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Krotalus - Blood
Offerings (Self Released) Review by Chris
Davison |
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This is a bit of a gem, for those of us who like the idea of
black metal, but would really rather the diabolic little
fiends would plug in their basses and stop copying Darkthrone
all the time. Krotalus, it seems, are comprised of old mates
from the U S and A who share a mutual love of all things
Slayer, Possessed and (of course) Venom. That aside, this is
an album that doesn't really sound anything like any of those
bands to any huge degree, but what it does have is the same
dark atmosphere that their illustrious predecessors had.
Now, one of the major issues I have always had with black
metal is that 95% of it sounds about as heavy as a gossamer
sack full of feathers, being recorded in such an amateurish |
way that the term “raw” doesn't even come close to describing
the sound. Not so with Krotalus. This is black metal,
undeniably, but black metal that has a huge and hefty dose of
thrash metal coursing through is veins. I don't mean the
ordinary splicing of the genres, which of course is generally
some ham-fisted melding of Kreator melodies and somebody in
the production studio turning the bass off. This is much more
like the melding of the larger, more bombastic Emperor
episodes with the intelligent, musical thrash of prime Sabbat
(UK). There is enough energy here to power several small
towns, with the likes of “Stripped of Innocence” sounding not
unlike a hammer being brandished against your front door. The
guitar work is utterly frenetic, coursing between
hundred-mile-an-hour sections and more considered mid-tempo
pounding, while the athletic drums and powerful bass work
combine to create a truly weighty bottom end rumble, not
unlike my very own arse after an all night Guinness and curry
session. The vocals are suitably high pitched and hoarse, and
perhaps most tellingly sound like they are screamed with
conviction, especially on “The Dark Prophecy”, when at any
time I expected to hear lungs splattering unpleasantly against
the microphone!
The songs are tight, evil and savage enough to appeal to the
black metallers, while being catchy and weighty enough to
appeal to the thrashers among us. This is a very self-assured
opening album, which is huge in scale and not lacking in
ambition. It's been a very long time since an American band
impressed me this much with a debut, and even longer since an
underground band from that continent lived up to the standards
set in Europe. Here though, in large part, is a band I can pin
my hopes on. Ferocious, esoteric, melodic and heavier than
walking in to your house to find King Diamond bumming your
mum. Excellent.
www.krotalus.com |
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Moonspell - Night Eternal
(SPV) Review by Steve Green |
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When Moonspell released Under Satanae last year, which was a
bunch of re-recorded pre-Wolfheart material, they re-awakened
my interest in them. Having been a big fan when they first
started, they left me cold when they changed direction with
Irreligious and for ten or so long years, Moonspell were
rarely in my thoughts. Under Satanae was a powerful release
and I'm pleased to say that the band have continued down the
same road with Night Eternal. Once again under the expert
direction of producer Tue Madsen, Moonspell have at last,
recorded the perfect follow up to Wolfheart, even if it has
taken them about 13 years.
Opening number At Tragic Heights has an Arabic intro to
enchant you with, before a |
spoken word passage takes over, the music gradually builds to
boiling point, with Fernando's words become more urgent as
every second passes. Eventually the song kicks in, and this is
the Moonspell I know and love. Heavier still, the title tracks
sees Moonspell switch into a full-on wrecking machine, with
Mike Gaspar's drums creating carnage at will. Shadow Sun is a
slightly slower number, but it's still a brooding monster that
is as heavy as hell and ready to strike at every opportunity.
Scorpion Flower is a beautiful number which sees Fernando
duetting with ex-Gathering singer Anneke van Giersbergen. The
change in pace, and intensity, works brilliantly and this is
the sort of quality that Paradise Lost should have been
producing after Icon, and comparisons with Paradise Lost are
quite noticeable towards the end of the album, but we are only
approaching the halfway point, so I'll continue.
Moon In Mercury is another angry, heavy as shit, death/black
number and I'm just loving every single morsel on offer here.
Hers Is The Twilight rattles along at breakneck speed, with
Mike Gaspar once again putting in a bit of overtime. The pace
disappears and an atmospheric gothic overtone takes over...
briefly. Moonspell are truly on fire with this album and it
seems nothing will stand in their way. Every song is just
perfect and I'm just bouncing away at my desk without a care
in the world.
Dreamless (Lucifer and Lilith) is a more measured number and
is where my Paradise Lost comparison comes in. This is how a
good Goth band should sound, utterly engaging and with clean
vocals you can totally immerse yourself in. And this number
proves that Moonspell can appeal to both sets of their fans,
those that prefer Irreligious and those that prefer Wolfheart.
