caballero - _Singles Breaking Up (Vol. 1)_ (Touch & Go, 1999) by: Brian Meloon (8 out of 10) Don Caballero are a band I never seem to understand right away. Although I've reviewed their previous two releases (_Don Caballero II_ [CoC #11] and _What Burns Never Returns_ [CoC #32]), I haven't been happy with the reviews a short time after writing them. Something about the music just eluded me. However, this album gives me a chance to catch up with the band. As its title would suggest, _Singles..._ is a collection of previously released material (all of which was unavailable on CD) and one unreleased track, spanning the years 1992 to 1997. It chronicles the progression of their style from a more "alternative" hard rock band to the abstract style they've developed recently. Most of the material is from their early days, with nine of the thirteen songs from 1992 and 1993. Despite this, the album shows a surprising consistency in style, for while their sound has developed and matured, the cornerstones of their sound were laid down with the earliest recordings. "What are these cornerstones", you ask? They are polyrhythmic layering and unbelievably dense drumming, mixed with simple and repetitive guitar and bass lines, complemented by a complete lack of vocals. The interplay between the various instruments makes this a challenging listen, as there are often two or three different parts being played at the same time. Underneath all of this, there's the phenomenal drumming of Damon Che, who is essentially soloing: playing an assortment of fills and rolls, and implying changes in the time signature on a sporadic and rapid basis, only to settle back in with the rest of the band at a later point. Many of the songs have a "live" recording sound, adding an air of jazz-like spontaneity to the music. As this is a compilation, the quality of the recordings does vary a little bit, but the sound is generally pretty good. Overall, this is about what you'd expect it to be: a good starting place for finding out about the band, and an essential collectible for longtime fans. Even Song - _Path of the Angels_ (Displeased, 1999) by: Aaron McKay (7.5 out of 10) I may throw out all my Theatre of Tragedy, Anathema, and some Within Temptation stuff. Why clutter an already crowded compact disc tower with a lot of music that isn't nearly as powerful as this group, Even Song? Of course I am joking about throwing out CDs, I'm too much of a packrat for that to ever happen, but you all get my meaning here, right? Displeased found themselves a real breath of air for this suffocating vein of music. The material on this effort is gloriously devoid of vivacity; sombre, yet an exploration into an ancient world of woodlandic faeries and moon-drenched serenity. A wonderful vocal presence on _PotA_ pulls on the listener's senses, dominating them with a thick cover of an ethereal female expression complemented by both clean and gluey-growl male vocals. The guitar work on _PotA_ is not overshadowed at all by either the percussion or the well-utilized keyboards. As a matter of fact, on track four, "Where the Devil Slumbers" (what a killer song title!), the riffing at about the three minute mark is some of the best I have ever had the pleasure to experience on any melodic doom disc. If you give this Hungarian quintet half a chance, or even half the time on their forty-five minute debut _PotA_, I am confident that you will also find reason to force aside a Celestial Season or The Gathering effort to make room for Even Song. Evoke - _Dreaming the Reality_ (Pavement Music, February 1999) by: Adrian Bromley (6 out of 10) This is quite a heavy record, chock-full of detonating riffs and a solid grind metal groove that kicks and punches 'till the bitter end. "Then why does it not get a better rating than a lousy 6", you may be asking? Why?! 'Cause the record goes nowhere. Sure it dips and grinds its way through twelve tracks, but we've heard all of this before. Though as a positive angle to this review, I have not heard guitar playing (superb stuff here) like this in a long time. Rarely in this genre of meaty grind death metal music can you get to hear stuff like this. Okay... maybe Morbid Angel. Anyway, take a bow, guitarist John Parkin, as you provide some light of hope in a rather lacklustre, "it's-all-been-done-before" record. That, unfortunately, is the "reality" of _Dreaming the Reality_. Feikn - _Helhesten/Aamanden_ (Horror Records, 1998) by: Alvin Wee (9 out of 10) Long gone are the days when black metal was something to be feared by the masses, and for only the true believers to drown their darkened selves in. Or so I thought, until I got into contact with Azter, the man behind Danish outfit Denial of God and head honcho of underground label Horror Records, and also a believer in preserving the sanctity and mystique of black metal -- it's no surprise that Horror's first signing prove themselves worthy of special mention in today's overcrowded, commercial scene. "Aamanden" opens quietly with Ulver-like folk guitars before the traditional fuzz takes over, painting a gently melodic soundscape with an atmosphere as impressive as Satyricon's early work or Enslaved's "Hordanes Land". In fact, the mix is suitably rough to create the ambience of atmospheric black metal in the early '90s: mysterious, dark and unfathomable. Segueing smoothly from early Ulver-style ragings into quietly moving angelic female singing and back again, Feikn's music is both heart-stoppingly beautiful and soul-damningly dark, all the way through to "Helhesten", a somewhat shorter but no less effective dirge. While Isaz's passionately tortured screams would bring ecstasy to any self-respecting Grishnackh fan, what is described in the flyer as "almost fragile singing" can more appropriately be blamed on an untrained female throat. Nevertheless, the atmosphere remains untainted, and Feikn prove that they have remarkable talent for combining passages of utmost melancholy with the mayhem of black metal, while never losing continuity. There is no doubt about it that Feikn reigns among the very best in atmospheric, truly underground black metal. God - _Sublime_ (Bestial, 1999) by: Brian Meloon (8 out of 10) This is God's second release, following _From the Moldavian Ecclesiastic Throne_ [CoC #35]. It follows in much the same style, but the music is more involved than last time, and it's more consistent. Gone are most of the "Viking metal" touches of their previous work, replaced by a more consistent melodic doom feel. The music features guitars and keyboards on an equal footing, with neither allowed to dominate the music to any degree. The performances are very good, with precise guitar work and competent drumming. The keyboards are again excellent, including an instrumental piano piece which sounds much like an etude by Chopin. The vocals range from growly to clean, and all are well-done. The production is a little faded, which takes away from the power the music would otherwise have. On the other hand, power isn't the band's main concern, and for the effect the band is going for, the production is adequate. In short, this should appease fans of gothic melodic doom, as well as generally open-minded listeners of all persuasions. Grip Inc. - _Solidify_ (Steamhammer / Media 7, January 1999) by: David Rocher (9.5 out of 10) In the space of three albums, it has become perfectly clear to me that referring to Grip Inc. as "Dave Lombardo's mob" any longer is a dire mistake, and may no longer even hope to do this band's immense talent justice. Agreed, _Power of Inner Strength_ probably -did- sound rather Slayer-ish, but who can decently blame skinsman extraordinaire Lombardo for bearing the musical stigmata of the once awesome thrash outfit he was once the flawless backbone of? The band's revenge upon this gratuitous flak saw the light in the shape of 1997's _Nemesis_, as Grip Inc. adopted a style that was far more personal, atmospheric and mature, and widely as efficient as the no-holds-barred metallic violence of _PoIS_. And here is the flawless fulfilment of the revenge Grip Inc. sought: _Solidify_ is the impeccable attainment of the goal _Nemesis_ reached towards, a definite milestone containing eleven tracks of metal that encompasses so many influences, styles and atmospheres that words fail to describe it correctly. The distance between the thrashing cavalcades of "Amped", the monstrous, nearly tribal grooves of "Griefless" and the obscure, angered melancholy of "Human?" is so immense that _Solidify_ unquestionably is the birthchild of four minds working together, not just a rockstar and his three stooges. Dave Lombardo's drumming is as intricate and energetic as ever, Gus Chamber's vocals have now extended to include low, disquieting complaints, and the band have found a very suitable replacement for bassist Jason Viebrooks in the person of Stuart Carruthers. For this almighty, crowning achievement, though, my reverence goes to the amazing axeman and songwriter Waldemar Sorychta -- not only for the bewildering, powerful, animal, -supreme- guitar work that _Solidify_ teems with, but also for the enrapturing atmospheres and huge sound he so finely crafts. Beyond all doubt, _Solidify_ embodies the violent, intense, multi-facetted osmosis of four competent and inspired musicians -- truly a lesson in the fine art of musical murder. Haemorrhage - _Anatomical Inferno_ (Morbid, November 1998) by: Paul Schwarz (6 out of 10) Haemorrhage are simultaneously disappointing and gratifying. They play grindcore with a smidgen of death in it which sounds -very- much like Carcass in their _Reek of Putrefaction_ era, with a slightly better production, right down to song titles like "Cirrhoetic Liver Distillation" and "Worminfested