_______ __ __ __ ___ | _ | |--.----.-----.-----|__.----| .-----.-----. .-----.' _| |. 1___| | _| _ | | | __| | -__|__ --| | _ | _| |. |___|__|__|__| |_____|__|__|__|____|__|_____|_____| |_____|__| |: 1 | |::.. . | `-------' _______ __ | _ | |--.---.-.-----.-----. |. 1___| | _ | _ |__ --| |. |___|__|__|___._|_____|_____| |: 1 | |::.. . | `-------' CHRONICLES OF CHAOS e-Zine, Thursday, May 4, 2003, Issue #61 http://www.ChroniclesOfChaos.com Co-Editor / Founder: Gino Filicetti Co-Editor / Contributor: Pedro Azevedo Contributor: Adrian Bromley Contributor: Brian Meloon Contributor: Paul Schwarz Contributor: Aaron McKay Contributor: David Rocher Contributor: Matthias Noll Contributor: Alvin Wee Contributor: Chris Flaaten Contributor: Quentin Kalis Contributor: Xander Hoose Contributor: Adam Lineker Neophyte: Adrian Magers Neophyte: James Montague Spiritual Guidance: Alain M. Gaudrault The individual writers can be reached by e-mail at firstname.lastname@ChroniclesOfChaos.com. (e.g. Gino.Filicetti@ChroniclesOfChaos.com). >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>><<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< Issue #61 Contents, 5/4/2003 ---------------------------- * Editorial * Chats -- Amon Amarth: At War With the World -- Overkill: Alive and Breathing * Albums -- 40 Below Summer - _Invitation to the Dance_ -- Abscess - _Through the Cracks of Death_ -- Amon Amarth - _Versus the World_ -- Anthrax - _We've Come for You All_ -- Baptism - _The Beherial Midnight_ -- Behemoth - _Zos Kia Cultus - Here and Beyond_ -- Bethlehem - _Suicide Radio_ -- Bile - _Demonic Electronic_ -- Black Witchery - _Desecration of the Holy Kingdom_ -- Blood Duster - _DFF_ -- Bloodbath - _Resurrection Through Carnage_ -- Carpathian Forest - _Defending the Throne of Evil_ -- Cephalic Carnage - _Halls of Amenti_ -- Cephalic Carnage / Anal Blast - _Split_ -- Clandestine Blaze - _Fist of the Northern Destroyer_ -- Daemonlord - _Aarstrand_ -- Dark Fortress - _Profane Genocidal Creations_ -- Darkthrone - _Hate Them_ -- Destroyer 666 - _Cold Steel... For an Iron Age_ -- Destruktor - _Brutal Desecration_ -- Dissimulation - _Maras_ -- Endless Time - _Ancient Tales_ -- Engine - _Superholic_ -- Entombed - _Sons of Satan, Praise the Lord_ -- Estrogenocide - _Estrogenocide_ -- Finnugor - _Black Flames_ -- Funeral Inception - _Anthems of Disenchantment_ -- Gospel of the Horns - _A Call to Arms_ -- Graveland - _Memory and Destiny_ -- Hand of Doom - _Dreams of Resurrection_ -- Internecine - _The Book of Lambs_ -- Kaliban - _The Tempest of Thoughts_ -- Katatonia - _Viva Emptiness_ -- Kittie - _Safe_ -- Koldborn - _First Enslavement_ -- L.Minygwal - _E'er_ -- Lunaris - _...the Infinite._ -- Macabre Minstrels - _Morbid Campfire Songs_ -- Ministry - _Animositisomina_ -- Morgue - _The Process to Define the Shape of Self-Loathing_ -- My Shameful - _Of All the Wrong Things_ -- Mykorrhiza - _Mykorrhiza_ -- Nagelfar - _Virus West_ -- Nazxul - _Live_ -- Overkill - _Wrecking Everything: An Evening in Asbury Park_ -- Project: Failing Flesh - _Beautiful Sickness_ -- Quo Vadis - _Passage in Time_ -- Rapture - _Songs for the Withering_ -- Revenge - _Triumph, Genocide, Antichrist_ -- Sammath - _Verwoesting - Devastation_ -- Sargatanas Reign - _Euthanasia... Last Resort_ -- Satanic Warmaster - _Black Katharsis_ -- Serpent Eclipse - _The Seven Desires & Wolves' Blood_ -- Shadows Fall - _The Art of Balance_ -- Slaine - _NON_ -- Solstafir - _Black Death_ -- Stand-Up Guy - _Immobiliare_ -- Strapping Young Lad - _SYL_ -- Tefra - _7/10ths to Madness_ -- Teratism - _Ex Infernus_ -- The Prophecy - _Ashes_ -- The Quill - _Voodoo Caravan_ -- Thy Repentance / Nuclear Winter - _Split_ -- Tomahawk - _Tomahawk_ -- UDO - _Man and Machine_ -- Until Death Overtakes Me - _Prelude to Monolith_ -- Uphill Battle - _Uphill Battle_ -- Vader - _Revelations_ -- Various - _Better Undead Than Alive_ -- Verdict - _Reflections of Pain_ -- Ywolf - _Trilogy of the Night_ * Demos -- Big Baby Satan - _Big Baby Satan_ -- Frantic Bleep - _Fluctuadmission_ -- Indesinence - _Ecstatic Lethargy_ -- Manifold Object - _Mirrorlike_ -- Nattstrype - _Where No Life Exists_ - Nattstrype - _Skapad Ur Morkrets All Helveteskap_ - Nattstrype - _The Art of Misanthropy_ * Gigs -- Shadows Fall Over Columbus, Ohio =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= __, __, _ ___ _, __, _ _, _, |_ | \ | | / \ |_) | /_\ | | |_/ | | \ / | \ | | | | , ~~~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~~~ N E W A N D N O T E W O R T H Y ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ A reflection of our first month by: Gino Filicetti So it's been a month, and things are going smoother than I ever would've expected. Since the unveiling of the new Chronicles of Chaos, we've been consistently publishing approximately 20 articles every 4 or 5 days. I know this is an amazing amount of material, but it is actually the backlog of material from our 6 month absence. With this last batch of material recently published we've completely worked through our back log; from here on in, articles will be published as soon as they are submitted and proofread. It has also been a month since our message board went live. So far, 73 people have signed up for an account. Things have yet to really get rolling, but I'm hoping more of our readers will stop in to join the discussion. All we need is your involvement. Also released at the beginning of this month was our first CoC digest. As predicted, our digest looked almost identical to an old school issue of Chronicles of Chaos thereby appeasing the CoC purists. Our latest batch of material features the debut of two new writers. Adrian Magers hails from the strip malls and trailer parks of Ohio. Now officially our youngest staffer, this guy lives and breathes metal and all things extreme. Some of you may recognize our second writer, James Montague, from his own album review page: Ager de Semine Obscura (http://www.geocities.com/james_montague). James has decided to throw his hat in the ring and take up the CoC cause. As our first Australian contributor, we're hoping to get a fresh perspective out of him (if living in London hasn't already tainted him, that is). We're proud to have both of these guys on board and look forward to their many contributions to come. Make sure you spend a few minutes browsing our new Current Picks section as well. There you can find up to date information on what each member of the CoC staff is cranking most often. Enjoy the new material everyone! Head over to the CoC Message Board (http://www.chroniclesofchaos.com/board), sign up, and let us know what you think of the new Chronicles of Chaos now that a month has passed. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= _, _,_ _, ___ _, / ` |_| /_\ | (_ \ , | | | | | , ) ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ A T W A R W I T H T H E W O R L D ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ CoC has a little chat with a war-mongering viking by: Chris Flaaten Amon Amarth were doing interviews to promote their great album _Versus the World_ and due to geographical proximity, I was given the honour of chatting with vocalist Johan Hegg. There was a slight problem though: insanely short notice, and the fact that I didn't know Amon Amarth's music too well. Fortunately, I don't need to know much since I am after all the guy asking the questions. I went straight to the point and asked Johan to talk a bit about the recording of their newest release. "We are extremely happy with the new album. There were quite a few things we did differently this time. First of all, we had the material 100% ready before we entered the studio. We also used a different studio this time around, because Tagtgren's Abyss was fully booked. We chose to work at Berno Studio and are quite pleased with the result." What about the content? "We pushed on in every direction this time and basically added more of everything. It's more epic, more varied and has more melodies. We have retained our previous brutality too, I think. Olli [Mikkonen, guitars], who creates all the music, sees music in a great way and creates unique melodies and harmonies. This has allowed us to find our own niche within melodic death metal, instead of melting into the Gothenburg scene. I think we have distanced ourselves even further from other acts with our new album, because it is 100% us. No compromise this time." So, how have the reactions been from press, fans and label? "The reviews so far have been amazing, and that's of course a positive thing for us. The fans have seemed to like it so far too, so it's all good. Metal Blade has been very supportive, and we are very satisfied with them. We have a very open and honest dialogue with their German office, and they lets us do our own thing." After doing no less than three tours after _The Crusher_, it should come as no surprise that the band will be performing live again shortly. "We are currently negotiating a US tour, but nothing is certain yet. We'll be playing at the Wacken Tour in April with bands like Sodom, Tom Angelripper and Mob Rules. We're also confirmed to play some festivals, including Bang Your Head, Summer Breeze and Decibel." So... everywhere but your homeland then? "We played at the annual Close-up party in Stockholm in November and that went really well. Sweden is a dead market for us, though. Our brand of death metal doesn't really do much for our countrymen it seems, unlike the Gothenburg scene and especially In Flames who sell tons of records in Sweden. We also face a lot of prejudice and misunderstandings here. Some have called us racist because of our Viking lyrics, which is completely ridiculous of course. We even have a multi-cultural line-up, for crying out loud! But we're used to fighting against our surroundings. Versus the world, you know? The lyrics on the album deal a lot with ourselves, really. It's a concept album about Ragnarok, but it can also be used to describe our own situation." Since it seems like Amon Amarth is out of place within Sweden, I guess you draw inspiration mostly from non-Swedish bands? "Yes. Absolutely. We listens to all kinds of music, of course, but I know Olli is a huge fan of bands like Slayer, Motorhead and Merciful Fate. The good, old stuff, you know?" Sadly, I was out of questions a bit ahead of schedule, and had to let Johan go. If I had actually had a chance to listen to their discography before doing this thing, I would have had at least a couple more questions -- and a lot of praise, because their last album features some really outstanding songs. I suggest you use the spare time 'created' by the shortness of this interview to visit your local record store and purchase _Versus the World_. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= A L I V E A N D B R E A T H I N G ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ CoC talks to Bobby Ellsworth of Overkill by: Adrian Bromley I think it is safe to say that Overkill lead singer Bobby "Blitz" Ellsworth talks more than me -- which is quite impressive. Like his rapid-fire screams on stage, his offstage chattering is pretty much the same: loud and expressive. And much like the last four times I have talked to Ellsworth, he has a sure lot on his plate to talk about this time: the band's new album _Killbox 13_, working with producer Colin Richardson and his near death experience from a stroke last summer. Let the gabbing begin... "The process of making record after record is very similar, and obviously we have a formula that works for us, but what it comes down to is if you [the fans] like the record or not", starts Ellsworth about the creative process. "We've always put everything of what we had into each album. We hold what we do with very high esteem and we always work extra hard to get the best out of each recording. We have been very lucky to have been doing this over two decades now. When it comes to the process sometimes you get different results, but it is also relatively predictable of where an Overkill album is going to fall. What you don't know is how far from the mark it will hit." I think it is safe to say the album was pretty close to what people wanted with an Overkill album in 2003. "True. I love this record. I'm always the guy who says the record is too new and I don't want to talk about it. The thing that makes this record stand out is the cohesiveness of it all. There is just this fucking vibe that is going on. If any particular song was missing, say "Struck Down", this album would feel a lot lighter and that is the way I feel about it. I have always said that Overkill has never abandoned their past and I think this record is the truest definition of that. We [the band is rounded out by bassist D.D. Verni, drummer Tim Mallare and guitarists Dave Linsk and Derek Tailer -- Adrian] are in a position to blend together the present with the roads we have walked on prior but still by doing so it just helps us reinvent things or make it seem fresher." And no doubt bringing producer Colin Richardson (Fear Factory, Machine Head) in as producer for _Killbox 13_ helped shake things up as well too, right? "Yeah, it was great to work with him and have him grab the reins of this record from the beginning", notes the singer. "We have a lot of respect for Colin and he has a great understanding between the guitars and drums on a record and that is what makes a metal record. No matter what metal album he has worked on, and there have been many, you can always hear this sound and connection. It has been ten years since we worked with a producer and for some guy to tell us we could do things better, I was thinking to myself, 'Who the fuck are you? I'll knock you right out of that chair you limey fuck!'", he says, laughing. "But you know what? It worked! I have a lot of respect for the man -- plus he is a nut. He is stage diving off the console in the studio and he just got so wrapped up in this project. It is almost as if he wrote the songs and we are performing them. You gotta love that commitment and that is just another rediscovered element that has made this record that of a higher level." For some reason, I hear (no pun intended) a lot of _I Hear Black_ in this album. Because you said before that the album takes from the past and brings into the future to some degree, when you play back this album, do you hear different eras of the band? Ellsworth agrees and offers up, "I hear many similarities with records from the past but again that is from the standpoint of reinvention. I hear sometimes a little bit of _Taking Over_ on "Unholy". I most certainly hear _I Hear Black_ on "Crystal Clear", as well as _Necroshine_ on "Devil by the Tail" and a _Years of Decay_ / "Elimination" feel on "Damned". I mean that is just a few of my thoughts, but you can really go through the new album and see and hear a definitive blend of what Overkill sounds like. This band has had a lot of personalities and that has always carried over into Overkill's music." And thankfully -- unlike some of metal's other veteran acts -- none of the modern sounds of today's music has seeped its way into Overkill's music over the years. "Exactly. First and foremost, the music we create is all about Overkill. I don't care what kind of music Fred Durst is putting out or what Korn are doing right now. Bands like Audioslave, Metallica and Testament are doing what they want and have no say in how we go about doing stuff. I run my band as a business and we do things our way only, and by having that philosophy we don't end up polluting the pool. We are able to swim in our pool and do what we want and don't let those others in it. To some degree that might have stifled us in the past at certain times, but the other side of the coin is that we are still having this conversation. There has to be some validity in what I am saying. Maybe James [Hetfield; Metallica] is laughing at me all the way to the bank, but I am counting my success in days." And while Ellsworth (and the band) has had to take on the music industry over the past few years, he alone has also had to deal with a lot of other serious issues plaguing his health over the last few years -- one notable incident was a stroke he had last year while on tour in Nuremberg, Germany. After all that you have been through and to have carried on, you are indeed a trooper. It is a miracle, when you think about it. "It is either tenacity or stupidity", comes the bellowing laugh from the frontman. "We'll never know really what it is that has kept myself or the band around this long, but we go on. The thing that makes it all worth it right now is that this album is very full of life. Events in your life are what make you who you are. Everybody has their crosses to bear and I had mine happen in public while I was onstage, when I am twitching and foaming at the mouth. That would have looked great had we captured that for the DVD!", he adds humorously. "The next day after the incident the president of Spitfire called me while I was in the hospital and I apologized, saying, 'I'm sorry we didn't have a camera there. They said my eyes were all rolled back into my head and I was twitching crazy onstage'", he says, laughing hysterically. He finishes off, "What you see is what you get with myself and Overkill. We've known each other for sometime now, Adrian, and it doesn't mean I am going to be Mr. Happy and Joyful next time you see me, but quite obviously I have my principles, which I hold very dear to myself, and I live by these fucking things. It is isn't about throwing out all the bullshit and when the chips are down to just pack it up. Hopefully someday on my gravestone it will say, 'They finally got me to lay down for good'", he laughs. "The thing about all that has happened to me is all that I am faced with these choices: can I live in the problem or can I live through the problem? These are the only two choices I have always faced and I have chosen to live through them. It is just the Overkill way." =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= _, _, __, _,_ _, _ _, / \ | |_) | | |\/| (_ |~| | , |_) | | | | , ) ~ ~ ~~~ ~ `~' ~ ~ ~ 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! 