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Aeon - Rise To Dominate (Metal Blade)
Review by James Young |
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Everyone’s favourite Swedish Christian haters, Aeon, return
with this, their second album, and follow up to 2005’s
Bleeding The False, and my goodness is it heavy! Lasting for
only forty five minutes, this is as devastatingly brutal from
start to finish as any death metal I’ve ever heard. When these
guys played with Cannibal Corpse last year, I was less than
impressed at the timid sound of the unit, which made me fairly
apprehensive about checking this one out. Luckily, the mixing
and mastering was handled by Dan Swanö, and it certainly
carries a distinctive clarity, with a wonderful production
that captures the intensity of every instrument. Nils
Fjellström’s drumming is absolutely devastating throughout,
with individual |
snares on songs such as ‘Living Sin’ sounding like a machine
gun, whilst meaty bass drums meet slab heavy guitars to build
a head-snappingly solid wall of sound in
‘Luke 4: 5-7’. The guitars of Daniel Dlimi and Zeb Nilsson
sound positively evil, sporting some excellent solos
throughout the album. The majesty of these solos is not really
in the notes played, but the positioning of them and their
sheer unpredictability, giving the whole album a
rollercoaster-like quality. They aren‘t in every song, and
when one does come along, it truly takes your face off. Nor
does the album just concentrate on the blasts - the closing
track ‘No One Escapes Us’ is much more atmospheric, sounding
like a funeral march, but much more unholy.
I’m in two minds about Tommy Dahlström’s vocals - the
variation in grunting is sublime, and had me thinking of
Cannibal Corpse’s Corpsegrinder at his most versatile,
especially in ‘Caressed By The Holy Man’ in which deep growls
are converted to throat-wrecking screams in one note. However,
the production is so good, you can hear the lyrics, which are
definitely the worst aspect of the band. There’s nothing wrong
with a bit of Satanism in an album, but this is a constant
barrage of clichéd anti-Christian slurs, which made me glad I
hadn’t heard their first album, because it would have become
boring even more quickly. Even in the opener, ‘Helel Ben-Shachar’,
the name ‘Lucifer’ is repeated God knows how many times (for
want of a better expression). Uninspired lyrics don’t help
either, ‘House Of Greed’ insisting ‘Burn the church down, burn
it down’, which really doesn’t shock anyone, at least these
days. Likewise, in ‘There Will Be No Heaven For Me’ (maybe I
shouldn’t be too surprised with a title like that), there are
the words ‘I believe in Satan, and he believes in me’, which
fails at being sinister.
With the album’s stellar production its only downfall, this
album still has a lot going for it, and if you can get past
the cheesy lyrics, which you can actually understand, this
album is the musical equivalent of going to hell and burning
in eternal flames. Intense.
www.metalblade.com |
www.myspace.com/aeon666 |
www.aeon666.com |
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As
I Lay Dying - An Ocean Between Us (Metal Blade) Review by
Samuel Munch-Petersen |
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I think this album is just a hellish mouth-watering feast. As
I Lay Dying have done it again. The album was recorded at
Lambesis Studio (his home too) with help from Adam Dutkiewicz
of Killswitch Engage on all the production and recording
duties, whilst Colin Richardson (Mchine Head, Slipknot) oversaw
the final mix of the tracks.
You’re instantly invited to a barrage of intense drum beats
and a very catchy up riff on the first track, second really
since the first is an instrumental intro sequence, Nothing
Left. The album simply pummels through with no sign of
relenting to the likes of a slow record. Tim on vocals, just
stabs through with a definite monotone screech that works.
Josh Gilbert on |
bass and backing vox simply cuts behind the
guttural tones and gives us an element of some upbeat un-metalness.
The album is clean and by far the nicest sounding I’ve heard
in a while. There’s a lot of thrash that comes through with
tracks like Within Destruction and Comfort Betrays. Metalcore
seems to be embodied by As I Lay Dying and there’s not much to
go on with this album. They’ve created something that I can’t
find any fault with. It’s fast and powerful whilst managing to
stay true to what the band intend; devising intense and
provoking music that simply bashes you in the head with every
pouncing drum tap and riff modulation.
Twelve tracks long and you’re almost left wanting more,
something that could also be said for live shows. The album
twists and turns from time to time and there are certainly
slower tracks on the album, but these are so heavy you forget
that they might be intended for someone of a reflective
disposition. I Never Wanted is the prime example of this fact
and comes just after half way in the track line up, obviously
to add some sense of division and use it as a marker to make
the album feel like two separate entities. It kind of works.
