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Gorgoroth - True Norwegian
Black Metal : Live in Grieghallen
(Regain) Review by Crin |
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The CD was recorded live at Grieghallen in Bergen, Norway by
Eirik "Pytten"
Hundvin and features Infernus on bass and guitar, Gaahl on
vocals, and Garghuf
on drums. This is a studio live outing and its relevance is
questionable as it follows in the wake of the more than
exceptional Black Mass DVD.
Why this recording has appeared is one thing. Iit stinks of
making a fast buck. Whether you like a live album to have
silent gaps between tracks, no crowd atmosphere and no band
banter will decide whether you can handle this release. It
sounds like a studio release, and technically it is as that’s
where it was recorded, but when you hear this relentless |
orthodox black metal carnage you will find the hard earned
shekels well spent.
Blasting off with Bergtrollets Hevn [from the 1996 Antichrist
album], the full bodied sound and thick guitar drilling will
grind you into bone dust and the drum attack thereafter shall
whip up a storm and blow your peppered remains into the
gutter. Leaping swiftly onwards is Destroyer [from the
Destroyer album 1998], revealing a more solid blackened
onslaught. Next up, The Rite of Infernal Invocation [under the
sign of Hell, 1999], a thrashing rage boiling in a pit of
scalding vocals and piss stained riffs. Forces of Satan Storms
[Twilight of the Idols 2003] drags its blacker than pitch
arrangement to feverish level. Here we get a fist in the face
Gorgoroth style. The quite captivating, Possessed by Satan
[Antichrist] rumbles next, a brooding anthem to Satan that
erupts into pure primitivism and reminding us just how cult
this bad are. Next, Unchain My Heart!!! [Incipit Satan 2000]
hacks through the air to reveal another level of competence
this band are capable of. The cd ends with two tracks from the
Under the Sign of Hell’ album, namely Profetens Epenbaring,
and Revelation of Doom. The former is one of the more
adventurous tracks Gorgoroth have penned, a melodic mid-tempo
ode to the Devils fiery pits. The thrashing intent of the
later ends the release as it started, with pure brazen Black
Metal, maybe not as orthodox as Darkthrone, maybe not as
catchy as Emperor. But this is nonetheless, rip roaring music
oozing from the open wounds of Christ’s limbs now draped over
the fiery mantle of Lucifer’s horned shoulders. Fucking
awesome…
www.regainrecords.com |
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Klimt 1918 - Just In Case We'll Never Meet Again
(Prophecy)
Review by Steve Green |
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I have to admit that when I reviewed Klimt 1918 back in 2003, for their
Undressed Momento album, I tore it a new asshole. I absolutely hated the
thing. Five years on, they've still not made a fan of me, but this album
is actually listenable and infinitely better than the last time we met.
The same old problems rear their (ugly) heads once again. This is more
jangly 80s pop rock, think a light version of U2, than anything, yet they
still deserve to be featured on this site as a big part of their make-up
reminds me of a happier version of Katatonia. And this albums does sounds
way too bloody happy. I can imagine the band smiling their heads off
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when they play this live, when I'd love to hear a dark, pissed
off, razors at the ready version of Klimt 1918, because I believe they'd sound much
better that way. But that's just me and obviously that isn't going to
happen, so I'm stuck with the jangly, shining happy fucking people that
they are.
Look, this is well constructed, brilliantly performed, the production is
light and airy, I just think it sounds too nice to be enjoyable.
www.prophecyproductions.de/front_content.php |
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Motley Crue - Saints of Los Angeles
(Motley Records) Review by Metal Mark |
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It doesn’t seem that long ago that the members of Motley Crue seemed
distant from one another and certain members seemed very much involved in
other projects, actually that was last year. It was beginning to feel like
another studio album might be a long way away if ever. Then all of a
sudden Tommy was back in, the band was working hard (and apparently rather
quickly), they crank out a new album glistening with nude bodies on the
cover and everyone is throwing up their hands in praise proclaiming that
the old Crue is back. Whoa, let’s back up a little bit and see what’s
really transpiring here before we start tugging on our old
faded “Shout At The Devil” pentagram shirts, strapping on
studded |
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bracelets and flashing devil horns like it’s 1983 again. There
are thirteen tracks on the new disc so they have given us a
lot to absorb, but quantity doesn’t necessarily equal quality.
Not to get too far sidetracked, but a good portion of this
album reminds me of Ozzy’s Ozzmosis album in a way.
