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Admonish - Insnarjd MCD (Monumentum Scandinavia)
Review by Crin |
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Swedish Black Metal is as prominent and relevant as the
Norwegians and the Finns, as these great scenes have a rock
solid past, a vast current mass of bands, and many legendary
acts. The Swedish Black Metal scene ahs always stumbled in the
shadow of its immensely popular Death scene. This however has
not stifled the musical angst of fellow Swedish, cult acts
like Dark Funeral, In Aeternum, or Svartsyn.
Admonish are one of those bands who walk a path well trodden,
having this 5 tracker split between three songs proper and two
instrumental [atmospheric interludes or filers, take your
pick] passages.
The sound here leans towards a more biting early Dark
Tranquillity/In Flames style of melodic, |
hummable music.
There is no strident minimalisms of how we perceive Black
Metal to sound in its purest form, no Darkthrone bleak icy
drone to send shivers down the spine.
There is none of the symphonic pomp of Dimmu Borgir, or any
trace of the grizzled blood letting atmospheres of the likes
of Graveland or Deathspell Omega.
As Black Metal is interpreted, this is a very watered down
version that has its niche in the Swedish/Finnish styles that
incorporate a less abrasive form of the genre.
The vocals are a throat ripping snarl, but that is the peak of
the music’s venom. The guitars are wildly melodic, with the
fretwork being picked at every opportunity. The drums are
always busy, and if this band were not Swedish, then they
would happily settle as Finnish, as the music is far more at
home in the humpa lands fiery brand of folk driven Black
Metal.
Admonish are Sweden’s first Christian Black Metal band. [make
of that what thou wilt]
www.momentumscandinavia.com |
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Aghora - Formless
(Season Of Mist) Review by Steve Green |
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If only the whole album could
have sounded like opener, Lotus and track two, Atmas Heave,
then we'd have a contender for album of the year on our hands.
A very Dead Can Dance style eastern intro snakes its way in,
before the heavy riffing of Atmas Heave takes control. New
vocalist Diana Serra introduces herself in a magnificent way,
first with a deep, rich texture that reminds me of Marcela
Bovio and then in a calmer, almost
seductive tone. This is such a great way to start the album,
unfortunately, nothing else comes close to matching the very
high standards the band have set out.
Prog is such a hard genre to define. As I've mentioned with
the opening couple of numbers,
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at times it can be totally captivating, at other times in can
become self indulgent and an extremely difficult listen. I
think Aghora fall into the
trap of the latter, and I think the songs aren't always as
accessible as they could be. Sometimes the album gets bogged
down in the technical wizardry that Prog induces and the flow
is completely lost... and so am I. If this were a simpler
album, I'm sure I'd enjoy it more. Whereas the Lacuna Coil
meets All About Eve stylings of Moksha are easy to digest,
Dual Alchemy is a much harder proposition to work through.
Listen, the playing is faultless and the band are talented
musicians, but the showcasing of their individual talents
seems to take priority over the songwriting. And that's were
my interest begins to wane, particularly where guitarist
Santiago Dobles and bassist Alan Goldstein seem to try and
out-noodle each other. That's just not my bag at all.
For all of my frustrations, there is plenty of good material
to enjoy, and I've become an instant fan of Diana Serra. I
just wish that Formless was a little more inviting to us
simple folk. www.aghora.org
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Cadaveria - In
Your Blood (Season Of Mist) Review by Steve
Green |
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Oh, this one is a hard one to
do. I've been a fan of Cadaveria, the singer, since the early
days of Opera 1X. Vocal wise, the lady still has it. Her rasp
is still as potent as ever and her clean voice, which is used
a lot more than I've heard before, is utterly captivating. I
just can't get my head around the down-tuned sound that
Cadaveria, the band, employ nowadays. Opera 1X were a dark occult band
and this just doesn't sound right to me. I think the choruses
are spot on and they fit the sound I'm used to, it's just on
some of the verses that I feel a little bemused.
