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Mortal Form - Taste the Blood
(My Kingdom)
Review by Chris Davison |
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How long has it been since the inception of the term “death /
thrash” was coined? What, fifteen years, longer? I wonder
how much relevance it has today. There is so much blending and
mixing of metal sub genres that I'm not entirely sure that
it's even remotely helpful to the modern listener. For
instance, what's the real difference between 99% of all death
/ thrash bands and 99% of all melodic death metal bands?
That's what I thought – bugger all.
All of which is a rather rambling way of saying that I
heartily approve of the smörgåsbord approach to metal
epitomized by Mortal Form. Hailing from the flatlands (that'll
be Holland |
rather than my beloved Fens). They've been peddling their
wares since 1999, with four previous releases, so it should
therefore come as little surprise to hear that they are an
extremely accomplished and polished outfit. With a generally
upbeat backbone of up-tempo almost Germanic thrash in the best
tradition of Kreator and mid-period Sodom, they've
upped the heaviness ante with dashes here and there of earlier
In Flames and later Death. What's particularly good about
“Taste the Blood” is the sheer amount of riff mongery, time
changes and guitar-centric passages. This kind of hybrid music
is often associated with simplistic music, but here, with
tracks such as the sprawling “Construction of Deconstruction”
you can find the the perfect marriage of progressive
technicality and the aggression and hooks associated with
classic heavy metal.
Taste the Blood is a very enjoyable album. Those of you who,
like me, are unable to listen to good metal without at least
one appendage twitching along to the riffs may find themselves
mistaken for having some form of seizure by passers by – and
for this eventuality I warn you against listening to this on
iPod on any form of public transport. Infectious isn't really
the word. I've had less infectious bouts of the common cold!
The song writing walks that tenuous tightrope of being
sufficiently complicated to keep interest, and simple enough
to drag you in. The production is killer too, being full of
punch and power while also being gritty enough not to fall
into the “too produced to sound heavy” bracket. So, returning
to my early comments – don't label this death / thrash. It
would be limiting and disingenuous to the band. Just call it
heavy, fast and loud. Excellent stuff indeed.
www.mykingdommusic.net |
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Nocte Obducta - Sequenzen Einer
Wanderung (Supreme Chaos Records) Review by Steve Green |
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Ok, I first put this cd into play without reading a thing about the band.
After a few minutes of "pleasant" un-metal sounds, without vocals, my
curiosity got the better of me and I found the biog. It seems Nocte
Obducta split up last year and this is their final goodbye. The band are
described on the biog as avantgarde, which I don't have a problem with and
this music is kind of out there. But they've also been described as
"pioneers that influenced the German black metal scene". That comment
wasn't matching up with what I was hearing in my headphones so after about
20 minutes I was so confused I had to double check to see if I was
reviewing the correct cd as what I'd been hearing was barely Metal, never |
mind Black Metal. It seems I was reviewing the correct cd, but it
simply held a few more surprises than I was expecting.
Sequenzen Einer Wanderung has 2 tracks, with a combined running time of 44
minutes. Teil 1 is very mellow and is mainly instrumental and it fits in
with more with the ambient scene than with anything else, which is why it
was confusing the hell out of me. While track 2, the imaginatively titled
Teil 2 does have the slightest hint of blackness (and of Metal) and it is
a lot heaver than Teil 1. And despite is being heavier than its
predecessor, it still retains elements of the film score theme which I
enjoyed in Teil 1. It's not until the final few minutes that the albums
blackened heart is finally revealed, resulting in a satisfying end to a
very unusual, yet very enjoyable album.
