_______ __ __ __ ___ | _ | |--.----.-----.-----|__.----| .-----.-----. .-----.' _| |. 1___| | _| _ | | | __| | -__|__ --| | _ | _| |. |___|__|__|__| |_____|__|__|__|____|__|_____|_____| |_____|__| |: 1 | |::.. . | `-------' _______ __ | _ | |--.---.-.-----.-----. |. 1___| | _ | _ |__ --| |. |___|__|__|___._|_____|_____| |: 1 | |::.. . | `-------' CHRONICLES OF CHAOS e-Zine, Saturday, August 3, 2003, Issue #64 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 Contributor: Adrian Magers Contributor: James Montague Contributor: Jackie Smit 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 #64 Contents, 8/3/2003 ---------------------------- * Chats -- Nevermore: The Greater Goal Achieved -- Tomahawk: Shooting the Breeze Mit Mr. Denison -- Dysrhythmia: Tradition Be Damned * Albums -- Amongst the Swarm - _Crowning the Defeated_ -- Arcturus - _The Sham Mirrors_ -- Beneath the Ashes - _Nailed to Your Ruins_ -- Blessed - _Last Breath Before the Flesh_ -- Children of Bodom - _Hate Crew Deathroll_ -- Circle Takes the Square - _As the Roots Undo_ -- Crematorium - _For All Our Sins_ -- Cumchrist - _Cumplete_ -- Darkthrone - _Soulside Journey_ / _A Blaze in the Northern Sky_ / _Under a Funeral Moon_ / _Transilvanian Hunger_ -- Disfear - _Misanthropic Generation_ -- Ditch - _The Sound of Liverpigs Dancing_ -- Ed Gein - _It's a Shame_ -- Elend - _Winds Devouring Men_ -- Exterminator - _Mirror Images_ -- Farmakon - _A Warm Glimpse_ -- Golden Dawn - _Masquerade_ -- Horfixion - _Instigators of Chaos_ -- Inner Helvete - _Total Bloodshedding Devastation_ -- Killing Joke - _Killing Joke_ -- Laibach - _WAT_ -- Meshuggah - _Nothing_ -- Mütiilation - _1992-2002: Ten Years of Depressive Destruction_ -- Mütiilation - _Majestas Leprosus_ -- Mystifier - _Profanus_ -- Nevermore - _Enemies of Reality_ -- Opeth - _Damnation_ -- Pathos - _Perdition Splits the Skies_ -- Prong - _Scorpio Rising_ -- Rakoth - _Tiny Deaths_ -- Satanic Warmaster - _Opferblut_ -- Satyricon - _Volcano_ -- Strommoussheld - _Behind the Curtain_ -- Throcult - _Soldiers of a Blackened War_ -- Throne of Chaos - _Pervertigo_ -- Vinterriket - _Winterschatten_ -- Vomitor - _Bleeding the Priest_ * Demos -- Aramathea - _Of Darkest Dreams..._ -- Kill by Inches - _Kill by Inches_ -- Outcast - _The Source of All Creation_ -- Pica Fierce - _A Spiral of Violence_ -- The Evil Cell - _The Evil Cell_ - The Evil Cell - _The Evil Cell II_ * Gigs -- Coming Back Alive and Kicking: Sepultura and Stamping Ground -- Raining Classics on a Lacerated London: Slayer with Lamb of God -- Unleashing True Carnage: Six Feet Under supported by Obscenity -- They Came For Us All: Anthrax with Kill 2 This -- Marching on to Greatness: Mastodon and Labrat =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= _, _,_ _, ___ _, / ` |_| /_\ | (_ \ , | | | | | , ) ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ T H E G R E A T E R G O A L A C H I E V E D ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ CoC talks to Jeff Loomis of Nevermore by: Jackie Smit How many times have you heard a band's forthcoming effort described as "heavier, but more melodic"? This commonly used combination of adjectives (I stopped counting at thirty) has during the last few years served more to warn fans of impending drivel, than actually stir up some excitement for a record. Always the exception to the rule however, Seattle's Nevermore are actually able to say this of their forthcoming album, _Enemies of Reality_, and still hold their heads high. Having steadily been releasing a succession of excellent records since 1995, _Enemies of Reality_ is quite simply their greatest and most well-rounded accomplishment to date. What better time then to catch up with main songwriter/guitarist Jeff Loomis than on the eve of its release? CoC: Well, Jeff -- let me say first of all that I've had the advance of the new record for about two weeks now and it's awesome. Jeff Loomis: Thanks. CoC: As much as I enjoyed the previous Nevermore albums, I always got the feeling that you were capable of and were actually working towards something bigger. Do you feel that you have achieved this on _Enemies of Reality_? JL: Definitely. I think that there are some fundamental differences on this album from the last that helped us achieve that, especially in that the songs are a bit shorter and there's only nine on the record. I don't think that we wanted to do another sixty minute epic, because I think it kind of gets to the point where you're sitting there listening and thinking "Man, is this ever going to end?". This album is really fast and to the point. CoC: The songs also sound as though you paid them much more attention and in general the whole album feels a bit more well-rounded. JL: I agree, and I think that it basically comes from just getting better as a songwriter over the years, you know what I mean? I don't really think we follow any set path or whatever, and I never pre-plan anything; I usually just press record on my eight-track in my home studio and just come up with whatever I can and then pick out the best stuff at the end of the day. CoC: Did you handle most of the writing for this album again? JL: Yeah, I usually write the brunt of the music and then Warrel handles all of the lyrics, and it was the same for this album. CoC: You had to cancel quite a large part of your 2001 tour with Savatage because of the events of 9/11. Did that reflect in any way on how _Enemies of Reality_ came out? JL: No, I mean, maybe we were a little angry at the time or whatever, but these are all just really personal bits of poetry we came up with ourselves and that didn't have anything to do with it. CoC: The new album does sound a lot angrier than _Dead Heart in a Dead World_ though -- where did this extra rage come from? JL: I don't know... Like I said, I don't really plan anything. I mean, things like the war in Iraq and stuff like that made me worried about stuff like the band's safety, since we travel all the time, but after a while I just started ignoring it, because I'm not really a very political person. I think that a lot of it comes just purely from inspiration from the stuff I've been listening to and it might also have a lot to do with this Kelly guy we used to produce the album instead of Andy. CoC: He did a really good job, by the way. JL: He did an excellent job! I think that Kelly was trying to approach recording us in a different sort of way. With Andy we sort of had to take a building block approach and we would spend so much time on every little thing, whereas Kelly would set up the whole band and we'd play a lot of the songs live. So really what you're hearing is the live aspect of Nevermore. Of course I would add three other tracks of guitars later on, but in the end everything came together and made for a very good album. Also with Andy we'd have to do all the instrumental parts first and do all the vocal bits last, and to tell you the truth it's not a really good idea doing that, because the vocals tend to get really burned out. After every time we had completed one song on this new album, Kelly would bring Warrel in and do the basic vocal tracks, so we'd have one song, one vocal, one song, one vocal... And basically we'd have Warrel singing through the duration of the album. CoC: That also probably gave his voice time to rest between recording. JL: Oh yeah, and it's really important when you're recording. You can't blow your voice out, because you'll be screwed. CoC: Now, this is the second time that Nevermore recorded as a four- piece. Have you guys ever given any thought to replacing Pat O'Brien? JL: Well, Pat's in Cannibal Corpse now and I don't think that his heart was really into the style of music that we wanted to do to begin with. I mean, I was living with him at the time and he would literally wake up every morning and listen to Cannibal Corpse. And I think that all of us are really happy that he got into Cannibal, because it's his dream band. As for Tim, our other guitar player -- I think he just had other priorities at the time. He got married and he was always into aviation, so he's now actually flying planes for a living. Basically right now, it's just easier for us to go on as a four-piece, especially in the studio. I can tighten up everything pretty well in the studio and also business-wise it's easier for us to work this way. And we take someone with us when we go on tour anyway. Right now it's going to Chris from Jag Panzer who'll be coming out with us when we play in Europe and the States in a couple of months. CoC: There are quite a few songs on Nevermore where there's an almost death metal-type feel to the riffs. JL: Yeah, definitely. I actually started off in a death metal band in Wisconsin, where I'm from, and I think that there's almost always been an influence. And I think that you can hear that especially on the second song, where there's almost a Morbid Angel-type harmonic bit going on in the middle section. I think it's kind of cool that Warrel can actually sing over that and not do the typical death metal growl. That's why I actually stopped playing in bands like that, because I thought that the vocals were very restrictive in a sense. I like vocalists that can sing nowadays. CoC: Did Warrel have any vocal training? JL: I believe he did. As far as I know it was from this guy by the name of David Kyle, who actually taught a lot of people in Seattle who did, you know, this falsetto stuff and things like that. I think in the early Sanctuary days, his voice was much higher and over the years it's sort of evened out a bit into a kind of mid- range to the point where it suits our stuff really well. CoC: You mentioned the live aspect of this album earlier and Nevermore does have the reputation of being quite the performers -- do you think your records or your live shows form the most important element of the band? JL: I think definitely the live experience is where it's all really at for us. I much prefer playing live to being stuck in a studio, because that tends to kind of suck most of the time. In a live environment you have all the people really in your face and you're able to just really let go and go off into another world. And it's really inspiring to play live -- actually it's the place where I'm most inspired. CoC: So, what's been the most inspiring Nevermore gig, in your opinion, so far? JL: Well, there's been so many, but off the top of my head I'd have to say the Dynamo festival in 1995. We had just started out as a band and we played in front of like 80,000 people and to play to such a large crowd is just indescribable. We went on at noon and I've never played in front of such a big crowd before; it really looked like just a vast ocean of people. It was pretty intense. CoC: Do you have a job outside the band? JL: Yeah, at the moment, I think we all have to work because we're right in the middle of the re-signing process. I try to keep myself busy all the time -- I teach guitar to students. Warrel and Jim are both really killer chefs and Van probably has the best job out of all of us -- he works for Nintendo. CoC: Have you recorded any bands in your home studio yet? JL: I did, actually. A couple of months ago I recorded a death metal band out of Seattle and it came out really cool. I'd like to actually do more of that, but it's really hard finding the time. CoC: Nevermore are often quite unfairly lumped into the power metal genre -- does this bother you guys at all? JL: Yeah, a little bit. CoC: So how would you describe yourselves to people who haven't heard you yet? JL: Well, I think we're an ever-changing band, which makes it really hard to say. We have so many different styles that come together in this band that it's really hard to say, and it's probably impossible to categorize. I think we get a lot of the power metal references because Warrel sings, but to me power metal just sounds a lot happier as opposed to our stuff. CoC: Well, you also don't sing about demons and dragons and wizards either... JL: Yeah, dungeons and dragons, demons jumping out of the PA -- that's not us at all. I can't really put any tag on us, because from album to album you never know what you're going to get with us. It's always ever-changing. CoC: Now, you're obviously pretty happy with how _Enemies of Reality_ has turned out. In your honest opinion, what do you feel is this album's potential? JL: That's a hard one to predict. You know, it's about a month away from coming out, but to tell you the truth, I think it's going to be our best one yet. You've got to be optimistic about things like this or you sit at home, shaking and wondering what's going to happen. I think some people might freak out because of the difference in recording sounds -- I mean Andy Sneaps was so sleek, whereas this one's focusing on the rawer approach that we can get. I do look forward to seeing what people think, but I definitely believe that this will be our best-selling album. We have always outsold every successive album, so we've pretty much always been going up. CoC: What are your touring plans for 2003? JL: Well, we'll be coming to Europe with Arch Enemy in September and then after that we'll be hitting the states with Dimmu Borgir, Children of Bodom and Hypocrisy. I think it's cool to have a show like this, because most of the time when you go to the States, there'll be four death metal bands playing and it just gets really boring. I really like it when there are different bands on a bill, because it just keeps things interesting, you know? CoC: You actually toured with Dimmu Borgir in 2001 -- do they get up to any crazy antics on the road? JL: Oh man, those guys are just so much fun. They really know how to party and they're big fans of older styles of metal, like we all are, and they're really cool guys under all the demon-stuff they put on. CoC: As heavy as _Enemies of Reality_ is, in the current marketplace one could easily imagine a couple of those songs on radio and Nevermore actually becoming quite a big act commercially. Have you guys ever given thought to touring with any bigger bands? JL: I guess if the chance ever came up, we'd definitely take it, because it would bring so much more publicity for us, but at the moment we're sort of more attached to the underground bands. We've always been going out with bands from Sweden like Opeth and Soilwork and it usually makes for a really good bill. CoC: But at the same time a band like Metallica is claiming to go back to the old-school, yet they're taking Linkin Park out on tour with them. Wouldn't it be great if they could actually put their money where their motor mouths are and take a band like Nevermore on the road with them? JL: That would be amazing, because we'd be playing in front of so many new people and it would bring us so much publicity, and I think we need a break like that. I mean, something similar has happened with Shadows Fall, who are going to be playing at the Ozzfest, so congrats to them. It would really be great to be able to do a high-profile tour like that to get us going. One thing that has been very positive for us is that we're going to be doing a video at the end of July for the title track off the new record and with Headbanger's Ball being back to TV in the States, it could work out really great