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Plague Angel - Raped By
Lies (Demo) review by Sam Thomas |
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Plague Angel (presumably named after the Marduk release) are a
Swedish four piece who formed with the straightforward aim of
playing old school death metal. And with this ten minute demo,
they have certainly succeeded. Like everyone else in Sweden,
it seems, they’ve knocked around a few other bands before,
notably Butchery and Strangulation.
This modest little four-tracker is a neat little essay in
brutal death metal, showing input from both Europe and that
hotbed of brutal death, Florida. There’s everything you could
want on this small but perfectly formed release (provided you
like Carcass etc), good musicianship, splendid vocals that are
set at exactly the right level for me, i.e. I can distinguish
the words if |
I really listen, or ignore them if I choose to, and above all,
having decided on a style Plague Angel stick with it and are
happy within its confines.
As demos go, this is rather a good one, which leaves the
listener hoping that Plague Angel secure the attentions of a
label and continue with their recording career, because
they’re clearly quite capable of producing some great brutal
death in the future. And of course, that’s something that the
world really needs.
www.myspace.com/plagueangeldeath |
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Sine Star Project -
Building Humans (Blood Light Recordings) Review
by Steve Green
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Were it not for the bloody Darkness, I'd be a lot more
amiable towards this album. This is falsetto rock, in the vein
of the more eccentric side of Queen. A band I have a lot of
time for. It's just a shame that Justin Hawkins and co got
played to death before they disappeared again up their own
asses.
I think Sine Star Project's strongest point is their use of
melody. Plenty of melancholic piano and heartfelt vocals make
for a very pleasant, albeit depressing listen and it takes me
back to around the time of A Day At The Races and Jazz, but
there aren't really any comparisons with News Of The World,
which was sandwiched in-between the two, there's also a bit of |
Pink Floyd floating around somewhere as well. The downside of
the album, which I've touched upon already, is that for the
most part, it's a fucking dreary listen. Look, I love a bit of
doom, but this is like a tribute to the death of Freddie
Mercury, or a trip through the most unhappy moments of Roger
Waters childhood, miserable as bloody sin. Just the occasional
glimpse of happiness would have changed the mood dramatically,
but alas, this album decided to stay drenched in misery until
the very end.
If you a fan of Queen, are on anti-depressants and generally
hate the world, then you'll love this.
www.myspace.com/sinestarproject
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Sons Of Azrael - The
Conjuration Of Vengeance (Metal Blade Records)
By: Dave Schalek |
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Metal Blade Records’ recent signing of Buffalo, New York’s Sons Of Azrael
results in the issuing of the band’s debut full-length, entitled “The
Conjuration Of Vengeance”. Essentially, what we have here in the form of
Sons Of Azrael is a blending of three styles: Death metal, melodic death
metal, and deathcore are combined together with a chunky, meat-laden
production on “The Conjuration Of Vengeance”, ultimately resulting in an
album will undoubtedly garner Sons Of Azrael plenty of comparisons with
The Black Dahlia Murder.
First of all, the straight ahead death metal is well done.
Starting from a Florida-style base, |
complete with gore lyrics and all, this is where Sons Of Azrael shines with great riffs, blastbeats galore, and deep seated
growls. These moments, however, alternately segue into melodic moments
that are a bit jarring with a decidedly slower pace, as well as plenty of
choppy breakdowns evocative of deathcore. A secondary, somewhat annoying,
vocal delivery consisting of higher pitched screeches straight out of the
deathcore genre makes numerous appearances.
Comparisons between Sons Of Azrael and The Black Dahlia Murder become
pretty obvious as you progress deeper into “The Conjuration Of Vengeance”.
There is a bit of a lesser tendency to absolutely shred up the
technicality than on, say, The Black Dahlia Murder’s latest full-length,
“Nocturnal”, but the potential for Sons Of Azrael to be a hyper technical
band is present on “The Conjuration Of Vengeance”. However, as the album
progressed, I found the songs to be pretty similar throughout, which
begins to rob the music of its impact. Still, “The Conjuration Of
Vengeance” is a good debut from a promising band.