To be perfectly honest, I'd take Cadaveria's vocals and melody
lines and I'd use them in a
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completely new and different band. I'm not sure what style I'd
incorporate them in, but something a bit darker, perhaps in
the vein of Bauhaus. Musically, this just doesn't match up to
the vocals and the music is devoid of texture and is way too
one dimensional for my liking. Opera 1X fitted her style a
hell of a lot better. Maybe it's the whole down-tuned thing
that mars it for me, because, apart from that element, I'm
really liking what's on offer.
Quite obviously, I've got mixed feelings about this one, but I
am willing to give it time to see if my opinion changes and in
6 months time it might be impossible to remove it from my
stereo. Time will tell as I really do want to like this album.
www.cadaveria.com
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Circus Maximus - Isolate (Sensory)
By: Joe Florez |
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Just a mere two years ago, these Norwegians stormed the prog
metal scene with an intensely technical record that shined and
amazed the masses. Now, they are back to see if they capture
the same crowd and attract some new fans as well. All I have
to say is that a lot has changed and for the better. “A
Darkened Mind” will fuse a lot of styles and work
successfully. Haunting keys are used to accent the overall
music first off. This mid-paced number has rhythm and a great
build up. It’s part prog and metal thanks to the drumming at
certain points. The guitars can get tricky and aggressively,
but it seems like everything is inserted carefully. Throughout the song, you will hear proggy
keys, double bass drumming |
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and some flashy guitar licks, but get to the solo and
breakdown and it’s filled with passion and goes for a more AOR
feel. Mike’s vocals has a slight high pitch to them, but they
never irritate the ears and damn, is he good. At five and a
half minutes, you never get bored because there is so
much to explore. A pure joy. “Abyss” takes a slightly darker
approach in terms composition, but at the same time this one
is heavier and proggier. Mike’s lung work threw me for a
loop because during the chorus work it sounds like Hubi Meisel
(not that anyone would know who he is cause he’s so
underground: ex-Dreamscape Hubi Meisel), but they are uncanny.
Hot damn! You would think that after two songs or so that the
band would begin to repeat themselves, but they just keep on
improving and taking you down different avenues and change up
the tempos. There is an instrumental on here that runs the
gamut of progressiveness. “Sane No More” just shows you how
talented and flashy they can get and it’s cool because they go
balls out and over the top and this is the place to showcase
this because once they go back to the vocals in their songs,
the intense side is a bit more reserved. You would think that
the guys couldn’t go anywhere else with their sound, but they
manage to throw in a ballad in “Zero” which happens to be a
nice one. It’s soft, but not cheesy or obnoxious. There are
two epics thrown in here as well just because every prog disc
should have them. CM’S new offering has definitely got
something for everyone. The songs for the most part are short and
to the point with the exception of a nine minute and twelve
minute cut. The genres are interwoven from prog metal to AOR
to Metal and then some. This disc is infectious as sin and
will keep you hooked for the duration and make you want to hit
the repeat button. This album has mass appeal will gather fans
from all facets of music. Simply put, they have outdone
themselves which makes them more marketable. Their debut was
stunning, but I think they figured that by being all prog and
nothing else would get them nowhere and since most true music
fans have heard enough full throttle aggressive prog metal to
last them a lifetime that a change was needed and it’s more
than welcomed beginning with me. I know I said that Poverty’s
No Crime newie was considered disc of the year, but now I must
add this one. This is a real toss up, but either way everyone
will win by picking this up. There is truly something here for
everyone. This is fresh and exciting. Need I say more?
www.circusmaximussite.com
| www.lasercd.com |
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Deadsoul Tribe - A Lullaby For The Devil
(InsideOut Music)
By: Joe Florez |
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D.T. is an interesting band because this is fronted by former
Psychotic Waltz founder and singer Devon Graves. The reason I
say that is because its music is different, the progressive
sounds are heavier, the lyrics are darker and there’s nothing
pretty or fancy about it. It’s not for everyone. While I found
the first two offerings a pure joy to consume, I wasn’t as
thrilled with The January Tree and The Dead Word. I found them
to go in another direction which is ok, but they weren’t
filled with energy or excitement. It was rather bogged down
with sluggish and boring sounds that in fact I thought I was
done listening to the band. When I received this disc, I
initially didn’t want to cover this. In fact, I tried to pawn
it off to others |
here at the site without even listening to a single second of
this. Well, I decided to give it a whirl just for kicks and
see what would happen. What I got myself into, I’m not sure,
but Devon and company has changed their sound and I like its
unpredictability.