www.myspace.com/nocteobducta
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Ofermod - Tiamtu
(Norma Evangelium Diaboli)
By: Dave Schalek |
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Ofermod, a semi-legendary, infamous, raw black metal duo from
Sweden, finally release a proper debut full-length. Entitled
“Tiamtu” and released on Norma Evangelium Diaboli (AJNA
Offensive has a hand in “Tiamtu”, as well), Ofermod’s debut is
a thoroughly rancid affair with slimy atmosphere and vocals
more than reminiscent of Erik Danielsson of Watain, an obvious
comparison, along with a definite old school vibe. Elements of
classic Venom (definitely minus any humor, however, as Ofermod
are deadly serious) and Sodom’s first couple of releases comes
to mind with primitive riffs, sloppy musicianship, and a loud,
in your face production. |
Ofermod do manage to mix things up rather nicely, however,
with strong songwriting, variation in tempo (the focus is upon
some slower dirges, although blasts make appearances),
surprisingly understandable, greasy vocals, and, strangely
enough, the odd well placed melody or two. Throw in some band
member antics involving incarceration, and you have all of the
necessary hallmarks for the next “true” black metal band that
just may woo the hipsters away from their current infatuation
with Watain.
All joking aside, “Tiamtu” is pretty powerful stuff with a
full blast of hate from vocalist Nebiros and Michayah (Belfagor),
responsible for all instrumentation. Concentrating on powerful
guitars, Ofermod are quite good at evoking a feeling of pure
hatred with “Tiamtu”, a feat that isn’t very easy to pull off
and come across as entirely genuine. In short, this is very
powerful black metal that’s truly vicious.
It should be noted that, although I’ve compared Ofermod to
current popular acts, Ofermod have been around in one form or
another since 1996. Although their output is scant, Ofermod
have obviously had a profound impact upon bands such as Watain
and Funeral Mist, at least to these ears. Buy or fucking die.
www.myspace.com/ofermodofficial
| www.noevdia.com |
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Silencer - Divisions
(F-Bomb Records) Review by Steve Green |
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Here's a simple tip for bands and labels: When you send out a press kit,
please include some relevant information for use in reviews, like band
members names, links to websites etc... F-Bomb have provided a track
listing for the Silencer album, but no links to band website and although
a link to their website is provided, they've not updated it with any
information on Silencer. So rather than trawl around the net looking for
info, I'll simply skip a few bits that I intended to say. And that wasn't
a dig at the label, just a general moan at the lack of information we
(don't) receive on a regular basis... Anyway, on to the album.
Silencer are an American band with the core of their sound rooted
somewhere in Thrash. |
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Not particularly from the old school, more from the 2nd run of
bands that were influenced by the originators of the scene.
The influences are evenly spread between the US and from our
Scandinavian cousins. Biggest influences, to these ears at
least, are Shadows Fall and Pantera. The latter mainly due to
the vocalist slipping into a style similar to that of Phil Anselmo. There is also a tendency to mix both
clean and growled vocal styles (without the weakness of shitty Metalcore)
and Silencer, the band as whole, tend to be very technical with their
instrumentation, without losing the flow, or the power of the songs. Which
lends me to think the level of song writing on Divisions is of a high
standard. Which kind of brings me to my only gripe with the album.
Although well written and well performed, I don't find any of the songs
particularly memorable. All music fans are different and I tend to go for
songs that stick in my head for days, and of those that I can sing (or
shout) along with. But we all have different tastes in Metal, so I
wouldn't necessarily make that a criticism of the band. I'd say this album
would be enjoyed most by those that prefer the bands on labels such as Century Media, Nuclear Blast
and Roadrunner. So this one comes
recommended to such fans.
