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Nightrage - A New Disease
Is Born (Lifeforce) Review by Chris Davison |
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Strange, is it not, to have a band with members from Greece
and Sweden? Of course, Greece is a particular haven for metal,
and having visited there on many occasions, I've never failed
to notice just how many metalheads there are now. They seem to
have a particular affinity for Power Metal, the Greeks, and
Sweden, of course, is best known as a spiritual home for
melodic death metal. Of course, the more extreme Power Metal
bands and the least deathly death metal bands could easily
cross over into each other. Genre distinctions are rarely a
clear cut thing, and so it seems with this, the third release
of Nightrage. |
It seems as though the band have been through another line up
change, and out goes founder Gus G, and in come a couple of
new guys to lend a hand to old friends Henric and Marios. The
guitars, of course, smoke in an impossibly excellent way, and
the solo on "Reconcile" has more notes in it than the entire
discography of most bands. The melodies flow thick and fast,
there are heavy, double-bass pedalled drum sections that will
keep the rivet-headed among us happy and contented, and the
songs are seemingly constructed around the need to place
excellent solos in the context of a blazing song. These aren't
quite the songs that I'd expected to hear, as with every
satisfyingly heavy section, there are sugar coated sections
that seem almost too sickly for me to comfortably stomach. In
particular, some of the choruses are just too poppy and easy
on the ear, with more hooks than the end sequence of the
original Hellraiser. The use of clean vocals, a little too
freely for me, brought to mind the current crop of American
so-called "Metalcore" bands (though of course most of them
would shit their pants at the thought of anything actually
metal!). All of this is a real shame, because when they just
get their heads down and blow the doors off a track with a
pure metal approach (as with "Death-like silence"), they are
easily the equal of more high profile bands in the same field
like Arch Enemy.
Lose the pop, up the metal, slap some gaffa tape over the
mouth of the clean singer, then record another album. If you
do this, Nightrage, I get the feeling I'll enjoy you a whole
lot more. I can see why some might like this, but to be
honest, as it stands, it's a tarnished effort.
www.lifeforcerecords.com |
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Palehorse - Amongst The
Flock (Bridge Nine) Review by Steve Green
Have Heart - The Things We Carry
(Bridge Nine) Review by Steve Green
Death Before Dishonour - Friends Family Forever
(Bridge Nine) Review by Steve Green |
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When our main hardcore writer did a flit and subsequent
requests for a suitable replacement failed to bring any new
blood to the table, I didn't think I'd be pleased about this,
nor did I expect myself to be the new Live4Metal hardcore
writer. As I explained in a recent review, I'm looking at this
from a complete novice angle. But I'm more than capable of
saying what I like and of course what I don't like.
Palehorse have the drive and vigour of early
Thrash/Crossover bands, except that they are ten times as
angry and are even more volatile. They have the same prominent
bass rumblings that Dan Lilker fired out 2 decades ago and the
album reminds me of the same fire in the belly feeling that
S.O.D. and Anthrax stole my heart with back in my mid teens.
The fact that Amongst The Flock is a majorly pissed off album
also does it for me. As soon as one song finishes, another one
hits you right between the eyes and the drums constantly fire
in from all angles as Joe Longbardi whips up storm after
storm. Vocalist Vincent Calandra spits more venom than an
ex-wife in an LA divorce court and thankfully gives it both
barrels without the need for any macho shit. With 11 songs
clocking in at just under 26 minutes, there's still plenty to
get excited over. And the fact there isn't any wastage, just
leaves you wanting more.
www.palehorse1948.com
Have Heart are Massachusetts Straightedger's. Not as
angry or intense as Palehorse, they do make up for it though
with a nice line in gang shouts, which seem to be the centre
of their universe. Although they are good for getting the
blood pumping, after a while, they do tend to wear you down. I
thought a change in direction had occurred on track 5, The
Unbreakable as the gang shouts were nowhere to be seen as all
hell was breaking loose, but 35 seconds in they re-appeared.