40 Below Summer - _Invitation to the Dance_ by: Aaron McKay (3 out of 10) (Warner Brothers / Reprise, 2001) Why I received this album -so- late is beyond me. It is now June at the time of writing -- six months into 2002 and I just got this CD in the last couple of weeks. Why? Is the company giving this band a final push in a not-so-mainstream outlet for metal? Possibly, but CoC?! 40 Below Summer is what I call radio metal. You know, Alien Ant Farm, Disturbed, Linkin Park and the like. Positively riddled from beginning to the welcome end with non-stop monotony like a mandatory week long insurance seminar. The catchy production on _Invitation to the Dance_ is obviously attributed to GGGarth Richardson (Kittie, Ozzy, Rage Against the Machine), but he had very little to work with. It's tough to make eggs with just a skillet, fire and Pam non-stick spray -- know what I mean? This is your brain. This is your brain on 40 Below Summer... Contact: http://www.40belowsummer.com Abscess - _Through the Cracks of Death_ (Peaceville, 2002) by: Paul Schwarz (8 out of 10) Many a rabid Autopsy fan has maligned Chris Reifert and company's work as Abscess over the near-ten years since the former dissolved to give birth to the latter; but since the release of 2001's _Tormented_ the majority of Autopsy fans have warmed to Abscess. Perhaps it was because their Listenable Records debut injected a big, urine-soaked shot of Autopsy into the punky grindcore sound of early releases like _Urine Junkies_ -- an unsurprising turn of events when you remember that _Tormented_ essentially reunited the _Mental Funeral_ line-up. To these ears at least, _Tormented_ was a clear cut above anything Abscess had delivered previously, but still failed to rank much above "good" in my estimation. _Through the Cracks of Death_ is a distinct improvement. Acid-drenched as much in the sense of a smiley face on a blotter as a melting one in a gutter, Abscess' fifth full-length blends the necrotic sonics of Autopsy -- the "chainsaw" guitars, mid-range-boosted, "clacky" drums and brown-noise-worthy bass -- with catchy, rockin' riffs and structuring tricks. Lively, thrashy, rockin' little ditties like opener "Raping the Multiverse" or follow-on "Mourners Will Burn" are juxtaposed by creaking, doom-and-dirge-ridden death-trips like "An Asylum Below" or "Die For Today" to form an album that is pleasantly varied, but unfortunately lacking in both consistency and considered structuring -- the latter principally applying to the album's closing three tracks. More than merely "good" and of probable interest to fans and non-fans of Autopsy alike, _TtCoD_ is a worthy entry into the "progressive" sub-section of the gore metal canon, despite falling a marked distance short of the "innovative" one. Contact: http://www.peaceville.com Amon Amarth - _Versus the World_ (Metal Blade, 2002) by: Pedro Azevedo (8.5 out of 10) Maybe it's just because I had relatively low expectations for _Versus the World_, but it has managed to surprise me in more than one way. First of all, it's a nice touch that Metal Blade have released a special double-CD version which, for a bit more money, gives you Amon Amarth's two demos and their _Sorrow Throughout the Nine Worlds_ EP [CoC #12]. The band has also moved to Berno Studio and produced the album by themselves rather than staying at the Abyss with Peter Tagtgren, which resulted in a different (if slightly less impressive) sound. But most importantly, whereas I had envisioned _Versus the World_ as most likely proving that Amon Amarth had stagnated and become a thoroughly predictable band, they have actually managed to tweak their music in such a way that they have stuck to everything Amon Amarth have been about in the past while adding some interesting touches and subtle variations. The fact is that while I had expected to grow tired of _Versus the World_ very quickly, it ended up among the three or four records I've spun the most in recent months. Anyone who has kept an eye on Amon Amarth over the years is likely to notice the ways in which they have matured on this remarkably consistent album. _Versus the World_ can be heavy and percussive when Amon Amarth want, it can hook you with dynamic buzzsaw riffs, or it can go into a doomy, disenchanted mood. Above all, it manages to keep the listener interested throughout. I am especially pleased by the way they have successfully incorporated some more doom influences into their sound, resulting in some excellent contrast with the more defiant, aggressive sections. The result is a great album that excels both in the Swedish death metal department and the doomier aspects, making it a recommended purchase. One more thing, though: can you -please- make a slightly more distinctive front cover for one of your future albums? Contact: http://www.amonamarth.com Anthrax - _We've Come for You All_ (Nuclear Blast, 2003) by: Xander Hoose (9 out of 10) It's quite a shock to realize that even though five long years have passed since the last Anthrax album, it could just as easily have been ten. That's not to say that neither _Stomp 442_ nor _Volume 8: The Threat Is Real_ were any good, but they never managed to top the _Sound of White Noise_ album, which is considered one of the best Anthrax albums ever and definitely the best Bush-era one. However, instead of slowly fading into obscurity, Anthrax has vigorously worked on their tenth album (not counting _Attack of the Killer B's_) which is also being released exactly ten years after their _SoWN_ masterpiece. _We've Come for You All_ is a no-holds-barred monstertruck ride, easily capable of satisfying both younger and older fans with its fine-tuned compromise between thrash metal, melodic rock and a fine dose of groove. "Refuse to Be Denied", "Safe Home" and "Think About an End" have the same hit potential that "Only" had, while the threesome "What Doesn't Die" / "Nobody Knows Anything" / "We've Come for You All" belong to the list of Anthrax's most powerful songs, featuring excellent drumming and riffing. Charlie Benante claims a prominent role throughout the album and seems to be less afraid of showing his skills as a drummer, while newcomer Rob Caglione proves to be a fine addition to the band, with Anthrax now having room for twin guitar parts. Experimental songs can also be found on _WCfYA_: "Black Dahlia" comes as close to death metal as Anthrax will ever get. "Cadillac Rock Box" is a very laid-back Californian-style rock song, and those who manage to get their hands on the digipak edition of this album can also listen to the acoustic version of "Safe Home" and a Ramones cover. Anthrax seems to be back on track, that's for sure. Without making artistic or commercial compromises, they manage to sound natural and honest and still cater to the needs of both older and newer fans. Provided this album receives proper promotion, Anthrax will once more be a force to be reckoned with. Contact: http://www.anthrax.com Baptism - _The Beherial Midnight_ (Northern Heritage, 2002) by: Matthias Noll (7.5 out of 10) More Finnish blackness from the excellent Northern Heritage label. Needless to say that Baptism play underground black metal without keyboards, female vocals or other ingredients that separate the true from the false in the black metal courtroom. Baptism differentiate themselves from the pack by concentrating on a more mid-paced approach and even inserting some traditional-sounding metal riffs, which for a change do not bear the Tom G. Warrior brand. Between some speedier and more aggressive tracks, _The Beherial Midnight_ mainly radiates depression, melancholy and sorrow. The atmosphere, rather than the actual execution, makes these Finns comparable to the more depressive acts like Xasthur or Abyssic Hate. Obvious worship of Darkthrone and other "big names" is kept to a rather low level here and I'm positively surprised that mainman Lord Sargofagian (who has recently joined Satanic Warmaster) and his two sinister brothers in arms (Slaughterer on "Four-string Deathsaw" and Demonium handling the "Hammers of Crucifixion") seem to have already managed to secure their own stylistic niche with this, their first album. However, _The Beherial Midnight_ does suffer a bit from a production which is raw and unpolished but lacks bite and punch, and sounds a bit too dry. Recorded on savagery level 11 with additional distortion and sharpness, Baptism's style (especially the more metallic bits, which I'd like to hear even more frequently in the future) could become far more devastating than this. Nevertheless, Baptism show a lot of potential and this is a quality release that is certainly worth getting. Behemoth - _Zos Kia Cultus - Here and Beyond_ by: Pedro Azevedo (9 out of 10) (Avantgarde Music, 2003) I was thoroughly impressed by Behemoth's _Satanica_, which marked the beginning of Behemoth's more overtly death metal era. Its successor _Thelema.6_ also made a considerable impact, but ended up exhibiting a lot less staying power than _Satanica_ -- which means I overrated it by one mark. This serves to illustrate the fact that I had mixed expectations when I first opened the massive digipak that comes with the special edition of _Zos Kia Cultus_: on one hand I was quite certain Behemoth would again display their remarkable technical merits, but on the other hand I wasn't so sure I would still be spinning the album a month later. As it turns out, _Zos Kia Cultus_ is more of a _Satanica_ than a _Thelema.6_ for me. It shares both albums' technical qualities and boasts an even more crushing production than they do, but it is a lot closer to _Satanica_ in terms of hooks that make you want to go back to it after a while. _Zos Kia Cultus_ displays even more of a death metal influence than before, with Morbid Angel and even Nile-like sounds stepping to the forefront here. It is often slower and less frantic than _Satanica_, more calculated, and that sometimes lowers the intensity level a notch. I would have liked more of the flowing melodies of "Blackest ov the Black" in place of some of the slightly overused slower riffs on a couple of tracks early on in the album. But these are minor complaints, as _Zos Kia Cultus_ shines for its massive production, superb drum work, intense riffs, and monstrous vocals. If Nergal had been a preacher of some sort, he would surely have been able to whip vast audiences into a veritable frenzy with his distinctive, intensely harsh, determined voice. _Zos Kia Cultus_ proves that Behemoth are a huge force in the death metal world today, able to stand eye to eye with virtually any other band. Together with Immolation's _Unholy Cult_, Blood Red Throne's _Monument of Death_ and Bloodbath's _Resurrection Through Carnage_, _Zos Kia Cultus_ is (although for different reasons) among the most powerful and engaging death metal records I've heard in recent years. Contact: http://www.behemoth.metalkings.com Bethlehem - _Suicide Radio_ (Red Stream, 2003) by: Aaron McKay (6 out of 10) Always changing. Always evolving. Always creative. Bethlehem consistently pushes hard against the grain of experimentally dark, ambient metal. One thing remains the same with these hopelessly dispirited German veterans -- only change is constant from one release to another. Total running time of this 2003 offering into the furthest reaches of a distorted mind is just over thirty-six minutes. Generally speaking, the "special edition" of _Suicide Radio_ is a wickedly intense glimpse into a graphic computer sub-conscience packed full of multimedia perks. Playing this effort as a regular CD, however, is not an option; a computer is a must -- and therein lies the rub, Watson! Four movies and five songs await the computer savvy Bethlehem fans able to navigate the requirements to launch this disc. Largely well-done remixes complete with better-than-average sound quality haunt Bethlehem's newest release, but the presentation is lacking in versatility. While the "extra" CD-ROM bonuses are mostly appreciated, having the option for use in one's car or home CD player would be pretty high up there on the necessity chart. Depressingly sadistic in nature, as was intended, _Suicide Radio_, when placed into my computer drive, is exactly what this band stands for: an exploration in depravity, abandonment and despair. Contact: http://www.redstream.org Bile - _Demonic Electronic_ (Bile Style, 2002) by: Xander Hoose (8 out of 10) I had given up hope on Bile after their horrible _Sex Reflex_ album, which didn't even get a proper release outside the States. Going from the excellent _Teknowhore_ to _Sex Reflex_ was like trading in your gothy vamp girlfriend for the fat chick working at Burger King -- very ugly indeed. With bandmember Krtzoff's solo album _The Nightmare Before Krtzoff_ (advice: don't buy this load of crap) hitting my desk a couple of days earlier, I had to admit my hopes were even lower than low. So what a surprise when I popped in _Demonic Electronic_. Even though it's not the equal of _Teknowhore_, this album is a big 'fuck you' to people who complain that electronics and metal are not supposed to be mixed. Heavier than Ministry, crueler than Static-X and with far better songwriting skills than The Berzerker, Bile maim and destroy with electro-deathmetal songs "Legion" and "The Devil's Bile". They slap the wrist of commercial pop with "Celebrity", "Clones" and "Jerk", and with highlights like "Prime Time Loser" and "Demons", Bile is back at what they do best: make crazy shit. The extras (Atkins mix of "Jerk", KMFDM demo of "Teknowhore") are nice, but _Demonic Electronic_ is harsh enough to convince without them. Contact: http://www.teknowhore.com Black Witchery - _Desecration of the Holy Kingdom_ by: Matthias Noll (7.5 out of 10) (Full Moon Productions, 2002) Following the split CD with Conqueror, titled _Hellstorm of Evil Vengeance_, this is the first full-length by Black Witchery. The first booklet page sets the stage quite well by hailing "all Black Cult WarMetal Terrorist Elitist Goatworshippers who praise the true Black Metal Underground Darkness". Additional salutes to Blasphemy, Conqueror, Revenge and Impiety leave no doubt which audience Black Witchery are targeting with _Desecration of the Holy Kingdom_. Unfortunately the following pictures of the three band members look as menacing as a bunch of kids dressed up for Wimpoween, which together with the whole 'trver than trve' attitude which is on display here starts to backfire and triggers an eerie voice in my head which keeps whispering "poseurs, poseurs". Leaving the task of identifying and eliminating every poseur in Florida to the re-animated Nasty Savage, I have to say that _DotHK_ is nevertheless quite impressive. This is not as over-the-top as Revenge or Conqueror, but Black Witchery have at least managed to record an only slightly inferior war metal version of Marduk's _Panzerdivision Marduk_. It's mainly the cascading style of riffing, the rhythmic vocal delivery and the inexorable blasting from start to finish which justifies this comparison. Sound-wise, Black Witchery come across as a lot dirtier and less polished, and it's the overall approach rather than the actual chord progressions that makes Marduk come to mind. I see quite some room for improvement, especially in the vocal department --permanently adding a second voice or different vocal effects like in the title track could work wonders, reducing some of the monotony while upping the violence level even further. Overall this is quite a decent record, but one which ultimately doesn't really manage to keep the listener interested from start to finish. Still, a salvo of two or three tracks at the right point in time can be a deadly affair, and this could be the right purchase to satisfy your appetite for more war metal once you give the impressive new Impiety (_Kaos Kommand 696_) a break. Blood Duster - _DFF_ (High Voltage Records, 2003) by: Xander Hoose (9 out of 10) Blood Duster's full-length _Cunt_ received quite some mixed reviews. Their return to no-nonsense death metal Aussie-style was a joy to those who enjoyed Blood Duster's early material, while fans of their later material criticized the lack of groove and rock attitude. _DFF_ (short for "Drink, Fight, Fuck") is an acceptable compromise between the two. Even though this EP is very short, with only six minutes of actual music -- which includes two splendid GG Allin covers: "Drink, Fight, Fuck" and "Let's Fuck" -- the remaining material gives a good idea of the direction Blood Duster is heading: short songs (none clocking over one minute) that are very accessible and very reminiscent of the _Yeest_ songs. There's still the Blood Duster trademark humor (check out "66.6 on Your FM Dial") and the production is still heavy as a brick. Let's hope there's a new full-length in the works soon. Two points of critique on this album, though: leave the noise tracks out, and 55 minutes of silence is plain annoying. The EP is good enough on its own, without the bullshit. Contact: http://www.bloodduster.com Bloodbath - _Resurrection Through Carnage_ (Century Media, 2002) by: Pedro Azevedo (9 out of 10) Every once in a while, an all-star project is born in the metal world that seems destined to harvest critical accolades and delight fans alike. Bloodbath are doing just that with their old-school Swedish death metal. The _Breeding Death_ EP served as a successful introduction to the band, but clearly that initial release was but a prelude of what was to come. _Resurrection Through Carnage_ is an album that cynics may think would have earned plaudits regardless of its quality, just for the sheer weight of the names on its line-up: Mikael Akerfeldt (Opeth, vocals), Anders Nystrom (Katatonia, guitar), Jonas Renkse (Katatonia, bass) and Dan Swano (most notably ex-Edge of Sanity, drums). Fortunately, however, this album is just so damn enjoyable that I doubt it would get any less honours had it been released by a bunch of unknowns -- it might get less attention, but it's hard to deny its honest, straightforward appeal. Ironically, for all the big names in Bloodbath, the only influences one can notice from their respective bands of origin relate to Swano's early Edge of Sanity. Couple that with proudly worn influences such as old Entombed and Dismember, and you get Bloodbath: a modern look at old-school Swedish death metal. Nystrom seems to be a bit of an Entombed and Dismember freak, as his guitar work on this album demonstrates, while Swano contributes more than a handful of ideas, riffs and melodies that bring back pleasant memories of Edge of Sanity (which he apparently intends to reform with a view to creating something like _Crimson_ part two, according to reports). Akerfeldt's vocals are of a relatively deep, gravelly variety; a bit different from their Opeth demon vox, but with plenty of smart inflexions and hooks to make sure they connect well with the riffs and melodies. _Resurrection Through Carnage_ is guaranteed to get virtually anyone who is into extreme metal tapping and humming along to the dirty yet powerful guitar tunes and vocal lines, the more percussive riffs, and Swano's simple but effective drumming. This is pure, unpretentious metallic enjoyment from beginning to end. [Aaron McKay: "You know when you've met your match. No matter how many times I go through this CD, I come back to the same thing -- this is as good as it gets. I tried -- believe me, I tried -- to find some blemish or imperfection that I could cite against Bloodbath. There were none to be found. Songs all throughout _Resurrection Through Carnage_ have hauntingly innovative guitar parts courtesy of Katatonia's Anders Nystrom sometimes laid over the brutish and raspy growls of Opeth's Mikael Akerfeldt. Listen after listen, start to finish, I am nonetheless amazed by the power of this album! It has my highest endorsement."] [Gino Filicetti: "I must say, it has been a LONG time since almost EVERY track on a new album has moved me as much as the sheer masterpiece that is _Resurrection Through Carnage_. My first taste of this album came when I heard the second track, "So You Die". To my great delight, the rest of the album held its own -- and then some -- against this benchmark. Perfection has definitely reared its seldomly seen head, just try and prove me wrong."] Contact: http://www.bloodbath.biz Carpathian Forest - _Defending the Throne of Evil_ by: James Montague (4.5 out of 10) (Season of Mist, 2003) Towards the end of the 1990s, as most of the Norwegian black metal scene were busy diluting their own essence with modern electronics, disco beats, Barbie dolls and whatever other un-kvlt stuff came their way, Carpathian Forest maintained their dignity as one of the few remaining devotees to old-school ethics. So naturally, I was quick to snap up their latest offering when it hit the shelves a few months ago. There was a catch, though -- the marvellous anti-evolutionary albums _Black Shining Leather_ and _Strange Old Brew_, though released in 1998 and 2000 respectively, consisted of old material dating as far back as 1991. _Defending the Throne of Evil_ is a 21st century affair, and the scene is a lot different these days. As soon as the opener, "It's Darker Than You Think", burst out of the blocks in a flurry of blast beats and bombastic keyboards, the alarm bells went off in my cranium. Suddenly my trusty old Rambler had power steering, anti-lock braking and comfy velour seating. I wasn't sure I could live with this, but I gave it a test drive anyway. The result? It functions correctly, but it's not the bone this old dog likes to chew on. The band plays solid and brutal black/death metal at a medium-fast pace, without too many blast beats, and have certainly retained their sense of humour with their OTT band pics and song titles like "Put to Sleep Like a Sick Animal!!!" and "Christian Incoherent Drivel". But these few small rewards come at a cost. Like so many of their compatriots these days, the band simply tries to do too much, too quickly. The songs all race along with one forgettable riff after another, weakened by the band's newfound appreciation of keyboards that provide nothing but constant irritation in the background. Terrorizer Magazine defends the turn towards