for us. CoC: So, any last words for Chronicles of Chaos readers then, Jeff? JL: Well, I'd like to thank the fans for waiting two and a half years for us to bring out a new album. You know, fans are the most important thing for us and we're really looking forward to coming out on tour very soon, so be there! =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= SHOOTING THE BREEZE MIT MR. DENISON ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ CoC interviews Duane Denison of Tomahawk by: Jackie Smit Tomahawk (for those of you who have lived under the secluded safety of a rock formation for the past few years) is the veritable super group featuring such auspicious members as Kevin Rutmanis (The Melvins) and the vocal talents of 'little-known' Mike Patton (Faith No More, Fantomas, etc.). However, far from being a Patton vanity project, Tomahawk is actually the conception of one Duane Denison, better known to some as the guitarist for seminal rockers The Jesus Lizard. With a fantastic new record running under the moniker _Mit Gas_ fresh on the shelves and a fair amount of European tour dates lying ahead of them, I was given the privileged opportunity to discuss all things Tomahawk with Mr. Denison from his home in Nashville. CoC: Starting with the new record: I found that _Mit Gas_ is a far more accessible and often more commercial record, as opposed to the first album that took quite a while to actually sink into the listener's conscience thoroughly. Did you guys approach the writing and recording of the album any differently? Duane Denison: I don't think that there was anything inherently different, except that on _Mit Gas_ some of the material had actually been played live before we recorded it, which obviously wasn't the case with the first album. But other than that, there wasn't a different mindset or anything like that -- I mean, you basically make something up and see what the other guys think of it. And there wasn't much of a difference in actually recording the album either -- both records were basically played live in the studio and mixed and completed in about two and a half weeks. CoC: So with you being Tomahawk's main songwriter, what primarily influenced you in writing the album? DD: Well, too many things to say, really. You know, I really write stuff all the time and quite possibly you'd hear some of the influence coming through from stuff I'd been listening to at the time, like Radiohead or, lately, stuff like Twilight Circus and Dub Sound -- again, I don't know how much of that came through on the record, but it's a possibility, if you know what I mean. CoC: Well, those are pretty atmospheric acts and generally _Mit Gas_ has a far more tangible sense of atmosphere than the first album. DD: Yeah, definitely. I think the fact that we had played together much more as a band when the album was recorded also contributed to that, because it basically gave us more of an idea of what we were capable of. And that obviously gave us more of a group instinct and really a group sound, which was maybe missing from the debut record. CoC: Now, from what one hears about Tomahawk, one sort of gets the impression that the band was started as more of a side-project, as opposed to a full time band. Do you guys treat is as such? DD: Well, I don't, because this is my main thing right now, and when we're working or when we're touring or rehearsing or recording everyone gives 100%. Obviously the other people have other things that they do as well, but with this group I write the bulk of the material and kind of initiate everything, so that doesn't place as much stress on them. I think that Tomahawk sort of gives them the opportunity to really just let loose and not have to worry quite so much. CoC: Tomahawk obviously gets a lot of attention because of Mike Patton's involvement -- does this ever bother anyone in the band? I mean, I'm thinking particularly of you as the main songwriter in the band. DD: I think that obviously everything Patton does is going to get a lot of attention and his involvement in the band may well be a large reason why we're having this interview. But on the other hand, people make their contribution to the group in different ways and it's not as though I am the sole owner of the group anyway. People are always going be interested in everything that Patton does and in this band, probably more so because as a frontman you are automatically seen as the band's centre-piece -- the same as with people like Bono or whoever. Most of the time if you ask him about it he'll say: "Hey, this isn't my band". He himself is aware of the situation and so it never really gets to the point where it becomes a problem. CoC: At the same time, do you think that he treats Tomahawk with more seriousness than he would something like Fantomas? DD: No, I think that he treats it just as seriously as Fantomas, in the same way that Kevin treats it just as seriously as Melvins. When we're together we treat it as the only thing that matters, which is important because we spend a lot of time together. We just spent six weeks on the road. We're coming to Europe soon and then after that we might go to Australia and New Zealand, and then afterwards we'll probably get together and work on some new songs. I mean, we really are together about five months of every year, and that's a lot of time -- you can be really productive in that time if you do your homework and you are able to bring something substantial to the table. It also gives us time off from each other though, because when you're together for too long you can get tired of each other and the formality wears off. So I think that we have a really healthy situation right now as far as that is concerned. CoC: So, are you guys all good friends or is it more of a working relationship? DD: I'd say that we're all friends to varying degrees. I mean, different people like doing different things and we'll hang out with each other from time to time. Maybe someone would like to go to a restaurant, while someone else might want to go to a bar. We do different things together. So, we kind of accommodate each other in various degrees and it works out real well. CoC: Judging by what you guys wrote on the Ipecac Records website, you're obviously expecting the album to do quite well. Have you been happy with the reception so far? DD: Sure, but I always want more. I want to go triple platinum, I want to win the Nobel Prize, I want to drink champagne with the president of France, I want to drink vodka with the prime minister of Russia. CoC: Now, Tomahawk has been on tour in support of _Mit Gas_ for a while already -- have there been any incidents similar to the Mike Patton / security guard urination fiasco of the Astoria in 2002? DD: Fiasco? What fiasco? That was the greatest publicity coo of all time. Nothing happened. Anyway, I don't know -- maybe, maybe not. Maybe I'll get arrested. Maybe people will find out that John Stanier is a sexual predator. Maybe Kevin Rutmanis will be charged for impersonating a human being. CoC: What's your opinion on the current state of music? DD: It depends. I think that the independent label circuit seems to be doing pretty well, because almost any type of music these days can find its place in the scene or the market somewhere. People are getting hooked up well enough through the Internet and they're able to be exposed to a wider variety of stuff, and obviously they're also able to get their hands on a lot more stuff. As far as popular music goes, it's still dominated by the worst low-level common denominator music, and that's just that way things go. There was a time, about ten years ago, when you could safely expect something good to come off a major label, but that doesn't really happen all that much anymore. Queens of the Stone Age and Radiohead are exceptions in that case, but it's pretty rare. Things go in cycles though -- people can say rock is dead, but it just goes through changes like everything else. I mean heavy metal and rock were hybrid forms of music since their inception, and I don't see any kind of an end in sight as far as the creative aspect is concerned. Again coming back to the Internet, it's literally just opening so many doors and making things possible for so many bands that a lot of people are struggling just to keep up with the technology. CoC: So does Tomahawk mind if their music gets distributed on the web? DD: Well, I don't mind if it's getting done through Internet radio or something like that, but when people can download entire albums... that's just wrong, you know. It's theft of intellectual property. When people play the song on the radio it's great, but when someone can just download for free what you put time and energy and money into doing and just disseminates it for you and doesn't give you the chance to do what you would like to do with it -- that's just wrong. What it also means for record companies though is that they have to put more effort into presenting the CD as a product. Taking our record as an example -- have you seen the artwork? CoC: Yes, it looks great. DD: Well, it's because people download so easily that you have to give people more of a reason to buy your work, and maybe one of the ways to do that would be to take more trouble with things like the artwork and the presentation. CoC: Is the work ethic at Ipecac any different from what you've been used to before? DD: No, it's actually very similar to when I was on Touch & Go. I mean, the business area of things is a bit smaller, but I like the fact that if I have a question or whatever, I can just go to someone and ask them and get it solved, where on a bigger label you can't really do that. So, from that angle it's really good. And looking at some of the shows that we've played and how the label marketed that to the people -- who in turn came out and really appreciated what we did -- it's really nice to be on a label that is considered to be an ascending force in music. CoC: Are you planning any side-projects at the moment? DD: I do local things here and there in Nashville, but nothing major. I recently played guitar on a Johnny Paycheck album and I do a bit of session work here and there. There's a couple of other stuff in the pipeline, but nothing that's really definite yet. I don't really want to say too much about that yet. We might record later on in the year. CoC: Is it going to be Duane Denison's death metal project? DD: No, you'll see. CoC: So, ultimately, where do you want to take Tomahawk? DD: I don't really have any goals. I'm just sort of getting the ball rolling and looking where it takes me. I think right now we're definitely doing what a band should be doing, in that we're evolving and getting better at what we do. The first album was really sort of just us getting our feet wet, and we've played quite a lot of shows since then and basically improved to where we are on _Mit Gas_. So, yeah -- I don't have any goals. I just want to evolve and continue to be something that's interesting and enjoyable for us as well as the audience. CoC: Well, it's been great talking to you, Duane. Any last words? DD: Eat buffalo, drink whiskey and get ready for Tomahawk! =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= T R A D I T I O N B E D A M N E D ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ CoC chats with Kevin Hufnagel of Dysrhythmia by: Jackie Smit One of the unwritten laws of modern-day music (even in the supposedly open-minded realms of metal) is that a vocalist's primary role lies in being the band's centre-piece -- the gatekeeper, if you will, for the group's identity. Very rarely will this law be broken, and even more rarely will it be ignored successfully. Enter Dysrhythmia: a surge of pure, undiluted, unconventional musical expression, intent on turning every norm and tradition on its head -- and judging by the hypnotic dirge of their Relapse debut _Pretest_, pretty damn good at doing so. Operating sans vocals, their mixture of math-rock, ambience, noise and dense, cascading, almost film-like overtures is unique and powerful enough to convey the band's intended message without the traditional, force-fed assistance of lyrics. The prime force behind this, one of 2003's most surprising efforts, is guitarist Kevin Hufnagel -- a man who knows all too well about having to prove oneself to a cynical audience. CoC: Instrumental acts -- apart obviously from people like Marty Friedman, Joe Satriani and so on -- aren't a particularly common thing in modern-day metal. What sparked the idea among yourselves to do something this unconventional? Kevin Hufnagel: With the exception of one band, I've always played in unconventional-type bands, and half of them have been instrumental, so I guess this is the kind of music that interests me most as a musician. I enjoy the challenge of creating a piece of music that can stand on its own, convey emotion and be interesting and memorable all at once. I think our band has nothing to do with a lot of other "instrumental metal" like the artists you mentioned. Our music is more concerned with dynamics, rhythm, tension and flow, rather than writing simplistic song forms to solo over, if you know what I'm saying. CoC: Relapse Records is the first label to sign you to a deal exceeding distribution -- did you find yourself confronted by a lot of scepticism from other labels when you approached them? KH: Dysrhythmia never really submitted our music or recordings to any other labels. I would hear from friends in other bands, who were signed, that they would play our music for their labels and they would all say "tell them to call us when they get a singer". It's really awesome that Relapse decided that they wanted to work with us and it was certainly something I never expected. CoC: So how did the deal with Relapse come into being? KH: We played a show in December 2001 here in Philly with Dillinger Escape Plan and everyone from Relapse was there in the audience. We went over very well that night with the crowd and they were impressed by us, especially being a local band, I guess. There were also a few people at Relapse who were Dysrhythmia fans already for a few years, so that's how we got noticed. CoC: On your website (www.dysrhythmiaband.com) you mention several musical influences, which include avant-jazz and indie rock. Outside of music, what would you cite as the key influences in the writing and construction of _Pretest_? KH: A lot of times everyday life works its way into our songs. I think living in a major city like Philadelphia, the tension of city life and seeing all the urban decay in parts of town influenced songs like "Bastard" and "Annihilation" parts 1 and 2. I'm also a huge movie buff and watch tons of obscure films and extreme cinema. I don't know how much that really influences our music, consciously, though. CoC: Because of the absence of a vocalist in your band, do you feel like Dysrhythmia still provides you with an adequate platform to express attitudes and emotions that are personal to you, or just general things that you want to get off your chest? KH: Yeah, I do. Playing is a great release for me, it's a way to vent. I don't consider myself very good with words, personally, so expressing myself through my instrument is important and