Cavities". It is disappointing because it really does sound like 30 minutes of missing Carcass songs. However, this is what, for myself as a Carcass fan, is also gratifying about this release, because _Anatomical Inferno_ is far from bad as far as albums of its sort go. It isn't as indecipherable and pointlessly hyperspeed as _Noise A-Go-GO_ by Gore Beyond Necropsy was, instead it has some poise. The band let loose, and they do it a lot, but they also grind out some monster riffs utilising their crushingly bass-heavy production, and thus create some room for build-up. The vocals are also pleasingly sick, brutal, and indecipherable for the most part. This is about as far from original as any record I have heard in recent times but, as rehashes go, I don't hear ones as worthy, or well produced, as this, very often. Contact: Morbid Records, Postfach 3, 03114 Drebkau, Germany Fax: (0) 35602/20636 WWW: http://www.morbidrecords.de mailto:morbidrecords@ranet.de Houwitser - _Death... But Not Buried_ (Displeased, 1999) by: Aaron McKay (9 out of 10) Maybe it is my intense admiration of this type of music or maybe it is simply that I have a special place in my (blackened) heart for Sinister, but this is honestly one helluva debut from Holland's Houwitser. Comprised of three parts Sinister-associated individuals (guitarist Michel Alderliefsten, growler Mike van Mastrigt and drummer Aad Kloosterwaard) and one part Judgement Day (bassist Theo van Eekelen), the band's premier effort _DBNB_ is so stunningly appropriate that it transcends the imagination. Due almost entirely to Mike's vocals, Houwitser sounds capriciously close to Sinister. Not often is this as -good- of a thing as Houwitser makes it. Songs hover about the two minute mark, allowing the group to explore a more concentrated wall of sound approach, if you will, to their death/grind/thrash-core. To boil it down -- very impressive. At times, Houwitser has transparent Gorgoroth tendencies with all the tightness of a Pro-Pain or Helmet without loosing so much as an ounce of creative singularity. A unique point of sheer genius comes with the opening of track eleven, "Fistfull of Vixen", originally recorded along with five other songs to shop around for label interest. In June 1998, Displeased showed plenty of interest in the fledgling Houwitser, having only formed in 1997, signing them for a dual release contract. "War, Blood & Honey" and "I Shape the Suffering", in addition to "Fistfull of Vixen", provide superior substantiation of the band's talent and possibilities. If _DBNB_ is this good, I hope that my patients lay in wait for Houwitser's next exercise in brutal aggressiveness. Volcanic ecstasy! Humectant Interruption - _Internal Feedback_ (Xerxes, 1999) by: Gabriel Sanchez (7 out of 10) Hey look, another release by Humectant Interruption (yah!). For those who don't know, HI is the brainchild of Spite Records' head honcho Joel St. Germain and they produce some fine harsh sounds that combine a dash of crunchy bassy nastiness with garnishes of feedback and moaning tonal effects. When it is all mixed together and properly heated for the right amount of time, what you have is a basic but effective composition that seems to entrance the listener more than punish him/her. This is not a criticism of Mr. St. Germain's work but instead a compliment, as unlike much of the over-produced power electronics trash that passes for noise these days, HI's compositions keep the listener attentive to the mixture, as opposed to letting the sounds fade away into the background and out of one's mind. As stated, there is nothing earth shattering or ground breaking about HI's sound, but there certainly isn't any room for major criticism of lethal attack. If more noise artists today aimed for this basic style and kept at it, I'm fully convinced the genre as a whole would be greatly improved. One can dream, can't they? Contact: Xerxes, 203 Fujimori-kata, 1-4-5 Wakabayashi, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo, 154-0023 Japan Fax: **81-(0) 3-3487-3758 Various - _In Conspiracy With Satan_ (Hellspawn / No Fashion, 1998) by: Aaron McKay (7 out of 10) I like compilations, by and large. Quorthon certainly deserves a tribute or two for all the inspiration that Bathory has fostered throughout the ranks of metal, black and otherwise, over the last fifteen years. According to Adam Wasylyk's interview with Quorthon in CoC #37, this disc has the distinct potential of becoming somewhat of a collectors' item due to the fact that there exists some legal strife between the tribute's label, Hellspawn, and Bathory's, Black Mark. If this gets pulled off shelves, it will be quite a loss for all concerned, I'm afraid. As Adam pointed out, some bigger names in the black metal community have chimed in with their horrific versions of classics, such as Marduk covering "In Conspiracy with Satan" and "Woman of Dark Desires", the second aforementioned track being the better of the two Marduk covers, I think. Emperor also rings in with their powerfully beautiful "A Fine Day to Die", as well as Satyricon setting ablaze the always efficient "Born for Burning". All these that I have brought to your attention are worthwhile, but they are -not- the reasons why I bought this release. No, sir. I bought _ICWS_ for two well-founded rationalizations: The Abyss and War. To be honest, I would crawl over broken glass and a whole truck load of straight-edge razors in the Sahara desert to listen to either of these two groups cover anything! On this CD they cover "Armageddon" and, appropriately enough, "War", respectively. Both are magnificent in sound and truly deserving of homage to Bathory. If you have the chance and you are lucky enough to pry this pearl from the oyster of your favorite record store, I might say get it while the gettin' is good. Macbeth - _Romantic Tragedy's Crescendo_ (Dragonheart, 1998) by: Pedro Azevedo (5 out of 10) I have given some very high ratings to some rather unoriginal albums in the past, but what's wrong with Macbeth's _Romantic Tragedy's Crescendo_ isn't just its major lack of originality. Each and every band member's performance and the band's performance as a whole, although not bad, are all just unremarkable compared to what's been done before in this genre. This Italian band essentially sounds and even looks much like early Theatre of Tragedy, as far as their ability allows them to. Basically, what happens is that the cover artwork, layout and album title all promise a Theatre of Tragedy-like band, and the album fulfils the promise. But then Macbeth are just average as a band -- they just aren't anywhere nearly as good as the best bands in the genre and, contrarily to some of them, add nothing new to the mix. An acceptable album, nothing terrible musically, but very unoriginal and overall just not good enough to be interesting when compared to the genre's best bands. One last thing, about the "tragic" component of the album title: confusing this (and a lot of what's done in this genre) with doom metal is a big mistake. Midnight Syndicate - _Born of the Night_ by: Adrian Bromley (8 out of 10) (Entity Prod., February 1999) While _Born for the Night_ is not an -album- of band material (meaning songs geared upon verses/chorus/verses), it is indeed a unique collaboration of work between Ohio's Midnight Syndicate duo (Edward Douglas and Gavin Goszka) and well-known gothic fantasy artist Joseph Vargo. _BotN_ is merely a soundtrack for all things gothic. It's got ultra-cool ambience, chilling atmosphere and enough sounds and noises to make you feel as if you are roaming a deserted castle or darkened forest in the middle of the night. Creepy at times, _BotN_ really does an excellent job of scooping out ideas and bringing them so realistically to the recording. With mostly ambient songs filling the majority of this record and some cool spoken passages by Vargo himself (not to mention cool artwork in the booklet), _BotN_ does its job. "The job being", you ask? The ability to make the imagination of the listener be enhanced by what he/she hears, thus transporting them to another time and place for the time frame of the LP. And to boot, this would make excellent backing music for a Halloween party, too. Contact: Entity Productions c/o Edward Douglas, 2260 Par Lane PH 22 Willoughby, Ohio 44094 USA mailto:edoug0001@aol.com WWW: http://www.entityprod.com Mindset - _A Bullet for Cinderella_ (Noise Records, February 1999) by: Adrian Bromley (8.5 out of 10) Visions of the amazing, yet now sadly defunct, Boston band Only Living Witness come highly into focus within the first few moments of _A Bullet for Cinderella_, Mindset's truly cool sophomore effort. Losing the rap/rock angle jutted into their previous effort, the new record flows nicely, with an abundance of killer hooks and utterly amazing choruses. This is a good record that shines alone on the direct notion that the band aimed to keep things simple yet rockin' this time out. With just enough anger and angst to fuel the material, _ABfC_ kicks a serious groove for the majority of the record, a record that moves in such a simple fashion, though never really showcases a dull moment. Singer Roddy Lane has quite a memorable vocal style, keeping things at bay one moment and the next returning a ferociously volleyed scream of anguish. Killer vocals and an interesting array of guitar and rhythm work is turned in from the rest of the quartet. Standout tracks are: "Laugh", "Sorry" and "W.B.P.M.". If any band had a second chance to do something worth listening to, then this is it. The band's debut was mediocre. This is truly a gem for those who like their rock meaty and melodic. Minotaur - _Power of Darkness_ (No Colours, 1998) by: Alvin Wee (9 out of 