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Agrypnie - Exit
(Supreme Chaos Records) Review by Luke Goaman-Dodson |
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If I were asked to describe the average CD I got sent to
cover, it would be just that - average. Neither massively bad,
nor exceptionally good, but hovering somewhere in the zones of
adequacy and mediocrity that separate the ridiculous from the
sublime. Every now and then, though, we get to hear something
that really blows us away. 'Exit' falls into that category,
the debut album from Agrypnie, founded by ex Nocte Obducta
vocalist Torsten Hirsch. Agrypnie build upon the NO sound of
progressive black-metal laced with Gothic, folk, and symphonic
overtones, but here the influences are better integrated into
a unique style, and perhaps more importantly, with a stronger
melodic centre than in Hirsch's |
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previous band. The Germanic folk influences fused with a
progressive sensibility make 'Exit' sound almost like
Falkenbach jamming with Deathspell Omega at points,
particularly noticeable in the opening track, 'Mauern'. The
really impressive thing about this album is that it sounds
fresh but relatively undiluted; unlike the total musical
about-faces of Ulver, Joyless, or Alcest (as good as those
bands are), this is an expansion on the basic black-metal
sound, rather than a rejection or reinvention of it. If you
want to hear what forward-thinking but unpretentious black
metal sounds like in 2008, this is it. Highly recommended.
www.agrypnie.de |
www.myspace.com/agrypnieband |
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All For Metal - S/T
(Locomotive Records/AFM) By: Joe Florez |
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Ah ha! That’s what the German label, AFM means. Well, it’s
about damn time that these guys put out a DVD comp of all
their talent. A lot of people may know of the label, but can’t
get their hands on their products until now thanks to
distribution with Locomotive Records. We get two discs chock
full of artists, some we know and others we are not too
familiar with, but should get better acquainted with. First up
is the audio portion. Made Of War is a relatively new band as
far as I’m concerned and they dish out power metal with growly
vocals. I’m not too sure if the power metal crowd will welcome
this new band from ex-Hammerfall bassist Magnus Rosen. I have
been waiting to hear this project which |
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features vocalist Nil K. Rue from Pagan’s Mind and the
almighty Andy LaRocque from King Diamond fame. “Cyberchrist”
is a mildly mid paced number with plenty of rhythm and spacey
vibes which includes some programmed beats. Some fans may get
it while others may not, but either way, this experiment is
worthy of a listen and I want to hear more. Jon Oliva’s Pain
project is signed here and you can get a taste of what he’s
doing now. More of the unknowns, unless you are underground,
like Axxis and Paradox show up. Long running artists like
Annihilator, Rob Rock and Helstar have something to offer.
Underground tech thrash legends Mekong Delta are back with a
new disc and a crop of new folks. The German invasion
continues to plague this disc with Schmier’s Headhunter band
which was formed after leaving Destruction and At Vance. This
disc isn’t all about the power of metal. Gothic metalist
Michelle Darkness throws a new track on here. One of my
personal favorite cuts is the German western metal band
Dezperadoz covering the tv theme song to “Rawhide.” This is
way cool and a fun song to listen to. Metal and western
collide on here and to great perfection I might add. Overall,
a lot of people may not know the artists on here, but this
sampler is a fantastic way to perhaps discover new bands to
throw on their shelves. At nearly 80 minutes, this is a good
way to introduce yourself to some new music. Next up is the
DVD clocking in at over two hours. A shit load of vids are
here. U.D.O. has one from his latest which I am more than
positive MTV won’t play cause it’s just not hip enough for
them. Folks like Destruction, Annihilator Edguy, and Theatre
Of Tragedy show up here too, but made appearances elsewhere in
the past such as the Nuclear Blast DVD comps. While it’s great
to see someone like Masterplan on here, too bad it’s with this
line up. Such a bore, but oh well. The best video, most
memorable and funniest will go to The Poodles. This video is
so bad that it’s funny, but it’s entertaining and I am more
than sure that they didn’t take this so seriously. They
probably had fun with it. They are dressed up like glam
pirates sailing the seas, but you can tell it’s all blue
screen work. They just stood behind the screen and it was all
fleshed out later. It’s a riot and I loved it! Nightwish, er,
I mean Magica have something to showcase here as well. What
cracks me up is the lack of originality on this thing. It’s
set outside in a land that is filled with green grass, rocks
and some ruins. Basically, these are videos that won’t be seen
on any commercial video show, so this would be the best way to
view them. Sure, you could go to You Tube and see them on the
small screen, but they will be pixelated and who wants that.
