Live 4 Metal - Reviews

Cathedral - The Carnival Bizarre (Earache Classic Re-Issue) Review by Metal Mark
	I remember being curious about Cathedral when they first popped in the early 1990’s. I liked the tone on albums like “The Forest of Equilibrium” and “The Ethereal Mirror”, but they always seem to wander around without enough structure to really make them that interesting. Heavy sludge is all and well and good, but Cathedral seem to be drowning in it rather than being able to manipulate their sound. However by “The Carnival Bizarre” they seemed to be realizing the need for some real direction and they kept the same rich tones they had been doing for several years and plugged them into a much tighter format which is a whole lot easier to take. Maybe this wasn’t their original vision, but the flow on this
album was steady and interesting. This change in approach was a far cry from the almost unbearable crawl of their earlier releases. Lee Dorian’s vocals were a bit more level and actually more effective here because they compliment the music instead of just kind of floating around. The Sabbath influence was more recognizable here, but Cathedral were making their own path to some extent with a pitch that was very much doom, yet different as well. This album sounds as intriguing now as it did 13 years ago and holds up rather nicely. This re-issue also includes a DVD which has “Our God has Landed” which includes 8 promo clips and five songs from a show in 1992 of “The Gods of Grind tour”.

Denounce - Deep Wood, Shallow Grave (Self Release) Review by Chris Davison
	Funny old thing, co-incidences. So there I was at Bloodstock open air 2008, in the “Scuzz” tent, watching a band. As I stood there with a couple of compadres, it was obvious that the band were a cut above many of the other outfits that had ventured upon the tiny stage. Checking my itinerary, I could see that this was “Denounce”. A couple of mornings before, I had received this album to review, but not had chance to listen to it. Which was nice, because this is an extremely impressive debut, and it also saved me from having to buy it at Bloodstock, which was my full intention.
First off, let me say that Denounce win the packaging award for a review disc 2008. Not only does the disc come with full inlay etc, it also comes in the full digipack, so I can properly assess what the paying public are going to get for their money. This is a superb product, with evocative artwork. From the introduction, which sounds, as you might expect, like the sounds of a grave being dug, this is clearly a rung above what you might expect from a young British band. This is ferocious, accomplished melodic death metal that pays homage to, but never plagiarises the best of the sub-genre. In the staccato, effective riffing, the music is often similar to the better moments of latter day At The Gates, the pounding, almost tribal drumming brings to mind the earlier portions of the In Flames back catalogue, and the rasping, spite filled vocals and bass lines are pure Heartwork era Carcass. Now, you may be rolling your eyes by this point and wondering why you should pay attention to an album that sits in an already crowded marketplace. The reason is simply that Denounce do everything well; the songs are more than just collections of riffs cobbled together to fill space on the disc, and the album certainly avoids having the “samey” song curse that can often cripple a release. “Roadkill Christ”, for example, has hammer blow riffs that bludgeon the senses (even sporting a smile-raising breakdown), along with “those” guitar melodies that weave in and out of the song at will. So, not only did Denounce cover themselves with glory at Bloodstock (of which more in my upcoming festival report), but this album is a minor gem as well, for those of us who like our thrash razor sharp and cutting, our death metal memorable and our melodic parts...erm...melodic. And they come from Gravesend, which is about the most metal place name in the entire UK. Now that's dedication to your art. www.myspace.com/denounce \| www.denounce13.com

Gillmore - Rigor Mortis of Souls (Self Release) Review by AJ Carlile
	When I first received the latest EP from Finnish-based metallers Gillmore, I had to double check to make sure I had the right album. The promotional materials describe the band as "ear-wrecking" and "skull-breaking" and the first track on the album, Sea of Brutality, is anything but. That’s not necessarily a bad thing. In fact, quite to the contrary, Sea of Brutality is probably my favourite track on the album. It opens with a light paced, melodic riff, and continues much in the same vain for the majority of the track. Sure, there are a few heavier riffs dotted about here and there, and the solo (which is quite fantastic) and what follows is
quite a bit heavier than the rest of the track, but you’d be forgiven for thinking the band is quite melodic in nature. As it happens, the first track is there to lull you into a false sense of security, as the album gets progressively heavier as it goes on. Though it still never quite reaches the level of skull-breaking, it’s still (for the most part) a damn good listen. While Sea of Brutality is mostly a melodic track with heavier bits interspersed throughout, the rest of the album is quite the opposite. It’s heavy music in the traditional sense; bass driven, heavy, churning riffs, and forceful vocals. But there are little melodic sections thrown in here and there. And while you might think this could come across as somewhat awkward, it’s never obtrusive. The only real complaint I have with Rigor Mortis of Souls is that the second track, Farce of Nature, seems rather bland in comparison to the rest of the album, save the solo, which goes a way toward redeeming the track. But overall, Gillmore’s latest offering is quite astounding. They’re currently searching for a record deal, and I for one hope they get one soon, as it’d be a crying shame to see Gillmore fade into obscurity. www.myspace.com/gillmoreband