10) You'll sooner get a kiss from Glen Benton than find an original piece of Minotaur vinyl on the market. Even a die-hard follower of '80s metal like me hasn't been able to lay hands on their elusive _Death Metal_ EP. Hot on the heels of Exumer, Piledriver and Possessed re-releases comes these German thrashers' cult classic _Power of Darkness_ LP on CD format, accompanied by a slightly erroneous bio and a bonus track. Needless to say, lovers of German speed/thrash like Necronomicon, Destruction, etc. will get a hard-on just reading the song titles. Not to mention the excellent music: a raging slab of aggression and tightness unparalleled in other German legends like Iron Angel, etc.. Blasting their way through scorchers like "Fierce Fight", "Incubus" and the title track, there's no doubt about the cult status of this material. Veering wildly from straight-ahead thrash a la Kreator to almost Possessed-like speed/death and flailing solos, with even an occasional hint of Frost's sludgy heaviness, the ten tracks of utter mayhem never loosen their grip on you. Undoubtedly, this album will occupy the prized space between my Znowhite and Exorcist LPs, and if you're even remotely interested in those bands, there's no reason why you should deprive yourself of this amazing piece of cult. Moontower - _Moontower_ (Black Mark, February 1999) by: Adrian Bromley (8.5 out of 10) I'm really starting to wonder if Dan Swano will ever run out of ideas. This guy is a fountain of metal music creativity. From his lengthy work with Edge of Sanity onto other projects like Nightingale, Pan-Thy-Monium, Unicorn, Odyssey and Diabolical Masquerade (the list could go on forever), Swano has always been one step ahead of everyone else, for the most part. His music also delivers the goods, and then some. It's a real stunning characteristic that few musicians have in this metal industry. His work is built on ideas, expanded within the studio and etched into masterpiece format once it gets recorded. One of his newest projects (besides Odyssey, released on Canuck label Utopian Vision Music) is Moontower, and are we blessed with more unbelievable work or what? From opener "Sun of Night" onto "Add Reality" and "Encounterparts", we see and hear Swano masterfully weave his ideas into keyboard oriented progressive death metal. In sort of Rush-styled keyboard work, Swano truly goes the whole nine yards here, making Moontower stand out as some of his best work in years. While many fans of EoS might not like the excessive use of keyboards here, I recommend giving this a spin, as it really flushes a unique sound/style into a sometimes repetitive music genre (that being progressive metal). Moontower is just another highlight in Swano's impressive career. My Insanity - _Still Dreams in Violent Areas_ by: David Rocher (7 out of 10) (Parallel Union, December 1998) I'd never even heard of Parallel Union Records (who are mysteriously based in Sion, Switzerland), let alone of My Insanity, before I checked _Still Dreams in Violent Areas_ out -- an album which requires much more personal investment than a simple few cursory listens before it discloses the fine essence of its dark gothic metal. Some similarities with the once majestic Samael do come to mind, but the general tone of _SDiVA_ is very gothic, often constructed on mid-tempo structures, enriched by melodic guitar lines and vocalist Faust's smooth, low-case chants. Omnipresent keyboard parts sear this work with a fragile melancholy that is very often touching, and contrasts with the calm yet heavy guitar riffing and often muscular rhythm section. If a track like "Silence" is truly quite reminiscent of Sion's unholy trinity at the times of _Passage_, works like the awesome track "Tower" or the fine "A Girl in a White Dress" clearly demonstrate that My Insanity have the personality and potential to raise their musical craft high above the countless, tedious, bland acts that are now so hastily labelled "gothic". _SDiVA_ may indeed need three tracks to really pick up speed, but the pace it then attains, considering this is apparently the band's first effort, is far beyond what a blase metal listener like myself would expect to hear. If you are in quest for the soothing remedy to death metal's unrelenting, bludgeoning assaults, My Insanity can apply the balm you need. Necrophagia - _Holocausto de la Morte_ (Red Stream, 1998) by: Aaron McKay (8.5 out of 10) Are these guys one of the best kept secrets on the planet or what? -Any- band that lambastes me with samples of "The Exorcist III" from the get-go -instantly- has my respect. Appropriately released on last year's Halloween, _HdlM_ is Necrophagia's first new album in twelve long years. Yup, that's right, twelve years! Conceived in 1983 with the _Death Is Fun_ CD, this band could actually stand tall as a pioneer of the combination of gore/death metal tsunami prevalent today. This Ohio four-piece's second effort, _Seasons of the Dead_, went over in a huge way, further solidifying their stranglehold in the extreme carnage and bloodshed arena in which they operate. _HdlM_, or _Holocaust of Death_, is certainly the sharpened tip on their long spear of existence. Choppy, rough guitar licks and mercurial rhythms abound amongst _HdlM_'s eight tracks. Probably this writer's favorite aspect on this effort, other than Necrophagia's ten-ton style, is their more than adequate use of feedback in strategic places. This technique is brilliant when done well, and exemplifies immaturity when done otherwise. The latter point is of no concern to Necrophagia. I have heard few bands pull this guitar approach off as effortlessly as these guys. A real honorable mention, at this point, needs to be given to Red Stream for the monumentally staggering job they did with packaging this latest instalment of Necrophagia's blood-soaked existence. What a great job! In summary, I would have to say fans that could use a more rhythmic Cannibal Corpse and have an affinity for horror movies will eat Necrophagia's _Holocausto de la Morte_ up with a damn spoon. Negura Bunget - _Sala Molksa_ (Bestial, 1998) by: Brian Meloon (7 out of 10) Negura Bunget are a black metal band from Romania. Their style is fairly standard: raw, abrasive and straightforward black metal, with slight keyboard touches. The songs are often repetitive, and the tempos are slow to mid-paced, and tend to remain at a consistent tempo for long stretches. This gives the music a droning, trance-like quality. The performances are competent, with good drumming and guitar work. The music is primarily guitar-driven, with a few keyboards in the background adding atmosphere. The keys are simple, often just slow accompanying chords, but they fit well with the music. At times, the keys move into the foreground, but never really dominate the music. The vocals are the typical black metal screamed/rasped style. The production isn't terribly clear, but it is adequate for the music; a more powerful or clearer production wouldn't have made it any better. Overall, these guys are quite good, but they aren't really doing much to differentiate them from the throngs of other black metal bands around these days. Nevermore - _Dreaming Neon Black_ (Century Media, January 1999) by: Adrian Bromley (10 out of 10) I don't know where my head was at, but I forgot to review the best record of 1999 over the last few issues. I have to get this in. Metal fans need to know of the gold mine within the latest Nevermore offering, _Dreaming Neon Black_. Here goes. There is nothing like hearing a record for the first time and being blown away by it. This is a rare occurrence, usually, as most records take a few listens before you really fall in love with and/or hate them. Not the case with _DNB_. From the opening sound clip (from the movie "Lord of Illusions") to the abrupt end, the concept-themed ideas of _DNB_ work wonders for the listener. Shrouded within darkened wails from singer Warrel Dane and the mastery of his band's musicianship in the field of progressive metal (most notably the dual guitar work of Jeff Loomis and new guy Tim Calvert), this album unfolds like the true tale that it is. Not once are we left to wander from the story told. There is no downtime here. It all flows wonderfully and we can attribute that to the band's excellent musicianship over the years and Dane's truly heartfelt and gripping lyrical content. There's nothing like a good story and _DNB_ is just that. Tracks like "Poison Godmachine", "No More Will", the title track and "The Fault of the Flesh" are worthy of a listen, but to fully understand the treasure that this record is for the metal community in 1999, one must go from start to finish. You will not be disappointed. Many metal critics I know of have described this as one of the most impressive metal efforts of the '90s. Maybe even ever?! I could agree with those comments, but I'll let you be your own judge. But take it from me, there is a lot of crap out there (lots!!) and it is quite a rush to have something this good come around to show the others how metal music should be assembled. _DNB_ is basking in brilliance and Warrel Dane and Co. know this. Nokturnal Mortum - _To the Gates of Blasphemous Fire_ (The End, 1999) by: Brian Meloon (7 out of 10) This is Nokturnal Mortum's second full-length release, following on the heels of _Goat Horns_ [CoC #31]. This album follows in much the same style of epic black metal with significant classical and folk influences and, of course, their trademark dual keyboardists. However, this time around, the band has decided to opt for a more brutal and straightforward attack, downplaying the keyboards. That's not to say that the keyboards are any less interesting than they were, just that they're buried deeper