So, invest just a couple of bucks. This isn’t gonna drain your
wallet. You get a DVD and CD filled with new artists that may
arouse your interest. Many treasures are to be found on this
comp for sure.
www.locomotiverecords.com |
www.afm-records.com |
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All Shall Perish - Awaken
the Dreamers (Nuclear Blast) review by Sam
Thomas |
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Awaken the Dreamers is the third release from Oakland’s All
Shall Perish, follow up to “The Price of Existence” which
earned them a huge rep as one of the best young extreme acts
emerging from the US. It’s one of those albums that just
completely blows you away with the complete diversity of
styles and the complexity of the music is just mind-blowing.
This album occupies the same overlap area between death and
grind as The Haunted, in fact, playing Revolver immediately
following this was a very interesting experience – the two
bands are definitely singing from the same (non-religious)
hymn sheet. There’s also a possible nod in the direction of
Gorerotted with track eight “Gagged, Bound, Shelved and |
Forgotten” immediately reminding me of “Gagged, Shagged,
Bodybagged”.
Interestingly enough, this morning I was trying to explain why
I don’t like AC/DC – the best I could come up with was that
there’s no single aspect of their output that’s particularly
noteworthy - and I have to say that All Shall Perish are the
complete opposite of that. I adore the vocals, brutal as fuck,
the drums are obliterating, the guitars shred, the pace varies
from flat-out to bruising, the band have plenty of ideas, no
track is too repetitively like its predecessor and yet at the
same time the album hangs together nicely. Even my brother
(not known for his appreciation of any metal more recent than
80s Maiden) returned the car with the comment “track 6 is OK,
not too sure about the rest, though”. For the record, track 6,
“Memories of a Glass Sanctuary”, is one of the slower numbers,
with clean vocals. But that’s one of the strong points of this
album – a track that is neither death nor grind is slipped
into the middle somewhere, just to demonstrate how good these
guys are. The guitar rippling away in the background is
absolute perfection, and I particularly like the way that just
as it dies away, the next track launches itself full-fanged at
your throat…
What more need I say? This is brutal metal with shredding
guitars, written by some guys who are very talented and pretty
intelligent as well. I thoroughly enjoyed this merry
splattering of noise and melody.
www.nuclearblast.de |
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Babylon Bombs - Doin’ You
Nasty (Locomotive Records) By: Joe Florez |
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It seems as of late no matter what corner of the world you are
from everyone is trying their best to cash in on the revival
of hard rock in any way, shape or form. Sweden’s B.B. are
relatively new to the circuit and I must say that they seem to
have formula and attitude down to a science. The licks are
catchy and melodic with a touch of rawness to them. It’s
simple and right to the point. Lead singer DanI has a slightly
high voice, but he has enough gruff in there which would
prevent him from sounding like a guy getting his balls
squeezed with a vice grip. “Jaded Heart” contains dirty riffs,
a 4/4 beat and a loud solo to keep you wide awake. After
cranking out two highly energetic tunes, “Hometown Hero” is
brought |
down a couple of notches which delivers a lot of feeling, but
without going into ballad territory. There is still plenty of
fuel in this one. Damn, you would think that BB would be a one
trick pony that knows only one thing and that’s screaming, but
“Drop The Bomb” is a killer jam that is filled with rhythm,
actual singing and it’s rather mild, but done just right.
Basically, if you are looking for something that has a bit of
a raw edge to it and are tired of the so called nu rock era
with the likes of Ra, Five Finger Death Punch and all that is
not cool, then this is for you. If you like Jet and Buckcherry,
then you are in good company. This record has all the
necessary ingredients to drive your parents nuts: screaming,
loud guitars with a touch of blues and a ton of rhythm.
www.locomotiverecords.com |
www.babylonbombs.net |
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Bahimiron - Southern
Nihilizm (Moribund Cult) By: Dave Schalek |
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Rancid, raw black metal with no frills is the bread and
butter, if you will, of Bahimiron, a USBM band based in Texas
and now releasing their second full-length, entitled “Southern
Nihilizm”, on Moribund Cult. Consisting of fast riffing, a
prominent bass, all out blasts with some mid-paced tempo
thrown in at just the right moments, and, notably, soaring
rasps that ebb and flow between a high pitch and a full
throated roar, Bahimiron hit all of the requisite signatures
of the genre with considerable gusto and enthusiasm.
There’s nothing terribly original about “Southern Nihilizm”,
but that doesn’t really matter as Bahimiron’s intent is to
flatten the listener with an all out black metal assault;
nothing more, |
nothing less. Since this is all done very well, that’s just
fine with me as “Southern Nihilizm” blows through an approach
somewhat reminiscent of Bathory’s first couple of full lengths
with a bit of a more mature approach and touches of droning
atmosphere. In addition, there are a few weird, unsettling
moments of horribly twisted, distorted riffs and even some
bizarre solos set against a backdrop of dirges that make
“Southern Nihilizm” particularly effective. Combine those
touches with well done, fast riffing on top of effective
songwriting, and Bahimiron make a strong statement for USBM
supremacy with “Southern Nihilizm”.
