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| Days of Perversion - Perennial Distension
(Self Release) Review
by Steve Green |
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Days of Perversion are actively looking for a label.
Well, with the quality of this demo, I'm sure someone is going to sit up
and take
notice of them. Number one, the sound is excellent. I hear a lot of
brutal Death bands that have recorded their cd in a toilet and expect it
to be acceptable. Perennial Distension is absolutely crystal clear and
every instrument can be heard way beyond what is perceived as demo
level. In fact the sound is so good I didn't realise they had utilized a
drum machine, instead of a human.
Secondly, the presentation, although nothing outstanding, is
good enough and is thoroughly acceptable. And finally, the
music. As you'd expect from what I've written so far, both the |
music and the musicianship are top class. Sure, the music is
brutal, but there's a Progressive edge that adds, not only an
interesting take on Death Metal, but a modicum of melody that
makes this a whole lot easier to absorb.
I'm sure we'll see a full length from the band soon enough and let's
hope that all unsigned bands take a leaf out of DoP's and spend a bit of
quality time in presenting their songs in this fashion. Good luck guys.
www.myspace.com/daysofperversion |
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Hellfueled - Memories In Black (Black
Lodge) Review by Strawb |
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I began this task of reviewing in order to discover new music
and bands. Prior to my research, Hellfueled were unknown to me,
so I listened to this, their third release, with an open mind.
They are a 4 piece Swedish band who have recently completed a
period touring in Europe with Saxon and Masterplan.
The album was recorded in their home country using producer
Fredrik Nordström at his Studio Fredman facility.
The lead singer, Andy Alkman, has a voice which resembles that
of Ozzy. However, before Sabbath fans go rushing out expecting
a resemblance to the Ozzy Sabbath catalogue, the music on this
album is closer to the Blizzard of Ozz era. It would be to do
the band a |
disservice however to suggest replication of anyone else’s
music as they have a sound all of their own.
It demands winding the amp up to ten, and if a drip of blood
isn’t in the ear, then a new amp or speakers are in order.
The twelve track album opens with Rewinding Time, a strong
track with a save the planet theme. The siren is there, and
I’m certain there was a hint of keyboard in there somewhere.
This song sets the pattern for all of those on this album,
verses and a clear chorus, often repeated. Not a bad pattern,
but is it really necessary for each song to adhere to this
formula?
The bass of Henke Lönn drives many of the tracks, and is a
constant presence throughout. I noted it especially on Monster
and Search Goes On.
The drums of Kent G Svensson are, in my opinion, somewhat
subdued on this album. I did not note one track where the
drums had a decent solo or took centre stage. Ever-present on
each track, but I feel competent enough for more.
Jocke Lundgren, the guitarist suffers no such fate and
produces some lively and memorable riffs, again I noted
especially Sky Walker, Queen Of Fire and Down.
My favourite tracks were Down and Master Of Night, and the one
I’d sooner not hear again Warzone. It states on the
accompanying material that this album marks a beginning for
the band, and as a beginning it is acceptable; I would look
for more from them next time out.