in the mix. The music is still melodic, but the melodies aren't as prominent, and the music seems consistently faster to me. Much of the album has the dark atmosphere you'd expect from a brutal black metal album, but there are a few sections which are a little too happy and don't quite fit. The playing is superb: the drumming is precise and fast, the guitar and bass work is solid and the keys are excellent. The vocals are mostly rasped, with a few sections of clean spoken vocals. The production is powerful, with a full guitar sound and distinct drums. It's brutal without drowning out or blurring any of the instruments. Overall, I like this album, but I don't find it ultimately satisfying. It's just a little too straightforward and not diverse enough for me. I think that fans of melodic (but not over-melodic) black metal will enjoy it, but it's not the direction I was hoping they'd go. Obscurity - _Ovations to the Death_ (To the Death Records, 1998) by: Alvin Wee (9 out of 10) If Obscurity was a car, the horned one himself would get carsick just riding with them. A bullet-train rollercoaster ride through the pits of Hell just mightn't match up to the standards set by this hellish piece of fury, originally unleashed by the Swedish trio in 1986 as a demo. Its present incarnation as a no less obscure 7" from new label TTD Records (hail, Patrik!) reawakens an old-school black metaller's wet dream: a blazing piece of death/thrash metal with obvious nods to Slayer and Venom, all delivered at convincingly breakneck speed. Just listening to "Unblessed Domain" brings back the good old days of leather and spikes, downtuned guitars and cranky amps, certainly enough to give guys like Usurper a run for their money. Incidentally, the label also offers their later demo in the same format entitled _Damnation's Pride_, which, although less primitive than _Ovations to the Death_, packs the same, if not a greater, punch. So if _Reign in Blood_ turned you on, but you wish it had the blackness of _Welcome to Hell_, then don't hesitate to drop Obscurity a line (and $7 per EP). Contact: TTD Records, c/o Cronberg, Claesgatan 4B, SE-21426 Malmo, Sweden Orange Goblin - _Time Travelling Blues_ by: Adrian Bromley (8 out of 10) (Rise Above Records, February 1999) You like your stoner rock, people? Ya like it heavy? Ya want some? Need some? Have I got the band for ya. With a detonating guitar crunch and snarly, bluesy vocals in tow, England's Orange Goblin are one of the tightest stoner rock outfits out there. This follow up to the massively gripping debut _Frequencies From Planet Ten_ (1997) is laced with some ultra-heavy grooves and totally mind numbing doses of metal heaviness (a la Sleep / St. Vitus). Orange Goblin speaks to us with resounding results. Get swallowed within the mammoth walls of noise from such tracks as "Solarisphere", "Diesel (Phunt)" and "Nuclear Guru". How could you not want to crank this up? Light up, crank this and scare the fuck out of your neighbors! Orange Goblin wouldn't have it any other way. Overkill - _Necroshine_ (CMC/BMG, February 1999) by: Adrian Bromley (9.5 out of 10) Could this be one of the best Overkill records of the '90s? It just might be. I know it's hard to match the intensity of their last effort, 1997's _From the Underground and Below_, but _Necroshine_ really grows on you -- fast! From the ball busting opener onto the powerful "Revelation", "Stone Cold Jesus" and "Forked Tongue Kiss", _Necroshine_ has the stamina and strength to please any Overkill fan. While there is some filler material (some slow segues and what have you), for the most part _Necroshine_ shines and shines like a fiery phoenix. The grooves are thicker, singer "Blitz" has never sounded so rough 'n' ready and the mood of the album is swamped within a real dark, broody atmosphere. This kicks ass and I recommend any fan of Overkill and/or just good thrash/speed metal to grab a copy and witness one of the most consistent metal acts out there. Overkill rules. Period. Peccatum - _Strangling From Within_ (Candlelight, February 1998) by: Pedro Azevedo (8 out of 10) This Peccatum album risked disappointing those who wanted it to be as much of a more classically influenced version of Emperor as possible, as well as those who wanted it to have as little in common with Emperor as possible and just show a different side of Ihsahn's musical skills and creativity. Having been released just before Emperor's follow-up to their masterpiece _Anthems to the Welkin at Dusk_ comes out adds to this situation. As it turns out, you'll basically get a bit of each with _Strangling From Within_. Together with his wife Ihriel (who turns out to be a quite reasonably talented vocalist, except for her irritating screams on "The Song Which No Name Carry") and her brother (whose clean vocals are just about acceptable, except when he opts for a high-pitched approach), Ihsahn has produced an album which is at times rather brilliant and generally manages to stand on its own, regardless of how close it is or isn't to Emperor. This is mostly original and almost always progressive and creative music. A lot of experimentation and different ideas seem to have been thrown into this album -- sometimes a bit excessively, actually --, and therefore the songs are hardly ever predictable. While not every surprise is a pleasant one and the music occasionally stumbles upon some poor choices, the rather annoying "The Song Which No Name Carry", which isn't any better than its own title, constitutes the only major exception to this album's overall quality. Postmortem - _Repulsion_ (Pavement Music, February 1999) by: Adrian Bromley (7.5 out of 10) Okay, boys and gals! Time for some German death metal action. Time for Postmortem. Turn up the speakers and grab a beer! The veteran German metallers return to the scene with their latest death metal noise slab. How is it? Not bad. It rocks, it shreds. It's got all the makings of a reliable metal assault, something that releases by few bands -- especially veteran acts -- have (Metallica, Megadeth, Anthrax take note), nowadays. The thing that works here for Postmortem is the band's overall understanding that their music follows a certain pattern and style, a set mood that would most definitely be ruined had the band opted to bring various styles into the fold. Bottom line: this is a metal record as a metal record should be. Just listen to cuts like "Beyond the Bounds" or "Dreadful Sins" and you'll get what I am talking about. Explosive vocals caged within harrowing riffs and bottom heavy rhythm sections make _Repulsion_ desirable, not to be shunned. Shun all the other fucking metal acts that forgot what metal is. Give Postmortem a chance. Pro-Pain - _Act of God_ (Warner Chappell, 1999) by: Matthias Noll (8 out of 10) Last week I read a review of this album in a German magazine. The writer came to the conclusion that with _Act of God_ Pro-Pain have recorded the same album for the fifth time. Hell, to a certain degree that's exactly what I expect Pro-Pain to do. True, there is nothing innovative on this record -- so what? Other bands change and progress, but there are countless examples where this progression basically meant wimping out. Pro-Pain doesn't and they have followed their path with such an amount of stubbornness that I'm tempted to call them the AC/DC of metal. Even the accusation of recording the same album every time is not correct. _Act of God_ is still done in the same simple, no experiments, metalcore style Pro-Pain have used on their other records, but there definitely are differences. This time the metal riffing is slightly reduced and gives way to a more rock 'n' roll / punk oriented approach. Song structures are even simpler than before, mostly uptempo, with a minimum of breaks and tempo variations. This makes this album sound repetitive sometimes, but creates a relentless bulldozer charge atmosphere. Guitar solos can be found in every song and I really have to say that Tom Klimchuck once again does a great job there, completely avoiding any technical gimmicks, which is really refreshing. Soundwise, _Act of God_ has a great overall sound. The drums have received more attention this time around, being more powerful than ever. The guitars sound a little bit less distorted and not as much in the foreground as on their previous album, but I think this is a conscious decision, because the material is slightly less metal than before. Pro-Pain fans will love this album as they loved the others. Everybody else please take my advice: to really understand what Pro-Pain is all about, go and see them live. Only then the full power of this band will unfold and _Act of God_ is yet another brilliant soundtrack for a kick ass gig. Sarcastic - _Inside_ (Plutonium Records / Musica Alternativa, 1998) by: Pedro Azevedo (6 out of 10) Sarcastic had already proved to have some musical skills with their debut MCD _The Tale Begins..._ [CoC #27], so it's no surprise that _Inside_ is a competently written, played and produced album. Mid-paced synth-driven melodic metal can, on one hand, sell plenty of records, and it's generally not exactly a risky style for any reasonably skilled band. On the other hand, however, it can -easily- turn into a stale, tepid, unchallenging kind of music if the band isn't good enough. _Inside_ is an "easy" album to get into. It doesn't demand much from the listener. It's not aggressive or doomy, and it's not technically or structurally challenging. It is, nevertheless, well done -- within those boundaries, that is --, but it's just there, it doesn't really cause much impression; at least not to me. There are several catchy choruses (which tend to be overused) and nice melodic sequences, and the band generally performs well and