| October 2002 - January 2003 |
AENIMA
Never Fragile (MCD)
(Equilibrium)
Despite the rather non-descript moniker, Aenima are a pretty good darkwave
act from Portugal. Featuring a spirited female vocalist, the band mixes
up elements of dark alternative rock circa 1983 with some of the more underground
modern gothic/ethereal acts. The results aren't 100% spellbinding but
impressive in their own way.
After a subtle intro track, "Forlorn" is the first full song. Moody
bass and guitar tracks swirl behind Carmen's vocals, which range form feather-light
to sultry. The slightly more gothic-sounding groove of "At the Edge
of a Cliff" comes across a little more polished arrangement-wise. "The
Light" has some potential with a nice spacey-guitar build-up, but it ultimately
doesn't go anywhere. "Lilith" features a similar aesthetic and is happily
much more satisfying in its execution. "Rapture" covers the most
ground of all the tracks here and features the most synthetic-sounding keyboard
work (the other cuts have a substantially more organic feel to them).
The production on Never Fragile is minimal but not bad. The two areas
I would like to see some improvement are the drum programming, which is simply
too straight-forward, and Carmen's voice at times sounds a bit flat.
She's fine until she holds a note for very long and then it gets a bit painful
(let me direct you to the chorus of "At the Edge of a Cliff" for a good example).
She has a nice voice and a great range, but a little more control and polish
around the edges will really help next time out. http://www.equilibriummusic.com
[Daniel Hinds]
AUTUMN CLAN
Requiem to the Sun
(W.A.B.)
Gothic rock with just a touch of metal is a good general overview of this
Austrian outfit. Sort of a converging point between Anathema, Darkseed
and The Mission. It isn't breathtaking, nor is it particularly original,
but it is done with more class and less cheese than many in the genre.
Often with gothic bands, it is the vocals that let down the proceedings,
especially with male vocalists. Fortunately, Autumn Clan has a pretty
strong singer with Jens P. Hermann. He manages to croon out the emotional
lyrics without whining or trying to imitate Andrew Eldritch. The guitar
work is also very nicely done, with plenty of heavy riffs and some cool harmony
work here and there.
The production on Requiem to the Sun is solid - not flashy, but it works
well with the music, though perhaps the guitars could come up a bit in the
mix at times. In regards to the songs themselves, there are really
no bad songs, with the lot split pretty evenly between average and good tunes.
"Dream Sequence" is probably my fave from the latter category, with some
moody 70s influences poling through and really defining the band's more original
side. "Dissonant Trip" is pretty unique, too, with an almost trance-like
feel to it, thanks to the hypnotic riff and psychedelic leads.
All in all, Requiem to the Sun is one of those albums that isn't particularly
remarkable and you most likely won't be finding yourself going, 'Damn, I
can't wait to get home so I can put on that Autumn Clan album!' But
it's enjoyable when you do listen to it and there are a couple standout songs
to be found here. http://www.autumnclan.com
[Daniel Hinds]
BLUE OYSTER CULT
A Long Day's Night
(CMC/Sanctuary)
There have been a series of live albums in the career of Blue Oyster Cult,
beginning with On Your Feet or On Your Knees in 1975, the amazing Some Enchanted
Evening in 1978, and Extraterrestrial Live in 1982. Each of those albums
served, in its own way, to document a phase of the group's history. ETL was
perhaps the most precocious of these records, as it was the end of the classic
line-up that prospered throughout the BOC's years of gold and platinum records.
That leaves twenty years of the bands history undocumented on any kind of
official live album.
That period can be divided into three stages. First there was the period
after ETL when BOC was still on Colombia Records and released two modestly
successful albums, The Revolution By Night (1983) and Club Ninja (1986).
A third record, Imaginos (1988), was largely the work of long-time BOC associate
Sandy Pearlman and Albert Bouchard, though Eric Bloom and Buck Dharma were
brought in to add tracks and make it a BOC album. A brief reunion tour ensued,
but the identity crisis and cracks in the bands solidarity were apparent.
Thus began the dark days of Blue Oyster Cult, which stretched from 1989 to
1997. During this period, Eric and Buck persevered with a revolving cast
of supporting musicians, until Allen Lanier would return in the mid 90s.
Several record deals would fail to materialize during this phase, as BOC
appeared on compilation albums and film scores. Meanwhile, Colombia continued
to cash in on the BOC back catalog with various "best of" packages. In its
latest phase, BOC found a solid label in CMC International and have since
released two albums, Heaven Forbid and Curse of the Hidden Mirror.
Now twenty years later we have A Long Days Night, which features thirteen
songs that are more of a salute to those pre-ETL years than a statement about
what Blue Oyster Cult is today. Only three tracks ("Perfect Water," "Dance
on Stilts," and "Harvest Moon") are drawn from the last 20 years of material.
The Revolution By Night, by far the most successful album of this period,
is not represented at all. However BOC did do a good job identifying earlier
numbers that do not appear on the other live CDs - "Stairway To The Stars,"
"OD'd on Life Itself," "Quicklime Girl (Mistress of the Salmon Salt)," and
"Lips In The Hills." Most of the remainder of the album is made up
of BOC standards like "Don't Fear the Reaper," "Godzilla," and "Burning For
You."
The production of long-time manager, Steve Schenk, seems brittle at times,
but the raw energy is definitely there and the musicianship of Eric, Buck,
Allen, Danny Miranda, and Bobby Rondinelli cannot be faulted. Though the
songs that should have made the album could be debated endlessly in internet
chatrooms by fans, few would disagree that A Long Day's Night is the most
satisfying Blue Oyster Cult album since the 80s. After all the personnel
and business problems the band had to wrestle with in the 90s, the symbol
remains, and Blue Oyster Cult has proven it is still a valid, creative force.
http://www.blueoystercult.com
[Ted Hinds]
BOOLE
Pheromones
(Dancing Bull)
Electro pranksters Boole have returned to entertain and amuse with another
disc chock-full of synthy goodness. The usual eclectic mix of Synthpop,
EBM and general silliness is fully present with a slightly more cohesive
and enjoyable overall sound this time around.
"Totally Alone" comes across as a rather good, straight-forward synthpoppy
number, with a nice dancey rhythm, clean vocals and off-the-wall samples.
The misanthropic "Blow Up the World" takes the wonderfully pessimistic attitude
that Falken had in WarGames, while the title track continues the string of
catchy choruses. This song is also worth mentioning as it rips off
the same Eastwood sample that my band (Triple Point) used back in '99!
"America Inline" is the first truly humorous cut, a surprisingly clever and
well-crafted concoction of vocal samples that rings only too true in today's
Bush-fucked world. "Thanks For Playing" could almost be interpreted
as the flipside of the same coin, though it's not as clear how serious Boole
is here (or anywhere, for that matter). The song kicks ass though,
one of the most upbeat and memorable cuts the band has ever done.
The remainder of the album is less interesting, though "Complicated" does
throw up a nice groove. The two cover tunes on offer this time around
- "Everyday is Halloween" and "Mr. Roboto" - feel a little underdone, which
is sad considering the potential of both tracks. Assemblage 23 uses
their usual less-than-magic touch to drain "Blow Up the World" of its original
charm and energy. A remix of "Pheromones" is better but, again, not
as good as the original.
In the highly-degraded state that the electro-industrial scene is currently
in, it is nice to hear a band doing something fairly original and at least
half of this disc is well worth having. http://www.boole.org
[Daniel Hinds]
COLOUR TRIP
Kill My Super Ego
(Arctic)
Expectations are dangerous things. Looking at this album cover, band
name and title, I figured it was some kind of wanky psychedelic prog-metal
affair. The bio calls them 'urban metal' and that's about right.
The sound is gritty, hard and bleak, fusing hardcore with thrash metal and
tacking on an occasional hint of modern rock.
There isn't a hell of a lot of variety between songs beyond the tempo shifts,
but then this is not the kind of music that really demands a lot of diversity.
The vocals never stray from the rough and ready style of your typical NYHC
band. It's a style that is good in small doses but by the end of ten
tracks, you're kind of wishing for at least some kind of change-up.
While the more upbeat songs like "Case Filter," "Concrete Block" and "Cut-up/Fold-In"
have that burly Pro-Pain appeal to them, slower numbers like "Planet Valium"
and "Kill My Super Ego" find the band losing their way somewhat.
