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Clawfinger - Life
Will Kill You (Nuclear Blast) Review by Steve
Green |
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I've always considered
Clawfinger to be an extreme band. They're never afraid to
tackle a taboo subject, with both Nigger and Do What I Say as
prime examples. With that in mind, why do I think this album
is softer than shit?
Don't get me wrong, the album is, for the most part, good, but
opener, The Price We Pay is very commercial and is about as
vitriolic as your granny having her afternoon snooze after
having a couple of sherry's at lunchtime. The title track is
weak as hell and the rapping absolutely dire. This is not what
I was expecting at all. I really like the third track,
Prisoners, but it's still free of any passion and the chorus
is absolutely lush... yep, you read that
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correctly.
While the band may have mellowed musically, Zak Tell hasn't
cut back on tackling risqué subjects, even if his delivery has
quietened somewhat. Little Baby, as you'd expect by the title,
is about a father sexually abusing his own daughter and the
lyrics are as explicit as it gets. You have to applaud the
band for broaching subjects that need to be spoken about
publicly, unfortunately the delivery of the message isn't as
hard hitting as the lyrics.
I think, approach with caution, is my overall thought on this
one. www.nuclearblast.de
| http://clawfinger.net/ |
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Dogpound - III (Lion Music)
By: Joe Florez |
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The one thing that I notice about the Swedes new album right
off the bat, is that the sound is heavier than their previous
efforts. There is more bite in the guitars and the music is
more straightforward pop metal as opposed to a more groove
oriented piece of work with a hint of prog. “My Own Sin” grabs
your ears immediately with the catchy six string work and the
drums are just being slammed hard in a simple 4/4 way. The
hooks are simply unavoidable as they will have you singing
along almost instantaneously. The only issue I have to a
degree is Henrik’s vocals which are a little on the nasally
side, but that’s how a lot of the 80’s style pomp bands
sounded, but all is forgiven rather quickly as you just can’t
help but enjoy this. |
“Glass Jar” has a lot of things going for it as there is a
groove, a nice rhythm, melody and even some heavier moments
when the guitar is downtuned just a tad to give it that extra
oomph. It seems like after the first two songs that things get
slightly sluggish. The guys add plenty of dragging moments
that have an alternative edge and mixed with pop metal it just
doesn’t go well. “One”, which is on the second half of the
disc, mixes some slower moments ala balladesque but it doesn't quite work. I like the
song to a point, but when it just drags on with melodious
sections I begin to change my mind. I am on the fence with
that one. Finally, “In A Life” which is already towards the
end of the disc picks up a little steam. The intro which has
some hard driving guitars comes off like Deep Purple's “Perfect Strangers”, but quickly goes into their own direction.
Even though this one has some slower sections integrated into
the mix, it’s much better than the material that I heard after
song number two. When I first popped this CD on and was going
through it, it sounded promising, but then things took a turn
for the not so good. It took too long for the fire to kick
back in and in the end out of fourteen tracks, seven of them I
like very much and the rest of them can go on the back burner.
I like the fact that the boys kicked it up a notch, but it’s
not enough to get me off of my arse and crack open my wallet
for this. They named their band properly because they are in
the dog pound for this mess.
www.lionmusic.com
| www.dogpound.da.ru |
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Element - Bleed On
My Own (Self Release) Review by Steve Green |
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Element are from Wigan. I won't
hold that against them as I once had a very enjoyable weekend
on the piss there with the good folk of Narcosis, shit, it
must have been about 10 years ago. I've a sneaking feeling
that Element like Metallica. And to be honest, if you are a
fan of early Metallica, then you are going to love this. If
you aren't into the 80s Thrashing of Hetfield and Co, then you
best go make a cup of tea, cos you ain't going to like this at
all.
This 7 tracker consists of 2 new tracks and 5 older tunes.
Concentrating more on the newer material as we reviewed the
old demo before, I have to say Element have all the energy and
passion of say, Burn My Eyes era Machine Head and Ride The
Lightning and
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Master of Puppets eras of
Metallica. Opening track Downfall, at times, is note for note, Metallica's
Battery, which admittedly sounds awesome, but the lack of
originality is something I think that will bite the band in
their (collective) asses somewhere down the line. The song,
Bleed On My Own is a much better indicator of what the band
are capable of. If you've not heard the older material on this
demo, then it's still Metallica influenced, but more in the
vein of And Justice For All.