essential to me. Sometimes a song title might clue you in on what the song may be about or inspired by though. CoC: So what are the key feelings that you feel you've expressed on _Pretest_? KH: Certainly a lot of pent-up frustration in songs like "Catalogue of Personal Faults" and "Bastard". More melancholy feelings in a song like "Touch Benediction". Songs like "My Relationship" and "Running Shoe of Justice" are more upbeat-sounding, they make me feel good. CoC: You've just come off the Contamination tour, where you played with bands like Mastodon and Cephalic Carnage. What was the reaction like for Dysrhythmia, given that you differ quite vastly from the aforementioned acts? KH: The reaction was extremely positive for the most part. I think a lot of people were pleasantly surprised, and we were not what they were expecting at all. CoC: Do you feel as though you need to adopt a different approach to performing live, because you don't have a vocalist? KH: I think it's cool that there isn't any one person standing out front and centre. When we're performing it's very intense and we aren't reserved at all in a live setting, and I hear we are fun to watch too. CoC: _Pretest_ often sounds to me as though it could have been pulled from a movie score. Is that something the band have considered doing? KH: I never thought about that with this band. I occasionally record experimental / ambient guitar music on my own -- though recently not as much as I used to -- and I always thought that kind of stuff would lend itself very well to a visual medium. It would be awesome if someone decided to use some Dysrhythmia in one of their films. CoC: So if you were offered the chance, what would the ideal movie be for a Dysrhythmia score? KH: I don't know... Maybe a Japanese Yakuza film or David Lynch if he remade "Howard the Duck". CoC: Tracks like "Annihilation" 1 and 2 create an almost thematic feeling, which runs throughout the album. Is this just a case of reading too much between the lines, or is that what you had in mind when you did the record? KH: There's definitely no theme running through the record, although if that's what you thought from listening to it then that's cool. Originally we had the idea of starting the record with "Annihilation" 1 and ending with 2, but the way we do it live, with the two of them segueing into each other, sounds so good we decided to keep it that way. CoC: What are your aspirations and ambitions for Dysrhythmia? KH: I try to keep them very simple. Most importantly, I want to continue to grow musically as a band, to explore some different territories, and keep it fresh and interesting. Of course I want to keep expanding our following. This means lots of hard work and touring. I can see our efforts starting to pay off slowly already, but at the same time I would love to see it grow much further. CoC: Well Kevin, thanks a lot for the talk. Any last words for the Chronicles of Chaos massive? KH: Come see us live. Cheers! =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= _, _, __, _,_ _, _ _, / \ | |_) | | |\/| (_ |~| | , |_) | | | | , ) ~ ~ ~~~ ~ `~' ~ ~ ~ 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! Amongst the Swarm - _Crowning the Defeated_ by: Aaron McKay (7 out of 10) (Skeptic Productions, 2002) A scaled-down, heavy study in underground metal mayhem awaits the conflicted soul brave enough to dare a spin of Amongst the Swarm's debut effort, _Crowning the Defeated_. There are no half-assed beats, cuts or chops found on this aggressive conflagration of musical effigy. Guitars nearly run wildly unchecked while held in balance by the furious beats of this offering's seven totally devastating tracks. Strained, hoarse vocals communicate the tortured message of considerable damage AtS lays on the listener without mercy. The American MidWest has little to offer in the vein of what this five- piece serves up: it's dark, restrained, but nearly uncontrolled in its hard-ass, riffy approach. "My Place of Rest" and "In Your Time of..." will speak volumes to what I am telling you here. Some suggestions might include either upping the intensity or, preferably, cultivating the "yang", as in Yin and Yang, and let the dominance of AtS's catchy bass-severity wreak havoc on the perception of the listener. Also, while Amongst the Swarm lays a heavy mix of hardcore and Swedish death metal out like a concrete super highway, delivering a strong message one way or the other between these two genres (mixed appropriately with all the tight breaks found on _Crowning the Defeated_) would help absorption of Amongst the Swarm's style. Absent these things, AtS could very well be on their way to ascending to the throne they seek, from which they could crown whomever they please... Contact: http://www.harakiri666.com/skeptic/ Arcturus - _The Sham Mirrors_ (The End Records, 2002) by: Quentin Kalis (9.5 out of 10) It has been a full five years since the amazing _La Masquerade Infernale_ (the only activity since from the Arcturus camp has been a remix album, which received a lukewarm response) so one could be forgiven for thinking that the Arcturus concept was dead and buried. It was therefore a pleasant surprise when this album seemingly appeared out of the blue last year. _The Sham Mirrors_ is a less eclectic album then _LMI_ and considerably more accessible -- as borne out by reports last year that some of the songs off this album would be used in upcoming episodes of MTV's "Sorority High". It is also less chaotic then its predecessor and as a result it is more focused, with the songs being tighter and flowing more easily. The quality of Arcturus' output is in no small part due to its revolving door policy of musicians, who include various members from the cream of Norwegian black metal. The most well-known members on this excursion include Trickster G. Rex (aka Garm, Ulver, ex-Borknagar) whose distinctive voice continues to improve with each passing year and on _TSM_ provides the performance of a lifetime, even experimenting with a falsetto. The Trickster declines to use typical black metal screams (the black metal vox on "Radical Cut" are provided courtesy of Ihsahn (ex-Emperor)) or his trademark monk-like chanting, which I do miss. A fitting swansong as unfortunately he will no longer be providing vocals on future Arcturus albums. Also contributing is long-time member Hellhammer, (Mayhem), widely regarded as one of black metal's most talented drummers. Fortunately, he has no plans to abandon Arcturus. Keyboardist Sverd produces some amazing passages -- just listen to the mesmerizing intro of "Star-crossed" for evidence that he is truly one of metal's premier keysman. An astounding album that will not be to everyone's taste, but for those who enjoyed _LMI_ this will be a worthy successor. Contact: http://www.theendrecords.com Beneath the Ashes - _Nailed to Your Ruins_ (State of Grace, 2003) by: Xander Hoose (8.5 out of 10) From Sacramento, California comes five-piece Beneath the Ashes. Being one of the bands on the State of Grace roster, it won't surprise anyone that stylistically BtA is a hardcore band pur sang. Which is not strange, if you consider that band members from BtA have their roots in many other hardcore bands, such as Embrace the End, Drowned in Silence and Bury My Heart. On _Nailed to Your Ruins_ they display a very refined form of tech hardcore that shows the experience they've built over the last years. With a fitting razor-sharp production, the guitar riffs come out crystal clear on top of the pounding drums. The bass provides a darker edge to the music, and the vocals -- even though not outstanding compared to the direct competition -- is enjoyable and, even more important, a good complement to the music. Some of the tracks on this album have been released before ("Eastern Kansas Love Song" and "Open Eyes", for example) but they have been re- recorded in order to sound like the rest of the material. _Nailed to Your Ruins_ is an album that has been perfected enough to make it stand out from the rest of the hardcore albums being dropped on the scene lately. A supporting tour accompanies the release of this album, so keep your eyes on their website for dates. Contact: http://bta.darkvisionsmedia.com Blessed - _Last Breath Before the Flesh_ (Independent, 2002) by: Quentin Kalis (7 out of 10) Blessed might be an acceptable name for a Christian-orientated act, but for a metal band -- whose listenership is largely either indifferent or openly hostile towards Christianity -- this must surely be one of the most efficient ways of killing a burgeoning musical career! The three songs on this MCD fall squarely into the brutal death metal genre -- a musical style seemingly at odds with their chosen moniker. All three songs are suitably aggressive, well written and performed well enough, with several memorable hooks. This is a pleasant enough (relatively speaking!) listen, but this musical style has been done numerous times before and while the undemanding death metal freak will be more than satisfied, the more casual listener may want something more. However, since these are songs composed by an emerging band with only one previous MCD to their name, the coming years may very well see Blessed transforming into a death metal band to be reckoned with. Contact: http://go.to/blessed/ Children of Bodom - _Hate Crew Deathroll_ (Spinefarm, 2003) by: Quentin Kalis (7.5 out of 10) Children of Bodom are a good example of bands that inspire extreme reactions in metal fans worldwide. One school of thought derides them as irritating, commercial metal, while others love them for their uncomplicated, catchy riffs and overall 'happy' sound. _Hate Crew Deathroll_ will not affect this division in any meaningful manner, as it can hardly be considered substantially different from any previous release by Alex Laiho and company. There are some less obvious differences in comparison with previous releases, however: _HCD_ is easily their heaviest outing ever and the keyboards are infrequent and less overbearing in comparison to previous albums. Highlights include the album's first single, "You're Better off Dead", which lacks the anthemic power of a "Hate Me!" but still remains a powerful and infectious song. Song titles are atrocious -- titles such as "Triple Corpse Hammerblow" and "Lil' Bloodred Riding Hood" might be acceptable on the debut of a young band, but wha t excuse, if any, do these veterans of three previous albums have? Even their cover image shows their answer to Eddie, the Grim Reaper, in a cheesier pose than ever before. For those few who are not familiar with Children of Bodom, if you hated Dimmu Borgir's _Stormblast_ or anything by Old Man's Child because of their uplifting sound, then stay far, far away from _HCD_. Circle Takes the Square - _As the Roots Undo_ (Robotic Empire, 2003) by: Xander Hoose (9.5 out of 10) One of the weirdest hardcore bands I've ran into lately is Circle Takes the Square. I wouldn't go as far as to call them geniuses, but they do have an edge I hadn't heard before. Imagine multi-layered, multi-rhythmic, frenzied hardcore with evil black metal vocals, clean singing, spoken parts, weird guitar tricks and noise parts. Or as an analogy, think of Dillinger Escape Plan doing black metal whilst on acid. _As the Roots Undo_ is without doubt my favourite noisecore album of the year, giving the buyer good value for their money with songs clocking around six to eight minutes (total running time of 44 minutes) and excellent off-beat artwork -- hopefully they'll include the lyrics in the booklet. Instead of rambling on about this album, I can only urge you to go out and buy it as soon as it hits the shelves -- unless you lack a sense of humor and like your music to be linear. If you want to be on the safe side, there's an MP3 of the album on their website. Contact: http://www.rockstudio.com/circle/ Crematorium - _For All Our Sins_ (Prosthetic Records, 2002) by: Aaron McKay (6.5 out of 10) Some moderately interesting style mixtures poke at your attention span like an annoying sixth-grader on Ritalin with this offering from Los Angeles' Crematorium. A pretty well kept secret, this five-piece is hard-hitting to be certain, but in this largely metal climate today, this outfit even finds a way to hold their own. Pound for pound, Crematorium strikes out on their own with the hardcore / punk / metal fusion found throughout _For All Our Sins_. A few samples supplement the offering only enough to pique interest, while the thirteen tracks wear down your perception thin like a prostitute's mattress. Minor Threat fans will appreciate Crematorium's efforts in the field of well-crafted tough-guy music. Daniel's vocals are damn fine in their ability to command instantaneous respect -- true underground through and through. While occasionally these guys seem like professional race car drivers -- squealing their wheels and going in vicious circles while expending a tremendous a mount of wasted energy -- songs like the fanatical "Life:Sick" offset most of the other less-than- impressive instances sometimes found on _For All Our Sins_. "A Disconsolate Winter Landscape" provides a Morbid Angel, "Desolate Ways"-type feel to the general atmosphere of _FAOS_, but "Carved From Deceit" has to be the pentacle of Crematorium's vision: it thrashes strong while staying fiercely true to their underground sound. There's a lot to be learned from Crematorium's extreme L.A. homegrown raw delivery, but lacking a certain individuality profoundly inhibits this band's upward climb out of obscurity. Catch a line and cop a hook, Crematorium is a small fish in a big pond right now. Who wants sushi? Contact: http://www.prostheticrecords.com Cumchrist - _Cumplete_ (Unmatched Brutality Records, 2003) by: Quentin Kalis (7 out of 10) Cumchrist are a supergroup of sorts with members from, amongst others, Cianide and Gorgasm. As implied by the rather dumb title, this is a compilation of all unreleased studio material from the past two years, and with several new tracks tagged on. As can be gathered from the rather silly band name, Cumchrist are a goregrind band with a black sense of humour, much like A.C. or Blood Duster, combined with the Christian-hating dogma of black metal. Some samples are also used, but not excessively. Cumchrist are saved from being a mere 'song title' band through some strong and catchy material. Indeed, this could have been one of to be one of the better albums I've heard recently from this genre. Unfortunately, the short playing time -- 18 songs in 18 minutes, including several additional hidden tracks -- makes it hard to 'get' into the songs and to really enjoy the CD. The brevity of songs has not prevented classic status being accorded to D.R.I.'s self-titled album and Napalm De ath's first two albums, and there are undoubtedly listeners out there who will love _Cumplete_. But just as the brevity of the songs on the aforementioned albums prevent this listener from really enjoying them, I am also unable to truly appreciate this album. Contact: http://www.unmatchedbrutality.com Darkthrone - _Soulside Journey_ / _A Blaze in the Northern Sky_ / _Under a Funeral Moon_ / _Transilvanian Hunger_ by: Pedro Azevedo (no rating) (Peaceville re-issue, 2003) For some time now