ubiquitous keyboard usage, stating that "before the purists get out the lynching ropes it should be pointed out that said key-work is very much of the fill out the sound variety...". Well, this purist must ask the question "Why bother at all, then?" See, this is the problem with Carpathian Forest attempting an album like this. The band has always had limited talent, but operated so well within these restrictions with their catchy arrangements and true spirit. When a band like this attempts to "fill out their sound", buoyed by an over-professional sound, they only succeed in pointing out their own deficiencies. Unfortunately, Carpathian Forest have tried to do too much in too small a space, and now they too have diluted their essence. Contact: http://sacrificulum.narod.ru Cephalic Carnage - _Halls of Amenti_ (Willowtip Records, 2002) by: Xander Hoose (7.5 out of 10) Part one of three in a splendid set on Willowtip Records, _Halls of Amenti_ is a 19-minute long doom track that shows a completely different side of Cephalic Carnage. Even the toughest fans might have some trouble recognizing this razorsharp dark-as-fuck slab of doom as being the product of the same band that twists and turns everything from black to death to grind in songs that make your neighbors want to commit suicide. Anyway, where was I... Ah yes, _Halls of Amenti_ is aggressive doom. Don't expect your pussy-style Paradise Lost gothic doom here. Even with clean vocals, all subtleties are lost on Cephalic Carnage as they groan and churn their way from peak to peak (making it fairly obvious that this EP was written with split songs in mind). I tend to agree that this material might be too big a leap for the regular Cephalic Carnage fans, but doomsters will probably soil themselves while listening to this. Ugh! Cephalic Carnage / Anal Blast - _Split_ (Terrorizer, 2002) by: Xander Hoose (not rated) By far the weirdest death/grind release of the year, that's the only way to describe this split between these two monsters of metal. With short samples ("Elmo's Song", drum & bass, Space Invaders, farts) Cephalic Carnage do their best to destroy their reputation as a serious metal act, and succeed wonderfully considering by the big-ass grin it leaves behind on my face. Then again, in-between the lunacy there is some serious brutal riffing. Even though the production is absolutely lacking after their "Lucid Interval" / "Halls of Amenti" release, it is better than most the death metal crap released on splits nowadays. After 21 songs, it's Anal Blast's turn to pick up the broken pieces -- and break them up some more. Song titles like "Internet Cunt", "Beer Bong Enema" and "High on Cunt Blood" clearly show where their band name was derived from. With a far better production -- not surprisingly -- than Anal Cunt ever had, they shred through another eleven songs that will appeal to, well, everyone who doesn't take offense to the song titles. If you're up for a laugh as well as banging your head, then try this split. Clandestine Blaze - _Fist of the Northern Destroyer_ by: Matthias Noll (8.5 out of 10) (Northern Heritage, 2002) Finnish underground black metallers Clandestine Blaze return with a new full-length album on Northern Heritage. Musically, most of the material on _Fist of the Northern Destroyer_ stays within the stylistic boundaries defined by Darkthrone's "Kathaarian Life Code": blazing songs and sections with monotonous, trance-inducing melodies plus -- for good measure -- some crunching Celtic Frost worship. But Clandestine Blaze's contribution to black metal considerably exceeds the achievement of just adding another album which sounds "like _A Blaze in the Northern Sky_" to the pile. The Finnish scene has developed a style which is firmly based on the pioneering albums of the second wave, but has clearly and distinguishably added a melodic and atmospheric twist of their own. Finnish bands, and Clandestine Blaze in particular, sound a lot darker and more melancholic to my ears than their Norwegian comrades. CB's vocalist contributes a much deeper and more commanding performance than the usual black metal rasp and adds even more personality and sinister touches to _FotND_. Of course this record is underproduced and raw, but it never sounds thin or weak. Surprisingly for a black metal album, the bass is clearly audible and it even participates actively in the delivery of the songs. Overall _FotND_ is a damn fine album and in my opinion superior to 2001's _Night of the Unholy Flames_. Where many others fail, Clandestine Blaze manages the difficult task of adhering to the ultra-conservative rules of true black metal and establishing their own identity -- even considering the artwork -- with ease! Daemonlord - _Aarstrand_ (Ketzer Records, 2002) by: Quentin Kalis (6 out of 10) Daemonlord (or Demonlord as they were once known, before they changed their name in order to avoid confusion with another band with the same name -- and same spelling) are one of the few metal bands to originate from Spain, a country strangely under-represented in the metal world. This 7" consists of four songs (including a cover of Rotting Christ's "Fgementh, Thy Gift") of simplistic, occasionally catchy, no-frills three-minute bursts of neo-thrash, never straying too far from the conventional verse-chorus-verse structure. They do it well enough, yet never manage to imbue the songs with anything partiuclarly memorable. As with the _Bloodline_ 7", Daemonlord is best appreciated in short bursts, as their music would also get boring if it was performed for much longer then twenty minutes or so. This will hardly be the worst buy you can possibly make, but conversely neither will it be your best buy. Contact: http://www.ketzer-records.de Dark Fortress - _Profane Genocidal Creations_ (Red Stream, 2003) by: Aaron McKay (8.5 out of 10) This offering is an epic release, for certain. The ten tracks clock in at nearly seventy minutes total. My disbelief feed on itself to the point where I simply needed to hear this kind of effort to -know- that interesting, appealing black metal was still being churned out somewhere in the world. That said, in what seems to be a fertile ground for this genre, Germany as served up hard-hitting outfits like Nagelfar, Homicide, and Bethlehem. Dark Fortress is a welcome addition to this horde. _Profane Genocidal Creations_ displays itself as wildly complicated -- nearly beyond compare despite the abused and stereotypical more-evil-than-thou imagery. Without spoiling your surprise too much, DF exploits clean, harsh and ever-so-lightly used female vocal styles, strained n' raw guitars, acoustic passages and highly catchy arrangements. There is a special point to loosely draw the comparison between Dark Fortress and bands like Dissection, Satyricon, and At the Gates. In this reviewer's opinion Dark Fortress has the capability to boil your blood in a more independent way than these comparisons may lead you to believe. As a point of interest, Ares from Aeternus makes an appearance on the second to last cut, "Battle Rages in the Infernal Depth". If you are looking for illumination, look elsewhere 'cause Dark Fortress's black density is utterly smothering. It's encouraging to have such an album so early in 2003! Contact: http://www.redstream.org Darkthrone - _Hate Them_ (Moonfog, 2003) by: James Montague (9 out of 10) Did you really think you could survive another northern winter without a new Darkthrone album? Of course not! December darkness descends, the moon freezes, and two Norwegian guys get together to relive a ritual for the tenth time -- when the weekend rocks around, grab a case of beer, head to the studio and thrash out some hateful tunes. 26 hours later, and another black metal masterpiece is recorded, mixed, and ready to unleash its fury. Some thought Darkthrone had been treading water of late. Some saw the colour digipak and lush sound of _Plaguewielder_ and thought Satyr's dreaded Moonfog influence had claimed another victim. Rest assured, although the strong production is still there, the spirit of Darkthrone is burning bright. Indeed, the opening number, "Rust", is one of their finest moments. It starts with a slow dirge and an almighty, foreboding bass guitar (yes, bass on a Darkthrone record!) which gradually picks up pace until we're at a solid mid-tempo thrash. Then Nocturno Culto utters the words, "Consistence unknown like early black metal" and then, as their beloved genre is announced, all hell breaks loose. Several tremolo riffs are linked seamlessly before the song concludes with a classic thrash riff -- a spine tingler all the way. The opening demonstrates aptly how Darkthrone have changed over the years, learning to develop a real sense of dynamics which they failed to master in their death metal debut, _Soulside_Journey_, and didn't even attempt during their revered trio of garage-BM albums. While I must concede that their early black metal exploits were darker and ultimately more important to the genre, _Hate Them_ absolutely rocks. It is the pinnacle achievement in the style of their recent albums, _Ravishing Grimness_ and _Plaguewielder_, and reflects the essence of _A Blaze in the Northern Sky_ without totally embodying it. Put simply, Darkthrone continues to dominate the Norwegian scene. You COULD live without them these days. But why would you want to? Contact: http://www.darkthrone.no Destroyer 666 - _Cold Steel... For an Iron Age_ by: James Montague (9.5 out of 10) (Season of Mist, 2002) Not content to bathe in the critical acclaim and enthusiastic fan response to _Phoenix Rising_, Australia's trustiest headbangers unleashed another fierce attack on the listening public. And they were in no mood to fancypant about, either. While the previous album, _Phoenix Rising_, tended towards longer songs that gradually built the tension, _Cold Steel... For an Iron Age_ thrusts the intensity upon you from the very first note. Without intros, without soothing epic soundscapes or melodic interludes, the band tears through nine aggressive tracks and a mere 34 minutes later leaves the listener battered and bruised. At this point many readers might question what makes _Cold Steel..._ so special, an album which I had no hesitation in nominating the premier release of 2002. After all, many bands have rebelled against the modernisation of metal and joined the "no girls, no keyboards" brigade. The difference here, though, is that Destroyer 666 were not caving in to their own limitations by stripping back their style. Whilst many of metal's most worthy protagonists like Sigh and Lux Occulta are off finding how many disparate influences they can work into their tapestries -- and all credit to them, they are masters of the craft -- these fine Aussie lads are finding how to make metal as vicious and memorable as possible, in its traditional form. Their blast sections are mayhemic and captivating like no other, but the band always knows when to pull the emergency brake on their speeding train and indulge in some foot-stomping, arse-kicking riffs, with simple chants like "Fire! Black Fire!", "Rape the world!" and "Victory is one!" to roar along to. And therein lies this album's essence -- its anthemic nature. This takes us back to the good old days when metal was all about beer and banging your head. A return to an age of innocence, perhaps, but with the bitter cynicism of 21st century living, and the lack of naivete it brings. In a year where I started to indulge in many musical pursuits outside the metal spectrum, Destroyer 666 reminded me that no other style can match the fist-pumping, hostile intensity of honest extreme metal. Whatever reservations you may have about the band's silly name and even sillier member pseudonyms like K.K. Warslut (which does date back a long way, it must be said), I urge you to put them aside and hear one of the finest recent incarnations of this indefatigable musical style. Contact: http://www.destroyer666.net Destruktor - _Brutal Desecration_ (Decius Productions, 2002) by: James Montague (7 out of 10) Few surprises to be had here -- this is pure Australian war metal by the boys from the rural town of Kangaroo Flat, Victoria. From the outset you receive a pummeling of drum blasts, relentless guitar riffs that combine the noisiness of black metal with the chord patterns of thrash, and deathlike vocal roars. It's like all the extreme metal genres got together and jumped in the blender. It's unattractive, unfashionable and certainly not melodic. But for some demented souls, myself included, this stuff surely rocks. Side A of the 7" disc is total blastbeat devastation, whereas on side B the band adds a few moments of respite with thrashy power chords. They also brought in the excellent Chris Volcano from Abominator as a session drummer, and these factors, in combination with the dedicated old-school packaging (free logo sticker, etc.), makes this 7" a good low-budget treat. A fifty-minute LP in this style may become wearisome (just see Volcano's primary band for compelling evidence), but for a quick 12-minute Armageddon ritual, you can't go wrong with Destruktor. Contact: http://go.to/destruktor Dissimulation - _Maras_ (Ledo Takas Records, 2003) by: Pedro Azevedo (6.5 out of 10) This Lithuanian band managed to capture my attention even before I spun the disc: the artwork seemed quite good, so I looked inside the booklet. What it contains is a lesson for many a band; a lesson in how subtlety can increase brutality. Simply put, the lyrics are arranged around a tasteful layout that includes several ancient-looking pictures of funerals and corpses carefully made up before burial. It is subtle enough that one doesn't immediately realize what it is; and even though there is no gore or visual violence going on, it is a bit disturbing once it hits you. One other thing that virtually every review of this album is likely to mention (I wonder if the band betted amongst themselves about this) is the inclusion of a brief speech sample by Adolf Hitler -- the band biography states that they have no connection with the Nazi movement, however. The band has been around for a long while now (nearly ten years), yet this is only their first full-length; considering such a long time in the making, _Maras_ is good but not great. Old school blackened thrash is what Dissimulation have to offer, with the focus often shifting from black to thrash and vice versa throughout the disc. _Maras_ is very riffy, in the sense that Dissimulation do not go around crafting melodies or throwing in keyboards -- it's all about good riffs, but while Dissimulation do get a good vibe going and throw a lot of energy and commitment into their music, most of the riffs and song structures aren't terribly memorable or remarkable (let alone innovative). Still, _Maras_ is a decent album, and it is likely to do a fair job of quenching your thirst for old-school black/thrash. Contact: http://www.ledotakas.com Endless Time - _Ancient Tales_ (Independent, 2003) by: Pedro Azevedo (2 out of 10) An intro and three tracks form this less than 15 minute long EP by Endless Time. Whether 15 minutes ever seemed so long while playing a CD is debatable. This is Italian power metal with a lead female vocalist (sing-along choruses included). Instrumentally, Endless Time are competent, but no virtuosos; the music is relatively simple for the genre, very little going on at any given point in time. As for the vocals, the singer fails to shine and doesn't seem especially well-suited to the style. The entire thing comes across as amateurish, cringe-worthy and lacking any power or real quality to save the EP. You can tell the band is into the music they're playing, but they still have a very long way to go before making it appealing. Engine - _Superholic_ (Metal Blade, 2002) by: Aaron McKay (6.5 out of 10) I have gone back and forth on my opinion of this follow up to Engine's 1999 self-tilted debut [CoC #44]. There is nothing earth-shattering on _Superholic_, but I will compliment its forward progression and continuation toward diversity on this disc. "I Know" hits pretty hard and plods along heavily all throughout the song's three minutes and forty-nine second play time. As the third track, "I Know" winds up being the origination point of my interest in this outfit's second offering, _Superholic_; from there it is hit 'n' miss. You might expect nice bass lines on this album from "Mr. Low End", Joey Vera, and you'd be right. You also might expect thick guitar riffs from Bernie Versailles and you'd again be correct. Fans of incrementally intense drumming will be disappointed, but Pete Parada gets the job done nonetheless. My beef, as it turns out, lies with Ray Alder. I would opt for making Engine a three piece and turning over the vocal duties to Vera if I had my way. As a matter of fact, after hearing _No Exit_, I didn't feel any real strong desire purchase any more Fates Warning albums. While I can appreciate Alder's style, I've always thought Ray Gillen of Badlands (r.i.p.) rendered a better presentation. Everything considered, I have always much preferred the gravely and guttural styles to a clean delivery. _Superholic_ is your basic well-played metal. Nothing fancy or trend-setting, but better than average in the "enjoyability" category. Entombed - _Sons of Satan, Praise the Lord_ (Music For Nations, 2003) by: Xander Hoose (not rated) Well, this is not the new Entombed album we've all been waiting for (the new album will be available in a few more months) but it's a good way of keeping us all satisfied for a while. _Sons of Satan, Praise the Lord_ is a complete collection of every single coversong they have recorded during their entire career. Songs range from metal and hardcore covers (SOD, Kiss, Misfits, Repulsion, Alice Cooper, Venom, Black Sabbath) to slightly less expected covers (Dwarves, Husker Du, King Crimson, Unsane) to completely unusual songs showing off Entombed's capabilities to handle different styles with ease (Lee Hazelwood, Twisted Sister, Bob Dylan). It's very obvious that all the songs are recorded during different periods in their career as the production on the later songs is far better than on the early covers, and you can hear a progression in music qualities as well. It's a bit of a shame that the songs are randomly put on the two CDs instead of taking a chronological order, because with the differences in quality playing all the songs in order doesn't sound very natural. _Sons of Satan, Praise the Lord_ is an excellent way to get your hands on all the rare covers that have been released on EPs, seven-inches and bonus editions. It saves us fans a lot of time and effort, and hearing Entombed do a cover of "Amazing Grace" is always worth the money! Contact: http://www.entombed.org Estrogenocide - _Estrogenocide_ (Independent, 2002) by: Quentin Kalis (6.5 out of 10) Any band that claims to perform "synthpopgrindcore", and that their two main influences are Depeche Mode and Napalm Death, succeeds in piquing my interest -- and I therefore listened to this CD immediately after I received it. After several listens I think I can safely say that there is no band like them; while they adhere to grindcore's (brief) song structures, the guitars are abrogated in favour of '80s synthpop blips and bleeps. A drum machine is used -- though this does get monotonous --, while the simulated guitar leads are just as bad as the one in Ultraviolence's cover of Black Sabbath's "Paranoid". Considering the complete absence of guitars, the grindcore growl was wisely rejected in favour of menacing and slightly distorted clean vocals. Lyrically, the traditional grindcore mix of humour and gore is utilised, generating a surreal atmosphere whereby violent lyrics are sung against a background of 'poppy' music, incapable of sounding dark or evil. An interesting experiment, whereby a naturally upbeat synthetic pop sound is subverted and taken to its admittedly aggressive limits. This may very well receive a fair amount of time in your stereo, but despite the inventiveness shown on this release nothing can be done about synthpop's inherent cheese factor. This results in the songs becoming annoying pretty quickly, which means _Estrogenocide_ will most likely be forgotten in three months time. Finnugor - _Black Flames_ (Oaken Shield / Adipocere, 2002) by: Quentin Kalis (5 out of 10) Finnugor describe themselves as symphonic black metal, but even those who think Cradle of Filth is what black metal really sounds like will have difficulty considering Finnugor as black metal. In reality, they sound more like a lite version of Tristania. Growling vocals, blastbeats and suitably "evil" lyrics (running the gamut of metal topics from contemplations of a psychopath's thoughts through to Immortal-esque Scandinavian weather reports) are all present. However, the subordination of the guitars to the heavy (over)use of keyboards and Andrew Eldritch-esque (Sisters of Mercy) vocals, plus the overwhelming gothic atmosphere, suggest that this CD would be better suited to the gothic section of your local CD store. Even the growls sometimes sound as if they were tossed in just to remind people that this is a metal release. This will be a hard album to market, as metalheads will hate the incessant gothic touch, while any interested goths will most likely be deterred by the death growls. Funeral Inception - _Anthems of Disenchantment_ by: Pedro Azevedo (4 out of 10) (Warpath Records, 2003) If straightforward death metal from Indonesia with really strange sounding drums is your thing, then you should probably go out and buy _Anthems of Disenchantment_ now. This isn't much of a recommendation though, is it? Well, Funeral Inception do not offer the reviewer much else to distinguish them from the death metal hordes. Apart from the drum sound problem, Funeral Inception are so bog-standard it almost hurts. They're not terrible; they're just deeply average. Stereotypical grunts, unremarkable death metal riffs, and varying degrees of odd-sounding blast beats (made worse by the fact that the pace changes are the main thing that can capture your attention) -- that pretty much sums it up. Warpath Records have stayed within strict death metal boundaries with every release so far and put out some rather entertaining albums in the process (case in point: Hypokras' _Dead & Hungry_), but Funeral Inception take that concept a bit too far without adding much that's actually interesting or remarkably well done to the mix. You might still enjoy a few spins of this album if you're sufficiently into this type of death metal and can get over the deeply annoying drums, but even its good bits sound like they have been done before, and better. Contact: http://www.warpathrecords.com Gospel of the Horns - _A Call to Arms_ (Invictus Productions, 2002) by: Matthias Noll (7 out of 10) Various connections exist between Gospel of the Horns and Destroyer 666. The whole situation reminds me of the incestuous entanglements among Swedish bands like Dismember, Carnage, Nihilist and Entombed in the early '90s. The fact that Gospel of the Horns' music is as close to Destroyer 666's as Dismember was to Entombed further strengthens this comparison. Top songs from _A Call to Arms_, such as "Chaos Bringer" and "Vengeance Is Mine", could have been on D666's _Cold Steel... For an Iron Age_ without anyone noticing the difference. On a few other tracks GotH cruise along in a more rocking, slightly punkish way, utilizing an approach not all too different from an up-tempo Motoerhead track. My impression of _ACtA_ is that despite many similarities there's quite a noticeable gap between both groups. Considering the overall quality of the tunes and the consistency of the songwriting, GotH is clearly the weaker of the Australian twins. Furthermore, the production on _ACtA_ is a bit too clean. A rawer, louder and more ripping sound would have substantially increased the impact of GotH's deaththrash meets traditional metal style -- in fact, the sound on the _Eve of the Conqueror_ EP was more appropriate even if the difference is not huge. Even if I feel like I'm describing GotH too much in terms of another band, these two are just too close to avoid it. If you are a fan of D666 you will certainly enjoy GotH. Just expect Hellcunt and Co. to come in second for now. Graveland - _Memory and Destiny_ (No Colours Records, 2002) by: Matthias Noll (8 out of 10) Graveland, these days only consisting of Rob Darken, have certainly come a long way, from their ultra-grim beginnings in their demo days and _In the Glare of Burning Churches_ to an album like _Memory and Destiny_. The development or change is as massive as between the Bathory debut and _Hammerheart_, an album which is stylistically close to recent Graveland material. _MaD_ does not sound radically different from _Creed of Iron_. In fact, it could have been its second disc had _CoI_ been a double CD. Sure, the production here is slightly sharper, and you can find a couple more hooks (i.e., more memorable and ear-pleasing melodies), but that's about it. So, for those who are not familiar with present day Graveland, how do they sound? This is a fusion of Celtic/Pagan melodies and riffs with a dominant overlay of bombastic choir and keyboard soundscapes, comparable to the soundtrack of the first Conan movie, and a good dose of Viking metal a la _Hammerheart_ (minus Quorthon's cringeworthy attempts at clean singing or recycling Manowar riffs and lyrics). Fortunately, Rob Darken has not made the move towards 'real' vocals, and his trademark rasp is still in place and as recognizable as ever. The tempi on _MaD_ never exceed a marching pace, and the rhythmic structure of every song is a simple pounding, militaristic, onward-into-battle approach. The songs usually have a length of around 10 minutes and the main themes are sustained which generates a sense of timelessness and trance as if on a sheer endless march in military formation. For those familiar with the black and white movies of pioneering Russian movie director Sergei Eisenstein _MaD could be the perfect soundtrack when armoured knights meet in battle on Russia's endless plains and unstoppable armies celebrate another victory. While probably too long, boring, not grim and metal enough for some, these recent Graveland records are vivid images of times long forgotten turned into sound. Hand of Doom - _Dreams of Resurrection_ (Gemini, 2002) by: Brian Meloon (4 out of 10) Italy has had more than its share of good but relatively-unknown bands over the years -- including Aydra, Endaymynion [CoC #13], Fiurach [#44], Gory Blister, Sync, Thy Nature, Ensoph [CoC #40, #56], and Ledel [CoC #23, #31]. So it was with understandable anticipation that I opened this disc from Italy's Hand of Doom, which was billed as "progressive death metal" by their promotion agency. And it was with increasing disappointment that I sat through its 60 minutes of sloppy, unfocused, amateur posturing. At first glance, this album appears promising: the songs are all over seven minutes, save the final instrumental. And the band's "progressive" label isn't undeserved: their music features a lot of variety, both in riff styles as well as frequency of changes. I found riffs that sounded like _ITP_-era Death, Iron Maiden, Nocturnus, and Pestilence's _Spheres_, as well as some jazzy bits, and an abundance of more standard thrash riffs. The music changes often -- sometimes after only 15-30 seconds -- so the songs don't get overly repetitive, but their flow is often disjointed. Unfortunately, the execution here is simply terrible on many levels. First, the band aren't very tight: a lot of the playing is sloppy and/or out of tune. While this is sometimes understandable because the music they're attempting is rather technical, it is still not excusable. In addition to the sloppy playing, the vocals are almost uniformly bad. There are three main styles: clean vocals, gruff/shouted vocals, and those that are somewhere in between. None of them is good. The clean vocals are often flat, such as in the embarrassing chorus to "Winter Days". The in-between styles usually sound goofy, such as some sections in "Dark Side", where the vocals are mostly shouted, but the last word of each phrase is sung in a clean style. Even the shouted vocals are sometimes bad, as the timing is off or the phrasing is awkward (how bad do you have to be to screw up shouted vocals?). But the element of this album most deserving of scorn are the guitar solos. I've never heard such amateur noodling in a supposedly professional recording. I'm very familiar with a lot of the phrasing in the solos: many parts sound exactly like the solos I used to play in 1988, after I'd been playing guitar for about a year. Most of the guitar solos are completely aimless, seemingly being played without any knowledge of the underlying music's changes or rhythmic structure. It seems the guitarists (yes, there are two of them and they're both terrible soloists) only start paying attention to the underlying music so that they know when to stop soloing. As an example, check out the first guitar solo of the album, in the song "Dark Side" starting at the 2:13 mark. It's completely out-of-tune, completely ignorant of the underlying music, and even drops out toward the end, only to dramatically recover for some generic whammy dives and horse whinnies. If this wasn't bad enough, the band seems to think that the solos are a useful addition to their songs, including at least two guitar solos in every song. Some of these are even longer than a full minute, and just drag on and on... Truth be told, there is some good music here. Of the 60 minutes on this disc, I would classify about 10 of them as good to excellent, another 20 as average, and the remaining 30 minutes as sub-par to embarrassingly awful. The bottom line is that this is an amateurish effort at making progressive death metal by musicians (and a vocalist) simply not up to the task. With better execution, their ideas would garner them perhaps an 8 out of 10, but as it stands, I can't recommend this disc to anyone. Contact: http://www.handofdoom.it Internecine - _The Book of Lambs_ (Hammerheart, 2002) by: Brian Meloon (7 out of 10) This album is the brainchild of Hate Eternal's Jared Anderson, with some help from bandmates Derek Roddy (drums on two tracks) and Erik Rutan (guest solos), and Nile's current drummer Tony Laureno. With a line-up of this caliber, you should expect a fast, brutal death metal album played with exceptional aplomb, and this album certainly doesn't disappoint in that department. Unfortunately, the extent of the album's ferocity precludes its inclusion of much in the way of dynamics, leading to an album that -- once you get past the initial adrenaline rush -- is simply boring. Aside from the lack of dynamics, there's not much wrong with this album. The production (handled by Rutan) is excellent. The guitar riffs are generally average or above, and the few guitar solos are tasteful and appropriate. The playing is exceptional: the drumming is extremely fast and the band are very tight. The guitar and bass work are both done by Jared, and he shows himself to be a capable guitar player as well as a bassist. The vocals are a mix of a deep growl and a higher shout/growl, but neither style detracts from or adds to the enjoyment of the album. Ultimately, the music on this album is technically very good; taken in small doses, it's even enjoyable. But when you put it all together, it gets repetitive and there's very little that's memorable or interesting enough to want to listen to again. Those looking for the next level of brutality should check this out, as I find it hard to believe that it will be easy to find an album that's this brutal and this well-performed. Those looking for something original or memorable should probably look elsewhere. Contact: http://www.hammerheart.com Kaliban - _The Tempest of Thoughts_ (Low Frequency Records, 2002) by: Quentin Kalis (7 out of 10) When a power metal orientated band's name and CD title contains a reference to a Shakespeare play instead of singing about wizards and elves, then it is likely that said band would venture a little off the beaten track. Admittedly, Kaliban are not a "pure" power metal band (strange how one always hears tired statements about the "trueness" of a particular black metal band but never about death or power metal) -- the growling vocals are a remnant from their origins as a death metal band. The music is comparatively restrained (in comparison to the overblown pomposity and general over-the-top style of, say, Rhapsody) and they are not as technical as many others, but they are nonetheless musically competent and fairly innovative with some catchy sections -- and at the end of the day, that's what really counts. Plus, there is no Tolkien-inspired nonsense! Katatonia - _Viva Emptiness_ (Peaceville, 2003) by: Pedro Azevedo (8 out of 10) Present day Katatonia is clearly a more evolved musical entity than a few years ago. Where _Viva Emptiness_ has a crunchy, polished production, an older album, say _Brave Murder Day_, had a relatively weak one with artificial-sounding drums. _Viva Emptiness_ presents multiple musical approaches, much more varied than, for instance, _Discouraged Ones_. Furthermore, Jonas Renkse sings with a seemingly ever-improving voice, and the band's instrumental quality seems to have equally improved. The point I'm trying to make is that _VE_ has all that, but a lot of the time it fails to convey as much feeling to me as Katatonia's previous releases. This is not to say _Viva Emptiness_ is a mediocre or sterile album, or that I can't stand the more radio-friendly path Katatonia have taken -- see my 9 out of 10 review of its predecessor _Last Fair Deal Gone Down_ for proof. If anything, _Viva Emptiness_ actually sounds heavier than _LFDGD_ overall, although usually in a rather mainstream-ish way. The main problem on _Viva Emptiness_ is that in exploring new rhythms and string work, Katatonia have forsaken most of their trademark emotional guitar style. They have sought other means to express the emotion that has always been part of their music, and on some occasions they succeed brilliantly: the final sections of "A Premonition" and "Evidence", the chorus of "Walking by a Wire" and the Dolorian-like closer "Inside the City of Glass". Most of the time, however, _Viva Emptiness_ fails to make the kind of impact I hoped for, though it may be a consistently great album from a musical point of view with all its clever tricks and varied time signatures. "Omerta" and most of "One Year From Now" are downright annoying, and there are more average tracks leaving me indifferent than on previous albums of Katatonia's clean vocal era. Overall, _Viva Emptiness_ is still definitely worth your money if you liked _Last Fair Deal Gone Down_, but I can't help feeling mildly disappointed. On a side note, if the mainstream somehow ever noticed Katatonia, these guys really could become huge. Contact: http://www.katatonia.com Kittie - _Safe_ (Artemis Records, 2002) by: Aaron McKay (6.5 out of 10) In the "energy" department, Kittie throws the nuclear power switch with this one! _Safe_ is a special seven-track retrograded offering of mostly live material with the addition of a KMFDM remix and a largely useless radio edit, both for the song "Safe" included right at the onset of this EP. Generally, the most engaging aspect to _Safe_, other than Kittie's heavier-than-shit style, is this band's massively appealing use of bass in a live environment with Kittie's trademark on/off growl/clean vocal style. Morgan, Mercedes and Jennifer's chunky, balls-out (or lack thereof, as the case may be) aggressive approach lends itself to a wildly powerful live recording even with the addition of the rehashed "Safe" cuts at the beginning of the EP. By the way, Kittie's webpage is well-designed and user-friendly to be sure -- it is most certainly worth the time invested in checking it out, if for no other reason than the video interviews found there; mostly enlightening, but sometimes trite, as well, both in depth and information. Often we take the good with the bad, but "Severed", "What I Always Wanted" and "Pain" recorded in a live setting was a nice treat for Kittie fans. "Safe" is mostly in the "glass is half full" category. If you haven't yet had a chance to familiarize yourself with this rabid three-piece female Canadian outfit, I'd make it a point, but start with _Oracle_ if live material makes you uneasy. Contact: http://www.kittie.net Koldborn - _First Enslavement_ (Diehard Music, 2002) by: Adam Lineker (9 out of 10) With so many bands pushing the boundaries of death metal at the moment, it is either brave or foolhardy to claim to enslave the genre. Koldborn, however, are feeling confident enough to make such a statement, and with good reason. A heavy and brutal production with a cold and chewy guitar sound underpinned by an ever present bass rumble makes _First Enslavement_ sound really effective from the word go. With tight and prominently treble drumming they succeed in being sharp but retain their crushing heaviness. The mix is a very strong one for the music and Koldborn perform commendably, displaying chemistry and talent. The most remarkable member is vocalist Martin, who not only possesses a strong range and a savagely powerful tone, but asserts himself as one in command and proves to be a key element when so many death vocalists just blend into the background. There is a lot of melody on _First Enslavement_ and the songs flow very well. Koldborn are obviously learned in constructing riff progressions and they often embellish passages of their music, making each song exciting and interesting to the listener. There is very little mindless blasting but the pace and tone are always leaning towards intense. "In Breathless Sighs" displays a very creative side to the band, utilising clean vocals, different paces and a deep metallic groove. There is also a lot of mood and atmosphere created by the riffage; this is accomplished without the aid of keyboards. When we get a sustained whine of feedback and the floodgates open for "All Bowing Heads Roll", Koldborn sound masterfully brutal and drummer Rasmus seems augmented in his role of controlling each riff passage. Though the second half of the album loses a little momentum, the standard of metal remains high, as it is performed by musicians whose hearts are in it. It is a shame that there aren't more passages of lead solos, as Koldborn are obviously capable but choose to use this device very minimally. They succeed in creating songs that flow in a way that seems almost elegant. Admittedly _First Enslavement_ boasts lyrics that would easily suit power metal, but this is a good thing; there is no ranting about violence and gore in a grammatically unsound way, although lines like "Ride the demon with me" are endearingly silly. If there is anything that gets in the way of them opening their careers with a full ten, it is that _First Enslavement_ does not enslave or re-invent anything. Koldborn just stay within familiar boundaries and play death metal very, very well indeed. Contact: thanatos@koldborn.dk L.Minygwal - _E'er_ (Virusworx, 2003) by: Pedro Azevedo (7 out of 10) I have no idea what the band name is supposed to mean, but apparently they used to be called Lost in the Supermarket back in demo stage. Furthermore, as far as I know the album title is as likely to originate from someone with no lips trying to say "ever" as from a poetic use of the word -- because the former actually makes more sense in the context of the music than the latter. I'll spell it out: _E'er_, L.Minygwal's second full-length, is a -really- weird album. It opens with a sampled speech by a woman who seems to be on the phone, and one basically spends the entire 7:35 of the opening track waiting for the sample to end and the song to start -- only it doesn't. Heavy, plodding guitars play along to the mostly incomprehensible conversation, and shrieks surface for some time midway through the track and again near the end -- that's it. The second track continues with the doom and noise influences, but now features some smooth female vocals; this is a rather good track in a strange way. Things seem to stay more or less the same for the first minute of the third track, titled "I Excessiv-ly Read My Letters Frantic-ly and