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Bullet For My Valentine -
Walking The Demon (Columbia) Review by Revis
Doherty |
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On the 28th January, Bullet For My Valentine released their
latest album, Scream Aim Fire. They have already released two
(UK) singles from this album, and they are soon to release the
third, Waking The Demon. As Bullet take over the world and
their name becomes better known, their fan base grows
stronger, a fan base that stretches across the world. Scream
Aim Fire has been high in album charts in countries across the
globe, and this is one of the songs that makes you see why. It
is one of my favourite songs, and I don't like Bullet that
much. Every band has their ten minutes in the spotlight, but
this song really makes Bullet's ten minutes last more like ten
hours. That is why I think this song will be part of their
legend, and it will be remembered along with Tears Don't Fall
and All These Things I Hate (revolve around me).
Walking The Demon will be released as a download single on
June 16th,
exclusively via i-tunes and will come with a digital comic
book based around the track itself. |
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| Canvas Solaris - The
Atomized Dream (Sensory Music) By: Joe Florez |
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I feel in love with the band’s debut full length instrumental
“Penumbra Diffuse” because it was so experimental and ambient.
The progressive elements were the too, but it was about
letting it all go and just go where the journey takes you.
Their last release “Cortical Tectonics” was a major letdown
because it was all about complexity. Not that there is
anything wrong with that, but I felt that they just wanted to
let everyone know how technical they could be and the music
came off as text book and even lifeless. Now, we are back on
board here. The exact reason why I championed for this band is
back on board. “The Binaural Beat” is a beautiful and colorful
track filled with lush landscapes. |
Mini moogs are showcased
here as well and a killer rhythmic drumbeat is let loose. The
guitars are filled with passion and melody and the atmospheric
vibes are endless ranging from spacey to calm and ambient. I
quickly found myself drifting off into another dimension which
is what I think the guys were trying to accomplish.
“Reflections Carried To Mirror” is a more progressive
composition complete with more intricate musicianship, but the
melodies and atmospheres which make up their signature sound
remain intact. The drumming is more ambidextrous and the six
string work is more nimble. There is also some percussion work
injected for good measure. The songs are very pleasing to the
ears if you like unpredictability. The lush landscapes and
spaced out vibes makes for an entertaining listen. The boys
are back on track again making beautiful experimental music.
If you like you music exciting and fresh, then this is for
you. Not a single dud on here.
www.lasersedgegroup.com |
www.myspace.com/canvassolaris |
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| Control Denied - The
Fragile Art Of Existence Re-issue (Metal Mind)
Review by Metal Mark |
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The idea behind this band went all the way back to 1995 when
Death frontman and genre legend Chuck Schuldiner thought that
"Symbolic" would be Death's final album. In 1996 Chuck
recorded two demos for the new project and began finding the
right band members. He decided to do one more Death album in
"The Sound of Perseverance", but then got back to his Control
Denied project. Schuldiner was insistent that this not be a
solo album and wanted equal input from everyone involved. He
enlisted Death members Shannon Hamm on guitar and Richard
Christy on drums. He also brought in bassist Steve DiGiorgio
who had played with Death and Testament. The line-up was
complete when |
Pharoah/Psycho Scream vocalist Tim Aymar came
aboard. Schuldiner very much wanted a singer that could do
what he couldn't in Death so in Aymar he got a vocalist with a
lot of power and range. So the line-up was set and "The
fragile art of existence" was released in the fall of 1999.
The complexity level here is along the lines of the last few
efforts from Death, but perhaps even more well rounded. This
is an album that contains numerous musical passages that head
in many directions yet they fit comfortably together and they
all work towards the same purpose. One of my favorite aspects
of this album is how they control the pace and build up
singular moments. Younger bands might be too quick to shoot
their loads all at once in moments like this. This band had
the experience and the confidence that allowed them the
liberty of holding onto singular notes and parts before
bursting ahead. This allowed them to get the most of every
little bit of this recording. Listening to this album is like
walking into a building that's larger on the inside than it
appears on the outside. Once the music begins it is just so
vast that it's beyond what I had figured would be contained on
this disc. Yet they also succeed in not being too overwhelming
or taking on too much. Although material for a follow-up was
prepared, Schuldiner passed away from brain stem cancer in
late 2001. He left behind a legacy that included perhaps the
most influential death metal band of all time as well as this
project which accomplished so much with just one release.