Peaceville has been releasing a series of quality re-issues, all of them coming out in either low-price digipak or slipcase format, and occasionally with some kind of bonus. In the process they have also re-issued a few albums that were perhaps too recent at the time to avoid annoying fans, but apart from that I find Peaceville's recent re-issue policy very commendable -- competing in today's world of readily accessible albums in MP3 format and overpriced commercial releases by offering something extra at a lower price. These four Darkthrone albums in particular stand out in said series: not only do the digipaks look much more stylish than the original format while retaining their "trueness", these re-issues also come with an exclusive video interview with Fenriz and Nocturno Culto and remastered sound. The interview is divided into four chunks of ten to fourteen minutes each, with each part dedicated to its respective album -- starting off with the old-school Scandinavian death metal of _Soulside Journey_ (1991) and continuing with the genre-defining black metal triumvirate of _A Blaze in the Northern Sky_ (1992), _Under a Funeral Moon_ (1993) and my favourite, _Transilvanian Hunger_ (1994). Bearing in mind the elevated status these albums all enjoy to some extent, I shall not linger on describing the music. Suffice to say the results of the digital remastering are good and unobtrusive: all the records have come out sounding stronger while keeping their original character despite the slightly different mix. (My copy of _A Blaze in the Northern Sky_ carries an annoying background noise, however, and while I initially assumed it was just a faulty promotional disc, I have since been told about an apparently similar problem on a commercial version.) As for the snowy outdoor interview bonus, despite being filmed with a handheld camera, the recording quality and video encoding are good enough for the band's grim purposes. The interview itself consists of the two aforementioned individuals questioning each other in turns, resulting mostly in monologue; it generally remains interesting, but not overly memorable. For anyone who doesn't already own the original versions of these classics and has an interest in Darkthrone or black metal in general, this is a fine opportunity: the quality packaging, low price, good remastering and added video bonuses should prompt them to dig into their pockets without hesitation and embellish their collection considerably. Contact: http://www.peaceville.com Disfear - _Misanthropic Generation_ (Relapse, 2003) by: Xander Hoose (8 out of 10) Those not familiar with Disfear should be ashamed of themselves -- you probably have been hiding under a rock for more than ten years. Starting out as yet another Discharge inspired Dis-band from Sweden, they released a monumental debut album back in 1992 along with producer Tomas Skogsberg. In the years, Disfear became one of the only real survivors of the Dis-scene, and even though many line-up changes plagued the band, they kept on going until they were dropped from Osmose Records in 1998 -- at which point they had incorporated ex-At the Gates vocalist Tomas Lindberg in the band. Instead of calling it quits, the band had five years to work on new material, and Relapse made them an offer they couldn't refuse, resulting in _Misanthropic Generation_. Swedish hardcore in its purest form, _Misanthropic Generation_ is a maturation, modernization and perfection of Discharge's music from back in the '80s. With a blazing pace, Entombed-ish guitar/bass riffing meeting the banshee vo calism of Tomas, supported by wickedly groovy Motorhead-style drumming -- masturbation for the mind, one might call it. Well adapted to the sound of the new millennium, the twelve songs on this album (mostly clocking around three minutes) are a firm reminder of the past as well as an excellent look into the future of hardcore: _Misanthropic Generation_ is a must-have for those who loved Discharge way back as well as those who claim to have an interest in the Swedish hardcore scene. Contact: http://www.disfear.com Ditch - _The Sound of Liverpigs Dancing_ (Brown Trout Records, 2002) by: Adrian Magers (2.5 out of 10) I have unconditional respect for any band that goes out of their way to not sound like anyone else. However, that doesn't mean that every overtly weird act should be held in a higher regard than other bands. I'm sure Ditch will find a dedicated fanbase within different departments of rock music, but something makes me doubt metalheads will be into what they're doing. That's not to say that all headbangers will hate Ditch, but I'm willing to bet the music found on _The Sounds of Liverpigs Dancing_ would rub the average CoC reader the wrong way. The music exhibits elements that are hard to describe in words (a basic synopsis of the music of Ditch is something like a more alternative Clutch with more variety); something which the band should be commended for, but that doesn't mean they should be automatically liked. Ditch probably realize this. Contact: http://www.ditchtv.com Ed Gein - _It's a Shame_ (Hex Records, 2003) by: Xander Hoose (6 out of 10) Although the name would make you suspect you're dealing with a death metal band, it's actually hardcore this Syracuse, NY three-piece is producing. _It's a Shame_ features eight songs, all clocking under two-and-a-half minutes. One of the songs is a noise-piece ("...And by the Best I Mean the Worst"), and the last song clocks at almost twelve minutes -- of which nine minutes consist of silence followed by a small bonus (demo?) part. Unfortunately, there's not much that's inspiring to tell about _It's a Shame_. The production is pretty cheap for a non-demo, which is especially audible in the tinny drum sound -- although all the instruments suffer from it. Vocals are absolutely average, and most of the songs are just that as well, with the exception of "Nice Shoes... Wanna Fuck", by far the most refreshing song of the album. With killer competition (check out this month's Beneath the Ashes), Ed Gein has to make more of an effort to draw a bit of attention to themselves -- havin g the name of a serial killer as a band name just doesn't cut it anymore these days. To quote the title, it's a shame indeed. Contact: http://www.ed-gein.cjb.net Elend - _Winds Devouring Men_ (Prophecy Productions, 2003) by: Pedro Azevedo (9 out of 10) "Ils m'entourent, les gémissements de la Mort." Five years have passed since _The Umbersun_, yet its final words still echo in my mind. Now Elend have at last returned with its successor, _Winds Devouring Men_, and both enthusiasts and detractors alike of their "Office des Ténèbres" trilogy should heed this warning: 21st century Elend is significantly different from last century's. I am one of the enthusiasts of the band's earlier work, having been especially impressed by the chilling _Les Ténèbres du Déhors_ and the infernal _The Umbersun_. Both were remarkable concepts, and while in hindsight the former suffered from some shortcomings in its execution (though for those who enjoyed it at the time it made little difference given the impact of the album), the latter was much tighter. But forget the first two albums, _Leçons de Ténèbres_ and _Les Ténèbres du Déhors_, for _Winds Devouring Men_ has little in common with them (apart from the fine packaging quality it shares with the latter). It is instead as much a follow-up to _The Umbersun_ as it is closer to Dead Can Dance. The atmosphere is still very dark, albeit not quite so hellish, while the introspective, tragic setting also remains; but the music is often more tranquil and melodic, and also structured into shorter pieces. There are plenty more changes to take in, though: most of the vocals are male, either clean sung or spoken; a string ensemble is used instead of synths; the booming percussion Elend toyed with at one point on _The Umbersun_ is exploited a bit further; and the band has also dived into the creative manipulation of noise and nearly industrial atmosphere in some points to complement the music. While the overall result sometimes reminds one of a very dark Dead Can Dance, Elend still occasionally deliver their descent- into-hell sequences (minus the old screaming), which they achieve using slightly different elements than usual. It still remains very impressive, though the Dead Can Dance influences would have benefitted from a few more of those passages being included. The emphasis has shifted a bit more towards tranquil melodies and melancholic atmospheres, whilst experimenting with the aforementioned elements in order to keep the band's sound moving forward -- quite likely a wise choice, considering things couldn't get much more hellish than _The Umbersun_ without alienating anyone who's not into noise to a considerable extent. It is perhaps unavoidable to feel somewhat disappointed by the decrease in female vocals, but the sheer excellence of several passages (violin on "Charis", piano on "Under War-Broken Trees" and atmosphere on "Winds Devouring Men" are just a few examples), the subtle intricacies sprinkled throughout the album, and the authentic, full-bodied and highly atmospheric sound Elend have achieved guarantee a very satisfying experience. After all these years Elend remain a very talented and unique band, while _Winds Devouring Men_ is consistently well rounded, distinctive and simultaneously soothing and brooding. It wasn't an easy task to create a sufficiently different yet worthy successor to _The Umbersun_, but Elend has succeeded in doing so. Contact: http://www.prophecyproductions.de Exterminator - _Mirror Images_ (Independent, 2002) by: Quentin Kalis (7.5 out of 10) Exterminator is a thrash band originating from Belgium. _Mirror Images_ opens and closes with straightforward thrashers -- the influence of bands such as Dark Angel, Slayer and the other usual suspects can clearly be heard. They have a strong retro influence, yet are not afraid to incorporate more 'modern' elements (modern insofar as their use in metal only came to be accepted within the last decade) such as keyboards, female vox and spoken sections -- suggesting that perhaps the band have been listening to Cradle of Filth. Still, there are far worse bands to be influenced by! The best song is easily "Bitter End", a touching number dedicated to deceased members of the vocalist's family; the personal connection imbues it with an emotion lacking from the other songs, which consider religion and touch on socio-political issues. The ordinary thrash songs are competent but generic; however if Exterminator write more songs like "Bitter End", they may yet make a truly excellent albu m. Contact: http://listen.to/exterminator/ Farmakon - _A Warm Glimpse_ (Earache / Elitist, 2003) by: Jackie Smit (6.5 out of 10) One would hope that the boys in Farmakon have a high tolerance for criticism, because even a casual listen to _A Warm Glimpse_ provides substantial evidence to fuel certain accusations that the young Finnish band dipped their creative toes in the Opeth well of prog/death a tad too often for press and fans alike to merely regard the (currently) high-flying Swedes as a casual influence. Indeed, Farmakon emulate their heroes to such an extent that only the trained ear will distinguish "My Sanctuary in Solitude" or "Mist" from anything found on _Blackwater Park_ or _My Arms, Your Hearse_ -- right down to the distinctly underdeveloped Mike Akerfeldt-like vocals of Marko Eskola. It is only on the rarest of occasions that Farmakon interrupt their plagiaristic dirge with a pleasantly old school thrash attack or a series of almost Mr Bungle-esque eccentricities -- the latter sounding cringingly misplaced. So why the 6.5 score then? Well, as much as their shameless copying of a superio r act irks me, Farmakon are undoubtedly a tremendously talented collective of musicians, and derivative as they may be, there are some truly enjoyable tracks on this record -- not least of all the stunning opening number, "Loosely of Amoebas". However, I should hope that when the time comes round for their sophomore outing they would have discovered a more unique and distinguishable sound. Golden Dawn - _Masquerade_ (Napalm Records, 2003) by: Quentin Kalis (7.5 out of 10) Golden Dawn has only released one other album, _The Art of Dreaming_, prior to _Masquerade_ -- and this was way back in 1996! The intervening years have seen a dramatic shift in style, as while _TAoD_ was comfortably grounded in the symphonic black metal genre (albeit with some unusual and experimental passages), _Masquerade_ is an intriguing melting pot of styles: Baroque-style keyboards, black metal blastbeats, and chugging Iron Maiden riffs can all be found somewhere on this relapse, often within the same song. _Masquerade_ tends most strongly towards goth metal -- and like virtually all the artists of this nature signed to Napalm, there is a woman on the cover, albeit showing less flesh then many others. But this is the only cliché regarding this CD. Clean vocals predominate, sounding like a midpoint between the atonal black metal style clean vox on _TAoD_ and the baritone rumblings of your average goth band. Remnants of their blackened heritage still remain through the o ccasional screamed vocal and intermittent blastbeats. A worthy follow-up to their debut. Contact: http://www.goldendawn.at Horfixion - _Instigators of Chaos_ (Galy Records, 2002) by: Quentin Kalis (7.5 out of 10) Horfixion are a Canadian band performing a mixture of thrash and death metal, and have performed with bands of the calibre of Cryptopsy and Kreator. The production on _Instigators of Chaos_ could be better, but considering that the band recorded this album by themselves, independent of any label (Galy Records is merely their distributor), then the level of production is perfectly acceptable. However, it does tend to make the music sound the same throughout, though careful listening reveals that this album is actually fairly varied. The vocals are shouted in a modified death metal style that is vaguely decipherable. The best song is "Le Retour de La Grande Faucheuse", sung in their native French and showcasing the guitarist's classical training through an acoustic fingerpicking intro. There are some interesting moments on _IoC_, but the listener will have to decide whether it is worthwhile to purchase this album based on personal taste. Contact: http://www.horfixion.com Inner Helvete - _Total Bloodshedding Devastation_ by: James Montague (5.5 out of 10) (Ordealis Productions, 2003) I don't think most black metal bands set out with the goal of sending their listeners into giggling fits, but that was my reaction when I first heard the perilously thin guitar sound and ridiculously low, processed vocals that form the core of Inner Helvete's approach. But having gotten over the sheer absurdity of their "music" (and I use the term very loosely), I found something strangely alluring about this Portuguese trio. It cannot be disputed that in taking certain aspects of black metal to wild extremes, Inner Helvete stand out as a unique entity. They have also managed to create quite the infernal atmosphere. The LP sleeve (this is limited to 500 vinyl copies and will never be pressed onto CD -- get with