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Another Kind Of Death - Sleepless Every Night
(Underhill Records) Review by Steve Green |
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If
the words Noisecore or Mathcore are mentioned, then I'm one of
the first to run like hell in the opposite direction. Just as
it is unusual for such a band to come from Spain, I'm also in
the unusual position of actually liking this. Want me to make
a comparison with any other bands, then you are out of luck,
this isn't my normal listening pleasure, but the biog quotes
comparisons to the likes of Converge, Zao, Neurosis and Norma
Jean. From my point of view, this is a frenetic and bouncy
rollercoaster ride of caustic sounds, which harness a punky/hardcore
edge and is unrelenting in it's quest to crush you. Sleepless
Every Night gives you very little room to breathe, bar a bit
of hand clapping in the very Mathcore title, |
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Golem!!! and the gentleness of instrumental ... And I Chose
You From Dead. With ten tracks fired out in under thirty
minutes, Another Kind Of Death are not about to take any
prisoners. This is not an over complicated album, something I
normally associate with the "core" tags, and is accessible
from the very beginning. Quite surprisingly, I'm fairly
comfortable with this release.
www.underhillrcs.com |
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Burning Witch - Crippled Lucifer (Re-issue)
(Southern Lord) By: Dave Schalek |
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Burning Witch, a seminal project of Southern Lord founders
Stephen O’Malley and Greg Anderson, arose from the ashes of
the truly awe-inspiring Thorr’s Hammer, a short-lived, deathly
doom project that featured one of the most fascinating
vocalists of this generation (Runhild Gammelsaeter).
Prior to the launch of Southern Lord Records, Burning Witch
carved out two EPs and appearances on two splits, recording a
total of ten songs (I believe). After the group disbanded,
Southern Lord was founded (as were the bands Sunn O))) and
Goatsnake), and the two EPs were packaged together as
“Crippled Lucifer”, the newly formed label’s |
second release.
Southern Lord now re-releases the album as a double CD with
the inclusion of the three songs that originally appeared on
the splits, including “Rift. Canyon. Dreams”. “Rift. Canyon.
Dreams” had appeared on a 12” split with Asva, but is now
appearing here (remixed) on CD for the first time.
Anyone trawling the furthest depths of funeral doom is
probably already familiar with Burning Witch, but I find the
band fascinating primarily as a precursor to Sunn O))).
Although consisting of a traditional round of instrumentation
including percussion and the torturous vocals of Edgy 59, some
of the long drown out feedback is evocative of brilliance to
come in Sunn O))). That’s reason enough to pick up “Crippled
Lucifer”, and if you haven’t yet picked up this release,
you’ve now run out of excuses with this re-issue. Buy or die.
www.southernlord.com |
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Mos Generator - Songs For Future Gods
(Small Stone) Review by Metal Mark |
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It’s never necessarily a bad thing to have strong influences,
but ultimately it’s how you interpret those influences and
what the performer adds to those influences. In the
increasingly crowded realm of stoner rock it seems that you
can’t throw a stone without hitting someone who has a huge
Sabbath influence. That’s fine, but if nothing is added to
that formula then it doesn’t take me long to think something
like “oh, here we go again with the Sweet Leaf revival”. So
many bands focus in on just the heavy, doom aspect of Sabbath
and that can be limiting. Washington state’s Mos Generator
seem to have realized that Sabbath were also capable of
bringing some major grooves as well. That aspect ties |
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into having a solid rhythm section and at times relying on
them to lead as much as the guitar. This band brings a rather
lively, but extremely busy take on some 70’s metal. I would
say there is also a bit of Thin Lizzy present plus maybe even
some pre Destroyer KISS minus the cheese factor. It’s a
complex variation, but it is a little more upbeat maybe and I
think it requires a strong grasp of rhythm and using
variations that some bands might be afraid to use because it
may make them less “metal”. Mos Generator grab the songs and
then they twist, bounce and shake them around all the while
staying cool and in control. They know how to control and
manipulate fairly simple ideas and it really works for them.
Sure, there are songs that work better than others, but
overall they have taken a proven style and spiced up so it's
seems fairly fresh. Not necessarily an album that's going to
hit you with one play, but several spins helped me to realize
how good this album is. They take some chances, but I
appreciate the results.
www.myspace.com/mosgenerator |
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Orthodox - Amanecer En Puerta Oscura
(Southern Lord) By: Dave Schalek |
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Orthodox, Spain’s Sevillian masters of doom, return with their
second full-length, entitled “Amanecer En Puerta Oscura”, on
Southern Lord (where else?) in the U.S. and Alone Records in
Europe. Immediately, this album radically departs from the
rather traditional doom of “Gran Poder”, the trio’s highly
regarded debut. This time, Orthodox are truly all over the
map, systematically combining a wide range of elements into a
coherent whole. As you’ll read, this review necessitates a
brief examination of each track; the style of each track so
radically departs from the others.