Memorize 'Em Manic-ly" (sorry, I couldn't help it), until the apparently sweet female vocalist suddenly begins to mercilessly shred her vocal chords on disc. Think Karen Crisis on the more desperate side of things. The song gains a considerable amount of intensity from this, and certainly makes the listener sit up and pay attention. After all the hysteria comes a more tranquil, ambient track, but its disquieting background noises make sure you know there's more to come. And indeed more painful shrieking comes your way next, in a noise-based track followed by an unremarkable interlude. This leads into the 11:30 final track, which begins very much on the ambient side of things, with some pretty touches and a very different feel from the rest of the album -- almost reminding me of Maudlin of the Well. Three minutes from the end the heavy guitars kick in for a few moments, but nothing really happens and the track ends on an ambient note again as a sort of anti-climax after all the insanity. The album clocks in at 40 minutes, which minus the lengthy opening and closing tracks means there's only about 20 minutes that are actually worthwhile -- but those are 20 minutes the likes of which you are unlikely to find elsewhere in terms of disturbing weirdness and intensity. Lunaris - _...the Infinite._ (Earache Records, 2002) by: Adam Lineker (7.5 out of 10) A project mostly centred around members of Spiral Architect, Lunaris match a cold infusion of brutality with prog experimentation. Production wise, _...the Infinite_ feels a little disconnected, leaving the black metal stylings somewhat tempered. The drums feel especially lightweight, lacking guts and presence. Thankfully, Lunaris are not entirely crippled by an unimpressive sound as the slight ethereal edge sometimes benefits their performance. Individual musicians come to the attention of the listener as the tone of the record shifts to accommodate their efforts; this particularly works for bassist Maztema, who often comes to shine out of the slightly misty soundscape. It is the keyboards that essentially define a lot of this album's atmosphere. Lunaris incorporate some symphonic touches, occasionally sounding similar to Opeth. Their songs are basically centred around the layering of metallic melodies, yet there is much exploration of different styles. There are moments of full blown pomp and occasional passages of sound experimentation. The most striking example of innovation flying off at a tangent is the quirky prog metal of "Growth Denied" that reminds one heavily of Dream Theater as Lunaris perform complex tutti runs in awkward time signatures. In general, the music flows well, rarely stuttering as it shifts from one motif to another and the songs feel epic, although none of them exceed five minutes. Displaying musicianship and instinct, Lunaris craft an intelligent and swirlingly emotive work. The biggest problem with _...the Infinite_ is that it is hard to understand what Lunaris are trying to achieve. The broad range of styles present can often leave the listener somewhat bewildered as to where _...the Infinite_ is actually going. At its worst this feeling interrupts the music before one can become truly absorbed and, due to the soft production, Lunaris often lose the edge when they most need it. Although interesting and enjoyable, parts of _...the Infinite_ feel a little soulless and confused, despite the competent performance. Having said this, there is still enough on _...the Infinite_ to make it worthy of attention. Contact: http://www.earache.com Macabre Minstrels - _Morbid Campfire Songs_ (Independent, 2002) by: Xander Hoose (not rated) Even though this album was only sold during Macabre's shows, it seems that some stores have been able to get their hands on a bunch of copies too. The reason for doing a reviewing this is -- well, read on. Those of you who don't know the Macabre Minstrels: this is a project by the Macabre members doing acoustic sets, playing old nursery rhymes, but adding some of the trademark Macabre lyrics to twist them around. On this mini-album you'll find "Tom Dooley", "The Geins", "In the Mountains (Alferd Pecker)", "The Cat Came Back" and "Found a Peanut". The first three songs are rhymes about serial killers ("In the Mountains", for instance, has the refrain of "For He's a Jolly Good Fellow") while the latter two are about a cat who can't be killed and a guy who eats a peanut, dies, and proves he hasn't learned a thing from the whole experience. Even though this all sounds quite cheesy and cheap, the mini-album is actually quite good. I've enjoyed listening to it on several occasions, and most people who hear it absolutely enjoy it! If you can get your hands on this little gem, play it often -- you'll soon find everybody in the room humming and singing along. Contact: http://www.murdermetal.com Ministry - _Animositisomina_ (Sanctuary, 2003) by: Xander Hoose (6.5 out of 10) When I was young, Ministry were my heroes. It used to drive my parents nuts, because no matter how hard they tried, they couldn't understand what was to like about this militant, cold, machinal music. I tried to explain them it wasn't about understanding, but about feeling it and experiencing it. My adoration peaked when I saw them play live at a festival. The seamless integration between songs from different albums, the total darkness and vile aggression coming from the stage, it was every metalhead's wet dream. Not very long after that event, Ministry released their _Filth Pig_ album and the downfall set in. I'm not insinuating I didn't like _Filth Pig_; in fact, I think it's a really good album with some really strong songs ("The Game Show", "Dead Guy", "Filth Pig"), but it was different from what everybody expected and lacked the vital Ministry essence. It took Ministry four years to release a successor that was even worse than _Filth Pig_ as it had outdated songs, a sloppy production, and the wrong attitude. The tour and the album were both no success, and the band faded into the background once more. With the release of their live album and DVD _Sphinctour_ in 2002, rumours about a new album became the talk of the day once more. After being postponed time after time, _Animositisomina_ is now finally released and shows Ministry reaching back to what made _The Mind Is a Terrible Thing to Taste_ and _Psalm 69_ such vital albums. Its cold militant riffing and drumming combined with haunted vocals are indeed a firm reminder of the early '90s when Ministry was on top of the bill. There are no more experiments -- unless you consider a Magazine cover experimental -- no depressive songs, no humor, only pure anger and frustration. Even though _Animositisomina_ is a very decent Ministry album in itself, this is the album Ministry should have made after _Psalm 69_. I can't help but realize that this album is quite outdated. The production, the songs; they would have been absolute killer material in 1995 but we're almost ten years later now and music like this has already been adapted and evolved by other bands. Considering the latest releases of modern Ministry clones Static X, it's hard to see Ministry in any other light than a dinosaur trying to keep up with the tides of time. Contact: http://www.darkspoon.com Morgue - _The Process to Define the Shape of Self-Loathing_ by: Xander Hoose (10 out of 10) (Adipocere Records, 2003) Damn. I was so fucking content with last year's December, Watchmaker and Minus releases, reinstating my confidence in the brutal death/grind scene, and wondering if it could get any better than that. Hell yes! Labeled 'deathcore', French outfit Morgue has managed to create a near-ultimate sonic onslaught that manages to approach a wall of pure noise yet still letting riffs and insane rhythms seep through. The most 'relaxed' parts of the album make Morgue sound like Cannibal Corpse, but everything else is so much more intense and over-the-top that you need a full fucking hour to recuperate from this stuff, wondering what the fuck just happened! Also, they deserve kudos for the aggro distorted vocals, reminding me a bit of December. The vocals on _TPtDtSoSL_ complement the music in the best way possible, giving the songs texture and filling the mid-frequency-range. I can't say much more about this album except that your not worthy of calling yourself 'metal' if you don't go out and buy it right now. Now I'm ready for Satan to take my soul... My Shameful - _Of All the Wrong Things_ (Firebox Records, 2003) by: Pedro Azevedo (8.5 out of 10) More unhappy Finns from Firebox Records in the shape of My Shameful, and a mixture of Unholy and Dolorian comes to my mind during _Of All the Wrong Things_ -- if you can imagine the combination of two such different forms of Finnish doom. There's a lot more to My Shameful than that, however: a lot of individuality, without which this would lose much of its appeal. _Of All the Wrong Things_ is grim, desolate, distorted, slow yet sufficiently varied in pace and arrangements; and most definitely miserably unhappy. The guitar sound, while heavy, relies more on harshness than sonic depth; various kinds of arrangements are then laid on top of this backbone, which is driven by the pronounced percussion and the often nearly abstract growls and spoken parts. Extremely and unrelentingly sombre and depressive, _Of All the Wrong Things_ is an extreme work in doom metal; yet it remains sufficiently dynamic (if one can use such a word even in a very relative sense here) to avoid falling into the more ambient side of things and lose the listener's attention. It's a fine line to tread if you're not overtly ambient funeral doom like Firebox's other recent release by Until Death Overtakes Me, and My Shameful tread it well -- much like Dolorian recently did with their excellent self-titled effort. This is a lot heavier sound-wise than Dolorian, but shares the same oppressive, disillusioned abandonment. Anyone into serious doom metal is well advised to give this band a chance, as this is an excellent release that ranks high among the best doom albums of recent years and should not fail to please fans of the genre. Contact: http://www.firebox.fi Mykorrhiza - _Mykorrhiza_ (Konqueror Records, 2002) by: Pedro Azevedo (4 out of 10) This rather brief (just over 16 minutes long) EP by Mykorrhiza serves as an introduction to the band's mostly fast-paced thrashy death metal. Unfortunately, it failed to leave me in any great anticipation of the full-length they have released in the meantime [which will soon be reviewed in CoC]. These Swedes alternate their death/thrash attack with some unexpected clean vocal choruses, and whilst the effect is somewhat strange, at least it gives the band something to build upon. The flat, relatively lo-fi production doesn't help the band at all on this EP, and since there is neither great tightness nor remarkable songwriting to be found, the whole affair rapidly becomes forgettable. It's not that this is a terrible record; it just doesn't really have anything good enough to capture the listener's interest and at least partially disguise its shortcomings. Contact: konqueror_records@hotmail.com Nagelfar - _Virus West_ (Ars Metalli, 2002) by: Pedro Azevedo (8.5 out of 10) Nagelfar's dynamic, stark and anguished _Hunengrab im Herbst_ made quite an impact on me musically back in 1997 -- hence the 9 out of 10 I gave it. The sprawling, complex song structures and sheer intensity of _HiH_ would be key to a successful follow-up; Nagelfar were able to fully deliver the former, but only partially the latter. As far as intensity goes, your opinion of _Virus West_ is likely to depend heavily on whether you are familiar with _Hunengrab im Herbst_, because while it -is- quite intense, to me it seems to fall a bit short in that respect after _HiH_. The new vocalist carries on with a similar hysterically anguished approach, but doesn't quite reach the same level as his predecessor -- which isn't necessarily going to be a bad thing for a lot of listeners -- and uses less clean vocals. (The album is again entirely sung in German, by the way; do not confuse this band with the Swedish Naglfar.) Instrumentally, the approach is similar too: Nagelfar's attack is ferocious yet subtly melodic, with a hint of doom, technically adept and well produced. The tracks, mostly clocking in at ten minutes each, take you through a variety of riffs and breaks, while the pace remains mostly fast. The mid-paced sections tend to feature some bland riffs and detract from the overall result, which is the album's main drawback. The faster passages really are what this album is all about, and if I were to consider only those, then my rating would have been higher. A good example can be found in "Protokoll Einer Folter", which features some excellent fast-paced sequences and some weak mid-paced ones. The same silly keyboards featured on that track come back to haunt the listener in the following one, album closer "Meuterei", but fortunately they are used sparingly (provided you skip the mid-album instrumental). This track also features some great fast passages and acoustic guitar bits, again illustrating the frustrating side of this album. Still, these weaker sections are few and far between, and the slower and doomier bits are as good as the fast ones. Overall, _Virus West_ is a damn good album full of structurally complex black metal epics, venomously delivered with good musicianship and production; it just lacks a little more consistency and feeling in order to completely step out of the shadow of its predecessor. Contact: http://www.arsmetalli.de Nazxul - _Live_ (Decius Productions, 2002) by: James Montague (8.5 out of 10) It's hard to believe this band, formed in 1993, avoided live performances for their first five years, but there I was in October 1998, witnessing the first ever Nazxul stage show. On that occasion they played far too loud, and seemed to lose themselves in patches. But they did have a lot of energy, a mystical façade, and pig's blood for good measure. Less than a year later, I had procured the _Black Seed_ MCD from which much of the blurred live mayhem had originated. Now familiar with the superb material, I returned to watch them support Impaled Nazarene's Australian tour and demonstrate the huge strides they had taken in the live environment. With an immense sound, vastly improved technical support and a consequently tighter performance, they utterly annihilated their infamous Finnish brethren. Now, with this attractive, thick 12" picture LP, the whole world can bear witness to this antipodean phenomenon. The performance opens with some chilling choirs and an invocation of the ancient gods of Xul (or something), and a beckoning for the dead to rise from their graves. This sets the scene for Nazxul's masterwork, "Vow of Vengeance", one of black metal's most stirring anthems. This is followed by another track from _Black Seed_, "Under the Sign of Life's Living End". After the creeping horror of the opening song, this track provides unrelenting, blasting power that would have completely immersed the audience. The riffier, death metal-influenced "Distance Begins" is the first of two performances from their debut album, followed by the title track "Totem". Finally comes the treat Nazxul fans had patiently awaited for three years (and are STILL fucking waiting for!), a pair of songs from the _Iconoclast_ LP, which we are assured will eventually surface, four years and counting since its promised release date. These tracks are epic, expansive pieces, chock full of atmospheric melodic sections and mesmerising blasts of mayhem. They bode well for a masterpiece, if and when it sees the light of day. Now for the sticking point of so many underground live albums: the sound quality. Rest assured that this LP has crystal-clear sound, unlike the many muffled tapedeck recordings we're all used to. However, the one thing which immediately stood out about this recording is the prominence of the keyboards. Nazxul's keyboards have always been a very distant contributor in their studio recordings, barely noticeable but playing a valuable support role. Now they almost appear to drive the songs, which is misrepresentative of the Nazxul method. For this reason alone, I would recommend novices to seek out studio recordings by the band rather than leap straight to the live release. However, the masterful _Black Seed_ EP is hard to find, so maybe you'll just have to buy this record and try to mentally downsize the keyboards! Contact: http://www.deciusproductions.com/nazxul.htm Overkill - _Wrecking Everything: An Evening in Asbury Park_ by: Aaron McKay (9.5 out of 10) (Spitfire, 2002) When you are passionate or borderline fanatical about something, tasks seem less daunting -- even pleasurable. Such is the case with Overkill's career which is laid out as plain as sunlight through a pane of glass with this new two disc DVD set from the band. This kind of devotion spills over to even writing this -- a simple piece -- about them. Many hands make light work and all of Overkill's members, to varying degrees, have carried the cross of their convictions and created a damn fine product here. This DVD set is a great compliment to the _Wrecking Everything (Live)_ CD released around the same time. Always the study in contradiction, however, Overkill lives and breathes the mantra "change is the only constant". Even D.D. Verni wearing a shirt with an "EVIL" logo slapped across it and a (right-side up) cross hanging around this neck. Never a dull moment with these boys. This two DVD set is split up with disc one being the whole live event at Asbury Park (in reply to the "Why not fuckin' New Jersey?" question) and a behind the scenes/commentary interview on the second disc. Running a fine, nearly complete, cross-section of their momentous career, this audio and visual experience puts you squarely in the face of the testosterone-laced aggression of this band. You can almost taste the beer, smell the smoke and wring the sweat outta your _Under the Influence_ shirt after 15 minutes of this two hour DVD. "Necroshine" opens the set. Twenty-two subsequent Overkill greats follow including "Deny the Cross", "Hello From the Gutter", "Long Time Dyin'", "Battle", "Evil Never Dies" and "In Union We Stand". It was a fantastic treat to get to see and enjoy "The Years of Decay" again, as well as hear some brief commentary by Blitz before the song on this DVD. Speaking of commentary, the second disc in this set focuses the magnifying glass on Overkill as a band, its former members and some of the inner workings associated with Overkill as a music machine, touring stories and the band's business angle. For the most part, it is a 99 minute VH-1 "Behind the Music" that you've always wanted to see. As the second disc tells us, the theme of "fire" seems to follow Overkill, but then again, so does dichotomy. Unlike too much unpalatable radio fodder, there is no such thing as overkill with these thrash greats. Here's to the Wrecking Crew! Contact: http://www.spitfirerecords.com Project: Failing Flesh - _Beautiful Sickness_ (Independent, 2003) by: Adrian Magers (8 out of 10) It's not often that an up and coming band can fully gel when writing material, and their first release is not only extremely enjoyable, but easily comparable to (and mistakable for) national acts. Project: Failing Flesh is one of those rare exceptions. The style they employ on _Beautiful Sickness_ (surprisingly, the band's first effort) is hard to describe, but seems to combine bits of mid-era Testament, old Fear Factory, a subtle Mercyful Fate slant, while introducing many interesting new elements. Project: Failing Flesh (who are comprised of instrumentalists Tim Gutierrez and Kevin 131, and former Voivod, current E-Force vocalist Eric Forrest) are eclectic, but maintain a very metallic core. There's an old-school flavor to the thrashier numbers, but elements of metalcore and Gothenburg are sparsely thrown in as well. This band is tough to describe, not because they're doing something outlandish or unheard of, but because they blend their influences perfectly, and have a very refreshing sound. There's a lot of surprises on _Beautiful Sickness_, but