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Allerjen - No Guts No
Glory (Psychophonic Records) Review by Marco
Gaminara |
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This UK trio harking from Manchester consists of John Dower on
vocals and bass, Paul Wilkinson on guitar and vocals and
drummer Paul Tarbuck. And they are damned heavy. Musically
they are thrash with the occasional blast thrown in for good
measure, but vocally there are coarse and guttural growls that
are as low as the detuned bass guitar and then slightly higher
pitched growls in the range of the guitar. Originally recorded
for another label in 2006, but only after severing those ties
and whatnot, did it get released now. Opener and title track
"No Guts No Glory" is a statement that these guys are willing
to put everything on the line to make this as heavy as
possible and then they proceed to do so. A simple guitar |
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riff over pounded drums starts "Courage Will Find You" 'til
the guitars kick in with full force and step everything up a
notch. A funky slap bass intro takes us to "Scorch" where the
guitars assist on the tune, and dual vocals of growls and
deeper growls bounce along to the staccato beat. Plodding
along like a mammoth, "Anger Personified" carries itself in a
way that the better Bolt Thrower tracks do, with long drawn
out growls and smashed snares. Slow and melodic from the
outset "The Heartbreaker" pounds into "Demise Of The Prophecy"
which keeps a similar pace at first and then steps things up
to a great headbanging beat. The fast drumming on "Fallen"
misleads you into thinking that everything else is fast too,
but the slower guitars and vocals work well over their tempo
giving it an interesting dynamic. If it weren't for the death
vocals on "Resurrection", I would say it's very rocky at
first, but ends very thrashy, which "Until All Are One" does
the whole way through. Very choppy rhythms for "Fire In The
Sky" are punctuated by sharp snares and a solid backbeat which
actually sounds better live. And speaking of live. Added to
the original album recording are two live tracks in the form
of "The Heartbreaker" and "Fire In The Sky (Barry Is A Spoon)"
which are on the album itself.
www.allerjen.com |
www.psychophonic.net |
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Arsis - We Are The
Nightmare (Nuclear Blast) By: Dave Schalek |
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Damnit, I really want to like this album! In 2004, melodic
death metal was stagnating, to say the least, and was straying
too far from death metal to continue to hold my interest.
Arsis’ monstrous debut and the follow up EP, “A Celebration Of
Guilt” and “A Diamond For Disease”, respectively, blew just
about everyone away and the future looked very bright indeed
for this young group from Virginia. 2006 saw the band not
slowing down with “United In Regret”, an album that I really
liked but was looked at as a lateral move by most everyone
else.
A jump from Willowtip to Nuclear Blast soon followed and has
now led to the release of |
the band’s third full-length, “We Are The Nightmare”. This
album absolutely shreds up the technicality with all over the
map riffing interspersed with
melodious guitar work, precise drumming with plenty of tempo
variation, and vocals evoking more than a hint of Angela
Gossow. In short, a near seamless blend of melodic death metal
on the Arch Enemy side of the genre with plenty of technical
death/ thrash thrown in for good measure. But, damnit,
something is lacking.
An emotional response to the music is absent. Also, the
songwriting, while slick and professional, is soulless. I hate
to say it, simply because everything else is present in
spades, but I’m ultimately somewhat disappointed by what I
hear on “We Are The Nightmare”. It took me a couple of listens
to put my finger on it, but Arsis has failed to deliver an
emotional impact with “We Are The Nightmare”. Yes, I do find
myself tapping and nodding along to the songs and I’m somewhat
warmer towards the album than I was with my first run through,
but Arsis has failed to deliver that breakout album that
would’ve solidified their place in the pantheon of great
bands. I’m actually a little pissed about that.
www.nuclearblastusa.com
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Asia - Phoenix
(Frontiers/EMI) Review by Metal Mark |
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Back in 1982 I couldn't afford albums yet, so my main exposure
to music was the radio. I was only 12 so I easily soaked in
what was coming in to my room through the various rock and pop
channels of the day. The radio would eventually lead me to
bands like Van Halen, Judas Priest, Dio and others. However a
number of pop, AOR and other forms also came to me. One of
those was Asia as I was taken in by the melodies and highly
polished hooks of songs off their self-titled debut.