Element have what it takes to write, perform, and to record,
exhilarating music. This demo is pretty raw, but it still
sounds as exciting as hell. Mainly because it takes me back to
a wonderful time of musical discovery. Now, if they can harness
that sound and add an original twist to it, then, particularly
at a time when Thrash is big business again, they'll land
themselves a deal. Most definitely ones to watch, as the old
cliché goes.
www.myspace.com/elementsound |
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Emigrate – Emigrate (Motor Music) review by Neil Mackenbach |
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If someone had sat me down and said: “Right. Listen to this,
and guess who it is”, my answer would have been, in common
with many, “Rammstein?” “Wro-ong!” Would have come the
triumphant, singing retort. But still not a difficult mistake
to make, methinks.
There is on the face of it nothing, absolutely nothing, which
would set this loose collection apart from anything that
Richard Z Kruspe has been associated with Rammstein. It could,
without any stretch of the imagination be just another
Rammstein album, and a very average one at that. But don’t get
me wrong, Kruspe’s musicianship is by no means in question.
Here, in fact, he produces some very finely crafted riff work.
There is however sweet F.A. that differentiates this from
Rammstein, or lends it any sense of individuality – nothing
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would scream “solo project”.
None of this should come as a surprise though, given that the
co-producer was Jacob Heller and mixing was handled by Stefan
Glaumann, the Swedish team who have afforded their respective
talents to the vast bulk of Rammstein’s back catalogue. To be
fair though, when you are the riff meister and creator of the
monster that is the so instantly recognisable sound of a band
with such renown as Rammstein, it has to be difficult to turn
your back on such a tried and tested formula. Especially when
you’ve been doing it for the past 13-14 years or so. I suppose
that there is nothing really new in this, it has been a common
pitfall in the past when high profile musicians attempt the
solo project route, but a little diversity and experimentation
would have been refreshing.
Anyway, let’s not get too bogged down in analysis. The vocals
are handled by Kruspe himself, and although I think that there
may have been a vague attempt at a Lindemann-esque style
approach, Till Lindemann he is not. He lacks the larynx, the
operatic base and the dexterity, and for the most part comes
across as coldly automaton-like. And somehow, so much is lost
in the translation. The English language lacks that pure
aesthetic aggressive beauty of the Deutsch tongue. The slower,
ballad style numbers left me with a cold numb sensation,
somewhat akin to swimming or rather attempting to float in an
unknown viscous substance. Not unpleasant as such, more tiring
really. But to give the man his due, it was a valiant attempt
for a first time out on a solo project, and I wish him much
luck should he ever decide on a future project, Emigrate or
otherwise.
In short though, this time round the whole exercise left me
somewhat cold and maybe a bit deflated. After the build up I
received I did expect more from such an accomplished musician.
But my advice for the present is hang on to the day job (Rammstein
guitar meister) for the time being.
www.emigrate.eu |
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Emigrate - New
York City (Motor Music) Review by Steve Green
Rammstein are very popular in my
household, with both the Missus and one of the brats being
rabid fans. I don't get it myself and much prefer the work of
Ministry instead. Now, I've not let that influence me with
this single, nor have I read the review of the new Emigrate
album as written by our own resident pixie (ie: Neil) so this is
my unpolluted view on the single New York City.
There are two versions of the song on this single. The
"normal" version is a mixture of the glam of Hanoi Rocks, the
rock n roll of The Cult and they are both bundled up with a
light industrial, almost dancefloor edge. And forget my
dislike for Rammstein, this song is infectious as hell and a
perfect choice as a single. The Alec Empire, Eat Your Heart
Out Remix, is, as you'd expect, full of dark electronica.
Again it's a great piece of music and I can imagine this going
down well in a late night club in Camden. Now I have to borrow
the album from Mr Mackenbach.
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Epica - The Divine Conspiracy (Nuclear Blast)
By: Joe Florez |
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It’s only been four years since they’ve been out and they are
already on their fourth disc and have a slew of singles to
boot as well. I have to admit that I am not into the female
fronted bands anymore that only sing opera style. However,
since I received the promo I thought I would give it a whirl.
