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Redemption - The
Origins Of Ruin (InsideOut Music)
By: Joe Florez |
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Redemption are back with a new album and it’s the second to
feature Fates Warning vocalist Ray Adler. If you know nothing
about the band, that’s cool because this one should put them
in the spotlight. They are a prog metal band that write and
perform extremely long and complex songs, but have a way of
holding your interest because of the constant change ups.
Their last release “The Fullness Of Time” was a homerun and
should have struck a chord with all prog heads. Now they are
back and quite frankly, how do you top your last effort or
better yet, what do you do to shake things up just enough so
that it’s not a carbon copy of before? Main man Nicolas Van Dyk
who is responsible for creating the music, |
guitars
and keyboard work managed to spike things up a bit. “The
Suffocating Silence” contains beefy riffs that are bright and
high impact thanks to Bernie Versailles who was also in Engine
and Agent Steel. They are complicated and aggressive, but also
direct and in your face. There is plenty of haunting ivory key
action to add a little flavor to the mix. There is no hint of
neo-classical performances whatsoever to drown out the sound.
The drum work from Chris is mind boggling as he is
ambidextrous with his movements. He has a Mike Portnoy
technique, but don’t worry as he does his own thing. As far as
Ray’s golden throat goes, it remains timeless as he is able to
belt out this tune perfectly without any slip ups. During the
solo and toward the end of the song, there is a Dream Theater
vibe going on as the composition becomes more furious and
ending on a strong note. Thick bass plucking starts off “Bleed
Me Dry” along with some tougher six string work and consistent
pounding. The keys manage to enter the song more clearly
playing a prominent part in here. There is a haunting
atmosphere that also runs rampant from time to time. The end
result here is something very mature that mixes metal with
classical and progressive for a sound that is rewarding if you
can appreciate good musicianship. In what has to be the
shortest song on the album, “The Death Of Faith And Reason” is
a balls out track that shows little to no mercy as they just
go for the throat, pounding and wailing away to my amazement.
This one is dark and there’s nothing fancy about it which I
like because it shows that the band can move around and take
chances rather than playing it by the book time and time
again. In short, this is another dynamic and interesting as
hell disc that is layered with rich textured sounds that are
second to none and loaded with passionate singing and
performances all around. While the songs may seem a little
long in the tooth, they are constantly exploding with vibrant
energy and originality. If you know what’s best for you, then
you won’t hesitate to check this out. Definitely worth your
time and money to seek out.
www.insideoutmusic.com
| www.redemptionweb.com |
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Saxon - The Inner
Sanctum (SPV) Review by Steve Green |
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I must admit, this album didn't quite do it for me on the
first few listens. My observations were that it wasn't a patch
on Lionheart (which I still don't think it is) and having
spent the weekend trying to fathom out why, I surmised that it
was down to the fact that the songs aren't memorable enough,
nor do they leave much option for a good old fashioned Metal
sing-a-long. There aren't any bona fide Saxon anthems to
scream out until your throat is hoarse and your lungs are in
desperate need of refilling.
Opener State of Grace is a pretty weak affair, although the
Gregorian chanting at the beginning are a nice way to begin.
The guitars are the weakest I've heard since Crusader, |
yet
despite my initial thoughts that the chorus isn't anything to
get excited over, it's been whirling around in my head for a
week. Thankfully, everything is cranked up to eleven for Need
For Speed and Let Me Feel Your Power. Both tracks would be
right at home on 1983's Power And The Glory, which is fine by
me as I love this era of Saxon. Red Star Rising does take a
while to get into. Saxon have gone for a big epic, lighters in
the air affair and I'm sorry, this isn't their forte, although
I have to say the song has grown on me immensely and I can see
this going down well live when a change of pace is needed.