www.hellfueled.com
| www.myspace.com/hellfueled
| www.blacklodge.se |
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Iced Earth - Overture of the Wicked (Steamhammer/SPV)
Review by Jesse Ketman |
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This one took me some time. Iced Earth has always been in the
foreground of the heavy metal scene for me, towering alongside
other power metal behemoths such as German cohorts Blind
Guardian to bring you the best the genre has to offer. Iced
Earth has had many members, but when it comes down to it, it’s
all about John Schaffer, whose vision is Iced Earth. Schaffer
plays all guitars on all albums, and it’s his trademark
rhythms and dark riffage that have differentiated Iced Earth
from the power pack and cemented their name in the hearts and
minds of their large fan base. Strangely, Schaffer refuses to
play solo’s on |
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any of the albums, instead requisitioning other musicians to
play over his moody rhythms. 2004’s The Glorious Burden, where
Schaffer left previous, well-loved singer John Barlow in the
dust in favor of Tim (Ripper) Owens was shocking and more than
a little jarring. With a vocal makeover came with it another
change, both lyrically and thematically. The focus drifted off
the dark paths trodden by prior Iced Earth albums in favor of
a look back at historical battles, particularly the American
Revolution. While this album won all kinds of awards and sat
in princely positions in a number of Top 10 lists, I still
have trouble getting into it. I’m fiercely opposed to
propaganda in general, and my distaste towards institutions
such as the United States government and capitalist society in
general fumigate my love for abstraction, for things against
the norm; in this case, metal. Thus, the song When the Eagle
Cries nearly ruined this group for me. Not only is it
unbearably cheesy and lame, it glorifies the very one-sided
mindset I spend every day of my life hoping to destroy. Now
here we are in the present, and the new EP entitled Overture
of the Wicked rests on my fingertips, a prelude to a trilogy
of albums that are to expand on the storyline of Something
Wicked This Way Comes in a big way. The 1st track, Ten
Thousand Strong comes right out about what you’ll find here,
with a high-pitched warcry from Owens signaling the attack as
Schaffer’s trademark machinegun rhythms burst out in full
force before descending into a moving, epic chorus, distinctly
Iced Earth, yet clearly a refinement in style. Owens is really
growing on me, and I like his energy and range, as opposed to
the sometimes melancholy drear of Barlow’s wailing lows. Track
two, Prophecy, slows things down to creeping darkness, and the
sci-fi storyline starts. At this point, I am clear as to what
this is. This is fucking sick. This is Iced Earth. Birth of
the Wicked and especially The Coming Curse, an 8-minute epic
replete with ethereal female vocals, continue along in much
the same fashion, and I couldn’t be happier. I’m reminded of
Dimmu Borgir’s recent return to form with the almighty In
Sorte Diaboli, inarguably the best black metal album I have
ever heard. While I’m not going to aggrandize this EP nearly
that far, I’m confident that given a few listens, every Iced
Earth fan will find something they like about it. And really,
what else do you need?
www.spv.de |
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Insania - Agony Gift Of Life (Black
Lodge) Review by Strawb |
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Let me open by saying that in my experience it is no bad thing
to have professionally trained musicians in a band, and the
biogs reveal that two of this Swedish five piece band have
studied music at the right places.
This influence may well have led to the instrumental
introduction track, Agony, which has unquestionable classical
overtones, and in no way prepares you for the start of Facing
My Destiny, a stonker of a track in which each of the band are
allowed to display their talents, I compare it to early
Rainbow without the ego. [I purchased Rising the day it came
out and still play it to this day]
Tomas Stolt plays the bass in a way that had me checking it
was there on certain tracks, it |
always is, but never in an overpowering way, which suits this
band. Mikko Korsbäck plays
the skins with control, bringing power as an occasional
highlight, often to change the tempo of the tracks. Peter Östros riffs with the best and is given ample opportunities to
display his talents. Ola Halén has a considerable vocal range
and precise diction, from the slower ballads to the screaming
metal on Valley Of Sunlight, a pleasure to listen to. Dimitri
Keiski provides the backing vocals and the keyboards. I like
well played keyboards, and he plays superbly, both his own
style and as per Jon Lord on Valley Of Sunlight and Times Of
Glory. The production values displayed on this album are very
high indeed, the credits listing only mixed in Finnvox
Studios, excellent job guys/gals.
In my opinion the weakest track is One Day, didn’t connect
with it at any level. My preference brings us to Times Of
Glory with the intro of a scratchy record, snips of previous
tracks, clear piano played as a contrast, scratchy disappears,
instruments arrive, electric guitars & drums to further
contrast with the piano, ah ah vocals, it is a slower track
with a really driving bass line, some Deep Purple keyboards
and an exit back to piano, more snippets, instruments arrive,
fade out. All of this opus takes over eight minutes, and I
still wanted more.
The tracks are of a high standard throughout, not all of them
float my boat, but on a day when I want melodious metal this
album will be a strong contender.
www.insania.se
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www.myspace.com/insaniametal
| www.blacklodge.se |
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Kamelot - Ghost Opera (SPV)
By: Joe Florez |
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Ever since “Siege Perilous”, when Khan joined the band, they
have pretty much delivered home runs from that point on.
However, after watching the DVD and listening to their last
effort “The Black Halo”, one must wonder what is left for them
to accomplish. I truly believe that a lot is riding on this
album and determining if they still have a future in the
business or is it time to pack it in because they have done
all that they could. There’s only one way to find out.