Opening with improvised jazz on “Con Sangre De Quien Te Ofenda”,
this nine minute track |
features acoustic contrabass, strummed guitar, and a mournful
clarinet, I believe, that gel together rather nicely, despite
sounding wholly free form and completely unrehearsed.
Traditional doom opens “Mesto, Rigido E Ceremoniale”, yet soon
segues into another free for all with loosely strummed,
jarring guitar work and dissonant, cascading drums. Once more,
vocals are completely absent.
Perhaps the album you had been expecting begins with “Solemne
Triduo”, a rather melodic doom track with the same strange
melodic vocals (in fact, their only appearance) found on “Gran
Poder”. “Solemne Triduo” transitions to the title track, a two
minute experiment in dark ambience, complete with howling
wind, immediately followed by yet another two minute
experiment, “Puerta Osario”, consisting of dissonant, off-key
piano.
“Templos”, a fifteen minute drone opus consisting of acoustic
contrabass lines that build to a semi-crescendo of crashing
cymbals and percussion. A gentle fade out of clarinet with
clicks and clacks of some sort completes the experience.
Strange, heady stuff, indeed. Finally, “Aamanecer…” ends with
another exercise in doom with ‘60s-era psychedelic riffs
intertwined in “Parte II. Apogeum”.
Frankly, my first time through this album, I simply didn’t get
it. However, repeated listens began to reveal this work as a
ground breaking album, nominally doom, that crosses genres and
should be required listening of anyone with a taste for a
challenging, thoughtful listening experience.
www.southernlord.com |
www.orthodoxband.com |
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Puny Human - Universal Freak Out
(Small Stone) Review by Metal Mark |
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New
York's Puny Human have released their third full length album
and it took me a few spins to sort out my thoughts on it. It's
rather basic stoner style that draws on Deep Purple almost as
much as they draw on Sabbath. Yet the vocals and overall
approach has some definite modern elements present. What I
like about it is that they are content to take their time and
allow us to hear every nuance of the music and that's a bit
plus. They also, at least comparatively, use a relatively low
dose of fuzz in their music. I think that works in giving them
a more stripped down feel to their music and that particular
sound works fairly well with what they are doing because they
play a rather basic style. The downside would be |
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that you have heard a lot of this before and by some bands
that are more creative and quite a bit tighter. There are a
few times where Puny Human break out of the pattern and slip
in an unexpected jam with some truly cool riffs, but those
moments are few and far between. If you do this kind of music
then you really have to bring something to it. At this point
in time we have all heard Black Sabbath and Deep Purple many
times over plus many of their imitators so you have to really
reach out and have it together if you think you are going to
add something new to the mix. Puny Human do a little, but not
enough that they are really going to stand out. Also the
vocals were just very average, but they didn't really stand
out or add a great deal. A decent album overall, but not as
good as I was hoping for.
www.myspace.com/Puny_Human |
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Sevendust - Alpha (Asylum) Review
By Robert Beeton |
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Stomping, Crunch, Thumping, Pounding… Stomping, Crunch,
Thumping, Pounding. That’s the sound of “Alpha” the new album
from Sevendust. The echoes of overt electronic and acoustics
are a mere ghost of the past and now they return back to their
raw meat, the stuff cut freshly from the bones of some
ferocious beast which they had lurking under the bed for the
past few years. You will notice continuous carnage throughout
almost every track with thunderous riffs reflected by the
sheer intense backdrop that the other instruments have to
deliver. It can be said that some tracks sound the same, so
full marks for a superb album aren’t quite reached for my
liking. However, as you delve deeper into the album you begin |
to unearth tracks which deliver all the passion and heart
which a good tracks should have, so that makes up for the
albums downsides. If this existed throughout earlier history
then this would have been the reason for many people’s ordered
deaths. They didn’t die from having their heads chopped off,
but because of forced excessive head banging! Highlight tracks
for me include the mind blow-out that is “Driven”. If you want
excessive steam escaping from your brain through your ears,
then hey welcome to the party mate! Sharp knife inflicting
beats combined with a creepy worm like riff set this track
off, sending it into a barrage of raw uncooked vocals mixed
with a sandstorm of riffage at times sounding, to me at least,
quite Arabian. The bone breaking drums undoubtedly will
sending your heart racing of out of control. Then there is the
title track “Alpha” which in all honesty, is just an excuse to
go and jump in a big mosh pit with loads of sweaty fat blokes,
is a real ball breaker! If you want to hear a good example of
stomping, crunch, thumping, pounding then just gaze no further
then “Alpha”.
