Live 4 Metal - Reviews

Decapitated - Humans Dust DVD (Metal Mind) Review by Chris Davison
	I love Polish heavy metal. I have to declare this as an early bias in my review, because alongside my love of all things Polack, I also have a real soft spot for Decapitated. Not with standing the awful tragedy to befall their outfit, I have always found them to be in the top tier of modern death metal. Not many bands can meld outstanding technical ability with the capacity to construct songs that you might want to listen to more than once, but this outfit have always had it in spades. Now, I have never had the opportunity to watch them live, which is a great shame, especially given that I will now never have the chance to have seen their jaw-dropping percussionist Vitek, thrashing the skins in the flesh. So, the next best thing is obviously to see the band live on DVD. My recent DVD reviews have all enthused about how spectacular the Metal Mind live DVDs are, and again we see the band playing live in Krakow, but this time from way back in 2002, so before The
Negation and just after their breakthrough “Nihility” album had dropped in from Earache records – though there were those of us who had, of course, already secured their Winds of Creation debut by this time. While therefore lacking some of the stronger songs from their later releases, you will get the opportunity to hear the lions share of cuts from their most essential two albums. At the time that those records dropped, they were almost entirely peerless in melding face melting brutal death metal, a technical sensibility constructed seemingly from stainless steel, and an ear for catchy, memorable songs. The Krakow gig is, as you would expect, as usual a powerhouse exhibition of super fine camera work, fine editing, wonderful lighting, a good (if not as clear as could be, particularly the somewhat muffled vocals) sound and an enthusiastic crowd. For me though, the real peach is on the bonus features. Alongside a three track live performance from the Polish edition of Ozzfest in 2002, there is a whole gig available from an outdoor festival in Katowice in 2004, following the release of “The Negation”. This is a simply jaw dropping performance. Every member of the band is on top of their game here – and while the normal crowd pleasers are brilliantly played here in the form of the hypnotic Mother War and the anthemic Spheres of Madness, it is the Negation tracks that really wowed me. Sensual Sickness is transformed from a so-so album track into an unbelievably unstoppable live behemoth. Closer, The Negation is so well played that it might just well be my favourite live death metal performance. The cavernous vocal echoes, the guys on guitars and bass seem to be so into the music that they are lost in some uber-death metal hypnotic trance. It is Vitek though, who casts such an unassuming and calm figure behind the kit while producing the kind of insane rhythmic pounding that his peers should watch it and curse that they don't have his talent. Simply incredible, and as fitting a tribute to how missed his talent will be as can be found today. Bonus wise, there are three rather expansive interviews in Polish with English subtitles, the usual written history, web links and the like, alongside a less than essential Winds of Creation video clip, which although a nice aside for long term fans is unlikely to get watched more than once. A bittersweet release then – brilliant as a live record of one of the true kings of that most brutal of genres, but also a poignant reminder of a fallen hero that, for once, was a true idol of extreme metal. I can only hope that Decapitated will be able to rise from the ashes and to once more make brilliant music. www.metalmind.com.pl/index.php?jezyk=en

Fish - 13th Star (Chocolate Frog) review by Sam Thomas
	Fish is one of those figures in my mental landscape who have been around almost forever, and yet about whom I know very little. Yeah, obviously I know he was the singer for Marillion (and yeah, I can still sing along, word perfect, to Kayleigh, name several other of their albums, even own a few), that he’s gone on to a solo career, that he’s a sometime presenter for Planet Rock, but I don’t know very much about him at all. Like, I had no idea he was a Scotsman. Or that he was large. So I wasn’t at all sure what to expect from 13th Star. Brilliant vocals, obviously. Clever lyrics, maybe. Anything else? Fuck knows. Whatever else, I wasn’t expecting to be so
completely blown away by each and every track on the album. Fish is extremely good at painting very detailed word pictures, and evoking a certain familiarity from the listener, which makes his work extremely powerful. The first two tracks took me back to my twenties, with references to the Circle Line and to the title of a Joe Haldeman novel that I read at that time. Kind of spooky in a way, as that was probably also the time when I was listening to Marillion first time around… Connections are strange things. Probably my favourite track on the album is the fourth, “Zoe 25”, which has absolutely nothing to do with Britney’s kid sister. It’s just such a detailed picture of London bedsit land, hangovers and reheated takeaways and all. Fish can crank up the pathos with the best of them, with this tale of missed opportunity and hopelessness. Fortunately (unless you’re a shareholder in Kleenex) the rest of the album is rather more upbeat, with the positively happy “Arc of the Curve” and the rather strident “Manchmal”, with its very dominant list pattern. The acid test of a review album is whether you ever listen to it after the review is written. And I can happily say that I’m intending to take this in the car with me tomorrow, because it passes the secondary test as well: my passenger loves it as well. It wasn’t all roses however, I decided to buy Fish’s previous album, and that bore no comparison to this at all. In fact, it will very soon be available at a well-known auction site… I don’t think I’m going to try too hard to describe the musical style here – metal, definitely, shades of prog, but without irritating widdly bits, possibly. Fundamentally it doesn’t matter how I describe the music, it’s quite simply the best album I’ve heard since Threshold’s Dead Reckoning. And that was my album of the year last year. Make the obvious deduction, and then go out (or stay in) and buy 13th Star. www.the-company.com

