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Marduk- Re-issues III
(Regain Records)
By: Dave Schalek |
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The next batch of re-issues from Marduk is launched by the
ever reliable Regain Records in the form of “Nightwing”,
“Panzer Division Marduk”, “Live In Germania”, and “Obedience”.
Each re-release is given the full remastering treatment by
Magnus ‘Devo’ Andersson, and is issued with all new cover and
layout artwork, comprehensive booklets, and loads of extras.
“Nightwing” and, especially, “Panzer Division Marduk” are all
out blasts that continue the style found on “Heaven Shall
Burn…”, and mark the middle period of Marduk prior to a slight
change in style that began with “La Grande Danse Macabre”.
Each album is given stellar treatment here with excellent
cover art, lyrics, and thematic booklets dealing with each
album’s separate subject matter. The sound quality of each is
excellent, and the extras are more than worth your time.
“Nightwing” has new cover and booklet artwork by the Italian
artist Lorenzo Mariani. The layout was designed by current
Marduk vocalist Mortuus (also did the layout for “Live In
Germania”). The album also features a bonus DVD entitled
“Blood Of The Saints”. Incidentally, “Blood Of The Saints” is
noteworthy as it was the working title of “Nightwing” while
Marduk was preparing its recording in 1997. At any rate, the
DVD consists of eight songs from a Rotterdam concert from 1998
(Marduk was opening for someone from the looks of it), and was
filmed with a single video camera from a balcony on the left
side. The sound is horribly muddy and the video quality is
very grainy, but the film does capture the raw intensity of
Marduk’s performance with blistering speed, and frenetic smoke
and lighting effects that struggle to keep up with Frederik
Andersson.
“Panzer Division Marduk” is also given excellent treatment
with a new booklet and excellent photographs from, I believe,
both World War I and II. The extras include the rare tracks “Deathride”,
which sounds like an early version of “Baptism By Fire”, and
“Todeskessel Kurland”. Also included is a homemade video of
“Panzer Division Marduk” by Lorenzo Mariani. The film
intersperses some black and white stage footage of Legion and
World War II battle footage. Nicely done.
The EP “Obedience” is also given some new artwork, as well as
the bonus cover tracks “Paint It Black” (yeah, the Rolling
Stones) and “Earth AD” (the Misfits), which were previously
only available from the “Blackcrowned” box set (at least, in
the U.S.).
Lastly is “Live In Germania”, the live album recorded during
the “Heaven Shall Burn…” touring cycle, and is most noteworthy
for the presence of Peter Tagtgren on second guitar |
(unfortunately, there aren’t any photographs of Tagtgren
included in the album’s layout). There aren’t any extras on
the album itself, but there’s an accompanying DVD featuring a
concert from 1994. The footage is from Marduk’s first
appearance outside of Sweden (Oslo), and looks like it was
shot in the same tiny club as some of the footage seen from
Dark Funeral’s DVD from last year. Shot from a single camera
off to the left hand side, the footage shows the Gothburg-fronted Marduk all crowded together on the tiniest of stages. The
usual poor production is on display here, but that’s not the
point, obviously, as you get a good look at a seminal band
just starting out. Is that Varg Vikernes watching the show
from the front row? Looks like him, at any rate.
If you’ve been with me throughout my reviews of Marduk’s
re-issues, then you’re certainly going to want to go out and
grab copies of these re-releases. All come highly recommended.
www.marduk.nu
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Midnite Club - Circus Of Life
(Artistservice)
By: Joe Florez |
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Midnite Club is run by guitarist Steffen Seeger who was a one
time student of Joey Tafolla and is also a producer to boot.
This is the second album of more melodic rock/metal and
fronting the band is Evidence One singer Carsten Schulz. These
Germans spice up this record with a lot of meaty riffs and a
hearty helping of synths. “Circus” is a bombastic opener that
is high energy and never wimps out. The choruses just soar to
the heavens and Carsten's vocals may be of a croonish manor,
but you can tell that he is having the time of his life.
“Promises Remain” delivers on the goods with a nice helping of
70’s style rock thanks to the vibrant keyboard work. It’s
upbeat and full of vitality. Here we go again with |
the guilty pleasure songs of the 80’s that’s so bad, but so
good cause they are catchy. First, I heard two different
version of “Maniac” from the Flashdance movie. Now, it’s Top Gun’s
“Danger Zone” originally done by folk singer Kenny Loggins.
This version is varied slightly compared to the original.
There is more use of the keys here thanks to Axel Rudi Pell’s
Ferdy Doernberg. Carsten sort of sounds like Kenny, but rocks
this one out much harder. Everything on here is a bit more
revved up for maximum impact. Once again, the Euro band market
is all vying for your dollars to help support these artists
and while many of them happen to strike out, MC fires on all
cylinders at all times. They leave little to no room for lame
ass ballads. This is an all out rocker that will lift your
spirits.