“Psychosphere” begins with a thick bass intro that has rhythm
and groove and soon after the drums and guitars are ready to
go with a simple yet mean streak in them. Devon’s voice sounds
purely evil here. There are some voice effects utilized on
here that gives it a haunting and sinister vibe. The end
result is something that would almost resemble a demo more
than a polished tune because it has more of a raw feel. There
is nothing progressive on here to make fans from the Dream Theater camp to swarm over to
this. I like the change.
“Goodbye City Life” sounds more
orchestrated with horns, tympani’s and acoustic guitars along
with sensitive and sincere singing. As we move along a third
of the way, the orchestration picks up along with aggravated
screams and thunderous drum bashings. This moody song sways
back and forth like a pendulum and I had no idea what was in
store. If you want to be shocked, check out Mr. Graves flute
performance that makes it’s way on here. It sounds pretty damn
good. This whole compositions comes off as classy. “The
Gossamer Strand” is one of the more unique instrumentals that
I have heard in a long time because the flute is the main star
here as Devon just absolutely goes off on it. Believe it or
not though, this is a progressive tune with drums, bass and
guitar all pitching in. This is something that needs to be
heard. I think that the most metal song on here that resembles
anything of the previous catalogue would be the extremely
short song “Further Down.” Aggro riffing that is both catchy
and mean are captured clearly on here along with some ambient
keyboard work. Basically, this album is progressive in the
sense that it has moved forward and taken great steps to sound
fresh and different at the same time. Some will gawk at it
while others may cherish its breath of fresh air that this
release gives like myself. It would be a travesty for someone
who has a brain like Dev to create another carbon copy of his
previous work. The mood of the songs are one extreme or
another either being calm or angry. Those are the only two
emotions exposed on here. Many listens will have to be
exercised on here in order to understand what’s going on here.
I think some will be rewarded with an interesting experience
if given the chance to hear what can be done with music. There
is no copying of influences on here whatsoever. So, dive in if
you think you are ready for the next phase of music.
www.insideoutmusic.com
| www.deadsoultribe.com
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Divine Heresy - Bleed The Fifth
(Century Media) By: Dave Schalek |
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Dino Cazares certainly needs no introduction to our
readership, being partly responsible for keeping metal alive
in the domestic American scene in the mid 90s, a low point, to
say the least, for American metal. After his well-publicized
break-up with the band he started with Raymond Herrera,
Cazares moved on to explore other metal genre venues with
Brujeria and Asesino, whose latest full-length is monstrous,
by the way. But, I suspect, Cazares always had Fear Factory’s
sound at the back of his mind as his latest project, Divine
Heresy, harkens back to those days when Fear Factory was
groundbreaking.
To further this venture, Cazares enlists an all-star line-up
with the incredibly fast and precise |
Tim Yeung behind the kit, as well as current Nile bassist Joe
Payne (Cazares handles the bass on the album, though).
Rounding out the line-up is newcomer Tommy Vext on vocals.
Immediately, the band’s debut full-length, “Bleed The Fifth”,
begins with the precise riffing and drumming that
characterizes the “Demanufacture”- era Fear Factory sound.
Further comparisons could be made with Vext’s vocals which are
quite similar to Burton Bell’s vocals of that era, albeit
generally more of a shout than a growl, right down to the
melodic singing that made numerous appearances on said album.
This is not to say that Divine Heresy’s debut is merely a
carbon copy of past masterpieces; instead, the sound is given
an upgrade with greater speed in the drumming with plenty of
blasts, albeit of a distinct mechanical quality, and
thoroughly modern production values with all instruments being
crystal clear. In addition, the cold focus of Divine Heresy’s
mechanical direction is offset rather well with the inclusion
of Vext’s clean vocal harmonies backed up with guitar melodies
from Cazares. Without these moments of melody, “Bleed The
Fifth” would run the risk of removing all emotion from the
music and letting it stand as an exercise in technical
precision. Rather than being a distraction, the melodic
moments instead enhance “Bleed The Fifth”.