they all sound natural. A viola solo, layered keyboards, driving organ-sounds; all centered around top-notch riffery. If there's any justice in this world, P:FF will be signed soon, recruit a few extra members for live purposes, and be exposed to a much wider audience. Currently they're searching for a label to release _Beautiful Sickness_ officially to the general listening public; keep an ear out for that sometime in summer or fall of this year. Contact: http://www.projectfailingflesh.com Quo Vadis - _Passage in Time_ (Skyscraper, 2001) by: Brian Meloon (7 out of 10) Montreal's Quo Vadis should be familiar to longtime CoC readers, as we've covered all of their releases so far: their 1995 self-titled demo [CoC #3], _Forever..._ [CoC #18] and _Day Into Night_ [CoC #49], and done two interviews with them [CoC #4, #18]. This album is mostly to satiate their fans while they write and record a new album. It features one unreleased song from the _DIN_ sessions ("As One"), two re-recorded / re-mixed songs ("Vital Signs", from their demo, and "Hunter/Killer", from _DIN_), two live tracks ("Dysgenics" and "Point of No Return - Mute Requiem", both from _DIN_), a video for "Dysgenics", and four of the five songs from their demo. It was the songs from their demo which were the most interesting for me. It's not that the songs were particularly enjoyable (though I'm sure I would've loved them eight years ago), but it's interesting to see how far they've come in that time. The key elements of their melodic thrash/death metal sound were in place even back then, but during the intervening years, the band have improved their songwriting and execution (as well as their production!). The other tracks don't really do much for me. "As One" and "Vital Signs 2000" aren't particularly outstanding tracks, and while I remember "Hunter/Killer", I can't immediately pinpoint what's different in the remix. The live tracks are pretty good quality, but obviously don't capture the full experience of the live performance. Still, they show that the band don't need studio tricks to make them sound tight and impressive. Lastly, the video isn't very interesting either. It's shot in black and white, and features mainly footage of the band playing the song in a small room. Unfortunately, the video and audio aren't synchronized, save for a few parts where you can see Arie lip-syncing the lyrics. This means the video is little more than a glorified slide-show, and doesn't really warrant repeated viewings. Overall, this is a useful album for Quo Vadis fans to have, but those interested in checking out the band's technical take on melodic death metal should start by picking up _Day Into Night_. Contact: http://www.quovadis.qc.ca/ Rapture - _Songs for the Withering_ (Spinefarm, 2002) by: Pedro Azevedo (7.5 out of 10) _Songs for the Withering_ proves once again that a surprisingly good debut does not guarantee a great second album. Rapture's debut _Futile_ really hit the spot when it came out, its revival of Katatonia's _Brave Murder Day_ infused with a bleak character of its very own. As a result, it kept visiting my CD player with remarkable frequency for an unusually long period of time, and I would have happily given it a 9 out of 10. _Songs for the Withering_ is the disappointment that follows the pleasant surprise -- but truth be told, its first 1:15 left me so gutted that everything that followed was an improvement. My disappointment was caused by Rapture losing some of the emotional qualities of the depressive and bleak _Futile_. They have tried too hard to make a lot of songs on _SftW_ catchy, at the same time as they went for more chorus-based song structures (the last track, "Farewell", is basically the only exception). This plays a considerable part in wrecking some of the emotional qualities the album might have had, but Katatonia's _Discouraged Ones_ proved years ago that chorus-based structures do not necessarily have that effect every time. In fact, what contributed most to my disappointment with _Songs for the Withering_ was that so many of Rapture's excellent, emotional guitar leads have been replaced by simple, dull riffs. A lot more clean vocals can be found on the album, as Petri Eskelainen no longer does the harsh vox. A new vocalist was brought in for that purpose, and his performance is acceptable, apart from the mediocre blackened vocals. I still prefer the more subdued clean vocal approach on _Rapture_ to the hit-and-miss affair on this one (which can be heard in tracks like "The Great Distance"), but this isn't a major gripe. There are still some excellent passages on this album, but as usual in these cases they seem to make the rest all the more difficult to endure. For instance, there are some great bits on "Transfixion", but then there's the song's irritating chorus; similarly, the fine main guitar lead on "Enveloped" is practically wasted because of other sections on the song; and "Farewell" is a closing track that leaves you wishing more of the album had been like it. _Songs for the Withering_ is a good album nonetheless, and I am probably making it seem worse than it is for those who don't know Rapture; but it ultimately leaves the listener who does know _Futile_ with a feeling that so much more could have been accomplished and the album could have -meant- a whole lot more. These Finns do have immense talent, but it only occasionally shines through as brightly as it should on _Songs for the Withering_; but if they can find a consistent direction again, there will surely be an excellent third album. Contact: http://www.rapture.tk Revenge - _Triumph, Genocide, Antichrist_ by: Matthias Noll (9 out of 10) (Osmose Productions, 2003) Ferocious, rabid, insane -- words that have lost much of their impact due to their overuse in reviews, bios, ads and interviews. Bearing that in mind, I'm really having trouble trying to find the appropriate words to describe this release. But it seems I have no other choice than dig out the well-trusted "Guide to Metal Adjectives" and claim that this is indeed the most ferocious, rabid and insane record I've ever heard. Revenge comes from the same bottomless pits that have given birth to acts like Beherit, Blasphemy and Bestial Warlust. This release is part of the school of black grind or war metal, which fuses grindcore and death metal with black metal aesthetics and consciously sacrifices tightness and controlled playing to be able to unleash the highest possible level of animalistic rage and fury. On this, their first full-length, Revenge easily manage to top their MCD as well as all the Conqueror output I've heard. This is partially due to a thicker, more appropriate sound. It's still impossible to clearly make out everything that's going on, especially during your first few encounters with _Triumph, Genocide, Antichrist_. But this time there's a lot more punch, especially when it comes to the aptly described Sturmgeschuetz attack bass commanded by Pete Helmkamp (ex-Angelcorpse). The slower sections have also been improved, and they fiercely beat the listener into submission in a totally barbaric way -- one even more primitive than Hellhammer. There aren't many such sections, but they manage to give the total chaos that manifests itself as _TGA_ a slightly more comprehensible form. Finally, the sparse but well-placed vocal contributions from Helmkamp add extra hooks and textures while providing the perfect contrast to J. Read's almost unbearably hysterical and overdriven wail. Let me warn you, however: if because of Helmkamp's involvement you think that this is comparable to Angelcorpse, then you should just stay away from this album. This is indeed a totally different, much meaner and uglier affair. This IS the apocalypse pressed on CD. Sammath - _Verwoesting - Devastation_ (Folter Records, 2002) by: Pedro Azevedo (6 out of 10) Sammath try to mix the fury of black and brutal death metal on _Verwoesting - Devastation_. Pretty bog-standard talk these days, wouldn't you say? Indeed, Sammath are hardly the first band to try this combination. The thing is, they do it in a pretty unusual way. This is mostly due to their sound, which is built upon extremely distorted, artificial-sounding guitars and a drum machine that spends most of the time near overdrive -- which doesn't make the overall result sound any less artificial. The one man responsible for all this also spews forth black metal rasps, while a second member was brought in for the death growls. A lot of the time the music is hardly remarkable, thriving only on its aggressive qualities. However, on certain tracks -- such as "Devastation", "The Timeless Splendour of Chaos" and "Verwoesting" -- Sammath manage to conjure up a good black guitar lead and give their music a whole new dimension compared to the dull percussive riffing that takes up the majority of the album. The strange production can become rather tiring after some time, but some credit must be given to Sammath for this highly aggressive record -- at least for about half of it. Contact: http://www.sammath.nl Sargatanas Reign - _Euthanasia... Last Resort_ by: Pedro Azevedo (5 out of 10) (I Hate Records, 2002) In spite of the Darkthrone-y band logo and some lyrics having been written by Marduk's Morgan Hakansson, Sargatanas Reign are actually a death metal band with quite a bit of Morbid Angel and Death in their sound. Mixing old-school and a more technical approach, the band reaches some rather good moments, such as the first half of instrumental "Last Resort" and the fast bits on "Hate" and "Evangelical Clitorial". But while this album is not without its highlights, most of the time all the listener gets is rather generic riffs and solos. Apparently the record was self-produced, and the sound quality is nothing to brag about: though the bass is clearly audible, the overall result seriously lacks crunch and that complicates things a bit further. The good bits do show promise, and had there been more of them on the album and a better sound to deliver them, then this could have been a rather enjoyable disc -- I wouldn't be too surprised if that's the case next time around. Contact: http://www.sargatanasreign.com Satanic Warmaster - _Black Katharsis_ (Northern Heritage, 2002) by: Matthias Noll (8 out of 10) Satanic Warmaster's debut, the ripping _Strength and Honour_, is one of the most devastating, mercilessly aggressive black metal releases I've been introduced to in recent months. My expectations that Satanic Tyrant Werewolf and Lord War Torech would continue in exactly the same direction on this three-track EP weren't quite on target, however. _Black Katharsis_ is exclusively kept in a slow to mid-paced approach, and all compositions focus heavily on depressing and much more atmospheric and epic melodies than previous material. This time the recording is a bit more balanced and easier to digest than _SaH_, but remains raw and perfectly appropriate for the material on _BK_. I still fail to see a logical connection to the style on their debut or demo -- this EP could have been the work of a totally different band -- but on its own, _BK_ is an excellent slab of mesmerizing, melancholic and depressive black metal. I'm quite anxious to see which path Satanic Warmaster will be pursuing on their second full-length album _Opferblut_, which will be out in April 2003 on Germany's No Colours Records. Fortunately Northern Heritage have just re-released _Strength and Honour_ in an unlimited CD version, and I'd like to take the opportunity and urge everyone who's into underground black metal to check this album out. Contact: http://personal.inet.fi/private/kult/main.html Serpent Eclipse - _The Seven Desires & Wolves' Blood_ by: Quentin Kalis (8 out of 10) (Oaken Shield / Adipocere , 2002) American black metal has generally been considered inferior to their Old World counterparts with only a handful considered to be on a par in terms of quality. This may be Serpent Eclipse's first official release (_Thy Bleeding Heavens_ contained demo versions of songs featured on this release and was only distributed to media outlets), but he (solo-project time again) may become part of that small and elite group. Serpent Eclipse successfully fuses the grim, misanthropic atmosphere of the black metal of old with futuristic electronic elements, creating a harsh and unforgiving, yet incredibly intense release. The use of a drum machine amplifies the overall cold feel of the CD, but the guitar manages to retain enough warmth to prevent this release from sounding too clinical. Serpent Eclipse do not place as much emphasis on the electronic aspects as Norwegian counterparts Dodheimsgard or The Kovenant, nor is _TSDaWB_ as groundbreaking as _La Masquerade Infernale_ -- but the relatively restrained use of electronica on _TSDaWB_ perhaps explains why it is considerably more aggressive than say, _666 International_. This is an exhilarating and innovative release by a band that is not afraid to expand upon pre-defined and unecessary limitations. Shadows Fall - _The Art of Balance_ (Century Media, 2002) by: Adrian Magers (9 out of 10) Shadows Fall are a band that has been making waves with their blend of old-school thrash tendencies, Gothenburg-esque leads, and souped-up hard rock elements featured on _The Art of Balance_. Always a band to put out more or less solid material (_Of One Blood_, _Somber Eyes to the Sky_), Shadows Fall have put forth their best effort by far and are poised to take the metal realm by the throat. This album has propelled them from being a fairly well-known New England metalcore band, to being featured in just about every last major metal magazine and truly becoming a force in American metal. Century Media has provided well for the band, and for the first time in a long time, we see a band can live up to its hype. This record would please a music fan looking for the grind/groove diversity of a band like Killswitch Engage, Unearth, or Diecast with an old-school thrashy edge. Shadows Fall takes elements from different scenes, different decades, and creates their own personal blend. We hear bits of Metallica and Megadeth at the top of their games (_...And Justice For All_ and _Rust in Peace_ respectively), mixed with a second-hand Maiden influence, by way of Gothenburg death. I also can't help but occasionally be reminded of middle-era Carcass during the grittiest, most wind-mill inducing moments on _The Art of Balance_. After successfully touring with Kittie and Mushroomhead, experiencing an impressive amount of airplay of their video for "Thoughts Without Words", and landing an upcoming stint on Ozzfest, it seems that Shadows Fall are not only poised for personal greatness, but have the potential to help spearhead a new and refreshing metal movement. Contact: http://www.shadowsfall.com Slaine - _NON_ (Independent, 2002) by: Pedro Azevedo (6.5 out of 10) This was probably recorded as more of a demo than an independent commercial release, but with the professional production and the digipak format it definitely gains a potentially wider reach. Slaine play reasonably technical death metal with frequently prominent bass lines and occasional thrash influences. The music is sometimes technical, some other times it gets faster or heavier; Slaine usually keep it varied enough. This Swiss band comes across as enthusiastic about their music, which leads to some pretty good moments on this EP. They are also adept performers and decent songwriters, and benefit from the solid production. The music is neither groundbreaking nor irresistibly enthralling, but it generally remains quite enjoyable and dynamic. This is a good effort by this unsigned band; I wouldn't be surprised if their next release sees them signed to a label. Contact: http://www.slaine.ch Solstafir - _Black Death_ (Ketzer Recs. / Neodawn Prod., 2002) by: Quentin Kalis (8 out of 10) I don't believe that I've ever heard a CD from an Icelandic act before -- unless one wants to count the decidedly less-than-metal Bjork -- and the only other Icelandic band I'm aware of is Potentiam, but if Solstafir are an accurate indicator of the state of Icelandic metal, then what few bands there are must be worth hearing. Solstafir started out as a black metal orientated act, but have altered their style considerably since their early days, incorporating a number of influences into their sound, ranging from rock to modern hardcore; yet they are still undeniably a metal band. They screeching vocals and abrasive guitars are balanced out by melodic sections while the varied tempo ensures it never gets boring. The lyrics to "13:13", as well as their appropriation of the vodka brand for their album title and cover suggest that one shouldn't take this band too seriously. It's a pity though that there are only three songs -- hopefully Solstafir are working on a full-length. Co-released on the now defunct Neodawn Productions, copies should hopefully still be available from Ketzer Records. Get them while you can. Contact: http://www.ketzer-records.com Stand-Up Guy - _Immobiliare_ (Distortion Project, 2002) by: Pedro Azevedo (7.5 out of 10) Glancing at the band's biography moments before playing this EP for the first time, I had no idea what to expect: I had superficial knowledge at best of the bands it said Stand-Up Guy had been compared to (Neurosis being the closest to an exception), and barely knew any of the bands they were said to have toured with. Plus, Stand-Up Guy is hardly a common kind of band name. Looking at the band's website, they describe their attitude as being all about the music and nothing else; the quote "Thank you for your time, I know you could be doing other things rather than reading this" illustrates how down-to-earth this Northern Irish band seems to be. So what about the music then? Initially it reminded me vaguely of Burnt by the Sun, but there really is a lot more to it that comes from very different realms. After the aggressive manner in which the EP begins, things move into a more pensive, melancholic mood following a brief spoken passage; the agonizing screamed vocals laid atop the pounding drums and the vaguely melodic chords continue to create a strong atmosphere, and the music definitely seizes the attention. As the opening track ends with a doomy section and some double-bass drumming, it becomes clear that the songwriting is far from your everyday chorus-based structure. The track ends and segues into a tense movie sample, mixed with a string background that creates an excellent build-up into the song itself. The mood stays dark throughout this instrumental track, a lot of anger that was clearly visible during the first song now more subdued -- this second track, titled "Dead Eyes", serves as an epilogue to the EP opener "Fra Diavalo!". Thoroughly impressed so far, I was a bit let down by the lightweight, clean vocal based approach that opened the third and last track "Right Angles, Wrong Angles". The simplistic main guitar riff did very little to help, but the other instrumental passages still bode well for the rest of the song, which indeed raises in intensity after the three minute mark with the return of the screamed vocals. The clean vocals themselves aren't bad, and they return later in the track with somewhat better results before a doomy section concludes the EP. Hints of present day Katatonia come to mind in some of the guitar work, but it really is hard to compare Stand-Up Guy to other bands. For such a short EP I won't risk a higher rating than this, but what I can say is that I am well impressed and will be looking forward to a full-length. Contact: http://www.stand-upguy.com Strapping Young Lad - _SYL_ (Century Media, 2003) by: Xander Hoose (8 out of 10) When Devin Townsend released the _City_ album back in 1998, he pointed out that this would be the last Strapping Young Lad release. In an interview, he confessed the reason: most of his projects revolve around a certain drug/medicine he was taking at that moment, and he had completely given up on the drug that inspired him to do Strapping Young Lad. With his anger and psychosis more under control, his newer work showed less chaos and more structure and was released under his Physicist moniker. Until 