And if you like both styles anyway, then you'll as happy as
the proverbial pig in shit. Spring Of Rage is one that I'm
sure will go down a storm live, again, it's a mixture of
Moonspell's heavier side and more restrained Goth, but it's
when it gets heavy, I can see a huge pit starting up.
Fernando, once again sounds like a man possessed as he battles
with the guitars, which I've not mentioned yet, but they are
so good throughout this album it's hard to know where to
praise them. Last number, First Light, isn't a million miles
away from Therion as it has an operatic/choral feel to it, and
my only complaint is that I would have switched the last two
numbers around as Spring Of Rage would have been a more
rousing finale. But that is a very minor grumble.
I don't know what prompted Moonspell to return to their roots
once again, but I'm bloody glad they did. This is an
absolutely stunning album and a possible inclusion in my top
ten albums of 2008, maybe even a top five contender.
www.moonspell.com |
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Mourning Beloveth - A Disease For The Ages (Grau) Review by Steve Green |
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Mourning Beloveth are a band I really should be a rabid fan of. I'm
sure our paths crossed back in their demo days, and despite being aware of
them and having heard a couple of songs before, this is the first album of
theirs I've actually owned. I'm sure that will be rectified after this
review, as A Disease For The Ages is such a great album, that I'll need to
own their entire back catalogue. But I didn't think that way at first as
this album is a bit of a grower. The first couple of listens didn't really
hit home, but by the third play, The Sickness really did have me hooked.
If you were a fan of older style My Dying Bride, then Mourning Beloveth
are a band you |
are going to love. This is torturous, bleak and soul
destroying Death/Doom. Darren's growled vocals are utterly
engaging and work perfectly with guitarist, Frank's cleaner
tone, and for the style, it doesn't get much better than this.
This is an album to totally immerse yourself in. The guitars
are hypnotising, the rhythm, ponderous and the vocals full of
despair and emptiness. Just what we need as the summer season
approaches. With five songs, spread over 55 minutes, you are
pulled under with every new number, and just as you are
starved of oxygen, another monstrous riff comes crashing in
and you begin the process all over again. It really is a
beautiful experience, and one I urge you all to partake in, as
this is quite possibly, the best Death/Doom album since Turn
Loose The Swans.
www.grau.cd |
www.mourningbeloveth.com |
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Onsetcold - Onsetcold
(Worm Hole Death/ Aural Music) By: Dave Schalek |
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Onsetcold are a five-piece from the UK playing a mix of
metalcore, melodic death metal, and a few touches of brutality
thrown in for good measure. Now, wait, before you start
rolling your eyes and skip to the next review, Onsetcold do a
decent job of treading well-worn territory and making it all
sound relatively fresh and interesting on their debut
full-length, simply entitled “Onsetcold” on Worm Hole Death
(there’s a way to go out if there ever was one)/ Aural Music.
For a young band with only a few EPs under their collective
belts prior to this release, “Onsetcold” is a mature work with
excellent musicianship, good songwriting that is able to |
lift a rather stagnant genre to new heights, and excellent
production. Throw in precise riffing, breakdowns, and good
variations in tempo, and you end up with an album that belies
the relative inexperience of the band. In addition to the
trappings of metalcore, there are bursts of speed with a
melodic death metal vibe, as well as some keyboards and even a
rather strange nod to doom with a dirge present in the track
“Relentless”.
Metalcore isn’t really my thing, though, but I do recognize
the songwriting talent and excellent musicianship that is
present in Onsetcold. In addition, even to my untrained ears
for the metalcore genre, the songs are well put together and
avoid the trap of sounding generic and boring as many bands in
this genre are prone to do.
Will Onsetcold set me on a path to becoming a huge fan of
metalcore? No, and, honestly, I probably won’t revisit this
debut often, but, if you’re into metalcore and melodic death
metal, you’ll probably be suitably impressed with Onsetcold.
Overall, this debut is recommended.
www.wormholedeath.com |
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StarofAsh - The Trend
(Candlelight Records) Review by Marco Gaminara |
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First off, this isn't a metal CD in any way shape or form,
even though the participants are all from metal/punk
backgrounds. To be honest I wasn't certain I could actually
review this because it's so ambient and feels like the
soundtrack to some kind of abstract art project movie. That
said, it is really relaxing and nice to listen to, and makes a
complete change from everything else I've reviewed of late.
The band is the brainchild of Peccatum's Heidi Solberg Tveitan,
and I guess kinda explores a very soft and tender side. Mostly
instrumental in content, the album opens with "How To Invent A
Heart" which floats seamlessly into "Him And Her" which has a
myriad of sounds creating its languid tapestry. |
| Heidi's haunting vocals are first heard on "The World Spins
For You", and they could bring tears to the eyes of a clown,
as they could on "Drag Them Down" too. Sounding like a cross
between wind chimes and a piano, the eerie soundscape of "The
SnakePit" uses trumpets and trombones for an ominous
foreboding presence that occasionally slips in and out of
view. Piano and slowly picked guitars over a bittersweet vocal
melody drive home the message of "An Apology Gone Bad". The
buzzy bass sound on "Blood, Bones And A Skull" kinda reminds
me of that employed on Ulver's 'Kveldssanger', and in many
ways the male vocals sound a lot like Garm for that matter.