Subsequent albums like Alpha and Astra didn't quite have the
same formula or appeal for me. They have bounced back and
forth with various releases over the years, but now in 2008 we
get the first release since 1983's Alpha to |
feature the entire original line-up.
The opener "Never Again" comes on with a smooth and steady
approach that was pleasing enough, but maybe a little flat. At
this point I was thinking that it wasn't a bad start and if
they could pick it up a little that this album might be
something. Unfortunately, that wasn't the case as "Nothing's
Forever" is an appropriate title because it's sappy vocals and
damp music had me thinking that this band didn't have a whole
lot left. It's gets worse though as track three "Heroine" is
stomach churning, mind-killing sap at it's worse. It's so bad
that it sounds like it could be a spoof of 1980's love songs,
but they are actually trying to be serious so it really is
that bad on many different levels. Several other songs after
this fall into the same vat of syrupy worthless pulp as well.
It just seems like Asia forgot about strong song structures,
hooks and building up anything on this album. Instead it's
full of a few brief flourishes of music here and there with
lots of clichés and filler taking up the bulk of the time. The
closer "An Extraordinary Life" might have some genuine life to
it or it may just seem better than it is because many of the
other songs before it are so poor and empty of any spirit.
Overall Phoenix serves as a strong reminder that you can't
always relive the past. Asia may be hoping that this album
picks up on their success in the early 1980's, but one play
will quickly have listeners thinking otherwise.
http://originalasia.com |
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Belphegor - Bondage Goat
Zombie (Nuclear Blast) By: Dave Schalek |
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The always solid Belphegor return with yet another
full-length, their third in three years while still taking the
time to exhaustively tour the U.S., and elsewhere, quite
extensively. This one’s entitled “Bondage Goat Zombie” and
continues the stylistic assault of blackened death metal with
the organic, rough edge that the band is known for.
Not much changes on this album with regards to their last few
full-lengths, and that’s just fucking fine with me, frankly,
as I’ve needed a serious dose of blackened death metal to
light up my day recently. Chock full of Satanic sexual
imagery, bondage, and sadomasochism, “Bondage Goat Zombie” has
a great range of mix of songs overlaying a |
solid blackened death metal base. Organic riffing, all out blasts (continuing
the band’s penchant for burning through drummers), a great,
dual vocal delivery with an original, understandable growl and
screech, some thick bass, variations in tempo, you name it,
are all present on “Bondage Goat Zombie”, probably the best
written of the stylistic triumvirate of the band’s last three
full-lengths. In addition to the all out blasts, there are
some nice variations in tempo with plenty of heavy dirges
intermixed with the assault and even a few moments of, dare I
say it, melody with some definite concentration upon liquid
guitar work and the odd solo or two. The result is a great mix
of catchy songs while still keeping the focus on flattening
the listener with a Satanic, sexually laced death metal
assault. The album also has the nice quality of increasingly
growing on you with each listen, rather than finding your
interest waning with time.
For some reason, I always find myself comparing Belphegor to
Behemoth, although the two bands are somewhat stylistically
dissimilar. I find that Belphegor’s less technical, more
organic approach to blackened death metal is particularly
effective and I eagerly await the band’s releases. You can’t
go wrong with “Bondage Goat Zombie”; buy or fucking die.
www.belphegor.at |
www.nuclearblast.de |
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Crimson Glory - Self Titled
Re-issue
(Metal Mind) Review by Metal Mark |
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Back in the mid
1980's before progressive metal was even really a label, there
were a few pioneers who were establishing the sound that would
eventually become it's own genre of metal. Queensryche and
Fates Warning get a lot of credit, but one band that is too
often overlooked is Sarasota Florida's Crimson Glory. They
formed in 1982 as Beowulf, but would soon complete their
line-up and change their name. By 1986 they had developed
their sound which included a soaring double guitar attack, a
solid rhythm section and some impressive vocals. Sometimes
this band tends to get knocked aside for being too much like
Queensryche or some people just can't forget the silly masks
these guys wore for a while.