Helheim - Kaoskult (Dark Essence Records) review by Sam Thomas
	Helheim are (or were) one of Norway’s oldest Viking metal bands. I’m quoting from the biog here, as I’ve not previously had the pleasure… However, for this, their sixth album, they have changed direction, started singing mainly in Norwegian again, and got an ex-member, Lindheim, back on keyboards. The resulting album, Kaoskult, is an absolute masterpiece of brooding malevolent darkness. There’s an underswell that is powerful but without brutality – think of the relentless waves pounding on the coast on a normal winter’s day, but not an all-out storm. In a way, I can see tattered remnants of the Viking heritage here, the way the whole thing gallops along in places is reminiscent of Amon Amarth or
perhaps Finntroll. The decision to sing in Norwegian was definitely the right one, as the sneering vocals of H’grimnir sound absolutely perfect over the extremely atmospheric keyboards and guitars. In fact, I almost missed completely the fact that several tracks have English lyrics (I was enjoying them so much that I wasn’t consciously listening to the words). Apparently the album tells the tale of the Northern creation, and indeed it does seem to be conceived on a grand scale, ranging from the brooding dark beauty of the beginning through to the more frenetic pace of “Symboler bakover og fremover” (which may mean something on the lines of “Symbols backwards and forward”). The thing that always gets me with the album though is the sheer catchiness of it all – it shouldn’t be that way but it is. The opening track, which may be “The Norse Altar”, just spirals around in a way that is so inevitable that I get wound up with it every time. There are some glorious tubular bells chiming away, which just add to the whole pagan/Viking atmosphere and the dark aura of inescapable grimness. Kaoskult is a very polished performance by a band who clearly have a great deal to offer. This is dark, beautiful metal with elements of doom, Viking and black metal all welded together on an absolutely epic scale. Fantastic. www.helheim.com

Ibogaine - React (666 Production) Review by Steve Green
	Ibogaine are from Marseille and they like to cram as many different styles into their metal as possible. Talking in rather vague terms, this is brutal and technical. But in the realms of brutality, Ibogaine flit between thrash, brutal death and hardcore. Sometimes it works, sometimes it's a mess and at other times, it borders on annoying. When they get it right, man it's a joy to listen to. Unfortunately I'm not a big fan of technical Metal, so although that's a downer for me, fans of the genre will probably appreciate the skill of the musicianship just a little more than myself. Where this album works, is when they crank it up and keep it simple. Iron Curse is a prime
example. Gut wrenching vocals, frantic rhythms and a fine line in Voivod style riffing. And I like the Ministry style guitars of Feeding The Fog, which just constantly smash at your brain until you submit to their force. The downside is the variety of styles used. I'm sure a lot people won't like the hardcore style gang shouts or the more technical downtrodden moments, with the rather dour Brain Gobbler being the worst offender. So I think a more streamlined sound would do the band a few favours, with the hardcore style the most likely candidate for the chop. So, despite a few hiccups on the way, this isn't a bad album at all. It just needs, in my humble opinion, a bit more focus and a little less clutter. www.myspace.com/ibogaineweedmetal \| www.myspace.com/666production \| www.666production.com