www.fbombrecords.com |
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Terrorama - Omnipotence
(Nuclear War Now!) Review by Chris Davison |
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“...a big fuck off to all people jumping on current trends –
be it retro-thrash, religious BM or whatever”. So reads a line
from the accompanying biography, and a very noble statement of
intent that is too. Terrorama are so cult that they have
issued this album in Chile. On tape. That's so fucking true
that I suspect that the tape case might be made out of denim,
and the tape itself a loop of faded leather. I don't think
Terrorama are out to make any friends in the thrash scene,
allying themselves as they do with the defiantly badly
produced forbearers such as Holocausto and Vulcano, along with
a host of other names so obscure and underground that I have
never heard of them before. |
...all of which is fine, as long as the music stands up, right? I mean, who wants an album just for the underground value
irrespective of the music contained within? Well, that might
be a rather facetious question given some of the absurd values
placed on albums on ebay and the like, but the fact is that
such venomous statements have to have the music to back them
up, Well, if you can remember fondly (as I can) the primitive,
savage thrash of Sepultura and Overdose on the split album
“Bestial Devastation”, then you are going to be in for a real
treat here. Like that album, this concentrates on morbid
atmosphere and unbridled aggression rather than any kind of
concentration on musical ability or production. Sonically,
this is so primitive that it may have been recorded by cavemen
bashing the sound into rocks with clubs. The guitars are
horribly under produced, trebly and tinny, the drums are
overpowered by the clattering of cymbals, the bass almost
non-existent, and the vocals sound like the singer is having
his throat cut. Perfect then, for this kind of thrash, but
likely to be a shock to the system to any listener that
equates thrash with the Bay-Area chugga-chugga or even the
Germanic Kreator school of thrash. This is the real bastard
offspring of underground metal and punk, and the charmingly
idiosyncratic production job is just right.
Are there any criticisms? Well, yes, I would say that while
the aims of the group are laudable, the song writing itself
isn't really consistent all the way through the album, with
the odd filler track here and there, and towards the end of
the short (eight track) disc, my attention does start to
wander off a little. As an exercise in resistance against
“crappy 3rd class Kreator/Slayer/Metallica/Vio-lence/Exodus-riffing
nowadays” however, this is just the ticket. Never mind the
chug, give me the hiss and headache of non-stop treble
overload!
www.nwnprod.com |
www.myspace.com/terrorama |
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Various - The Wicked Soundtrack By Al
Jourgensen (13th Planet)
Review by Steve Green |
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This is a soundtrack based on the film Wicked Lake, which suggests to me
that not every song is in the film, that's been put together by Al Jourgensen. The majority of the bands on here are on Jourgensen's 13th
Planet label, so any accusations of nepotisms are more than warranted I'm
sure, but then again, if you can showcase a ton of your bands for free,
why not?
First up are Burton C. Bells, Ascension Of The Watchers who treat us to a
couple of numbers, including the wonderfully haunting Evading, which is
the highlight of their Numinosum album. I'll bypass Laika & The Cosmonauts
as they are so bad that I've never |
managed to hear all of their song, Experiment In Terror. So
we'll quickly move onto Rev Co. They also get a couple of
numbers, one good, one bad. 10 Million Ways To Die doesn't
really do it for me, but Hookerbot3000 is a real electro dancefloor
classic. Mr Jourgensen continues his own contributions as Ministry and
Co-Conspirators deliver a couple of storming covers of T-Rex's Bang A Gong
and a stunning, energy filled version of the Golden Earring classic, Radar
Love. After Decay, from False Icons, which is the opening number on their
recent God Complex album, we are treated to a previously unreleased Ministry
track, Cuz UR Next, which also features the late Paul Raven on bass.
Bar the classic, Snap Your Fingers, Snap Your Neck, I've never really gone
a bundle on Prong. The two tracks here don't really do anything to change
my opinion, nor does Meshuggah's Combustion. Never really saw what the
fuss is about them either. The downward spiral, as far as I'm concerned,
continues as both Threat Signal, and especially Hemlock fail to move me,
before Ministry restore some pride to the show with Khyber Pass (Wicked
Instrumental) - which incidentally isn't an instrumental!!!!