The production is dry, solid and well-suited to the band's style, thanks
to Siggi Bemm (weird, I just reviewed another Siggi Bemm production, the
new Caliban - the man's been busy!). It's a fairly good album
that rises slightly above average at times, but only slightly. http://www.colourtrip.com
[Daniel Hinds]
CREMATORIUM
For All Our Sins…
(Prosthetic)
I remember being somewhat impressed by Crematorium's modernized thrashcore
when I reviewed their last CD a couple years ago. Here we have a full-on
album by the L.A. mob and it seems that the main progress they've made is
in the production department. Musically, this is the same riff-heavy
slab of metallic hardcore that greeted me two years ago, just in the form
of different songs.
"Seasons of Nothingness" is a rather non-starter of a track and I think the
varied "The Murder Process" has more of the energy needed for an opening
song. The speedy, Slayerish "Unlearn" is probably the best cut on For
All Our Sins…, with the harsh vocals delving down into death metal territory
at times.
Just when you think you've got the band all sewn up, they spring "A Disconsolate
Winter Landscape" on you. Clean guitars weave a bleak tapestry, with
muted percussion adding to the desolate atmosphere of the track. Personally,
I loved this track and would like to hear more experimentation along these
lines from Crematorium (especially in place of the dangerously 'nu' tendencies
of songs like "Life: Sick"). "From Order and Chaos" is another moody
instrumental that closes the album, complete with acoustic guitar and disturbed
sound fx. An entire album of songs like these two would be killer (as
a side project perhaps?).
Crematorium have been hard at work for many years now and, from what I can
gather, have really succeeded in building a solid fanbase in SoCal - a hard
sell no doubt. While I don't know that I'd say this is leaps and bounds
better than their last release, it is a cleaner recording and the songs are
at least on the same par. http://www.crematoriummusic.com
[Daniel Hinds]
DECEMBER
The Lament Configuration
(Earache)
There's more dynamics here than I'm used to from an Earache release.
Don't get me wrong, the dB meter never falls below the "Well-beyond hearing
damage and into permanent brain damage" level. The vocals leap from
low growls to blasting screams without ever hitting any sort of middle ground,
and the music sometimes stumbles over its own weight and then erupts in a
violent spree. This all sounds in-line with a typical grindcore album,
right? Well, there's "typical" as in boring and "typical" that is an
example of something done well, and December leans toward the latter.
http://www.december1.com/
[Laird Sheldahl]
DECEMBER WOLVES
Blasterpiece Theatre
(Earache)
Grindcore with doses of humor and horror-movie sampling. Cheesy, unsubtle,
fast & furious or gruff & heavy... am I describing this album or
grindcore in general? While not a bad album, not the best Earache has
to offer this time around either. http://www.dehumanizetheworld.com/
[Laird Sheldahl]
THE DEFACED
Karma in Black
(Nuclear Blast)
The previous album by The Defaced (Domination Commence) ended up in the 'not
to review' pile by merely being too average at a time when there were already
too many average releases. Popping the follow-up into my player with
less than full enthusiasm, I wish I could say I was blown away, but alas,
nothing particularly explosive was encoded on the disc.
"Fumes From the Swamp" starts off with definite promise, all nimble-fingered
riffing and gruff vocals. But as the band rolls into "Once in Between,"
the ennui of the last album begins to seep back in. The attempts to
graft melodic choruses onto the otherwise angry, angular songs sounds forced
at best - Soilwork they are not. Conversely, the quirky verses that
dog the otherwise straight-forward and melodic "10 vs. 9" sound just as hollow
and out of place.
The oddly-titled "Beneath My Swirl" is probably the most successful track
here. It's more cohesive and features a catchy chorus that works well
within the framework. The Hetfield-meets-Billy vocals are one of the
better elements of The Defaced's style, giving them a bit of an edge over
the usual Fridén copycat. "Soulsides" is a pretty cool slice
of heavied-up Sabbath, though perhaps strays a bit too close to Pantera-land
at times. "Forever Winding" is also worth noting, for its drug-haze
balladry that points up a potentially more interesting path for The Defaced
in the future.
Credit where it is due, The Defaced did surpass my expectations and have
definitely improved themselves with this album. As an exercise in decent
(though not terribly original) Gothenburg metal, Karma in Black is very well
done. But I think they still have a little ways to go before they really
pull off a superior album. http://www.thedefaced.com
[Daniel Hinds]
DESTINATION : OBLIVION
Thirteen Beginnings to the End
(self-released)
I think I have officially lost touch with the industrial scene, even here
in my own backyard. Coming up in Eugene, I knew or at least knew of
bands like Thine Eyes, 68000, Spinefolder, Attenuated Euphoria, Omnibox,
Area 88, Two Minutes Hate, 16 Volt, etc. Now I get this CD by Destination
: Oblivion, an industrial/metal hybrid from Portland, Oregon, and I've never
even heard of them or even the main songwriter's previous band (Le Mort Dieu).
Although there is definitely a metallic edge to the guitar tracks, this album
is clearly coming more from the electronic/industrial sphere. Right
away, it is clear that the vocals are going to be the weak link. The
heavy distortion can do nothing to mask the rather thin, geeky singing style
employed on most of the cuts. Fortunately, the musical aspect makes
up a lot of ground, with the subtle but effective synth work and heavy-ass
bass playing accounting for the bulk of what I liked about this album.
The guitar has a nice edge to it, but the riffs tend to be a little too simple
for it to really stand out on its own. But that's cool - it's kind
of cool to have that reversal, having the guitar serve as more of a background,
rhythmic element.
Individual tracks that sparked my interest included "Shell," which has a
weird TKK by way of RevCo groove to it, while "Our God Greed" has a nice
lo-fi, old school industrial feel to it and then capers off into ambient
land halfway through. Strange but kinda cool. "Last Stop" has
a slightly darker, almost gothic feel to it and the vocals seem to work better
here than anywhere else. On the down side is the eleven minute sprawl
"Buried," which manages to go nowhere in all that time and features vocals
that fail to flow with the music at all. Several of the other songs
meander along a bit too mundanely as well. Usually there are seeds
of good ideas that just get hammered to death I repetition rather than expanded
upon.
It's cool to see new bands still keeping the industrial flame alive and Destination
: Oblivion is doing it without catering to the current trends. This
album is a mixed bag, but there is enough good stuff here to make a trip
to the band's website worthwhile. http://www.destinationoblivion.net
[Daniel Hinds]
DIAMOND REXX
The Evil
(Crash)
Yet another blast from the past! I remember seeing Diamond Rexx's Land
of the Damned many times at the Record Garden back in the mid-80s.
Always curious what they sounded like, but they had a decidedly glam look
and I was really down on that whole scene at the time (and rightly so, as
anyone who remembers the living hell that was the glam metal scene back then
can attest).
Here we are fifteen years later and Diamond Rexx have adopted a much tougher
look and (I'm guessing) sound. This is street metal that is long on
attitude and short on technicality. Songs like "In Your Face" and "Hate"
pretty much say it all, as the band blast out the crunchy riffs and gruff
vocals. "Preacher" transcends some rather unchallenging lyrics by laying
down a great riff and one of the album's finest grooves. "Sick" has
that nice solid Killers/Pantera stomp and the album closes up with a strangely
lethargic rendition of Motorhead's "Ace of Spades."
Overall, it's a weird style that has nods to both the new school and the
old without really sounding at home with either. The semi-rap vocals
on "Hypnotized" and "Stop at Nothing" I think we could all do without.
At least the band isn't afraid to break out the ripping guitar solos and
that's always a plus in my book. Not a great album by any stretch of
the imagination, but there are some pleasing moments and I applaud any band
that sticks out this long. http://www.crashmusicinc.com
[Daniel Hinds]
DIVINITY DESTROYED
Divinity Destroyed
(self-released)
Self-released albums are always a challenge these days, as they tend to be
the most unusual albums I get. While the labels are playing it safe
by signing yet another In Flames or Dimmu Borgir clone, bands like Divinity
Destroyed are out there experimenting with new ideas.
In this case, we have a band that has somehow managed to incorporate elements
of power metal, nu-metal and Celtic folk music into their sound. It
doesn't always work but there are some cool riffs and vocal melodies to be
had. "Smoke and Mirrors" is the highlight, featuring a great, classic
metal arrangement that smacks of post- NWOBHM bands like Desolation Angels
or Medieval Steel. Less successful is DD's attempt to incorporate hardcore/thrash
elements into "The Sleeper Has Awakened," which serves only to point out
the production limitations of the recording.