The soothingly sung male vocals are used again on "Crossing
Over" perfectly accompanied by piano and the female vocals.
The "Epilogue" is the occasion tickling of a couple
of ivories
and the odd word, but it winds everything down in the way a
lullaby would the day for a child. The bonus track "Neo Drugismo" again employs tinkling ivories and a vast range of
other subtle background sounds and spoken words in Japanese,
which reminds me a bit of "Heroine Chic" by Paradise Lost in
the way it meanders to its conclusion. There's a video for
this track on the CD too, which is a weird experience in
itself. www.StarofAsh.com |
www.CandlelightRecords.co.uk |
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Trilogy For Domination 3 way split cd
(Azermedoth Records) Review by Crin |
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Featuring from Mexico, Ereshkigal, from Portugal, Infernal
Kingdom, and from Columbia, Infernal.
Infernal, are a well established Columbian band with three
albums already under their belts and start this split with an
astonishingly simple, yet melodic almost black/punk/metal
hybrid track. The guitar dominates the sound and is used to
full effect, igniting the energy of this potent act from South
America. The depth of the compositions outweighs the raw
desolate production. Its like Iron Maiden or Saxon stripped to
the bone marrow and regurgitated from the vomiting jaws of
death. With no trace of the former, you can still sense a
Metal |
soul trapped within the potent Black Metal primitivism.
Ereshkigal follow and totally disrupt the Black and Roll flow
with a blasting inferno aural assault. Back to basics Black
Metal until the track implodes into an acoustic interlude and
rousing mid section. There is a taste of Bathory emanating
from the more virulent and orthodox Black Metal approach, and
the cover of Bathory’s, Armageddon is a kindly reminder to
the rough and thrashy style to the music.
Infernal Kingdom end
the cd with an intro of wind and gun smoke that bleeds the icy
minimalism of the imminent aural blitzkrieg. The first track
plummets the sound into the unholy piss pits of harrowing
Black Metal. Infernal Kingdom, are pure simmering Blackness
and sign off the cd in a savage onslaught to the ears.
This cd can be obtained from
www.godreah.com |
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Unleashed - Hammer Battalion Unleashed
(SPV) Review by Chris Davison |
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It might be a sign of just what an old bugger I am, but it
doesn't seem two minutes since I was reviewing their last
album, “Midvinterblot”. That release was one of the best of
2006, and a fine sign that old school brutality, catchy song
writing and uncompromising attitude could combine to make a
potent brew. The problem is with such strong releases, just
how can any band hope to better their work?
Well, Unleashed seem to have the answer. Put simply, it is “be
better”. Unleashed have (for my money) been the Motorhead of
the Swedish death metal world. They have stuck to their guns,
refused to change for anybody but themselves, ignored trends
and fads, and kept |
their heads down producing quality after quality records. They
have kept to their guns long enough that they have once more
come to the attention of the metal press. I suspect that Mr Hedlund and co won't care much what the
critics say, because their sole aim is to produce quality,
unfettered death metal.
Hammer Battalion is prime Unleashed. “The Greatest of All
Lies” starts off with a furious cry, before locking onto a
deathly groove so massive that entire armies could be lost in
them. “Long Before Winter's Call” is a martial call to arms,
the mid-tempo march punctuated by hammer-like percussive
blows. “Your Children Will Burn”, despite having a main riff
that sounds like it might have been...erm...inspired by “Piece
by Piece”, has a chorus that epitomises the terror of modern
genocidal warfare. “Hammer Battalion” is as close to a
rallying anthem that Unleashed have ever had, a veritable hymn
to violence and warfare, while “This Day Belongs to Me” is
probably the highlight of the album for me. A doomy, dissonant
number, it gives way to a lurching, monstrous other worldy main
riff that brings to mind madness. When Hedlund bellows, “Odin,
set me free”, you get the impression that this is a heartfelt
cry. Way before power-metal poseurs were tinkling their
keyboards and pretending to worship Thor, Unleashed were
praying to them with blood-drenched death metal. “Marching off
to War” does what it says on the tin, while “Entering the Hall
of the Slain” contains a more effective gallop than the famous
light brigade. “Black Horizon” is an out and out destroyer,
while “Carved in Stone” could teach Amon Amarth a thing or two
about properly bringing to mind Viking spirits. An ode to
fallen warriors, this does what all death metal should –
produce an ominous and oppressive atmosphere while still
sounding like it wants to rip your head off and paint with
your blood. “Warriors of Midgard” is a real crowd pleaser for
any audience with the rousing lines, “The New Breed that Won't
be Led / We Define the Road Ahead”. “Midsummer Solstice”, as a
counterpoint for “Midvinterblot” is a more up-tempo track,
with an excellent jagged guitar refrain during the chorus.