Moribund Cult once again has dug up an American black metal
gem with Bahimiron. “Southern Nihilizm” is highly recommended.
www.bahimiron.com |
www.moribundcult.com |
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Cyaegha - Steps of
Descent (Canonical Hours) Review by Chris
Davison |
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The name of a Lovecraftian old-one, apparently, to answer the
first obvious question. With that out of the way, time to turn
to the band. An American death metal band, but fear not, there
are no “breakdowns”, “chugga-chugga” sections or “br00tal”
moronic blasts to be had here. The good thing about death
metal is that there is so much variety within the genre, but
the best death metal is always that which has been constructed
with the most care and thought. Now, some death is of course
better because it is simple – but that's often simple by
design, or extremely intellectual and musically proficient.
Those that lead excel, and those that follow falter and fall.
Cyaegha are leaders, not followers. |
Simply put, this is an extremely accomplished and jaw dropping
debut of such astonishing quality that I do wonder how they
have managed to create it. From the stunning album art and
inlay presentation, through to the individual songs, this has
all the hallmarks of being a future genre classic. There is a
palpable air of inventiveness and intellectual worth to the
music here. I was reminded greatly of the first time I heard
Nile; yes this is unmistakably death metal, but it is also far
removed from the general humdrum of their peers.
The guitar riffs are twisted and misshapen, sounding not
unlike they had been dragged from the depths of unholy R'lyeh
itself. The drums are a blasphemous heart beat, irregular and
hammering. The bass lines are like the distant thuds of
unknown creatures stomping through darkened woods. It's seldom
that a new death metal band understands the dynamics of
creating atmosphere and marrying it with superb songwriting
skills, but here it seems that Cyaegha are a fully fledged
band. The music sounds so matured and dark that it is easily
better than anything produced by Morbid Angel in the last few
years. Likewise, if there is any real credit to be had in this
world, then the ridiculous amount of praise being heaped on
mediocrity like Mithras would instead be better placed on the
doorstop of Cyaegha. My only criticism would be that having a
closer called.......”Fuck Start My Dinner” is a bit knuckle
brained to be allowed to share disc space with the other music
on this disc.
So...when's the follow up coming?
http://canonicalhours.com |
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Daymares - Toothless and Fanged (Get By Records) Review by Steve
Green |
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I've a lot of time for Poland's Daymares. I was a big fan of their no
nonsense Can't Get Us All debut last year and this MCD promises more of
the same. Entombed style death n roll, a furious punk attitude and bouncing,
hardcore style gang shouts. The recipe is a simple one, yet it's one that
drags you in immediately and you cannot help but love this band.
The songs are fired at you at breakneck speed and they all blur into one
happy, fist banging wall of sound. That is until we reach track four,
Words One Loves To Hate. This is completely different as it sounds like
Daymares in slow motion and to be honest, it just ain't the same. While I
can understand the band wanting to try something different, I prefer |
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it when they they are bashing me around the head with their
raw as shit, punk fuelled anthems. That's what they excel at
and that's what they should stick to.
www.myspace.com/yourdaymares |
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Dignity - Project Destiny
(Napalm Records) Review by Dave Baynham |
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This is the debut album by Dignity, a band formed by
ex-Edenbridge drummer Roland Navratil and on keyboards Frank
Pitters, who has recording credits on a number of Edenbridge
albums. After being in a band where one man did all of the
writing it looks like Navratil wanted to be in a more
democratic set up. Consequently all of the tracks are jointly
credited. The band are mainly from Austria, with the exception
of singer Jake E from Sweden, and it is his voice that invokes
comparisons to Europe for parts of this album. Although much
of ‘Project Destiny’ can be categorised as melodic hard rock
in the vein of Europe or a heavier Survivor it goes beyond the
template. The complexity of the |
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arrangements and driving keyboards mean that there is plenty
to enjoy for fans of symphonic or neo-classical metal. The
faster, heavier material is worthy of comparison to classic
Royal Hunt or a less widdley Artension. The mix of these
styles makes the overall feel of the album reminiscent of
Brazen Abbot. It riffs well, has choruses that would have
dominated FM radio back in the day and is consistent quality
material. Even the rocked up cover of ‘Don’t pay the Ferryman’
is fun in a cheesy way.
www.dignityband.com |
www.napalmrecords.com |
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