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Azrael - Obdurate/ Unto
Death re-issue (Moribund Cult Records) By: Dave
Schalek |
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”Obdurate/ Unto Death” from Minnesota’s Azrael is a
re-issue of the band’s first EP and a prior demo, now packaged
together, remastered (well, the promo material says so, but,
seriously), and released on Moribund Cult Records, Azrael’s
label of choice. I have a passing familiarity with Azrael,
ultimately finding that the first full-length, “Into Shadows
Act I: Denial” is a pretty good example of ambient driven raw
black metal. I really haven’t given the band’s subsequent
output much of a listen, however, and I am hearing “Obdurate/
Unto Death” here for the first time.
For those most part, the material released here is bottom of
the barrel, minimalist black |
metal that tries to evoke the bizarre soundscapes of Xasthur
and Black Funeral, but comes up short. The EP, “Obdurate” is
by far and away the better of the two releases packaged here,
and combines the same, hideously fuzzed out guitar sound of
Black Funeral with the tropes of minimalist acts such as the
awful Striborg, an obvious comparison. A droning, slow pace,
muted rasps, thin guitars so grating that they nearly fade
into the background, and moments of atmosphere combine on
“Obdurate” to make the EP’s three songs at least a bit
interesting.
However, as moderately entertaining as “Obdurate” may be,
“Unto Death” has no redeeming qualities whatsoever with
horrendous musicianship, absolutely boring songs, and a
decidedly amateurish take on the minimalist genre. In
addition, this demo goes on for far too long and I found
myself repeatedly hitting the skip button as each song
stretched out. You’d definitely be wise not to waste your
time.
What we end up with here with “Obdurate/ Unto Death” is a
release essentially for completists; that is, if you’re
already into Azrael (and the minimalist genre), you might
spend the money and effort tracking down this release, but,
for the rest of us, your money is probably better spent
elsewhere.
www.moribundcult.com |
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Canobliss - Psycothermia (Self Release) Review by Steve
Green |
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When I reviewed Canobliss' last album, Liberation of Dissonance, I was a
little harder on them than I should have been. It was because I could see
the potential in the band, but I felt that they didn't quite deliver the
album that they should of. And being the smug git that I am, I just love
being proved right. Canobliss have taken everything that I thought was
great in their sound and have crafted an almost perfect album.
I was racking my brains, ok, brain cell, on a way to best describe how the
music of Canobliss makes me feel. The best comparison I could think of was
harking back to the |
first time I heard the Mike Patton fronted Faith No More. Do
you remember the first time you played The Real Thing and From
Out Of Nowhere blasted from your speakers? Hearing Mike Patton
on this song for this first time was a revelation, and hearing Canobliss frontman
Johan Maldonado has the same effect on me. I love the guys voice and every
time I play this album, I just get caught up in the infectious melodies.
And even when I don't play the album for a few days, the songs are still
constantly going around in my head. And that's not just the odd song or
two, it's the whole bloody album. Canobliss have obviously perfected the art of
writing catchy songs.
For those of you that haven't Canobliss yet, I'd best enlighten you on how
they sound. I think comparisons with Faith No More or Serj Tankian's Elect
The Dead album are fair. A mixture of Rock/Metal, with just a hint of rap
and funk. But that's just the tip of the iceberg. As I've mentioned
already, the songs are extremely melodious and catchy, yet I'd say there
are also Progressive elements to their sound, as well as bouncy modern
traits. And just when you think you've got their sound nailed, they throw
in massive curveballs like the Latin flavoured Adios. Pure genius.
I think on Psychothermia, Canobliss can do no wrong. The song writing and
performances are way above most signed bands and that brings me to a final
point. Why the fuck aren't these guys signed to a major label? Seriously,
if any major/independent label A&R's are reading this review, then sign
these guys immediately, at least track them down and give them a bit of
your time. It'll be a travesty if they don't make it as I
think they are one of the best bands to come out of the US in the past few
years. www.canobliss.com |
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Core Of Nation - Machine
World (Rocksector Records) Review By Strawb
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C.O.N. are a Swedish hard rock / metal band and this is their
ten-track debut album. They have been together since 2002,
under this band name since 2004 and had the current line-up
since 2006. I have forced myself to listen to it, to analyse
it and to note it. I have also had it playing in the
background a number of times and it is playing as I type, but
throughout the various listening this one fails to invoke any
great feelings in me. Pleasant might not be the most
complimentary word to use, but it is the best I’ve got for
Machine World.