Judging by the lengthy time of seventy five minutes and it’s
broken down into three sections, I figured that this would be
some sort of epic story telling. “Indigo” which is an intro is
very predictable with it’s haunting chants, string
arrangements and atmosphere. What I wasn’t expecting was “The
Obsessive Devotion” to rage through the flood gates in a power
metal fashion. Very tight double bass drumming combined with |
neo classical elements are incorporated into the mix. Things
slow down eventually to bombastic mode where everything is
explosive. Simone’s vocals are, as one would figure to be, in
the Soprano manner. They are strong and she is gifted with a
golden throat that stand out. What I didn’t factor into the
situation was a male growler that sounds like he came from
Cannibal Corpse. This isn’t something I would reach for every
day, but cool for what it’s worth. “Menace Of Vanity” is an
even stronger composition than the opener. This one rocks out
hard and sounds even more sinister. The vocals here soar
higher than the sky and the string arrangements have a more
dramatic feel. This is a soundtrack number for sure. After
being devastated with two monstrous tracks, things sort of die
down with “Chasing The Dragon” which is a ballad of sorts with
more orchestration, acoustic guitar and beautiful vocal
melodies. What I didn’t manage to factor in was the death
metal growls and even some blastbeats. What The Fuck? This one
is slow to a point, but there is still enough energy packed in
here that is to wallop you over the head. I think that
compared to the last batch of bands that I have heard in a
while Epica is one
of the better ones for the simple fact that they aren’t afraid
to get dirty and some how weasel in plenty of heavy and
furious composing to their elegant arrangements. Simone sings
with passion and conviction and it shows. While I think that
some of the songs are a little long in the tooth, they have
been crafted for a reason and that’s to convey a story and I
have to deal with it. I think if you are bored with the
lackadaisical artists out there that think there is only one
way to create music, then you need to check out Epica. This
will bring down the house and this is a worthy band that
deserves attention and judging by their Myspace site, they
have fans all over the world. So, I think the word is out on
them. Look out Nightwish!
www.nuclearblast.de
| www.epica.nl |
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Funeralium – S/T (Total Rust)
Review by Chris Davison |
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Picture the scene. You're on a beach. The only people that are
there are you, your best friends, your loved ones and the sun.
You have a lovely picnic, lots of booze and delicacies, and
the girl of your dreams is hanging off your arm, gazing at you
adoringly and whispering sweet nothings in your ear. You
glance down at your newspaper, see that the winning lottery
numbers are the same as those on the ticket in your pocket,
and you realise that finally all your worries are over. You're
happy, contented, people love you and your future is secure.
Except then you wake up. You're a three time loser, you live
in a shitty bedsit earning a |
pittance doing crap that no one else wants to do. You can't
afford to go anywhere, do anything or see anybody. Your
so-called mates are all utter cunts and
women would rather throw themselves under the nearest train
than have anything to do with you.
Now savour that feeling. It's roughly the equivalent of how
this album is going to make you feel. Funeralium are a French
ultra-sick doom band, verging on the utterly ponderous and
depressed, and the vocals are like the blackened side of your
ego that tells you every day what an utter worthless bastard
you really are. This torturous, demented aural trip into the
very twisted, hateful human condition is about as utterly
bleak and filthy as any music as I have ever heard. The drums
thump away in isolation, seemingly estranged from the other
instruments. Solitary, twisted “riffs” crawl injured through
the mire while odd clean chords offer transient, unsubstantial
release from the suffering.
You can't enjoy this on any normal level, but then that is not
the aim of Funeralium. They want to produce a soundtrack to
your own self-destruction, your own self-hate and realisation
that life is actually utter shit. However, listen to it as an
experience, in the dark, lights off, and you're going to be
taken to places that few other bands are likely to be able to
take you. Just remember to have The Samaritans programmed into
your mobile phone, and keep it next to you throughout.
www.totalrust-music.com |
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Gotthard - Domino Effect (Nuclear Blast)
By: Joe Florez |
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I was happier than a pig in slop when I received this promo. I
was gonna’ dish out the bucks for this before I found out that
this was going to have distribution in the U.S. and include a
few bonus cuts. These Swiss AOR rockers has been dishing out
decent music once again since Human Zoo and only getting
better especially with Lipservice. Now, “Domino Effect” is in
my hands and ready for a review.