Motorhead - Motorizer (SPV) Review by Chris Davison
	They say that there are only two things certain in this life; death and taxes. I reckon that this home spun wisdom is a bit out of date, and to these two things we should add “a new Motorhead album every two years”. At a time of life where most men retire from their professions and settle down to a nice life of rising at 5.30am to buy their daily paper followed by a snooze while watching Countdown, Lemmy seems more intent than ever in playing no holds barred rock n' roll. They say that after a nuclear war, the only animals left living are likely to be cockroaches – though to be honest I think they could do with a crash course in longevity from the Emperor of heavy metal himself.
Motorhead have been through a creative zenith over the last couple of albums. Truth be told, they haven't had an out and out duffer since the less than stellar March or Die, now some sixteen years ago. Kiss of Death and Inferno were two amazing albums, and so the question therefore must be asked, is this new album up to their superlative quality? The answer is a resounding “yes”, though this is a much different album to either of them, both of which were huge blasting albums of high octane rock and roll. This is Motorhead at their most creative, with a far more varied approach to their song writing. Starting with “Runaround Man”, it's immediately apparent that this is the three legged Motormachine working on all cylinders. With a cool, bluesy refrain, it reminded me of the better songs on “1916”. Moving on to “Teach You How To Sing The Blues”, with its menacing bass line pounding an oppressive beat, the album shifts gear again to a moody number that is bound to find space on their impending tour. Having seen Motorhead so many times live, I do confess that I tend to listen to their new albums imagining how they are going to sound in the flesh. “When The Eagle Screams” is a bloodied anti-war number, in the best traditions of the band, with the mind boggling drum skills of “the best drummer in rock and roll”, Mikkey Dee, providing the vital heart of the track. “Rock Out” reminded me greatly of the Lemmy Probot track “Shake Your Blood” in its no nonsense, head down, crowd pleasing sound – a future Motorhead anthem in the making, with the titular chant of “ROCK OUT!” likely to have fists pumping in the air. “One Short Life” is a true blues track, swaggering tempo and Lemmy's whiskey soaked voice producing the perfect smoke filled atmosphere to drink your favourite liquor to. “Buried Alive” sounds like a hymn – that is a hymn to driving very quickly in the rain while out of your tree on very powerful amphetamines. “English Rose” is probably the catchiest Motorhead song written in the last decade. I could almost imagine it being sung by the classic Wildhearts line up circa “Earth vs The Wildhearts”. It has an upbeat, melodic tune and quirky, flirtatious lyrics dealing with the flip side of being attracted to an extremely annoying girl – something likely to strike a chord with our male readership! “Back in the Chain” is a lurching, surly rocker sounding not unlike an updated “Too Late, Too Late”, while “Heroes” is a thoughtful slow tempo number producing the intellectual counterweight to the catchier moments on the album. “Time is Right” is an enjoyable if less than essential album track that's probably the closest that Motorizer ever gets to filler. “The Thousand Names of God” rounds off the album with a strong finish, galloping towards a glorious victory. It's easy of course to sneer at Motorhead and say that they produce extremely samey music – and in the regard that they record albums full of vital rock and roll, they would be correct. This album however is proof (if any were needed) that the boys are still on top of their game and can easily put their younger peers to shame. Old Motorhead fans wax lyrical on the genius of the trio of early 'head albums – Overkill, Bomber and The Ace of Spades. My contention is simply this – that Motorizer is the keystone to the new trilogy – Inferno, Kiss of Death and Motorizer. Motorhead aren't a band of the past – they're a band of the here and now. A quick note of thanks to my colleague in arms Dave Schalek for sending me the disc to review from the US – a true gentleman and scholar. www.spv.de

Nuestros Derechos - Struggling with the Dark (Self-released) by Luke Goaman-Dodson
	It's funny, back in late 2004, I started wondering why hardly anyone was playing 80s style thrash any more. Even Slayer had turned into a sloppy, shouty hardcore band who supported Slipknot. Evidently, everyone else was wondering the same as me, and the thrash-revival is arguably reaching its peak in popularity. On first hearing, I pigeonholed Nuestros Derechos as part of this set, but I quickly realised the hardcore/metalcore influences are too strong for this to be thrash-revivalism proper - the fact that it's mastered by Alan Douches (Unearth, Converge, Hatebreed) brings out the 'core in them even further. Despite this, the band make a big deal of their 80s influences, and the influence of
early Testament provides the backbone for their sound. This combo of breakneck tempos, screamed vocals, and syncopated natural minor riffs is hardly new - the Swedes have been at it since the mid-90s - but ND at least provide enough quality moments to keep die-hard fans of this sort of melodic-deathrashcore interested. Personally, though, I'll think I'll stick to my old Testament records. www.myspace.com/nuestrosderechos