Certainly, deathcore and melodic death metal fans will probably want to
add “The Conjuration Of Vengeance” to their collection, but fans of pure
death metal may lose interest.
www.sonsofazrael.com
| www.metalblade.com |
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Suicidal Winds - Chaos
Rising (Pulverised Records) Review by Chris
Davison |
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So, if I said “Suicidal Winds”, what would it mean to you? You
might, with your tongue planted firmly in your cheek, think
about the time when your mate went out on the piss with you
and drank nothing but Guinness and ate a jar of pickled eggs
before crashing out on your bedroom floor. When you awoke, the
stench of his coughing bottom was enough to send you on the
verge of diving head first out of your bedroom window to your
doom. Or maybe I'm the only one to be so childish, I don't
know. I, of course, think of the Celtic Frost song of the same
name from their excellent “Emperors Return” e.p., but that's
mostly because I am considerably more metal than you. |
So what of the album then, now the flatulence and metal one-uppery
duties have been completed ? Well, it's a bit of a cracker
really, and for all the right reasons. It's blackened thrash
time again folks, so of course expect lots of nasty, raspy
throated vocals, tinny drums and razor sharp, treble heavy
guitars. Expect also the rapid thrash tempo and relentless
hate fuelled riffs, exhortations to hell and all things nasty,
and spiky logo, (complete with goats head) in the logo.
All of which sounds like standard, good old fashioned fun, but
not all that much different than a couple of other dozen bands
on the planet. No, what makes this such an endearing listen
are exactly the same things that made such seminal releases as
“Morbid Tales” so enduring. There is a real dynamism to the
music without ever becoming pretentious. Yes, of course the
hyper-speed guitars are here, but there are also really grim
mid and slow tempo passages that bring to mind Celtic Frost at
their most primal, as well as some gloriously off-kilter
passages (such as the genius mid section of “Destruction
Invocation). It doesn't hurt, of course, that the guitar tone
is so brilliantly redolent of 1985 channelled through a modern
production, or that many of the riffs have a pleasingly
familiar tone to them.
The production is as nasty, brutish and lacking charm as a
skinhead kicking you in the teeth, while the head-down
attitude of the song writing often leaves you breathless as
the Winds rocket through their racket. Of course, the spirit
of Tom G. Warrior (I refuse to call him Fischer) lives on
here, which isn't to say that this is CF worship in the spirit
of say Usurper or Scepter, but it channels that dizzying
primitive knack for atmosphere and visceral excitement through
a modern appreciation of the nastier aspects of both thrash
and black metal. While the mainstream mags might be cracking
one off over the so-called new wave of thrash (most of whom
wouldn't even have come up to the standards of Acid Reign or
Xentrix back in the day), they're steadfastly ignoring gems
like this. You can keep your post-post-post-whatever-core and
progressive nonsense and shove 'em up your arse. Me? I need
stuff like this; authentically metal, with one foot in the
past but looking to the future.
Album of the year so far.
www.pulverised.net
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The
Arcane Order - In The Wake Of Collisions (Metal Blade) Review by Steve
Green |
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Musical boundaries are constantly merging and although The Arcane
Order are classed as anything from Thrash to melodic Death, personally,
I'd go the whole hog with the Thrash labelling. The start of this album
though, throws you a real curveball. A bombastic, symphonic intro and a
keyboard laden sound drags this into Cradle of Filth, and particularly
Dimmu Borgir territory. Especially with the addition of rasped vocals and
a colossal drum battery to rival anything from the Black Metal
heavyweights. This really is a jaw dropping way to start the album.
The intensity continues into track two, Between Reason And
Hubris, the keyboards are
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forced to the fringes of the mix and are replaced with an even
more forceful guitar presence and this is now more comparable
to The Haunted than anything else. In the middle of the
chaotic hell, a sublime, widdly(ish) guitar solo breaks free and the mood, is once again,
completely transformed. But don't worry, the fury is quick to return and
it stays a round for quite a while. The Arcane Order aren't afraid of
mixing it up a little. They'll kick up a storm when it's needed, but
they'll also throw in a melodic solo without any notice and they aren't
afraid to completely drop the pace either, or to add an occasional
keyboard flourish or fill. Sanctity Of Allegiance has a keyboard finale,
which is an even bigger curveball that the one on opening
number Death Is Imminent. But overall, the guitar is king on this album,
although the drums may disagree with me on that one. Fuck it, it's all
good. Quite simply, this is a storming album of precision Thrash, with a
few extras thrown in.
www.thearcaneorder.net
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www.metalblade.de |
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Theodore Ziras -
Hyperpyrexia (Sleazy Rider) Review by AJ Carlile |
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Theodore Ziras is one of the latest guitarists brought to my attention,
with a supporting band consisting of stand-out names such as Derek
Sherinian of Dream Theater fame, Brian Tichy, and Manos Markopoulos. Such
an accomplished support group certainly gives Ziras’ latest album a leg up
on the competition, but honestly, he doesn’t need it.