So yeah, this is a pretty good compilation, but like most albums of this
kind, there will be bands you'll like, and others you'll dislike. But this
one's worth picking up for the Ministry track alone, as well
as checking out bands such as Ascension Of The Watchers and
False Icons if you haven't done so already.
www.ministrymusic.org |
www.myspace.com/thethirteenthplanet |
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| Vulcano - Tales from the Black Book (I
Hate Records) Review by Chris Davison |
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There are some facts about metal which we have to hold as self
evident. For example – there is true metal, and there is false
metal. There are metal heads and there are posers. There is
nothing more valued than being true. There is nothing more
shameful than to drink from the well of falsehood. With these
simple tenets in mind then, it would appear that I Hate Records
are going all out to be the upholders of these simple,
beautiful truths. I mean, while Vulcano are one of the most
celebrated Brazilian bands, they never really captured the
imagination of the northern hemisphere in the same way as
their thrash cousins, Sepultura. “Tales from the Black Book”
was a comeback album of sorts, released 14 |
years after its predecessor, “Ratrace”, back in 2004, but in an extremely
limited form. I Hate has come riding to the rescue, and is
re-releasing said opus to a wider audience. Chalk one up to
truth then, metal fans.
...and the album itself? Well, this is an extremely slick,
polished album that sounds like it was recorded by robots on
brushed-steel instruments. Only joshing! Of course this is
extremely raw, primitive sounding blackened thrash, with
guitars that sound like rusty saws being dragged across high
tensile wire, drums that sound like they were recorded by
bashing empty beans cans in a tin shed and a bass sound that
can only really be described as “lo-fi”. The vocals sound like
a bloke throwing up after having a spree on the old Special
Brew. In other words – this is the perfect old school sound
for evoking images of raw, passionate music. High, treble
orientated guitar riffs are flung about, and guitar solos that
are more enthusiasm than skill (see the solo on “face of the
terror” for example) abound. Vulcano aren't (and have never)
been a band that are going to win any competitions for being
the most technical, accomplished musical outfit. What they are
about is atmosphere, sheer nastiness and brutal thrash. It's
easy to see how black metal outfits found inspiration in their
music, but this isn't just a retro experience. Thrash may be
“back” in the same way that afro haircuts are “back” just
because there are some disco theme-nights, but this album
shows 99% of the newcomers that for all their stupid cover
versions and bermuda-shorts wearing nonsense, you can't buy
“true”.
I can just about remember Keats from my English A level, on
his “Ode to a Grecian Urn” that,
“"Beauty is truth, truth beauty," - that is all
Ye know on earth, and all ye need to know. In which case,
Vulcano would be extremely beautiful. I think therefore that
we can debunk Keats, finally, as Vulcano are so ugly that if I
spend half an hour punching clay, I get prettier faces. That
being said, as an exercise in reaching a wider audience, and
in an exercise in releasing primitive, raw and enjoyable
thrash, this release does it all. A “big shout out” (as we say
in the Ghetto of south Lincolnshire) therefore to both I Hate
and Vulcano. I can only hope that on the back of this and the
recent Nifelheim/Vulcano split that more gormless, nasty lo-fi
thrash awaits.
www.ihate.se |
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xDeathstarx - The Triumph
(Facedown) Review by Metal Mark |
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This disc was originally released back in 2004 on Life
Sentence Records, the album has been re-mixed, re-mastered and
comes with all new artwork. This was the bands sophomore
effort. It may not be new material, but straight-edge hardcore
band xDeathstarx know how to rip into their songs. This is
fairly standard hardcore with a definite nod to a traditional
approach. There are also enough thrash parts in it to appeal
to metal fans as well. This band succeeds in being in your
face and they have a strong grasp on creating a maintaining
heavy rhythms and beats. Much of the music has been done
before many times, but these guys do it well and with some
conviction. The music is basic |
and oftentimes that works. Still there were a few songs where
it was so simple that I was reminded of Billy Milano's various bands and that it made it
difficult to take those songs seriously. These guys certainly
want to be taken seriously. The production is inconsistent and
some songs are sharp and others find the drums and guitars
sounding muddy.
The band has several vocalists contributing here. I actually
wasn't aware of that fact until I looked at the credits
because it's difficult to tell the difference between the
singers. So I am not sure if having multiple vocalists is a
benefit if they sound so similar. The band's talent is
obvious, but it's hard to fully appreciate it completely
because this style has been done to death. Diehard fans of
this style will like it and more casual fans may not be as
impressed.
www.myspace.com/xdeathstarx |
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