the program, people!) is an immaculate conception of beheaded Christians and dancing demons amidst the eerie reddish glow of hell's innermost dungeons. And by placing six ambient tracks of whipping, torture and various evil doings in amongst the six proper black metal tracks, the band continually reinforces the idea of eternal torment and pain. In this environment, the thin guitar and bizarre vocals start to make sense. While the LP comes with an elaborate lyric sheet, the vocalist makes no attempt to actually recite the verses -- rather, it is simply a demonic groan ringing in the ears of the damned. The guitar riffs are simple and very noisy, almost sending the music into ambient territory with their constant drone. The end result is an album that can be very effective and atmospheric if one can turn off their cynical side. Personally, I almost feel ashamed of this album and at times have considered it too ridiculous to warrant a serious review. But somehow, somewhere, there is a hellish element within the noise that is captivating. Contact: inner_helvete@hotmail.com Killing Joke - _Killing Joke_ (Invisible, 2003) by: Xander Hoose (8.5 out of 10) Granted, I've never been a connoisseur of Killing Joke. I've tried to listen to a couple of their more 'famous' albums, but the only thing that stuck with me was their excellent hit-song "Love Like Blood". So when I received this promo, I was quite surprised about the course that the reunited Killing Joke (their last album is from 1996) have taken. If you're looking for poppy elements, there are quite few of those on _Killing Joke_ -- the band have reverted back to playing cold, mechanical industrial music with a very modern production. No poppy vocals here either; instead you find raw, deep vocals that at times come close to a death metal grunt. The whole album is pretty much recorded in mid- and up-tempo, the bass and guitar sound is very clinical and Dave Grohl's drumming is accurate and very static, perfectly adding to the atmosphere. The closest reference I can give to _Killing Joke_ is Morgoth's swansong _Feel Sorry for the Fanatic_. More than once am I reminded of song s from that album, except that Killing Joke is taking a less complicated path in songwriting -- I wouldn't say the songs are as one-dimensional as those by Rammstein, but they're definitely in-between the two. Even though there aren't any songs on this album that are sub-par, I'd like to name the fast- paced "Asteroid", the melancholic "Blood on Your Hands" and the almost black metal-ish combo of "Dark Forces" and "The House That Pain Built" as my favourites. Killing Joke 2003 have proven to be extremely adept and versatile in capturing the zeitgeist with their music. Hopefully this album will be picked up by the media as well as the public; it's well deserved. Contact: http://www.killingjoke.com Laibach - _WAT_ (Mute, 2003) by: Xander Hoose (7 out of 10) Reviewing a Laibach album is always a tough bitch. Laibach have been around for ages (since 1979, to be precise) and from their debut album _Nova Akropola_ (1985) to their last effort _Jesus Christ Superstars_ (1997) there has been little progression musically. Laibach's ever so bombastic, atmospheric, industrial and nihilistic music has progressed almost exclusively in the production department -- which is quite obvious with _WAT_, as it features a clear yet harsh sound that Rammstein would envy. Laibach's trademark of adapting (I'm consciously avoiding the word "covering") famous songs and molding it into their trademark style has produced killer tracks such as "Opus Dei", "Sympathy for the Devil", "The Final Countdown" and of course the _Let It Be_, _Nato_ and _Jesus Christ Superstars_ albums. However, on _WAT_ there isn't a single adaptation in sight. The thirteen songs on this album are not just original material, they're also very closely connected lyrically; _WAT_ is L aibach's fiercest protest against capitalism to date. Perhaps that is also the reason for making _WAT_ the most stripped-down Laibach album ever: most of the songs are very basic, making the album a far better soundtrack for an all-out war than Rammstein could ever dream of. _WAT_ will find its way to the leftist part of the dance/industrial scene, no doubt. Rammstein fanatics with an IQ higher than their shoe-size should give this a try as well, especially considering the relatively one-dimensional nature of this album. Other than that, I don't think Laibach will attract a different crowd with _WAT_, but then again, I don't think they ever intended to. Contact: http://www.laibach.nsk.si Meshuggah - _Nothing_ (Nuclear Blast, 2002) by: Jackie Smit (6 out of 10) "Meshuggah -- a death metal band from Norway", exclaims uber-annoying ignoramus Jack Osbourne, and at this very moment one can almost feel the publicists at Nuclear Blast start to salivate at the possibilities that this free publicity could hold not only for one of their most promising acts, but also for their bankbooks. And so it has come to be that the magazines that once scorned Meshuggah are now sweeping under the carpet their many slurs, insults, sneers and all manner of derogatory review, now showering the band instead with catchphrases along the lines of the "next big thing". Similarly, kids who would never give the Swedes the time of day, are suddenly claiming to have loved them "since the beginning". Not that they don't deserve some attention, mind you. If anyone has paid their dues, Meshuggah certainly has in spades. While a bit lazy as far as putting out records is concerned, they are a phenomenal live act and have a sterling back catalogue under their belt -- mos t notably the fantastic _Destroy Erase Improve_ effort, which in all honesty is still miles ahead of its many imitators. I find it decidedly bewildering though that more care was not taken in the construction of what surely has to be the most important record in their career. Indeed, for the most part _Nothing_ is far more lacklustre than it is excellent -- tracks like "Closed Eye Visuals" and "Organic Shadows" not much more than exercises in sheer monotony, a test of the listener's endurance more than anything else. At the same time, this elevates the impact of a song like "Straws Pulled at Random", with its incredible closing melodic break, to even greater level, and underlines the notion that Meshuggah are capable of so much more than they have offered us. While still avoiding anything even remotely approaching a conventional rhythm, Meshuggah have slowed down and paced their music far more evenly than in the past. Where before they'd flutter through several different bea ts and polyrhythms over the course of a few minutes, most of the tracks on _Nothing_ are built around individual, tardigrade grooves, from which it very rarely deviates. Compounding this crippling flaw is their persistent overuse of single-note chugging -- no doubt a means to show off their custom- made eight-string guitars, but sadly rendering proceedings even more lifeless. With its few excellent exceptions aside, this record is ultimately so soul-drainingly boring that simply staying awake until its conclusion would be challenging for all but the most hardened Meshuggah fan. Mütiilation - _1992-2002: Ten Years of Depressive Destruction_ by: James Montague (7.5 out of 10) (End All Life, 2003) Mütiilation. End All Life Productions. 666 copies. Double LP with poster. Vinyl only. For those who were born yesterday, this means eBay paydirt. That will probably take care of about 500 of the 666 available copies, and I hope the buyers choke on them. For people who buy rarities for humbler reasons such as musical interest, read on. While the title may indicate some kind of "Greatest Hits" compilation, this is in fact a collection of material from demos, live performances and other impossible-to-find stuff, making it the ideal gift for people like me, who wasn't quite "with it" in 1992 and refuses to pay $100 for a scratchy demo tape from an online entrepreneur. The first two tracks are from the _Rites Through the Twilight of Hell_ demo ('92) and show the band in its infancy, playing raw Venom-based blackened thrash, with incompetent drumming and extreme, painful howling over the top. This style noticeably developed over the ensuing year, as evidenced by the next four tracks from the much-improved _Ceremony of the Black Cult_ demo. This is where the band's trademarks -- slow, discordant dirges and despondent arpeggios -- started to rear their ugly heads. A keyboard version of "Dawn of the Fallen Angel" comes next, and appears to be the one previously unreleased track on the compilation. It is certainly a worthy addition -- a moody, dark organ piece with vomitous vocals perverting it to kingdom come. This leads us into the compilation's highlight, three tracks from the sublime _Satanist Styrken_ demo from 1994. By this stage the musicianship (especially the drumming) had progressed from near-ineptitude to agreeable black metal spontaneity and looseness. This allowed the band to fully establish "the Mütiilation sound" -- haunting, almost romantic melodies enshrouded in a blur of utter loathing of oneself and all around. These perfect songs have convinced me that _Satanist Styrken_ is one of the finest demos ever released, so if you must venture onto eBay with copious amounts of hard-earned, try to direct your efforts in its direction. The second LP starts with a cover of Bathory's "Rite of Darkness" from a '94 promo. Meyhna'ch does a pretty accurate Quorthon impression, and the song evokes the '80s spirit quite nicely -- which of course makes the song far too upbeat for a Mütiilation release! But it is very brief -- barely over a minute long. Unfortunately, the second LP continues to throw disappointments into the mix, as it then regurgitates "Dawn of the Fallen Angel", this time the metal version that previously appeared on Drakkar Productions' 1997 compilation, and which drew severe criticism from me at the time for its contrived feel and horrid machine-generated blast beats. The noisy B-side track from the _New False Prophet_ single, a raw mix of the title piece from the ultimately pedestrian _Black Millennium_ CD (this was pointless...) and a cover of Venom's "Possessed" from the _Destroy Your Life for Satan_ cassette round out a rather ho-hum side C. Side D chronicles something many of us probably never expected to hear: a live Mütiilation performance, from the Under the Black Sun festival in July 2001. Thankfully, the setlist includes one song each from the legendary _Vampires of Black Imperial Blood_ and _Remains of a Ruined, Dead, Cursed Soul_ albums, plus an old demo piece, but frustratingly, they took two of the five tracks from the less interesting and more readily available _Black Millennium_. As for the more pertinent question of performance quality -- well, despite Meyhna'ch's oh-so-impressive ability to scream "Desecrate Jesus' Fuckin' Naaaame!!!" in introducing an old song, the performance is competently played but nothing to write home about. There is a reason why many of us never expected to hear Mütiilation in concert: because this just isn't festival music. I can't really picture myself standing in a mosh pit with sweaty Marseille metal fans while listening to a band that has always created such an atmosphe re of bitter solitude. Nor would I ever expect to hear the vocalist yell "Come on! Come onnnn!" in the middle of a song, but there it is for all to hear... The live tracks are good to have as a curiosity piece, but aren't exactly a highlight of this band's work. The vocals and drums are also far too loud in the mix, drowning out the band's trademark noisy ambience and sublime guitar melodies. Although the second LP is a little underwhelming, this compilation is worth having for the first disc, a marvellous collection of inspired demos. A gatefold cover full of ugly photos of Meyhna'ch is also something of a bonus, I suppose. Overall, this compilation makes a very nice souvenir of Mütiilation's decade-long tour through Miseryville and Suicide Planet. Contact: eal@wanadoo.fr Mütiilation - _Majestas Leprosus_ (Ordealis Records, 2003) by: Quentin Kalis (7.5 out of 10) What separates Mütiilation from the Darkclones -- and they are legion -- is that no other grim black metal band succeeds in recreating the same sense of anger, despondency and hatred best demonstrated on the underground classics _Vampires of Black Imperial Blood_ and _Remains of a Ruined, Dead, Cursed Soul_. _Majestas LeprosusL_ is not unlike Meyna'ch's (Mütiilation's sole member) previous full-length, _Black Millennium_; in fact it is so similar, it could easily be from the same studio session. Then again, Mütiilation is a graduate of the Marduk School of Musical Experimentation and Progression, so for Meyna'ch to release a comparatively innovative album -- like Dodheimsgard did with _666 International_ -- is highly unlikely. _Majestas Leprosus_ conforms rigidly with the trademarks of the genre: trebly, grim production, the bass guitar and double bass drums are practically indiscernible, and so on. The guitars are characteristically raw, with the riffs more focused than on p revious releases. However, the album tends to be quite repetitive: there is very little variation in tempo, and most songs are simply four or five minute blasts of black metal noise. Although this is an improvement over _Black Millennium_, _Majestas Leprosus_ will sadly not stand the test of time as did _Vampires of Black Imperial Blood_. Contact: http://www.ordealis.com Mystifier - _Profanus_ (Crash Music, 2003) by: Jackie Smit (3 out of 10) To be perfectly frank, I have never been a big fan of Mystifier's retro black/death, and no matter how positively I have tried to approach their latest effort, I doubt that my dislike for them will dissipate any time soon. _Profanus_ showcases a collection of songs more suited to a demo predating 1992. It blends together, with virtually no exception, every single metallic cliché you can possibly imagine, and then somehow manages to spawn something even more profoundly mundane and laughable in the process. At times it sounds like an elaborate joke -- witness the tone-deaf power metal vocals on "Beyond the Rivers of Hades" or the dismally performed "Superstitious Predictions of Misfortune". Elsewhere "Je$$us Immolation" [sic] manages to be virtually the only surprise on the record, by having lyrics that make the work of Glen Benton seem genuinely thought- provoking in comparison. Once in a while a decent lead or semi- interesting melody manages to wade through the muck, but for the most part I seriously doubt that the world would have been deprived of much, had Mystifier and their dismally produced fourth album disappeared straight up their own Satanic arses. Nevermore - _Enemies of Reality_ (Century Media, 2003) by: Jackie Smit (10 out of 10) Two and a half years separate _Enemies of Reality_ and its predecessor, the brilliant, if somewhat flawed, _Dead Heart in a Dead World_. In that time, a lot has changed in the world of heavy music. Bands like Korn no longer unload units in the ludicrous numbers they once did, older bands like Metallica and Anthrax are once again making headlines, and the metal world in general, it seems, is craving