From a Metalheads point of view, the energy levels are great
to get into, but the lack of variety does take a lot of
getting used to. Good shit all the same
http://myspace.com/haveheart |
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Probably sitting somewhere right in the middle of the two
bands above are Death Before Dishonor. Again they've
got the Metallic/Thrash/Crossover edge and the gang shouts are
used sparingly and their impact is much greater for it. This
cd is a re-release of their original EP, which is bolstered by
two rare tracks from a 7"" single, one unreleased track and a
5 song set recorded at the legendary, and now defunct CBGB's.
The leap in class from the original EP recorded in 2004 and
the 3 tracks recorded just 16 months later is phenomenal. The
added aggression, especially on the vitriolic Game's Over is
simply crushing. As you'd expect, the live recordings are raw
and in your face. After the first live track, Born From
Misery, the sound pans out a lot and the palette is much more
appealing, especially the thundering bass sound. Out of the
three bands, Death Before Dishonor stand out from the pack
because of the variety in their sound and the fact that each
number has it's own identity and is easily distinguishable
from the next.
www.deathb4dishonor.com |
www.bridge9.com |
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Plutonium - One Size its
All (Khaoz Star Records) Review by Crin |
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Hailing from Sweden, and endowed initially with the one sound
I find hard to enjoy, that of the drum machine, and here we
have such an obvious drum machine set to warp factor 10, my
ears become numb with the patter of pads and thrum of
synthetic snares. The music itself is a harsh collision of
progressive Black Metal in a loose vein of Solefald, where
violent riffs undulate with expansive rhythms and unusual
electronic effects.
Of the eight tracks we are plummeted into a chaos realm of
looped drum patterns that rush alongside a Voivod-esqe guitar
style, modern progressive industrialized arrangements and a
menacing aural presence that emanates from the odd ball sound
effects that appear at |
random stages of the albums duration. Half way though the
release, and those nagging drum loops just won’t go away, yet
perseverance is my middle name. The guitars style is rather
endearing, and certainly dominates the mix, thus allowing the
album to flow relentlessly though many levels of intensity and
speeds. There a slow plodding military like moments, consuming
sci-fi synths echoing a Hawkwind like vibe and as the album
reaches its end, that Voivod mid era atmosphere again rears
its peculiar head. The creative emphasis of main man, J
Carlsson, has certainly forged an album with a unique flavour,
oozing with clever guitar arrangements and at times very
likeable songs.
There are some original aspect to the pounding rhythmic
confusion, many a lucid moment, and many attributes to secure
a strong foundation from which to build upon. The finest point
to this album is the final track, clocking in at 8.48 minutes,
and by this time the drum annoyance has subsided into a
bearable background necessity. This final track is a brooding
slither of quite splendid melodies and disconcerting riffs,
aching vocals and guitar licks that open up gangrenous wounds
with ease. By far the greatest moment of the nightmarish
musical myriad of the release.
The whole experience is very digestible and for the most part
an interesting ride. Erase the basic drum machine, add some
oomph to the percussion and next time round there may well be
an album of real worth to bleed for.
www.khaozstarrecords.se |
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Seraphel - Remembrance
(Khaoz Star Records) Review by
Crin |
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Italian Black Metal has a long history, dating further than
the American or Eastern European scenes, and equally at ease
with the historical importance of the Scandinavians. If you
trace the history of Black Metal the all too familiar core
elements of Venom and Bathory, are elevated above the lesser,
but equally important contributions of Sodom and Bulldozer,
Italy’s legendary Black Metal band of the eighties. Other
great Italian bands are Mortuary Drape, Opera IX, Stormlord,
Frostmoon Eclipse, as well as current hordes, Altar of
Perversion, Orcrist, and the quite brilliant, Kult.