Granted the Crue’s album is better, yet both albums have a number of songs
with a thick (not altogether heavy) sound that is almost like a shell
around the song. At first it seems sort of heavy, but really it’s just a
rather tacky glob of production that’s covering up a rather mundane riff.
They try this tactic on several tracks and I got the impression that they
thought this was a stab at a “modern” sound, but really that style just
came across as being rather lazy. However, there are few tracks that are
rather heavy including the title track, “Goin’ Out Swingin’” and a few
others. Now these songs are nowhere near a “Shout at the devil” or “Too
fast for love” level yet they work. Is the old attitude there? I think
their attitude was always rather fake, but they do a good job of believing
in what they are doing for a few songs on the new release. Okay, that’s
probably descriptions of the worst and best type of songs on this disc.
The rest is largely filler that varies from tolerable down to “this is
going nowhere fast”. I would have welcomed a return to form for this band
because those first two records were two of if the best hard rock albums
of their decade. Still at best we get a few tracks here that might be as
good as some of the material on “Dr. Feelgood” which is a plus, but
unfortunately it’s just a few tracks. There are also several very moderate
songs and a few groan worthy clunkers. In the end “Saints of Los Angeles”
is a little above average and would fall right around the middle if I were
ranking their albums. Return to form? For a few tracks only, but
unfortunately it contains far too much padding and limp noodles hiding
behind some generously slathered production work. So for Motley Crue their
once glorious past remains a peak they will never likely fully achieve
again in their career.
www.myspace.com/motleycrue |
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Nifelheim/Volcano -
Thunder Metal split cd (I Hate Records) Review
by Crin |
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Featuring Black thrashing cult Swedish Black Thrashers
Nifelheim, and equally renowned Brazilian act, Volcano. This
is the digital re-press of the 2006 split 7'' that appeared
and vanished like a wet dream. This version has an extra track
in the form of Nifelhiem's, Insulter of Jesus, an old recoding
that will not change history, but will enthuse avid fans of
this band. Volcano first appeared in 1983 with the Om Pushne
Namah 7'' single. The band released a further five albums
spanning the golden age of Thrash. Volcano start the
proceedings with two tracks of riveting thrashing metal, a
true master class of razor riffs and rhythmic ejaculation.
These tracks were recorded in 2005 and are exclusive to this |
split. The bass chords twang like pylon cables snapping in a
tempest. The ragged style here is reminiscent of Whiplash,
Venom and early Slayer, so you pretty much get a more violent,
scathing attack.
Nifelheim follow with their rough as fuck dirty thrash style.
This is a band that also appeared in 1993, had a cult album
released via Necropolis in 1995, and are still severing ear
auditory nerves today. The bands recent Regain Records album,
Envoy of Lucifer, showcasing a return to form. Here the three
tracks on offer are just what you’d expect. Fast, saliva
spraying Thrash fired from the smoking barrels of a Panzer
division.
Its all retro leather and beer high jinks, a faithful blast of
the past from bands who were there when it happened. For fans
of the genre only.
www.ihate.se |
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Reino Ermitano - Rituales
Interiores (I Hate)
Review by Metal Mark |
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Like so many metal subgenres, the style of doom metal has
grown and spread as different artists take a basic sound and
interpret in different ways. Much like how folktales change
through the years as a different teller adds their own unique
take into the mix. Peru’s Reino Ermitano’s third album is a
slow yet very textured style of music that flows through you
yet it still manages to retain that dragging heaviness much
like a very dark shadow following you, but never truly out of
reach. The tone's a little reminiscent of early Saint Vitus,
but perhaps more subtle and not so sprawling in its approach.
The instruments work as a unit often as the music just spreads
as a single entity moving forward and laying down a sheet |
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of sound that is both simple yet magical. The real key for the
music, to me, is that they sprinkle out just enough that you
start to soak in and then they continue to very careful just
lay out bits at a time and this helps to sustain the beauty of
their music. They now how to pace themselves and they know how
to really construct a song so that they get the most of all
that they attempting to do. This band has been compared to
Acid King and I don’t hear that so much in the music, yet Reino Ermitano’s vocalist Tania Duarte does sound more than a
little like Lori S. of Acid King. That’s just fine by me as
Duarte’s soft yet powerful vocals contain a haunting quality
that help elevate the whole overall mood of this album. This
album sees the band moving upward and onward as they are not
only doing what they want to, but rather they are mastering
the sound and pulling us along for the ride.
www.ihate.se |
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Sebastian Bach - Angel
Down (DR2) review by Sam Thomas |
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I’m trying really hard to avoid the cliché of starting this
review with the obvious “Bach is Back”, but that is the first
thing that springs to mind with “Angel Down”. After a period
where he’s produced albums that really haven’t done his
beautiful voice justice, Sebastian has finally returned to the
kind of vocal form that he had at his peak. Since leaving Skid
Row, he’s spent a period in the musical wilderness, performing
in Broadway shows, releasing the aforementioned albums,
touring, appearing on various TV shows and even collaborating
with the likes of Ted Nugent for TV’s Damnocracy project .