Metal Mind's re-issue includes a booklet with lyrics and a
write-up on the history of this project. |
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Deadbird - Twilight
Ritual (At A Loss Recordings) By: Dave Schalek |
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Yep, one look at the band name and the cover art (quite good)
for “Twilight Ritual” was all it took. Yep, Deadbird (a few
members serve time in Rwake) is pure Southern sludge from the
bowels of Fayetteville, Arkansas. Residing, more or less, at
the halfway point between the accessibility of Down and the
more heroin-induced sludge of Eyehategod, Deadbird has all of
the signature elements of the genre. Huge, thick riffs,
somewhat muted vocals that come across as a mix of Phil
Anselmo and Dave ‘Dixie’ Collins from Weedeater et al, and
some variations in tempo ranging from a doom-like crawl to a
gallop are all present on this six song full-length, the
second album overall from Deadbird. |
Naturally, all of this has been heard before in the annals of
albums from the aforementioned Eyehategod, Weedeater, and so
forth, but, with Deadbird, there are a few moments of melody
and almost downright singing (well, melodic howls and wails,
if you will), as well as plenty of acoustics that bring
Deadbird a little closer to Down’s end of the spectrum in
terms of accessibility to those of you that may find
Eyehategod a bit hard to take. That said, however, Deadbird
still drips with slabs of power and resonance, but the lighter
touches provide a nice complement to some of the more
bludgeoning moments of “Twilight Ritual” and do not sound
forced or out of place. In short, “Twilight Ritual” is a very
well done melodic sludge album.
Essentially, if you’re into Southern sludge, “Twilight Ritual”
will appeal to you. Those of you that enjoy Down, but haven’t
really investigated further into the sludge genre, would do
well to pick up “Twilight Ritual”. Highly recommended.
www.myspace.com/atalossrecordings |
www.myspace.com/deadbird
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InAllSenses - The
Experience (Club Inferno Ent.) Review by Marco
Gaminara |
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I wasn't certain whether the whole album was going to be able
to fulfil my hopes after the teasers on their MySpace page,
but I must say that this Italian quintet far surpassed all of
those and have a tremendous album here. Ruggero Formicola's
vocals remind me a lot of Jan Chris de Koeijer of Gorefest's,
in their almost death raspiness, but with an aggressive
delivery. He also manages some tremendous roars which suit
their death/thrash style superbly. Peppe Senese and Ruggero
Formicola complement each other's guitar work in such a way
that there's never a note out (Vittorio Casaburi only joining
on guitar after the completion of the recording), with Lorenzo
Picierno's bass playing to the syncopathic |
| rhythms beaten out
by Bart D'Arezzo. Their songs are never longwinded and deliver
quick and nasty punches to the solar plexus leaving you
constantly gasping for breath. From the opening gunfire to the
gunfire battery on the snare, "The Experience" sets the tone,
and that tone is fast, aggressive and intense. "Return No
More" continues in a similar vein, albeit with a slightly more
melodic guitar arrangement. While the drumbeat on "Inviolated"
may be steady, the guitar rhythm is anything but, ebbing and
flowing like a tempestuous ocean. You'd think that "Lady
Nature" might be all pretty and timid, but as we've seen this
century she can be a really nasty bitch too, and the song
captures both faces really well. "Horror without End" has a
slightly slower interlude which overlaid guitar melodies and
leads. The head bobbing rhythm used on "Heaven of Prises" is
short and punchy, but more than heavy enough to compare to
that of "I Will Kill You" where the triplets are as constant
as the kick drumming, which then picks up the pace
substantially for "Bad Society" which is a balls to the wall
thrash attack. Closing track "Light In The Dark" is an
acoustic guitar track with some airy keyboard/choral effects
to give it added depth and to wind things down in fine form.
www.myspace.com/inallsenses |
www.club-inferno.org
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Ixion's Wheel - Chapter One : Vicycle
Seasons (Self Release) Review by Steve Green |
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Here we have a one man band from France. As is the case with most of these
projects, the style of music is Black Metal. Well, sort of. This is a bit
different as Thork (or Ludovic to Mere et Pere) has blended beautiful
melodies with harsher, blackened tones. Also, the music isn't exclusively
Black, as many different styles, such as dark electronica and Death Metal,
plus both Grind and clean vocals, are incorporated into the melting pot.
The end result, I have to say, is very good indeed. I got into this very
easily and the extra touches of electronic keyboards, acoustic guitars and
whatever else Thork has decided to include, (especially the operatic
female vocals on King Ov Lapithes), all work very well. All of this |
is quite bemusing as I remember spending the first few months
of the year berating bands who jumped from style to style, and
here we have someone who seems to have perfected the art of
keeping it varied, and of keeping it interesting at the same
time. I guess it works here as this really is a classy piece
of music.
Despite a few songs of blackened goodness, I feel this will be too mellow
and for the most part, too experimental for regular fans of Black Metal,
but if you want a rollercoaster of a journey spanning, practically, the
full range of extreme metal, then give this one a go.