“Home of the Brave” is a typical Unleashed fist-in-the-air
stomper, while closer “I want you dead” evokes the classic
spirit of a bygone classic era of death metal. It's also a
track perfectly chosen to bookend the record; after its'
cessation, you feel completely satisfied.
All the usual ingredients are here; buzzing, chainsaw guitars,
tasty lead work (with much more string-bending than I remember
on previous albums), rumbling, bowel worrying bass and drums
that are so organic that they sound like a controlled exercise
in pushing drums down the stairs. Hedlund, of course, remains
on top of his game as one of the classic death metal singers,
as happy grunting as he is singing in a gravelly, evil tone.
This then, is the new perfect sound of Unleashed; unrelenting,
unsurrendering aural warfare. Be invaded, or surrender. Best
album of the year so far? Yup.
www.spv.de |
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Venom - Hell (Sanctuary)
Review by Crin |
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Legends don’t come bigger than this in the extreme metal
world, the originators of Thrash, granddaddies of Black Metal,
founders of all things growling and Christ raping. The bands
first three albums, Welcome to Hell, Black Metal, and At War
With Satan is a trilogy of Satanic super charged NWOBHM.
Venom's all consuming second album, Black Metal, was the opus
that re-shaped the Metal world, levelled to dust the NWOBHM
revolution and spawned the likes of Metallica, Slayer, Bathory
and Celtic Frost [the list is literally mind blowing] so I’ll
end it here. Like the great acts of lore, Sabbath and Purple,
the albums following such cult beginnings are often lame,
tired and running on air, with the past |
propping up the laurels of the present. Venom suffered the
same self activated fate, with every release following the
fourth album, Possessed, being all too familiar, all too tired
and never to harness the raw energy of the initial burst of
creative genius. Cronos having jumped
ship in the mid era of the bands history returned in 1996,
with a new line up and offering solid albums in the form of
Cast in Stone [1997], Resurrection [2000] ,and Metal Black
[2006]. All having a great degree of songcraft and bold
compositions, especially on the hard as nails, Resurrection
opus. Now this aptly titled release managed to re-kindle a
flicker of the former glories long since gone. Cast in Stone
had its share of thrashing head cracking tracks, and the
recent Metal Black certainly managed to raise the odd hair on
the back. The problem of offering a fair criticism of a
current Venom album is the very back catalogue hindering each
and every word. And the point is to not to compare the latter
with the former. Nothing will ever match the smouldering aural
poison of hearing something never heard before, of witnessing
a new form of music arising from the smoke before your eyes.
Are Venom relevant now? I think not as the music here is far
from the Blackened terror one instantly is consumed with when
the very name Venom is mentioned. The band is cursed with its
own legacy and no matter what music the band creates, it shall
always fall under that shadow. Sure, this new release has some
hard and growling tracks, a few glimpses of the ‘Stand up and
be Counted’ [from At War with Satan] style anthemic numbers
the band were famed for fashioning. The opener, Straight to
Hell, is a typical up-beat paint by numbers track. What follows
is polished [Venom polished!!] repertoire of catchy numbers
that have that familiar bass rumble and guitar tone, and more
importantly the gruff vocal delivery of Cronos. The tracks are
all pretty safe, pretty harmless and retain none of the biting
anger of what Venom represent. Still, I have played this
latest album a dozen times and all it seems to do is make my
memories fonder. If you have never heard of Venom then this
album will come across as a hard and heavy, metal album [like a
drowsy Pantera] that is neither Black nor death in tone,
neither thrash nor rock in texture. In fact its hard to place
it anywhere as it is Venom doing the same melodic metal music
they have been doing since time began. Venom on stage will
always be about hearing Black Metal, Bloodlust, and the rest.
The title of this album is far from the realization of its
contents. Pure blazing music from Hell, go and seek a Polish
underground Black Metal band. Venom's reanimation of Hell was
25 years ago, and maybe that’s the whole problem with the
bands relevance today………………
Oh, the secret recent live stuff tagged on the end [of my copy
any way] is a pure adrenalin rush. Gut recoiling renditions of
Welcome to Hell, In League with Satan, Poison, Live Like an
Angel and Die Like a Devil, and 1000 Days in Sodom. Now that
was the Venom that changed my life so many moons ago.
www.venomslegions.com |
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