The premise behind the theme of the album is a familiar one to
any fans of the Terminator |
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movies: machines become sentient and mankind battle against
them. The opening track, Blinded By Light, as with so many
others here, has a slow opening and then a bit more fire in
its belly later. The vocals seem to overpower the instrumental
output, and in my opinion this is a pity because I listened to
many good riffs throughout the album and it was the vocal
style and delivery that left me cold. The style of Welcome To
The Pit is a much more jaunty sound and better suited to the
vocals. Stand-out riffs include the Bon Jovi type wild west
intro on Sell Out and the doom bit on Breed Of Hate. Tim, who
listened through it with me, commented on this track: “I was
enjoying that, it was almost getting me going, and then it
ended for the vocals, I really liked what was going on in the
background on that one.” And I leave the final quote to him:
“Yeah, there’s one or two that caught me but not all. I think
it’s him, for me he’s not got a good voice. I wouldn’t rush
out and buy it.” Internet access at
www.coreofnation.com |
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Corral - Outlaw EP
(Self Produced) Review by Chris Davison |
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The Irish scene appears to me, as an outsider, to be an
extremely fertile and emergent force in metal. Not only do
they have some of the best underground bands of the moment in
the mighty For Ruin and Era Vulgaris, but new bands seem to
crop up with increasing frequency. Corral, as you may have
guessed, are also an Irish band, and this is their first
release. From the accompanying blurb, it would seem that they
are very popular in their native Dublin and are having some
interest from some major players in the metal marketplace.
Five short and sweet tracks on this EP, perfect for a quick
pre-pub blast in the car on the |
way into town. Anyway, for the similarly un-initiated, this is
dance floor friendly moshtastic modern metal, with a strong feeling for the
downtuned monster riff and pinch harmonic guitar scream. It's
all rather inoffensive stuff, sounding not unlike the simpler
moments of stuff like Black Label Society, albeit often a tad
heavier by virtue of the drum speed, and it's going to appeal
to the Friday and Saturday night rock club crowds, probably at
about between 11pm and 2am, I would think. Singer Woody has a
fine metal voice, though to be fair I think Corral could do
with a bit more time to develop a unique style and spirit.
This isn't an unenjoyable release per se, but it does lack an
identity of its own, and therefore never really rises above
the level of a pre-pre-headliner support slot band.
Simple, head nodding but none too essential modern metal then.
Corral clearly have the musical skills to produce more complex
and more interesting music, and this may well come in the next
one or two releases. As it is, drink a beer to it and nod
approvingly the next time you hear it in the metal venue of
your choice. Like a kebab, you're going to enjoy them when in
drink, but you won't want them the next day...
www.myspace.com/corralmusic
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Daddo - The Other Side
(Self Release) Review by AJ Carlile |
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'The Other Side' is the debut album from Bosnian born, Chicago
based guitar virtuoso Daddo Oreskovich, and the product of 24
years work as a musician.
The first thing to note is that Daddo has a similar sound to a
number of other virtuosos out there. An unfortunate fact which
will probably lead to a number of people dismissing Daddo
without giving him a fair chance. Something I was almost
guilty of myself. But intending to give the guy a break, I
pressed on, and am VERY glad I did. ‘The Other Side’ is an
absolute gem of an album.
