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Malecoda - The Hordes of Annihilation
(Self Release) Review by Steve Green |
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Despite the fact that New Jersey's Malecoda are using a drum machine and
that the production isn't the best I've ever heard, I'm still a big fan of
this, their debut EP release. I love their Thrash based Death Metal, which
is infused with some of the more subtle flavours employed by Slayer circa
South Of Heaven. This release has such a cool 90s, old school feel, that I
deny anyone who's a fan of this era not to enjoy this. My only complaint?
There isn't enough material to get your teeth into as you really are left
wanting to hear more. But this 13 minute + debut, which consists of 3
proper songs, an intro and an instrumental is good enough to pique my
interest though, because I think with a real
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drummer on board and with a decent recording budget, these
guys could be awesome. Check 'em out via:
www.myspace.com/malecodausa |
www.malecoda.com |
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Mortifier - Underground Noise
(Self-produced) Review by Metal
Mark |
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Hailing from Canton, Ohio Mortifier are yet another young
group trying to revive old-style thrash metal. It seems like
this genre is more and more crowded each month. That's great
if you are a fan. However, just like twenty years ago once the
thrash market got flooded it's difficult for a band to get
noticed when many of them sounder very similar. So what we
have on this offering are eight tracks all largely founded in
the earlier years of thrash say around 84-86. I hear Slayer,
Kreator, Sodom, early Metallica and even "Killing Is My
Business" era Megadeth. It took a few songs for them to
really warm up as both the opener "Mountain Killings" and the
second track "Dead by Dawn" seem to lack firepower. |
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The heaviness is sort of there, but everything is more routine
than I was hoping for. Although at least part of this may be a
production shortcoming. The guitar is a little low in the mix
at times. Particularly when the drums pick up the guitar seems
to fade into the background more than it needs to. However the
band pick up the pace considerably on "Black Plague" and even
more so on "Viking Rampage". They settle in and the energy
level goes up a notch. Plus they take a few chances and mix up
the pace. On some of the later songs the guitar has a raw,
primal sound that reminds some of demos from the mid-80's. I
feel like the potential is there and they certainly got better
as the album went along. However there is no doubt they could
be a little tighter at times and taking some more risks would
help. They differ some from other bands coming up because the
sound is a less polished and their influences vary a little
more, but they need to keep working at it to really leave the
kind of impression I am sure they want to make.
www.myspace.com/mortifier1 |
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Necronoclast - Haven
(Moribund Cult) By: Dave Schalek |
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Necronoclast is the one man project of a chap named Greg
Edwards from England, and appears in the form of “Haven”, the
project’s third full-length. “Haven”, released on Moribund
Cult, consists of a generally mid-paced, depressive black
metal soundscape with a mix of traditional elements, blackened
doom, and a sound similar to that of the USBM scene’s penchant
for suicidal black metal.
“Haven” has all of the elements of traditional raw black
metal; that is, the rasps, the thin, yet powerful, production,
atmospheric depths, you name it. However, I can definitely
detect the bleak nihilism of Xasthur and other like-minded
suicidal black metal acts lurking |
in the background, although Necronoclast is not nearly as rough as most acts from that
sub-genre. In addition, Edwards achieves an organic sound on
“Haven”, although the percussion is programmed.
All of the music on “Haven” is reasonably well done; however,
there is a definite feeling of “been there, done that” as
there’s nothing really new going on here. Unfortunately,
although well written, “Haven” is not very memorable and could
quite easily get lost in the mix of hordes of other bands
treading this well worn ground. In short, Necronoclast becomes
one of those second tier acts that is enjoyable as you listen,
but you tend to immediately forget the music once you’re
finished. Still, there’s a lot of promise on “Haven”, and
Necronoclast may become distinguishable yet.
www.necronoclast.com |
www.moribundcult.com |
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Pantheist - Journeys Through Lands
Unknown (Firedoom) Review by Steve Green |
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While the Scandinavians are quite well known for being in numerous bands,
there's a small group of musicians in London who seem to be building quite
a decent portfolio of top quality bands between them. I'm thinking Skaldic Curse, Fen
and Lost Legion and a few others I'm slightly less familiar with such as Indesinence and Demagogue.
Also on that list are Pantheist, who have just released their third album
via Firebox Records imprint, Firedoom.
I have to say, that out of all the bands mentioned above, Pantheist do
sound the more accomplished. I do have a minor gripe with Kostas' clean
vocal style on a couple of the
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earlier numbers, which, in my opinion, is an acquired taste,
but apart from that, Pantheist are an excellent, almost
faultless band.
The multitude of sounds incorporated on Journey Through Lands Unknown make
it nigh on impossible to categorise Pantheist. While the biog has them down as "experimental" and "funeral doom",
I'd have to agree with the former, and kind of disagree with the latter, as
the album doesn't get that miserable until
the unholy dirge of track 5, Oblivion. This album definitely has an air of
melancholy about it, but I'd also through 70s Prog into pot, and also a
slight ethnic feel, which may, or may not, stem from some of the band
members Greek heritage. Or I could be completely wrong and it's down to
something far more mystical. Whatever the influences are, Pantheist have
got it spot on.