My favourite has to be the more mellow song that is
“Aggression”. How the whole song sounds like the birth of
something special, and how the vocals are like a burst of
sunshine over the horizon is just fantastic. It sounds magical
and mystical and the guitars really standout with their
quivering sailing sound. No hard aggression here, just pure
enchantment.
I myself haven’t been a big Sevendust fan so it’s difficult to
judge them. However if you’re a first time listener then from
listening to “Alpha” I'm sure you’ll be left with positive
things to say! A worthy purchase in my books! The great big
ogre that is “Alpha” is out now through Asylum records!
www.myspace.com/sevendust |
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Shivan – When Wishes Sicken (My
Kingdom Music) review by Sam Thomas |
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Shivan are a band from Italy who’ve been around since 1996,
since when they’ve produced one black metal album in 2002 and
gone through the usual round of line-up and directional
changes. With “When Wishes Sicken” they have elected to follow
the dark atmospheric path. Their publicity mentions likenesses
to Moonspell and Paradise Lost, but I reckon they’re more akin
to the theatricality of The Bronx Casket Co or Type O
Negative.
“When Wishes Sicken” is a very dramatic album, reminiscent in
many ways of “Hellectric” by The Bronx Casket Co, in that it’s
almost a West End production of a dark Goth fantasy. I don’t
mean that in a derogatory way at all, it’s something to do
with the sheer scope of the |
production – it’s not at all your typical second album from a
(virtually) unknown band. This is a full-blooded,
well-conceived and well-executed album from start to finish.
Every single track is outstanding, every track offers a
different insight into the world of darkness, from the
melancholy fragility of “Cold Winter Nights”, with its opening
delicate guitar and Seere’s plaintive vocals which here remind
me a little of The Old Dead Tree, to the more robust, almost
thrashy opening of “Alone Again”
Seere shows an amazing vocal range, being able both to belt
out a number in true Lloyd-Webber fashion and also to sound
whimsical or yearning according to the mood of the track. At
times, it almost seems that there are two completely different
vocalists involved, but apparently not. The music itself is
unfortunately extremely catchy, and has lived on in my head
for far too long. I must admit that it’s taken me far longer
than it should have done to review this album, mostly because
I’ve been enjoying it so damn much. So the moral is: if you
want your album reviewed quickly – write crap!
“When Wishes Sicken” is a thoroughly enjoyable romp through
the darker side of atmospheric Goth, and should appeal to
those who like the dark side but not necessarily the
wrist-slitting sadness of Katatonia.
www.shivan-ve.com |
www.mykingdommusic.net |
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Tarja – My Winter Storm (Universal)
Review by James Young |
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‘Ex-Nightwish singer’ will be an unfortunate tag applied to
Tarja Turunen for a good long while. Being associated with
such a big name in the metal circuit can only bring
expectations, but this album goes out of its way to carve it’s
own sound and deviate from the symphonic power metal of
yesteryear. Okay, it’s not totally different in the way that
some tracks are decidedly ‘metal’ and ‘rock’ influenced, but
there is a greater tendency for the Finnish ice-queen to
explore some catchier pop structures, alongside some dramatic
operatic pieces. Produced and polished to perfection by Daniel
Presley, known for his work with Faith No More, this album
certainly is the perfect compliment to the winter. To |
start with, it doesn’t need to be said really, but Tarja’s
voice is sublime, harking back to the soprano-laden Nightwish
of old. Apart from the odd exception, there are no male voices
on the album, but only her own, sometimes layered and
overlapping, but always powerful. The symphonies of Torsten
Stenzel are wonderfully epic, providing a punch to the sound
of the album. In the softer songs, the keyboards can be
downright haunting, such as in ‘Damned And Divine’, which
contain an Opeth-like emptiness.