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Hearing this re-issue is a bit of a re-visiting for me as I
had not heard this one in some time. It's actually better than
I remembered because I had forgotten just how active the
guitars are. Some progressive metal gets so caught up in
itself, but every song here is moving forward with a lot power
in tow. They don't stop for self-indulgent passages, every
part is directed towards the goal of strengthening the song.
Although the music is involved, it never comes over as being
too much. They knew how to keep themselves in check and
everything is just building and constructing the songs.
Metal Mind's re-issue includes the bonus track "Dream Dancer"
and a booklet with full lyrics and a band biography. A good
package for a solid debut that probably too many people have
either overlooked or have yet to discover.
www.metalmind.com.pl/index.php?jezyk=en
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Crimson Glory -
Transcendence Re-issue (Metal Mind) Review by
Metal Mark |
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By late 1988 Crimson Glory were set to release their sophomore
effort. This album is heavier, has stronger writing and higher
production values than their 1986 self-titled debut.
Everything about this album seems very well planned as the
band seems to know exactly where they are going. This
direction allows the listener to really be able to soak in all
that is transpiring as the band winds their way through some
solidly crafted material. The guitars this time around have
some definite rhythms mixed in with the flurry of sound that
ruled the first album. Vocalist Midnight sounds more in
control on this album and knows when and how to best use his
voice. The debut was good, but I quickly got the sense that
with this |
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album they wanted to build the momentum and the emotion more.
They not only accomplished that goal, but they made it look
pretty easy. This was easily their best album, but
unfortunately they didn't follow the direction that this album
was heading. Like the debut, this album is even better than I
remember it as it's heavier and far more active. I actually
remember first buying this on cassette when it came out and
probably wore out my copy by the early 1990's. Metal Mind's
re-issue includes a booklet with full lyrics and a band
biography plus the CD includes a re-mixed version of Lonely as
bonus track. Probably a top ten metal album of 1988 and
certainly one worth owning.
www.metalmind.com.pl/index.php?jezyk=en
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Dperd - Regalero Il Mio Tempo (My Kingdom Music) Review by Steve
Green |
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Dperd are an Italian duo consisting of vocalist Valeria Buono and Carlo
Disimone, who handles most of the instrumentation. If you are expecting
something heavy, forget about it. I feel this is more akin to the
soundtrack of a smoky jazz club than that of a Metal gig, but those of you
that like the darker side of life might quite enjoy this one. Particularly
those with a keenness for 4AD's 80s roster.
This is a very chilled out album and one I tend to play later in the day,
especially when the Missus has lit her daily quota of a 100 candles,
although it's an album that's confined to my headphones as she wouldn't
appreciate this at all. But as a solitary listen, I can still enjoy its
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beauty and dare I say it, its romantic attributes. The
majority of the songs on this album are stunning, albeit in a
laidback, sleepy manner. Valeria rarely raises her voice about
a sultry croon and the music never hits a BPM worth mentioning, with the bass and piano, quite often,
dictating the leisurely pace. So who is this going to appeal to? Probably
old school Goths and those with an interest in the darker side of the 80s.
Neanderthals and Philistines should give this a wide berth.
www.dperd.com
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Farmakon - Robin
(Candlelight Records USA) By: Dave Schalek |
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Yet another band from Finland, Farmakon, is a recent addition
to Candlelight Records’ ever expanding roster. Does
Candlelight intend to sign every band from Finland? At any
rate, I was unfamiliar with Farmakon’s prior output until the
release of “Robin”, the band’s second full-length. Immediately
upon hearing the opening track, “Time Tables”, you can’t help
but make obvious comparisons between Farmakon and Opeth. The
same up tempo, progressive style of death metal with serious
attention to riffing, time changes, and song structures that
Opeth have patented over their career is present in spades on
“Robin”. In addition, vocalist/bassist Marko Eskola is a dead
ringer carbon copy of Mikael Akerfeldt’s |
vocal style.