Whilst he’s undoubtedly been busy, the music that he’s been
producing hasn’t always lived up to his |
earlier promise. (Although I didn’t have any complaints when I
caught him live at the Mean Fiddler, and nor did the rest of
the audience. But that’s another story…)
OK, if you haven’t sussed it yet, I’m a bit of a fan of Mr
Bach. Well, actually, he’s one of my all-time favourite
singers. I’ve gone to great lengths to acquire his solo works,
before they became more easily available. And this is
absolutely vintage Sebastian, right back to the “Slave to the
Grind” days, even down to the cover art, which is once again
an original painting by Sebastian’s late father, David Bierk.
But I digress. Back to the music. So you’ve got beautiful
vocals, catchy riffs, decent lyrics. How could you improve it?
OK, how about a blistering cover of Aerosmith’s “Back in the
Saddle”? Not enough? What about a beautifully haunting final
track written with Desmond Child? Well, then, would the
presence of one Axl Rose as guest vocalist on three tracks do
it for you? Basically, everything has been done for this album
to ensure that it is as good as it could possibly be. There is
no room for improvement here, short of scrapping every idea
and writing something completely different. The only reason
that you could possibly have for not liking this album would
be that you just can’t stand eighties-style metal. And if
that’s the case, what kind of metalhead are you? “(Love is) a
Bitchslap” has to be one of the best tracks on the album, and
it rates way up there with “18 and Life” and “Youth Gone
Wild”. This isn’t just a return to form, it’s a real solid
achievement. And yes, Bach is back.
www.sebastianbach.com |
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Todesbonden - Sleep Now, Quiet Forest
(Prophecy)
Review by Steve Green |
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When it comes to female fronted bands, my love for the genre has
diminished over the past few years, mainly as the quality, is at times,
utterly appalling. Well step forward Todesbonden, who are fronted by
Autumn Tears (and ex Rain Fell Within) singer Laurie Ann Haus. Sleep Now,
Quiet Forest is an album that mixes Celtic and Folk influences, with more
symphonic elements of Metal. And at times, Todesbonden sound like one of
the best bands in the World.
If you are a fan of early Within Temptation, up to and including Mother
Earth, then you are going to love the opening number Surrender To The Sea.
This bombastic beauty is right up |
there with anything the Dutch maestro's have produced and
Laurie Ann's vocals are on an equal setting with Sharon Den
Adel's. Towards the end of the song, her vocals veer slightly
towards that of Lisa Gerrard's, arguably the woman with the most unique vocal style
around. Well for the next track, Surya Namaskara, the band go the whole
hog and this is pure Dead Can Dance, from the alluring ethnic music, right
through to a note for note vocal performance that I didn't think possible
of anyone, apart from Lisa Gerrard that is.
After my third listen this morning, I'm re-writing this part of the
review. I do think that the first two numbers are, by far, the best tracks
on the album. My first draft of this review mentioned that it was a shame
that the rest of the album couldn't quite match the standard set by the
opening salvo. But I have to admit, that the rest of the album is now
catching up with me. The songs are generally slower, more classically
influenced and they do take a lot longer to fully absorb. I think I'm on
about my sixth or seventh play of the album and the magic is now
widespread and I'm loving everything that's been thrown at me. How could I
not spot the majestic beauty of Fading Empire straight away? Or be drawn
in by the gentle acoustics of Ghost Of A Crescent Moon, or make the
comparison with All About Eve's Martha's Harbour? For the slower parts of
the song anyway, the rest of it, once again is comparable with Within
Temptation at their very best.
I'm glad I gave this album a couple of extra spins, because my review is
now 100% positive and I don't have a single complaint to make. In fact
this album gets better with every listen. For fans of this type of music,
this album is as essential as it gets.
www.prophecyproductions.de/front_content.php |
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