shows some ideas, which is what saves this album. The average male vocals are well supported by the female vox -- coincidentally, the song I liked the best by far features only female vocals. Overall, _Inside_ just isn't as dynamic or memorable as some of the debut MCD was and therefore, despite some good moments, it's just a piece of well performed but rather uninteresting music. Serenity - _The Name_ (Bestial, 1998) by: Brian Meloon (8 out of 10) Serenity are a new band on the Bestial roster, and the most impressive I've heard yet. Their style is similar to the gothic doom of labelmates God (reviewed in this issue), but their music is lighter, more gothic, and more classically (and neo-classically) oriented. It's definitely keyboard-heavy, as a lot of music is keyboard-driven, and there are several keyboard-only sections. There are a few sections where the music is guitar-driven as well, reminding me of older Crematory (especially _... Just Dreaming_). The keyboards employ a wide variety of tones, including orchestral patches, organ tones and uniquely synthesizer tones. The music is generally very melodic, with melodies in both the guitar and keyboard parts. Although the music is generally simple, there are a few rather intricate sections, all of which are handled with surprising aplomb. There are some spoken vocals and some clean male and female vocals. The female vocals are excellent, but the male vocals are just passable. Unlike God, and contrary to what you might expect from the music, there are no growled vocals at all. Still, with the melodic nature of the music, the absence of growled vocals isn't a big surprise. There are a lot of instrumental sections and three full-blown instrumentals (out of seven total tracks). As with God, the production could be sharper, but as power isn't the band's main concern, it isn't a big problem. Overall, this is a very impressive offering. Fans of bands like The Gathering should find it to their liking. Skinlab - _Disembody: The New Flesh_ (Century Media, February 1999) by: Adrian Bromley (9.5 out of 10) I was raving about this band's five-song EP _Eyesore_ a few issues back [CoC #36] and it was for a good reason: it kicked my ass. Well, if that EP kicked my ass, then the band's second full-length, _Disembody: The New Flesh_, kicked me, stabbed me, gouged my eyes out and left for me for dead by the roadside. An unpleasant image, but that's the nature of the band's material and attitude. Skinlab play their music without compromise and you can hear that in every note; the whole gritty and hard-hitting angle just jumps out at you every chance it's given. Having been tagged as a cross between Machine Head and Neurosis (a fair evaluation), Skinlab have progressed further than that labelling could have taken them. With a new set of band members (ex-members from Skrew and Killing Culture), the momentum and deliverance of Skinlab's material has been heightened. It's not just in your face anymore. We're talking about full body assault, pummelling and not letting go 'till you're pinned to the floor, screaming in agony. Yes folks, this is -that- intense. Get pummelled as tracks like "Scapegoat", "Know Your Enemies" and "Coward" blare out of your speakers. Chock up another winner for Century Media, as Skinlab joins Nevermore's latest, _Dreaming Neon Black_, as probably the two best records you'll hear in 1999. Guaranteed. Sorcery - _Bloodchilling Tales_ (No Colours, 1998) by: Alvin Wee (8.5 out of 10) Still remember those days when _Left Hand Path_ and _Like an Everflowing Stream_ were on the lips of every death metal maniac? Well, Entombed and Dismember may have long since thrown in the towel (for most, at least), but there remain the faithful few who still cherish the crunchiness of Morrissound or the utter brutality of Sunlight and who will readily dig deep into their faded denim for a nugget like this re-released, long out-of-print Swedish cult classic. Originally recorded in 1990 at Sunlight Studios and mixed by Tomas Skogsberg (can you imagine any other combination?) and released on vinyl only, _Bloodchilling Tales_ obviously never caught on too well and was destined to become a cult legend. Until now, that is. While proving no match for the countless Malmsteens of today's Gothenburg scene, Sorcery present ten chunky slabs of raw heaviness and disharmony of the sort long buried with the death bands of the late '80s. What these boys lack in melody, they fully make up for in atmosphere and sincerity, their youthful aggression even more apparent on the two sludgy bonus tracks from an early 7" EP. There's not much left to say about this album, so heed this old fan's exhortations: if you loved _Altars of Madness_ or even have _Sumerian Cry_ in your collection, then hesitate no more. There's some life in the old thing yet. Swordmaster - _Deathraider_ (Osmose, 1998) by: Alvin Wee (8.5 out of 10) Followers of Swordmaster since their obscure debut EP _Wraths of Time_ have come to expect a unique intensity and melody from their material, which has since evolved from ultra-fast black metal to retro-thrash in the space of just two releases. This MCD takes the thrash concept to a new level, adding to the somewhat pedestrian _Postmortem Tales_ a noticeable amount of flair and melody. To say that tracks like "Deathrider 2000" and "Necronaut Psychout" are stunningly original would be an overstatement, but it's undeniable that Swordmaster do possess a certain character to call their own. From the mega-brutal death rumblings of "Iron Corpse" to the hummable riffage on "Necronaut Psychout", these boys deliver an amazing punch with impeccable musicianship and remarkable tightness that makes one wonder what mayhem this bunch could wreak on stage. The unexpected brutality of the total death metal "Iron Corpse" doesn't seem out of place, providing instead a welcome addition to an otherwise dangerously single-faceted affair (which _Postmortem Tales_ sadly turned out to be). Even more interesting is the bonus cover of The Aliens' "Stand for the Fire Demon". Rather than being a weak parody or fun-session the way most covers turn out, this last track very much steals the show with its atmospheric, melodic riffing, impassioned vocals and a solo that'll leave any true metal fan speechless. All in all, _Deathraider_ is a welcome reassurance for those disappointed by the mediocrity of _Postmortem Tales_, and serves to remind us that Swordmaster is possibly the most intense, and certainly still one of the best bands in Sweden today. Tchort - _The Heavens Are Showing the Glory of..._ by: Adrian Bromley (9 out of 10) (Raspudisc, February 1999) I've always had a fondness for the music of Tchort and the Family Mantis (now just Tchort). They've been good to the metal scene here in Toronto -- being one of the most popular and a regular club act -- and they've always seemed to be moving in the right direction with their music. The band's debut disc, _Nightside of Eden_ [CoC #17], was composed of a pretty good assortment of stoner rock, doom-laden ditties that screamed the influence of such metal acts as Cathedral, Black Sabbath and Trouble. Two years down the road and a lot has changed, besides shortening the band name. Sure the band is still doom metal-based and still has some sonic ties to Cathedral and Black Sabbath (with singer Eric Coucke sounding more like Ozzy Osbourne every day), but for the most part _THAStGo_ is a beautifully executed mishmash of abstract ideas, rebellion and utter dismay, that jumps out at ya like a ravaging pitbull. It's still rockin', but obvious ideals of such great bands like The Misfits and The Ramones play a heavy part in dissecting the metal every now and then and going for the utterly raw approach. This is a weird record but most importantly, a record that works. Numbers like "Building A-Bomb for Tomorrow's Today", "Clopus Clan", "Wonderland Gospel" and "Beezelbub Pie" fit well together, really establishing a good flow of things to come. The guitar work of Les Godfree has never sounded more potent and drummer Michael Borges and bassist Nick Sewell have never been so vengeful and tight as the rhythm section. This is metal music in a "rough 'n' raw" shape and sound and I'm proud to have a copy. Show your respect and see what all the fuss is about. Yes! It's -that- good. Terveet Kadet - _The Ultimate Pain_ (Solardisk, February 1999) by: Adrian Bromley (5 out of 10) Basking in ultra-heavy guitar riffs and the fiery fury of rough growled vocals, Terveet Kadet are not a bad band to take in; but after a few listens, their style of thrashy, ballsy metal/rock gets kind of old. Not to say that they aren't good musicians or what have you (they are quite good), it's just that the thrashy, reckless beats and rhythms fall short after a while. Think along the lines of Entombed, Dellamorte and Soulquake System, with a little less balls to their music and less creativity, though I must admit the track "Restless Soul" kicks the shit out of anything Entombed did with their latest crapping, _Same Difference_. Take a chance if you wish, readers, as it might be your cup of tea. I'll pass. Contact: Tervet Kadet, Box 29, 90251 Oulu, Finland mailto:sanna.ulmanen@kolumbus.fi Thirdorgan vs. [ISOFC] - _Neon, Garbage, & Worms_ (Spite, 1999) by: Gabriel Sanchez (7 out of 10) Admittedly, my exposure to both of these noise artists has been limited and, be that as it may, I find myself somewhat limited in my ability to properly critique the combo noise effort found on this release as it stands up next to their previous efforts. However, looking at this release purely on its own, I found it to be relatively basic in a lot of ways, though it certainly had its moments. It's difficult to pick apart exactly where each of