something different. And if _Enemies of Reality_ is anything to go by, then they need search no further than Seattle's Nevermore. Retaining the traditional values of heavy metal while staying unpredictable and sounding fresh would be no easy feat for any act to accomplish, but it is one that Nevermore achieves with an almost intimidating level of ease. Opening with a statement of intent in the form of the record's title track, one is immediately struck by the album's rawer and less polished sound -- provided courtesy of Queensryche / Dokken producer Kelly Gray. Not only does this bolster the band's brutality -- at times taking them to near death metal heights of heaviness -- but, more essentially, it serves to highlight and underline vocalist Warrel Dane's melodic swells with greater clarity than ever before. In further contrast to previous efforts, _Enemies of Reality_ presents a far more measured, well-rounded and well-structured album, every track moulded and shaped to perfection, stripped of any excess filler. Nevermore's succinct approach is made all the more effective by their incredible knack for balancing melody and heaviness -- a prowess they demonstrate with particularly breathtaking skill on "Ambivalent" and "Never Purify". Simply stated, the more I listen to this record, the more deserving of encomia it becomes. Essential in every sense of the word, it is one of a select few efforts to literally contain absolutely no discernable flaws, and possibly the most exciting prospect it creates lies in how Nevermore will go about creating a worthy sequel. Contact: http://nevermore.tv Opeth - _Damnation_ (Music for Nations, 2003) by: Pedro Azevedo (8.5 out of 10) _Damnation_, the second half of Opeth's ambitious twin album project, is likely to surprise those who expect an entire album of typical Opeth acoustic bits sewn together. Although there is a fair amount of variety to be found here, Opeth consistently manage to avoid falling into said trap. They seem to have approached the making of this tranquil album from an interesting angle, which becomes apparent right from the opening chords of excellent opener "Windowpane" and onto the intriguing yet powerful "In My Time of Need". At this stage the warm melancholy of the music is nearly mesmerizing, as _Damnation_ captivates the listener in a smooth, almost intimate way. It certainly doesn't sound anything like some left-over acoustic interludes from previous albums, or even the product of a band struggling to meet its promise of a near-acoustic album. Instead, it comes across as honest and inspired -- the sound of a band comfortably expressing itself in a different but nonetheless adequate form. Back to the album, "Death Whispered a Lullaby" may not be as great as its predecessors during the acoustic sections, but the haunting distorted guitar work that twice takes the lead achieves a much increased impact through its contrast with those quieter bits. "Closure" then goes into a more rhythm based approach that, while entertaining, seems vaguely out of place in the album. "Hope Leaves" passes by in a pleasant but not particularly stirring manner, and introduces "To Rid the Disease": a slowly evolving guitar line and a memorable chorus weave their way into a fine piano-lead conclusion. The electric guitar soloing of "Ending Credits" is sorely misplaced for the most part; not a bad track in itself by any means, but in spite of boasting a superb passage, a lot of the song is hardly able to match the overall melancholy of the album. The subdued "Weakness" finishes the disc in a passable way, which contributes to the unfortunate fact that _Damnation_ is one of those records that starts off extremely well but fails to either peak later on or even stay at the same level. At its best, throughout virtually all of the early section of the disc and only occasionally in later stages, the music can be quite wonderful, carrying a deep sense of melancholy and keeping the listener comfortable through many a rainy day. About midway through the album interest starts to wane, however, and while there aren't any bad tracks as such on the disc, _Damnation_ never quite recaptures the brilliance of its first few songs. The first half of this project, _Deliverance_, was a very good album with some cracking moments, but in the wake of classics like _My Arms, Your Hearse_ and _Blackwater Park_ (not to mention the band's earlier work), it failed to conquer the crown of Opeth's discography. _Damnation_, on the other hand, plays in an entirely different league and cannot be objectively compared to the band's previous work. It proves Opeth's outstanding quality once again, though it ultimately falls short of fulfilling all its immense potential. It also lacks a stronger connection to _Deliverance_ for this dual release to gain some more meaning beyond the similar packaging and close release dates, but remains a very worthwhile record in its own right. In addition to some excellent tracks, _Damnation_ leaves the promise that Opeth are likely to create another masterpiece next time around: if only they can put together an hour long album that's as good as the best thirty minutes from each of these two, then _Blackwater Park_ will be under a very serious threat. Contact: http://www.opeth.com Pathos - _Perdition Splits the Skies_ (Intolerant Messiah, 2003) by: Adrian Magers (6 out of 10) _Perdition Splits the Sky_ opens in a most promising way with "Toward the Precipice", an enchanting violin part woven into a clean guitar and double bass drum filled instrumental. For the next thirty-some minutes Pathos alternates between some very choice riffage and a bit of material that seems to fall flat on its face. Fortunately for the listener, the former occurs much more often than the latter. The band tends to indulge in a most technical form of brutal death, citing Cryptopsy as a major influence. However, since Pathos seem to try to avoid overdoing strange timings and playing, and strike a balance between raw musicianship and songwriting talent, there's a good chance they could appeal to death heads of all kinds. The CD is definitely not without its flaws though. The vocals are quite disappointing, sounding rather awkward and monotonous for the most part, and occasionally some of the songs seem to go nowhere. Basically something worth an occasional listen for the a verage person into extreme music, and good investment for those into technical death metal. Contact: http://www.pathoskills.com Prong - _Scorpio Rising_ (Locomotive Music, 2003) by: Xander Hoose (6 out of 10) Like many others, I was anxious to hear Prong's return to the scene. "Snap Your Fingers, Snap Your Neck" and "Rude Awakening" are all-time favourites of mine -- as is the whole _Cleansing_ album, actually. So I eagerly listened to _Scorpio Rising_, banging my head and jumping around. And I listened again. And again. And then it dawned upon me: I still hadn't memorized any of the songs, I found no personal favourite, I couldn't even separate most of the songs from each other. Giving the album a couple more spins, I had to stress my earlier conclusions even more. I'm very glad to see Prong back in action, if only for their excellent live shows, but _Scorpio Rising_ is not worth the wait. Average songs, average songwriting, average vocals; _Scorpio Rising_ is an album that does fit into the Prong catalogue and might come out sounding good in comparison to Prong's early albums, but after all these years you'd expect them to have learned a thing or two, that they would show some p rogression. I'm not asking to be surprised with a killer song like the two I mentioned before, but _Scorpio Rising_ becomes hard to enjoy after a few spins. Sorry. Contact: http://www.prong-23.com Rakoth - _Tiny Deaths_ (Earache / Elitist, 2003) by: Jackie Smit (7.5 out of 10) Past experience has taught me that when a bio describes a band as an "eclectic journey", it is an almost dead cert that an additional adjective along the lines of "utterly pompous rubbish" is applicable. It is perhaps my disregard for the pretentious dribble of acts like Darzamat, then, that makes Rakoth's second outing such an enjoyable surprise. Bombastic in every sense of the word, Rakoth's music lends itself to no conventional description, incorporating elements of black metal, classical, folk, trip-hop and even film scores into their densely atmospheric odes to musical experimentation. Although these dramatically polarised influences at times fail to blend as seamlessly as one would prefer, they form the basis of Rakoth's captivating appeal and undoubtedly showcase a drastic improvement over their debut record. "Dawn" recalls the rich and captivating feel of Eastern European folklore -- a subtle journey through countless emotions and moods. "Trust This" could easily have been the sound of The Chemical Brothers crashing the party -- an almost OTT electro interlude, which Rakoth amazingly manage to pull off. "Horizon" is a breathtaking piano-led monologue -- the melodic drive of which could easily have been lead-in to a Tori Amos number -- while the closing and title track is an excellent example of the exciting force Rakoth could likely develop into. This is by no means a perfect record, as there are times when the plodding tempo and seemingly aimless progression just becomes a bit too much. But, if anything, Rakoth have succeeded where many others fail miserably and by the looks of it, could yet be responsible for some truly spectacular music. Satanic Warmaster - _Opferblut_ (No Colours Records, 2003) by: Matthias Noll (7 out of 10) Finally Satanic Warmaster have released what for me was one of the most anticipated black metal releases of 2003. Still stunned by the ferocity of their debut _Strength and Honour_, the much slower _Black Katharsis_ EP released earlier this year left me wondering which stylistic path these Finns might pursue. Well, the picture has become somewhat clearer now: _Opferblut_ brings back the speed of _Strength and Honour_, but with the melodic approach used on _Black Katharsis_. What I personally miss, however, is the totally over-the-top aggression and blunt hammer-to-the-head approach of their debut. The simplistic mid-tempo sections, with their slashing riffs (which were one of the highlights of the debut), do not make much of an appearance. The same can be said about many of the faster, more aggressive parts with their obvious _De Mysteriis dom Sathanas_ influence. All of this has given way to what in my opinion is a somewhat exaggerated focus on minor key melodies, and the ov erall impact of _Opferblut_ is a lot less devastating and certainly below my expectations. While Satanic Warmaster have developed a clearly distinguishable identity and are still raw and underground to the bone, _Opferblut_ sounds too carefully calculated and consciously structured and has a disturbing tendency to lose much of its initial appeal after five or six listening sessions. Satyricon - _Volcano_ (Capitol Records, 2002) by: Quentin Kalis (8.5 out of 10) This must have come as a disappointment to the grim corpse-painted brigade (that is, if they hadn't abandoned Satyricon after the release of _Rebel Extravaganza_) as this was released by -- shock! horror! -- a major label (at least in Scandinavia). But the more cynical of our readers can put all thoughts of "Sell-out!" behind them: daytime rotation on MTV is still a very long way off. The scorn and contempt that characterized _Rebel Extravaganza_ have not been diluted one iota by their signing to a major label, and Satyr remains as angry, vitriolic and aggressive as before. I did honestly expect some experimentation with clean vocals, but none are to be found -- Satyr is content to stick with his characteristic rasp. Of course the production far exceeds that of his early days, and will predictably draw more scorn from the aforementioned self-named defenders of true black metal. Although similar in sound to its predecessor, _RE_, _Volcano_ is a considerably less complex affair . The best track is undoubtedly the punchy "Fuel for Hatred"; the catchy hook ensures that this song is the most likely candidate for a single (should one be released; a promo video has already been made). On the downside, the album closes with the fourteen minute long "Black Lava" -- some liberal editing would have greatly improved this overlong nightmare. One can debate endlessly whether _Volcano_ is black metal, but ultimately, what does it matter? Contact: http://www.satyricon.no Strommoussheld - _Behind the Curtain_ (Avantgarde Music, 2003) by: Jackie Smit (8 out of 10) With so many fundamental trademarks in common, it should come as no surprise to see the marked increase in black metal bands utilising the cold, mechanistic venom of industrial in their work. But where bands like Aborym and Red Harvest focus on unhinged rage, Poland's Strommoussheld instead explore the more bombastic, operatic side of the spectrum -- with surprisingly enjoyable results. An album that seemingly gets better with each successive track, _Behind the Curtain_ is a bold collection of experimental, dark and impressively structured malice, at times hinting at records like Samael's _Ceremony of Opposites_. The swirling fourteen minute epic that is "Restless Souls" stands out as the record's primary highlight, and aptly pinpoints the three-piece's immense potential and keen sense of melody and depth. Unfortunately let down by a production effort that at times lets the music sound a little thin -- when it's striving to be anything but -- Strommoussheld know and rely heav ily upon their aforementioned strengths, blending their influences with the subtlety of seasoned veterans. Even on the rare occasions when a section appears a tad drawn out or when Maels' spoken vocals become annoying ("Deception" being a fine example), the band manage to easily make up for such flaws by throwing enough at the listener to keep him/her hooked. If anything, _Behind the Curtain_ provides ample proof that Poland is capable of producing more than just death metal. Throcult - _Soldiers of a Blackened War_ (Crash Music, 2003) by: Jackie Smit (6 out of 10) Upon listening to Throcult's latest, heavily Naglfar-inspired effort, I learn that this band has in days gone by opened for such prestigious and high-profile acts as Type O Negative and Anthrax. At least that's what their bio says, and if it's true (and I'm sure it is), then one should tip one's hat to them for not letting a taste of the big league motivate them to head for more socially acceptable musical pastures. Indeed, it is hard to imagine any of the seven tracks on offer here serve as a lead-in to something on Type O's latest. The only problem is that for every moment of sheer, exhilarating viciousness and enjoyment you'll get from this record, you'll be playing "where have I heard that riff before". "The Uprising", for instance, is equal parts excellence and recycled Dissection, while "Eclipse of the Blood Moon" borrows shamelessly from just about every semi-decent melodic Swedish black metal band you care to mention. That said, Throcult are certainly a very tight and proficient unit, with drummer Jeremy Portz doing an especially commendable job. And for all their references to other bands, Throcult