I Got To Rock (To Stay Alive) is as clichéd as the title
suggests and quite honestly should have been left on the
cutting room floor as it's pure filler. "Play it loud, Turn me
on - Give it to me all night long" are straight out of the
David Coverdale school of crap lyrics. Dire is an
understatement. Saxon are so much better than this. Next up is the controversial single If I Was
You, which I slated a few weeks ago. At the time I couldn't
get into this as the single version was so bad. A few weeks on
and my opinion has changed completely and I now think that the
album version is probably the strongest song on The Inner
Sanctum. So why didn't they release this version as a single
in the first place? Harvey "bloody" Goldsmith has a lot to
answer for. Hopefully I'll get to have my say as I'm included
in the audience for the TV debate being recorded to accompany
the Channel Four series Saxon are to be featured on in April.
Going Nowhere Fast is a fun, let your hair down, number to
boogie along to in the tradition of old Saxon with a touch of
AC/DC thrown in for good measure. Ashes To Ashes, is another
of those that takes a while to get into. The chorus is
immediately likeable, but the verses are pretty formulaic and
clichéd. Atila The Hun is full of Eastern promise and I kid
you not, sounds like Amorphis, that is until Biff wades in at
full throttle.
Again it's an epic number, but unlike Red Star Falling, this
ones an instant hit and is a fine way to complete the album.
That is, if it was the last number. Also included is the
single version of If I Was You. Now this version is completely
different from the version I received to review last month.
Gone is the distortion and muddy production and I'm wondering
if this has been redone (again) for the album, or if I
received a badly pressed copy of the single. If I'd received
this one, I'd not have been so vitriolic with my comments.
If I hadn't given this one more listen, my review would have
been completely different. The Inner Sanctum isn't as instant as Lionheart,
but it's growing on me rapidly and I'm now
beginning to really enjoy it.
www.saxon747.com |
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Sinister Demise –
Eluded By Enlightenment demo (Self-released) Review by James
Young |
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It’s always exciting to find a great old-school death metal
band closer to home than those churned out by America on a
seemingly daily basis. Ireland’s Sinister Demise play a fairly
traditional death metal, with a degree of technicality, but
never allowing twiddling to replace traditional headbanging
goodness. Despite Squelch’s wonderful cookie-monster vocals
which are on a par with Nile and Suffocation in sheer rawness
(good idea including the lyrics with this one), the production
is nothing spectacular. This rawness could perhaps be
intentional, as none of the ferocity of the band is lost – it
may take a little getting used to, but by the end of this
seventeen-minute demo, you are left more than satisfied with
the sound.
I wasn’t completely convinced from the outset, with ‘Lair Of
Lunacy’ displaying an acceptable mixture of Gareth Yeung’s
blasts and double bass drumming, alongside some chugging death
metal riffs, all underscored with Jonathan Barry’s unsettling
bass twangs. It was somewhere in ‘Voices Unheard’ where
everything began to make fit together, and the |
evilness
of the band shone through in the spiralling riffs during the
chorus and clever interplay of fast and mid-paced extremity.
By the time ‘Subverting’ introduced a marching-style drum
beat, mingled with the pounding sensibilities of Morbid Angel,
there was no doubt that the demo would go from strength to
strength. Monstrosity, Deicide and all that is good about
American death metal were all brought to mind during the title
track ‘Eluded By Enlightenment’, whilst little intricate
flourishes add hints of the more tight and technical likes of Gorgasm.
Eluded By Enlightenment is a vicious little demo, and a
cleverly constructed one at that, knowing when to show off and
when to simply crush the listener. Hopefully an album in the
near future will show that this wasn’t just a fluke. Take that
America!
www.myspace.com/sinisterdemise |
www.sinisterdemise.net
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The Hidden Hand - The
Resurrection Of Whiskey Foote (Southern Lord)
By: Dave Schalek |
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Scott ‘Wino’ Weinrich has had a hand in just about every major
traditional Southern-fried stoner/doom band in the United
States including stints, as either the main creative driving
force, or merely just appearing, in St. Vitus, The Obsessed,
Place Of Skulls, Spirit Caravan, and his current band The
Hidden Hand. Along the way, Wino has earned the respect of his
peers, critics, and fans alike, even making an appearance on
Dave Grohl’s homage to various genres of metal on the Probot
project from a couple of years back.