Ziras is a fantastic guitarist, well versed in a variety of styles. From
the frantic fretwork found in Rapid Eye Movement, to the heavier riffs
found in Night of the Dead and the title track, Hyperpyrexia, Ziras plays
well throughout. And while on occasion, you can pick out a
similar sound to other high profile guitarists, the vast
majority of the album is a unique style |
that’s a treat to listen to. I’ll admit, I had my doubts at
first, as the first three tracks were good, but not great.
However, Ziras
really upped the ante on the fourth track, Solitude, and everything
afterwards was as good, if not better, with some spectacular tracks such
as Salvation (My personal favourite of the album) and Hyperpyrexia.
The album is not without fault though. You do get the occasional solo,
which, while good, can disrupt the pacing of the track. The most obvious
example of this is in Rapid Eye Movement, though this is easily excused
given the nature of the album. The album also features a number of
keyboard solos from Derek Sherinian, which are good, don’t get me wrong.
But I really wouldn’t have minded missing out on a couple of them to give
Ziras a little more time to show what he’s capable of. And given the album
is only 41 minutes long, he could’ve used all the time he could get.
While I personally don’t think Ziras has quite reached the same level as
some of the phenomenal guitarists out there, I certainly wouldn’t be
surprised to hear his name mentioned in the same breath as them in the
not-so distant future. Overall, Hyperpyrexia is a great album, one I
would’ve willingly spent money on, and can more than happily recommend to
anyone who appreciates good guitar playing.
www.theodoreziras.com
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Totem - Day Before The
End (Metal Mind) Review by Chris Davison |
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Totem come from a small town about 40 km away from Krakow
Poland, which automatically got me in a great mood, as Krakow
is one of my favourite places on the entire planet. Please
allow me to utilise this space on behalf of the Krakowian
tourist board and sell you the idea of having a long weekend
there; there's stunning architecture, hearty food and drink
and some of the friendliest people I have ever met. There's
also a brilliant metal bar there with a massive jukebox packed
full of thrash and heavy metal, and a bloody great big castle.
(Krakowian tourist board to take note: I only accept cash).
Such globe-trotting asides apart, Totem (not to be confused
with the annoying retro |
bastards on I Hate Records) are a modern metal outfit with a
sound that sits rather neatly somewhere between the sound of
Machine Head (during their good phases, not the spangly jumpsuit pseudo-rap albums), Arch
Enemy during their more sedentary songs and Sepultura circa
Chaos A.D. Big old chunky riffs so obese they should be sent
to some celebrity fat camp are more common on this album than
liars in government. As an album it reminds me of Polish
cuisine: it's hearty, filling, honest and none too
complicated.
I've been a big Polish metal fan for around twelve years now,
since the first time I heard Vader, and most of what I have
heard has been from the death metal spectrum, so it's rather
refreshing to hear something that could quite easily receive a
rave review from the hacks at Metal Hammer. Of course, the
metal snobs among you might turn your nose up at the often
rather predictable song structures, the heavy yet easy
listening sound of the slick but none too taxing production,
and the nods to the “modern” which include mild touches of
electronica and clean vocal sections. I, on the other hand,
cannot live by the blast beat and rasping screams to Satan
alone. It isn't ever going to set the world on fire, but it's
an honest, enthusiastic and hard working album that does its
very best to be your friend. I, for one, am glad that Totem
made the effort. Oh, and if “Merry-Go-Round” isn't going to go
down a storm at festivals (if, that is, Totem can make their
way to the festival circuit), then I'll eat my own overpriced
luke-warm box of plastic-tasting noodles.
www.metalmind.com.pl |
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Type O Negative - Dead
Again – Red Version (SPV) review by Sam Thomas |
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Your mission: Review this DVD without mentioning Pete Steele’s
size. OK, here we go…
This is a reissue of last year’s excellent “Dead Again” – see
the review of the original
here. It was my fourth best album of the year, so
obviously I quite liked it. This time around, you get either
the original plus a DVD, or the limited edition package, three
LP (in red vinyl) plus bonus DVD including MP3s plus t-shirt
all in a collector’s box.
So what’s on the DVD? There’s a half hour segment of Type O
performing at Wacken last year, which is, as ever at European
festivals these days, superbly shot. You get four tracks for
your money, during the course of which Mr Steele demonstrates
multiple uses for red |
wine (drinking, washing hair, spraying the crowd). I’m
contemplating whether you could patent that particular shade
of luminous green that the entire set seems to be drenched in,
and maybe sell it as a paint colour. Then again, would anyone
want to paint a room the colour of Pete’s dog-collar?