Folk Stone - Folk Stone (Fuel Records) Review by Steve Green
	We've not yet reached the summer solstice and I'm already agonizing over my end of year top ten, and it's going to get even worse when I have to decide my favourite album of 2008 in 6 months time. Throwing their collective hats into the ring for that title are Italian medieval rockers Folk Stone. The first instrument you hear on this album is the bagpipes, and if that's your bag, then you are going to love this album. If you like the rabble rousing battle metal of Turisas, or the latest sensations on the Pagan scene, Eluveitie, the bagpipe led hoedowns of Scottish nutters Soar Patrol (who are also one of the best live bands around) or the bagpipes meets
medieval ditties of Germany's Wolfenmond, then you are also going to be killing yourself to get hold of this album. This is right up there with all of the bands I've just mentioned and despite the comparisons I've made, Folk Stone have their own distinct, and thoroughly enjoyable, sound. There's a medieval vibe running straight through the heart of Folk Stone, and I for one, cannot get enough of this kind of music, especially the all out bagpipe fests, such as Oltre Il Tempo. This is very much a party/festival album with endless opportunities for dancing around like a lunatic or just for drinking copious amounts of alcohol... and dancing around like, well, a lunatic. I'm sure at festivals, Folk Stone would even give Korpiklaani a run for their money in terms of pure entertainment value. They've captured the party vibe perfectly on this album and it comes very highly recommended and is utterly essential for all lovers of quality Battle/Pagan/Medieval/Folk Metal. Visit them via www.myspace.com/FolkStone

Hell N’ Diesel - Passion For Power (Locomotive Records) By: Joe Florez
	Seems like more and more bands are opting for the dirty rock n’ roll sound over metal and that suits me fine. Now, from Sweden we get five guys giving it their all on this debut. Just based on their pics alone they look like glam rockers who got into a scuffle with Motorhead and that is the result. As for the music? It’s party time. “Sweet Sister” contains everything you need to get the show rolling. Electrifying bluesy riffs along with a slammin’ rhythm section and vocals from a guy named Evil (I know…original, right?) that’s gritty and high pitched sort of like Axl Rose. The difference is that Evil can lower his register a bit as well when he needs to and we even get the almighty “cowbell.” Yes! We can all use
more cowbell, no? Anyway, turn this one up to ten cause it will shake your speakers with excitement. After four hard rockin’ cuts, the gang decides to slow it down with “Fallin‘” complete with piano. A real soft number here despite the high voice. I think though that at five minutes, it’s a little too much. Could have been trimmed to 3 and a half… tops. Well, anyway you slice it these guys are just ramped up on energy as this debut will showcase. Whether, it’s an up tempo jam or a more mid paced compo there’s no lack of power here. At forty -five minutes, this is all you need as this isn’t exactly all that original. Just good ol’ fashion R ’N’ R. So, if you dig Hanoi, GN’R, or anything in the glam rock genre with a bit more bite should feast on this one. Thank God the Swedes have given up something besides melodic death metal. www.locomotiverecords.com \| www.hellndiesel.net