The thing that put me off the most is the drumming, which seems pretty good
most of the time but occasionally sounds a little stilted (most notably on
opener "Void"), keeping the music from flowing as freely as it should.
Also the layered vocals on the chorus to "Red Reflection" just don't mix
well at all, marring an otherwise decent song.
So, it's a mixed-bag overall. Definitely some potentials and a couple
standout songs but there is still room for improvement as well. At
least Divinity Destroyed aren't afraid to try new combinations and that's
always a good sign. http://www.divinitydestroyed.com
[Daniel Hinds]
ENGINE
Superholic
(Metal Blade)
Hey, a Metal Blade release! You should already know what this is basically
about then, huh? Heavily compressed guitars that form a wall of sound
yet still cut through the mix like a.. (um) blade. A little bit surprising
though are the fairly clean vocals and the minimal, almost languid and simple
drumming. No machine-gun snare bursts nor rolling double-bass thunder
to beat you over the head with. Standout tracks include "I know" with
its simple but effective low-end riff and the ever-clever non-metal cover
tune ("How's that working out for you, being clever?"). In this case
it's The Cure's "Fascination Street." Amazing what a good bassline
can do for a band.
And then there's tracks like the title track, which contrasts frenetic +
loud versus quiet + emotional. A bit too obvious for my taste.
http://www.sorcerystudios.com/engine
[Laird Sheldahl]
ETERNAL GRAY
Kindless
(The End/Raven Music)
Another band from Israel, though Eternal Gray aren't nearly as much fun as
Nail Within. They play complex but somewhat non-descript death metal
that banks on tempo shifts more than anything else to liven things up.
Musically, there isn't anything particularly wrong with Kindless. They've
got all the right chugging riffs, double-bass pounding and growled vocals,
but it just sounds so damn mediocre. Sifting through the album to find
even one track that stands out is a fruitless task. "War of Chaos"
hints that it might be something special but it never takes flight.
The little Zakk Wylde guitar squeals that plague this record further distance
it from something I would ever want to listen to again. Fine performances
from all involved (esp. the drummer) only make it sadder that the material
itself isn't worth their efforts.
Before I go, I wanted to just take a moment to bitch about the band name.
Eternal Gray? For fuck's sake, is that the best they could come up
with?! Kindless is at least a cool album title and they would have
been far better off using that as a band name, too. Sorry, I don't
mean to lash out at these guys in particular, but I forgot to rip into Dragonforce
for the same reason when I did that review so I had to vent and I figured
if I waited until I reviewed Dark Fortress or Symphorce, it would be really
ugly… http://www.eternalgray.com
[Daniel Hinds]
ETOILE NOIRE
The Breath of Kali
(Nocturnal Music/Equinoxe)
Italian death rockers strike again with a suitably souped-up album after
the promising demo release last year. The band presents 7 diverse tracks,
plus a cover of the classic "This is Heresy" (Christian Death) and a remix
of the title track by Innerworld.
The song "The Breath of Kali" is a good one to open with, as it rocks and
simultaneously establishes the dark mood of the band. Vocals are on
the punky side of goth, while the guitar riffs have a catchy garage feel
to them. The five songs from the demo all appear here, sounding bigger
and better than ever. "Sleeping Black Eyes" has a nice moody beginning
before breaking into a great, hard rocking riff that sustains the remainder
of the song. And for those wondering where the stoner rock influences
hinted at in the bio might appear need only give "Melt" a spin - trippy yet
strangely focused, this one is a real gem. A nice solo at the end of
that one, too. "Eyelids Covering Mirrors" is the pretty/weepy ballad
while "Ascension" is about as close as the band get to classic goth rock.
Even here though there is a fierceness to the vocals and riffs that keeps
it from sounding like anyone else. The truly excellent "Fort of Sand"
reminds me of the more wistful moments of The Church (high praise, in my
book). "This is Heresy" is one of the very few Christian Death songs
that I think is actually worthwhile and Etoile Noire do it up nicely, though
it doesn't have quite the filthy edge the original did. The remix of
"The Breath of Kali" gives it a dancier, more industrial thump but doesn't
really improve on the original any.
It's not that often that I get to review a band's demo and then their debut
album, let alone this quickly. So it is really nice to hear that Etoile
Noire have not only been hard at work, but it has been a very fruitful labor
and they've really brought their best elements forward on The Breath of Kali.
http://www.etoilenoire.net
[Daniel Hinds]
EVICK
Anachronism
(Potomac)
This is an album that certainly lives up to its name, sounding like it could
easily have been released in 1990. Evick mix together a variety of
hard rock styles, reminding me of everyone from old Shotgun Messiah to Poison
to Lock Up (the pre-RATM Tom Morello band) to the Goo Goo Dolls.
"Dance" is the most rocking track here, featuring a rapid-fire vocal delivery
that segues into a more relaxed chorus (nicely matching the lyrics).
"Face to Face" is a sweet, near-ballad with a distinct twang to the vocals
that is more representative of the band's overall style. There are
flashes of more modern alternarock on "Blue Skies" and "Debbie," but the
band are more concerned with creating big, emotional melodies than worrying
about what style it takes to achieve that goal.
While Evick's music is certainly not my style, I must give them respect for
doing what they do very well. There's a very relaxed, soothing quality
to their sound that I can see appealing to a lot of folks. People who
like the 80s hair band's softer moments but also want something more mature
lyrically will love Evick. The album packaging is very budget looking
but at least the production of the music itself is very clean and well mixed
and that's a lot more important. http://www.evick.com
[Daniel Hinds]
FIREWERK
Amplified Fragments
(self-released)
Here we have another victim of my crazed organization this past year.
This disc got misplaced for a long time but it finally came to light and
I'm able to review it here in The Plague. This Detroit-based outfit
plays a hard-hitting mix of electronics and guitars that harks backs to industrials
golden years, reminiscent of bands like Birmingham 6, Oomph! and Hate Dept.
Opening track "Crickets" suffers mildly from a rather forced and repetitive
chorus, but the rest of the song rocks. Subtle EBM melodies punctuate
the more well-balanced "Work" and the dancey simplicity of "Pharmacy," which
builds and builds in a most pleasing manner. "Kingdom" features a massive
riff (and enough 'goddamns' and 'fucks' to make Chris Randall smile) while
"Hypercrash" has a driving metallic rhythm in the vein of classic 16 Volt.
Not every cut is a winner, with songs like "Something" and "Black Swan" sounding
a bit empty compared to the rest of the album. And the vocals, while
solid throughout, could stand a little more personality to help define the
band's sound. Still, Amplified Fragments is one of the best meldings
of rock and electro that I've come across in a long time. Coldwave
fans are highly encouraged to find out more about this outfit. http://www.firewerk.com
[Daniel Hinds]
FLOODLAND
Decay
(W.A.B./Napalm)
Another diverse offering from this rather unique gothic rock outfit, Decay
is a worthy successor to their Ocean of the Lost album from a couple years
ago. The deep, solemn vocals are still intact, as are the moody, dark
tunes, with perhaps a bit more synth and production work going into this
one.
"Enthymeme" is a strange opener, mixing a rather threatening atmosphere with
spy movie melodies, while "Dorian" follows in a slightly more typical goth
manner. The band gets far more theatrical (maybe too theatrical) on
"Morning Won't Come Tonight," with the vocals in particular falling prey
to the worst goth clichés in the book. "Dark Town" comes close
to falling into this same trap, but manages to sustain itself with a nice,
tension-filled build-up. "Coincidence" makes effective use of a sax,
again showing a willingness to experiment. "First Flower After the
Flood" closes the album in neo-psychedelic gloom.
It's strange how a band can be as all over the map as Floodland while still
maintaining a reasonably strong continuity. From the cheesy to the
sublime, from ethereal to downright rockin', Floodland have it covered.
While this approach isn't likely to please all of the people all of the time
(and to be honest, there are several songs here I didn't like at all), it's
a hell of a lot more interesting than the one-dimensional, every songs sounds
the goddamn same game plan that far too many bands play by. http://www.floodland.org
[Daniel Hinds]
THE FORSAKEN
Arts of Desolation
(Century Media)
I imagine it is pretty hard to stand out in the Swedish metal scene.
You could be good and that'd only put you on par with a hoard of other bands.