The thing that impressed me most about the album was it’s
sheer diversity. Very few of the |
tracks on the album sound similar. For instance, track 2, ‘The
Other Side’, is an orchestral accompanied guitar piece on a
truly grand scale. ‘Red Line Express’ is a light, upbeat
track, (with a couple of astounding bass lines, but more on
that later) which, as far as I can tell, was inspired by a
train. But the diversity doesn’t end there, as we have a
slightly heavier track with a Middle Eastern vibe (Biistreak), a slower, much
more melodic piece in ‘Boston in the Rain’ and the frenzied
‘The Temple’ which sacrifices rhythm for complexity.
(Something I’m personally not too fussed about, but is
listenable regardless.)
While Daddo’s astounding guitar playing is obviously the focal
point of the album, I feel I have to note a couple of other
instruments too. As I mentioned earlier, Red Line Express
features a great bass line. There’s also a section in
‘Princess’ played on a B3 Organ, and a couple of the tracks
feature a Bouzouki. I make note of these for the simple fact
that all the aforementioned instruments were played by Daddo
himself. And as if that weren’t enough, there’s also room for
orchestras, chorus chants and brass sections which Daddo
drafted in just to give this album something a little extra.
While I thoroughly loved the album, I do feel I have to voice
one or two complaints. I found the track ‘Flash Art’ a little
disappointing, considering what had come before it. (Though I
understand Flash Art was some kind of collaboration, so that
may go partway towards explaining why.) But the biggest
complaint I have is that most of the tracks, and the album
itself, came to too abrupt an end. Many tracks simply stopped
when it seemed they could have gone on that little bit longer,
and the album came to a close just after 38 minutes.
Minor complaints aside, 'The Other Side' is an amazing debut,
and those who can look past the fact that Daddo’s guitar
sounds vaguely reminiscent of others are in for a treat with
this album. To anyone who appreciates guitar artistry, ‘The
Other Side’ comes highly recommended.
www.ddomusic.com/index.html |
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Deeply Confused - Isolated
(Self Release) Review by Chris Davison |
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They must have known that their moniker would launch a
thousand reviews. Deeply Confused? Yes, I was, at first to be
honest. I first played this seven tracker on my laptop on the
day it clattered through my letter box, and if I was to be
pictured in a comic, there would be a accompanying
illustration of me looking confused, with a “WTF ???” thought
bubble emerging crudely from my ginger bonce. Yet, to use that
most tired (though in this case honest) of review clichés, it
suddenly “clicked”.
Deeply Confused throw the kitchen sink approach to metal with
this album. At parts death metal, in others jazzy, skronking
and disharmonic thrash riffage (bringing to mind the better
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Voivod catalogue), and traditional metal guitar solos. At
first, it's all a bit disconcerting and throws your listening
skills off balance. A deathly intro, such as that in “Torments
in the Shade of the Totem Pole” give way to atmospheric
keyboards tastefully laced into the background, until
traditional metal riffs interject and segue into the catchy
thrash chorus. Actually, it all started to make sense when I
had it pumped up to “unbearable” volume on the stereo and
eight pints of Boddingtons sloshing about inside my ample
guttage. Aside from the subliminal, creeping affection for the
cleverness of the composition of the tunes and the musical
skills of the band in producing this music, I have to applaud
them for some of the funniest, darkest song lyrics I have read
in a very long time. “Thirtieth Thorn” regales a drunkard,
lost in woods and falling about in thorns. “Stuck in the
traffic with Kip Winger” is a late entry for best song title
of the year, along with the lines “Stabbed myself / Seventeen
Times / Kip Winger can do nothing for me now”.
“And on the Screen” is an all together more disturbing song
dealing (unflinchingly) at the crime of child abuse and the
inability of the judicial elite to deal with the crime in an
appropriate fashion. Even during the more jovial songs, there
is the strong sense that this is a band who are delighting in
confusing and amusing you in equal measure. Trust the
Canadians! Deeply Confused manage to be clever without
crossing that line into being too clever for their own bloody
good. At times, sure, they can get a bit close to the line,
but to their credit, they never stray over it. The
oppressively dark nature of the music ensures that this never
slips into irony loving self parody. For fans of metal who
don't mind a bit of effort in their listening...
www.myspace.com/deeplyconfusedofficial |
www.deeplyconfused.com |
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