Imagika - Feast For The Hated (Locomotive) Review by Metal Mark
	Imagika have been cranking out their brand of power metal/thrash since the mid 1990’s. To my ears “Feast for the hated” has them spreading out a little more and perhaps even becoming a little less predictable. They storm forward with crushing assaults of thrash, but quickly begin injecting dives and twists and melodies with both vocals and instruments changing the pace back and forth. I am not sure they are always certain in which direction they are heading, but they just keep moving forward and punching and pushing in parts as they go. The results are not perfect, but they are favorable as I get the impression that this band is starting to come into their own more than they have in the past. Power metal fans
might embrace it a little more easily than thrash fans just because the style isn’t the basic thrash formula, but there is certainly enough contained on these ten tracks to please fans of both. The vocals get a little out of control at times and don’t always fit, but they took chances on several levels and for the most part it works out. Glad to see this band taking some chances and hopefully it will get them some of the notice that they deserve. www.locomotiverecords.com

Obnoxious - Dismal Swarming Shape EP (Self Release) Review by Steve Green
	Judging by the band name and possibly by the look of some of the band members in their promo photo, I was expecting something either Hardcore, or even Punk based, but no, this is Death Metal vocals with a kind of Thrashy/Death musical overtone. And for what it is, this is an ok release. I can't tell you it's the best thing since sliced bread, because it isn't. But it's a solid and perfectly acceptable first EP. It's got a good groove, there are plenty of cool tempo changes, with sensible use of samples and atmospherics, and I really like the guitar tones Mathieu and Leny have got going on. In fact, as far as the music and the production goes, I don't have a single complaint to make. My only quibble is that I don't
think the band name suits the type of music they are producing here, but it's the music that counts, and this could be a band to watch if they crank it up a few gears on their next release. Another goodie from the French underground. www.myspace.com/obnoxiousmusic

Pelvic Fury - Non-Euclidean Nightmare (Self Released) Review by Metal Mark
	I wasn’t completely sure what to expect here, but I am always sufficiently please when an album is better than I hope. Pelvis Thrust hail from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and started out in 2001. They have gone through some line-up changes and have now released Non-Euclidean Nightmare. Pelvic Fury play a rather frantic style of thrash with some strong progressive metal bursts woven into the mix. Right from the start, this album just busts open with an explosion of sounds which are almost difficult to keep up with. Once my ears adjusted then I just sat back and soak in the sounds that were being thrown and grinded out. These guys have the technical know how in abundance and they keep pushing
forward bringing a rather intense display that just keeps flowing no matter how many pace changes they throw in. The vocals are about as brutal as the music is tight and despite the contrast, I think the results are very impressive. I think this an album that I enjoy more with each play because there is so much taking place here that you can’t it all in with just one play. Yet with repeated plays I was noticing more impressive parts that I didn’t catch the first or even second time around. www.myspace.com/pelvicfury

Saint Deamon - In Shadows Lost From The Brave (Locomotive Records) By: Joe Florez
	When I opened the package and found this inside, my first thoughts when I looked at the name and cover was that this was another black metal release. Once inserted into my player, I was surprised it that it was metal/power metal. Since I have never heard of these guys, some research was needed to be done. Well, for starters, this is the Swedes first release and the members that comprise this group from Highland Glory, Dionysus, Ride The Sky and Sinergy. This is interesting music because it’s not your typical power metal genre. “My Judas” which kicks things off is a mild mid paced composition that is smart and still packs enough power and emotion. Some double bass drumming is utilized here, but
it’s vocalist Jan-Thore that we are listening to cause he has such a presence. He reminds me of a combination of Joacim Cans (Hammerfall) and Urban Breed (Tad Morose). Fear not though because he has a sound all his own, but that is who I think of, if I was asked who to compare it to. There are some acoustic guitars thrown in as well and the usual shredding guitar solos. Very good opener. The title track runs on high octane fuel and quite frankly this could have started things off, but whatever. This one fires on all cylinders while doing its best to avoid the pratfalls of sounding cliché. Hot damn, “My Heart” goes all out here as Jan really lets his vocals talents loose. He really hits those highs without ever sounding annoying. There are string arrangements inserted here, but used minimally. A nice power ballad if you will. I never heard a track sound so bombastic and sincere at the same time. For the most part, this is a pretty smart release despite it having a few happy riffs. Some of the music is dark too, which is always welcomed. Power and true metal fans should be able to find it in their hearts to accept this in their collection. Whether it’s fast paced or low key, you will find it in here. Now, go out and support this new act. www.locomotiverecords.com \| www.saintdeamon.se