9/11 happened. Inspired by the tragic events in New York, Devin began working on a new Strapping Young Lad album of which the result, _SYL_, lies here before me. I've been steadily playing it over the last two months, but it's hard to come to a closing conclusion about it. What attracts me in _SYL_ is the vileness of the songs and lyrics. To call it 'war music' might be overstepping it a little, but 'war' is definitely in the music. Leaning more towards death metal in especially the guitar/drum combination, _SYL_ is heavier than the first two releases. On the other hand, Strapping Young Lad has always been about a total frantic, uncontrolled, chaotic and over-the-top way of making music. _SYL_ is way too melodic and conventional to fit being a direct successor to the first two albums, and I assume that is exactly what is disappointing to me about this album. _City_ is in every respect a better album than _SYL_, because the latter lacks the impact of leaving you breathless and wondering what the fuck just happened. If you're in it for the melodics, _SYL_ is passed on the other side by Devin Townsend's other new album (_Accelerated Evolution_). On the other hand, yes -- _SYL_ is a good album. An excellent album, compared to most of the other releases I've listened to lately. Some of the songs keep sticking to you ("Relentless", "Aftermath", "Devour"), and the production is quite decent. I guess it would be best to give this album a try yourself. Contact: http://www.strappingyounglad.com Tefra - _7/10ths to Madness_ (Independent, 2002) by: Pedro Azevedo (6 out of 10) Unashamedly sporting a distinct Black Sabbath influence, Tefra do their best to keep their sound fresh in spite of that. Everything is in place, including the heavy guitar grooves and the Ozzy-like vocals. Considering the handicap of not bringing much innovation to the table, Tefra's music needed to have some sort of outstanding qualities in order to give the listener something worthwhile. Unfortunately, while the band is certainly competent, their songwriting doesn't seem to be quite good enough to make people really notice them: the songs aren't especially memorable, and their style is very unidimensional throughout. As a result, _7/10ths to Madness_ is a fun EP to play, but it is forgettable in the long run. I won't say that Tefra need to find their own identity, because they don't seem to be interested in trying very hard at all in that area. What they do need is to take their songwriting ability to a new level in order to stand out from the crowd. Contact: http://www.tefra.org Teratism - _Ex Infernus_ (Root of All Evil, 2002) by: Aaron McKay (4 out of 10) Violently subdued and muted, this four track offering from the darkest reaches of North America (Minnesota, apparently) is the consummate definition of "raw". Cuts one and two come from Teratism's self-titled demo, whereas track three is lifted from the _Invocatum Furae Diabolis_ EP. The final song on _Ex Infernus_ is a live version of the fist track, "Resurrection Denied". While "Hate", number two on the CD count, is the best of the offerings here, it is also the most discordant and strident. It, for whatever reason, harbors a reoccurring raucous and unmusical "chop" that is wholly unnecessary. The guitar solo, on the other hand, is passionate and befitting to this type of depravity. If under-produced, toothless black metal abandonment is gnawing at you to own, Teratism is just the band to gum you to death. Personally, I prefer more bite for my buck. The Prophecy - _Ashes_ (Independent, 2003) by: Pedro Azevedo (7 out of 10) Having found The Prophecy's _To End All Hope_ demo rather interesting, I was pleased to receive this independently released full-length from the band. Expecting more early-'90s British doom revival as the first track kicked in, I was taken aback by how much the band's sound seemed to have changed compared to what I remembered of their demo. The first track on _Ashes_ is more laid-back and atmospheric metal-tinged, as the band seemed to have mellowed a bit instrumentally, opting for a more straightforward metal approach in place of doom dirges. Later in the album stronger doom influences surface, as indicated by the superbly melancholic ending of the opening track, and overall the music is still very much doom-oriented. The best sequence in the album comes near the end of the second track, a re-recording of "The Killing Fields" from their demo: an acoustic guitar interlude leads into "The Prophecy", a more melancholic, My Dying Bride-ish track. The band then goes into thrashy mode later in the album, before closing on a doomier note again with the re-recording of "Till Light Enshrouds". I would have preferred more of the dreary material such as "The Prophecy" and "Till Light Enshrouds" and less of the atmospheric metal and faster stuff, but things are kept pleasant throughout. The Prophecy continue to show promise as they reach several excellent moments on _Ashes_, and the experience they must have gathered participating in the recent Doomination of Europe tour (with Morgion and Mourning Beloveth) will surely be useful in the future. Considering this is only their first album, The Prophecy are likely to further consolidate their style and come back with a superior release next time around. Contact: http://clix.to/theprophecy/ The Quill - _Voodoo Caravan_ (Steamhammer / SPV, 2002) by: Aaron McKay (5 out of 10) While this CD will see little playing time on my JVC stereo, I think this effort is at least a half-step above most '70s-esque stoner metal. While I note the band is in the vein of Kyuss and Spiritual Beggers (complete with a solo from Michael Amott), I hear a strong tie to Badlands more than anything else. Without the Jake E. Lee smooth style to make the comparison complete, The Quill have a _Voodoo Highway_ quality present, the similarity in titles not withstanding. "Shapes of Afterlife" has a nice heavy sludge feel to it that piques my interest, but does next to nothing to capture my long-term attraction. After two previous offerings, The Quill have wafted onto a nice updraft with _Voodoo Caravan_. Lowrider and Nebula influences are not as overwhelming as you might envision; these Swedes donate their all to the cause. Falling a bit short in this reviewer's opinion (see "The Earth Is Bitter Gone", for example), I see hope here and there on this CD. Other than the far-too-seldom oasis, the material on this desert parchment finds itself ultimately rooted in little more than sand where musical originality is concerned. Rhythm, for the most part, is consistant on _VC_, but The Quill's panache leaves me dying of thirst for more than the status quo. Thy Repentance / Nuclear Winter - _Split_ by: Pedro Azevedo (7 out of 10) (Noughtscape Productions, 2003) This very sleekly presented split CD, Noughtscape's first release (limited to 500 hand-numbered copies), consists of Thy Repentance's _Control Shot or Halls of the Red_ and Nuclear Winter's _Ode to War (Apotheosis of Hate)_. Neither band plays your average black metal: Thy Repentance focus on mingling it with ambient and militaristic influences, while Nuclear Winter opt for the hypnotic and post-apocalyptic. Thy Repentance feature a rather prominent bass in their setup, and alternate ambient parts and straightforward, evenly paced, cold black metal. Their six tracks were packed into a continuous one for greater impact, ensuring a continuous flow between the ambient and black metal elements. Midway through the resulting 27 minute track, one is surprised to hear a relatively long acoustic guitar interlude; its desolate sound fits the atmosphere well, and it fades away as a crowd's sampled cries of fear rise and give way to Thy Repentance's black metal once again. Thy Repentance's track ends in comparatively silly fashion thanks to some poor vocals. Nuclear Winter contribute two tracks, weighing in at over half an hour in all. Hypnotic, gloomy, based on atmospheric keyboard dirges and a guitar buzz in the background, Nuclear Winter go as far as replacing the old black metal rasp with a despondent, morose distorted voice to increase the doom in their sound. Variations are few and far between, as Nuclear Winter make no compromise in achieving their hypnotic musical goal. Early on, the repetitive pattern of the percussion is rather inadequate for the music, but it eventually changes into something equally simple and less jarring and ends up changing back and forth between the two. The second, eight minute long track, is almost entirely dark ambient and features only some spoken vocals, with the guitars and drums (and bells!) only coming in near the end. Although different from the first track, it maintains the same general feeling. This split CD harvests a significant amount of its marks from the atmosphere it manages to create, as neither band's black metal is amazing per se. Nevertheless, the two of them together, combined with the ambient bits, sombre layout and the whole attitude, ensure this is a release that dedicated fans of underground black metal should definitely consider acquiring. Contact: http://www.noughtscape.com Tomahawk - _Tomahawk_ (Ipecac, 2002) by: Xander Hoose (8.5 out of 10) Musical centipede Mike Patton has worked on quite a lot of bands and albums lately, some more impressive than others, but never letting down. Four-piece Tomahawk revolves around Patton, using his trademark vocals as the driving strength of the songs while exploring new musical terrority. The album opens very, very strong with "Flashback" and especially "101 North", giving Patton the opportunity of showcasing plenty of different vocal styles without forcing too much. His recent performance with The Dillinger Escape Plan in mind, "101 North" is not even that big a step away. Though much more laid back, Tomahawk also favours addictive riffing over pure technical musicianship. Especially "God Hates a Coward", my favourite song of the album, is honestly straightforward: once you've heard it, there's no way of getting it out of your head. People looking for a more aggressive side are also served, on "POP 1" and "Sir Yes Sir". However, the Foetus-ish "Jockstrap" more or less serves as the turning point of the album, as it is followed by songs that are much weaker and less impressive. "Malocchio" misses a good vibe and "Honeymoon" sounds a lot like other songs on the album. Closer "Narcosis" might be humorous, but nonetheless sub par. _Tomahawk_ is a very entertaining album that has certain songs you won't be able to forget, but on the whole it is a bit disappointing. Let's hope for a follow-up soon. UDO - _Man and Machine_ (Breaker/SPV, 2002) by: Aaron McKay (4 out of 10) UDO's solo material is mostly tough for me to accept (pardon the pun). This album constitutes an obvious throwback to the long gone glory days with the his former band. UDO (also known as Mr. Udo Dirkschneider) is still as easily recognizable vocally on _Man and Machine_ as RuPaul performing at a taping of the 700 Club. Mostly consisting of horribly unimaginative rhymes put to very predicable metal licks, this disc, needless to say, does little to challenge the listener. This is also about the same effort put into keeping that same listener's attention, by the way. By the same token, UDO has never been a trendsetter, so making the aforementioned comment may be obvious to old fans of _Balls to the Wall_. _MaM_ has a ways to go to be categorized with _Eat the Heat_ -- when Accept employed David Reece in 1989 -- but UDO seems to be blazing a trail in that direction. Without tracks like the deplorably repetitive "Dawn of the Gods", one might almost be able to stomach the ballad with Doro Pesch, "Dancing with an Angel", wishing the entire time it was the toxic waltz instead a vision of Night of the Living Dead on the dance floor. If you can separate the highly cool distinctiveness found within UDO's vocal talents from the drivel spit forth in the unbearable lyrics, the predictability of the songs may very well lull you into acceptance. Man? Machine? Metal? Who knows... If you're into reading the end of a book before tackling the novel itself, this disc may be to your liking, too. Until Death Overtakes Me - _Prelude to Monolith_ by: Pedro Azevedo (8 out of 10) (Firebox Records, 2003) Until Death Overtakes Me is guaranteed to at least double the dark clouds in your sky in one hour. In fact, if you close your eyes and really pay attention, I think you will be able to see the clouds gathering. The music created by this Belgian one-man project can be summed up thus: extremely slow, depressive and atmospheric doom metal. Even though the band name was taken from My Dying Bride's "Black God" lyrics (as the bio humbly points out), this is a very different affair. The music features church-like organ, rumbling death vocals, very sparse percussion, a Summoning-like guitar buzz and occasional plucking of sombre strings. The tracks can range up to over 20 minutes in length, and lack the kind of structure that might make you call them songs, often even bordering on ambient. Those of you in the know will be thinking Skepticism by now, and indeed that is the closest match to _Prelude to Monolith_ I can think of. The music remains exceptionally bleak throughout: it never picks up speed or goes into a riff of any kind; instead, it just floats on the black wings of the organ dirges and sporadic booming percussion. The guitar buzz simply sits in the background without ever forming a distinguishable riff, nor do the barely human death vocals ever form a recognizable word. It should come as no surprise that the album has considerable hypnotic qualities -- or it may be likely to induce sleep in case you're not into this kind of music. A very extreme and worthwhile release exclusively for dedicated fans of funeral doom. Contact: http://www.firebox.fi Uphill Battle - _Uphill Battle_ (Relapse, 2002) by: Aaron McKay (4.5 out of 10) When this California four piece focus their energy appropriately, they hemorrhage the essence of grind. Unfortunately, not a lot of their attention seems directed in this vein on their nine track debut. I am of the impression that a hardcore/grindcore combination is the brass ring Uphill Battle are on a campaign to grab. While I'm as open as they come where varying vocal styles are concerned, UB has some definite issues in this area. Joe, the bassist and throat-culture donor, sounds strikingly similar to a hill dwarf that mistakenly tried to forge his own "ball bearings", if you catch my meaning. Subtracting the howls-of-pain-like vocals, Uphill Battle change up the tempo more than an acid-dropping, schizophrenic DJ. That's okay with me, I have no problem telling ya, as is the nice n' deep, underutilized bass playing littering this self-titled effort. The songs on this offering are very well composed and, for the most part, interesting as far as things go lyrically and structurally. "Old" is the finest example of most everything mentioned in this review, including the masturbating ferret-like vocals, but this track is my preferred cut off the CD. Ending this disc with "Playing Dead" was perfect. The song is audibly very digestible and segues well into the little end of nothing whittled down to a point we've come to expect throughout this debut from Uphill Battle. Vader - _Revelations_ (Metal Blade, 2002) by: Matthias Noll (9 out of 10) In the guise of "just another Vader record", _Revelations_ found its way into my CD player, and during the first couple of listens failed to leave much of an impression other than that. Sure, the sound is totally top-notch, creating a physical punch coming at you from the speakers, even on low volume. And... what else? Well, it sounded typically Vader, with their most powerful production ever. My perception started to change when I got back to this record after my slight initial disappointment had worn off, and the more I listened to it, the brighter I saw the light. With the typical beating Vader style one gets with _Revelations_, the band has introduced certain additional elements which work extremely well. First of all, there is the incorporation of some wickedly cool and grooving heavy metal riffs. The band has also developed a more diverse use of pace, which helps to accentuate the heaviness of some sections as well as the insane speed of others. Don't get this wrong: Vader did not get softer or less fast than before; it's just not speed, speed and more speed from start to finish. Let me put it this way: if _Litany_ was Vader's _Reign in Blood_ -- and believe me, Vader is one of the two or three bands on this planet where such a comparison is justifiable -- _Revelations_ is their _Seasons in the Abyss_. The guitar solos are another point worth mentioning. I always felt that the solos were one of the few weak points in Vader's music, but this time there's more soloing than ever -- with the difference that Peter finally got away from worshipping Kerry King's whammy bar and instead delivered some really cool lead work with a clear Vader identity. Doc once again shows that he's one of the best death metal drummers around. His speed, precision, and ability to effortlessly and within milliseconds accelerate from extremely fast to even faster blasting is breathtaking time and time again. His style may not the most technical in a world of Roddys and Mouniers, but his sense of rhythm and especially his incredible breaks and fills are totally amazing. So, what's preventing this record from getting 10 out of 10? First off, I don't want to give the highest rating to anything that hasn't stood the test of time. Secondly, "The Nomad" is an obvious but inferior attempt to write another "Xeper", definitely one of my all-time favourite death metal tracks. "Xeper" is proof that Vader can do better, and had it been on _Revelations_ instead of _Litany_ this would have been a 9.5. This minor gripe set aside, I'm convinced this is the best death metal record of 2002. Various - _Better Undead Than Alive_ (Code666, 2003) by: Pedro Azevedo (8 out of 10) Here's a new concept: a label compilation that's really interesting for the average listener. That's what Code666 have worked hard to produce with this _Better Undead Than Alive_ double CD. Throughout the compilation, all the tracks have been merged together to create a continuous flow, and the songs themselves were chosen not only with a view to represent each band's sound but to fit the overall mood of the compilation as well. The material on offer can be divided intro three kinds: remastered album tracks, unreleased advance tracks and exclusive compilation tracks. The two CDs feature a total of 24 songs, ranging from one to three from each of the following bands: Void of Silence, Aborym, Diabolicum, Thee Maldoror Kollective, Rakoth, Bloodshed, Enid, Negura Bunget, Handful of Hate, Ephel Duath, Aghora, Atrox, Manes, Unmoored and Abortus. There is little point in examining each of the bands individually on this review, as most of them have either already been reviewed in CoC or are likely to be at some stage. The mood is generally dark, leaning mostly towards more-or-less technological black metal (Aborym, Diabolicum, Thee Maldoror Kollective and, with a major doom component, Void of Silence), but remains varied while trying to avoid undesirably jarring contrasts. Not that you don't get a few, though -- sandwiching Bloodshed's powerful black/death metal between Rakoth's and Enid's brands of medieval/fantasy heavy/black metal, for instance, could scarcely have had a different result. It is Romania's mystical black metallers Negura Bunget who pick up from there, so you can imagine the contrast with Enid's minstrel-like vocals. Handful of Hate, another ripping black/death act, then precede Ephel Duath's avantgarde black metal in a similarly jarring passage. This is then followed by Aghora's and Atrox's progressive female-fronted material, in a much better flowing sequence that temporarily drags the focus of the compilation away from the darker shades, before Void of Silence close the first CD with their doom/black metal. The second CD's first half is mostly a continuation of the first CD's second half, with more lightweight bands such as