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Crionics - Neuthrone (Candlelight Records)
By: Dave Schalek |
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Slick. Really slick. That’s probably the best way to describe
Crionics’ third full-length entitled “Neuthrone” on, you
guessed it, Candlelight Records. Poland’s Crionics, for those
of you not familiar, comes across as a seamless blend of Dimmu
Borgir and older Fear Factory with, perhaps, a hint of Vader
(mostly in terms of the vocals) resulting in a blackened death
metal assault that, while not terribly original, is certainly
well done and will please anybody already into the genre.
I’m familiar with Crionics’ prior output and I really liked
their heavily Dimmu Borgir- influenced debut, “Human Error…”,
but I just couldn’t really get into their second effort, |
“Armageddon’s Evolution”. On “Neuthrone”, a slightly different
approach is used in that, although keyboards are present, a
more industrial presentation is used rather than the focus
upon a symphonic black metal influence. Combine this type of
sound with crystal clear production, incredibly precise, fast
riffing and you end up with, well, a really slick album. I
wouldn’t go as far as to make comparisons to a band such as
Tristwood, but Crionics’ slightly industrial approach does pay
dividends and is more along the lines of a beefed up version
of “Demanufacture”- era Fear Factory. Technical, staccato
riffing, blistering speed combined with some tempo changes,
and a keyboard enhancement propel “Neuthrone” to the
forefront, more so than “Armageddon’s Evolution”, and
definitely represents a step forward for the band.
Once again, Candlelight Records recognizes talent when they
see it and has added another quality act to their roster.
“Neuthrone” will definitely gain the band some notice and is
enthusiastically recommended.
www.candlelightrecords.co.uk
| www.crionics.pl/
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(hed)p.e. - Insomnia (Suburban Noize)
Review by Steve Green |
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Is Nu-Metal officially dead yet? I hope so, as I can
then describe (hed)p.e. without mentioning a couple of (completely
shite) bands. To me, the uninitiated, this is Rap Metal in the
vein of the Infectious Grooves, albeit without the humour and
the "groove" is lot more toned down and the rap reminds me of
Public Enemy's heavier moments. In fact I had to double check
the credits to make sure Chuck D wasn't on Game Over as the
vocals sounded so similar. Elsewhere, I'm sure fans of System
Of A Down will like this, especially with the quirky, punk
infused Habeus. SOAD are a band I hated when I saw them live
years ago supporting Slayer, but having the kids play Scuzz at
every opportunity, I'm
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growing to like them at present. The same deal goes down with
(hed)p.e. It just grows on you.
There's so much going on from chanting, to rapping, a million
sound effects, intros and George fucking W, it does take a
while to absorb everything. But that's where they get you, the
more you listen to try and take everything in, the more you
get into it.
The downside to an album like this is the liberal use of the
"N" word. I absolutely hate the reversed racial society we
live in. We can't use certain words as they are racist, yet
there can be black music, black beauty pageants, black
newspapers etc... Yet if we have anything with a white prefix,
we are racist. So with that in mind, that is a big downside to
this album. While I can dig the heavier, more punky sides to (hed)p.e.
the Dr Dre rap side ain't really this white boys cup of tea.
www.suburbannoizerecords.com/hedpe.php |
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Iced Earth - Framing Armageddon: Something Wicked Part I
(SPV)
By: Joe Florez |
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Well, it’s only been three years since The Glorious Burden,
fans and myself included have been chomping at the bit waiting
for the next saga to be heard. We did get a small taste of
what was to come with Overture Of The Wicked. I was stoked
when I heard that, but the most important question would be
“could Jon top himself and create the ultimate Iced Earth
album?” For those of you still in the dark, Jon has been
working harder than hell on this two part epic of gigantic
proportions. He took the title track to Something Wicked This
Way Comes from nine years ago and decided to expand on it by
leaps and bounds and create the ultimate story. Now, the first
part is here for us to all consume. |
The opening “Overture” is a rhythmic instrumental with a
violin and what sounds like an Egyptian beat. It’s calm and somber. Jon utilizes his guitar
here as well, but it’s kept to a minimum. It’s “Something
Wicked Part I” where things begin to take shape. Those classic
yet simple and aggressive riffs are heard loud and clear.
There’s a choir also chiming in here and Tim “Ripper” Owens
let’s loose. He has such a distinct voice now that can be
recognized from here to Russia. At first, he just sings away,
but soon those siren screams just burst through the speakers.
Sure he was inspired by The Metal God, but he has since then
come into his own and that’s a good thing. Those double bass
drums are also heard here and they are tight and tricky due to
the timing. That’s another staple in the band’s sound. This
track just keeps on building as we progress and it’s only
three minutes in out of five minutes. Everything you have come
to love about the guys is here and sounds better than ever.