Perhaps that's why the Forsaken are on an American label, or perhaps they
are on an American label because they don't possess the melodic finesse so
many other Swedish metal bands flaunt and instead go for straight-up Death
Metal. This album is certainly more aggro than evil. Then again,
I wonder if it is harder to stand out in the Swedish metal scene, or to shake
the assumptions that often come with the label "Swedish." http://www.theforsaken.net
[Laird Sheldahl]
GRIEF OF EMERALD
Christian Termination
(Listenable)
Keyboard-laced black metal that is fierce, intricate and harboring a few
death metal elements is what you get from Sweden's Grief of Emerald.
Christian Termination is one of those frustratingly average albums - it's
played well, produced well and isn't a copy of any other particular band,
but it just never quite catches fire.
On the plus side, there are a few tracks that manage to stand out above the
rest. The title track is one of the most notable, with an incredibly
brutal drum track and a generally huge sound thanks to the guitars and keyboards
coming together just right. "Humanity's Fall" is also worthy of note,
with its slow-motion riffs projected against a double-bass and blastbeat
onslaught. The mix is intriguing and reminds me of some of the more
inventive death metal acts like Gorguts.
I've seen comparisons to bands like Dimmu Borgir and Emperor, but frankly
I think it's only the keyboard connection that can be made. Musically,
Grief of Emerald takes a far uglier approach to the music - a very unclean,
unholy sound that matches the anti-Christian lyrics quite well. Again,
there's nothing really wrong with this record, but it’s a well-worn style
and I just don’t' feel Grief of Emerald has lived up to their potential on
this one. http://griefofemerald.cjb.net
[Daniel Hinds]
THE HEAVILS
The Heavils
(Metal Blade)
Rock is back. Not exactly a revelation, but it's nice to see bands
as diverse as The Vines, The Donnas and Queens of the Stone Age making it
big in this era of hip-hop and pop flash. The Heavils are far more
caustic than their MTV2 brethren, adding in a certain aggro-weirdness that
reminds me of Clutch or Coal Chamber in their early days. It's a little
too simple at times and has too many of those post-Pantera moments that ruin
many a band, but I feel there is hope for The Heavils.
One lesson the band learned is not to over-extend their arrangements.
Most tunes fall in the 2 to 4 minute range, get the job done and then move
on. The vocals are gruff without being overbearing, but they still
work against the nerves as the album progresses. The most enjoyable
tracks are the most basic, slamming ones, like "Colorblind" and "Another
Way." When the band tries to inject weirdness (like bits of death rock,
jazz or surf rock), they tend to fall rather flat. Originality is a
good thing, but it needs to be tempered with listenability. It goes
without saying that the seventeen minute instrumental fuck-off track "Kadigimonk"
should have been left off.
Metal Blade has never had a problem signing completely diverse acts to its
roster, with everyone from Slayer to the Goo Goo Dolls to Haunted Garage
in the past, so it isn't too surprising to hear a band like The Heavils on
the label. While I think there might be a certain commercial potential
to this album, I think The Heavils may need another record or two to really
prove themselves artistically. http://www.theheavils.com
[Daniel Hinds]
ICED EARTH
Tribute to the Gods
(Century Media)
I have my own ideas of what makes a good cover and I will share them with
you now. First off, you should pick a good song that isn't already
played out, by which I mean a song that isn't the band's biggest hit or hasn't
been covered a million times already. By this definition, songs like
"Warm Leatherette" and "Tainted Love" would fail on both accounts.
Miserably. Secondly, you should give something of yourself to the song
and not just play a straight, note-for-note cover. There is very little
more boring than a note-for-note cover and in every case it simply points
up how much better the original band did the song.
So, bearing all that in mind, I have to say that Tribute to the Gods - a
collection of covers of Iced Earth's biggest influences, by the way - is
a bit of a failure. Sure, almost all the songs chosen are great tunes,
but they often fall into one of the traps I mentioned above. "Highway
to Hell," "Burnin' For You" and "Black Sabbath" are all just a little too
obvious and, for most of the album, Iced Earth falls into the 'faithful'
camp rather than the 'interpretive.'
Still, there are some moments that stand out and help make this release fairly
listenable. KISS' "Creatures of the Night" is an inspired choice (far
moreso than "God of Thunder," which also appears here) and they actually
bash out a fairly unique version of "Screaming for Vengeance." In terms
of showcasing the band's mellower, creepier side, Alice Cooper's "Dead Babies"
is a superb choice.
Some bands are just naturally great at doing covers - Celtic Frost, Anthrax,
Blue Oyster Cult - and others really are better off sticking to their own
material. I think Iced Earth falls well into the latter category and,
despite a few shining moments and no total disasters, Tribute to the Gods
is little more than a time killer between real albums. http://www.icedearth.com
[Daniel Hinds]
JACK FROST
Self Abusing Uglysex Ungod
(W.A.B./SPV)
Hailing from Austria, Jack Frost has come up with some decent dark rock and
perhaps the year's most awkward album title. Elements of gothic, doom
and plain ol' metal come together in Jack Frost's lumbering riff creations.
The vocals tend, unfortunately, toward the deep, melodramatic goth style,
but most of the music makes up for them.
"Mother Mary Sleeps With Me" is a rather straight-forward track that doesn't
set the bar terribly high, but "One Hundred Percent Pain" (great title -
that should have been the album title!) is much more successful. Here
we have a slowed-down Sentenced riff with some of Tiamat's sense of grandeur
thrown in. The album seems to plod along in second-gear most of the
time, though "Last Monday" picks up the pace a bit. The final track,
"El Funeral del Dictator," casts some light back onto Jack Frost's doomier
past and succeeds by mainly not sounding like all the rest of the songs on
the album.
Despite a few good songs and a rock-solid production (and a nicely offbeat,
kinky album cover), this record just doesn't have enough going for it to
recommend it. Perhaps die-hard fans of the genre will find more here
than I did. http://www.jackfrost.at
[Daniel Hinds]
JAY-J & MIGUEL MIGS
In the House
(Defected)
As always, no update of The Plague would be complete without a couple of
completely off-beat albums thrown in for fun. In the past, we've brought
you acts as diverse as Kool & The Gang, George Winston and Pink and today
you get a two-CD set by deep house DJs Miguel Migs and Jay-J. When
we started this zine back in 1988, we covered only metal, mainly underground
acts like Saint, Ice Age, and The Accused. Time changed and we eventually
started to review anything that we liked, which seemed to expand with each
passing year. At some point around '97, I decided to give the zine
a more directed metal focus again, but I never want to lose that diversity
because I think it's important to (a) expose metal fans to some other artists
they might not know about and (b) I think it is important for those other
artists to get reviewed by people outside of their own particular niche.
So with that long-winded, pretentious preface out of the way, here we have
a two-disc DJ mix set, one by Jay-J and one by Miguel Migs. Techno
music in the 80s was easy, but after that it just exploded in a million different
directions, only a few of which I can really say I enjoy any longer.
These CDs conform to the deep house tag, which I must admit isn't one that
I have explored (or had much interest in doing so). So it follows that
I didn't particularly fall in love with much of the music on offer here,
but a few tunes did manage to sneak into my consciousness along the way.
Of the two discs, I definitely found myself leaning more towards enjoying
the Miguel Migs mix. Maybe it's the material, I'm not sure, but songs
like "City People" and the bouncy "I Can Feel It" actually move and sway
the way dance songs are supposed to. Even still, there were moments
of needless repetition that started to get on my nerves, like "I Think I"
and "Black Satin," and several others that fell somewhere in between.
"Try to Be Calm" was interesting mainly for its extended jazz guitar solos.
A more tribal, African vibe elevates "Ethnicity Part 1" above some of the
others, too.
The bass grooves and vocals (if present) tend to be the driving force for
most of the songs on both discs, for better or worse. On the Jay-J
disc, a lot of the songs start off a bit more promising, with stronger beats
and slightly more varied synths, but they rarely live up to their potential.
Julie McKnight's soulful voice gives "Diamond Life" a boost, and "No No No"
features some well-placed horns to give it a more emotional center.
"Keep on Rising" has some pep, but sadly the rest of the disc fails to make
much of a commotion.
My personal definition of good dance music should include a hard beat, catchy
melodies and some actual vocals (preferably by a sweet-voiced diva).