Rakoth, Atrox and Enid taking up most of its playing time, in spite of efforts by Thee Maldoror Kollective and Unmoored. From there on, the second CD becomes a lot more like the first half of the first CD (feeling lost yet?), with the darker bands dominating until the end (questionable techno remix of an Aborym track included). Considering that this is a showcase for all the bands on Code666, it is hardly a crime that the label has some variety in its roster, and they clearly did put some care into smoothing these differences as much as possible. Where the compilation further impresses is through the interesting movie-like artwork and layout, and especially its multimedia bonuses. You get well-presented band photos and bio, a Negura Bunget video (which Code666 point out was shot in the Carpathian mountains) and a few MP3 bonuses -- including five Aghora live tracks with reasonable sound quality. Code666 clearly worked hard on this, and they have succeeded in creating an interesting compilation that constitutes a worthwhile purchase for the general public rather than just serving as a promotional tool. Contact: http://www.code666.net Verdict - _Reflections of Pain_ (Independent, 2002) by: Pedro Azevedo (6 out of 10) The trashy metal presented by Verdict comes wrapped in a decent sound, and the band seem to be well into what they're doing. Old-school influences prevail on _Reflections of Pain_, and I've no doubt Verdict are passionate about their music. At some stages in the album they come up with smart passages that spice things up a bit, and the album is generally quite energetic. However, _Reflections of Pain_ still suffers somewhat from being a full-length, in the sense that a lot of it is quite generic -- even though there's nothing hugely wrong with it, there's hardly anything very remarkable during a vast portion of the album either. Some of these breaks and riffs had their day a bit too long ago, much as Verdict do a decent job with them. Verdict are technically competent, even though the music could be fuller (through some busier percussion, perhaps), and do manage to come up with relatively fresh-sounding passages as well -- this isn't a blatant rehash of old days. It just seems to lack something to make it stand out from such a huge crowd in the year 2003. Contact: http://www.verdict.de Ywolf - _Trilogy of the Night_ (Oaken Shield / Adipocere, 2002) by: Quentin Kalis (7 out of 10) Hungarian Gabriel Wolf is not only the driving force behind Finnugor but is also responsible for Ywolf -- and the workaholic is involved in at least two more bands. (He may be recognised by readers for his passable remix of "Painting My Horror" for Arcturus' _Disguised Masters_ remix CD.) Unsurprisingly, this does sound quite a lot like Finnugor, despite the lack of any traditional rock instruments: this CD is comprised entirely of vocals, synths and various classical instruments. This is a more restrained project then Finnugor, focusing even more on the creation of dark ethereal atmospheres. Vocals are quite varied, ranging from an ineffective distorted scream to the same gothic vocals utilized by Finnugor, as well as some eerily beautiful female vocals. The end result is a rather beautiful and evocative album that is not nearly as painful to listen to as Finnugor, despite the fact that they share the same omnipresent goth sensibility. It is impossible to know if this is a truly original release, as my exposure to goth -- or even goth-influenced music -- is limited. Whatever the case may be, this is an interesting release that deserves at least a listen. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= __, __, _, _ _, _, | \ |_ |\/| / \ (_ |_/ | | | \ / , ) ~ ~~~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Scoring: 5 out of 5 -- A flawless demo 4 out of 5 -- Great piece of work 3 out of 5 -- Good effort 2 out of 5 -- A major overhaul is in order 1 out of 5 -- A career change is advisable Big Baby Satan - _Big Baby Satan_ by: Aaron McKay (2.5 out of 5) This nine track demo is scaled down and took a long time to actually get into. Staying in the two minute range with their material, Big Baby Satan display far too few riffs for such short tracks to capture my interest. There was one track that stood out on this effort: "Like the Sun", the demo's sixth cut. That said, it's unfortunate that it took this Long Island, New York outfit that long into the disc to make a statement worth recognizing as distinctive or memorable. While Big Baby Satan doesn't lack in the experience department -- drawing from other projects like Redshift, Sorrow, Wehatejulia and Mr. Murray -- a bit more polishing of this three piece's low end rhythm, especially in the infectious groove department (no offense Sarsippius!), might be in order. There is a "smoky" appeal to BBS's overall feel with clean, understandable vocals and a straightforward metal drive, and Mike Hymson's drumming is way above average. However, this self-titled demo leaves the listener wanting something more than a re-heated, under-produced Screaming Trees meets Cathedral travail. Overall, Big Baby Satan's stripped-down sound and puerile lyrics, combined with a swag humor, are investments worth embellishing to hopefully take Big Baby Satan to a level yet unattained by this band. Contact: http://www.bigbabysatan.com Frantic Bleep - _Fluctuadmission_ by: Pedro Azevedo (4 out of 5) With some discs that arrive in my mailbox it's just obvious it's going to be at least a mildly weird experience, and Frantic Bleep are one such case. Describing this demo is not easy, as it mixes a lot of influences with considerable creativity by the band to produce a varied yet consistently unusual result. The music is never very extreme and generally hovers towards the experimental, with sound effects and jagged riffs everywhere, but it can get reasonably heavy and feature some distorted vocals as well as the more common clean ones. Some of the guitar and keyboard leads and vocal passages vaguely bring to my mind present day Arcturus, some others even more vaguely Solefald or the reasonably obscure Oxiplegatz, without ever really being close enough for any of these bands to really come across as a major influence for Frantic Bleep. These Norwegians are obviously determined to do their own thing and unleash their creativity. This isn't to say the music is so overly experimental it will leave you bewildered and confused throughout; in spite of all, it does remain reasonably focused and chaos never really takes control. Sound quality, songwriting complexity and technical execution are all perfectly acceptable for a commercial EP, let alone a demo; add to that a considerable level of creativity, and I'm impressed. Contact: http://www.home.no/franticbleep/ Indesinence - _Ecstatic Lethargy_ by: Pedro Azevedo (4 out of 5) A brief intro leads to two tracks totaling 22 minutes of Indesinence's brand of doom metal, and it soon becomes apparent that you will see no sunlight on this one. There is a cavernous sound to the music, both in the abyssic guitars and the vast growls. Bringing Evoken to mind, Indesinence punish the listener with desperately bleak riffs and vocals. There is no respite for the duration of the demo, not even when the guitars become less crushing and slightly more melodic. Indesinence are serious about their doom metal, and aren't about to compromise any of it. The production suits their style very well, the playing is good in spite of the difficulty of some very slow tempos they occasionally use, and the result is remarkably strong through the sheer despondency that radiates from the music. The music isn't snail-paced throughout, though: it's mostly a slowish, pronounced mid-paced affair, and Indesinence even include brief outbursts of speed towards the end of the first track after the intro (following what is possibly the slowest and most painful passage of the whole demo) and early in the second. Although Evoken is perhaps the main reference, there is some old My Dying Bride thrown into the mixture as well, but Indesinence retain sufficient individuality throughout the demo. Indesinence leave no doubt that they are fast on their way to becoming a very good doom metal outfit, but _Ecstatic Lethargy_ is one of those demos worth keeping in your collection for what it's worth rather than just for what it promises. Contact: indesinence@hotmail.com Manifold Object - _Mirrorlike_ by: Pedro Azevedo (3 out of 5) "Melancholic", "atmospheric" and "progressive". Those seem to be the band's three favourite adjectives when describing their music, and I can't deny they fit the music on _Mirrorlike_. Finland's Manifold Object can go from lightweight progressive metal to trippy atmospheres and back pretty quickly, and certainly create a style all their own. Jazz influences are also apparent, and Manifold Object include an alto sax in their music every once in a while. There is no question of the band's technical skill, but their sprawling eight minute compositions tend to wander around aimlessly a bit too much for the music's own good. Some more contrast in terms of the approach would have been welcome, as the sound is very thin and atmospheric throughout. The only exception is a harsher passage near the end of the demo where some death-like vocals are employed, but it would have required a stronger sound to really work. Still, there's no denying atmospheric, progressive metal was the band's goal to begin with. The vocals aren't bad, and don't become too obtrusive by trying to outshine the musical backdrop, but ultimately they add little value to the result. Overall, Manifold Object are obviously skilled, but their music still demands honing before it can really capture the listener. Contact: http://www.manifoldobject.cjb.net Nattstrype - _Where No Life Exists_ Nattstrype - _Skapad Ur Morkrets All Helveteskap_ Nattstrype - _The Art of Misanthropy_ by: Pedro Azevedo (3 / 3.5 / 4 out of 5) Nattstrype waste no time in setting their rules: grim black metal, fast, cold; yet with considerable emphasis on guitar work and a production that doesn't actually -try- to sound rotten. The first demo _Where No Life Exists_ is mostly by-the-numbers Immortal-ish black metal, a young band coming up with a pleasant but unoriginal set of tracks. The songs are technically competent, and the songwriting works well on pace changes and remains interesting. The real downside to _Where No Life Exists_ is its lack of originality, which can to a certain degree be forgiven in a band's first demo. In some passages they already show reasonable individuality, but overall this is just a passable demo. The band's second demo _Skapad Ur Morkrets All Helveteskap_, in spite of some production problems and the absence of a bass (which is actually rather prominent in the first demo), carries a bit more of a feeling of its own. Its two tracks drop some of the Immortal cloak, instead bringing to mind _Transilvanian Hunger_ era Darkthrone (a bit too strongly in the second track, if you know what I mean). This is due to the subdued melodies and a touch of despair that is apparent in the music -- although it still is quite a bit more dynamic and less repetitive than the aforementioned Darkthrone disc. Even though the first demo had some good moments, overall the second shows some improvement and provides a more interesting listen. Quite a shame it was cut short at only two tracks and marred by production difficulties. Nattstrype's new demo _The Art of Misanthropy_ moves things in a slightly different direction again, combining Immortal and Darkthrone influences with more individuality, some doomy passages, and more variety than before. The sound is quite good considering this is a black metal demo, and the playing is adequately tight. _The Art of Misanthropy_ strikes me as a combination of most of what made the previous demos interesting, consolidated and delivered with superior quality and some more unexpected touches. The fast sections have been honed, and some work seems to have gone into improving the slower passages as well, which are also used more frequently now. Nattstrype again manage to come up with some pleasantly icy melodies on this third demo and combine them with those slower, more atmospheric passages for good effect, creating a stronger overall result -- the band is even capable of closing the demo with the unusual but very moody "Forruttnelsens Kammare". They aren't about to break any moulds just yet, but if Nattstrype continue progressing at this rate, then they are bound to come out with a worthwhile commercial release any day. Contact: http://www.nattstrype.cjb.net =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= _, _ _, _, / _ | / _ (_ \ / | \ / , ) ~ ~ ~ ~ S H A D O W S F A L L O V E R C O L U M B U S , O H I O ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Sunday, March 30: Newport Music Hall, Columbus, OH by: Adrian Magers Thirsty for live music, and pumped full of adrenaline despite the abnormally frigid temperature (who turned to burning Everclear flyers for warmth), a small crowd of central Ohioans, myself among them, waited for 7 o' clock with bated breath, anxious to witness the next stop of Shadows Fall's first headlining tour to begin. After what seemed an eternity, the doors swung open, a crude line was formed, and the early showing concert-goers streamed in. Luckily there was little delay before the first act, and setup between bands was minimal, as it appeared they were using the same amplification and only had to switch drum sets, plug in, tune up, and play. This kept the momentum going and for the most part the show was flawless as far as equipment and sound goes. The Newport is built like a compacted opera hall, so unlike most small clubs, the music tends to sound less restrained and muffled. First up was Cephalic Carnage. Though I'd never been a fan of their stop, grind, and go formula chaos, they proved to be an entertaining and worthy opener for the mighty Shadows Fall. It seemed as though the crowd wasn't quite theirs, but the sheer energy and surgical precision they presented won them cheers and polite clapping. Their string section whipped around both heads and instruments, writhed on the stage whilst pounding out their brand of spastic riffing. The instrument abuse led to two broken strings, one from each guitarist. Both were quick about getting back into the groove of things and catching up with their bandmates. Their ambition and talent didn't go unappreciated, but Cephalic Carnage didn't seem to connect with the audience. The highlights of their set included their opening rendition of the theme from the cartoon "King of the Hill" leading into blastbeat mayhem, and their tribute to their Norwegian brethren with "Black Metal Sabbath", complete with corpsepaint masks and synchronized guitar waving. Next was Unearth from Boston, a band that complicated the headliners well. Just when metal hardcore fusion was getting stagnant, bands like Unearth give the scene a well-needed kick in the ass. This was their first time in Columbus, and judging by crowd reaction, Ohio would welcome them back with open arms. The combination of chunky, triplet-filled riffs and blurring melodic Gothenburg-meets-Priest passages set off applause in the form of flying hair and moshpits, both circular at times, physically illustrating the balance between the two genres blended by Unearth. Further proving the comfort in walking the line between metal and hardcore, they dedicated consecutive songs to fans of each genre. These guys are definitely a band on their way up, and provided they stay consistent with their live intensity and well-crafted songwriting, by the time they tour in support of another album, it might be them headlining. Shai Hulud played to a divided crowd. Members of the audience in Metallica and Slayer garb (which would include yours truly, donning a shirt of the latter) looked on in half-hearted enthusiasm, as the baseball-capped, hoodie-wearing section screamed back lyrics, letting their love for the band be heard all throughout the set. One particular person showed so much audience participation that at one point the Shai Hulud vocalist chucked his microphone into the crowd for an unexpected guest vocal part by an excited fan. Overall though, I found them to be somewhat mediocre and spent most of their allotted playing time recovering from the last band and preparing for the next. The overall flow of the concert might have gone slightly better if Shai Hulud was second, and Unearth played direct support to Shadows Fall. However, Shai Hulud is better known and have been for much longer than newcomers Unearth. The lights dimmed, the stage was set, and all hell broke loose as Shadows Fall began a night of crushing melodic neo-thrash metal. As soon as the opening riff of "Of One Blood" kicked in, the crowd went absolutely insane, purging their aggression and energy for the whole duration of the show. The band kept the crowd momentum going flawlessly, never missing a beat or resting much between songs. The band's adept playing abilities were complemented by sound quality most bar bands would kill for. They performed mostly tracks from last year's _The Art of Balance_ and threw in a couple of tracks from their second album including "Crushing Belial" and the aforementioned title track of that CD. It's hard to describe the electricity in the air as the band pummeled the intimate Columbus gathering with their beautiful brand of metal. Lead guitarist Jonathan Donais executed his solos perfectly and, along with fellow guitarist Matthew Bachand and bassist Paul Romanko, belted out riff after riff of blissful sonic malevolence. Jason Bittner held down the beat, leading the band through the various tempo changes and even threw out a few improvised fills. Vocalist Brian Fair added his unique voice over the musical backdrop provided by his bandmates. Shadows Fall are a five-tiered attack, and they especially show this live. It's not strange for me to feel sore or be in a little pain after a concert, but the fact that I stayed out of the pit and in front of the stage the entire night speaks volumes about my impression of the show. If you want to headbang 'til it hurts, see Shadows Fall on their first headlining tour, or check them out on the second stage at Ozzfest this summer. Bottom line, these guys are must-see. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= __, __, ___ _, _ _, _, | \ |_ | /_\ | | (_ |_/ | | | | | | , , ) ~ ~~~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~~~ ~ Web Site: http://www.ChroniclesOfChaos.com FTP Archive: ftp://ftp.etext.org/pub/Zines/ChroniclesOfChaos --> Interested in being reviewed? Please ask for a local mailing address by e-mailing us at: =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Europe@ChroniclesOfChaos.com NorthAmerica@ChroniclesOfChaos.com RestOfTheWorld@ChroniclesOfChaos.com =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= DESCRIPTION ~~~~~~~~~~~ Chronicles of Chaos is a FREE monthly magazine electronically distributed worldwide via the Internet. Seemingly endless interviews, album reviews and concert reviews encompass the pages of Chronicles of Chaos. Chronicles of Chaos stringently emphasizes all varieties of chaotic music ranging from black and death metal to electronic/noise to dark, doom and ambient forms. Chronicles of Chaos is dedicated to the underground and as such we feature demo reviews from all indie bands who send us material, as well as interviews with a select number of independent acts. HOW TO SUBSCRIBE ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ You may subscribe to Chronicles of Chaos at any time by sending an e-mail to: Subscribe@ChroniclesOfChaos.com with your full name in the subject line of the message. You may unsubscribe from Chronicles of Chaos at any time by sending a blank e-mail to: Unsubscribe@ChroniclesOfChaos.com. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= End Chronicles of Chaos, Issue #61 All contents copyright (c) 1995-2003 by individual creators of included work. All rights reserved. All opinions expressed herein are those of the individuals expressing them, and do not necessarily reflect the views of anyone else.