Ultimately, “Bleed The Fifth” will appeal to anyone who looks
back upon early to mid-period Fear Factory with fondness.
Recommended.
www.centurymedia.com |
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Frosthardr - Varg MCD (Monumentum Scandinavia)
Review by Crin |
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My first thoughts were to behold an album named after the
infamous Count Grishnackh, himself, on closer inspection he
would probably be the last person this band would name a mcd
after.
This three tracker, is a pretty standard Black Metal workout,
having most of the fast/slow/snarling vocals/melody and
clarity of bands like, ‘Malice’ era Gehenna. On occasions the
music retreats into a more minimalist level where the residue
of Darkthrone can be felt oozing an icy hollowness from the
bone cracking guitar chords.
The second track, Tortured, is an eleven minute epic built
around atmospheric slower moments, and brooding rhythmic
sections, set to a full bodied Black Metal back bone. The |
track is both memorable and very well crafted.
The final track, Thrash against Sin, reveals much of the songs
content. Orthodox, thrashing rage harking back to the demonic
era of classic Celtic Frost and Destruction
With a solid production, and a sound that punches its weight,
I can recommended this to most, albeit only a three tracker.
Oh, Frosthardr, are a Christian Black Metal band by the way,
not a genre of extreme metal I believe can co-exist, unless it
is called White Metal, but in a world of free speech, one has
to abide by ones choice, however absurd it may sometimes
appear.
Musically this is wonderfully rich with atmosphere and dark
menace.
Norwegian Black Metal with a twist this certainly is.
www.momentumscandinavia.com |
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Inimical – Lambs to the Slaughter (Self Released)
Review by Chris Davison |
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If ever there was a country that has had its metal bands
criminally overlooked, it's Denmark. I don't quite know why
that is, but all I can say is that three of my favourite metal
albums of all time came from bands based in that country –
Konkhra and Spit or Swallow, Dominus and The First 9, and
Daemon with Seven Deadly Sins. It is therefore with more than
a little trepidation that I listened to Inimical, wondering if
this would be the band that could finally burst out of the
Danish scene onto the world stage.
...In a one word answer, “no”. That isn't to say that this is
a bad album, far from it. I have to say that I really enjoyed
both the songs here and the amount of effort that the band has |
clearly put into the promotion and presentation of their
songs. I say “no” simply because this is way too hard and
heavy for any kind of widespread appeal, and all the better
for that. This is hardcore inflected death metal, but
thankfully with the emphasis on the metal and little other
than a smattering of shouty shouty stoppy starty hardcore
influences. It's fairly brutal stuff too, with second track
“Knife” having a palpable aggressive edge, with the guitars
being wielded like the actual weapons in a bar brawl, and the
drums and bass swinging with as much power and venom as a
stool smashed over your head. When the brutal rhythm section
locks onto a groove, they milk it for all it is worth, while
sacrificing none of the power. The vocals are hoarse, harsh
and gratuitously nasty, at the lower end of the bellowing
scale, not unlike the aural equivalent of that bloke who does
the gravel voiced commentary on film trailers with his
knackers stuck in the doors.
The music is well composed, and the arrangements fairly deft.
However, the production is a trifle strange – I found it quite
sterile and the effect laid over the vocals added an
otherworldy feel that I 'm not sure is over intentional. Of
course, a less expensive production does often add a nice edge
of rawness, and that's certainly the case here, in particular
with the filthy lead guitar tone that sounds like it crawled
from the gutter. This is a band that have the songs, they have
the musical ability, and now all they need is the break. Don't
take my word for it though – they have the whole demo to
stream on their website. Why not make up your own mind ? I've
made up mine. Nice work, you Danes!
www.inimical.dk |
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Nuclear Blast All Stars - Out Of The Dark
(Nuclear Blast)
By: Joe Florez |
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It’s hard to believe, but Nuclear Blast has hit the 20 year
mark. And when you hit this momentous occasion just like Metal
Blade and RoadRunner, you have to put out a comp disc. RR’S
United was very unique in terms of concept last year and while
NB’s doesn’t quite reach that plateau, it’s not all that
shabby. There is another part of this disc out called Into The
Light, but haven’t had the privilege to review it. Anyhow, the
ten songs on here are comprised by ex-Soilwork guitarist Peter
Wichers. According to the press sheet, this is a much heavier
disc as opposed to Into The Light. Ten songs are composed here
each with a different vocalist. As much as I would love to
break it down and be short and sweet about |
it, I can’t. There’s a lot going on here that can’t be
ignored. Lead track “Dysfunctional Hours” has Anders Friden on here belting it
out. This is a modern heavy track that doesn’t quite have the
bite of old In Flames material. The composition is more along
the lines of Soundscape To Your Escape or Reroute To Remain.