Requiem Laus - The Eternal Plague (666 Production) Review by Steve Green
	I used to have Requiem Laus' 3rd demo cassette, For The Ones Who Died, way back in 1996. It was a great demo which I played to death. So can someone please explain to me why has a band of this quality taken until now to release their debut album? So anyway, here we are, 16 years after the band first formed, with only one original member left, Miguel Freitas on guitar and vocals, and the question I have to ask is: was it worth the wait for this largely undiscovered band? The answer is a resounding yes. I'm not sure how the band have progressed over the years, as even though their earlier works, including the For The Ones Who Died demo, are available free to download via
their website, I've decided to write this review first and will then immerse myself in their musical history, because I think they've created such a superb debut album that I want this to take the spotlight. The first thing I noticed is that the Requiem Laus of 2008 is a lot heavier than I previously remember. The melodic death structure now includes blackened tones and the intensity levels have been increased significantly. I guess this is still reasonably melodic, but now it packs a bit of a wallop to go with it. And I really like the heavier Requiem Laus. Quality wise, this is on a par with anything I've heard this year. If I didn't know any better, this could quite easily have been released on either Century Media or Nuclear Blast, it really is that good. The songs are full of such energy and passion that Requiem Laus have created a modern album that also fits in perfectly with the era from which they originally came. I'm still such a sucker for the underground releases of the mid 90s, that this album takes me back to that era, yet at the same time, it's a refreshing listen and it surpasses the majority of the current crop of releases. I cannot find enough superlatives to give this album the praise it deserve, so I'll keep it nice and simple. This baby comes highly recommended and is available from the 666 Production website at: www.666production.com. If you need a little taster first, try either www.myspace.com/requiemlaus or www.requiem-laus.com

Sinister - The Silent Howling (Massacre) Review by Chris Davison
	“Death metal is fucking dead, get over it”. Those were the first words spoken by Jeff Walker when I went to watch Blackstar in Bradford way back in 1995, I think. For a very, very long time, in the mid 1990's, people really believed that Death metal was a spent force. Most worryingly, many of the musicians themselves began to believe in this heresy, and there are many examples of previously deathly bands making....well, shall we say alternative music round about this time. The thing is, you just can't kill something that's already dead. Sinister are true veterans of the scene, having formed in Holland round about 1988 and going on to release albums throughout the 1990's and beyond.
The Silent Howling follows on the heels of the well received Afterburner from a couple of years ago, and continues the trend of a mixture of extreme, ultra heavy death metal mixed with more (comparatively) melodic flourishes and some moderate progressive touches. At a mere seven songs, you might be tempted to wonder whether or not this album is going to be value for money. That being said, each of these tracks is at least five minutes long, and this is no “blink and you'll miss it” musical journey. Old school in one sense that this is brutal, uncompromising death metal, it nether the less isn't as gnarled or melodic as any of the Scandinavian bands. What's particularly impressive here are the frequent guitar melodies in between the grinding, atmospheric riffs which add extra dimensions to what could otherwise be meat and potatoes death metal. Sinister have a no nonsense, serious approach to the music that bleeds from every track. The bass and drums are perfectly in harmony, with an oppressive mechanistic feel which when interlaced with the evocative guitars produce a special sound. This is particularly present on the title track “The Silent Howling”, which combines extreme blasting drums with slower, atmospheric sections – in this case using some very tasteful electronic touches. It's that little bit different to other bands in the genre, and in some senses a perfect marriage of a relatively cerebral approach married to the violence and aggression of the death metal approach. All in all, that makes an engaging, rewarding listen. www.massacre-records.com

Steel Assassin -War Of The Eight Saints (Sentinel Steel) Review by Metal Mark
	I was going through various Myspace pages back in the beginning of summer and stumbled upon this band. The band name sounded very familiar then I was enlightened to the fact that they were on Metal Massacre 6 back in 1984. That would be where I knew them from as I heard most of those compilations back in the 1980's. They actually formed as a cover band back in 1980, but broke up in 1985 after failing to secure a record deal. However fast forward two decades and in 2005 the band reformed with a 4/5 original line-up, added a new vocalist and begun work on their debut which would be released 27 years after the band first formed. Talk about better late than never, this is pure denim and
leather, hard hitting mid-1980's style metal. Steel Assassin have grinded out a seriously monstrous assault very much influenced by the likes of Judas Priest, Iron Maiden, Armored Saint and Dio. They even combine some of the influences in the same track and bring some ideas of their own in the form of oftentimes rapid pace changes and twists. The lyrics are of the fantasy/mythology camp and it works just fine here. We get eleven songs with six of them going over six minutes including the closing title track which is just a crushing epic that clocks in at over ten minutes. It's a shame these guys didn't get signed back around 84-85 because I would have loved this back then, but I love it now too. Steel Assassin work and manoeuvre as they create some finely crafted songs that are strong on melodies and backed by a blistering array of hooks and ripping guitars. Not a whole lot of new ideas here, but just a tremendous stampede of killer metal. www.myspace.com/steelassassin