“Rule The World” is the album’s first song after the intro and
it’s a mid paced tune packed with Egyptian/middle eastern
flair, a more than infectious guitar riff and a killer tribal
and |
rhythmic drum beating courtesy of Casey Grillo. Khan’s voice
remains intact as he is able to sing his lows and highs when
needed without ever cracking. While the song may not truly
rock out with vicious intent in a power metal way, it’s still
cool enough to soak in. It’s hypnotizing and exciting to hear
nonetheless. The title track offers an epic and bombastic feel
with it’s orchestrated string arrangements and power metal
force that is injected in here. Some horns make their way in
as well as haunting chants during the chorus. You can tell
that some time and effort was put into this because it’s not
just another paint by numbers composition that utilizes the
two elements and fuses them together without any thought. This
is vibrant and dynamic which is just screaming to be heard
live. Once again, Epica’s Simone Simmons joins the crew
and puts her stamp on “Blücher” which remains subtly
sophisticated. Another female singer, Amanda Sommerville, offers
her services on “Love You To Death” and two others. This is a
gentle song, or ballad if you will, but still manages to pack a
wallop.
Kamelot has crafted another mature release that
includes ingredients from their last album and much older
works which will make all the fans happy. The only downfall is
that they use the female vocals a bit too much which makes it
not as memorable as previous releases because they are now inserted
here and there in more than one song. Other than that, this is
worthy of your ears and money. Start to shell out now for the
limited edition with the bonus DVD and extra track.
www.spv.de |
www.kamelot.com |
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Månegarm - Vargstenen (Black Lodge)
Review by Sam Thomas |
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Månegarm describe themselves as one of the leading Swedish
Viking metal acts. That’s a big claim, and yet at the same
time one that sells them far short. Maybe it’s just me, but
the Viking metal tag immediately makes me think of the casual
brutality of Amon Amarth. These guys are completely different
to that, having a much more distinct folk influence and even
female vocals at points. But then again, would this be the
kind of metal that Vikings would play? I definitely wouldn’t
rule it out. And one thing about the album that certainly gels
with my idea of Vikings is the way that the catchy melodies
work their way insidiously into my brain, echoing through the
(empty) space in my head. |
Vargstenen or Wolf Stone is the sixth album from Månegarm.
It’s written in Swedish (there was supposed to be an English
translation of the lyrics on the CD, but unfortunately it
didn’t materialise, so I’m a bit in the dark as to the lyrics)
and is an “in-depth concept album thought the ancient Norse
conception of the world”. Heritage is obviously very important
to this band, as a quick foray through their website shows
(favourite book: Njal’s saga, the necessity of singing in
Swedish). I have to say that the words “concept album”
generally fill me with dread, but I have recently been
overwhelmed with Dimmu Borgir’s “In Sorte Diaboli” concept
album, so I was keeping an open mind on this one. I needn’t
have worried though, the quality of this was just superb.
Although it’s a reasonable length album (52 minutes), every
time I play it, it seems to be over before I want it to be.
And really it has everything that you could want: brutality,
anarchy, frantic passages, drifting slow melodies, metal
influences of every type and folk influences. Plus, of course,
a standard of musicianship that most bands can only dream of.
Having recently seen Amon Amarth supported by Finntroll, I
think that Månegarm would be the ideal third band for the
bill, combining as they do the heavy brutality of the former
with the anarchic folkiness of the latter. And yes, on balance
I guess I would describe them as Viking metal, although I
would add the rider that they are not jumping on any
bandwagon, they are creating something which is obviously
entirely natural to them. And a beautiful creation it is!
www.manegarm.com |
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Samael - Solar Soul (Nuclear Blast)
By: Joe Florez |
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While I have never been the biggest of a fan of the band, I
have always found them intriguing, well at least with their
Reign Of Light disc back from '04. I have never had the
privilege of visiting their back catalogue when it mattered
most. Since the newie is on Nuclear Blast, I am going to give it a
whirl and see if anything sticks with me.