There also has to be a certain intangible element that gives it an emotional
pull, something I don't find in much house music of any variety. I
don't go much for the monotonous instrumental stuff that requires a flashy,
crowded club or some sort of chemical enhancement to properly enjoy.
This set seems to fall somewhere between the two extremes, though more often
on the wrong side for my tastes. http://www.defected.co.uk
[Daniel Hinds]
LACRIMOSA
Echos
(Nuclear Blast)
Hmm, well this is a bit of a disappointment, to say the least. Lacrimosa
are one of the more established acts exploring the realms of symphonic gothic
rock but damn if this album isn't about the flattest thing I've heard in
a while. The male/female duo just does not have the magic to make the
songs come alive, at least not on this record.
Echos rolls forth promisingly enough, with the very dramatic and well-orchestrated
instrumental "Kyrie." The multi-layered keyboard strings rise and fall
in powerful accordance, with some very convincing choir sections completing
the picture. Clocking in at over twelve minutes, it is the centerpiece
of the album, but as it turns out it is also the only really worthwhile track.
The remaining songs retain some of the symphonic grandeur, but it is subsumed
beneath boring rock beats, cheesy German vocals and long, boring as all hell
arrangements. "Malina" almost works, with a fairly smooth blending
of darkwave and metallic elements, but the rest are sad misfires. Closing
the album with a twelve minute sleeping pill followed by five minutes of
silence and then a friggin' "hidden" track is just plain cruel by anyone's
definition.
Comment must be made on the band's image, too. The woman has a fairly
simple yet elegant look, but the guy looks like he spent way too much time
poring over photos of Geoff Tate from the Rage For Order era. Way too
much time.
Aside from the cool opening song and nice black-and-white cover art, Echos is massive waste of time. http://www.lacrimosa.de
[Daniel Hinds]
LITHIUM
Cold
(No Fashion/MNW)
After a very-promising demo from Lithium, here we finally have the full album.
While every single track may not be as good as those 3 songs on the demo,
many are and the production is far more lush and complete.
Formed by Johnny Hagel (of Sundown and Tiamat fame), Lithium plays a very
electronic brand of heavy metal that should go down a storm with fans of
bands like Diatribe, Rammstein. Processed but very recognizable and
cutting guitar riffs slot in perfectly with the chunky, mechanized rhythms.
No trendy drum 'n' bass or trip-hop beats here either; Lithium smashes things
down in a classic 4/4 manner most of the time. Songs like 'Anti Anthem"
and "Isolation" display the talent to come up with not only cool riffs but
successfully top them with catchy vocal melodies.
The first somewhat mellow cut is "Cold," which has the dark beauty of the
better goth-metal bands out there (like, well, Tiamat and Sundown for example).
It's really the skill at coming up with memorable choruses that is Lithium's
greatest asset. Just listen to songs like "Failure" or the instantly
catchy "Insect." Vocalist Carl Nilsson works within a relatively small
range but does a good job with what he's got.
Though elements from Hagel's previous bands can be detected, Lithium is quite
distinctive and has a more industrial core. Check out the speedy, vicious
"Hero in Paradise" to see just how intense this band can get. As stated
earlier, there are a few songs that aren't quite as interesting as the others,
but overall Cold is a strong album. If you still thrill to the mix
of quality electronics and metal riffs and feel abandoned by the likes of
NIN and Ministry in recent years, Lithium are a great new band to get in
on the ground floor of. http://www.all.at/lithium
[Daniel Hinds]
MALEVOLENT CREATION
The Will to Kill
(Arctic)
My last encounter with death metallers Malevolent Creation was the two-CD
retrospective Manifestation, which served to mainly highlight that the band's
glory days were behind them and their newest at the time (The Fine Art of
Murder) was a mixed-bag at best.
The thing that I noticed most about The Will to Kill when I really sat down
with it is there is actually a fair amount of diversity between songs.
I mean, they're all heavy and brutal but within that context, the band explores
some different riffs and tempos to good effect. "All That Remains" has a
classic Slayer feel to it, while "Rebirth of Terror" gives a nod to some
of the more Germanic thrash acts of yore. "Superior Firepower" is worth
noting, too, for its raging approach that actually shifts into an even higher
gear for the last thirty seconds or so.
New vocalist Kyle Symons is a major improvement over Brett Hoffmann, who
had been on most of the band's previous output. He has a good, visceral
growl but he's also fairly intelligible and has a bit of a hardcore edge
to his voice at times. Guitarist Phil Fasciana is the only original
member of the band left standing, but he must get credit for keeping the
quality of line-up high with the drumming coming across as particularly devastating.
The Will to Kill is not ground-breaking, but then Malevolent Creation has
never been about forging new trends or wild experimentation. They started
as a straight-forward, heads-down death metal band and over ten years later,
that's exactly what they remain. If you want a harsh blast of old-school
death metal with up-to-date production, this is a well worthy investment
to make. One note: the European release has a completely different
cover and I think if you compare the two covers, it really exemplifies the
difference between American and European view on death metal. The Euro
one is much cooler looking, but the US cover is probably a better reflection
of the music itself. http://malevolentcreation.cjb.net
[Daniel Hinds]
MASTODON
Remission
(Relapse)
This is by far the best promo I've ever received, and unlike 99% of other
discs, I've listened to this one over and over again. This album is
all about being a heavy, lumbering behemoth. The low-end just pours
out of the speakers with an overriding sense of unstoppable momentum.
Heavy and often radical processing on the guitars give a textural interest
that I've never heard on a metal album, and seems more familiar to the likes
of Sonic Youth or Man...or Astroman?
At times melodically complex and beautiful, like some sort of Satanic Jazz
band, and at times pure atonal noise (still beautiful), "Remission" is definitely
unique. Throw in some death metal vocals and a drummer who spends more
time on all those "other" percussion instruments than on a bass/snare/hi-hat
mania, and you might think that this album is too artsy-fartsy to be any
fun. Well, that's where you are wrong, you idiot. This album
never fails to pack a whallop, no matter how many time changes or chords
are thrown in the mix. Very highly recommended! http://relapse.com/mastodon
[Laird Sheldahl]
MERCURY SPARROW
4-song sampler
(self-released)
This is a one-man industrial/pop project brought to life by one Robert Bowman.
According to the liner notes, this is a 4-song sampler from the upcoming
CD called Pop-Sickle, so there may be more available soon from this promising
act.
It gives me great pleasure to listen to dark electronic act that isn't just
another bad copy of VNV Nation or :Wumpscut: or whatever the latest band
is that everyone is ripping off (I've mostly given up even keeping up on
these sorts of things). Mercury Sparrow is very synthetic, but the
songs are solidly in the pop mould. The clean vocals are smooth and
each song is built around a solid, reasonably catchy chorus. Songs
range from dancey ("Diamond Back") to trippy ("103 Measures of Static") without
really losing focus. Robert's voice is a bit on the plain side, but
it isn't bad at all and works pretty well with the music most of the time.
It only falls a bit flat on the moodier "Under Cover Lover," which also fails
musically compared to the rest of the songs anyway.
The recording quality is simple and low-budget but holds its own and the
mix is good. Bowman's strengths are his solid grasp of pop song arranging
and ability to coax some pleasingly warped sounds out of his gear.
Synthpop and EBM fans looking for some fresh blood are encouraged to email
and find out when the full-length will be available (which it might be already
for all I know). E-mail Mercury Sparrow at: duskenelf@aol.com
[Daniel Hinds]
MISTELTEIN
Divine, Desecrate, Complete
(WWIII)
High-speed black metal with keyboards. If this sounds like a recipe
for boredom (at least in 2003 when it's already been done by 1000+ bands),
you would be right. You would also be listening to Misteltein.
This is one of those many unfortunate albums where it's not so much that
there is anything wrong with it - there just isn't much right with it.
The vocals are grim and sick, the keyboards gothic and dramatic, and the
drums blast forth at a million miles an hour most of the time. Even
when the band slows things down, like on "Completion," they still don't manage
to generate much excitement. Some bands are better with speed; others
excel with the slow, doomy riffs. Misteltein sound just as uninspired
at any tempo. "Forsaken Emperor" starts off with a riff that borders
on cool, but then quickly resolves into another typically vanilla track.