Bury Us All brings you back into that feverish frenzy of a
road trip into the metal badlands with a continuous riff that
begs you to move for a full two minutes and twenty three
seconds. The new album is by far one of the best things I’ve
heard, that’s no joke. Though I may be.
www.asilaydying.com
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Bereavement - The Advent Of Loss
(Self Release) Review by Steve Green |
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With the band name and album title being as morose as it
gets, did you expect anything other than Doom? Well, the
intro, Exordium, was slow and melancholic, before the more
energetic Axis arrived on the scene and my Doom theory was
blown completely out of the window. Shame, as I was really up,
(or should that be down?) for a bit of doom and gloom. What
you actually get, well, is a load of styles that somehow gel
together into one cohesive entity. The easy way out is to call
this Progressive. There are moments were the vocals and
melodies remind me of Israel's finest, Orphaned Land,
elsewhere, the vocals range from Deathly growls to Blackened
rasps, while the music flits between acoustic,
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electric and even neo-classical. And that's just one song!
The Orphaned Land comparisons continue into Ascension, but the
differing styles that I mentioned for Axis, once again make an
appearance, but what makes this song stand out are the
atmospherics. There's a huge dropout in the middle that
showcases the bands musical prowess. And it's this song that
makes me appreciate the rest of the cd just that little bit
more. These guys are talented musicians. Especially the
drumming, which is something the Missus says I'm getting
obsessed with recently, but listen to Daniel Martnick's
performance on Loss and tell me I'm wrong. Man, he slays his
bass drum pedals.
My only complaint is a minor one. I'm not overly convinced
that (at least) three different styles of vocals are needed,
as it can occasionally be to much. The song, Convinced being the obvious
example as I'm not "convinced" that one of the growly styles
fits it with Bereavements more advanced musical levels. But
hey, one little gripe ain't bad at all.
This is definitely ones for those who like their music with a
bit of finesse.
www.bereavementmetal.com/ |
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Blood Red Throne - Come Death
(Earache) Andrew Ward |
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In a genre where technicality of playing and musicianship
appears to have overtaken brutality and aggression, Norway’s
Blood Red Throne have gone back to basics, so to speak on this,
their fourth album, ‘Come Death’. This album takes you back to
the glory days of death metal where the listener found themselves
humming along to tracks and remembering the songs after just a
few plays.
The album as a whole, but especially the first track ‘Slaying
The Lamb’ is based around a few interesting riffs written by Tchort (Emperor, Green Carnation, Carpathian Forest) , a
melodic solo and a flurry of blastbeats, giving the listener
an aggressive album but with |
notable hooks as well. Although there are only nine tracks in
total, what the album lacks in length it makes up for with
solid tracks that keep the listener’s attention throughout. A
great album from start to finish that you’ll want to go back
to time after time.
I fell in love with this album after the first play and it will
appeal to fans of Suffocation and Malevolent Creation or fans
of death metal in general. My favourite tracks on the album
are ‘Slaying The Lamb’, ‘Taste Of God’ and the title track
‘Come Death’. Definitely an album worth checking out.
www.myspace.com/bloodredthrone666
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Eternal Majesty - Wounds of Hatred and Slavery
(Candlelight)
Review by Jesse Ketman |
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I’ve never heard of Eternal Majesty before, but apparently
they’ve been cranking out black metal from the heart of France
since 1995. The opening song, Return of the Frozen Wind, makes
it abundantly clear that this isn’t going to be any new
territory; a typical black metal attack with decent production
and an ever-so-slight nod towards some prog aspects make this
a pretty average BM attack, but nothing to scoff at, either.
The next track, hilariously titled Night Evilness (come on,
really?), adds some keyboards and atmospherics, which really
help flesh out the sound without sacrificing speed or
savagery, making this musical excretion much more palatable
than the latter. Translation issues abound as track 4, Under |
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Hate Red Star You Born, starts to bore me with repetitive soundscapes, sounding to my ear no different than the last 10
minutes of audio. I wish I could say there’s more
differentiation as it goes on, but the extent to which that
goes is some now-obligatory (or so one would think)
Burzum-esque, minimalistic keyboard tracks. 6 songs later and
I’ve decided I don’t really need to listen to this again.