Skin basher Brent Smedley is back in the fold and he
hasn’t lost a step. During one of the many interludes,
“Invasion” has this exotic chant from Egypt and then you can
hear all these sci-fi effects being used such as airplanes
flying over and gunfire all over the place. Pretty cool. “A
Charge To Keep” is pretty bad ass not because it’s a rip roaring charge at full
force, but it’s melodic with a groovy riff with a rhythmic
beat and Ripper takes full control of his voice by not going
balls out at every second. He hits his highs only when
required. There is also an awesome chanting section that just
gives you goosebumps in the chorus section. I was expecting
this disc to be like Night Of The Storm Rider in the sense
that everything was faster than a freight train, but Jon shows
how he has progressed by maturing and taking things and going
in a slightly different direction. Some fans can balk all they
want, but you have to grow up at some point in your career if
you want to continue to have one. It’s on track eight, “Ten
Thousand Strong” where all the classic attributes come
together from the full on screams to the fast riffs and even
quicker drumming. It may be at the halfway mark where you get
this, but it’s good 'cause it will definitely give you a shot
in the arm.
Overall, Jon has put his blood, sweat and tears
into this first half of the disc and the results are stunning.
I love the fact that he has done a few things to tweak the
sound, but still keeping his trademarks intact and this is a
great disc. Can’t wait for part two and when the disc comes
out, I will read the lyrics. Fans shouldn’t be disappointed.
www.spv.de |
www.icedearth.com |
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Infernal Revulsion - Devastate Under Hallucination
(Goregiastic
Records) Review by James Young |
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Described as the ‘most promising new breed of Kansai
brutality’, the Japanese brutal death merchants Infernal
Revulsion had a lot to live up to, and ‘Devastate Under
Hallucination’ is disappointing for the most part, but still
manages to be an enjoyable experience. The main issue at hand
is the sheer unoriginality of the style - this perfectly fits
the ‘brutal death metal’ tag, but many of the songs contain
the same chugging riffs from Naga and Mass T., and get
tiresome after a while. You could pretty much compare the
central riffs of ‘Deep Down Human Being’ and ‘Killing Cycle’
and find only minor differences. That said, there are some
nice moments when the guitars shine on their own and introduce
a slamming |
breakdown, and sometimes the riffs progress and morph in a
song, which makes for an interesting listen. There is the
occasional solo thrown in, such as the intricate winding bliss
of ‘Killing Cycle’, so although there are some samey moments,
it’s certainly not the same riff regurgitated for half an
hour. It could be said that the vocals lack variation, which
is by no means unusual for this genre, so I won’t make too
much of it - just don’t go expecting any surprises.
Another unfortunate element is the production, which makes the
drumming sometimes inaudible, which is a shame because on
‘Chain Of Blunder’ for example, you can’t tell whether the
incredibly fast work of Masa is a blast or a double bass
attack. This guy’s skills cannot be questioned, as there are
some moments of pure genius on the album, such as the drum
rolls which kick off ‘Seventh Curse’ or the madcap drum part
in ’Lock To Rot’. After many listens, I still can’t decide
whether I like the guitar sound, which is heavily distorted,
and it’s sometimes difficult to tell that there are two
guitarists in the band. On the positive side, the overall
sound resembles that of a rusty chainsaw, which in my book is
a success when it comes to brutal death metal. The opener puts
the ‘mental’ in instrumental, and is possibly the best song on
the album, living up to its name of ‘Leviathan’. This monster
has some wonderfully dynamic guitars and varied drumming,
building up and calming down for an excellent start to the
album.
There is nothing original about Devastate Under Hallucination,
but there’s a lot worse out there. Nothing earth-shattering,
but listenable nonetheless, I still find it hard to question
the claim that they are one of Japan’s most brutal acts.
www.myspace.com/infernalrevulsion |
www.goreiasticrecords.com |
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Marduk - Warschau Re-issue (Regain Records)
By: Dave Schalek |
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Sweden’s Regain Records has been busily re-issuing past Marduk
opuses, starting with their first four full-lengths. Now, for
some reason, Regain re-issues Marduk’s last live album, from
2005, entitled “Warschau”. Recorded in Poland just after the
release of “Plague Angel”, Marduk rip through a 17 song set
covering the band’s entire discography.
Regardless of your feelings towards live albums (I’m somewhat
ambivalent), what is most notable about “Warschau” is the
chance to hear the mighty Mortuus give us his spin on past
Marduk classics going all the way back to “Dark Endless…”.
Mortuus’ brand of powerful vocal delivery works very well with
all of the tracks, not just the “Plague Angel” material. |
Typical of black metal, there’s no banter at all with the
crowd in between songs, just a few introductions to the
upcoming song. That’s just fine.
Not having heard the original issue of “Warschau” so I cannot
make comparisons, I can only say that the live sound on the
album is clear with all of the instruments prominent,
including the bass, which is particularly audible during the
slower moments, such as they are. In addition, the album cover
is different from the eagle design that I’ve seen for this
album, and a number of WW II photos of a, presumably, bombed
out Warsaw, Poland are included in the album’s layout.