Here we find a fast, battering ram of snares, razor riffs that
twist their way up and down the |
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frets, and a vocal roar evoking everything you would envisage
a brutal yet melodic Black Metal act to be. Here lies the
problem, for Seraphel are not purveyors of the minimalisms of
Burzum, nor the symphonic beauty of Emperor. The music seems
to hark back to the blitzing viciousness of Sweden’s Dark
Funeral, or Belgium's, Enthroned, yet gets somewhat lost in
its own raging self righteousness. The seven tracks are so
alike in terms of the speed and raw delivery; it becomes
apparent this is yet another well executed album with nothing
exceptional to offer. There are numerous references to
Dissection, during the at times complex arrangements, and
Cradle of Filth without the keyboard pomp, also creep into the
mindset, but to actually grasp at any worthy tracks that stay
in the head, I found not so easy.
www.khaozstarrecords.se |
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The Ruins Of Beverast -
Rain Upon The Impure (Van Records) By: Dave
Schalek |
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German black metal mastermind/drummer extraordinaire Alexander
Von Meilenwald has been a busy man lately. Hot on the heels of
his work on Kermania’s debut, also on Germany’s Van Records,
comes “Rain Upon The Impure”, The Ruins Of Beverast’s
80-minute magnum opus of ambient, fast black metal. In
addition, this release comes barely a year after the
re-release of “Unlock The Shrine” on Azentrius’ Battle Kommand
Records, The Ruins Of Beverast’s excellent debut that made my
2006 Honorable Mentions List.
For those of you not familiar with Von Meilenwald, he was one
of the creative forces behind the now-defunct Nagelfar, an
excellent example of fast black metal patterned after |
some of the more brutal, fast Norwegian and Swedish acts.
After the break up of Nagelfar, Von Meilenwald has re-surfaced
with The Ruins Of Beverast, with a decidedly more experimental
and ambient take on black metal similar to that of the
suicidal USBM scene.
Like it’s predecessor, “Rain Upon The Impure” adds layers of
atmosphere, time signature variations, and bits of haunting
melody to the fast black metal base. Deeply howled vocals, at
times rasped, similar to those of Wrest or Malefic, persist in
the far background along with some keyboards that are very
muted. The guitars are considerably thinned out and consist of
riffs that alternate between a fast pace, moments of droning
atmosphere, and some soft, acoustical work. The drumming is at
times very fast and, at others, completely gives way to some
experimental melodies and simple bass lines. The only possible
complaint that I may have for this sort of release, which is
really right up my alley, is the extremely muted production.
The overall low tones of everything going on here absolutely
demands that the listener become engulfed in the layers of
atmosphere through the use of headphones while playing the
album at a high volume. This is clearly the point, however, as
more and more aspects of the atmosphere are revealed to the
patient listener in this manner. What does suffer, though, are
some of the more powerful guitar riffs that do make an
appearance. This is a minor quibble, however, since the album
as a whole is a masterful example of the sub-genre of suicidal
black metal.
“Rain Upon The Impure” will undoubtedly garner a spot on my
list for 2007, and is now a front-runner for black metal album
for the year. Buy or die.