Eternal Majesty aren’t bad, and there’s certainly some
razor-sharp riffing worthy of note (Corrupted Shadow has that
ancient, frosty feeling of an Emperor album all over it), but
I just wasn’t captured by any element of this album. It all
felt like one big black metal grey area, a tribute to the
glory days of Dissection and Emperor with some modern
elements, rather than a stand-alone experience. Damnation
through faint praise rears its ugly head again, it seems, as
another review draws to a close. If you live and breathe BM,
give it a shot; chances are you’ll see a lot more in it than I
did. As for myself, I think I’ll just go listen to Reinkaos
again.
www.candlelightrecordsusa.com |
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In
Battle - Kingdom Of Fear (Candlelight Records)
By: Dave Schalek |
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Sweden’s In Battle has been somewhat lost in the shuffle for
me over the years. Now with a total of four full-lengths
dating back to 1997 under their belts, In Battle releases
their latest offering, “Kingdom Of Fear” from Candlelight
Records. In Battle is an established band playing a
Viking-themed version of death/thrash with hints of Florida
style death metal, primarily in guitar sound. I earlier said
that In Battle has been lost in the shuffle because, in my
mind, they have been eclipsed by such notables as Amon Amarth,
Turisas, and Keep Of Kalessin, all playing in more or less the
same style, and haven’t really gained a firm footing in my
consciousness. |
If you’re given the impression that In Battle is second tier
in my opinion, then you’re correct, fair assessment or not.
Second tier bands are always competent, but never really seem
to do much to move a genre forward in an artistic sense.
Although a solid release, “Kingdom Of Fear” really doesn’t
quite do enough to vault In Battle up from the second tier.
Stylistically similar to Amon Amarth with a bit of a thrashier
guitar sound and more moments of groove, “Kingdom Of Fear”
also piles on the bursts of speed lifted from Florida’s
playbook and does a good job with tempo variation. The quality
of the musicianship is generally high, although I feel that
the music could benefit from a tighter guitar. The production
has that loud, in-your-face sound typical of similar
death/thrash bands. Overall, “Kingdom Of Fear” is a very solid
release with all of the signature requirements of the genre
(or mix of genres as the case may be) present. So, what’s the
problem? Well, the songs just aren’t really that memorable, to
be blunt. Ultimately, “Kingdom Of Fear” is one of those
releases that you’ll end up casually listening to and enjoying
as you do, but you won’t be replaying it in your head later.
That is a hallmark of a second tier band.
www.candlelightrecords.co.uk
| www.inbattle.se/
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Krohm - The Haunting Presence (Debemur Morti Productions)
Review by Crin |
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Depressive Black Metal from The U.S.A. This is the bands
second album, the first being the slow and distorted, A World
through Dead Eyes, album in 2004. This new offering begins in
a burst of mesmerising guitar strums, galloping snare work and
a typical graveolent vocal attack. The resonant rhythmic
nature to the arrangements evokes a swaying hypnotic
atmosphere, from which the music’s atonal ambience confounds
the senses with falling myriads of emotive moods.
Much like Opeth carve a rolling atmosphere with singular riffs
and constant unwaning drum patterns The lengthy arrangements
ooze their slow burning consistency across an incessant |
brooding melancholy wholly generated by the effortless sorrow
that permeates the music. The dreary vocal snarls languish in
lamenting grief, their hollow barks alluding to a bitter
malevolence creeping across the seven tracks here.
The levels of intensity flow from the cheerless despondency of
mid-tempo guitar strains, to the berated acceleration of the
drum work that drags the docile guitar chords into a more
feverish pitch. The Black Metal soul of this band is
undeniable, and yet the atmosphere created by the depth of the
music transcends mere icy primitivism. Krohm, have a fine
ability to construct charismatic and emotional extreme music
that is both Black Metal in tone, and dark rock opera in
texture.
www.debemur-morti.com/default.php |
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Neaera - Armamentarium
(Metal Blade) Review by Steve Green |
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This is one
almighty slice of Death Metal. From the bludgeoning drum
driven blast of Spearheading The Spawn, through to the, erm,
bludgeoning drum driven blast of Liberation, Neara really go
for the jugular in a vicious way.