do show some very promising potential, particularly during the grim bombardment of "Hunted". While _Soldiers of a Blackened War_ is far from being a spectacular album, at the very least it leaves us with the promise that the future may well herald some impressive work from this Stateside sextet. Throne of Chaos - _Pervertigo_ (Spikefarm / Century Media, 2002) by: Quentin Kalis (8.5 out of 10) It is often tempting for the critic to simply slot bands into neat, pre-determined categories such as technical death or symphonic black metal. But on occasion, an album will be released which will defy such easy classification. _Pervertigo_ is one such album. A wide range of influences make their presence felt -- encompassing a wide range of genres, including heavy metal, death metal and rock --, as well as bands such as Dream Theatre and In Flames, yet without sounding generic or a copy of any other band. Some of the more unimaginative critics might lump Throne of Chaos together with fellow Finns Children of Bodom and Kalmah, but apart from mixing heavy metal with death, they have nothing else in common. The range of influences might account for the somewhat schizophrenic nature of _Pervertigo_ -- the lyrics are somewhat dismal, yet the music is often uplifting. The album is infused with memorable hooks and melodies, and the powerful clean vocals provided courtesy of Nikla s Isfeldt (Dream Evil) driven by a clear and strong production are amongst the best that I've heard from any band that also uses growls. Highly recommended. Vinterriket - _Winterschatten_ (Ketzer / Desolate Landscapes, 2003) by: Quentin Kalis (7 out of 10) Although _Winterschatten_ is only Vinterriket's second full-length, it follows on a seemingly endless litany of EPs and split EPs -- in fact, I would be extremely surprised if there is an act out there who has actually released a larger number of split EPs! On _Winterschatten_, Vinterriket continues to expand his (this is a one-man act) sound through incremental changes to his characteristic melancholic ambience. The first few songs are black metal based, and Vinterriket even attempts some black metal style vox (possibly for the first time). However the vox and guitar are vastly subdued and keyboards/synths dominate the mix. The remainder of the album consists of more conventional ambient songs, representing a continuing departure from the repetitive simplicity of early Mortiis and latter- day Burzum. This is a somewhat tepid release; although his experimental and adventurous spirit shines through, this album simply does not live up to the quality he has proven capable of deli vering in previous releases. Contact: http://www.vinterriket.com Vomitor - _Bleeding the Priest_ (Metal Blood Music, 2003) by: James Montague (8 out of 10) Formed by ex-members of relatively well-known local bands like Gospel of the Horns and Spear of Longinus in 1998, Vomitor is yet another in a long line of Australian metal veterans who cling to their '80s vinyl collection and spit out some strong, uncomplicated death metal with an enviable level of skill. About the only surprise with _Bleeding the Priest_ is that it's available on CD, because this album reeks of intransigence and inflexibility, to paraphrase a certain sword- wielding black metal luminary. Basically, if you know what bands like Gospel of the Horns sound like, you know what to expect from Vomitor. Still worth owning? You bet your metal arse it is. Like all the better death/thrash bands from the Great Southern Land, Vomitor love to throw extensive guitar leads over their traditional thrash chords, which ensure that the music has direction and a form of expression -- a voice, if you will. The songs are predominantly focused on instrumentation, with reverbed throaty shouts like those of old Celtic Frost popping up occasionally and unobtrusively. The production is true to form -- gritty and raw, but every detail is audible enough and well balanced. The tempo is generally high, the energy levels immense. This is great drinking music, and would absolutely slay in a live setting, so get out and see these guys if you get the chance -- they can truly whip up a frenzy, not to mention some impressive leads and riffs. Is there really any reason to go on? If you love the Aussie style and can't wait for the next Deströyer 666 album, then you can't go wrong with _Bleeding the Priest_. If on the other hand you think metal needs to get with the times and embrace freestyle jazz as a matter of course, then rest assured that this isn't the band for you. Contact: http://www.geocities.com/vomitr/ =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= __, __, _, _ _, _, | \ |_ |\/| / \ (_ |_/ | | | \ / , ) ~ ~~~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 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 Aramathea - _Of Darkest Dreams..._ by: Adrian Magers (1.5 out of 5) Aramathea is a one-man black metal project based out California, an unlikely place to breed those who enjoy contributing to a most foreboding and grim form of expression. The sound presented on _Of Darkest Dreams..._ blends parts of raw traditional black metal with atmospheric keyboards, but instead of utilizing and expanding musical boundaries, Aramathea tends to stick in one place. Both brutal and melodic black metal rely on song structure and transition, and this is where the CD falls flat on its face: the music doesn't soar into blitzkrieg riffs, nor does it descend into dramatic melodic passages. It just drags along, without anything memorable about the songs. Most of the guitar work is just repetitive strumming, and although the style tends to add an atmospheric touch, after several minutes of the same riff one tends to become bored with a song. Overall this band seems rather self-absorbed and unprofessional, something that sounds more like a basement or garage hobby th an a serious act. Contact: http://aramathea.metalpatrol.com Kill by Inches - _Kill by Inches_ by: Adrian Magers (2.5 out of 5) Kill by Inches is a decade old groove-based rapcore act based from New York. One might think it unfair that a band would go long unnoticed only to end up seeing their form of music become somewhat trendy and have to struggle against appearing overtly mainstreamed. However, this three-piece have little to worry about in that department: their blend of hardcore, metal and hip-hop features uniqueness and attitude that MTV-friendly rap rock lacks. However, it's unlikely that they'd strike a chord with most seasoned metalheads. So far only Kill by Inches' NYC brethren Biohazard have appealed to the core of the metal scene with rap-flavored undertones. The band definitely have commercial potential, but with the current slow resurfacing of underground metal even that may be in jeopardy. However, since the band's survived ten years, and put out four releases, they've proven that they go on despite trends in music. This fact in and of itself could be the greatest determining factor in Kill by Inches' potential success. Contact: http://www.killbyinches.com Outcast - _The Source of All Creation_ by: Pedro Azevedo (3.5 out of 5) Thrash metal is hardly a novelty these days -- even with the renewed popularity it currently enjoys -- and Outcast focus a lot more on keeping their music dynamic than they do on trying to innovate. On track one the listener is heavily reminded of Vader for more reasons than just the half-shouted, half-growled vocals, but over the remaining three tracks miscellaneous thrash classics weave their way into Outcast's sound. The band performs each track with considerable conviction but not much flair: a few of the riffs are a bit stale, though some better passages and the band's evident enthusiasm help make up for that. The production is a cut above average for a demo and the playing is tight, indicating that Outcast are intent on pushing the band forward. Overall, Outcast are far from breaking any new ground, and I'm not sure they'll ever strive for that, but as an unpretentious thrash band they've made a very decent start in the demo world with _The Source of All Creation_. Contact: http://outcast.music.free.fr Pica Fierce - _A Spiral of Violence_ by: Adrian Magers (3.5 out of 5) Pica Fierce is an impressive up-and-coming four-piece and serve as a sort of sampler of European metal. Within the three songs featured on _A Spiral of Violence_ the listener is treated to a carefully blended recipe of a Gothenburg-centered sound that incorporates bits of prog- metal, thrash, power, and even a few hints of melodic black. Pica Fierce manages not to sound like a half-baked concoction of their influences; rather they take early melodic Swedish metal and run with it. Good transitions and song structures definitely work in their favor, and will make them an even more enjoyable listen if/when a full-length comes out. The only complaints are minor, such as a somewhat tame guitar tone, vocals sounding as if they've been placed on top of the music instead of fusing with the instruments, and other easily amendable production qualms. Overall though, the sound quality is excellent for an independent band. Although the band isn't playing a groundbreaking form of music, the y have a sound that sets them apart slightly, and are worth a listen. Since many copies of _A Spiral of Violence_ were unfortunately stolen, the band has offered downloads of the three tracks on their website. Contact: http://www.picafierce.com The Evil Cell - _The Evil Cell_ The Evil Cell - _The Evil Cell II_ by: Quentin Kalis (3 / 3 out of 5) The Evil Cell embodies a range of styles. For example, _TEC_ opener "Just Out of Reach" starts with a Santana-like riff before venturing into Atheist-esque old school death metal. Elsewhere, "The Grind" off _TECII_ is strongly influenced by industrial, while a cover of Led Zeppelin's "Immigrant Song" adds a rock flavour to the mix. But all this is mere background noise for the true focus of these demos, namely sole member Eric Sperr's considerable guitar playing skills, as the two demos abound with leads and virtuoso guitar playing. Surprisingly, there are a few moments of self-deprecatory humour. The drumming on both demos is low key, repetitive and actually quite boring, probably so as to not detract from his guitar playing. Individually, most of these songs are pretty good (barring "The Grind"), but played back to back the demos simply do not flow and sound somewhat disjointed. Clearly, Sperr is comfortable with the guitar; however some more attention needs to be paid to t he songwriting process. Contact: http://www.theevilcell.com =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= _, _ _, _, / _ | / _ (_ \ / | \ / , ) ~ ~ ~ ~ C O M I N G B A C K A L I V E A N D K I C K I N G ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Sepultura, Stamping Ground and Atreyu, London Astoria, 13 July 2003 by: Jackie Smit Max Cavalera was not Sepultura. He was 25% of a very talented musical collective, who recorded some classic albums, but as the album credits will forever state in black and white, he was not their sole songwriter, nor, as the Soulfly records prove, their most talented member. The almost deafeningly vocal contingent who declared a post-_Roots_ Sepultura deceased have never been able to get around this fact, and as tonight proves, never will. While _Against_ was a somewhat disappointing record, both _Nation_ and _Roorback_ contain some of Sepultura's best and most inventive work to date; without a doubt a far cry from the nu-metal blatherings of the Soulfly efforts. By the sound of the rapturous ovation afforded the Seps as they make their way to the Astoria centre stage this evening, mine is not an isolated view. So deafening is the applause, and so absolutely mind- blowing the performance that follows, that one could almost forget the impressive efforts of the two opening acts. Atreyu, first to tantalize the punters tonight, blend old-school Maiden-esque melodies with admirably performed hardcore aggression. They may be young and possibly quite nervous, but they thankfully also have a clear understanding of stage activity as well and not only are we treated to a fair amount of jumping and cavorting, but we also get to bear witness to some thoroughly classic unison headbanging as they blast through the excellent "Vampire's Lament". Stamping Ground are always a reliable addition to any bill, and though coming across as decidedly more docile than in my previous encounters with them, they nevertheless throw one hell of a show. Debuting new material off their forthcoming record, they come close to shattering the Astoria's foundations with a blistering version of "Officer Down" -- complete with an accompanying "wall of death" from the audience. It may be some twenty years down the line, but there is no doubt in my mind that Stamping Ground have the ability to become Britain's answer to Slayer. Back to Sepultura though, and tonight they are on a form that defies any reasonable praise. Mixing in old fan-favourites like "Refuse/Resist", "Propaganda", "Necromancer", "Troops of Doom" and "Inner Self" with storming renditions of newer material like "Leech" and the daring U2 cover of "Bullet in the Blue Sky", their show is only made so much the better by the fact that, for once, the Astoria's sound is almost miraculously perfect tonight. The crystalline thud of Igor Cavalera's inventive beats ripples through the frantic audience like tidal waves as they explode into one of the most frenzied mosh- pits I have ever seen when the opening dirge of "Attitude" explodes through the PA. And to be honest, Derrick Green sounds nothing short of fantastic. No matter how well Max Cavalera's mighty roar used to suit the Sepultura sound, Green's voice has a superior range and enough aggression to strip the paint off a car at ten paces. Of course, the fact that his sheer size could intim idate an entire Tolkien Orc army into running for cover adds no end to his dynamic stage presence. Like Slayer just days before, Sepultura are faultless tonight, and by the time "Come Back Alive" and "Roots Bloody Roots" close the show, I -- and the great majority of Sepulfans in attendance -- barely have enough left in us to stand up straight. Truly, if this is the sound of a band on the decline, then 99% of metal acts may as well cash in their chips and call it a day. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= RAINING CLASSICS ON A LACERATED LONDON ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Slayer and Lamb Of God at the London Astoria, 8 July 2003 by: Jackie Smit With the promise of never-before aired oldies and some less frequently played favourites attracting the throngs to a reunion with the undisputed gods of metal, the air of excitement in (and around) the Astoria tonight is almost overpoweringly palpable. Add to this that the opening act happens to be one of metal's hottest and most promising properties right now, and one can't help but frown at the fact that two lone female security guards man the front barriers when Virginia's Lamb of God hit the stage. Plagued by a distorted bass sound that often drowns out their intricate trash-core riffing, Lamb of God -- in particular front man, Randy Blythe, who takes to the stage looking like a psychopathic beach-bum -- nevertheless get things going with far greater skill and ease than Ellis did when opening for Slayer in this venue exactly a year ago. Songs like "Ruin" and "As the Palaces Burn" are absolutely crushing, with Blythe's voice sounding even more threatening here than it does on record. Keeping things short and to the point, Lamb of God know not to outstay their welcome and close proceedings with "Black Label" after about 25 minutes, almost certainly having won themselves a decent number of new fans with their uber-intense display of metallic prowess. No matter how cynically you care to approach the topic, this band is definitely set to (deservedly) be a big name sooner rather than later. Of course, there are few names as prolific and revered as that of Slayer. Arguably the remaining member of thrash's "Big Four" that can hold their collective head highest and proudest, the Slayer live experience is not so much a show as it is a grand event. You'd certainly be able to number on one hand the amount of acts that can elicit such a crowd roar as to virtually overpower the face-ripping viciousness of the opening number -- coming to us tonight in the form of "Disciple". Venue security is immediately stepped up, as "God Send Death" and "War Ensemble" follow, the audience now nothing more than a human tumble dryer stretching from wall to sweat-soaked wall. Reliable stalwarts like "Seasons in the Abyss", "Dead Skin Mask", "Hell Awaits" and "The Anti-Christ" force the assembled mass to draw on energy they didn't know they had in them, but it is when Slayer delve further into their back catalogue and start throwing out such rare renditions as "Post Mortem", "Jesus Saves ", "Altars of Sacrifice" and "Necrophobic" that the true carnage begins. Tom Araya, as ever, seems genuinely moved by the crowd's overwhelming response and when Slayer finally end the night with the dual assault of "Post Mortem" and "Raining Blood", it is fair to assume that whatever tickets were still available for the following night will be sold out within a matter of minutes to the countless fans who'll want to take in another night of this madness. You can argue all you want about the quality of their post-_Seasons in the Abyss_ efforts, and you can even go as far as to say that Slayer are past their prime (though a few thousand people in the London Astoria tonight will strongly disagree with you). But as far as live shows are concerned, no one can come close to matching Slayer's intensity, stage presence and sheer bludgeoning ferocity. They have been hailed the greatest live act by countless media sources and polls, and to quote a phrase "they are that damn good". Truly, if you ever only see one live band in your life, do yourself a favour and make that band Slayer. No matter what your persuasion, you will not be disappointed. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= U N L E A S H I N G T R U E C A R N A G E ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Six Feet Under and Obscenity play the Camden Underworld, London 7 July 2003 by: Jackie Smit The Chris Barnes-led death metal juggernaut that is Six Feet Under is an entity that is equally worshipped and reviled in extreme circles. At the same time, very few of their detractors have managed to fault their live show -- which makes the prospect of seeing them in the intimate surroundings of the Underworld a very attractive one indeed. First things first though: Germany's Obscenity take to the stage to a huge ovation and immediately kick off with a track off their latest _Cold Blooded Murder_ opus. Despite their best efforts though, a snafu on the part of the soundman results in the drum and vocal levels virtually completely overpowering the thrash/death riffage of tracks like "Bleed for Me". Much to their credit however, they make the best the out of difficult situation and come up trumps -- the crowd even baying for more when the Germans head backstage. In stark contrast, Six Feet Under sound just about perfect and deliver the goods many times over with a menacingly intense performance. Curiously drawing heavily from their much-criticised _Haunted_ debut, they ignite proceedings with "Silent Violence", before driving the pit into a frenzy with "The Day the Dead Walked", "Suffering in Ecstasy", "No Warning Shot" and "Nonexistence". Chris Barnes' vocal performance is quite honestly awe-inspiring: audible, very deep and devoid of some of the more eccentric absurdities that have confounded detractors and fans alike in the past -- several examples of which can be found on their last _True Carnage_ record. Similarly, Barnes' undeniable stage presence and charisma is the fuel for much of the madness that takes place on the floor tonight, his generally pissed-off attitude making the songs seem even more intense. As an added bonus we're treated to two numbers off the forthcoming _Bringer of Blood_ effort, and although it's a little hard to judge properly, they do sound very promising. The title track is aired first: a curious blend of almost Red Harvest-like atmospherics and _Warpath_-era SFU, while "America the Brutal" is a punked-up beast of a song that wouldn't sound out of place on Six Feet Under's arguably strongest collection to date, _Maximum Violence_. Either way, both serve to aptly whet my appetite for the release of the record when it hits stores in September. Closing with "Victim of the Paranoid" and "Beneath a Black Sky", Six Feet Under go some way toward proving that they are easily one of death metal's most exciting and enjoyable live acts -- which is something the genre needs a lot more of at the moment. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= T H E Y C A M E F O R U S A L L ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Anthrax and Kill 2 This at the London Astoria, 4 July 2003 by: Jackie Smit Having played in a band myself many moons ago, I am left wondering after Kill 2 This' lacklustre set whether I would have preferred incessant booing and jeering (not that I ever got any), as opposed to the completely oblivious deadpan stare that the audience give the Manchester metallers tonight. Underlined by the fact that Dimmu Borgir booming from the PA rouses a greater response than they manage to do for the duration of their entire set, Kill 2 This could very probably have stayed in for the evening and saved themselves the trouble. To be fair, their set starts off well -- satisfyingly heavy, tightly played hardcore. However it is when tracks off K2T's atrocious new record, _mass.[down]-sin(drone)_ are aired that things go horribly awry. Seemingly desperate to win over the mainstream herd, their cleanly sung, overlong doldrums are a far cry from the promising potential of their earlier aggro-core. Tracks like "Circles" and "Frame by Frame" literally have punters yawning and ultimately the only truly great idea they implement this evening is to end their stint shortly after the first projectiles start hitting the stage. Anthrax, on the other hand, can virtually do no wrong. Touring on the back of arguably their strongest recording since _Sound of White Noise_ -- and certainly one of the better "comebacks" of 2003 -- they immediately fill the venue with a sense of triumph as they kick into the gear with a face-rippingly heavy rendition of "What Doesn't Die". They may be twenty-year veterans of the metal scene, but they perform with the exuberance and unbridled enthusiasm of a young act who've been given their first big break -- bassist Frank Bello being a particularly impressive sight as he relentlessly hurls himself across the stage, never remaining static for even a second. Drawing a highly fan-friendly setlist from their vast back catalogue, older songs like "Caught in a Mosh" and "NFL" appear to have aged very gracefully, even if they prove how juvenile the Anthrax lyrical prowess was in their formative years. Newer tunes like the forthcoming Keanu Reeves- endorsed "Safe Home" and "Black D ahlia" also go down a storm, but it is (somewhat surprisingly) the dual pairing of "Bring the Noise" and "I'm the Man" that most definitely causes the decidedly old-school crowd to wreak havoc on the Astoria floor. Unfortunately not all is perfect tonight, however: a cringingly out- of-tune guitar causes the intensely atmospheric "Black Lodge" to sound very confused, and of course there's always the matter of favourites left unaired. But, as I'm sure the sweat-drenched mass that makes their exit at 22:30 to make way for (in Scott Ian's words) "the gay camp attack" will attest, tonight's show provides ample proof that Anthrax are miles away from running out of steam anytime soon. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= M A R C H I N G O N T O G R E A T N E S S ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Mastodon with Labrat @ Camden Underworld, London UK, July 1, 2003 by: Jackie Smit Tuesday, July 1st, 2003 has hardly been what I would call a good day leading up to my arrival in Camden Town at around 8pm. Running on two hours' sleep -- thanks to my slow-witted housemates' insistence that their television remain at top volume until the early hours -- and with an eight hour work day and a hellacious commute on Hell's answer to public transport behind me, I head in the direction of the Underworld's box office window, politely state my name and tell the woman in charge that I am on the Relapse Records guest list. She briefly scans through a blizzard of paper printouts and shakes her head. "Should I write my name down, in case you didn't hear me correctly?", I offer, knowing that my foreign accent at times confuses the more mentally challenged citizens of the United Kingdom. She ignores me and just shakes her head. Desperately fighting the urge to unleash a salvo of expletives that would make every last layer of make-up on her haggard face peel, I ask whether it would be possible for me to check the guest list to see whether or not a mistake has been made -- I do after all have an e-mail in my inbox confirming that I need not pay the £10 admission fee for tonight's performance. "You can't and you're not on the list, okay!", she scowls and as patient a man as I am, I am now overcome by the virtually irrepressible urge to go make like The Rock and lay the smack down on her pasty behind. Indeed, were it not for the fact that Mastodon's _Remission_ record is one of the truly great releases of 2002, this live review may well never have been written. I fully empathise with the fact that the slack-jawed troglodyte, that has just been (somewhat unsurprisingly) rude to me, has a job to do, but there is such a thing as class. And to prove mine, I will refrain from using my position as writer for the greatest webzine on God's green earth to call her several paragraphs worth of unmentionable names, instead quoting Matthew Broderick in "Ferris Bueller's Day Off" and saying: "It's understanding that helps people like me tolerate people like yourself." So, with my hard-earned slapped begrudgingly on the counter, I enter the venue just as local noise-niks Labrat are about to start their set. I last saw these guys open for Strapping Young Lad, and on that particular evening they played quite possibly one of the worst sets I have ever had to endure. It is therefore ironic that in my present state of mind, they actually end up sounding infinitely better. While I still don't care much for their punkified Cryptopsy / Dillinger Escape Plan concoction, the band does have an undeniable amount of talent and potential -- of particular note being the efforts of drummer Nathan, who absolutely shines on "Clint Eastwood Is Well 'Ard". The aforementioned potential also comes strongly to the fore on closing tune "Two Pigs Fucking", and Labrat leave me thinking that there may well be a decent band hiding beneath their amusingly cocky exterior. Few bands in the underground currently enjoy the level of adulation that has flooded the world of Atlanta's Mastodon in recent months. And from the first note to their opening attack of "Crusher Destroyer" it is made abundantly clear that they not only intend to justify the hype, but to leave it lying in the dust. Their tri-vocal approach demands action from every stage-front member -- which each serves up by the truckload, never once seeming any less intense than a full- squadron air siege. Even more admirable is the fact that they somehow manage to sound even better on stage than they do on CD -- their performance not only watertight, but bathed in an added layer of atmosphere that bands with ten times Mastodon's profile can only dream of. Slower numbers like "Ol'e Nessie" leave even the most mosh-hungry punters mesmerized, while "Shadows That Move" is heavy enough to outweigh the impact of a mid-scale earthquake. There is honestly nothing that can be faulted with tonight's Mastodon experience -- from their performance, through to their crowd interaction, they are quite simply fantastic from start to finish. And with a blistering rendition of "March of the Fire Ants" ringing fresh in my ears, I'm smiling again. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= W H A T W E H A V E C R A N K E D ! ! ! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Gino's Top 5 1. Judas Priest - _Point of Entry_ 2. Judas Priest - _Hell Bent For Leather_ 3. Judas Priest - _British Steel_ 4. Judas Priest - _Screaming for Vengeance_ 5. Judas Priest - _Defending The Faith_ Pedro's Top 5 1. Weakling - _Dead As Dreams_ 2. Elend - _Winds Devouring Men_ 3. Insomnium - _Into the Halls of Waiting_ 4. Corporation 187 - _Perfection in Pain_ 5. Solefald - _In Harmonia Universali_ Brian's Top 5 1. Spawn of Possession - _Cabinet_ 2. Novembre - _Classica_ 3. Ron Jarzombek - _Solitarily Speaking of Theoretical Confinement_ 4. Canvas Solaris - _Spatial / Design_ 5. Behold the Arctopus - _Arctopocalypse Now... Warmageddon Later_ Paul's Top 5 1. Clandestine Blaze - _Fist of the Northern Destroyer_ 2. Sorhin - _Apocalysens Angel_ 3. Venom - _Welcome to Hell_ 4. Bestial Warlust - _Vengeance War 'Til Death_ 5. Pink Floyd - _Wish You Were Here_ Aaron's Top 5 1. Madder Mortem - _Deadlands_ 2. Gorgoroth - _Twilight Of The Idols_ 3. Pig Destroyer - _Prowler in the Yard_ 4. Tyrant - _Legend_ 5. Trouble - _Trouble_ Quentin's Top 5 1. Moonsorrow - _Kivenkataja_ 2. Ancient Rites - _And the Hordes Stood as One_ 3. Golden Dawn - _Masquerade_ 4. Satanic Warmaster - _Opferblut_ 5. Cradle of Filth - _Damnation and a Day_ James' Top 5 1. Deströyer 666 - _Terror Abraxas_ 2. Mr Bungle - _California_ 3. Mr Bungle - _Mr Bungle_ 4. Vlad Tepes / Belketre - _March to the Black Holocaust_ 5. Sargatanas - _Knights of the Southern Cross_ Jackie's Top 5 1. Exhumed - _Anatomy Is Destiny_ 2. Arch Enemy - _Anthems of Rebellion_ 3. Immortal - _Battles in the North_ 4. Myrkskog - _Superior Massacre_ 5. Danzig - _7:77 I Luciferi_ =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= __, __, ___ _, _ _, _, | \ |_ | /_\ | | (_ |_/ | | | | | | , , ) ~ ~~~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~~~ ~ 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 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 . =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= End Chronicles of Chaos, Issue #64 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.