Anyone who wants to bitch about bands like Cradle of Filth or Dimmu Borgir
should take one listen to Misteltein to see just how good those bands are
at what they do. And look at them, too - fucking Christ guys, is that
the best image you could put together? Solid production and musicianship
are just not enough to pull Misteltein out of the creative black hole that
is Divine, Desecrate, Complete. http://www.misteltein.cjb.net
[Daniel Hinds]
NAIL WITHIN
Nail Within
(Listenable/The End)
After the demise of two of Israel's leading (I guess, I've never heard of
them) underground bands, Betrayer and Azazel, members from each came together
to form the thrash metal juggernaut that is Nail Within. Ferocious
and with hints of their death and black metal roots, Nail Within stand proudly
as a thrash band in the classic sense of the word.
Enlisting production aid from the legendary Harris Johns and Salem's Zeev
Tananboim, the band has put together one of the most pleasing sonic assaults
this side of Defleshed and The Crown. From the start of "Emblazened,"
the energy level is well into the red, never really letting up throughout
the eleven songs on offer. "Dirty Coloured Knife" even features vocal
contributions from two obvious influences, Mille of Kreator and Tomas Lindberg
from At the Gates. Lindberg gets into the act again on "Under the Spell"
and Assassin's Robert Gonella adds his touch to "Bleed Forever." Fortunately,
the band's material is strong enough to stand on its own, so these guests
serve only as icing on the cake rather than as crutches.
The speed-freak riffs and occasional excursions into harmony land are what
really make Nail Within such a strong album. Songs like "Elastic" and
"Impure" make you want to slam around the room, yet also give your mind something
to latch onto. Yishai's vocals are brutal but not that deep, kind of
a mix between Mille and Anders Friden. He attempts some clean singing
on "King Obscenity," but it serves mainly to emphasize how good his gruff
vocal style is.
The mix of modern imagery and production values with classic thrash and death
metal songs works really well for Nail Within and keeps them from slipping
into that dreaded 'retro' black hole that seems to swallow bands up once
labeled as such. This sounds more like thrash never went out of style
and is as strong and vibrant in 2003 as it ever was and, frankly, with all
the bands coming out the past few years, that is pretty much the case. http://www.nailwithin.com
[Daniel Hinds]
NEAR LIFE EXPERIENCE
Day of Silver Sun
(Noiselab)
Watching MTV2 anymore, it is difficult to imagine why most of the 'rock'
bands offered up are even on a record label let alone being shown over and
over. Near Life Experience to my ears are what a lot of those bands
should sound like - they're modern and mix bits of hardcore, metal and alternative
rock, but they don't just sound like another version of Tool or Nickleback
or (god forbid) Creed. This isn't to say I really like NLE much but
at least it's not more unoriginal, uninspired crap.
"Mother" is a good choice to open the album, as it is clearly the catchiest
and best song NLE has going. Every time I hear the song though, I can't
help but think I've heard that main riff somewhere else already. I
can't quite place it though and I'll give NLE credit - they've either come
up with a damn fine riff or, if they did steal it, at least they know how
to steal a good riff. "Change Your Mind" and "Cradle by the Sea" are
far less interesting and I'm actually quite pleased when the Coal Chamber-goes-psychedelic
"Retrieve the Bodies" kicks in. "New World Spirit" is another catchy
one, this time relying on a very strong chorus that harks back to a kind
of trippy, 70s feel. The rest of the album has about the same ratio
of mediocre to good, with "Congenital Sadness" and the instrumental "Evening
on Mars" being the better tracks.
Day of Silver Sun (cool title) has the potential to be huge if given the
right push by the powers-that-be. Does it deserve it? Probably
more than a lot of bands, sure, but there are also plenty of other better
bands out there, too. If you are looking for something new and decent
in the way of alternative hard rock music, though, Near Life Experience is
worth checking into. http://www.noiselabrecords.com
[Daniel Hinds]
ONE STEP BEYOND
Life Imitate Art
(self-released)
I'm only a few reviews into this month's list and I can tell already it's
going to be weird year for music. This Australian outfit seems like
a death metal band with a weird sense of humor at first but as each song
plays, it becomes harder and harder to define just what the hell One Step
Beyond is.
"Greed" has some near-grindcore moments, while "Rockstar" has a demented
swagger to it that is as much the Hellacopters as it is Entombed. By
the time "Forecast" drops its funky guitar grooves, it really fails to come
as much of a surprise. Neither does the shrieking speed of "Disillusioned
Friend," even when it jets off a cliff into psychedelic Primus land.
According to their bio, the band's lyrics are just a scattered, but trying
to make them out is a job best left to the professionals.
At this point, it's a bit pointless to describe each song. Suffice
to say, the band keep it heavy, weird and unpredictable throughout.
One Step Beyond further distinguish themselves by adding some amusing movie/TV
samples here and there and possessing a Cookie Monster vocalist who actually
sounds like the real Cookie Monster. He can also do some high, Deicide-like
screeches that bring back fond memories of hearing Glen Benton shrieking
"Dead by dawn! Dead by dawn!" over and over again back in 1990.
That and laughing ourselves sick reading Deicide's lyrics of course, but
I digress…
Getting back to One Step Beyond (a fitting name if there ever was one), the
production is basic but reasonably good for a self-released disc. While
I wouldn't say the band needs to limit itself any, they could easily drop
the slower heavy songs and the funky numbers and concentrate more on the
death, rock and grindcore elements, as that is really their forte.
The album is available from the band by sending $15 (AUS) to: One Step
Beyond, P.O. Box 40, Marden SA 5070, AUSTRALIA.
[Daniel Hinds]
PENTAGRAM
Turn to Stone
(Peaceville)
Back in 1987, just a year before The Plague came to life actually, I had
my first encounter with Pentagram. My cousin had just purchased Day
of Reckoning and we were jamming out to it, taking in all the obvious Sabbathisms.
The influence was almost a little too much at first, but after a couple spins,
I came to terms with it and realized that these guys wrote same damn fine
songs and, hey, I'd rather hear someone ripping off Sabbath than Bon Jovi…
Sadly, the band never got a solid career on track and we had to wait until
1994 before the follow-up Be Forewarned hit the shelves. Turn to Stone
is a collection of tracks from those two records, along with the band's debut
(originally called Pentagram and later renamed Relentless for no apparent
reason). Fortunately, this album was compiled well and represents most
of the great tracks from the three discs.
Among the more inspired tracks are opener "Petrified," which has the quintessential
70s feel to it. Based around a chunky, mid-tempo riff, the song shows
off both vocalist Bobby Liebling's clean and highly distinctive vocals and
Victor Griffin's doomy guitar riffs (and equally electric leads). Like
the other tracks off of Be Forewarned, the production is noticeably better
than the earlier material. The capstone of Pentagram's career has to
be "Burning Saviour," the epic song from Day of Reckoning that shows up here
at track 5. The foreboding clean guitar riff builds slowly until the
distortion comes crashing in. This is a classic slab of doom metal
with one of the coolest bridges and leads you're likely to hear (it comes
in at 7:48 and just shreds!). Other great songs like "Vampire Love,"
the boogie-infused "20 Buck Spin" and the rather speedy "Live Free and Burn."
The ultra-doomy "Evil Seed" features the straight-faced lyric, "All right
now! Won't you listen?" just in case you had forgotten where the band's
main influence came from. The only song truly missing here is the classic
"Sign of the Wolf" but I guess that just gives people more reason to buy
Relentless.
While the 90s seemed to have ushered in a herd of deadly dull doom metal
acts, the classics like Candlemass, Trouble and Pentagram still sound great
today. If you have yet to check out Pentagram, this is a great introduction
as it collects the best cuts from the band's best years. Turn out the
lights, light the black candles and crank this up - Satan will be most pleased.
http://www.ramshead.org
[Daniel Hinds]
SCARVE
Luminiferous
(WWIII)
French metal has always been a breed unto itself, from H-Bomb to Antaeus,
and Scarve are proudly carrying this long-standing tradition forward.
Equal parts neo-progressive, black metal, and futuristic industrial abrasiveness,
Scarve forges a sound that is surprising and original.
Formed way back in '94, this sextet employs both clean and grim vocal styles
to good effect, nicely complementing the musical diversity. Opening
salvo "Emulation" twists with a cybernetic quality due in large part to the
well-integrated keyboard samples, while "Alteration" lurches along with one
of the most disconcerting riffs I've ever heard. It's the kind of thing
that is too ugly for a prog band to play and too fucking weird for a black
metal band. This strange dichotomy is a good analogy for Scarve as
a whole, as they never seem quite at home within any established context.