There then follows the obligatory interview section, which, to
be honest, is a touch formulaic, apart from the extremely
bizarre piece entitled “Coney Island” where Josh gets to
wander round with a microphone and a video crew, asking
off-the-wall questions of passers-by and providing a
travelogue that guarantees no tourists for his home town. Add
to that a couple of video clips, which I presume the rest of
the world has already seen on MTV, and you’re done.
Being realistic, if you already own the album, the choice is
quite simple. If you’re a completist, or a mad keen fan of
Type O, and I know there’s a lot of you out there, you’ve
already decided to buy this, and you’ll love it. If not,
you’re probably already muttering “rip-off”. If you don’t
already own the album, then great: now you get more for your
money.
Mission completed. He really is a big fucker though, isn’t he?
www.spv.de |
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Warpath - Gorefare
(Underground Movement) Review by Luke Goaman-Dodson |
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While noted for superb folk-metal acts such as Primordial and
Cruachan, the Emerald Isle is not famed as being a breeding
ground for brutal death-metal, and Warpath, a five-piece with
members hailing from Kildare and Dublin, have taken it upon
themselves to change all that.
With their debut album, these Irish lads have crafted a decent
slab of death-grind that, while not massively innovative,
still manages to hold its own in a genre that is once again
getting fairly overcrowded. Strongly influenced by the likes
of Morbid Angel, Cannibal Corpse, and Krisiun, the amusingly
titled ‘Gorefare’ contains all the required components of a |
brutal-death release: apocalyptic liner design, comically
violent lyrical content delivered in a near-infrasonic growl,
and solid riffs appropriately calibrated to include the right
balance of blasting speed and groovy heaviness.
The album opens with the delightfully-named ‘Munting Season’,
an ode to necrophilia that at points betrays a blackened-death
influence. Afterwards comes ‘Blood Eagle’, inspired by a
horrific Viking punishment whereby the victim’s ribs would be
stretched outwards until they resembled wings, and ‘Brutal
Punishment’, one of the album’s standout tracks that starts
off with blastbeats, moves into a groove, includes a decent
guitar solo from Rowan O’Neill, and ends with a Gothenberg-influenced
harmonised riff. Other quality moments are provided with the
thrashing title track, and the homages to Slayer found in
‘Corpsulate’ and ‘Skinned and Salted’, the beginning of which
takes its cue from ‘Necrophobic’. All in all, a proficient and
enjoyable album that isn’t particularly ground-breaking, but
should satiate most gore-freaks out there.
www.myspace.com/warpathire |
www.s-finnerty.34sp.com/Warpath/Pages/index.htm |
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Winds of Plague -
Decimate the Weak (Century Media) By Zach
Bartlett |
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Winds of Plague have always intrigued me. They bring you the
usual elements of the deathcore genre; blast beats, growling
lows, and breakdowns, but what really sets them apart is their
inclusion of keyboards and “string sections.” Their first full
length “A Cold Day in Hell” gave me hope that someday this
band could really put out a great sounding album if they were
given any kind of a budget or signed to a decent label. Well,
a few years passed and they were recently signed to the
Century Media Records, who have been very active in signing
new metal/hardcore acts as of late. Shortly thereafter they
recorded “Decimate the Weak” and it quickly ended up in my
possession. |
| The first song off of the album is “A Cold Day in Hell” which
is an epic intro track with a marching-style beat and doesn’t
skip on the synthesized string sections. It quickly
transitions to the next song which is “Anthems of Apocalypse.”
The first two songs came off of “A Cold Day in Hell” and were
just re-recorded for this album, as did two of the other
songs, but the sound quality is so night and day that it
didn’t bother me that I had heard it all before. Track five
“One Body Too Many” is my clear-cut favorite song off of the
album. From the Asian-influenced intro to the face-melting
breakdown at about two minutes this song really exemplifies
Winds of Plague and what they bring to the table. They finish
the album with their most popular song (originally on “A Cold
Day in Hell) “Legions”, which brings the same punch as it
always has. Overall, the album is exactly what I expected from
this band once I heard they were signed to a major label.
Although having re-recorded material on an album may sound
mundane, the production and quality is so superb that it’s
easy to look past the fact that you’ve heard these songs
before. I would highly recommend this album to anyone looking
for an epic metal album that the kids can dance to as well.
www.centurymedia.com |
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