the artists contributed; however most of this release sounded very Thirdorgan-ish to me, with a lot of harsh feedback assaults and quick changes in the various noise layers. What was really a problem for me with a lot of this release was the lack of imagination. Perhaps I am being a bit too hard on both artists, but in this day and age just doing some quick editing doesn't totally cut it for me. I want new sounds used in new ways with new editing techniques. Instead, it is the same old stuff, just done in that great Japanoise quick edit style. I suppose in reality there may not be too much to complain about, and in all truth, a lot of the noise on this release is far more entertaining than the current rave of artists who do a lot of low-end droning which does nothing but put my ass to sleep. For the novice noise fan, this will sound just groovy. However, if you are used to this kind of quick editing / feedback deal... you might want to look elsewhere for more experienced or cutting edge artists. Contact: Spite, PO Box 51653, Kalamazoo, MI 49005, USA mailto:mononanie@aol.com Throneaeon - _With Sardonic Wrath_ (Helgrind, April 1999) by: Paul Schwarz (6 out of 10) If only this had come out ten years ago, I could have given it a really, really positive review, instead of the honest opinion I am going to express about its appearance now, in 1999. Throneaeon are, very obviously, playing ball in the same park as Deicide have been (except on _Legion_) and still are, and the influence of other early Floridians such as Malevolent Creation also shows itself on this EP. Throneaeon's greatest assets are their near-flawless technical skills, their ability to pen brutal and well constructed death metal and their powerful and extraordinarily clear production. Unfortunately, the negative aspect is that they just don't sound original or fresh, even in a retro way. The ball really does fall in your court as a listener: if you want another release full of early-Florida-leaning death metal, then I would venture that Throneaeon should be one of the first bands on your list if you have all the early classics; but if you want something which you can hold up and say "this was made in 1999 and it sounds like it", then you'll just simply -have- to look elsewhere. Contact: Tony Freed, Lantvarnsgatan 17, 724 60 Vasteras, Sweden mailto:throneaeon@usa.net WWW: http://listen.to/throneaeon Various - _WWF - The Music Vol. 3_ (Koch International, 1999) by: Gabriel Sanchez (8 out of 10) So what the hell does an album full of themes for pro-wrestlers have to do with anything covered in this zine? Perhaps nothing, but most likely everything. In the eyes of the mass public, wrestling is viewed in the same light as much of the musical styles covered in this zine -- the lowest common denominator of the group in which it belongs to (in this case, wrestling being the lowest rung on the sports ladder and extreme music / metal being the lowest on the musical one). Beyond this, however, this collection of themes also touches on and taps into the extreme music field from Gangrel's theme, which mixes elements of cheap gothic tones and warped industrial guitar effects, to the Rage Against the Machine-style "ghetto metal" of D-Generation X or X-Pac's entrance music. Even a wrestler who represents the bar brawling, blue collar, rednecks of Texas like Steve Austin has a theme which is driven by a very industrial/electronic-esque sound, with the music itself being augmented by crashes and the breaking of glass. While none of these tracks are destined to be Top 40 Hits or even to earn the praise of people who are fans of the genres which they so liberally steal from, they stand as effective build ups to the wrestlers they represent. Perhaps one actually needs to experience the particular athletes whom these pieces hype the crowd up for in order to truly understand the power and emotion attached with them. It is hard to take a theme so obviously ripped from many modern goth/metal artists such as Gangrel's seriously until one experiences Gangrel's entrance on television and his malicious and unrelenting nature in the ring (nobody, and I mean -nobody- has a cooler DDT than Gangrel). So where does this leave you, the readers, in terms of buying this CD? I guess if you know the WWF and love the WWF, then you need to own this. It's a must have that you will find yourself continually listening to non-stop. However, for those not quite in touch with pro-wrestling today, you may want to spare yourself the cash as (to steal from the WWF's current advertising theme a bit) you won't be likely to "get it". =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= __ __ _ /\ \ \_____ __ /\ \ \___ (_)___ ___ / \/ / _ \ \ /\ / / / \/ / _ \| / __|/ _ \ / /\ / __/\ 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 Bongwater - _0000000002_ (3-track demo) by: Adrian Bromley (*****) As I had highly wanted it to sound and as I had assumed it would be, the new chapter of Bongwater's material is fucked. Fucked up. Look at it anyway you want, this is screwed up shit and I love it. Raw production and total attitude make this three-song demo a keeper in my books. Hell, the song "Pig Fuck" is worthy of praising on its own. Ever since we were sent their monster fuzzoid slab of goodness _Pissed Off and... Fuzzed Out_ [CoC #19], I have been eagerly waiting for the return of this truly talented band from out East. Still highly connected to the mystical, mind-altering sounds and visions of such heavyweights as Black Sabbath, Kyuss, Fu Manchu, and Monster Magnet within their material, Bongwater has left the sometimes lethargic stoner realm and ventured into the gritty rock/groove aspect of heavy rock music. Think Corrosion of Conformity meets Orange Goblin. Still jamming the stoner elements, with a bit more angst in their deliverance. Man oh man, I need a cold beer or something. This is too good. High on my demos of '99, and it's only March. Keep it coming, boys. I'm making a wish right now, hoping for a label deal for Bongwater (or at least interest) in the next little while. Something's gotta give, they can't be neglected. Contact: Neddal Ayad P.O. Box 204 Bay Roberts, NF Canada A0A 1G0 mailto:nayad@morgan.ucs.mun.ca WWW: http://www3.nf.sympatico.ca/nayad Core Device - _Core Device_ (9-track demo) by: Adrian Bromley (***--) I was thoroughly impressed with this demo -- from start to finish. While four songs here are from the band's first demo, it's kind of cool to see how the band has matured and become more experienced players come demo #2. Paying homage intensely to old school Metallica and a good chunk of the '80s/progressive metal community (Savatage, Helloween, etc.), Core Device is one of those bands that when things get going good (i.e., good groove), the band shines. For the most part, the band is strong, with songs like "When Comes the Rain" and opener "Falling", though at times it seems as though the band's gearing towards expanding their sound, and experimenting or "mixing things up" seems like a bad idea. When the band sticks to strong riffs and powerful vocals, it really does bring a smile to this metal fan's face. Also to note, the stellar production of the material here really helps bring out the band's strong characteristics. Unfortunately, I am missing the contact address for the band, so if the band is reading this, please submit it to CoC (we'll print it in an upcoming issue) so we can let people know where to get some good quality indie metal. One request, though: change your name, please. I was waiting to hear some out of control hardcore act when your demo surfaced to be reviewed. Thanks. Stay metal! Crucified Dawn - _Crucified Dawn_ (4-track demo) by: Adrian Bromley (***--) Eek! Where's the production on this demo? Was this recorded in a garbage can? Who is Crucified Dawn? And why are they so violently in your face? Hold on to your hats, kiddies; prepare for the unexpected. This totally unsafe death metal band grinds and grooves like a bat out of hell. Mix the sharpness of Obituary's metal influence with the insanity of Brutal Truth (though not as insane as Kevin Sharp and the now defunct BT crew). While Crucified Dawn may play music that appeals to most death metal fans, they have that extra little nuance of oddity that makes this an interesting listen and may make some metal fans scratch their heads. Who says death metal has to follow a formula? Fuck it up sometimes and you'll hear results -- if you're good. Good job, Crucified Dawn. By the way, the second track ("The Hand That Bleeds You") rules. Contact: Crucified Dawn, c/o Frank Kermes, P.O. Box 76195 St. Paul, MI 55175-1195 USA mailto:marduk50@ix.netcom.com Endymion - _The Aegis Of Apollo_ (4-track demo) by: Adrian Bromley (*----) No offense to Endymion, but can you guys speed this up a lil' bit? I'm falling asleep. Boring, overdrought atmospheric numbers that let loose bland riffs here and there, mixed with mediocre growls and drumming that seems half-assed. Endymion seems to have alienated the listeners with this demo, rather than draw them in. Boring. Contact: Endymion, 1200 W. 40th St. #204, Austin, Texas USA 78756 mailto:Iygrane@aol.com WWW: http://www.members.aol.com/iygrane/band.html Kormoss - _Four_ (6-track demo) by: Pedro Azevedo (****-) This new demo from Kormoss is, on one hand, a fine one as far as musical quality is concerned; but on the other hand, they really sound a -lot- like Samael now. I had already detected similarities to Samael in their second demo, _Screams From Night-Mary_ [CoC #29], but _Four_ sounds a lot more like the Swiss band -- not just instrumentally, but also the vocals, which are remarkably similar. The keyboards, however, didn't seem to move much in Samael's direction, but the overall sound