The guitars are not the main focus of the album, but in the
‘heavier’ songs, the playing of Alex Scholpp is crunchy when
necessary, demonstrated in the creeping nature of the riffs in
‘My Little Phoenix’. Such a metal sound is used sparingly, and
to maximum effect. These ‘heavier’ songs also include ‘Lost
Northern Star’, with the blend of guitar growls and Tarja’s
short sharp notes in the chorus. ‘Ciarán’s Well’ is a true
head-nodder, with some terrifying sound effects to make things
just a little bit faster and more energetic. Tarja’s voice is
wonderful in the soaring vocal melodies, and the amazing
ending to the song, which sounds like some sort of operatic
warm-up exercise! The choice to cover Alice Cooper’s ‘Poison’
may raise a few eyebrows - it involves the only male vocals on
the album, which certainly made me a little wary. That said,
it isn’t really a bad version of the song, but just a slightly
confusing addition half way through the album. This move
certainly should be given credit for sheer ambition - just
take one listen to the cello solo for proof! The lighter
songs, which could perhaps be called ‘ballads’, certainly
outnumber the harder-edged numbers on the album. Tracks such
as ‘Oasis’ can only be described as beautiful, whilst ‘Our
Great Divide’ and ‘Calling Grace’ utilise some absolutely
sublime vocal melodies and memorable lyrics. Some of the most
moving songs are those that build up from a mellow start to an
epic climax, such as ‘Boy And The Ghost’ and ‘Sing For Me’,
both of which utilise a choir to progress into an exciting
pseudo-rock opera. ‘I Walk Alone’, which switches between
gentle and massive sounds, is an obvious choice for the first
single from the album, and is simply stunning.
If one was to be overly cynical, the number of ballads may be
seen as one or two too many, and the short instrumentals
between some songs construed as filler to bump up the song
count. Whilst this may be true to a degree, the album feels
like such a journey of emotion and passion, the odd excess can
be excused. This is an hour of beautiful music. Metal, and
especially Nightwish, this is not, so don’t expect it. That
said, fans of Tarja’s voice will not be disappointed, so those
of you with an open mind should check it out and prepare to
feel the cold!
www.tarjaturunen.com |
www.myspace.com/tarjaturunen |
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Too Pure To Die - Confidence and Consequence
(Trustkill) Review by Adam Hawke |
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Too Pure To Die hail from Des Moines, Iowa and have just
released their first album after being on numerous tours
around the States. A relatively new band, I personally do not
know much about them or their music so I was keen to have a
sample and see what they’re all about.
Starting off the album with the title track ‘Confidence and
Consequence’ was a great move on the bands part: the song is
fast paced, heavy and really does set the tone for the rest of
the album. Their sound is similar to Pantera in some ways.
Great guitaring can be found on tracks such as ‘Blame No One’
and ‘Dead to Me’. Too Pure To Die have made a good |
album here: strong vocals and drumming….head banging rock!
Great stuff in my opinion. Only thing I’d say on the negative
side is the album does sound the same in places and I was
thinking “yeah is that it?” kind of thing. But that’s down to
the person listening…..I like a band who mixes it up a little
and adds a few slower numbers in with fast paced ones.
For a new band, they have done well on their first album and
even though it sounds the same in places, I would like to see
them on stage because I bet they’d kick some ass doing these
numbers live! Highlights of this album have got to be the
title track and also the song ‘What’s Left’, an excellent hard
number and a great finisher to the album, leaving this one a
good effort. Got to say the album cover really caught my eye
as well: good artwork!
All in all, if you’re a Pantera/Lamb Of God style fan, this
album is right up your street! If you like the old rock music,
this might not be your thing but I’m open to all kinds of
metal and Too Pure To Die have done a great job here on their
first album…..it’s worth listening to!
www.trustkill.co.uk |
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Wishlist - Failure Is Not An Option
(Self Release) Review by Steve Green |
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I
wonder if the album title is a statement of intent? I've a
feeling that it is, and I'm sure the labels will be sniffing
around Wishlist very soon indeed. Plymouth's Wishlist are a
band not afraid to mix up a few different sounds and textures
and the end result, is something a little different. The core,
no pun intended, is somewhere around the boundaries of
post-hardcore. The vocals of Tim Clarke do linger around the
more, screaming your innards out, variety, while this is
juxtaposed by the delicate vocal harmonies provided by the two
other vocalists, drummer Matt Epps and guitarist Dan Couch.
And I have to say, the trio's vocal styles compliment each
other perfectly. None of the power or intensity is lost during
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quieter moments, if anything it adds to the feeling of menace
as you never know when a song is about to explode in your
face. Musically, Wishlist follow a similar path. Mellow one
moment and roaring in your face the next and about as
unpredictable as steering a supermarket trolley. (I thought
that a safer bet that comparing them to a woman with raving
PMT...) My only complaint, is that I lost a bit of focus
towards the end of the album as 62 minutes of this is a tad
too much to take in. This style is much more appetizing in
bite-sized chunks.
These days, more than ever, I'm open to discovering new music
and I'll give anything a go if it is well put together. I
really like what Wishlist have created as they've obviously
strived to do something a little different, and at the same
time they've not limited their potential audience by shooting
off in a niche direction. This is accessible to anyone with an
open mind.
www.myspace.com/wishlistrock |
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