The Opeth comparisons continue with plenty of acoustical
interludes, a few moments of clean vocals (not nearly as well
done as those of Akerfeldt, however), melodies, a loud bass,
and excellent musicianship. All of this is pulled off fairly
well, but a pure Opeth clone will start to wear thin pretty
quick, particularly if you, like me, can only take Opeth in
measured doses. Luckily, Farmakon does differentiate
themselves with some unique twists present in their music.
First, unlike Opeth, Farmakon does incorporate a few fast
moments, even the odd blastbeat or two. These moments have
definite leanings to a more technical death metal style,
rather than just the straight up progressive style of Opeth.
In addition, there are a lot of jazz-like moments and
interludes present on “Robin”, with the inclusion of strummed
acoustical guitars, a prominent bass, and saxophone. Some of
these moments alternate between some sort of lounge act type
of music, and some rather bizarre, meandering saxophone that
you’d find in some basement jazz club at 3 o’clock in the
morning. Kudos to Farmakon for playing around with some
original elements, but the result is rather mixed as the weird
combinations present within songs can be quite jarring.
Overall, some of these songs, particularly later in the album,
just don’t gel together very well into a cohesive whole.
I can’t really say that I can recommend “Robin” for anyone
who’s not already seriously into Opeth. I found that some of
the more technical death metal leanings present early in the
album were well done, but I found myself getting annoyed and
somewhat disinterested as the album wore on. Eh.
www.candlelightrecordsusa.com |
www.farmakonband.com |
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Herrschaft - Tesla (Code666) Review by Steve
Green |
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Concepts are, for the most part, completely lost on me. So if you want to
discover the parallel universes the band have created, then visit their
website, which they've separated into two worlds: The Chaotic Landscapes
and The Sterilized World. Me, I'll just stick to enjoying the music.
Herrschaft are an Industrial/Electronic outfit from France, and
I have to say that I really like this album. It's a mixture of Dark
Electronica, pulsating EBM and possesses more twists and turns than your
average soap opera. If I were so inclined, which I'm not, I could quite
easily dance along with this. Human Soul is a combination of Ibiza style
dance/trance music
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and bouncy Industrial flourishes. Quite rightly, the band have
included it on their Myspace page as it's one of the albums
strongest songs and it's also a good representation of their overall
sound.
The danceability factor is very high throughout and I find that quite
refreshing, it reminds me of an extreme version of Jean Michel Jarre, with
harsh, almost Black Metal vocals, just to make it sound a little more
fucked up. The Defender follows this pattern to the letter, but with a
strong Teutonic presence in the backing vocals. Which in turn is completely at
odds with the music, but it works brilliantly. The title track adds an
Arabic twist which sounds like Cristina Scabbia on Lacuna Coil's early
albums (pre-selling out). Hey, it might even be a sample. But it matters
not, as it keeps the album interesting and fresh. And this album does feel
very fresh and exciting. Herrschaft have incorporated various styles of
extreme music to create one seamless entity. If you are fed up of the same
old shit, give this one a try.
www.h-noise.com |
www.myspace.com/hnoise |
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Kerbenok - Der Erde
Entwachsen (Gewollte Wunden) MCD (Northern Silence)
Review by Crin |
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The debut mcd from this German pagan Black Thrash meets death
act, a strangely enchanting release from Germanys Kerbenok.
The three tracks here amass to a lengthy twenty three minutes.
The music is melodic, atmospheric Black Metal set to a
mid-tempo beat. Thick guitars surge onwards, dragging the
thick sound across well constructed riffs and twisting
arrangements. The flute also plays an important part in the
overall musical vision of Kerbenok. There is no blatant genre
categorizing here as the band are pretty much doing their own
thing. One needs to absorb the songs in their entirety to
appreciate the musical vision here. Dark atmospheres set to
misty hillsides and a darkly aura of a pagan |
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winter melts from the music's raging soul. When the pace is
increased, the Black Metal malign bites like a rabid boar
ripping at your flesh. Severe riffs merge with sharp vocal
rasps in a melee of rage and blistering guitars. With three
tracks running at various levels of intensity, it seems like
five or eight have passed when the mcd ends. Quite mesmerizing stuff.
www.northern-silence.de |
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