did, even though this still sounds more like death metal than Samael does now. At any rate, despite the lack of originality, this is another quality demo from Kormoss, who have already proved to have enough skill to justify the recording of a CD. Contact: Nuno Araujo, Rua da Boucinha, Creixomil, 4800 Guimaraes, Portugal Mindflair - _The Multi-Orgasmic-Man_ (9-track demo) Mindflair - _Split w/ Belching Beet_ (5-track EP) by: Paul Schwarz (***--) These two releases by this German grindcore combo were sent to me on a single tape, and so I felt that a double review, assessing not only the quality of the music on offer but any progression between the two releases, would be appropriate and most beneficial to you, the readers. _The Multi-Orgasmic-Man_ is, quite honestly, not that impressive. Much of the demo is comprised of mostly fast and brutal, but rarely significantly interesting grindcore, and only a few tracks stand out. It is let down badly by a murky production and clumsy sounding drums. The vocals are OK but more or less bark out over the top of the music and sound badly disjointed. Surprised was I then, after my walkman turned the tape onto the second side, to find that I was actually quite into the new tracks from the band's upcoming split with Belching Beet. It is funny how production can disguise the quality of songs, for though these two releases share tracks, the production on the newer EP is so much better that songs I was before falling asleep during, while mumbling about the poor drum sound, I was now sitting up straight and quite getting into. I would give the split a chance, especially if you have a taste for the sick and brutal sounds of Groinchurn and their ilk, though, as my mark indicates, Mindflair are still a bit wide of the mark as far as being stand-out or special goes. With the production so obviously sorted, though, it could be the ideal time for the band to capitalise by writing some stunning songs too. Contact: Manfred Lahmers, Schubertstrasse 15, 67655 Kaiserslautern, Germany =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= ____ __ __ /\ _`\ /\ \ /\ \__ __ \ \ \/\_\\ \ \___ __ ___\ \ ,_\/\_\ ___ \ \ \/_/_\ \ _ `\ /'__`\ / __`\ \ \/\/\ \ /'___\ \ \ \L\ \\ \ \ \ \/\ \L\.\_/\ \L\ \ \ \_\ \ \/\ \__/ \ \____/ \ \_\ \_\ \__/.\_\ \____/\ \__\\ \_\ \____\ \/___/ \/_/\/_/\/__/\/_/\/___/ \/__/ \/_/\/____/ ____ __ /\ _`\ /\ \__ \ \ \/\_\ ___ ___ ___ __ _ __\ \ ,_\ ____ \ \ \/_/_ / __`\ /' _ `\ /'___\ /'__`\/\`'__\ \ \/ /',__\ \ \ \L\ \/\ \L\ \/\ \/\ \/\ \__//\ __/\ \ \/ \ \ \_/\__, `\ \ \____/\ \____/\ \_\ \_\ \____\ \____\\ \_\ \ \__\/\____/ \/___/ \/___/ \/_/\/_/\/____/\/____/ \/_/ \/__/\/___/ Z E U S H I M S E L F W O U L D ' V E B E E N P R O U D ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Bolt Thrower, Crowbar and Totenmond At the Hafenbahn, Offenbach, Germany on January 25, 1999 by: Matthias Noll Due to heavy traffic, I arrived a bit late and completely missed German death metal outfit Disbelief. As I entered the packed venue, their fellow countrymen, Totenmond, were already on stage. Their sound reminded me a bit of Carnivore: rather simple but brutal songs, alternating between ultra slow and faster paced hardcore eruptions. The German vocals were delivered in a commanding death metal style. The three-piece's latest album, _Fleischwald_ (Massacre Records), should appeal to most CoC readers who can tolerate German lyrics if the music is heavy enough. Decent show -- check them out! Crowbar received a huge welcome from the fans, which was definitely well deserved. Their sound was not perfect, but fortunately the heaviness of their material wasn't compromised. As with Bolt Thrower later on, older songs worked as well as the newer, more melodic material from _Odd Fellows Rest_. Crowbar demonstrated their respect for the fans when one of the crowdsurfers landed behind the barriers and a bouncer overreacted with the band witnessing it. I have seen bands yelling at the security before, but I wasn't prepared for the Crowbar way of dealing with such things. Sexy T and Kirk simply put their instruments down and started to move towards the security crew. This immediately solved all issues, and I tell you, I would run as if chased by Godzilla if these two guys were coming at me. Needless to say, the set continued without further incidents. Watching Todd's face during the gig while he churned out those monstrous bass riffs was by itself well worth the money. This is a guy who definitely feels what he's playing. To sum it up: if this band is on stage and you hear the vicious riffing of songs like "1000 Year Internal War", what other choice do you have but twist your facial muscles as if you're dying from internal bleedings, clench your teeth -- or better, bite on a piece of wood -- and suffer? After a short intro, the Hafenbahn instantly became a killing zone as Bolt Thrower mercilessly started their engines to unleash "Zeroed" upon the crowd. Driven by their new drummer Alex Thomas, who delivered a concrete backbone throughout the whole set, the band impressed from start to finish. One of the most noteworthy things about this gig was definitely the crowd reaction. While at death/black metal shows the audience usually stays rather quiet between the songs, Bolt Thrower received such an amount of cheering, yelling and fists up in the air as if the lost son had finally come home again. The set featured lots of new tracks from _Mercenary_ which proved to be as heavy and effective as older material. "Mercenary" turned out to be as vicious and brutal as the majestic "The IVth Crusade". "No Guts, No Glory" stood proud alongside "Cenotaph". Former Benediction frontman Dave Ingram, who has now joined Bolt Thrower, turned out to be a better replacement than I had expected, being very active on stage while his vocals weren't very different from the original versions with Karl Willets, whom I will nevertheless miss on future records. The rest of the band also performed very professionally and both guitarists constantly banged their heads like madmen while pumping out their grinding riffs. With the load of killer material Bolt Thrower have released so far (I'm just listening to _The IVth Crusade_ while I'm writing this review), my ultimate setlist could in no way be shorter than two hours, but this time the war machine seemed to be a bit short on ammunition (maybe because of the early curfew in the Hafenbahn) and finished their set after only 60 minutes. Besides that, they destroyed everything in sight. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= D E A D B Y D A W N ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Deicide, Rotting Christ, Aeternus, Ancient Rites and Behemoth At the London Astoria 2, England, February 14, 1999 by: Paul Schwarz A bill containing this many extreme metal bands rarely hits London at all, so it is rather ironic that Valentine's Day should see the arrival of such a horde of demons. Deicide once again did us the honour of bringing a killer line-up to London. Lots of bands meant an early start, though, and I managed to arrive a tad too late to catch all of Behemoth's set. However, the three songs I did catch were enough to indicate to me that Behemoth have some talent and certainly seem to have some luck or expertise at their disposal when it comes to mixing a live sound, since their percussive death/black attack was coming out of the speakers more like crystal clear spring water than the murky sludge an opening band usually gets for a sound. Ancient Rites were the next to take the stage. They are not a band whose music I am familiar with, but, as with Behemoth, the sound was thankfully of a quality where I could at least hear what they were playing. The band's central focus is black metal, but with a considerable amount of melody used, and death metal-esque sections thrown in here and there. They had a keyboard player, though he seemed somewhat under-used, and the vocalist interspersed his screaming with varied vocal emergences. Overall, the band were not bad and played competently, but their music made little impression on me. Aeternus were the first band of the bill whose music I had previously enjoyed. Their _... And So the Night Became_ album [CoC #33] is a sprawling, complex, diverse and epic work of black metal and not the kind of thing I expected would reproduce well in a live environment. Aeternus were evidently not attempting to re-create the full effect of their most recent album since no keyboards or even acoustic guitars were used; instead, the band opted to play only the heavy parts of their songs. This wasn't exactly bad, and considering the limited time and the length of this band's songs, it was probably necessary, but the performance did detract from one of Aeternus' greatest strengths: their ability to meld dark, violent, percussive playing with melodic and melancholic passages. The band played well, the drummer's time keeping being particularly impressive, and frontman Ares managed some invigorating contortions while playing which enhanced the band's stage presence. The band were let down a little by the sound quality, which was a tad murky and lost some of the subtleties which lie within their otherwise virtual whirlwind of a sound. Returning to these shores were Greece's Rotting Christ, and they played a set which I would go as far as to call triumphant. Beginning with "Cold Colours", from their new _Sleep of the Angels_ album, and continuing with a set composed primarily of new material, but also drawing from nearly all of their other releases, the band not only had a crisp, powerful sound bestowed upon their instruments; they also had a lot of energy on stage and were quite invigorating. Sakis held a striking presence, sometimes standing, almost