I know I've made a point of mentioning the drums, and believe
me, they do glide this baby along beautifully, but it's the
whole package that does it for me. Benny Hilleke has a
ferocious set of lungs, the guitars, in a raw, dirty, Entombed
downtuned style, create havoc, which is about where I'd place
the rhythm section, as they bulldoze the entire sound into
oblivion. And yes, this album is heavier than elephant shit,
but it's still full of melody and is
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as accessible as hell.
After the gargantuan opener Spearheading The Spawn, I was
expecting a little respite, but no, Neaera crank it up another
ten notches or so and Sebastian Heldt's drumming goes into
overdrive. The same theme runs through most of the album,
heavy as fuck, stacks of melody and a ton of power, but never
predictable or boring, just prime, grade A, undiluted Death
Metal. And sometimes, that's exactly what you want to listen
to. Nothing too fancy or intricate, just a good old fashioned
ear battering. And that's exactly what Neaera have delivered.
Metal Blade have dished up plenty of fine delicacies recently,
and this one is a choice addition to the menu.
www.neaera.com |
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Spektr - Mescalyne (Debemur Morti Productions)
Review by Crin |
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Industrial, Ambient Black Metal from France. With two albums
already gnawing at the undergrounds masses, this MCD, is Low-fi,
destructive and wholly immersed in a guitar distortion, a
rapid fire Black Metal, head crushing machine that is
relentless in its aural quest to devour all before its all
consuming noise.
The band retains a solid Darkthrone style of
ice mantled Black Metal, completely doused with an industrial
clamour. The echoing shivers of hollow domes and twisted
machinery is cast into a beleaguered vocal malaise. Cold
narratives/samples and feedback, are contrived within a
furious guitar strum. The frenzied dementia that obliterates
the senses is all part of |
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the unease this band creates. Cold dread and anxiety crawls
into the head when listening to the perplexing tracks here.
There is no easy A-Z Black Metal to decipher, no head nodding
riffs to comfort your apprehensions. This is oddball stuff, a
twisted take on the Black/industrial genre that I found hard
to absorb. There is more swishing soundscapes, depressive effects and vocal
abnormalities than musical endeavour. But that’s just what
this band are about. If you are a manic depressant with little
self worth, or a self harmer with no friends, then you’ll
relate to the absurdities here. For the rest of us, this will
prove to be a nightmare of unsettling noise, and brain ripping
uncertainty.
www.debemur-morti.com/default.php |
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Vendetta - Tyranny Of Minority (Lion Music)
By: Joe Florez |
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New to the Lion label is this English four piece melodic hair
metal act. The band is spearheaded by Edward Box who is a
guitar virtuoso who has put out a few instrumentals which I
have had the pleasure of reviewing one of them. Now, since I
have never heard Ed sing, it will be quite interesting to hear
if he will fly or sink like the titanic.
“Generation Kill” immediately delivers 80’s style riffs that
are not only good to the ear, but it has some muscle as well.
The drums are crisp and ultra clean thanks to the super slick
polish of the production. Ed’s voice is somewhat on the high
side, but it works. The solo on here shreds with loads of glam
and pizzazz. There’s nothing original on here, but if you take |
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it for face value, then you will have a blast with this. After
delivering a few songs in the upper tempo range, the boys
bring it down just a notch with “Doorways To The Mind.” Albeit
it being a little sluggish, it doesn’t hit the ballad area
which is good because the one has a bit of energy in there.
The striking of the skins are quite thunderous and the guitar
work is performed with tremendous melody. “Golden Boy” has a Dokken
vibe because the music patterns are slightly similar. The
thing about this one as well as a few others is the fact that
had this been released a few decades ago, this would have had
a chance on commercial radio. However, this could make it on
Hair Nation on the Sirius Satellite network. You can say it’s a
dated sound because there is nothing new being created here,
but it has a modern touch and the production is superb.
Vendetta is heavier than your Ratt’s, Poison’s and Bon Jovi’s,
but never reaching the plateau of later day Metallica. This
disc contains just the right amounts of glam, flashy
musicianship and catchiness. When listening to this, you may
be nudged to tease your hair high and keep it still with loads
of Aquanet and break out the spandex from your closet. Please
don’t! Just enjoy the music for what it is and remember the
good ol’ days via photos and your memory. This is a fun listen
and recommend it to those who know how to have a good time
without being too serious. At least for the weekend anyway.
www.lionmusic.com
| www.vendetta-theband.com |
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