Journey Through Lands Unknown consists of 8 huge sprawling tracks that
weave, what seems like, a never ending tapestry of sounds as they
gradually draw you in. You could quite easily lose your way amongst such
vastness, such is the epic nature of this album. And it's an album that
seems to get better as it progresses. Quite possibly because it takes a
couple of numbers for your ears and your brain to marry up what is
actually going on. This is an extremely complicated album with no
traditional structure to latch onto, but that's probably what makes it such an enjoyable listen. It's a
genuine challenge to keep track of where everything is going and you have
to concentrate on what's going on to fully enjoy the experience. So for
those that want a challenging listen and prefer your music to be on the
miserable side of life, then look no further than here:
www.myspace.com/pantheistuk |
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Pride Tiger - The Lucky
Ones (Powerage) Review by Joe Geesin |
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One reason I like reviewing is that you get to discover new
bands you’d otherwise miss, and this is a prime example. I’d
heard the name as the band were much touted by Classic Rock
magazine as one of the best new bands around, and that they
are. This Canadian 4 piece clearly have some retro influences
that are obvious from the start. The album opens with “Let ‘Em
Go” with a classic punk metal smack in the face. Not quite in
GMT territory but you get the idea. This angle is mixed with
some classic twin guitar rock (duelling Southern Rock style)
in “What It Is”. By track three the band are clearly in Thin
Lizzy land, and much closer than the current Thin Lizzy are. |
All good stuff so far; a couple of different styles the band
have put their own stamp on. But then “A Long Way Down” is a
mixed bag, on the up side there’s a 90s hard rock sound, on
the down some acoustic bursts that sound like a guitar pop
band. The longer acoustic finish is a nice touch that doesn’t
fit in.
“White Witch Woman Blues” only nods at the blues, but it is in
70s American hard rock territory (the muchness of Hager,
Nugent, Derringer). The harmonica / guitar duelling is an
excellent touch though.
The album is a pretty strong modern take on some classic hard
rock. Lizzy and a beefed up Derringer are revisited more than
once. Having a second guitarist who also covers keyboards is a
set up that worked well for UFO and MSG, and it works well
here too. You can see why they are the darlings of Classic
Rock magazine. For once they got something right.
www.myspace.com/pridetiger |
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Root - Hell Symphony
(I Hate Records) Review by Crin |
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A welcome re-issue of the cult Czech Black Metal band, Root.
Fronted by charismatic front man, Big Boss, Root are the Czech
Republics most respected Black Metal act [Masters Hammer a
close second]. Formed in 1988, and having ushered forth eight
albums, [this being the second] Root have honed a sound that
is uniquely their own, mainly due to the vocal strengths of
Big Boss. To put the release in perspective we must remember
this came out in 1991 at a time when the Norwegian Black metal
explosion had yet to ignite. There was a dark underground
movement with bands like Samael releasing their debut, Worship
Him, album, as well as Darkthrones Soulside Journey. Rotting
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were still relatively a Death act, and Immortal were preparing
for the release of Diabolical Fullmoon Mysticism,
the following year. Root's sound here is very typical of the
age where Thrash and Death were fragmenting and the imminent
Black Metal strain was simmering inn an underground yet to
realize what was to occur. Early Rotting Christ meets Samael
with a huge slice of Root’s totally unique style, as this band
have a bone cracking sound and a musical ability to rival the
very best.
www.ihate.se |
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Root - The Book
(I Hate Records) Review by Crin |
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Cult Czech Black Metal arises from the smog of 1999 with this
re-issue of the bands fifth album. If you are familiar with
the previous, Temple of the Underworld opus, then the natural
progression to this quite resplendent album is quite awe
inspiring. The album as a whole is literally set out like a
book, with numerous levels of pace, intensity and atmosphere.
The music is by no means the icy chill emanating from the
likes of Darkthrone or Satyricon. Here we have a monstrously
stable production and a set of songs that are way beyond their
time. Think Samael’s cornerstone epic, Passages, and then the
total uniqueness of this monstrous release will become
apparent. Root are one of the most |
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underrated post Black Metal acts of them all. The sinister
atmosphere generated by the wailing vocal strains of Big Boss
are mesmerizing. The range of this mans vocals are staggering
as they weave from hypnotic chanting to clean wails, from deep
growls to spoken narrative. The scope of the vocals equals the
scope of the musical arrangements of swooshing dark metal with a majestic doom
atmosphere bleeding into a drooling hellish guitar mix. The
music’s vast scope allows the album to extend beyond the
primitivisms of the surrounding Black Metal purists. I would
recommend this to any extreme metal fan and beyond.
www.ihate.se |
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