The guitars may be heavy, but not enough to cut it. This is a
poor choice for an opener. Yawn! “Schizo” features the one and
only Peter Tagtgren and the minute the floodgates open up you
will hear that trademark scream. When he gets to his singing…er
screaming, it’s more audible and unlike any Hypocrisy tune.
The guitars have a more groove feel and in the breakdown it’s
pretty wild cause it sounds like the chorus to Killswitch
Engage’s “End Of Heartache” and Pete’s voice sounds like
Chester Pennington of Linkin Park when he does those emo
screams that just beg for “listen to me mommy!” What a
departure for the legend. This isn’t Hypocrisy nor Pain. Fan
of the man’s work should approach with caution. Finally, we
get to a real gut wrencher. “Devotion” featuring Jari from
Wintersun is a caustic black metal track that rips and burns.
Sure it has melodies, choirs and chants, but don’t that deter
you from enjoying an absolute evil moment. The blast beats are
here as well as the scathing riffs and sinful screams. BM fans
and Wintersun fans alike have something to hang on to here.
“The Overshadowing” has Christian from Scar Symmetry at the
helm. This heavy duty melodic death metal cut is pretty much
true to the man’s day job. His signature over the top death
metal screams turn ultra clean AOR vocals are heard with
ultimate clarity. Not my favorite band in the world, but it
works on this comp and it’s more than enjoyable. John Bush
formally of Anthrax is gracing us with his presence. Glad to
know that he hasn’t lost his voice. “Paper Trail” is a hard
rockin’ number that has elements of sludge and simplicity with
a mid pace riff in there as well. Glad to know that the man
still exists in the metal community. “Speed” Strid the man
behind Soilwork tackles “The Dawn Of All.” This is a slower
song that almost hits ballad more. Further more, while the
lung work has improved ten fold with each release, this sounds
like something more from the guys last release “Stabbing The
Drama.” Most fans would agree that that wasn’t exactly all
that. Even more perplexing is why is a cut like this on here
when everything is supposed to be heavy? Maurizio from
Kataklysm grinds his way through “Cold Is My Vengeance” with
great proficiency. This one will definitely crumble the roof
on your house and wither the flowers into nothingness. Another
shocker, but in a good way is Death Angel’s main man Mark
doing a true metal tune without all the funk meshed in with
the thrash in his day job. “My Name Is Fate.” Mark’s voice has
changed just a bit as well. He sings clearly, but utilizes
some good screams that are still audible. The riffs are catchy
as hell, yet they don’t compromise with anyone or anything as
they still deliver an awesome 1-2 punch. I like this one a lot
as I wasn’t expecting anything unique here. Probably the
highlight of the disc as far as I’m concerned. The crew from
Sonic Syndicate deliver “The Gilded Dagger” and it sounds
exactly like their day job. It’s melodic screamo metal done
well with killer production, but offer nothing new to the
table. Mnemic’s new French frontman rounds out the disc with
“Closer To The Edge.” This is a much slower tune than on their
latest release. It sort of has a nu-metal vibe. Some of the
beats and riffing come off as Korn-ish complete with agony
screams. Not my thing exactly, but glad to hear that Guillaume
can do more than scream at the top of his lungs from top to
bottom.
This disc is just pretty much that is something fun. A
lot of folks on here are playing around with different ways of
composing songs. I don’t think that it will represent what is
to come on each person’s new work or will it? Only time will
tell. If you are looking for something fun and nothing else,
then this is for you. But, if you want traditional music from
each of the respective artists, then forget it. Just approach
with caution here.
www.nuclearblast.de |
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