The Hidden Hand have released three albums to date, the latest
being “The Resurrection Of Whiskey Foote”, and have
established themselves as Wino’s best effort since The |
Obsessed
broke up in the early 90s. “The Resurrection Of Whiskey Foote”
contains all of the signature elements of the genre operating
at a high level. Catchy, guitar driven rhythms and riffs in
this genre of metal that is most closely akin to traditional
rock ‘n roll are the key to success with bands such as The
Hidden Hand, and Wino’s songwriting skills are
more than up to the task. Great riffs abound on this album,
with no filler material, as well as a great bass performance
from Bruce Falkinburg (who also had more than a hand in the
writing process, utilizing material written over 20 years
ago). Even Wino’s typical, scratchy vocals are further
enhanced by the just the right amount of vocal melodies
sprinkled here and there. Evan Tanner’s drumming also shines,
particularly on the last track entitled “Slow Rain”, in a
genre not necessarily known for showcasing the percussion. All
of this adds up to The Hidden Hand’s most memorable and best
album.
If you enjoy stoner/doom in a traditional style, then you
certainly can’t go wrong with “The Resurrection Of Whiskey
Foote”. If you’re not familiar with Wino’s work, then this is
a great place to start. What are you waiting for?!
www.southernlord.com
| www.thehiddenhand.com |
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The Prophecy -
Revelations (No Face Records) review by Sam
Thomas |
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Revelations is the
second album from Yorkshire band, The Prophecy. It has been a
while in the recording, work having started back after the USA
tour in 2003. Having been fortunate enough to listen to their
debut album, Ashes, I was extremely pleased when this landed
on the doormat at Live4Metal HQ. I’m delighted to say that the
band haven’t undergone a radical transformation and are still
playing their unique brand of doom/death metal, with strong
emphasis on the doom.
According to their press release, The Prophecy are currently
being compared to Aeturnus and Opeth. Now I can readily see
comparisons to Opeth, particularly for the distorted |
vocals,
and also for the overall level of musicianship (and yes, that
is one hell of a compliment!), but I don’t really get the
Aeturnus one at all.
This is a mega production, clocking in at over an hour for a
mere seven tracks, which may give you some idea of why the
word “epic” springs to mind. The utter despair and melancholy
of the clean vocals, with their tales of longing and misery,
are nicely broken up by the distorted vocals (all courtesy of
Matt Lawson, again inviting comparisons with Mikael Åkerfeldt
and Opeth) normally just at the point where hopelessness would
otherwise have you reaching for the nearest sharp implement. I
particularly like the use of whispered vocals on second track
“Rivers”: until this point I’d never really considered the
possibility of menacing whispers. How little I know!
“Revelations” is rescued from being another misery-laden doom
recording by the sheer ability of the band members. There are
some surprisingly upbeat keyboard and guitar effects, which
serve as a glorious counterpoint to the vocals, yet without
seeming in any way mismatched. It’s a tribute to the band’s
craftsmanship that this manages to create a coherent whole,
rather than the aural equivalent of a Jackson Pollock
painting.
“Cascades” opens with a pure My Dying Bride bit of violin
(that’s as in violin, not keyboard, because this is the real
deal) and interweaves violin and guitar through a complicated
structure of ever changing melody. There is an element of
quietly contemplative reflection on the nature of things that
is extremely compelling in this release – an underlying
current of intelligence flows through the tracks, which makes
this well worth giving a careful listen. In fact, I doubt that
you could listen to it on a casual basis. The Prophecy are
never going to produce background music (or worse yet, that
scourge of modern times, muzak) – there is far too much going
on, too much tortured anguish for them to ever be relegated to
that level. Although this is a long album, you know that it’s
good because you don’t ever get the feeling that it’s been
playing for more than about five minutes because you get so
involved with it. Another sign of excellence, in my book. If
you enjoy your music on the forlorn, melancholy end of the
spectrum, then I cannot recommend this too highly. It will
undoubtedly be played for many months to come, in this
household at least.
www.the-prophecy.net |
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The Wizar'd - Follow
the Wizard (Rusty Axe) Review by Chris Davison |
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It really does defy the senses; why would Australians resort
to uber-doom of such mammoth proportions? Maybe it's a
combination of a misspent youth skiving school every afternoon watching Neighbours, or maybe misspent teen evenings
wanking about Kylie Minogue, but I've always assumed that
living in the land down under would lend itself to a sunnier
disposition. Whatever the fuck the problem is with this
misanthropic trio (motto: Crushing Gothic Slime), I can only
hope that they continue to be plagued by whatever demons
assail them - as this is true doom in the very tr00est sense.