The question is whether they are frantically searching for one or happily
forging their own and, even after repeated spins, the answer is still unclear.
"Capsize" is a similarly disparate piece, but then you have songs like "The
Resonating Cycle" which are far more straight-forward (and brutal).
Songs like this could easily land Scarve in the same heap as Myrkskog and
Akercocke, but they'd have to make a whole album like this (and add a few
'k's to their name) and happily Scarve aren't interested. "Futile Resilient"
starts off with a nice creepy, "The Thing That Should Not Be" vibe before
diving into one of the more evil-sounding riffs on the album. And just
in case the band's off-center style was getting too much for you, they drop
in a cover of Entombed's "Serpent Speech" to break things up.
Daniel Bergstrand helms the production for Luminiferous and delivers his
usual solid, bottom-heavy sound, complete with murky drum sound unfortunately.
Still, Scarve are in their own world and easily rise above such mundane hindrances.
With all the reviews on my list, I only had a chance to listen to this disc
a few times and I get the feeling it needs many more to uncover all the layers.
For now, I will say Luminiferous is a substantively original release that
actually covers some new ground in an enjoyable fashion. http://www.scarve.net
[Daniel Hinds]
SEAR BLISS
Forsaken Symphony
(Red Stream)
Taking the chance on a couple positive reviews, I bought Sear Bliss' second
album, The Haunting, back in 1999 and was blown away by the unique mixture
of styles on display. Chilling black metal atmospheres brooded over
some of the finest doomy death metal ever laid down, with the occasional
mournful trumpet thrown in to firmly stamp it as Sear Bliss.
Poor distribution, however, limited the band's success, even more so on the
follow-up Grand Destiny. Until Red Stream stepped into the picture
and finally gave this incredible Hungarian outfit some exposure here in the
States. It comes at a good time, too, as Forsaken Symphony is a great
album and showcases all of Sear Bliss' strengths.
Starting with a mild keyboard intro, you can feel the tension lying just
below the surface. Slowly, guitar lines rise here and there until it
all fades down and "Last Stand" kicks into full gear. Speedy, melodic
black metal gives way to more atmospheric tracks like "She Will Return" and
the epic "The Vanishing." One of my favorite songs is "The Forsaken,"
a song that has all the triumph and all the anguish of great pagan music.
This tune ranks right up there with my favorite cuts from The Haunting and
gives me the same ancient feeling that bands like Hades Almighty and Ancient
Rites convey so well. There is a battle-ready ferocity to many of the
songs and it really comes to a head on the grim "Enthralling Mystery."
Closer "The Hour of Burning" is noteworthy for a lengthy and very cool guitar
solo at the end.
The black metal influences are much stronger on this album than in the past,
but I'm pleased to say that (a) Sear Bliss never gives in to the current
cyber trends and (b) you never doubt for a moment who you are listening to.
The production on Forsaken Symphony seems to be intentionally raw, but it
maintains a level of quality throughout that serves to enhance rather than
obscure the music. The guitars raze, the vocals bite and the drums
rumble along nicely in the background. The cover art is again by Mr.
Kris Verwimp - it's not as beautiful as Grand Destiny or The Haunting, but
it's still a damn good painting and this man has to be one of the most underrated
artists in the field.
I saw a feature on Sear Bliss in Metal Maniacs recently so hopefully that
will lead many more to discover this amazing outfit. While other bands
in the metal realm lose their way or repeat themselves, Sear Bliss continues
to make challenging and fulfilling works of dark, mystical art. Forsaken
Symphony is another proud chapter in an inspired career. http://www.searbliss.hu
[Daniel Hinds]
SEPTIK
Inception of Decay
(Winterthorn)
I remember the heyday of death metal, from the early excitement of bands
like Morbid Angel and Death through to the painful over-saturation that saddled
every metal label with a handful of wannabe bands with no real creative force
driving them.
Septik are an American act that came together in 1991 and released a demo
before calling it a day three years later. This is a remastered version
of that same recording and it stands up surprisingly well considering the
ten-plus years that have come and gone since the original release.
Growled vocals (that are more in the Death or Dream Death range than Cannibal
Corpse or Obituary) ravage along with simple but effective thrash-inflected
riffs. The production is nothing fancy but gets the job done and I
like the fact that the bass is more prominently featured than on many death
metal releases (from then or now). Highlights of the seven-song disc
are the doomy breakdown in the midst of "Conqueror Worm" and the sepulchral
mini-epic "Silent Symphony." The acoustic instrumental "In Extremis"
is a nice touch, too, and closes up the album perfectly.
I wouldn't say Septik were ahead of their time or anything, but they were
a pretty good band that never got the break they needed. I'm always
one for rescuing lost or forgotten albums from metal's past and Inception
of Decay is a worthwhile slab of (actual) old-school death metal pulled from
the crypt for a whole new generation to check out. http://www.winterthorn.com/septik
[Daniel Hinds]
SHADOW KEEP
A Chaos Theory
(LMP/SPV)
This is the second disc from England's finest power metal outfit and, while
it isn't the step forward I was hoping for, it holds its own and displays
just as much metal grit as the debut did a couple years back.
The one thing that may have evolved slightly in the Shadow Keep sound is
the addition of some slightly more complex arrangements. Much in the
way recent Jag Panzer albums have given a slightly progressive touch to their
classic power metal sound, songs like "A Distant Paradox" and "A War of Principles."
The latter has a particularly effective riff break in the middle that really
makes the song. Elsewhere, the song "Beware the Signs" reminds me of
Morgana Lefay in the good days, even down to the slightly edgy vocals.
Some of the songs get bogged down a bit with overly repetitious choruses
("Thorns and a Rose" for example), which is really too bad because they would
all be fine songs otherwise. Brevity is certainly not an issue with
the one ballad, though, as sweet acoustic "The Kether's Syndrome" clocks
in at a mere 1:22.
With the furor over the melodic power metal revolution dying back down again
(due in large part to over saturation and increasingly mediocre new bands
hitting the scene), it remains to be seen if contenders like Shadow Keep
will be able to sustain their popularity. I am optimistic for these
Brits, as they have a much more original sound than the typical Euro band,
paying tribute more to the likes of Fates Warning and Vicious Rumors than
Helloween, et al. A Chaos Theory is another solid album in their repertoire
and with recent news that they've changed vocalists in favor of Richie Wicks
(Angel Witch, Tygers of Pan Tang), I'm looking forward to the next platter.
[Daniel Hinds]
SHIP OF FOOLS
Let's Get This Mother Outta Here
(Peaceville)
As with any Peaceville release any more, I had no idea what to expect when
I popped in Ship of Fools. After a classic Ren & Stimpy sample
("Okay space cadets, prepare to hurtle through the cosmos!"), a synth riff
kicks in which builds and builds until the rest of the instruments fall into
place. It becomes clear quickly that Ship of Fools like to dabble in
the vein of classic space rock, the kind of stuff that just skirts the prog
scene without getting bogged down in it. This opening cut, "Diesel
Spaceship," is a great instrumental trip that sets the mood for the rest
of the disc: celestial, driving, somewhat psychedelic rock that has
no regard for time.
One thing I really think makes this album work is the decision to use well-placed
samples instead of having a vocalist. It gives the music commentary
without distracting too much from the instrumentation. "L=SD2" features
some slightly more metallic guitars, while "Where is Here" has a much lighter,
delicate feel (and features a cool sample from Jacob's Ladder). "First
Light" features some acoustic guitar with a twisted twang to it, though the
song never stands still for long. The fourteen-minute behemoth known
as "From Time" features a suitably wide array of moods as well and features
some of more rocking riffs on the album. "Guidance is Internal" takes
a slightly deeper groove and ends the album on a really solid note.
From what I've read, this is a collection of the best cuts from the band's
two albums, released back in '93 and '94. It's difficult to say exactly
who this album will appeal to and even harder to compare it to any other
band, but maybe saying that is enough to alert people as to whether or not
they will want to check into them further. For me, this makes a great
background, trance-out kind of album that I can throw on every now and again
and just melt into. http://www.snappermusic.com
[Daniel Hinds]
SINNER
There Will be Execution
(Nuclear Blast)
Sinner is a frustrating band, as there is so much potential that never quite
comes to fruition on their albums. Matt Sinner is a fine bassist, a
great producer and writes some of the most kick-ass metal riffs you could
ever want. While all these elements come together in perfect synchronicity
in Primal Fear, the fit is far more awkward with Sinner for some reason.