www.myspace.com/ixionswheel
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La Ira De Dios - CosmosKaosDestruccion (World In
Sound) Review by Steve Green |
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We've reviewed many styles of music over the years and from countless
countries from around the globe, but I think this is the first time we've
reviewed some Peruvian space rock!!! Our resident Hawkwind groupie Crin,
declined to cover this album, and after giving it a couple of solid
blasts, I'm not sure why he turned it down to be honest. Ok, the production is a bit on
the thin side, but apart from that, this is a pretty easy listen. La Ira
De Dios have obviously been playing a lot of Hawkwind cds recently and are more
than likely big fans of very early Motorhead (circa On Patrol) and have a
liking for many a drug induced band, as this is straight out of the 70s,
with plenty of flashbacks from the 60s |
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thrown in for good measure. Very similar to the retro scene
more associated with Rise Above Records and the likes of
Witchcraft. So there's plenty of good shit for you to kickback
to, even if it isn't the more original cd in the world. But taking into
consideration where the band come from, this is a very unique kind of
album. www.myspace.com/lairadedios
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Nabaath - Back of Beyond (Soulflesh
Collector Records) Review by Crin |
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Debut album from this Russian Black Metal outfit and it pretty
much reflects the primitive orthodoxy that is very much the
norm in these Eastern European lands. From the obligatory
keyboard intro blasts the guitar tumult of Ceaep, a basic
blueprint of the following high octane tracks. This is no
average band blasting it out for the sake of it. There is a
depth to the compositions, a refinement that gallops alongside
the vigorous guitar strums and gatling gun snare work. Think
Dark Funeral meets Dissection, and you will get a good idea
where this band are coming from. Pure no nonsense full ahead
Black Metal rage with a Gothenburg deathly intent. Of course
its all been done before, its all as |
fluent as blood oozing from a severed neck. But that’s the
beauty of music like this, the past is forever kept alive.
There are many great atmospheric parts weaved into the chaotic
guitar riffermania.
Sweeping clean vocals emerge from a dominant vicious snarl,
slower melodic passages seep from the dripping hateful intent.
This album is definitely built on the guitar leads and the
rhythm section. This vast mêlée of guitar work is sustained
throughout the albums duration and serves as its most potent
ingredient. The blasting snares and snarling vocals would
drown in their own noise if it wasn’t for the magnificent
guitar arrangements. There is also that certain Eastern
flavour that sets this slightly apart from the norm. When you
have a band with an ear for crafting a tune that is listenable
and sticks in the head, then that makes the music stand out.
Yet another affable band from one of the more less congested
scenes.
www.myspace.com/nabaath
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Scar Symmetry -
Holographic Universe (Nuclear Blast) By: Joe
Florez |
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This is the Swedes third release and while I thought ‘Pitch
Black Progress” was a decent disc, I felt that the whole combo
of melodic death/grind vocals along with the clean AOR style
wore thin after a while despite the fact that that very
formula was the only thing that kept them alive in my book.
So, has anything changed since their breakthrough two years
ago? Opener “”Morpogenesis” is a nice short tune that contains
synths, a more mid paced yet simple beat, some string
arrangements during the solo, guitar shreds and of course
Christian’s vocals going from harsh to clean. Very enjoyable
is the best way to put it. Despite “Timewave Zero” opening up
with a mid paced and very controlled double bass |
drumming, it’s a rather melodic number. But, things shift off
and on as the song progresses and it seems that the guitars
only get meaner when the vocals pick up the aggression. At
times, I feel like I am listening to a Frontiers label band.
“Quantumleaper” threw me for a loop for one simple reason;
there are these high pitched chants that are reminiscent of
King Diamond that come and go at their leisure. Well, songs of
time and space dominate here just like a Dark Tranquillity
record. I think that the musicianship is top notch and the
production is superb, but at an hour long it’s just a little
too much. I think forty minutes of this would be best. Some of
the five, six and nine minute numbers could have been chopped
in half in my opinion. Overall, this is a guilty pleasure
release for me. I couldn’t revisit this over and over again. I
think those that are into the prog movement with lots of
synths, but were afraid to travel the darker paths filled with
gritty vocals may find this appealing cause it mixes melodic
metal and it’s from Sweden. A winning formula for many, right?
So, not bad, but the novelty wears off after a while.
www.nuclearblast.de |
www.scarsymmetry.com
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Semargl - Manifest
(Deathgasm Rec) Review by Crin |
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Third album form this Ukrainian Satanic Black Metal band that
harness a sound more in tune with the Black/Death genre than
the raw Blackened chill the biog threatens. With a spacey
intro that lures you into a surprisingly well polished first
track proper. The music is immediately set at a mid pace
tempo, vanquishing any pre-empting thoughts that this band
will lay waste all before its snapping teeth. The first track,
Disconnection, reveals a more technically adept outfit that
strive to create a post Black Metal sound beyond the
constraints of icy primitivism. The deathly vocal grunts are
also a distraction from the Black Metal haze you so want to
appear. So, this is foremost a progressive Black Metal album
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it is one at all. From this platform, the genuinely wonderful
music wraps itself around your mind and serenades the emotions
with many levels of aggression and pace. You get a sense of
the modern Satyricon issuing though the flowing
guitar melodies that weave a feel good factor within the
blazing array of turbo charge Heavy Metal splattering in a
cauldron of extremity. Give this album a few spins and there
is a great wealth of new age Blackness to rip you asunder.
Again, think of the recent works of Satyricon and Darkthrone
to gauge a good example of where this astute Ukrainian act are
at. www.myspace.com/semargl
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