It appears from the liner notes that The Wizar'd, (which,
let's face it, is as much of a statement of intent as you are |
ever
likely to get from a doom band) don't like Black metal, DoomMetal.com or Goths - all of which pretty much mirrors my
own thoughts on doom as a genre.
Enough waffling, what kind of angst are the Australasian oiks
bringing to bear upon my poor long suffering ears ? In a
nutshell, probably the best doom I've heard in the last year
or so - which is high praise indeed when you consider the
prodigious and fantastic release history of Ihate records this
year. The riffs are soaked in atmosphere and the twin legends
of bell bottomed doom and the spirit of NWOBHM. Opener, "The
Devil In the Woods" is an utter beast, over eight minutes
wrong, and wrangling every last moment of terror wrought
atmosphere from the ringing guitar chords. Preceded by the
obligatory film sample (this time from An American Werewolf in
London, if I am not mistaken), the track is an absolute gem in
the traditions of early Cathedral and the more miserable
moments of Reverend Bizarre. A brief interlude with the
acoustic stylings of, "The Goblin Washes his Feet" is followed
by the splicing of prime Angel Witch and Witchfinder General
on downers with, "Life Eternal". As the song crushes into the
impossibly heavy mid section, the atmosphere brought about by
the leaden axe work, pounding bass and echo ridden distant
sounding drums seems to paralyse life momentarily. "The Doom
that Came to Devils End" begins with the finest riff that
Victor Griffin never wrote, and plods along like a pissed up
docker wearing divers boots. Closer Funeral Circle destroys
all with a slow-motion conflagration not unlike the audio
equivalent of the slow motion explosions at the end of
eighties action movies.
Downers? Well, at five songs, one of which is effectively an
instrumental filler, you're likely to be left begging for
more. The production is also a bit of a bargain basement
affair, with the guitars occasionally seeming a bit too murky,
and the drums left as a bit of an after thought in the mix.
Stunning stuff, all in all however, and definitely the best EP
I've reviewed all year. Crush the Gothic Slime!
www.rustyaxerecords.com/ |
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Underground Railroad - Watch and Play (One Little Indian)
Review by Steve Green |
I'm always wary these days when a band are described as Punk.
All too often is it's of the shitty pop variety invented by
MTV. And whilst I wouldn't exactly call this French trio Punk,
they do have a sort of New Wave/early 80s vibe about them that
is wholly acceptable. And if I didn't know they were French,
I'd never have guessed.
Having relocated to London, it doesn't seem the capital has
diluted or influenced their sound at all, there's not a trace
of a French accent, never mind an English one and their sound
is rooted deeply in the US of A, with comparisons to be made
with the whole Sonic Youth/Pixies/Sub Pop era. And the song
titles take them even further away from their European roots.
"Cookies And Cream" and the Hole sounding "Hollywood Whore"
are most definitely not of an Anglo-French persuasion.
Influences aside, this is a pretty cool four tracker with
plenty of substance to get your teeth into. With all three
members contributing vocals, including guitarist Marion Andrau
on the sonically driven Headache, there's plenty of variety
and all of it good. Once again this isn't my normal music of
choice, but I'm digging it all the same.
www.indian.co.uk |
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Wendigo - Let It Out
(Nail Records) Review by Marco Gaminara |
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I'll be the first to admit that I've had this CD for a while
now, but while I'm only reviewing it now, it's not a case of
not having listened to it. On the contrary I've had pretty
much only had this CD on at work, and while I haven't listened
to it in a week or two, putting it in again now has it
sounding just as fresh and powerful as it was the first time I
heard it. This Hungarian quintet comprises of: Zoltán
Bátky-Valentin (BZ) - vocals; Tamás Kozó (Kozi) and József
Takács (Jozzy) - guitars; Róbert Csörnyi (Rob) - bass guitars;
Attila Varjú (Crow) - drums. Musically they are rather
diverse. Vocals range from softly sung baritones, to slightly
more aggressive near growls on occasion, but predominantly
they remain very |
| melodic
and filled with harmonic layers. The guitar rhythms are full
and powerful with the leads flowing over them as effortlessly
as the vocals do. The bass is driving and full of slaps and
pops that are accentuated by the pounded snare and kick drum.