The album starts off promisingly. "Higher Level of Violence" features
a great riff, while both "Requiem For a Sinner" and the title track feature
highly memorable choruses. "Die on Command" is slower, chunkier track
that shows the first signs of the album failing apart. The strangely-titled
"Finalizer" (an ad for TC Electronics perhaps?) rocks a little harder but
still feels lacking, while "Locked and Loaded" and "God Raises the Dead"
plod at best. "The River" has potential but falls face-first into a
hugely wimpy 80s rock chorus that (a) doesn't work at all with Mat's voice
and, (b) sucks. "Liberty of Death" tries to set things right but it
takes "Black Monday" to finally get the head banging again properly.
"Crown of Thorns" is a decent acoustic ballad that would have really benefited
from a more versatile vocalist.
Mat's voice has never been Sinner's strong point and the limited range is
more apparent on There Will be Execution than ever before. The diversity
that the last album The End of Sanctuary had seems to have faded in favor
of a more straight-forward metal approach throughout. And the cover
art, no worries about that improving. Let's see, we've had ugly (The
Nature of Evil) and silly (The End of Sanctuary), so why not cheap?
This one looks like it was thrown together in Photoshop in about an hour.
Sigh. Guess I'll stick to listening to The End of Sanctuary and wait
for the next Primal Fear to come out. http://sinner.rocks.de
[Daniel Hinds]
SOUNDESCIPLES
Audio Manifesto
(Peaceville)
Electronic breakbeats, metal guitars and vocals reminiscent of... oh... alternative
rock? David Bowie? Plain old pop music? I dunno, but the
end result is something that's not electronic nor metal, and might be enjoyed
by fans of Faith No More. I, however, enjoy listening to electronic
music and to heavy metal, but not at the same time. http://www.soundisciples.com
[Laird Sheldahl]
STAR OF ASH
Iter.viator
(Jester/The End)
For those brave souls who enjoyed Peccatum but thought, "Damn, this could
even be a lot weirder!" - rejoice! Ihriel (aka Heidi S. Tveitan) has
branched out on her own with Star of Ash and broken her creativity wide open
in the process.
Orchestral fragments criss-cross trip-hop rhythms and lush, ambient textures
on the intro "Chasm Blue" and "Sanies." Pretty piano melodies fracture
and spin off as each track flutters along its own unpredictable course.
"Beautiful as Torment" bends to allow the darker moments of Peccatum to slip
in, only to snap shut and withdraw back into serenity. Heidi's voice
is far more expressive on this album than in the past and I think she makes
better use of it as well. She doesn't overwork it either, allowing
the instrumental portion of each song to take the lead and explore the most
territory. Her lyrics make for a rather gritty, yet subtle counterpoint
to the often gentle and flowing music. Just check out the jazzy "The
Nudity of Light" for a sweet example.
Jester is the perfect home for this album, as it has the same characteristically
quirky feel that recent Ulver releases have had. Not that you are likely
to confuse the two outfits, but the appeal should definitely crossover nicely.
Star of Ash is not a singles-driven project, nor are you likely to hear any
of these tunes on the radio soon, but for those seeking a rich, multi-layered
opus that is as thoughtful as it is beautiful, it works wonders. http://www.starofash.com
[Daniel Hinds]
LUCA TURILLI
Prophet of the Last Eclipse
(LMP/SPV)
The man who helped launch Italy firmly onto the power metal map with Rhapsody
releases another solo record. Fans of Rhapsody will know what to expect
here - symphonic power metal with plenty of grandeur, pomp and technical
prowess. Short of the story that runs through the lyrics, I'm not sure
entirely why Mr. Turilli needs a solo outlet for this material.
But perhaps he's just too prolific and wants to get everything out that he
can. The story here is definitely the one thing that separates this
from the standard Rhapsody, as Prophet of the Last Eclipse is cosmic, sci-fi
story rather than the usual fantasy melodrama. It's the kind of thing
Iron Saviour would do and I'll leave it up to you as to whether that is a
good thing or not.
The celestial theme does spill over into the music in some ways. The
keyboard work has a very synthetic, futuristic feel to it, though the album
also features a string quintet, timpanies and three different choirs to help
balance things out. Personally, I thought these elements - the highly
synthetic and the dramatically organic - were the most interesting bits of
this album. The song "Zaephyr Skies' Theme" for example is gorgeous
and absolutely huge sounding. Vocalist Olaf Hayer is very good and
of course Luca's guitar playing is superb, but somehow the songs that rely
mainly on these more traditional metal elements feel a bit blah in comparison.
It's not that they're bad by any means, it's just the level of familiarity
is too high.
Fortunately, there are plenty of songs here that explore outside the
usual narrow power metal boundaries to keep Prophet of the Last Eclipse alive.
Songs like "Prince of the Starlight," the folky "New Century's Tarantella"
and the techno-prog-pop "Demonheart" help elevate the album above the likes
of Freedom Call, Iron Fire or Heavenly. And the eleven minute title
track that ends the disc is sprawling yet somehow coherent and complete sounding.
As an album, it may not outdo Rhapsody but it is well within reach, far more
than a concurrent solo project could ever be expected to be. http://www.lturilli.com
[Daniel Hinds]
UNTIL THE END
Let the World Burn (MCD)
(Eulogy)
Finally, an album title I think we can all relate to. Until the End
is a straight edge hardcore band who don't sugarcoat their lyrics or their
music, much to their advantage. This is dense, hard-hitting stuff that
relies on simple riffs, shouted vocals and a heavy as fuck production (courtesy
of Jeremy Staska).
With many in the hardcore scene branching out into more technical, psychedelic
or commercial realms, it is really nice to hear a band like Until the End.
Their sound is elegant in its straight-forward manner, harking back to the
early 90s while managing to still sound current. Lyrically, the band
is dark as hell but always keep an emphasis on personal responsibility.
It's optimism tempered with a massive dose of reality, a fine line to walk
to be sure, but Until the End manages it pretty well.
After the first six cuts, we're presented with 3 live tracks from a show
in Geneva in 2002. The sound quality is considerably more bare bones
and the vocals sound incredibly compressed, but at least the guitar cuts
through the mix nicely. For my money, long hardcore albums kind of
miss the point and at 26 minutes, this one is just about perfect. Another
strong release from the South Florida scene (see also the excellent Where
Fear and Weapons Meet disc reviewed below). http://www.eulogyrecordings.com
[Daniel Hinds]
ZANDELLE
Twilight on Humanity
(LMP/SPV)
Let's see here, another fantasy-themed power metal outfit from Ger-- wait,
these guys are from America! Brooklyn, no less! Zandelle plays
metal like it never went out of style (or into style, for that matter).
Songs about warriors, evil, and of course the mightiest cause of all, metal,
this set would make Manowar proud.
Unlike their Euro counterparts, Zandelle doesn't set out to make every song
fast, symphonic or technical, and it is a bit of a refreshing change of pace.
Songs like "Warlords of Steel" and "The Champion" rely on crunchy, classic
metal riffs and a solid but not flashy rhythm section. The one downside
is the rather nasally vocal stylings of George Tsalikis. He's not a
bad singer, it just feels like he's trying a little too hard sometimes and
just doesn't have the power of someone like Rob Halford to really carry it
off. As the writer of most of the music and all of the lyrics, though,
he's a pretty indispensable part of the band, so hopefully he will just naturally
develop his voice more in the future. When he stays away from the really
high stuff he actually sounds pretty good, as evidenced on tracks like "A
Hero's' Quest" and the sappy (but surprisingly good) power ballad "Eternal
Love." The 'epic' track here is "Twilight on Humanity," all twelve
minutes of it. It feels a bit sutured together compared to some of
the other songs but it does have some cool parts, to be sure.
The two-guitar attack of T.W. Durfy and Anthony Maglio is the most impressive
aspect of Zandelle's sound. They do the nice chunky rhythm thing with
just as much zeal as the fiery leads that decorate each song. There's
definitely some Murray/Smith energy here and it really adds to the generally
well-composed songs.
Twilight on Humanity is not the best album ever (and certainly not the best-looking
album ever), but it is a pleasant jaunt into classic heavy metal territory
without too much pomp or self-indulgence. And it's just nice to hear
a band from the US doing this style and doing it quite well at that.
http://www.zandelle.net
[Daniel Hinds] |
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