www.midniteclub.de |
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Testament - The Formation Of Damnation
(Nuclear Blast) Review
by Marco Gaminara |
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I've been looking forward to this CD since I heard that
Testament was going to be releasing something this year, and I
am not disappointed. The instrumental opener "For the Glory
Of…" harks back to the days of old when they started albums in
a similar way and then "More Than Meets the Eye" is pure
Testament, which you can tell from Eric Peterson's solid riffs
and Chuck Billy's unique vocals. Back on bass duties, Greg Christian
thumps out the notes, while Paul Bostaph shows his class on the
drums. Alex Skolnick's leads are absolutely awesome, but then
one could expect no less from the guitar maestro. The easiest
comparison I can make to any of their previous works is that
this album is 'The New Order' |
meets 'Low', but with Billy doing far less death roars than
his strong thrash vocals. "The Evil Has Landed" touches on the
happenings of September Eleventh in NYC. Continuing in a political vein "The Formation
Of Damnation" points out the current failings of democracy and
highlights the fact that we still need to fight for our
rights. Peterson's lead here is as majestic as Skolnick's, and
it's great to have this team working together again. Using
different effects on the vocals per verse to give them added
effect, "Dangers of the Faithless" is a mid-paced affair with
a gentle rise in intensity and wailing solo. Bostaph's frantic
pace on "The Persecuted Won't Forget" is unrelenting, and the
harmonics on the rhythm riff add a flair that would certainly
be missed otherwise. Sustaining the intensity, or perhaps even
surpassing it, "Henchmen Ride" is true balls to the wall
Testament. Keeping things steadier is "Killing Season" where
they voice their opinion on being enlisted to fight for
someone's cause, and its detrimental effects on the
individual. As the lyrics to "Afterlife" are co-written by
Chuck Billy and Zetro Sousa, I'm uncertain whose father is
being mentioned, but either way the lyrics are heartfelt and
sincere. "F.E.A.R." is penned entirely by Alex Skolnick and
it's a hell of a lot faster than anything else he's written in
a long time and Billy's roar on the title brings the onset of
goose flesh as does Skolnick's lead. The chunky bass riffing
on "Leave Me Forever" drive the song along from almost ballad
to thrash attack, with Billy going from crooning to roaring. I
bought the Limited Ed. version which comes with a "Making
of..." DVD and in a hardcover booklet form, and I must say
that Nuclear Blast have spared no expense in the packaging
here, and Eliran Kantor's artwork is pretty good too.
www.TestamentLegions.com
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www.NuclearBlast.de |
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The Man From The Moon - Rocket Attack
(Black Mark) Review by Metal Mark |
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There were some truly great aspects to music in the 1980’s
such as the energy, the fire and the fact there was still a
great deal of room to create something new. Unfortunately
there was a downside largely in pop music as a number of bands
and acts often felt content to wallow in uncreative,
derivative pulp that would make me sick in a matter of
minutes. What added insult to injury in my book were these pop
bands that subscribed to the above formula and then tried
interjecting some lukewarm hard rock solos in some hope of
expanding their audience. Now to get back on track all of the
above description applies to this effort from The Man From The
Moon. They initially sweep on with some okay |
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moments, but they inevitably fall into a mode where they are
just churning out shallow, lightweight mush that has me seeing
images of Brat Pack movies and various sickening mid-1980’s
music videos that had me rushing to put on an Iron Maiden
album in order to save my sanity. The music is thin,
occasionally clunky and not really catchy enough to qualify as
good pop music. My one word synopsis would be of this album
would be “avoid”. |
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The Void - Vision Of The Truth (My Kingdom Music)
Review by Steve Green |
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Here we have something from the darker side of Italy's underground scene. I can name check you at
least a dozen
bands that I hear in The Void's sound, most of them are from the dark
side, but it's the combination of the varying sounds that make this album
work. I hear everything from Moonspell, Tiamat and Therion, right through to King
Diamond/Mercyful Fate, and just about every leading Goth band and the same
for the retro brigade. Their sound changes from song to song, which, as
I've discovered this past year, is very much the norm for Italian bands.
And although it keeps you guessing to what style is coming next, it does
kind of detract from the bands attempt to create their own sound,
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which obviously is not even on the agenda with this album.
They've played it quite safe and their sound will be very
familiar to those that like it dark and moody, with the
occasional symphonic interlude.
I like what I hear with Vision Of The Truth, but with the likes of Tiamat
and Moonspell both releasing great albums in the past month, I fear this
one won't get that much of a look-in.
www.into-thevoid.com |
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Ulvdalir - The Flame Once Lost
(Black Devastation Rec) Review by Crin |
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Lamenting icy Black Metal from Russia that sweeps though the
ears like a bad remix of Darkthrone Transylvanian Hunger. Raw,
rancid, hollow and colder than a corpse in a fridge. The music
almost sounds too clumsy to be real with the snapping snares
galloping onwards like a horse without its rider. The guitar
strums wildly thrashing up and down the fretwork, the vocals
yearning to be put out of their misery. Here is a first class
example of primitive yet bizarrely captivating Black Metal.
The first track, The Black Wind, reveals an agonizing journey
through string bending sorrow and brooding bass chords. Fast
sections collapsing into almost lamenting slow parts that
exist to make ya your blood run cold. |
Eleven minutes later the track ends and you must prepare for
the following aching Black Metal strains. This really is as
satanically envisaged as one could ask for. A veritable muse
from the bottomless abyss. Many bands can play fast and varied
forms of un-produced music, yet very few can capture the
atmosphere of pure evil. Very few can muster the impassioned
zeal to construe music that would serve as a choral theme for
death itself. If you are into the lowly Black Metal lurking in
the distant underground scenes afar, then this release will
blacken your days with ease.
This cd can be obtained from
www.godreah.com |
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