Sanctrum - In Harm’s Way (Metalcast Records) review by Sam Thomas
	Sanctrum are from Uppsala, Sweden and “In Harm’s Way” is their debut full-length album after a couple of demos. I would make an educated guess that vocalist (and chief lyricist) Irfan Cancar and guitarist Volkan Akol could well be of Balkan origin, but I could be completely wrong here. Their style is fast-paced, aggressive metal, with vocals reminiscent of The Haunted, ie raw and screamed. The guitar is both compelling and fairly basic (in fact my fifteen year old son did ask why I was listening to someone playing scales on the guitar, but musically he’s stuck in the Eighties anyway) but that actually adds to the performance rather than detracts from it.
This is a whirlwind trip through a series of nightmare scenarios, death, pain and fighting featuring heavily amongst the portraits of mankind’s evil. Title track “In Harm’s Way” is one of the more interesting musically, being simply an eerie, dissonant collection of notes which could have been an intro if it weren’t for the fact that it’s three-quarters of the way through the album. “A Cry From the Grave” is a powerful description of the Serbian massacre of 1995, with machine guns rattling in the background. The one big criticism I would make of this album is of the artwork. It’s just completely wrong. I have before now bought CDs based on the cover, because it gives me an inkling as to the type of music contained within. This one has a black and white image of a woman’s head and shoulders, with her head thrown back, looking for all the world as if she’s taking part in a third rate porn epic. I just can’t see any relationship to the music at all, and that bugs me. As a debut album, this is very accomplished. The production is first-rate, vocals superb and it all hammers along at a good lick. Definitely a band to listen out for. www.sanctrum.com \| www.metalcastrecords.com

Terrordrome - Vehement Convulsion (Grindethic) review by James Young
	You really have to be careful with death metal these days - from every part of the world you have ‘brutal’ bands emerging which sound identical, and it’s impossible to keep up with the endless surge of such generic offerings. Luckily there are still bands out there which fly the flag of good death metal, with talent and creativity, and Terrordrome from Greece are one of those. Blatantly paying homage to acts like Gorgasm and such like (which in all fairness is easier said than done), we do not have anything overtly original here, but Vehement Convulsion is still half an hour of enjoyable insanity. It’s a fairly technical breed of brutality which you either love or hate, with songs averaging from two to
three minutes which don’t follow any coherent structure, but fly off on tangents with guitar squeaks and supreme blasts. It can’t be easy balancing all the various components of the band, but the production is as perfect as you can get, which increases the heaviness tenfold. Peter "Terror" Ouzounis’ vocals are somewhere between actually saying words and merely clearing his throat in the ‘bree bree’ style which so many groups favour. The drumming, such as in ‘Eradicate The Indigence’, is as tight as a nun’s you-know-what, and the speed which Bill Stavrianidis knocks out the blasts before changing to double bass drums is pretty astounding. Even more neat-sounding is the linking of speedy passages with frenetic and mad guitar melodies or grooves, courtesy of Sakis Chatzitakis. Songs such as ‘Infected Fornication (Inception Of Carnal Enslavement)’ contain the Gorgasm-style whirly riffs which you find in the more impressive technical death metal bands, whilst ‘Post Traumatic Stress Disorder’ finishes in such a whirling frenzy. In addition to the music itself, you have a few little videos, including live footage of a gig as well as some fairly uninformative studio clips which once seen you’ll probably never look at again. It’s the thought that counts though, and it seems to be clear that this is one group that cares about its music and presentation. There’s just about enough originality to warrant a listen to the casual listener, but if you consider yourself a connoisseur of the genre, there’s enough heaviness to please those looking for a ‘brutal‘ band, with enough technicality to appease those who seek a little bit more. Definitely an exciting way to pass half an hour. www.terrordrome.com \| www.myspace.com/terrordrome \| www.grindethic.co.uk