Beyond that, what else can you say about a live album? Marduk
fans, go get it. If you’re looking to get into this band,
start with any of their studio albums since “Opus Nocturne”
and go from there.
www.regainrecords.com
| www.marduk.nu |
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Motorhead - Better Motorhead Than Dead - Live
At Hammersmith (SPV) Review by Steve Green |
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"Motorhead, remember me now, Motorhead alright". I think to
forget about Motorhead is nigh on impossible. But it is
possible to lose track of one of the UK's greatest ever
bands... and I am one of the guilty ones.
I was mad about Motorhead in the 80s and I'm not really sure
how I lost interest in them, especially as the last studio
album of theirs I bought, Orgasmatron, was an absolute
corker. So of the 30 odd years of Motorhead's existence, I've
missed out on about 20 years of it. What a fool I am.
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Better Motorhead Than Dead is actually a recording of their
30th Anniversary show at London's Hammersmith Odeon from June
2005 and it's reawakened my love for the brutal rocking
machine created by one Ian Fraiser Kilmister. And it is an
affair that I'm sure that will never end again.
Opener Dr Rock, my favourite song from Orgasmatron immediately
hits you straight between the balls. In particular, Mikkey
Dee's performance is right on the money and I'm now ready for
a fistful of 'Head classics. Disc 1 of this two disc set is
FULL of classic Metal. Taking me back to my teenage years,
Love Me Like A Reptile, Metropolis, No Class, I Got Mine and
Dancing On Your Grave, amongst a plethora of others, have me
bouncing around on my computer chair like an lovestruck loon.
At least it gives the kids a good laugh. But what it does to
me, is, it makes me realise what I've been missing out on for
a number of years. This is timeless material that I should be
blasting out on a regular basis. Mixed in with the classics of
old are a few numbers from more recent albums, including
Inferno (which I've now been been discovering for the first
time) and you know what? It's all fucking good.
If I had to choose my favourite Motorhead song ever, then I
don't think I could do it. Choosing just one is just
impossible, but battling for my affections would be: Killed By
Death, Iron Fist, Bomber and Overkill. And each track features
on disc 2. The only omission from my list is the song
Motorhead (admittedly it was originally a Hawkwind number, but
I think Lemmy is entitled to claim it as a Motorhead song and
I would think it would be wholly appropriate for it to be
played at this anniversary gig)
Essentially, Disc 2 follows on from Disc 1. Jammed packed full
of classics, including a double quick time (We Are) The Road
Crew and a few newbies to round things off. My only complaint
is the pretty damn awful Whorehouse Blues which breaks up the
flow of the storming Killed By Death, Iron Fist, Bomber, Ace
Of Spades, Overkill finale. Not just because of the strong
finish, I'd still say this is one of the greatest live albums
of all time and it even surpasses the legendary No Sleep Til
Hammersmith opus.
So to Lemmy, Phil Campbell and Mikkey Dee, and past members
including Fast Eddie Clarke and Philthy Animal Phil Taylor, I
raise a glass to you all. Cheers. By the way, buy this album,
it's fucking amazing!
www.imotorhead.com |
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Mytile Vey Lorth – Disillusion (Prime Cuts Music) review by
Sam Thomas |
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Bloody Aussies! Just when you’ve got round to the idea that
they’re winning every sporting trophy and tournament in sight,
they start muscling in on the music world as well! Recently,
I’ve reviewed the brilliant Virgin Black, so I was quite
looking forward to making the acquaintance of Mytile Vey Lorth.
They’ve been around since 1999, apparently, starting out in
the doom/black end of things, playing the east coast of
Australia and releasing an EP. Their latest release,
Disillusion, has elements of both black and death metal.
This isn’t the longest album in the world, but that’s probably
a good thing, as too much of an aural battering into
submission is not good for the soul. The style of this is just
complete, |
relentless slabs of sound, assaulting the listener and just
pounding, pounding away… The song structures are very
reminiscent of Amon Amarth (With Oden on our Side era) in
their very deliberate style, but there are also elements of
Norwegian black metal (early days) in the drum style.
I still haven’t been able to establish the origin of the band
name (still sounds like something vaguely Scandinavian) which
is bugging me slightly, but that’s honestly the only complaint
I can come up with on this album. Basically, it is just
superb, right from the opening crashes of “Intro” (confusingly
not a wishy-washy instrumental affair lasting a pathetic
thirty seconds, but a full-blown, full-on grown up metal
masterpiece of impeccable pedigree) through to the final notes
of track seven, “She who destroys the light”. This is one of
those CDs that you cannot possibly listen to without some
fairly vigorous headbanging activity, it has everything going
for it in an extreme metal kind of way. You’ve got the frantic
drumming, the vocals ranging from simply tortured rawness
through to the just slightly sub-pig squealing shrillness. And
of course the sheer impact of an out of control juggernaut
being driven by an Eastern European with no brakes and a drink
problem.
Altogether this is an extremely high-quality release which I’m
still struggling to believe comes from anywhere other than
Sweden. This isn’t a cheap rip-off of blackened Swedish death:
this is a serious piece of metal produced by some very
talented guys, which has just blown me away.
www.mytileveylorth.com
| www.primecuts.com.au |
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