What you need to know about
this band is that they don’t reinvent the wheel in any way.
It’s pretty much standard fare and what you hear is what you
get much akin to Motorhead or AC/DC. “Master Of Illusion”
begins with this blues riff before kicking it into high gear |
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where it becomes a basic 4/4 catchy rock tune. Steve Lee’s
voice works perfect for this type of music as he is a crooner
with a little bit of a high pitch in there, but doesn’t work
your nerves. This one is a polished number like their past
efforts and also includes in here some 70’s classic rock
keyboard flair. It’s a short, but sweet song that gets right
to the point with no filler and a baby solo in the mix added
for good measure. “Gone Too Far” has a bit more bite, well at
least in the beginning anyway and then things shift to simply
rocking out once again with a bit of middle eastern flavor and
a dash of blues. The title track has a bit more punch in it
thanks to the rhythmic bass strumming that will bring down the
house. It certainly will bring back to mind mid 80’s hair
rock, but I say it with love. To pull at your heart strings
you get a ballad or two in the form of “Falling” and “The
Call.” “Falling” is packed with power actually. Where many
bands for the wimpy route, Gotthard breaks out the grand
piano, some string arrangements and a lot of balls as Steve
sings his heart out here and the rest of the guys play as if
the world is gonna’ end tomorrow. This one rocks out hard.
“Heal Me” has these riffs that sound like AC/DC’s “Ballbreaker”,
but they gravitate toward their own style eventually. It’s
just mixed in with the rest of their music. Damn, this is by
far their best release since their debut or Hard Dial. The mix
of songs on here are absolutely perfect ranging from hard rock
banging to mid tempo and ballads of various tempos. While some
may thing this is retro stuff, it is to a degree, but it’s
also modern and up-to-date with a clean and powerful sound. To
sweeten the deal, the guys have tacked on 4 bonus tracks.
“Anytime Anywhere” is in English and Spanish, there’s another
just for this release on NB and a video clip for “Anytime
Anywhere” off of Lipservice is here to satiate your appetite.
This is hard rock at its finest. Each one rocks out in their
own way. If you were/are a fan of the Bon Jovi’s, Poison, Kiss
and the like then give this a whirl. This is good shit.
www.nuclearblast.de
| www.gotthard.com |
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It
Dies Today - Sirens (Trustkill) Review by Zoe Thetis |
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As
the follow up to It Dies Today’s 2004 debut album “The Caitiff
Choir”, Sirens is an amazing mix of melodies and metal which
is rather addictive. I particularly enjoyed “Sixth of June” as
this is a prime example of this melody metal mix, it is both
catchy when you first listen to it but doesn’t feel like it
could be overplayed the second time round, this song is both
indepth but doesn’t feel like its gone over your head if your
only half listening as the music itself is so intriguing. “A
Constant Reminder” shows traits that are apparent throughout
the album, especially in the lyrics and how the singer changes
instantly from brutal screaming to much lighter singing which
makes this song one which would appeal to |
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both rock and metal listeners without a compromise that you
would usually expect to do this. The sudden change almost
seems to flow as it moves with the music. It makes you feel
that the lyrics and the music were written together rather
than what often happens, when you feel cheated as though the
band have just said these will go and compromised to make the
song work. This album as a whole is a great listen you can
tell that this isn’t the first full length album IDT have produced there is a
lot of confidence in the songs but still so much passion,
making it a must own for both metal and rock fans, it just
seems to draw you in.