www.van-gbr.de/ |
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Thought Chamber - Angular
Perceptions (InsideOut Music) By: Joe Florez |
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It’s another debut artist on the IO label and this time it’s
Thought Chamber which features lead vocalist Ted Leonard from
Enchant. I have to say that I wasn’t too familiar with
Enchant’s work a few years ago until I received their DVD and
have become a fan since then. So, the big question would be if
the brand of prog rock would carry over and do just as well? I
think that this album goes further and is even more exciting
and energetic. The intro “Premonition” is a wild complex
instrumental that definitely sets the tone for what’s to come
that will show just how versatile and unpredictable that they
can be. “Sacred Treasure” is a rather nicely mid-paced number
with hypnotizing and thumping bass lines |
injected with a calm atmospheric vibe thanks to thanks to the
keys and more than melodious guitar work that goes off on
tangents from time to time. This song encompasses all and
utilizes all types of styles from jazz to prog rock and metal
for a song that is never dull, but is fresh and lively. “A
Legend’s Avalon” continues with its winning formula and making
jaws drop with it’s head scratching solos that show the drums,
bass and guitars all showcasing their ambidextrous talents and
proving that they are deserving of your attention. The vocals
get stripped away for “Mr. Quinkle’s Therapy.” With a title
like that, how could you come up with lyrics unless you are
Primus. As if the music wasn’t off the wall before, this one
really runs the gamut. Not only do the guys gel together as a
unit, but everyone gets a chance to do their own thing and
show you that they are the real deal. After nearly almost
forty minutes of intense compositions “Silent Shore” is a nice
melodic number. Although not a ballad, it’s still a tranquil
and peaceful track that incorporates an acoustic guitar,
violins in some sections and gentle drumming for a nice change
of pace. It’s good to see that there is more than one side to
the group. This debut disc has been practically six years in
the making and it more than likely shows because these tracks
are so well crafted. Ted’s voice is soothing and powerful and
was the right choice for the job. You get a variety of styles
crammed into each track which layers the songs nicely and
brings out the best in them. It’s mature and hard rock at the
same time. All those who appreciate good music or are students
of the game should be wise to pick this up. You have heard
this brand before numerous times over, but these guys get it
right without being overly pretentious.
www.insideoutmusic.com |
www.myspace.com/thoughtchamber |
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Type O Negative – Dead
Again (SPV) review by Sam Thomas |
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“Dead Again” is the seventh studio album from Type O Negative,
their first for (unbelievably!) four years. The press release
was dripping with praise and superlatives as you might expect,
heralding “a glorious return to the sonic bombast that the
Brooklyn-based band is famous for”.
“Dead Again” clocks in at an impressive 77 minutes long –
impressive length guys! And talking of impressive length, I’ve
just (purely in the interests of research you understand) been
looking at some very nice pix of Pete Steele online. It’s a
massive, meaty offering (the album!) which is Type O at their
absolute gloomy best. |
Opener and title track “Dead Again” sets the scene for
gallows-type humour with the immortal line “I can’t believe I
died last night, I’m fucking dead again”. There’s the usual
run of puns with tracks titled “The Profits of Doom” and “She
Burned me Down”. Let’s face it, with Type O you know what
you’re gonna get. And what you get this time around is
excellent. In fact, they have delivered an album where every
track is worth listening to on its own merits, there’s no
“making up the numbers” here. For sheer quality, it’s easily
comparable to the “Least Worst of” album which drew on five
previous releases over a nine year period. Pete Steele gets to
rant rather more on the previous (marginally disappointing)
“Life is Killing Me”. The sheer energy level on this album is
amazing, you just don’t expect this kind of thing from a
band’s seventh studio release. But it’s not all about a
frontman screeching his lungs out: there are also some very
good instrumental parts which keep the vibe going perfectly,
most notably on the aforementioned “The Profits of Doom”.
I’ve always adored the paradox that is Type O’s mainstay:
morbid gloom equals humour. They carry this off to an extent
that nobody else can match, being both upbeat and happy whilst
simultaneously singing about death and despair. The vocal
style varies throughout: dragging the pace to excruciatingly
slow, carefully enunciated sneers at some points, frenetic
bellowing in others.
Most peculiar track on the album has to be “These Three
Things” which appears to deal with various issues of morality
including abortion and infanticide and then (eventually – it
isn’t short!) fades away into a repeated mantra of the words
“worse again”. Or at least that’s what I made it out to be.
But it’s altogether so Type O that it doesn’t really matter in
the scheme of things.
I hate to agree with such a glowing press release, but
basically “Dead Again” is absolutely the dog’s bollocks.
There’s nothing to criticise about it, it’s just perfect.
www.typeonegative.net
| www.spv.de |
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