proclaiming his lyrics to the crowd, sometimes head down thrashing on his guitar and often finishing songs with a mighty chop of the axe occasionally intentionally sounding the drummer's cymbal with his own hand. The two other up-front members of the band were energetic, though not to such an impressive extent. One problem I noticed, however, was that the vocals were not loud enough; they didn't match the volume of the guitars, drums, or even keyboard sometimes, and too many times were lost in the mix. Overall, though, a group of very worthy live performers who played a great set. Considering the amount of people crammed into the LA2, it would seem that Deicide's following has hardly waned since their early '90s heyday, despite what I would regard as a dip in the quality of recordings since 1992's _Legion_, and the chants of "Dei-cide, Dei-cide" before the band even hit the stage would seem to confirm how strong their following is. With a crisp and viciously percussive sound behind them, Deicide belted out an hour of material which included: "When Satan Rules His World", "Bastard of Christ", "Blame it on God", "Children of the Underworld", "Lunatic of God's Creation", "Serpents of the Light", "Deicide", "Slave to the Cross", "Dead but Dreaming", "Trick or Betray", "Behind the Light, Thou Shalt Rise", "Oblivious to Evil", "Father Baker's", "Sacrificial Suicide", "Once Upon the Cross" and "Dead by Dawn". Though this setlist is similar to the one they've been touring for a while now and rather neglects the aforementioned 1992 classic, the band had good news for those of us who wanted to hear some of their other material. Glen Benton said that, along with not selling out like Metallica and Slayer (I personally disagreed with that one) have and spending the rest of the year working on a new album, they would be re-introducing many of their old songs (he mentioned "Behead the Prophet" and "Blaspherion", among others) into a new setlist which they would be touring next year, when they will return to the UK. Returning to the subject of tonight's performance, Deicide were technically perfect, but lacked motion on stage -- the brothers Hoffman being particularly static. Steve Asheim never missed a beat and Glen Benton's voice was in prime condition, his screams and bellows still being some of the most brutal on the planet. Overall, the band did suffer from seeming a little un-animated, but the music and playing were totally there and the net effect was abrasive, to say the least. For myself, though, I'm holding my breath for next time. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= T H E F E A R O F S T R O B E L I G H T M O S H I N G ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Fear Factory, System of a Down, Spineshank, Nothingface At Irving Plaza in New York City, New York on January 19, 1999 by: Jody Webb Originally, the tour organizers booked this show into the 1500 capacity Irving Plaza on a Tuesday night in January. It sold out so fast they added a second show for the day before, a Monday. That sold out too. Moral of the story: next time, set up Fear Factory in the 3000 capacity Roseland to avoid human sardine packing experiments. I got in there before the doors opened, courtesy of a Roadrunner Records connection who arranged some interviews with Spineshank and Fear Factory. We talked with Johnny from 'Shank, who revealed a mysterious tattoo on his forearm and claimed that it was the same one Cobra Commander sported in the 1980s animation GI Joe. I'm not sure what that says about him, but I guess it's better than having Roy Orbison's face inked on your ass. I let my buddy Jerome talk with Raymond from Fear Factory. We also got an impromptu chat session with Matt Holt from Nothingface about guitars and such things, in which he mentioned a new guitar from some company which would be completely black -- pickups, tuning machines, strings, da works. I imagine black metal bands will bust a nut over this. Soon the New York crowd started trickling into the place and before long Irving Plaza was teaming with people ranging from about 15 to about 35. Then I got to witness something I hadn't really seen before. The crowd began to tear down all the banners for K-Rock, the local hard rock station who doesn't exactly support the bands on the bill, and played red rover with them, shredding them to bits while chanting "K-Rock sux! K-Rock sux!" and soon "S O U! S O U!", which are the call letters for WSOU at Seton Hall, the only 24/7 station in the US that plays real metal at 2600 watts. Nothingface sauntered onto the stage and a small but encouraging applause was heard and subsequently drowned out by the opening notes of "Grinning". The band was pretty good, but not as impressive as on CD, probably because they were on first and the engineers had a leash on the PA. Nevertheless, a beefy corps of moshers had broken the mosh pit cherry on Irving Plaza that night. I don't understand why people come into a show with a hockey mask, probably to hide their ugly mug. Next up was Spineshank who, despite a promo person's exaggeration to the contrary, were competent but boring, to borrow a greatly useful phrase from fellow reviewer Paul Schwarz. They did not change my opinion of them as I watched from the balcony above the ground floor. After a fifteen minute break, during which clips from "Evil Dead II" were shown, System of a Down hit the scene and a loud roar echoed through the concert hall. The guitar players were stripped, skinheaded and painted silver, while singer Serge was showing off his sequin jacket, much to his delight, I'm sure. I heard that they were having the show videotaped for perhaps a video, of all things, and their vibe was surely available in large amounts. The entire 700 person floor was in motion. I took a solid shot in the jaw during the second song and decided to sit out the rest of the set, or at least until the headache went away. I can't say that I'm a big fan of System of a Down, but they have certainly established themselves. So, after a good three hours of warm up, the machine known as Fear Factory took the place by force in a frightening display of lights and technical mastery with the monster "Shock". Did you see the Slayer tour last Summer? Slayer had these two cool as shit laser and light towers as part of their stage. Tonight, Fear Factory had SIX! Try to image strobe lights firing in the darkness like cluster bombs in time with the mind blowing syncopation of guitar and kick drum on songs like "Shock", "Self Bias Resistor" and "Zero Signal". Not an ear drum was spared in the next hour and half, no ass left unkicked. The set: "Shock", "Self Immolation", "Self Bias Resistor", "Zero Signal", "Edgecrusher", "Smasher/Devourer", "Scumgrief", "Replica", "Pisschrist", "Securitron", "Descent", "Demanufacture", "Martyr", "Resurrection", "Scapegoat". =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= W H A T W E H A V E C R A N K E D ! ! ! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Gino's Top 5 1. Black Sabbath - _Sabotage_ 2. Morgion - _Solinari_ 3. Napalm Death - _Fear, Emptiness, Despair_ 4. Monster Magnet - _Dopes To Infinity_ 5. Bethlehem - _Sardonishcher Untergang un Zeichen irreligioser Darbietung_ Adrian's Top 5 1. Space Age Playboys - _New Rock Underground_ 2. Overkill - _Necroshine_ 3. Skinlab - _Disembody: The New Flesh_ 4. Mindset - _A Bullet For Cinderella_ 5. Orgy - _Candyass_ Brian's Top 5 1. Gorguts - _Obscura_ 2. Sieges Even - _Uneven_ 3. Power of Omens - _Eyes of the Oracle_ 4. Serenity - _The Name_ 5. God - _Sublime_ Alain's Top 5 1. Dimmu Borgir - _Spiritual Black Dimensions_ 2. Flotsam and Jetsam - _Unnatural Selection_ 3. Enslaved - _Blodhemn_ 4. Forbidden - _Green_ 5. Monster Magnet - _25............Tab_ Adam's Top 5 1. Dimmu Borgir - _Spiritual Black Dimensions_ 2. Peccatum - _Strangling From Within_ 3. Bathory - _Jubileum Vol. 3_ 4. Taake - _Nattestid..._ 5. Fear Factory - _Obsolete_ Pedro's Top 5 1. Primordial - _A Journey's End_ 2. Thy Serpent - _Christcrusher_ 3. Peccatum - _Strangling From Within_ 4. Madder Mortem - _Mercury_ 5. The Haunted - _The Haunted_ Paul's Top 5 1. Manowar - _Sign of the Hammer_ 2. Sick of it All - _Call to Arms_ 3. Eugene "Hideaway" Bridges - _Born to Be Blue_ 4. Cenotaph - _The Gloomy Reflection of Our Hidden Sorrows_ 5. Krabathor - _Lies_ Aaron's Top 5 1. Broken - _Skytorn_ 2. Houwitser - _Death... But Not Buried_ 3. Epoch of Unlight - _Within the Night_ 4. Bewitched - _Diabolical Desecration_ 5. Exodus - _Another Lesson in Violence_ David's Top 5 1. Nokturnal Mortum - _To the Gates of Blasphemous Fire_ 2. Hypocrisy - _The Final Chapter_ 3. Malevolent Creation - _Eternal_ 4. Mundanus Imperium - _The Spectral Spheres Coronation_ 5. Grip Inc. - _Solidify_ Gabriel's Top 5 1. One Dark Eye / Macronympha - _Split_ 2. Various - _Freak Animal Compilation_ 3. MSBR / Die Lebensmittelvergiftung 4. Various - _WWF - The Music Vol. 3_ 5. Bob Marinelli / Outermost - _Split_ Alex's Top 5 1. Antestor - _The Return of the Black Death_ 2. Sentenced - _Frozen_ 3. Various - _War Dance - W.A.R. Records Compilation_ 4. Various - _From Kaamos to Midnight Sun_ 5. Various - _Chords of the Grave_ =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= _____ __ __ __ | \.-----.| |_.---.-.|__| |.-----. | -- | -__|| _| _ || | ||__ --| |_____/|_____||____|___._||__|__||_____| 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 ---- Our European Office can be reached at: CHRONICLES OF CHAOS (Europe) Urb. Souto n.20 Anta 4500 Espinho, PORTUGAL e-mail: ei94048@riff.fe.up.pt -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= 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 #38 All contents copyright 1998 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.