“Solar Soul” is the
title track (cool name, no?) that gets things going and I
immediately found myself bobbing my head up and down and
playing air guitar. This shit is cool as fuck! Some may
disregard this as chicken fodder, but I like this combination
of industrial and metal. Vorph’s vocals are growly, but
audible. It is the beat of the song that’s catchy as sin. |
There are these wickedly haunting keyboard vibes that have
become the new trademark sound for the band. The guitars have
this ebb and flow that’s flawless and even the programmed
drums work here along with the organic stuff from Xy. Quite
frankly, if Rammstein went this route with their newer
material, then they would still be cool, but whatever. This
song is so damn infectious that when it ended in just
under three minutes I was begging for more, but there are more
songs on here. “Promised Land” has Vorph singing in this
mechanical manor that sounds sort of futuristic. The guitars
rage on with aggressive yet hypnotizing notes and it’s the
overall feel of the song that keeps you hooked from start to
finish. The first of two guests manage to make their way on
here. Former Tristania vocalist Vibeke Stene shows up on
“Suspended Time.” I was expecting something more elegant and
soft, but the music is hard and her strong voice chimes in
side by side with Vorph during the chorus and it’s so faint
that you have to listen closely to hear her. The other guest
is Kreator’s Sami Yli-Sirnio who plays the sitar on “Quasar
Waves.” This track is good because it’s so ethnic and worldly
and fuses well with what the Austrians do on here. It seems
like they are trying to go back to their roots a bit, but
keeping the futuristic feeling in tact. Unlike others who
experiment with genres like this, Samael manage to make it
work. It’s not an easy task to accomplish, but
it’s completed here and passes with flying colors. Only those
who like to experiment and live on the dangerous side should
explore this one.
www.nuclearblast.de
| www.samael.info |
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The Blackout Argument - Munich Valor (Bastardized Recordings)
Review by Marco Gaminara |
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There are many saving graces to this 6 track MCD, first one
being its length and duration. I'm not really sure that I'd be
able to handle a full hour of this, but 18 minutes is perfect.
"Cast a Cold Eye" starts out with scratched and knocked guitar
strings which become a slowly building melody with a slow but
solid riff, making it an excellent intro to "Matchless".
Everything else picks up nicely as it starts and while Philip Seidl's drums sound a little tinny, they are precise, as are
Sinan Akilli's hoarse cries backed up by Sascha Laumann's
screams. Chris Lochmann and Chris Zehetleitner's guitar work
is intricate, fast and they play off each other really well as
"Reflecting Dialogue" demonstrates. Sascha Laumann
also |
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has bass duties, but owing to a very toppy mix I can't say they
stand out very much. It's around this point where the vocals
start becoming a bit much for me, granted I really enjoy the
melodic component, but it's the screams that I could really do
without, but that's a personal preference rather than anything
else. Slightly slower, but catchier at the same time "Forever
Yours" has almost pop moments to it. The great choppy riffing
on "So Much You and Me" keeps it chugging along 'til "Desire
for Absolution" wraps everything up with plenty more over the
top screaming. So I guess that while musically this is a
really good disc, I think that were the vocals more to my
taste I'd enjoy it far more, but then there are probably those
out there that prefer these to guttural growls over long drawn
out riffs, making this perfect for them.
www.TheBlackoutArgument.com
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www.BastardizedRecordings.de |
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Vintersorg - Solens Rötter (Napalm) Review
by Steve Green |
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I've always thought of Vintersorg as a Nordic version of
Jethro Tull's Songs From The Wood and with that song in mind,
you've got the essence of Solens Rötter. Mr V has drifted back
to his roots to bring us an album that is as much folk based
as it is black. My Jethro Tull comparison is based more on the
lush vocals than anything else, but the flute on opener Döpt I
En Jökelsjö, enhances my validation just a little bit more.
The mellow vibe is continued on Perfektionisten and it's time
to sit back and enjoy this one.
Trying to think of one word to describe this album, there's
only one that springs to mind, and that's "sumptuous". And as
it's about Vintersorg, it's an organic version of sumptuous. |
Acoustic guitars, flutes, violins and harps, all sitting
comfortably with the albums electric side, which seems fit to
rear it's head on occasion. The two styles are meshed together
seamlessly and it's the actual arrangements that demand your
attention. As you'd expect, the arrangements are faultless. Be
it the swirling merry-go-round of Att Bygga En Ruin, the
stripped backed acoustics of Strålar or the off kilter
darkness of Naturens Mystär, it's all essential listening.
Just marvelling at the overall quality of Solens Rötter makes
me realise I've been a bit of a twat over this album. I've
only played it occasionally, when I should be giving it much
heavier rotation on cd player. Damn good stuff.
www.vintersorganic.com |
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