"Broken" kicks things off with some intricate syncopation and
whispered vocals which quickly metamorphose into to chunky
guitar riffs with the vocals adjusting appropriately. Just as
choppy at first but far more melodic throughout, "Thousand
Voices" definitely showcases BZ's
vocals and the tightness of the band. I think one of the most
deceptive things about Wendigo is that owing to the layers of
gentler vocals over the music, it makes you think that the
music isn't as heavy as it actually is, like on "Let it Out"
where the drums are pounded into oblivion but you can hum
along contently to the vocal melody as if it were a ballad.
"Butterfly" on the other hand is a ballad and played
acoustically, at first, but always retaining the softer side
of things when the riffs get heavier. While "Prophets Of
Emptiness" has a gentler feel to it, the lyrics are anything
but and quite thought provoking in a way. "Ricochet" is one of
those bouncy songs that shall go down well in a club where
everyone's jumping up and down. With a very tribal native
American atmosphere "Sangre De Dios" takes things in a new
direction, but then "Rain Maker" brings you back to the
syncopated riffing and heavier sounds that they do really
well. Perhaps it's because I've listened to this disc so many
times, but "Disconnected" has such familiarity about it that I
know exactly when each tempo change is going to occur and how
the leads are going to fade in and out. The bass grooves on
"Two As One" are awesome and allow the guitars to do their own
thing, which they definitely do. So if you're after something
very powerful, yet very melodic and even light on occasion
these guys are well worth a listen.
www.wendigonet.com/ |
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Year Of
Desolation -Year Of Desolation (Prosthetic Records)
By: Joe Florez |
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YOD desolation
already have one album under their belt, but neither I nor
much of the metal scene has heard of them until being signed
to the Prosthetic label. Coming from the Midwest, Indiana more
specifically, this five piece unit has a lot to prove to the
thrash genre as there are so many artists vying for your
attention. “Elitist Death Squad” pulls no punches as it
immediately goes for the throat with the seminal blastbeats
and in your face twin guitar licks that could rival Slayer.
Chad immediately screams his way through this intense and
furious tune that is quick and unrelenting. Some death metal
growls enter the fold as well. The breakdown here is a real
trip because it’s melodic and slow, but performed with great |
| passion
and reminds you slightly of In Flames. Don’t worry though,
there is no carbon copying being allowed here as it’s used
only minimally before they continue on their destructive way.
“Running The Gauntlet” proves to be equally as vicious as the
opener with Matt’s quick feet work and precise striking of the
skins and everyone else keeping up with the insanity. More
melodies are thrown in from time to time, but they are so
slight that you have to listen carefully for them or else you
will miss it. As each track progresses, I am extremely
impressed at how well each member handles themselves, meaning
that there is no sloppiness in the performances and “Erasing
Your Existence” proves just how talented they can be. The
axework come solo time is impeccable as are their melodious
galloping licks. There are moments of pure shredding and then
some. I think I just died and gone to heaven when I heard
this. YOD don’t try to
hide who they are. The is death/thrash metal that refuses to
compromise to other people’s standards. They incorporate some
different elements to keep things interesting and this is what
makes these guys stand out at the moment. The vocals do work my
nerve after a little bit, mostly due to the fact that I don’t
get into this style much anymore, but the music makes up for
it ten fold. People who enjoy folks like Slayer, Arch Enemy
and anything from the Scandinavian melodic death movement
would be doing themselves a tremendous disservice by not
giving this a shot. Trust me, it’s well worth it and the fact
that this is just a mere thirty-five minutes long makes you
salivate for more in the end.
www.prostheticrecords.com
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www.yearofdesolation.com |
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