www.trustkill.com
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Marc Rizzo - The Ultimate Devotion (Mascot Records)
By: Joe Florez |
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This is Marc’s second instrumental record, but had no idea
where he came from. I have heard the name before, but upon
reading his bio he worked with Ill Nino in the beginning and
also worked with Max Cavelera and Soulfly. So, Marc does have
some rep. This six stringer goes well out of his way to make
this disc anything but ordinary by not making this a
straightforward typical guitar instrumental effort. This is a
culmination of metal/Latin and acoustics. “Skankin To The
Shred” begins with some fast Latin acoustic guitar work that
is very and sophisticated and then eventually mellows out and
has a more passionate feel. It |
seems like an intro because ninety seconds in it becomes a
metal jam track with some furious riffing, shredding and quick drumming. The flashy
moments are plentiful here as they will leave you in awe. When
we hit the breakdowns, they are more melodic and memorable
before thrashing it up again. There are also some off the wall
time changes in the drum work if you listen closely and
include some wacky blastbeats as well. “Sinceramente” is a mix
of technical proficiency and more flamenco style work in this
aggressive masterpiece. The song gets somewhat repetitive a
little bit, but that’s because it’s seven and a half minutes
long. “Angelina’s Song” adds percussions to the mix making
this a truly ethnic song filled with emotion and sincerity.
“Ascension” is the first track on here to be devoid of any
outside influences and go for the straight metal route. Mean
and lean guitar licks dominate as Marc gets down and
dirty and struts his stuff.
Marc is a really talented
individual who deserves to be heard. I applaud him for his
efforts for making something that isn’t a full on metal
record. He knows what he wants in his songs and knows how to
write. The only criticism I have is that the songs are rather
lengthy and at seventy-minutes this could have been two
records instead of one. The music in the beginning is rather
schizophrenic due to the many changes of styles in music, but
after a while it seems Marc and co. are more settled in and
the structuring is rather reasonable. This is something to
appreciate if you dare take yourself outside the metal world
for a moment or two. This is first rate guitar playing and if
his music is this good and unpredictable now, then I am more
than positive that he has more things up his sleeve. Just trim
the fat a little and things will be better off. Worthy
listening.
www.mascotrecords.com
| www.myspace.com/marcrizzo |
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Vital Remains - Evil Dead Live (Metal Mind)
Review by Chris Davison |
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They seem to be equally loved and abused, but to me Vital
Remains are one of the more interesting bands nestling at the
heavier end of the market. Their market profile has risen
massively of course since “Dechristianize” and their
involvement with Mr Glen Benton, but VR have actually been on
the scene one hell of a long time. In common with many of
their peers, they have released this sterling DVD, which again
has been produced by those super professional folks at Metal
Mind.
Now, if you aren't a fan of the Vital Remains stlye of death
metal, then this DVD isn't going to convert you. Firmly
entrenched in a fairly brutal version of the Floridian style,
their tracks tend towards the epic rather than the concise,
and are packed with more musical ideas than Lloyd Webbers
briefcase. Of course, this hasn't always gone down all that
well with the more knuckle headed DM community, who witter
endlessly that the songs are too long, too complex or too
difficult to enjoy without easy to digest breakdowns and
Neanderthal |
“slams”. The rest of us however, will be chuffed to bits to
get our hands on this DVD.
Newer fans might be disappointed to note that Benton isn't the
vocalist for this performance filmed in Katowice, and the
rather fluid line up of Vital Remains was at this juncture
comprised of the core of the band (Tony Lazaro and Dave
Suzuki) with hired hands on vocals and drums. The singer
certainly can sing with attack and aggression, and his stage
presence is nothing short of absolutely demented! His eyes
seem to flare with crazed venom at every fan throughout the
performance. Suzuki, in particular, is in his element and
often seems to be taken away by the moment while thrashing his
way through the intricate compositions. There are nine tracks
on the main concert, including brilliant numbers like “Hammer
Down The Nails” culled from their most recent cut, “Icons Of
Evil”. As usual with Metal Mind productions, the lighting,
editing and sound quality are of the very highest quality and
easily on a par with anything produced from any rival studios.
In terms of the all important bonuses, there are the
obligatory interview chapters with Dave and Tony, two short
sets from more, shall we say intimate, club venues, and a
rather odd little section of Mr Suzuki performing a guitar
solo for our delectation. This isn't going to convert a legion
of new Vital Remains fans, though I doubt this was ever the
case; no, I think that this is going to be exactly what it was
intended to be. A “thankyou” to the fans, the majority of
which will never have a chance to see this excellent band.
www.metalmind.com.pl
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